Getting up he reached for his bag, reached down inside it, and searched around. His hand closed around a small plastic item with an aluminum tip. It was his lighter he used to start up the campfires and such. Giving it a strike it lit up the room a bit. Blinking he let his eyes refocus before he flicked the wheel again. Being in the dark for so long, he had forgotten about how bright the lighter would be to his eyes.
The lighter caught a flame, and the room became transparent some more. Shawn and Jason were nowhere to be found. Spinning around he looked toward the door. Their packs were still right next to the door, so they weren’t gone, just not in sight. The thought came to him they must be changing shifts for the night. Then before he could walk out into the hall to find them, a flash of light went off outside the boarded-up window across the hall in the next room. The light was so bright that Frank dropped his lighter on the ground. Upon hitting the floor, the sound echoed all over the empty room and ended as the lighter moved down the hall. The sound came again that had awoken him. A rumble came from outside and carried on for a good minute before it stopped.
Boom!
Sounded the thunder again from outside. Frank jumped again from the sound and looked around for his light on the floor. Searching the floor with his hand, he found it and picked it up and relit it. Listening to the outside he could now hear the wind had picked up, but there was no sound of rain.
Moving from the room toward the hallway, he gave a look back toward Matt. All he could see was a lump in the darkness near the wall. In the still night between thunder crashes, he could hear Matt breathing loud and clear.
The hallway was just as dark and lonely as the room. With the traps lying all around the walls and the floor area, Frank was glad he had his lighter to help show the way. Passing each trap he sidestepped over and around them and passed doors leading to other rooms. On his way past the last room before entering the front desk area and the front door, he saw a flash of lightning outside. In the room to his left, standing by the window was someone looking out. Walking into the room the person looked back. He wasn’t sure which one it was, Jason or Shawn. But the other one was standing near the door as he walked in and blew hard, and his light went out.
“What the hell!” whispered Frank, pissed to have been placed in the dark once again.
“You want them to see the light from outside and know we’re in here,” said the person who blew out the lighter.
From the sound of his voice, it was the guy named Shawn who was the closest to him. That would put Jason the one close to the window looking out.
“What is going on out there?” asked Frank, creeping up on the window.
“Hopefully nothing, dumb ass. That is if they didn’t see your light,” replied Shawn, coming up behind him. “Don’t you know what thunder and lightning does to them damn things out there?”
Frank shook his head, but in the darkness Shawn couldn’t see him do so and took his silence as a no.
“How could you two idiots live this long if you didn’t know what happens to them when there’s thunder and lightning?” Shawn went on and on mad at him for his lack of knowledge of something no one else in the world knew about till months ago.
“Chill out, Shawn,” said Jason, not taking his face from the boarded-up window. “He just might have himself a lucky streak is all.”
“Luck my ass. Even stupidity can get you killed these days. Us two if they stay around them.” With that said Shawn returned back to the doorway and into the shadows of night.
“Don’t mind him. Shawn just wants to get back to camp to his family, and this storm isn’t helping us at all,” said Jason, looking at him now.
“We came out of the city when it all started and made our way into the country away from people and those zombies. So that’s why we don’t know about them in storms, so what happens?”
Jason said nothing, but Frank felt Jason’s arm grab the side of his face and turn it toward the window to look out. Just outside the thin board and the probably only unbroken glass window in the place were walkers.
Walkers seemed to be just standing around not walking much. They all seemed to be just looking all over, some lost in the stormy night sky. Then out of nowhere lightning flash brightened and lit up the night. The undead went crazy and ran about as if they couldn’t see or were scared of what they just saw. Then the roll and rumble of the thunder within the dark clouds came. The zombies stopped again and looked all over for sound origin. It was when the lightning flashed that they repeated the process over again.
Frank leaned back from the window and rubbed his eyes. The lightning was even a little too bright for him right now. He thought to himself that people really didn’t pay much attention to the elements when they had shelter and power. But now it’s all gone, and they lived in a land of darkness and fear. Nature’s wrath was a wondrous sight to behold indeed.
Thunder rumbled again, and Frank took a look out between the boards. The streets were clear, and all he could see were trees and a couple of useless cars. Looking over to his right, Jason was looking out at the same thing and was soon staring back at him.
“Where did they go?” asked Jason, taking another look.
“I don’t know. I was giving my eyes a break from the lightning, and when I looked back, they were gone,” Frank replied.
Shawn’s footsteps came toward them, and he was soon looking out of the window too. “This isn’t good,” he said and walked back away.
“So what happens to them during a storm? Does it make them weak because of the flashes of light? Maybe it’s hard for them to see us well?” Frank asked, looking into the darkness where Jason was standing.
“No, the flashes mostly piss them off. And the thunder makes them crazy.” Jason took a step away from the window. “I’m not sure how it works, but they’re faster and sometimes stronger. It’s best to stay low and hide out and away from them during the storm.”
