Run

by Burk, William

  "Oh," I say aloud, not bothering to finish the thought. I scramble to a knee and bring my rifle to bear as Alan begins charging at me. I line up the shot and drop Alan only a few feet from me with a single round. The second guard rushing right behind him however I have less time to aim for the head. The crack of two more gunshots fill the air having taken me two rounds. The first going wide and missing. The second straight though his eye socket when he was only inches from the end of the rifle.

  A shuffling of footsteps pulls my attention away from the two guards I just shot. Looking up and to my right already a handful of zombies are rushing toward me having been alarmed by the gunfire. They are roughly a hundred meters from me and they are between myself and the buildings. No way I'm going to make it around them and the other zombies that are still eating to the safety of a building. Behind me leads into the neighboring city streets. I can try and get to a house or building. My mind whirls through the possibilities. I begin to run in the direction of the streets that surround the college. Sprinting and out of breath I make it off the campus property onto the public road. Risking a glance over my shoulder. The zombies continue to give chase and more than before by my estimate of six of them chasing me.

  The zipping of a gunshot missing flies past my head. with a cracking sound as the round bites into the pavement of the road on my left. To my right is a pickup with a figure hanging from the passenger side aiming a gun right at me only fifty meters away. meanwhile, the zombies are closing on me from behind. Going left gives the chasing car a straight road to follow me and would take me back closer to the campus. Going straight from this intersection is my only option and I need to get off the street. Popping from the gun continues but no other shots come closer than that first one. I sprint through the intersection, on the other side I begin scanning left and right for a place to hide or barricade myself from the zombies. On the left is a row of fast food joints and a small corner smoke shop. On the right is a large auto shop. Beyond the auto shop is a street leading into houses and apartment complexes. Glancing over my shoulder once more the zombies are only forty meters behind me. The chasing truck is nowhere to be seen, guess they are happy to let the zombies have me. Doubling down on my running I lean forward and shift my weight more onto my toes as I dig down for more speed. I listen to the footsteps slapping on the pavement behind me. Gives me all the inspiration I need as I pump my arms and drive with my legs. Closing the distance between me and the intersection as hard and fast as I can. Swinging wide around the corner. The first building on my left is an apartment complex, On my right, is the side of the auto shop. I continue running, listening to the zombies getting closer. I angle myself for the closest house beyond the apartment complex. It's only a little more than a football field away. I don't know if I can make it. I keep telling myself "almost there" with the sounds of my pursuit even louder now. I don't take the chance to peek over my shoulder as I pour all my effort into running for the house. My mind intent on jumping the fence hoping obstacles will save my life as they did once before. Footsteps getting both louder and harder to hear over my own ragged breathing. Seventy meters to go. The rifle strap catches on my arm with the jostling of running and gets flung from my body.

  'shit' I barely have the energy to even think the obscenity. And with death nipping at my heels, I have no choice but to abandon the only weapon I had left to me. Forty meters, the fence is so close now just a little bit further. At thirty meters I swear I can feel something graze my back for a moment. But nothing more grips me and the run endures. Fifteen meters to go and the thought crosses my mind that I should have kept up my running conditioning. Ten meters, this time I know for certain I feel the hands of zombies gripping at my back and shirt. I can't stop almost there. Five meters I get ready to leap. Three meters left. Now two meters to go. Ready to jump I land on my right foot bending my knee in preparation for the jump. I throw myself aiming for the top of the fence. My feet leave the ground at the same time as a hand clamps on the back of my pants. Halting all the upwards momentum of my leap. Instead the leap turns into a tumble. Flinging me and the zombie into a tangled mess rolling to a stop when we collide with the chain-link fence. I extricate myself from the flailing zombie long enough to get to my feet. With no chance to get away I turn towards the pursuing zombies instead. I don't know what I can do without a weapon but I have to at least try. I can't let this be the end of me after everything I've been through. I can't let the rats win. I turn with fists balled just before the front zombie reaches me. I freeze in place at the sight of the zombie. Ironic is the last thought to race through my mind as I come face to face with Sarah one last time.

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