Snoe yelled for everybody to run for the hospital. That seemed the safest direction lacking both heavy zombie density and no gunfire coming from that way. I dodged between some hedges and burst out into an empty yard. I caught a flash above and to my right and felt a sting of pain on my neck from where the bullet struck a tree beside me, spraying bark and wood splinters. With no time to think, I grabbed one of the five grenades from my belt pouch, pulled the pin, tossed it and took off. I flipped up and over a fence and dove between two cars as the explosion sounded. Not waiting to look if I’d even hit my target, I scrambled up and ran.
To the left I saw Caren in a hand-to-hand fight with a mob of undead. Brittany had already tossed the rules out and her voice was frantic on the radio, asking us what was going on. About that time, Caren vanished under the mob and I heard “the scream”, Snoe is on the radio yelling at Brittany to shut-up and I’m dodging bullets and zombies.
Halfway across the parking lot, several windows in the upper levels of the hospital erupt with more gunfire. Obviously our target is occupied.
Veering away, I start warning everybody. I had two choices: a non-descript, four-story, brick office building, or try to fight my way back to the warehouse. The office building was closer.
Next thing I know, Snoe was telling Brittany to come get us. I tried to warn her off. All the gunfire would chew up the RV. Unfortunately I couldn’t get a word in.
Of course the RV got shot up trying to pull out. With no tires, it wasn’t moving. Before I could say or do anything, I heard Brittany yelling on the radio that she’s running for us. By the time I could finally talk, there was nothing. Nobody was responding.
I reached the building, but of course it was locked. With a couple hundred of those damn things right on my heels, I did the only thing I could. I shot out the nearest window and dove through. The only good fortune I had was that the building was empty. A few minutes later, I climbed up a hatch, and hauled myself onto the roof.
From my vantage point I spotted Jenifer and Dominique running through a series of backyards, climbing or jumping fences as they came to them.
That was when the big explosion came. My best guess is that something caught fire in the RV. That’s where all the grenades were.
It took some doing since neither of them had a radio, but I got the girls’ attention. They had to come from the back side of the building, but managed to break in. I climbed down and met them on the second floor. With my last rounds, I shot our way back up the stairs in a building now swarming with zombies and got us back onto the roof where we currently sit.
I have four grenades and a bottle of water. We are huddled together as night grows colder and darker. I have no idea where we’ll go from here, or how we’ll get down.
Monday, September 29
The crowd below is thinning. I’ve seen some movement in the area, mostly around the hospital. Whoever was shooting at us is currently making runs to the warehouse we initially stayed at. Not that they’ll find much. Most of our useable, scavenge- able stuff was in the RV which is now nothing more than scattered chunks of charred debris.
I’m pretty sure I saw flashlights over by where the Bradley crashed last night. Again, they won’t find much of use there.
I did give some thought to these survivors’ mindset last night while I was shivering and failing at all attempts to sleep. We rolled into town in a reinforced RV with machinegun turrets, a gas tanker, and a Bradley. They probably saw us as invaders. When we bee-lined for what looks to be their hospital sanctuary, perhaps they acted solely on perceived self-defense.
Anyways, we are staying out of sight as best we can. Periodically I check the crowd below. They are steadily being drawn away by the survivors in the area who are picking over our stuff.
Hopefully tomorrow we can think about getting away. I’m starving, and I know the girls are. Their stomachs are making plenty of audible protests.
* * * * *
Chapter 10
Wednesday, October 1
Jenifer, Dominique, and I are in a relatively nice two-story house at the end of a dead-end (no pun intended) street. The dead wander around in packs outside, the lone straggler is practically non-existent. We had to use two of my four grenades to get here, but at least we created enough of a diversion so that we got away from that building and to this house (which is only two-blocks away).
The girls seem relatively unphased by all this. I mean, they are sad that everybody is gone…but not shocked or surprised by it. Is this the way of the New Generation? Will death become so common-place that even when it is through violence, it is just simply accepted as “the way things are”?
We got in while it was still dark and found some canned goods in a pantry. We’re eating sparingly because we don’t have any idea how long this will be our home. Amongst the rotted food in the refrigerator we found a few bottles of water. They have a nasty aftertaste, but at least we can quench our thirst.
It is strange watching the dead wander past. Sometimes they wander up to the house, pawing at doors, slapping on windows, then drift away. There are so many. We still hear intermittent gunfire all around. It seems strange that there are potentially so many possible survivors, yet they all remain isolated from each other, preferring small groups to large ones.
Thursday, October 2
I don’t think we can risk staying here much longer. While the undead remain oblivious to our presence, I’ve noticed small “squads” of survivors poking around. They are usually in groups of three, and are obviously looking for something…more likely someone…err…ones.
I don’t think Dominique or Jenifer have noticed. These squads are good at staying in the shadows and out of sight. Also, I’ve noticed they move shortly after I hear gunfire from farther away. To me, that indicates coordinated movement. That would likely mean radio communication. That leads me to wonder if they were listening in on us.
Oh well. Can’t be helped now.
I want to take this time to make one thing clear. I don’t regret leaving Irony. That place was an illusion of living. We were just as much prisoners as Sam was back in that old compound he came from. We just replaced fences with cliffs.
Sure, things went bad, but we at least tried. We went out to see what is left. I will continue to fight until the end. And I will do it out in the world where I am truly free. Just in the little time we were out here, I have some amazing memories. And, you simply can’t put into words how peaceful and beautiful the sunrise is when you witness it and realize you may be the only human being for tens or even hundreds of miles in any direction doing so.
Friday, October 3
Evening
We found Snoe!
Saturday, October 4
We found Snoe yesterday and have been trying our best to keep her alive. I don’t know how she avoided being bitten in her state. She’s been shot up pretty bad. It doesn’t help that she’s been crawling on her belly for the past week. Her arms and legs are scraped raw.
We have washed her down, but to do that, we’ve had to sneak out a few times to nearby houses and rummage for alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and iodine…as well as rags that weren’t moldy. That has been quite a task since the only weapon we’ve been able to scrounge up is a pitching wedge.
Naturally, Snoe still had a Beretta 9mm and a magazine with three rounds. Of course we don’t dare use it for fear of bringing attention.