Chapter 29
The
other’s panicked after I left, but luckily they all had enough sense not to try
and run after me. But there was still nothing they could do, they couldn’t
reach the warehouse because there was still a sea of undead between them, and
they couldn’t run after me for the same reason. So they sat on the ground, some
were crying silently, others kept ranting on about how they could have helped
me if I had taken them too, others just sat in silence, thinking.
It was
like this for several minutes, until in a burst of movement that made everyone
jump, Connor leapt off from his sitting position towards one of the houses
nearby. The others stood and glanced at each other in confusion “Connor?”
Lindsey called, she worried that he would do something stupid out of grief and
fear
“I can
save him,” he stated bluntly as he half-ran out of the house, holding a piece
of polished metal in his hand
“How?”
Monica asked desperately, but Connor just ignored as he stood in the middle of
the road, staring wildly at the horizon
“We only
have a few minutes left,” he said to himself
“Of
what?” Malcolm asked through clenched teeth
“Sunlight,”
Connor replied as he held the piece of metal up in the air, and twisted it
periodically.
…
As the
sun set the inhabitants of Haven stood on the lookout they had built, staring
at the horde of dead which had seemed hell-bent on tearing them apart until a
few moments ago. Jade had noticed it several minutes ago, more of the dead than
they had ever seen before, marching steadily towards them. But then suddenly
they all stopped and turned away, distracted by something they could not see. A
few remained, but they were confident the walls and traps they had set up could
handle them. Lauren and Chris weren’t in the lookout, at the first sight of the
horde they had been sent to get the cars ready for evacuation.
“Come
on,” Daniel said and he turned away along with some others, it was time to
abandon the home they had made. Jade was the last one to turn away, she knew
that if they left the chances of the others and me finding her were slim, and
if she said goodbye to Haven she was saying goodbye to me too. “Find me,” she
whispered to no one, and as she turned tears began to run down her cheeks. But
just before she descended the stairs something caught her eye on a hill in the
distance. A flash of light, blinking in a pattern. She recognised it, Morse
code, the code Connor had taught everyone when we had begun raiding, and
quickly she picked up the pattern and deciphered the message. S-A-V-E T-O-D-D.
…
I knew I
was going to die, but it wouldn’t be here, not if I could help it. And even if
I did, I would make sure the other’s escaped, it was the least I could do for
the group that made me their leader, that placed their trust in me. I guess we
were about to find out whether or not their trust was misplaced. I slammed my
foot down on the accelerator and I felt the van surge into motion. This time I
didn’t care how many corpses I hit, I had gotten their attention now I needed
to keep it. Eventually, and gratefully, I broke out of the dense centre of the
horde, I wasn’t hitting as many bodies, and I could actually see where I was
going. But I couldn’t take this opportunity to escape, I couldn’t risk the
warehouse being targeted again. So I kept my eye on my rear-view mirror, and
lowered my speed anytime they would get too far away.
But as
any driver knows, time you spend looking at the mirrors is time you’re not
looking at the road, and eventually I made a mistake. I didn’t notice the road turned,
and I only realised at the least second, I turned the wheel sharply, my foot
tentative on the break, if I slowed to much I’d be eaten. I went up on the foot
path, which didn’t help my lack of control. I hit a small tree, luckily my car
was big enough and fast enough that I didn’t stop immediately, but I I’d start
to spin out of control. I knew I had to stop, if I didn’t the car would most
likely flip, and there would be no escaping then. I pressed on the breaks,
slowly at first then harder and harder, until finally I regained control.
I’d been
slowing down for too long, the dead were almost on top of me. I had stop facing
them, I could see them running towards me. I could feel my heart beating,
faster than it should. It was too late now, this was it, I wasn’t going to
survive this, but I would do everything I could to save them. I put the car in
reverse and slammed the accelerator. I watched the rear view mirror, and saw
the road end in a t-section. I span the wheel quickly when I got there and put
the car in drive as quickly as I could. I wasn’t as quick as I would’ve liked,
the fastest of the dead slammed into the side of my car. I heard them growling
and scraping at the sides as I once again hit sped forward.
But this
time I wasn’t as lucky, one of the zombies that had made contact got its leg
caught in the wheel and was dragged under the van. Its brittles bones broke and
punctured the tire, and the van swerved around the road wildly. I did all I could
to keep control, but it was no use, the bulk of the horde had caught up and
soon they would be on top of me. No amount of metal or glass would protect me
from their hunger. I promised I would do all I could to save them, and I had, I
was done. I stopped the van, I knew the best way to distract them now was to
let them reach me, and wait for them to rip me apart. I was done.
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