As they stood there in the kitchen waiting, not willing to move and be heard by whatever it might be, they just watched. Light coming in from the window was being blocked out as if something moved by it very slowly. The sliding or dragging of something heavy could be heard on the floor as it moved. Thud! It must have passed over a dead body that lay on the floor in the dining area. Matt and Frank knew they were trapped and needed a way out if it ended up being more than they could handle.
Matt started looking around as the light shaded out again for a second time. The sounds of dragging were replaced by the sounds of his heart beating louder than he knew it could. The back door wasn’t on this side of the kitchen but on the other side. He knew he would have to pass the open serving window and would be seen by whatever was in there with them. Also Matt figured what the chances were for it to be ready to be opened right way if they just ran for it and made it. As far as he knew, it could be locked or barricaded with boxes and crap.
Frank on the other hand slid up to the serving window’s edge and took a small peek. Holding his breath he inched his solo eye around the corner and took a look. Swallowing his breath he pulled his head back and looked at Matt.
“We’re in trouble,” whispered Frank in a voice so low Matt had a hard time hearing what he said. But he caught the gist of what he meant.
The noise he made with the undead guy up the hanging rack must have been too much, because what Frank had seen made his blood run cold as winter snows’ first touch on bear skin. When one undead heard something and started to move toward it, so would the others, mimicking the first one. They knew not what they’re doing, only that one was moving forward and they must now follow and see what it was going for. Only when the leader lost interest or got what it wanted would the herd soon break up and move off to wherever they wanted to go. But for this moment the small herd was entering a small diner in the middle of nowhere to have a look inside.
Matt looked around to find another way out and saw what he was looking for. Behind some boxes was a metal ladder leading up. Matt as quietly as he could moved over to the boxes and started moving them out of his way. Frank kept an eye out to see how close they were to finding them. Frank knew once they were spotted, it was only a matter of time before they would either fight it out or run by them that more than likely would end up in their deaths. Or they could just lock themselves in the freezer and end up dying inside it and joining the other rotten meat. Either way, all the ways had the outcome of them pretty much dying.
Matt having moved the boxes climbed the ladder to the top. No more than three steps above him, he slipped and fell back down with a loud smack. His hands had held tight which stopped him from falling all the way face down and maybe breaking his jaw or entire face. But him having walked in the goo in the dining area and kitchen after killing the zombie up the rack and then the freezer, Matt’s shoes were as slick as black ice in a dark night.
Frank took a look back to see if Matt was OK. Matt looked over at him and gave him a thumbs-up and stopped. Frank knew why he stopped moving and froze, because the herd on the other side of the diner had stopped too to listen because they had heard Matt fall.
Matt knew it was too late to be quiet and re-climbed the ladder this time holding the handrail tighter. Once at the top he saw the latch and the padlock on it. Matt’s heart stopped and looked down at Frank who was now at the bottom of the ladder wanting to get up and out as fast as they could.
“It’s locked,” whispered Matt.
“Use the damn gun,” replied Frank in a low tone gesturing his hand to look like a gun and shooting the lock.
Matt had thought of that as well but didn’t want to waste a bullet, and with the lock being so close, what’s the chance of the bullet coming back at him?
The bell on the door sounded out again and again as it seemed more were now pushing their way inside the front door. Matt took off his pack and tossed it down to Frank who in turn caught it and placed his fingers in his ears. Matt not liking this idea used one hand to pull out the gun and aim it. Before he pulled the trigger, he decided to move the lock to lay flat so to minimize the chances of missing. Grabbing the lock Matt turned it and the lock popped open in his hand. Matt smiled and replaced the gun back in his pocket and unlocked the lock and the latch fell open. With the lock in hand Matt reached up and pushed the lid open. The lid gave out, and came a loud awful screech as it opened up to the afternoon air. Looking down Frank was no longer there, and Matt started to panic for his friend once again. Ready to climb back down to find him no matter how many of the undead were there, Matt heard the sounds of running and soon saw Frank coming up the ladder behind him. Matt was out first and reached down and took his pack from Frank and pulled it out. Frank passed his out and quickly held himself up and out of the hole and onto the roof.
Now on the roof they could see the herd in the whole of the diner to the forest. There was about thirty in all to Frank’s count. Matt counted and just turned and said, “There’s a lot, too damn many to count.” He crawled back to the safety of the middle of the roof where they could stand without being seen. Matt walked back over to the ladder’s lid and looked inside. The undead were all gathered around the ladder’s base looking up at him groaning and grunting for him to come down. Matt just smiled and spit down on them all.
“Matt, leave the undead alone. One day they will learn to climb, and you will be in big shit.”
Matt just waved his hand in a way to tell Frank to be quiet and continued to piss off the undead below.
Frank was looking around for a way off the roof and to safety from the undead below. Looking back over at Matt, he saw he was aiming at the undead with something and then threw it down the hole at them.
“What was that?” asked Frank, hoping he didn’t toss something they might need up there like a moron.
“Oh, it was just the lock from the roof lid here. You should come see this; the lock hit one in the face and knocked out its eye. Dude, it’s just hanging there. It’s rather gross.”
