Better off Undead

Chapter 17: Dangerous Paths

The story so far...

Eli and a group of strangers have been on the run from zombies. Their attempt to stay at a hotel came to an abrupt end when it was overrun. They then traveled to an abandoned military base, whose only occupants were a different type of zombie and a scientist half-mad from the solitude. With the safety the place provides to them, they are beginning to feel at home, but they will soon be in need of supplies, and that means heading back out into the darkness...

Early morning sunlight broke through the window panes and flooded the room with a pure, white light. As the sun rose higher and higher, the light stretched further and further into the room. Eventually even the nook just below the windows, where Eli was sleeping, had been liberated from shadow.

With that he finally stirred, opening one eye and then quickly shutting it again. A look of annoyance passed over his features. He rolled over, trying to turn away from the brightness, and reached out an arm to place around Tisha, but he found only empty floor. Now he opened both eyes, sitting up as he did. She was not there, so he turned and looked about the room, but still there was no sign of her. He wondered at what point in the night she had left. He must have fallen asleep almost immediately after their encounter, so really it could have been at any point. He looked down at himself and realized he was mostly naked. His shirt was bunched up around his upper torso and his pants similarly bundled around his ankles. With embarrassment flashing red across his face he reached down and pulled his clothing back into place. Luckily, this was Texas, and the temperature during the night had probably not even dropped below seventy. Still, he could not help but shiver a little as he slid the clothing back over his exposed skin.

He rose and crossed the room. The door had been closed and, apparently, locked. It locked from the inside, so Tisha must have set it before leaving. At least she had been willing to leave him with his dignity intact by ensuring no one came into the room while he was sleeping.

He quickly made his way out of the room and through the building. Outside, the early morning light had brightened to near blinding as the sun edged over the tops of the trees. Long daggers of light gleamed hotly in Eli's vision. He lifted one hand over his face to block out the glare, but could see little more than blurs of motion. For a moment he froze in terror, thinking zombies had made their way inside the base, but as the images began to clear he realized it was just an abnormal level of activity from his companions. By the time he reached the nearest person his eyes had adjusted enough to recognize them.

"What's going on?" he asked, mainly to Daniel, who was the one passing by him, but really to anyone who would give an answer.

"Ask Marshall," Daniel replied dismissively.

He was about to ask where he could find Marshall, when suddenly the bulky man was there, standing right next to him. "Woah!" Eli exclaimed, taking a step back. "For a big guy you move surprisingly quietly." Marshall did not respond beyond giving Eli a quizzical look. Eli simply shrugged. "So," he added, "what's going on?"

"We're going to town. Paul says it's about twenty-five miles south of here. We'll head there, hit it for some supplies, and come right back."

"Sounds dangerous," Eli replied.

Marshall's expression made his impatience and annoyance clear. "I've already given this much consideration. I wouldn't be asking anyone to do this if I didn't think it absolutely necessary. We need to get this done, and the sooner the better. You don't have to come. I'm only offering because I figured you would never let me hear the end of it if I didn't."