"Ricky, could you bring me the axe, please?"

"Sure thing, Scouter Mike." The boy hopped out of the truck, wincing a little at the impact, and ran around to the back. He opened the canopy and grabbed the axe.

He ran the axe over to Mike. "Here you go Scouter...Hey! What is that thing doing now?"

The undead had changed directions once again. As Ricky took the axe to Mike, it turned away from them and moved toward the field that was separated from the road by the ditch. It climbed up the slimy slope and encountered the barb wire fence pushing at the wire as if unaware of it.

Mike watched, his mouth hanging open a little. He held the axe, forgotten in his right hand.

The creature continued to struggle against the wire, showing no emotion on its ravaged face. It got snagged on some of the barbs and fought harder.

Mike remembered that Ricky was standing beside him. "Ricky, why don't you go back into the truck? I can take care of this."

"Sure thing Scouter Mike. My head still hurts. I think I'll go cover my head for a while so the light doesn't hurt my eyes so much."

Ricky trudged back to the truck. As he did so, the undead creature stopped fighting with the fence and turned back toward the ditch. The fence creaked as it pulled away, leaving large gobbets of rotting flesh behind.

The creature re-entered the water and continued its walk toward town. As it left the Scouts behind, it angled until it was back on the road.

Mike looked down at the axe. Should he follow the thing and dispatch it or get while the getting was good.

He looked over to Steve and Shaun. "You're all done with that wheel, right?"

"Just tightening the lugs. Give me another minute," Shaun said without looking.

That was enough time to rid the world of another monster. Mike followed the creature, the axe held ready.

For the first few steps, the creature paid no attention to Mike whatsoever. Then it stopped and raised its head moving it back and forth for a moment.

Mike gripped his axe and raised it to strike the creature. When it spun around to face him, he was caught flat-footed. He took a step back in surprise and tripped, falling heavily to the ground.

The creature reached down to grab Mike almost before he had hit the ground. Mike desperately scrabbled back, crablike from the monster. It kept coming for him.

Mike tried to twist and get up, but the loose gravel skittered under his feet and he fell again. The creature kept inexorably coming for him.

Mike tried crawling on his hands and knees, the sharp pieces of rock cutting into his hands and knees. He looked wildly around but no one seemed to be paying attention. “Guys, help!”

“Coming, Scouter Mike,” a voice called. It sounded like Ricky, but Mike couldn’t be sure. He kept scrambling for safety, his hands and knees now bleeding.

Sweat was starting to blind Mike and his muscles were cramping. He didn’t stop though. The idea of the shambling horror behind him kept him going.

“You can stop, Scouter Mike,” Ricky said, his voice coming from right beside Mike.

Mike looked up, blinking at the boy. “Huh? What?”

“The creature has turned around again. It’s going back toward town.”

That didn’t make any sense. Mike sat down and wiped the sweat from his eyes. Sure enough, the monster had turned around and was once again walking away from the vehicles and down the road.

“When did it start doing that?” Mike asked.

Ricky shrugged. “I was running toward you to help and it just stopped. If I didn’t know better, I would say it was confused. It turned around and moved away.”

“How closed was it to me?” Mike asked.

“It was actually reaching for you. I think it could have caught you. Then it stopped,” Ricky said.

That made even less sense. Mike wished he could ask someone what the heck was going on.

“Mike, what happened to you?” Shaun asked, running from around a vehicle.

“Bloody creature almost got me!” Mike said.

“Did it sneak up?”

“No. I went to take care of it.” Mike shook his head. “Those things can really move fast. Caught me by surprise.”

“Who was backing you up?”

“I didn’t think I needed anyone,” Mike said. He looked down at his lacerated hands. “I guess I should know better. Maybe practise what I preach.”

Shaun slapped him on the back. “Someone was watching over you. That thing doesn’t seem too interested now.”

“Yeah. And I can’t help but wonder why,” Mike said.

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