Rock and a Hard Place Three
I Surrender
So hungry,
I thought as my stomach growled again in the dead of night. The crisp early
winter air bit at my face and I pulled the hood closer. I’ve been hiding for
two days from a huge horde of zombies passing through a once quaint little
town. They had been meandering outside and I couldn’t risk making a sound to
draw their attention. I tried not to think about how hungry I was. I ate my
last package of Ramen noodles two days ago without the pleasure of boiling it
in water. I just ate it right out of the package, it was still satisfying.
No sleep
tonight. I had tried to get around the horde before I could get blocked into
this building, I didn’t want to get surrounded. But that’s just what happened,
I wasn’t fast enough. Must be the lack of food. Now as the early morning dawn
broke over the horizon, I looked out the small upstairs window to see the horde
still milling in the same area. Why aren’t they moving on? Shit!
I
couldn’t stay here much longer, not without food and a dwindling water supply.
Just then, a single shot rang out to the East followed by a distressed cry, it
almost didn’t sound human. The cry soon stopped with another gunshot then
silence again. Sounds like someone’s end but an opportunity for me, the horde
is beginning to move off towards the sound. Here’s my opening.
Everything
I owned was still strapped to my back; I made it a habit never to take it off.
I unsheathed my machete and made my way to the back door. All clear. Staying
low to the ground I smoothly made my way to the woods. It was always dangerous
to run in the woods, every branch you step on seems to bring them out and you
run the risk of tripping over roots; spraining an ankle was a death sentence
here.
Keeping
the horde to my left, I followed to where the gunshot originated. It must seem
foolhardy going towards a group of walking dead, but I couldn’t pass up a
chance at collecting weapons. Guns were very few and far between; guns with
bullets even more so. All I had now was a machete and a pocket knife, having a
gun with even just one bullet would be helpful.
The
horde surrounded a small form in a debris filled clearing. From the looks of
it, this was someone’s campsite and that someone now lay in the center of the
feeding frenzy. In between arms and legs and teeth, I saw the gleam of the
handgun. Perhaps I can wait them out and collect the gun later and maybe there
were more supplies in the camp I can forage. A newfound confidence came to me,
I even smiled a little. It’s been a long time since I thought I was any steps
ahead of this madness.
It
didn’t take long for the horde to finish off the carcass and begin to move off.
Only bones and ripped flesh was left. After the all clear, I carefully made my
way to the center of the red mass. The gun should be underneath and the thought
of picking through it was unsettling but necessary.
The
flesh didn’t even have time to cool, congealed blood and matter squished
through my fingers as I gripped the gun; elated I pulled it out and stepped
back when a blinding pain radiated from my right ankle. Hearing a loud snap of
metal meeting metal, the clamp of a trap now surrounded my foot. I couldn’t
hold back the scream that let loose from my lungs.
Immediately,
I reached down to try and pull at the trap. My lower leg seemed to disappear
into it; metal met bone and even if I did get my foot out it would useless. My
scream attracted the same horde back to another feast and there seemed to be
more this time.
Dead
eyes and throaty moans met me as they advanced. My machete would not be enough
to save me, I could take down one or two but being unable to twist around, one
of the bastards will still get me. The thought of being eaten alive was
unbearable. I looked down at the eaten corpses and now noticed the same trap
around her leg; it finally hit me.
The
first bullet was an attempt to fight back, the second bullet was surrender.
The gun
seemed to weigh more in my hand and heavy on my mind. As the throng came closer
and the smell of death invaded my nose I had one final thought. Please God, let
there be just one more bullet.
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