4. Chapter 4 #3
Since sound draws them toward you, I shoot off a few rounds to gain their attention, but I don’t want to waste the ammunition I have, which is why I take the two closest down at the same time.
I don’t have enough to fight off this many of them and they may be slow and annoying as fuck but they’re still dangerous in large numbers.
With Bo at my side, his head swiveling as he takes in his surroundings, I brush my hand through his fur before looking over my shoulder. The majority of the fuckers have broken off from the truck to follow. I need a plan and fast.
This area is mostly residential with a few businesses sprinkled throughout. With nothing but trees and the occasional farm behind me, that would have been the better route to take but it’s beyond the bowling alley and therefore not an option when I just sent Shelby in that direction.
There are housing developments to the north that I’d like to avoid because I’m not a complete asshole. I don’t want to backtrack which leaves me leading them across the road and through a grassy knoll to the church where I hope the place is closed up because I have few options.
The grass is still dewy from the morning showers but I’m immune as I do my best to keep these brainless fuckers’ attention on me without using more ammo.
An abandoned car provides a new distraction and to my relief, when I slam the butt of my gun against the window on the way by, it triggers the alarm. This fades to a trickle of unease though when the combined moans of a hundred or more undead assholes rings in the air.
With a weird whining sound, Bo trots ahead and I break into a jog to follow.
If I can get them up here and near the church, then I can hopefully sneak away and make a huge circle before ending up back at the bowling alley.
After that, I don’t fucking know what to do but I think the best bet is to head south where I know my family will be going under the circumstances.
Since I made a promise to the skittish woman, presumably waiting for me in that bowling alley, I have an obligation to scoop her up before I do, assuming she’s still alive.
Sweat chills my spine but I keep my momentum for a hundred yards or so only to slow when I look beyond the trees blocking the church and find another group of these fuckers lingering in the parking lot.
Dozens of cars surround the building, which means, more than likely there are people inside.
Whether they’re alive or not is anyone’s guess but at some point, something caught the attention of them which is now fully centered on me.
Luckily, they’re not exactly fast and I move to the left, heading toward another dense set of trees where I can hopefully lose the two hordes that are now about to converge into a really large fucking group of assholes.
The faint buzz in the air as the groups grow closer sends a tingle down my spine and I eye the tree line as I make my way in that direction. If there are more of them in there, I’m fucked.
Beside me, Bo sniffs the air and since he seems satisfied with whatever is ahead of us, I follow, trusting him with the keener senses to alert me of any danger.
I don’t know which will be the bigger draw but it’s worth the risk and as I move forward, I slam the butt of my gun into the windshield of a newer sedan before racing into the trees beyond.
The answering alarm keeps them coming and when I look back, I’m relieved to see that most of the front runners broke off to surround the blaring car.
I’ve still got twenty or so on my heels though while a few stragglers continue their trek up the hill.
I don’t want to use my firearm, and I have no idea how whatever this affliction is gets transmitted to others but clearly getting bitten is a death sentence.
This is why when a gnarly fucker steps into my view from behind a tree, I shoot him in the forehead without thought before looking back once more.
Dammit.
Although the car continues to blare, I’ve attracted a few more undead and they’re nothing if not tenacious when it comes to finding their next kill.
The following few yards are clear and I emerge onto the back of someone’s property, assessing the new clearing for danger. Thank fuck, I don’t see anything, but I still have the assholes on my ass to contend with.
I’m easily a mile away from the bowling alley. If I manage to lose them, I doubt they’ll find their way back without some sort of sound to lead the way. I can’t control what anyone else does but I’m hoping the walk back won’t be an issue beyond shaking my foul-smelling stalkers.
Luckily, the farther I go, the more they break off for new shit to destroy and I start to feel the first trickle of relief when I see the bowling alley come into view.
That is until a vehicle comes careening around the corner and straight into the mailbox on the corner across the street.
This is when I realize that the car alarm has stopped and into the strangely silent moment, several hundred undead fuckers emerge from the church parking lot down the street.
Fuck.