Chapter 81- Claustrophobic circumvention

I felt a wave of adrenaline flow into my muscles, fueling me into rapid action. Rather than carefully place things in the back I began tossing them from where I stood. I reached for the two large ammunition boxes and hefted them onto the bumper, resting momentarily before lifting them again and placing them into the back.  I grabbed the last two boxes, long black plastic cases containing two AR-15 rifles I had purchased at a gun show, and slid them into the back. I closed the doors and looked around the edge of the van. The horde was approaching slowly but steadily.  At their current pace I estimated they would reach me within the next five minutes. Was this that same massive group I had seen at the gas station or merely a small portion of them?  Standing on the back bumper I stood up and looked over the top of the van, hoping to get a better idea of the size of this infected group. They stretched all the way back to the gate and around the corner. It was at least a hundred and there might be hundreds more behind them. 

Driving into the crowd was tempting.  It would be a blast watching those bodies fly left and right as they bounced off the front bumper, however any attempt to do so would be certain death.  I might get into that crowd, and maybe with enough momentum I could get through the first dozen or so, but I would inevitably find myself high centered on a pile of corpses, destined to become one myself shortly thereafter. 

I couldn't exit out the back, at least not without abandoning my supplies, and the odds of me making it far without food, water, and medical supplies were slim.  I couldn't just wait in the van, my experience yesterday proved that.  

The front gate was the only way out that I was aware of, but I needed a way to get past the massive crowd growing ever closer.  I looked behind me and saw the storage unit, now nearly empty except for a few boxes and a couple tarps. The van would fit, but would the door be strong enough?  Immediately Whitney's words echoed in my mind "You only have enough supplies to last a few months, and if this really is the end of the world, well, let's just say I wouldn't want to be facing an army of those things with only 20 gauge corrugated metal to protect me." I looked at the cinderblock walls separating each unit.  Those were solid enough, but once inside there was only one way in or out.  I could park inside, seal the door, and hope they would lose interest before I ran out of food and water.  With their infected minds did they still retain their object permanence?  If they see me go inside would they pound on the door until it broke, or would they eventually get bored and move away?  I don't think I could break down that door with my bare hands, but with the pain centers of their brains eliminated they seemed to have inexhaustible energy, not to mention strength in numbers.  Perhaps something else would get their attention and lure them away.  Either way, my choices were limited. 

I could feel the anxiety in me growing as I climbed into the van and backed it slowly into the unit. The dead faces were getting closer, and I only had a few minutes to spare.  Cutting the engine I hopped out and reached up to the ceiling where the nylon strap which hung from the door handle swung idly in the evening air.  I grabbed it firmly and pulled it down hard, the metal rollers sliding loudly along their tracks. As the door shut the darkness was instant, and the collective moan outside was instantly muffled.  I waited a moment to allow my eyes to adjust. The lights of the van's console only dimly illuminated the cabin, and I instinctively stood still until my eyes adjusted.  As my pupils dilated I looked around the confined space and realized how small this storage unit really was.  Which wasn't a problem until I was trapped inside with a fleet of the undead getting ready to pound down the door.  I could smell the grisly rotted remains of the zombies stuck to the front grill and I started feeling nauseous and claustrophobic.  

As my eyes became accustomed to the darkness I made my way back to the driver's seat and stared at the illuminated dials. The soft green lights were comforting as I sat in near darkness, but I knew I didn't want to endure this only to find myself with a dead battery afterwards. I reluctantly turned the key and removed it from the steering column, plunging myself into complete darkness.