Frank shook his head and went back to what he was doing. Walking as close to the edge as he dared without being seen, he peeked over the edges. The front was off limits, and so was the left side. The undead were still filling in and had the whole place covered, so there was no getting down there. It looked like Free Pancake Day for everyone the way they were rushing in. The right was somewhat clear, but there was no cover to escape and get away without being seen. The only other way out was the back corner and into the woods. The woods were something he didn’t want to have to do. The woods were dark sometimes and had tight spots. You could see nothing and move past a tree to come face-to-face with an undead and end up his or her meal for the day. Besides, one would never know how large the woods were, so them going in might end up being there all night with no protection. One might as well set down and ask to be eaten.
But with another look around, Frank couldn’t find any other better conclusion to their situation. It was now time to grab their packs and head out into the forest death trap. Grabbing his pack he shouldered it and went to tell Matt his idea and stopped. Matt had his back to him and seemed to be peeing down the hole on top the undead.
“Are you done yet? I like to get out of here now,” said Frank, not wishing to watch him any longer.
Matt looked over his shoulder and smiled and gave his hand a shake and zipped up and turned around.
“Before we go, can I get my share of those pears?” asked Matt, placing the things he found in the diner into his pack along with the gun.
Frank stood still, and thoughts of the can came back to him. The can was still down the ladder on the prepping table with a couple of pieces left inside. Trying to change the subject, he turned around and walked over to the edge.
“The only way to get by is the woods this way,” said Frank, kneeling down to get ready to climb over the edge.
“It’s still downstairs, isn’t it?” asked Matt, standing there looking back at the ladder.
Frank looked back and looked him right in the face and said nothing and tossed himself over the edge. Matt cursed to himself and went to the edge and gave one look back toward the ladder and jumped over the edge and followed Frank into the back of the building.
A Walk in the Woods
The forest was gloomy and dead with no birds or animals running around. The wind itself brought in the smell of decay from all over. If it wasn’t for the leaves moving on the tress that were still alive, the forest would seem to be completely dead.
The sun came in spotty rays through the tightly grouped trees lighting spots here and there. The only sound that came out of the dead forest was the steps of the undead and two lonely guys marching through it as fast but also as careful as they could.
“How long do you think it will take us to get through this maze?” asked Matt.
Frank didn’t answer at first. He was always watching his surrounding for anything coming. If they would happen by a sprinter, it would take it only a matter of time to be on them. Frank looked up and watched the sun to judge what time it must be. Matt seeing this grabbed his bag off his back and turned it around in his arms. On the back of his bag, he attached a wristwatch. As it was only like six or maybe seven months since the outbreak started, the watch’s batteries were still good; and even with the glass a little cracked, the time was still accurate.
“The time is three o’clock. Why don’t you just ask me what time it is?” asked Matt, shouldering his pack.
Frank stopped and looked over at Matt.
“One day we will no longer have a thing to tell time for us. So I’d like to practice as much as I could with the time I have.”
Matt didn’t reply to Frank because he seemed kind of aggravated about something. Instead he kept to himself and took in the surroundings. For the past couple hours, now Matt could feel himself getting warmer. Was it from the sun or just the lack of food? With the trees so close together and the sun at its highest, Matt was starting to sweat all over. His shirt was soaked in a matter of thirty minutes after entering the woods from the diner. Looking over at Frank, his friend looked rather comfortable and dry. So why then was he feeling so hot and like all his energy had gone from him?
Frank looked over and saw Matt wipe his forehead with a rag he kept in his back pocket all the time. Frank told him he needed to toss it away and get a new one or at least wash it more than once every couple weeks, because Frank made the mistake one hot day and it stood downwind of him when he pulled it out of his pocket. The wind brought the foul odor toward his way right up to his face. Frank had to pick up his pace that day and learn to walk ahead of him from then on. For the foul odor smelled worse than sweaty feet mixed with mold out of a fat person’s jelly rolls.
“I told you to toss that thing and get a new one,” said Frank.
“I will once I find a good store to grab a new one. Shit! I had to throw my bandana away and yours just after we left. The smell on them and the walker’s blood on mine were never going to come out.” Matt wiped his face one more time and placed the rag back in his pocket.
Frank shook his head and walked on feeling the air cut through the trees and past his face. The wind brought smells from all over to them, from the dryness of the tress from the lack of rains to the rotten smell of the zombies or the dead, dead corpses of people or animals out there somewhere.
The woods seemed to go on forever with no sign of the tree line breaking. Both Frank and Matt walked on for what felt like days, but it really was just an hour or two. There was no sound of life or even death deep in the woods. They heard no sound of breaking limbs or rustling of leaves from something way out there. The only sound was of them walking into the abyss of the lifeless woods.
Matt looked down at his watch and saw it was about four fifty, and the woods seemed to have no end in sight still. Matt needed a rest, and he thought a cold bath might help him cool down. However, a bath was not in the equation, but maybe he could talk Frank into resting some.
“Dude, I’m getting tired, and I don’t see nothing around. You think we can sit down for a minute or two?”
