Quickly I ducked under the edge of the storm drain, water trickled between my feet as I pressed myself as tight as I could against the side. The stench was the first thing I noticed, it was always there ever present, the smell of rotting flesh. You would think year after year of it somehow the senses would be deadened by it. Unfortunately no, whenever wind moved just right the all consuming smell rot would penetrate even the best of masks.
My breath echoed down the culvert while my eyes tracked the bit of wilderness in front me. The soft groans coming from the once used road above mixed with the shuffling of feet. I reminded myself one or two, that was manageable. However once we started to the point I need both hands to count I was out.
Gently pulling the hunting from its sheath at my hip, I breathed out slowly trying to keep my fears at bay. I reminded myself if I stayed quiet and kept hidden the odds were they would pass by none the wiser of little old me hiding underneath them. I was now living the highest stakes game of hide and seek... And it sucked.
Was it a virus? A disease, a parasite? Hell maybe it was something the was bioengineered. Nobody knew. Just one day corpses rose from their resting point and decided the rest of us became a tasty snack. The world was already a shit storm anyway, this was just the nice little cherry on top of the cake. One day I was worried about making my electrical payment the next I was running from the dearly departed to keep from being eaten.
Note to self, next apocalypse wear better shoes and a sports bra.
There were days that I just wanted to give up, I wasn't going to fool myself. The idea of running from one place to the next, hoping to find food and water but just enough to keep me going not to much because you had to be light on your feet in case the dearly departed appeared out of no where. Just to get from one day to the next was enough to drive anyone to the point of insanity. On the other hand, laying down and giving up just to be feasted on and in turn become one of them wasn't appealing either. Who knew the end of world would actually make life interesting.
I could hear the small herd slowly moving away, the moans and groan fading along with god forsaken shuffle shuffle of dead feet. Cautiously I took a step forward, a slight sloshing sound came from my soaked canvas shoes as I peered over the edge. Bits of tattered clothes, dirt and skin littered the asphalt like a gross version of a ticker-tack parade, but the ambling corpses seemed have kept going north which meant I wasn't.
I stepped out of the shin deep creek, toes cold from being submerged in the water for as long as they had. I slipped my knife back into it's sheath when something cold wrapped around my ankle that was still under water. It pulled hard, pulling me from the slight embankment, muddy water cascaded up around me as a slimey figure lunged up out of the water.
I braced my forearm against its throat, skin from its neck squished up exposing rotting neck muscles. Blackened teeth snapped at my face as I attempted to pull my knife back out, water sloshing up my own body in the process. The only hand it had reached up trying to pulled my arm down as I finally pulled my knife free of its encasement. Quickly I shoved the steel into the dead's temple hoping that in the process we didn't make enough noise to gather any other of their attention.
The stinking corpse slid easily off my own body with a quick shove and climbed out of the stream as quickly as I could. I was soaked, cold and now annoyed I would spend the remaining of the day smelling like rotting flesh and fish. I stepped out on the road, my shoes squishing as I did and sighed heavily.
"Stupid rotting pieces.." I trailed off as I rung out the bottom of my shirt. "Can I just catch a break, just a small one."
I hung my head, taking a deep breath, one I was still lucky enough take. A bit of stream slime slipped down my elbow plopping on the black top next to my feet. It's not a bad day, just one craptastic moment, I reminded myself heading in the opposite direction that the herd of dearly departed had went. After all it was maybe just shy of noon and I had the whole day ahead of me. Granted I still had to deal with not being eaten but in turn find food for myself and maybe, just maybe get lucky enough to find a safe place to hunker down for the night. Preferably dry.
"So first thing on the agenda," I told myself. "Find some dry shoes, cleaner clothes then the one I am currently in."
Having been on my own now, for god knows how long, I had taken up talking out loud. It was cathartic, it's not something one thinks about, how the lack of human to human conversation can effect ones mood. Being able to have that one on one connection, to share ideas, to express yourself, hell even to shoot the breeze and bull shit with your neighbor, humans needed it. We are a social creature, needing companionship like most other animals, we thrive on it. Though to be fair before the world was introduced to the new apex predator, the ones that never tired and would eat your face off fast than Florida man, I thought I could go the rest of my life never talking to another human. Now however, I would gladly even have the dullest conversation with a half brained inbred.
