Where Do We Go From Here
Fluffy-142
I'm trying to get back into the groove of things now. My fingers hurt from typing so much, and I'm pretty sure that bananas are evil and keep trying to kill me. I really hope that you all are enjoying this story, and sorry it took so long for this chapter update. There was the snow and all, my baby cousin's birthday, and got my wisdom teeth out, many other lame excuses.
Chapter 9: The Long and Lonely Road
"So tell me again, why we're heading in a random direction?" James had been complaining about not having a plan for the past few days. We really didn't know where we're heading, except that I've constantly woken to the sound of Jess creeping around my sentry post. It's getting very creepy, and I have a sense of impending doom, every time I turn my head, or even blink.
"Well, we've been going a bit northwest for the past few days, and honestly, I have no idea where we are."
"That's just great."
"Hey! I didn't ask for your opinion on where we are!"
"No! Look!" I point down the hillside towards the stream we'd been following.
"Oh shit, food!" James drops down into a squat, and pulls out the 270. I remember using that same gun back in Pennsylvania. James holds his breath as he lines up the crosshair on the head of the 4 point buck watering itself. Letting his breath out slowly, and at the same time squeezing the trigger, the deer drops dead.
"Damn! That thing didn't even know it was dead!" Jess fist pumped as she sprinted down the bank, and went to work on the carcass. After the bloater incident last month, she had started to come out of her shell. I'm sure the thought of fresh food was enough to coax her out.
"Well, we're gonna eat well tonight." We had steadily been using up our food rations, and this was just a lucky break. As dusk approached, and that eerie, uncertain light set in, we doused our fire, and climbed the surrounding trees. James hopped into the large Birch to the left, while Jessika and Rebecca climbed the Oak opposite to him.
I took my usual place by the charred remains of the fire, and took the first of two watches. James and I usually alternated every 4 hours, and let the girls sleep. I sat, and listened. I kept my silent vigil well, until they came. I could hear them crashing through the forest, and quickly climbed the Birch with James, and tied myself to the branch like the rest. They had come for the deer, and we let them have it. Then again, what are we gonna do with 50 lbs of meat? Most of it would rot before we needed it.
James and I stayed up with our guns trained on any zombies that could pose a threat to our friends in the trees. They stayed relatively close to the carcass, and they left right about 4:30 in the morning. We've had a lot of close calls, and this isn't the biggest. As they started to file away from the shattered remains of bones in the ground, I nudge James awake to show him they're gone. Big mistake.
"James they're leaving" Bang! James jerks awake and twitches his finger on the trigger of his shotgun. This just so happens to be pointed at the head of the nearest runner.
"Fuck Dammit!" I open fire as well. There's no way we can stay hidden now. The first shot had woken up the girls, and the second shot scared the shit out of them.
"What the hell is going on?"
"What do you think is going on?!" Infected left and right are dying and they just kept coming. This must be one of the hordes. They usually occupy large cities, or even small towns. They must be a rouge group, because they mostly consisted of runners with the occasional clicker. Finally, after the last of the infected uttered their last screams of rage, we hopped down from the trees.
"Well, so much for saving the resources." Rebecca's just one big ray of sunshine today and everyone just needs a good night's rest. That is if the sun doesn't come up in the next 2 hours, which it will. Inevitably, we all try to relax, but it's no use. We decided to push on early, and hopefully cover some more ground than the previous week.
About noon, we came across a small town. There wasn't much but a few houses, and a small diner. There wasn't much to find in any of the houses, but we all found a suitable change of clothes from the blue house on the left.
"Well, it feels good to be out of those." I said as we walked out of the house. James and I had found a couple of button-up flannels, and the girls went a little more casual. Not much of a difference, but the new clothes seemed to brighten the mood a little.
As we walked through the montage of cars that scattered the highway out of town, I couldn't help but feel a little sorry. We had found the clothes in a small closet, and on the bed, were the decaying bodies of a couple, huddling over their children. That just adds to the amount of hatred we already felt towards the infected, and it didn't help that the smallest girl tried to bite my ankle.
"Oh shit!" Jess had screamed. Reacting instantly, James had already blown the 5-year-old to bits. Realizing just how far the infection had gone, just makes you want to pull the plug, end it all. Hell… there were times when I wanted to do that same thing, and I'm still now proud of what I did and didn't do. I've lost so many people. Friends, family, people I never really knew but couldn't help but feel the rift in my heart rip open wider.
I fell to the ground, a large welt instantly growing in the place the gun had struck me. I heard muffled screams from the girls, and James was being dragged to the ground. Damn Hunters, always at the worst of times do they decide to show their faces.
"Sooooo! How's about we see what 'chal got on ya! Huh?" I could smell his rancid breath overhead as he pried my backpack from my shoulders. I could hear the others doing the same with theirs, and by the sounds of it there were about six of them.
"What do you want? We're just passing through."
"Heh, that's what just 'bout everyone's dion' nowadays."
"Well, we might be able to bargain on-"
"Damn! You guys ain't got shit," One of the men holding James down was tossing everything without value out of his backpack. "What the hell you guys been livin' on then?"
"Well, just about anything that we could find. I heard that human flesh is in the market nowadays."
"Being a smart ass just gets you shot, you know." I felt him put the barrel of his revolver to the back of my head.
"Go ahead. I got nothing but Judgment to look forward to." I can tell that this is the end, but I can't really say
"Great choice-"
"Boss! She's infected!" I heard the shots and thought the worst. I am not going to lose any more friends to the infected, hunters, or anything else. I've had it! Mustering all the strength I can manage, I roll out from under the leader's grasp. Pulling out my last shiv, I rammed it into his skull, and proceeded to decapitate, and then disembowel him. I've had enough of fucking hunters, and fucking infected, and I am sick and tired of losing my fucking friends to their pitiful, fucking, LIVES!
It didn't matter their pleas for mercy, I killed them all. Every last one died in the worst way possible: slowly and painfully. I made sure of it, and I don't regret it. My shiv broke after the third hunter, and there just so happened to be a forgotten tire iron beside a wrecked SUV. What happened next, you can guess from there. The last hunter was a one-shot. The tire iron lodged in his skull, and he was still alive… slow and painful. I wrenched it out, and proceeded to lose myself in the spray of blood and brain matter that ensued. After a full five minutes, I finally collapsed backwards in exhaustion. The lake of blood that now covered the road soaked into my fresh clothes. So much for them, I guess.
"Oh…my…God…" Jess' whisper of disbelief slowly emanated from where she, James, and Rebecca crouched 30 ft away. Slowly dragging myself out of the muck, I picked up my backpack, and walked west… never to look back on what this world had made me.
Sup guys! So sorry that it took me so long to update, and I hope that you've enjoyed the story so far, but there are about to be some major plot twists. Hahahaha! You'll never see it coming, and I'll see you in the next chapter
Fluffy142