Let's Burn Down Our Hometown

11. The Wheelers Aren't So Predictable

They stuck to the roads. As they didn't have a compass, or the supplies to trek through the woods. So they picked their way down the highway, and toward town. The sky only darkened as the cloud overhang was too thick to let any stars, or even the moon, shine through.

The zombies were far and few, but Steve could feel the clusters coming as they neared the crumbling buildings in town.

"Maybe it is smart to keep some hands at home," Mike spoke up after a very quiet half-hour of walking. Nothing but the sounds of their boots on concrete and deep, drawn-out sighs to fill the void.

"What?" Joyce asked first.

"Hopper, he was right." Mike nodded-and boy did Steve wish he had made a bet with himself some time ago. Never, and he meant ever, did he think he'd hear the words 'he was right' ever come out of Mike Wheeler's mouth.

"Leaving some hands at home means we're you know, well protected. Someone to hold down the fort while we're out here kicking soda cans and fending for our lives." Mike swung the pipe out in front of him, making the sound a lightsaber might of as he swung it back and forth. Racing a few paces ahead to fight off imaginary monsters.

Will regarded him with a look of embarrassment, eyes sweeping down his best friend's thin frame before he swung them toward the dark sky, drawing his lips into a small 'o' as he let out a breath. 

"You haven't hit one zombie with that thing." Eddie pointed out, hand brushing Steve's with every other step he took. Neither were brave enough to latch on and hold tight.

"Neither have you!" Mike argued, spinning around to walk backward, though his heel caught and he nearly tumbled. He earned a huff of disapproval from Hopper that sent his cheeks tinging pink.

"I'm preserving my strength." Eddie boasted, propping the pipe up on his shoulder.

"None of us have hit any zombies." Hopper pointed out, shooting Steve a disbelieving look. "Like, at all." He continued.

Like it was his fault Eddie liked to argue with high school students. Like he was responsible for him. Steve's stomach warmed at the idea before he shook his head, dropping his gaze down to his dusty boots. Ignoring Hopper's curious gaze now pinned on the crown of his head. 

Mike continued his lightsaber noises as Eddie puffed his chest at him. 

"Will?" Joyce stopped, turning to look over her shoulder as Will came to a slow stop in the middle of the road, his flashlight slowing on its bobbing before it held a steady beam pointed at the ground.

"Isn't that...weird?" Will asked.

"Which part of this scenario particularly?" Eddie asked.

"The zombie part, and how we haven't had to kill any." Will pointed out, then looked at Steve. "The way you always made it sound when you returned home was that they were crawling everywhere. Climbing over each other to get a bite of flesh." He accused.

"And they usually are," Steve argued at once, lips drawing into a thin line.

He was no better than Eddie, but he refused to admit it.

"But we didn't kill any driving to the farmhouse or at the farmhouse. There were no zombies at the cabin, and we've only seen a handful since then and they've completely ignored us. Isn't that weird?" Will stressed.

Steve frowned, gazing down the street-though it wasn't useful as it was far too dark to even see a few feet in front of him, then he turned back to Will.

"When I was outside, by the pool with the candle. They walked right by me. Paid zero attention to me until I-you know, started bleeding." Steve shrugged. "So what if a fire is a stronger draw point than our blood-what if..." Steve trailed off, pointing his flashlight down the street, though it only gave him a few dozen or so feet of more visibility.