The Days Are Tired (Book #1 of the Dark Skies series) - A Zombie story

Chapter 27: Rogue

"Move, move, move!" Cain's voice rang out, not bothering to be quiet anymore since it was obvious that our position was already compromised. He picked up the supplies that I had left on the floor and secured his own bag onto his large arm.

Will pulled my hand and we left the concealment of the aisles, running into open space.

Looking forward at the front of the store I knew we couldn't go that way. About a dozen of them were sprinting down the long road towards us - their forms were easy to make out through the broken windows. They let out screeches like caws, long nasal croaks that rattled the air around them.

Their heads constantly snapped back and forth as they seemed to take in their surroundings. Which allowed the sun to highlight their bloodstained mutilated faces. It made me wish that night would fall - if only to hide the horrors that were them.

The Reds' dark figures twitched and jerked unnaturally as they pushed forward. Their limbs seemed to be separate from themselves as body parts moved irregularly and without cohesion.

"Let's take the back entrance!" Cain's quick thinking had us swerving and heading towards the back of the store. There was a door with a sign that read EXIT in bold dark letters.

Cain, in the lead, kicked open the door. His booted feet hit the crash bar, sending a bang through the store. The door swung forward revealing a paved road and two large green dumpsters.

The back of the store was relatively empty holding a single white loading truck that was left partially open. There were sealed boxes and crates of produce in the cargo bed, that would probably never be eaten before they spoiled.

The sound of things toppling over and buggies being pushed forward reached my ears, and I looked in the direction of the noise only to find pale faces gaping back at me. Eyes locked on their prey...

Us.

I had alerted them to our position with my cries for help. And the screams of the woman from the bathroom were no help to the situation at all. Her raspy screeches were like a beacon to her fellow zombie brethren. Sending them to her exact location which, unfortunately, was where we happened to be.

They were eager in their pursuit; by the time we made it out the back door, they were pushing their way through after us. And a few of them had circled around the store and were trying to intercept our position.

I basically gave them a free meal ticket. It was like saying zombies, oh zombies all you can eat! Get it while it's hot and breathing!

I mentally slapped myself. What was I thinking going off on my own?

Cain swerved left on a one-way street lined by a small one-story apartment building. I turned the corner right behind Will - who ran with his axe facing forward (taking care not to accidentally impel himself with the sharp blade). Light peaked from behind clouds and bounced off a kid's red tricycle.

I had to blink back the spots from my eyes.

I drove my legs - the flow of blood pounding through my straining muscles as I jogged along trying to match Cain and Will's pace. Their longer legs spurred them on - widening the space between them and me. So I made up the difference by ducking my head and pumping my arms.

We passed through about four more small neighborhoods. I looked over my shoulder to find the zombies still chasing us.

A majority of them seemed to be adult males, their clothes were ripped and dirtied by blood and grime. Their mouths were open in a large O shape, ready to bite down on flesh. I felt my steps falter as one of them crawled on all fours like some crazed dog. It was surprisingly fast, using both its arms and legs like an oar, propelling its body forward like a rubber band.