I do have a plan B. I thought of it last night in case something like happened. I had foolishly not thought it would though, I was too optimistic. My Dad always says, hope for the best, but have a back up plan and I had done that, but the problem is, I really, really, really don't want to do it. Just the idea of it fills me with dread.
I need to get off the road right now, or field as it is, and find some shelter, away from these peoples searching eyes and wait for nightfall. The darkness will provide the cover I need to get closer to Louisville- unfortunately it will also cloak the zombies and I won't know if I'm walking into a whole herd of them until its too late. It's a damned stupid, miserable idea, and if Silas knew he would probably shoot me dead himself, but no matter which way I've looked at the problem, this is the only solution I can think of.
I look around and scan the area, I really can't just stand here like I've magically sprouted roots; or worrying about the zombies after dark will be a moot point anyway. There are a few houses up ahead, and I want to keep going in the same direction if I can help it, so I aim for them. I stop and listen to make sure I don't hear the droning of an engine coming around again, and when the coast seems clear, I take off at a run. The less time in this field, the better.
I'm not sure if it's the smartest idea to run, after all, I could be mistaken for a zombie out here and overlooked, but zombies don't move this quickly. On the other side of that coin, I could also be mistaken for a zombie out here and shot. I'm damned if I do, and I'm damned if I don't- I could even NOT be mistaken for a zombie out here and shot. The fear pumping through my heart with each squeeze of blood makes the decision easier for me- my natural instincts are telling me to run, so I do.
I run until I can barely breath, and I keep pushing myself. The backpack slaps heavy against my back with every footfall, but I ignore it. I aim for the closest building and don't slow down until I see the shadowy figure emerge from the trees as I get closer.
At first, I think it's one of those people from the vehicles, and I actually breath a sigh of relief when I figure out from its uneven gait that its just a zombie. Just a zombie, the irony is not lost on me. I pull my axe free from my pack and slow to a fast walk as I get closer. The zombie takes another step forward, or tries to, but she doesn't seem to be moving.
I squint and try to make out what exactly is happening, and it appears that the zombie is caught on a tree, like it tried to walk through a tree that was growing from the same base but split about waist height into two trunks and the zombie isn't smart enough to go around. I give a quick thank you to the heavens for that one.
The zombie is snarling and snapping and clawing at the tree that's snagged it around the waist as I walk up with my axe, and I channel some of my frustration into my swing, and the females head practically explodes with the force of my hit- she must have been pretty decomposed. I watch the zombie collapse, still caught in the fork of the tree and then pull my axe loose and use the gory end to poke her backwards so she isn't hanging where someone might see her and know a human like me came through here. She falls back into the trees with a soft thud and I carefully scan the bushes for anymore of the dead.
The trees surrounding the property are thick and even though I don't really like the forest-like setting, I keep going, its good cover from the road. I walk for another five minutes, at first thinking I might take shelter in one of the buildings, but I'm not really sure if it's a safe idea, when a wooden ladder nailed to one of the thick tree trunks catches my attention- I almost didn't even see it.
I look up a good ten feet, or so, to a treehouse high in the branches. It definitely looks like it's seen better days, but it might just be the solution I've been needing. I haven't been in a treehouse in probably eight years or more, and I'm not the biggest fan of heights, but a treehouse that high will be zombie proof. I test the ladder and despite the wood feeling a bit soggy and slick with moss, it seems to be securely attached to the tree.
