Bill ended up keeping watch the entire night. When he saw the sun peeking into the window on the door, he took a deep breath and began rousing the other survivors.
"Up and at 'em, soldiers," he said. "We've gotta plan our next move."
"Already?" Ellis asked. "Feels like I barely slept a wink."
"Sorry, son," Bill said, "but the Infected aren't gonna wait for you to be properly rested."
"So what are we gonna do now?" Louis asked.
"The whole point of coming here was to try to find some kind of radio broadcast that could give us any indication of where to go," Bill said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't find anything in this radio tower, and according to our map, from here it's nothing but forest for miles."
"Where's the next closest town?" Coach asked. "That's going to be our best bet for us to find a radio or possibly even other survivors."
"There's a small town to our west," Bill said, "but it's gonna take a week to get there on foot, and making camp outside is incredibly dangerous. I would only recommend that course of action if we had absolutely no other options."
"Well, we don't have any other options," Zoey said. "We've found no signs of human life since the four of us arrived here, and there are no closer towns than the one you mentioned. It sucks that we're gonna be sitting ducks out there, but there's nothing else we can do."
"Shit," Nick said. "I was in Cub Scouts for like a week when I was a kid. I've never had to rough it in the woods even before this apocalypse."
"I used to go fishin' with my pa when I was a kid," Ellis said. "It's not gonna be that bad, Nick, promise."
"Big difference between what you and your 'pa' did and what we're doing," Nick said. "You and your 'pa' didn't have the Infected hunting you all day and all night."
"I hate to admit it," Rochelle said, "but Nick's right. This isn't gonna be some walk in the park. We're going to need to be vigilant, especially when we make camp."
"Hold on," Francis said, "do we even have enough food and water to last us a week out there? We couldn' t find shit in this abandoned tower, and I'm already hungry."
We're gonna have to live off the land," Bill said. "There'll be streams that we can drink from, and we might be able to hunt animals if we get a chance to find any."
"Hope no one here's a vegetarian," Nick said.
"I used to be one, actually," Louis said, "but when the Infection started, I learned quickly to eat whatever I could get. There's a lot of stuff I took for granted before all this happened."
"You can spare us the soliloquy," Nick said. "When are we moving out? We've only got so much daylight to work with."
"Right now," Bill said. "Sounds pretty quiet out there, so we need to take advantage of the opportunity we have to get moving."
With that said, Francis, Louis, and Ellis moved the furniture they had pushed up against the door the day before. Once the exit was clear, Bill unlatched the door and stepped out, looking around with his M16 raised to make sure none of the Infected were nearby. The coast was clear for the time being, so he beckoned the other survivors forward. The group then headed to the west. There were twigs all over the forest floor that crunched loudly whenever anyone stepped on them. At one point, Ellis tripped on a root and landed hard on the forest floor.
"Hey, make a little bit more noise," Nick said, "I think there are a few zombies five miles from here that didn't hear that."
"Screw you, man," Ellis said. "So I tripped on a root. You hear any zombies coming our way?"
As soon as he said that, there was a loud screeching noise.
"Spitter," Rochelle said. "You just had to ask, didn't you?"
"Quiet!" Bill said. "We're lucky it's only a Spitter. Keep your eyes peeled."
There was no other noise for a few tense minutes. The survivors moved far more slowly as they kept their eyes peeled for the nearby zombie. Finally, Zoey noticed something moving in the bushes. She fired a few shots from her pistols, and a cry of pain came from behind the overgrowth. The Spitter started hobbling away, but a shot from Francis caused her to collapse, the acid from inside her spilling out onto the forest floor. The grass and twigs nearby began dissolving, and the survivors stepped out of the splash zone to avoid the acid.
"Keep that shit away from my shoes," Nick said. "These are designer made."
"Sure thing, Christie Brinkley," Zoey said.
Ellis started laughing for a moment, but then stopped. "Wait, who's Christie Brinkley?"
