I try my best to scan the area ahead of us, but it doesn't help. The moon is out, but it's still too dark. The dog growls more loudly as I stop my peddling and start to coast instead, straining my ears to hear. I hush the dog again, and then I hear it. Moans and groans and not just one or two.
Why does every damn zombie in the area have to be out lurking around on this interstate tonight? I bite back the frustration, as well as a fair amount of terror too. I really have nowhere to go with the zombies behind me, so I keep going forward and hope for the best. Maybe I will come across another road that I can turn off and go around?
I'm pretty much convinced I'm going to find myself in the middle of a zombie hoard any minute, but what choice do I really have, other than get off my bike and take off into the trees – which is a terrible option too, but one I might have to pick.
The dog is clearly agitated, and I wish there was some way the creature could communicate with me, so I would know exactly what I'm up against. The dog whines and I shush it again- and it actually listens, which makes me think it knows enough to be scared right now.
I keep peddling, but not super hard. I just keep the bike going a slow and steady pace in case I need to put my feet down and come to a screeching halt. I go for another five minutes before I discover what has the dog acting so sketchy. Zombies, and a lot of them.
I put my feet down and get the bike stopped pretty damn quick. At first, I'm not sure what exactly is going on, but the second I spot them, I expect a chorus of moans to start up as they take after me. They don't. I peer at them harder, squinting in the dark and finally figure out why. They are not headed in this direction, they are going the same direction as me, towards Louisville- not good. This highway is basically a funnel that will lead them right up to the main gates. I don't know exactly how many zombies are in that group, but if I had to guess I would say a couple hundred. The smell is overwhelming.
I'm scared the dog is going to do something to draw attention to us, but when I glance down, it's just sitting by my feet shaking. I realize that I'm probably going to be the one that draws attention, standing here like an idiot, if any one of those zombies happens to look back here, they will see me and set off the alarm.
I'm almost too scared to move, scared I'll draw attention to us just by moving, but it has to be done. I don't even waste time trying to silently get off the bike, I just aim it towards the ditch and ride it into the grass with the dog hot on my heels. I jump off the seat like it's on fire and crouch down- it is not ideal, zombies could be sneaking up behind me from the trees. The back of my neck starts to prickle uncomfortably, and I turn around and stare into the darkness of the trees. It is impossible to see anything in the tangle of forest though, and with my back is to the horde, the back of my neck again starts to prickle because now the other zombies could be sneaking up on me. There is no winning in this situation, so I put all my faith in the dog, who is pressed up against me shaking and hope like hell it will warn me if something gets too close.
I grip my axe so hard that I'm sure the woodgrain is etching itself into the skin of my torn-up palms, and I try and think my way out of this situation. It's really too bad that I don't have a pair of ruby slippers right now that I could tap together and take me away from this place. On one hand I can take off into the trees. The trees will be dark, almost impossible to see, so the chances are good of an unforeseen zombie attack, but it will be less zombies than are out here now. The dog leaves my side and heads towards the trees and begins sniffing around, and just like that, I've made my decision. I start to seriously wonder if finding this dog wasn't somehow fate intervening in my impending death. I might still die out here tonight, but the dog has been helpful so far in preventing my demise.
