The Long Road Home

Chapter Three

        She looked out window of the front door. The streets were clear and everything seemed quiet and peaceful. Pig knew leaving the store now was a stupid idea, but she needed antibiotics and she could not get them here. When she had woken up this morning, her face was swollen and hot to the touch. A bad infection was the last thing she needed, so she gathered her things to try and make her way back to the clinic.

            Putting the heavy pack on had been the hardest part. The weight of the pack had sent her to her knees and she had trouble getting back up. Pig hoped with all her heart she didn't have a concussion, or worse a fractured skull. She needed to get out of the city soon and that would keep her down too long.

            She went to the side of the store where there was a massive loading door for truck deliveries. Next too it was the employee entrance. Pig put her ear to the door and almost jumped out of her skin when there was a loud clink of metal on metal. She sighed realizing it was the compound bow she had grabbed this morning and hung on her pack. Taking it off, she hung onto it. It was best to have it ready anyway. She did not know what was waiting for her on the other side of this door.

            After unlocking the door, she cracked it open and looked out. The streets were still empty other then a few random pieces of litter floating around in the wind. With a sigh she left the store. Pig tested to make sure the door was unlocked. Finding it opened easy gave her a sense of relief. She could come back if she needed to.

            She started for the clinic drawing an arrow from the quiver at her waist. He mind drifted to the bow in her had. It was just like the bow sitting in her bedroom back at her apartment. She had always been good with the weapon. Pig remembered spending hours behind the cabin just shooting until her arm went numb with fatigue. She was no good with guns, but she was a master with a bow and thanks to the three blade razor heads she had put on her arrows, she was sure she could down any monster that messed with her.

            The only problem she foresaw was this bow had a seventy pound draw. It was a little hard for her to draw, but Pig knew with time and practice she would master it.

            Movement out of the corner of her eye made her freeze. Pig swallowed hard and tried very hard not to move even to take a breath. With a death grip on the bow, she turned her head to see what had moved.

There was nothing before the store to her left. Maybe something inside? A light tap drew her attention up. There was a male monster standing in the window of the second story. It had a blank stare as it ripped chucks of black hair out of his head. Her blood ran cold as it looked right at her. He stopped ripping his hair out and licked the window. The man set his hand on the window, then looked to it confused. He snarled bearing his broken and blackening teeth before attacking his own hand biting deep into the flesh. Blood sprayed the window along with bits of flesh. She heard its squeal of pain as another monster slammed into it.

Pig wanted nothing more to run screaming as far and fast as she could get from the nightmare. Instead, she took a slow wary step continuing toward the clinic. Her heart was pounding hard and the pain in her head was increasing. For half a second her vision blurred and she was terrified she would pass out. She could not risk being out on the street unconscious. Pig checked her surroundings and saw she had less then a block to go.

She knew she could do this. Just a little farther and she would be in the clear. When she got to the clinic, she would get what she needed and then get back onto the road. All she needed was to get out of the city. She was sure once she was out of the city, everything would be easier.

The ally came into sight and she let out a soft sigh of relief. A loud crash of breaking glass made her jump. Pig looked behind her and saw the monsters had broken though the window and were now in the street fighting to kill each other. She slipped into the ally wanting to swear at the top of her lungs.