Rochelle put a hand on Ellis's shoulder. "It's a good thing you're cute," she said.
"Keep moving," Bill said. "Any other Infected nearby would've heard that gunfire. We can't afford to let down our guard."
The survivors kept moving, fighting the overgrowth in the forest every step of the way. Zoey was leading the way using the map and judging their direction of movement using the sun as a guide. There were a few common Infected scattered around the forest. Ellis swung at the ones who came too close with the machete, so that the survivors could conserve ammunition and make less noise.
After what had felt like hours, Bill noticed a peculiar sight up ahead. The Infected standing a few feet from them was large, so it certainly couldn't be common, but it looked nothing like he had ever seen. She had long strands of hair cascading down her entire body, and her ears were abnormally large, almost seeming to weigh down her head. She also had a mouth that stretched all the way to each ear.
"What is that?" Francis asked in a hushed voice.
The Infected twitched and turned towards the survivors, but she had no eyes to see out of. Bill put his pointer finger to his lips to tell the other survivors to be quiet. The zombie started sniffing, and she lurked closer to the survivors as she did so. Everyone raised their guns, ready to fire if this Infected made a sudden move. Suddenly, she dove for Nick, who shot at her with his sniper rifle out of instinct. The shot grazed her, and she screamed in pain. The noise was amplified so loudly that the survivors recoiled at the loud noise. Francis gritted his teeth and fired his shotgun directly into the zombie's mouth. She collapsed to the forest floor, and the screaming stopped. The survivors heard a loud ringing in their ears, and while it was fading, they saw a swarm of common Infected barreling towards them.
The survivors grouped together and fired at the Infected coming towards them from all sides. As the firefight continued, the ringing in their ears began to die down. One common infected grabbed Nick by the leg, but Ellis hacked at the arm to break Nick free. Then, a lot of Infected heading from one direction as a Charger barrelled towards the survivors. Nick aimed his sniper rifle and shot the Charger in the head. It stumbled to the forest floor and rolled down the slope, knocking over common Infected like bowling pins. Louis leveled a shot at the Charger that stopped it for good. Finally, after a few minutes, no more of the Infected continued to come for them.
"Ammo check!" Bill yelled, and the survivors winced at the noise. Their ears were hurting from the screaming zombie from earlier. The survivors checked their ammunition, and most of them were nearly out.
"What the hell was that?" Zoey asked. "Some other weird local variant we don't know about?"
"We've never seen it either," Coach said. "That shrieking bitch is new to us, too."
"I guess that means we can name it," Nick said. "Screamer, anyone?"
"Sure," Bill said, almost sounding defeated. "We barely have enough ammunition left to defend ourselves, so we'll need to be a lot more conservative. Once we reach town we should be able to restock."
"We're still four and a half days out," Nick said. "How the hell are we supposed to defend ourselves until then? We have one melee weapon among the eight of us."
"Oh, Nick, that reminds me," Ellis said, "you've still got that zombie's arm on your leg."
Nick looked down to see that Ellis was right. "Shit! Get this fucking thing off me!"
Rochelle kneeled down, grabbed the arm of the zombie, and chucked it as far as she could.
"Um...thanks," Nick said.
"If we're gonna have any hope of making it to this next town," Bill said, "we have got to keep quiet. We run into another Screamer like that and we'll be out of ammo. Shoot at nothing unless we have no other option."
Nobody objected to Bill, and they continued through the forest carefully so as to make as little noise as possible. They finally came upon a stream, and even Nick had to admit that a drink of water from any source would be good right about now. However, waiting for them in the stream was a group of five more Screamers, all wading through the cool water.
"Shit…" Ellis muttered. The nearest Screamer turned her head. Nick glared at Ellis, looking ready to kill him, but Rochelle grabbed his arm to signal him to keep quiet.
