2050: The Beginning of the End

Chapter 15: Dimitri

I have had a number of rude awakenings throughout the years, though I think it is safe to say that nothing compares to waking up surrounded by zombies.

I have been in Paris for several days now, and have spent most of that time roaming aimlessly through the streets. Last night, I made the mistake of falling asleep in a side alley, and now i can see that the decision was a poor one.

I study the group of Inhumanes around me, moving as slowly as possible as I reach to unzip my pack. Sudden movements can cause them to attack faster than they might otherwise, driven by the fear that their prey will strike first and escape.

In the early morning light, their ghastly forms seem even more sinister, and I shiver despite the relatively comfortable temperatures.

My left hand moves inside my pack, pulling a throwing knife from its depths.

I move quickly then, throwing it at the closest Inhumane and aiming for the head.

You usually only get one decent chance at them, and it's always best to go directly for the kill.

I hit my mark, and the creature crumples to the ground in a heap.

This, I soon discover, is the point in my day where all luck runs out.

Before I can get my hand on another knife, two of the remaining three creatures spring at me. I move quickly, somehow able to avoid tripping over my own feet while sidestepping the first and managing to trip the second. Deciding that staying here is a losing strategy, I sprint through the space where the pair of Inhumanes previously stood.

The creature who had not chosen to attack before now turns to pursue me, while one of the others picks itself up off the ground. I know it will be a matter of time before all of them zero in on me, and right now, as much as I want to fight, running gives me the best chance of survival.

I can run quite fast when I am looking out solely for myself, and when my life is on the line. My feet scarcely touch the pavement as I take a series of turns.

I end up down another alley, then I race along a relatively deserted avenue. One glance back tells me that I am still being followed, and I shout several Russian curses at the creatures as I continue to move.

I will be glad when some scientist somewhere comes up with a method to kill them all off. Inhumanes are nothing but an annoyance, yet they are a deadly inconvenience.

Another look over my shoulder tells me that I need to distract them. Maybe, in a way, this is a bit of luck for me.

I was running out of food anyway, and this is my chance to get it.

I catch sight of the grocery store on the street corner, making a mad dash for it and throwing open the door. There is a bell hanging on the inside, and it rings annoyingly as I walk in. I move off down a random aisle as that dreadful bell starts chiming again. I hear a crash from the front, and vaguely wonder how many people are working in here this morning.

I move through the store, eventually finding the aisle I am looking for. I gather several boxes of granola bars, stuffing them in my pack before turning around to leave as discreetly as possible. I turn around just in time to watch a display of bottles go crashing to the ground, fragments of glass scattering in every direction.