Half past alive

Chapter 3

3

I walked back to the centre of camp, to see what people were doing. Some women were washing clothes while their children ran around, playing, in eyeshot of them. The rest of the men and Jackie, were going on a hunting trip into the forest for something to eat. I decided to go and cut wood with Alice, a forty year old with a body of an ox. I picked up the ax and started splitting wood, shoulder still sore from carrying the duffel bag.

"So honey, word around camp said you snuck out with that young boy Sam. You gotta be careful with stuff like that, doll. A baby's no blessing anymore." She said in a pack-a-day rasp. I paused, ax mid-air. People said things about me and Sam? It's like high school all over again, except you don't have to worry about the head cheerleader finding out, only Jackie, who had I crush on Sam. I'd rather have the cheerleader.

I don't know why Jackie had a crush on Sam. She's at least ten years older, even though she claims she's only eighteen. I tried to not think about it as we kept chopping wood.

After a while, Alice took a break to her tent, probably to have another five cigarettes, but I kept chopping. I heard running off in the distance which was odd, until I heard the screaming.

Ax in hand, instantly ran to where the screaming was coming from. On the other side of the camp, where the children were, there was over three dozen corpses. All the children and their frantic mothers ran into the r.v and locked the door, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves. One of the corpses ran up to me, teeth bared, ready to infect. I swung the ax, shearing the head right off, blood flying everywhere. The next one came up behind me and I quickly turned, and sunk the ax into the top of its head, lodging the ax head into its skull. As the next one nears, I try to pull it out, using all my strength. Just as it stands over me, grabbing my shoulder, I free the ax from the skull with a suctioning sound and side swiping the temple of the corpse. It fell onto the heap and I took off running in the other direction.

The corpses kept filling the camp, emerging from the forest. I kept killing every one of them in my path, running around the camp, trying to get them all. No one else was killing them, so I kept going.

As I neared the middle of camp, I stopped. I was surrounded, too many to count and I was soaked with blood. I looked for an opening, seeing one leading into the forest. If I run they will chase me into the forest, away from the children. If I get pinned in the forest, I'm done. I have to make the camp save again. I sent a mental good bye to Sam and took off into the forest.

Sam's POV

"You would think there would be more to this town than houses and corpses." Ben said, lighting a cigarette. Leroy sighs and Ty nods. Ty turns to me, a sly smile on his lips. "So what's going on with you and that hot chick sloan?"

"None of your damn business." I snapped at him, Ty grinned.

"Well I might have to make her my 'business' If you know what I'm saying." He says, cockiness thick in his voice. Leroy smirks and Ben rolls his eyes.

"Don't you dare." We were all the same age, but I could easily beat the hell out of Ty.

"Woah there, tiger. I just want to have a little fun before i die. Sue me." He runs his thumb over his bottom lip, testing me. I regain my self control and calm down.

"Should we search the rest of these houses on the block?" I ask Ben. He shrugs, "might as well." And we started walking down the street.

Sloan's POV

I ran into the forest, trying not to trip or fall. The moans behind me echo in the forest, making the ground vibrate. I run through the forest and onto the highway. I've been running for longer than I thought, the highway is two miles away from the camp. Before they see me I run down the highway far enough that they can't see me, and I run back into the forest, towards camp.

By the time I get back there are minimum of corpses. I kill the rest of them and start circling the camp for any I missed.

I see a young one walking out of the trees. I walk over, ax raised, realizing it was Jackie's fourteen year old sister, Diana. She backs up afraid of me, so I throw the ax behind me and hold my hands on front of me to show I mean no harm. She takes another step back, straight into the arms of a corpse. I reflex back, reaching for the ax, but by the time I have it, the corpse has sunk its teeth into Diana's neck. She screams and I end the corpse's undead life.

Diana falls into my arms and I cradle her. I want to comfort her, tell her everything is going to be okay, but the cliche gets stuck in my throat and words never come. I hold her against my body and wait for her to die. I feel the tears running down my bloody face. I lie her on the ground as see stares at me, making gurgling noises as blood shoots out of her neck wound. I get on my knees beside her and pushed her hair away from her face. Her hand reaches up and touches my face, just as her eyes close and her soul leaves this horrible earth.

I sit there waiting for her to turn when I hear a branch snap behind me. Sam. He lifts me up into a hug. When he lets go I fall to his feet. I turn and stare at Diana again, Sam joining me. I didn't move until I heard someone pumping a shotgun. I quickly spun around as Jackie pointed the barrel my head.