Bill gathered the survivors close to him, and he spoke barely above a whisper. "We need to get a drink of water, but we cannot alert these Screamers or we will be entirely out of ammunition. Drinking one at a time is going to take too long, giving these Screamers a better chance of detecting us. We need to head to the water all at once, as quietly as possible."
The other survivors nodded in agreement, and gingerly approached the stream. The water was running fairly rapidly, making enough ambient noise to drown out the footsteps of the survivors. When they reached the edge of the stream, Bill signaled them to kneel down simultaneously. They then cupped their hands to catch some of the water and slaked their thirst as best they could. The Screamers took no notice of them while they did this. Once everyone was finished, Bill signaled them to cross the stream carefully. As they crossed, though, a rumbling noise came from the distance and the ground began to shake.
"You have got to be kidding me," Nick muttered. Soon, everyone saw a Tank barreling straight for them. He knocked one of the Screamers away, and then all five of them started screaming. The survivors covered their ears and started running.
As they moved through the forest, the Tank followed after them. However, the trees were getting in his way and slowing his charge. The survivors took their hands away from their ears once they were far enough from the Screamers, but their hands had some blood on them.
"Those Screamers better not have done any permanent damage to my hearing!" Nick yelled.
"Who gives a shit? Keep moving!" Ellis yelled.
"Hold on, everyone," Louis said. "I've got this."
"Got what?" Zoey asked. Louis took out his Molotov cocktail, lit it, and threw it at the Tank. The Tank lit up, but it didn't slow his charge, and as he continued to charge towards them he started igniting the trees and brush behind him.
"You could've started a wildfire!" Francis said. "The fuck were you thinking?"
"This Tank won't stop until it's dead," Bill said. "Louis did the right thing."
"You better hope so!" Rochelle yelled. The survivors kept fleeing from the Tank, and as he burned, he began slowing down. The fire raging behind him was enough to slow the progress of any Infected behind him, and finally the Tank collapsed to the ground, the fire having finally overtaken him. The survivors continued to run until they reached a small clearing. At that point, there was still a fire blazing behind them, but there were no more Infected near them. They took a brief moment to catch their breaths and regain their hearing.
"Jesus Christ!" Nick yelled. "That couldn't have gone any worse."
"Nice thinking with the Molotov, Louis," Zoey said. "I don't think we could have escaped without it."
"It's not gonna matter, toots," Nick said. "That fire's gonna keep coming closer, and if we don't keep moving, we're gonna be roasted."
"Nick's not wrong about the fire," Bill said, "but we need to stay on the move anyway, at least until it's dark. Zoey, are there any major bodies of water up ahead that might inhibit the flames behind us?"
"Not that I can see," Zoey said after perusing the map.
"Hey, guys, look at the sky," Rochelle said.
The survivors took a look and saw that the sun had disappeared behind dark gray clouds.
"Looks like it's gonna rain," Louis said. "That should help us with our fire troubles."
"How convenient," Nick said. "Hope you don't mind getting drenched when we make camp."
"And while I'm not seeing any bodies of water," Zoey added, "there's a clearing a few miles from here. With the rain and the lack of brush over there, the fire shouldn't be able to overtake us."
"Then lead the way to that clearing," Bill said. "The sooner we get there, the better. It'll be dark in a few hours, so that's where we'll make camp for the night."
"Brilliant," Nick said. "I always wanted to be drenched by rain during my first camping trip."
No one responded to Nick. Instead, the survivors kept moving, following Zoey's lead as they made their way towards the clearing. In a few minutes, the rain began to pour. The sound of the rain was able to muffle the movement of the survivors through the forest. It also seemed to be deterring the Infected, because there were fewer of them moving towards them. A few stranded common Infected were mulling around, and Ellis sliced at any that rambled too closely.
Nobody talked again until they reached the clearing on the map. Although they could not see the sun setting behind the clouds, they knew it was late, and it was time to make camp at last.
"Given how exposed we are in the open," Bill said, "I think we should have two of us on watch at all points in the night. I was up most of the night last night, so I need two of you to step up."