Frank looked over and could see sweat running down Matt’s face like a waterfall. Frank nodded and walked a bit further up and set down his pack and rested his butt on a log. Matt walked over to the tree that looked ready to fall and went to drop his pack and ended up falling with it.
Any other time Frank would have laughed at him for his tripping and falling. But just looking at him, he could tell something was very wrong and laughing wasn’t going to help. Getting up he walked over to help Matt to his feet. Upon placing his hands on Matt, he barely touched his skin before he yanked them away.
“Oh my god, Matt! Your skin feels like you just came out of an oven. I have no clue how you’re still moving around and not crawling,” gasped Frank. Rushing to help him sit up right again, he then went to his bag. “Why didn’t you tell me you are feeling this bad?”
Matt couldn’t reply because setting down took every bit of his energy he had left. Instead he just leaned his back to the tree and watched Frank destroy his pack looking for something. It didn’t take long because Frank was on his way back to him seconds later. It was his bottle of pills he kept with him.
“Here, Matt, take these last two pills I have. It will help break that fever you have some.”
Matt wanted to argue but couldn’t. Frank was already opening his mouth and stuffing the pills in. Then the thought occurred to him once the pills were inside Matt’s mouth. Neither one of them had any water to help swallow them.
Running back to their bags, Frank looked because they must have had something. With Matt burning up bad, he was going to need help taking the pills. Grabbing his canteen he knew it was empty but checked anyway. Frank figured maybe the water fairy stopped by and helped by giving him some water. Laughing at his stupid thought, he walked over to Matt’s bag. Grabbing his canteen he went to toss it aside when he heard swooshing of liquid inside. Hurrying he opened the lid and smelled the inside. It was water alright, but it had a funny smell to it, kind of like it was old or came out of a bird’s bath or something. Shrugging he walked back to Matt and opened his mouth and poured the water and closed his lips back up. Matt started to gag but soon stopped, and Frank let go of his friend. With the pills in his system, it was now a waiting game. With these being the last pills he had, they would either help him low his fever so they could move forward to hopefully find better medicine or do nothing and his friend could get worse and his brain would overheat like a computer and shut down. This meant death for his longtime friend.
Setting there Frank watched Matt drift in and out of consciousness. It had been an hour, and his fever had seemed to lower a little bit. If so, why hadn’t he woken up yet? What he needed was a doctor, and Frank knew a doctor was someone he wasn’t and couldn’t get for his friend. Getting up he walked a couple of steps away from Matt and had a look around. There wasn’t anything in the woods around them, but it didn’t mean it was safe. However, he needed time to think of what to do. He couldn’t leave him there to die, and he didn’t have the strength to carry him to God knows where.
So Frank walked on a couple more feet, and before he knew it, he could not see where he had left Matt. Panic arose within him, and he took off and ran back to the way he came. He couldn’t have walked that away from him, so where did he go? Finally after rounding a tree, he found his pack lying on the ground where he left it, and next to his was Matt’s. But where was Matt? Looking around he couldn’t see him. It wasn’t like he got up and left. But there was something strange. There seemed to be drag marks leading away.
Grabbing both bags he followed the tracks as best he could. Frank knew he wasn’t any outdoorsman, so following tracks was something he wasn’t good at. But these tracks were easy to follow even for a blind man. Frank followed them for five minutes when he heard something. It sounded like rushing water. The drag marks went up and over the tiny hill in front of him. Frank lay down the
packs and untied Matt’s machete and crept up to the top of the hill to have a look.
To his surprise there was a nice-sized river there flowing fast. It was very shallow and easy to cross if need be. The water itself looked crystal-clear, and the smell from where Frank was made his mouth scream for a drink. Getting ready to obey his thirst, he went to stand when something caught his eye near the riverbank. It was all gray and dragging something. Frank rubbed his eye and tried to focus once again. To his amazement it was a mountain lion, and what it was dragging was the unconscious Matt.
The mountain lion was dragging him by his jacket sleeve toward the water. Frank had never seen a mountain lion up this close or even heard of one dragging its soon-to-be meal away to eat it. But there was a first time for everything. Getting up he ran out and down the other side of the hill. The mountain lion heard the footsteps and dropped Matt’s arm and turned to confront the intruder.
Frank thought the mountain lion looked rather sickly standing twenty feet away watching for it to jump at him. The lion didn’t try circling but stood its ground as if protecting its food from him. Frank could count each of its ribs and could nearly see every other bone on its body. It didn’t seem infected by the zombie plague, just really hungry. One thing Frank did know was that it wasn’t going to eat his friend today for its meal.
Frank raised his weapon and walked up close the mountain lion, stood there, and watched it approach. Frank didn’t want to kill the beast, let alone get killed by it, so he made quick motions with his hands to scare it off. But nothing he did could fear it away from his friend. So Frank raised his courage up, gave out a prayer, and ran over to the lion. He felt like the guy in the Bible fighting in the lion’s den.
Matt awoke and found himself next to a small fire. Even with the fire going on next to him, it was dark where he was. The ground felt rough like thousands of thousands of small rocks all over the place. His clothes were a little damp but not too wet. But more than anything else, his arm felt like it had been pulled from its socket and replaced back in.
Z Notes | Book 1 | Z Notes Page 8