Frank didn’t want to see a zombie on steroids, let alone have to fight one. Turning to leave he heard a scratching sound from the window. He stopped in mid-step and lowered his foot back down. Looking back he could see a dark form in the window behind the boards. Lightning flashed outside and lit up the window’s Peeping Tom. Its face was half ripped off, and pieces of its skin hung in place. One of its eyes was missing, and so were some of its teeth. The undead monster had its face placed against the glass and was trying to look inside past the wood. But as the lightning struck outside to help the living inside see the undead better, it did the opposite to it and blinded it long enough not to see the three within the room in front of him.
Jason placed a finger to his lips and gave a sign not to move a muscle. But being so dark he wasn’t sure if anyone could see him at all from where he was at. Frank on the other hand knew better and even held his breath in long periods of time while it looked at them all. As the lightning flashed again outside, the zombie looked up, and in that split-second Frank felt a hand grab his mouth and pull him out of the room and into the hall.
The hall was darker than the bedroom they were just in, but using his hand he felt the way and stayed close to the two shadow forms in front of him. As they made it to the end, they moved into the room where Matt was sleeping still and set down and listened.
The storm went on for hours, and before Frank knew it he was asleep on the floor. It wasn’t till late morning when he finally awoke and found himself in the bedroom alone again. Setting there on his butt, he turned and looked around the room for everyone. Matt was the only person in the room with him, and at the door leading to the hall was a note. Getting up he walked over to it and ripped it off the thumbtack it was stuck to.
Frank
I’m sorry we had to split, but we left you some food and water in a bag next to your friend.
When he gets better and you’re able to leave, make sure to close the door well in case we or you need shelter again one day. We would have taken you guys with us, but Shawn said we had to go and you two were sti
ll too green to help out our camp and families. Just take care of yourselves and stay alive. I’m sure we’ll meet again one day. Also the church you were looking for I think was the hilltop church. It’s not far from here. Just head northwest of the room, and you’ll pass a gas station on the right. It’s just about a mile past up the hill. Take care.
Jason
P.S. I left two small weapons in the bag for you two to have. They’re like axes, and they’re very sharp, so take care of them.
Frank balled up the paper and threw it across the room and hit the wall. He was mad and sad at the same time. He was tired of always running and hiding out and was looking for more than just Matt to talk to. But with Matt still sleeping, he didn’t even have that right now. Getting up he made it past the door and down the hall to the room he was in last night. Looking out the boards, he could see bodies of the living dead scattered all around the ground outside. These guys are like beasts when it comes to killing those things, he thought. Returning to the room he felt Matt’s head and could see his fever broke a great deal, but he was still hot. Forcing his mouth open, he poured a capful of water into it. Matt coughed a little bit, but most of the water went down his throat. Using two spoons he had in his bag, Frank crushed up another one of the pills he gave Matt last night and turned it into powder. Mixing it in a cap of water, he did the same thing and poured it into his mouth. This time he closed his mouth so he could not spit any of it out. Once he was done he looked into the bag Jason had left them to see what was left to eat.
The bag had tiny boxes of cereal in it along with canned fruits and Spam. Frank hated Spam in every way it came. But he guessed he could cook it somehow and mix in some fruit to kill its taste. Looking around he could see Jason left them the portable cook tray to use. Or was it meant to stay put? Either way if they had room, Frank was going to take it with them when they left.
Opening a box of cereal he pulled out of the bag, he found it to be Fruit Loops and started to snack on them a little. And before long he paced around the motel looking around a bit only to find nothing. Every so often he looked outside to see nothing had changed. All was clear still. And as night fell he went in the room and closed the door to the bedroom and slept against it so if it was to open, he would be the first to know.
Two days passed like that. He would give Matt a crushed-up pill, eat a little something, walk around or look outside, and eat dinner (adding fruit to Spam didn’t help the taste much). And then he would give Matt another crushed pill before darkness took over the land. He would then set up against the door and hold it closed as he slept through the night.
On the third day he awoke and made his way to the bag to give Matt his pill again. Only this time he awoke from a different place and Matt was gone. Jumping up he ran to the bag and pulled out the small axe-like weapon and went into the hall. The light was coming in from outside, and a shadow was on the wall in the room where the best window to look out was at. Walking to the room he took a peek inside and saw Matt standing there looking out to the morning’s new day. Matt didn’t even turn around to see him, but somehow he knew he was standing there.
“I see the other two left while I was out.” It was more a statement than a question toward Frank. “Last thing I remember was taking a pill and hearing you three talk about joining a camp. Seeing as they left, I’d guess they said no?”
Matt continued to look out the dirty glass window at the morning sky best he could. Frank on the other hand stood at the doorway watching him for couple more minutes before he walked up next to him.
“Yes, they’re gone. They left after the storm. But you were so sick and sleeping. I guess they didn’t know when you would wake up and had to go on their own back to their families,” Frank said and had a look out the boarded window as well.