"I'll take the first watch," Ellis said. "Hey, uh, Zoey, would you like to join me?"
"Um...sure," Zoey said.
Ellis started feeling giddy, but he did his best to contain it. "Cool, then that's settled."
"Before we go to sleep, I need to eat something," Francis said. "Shame we didn't find any deer or squirrels all day."
"In this rain, you couldn't start a fire anyway," Bill siad. "Hopefully tomorrow things'll be better."
"Doubtful," Nick said. Bill glared at him, and Nick shrugged his shoulders.
The survivors took their seats on the damp ground and shared a few cans of beans they had had left over from a few nights ago. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep them going for at least a little longer. They ate in silence, partly to avoid setting off any more Screamers, partly because everyone was lost in their own thoughts. When they were finished eating, everyone except Zoey and Ellis found a way to get somewhat comfortable.
"The two of you can wake me up when you're ready to sleep," Rochelle told them. "Anyone else want to volunteer?"
"Sure," Francis said, "but try to give me at least four hours if you can."
"Okay, goodnight," Ellis said. Once everyone else was asleep, Ellis and Zoey were alone and free to talk. It was still raining, and there was no sign of any of the Infected nearby.
"Did you want to talk about something?" Zoey asked.
"Yeah, well, uh...kinda," Ellis said, suddenly feeling sheepish. Zoey gave him a curious glance, but then Ellis cleared his throat and continued. "Look, normally I'm not good at this kinda thing, but with things out here the way they are, you kinda realize you don't got much time to work with."
"What kind of thing are you talking about?" Zoey asked.
"Shucks, ain't it obvious?" Ellis asked. He took a deep breath. "I really like you, Zoey."
Zoey smiled softly, but said nothing for a moment. Ellis then started to look fearful. "Uh...did I not say it right?" he asked.
"No, it's fine," Zoey said. "To be honest, though, I'm not really sure how I feel."
"Not sure?" Ellis asked, sounding crestfallen.
Zoey suddenly started frowning. "I mean, no, that's not what I meant. I just meant...look, this apocalypse has gotten to everybody. It's made me rethink my priorities. Before all this, I was going to college, studying to be a lawyer someday, like my dad was. Then...well, then all this happened, and everything I had dreamed for myself was gone in an instant. I've never told anyone this, but when the Infection first hit, I watched my parents die. I had to fend for myself after that, and I was lucky to find Bill, Francis, and Louis, because there was no way I would have made it this long without them. I thought I was going to have all this time to find the perfect guy for me, but that dream is long gone. So...yeah, I've thought about who I want to spend my life with, but it was never gonna be with one of the guys I came here with. But now that I've met you…" She trailed off, but Ellis understood what she meant.
"Dang," he said. "You know, I didn't think of it quite like that. I didn't think I was ever gonna find someone. I was always nervous around girls, especially girls as pretty as you, but this Infection changed everything. I don't got time to wait for the perfect moment. I gotta make one for myself."
"Let's make one, then," Zoey said. She leaned closer and started to kiss Ellis. He was taken aback at first, but then quickly settled in and returned the kiss with fervor. A thrill of excitement flowed through each of them, and when the kiss finally broke away, it left both of them wanting more.
"Shucks, Zoey," Ellis said, "I wasn't gonna say it, but now that we done it, I can admit that was the first time I ever kissed a girl."
"Really?" Zoey said. "You must be a natural, then."
Ellis chuckled. "Whatever you say, miss. What about you? That your first time, too?"
"Um...no," Zoey said, "but you're the sweetest guy I have ever kissed."
Ellis began to blush. "Come on, you're just saying that, right?"
"Not at all," Zoey said. "You're not the kind of guy I used to date. They were...denser."
"Denser? What's that mean?"
"I mean, they weren't nearly as considerate or thoughtful as you," Zoey said. "They pretty much only wanted one thing from me, and that got old fast. But you don't treat me like that. You appreciate who I am, I can tell, and that makes it so much better."
