One year later

Chapter Four

A herd. In the dimming light I couldn't make out how many, but there seemed to be at least 50. Maybe even more.
We were reasonably far away, but they would reach us in the end.
I considered my options. I could try and sneak past them...
No. The area was quite wide, but there was no way of getting past without being spotted.
I could hide and wait for them to go past...
No again. It might work, but at least one of them was bound to catch my scent, and I didn't want to take that chance.
There was only one other option; I would have to kill the nearest one, cover myself in its guts and try to walk amoungst them. It was reckless and dangerous, but it might just work. After all, I'd done it before.
I braced myself, waiting for them.
After a while, they started to come closer. An old woman with one arm ripped off, half her face missing and long dirty hair was further ahead than the others. I cautiously walked towards her, after lifting AJ up onto a large rock. He would be safe there.
I quickly killed off the walker, and sliced down its stomach. Out spilt guts, blood, and a whole lot of other awful things. I began coating my clothes and face with the blood. Once I felt sure that I smelt like the dead, I did the same to AJ. He woke up and started whimpering, but I quieted him down.
This was it. I began to make my way through, weaving in and out. I kept my head down, not making eye contact.
I was almost halfway through when my luck ran out.
A clap of thunder.
I tried to keep calm, but inside I was panicking. Maybe there was only going to be thunder, lightning.
Yeah, right.
There was silence for a moment, then the heavens opened. Rain poured down from the skies, drenching me. Off came the blood.
I had to run.
Walkers were turning towards me, becoming interested.
I had to run.
With that thought firmly lodged in my mind I ran, smashing into bodies, hurrying towards the edge of the group.
They were following me. Not going too fast, but at a steady pace.
I needed to get out of there. I ran out the other side and as I did, broke into a sprint. And they began to chase me.
My lungs were burning, adrenalin pumping through my veins. Fear had taken hold of me, and was making me run much faster than I actually could. AJ was crying loudly, but I ignored him, too intent on staying alive.
Eventually I was lost sight of them, and collapsed, shaking uncontrollably. A wave of exhaustion hit me, and all I wanted to do was to curl up into a ball and sleep. I couldn't though. There was still work to do. The rain had stopped by now, and night had fallen. I could just about see another car, smashed into a tree. Stumbling towards it, I could hear someone inside. A walker.
I dragged her out by her hair and stamped on her head, before climbing inside, too tired to care about spores or germs.