I'd like to apologize to anyone who was reading this story. I should have kept on with it better, but had a lot of personal things going on. BUT! I have already typed up some new chapters for you and I'll make sure I put them up. Feedback is appreciated ^.^
Walking back to the woods, I grab a water bottle from my pack, sipping it slowly. Feeling refreshed, I begin to walk a bit faster, making better time. In another twenty minutes, I see the road to Shane's work. Turning left, I head toward the freeway, to determine the safest route. About twenty yards from the overpass, I stop, taking it in. A charred school bus blocks the way. I check the number on the side, silently saying a prayer of thanks. My mother is a special needs school bus driver. She works long hours, with low pay and hasn't had a vacation in years. She is the most caring, hardest working person I know. As I say my prayer, I pray for the souls of the children and driver on that bus. I've learned to count my blessings, and not taken others losses for granted. I turn my attention to the freeway below. The side closest to me, leading away from the city has a few wrecks, but nothing major. The side leading to the city, however, has hardly any damage. Stepping out of the woods, I run full force toward the other side. There aren't second chances, I think, I can't mess this up. I reach the other side without problems, and slowly climb the hill to the road above.
This road used to be a familiar trek for me. Now, it's hardly recognizable. A tanker ran into the gas station on the corner, leaving everything in its radius charred. The blinking signs and lights are off, leaving the road itself looking dead. As I make my way down the road, it sinks in how much my world had changed in the past twenty-four hours. A few of the dead emerge from behind cars, and I up my pace. The grocery store is on the left, in a plaza containing a few other shops. Employees park behind the building, so that's where I was headed. If Shane's car was there, he was still in the building. If not, I could only guess he would be at his place. Approaching the loading dock, I scout for anything to defend myself, and find a crowbar lodged under a stack of pallets. Wriggling it a little, I manage to topple the whole thing over. Great. You're killing me smalls. Glancing around, I don't see any of the dead. For now. Hurrying around to the employee parking spots, I notice the absence of Shane's car. I breathe a sigh of relief, then hear the scraping of limp feet behind me. The back door to the store is open however, and I scurry in, avoiding the steadily approaching walkers inside.
The door I head through leads directly to the meat section. Having worked there, I know where they keep their supplies. I grab my long forgotten cell phone, and use its light to find the heavy duty flashlight. Clicking it on, I almost lose my stomach. There is blood splattered everywhere. Stepping around a pool of it, a dragging sound catches my attention. Turning my flashlight in each direction, movement catches my eye. I slowly step around the corner, to find a horrible mess. One of the dead must have gotten caught up on the meat slicer. Its legs hung limply from the metal machinery. It was dragging itself towards me, entrails dragging behind it. Backing up, I decide to search for anything useful while I'm hiding from the draggers (as I'd started to call them in my mind) outside. The coat room is at the front of the store. When I was in the parking lot, I saw the Jeep of one of Shanes co-workers. The owner of said Jeep, Dylan, is a friend of ours, and an avid hunter. I decide to see if his keys were still here. It always had hunting gear in the back, whether it was season or not. I reach the coat room without incident, using displays as cover. Shutting the door quietly behind me, I immediately find the large camouflage coat containing the Jeep keys. I exit, opening the heavy metal door as quietly as possible, and head toward the batteries and flashlights, grabbing a random cart on my way. Reaching the aisle, I quickly load up on all the batteries and flashlights they have. The worlds gone to hell, who's going to stop me from a little shoplifting? As I throw the last box inside, I hear a soft cry. Moving in the direction of the noise, I find a woman, cradling the lifeless body of a man, his open throat leaking blood across the aisle.
"Hey." She didn't even glance my way. "Miss?" I shine the flashlight in her face, hoping to get a reaction.
"Get away. Get away from him! You monster!" She lunges at me, and I step back. The look in her eyes, and all the noise she's making give me enough reason to back away
I head back to my cart, and find some cloth re-usable bags to hold everything. I pile it all in, leaving a few empty bags for other supplies. My phone beeps and dims, signaling low battery life. The flashlights and batteries are all in sealed boxes, and I don't have a knife. I start to hyperventilate. What if one of those things is right around the corner? How will I know? Using the dimmed light, I slowly creep to the back doors. Dylan's locker is right to my left, and I pop it open quickly, snagging the box cutters inside. Rushing back to my cart, I grab the first flashlight in the bag, and slice it open quickly. Feeling a sharp pain, I drop both the package and box cutter. Dropping to my knees, I put my hand in the light from my phone. A shallow gash lies across my palm, bleeding enough to make a mess, but not enough to be serious. I grab the package again, and pull the flashlight out, standing up. As I do, I glance down the aisle. A torso is slowly making its way to me. I scramble back to the cart, riffling through the bags for the correct batteries, my hands shaking. I slice them open, more carefully this time, and drop them down the flashlight quickly. I click it on, and glance about for the crowbar. I must have dropped it when I fell. I train the flashlight down the aisle, and it rests about 5 feet from me, about a foot farther than the dead man was.
What am I going to do? I can't jump that, I'll slip in the blood. I feel my heartbeat speeding up in my chest, and suddenly from the next aisle over, the woman begins to speak.
"Jerry?! Oh thank God. Baby it's okay, we'll get you to the hospital. Come on, help me get you u-AHHHHH!" Her blood-curling screams ring throughout the store, and the body in front of me turns towards it, and begins shuffling away. I wait for it to pass the crowbar before slowly picking it up, placing it in my cart, and wheeling towards the canned goods.