You know the old adage "time flies when you're having fun?" It implies that time slows down when you're not having fun. That was exactly feeling I was now experiencing. It was as though everything was moving in slow motion every beat of my heart drawn out over an eternity, drops of sweat taking ages to roll down my cheeks, and this feeling of impending terror putting such great pressure on my chest that I could hardly breathe. I looked over at Tracy and saw her standing there, calm as a spring morning, nodding to me in slow motion. I felt my muscles tighten, beginning at my shoulders rippling down my arm and then into my hand. My grip tightened around the brass doorknob. and I slowly turned the doorknob, the terror now mixing with a surge of adrenaline.
I twisted the handle and rushed outside, Tracy close behind me. The three zombies lumbered slowly through the vegetable patch were followed by several more a few hundred feet away. Spaced out and moving slowly I felt a surge of confidence. One on one they weren't a threat, but if allowed to gather in greater numbers we would undoubtedly be overrun.
I twisted the handle and rushed outside, Tracy close behind me. The three zombies lumbered slowly through the vegetable patch were followed by several more a few hundred feet away. Spaced out and moving slowly I felt a surge of confidence. One on one they weren't a threat, but if allowed to gather in greater numbers we would undoubtedly be overrun.
I approached the first, preparing to swing the fireplace poker at its head. "Wait!" Tracy called out. "Lure them out of the garden, we can't risk contaminating the food!" I nodded and took a step back, watching cautiously as the zombie moved to follow. On the other side of the patch the two others lurched toward Tracy, heads turning left and right as their undead ears scanned for any sound of movement. I could only imagine how difficult it must be to see through that thick goop and I made a mental note to use this to my advantage. As they cleared the garden I swung hard, squinting my eyes and closing my mouth to prevent any fluids flung into the air from getting inside me. I dared not turn my head but as I opened my eyes I saw the monster laying in a twitching heap at my feet. I turned to the next and saw it stagger weakly toward me, it's rain soaked clothing dragging through the fresh mud. Its long rain soaked hair hung straight off a balding head blistered and cooked by days of unrestrained exposure to the sun, and the rotting face was covered in open sores. It cocked it's head left, then right, searching for us with it's ears, its eyes covered in the familiar yellow paste.
Tracy pushed the barrel of her shotgun into the monster's chest like a cattle prod, keeping its swinging hands away from her, but as it lunged forward she slipped on the thick mud and it collapsed on top of her. "Tracy!" I called out, and moved to help but was immediately grabbed by the zombie behind be. I felt it's bony fingers wrap around my forearm and watched in horror as tracy dodged the other's flailing grasp.
Tracy pushed the barrel of her shotgun into the monster's chest like a cattle prod, keeping its swinging hands away from her, but as it lunged forward she slipped on the thick mud and it collapsed on top of her. "Tracy!" I called out, and moved to help but was immediately grabbed by the zombie behind be. I felt it's bony fingers wrap around my forearm and watched in horror as tracy dodged the other's flailing grasp.
Suddenly a loud crack followed by a sickening splat echoed through the valley and the zombie on top of Tracy flew backward and collapsed in a soggy heap. A second shot rang and I felt the grip on my arm release. I looked down and the monster's head was missing, a disgusting spray of brain matter striping the dark mud and bright green grass.
I ran to Tracy, helping her up and pulled her into my arms. I immediately pulled away from her, checking her face and arms for scratches. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Were you bitten?" She shook the thick mud from her shotgun and smiled weakly. "I'm fine." She said. "Feeling a little foolish actually, considering all I've been able to do to get here it would be ironic to die as a result of slipping in the mud."
I scanned the hills, looking for any sign of our savior. "Who was that?" I asked, assuming it was a relative or friend. "No idea." Tracy replied, and turned my shoulder toward the door. "But if they aren't a friend we need to be ready."
She led me around to the back of the house to an old cellar door. Pulling it open we climbed down a set of small stairs and found ourselves faced with a thin stone hallway. "Did you build this?" I asked. "No, my father did when I was young. It was our emergency exit in case of trouble." We traveled down the stone hallway in silence for what seemed like minutes. It smelled of mildew and the dank stone walls were wet to the touch. The only light was from the cellar where we entered. I kept my hand on her shoulder as she led me into the unknown, and I felt the muscles in her shoulders and back moving as she navigated carefully in the darkness.
"We're here." She said quietly. "I'll go up first." I heard the creak of wood and was bathed in a pillar of light above my head. As my eyes adjusted I saw Tracy nimbly climbing back down an old ladder and standing on the ground in front of me. "Above us is an outcropping of rocks. It will provide both cover and a view of the house, but it's old, so be careful." I followed her lean figure up the ladder and emerged on top of a flat rock surrounded by boulders and logs. It was a sort of natural fortress and when I looked back to the direction we cam I could see the house almost a quarter of a mile away. "Wow, it didn't feel like we came that far." I said. Tracy reached into an old wooden box sitting nearby on the ground and pulled out a leather bag with a set of binoculars in it. We took turns scanning the ridge line, the house, and the surrounding hills. There was no sign of anyone but the few undead wandering aimlessly in the field.
I ran to Tracy, helping her up and pulled her into my arms. I immediately pulled away from her, checking her face and arms for scratches. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Were you bitten?" She shook the thick mud from her shotgun and smiled weakly. "I'm fine." She said. "Feeling a little foolish actually, considering all I've been able to do to get here it would be ironic to die as a result of slipping in the mud."
I scanned the hills, looking for any sign of our savior. "Who was that?" I asked, assuming it was a relative or friend. "No idea." Tracy replied, and turned my shoulder toward the door. "But if they aren't a friend we need to be ready."
She led me around to the back of the house to an old cellar door. Pulling it open we climbed down a set of small stairs and found ourselves faced with a thin stone hallway. "Did you build this?" I asked. "No, my father did when I was young. It was our emergency exit in case of trouble." We traveled down the stone hallway in silence for what seemed like minutes. It smelled of mildew and the dank stone walls were wet to the touch. The only light was from the cellar where we entered. I kept my hand on her shoulder as she led me into the unknown, and I felt the muscles in her shoulders and back moving as she navigated carefully in the darkness.
"We're here." She said quietly. "I'll go up first." I heard the creak of wood and was bathed in a pillar of light above my head. As my eyes adjusted I saw Tracy nimbly climbing back down an old ladder and standing on the ground in front of me. "Above us is an outcropping of rocks. It will provide both cover and a view of the house, but it's old, so be careful." I followed her lean figure up the ladder and emerged on top of a flat rock surrounded by boulders and logs. It was a sort of natural fortress and when I looked back to the direction we cam I could see the house almost a quarter of a mile away. "Wow, it didn't feel like we came that far." I said. Tracy reached into an old wooden box sitting nearby on the ground and pulled out a leather bag with a set of binoculars in it. We took turns scanning the ridge line, the house, and the surrounding hills. There was no sign of anyone but the few undead wandering aimlessly in the field.
