Rotting Bodies

Chapter Eleven: How Did You Get Here?

     By now we've been traveling for a week through this town. It's not a small town. There are infected in most of the buildings, but to our luck almost all of them are regularly infected and not mutated. We thought that it would be best to spend the night in this little hotel, thinking that we'll all finally get some privacy. It looked worn, but it was one of the more intact buildings in the town. No broken windows. Nothing tried to get in or out.

     But maybe that was for a reason.

     "Son of a bitch!" Reyna yells, throwing a knife at a horde of infected, taking out one with an impressive head shot considering the distance.

     I see Ade get out of the wagon (he's still injured, but can move a lot better now) and take out his Classic Bowie. He's stupid, but at least he can use a knife. We insult him all the time, but Ade is really a great guy, (unless you've wronged him, or you're Vanna). Loyal, honorable, though you'll never hear any of us admit it. I know that if I ever need help with anything I could ask Ade, even if he hasn't a clue of what the subject or thing is that I need help with.

     The infected draw near. Ade and Vanna start slashing at the horde, working together (even though they fucking hate each other, because they know if they don't they'll die). It's quite beautiful to watch, if I actually had time to watch it anyway. I'm too busy shooting zombies with my bow. Everyone is either fighting or dodging and hiding.

     We manage to clear the horde, and we're all covered in the sticky cold blood of the infected. Now, none of us know how people get infected, we just assumed that bites could infect (and they can, I've seen it on one of my secret hunting trips,), and we all just assumed that the blood was dangerous to consume or get into open wounds, thinking that the exchange of bodily fluids is enough to get infected. Which makes sense.

     Ade and Vanna are drenched in blood. They try to wipe it from their faces, but it just ends up smearing.

     "Mera!" Vanna yells, "please, for the love of god, say that there is a river or lake somewhere close?"

     Mera checks the map. "There is a bridge that goes over a river... in that direction. It doesn't look like it's too far really."

     So off we go. It's a shallow (up to my waist), fast moving river. When we get to the riverbank, Ade runs in and beckons for Reyna to follow. She does. Vanna gags and walks in. Issac washes off Lucen and himself. MJ and Mills get in and just stand there. Ebie stays close to land and Lance stays close to her. I go in with everyone and stand in the fast moving water, surprised how no one had stumbled or fallen over. I scrub the blood from my clothes and body.

     We all get out clean, and with our clothes dripping, boots filled with water, wet socks (gross), but otherwise refreshed. We decided that it would be best to spend the night by the river, 1) because it's closer to our destination and 2) none of us want to encounter more infected. It's a good idea, infected can't swim, and haven't mutated to be able to do so, and they usually tend to stay away from rivers.

     No one decides to stay up and keep watch. We're all too exhausted to stay up. Tonight a dream comes to me.

     I'm in a pasture full of cows. I don't recognize any of them, cows are an animal that I grew up with. They don't pay attention to me as I walk by them. Up ahead there's a little heifer calf, white with brown spots, all alone. It comes up to me and I kneel down to pet it, surprised that such a young one, who was probably born in pasture, isn't wild and is friendly. She reaches up and licks my face. I try to get away, but suddenly she's on me, and she won't stop licking.

     I wake up with a wet, slobbery face. My face is being licked. When I open my eyes Amy is on my chest. Amy?

     "Amy!? What the hell are you doing here!?" I sit up, pushing her off my chest. Behind her are her two puppies, and it's apparent that she carried both of them for most of the time because of how old they are.

     We found Amy when she was pregnant. We haven't found the father, but the infected seem to ignore anything that's not human for the most part, unless it's dead, then if they're hungry enough they'll eat it. Amy cocks her head and gives a little bark. When we left, we made sure that she had enough food and water, but she must've missed us.

     "Reyna! Ade!" I call as I get up, picking up the puppies.

     They wake up. Amy runs to them and makes herself comfortable on Ade before he can get up. Reyna sits up in shock as I sit next to her and hand her the puppies.

     "What? How?" She asks.

     "Amy must've been lonely. I'm going to go see if there's any animals that decided to move into this town, we have some extra mouths to feed." I get up and grab my bow and quiver, noticing how empty it is and how the arrows rattle loosely. I'm going to have to make more.

     Reyna goes to protest, but I shush her, gesturing to our sleeping companions. Then I leave to go hunting, leaving Reyna sitting there, occupied with two puppies.