"I appreciate that," Ellis said, continuing to blush. He then frowned for a moment. "So wait, if it weren't for the zombie apocalypse, would you have ever given me a chance?"
It was Zoey's turn to frown now. "Sure, I would have," she said.
"Aw, come on now, you don't gotta lie to me. You said it yourself you used to think the perfect guy was out there. So am I actually the right guy, or am I just the...I don't know, the 'convenient' guy?"
Zoey now looked horrified. "Gosh, Ellis, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that at all. Come here." Zoey gave Ellis another kiss, this one more fervent, almost urgent. Ellis was taken off guard, but as they continued to kiss, he realized that Zoey couldn't have felt that he was just the convenient option.
Zoey pulled away and looked Ellis in the eye. "I promise you, you're not just the convenient guy. If that's all I was looking for, I would have been fine with Francis, or Louis, or even Bill. Trust me, you're the real thing. And if we ever find a way out of the mess we're in, I'll make sure to prove that to you."
Ellis smiled. "It's okay, you don't gotta prove nothing. I believe you."
Zoey laughed. "Okay, fine, we can table that for now."
For the rest of their watch, Zoey and Ellis cuddled closely together. They were keeping an eye out to make sure there were no Infected coming towards them, but they also took the time to stay close. Ellis felt a warm feeling in his stomach, happy that the girl he had been interested in felt the same way about him. When a few hours had passed, Zoey kissed Ellis on the cheek and went to awaken Rochelle and Francis. Rochelle woke up without issue, but Francis had to be nudged a few times before he finally opened his eyes.
"You two are up," Zoey said. "Ellis and I have to get at least some sleep."
"Sure thing, hon," Rochelle said. "Come on, Francis, let the kids rest."
"Fine," Francis said. "Sweet dreams."
Zoey and Ellis laid down as best they could and fell asleep close to each other. Rochelle looked at them with a smile. "The two of them sure seemed to have hit it off," she said.
"What?" Francis asked.
Rochelle shook her head. "Before I fell asleep, I heard a little bit of what they were saying to each other. Now look." Rochelle and Francis took a glance at Zoey and Ellis. They were sleeping close to each other, and they were holding hands.
"I guess the apocalypse will make you do weird things," Francis said.
"What do you mean? I think it's great that they're hitting it off."
"Yeah, but I'm just saying...Ellis hit the jackpot, but Zoey could do better."
Rochelle hit Francis in the arm. "There's nothing wrong with Ellis. He's a sweet kid."
"He's a stupid kid," Francis said. "He's almost gotten us killed like twice since I met him. He's damn lucky to get a girl like Zoey. I was surprised to see how well she could fend for herself when I met her."
"You were surprised?" Rochelle asked. "Is that because she's a girl?"
"No," Francis said hesitantly, but then he sighed. "Fine, yes, I didn't think a young girl like her was ever gonna make it through an apocalypse. But she managed to save my ass at least three or four times by now. I have a hell of a lot more respect for her because of it than I did when I first met her."
"Sexism aside," Rochelle said, "we don't always get to choose who we're attracted to. You can be an abrasive idiot, and I still think you're good looking, so what does that say about me?"
"Means you've got good taste," Francis said with a laugh. Rochelle glared at him, and he cleared his throat. "I mean, I'm lucky that a woman like you could ever like a guy like me."
"That's better," Rochelle said, and she kissed Francis on the cheek.
Francis rubbed a hand through his hair and sighed. "I used to want to live a life of danger, but if we ever get out of this shitshow, I think I just want to live a normal life. Settle down, have a couple kids, the whole thing. Louis was right, you take shit like that for granted until something like this happens."
"Yeah, I get what you're saying," Rochelle said. "I hope we can ever go back to that kind of life. For now, though, our only hope is to survive long enough to see if that will ever happen."
The two of them said no more as they kept watch, both of them imagining what kind of a normal life they might someday be able to enjoy.