The last time I was around another person, it only lasted a couple of months. She wasn't the brightist shade of grey, but at least it was better than talking to myself. She was already half mad went I met her, rattling on about how the dead spoke to her, calling her 'home' at least that was till she decided to have a one on one with a newly dearly departed.
I hooked a left when I saw a dirt road leading off the asphalt street, deep ruts told me it had been used heavily and the lack of Mother Nature taking back over the path said it was used rather frequently. Both exciting and horrify at the same time. Before I met the her who thought the dead wanted to tell all their undead secrets I had a run across a group of rather unsavory individuals, the type you wouldn't want to come across at any type of day. Think the widest biker gang you can think of, double it and sprinkle in some hard core serial killers, that was them.
Ducking into the brush that the forest provided, I kept the dirt road in my sight. The knife was already unsheathed and in hand, keeping my knees bent to avoid making anymore sound then I needed to I pressed forward. Somewhere in the distance a raven chortled and something scurried in the underbrush. Something moved on the other side of the road, shimmering from one tree to the next causing the hair on the nap of my wet neck to stand. I paused mid-step, taking in a deep breath to still my nerves.
I took another step watching the trees across from me, sun filtered down through canopy casting an array of shadows. Another step forward and suddenly my world went upside down, leaves and branches flew around me. Pain seared its way through my ankle as I was pulled upward with enough force to not only knock the knife from my hand but also knock my brain against my skull.
For a moment, just for moment, I was confused and disoriented. Once my brain stopped thudding against the inside of my head I realized the world around me was upside down and I was hanging by my left foot about four feet from the ground. Something came from around the trees on the other side of the dirt road but I didn't get a good look as I was not only upside down but spinning very slowly.
"Seriously, you better not be one of the D.D.'s, otherwise I'm going to be really pissed." I half yelled trying to do a sit up in the air, finding it more difficult then it should of been.
"Why you comin down this way?" A male voice almost bellowed back, heavy foot steps made their way to my direction.
"On my way to the mall!" I yelled back, astonished to actually hear a voice and not the moans of the dead. I tried to whip myself around to see who was yelling at me but my own hair kept covering my own face and obscuring the view.
"Smart ass comment like that ain't goin to get ya down." He snapped back as a hand grasped a hold of my wrist.
"Well, to be fair that's a dumbass question, the hell do you I'm going?" I snapped back as a face came into view.
Piercing blue eyes met mine, a small scar sat above his right eyebrow. Scruff surrounded a set of full lips and his shoulder length dirty blonde hair hung to his shoulder. His skin was tanned by what was no doubt years of being outside, in that moment I wondered how many of us still living would die of skin cancer rather than old age.
"Think your funny, don't 'cha." He stated, before walking over to a nearby tree.
"Don't know, haven't been around to many of the living these days, and considering the dead don't talk or laugh for that matter." I responded, watching him intently.
"Mmm." He responded more as grunt rather then an actual response. With a flick of his wrist I came crashing back to the ground, extra rope pelting me on the face for good measure.
"Thanks.. I think." Standing up and brushing myself off quickly, bits of forest floor sticking to me since my clothes were still wet from earlier. I spied my knife and swiped it up from the ground.
"Why you head this way?" He asked me, this time without the yelling. His jeans were filthy and had holes throughout them, same as his grey colored shirt. Actually the ones thing not covered in holes was probably his leather jacket.
"Well.." I took a deep breath. " I was on the hunt for food and dry clothes, saw the dirt road.. was hoping to find an old abandon house that maybe I could hole up in for the night."
"You don't have any food?" He asked, staying the distance he was, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other a bit. I could tell he was sizing me up, just as I was doing the same.
The man was dirty, he had definitely been out on his own a while. There was a large knife of some sort on his left hip, and a smaller one on the right. He didn't seem threatening, but looks were always deceiving anymore. As of now, I treated everyone as a threat until I learned otherwise.
"What weapons you got?" He asked abruptly. I pulled the knife back from its rest point flipped it in my hand so the handle was facing towards him.
"Just this." I said as I took a step forwards, his own hand instinctively went to his hip.
"Just that one?" He asked, his eyes flicking down and then back up to me.
"I travel light, makes it easier to run from the dearly departed." I responded solemnly, he chewed on his bottom lip and nodded.
"Come on." He almost barked walking through the trees in the direction I had been walking before I went feet over head.
"You going to kill and eat me?" I asked him, pausing for a moment. He paused for a moment and look over his shoulder.
"Nothing, what's your name?" I asked him, putting the knife back in it's spot.
