The visceral rush faded with the humming of the Laginape's engine like a lullaby to the four, wet and tired figures resting on the deck of the old tiny ship as it peeled through the hot, humid and muggy late Southern summer weather.
The rain that punched down upon them earlier had finally let up, giving way dark clouds which loomed over the area and blocked out any sign of the late night sky. But the engine of the boat wasn't enough to drown out the occasional distant screeches of the mutated masses that now roamed the shores of the river. Although the water provided the survivors on the tiny boat a great deal of protection since the infected would simply drown in the water before reaching them, it was never entirely safe due to the "special" infected that could possibly still reach them if the gap between the boat and the land was closed off enough. It didn't seem to bother the boat's captain, Virgil, as he idly hummed himself a tune that he only seemed to know.
On board, Nick's dark handsome features were in need of a shave, slightly darkened by a fine fuzz of black facial hair. His back slumped against the side of the boat as enjoyed the moment of peace as much as one could since a moment of peace usually meant an oncoming horde of infected. His muscles ached and voiced their complaints from the heavy fuel packs they all had to bring back from the gas station for the boat.
Across from him was the sleeping form of Rochelle who lay on the deck. Her beautiful dark features rested upon Nick's bundled white jacket now used as a makeshift pillow. The pink Depeche Mode shirt she wore was no longer the crisp bright color it originally was and now looked faded and worn. It's only other decorations were the splatters of blood peppered across Dave Gahan's face.
Towards the back of the boat laid Coach's large frame. Laying upon his back, he resembled a cartoonish bear with his belly rising and falling in steady breaths with the occasional soft snore being dragged out of his throat. Out of the four, he seemed the most at ease during sleep.
The only one still awake besides the captain was young Ellis as he sat on a box with his hands polishing off the scope of his hunting rifle as he tried to make out any movement from the wooded shores. He tilted his trademark tow truck hat back to expose his forehead in an attempt to see if the dark object in the distance was either a tree or a roaming infected. But Ellis wasn't one to stand too much quiet for too long a time, especially after a fight.
"Hey Nick, are you awake? Nick?" whispered Ellis as he retied the sleeves of his overalls around his waist.
"No Ellis, I'm asleep. I've been asleep this entire goddamn time and this zombie bullshit was all a dream. I'm not really here right now." responded Nick as he with his eyes closed.
"Oh ok. I just wanted to make sure so I don't wake you." Responded Ellis as he returned to his guard duties.
"What's on your mind sport?" sighed Nick while he propped himself up and opened his eyes. He unbuttoned his light blue, now in serious need of ironing, down to his sternum, revealing small tufts of hair on his chest. To Nick, the rain was a God send that washed away some of the guts and grime off his once pristine white suit.
"Well I got to thinking now, if I like turn into one of those zombies, I'd like it to be you to shoot me. I'd be honored if it was." Said Ellis
"Ellis…I'm half tempted to shoot you most of the time so you can bet on it." His voice laced with his usual level of snark.
"I'm serious Nick. I mean ya'll are like family now to me so I'd hate to go and try to eat you or nothing. I mean if Keith was a zombie and shit I know he'd want me to shoot him and I know he'd be happy knowing it was me. I mean I'd be cool if it was Ro or Coach but I kinda want you to do it and that it's ok by me if you did it." Said Ellis as he took of his hat and wiped his brow, all while he continued to scan the shore for movement.
"Well…don't go thinking that shit alright? I mean….fuck Ellis. We've made it this far and we've all been bit, clawed, and slimed already so I'm pretty sure we're not gonna turn into zombies and…we're gonna make it alright. Damn it, now you got me talkin like Coach. Where's my gun so I can shoot your ass now?"
"Well just as a warning, if I do turn into a zombie I'm gonna be like one of those bad ass hunters and shit. I'll be leaping over the goddamn place so fast it'll be like I'm like teleporting and shit like in that movie where that guy could teleport. I'm gonna be like the best zombie ever!" Said Ellis excitedly with a smile that bordered between ignorance and arrogance
Nick cocked an eyebrow.
"Ellis, if you're gonna be a zombie, you're gonna end up one of this little Jockey bitches, all hunched over and humping the shit out of someone."
"Well then shoot, if I'm a jockey, then what'll that make you?"
"The guy with the gun pointed at your little jockey ass." Joked Nick.
"Actually Nick, I'd think you'd make a pretty nice smoker." Said Rochelle
The two men turned towards Rochelle who was now awake and propped up on one elbow, giving her an almost feline appearance.
"Sorry Rochelle. Didn't mean to wake you." Apologized Nick
"It's alright. I wasn't really sleepy anyway." She said "Who can sleep when I have to keep my eye out to see if Nick begins to cough too much."
"Haha. Very funny coming from someone who's gonna be drooling green goo like a busted pipe." Responded Nick with a devil may care grin.
"Oh you just did not infer what I think you're inferring?" she teased back as she cocked her head and matched his eyebrow arch.
"Oh I think I just did. And for the record, I don't even smoke. Anymore." Responded Nick
"Well, shoot Rochelle, that's the only female zombie we seen. Well besides a witch. Well I mean like bad ass female zombie we seen cause like we been shooting hundreds of female zombies and shit all this…" stammered Ellis
"Ellis, I get it sweetie. Shit, you're more likely to catch Nick crying before me. Hmm…a male witch. But I'll have you know that I'm the baddest woman on the planet right now and if anyone is going to be a hunter out of all of us, you better believe it's gonna be me. " She said matching Nick's devil may care grin.
"Uhhh….but we ain't seen no female hunters around Ro." Remarked Ellis
"That's because I'm going to be the first. I am just that bad ass gentlemen."
"Why am I the smoker then?" asked Nick
"Well all that time spent hustling people out of their money in smoke filled bars kinda puts you on the "likely to be a smoker" list of people. You might even become some sort of super smoker if you don't become a witch."
Ellis chuckled as he put his feet up on a nearby box.
"Alright. We got a jockey, a spitter and a smoker. I guess that leaves Coach here." Said Nick
The trio all looked to the large figure of Coach at the end of the boat.
"If ya'll say I'm a boomer, there's going to be an apocalypse of white folks and women in a minute." He said without opening his eyes or moving from his position.
A beat passed between all the survivors before Nick, Ellis and Rochelle all at once laughed. It was the first good laugh any of them had or even heard before the infection started, something to seemed almost foreign to them at this point.
The clouds soon after parted, revealing the starry night sky and the light of the full moon bathing everything in its gentle light overhead as the Laginape continued towards New Orleans.