Z-Day Chapter 12 (Austin)
“Scatter! Everybody run! We’ll meet at the front gate!” I heard the shout and the alarm.
“Was that Will?” Taylor asked.
“I think so. You’re the fastest runner out of all of us, so you have the best chance. Don’t look for a weapon, don’t stop running, for ANY reason, unless you have a secure hiding spot. Go! Run!” I shoved him off in the opposite direction I’m about to take, and just as I do so, three runners come around the corner and Taylor bowled straight through them and they wildy chased after him.
I jogged to the right, not quite hitting my full speed, but running fast enough that I could escape any normal zombies. I turned around a corner, not quite expecting anything, but there they were. Seven of them. They turned toward me and growled.
“Looks like I’m not going that way!” I said to them, and sprinted down the opposite direction, heading toward the long lane that leads toward the exit gate in the front of the apartments.
Wait, did that last one just growl? I didn’t know they could make any sound except moans. Maybe the virus has a little more control over their bodies than I previously thought. I thought to myself as I ran.
I glanced behind me for a moment and noticed that my pursuers were no longer persuing me. I slowed my pace back to a jog and pulled the hatchet from my belt. Soon after, I heard incoherent yelling to my left, followed by a man running from my recent pursuers. He held a gun in his hand, and he turned around, running backwards, and fired. One fell to the floor and after a second or two, stood right back up. The man, still running backwards, tripped over the speedbump and onto his back. He raised the gun and pulled the trigger. An audible click could be heard over the low growling and the man began to whimper.
I ran over to a fence leading into the porch of one of the apartments and I grabbed the top and hoisted myself onto the precarious top. From there, I jumped over a gap and landed on the roof of the apartment, on my hands and knees. I looked over and the poor fellow and watched him struggling madly with the seven flesh eaters. I tried to ignore the screams, but it was impossible. Soon, he fell quiet and I waited on the roof, waiting for the group to forget about their meal and walk away. But I knew that wouldn’t happen.
“HEY! Over here! You sick fucks, come get me! Austin’s nice this time of year!” I yelled at them from my perch on the roof.
Three of them snapped their heads toward me and began to run to the fence, growling and screaming all the while.
Hmm. Only three heard me. I wonder if there’s a reason for that. Maybe they’re just ignoring me. There’s no way to know.
The zombies arrived at the fence now, and one was at the other side of the house. The two at the fence clawed at the fence and growled angrily, but neither of those held my attention. I watched in horror as the last one climbed up on another fence and made his way onto the roof. I swung the spike end of my axe into his brain before he could stand up after the jump.
Making a mental note to mention this to Will and Taylor, I sat down and waited.
A few minutes later, the zombies at the fence forgot about me and ran off. I looked back over to the man with the gun and noticed two of the zombies chowing down on him had left as well, so I jumped back on the fence, then back to the ground.
Noiselessly, I made my way toward the feasting monsters. It didn’t take long to reach them and the I felled the first one easily. But before I could finish the second, he tackled me and we both fell to the ground, the monster on top of me. I could smell the rotton flesh and I the monster opened his mouth and tried to clamp down on my neck, but I forced the axe head into his open mouth and tried to rip it out, but the monster had a good grip on the head. I saw blood welling out of the breaking teeth and I winced.
I struggled for a moment before I was able to plant my foot on the monsters torso and, using my leg and arms, pushed him off me. I got to my feet quickly and buried my axe’s head into the zombie’s. I tiredly staggered over to the poor fellow by the speedbump and picked up his gun.
“You forgot to chamber the next round, friend.” I said and pulled the lever behind the trigger, readying the next bullet.
I forcefully ignored my exhaustion and jogged back toward my friends, the car, and safety. Five minutes later, I arrived at the exit gate, and walked along it, between the rusted metal and more apartments. As I got nearer to the entrance gate, I heard the quiet hum of a hybrid engine.
I hurried my pace and jumped over the gate and saw it. The blue Volkswagon. A hand snaked its way out of the broken driver’s side window and motioned for me to get inside. I ran over and wrenched open the dented door and climbed in the backseat and smiled at my friends.
