Escape The Dead

Chapter 36

Escape The Dead

Chapter 36- Zoie's A Saver

Zoie groaned and waited for the world to stop spinning. Something hard was pressing into her rib, adding to the dull pain that throbbed throughout her body. Zoir hissed as she slowly opened her eyes and was met with open blue eyes staring back at her. She jumped back in fear. She looked around to see blood and dead people.

Zoie peeled herself from the wall of the truck, which had rolled onto its side. The air stank of blood, one of the few smells strong enough to drown out the decay of the zombies.

Bodies were everywhere, and all was still and silent. The wind died and the truck grew dark. Zoie thought it was relieving to be blind to the horrors around her. But Zoie, unable to restrain her need to help others, began to grope around. Thick, still warm blood coated her hands. She grabbed for necks and wrists, hoping to feel a beating heart.

The canvas billowed up and revealed Nicole on the other side of the truck, with Tyler's head resting on her lap and Peyton laying beside her.

Zoie's voice was weak but pierced the silence. "Is Tyler and Peyton alive?"

Nciole nodded as the cover fell again. "He's unconscious, same with Peyton."

Zoie grabbed another wrist and finally found a pulse. She followed up a muscled arm and a breeze cast enough light to see that it belonged to Jack. He was out cold, bruised, and battered. His arm, the metal arm, seems to be broken with metal pieces everywhere. And next to him was Dr.Adam. Despite the dark, she glanced in Nicole's directions.

Another breeze brought more light into the truck. Zoie saw, for the first time, the metal bracing impaled in Zoie's side. It was already wrapped and stabilized by bandages.

Peyton started to stir and groaned. She slowly sat up and rubbed her head.

"Try not to move so much," said Nicole. "You're hurt."

"What happened?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah, what did happen?" Nicole wondered the same thing.

It had happened so fast and Zoie was still a little disoriented, so she didn't know. They were just chugging along down the dirt road, when the truck had suddenly jerked to the side and they began to roll. She took a deep breath and tried to focus her mind. They had done a familiar fishtail.

"I think we swerved out of the way of something," Zoie answered. She had avoided animals on the road a few times before, but never rolled from it.

A throaty roar boomed from outside.

With a groan, Nicole gently laid down Tyler's head next to Peyton and tried to head out of the truck. There was a determined look on her face, but she only made it a few steps before she collapsed to the ground.

"Help me up," she said. Each heaving breath she took released a whistle.

Zoie worried that Nicole might have a punctured lung. She shook her head. "You're too hurt," she said.

Whatever was outside began to beat a steady rhythm on the underside of the truck.

"Zoie is right, take it easy," said Peyton.

"I'll be fine. I can take care of it. Help me up," Nicole said again.

Zoie pushed herself from the ground and pulled out the crescent blade from her back. She struggled to her feet, every bone in her body crying out against the abuse. At this point, everyone knew the pounding noise of a human zombie, and whatever was outside wasn't a former human.