Mom and Zombie Slayer

CHAPTER 14 - Friends or Foes ?

In a perfect world, I would never drive and use a cellphone. But we were not in a perfect world anymore. As I was driving, I powered the phone and tried to get John on the phone but there was no network. Maybe networks were down for good now. I hope that this wasn’t the case because I had to share the information I had with him about the two men and their zombie. I didn’t know what to make of this and as much as there was a part of me that thought that they were a threat, I couldn’t think too much about it because I had to find a safe way to John.

I powered down the phone again and put it away, in my back pocket. I didn’t want to waste any of the battery life the phone still had. It was a flip model and nowadays, not much people had those kind of phone, therefore, I doubt that any car I might find will have the right car charger, if any.

As I was driving, I was being careful, because I knew that there were other people on the road, like us, going to the same place we were going. I kept the kids entertained with the CD music the previous owners, Frank Sinatra lovers, had loaded in the car. I tried the radio, but there was nothing. Amanda was sitting at my side, still not talking and Elliott, sitting in the middle of the back seat, was babbling for five. I hoped he would be able to keep a little bit of his innocence.

I quickly looked in Amanda’s direction and my heart pinched. She had the shotgun in her lap and was scanning the surroundings, looking out for zombies. Maybe she will learn to trust me and would one day tell me her story.

It was as if the whole world had cease to exist. At the exception of the group we almost meet earlier, the roads were empty. I saw a few bodies, littering the ground, but I didn’t stop or slowed down to check if there were still humans or zombies. I know that Amanda saw them by the whitening of her knuckles on the cross of the shotgun.

There was a lot of abandoned car and often, I had to go on the side of the road to pass them. And every time I saw those cars, I was scared that someone, or something, would be hiding. So far, we were really alone.

A few hours in, I had to stop because it was starting to get dark outside. I choose to stay on the road I was on, but  I drove behind tall bushes, hiding us.

“Stay in the car. I’ll be right back.” I told the kids as I opened the door. Amanda nodded at me and Elliott babbled something that sounded like bye.

I took my scraper and one more gun from the back seat. With the gun tucked into my waistband, I had two, doubling my chances of survival.

I started to walk around the car, slowly and increasing the distance from the car each time. I ran across the road for a more throughout investigation of the place. It was dusk and I really could only trust what I was hearing.

I crouched on the floor when I thought I hear voices. On my knees and hands, I crawled in the direction where I heard the voices.

I got as close as I could be without giving my presence away. I counted one woman and in front of her was a pile of dead wood that she was trying to lit. She started to swear and she threw her lighter on the floor.

My first impulse was to go and see her. But I couldn’t risk her not being friendly.

I decided to go back to the car and leave, find another spot where we would really be alone. I had to much to lose if we stayed here. I started to silently back up when I felt something cold on my temple.

“You better stop right now,” the voice of a man told me. I immediately stopped and fought nausea. Shit. What was I supposed to to? And immediately after, I thought of the kids. I hoped that that man hadn’t find the car and the kids inside. I knew Amanda wouldn’t hesitate to shoot a zombie, but I didn’t know if she would have the guts to shoot a human.

“What’s your name?” He asked while he was going on his knees, keeping what I assumed was a gun on my temple, and patting me down with his other hand. He found my guns and my scraper and took them away from me.

Next he grabbed me by the neck and got me up.

“Please let me go,” I pleaded to him because really, it was was only option at this point. I didn’t have my weapons anymore and I didn’t know how to fight.

“Who are you?” I said, whispering. He answered my question by a question. “Are those your kids?”

I couldn’t answer. What if I said yes and he would arm them? What if I said no and he would arm them?

“Are those your kids?” He asked again, pressing the gun even harder on my temple.

“Yes. Yes, they are. Please don’t hurt them...” I was pleading again, not daring to move.

The man took the gun off of my head and I realized at that moment that I was holding my breath. I started to breath in and breath out very quickly and had to sit down on the ground.

The woman must have heard us because when I lift back my head, she was there, with a gun pointed in my direction.

“She’s okay, Julie. Put the gun down.” He told her before extending his hand in my direction. I took it and used it to get back, again, up. “I’m Paul, by the way. I’m sorry if I have scared you like that, but I had to make sure.”

“I know. That’s why I was here.” I looked at him now and saw that he was a man in his late thirties. Tall, he was clearly comfortable with a gun in his hands. His wife, Julie, was a small woman that looked to also be in her late thirties. She had shoulder length hair and was dressed in jeans and work boots.

“I am sorry, but I can’t let the kids alone that long. I have to go back. Would you care to...” I started, pointing in the direction I had came from.

“Yes, we will come. Julie, grab your bag,” said Paul, not wasting time.

They grabbed their bags and followed me quickly.