Dropping in the last bag, the dog already safely stowed away on the back seat, I clenched my fingers around the cold steel of the gun handle, fumbling numbly with the snaps of the holster, fingers suddenly foreign and useless. Piping up my courage I peeked around the open trunk lid, just in time to catch a glimpse of Dan's tan uniform right, then moved out of my line of vision.
Suddenly the jingle of keys caught my ear, and not a second later a small key ring sailed through the air to land on the snowy ground with a loud clinking noise at my feet. Getting the hint immediately, I picked out the key from the ring that looked the most promising and moved about to the front of the vehicle. What I saw made me almost drop the keys.
A small group was moving towards us. It was still a ways away, but closing in the gap fast nonetheless. Dan had moved towards a stand of trees a few meters away, trying to find some cover from the undead group that was zeroing in on him like he was some sort of perverse homing beacon.
It was like a movie flowing in slow motion. I could have screamed in frustration. Could nothing go smoothly anymore?! The loud booming echo of his shot gun spurred me on. But in my mind it sounded like the final charge before the battles end. With the vanquished still defiant and proud, even at the end, but still doomed nonetheless.
Another group crashed out of the brush level with my left, across the lot, and Dan swiveled, blowing the two fastest away before turning back to deal with those coming at his front. Half in the door I raised the handgun and shot widely into the howling crowd coming fast at my side. I didn't let myself check if I had met my mark, instead I chucked myself in the drivers seat, letting the gun slip to the cars floor at my feet. I jammed in the keys, fingers fumbling for purchase on the small cold metal, my eyes fixed on Dan, gun raised, firing into the two-pronged advance, the midday sun at his back.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" I cursed, turning the key home till the engine roared to life. It was truly music to my ears. Thank god it was an automatic I breathed, and said a quick prayer at my luck. I remember the distinctive screech of burning tires as I stepped down on the gas as soon as the motor sounded, feeling that second of slide before the tires gained traction.
I honked the horn loudly as I raced towards him. Mere meters from him the second group coming from the left collided with my cars moving side. Screaming wordlessly I turned the wheel, angling the car widely trying to escape their horrid torn faces and beating hands.
I did a swift, tight circle, making my head spin a bit, and slammed on the brakes. Then accelerated again, trying to escape from the hordes moaning barrage. All the while wishing fervently I was still on the buildings roof, so removed from the heart pounding horror of facing these hell-fiends face to face. I still don't count this as cowardice, they really do have all the advantage. Fuck. Humans should have been born with claws or laser vision or something. Anything!
Dan ran towards me, trying to reload as he came. It seemed as though I couldn't get to him fast enough, the slams and bangs of meaty fists or frustrated howls somehow seemed so far removed from me, muffled somehow.
Tia snarled in the back seat, scrabbling at the windows attempting to get at the fiends on the other side. Her neck fur puffed up, attempting to look as bad ass as a little munchkin like her could muster. Damn that dog is my hero.
Seconds from him, I was about to reach over and swing the door open for him, when a single zombie (a runner as we later would classify the type. They are the ripe fresh ones with minor fatal wounds, such as neck wounds or torso wounds.) reached him, tackling Dan to the ground as he was just swinging the rifle barrel, now fully loaded to face this new threat... he was only seconds too late.
"No!" I shrieked. In that painful moment, as they toppled to the ground together, a burred bundle of motion. I saw in my minds eye the extinction of my hope. I couldn't do this alone, I couldn't face this horrible mess of a world alone! I needed him. Not only that, but even in such a brief time of meeting, we had survived together and he was close, he felt close. I think those who are reading this will understand this concept. You know what I am talking about, you survivors have to know. Even if your fellow survivor, you friend fell victim to the hordes the very next day after meeting. You felt the loss, you felt it as though it was of your own flesh and blood. In this world, friendships can be made by a mere look in someone eye, and a bond is formed.
I admit I completely lost my head. I did a skidding turn till I was roaring back towards the main horde. Crunching glass and bones, bams, smashes, and cut off howls followed as I mowed through them, barely seeing my targets fly as a fine mist of red covered my vision. Later I realized this was not a mist of red rage, but the blood of the enemy, splattered over the windshield. I was damn lucky none directly hit the windshield. Whirling, I came around for another pass at the remainder.
An echoing boom only minutes later woke me from my tirade of supposed revenge as accurately as a cold shower. I hit the breaks. Dan stood in the middle of the lot, looking towards me as the truly dead corpse of his attacker fell to the ground in a gushing waterfall of red. I could have kissed him.
Running to the car he winged off another shot at one of the remainder. Huffing like a winded elephant, he hurled himself into the seat, rifle colliding with the roof as he juggled desperately to fit inside with the shotgun raised.
"GO! GO! GO!" He shouted, barley missing clipping his foot as he slammed his door shut, a few of the undead right at his heels. I couldn't help it and uttered a sarcastic "Duh!". Then we burnt rubber exiting the lot with a handful of undead ...still following. Stumbling after their escaping prey.