I found a dirt road. Still wrapped in the filthy sheet, my feet sore and bleeding, I followed it. I had no idea which way to go, but left seemed good to me. It was unusually quiet for this time of year, there weren't even any bugs buzzing away. It was like everything knew the world was over. In more ways than one, I knew the world was over. I wasn't innocent anymore. I had killed people; I'd had terrible things done to me. The longer I walked, the more I thought about all the shit that had happened. I wanted to scream, but deep down, I knew that if I did, I'd alert…someone, whether it be Window-Knocker and Friend, or those things. What were they? Dead? Alive? Somewhere in between? This, I couldn't quite understand yet. It was like every scary movie I'd watched as a kid had somehow come to life. So far, the only thing I really knew was that I had to go for their heads in order to stop them, they stunk really badly now, and…well, that was pretty much it. I had no idea how long I'd been tied up in that god-forsaken bed. Was it days? Weeks? The sudden weight of my thoughts brought me down to my knees in the middle of the road.
I sat on my knees there, staring off into space. My eyes weren't focused on anything, except the images. My family, Tyler and Jake, all those "things" that I'd killed since this craziness had started. I managed to squash any feelings I had left and forced myself back to my feet. My only thought at the moment was finding some clothes and shoes. I decided the best course of action was to stay on the road. I'd either come across a car or maybe another house that I could search through. I just knew I had to be cautious in case those two assholes came upon me in their truck. Thinking about it, I was kind of surprised that they hadn't already. I would have expected them to be on me – their toy having escaped and all. Not that I was really upset about still being free or anything.
I'd walked for most of the day, the sun was beginning its slow decent into the west. It had stayed relatively quiet for most of the way, occasionally the bugs would start their buzzing. I was thirstier than I had ever remembered being, hungrier than Hell, too. I tried to ignore this, but the hunger pangs were beginning to make me nauseous, and I was having problems walking in a straight line. Nervous, I decided to go into the woods a little ways and look for some berries or leaves or something to eat. At this point, I really didn't care. Anything in my stomach seemed like a better idea than nothing at all. I checked to make sure the sheet was still wrapped tight around me as I moved into the tall grass and then the trees. The first thing I noticed was the surprising lack of a produce section waiting for me. I didn't see anything that I immediately recognized as edible. No pineapples, oranges, hell, not even peaches were to be found anywhere that I could see. This was Georgia, right? Where the hell were all the peaches?
I did, however, find a ton of dandelions. I looked at the leaves, growing nice and green. I thought about salads I'd heard that people made using dandelion leaves. I shrugged and started picking them. I stuffed my mouth and started chewing. They were absolutely disgusting, but I forced myself to swallow and move on. I ate what I could, before the overwhelming need to vomit took over. I leaned back against a tree, willing my stomach to calm down. Luckily, the leaves had been plush enough that my thirst had slacked to the point where it was almost tolerable. Breathing deeply and slowly, I pushed away from the tree, determined to get back to the road and keep going. I stopped dead in my tracks, though.
I heard it.
The sound of a truck door slamming shut, someone crashing through the leaves and undergrowth. Then a second door slammed shut and my heart jumped into my throat.
I could hear their voices before I saw them. They were talking about me. They had followed the bloody footprints and tracks on the road. They were convinced, and rightly so, that they would get me back with minimal trouble. Fuck that shit. I turned and high-tailed it deeper into the woods. I paid no heed to my feet or the fact that I was leaving an obvious trail for them to follow. I just ran. It wasn't easy on my stomach, I just wanted to stop, throw up, and curl into a ball and die. I'd be damned if they'd catch me like that, though. I decided right then and there that those two fuckers had had enough of my time and body. I don't know how far ahead of them I got, but I never heard them running behind me. I didn't stop until I hit a tiny clearing and came across one of those "things" stumbling around.
It obviously heard me. It turned to face me, its arms reaching out to me. I froze in place, weaponless, essentially naked. I had nothing to fight with. At least last time, I had a shotgun to blow them away with. It started coming at me as I backed up, looking all around for something that I could use for a weapon. There wasn't anything available, not even a big branch on the ground. There were some rocks, but they were behind the "thing" and not close enough for me to get to.
"Crap!"
Why didn't things ever work out for me? The sound of my voice seemed to make the "thing" move even quicker towards me. I was out of options, either back up and run towards the two dick wads that were tracking me, or try to fight this "thing" off and keep going. I must have hesitated too long, not paying attention, because before I knew it, the "thing" was practically on top of me. I dodged its grasp, ducking and rolling behind it. My shoulder hit a rock, and I grunted out in pain. The "thing" turned towards me, but somehow, the top half and bottom half didn't agree. Right in front of me, the upper torso ripped away, and the fell to the ground, the legs falling in the opposite direction. I stared in disbelief as it started using its hands and arms to claw its way towards where I was laying on the ground. I scrambled backwards, my hand landing on the rock that had just hit my shoulder. I used my fingers and nails to rip it from the ground. It was bigger than what I'd thought and it took both of my hands to pick up. I got to my feet, finding humor in the situation. It was easier than I thought it would be. I walked around the moving half-body, and from behind, I brought the large rock crashing down on its head, a maniacal laugh tearing its way out of my throat. Almost immediately, it stopped moving and I was left with silence.
I stood back up, looking down at the sheet over my body. It was filthy, and now covered in the nastiness that sprayed out of the "thing's" head. That sight made me sicker than the sour, bitter dandelion leaves…until I heard the screams, and heard the incessant moaning and groaning of more of those things. Somehow, I just knew what it was. A group of them had found Window-Knocker and Friend. Part of me realized I didn't have to worry about those two anymore. The other part now knew that I had a much larger problem on my hands. I was still unarmed and there were obviously more of those things out there, and they were closer than I thought. The only thing I knew to do was keep walking into the woods, away from the sounds they were making. I hoped the group of things would move on, hopefully towards the road. I also knew that was asking for a lot. I still needed clothes and shoes. I focused on that, and forced myself to move forward, keep walking.
It started to grow dark in the woods. The sun was beginning to set and I was beginning to get worried. I needed to find someplace to crash for the night. I'd been lucky and not run into anymore of those things, but I knew that I couldn't count on that luck to hold out while I slept…if I slept. I was stopping more frequently to rest as I went; the dandelion leaves and other leaves I was eating weren't sustaining me for very long. The thirst had come back with a vengeance, and I could feel my lips cracking every time I moved them. I knew my luck was running out when I could smell it. It was the most delicious smell I'd ever come across. If it were possible, my mouth would have been watering.
I walked out of the trees and into an large clearing, a homestead as it were. There was a house a few hundred yards away and a fire was roaring on the lawn. I stared at it, not quite believing what I was seeing. I looked around for someone, but no one was there. The thought occurred to me that I might be dead and this was where I'd spend the rest of eternity. My legs started moving, carrying me towards the fire. I was only a few feet away from its warmth when she came out of the house and saw me.
I don't know if she wanted to scream or if she wasn't sure I was real. Either way, she shouted for someone else to come out. They both came running towards me as the world faded and I crashed to the ground. I don't remember hearing voices, or feeling anything as I fell. It was finally peaceful. And I wasn't tied up.
That was nice.