Z-Day Chapter 15 (Will)

The van ahead of us slowed to a stop, the tail lights shining into my eyes. I looked to the sky, it looked like it might get dark soon but I could never tell, the sky was always dark and cloudy now.

My eyes snapped back to the van; Austin had stopped the motorcycle next to the driver side window, Jack looked out the window at us then said, “What’s the plan?”

Austin replied, “We, being Will and I, are going to head down the train tracks to the Wal-Mart that should still be there, and you, being pretty much everyone else, are going to find a safe place to park the van until we call you.”

Jack looked down then back up, “How are you going to call me?”

“There are walkies in the gun bag.”

“Alright, and where is a safe place exactly?”

Austin sat thinking for a moment, “Somewhere away from zombies and people, like  the gas station that’s just down the road.”

Jack rolled up the driver side window then drove off down the road.

Austin gave the bike some gas then he drove down the turnpike that leads away from the bridge and down to the railroad tracks. “Where are we going?” I asked, not sure of the route he was taking.
“We can take the train tracks to 1960, there we can try and find a Wal-Mart, or something.”
We continued the ride along the train tracks, I watched the parked trains fly by in a blur of bright color. I thought to myself, What in the hell is in those? Are they all cargo trains or are they for fuel? Does Houston really need trains for that? I don’t even think I’ve ever seen these things moving, or any homeless guys sleeping in them, so what in the hell do we have them for?

My pondering over the usage of trains in Houston was interrupted by a sudden swoosh, then a smacking sound. I looked to my left to see Austin fly off the back of the bike as some man hits him in the head with a bat.

Yeah, I know a big “Oh shit” moment, well, as a great man once said, sometimes things get complicated.

Anyways, the sidecar on the bike kept it stable, so it didn’t dramatically roll into a ditch or anything silly like that, however, it did veer off of our original path (straight down the tracks without bumping into shit) to smash right into one of the cargo trains that may or may not have a purpose.

I was launched forward out of the sidecar and my shoulder smacked right against the side of the train. I was then awkwardly flipped over to where I was laying across the sidecar with my head and neck propped up on the side of the train car. From this position, I could see a man with a baseball bat walking across the tracks, presumably to kill me.

I spotted the muzzle of my shotgun sticking out from the bottom of the sidecar. I grabbed it then swung my legs over and onto the gravel beneath me. The man continued to approach even as I pointed a loaded gun at him.

“Get the fuck back or I will shoot you,” I said to him, trying to be as calm as possible even though my legs felt like god damn rubber, like I could fall at any second. I threatened him more but the guy persisted so I tried one last, desperate shot at reason. “Goddamit, guy, I don’t want to have to waste a human life so just go the fuck away.” The man stopped then twirled his bat around a couple of times.

“Go ahead and do it,” he said, and I’m not sure exactly why I did but I pulled the trigger, and the gun clicked.

“Motherfucker! I forgot to load it!”

I lowered my gun then looked at it, briefly forgetting the man with the bat who had knocked Austin the fuck out. Then, as I heard the sound of running and saw the guy charging at me with his bat raised above his head. I tried to back-pedal away from him but my foot slipped in the god damn gravel and I fell down. As he swung the bat down I put the empty twin-barrel above me as a shield then I heard wood collide with metal.

The guy raised the bat again, then instinctively I whipped the twin-barrel around and hit him in the side of his knee cap. He fell to the ground, screaming in pain. I pulled the twin-barrel to my side then kind of did a back-hand motion and cracked him right in the face with the stock of the shotgun.

I got up off the ground then waited for the guy to come up too. When he did his nose was dripping with blood and he had left his bat on the ground. He began to approach me again, so I swung the stock of the shotgun at him, he caught it in midair then ripped the weapon from my hand and threw it behind him.

He came at me again, so I did the only think I could, I just threw a wayward punch in the general direction of his face. Unfortunately, he caught that in midair too. He kept his grip on my arm, holding it away from him, then gave me a hard punch to the stomach. I felt every wisp of air escape from my lungs as his fist pushed my abdomen inward. I felt like I might swallow myself. Then he hit me right across the face.

I fell down onto the ground again, my face and abdomen pulsing with pain. I was wriggling on my stomach, then he flipped me over on my back and pinned me down. He started hitting me across the face over and over, I felt the pulsing in my face growing as my teeth were being knocked loose. Then I heard a sick, wet crunch as something hard hit him in the back of the head. I watched his face go dormant as he slumped over to the right.

I stood up then saw my savior, a dark-haired youth of about my height holding the bat that the guy had had.

“Thanks, man,” I said, wiping at the cascade of blood that was pouring from my face now.

“No problem, man,” he said then held out his hand, I accidentally shook his hand with the hand that was covered with blood.

“Oh, shit, I’m sorry,” I said, hoping that this stupid mistake wouldn’t make leave or some shit like that.

“No, it’s no problem,” he said, wiping his hand off on his jeans.

“Well, anyways,” I said, hoping that I could very quickly change the subject,”what’s your name?”

“I’m Michael,” he replied.

“I’m Will, we should go wake up my unconscious friend and get the hell out of here before more assholes like that guy, or worse zombies get here.”