from death we rise (borrowed time)

Chapter three: salutem ignotum

We make it back to the front entrance after scavenging the evacuated hospital, seeing a few of the dead banging on the windows of the car not realizing our flesh just yet. Wanting a feast of the unconscious. Jase lays helpless in the back seat, not having an idea of our reality.

JQ makes eye contact with me under the hospitals flickering lights that lend little guidance. He points to the loose bricks piled up from unfinished construction work. I swallow deeply, counting the three dead verses us two.
Calculating my death.

I set the lotto bag down gently, the two of us tiptoe to the bricks
picking up two in each hand.

-

He throws the first thrust, the monsters head abutting the back window and dropping to the earth. I lunge the same, hearing the brick crack his skull. Witnessing the dark liquid under the moonlight gushing from his wound. The monster drops to my feet, the pressure of his heavy body crushing my fragile toes.
Acknowledging that I just took someone's life.

"Ughr"

JQ grips his brick and heads towards the remaining Z, leaving me to kick this heavy fucker off me and perpetuate my sanity.

Numerous whacks start to commence, I leap up and see the monsters head smashed into the pavement behind the car. Obliterated.
JQ faces me with tears in his eyes, huffing out the rest of his anger and anxiety; blood and brain matter spread all over him.

-

"What was that back there?"

I request from JQ, not taking my eyes off the moon. Expecting it to feel my pain as it just watched helplessly. Not wanting to carry the pain of the destroyed side of civilization.

He doesn't reply, leaving only Jases aspirated breaths in the background. My soul-crushing every time they intertwine with my fragile eardrums.

-

We pursue driving down the gloomy roads, trying to martyr our way through the clutter. The headlights only highlighting half of our twisted reality.

"I know this sounds like an inconvenience, but we need supplies, or we're not gon' last"

JQ informs me, finally breaking the silence of this damned ride.

'You do that, I'm saving my best friend'

-

He pulls into a Walmart's parking lot, parking the car by the entrance of the door. Pivoting the engine and headlights off. The store seems dark and full of suspense, I'm happy to stay in the car.

Is that cowardly?

JQ opens the glove box, pulling out a massive flashlight before slamming it shut. He still has speckles of tears hiding in his eyes.

"Tend to Jase, I'll grab the supplies.
Lock the doors"

His voice filled with anguish as he jets out the door, galloping through the busted windows into the store; into the darkness.

I lock the doors, finding old trash and receipts laying on his floorboards. Spitting on them, slabbing them against the windows camouflaging our existence to the dead.