Outside was like nothing had happened at all. The sun was shining, and the wind was blowing a good breeze from the look of the dancing branches on the trees. But looking down the dead that were killed by Shawn and Jason as they left were still all over. With that one look it brought him back to the new world they lived in right now, the world of death and hiding from those wishing to make you their next meal.
Matt turned and walked away from the window. Looking back at the doorway he smiled and said, “I’m hungry. What do you got to eat?” Frank smiled back and escorted him to the room to cook him up some Spam mixed with some plums from a can. Matt wasn’t thrilled on eating it, but he was hungry.
“So for how long was I out?” asked Matt, holding his nose to help hide the taste of the Spam and plums.
“Three days. I gave you water and the pills in powder form every day and night. Food on the other hand is not going to happen.”
Matt lowered his spoon down and hurried to drink some water to help wash the taste out and push the food down.
“We’ve been here for three days and you were looking after me?” asked Matt, laying his plate down.
“Of course, what are best friends for?” replied Frank, watching him closely. “You’re not going to try and hug me or something, are you?”
“I don’t know. I feel sexually aroused by your nursing me back to health,” said Matt, smiling a crooked smile.
Frank smiled back and tossed the empty can at him and hit him in the head with it.
“Watch it, bud. You don’t want me hurt again,” said Matt, getting up to his feet.
“Don’t worry. Your head most likely did more damage to the can than it did to you,” came back Frank, standing up as well.
Both smiled and started packing their bags to head on out. There was no need to ask where they were headed. It was time to leave, and the food that was left was almost gone. Matt tossed his pack on and gripped the sword axe in his hand to test the grip. The two weapons left for them by the two other guys had good weight and were easy to carry unlike the machete he had. Looking back Frank was set and ready to go as well. Then a thought came to him, and he turned around to look at his friend.
“Did they go through my bag while I was out?” asked Matt seriously.
Frank shook his head no and pointed to himself.
“No, I did rearrange stuff for you. The gun you always have is at the bottom with your one bullet, and the one you just found in the diner’s safe is at the top. All three bullets are still there and ready to use.”
Matt smiled and headed out the door and into the hall. As they got to the front door, he pushed it open and held it there for Frank to slip out.
“What about those mountain lion cubs you killed and skinned? You still have those or did you eat them while I was out?”
Frank stopped midway out of the door and shook his head.
“No, I lost those in the school somewhere while we were running I guess.”
Matt cursed to himself and followed Frank out the door and let the wooden door slam shut behind him once he was out.
Standing there they could feel the cool morning air on their faces, and the day felt wonderful. If it wasn’t for the zombies out there hiding somewhere or the smell of the dead ones close by, it would be a perfect morning to wake up from a three-day coma.
“So where are we headed?” asked Matt, looking around the area.
“Jason told me the church we are looking for is northwest of here.” Looking up at the sun and back down the road ahead, he could see hills in the distance. “It should be that way up the road. He said we should pass a gas station and the church will be about a mile or so beyond that up the hill.”
Matt after all that had happened gave up on this note from a guy and his kid. But as Frank watched over him for three days and kept him safe a couple more before that, he would just go on with it and follow him to his church and show him that no one would be there.
He gave Frank a smile and nodded, letting Frank lead the way. He took up the rear, and they set off on the journey again.
Tank’s on E, Time to Fill Up
The sun was high in the sky signaling it was near noon. Frank was still in the lead as
they rounded a bend in the road. As they passed by the clear of tress, Frank was first to see a sign saying gas was ten miles up ahead. Matt stopped near the sign and opened his bag and pulled out the water bottle and took a couple of swigs from it and passed it over to Frank who did the same.
Replacing the bottle back in his bag, Matt zipped his bag back up and shouldered it again.
“You know on days like this I used to wish I could stay home from work and enjoy it outside,” said Matt.
Frank nodded in agreement and didn’t feel like replying to a comment that all that was needed was a nod of the head.
“But I’ll tell you this. I’d give anything to be at work right now in a world without the undead trying to eat us,” continued Matt.
“Isn’t that the truth,” said Frank, looking back and stopping.
Matt stopped and looked behind him as well. Behind him were a couple of walkers heading toward them.
Matt had slept a couple of days, and even though he hated the Spam, he had to eat. The Spam did the trick and gave him energy when he thought he had none. Holding up a hand he stayed Frank in his place and unshouldered his pack. With the small axe in hand, he walked toward the undead coming down on them. As he came on the first one, he swung the axe and hit it in the side of the head, which dropped in mid-step. The undead’s mouth opened hoping for a bite of his flesh. The second was close by, and he backhanded it in the face.
But the axe had a hook part on the back of it, and it lodged itself in the skull. As the undead fell to the ground, it dragged the weapon from Matt’s hand. Standing there defenseless he looked up at the third and last one grunting and trying to hurry toward him. Looking down he gripped the handle of the weapon tight and gave it a hard pull. But no matter how hard he pulled, it was not giving in. Each pull lifted the undead’s head off the ground and made a slurping sound.
Z Notes | Book 1 | Z Notes Page 14