Beyond The Walls

Chapter Three - Present

I gradually stopped the truck as I pulled into the side of the road. After traveling what seemed like forever, I finally managed to come across a building. I drove across a straight road and didn't change direction once. The last thing I needed was to get lost, so I figured if I went in a straight line it would be simple to find my way back.

The building wasn't large. By the remainders of it, it looked as if it had maybe been a small shop. It was inevitable that people had been here before, and I couldn't just tell that from the dried up blood marks across the ground. This meant that there was probably nothing there that was useful to me, but I couldn't give up just yet.

As I opened the corroded truck door, I grabbed my bow and arrows, and swung my rifle across my right shoulder. There probably wasn't any need for both weapons, but I definitely wasn't prepared to take any risks. I slowly edged away from the truck, taking in all of my surroundings. There was a lot of trees and greenery. It felt strange being away from home, a whole year it had been since I had came outside. The silence made me nervous, I didn't think it possible for the world to be this quiet.

Branches crunched beneath my feet as I got closer to the slightly agar door of the building. I held up my bow and set and set an arrow in place to be able to use it straight away if I needed to. Less noise as possible. I would only use my rifle if it was an extremely serious matter, the last thing I wanted to do was attract any unwanted guests. I exhaled and slowly nudged the door open with my foot. I peered into the dark room. I couldn't see or hear anyone, but I couldn't be too sure.

I took small quiet steps as I looked about. I think I was right about it being a shop, since there were four aisles of shelfs and a counter at the end of the room. I carried on walking and turned into the first aisle. I scanned the shelfs,but there didn't seem to be anything. I kept on walking and turned into the next aisle. Straight away I noticed a can of something on one of the shelfs. As I approached closer I picked it up. Vegetable soup. I pulled out a plastic bag from my back pocket and placed the can into it.

As I looked up I noticed something sticking out from behind the counter at the opposite end of the room. My feet walked closer before I could even register what I was doing. I narrowed my eyes to try and see better but It was worthless, since it was quite dark. As I approached the counter closer, and closer I realised what I was looking at.

Feet.
There was somebody behind the counter. I edged slowly towards it and held my bow in place as I peered behind.

"Ohh..m..my-" I stopped my self before I let out a shriek.

The body was ripped apart. It's insides were everywhere and I had to stop myself from being sick. A lump appeared in my throat as my eyes begin to water. Quickly turning away from the counter I headed to the door of the shop. I needed to get out of this place. Before I knew it I heard a grumbling noise from behind me and my eyes grew wide as my head spun around.

There it was. Appearing from behind the forth aisle and limping towards me. It's face. Oh my god. It's face! It didn't have lips, or any skin around its mouth at all. All I could see was rotted teeth and flesh. A whimper escaped from my mouth along with the urge to cough up my insides. My first instinct was to run, but as I backed away, I strangely couldn't take my eyes off of it. How did this happen. How is this happening.

An arrow flew from my bow and imbedded into the creatures left shoulder. It set it back a little but I knew I had to aim for the head. Lucas had told me it was the only possible way to kill them. As soon as the first arrow left I had a replacement ready to aim.

The next one flew right past it and headed straight for the wall behind. I broke into a sweat and started to shake, it was so close I could smell the stench coming off of it. My feet fell onto the grass outside as I quickly backed out of the door. Another arrow flew from my bow and imbedded itself right into the top of it's nose. It fell out of the shop doorway and landed onto the grass and mud. I ran to the truck without thinking, as I kept my eyes on it. Making sure that it was definitely dead.

***

Tears continued to roll down my cheeks as I sat in the truck. I know I could of just used the rifle. It would of been much easier, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Eventually I would run out of bullets, so I needed to use my bow and arrows if I liked it or not. I tilted my head back and leaned it against the head rest behind me.

How was I supposed to go on from here. I could barely manage to kill one of those things. I can't survive in a world like this. It's not real, it's not real! They don't exist. They can't exist.

I wiped the tears from my face and looked out of the windscreen. It was beginning to get dark, so I needed to get out of here. I turned the truck and headed back along the straight road which I had travelled on. I'm so pathetic. After all that I didn't even manage to save the can of soup.