My first instinct is to run- but of course they will just follow me. I could easily outpace them initially, but they will never get tired and I will. I don't want to be forced to deal with them once I'm winded from running, and what if I run into people that I have to fight with, I don't want to be simultaneously fighting off my undead fan club as well.
"I hate zombies." I mutter under my breath as I turn and face them. They are grouped together walking almost shoulder to shoulder, jostling each other out of the way in their haste to get to me. I don't really want to deal with them when they're all together like that. I pull my gun from my hip and bite my lip. I don't want to risk the noise, but I am pretty secluded, and my gun does have a silencer on it, not that the silencer makes it completely silent.
The lead zombie is getting closer and I make a split-second decision, raise my gun and pull the trigger. The zombies keep coming. I missed. "Not good." I tell myself as I aim again, a little more carefully this time. This time the lead zombie goes down and I let out a small breath of relief. If I had missed again, I would have been on the verge of panic, and second guessing myself. Another shot and another zombie go's down. "Just breath." I tell myself, mimicking advise Silas has given me in the past about shooting.
My next shot is too low, and I hit the zomb in the shoulder. I see him stagger back from the force of the impact, but he keeps coming. I raise the gun a second time, and my hand shakes slightly. Hes getting a little close for comfort, and if I don't hit him this time, I'm gonna have to run back a bit and try again, or switch to a melee weapon- like my axe.
I don't think my second bullet even hits him, though it is hard to tell because zombies don't react to pain. I pivot and start running towards the end of the driveway to get a little space between me and the zombie, before I turn back and plant a bullet right between his eyes. I finally let myself breath, sucking in deep breaths to calm myself down. That was terrible marksmanship.
I'm usually better, but I think being out here alone, and only having myself to rely on has gotten inside my head and made me second guess myself. I stare at the three bodies on the ground and then at the house behind them. I don't want to waste anymore time, but the house is clear now, and curiosity is getting the better of me.
I run back to the front door, keeping my gun out, and turn the knob, it's locked. I let out a huff of irritation and then decide that I don't care if I wreck it, the bodies in the grass are already a neon sign if anyone wanders past here. I step back and kick the door as hard as I can several times. The force of the kick reverberates up my spine, but I ignore it and after the third kick, the door jam splinters and smashes open against the wall inside. I stand back for a second and wait to see if anything else comes charging at me, but it doesn't.
With the front window all smashed out, the house is well lit. I enter a formal looking dining room that looks like its seen better days, chairs are knocked over and glass dishes are smashed on the floor. I pass a buffet hutch and round the corner to the kitchen.
It's also kind of a mess- I didn't realize zombies cooped up in a house for months would make such a mess. I guess I kind of assumed they went inactive without a human nearby to tempt them into a frenzy. It looks like they totally trashed this entire house.
I skip the fridge. Nothing good ever came out of opening a fridge that hasn't had power in months. Whatever might be in there, is not worth the odour to me. This house smells bad enough from its previous occupants.
I find the kitchen and start opening cupboards- not a lot of stuff, but I do come up with a couple puddings, fruit snacks, and a bag of cookies. I toss them in my pack and then add a roll of duct tape I find in a junk drawer- Silas was getting low.
