Eradication

PASSING

"Where did you learn to fight like that? From what I remember you didn't even know how to use a gun." The man with the beard, Liam, asked.

"I learned from a couple of girls at college that knew how to survive in the wild."

"Oh yeah, how is college going?" Noah asked.

"Well before the Dead took it over, Washington University was great. Now it's not so fun. You know, with everyone trying to eat the living and such. Classes got canceled and now I have plenty of free time."

Noah chuckled. "That is such a shame."

"Where were you walking to?" Jack asked. He had dark brown eyes, almost black. He held hands with the other girl, Aurora, the left side of her head shaven. The style she loved before we all went away to college.

"To D.C. I heard they had a cure there."

"Have you been bit?" He asked, suddenly fearful.

"No. I just want to help get the cure out to others. I don't have anything else to do."

"Well not with that attitude." Noah said.

"I'm gonna kill you." Jack said. "I'm so tired of your jokes."

"Calm down, he's just trying to lighten the mood." Liam said.

"Yeah, 'cause with his sarcasm we can surely make our lives better. The zombies are eating everyone and all you do is joke around!"

"Shut up!" I hissed. "You'll attract them."

"What?" Aurora said.

"The Dead. They are attracted to noise. You keep yelling like that in the open and they'll come for us. I would like to finish my lunch before I have to kill some more."

"How do you know that?" Aurora said.

"Where have you guys been this whole time?" I asked.
"With a group. They found a safe haven, but the zombies slipped through. We made it out, I don't know if the others did, we all split up. We've only been on the run for a couple weeks." Liam said.

I nodded, suddenly pitying myself for my horrible luck.

"Where have you been?" Jack asked.

"Doesn't matter. Now I know that I have more experience. You have to do what I tell you if you want to survive."

"We've been out here for weeks on our own, we're just fine." Jack said.

"No you're not." I got up.

"Where are you going?" Liam asked.

I grabbed my knife and moved toward the Dead. I stabbed her in the head and she fell. I used her stained dress to clean my weapon and then came back to sit in the circle. I took some more crackers and stuffed them in my mouth.

"What was that?" Jack asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"What you just did!"

"Have you never killed one before?" I asked.

"No. We just avoid them." Liam said.

I sighed and ran a hand through my filthy hair. "I don't know how you guys have survived this long."

Noah and Liam gave each other a look. "Alright. What are we missing?" Liam asked.

I gave him a look. "You have to do what I tell you. And you'll have to learn from experience. I can tell you a lot, but the only way you'll ever get the hang of it is if you fight. Can you manage that?"

I looked at Jack. He sat up a bit straighter, cocked his head a bit. "Fine." He said.

I nodded and stood up, wiping my hands on my jeans. "Alright. First thing, don't scream. When we're out here, you have to try your best to keep quiet. Second, never stay in one place for too long unless you have cover. Come on, let's move."

They packed up quickly and followed me. We went on for a while, no one said a word. Anytime I made eye contact, they looked a little concerned or scared. Except for Noah. He looked at me like he always used to. Mild disinterest, but somehow I knew he cared.

I heard a Dead. I held up a hand and they all stopped. I tried to tune in, was there more than one? No, it was quiet. There had to be a lonely thing wandering about as they usually did.

I turned to Jack. "Are you ready to learn?"

"Sure."

I handed him my knife. "Take your left hand and hold his neck. Then take your knife and stab him in the head. Anywhere that hits the brain will do."

"What?"

"Go, he's getting closer." I motioned to the man.

Jack looked at me, pursed his lips, and then went at the man. He pushed the Dead down and shoved the knife into his forehead. He came back with the bloody knife.

"Good, but next time you don't have to try so hard." I took the knife and wiped it clean. "Let's go."

I made them all do it, to get in some practice. One time Aurora almost was bitten and Jack had a fit.

"This is ridiculous, she shouldn't have to do that! No, we're done. I'm not doing any more of this."

"That's fine."

"I wasn't really asking for your permission."

"I wasn't giving it. Just know that I won't protect you. If you refuse to try and survive, you're not worth my energy." And I continued walking on.

He shut up after that and continued to try. Aurora too. I knew they had it in them, they were just scared. And of course we all were, but I had learned to control it. Fight back. They still had to manage that.

We stopped for the night and made a fire. It was risky, I knew this, but it was cold, and we needed something to cook the food. I told them we had stomp the fire out in an hour, so that we wouldn't attract any Dead.

"You call them Dead?" Liam asked.

"Yeah."

"Zombies is better."

"Zombies doesn't sound real."

"Does any of this seem real?" Liam asked.

"No, but it's reality. And so is death."

The little circle went quiet. I felt so out of place. They all seemed to be innocent of this crazy apocalypse. Why was I so knee deep in the mess of it? I got up and went to go fill my water bottle.

I listened to the owls and the slow movement of the sloshing water. I heard a sound behind me and spun around with my knife.

Noah held up his hands. "I come in peace."

I lowered the knife and sat down near the stream. He came to sit with me.

"You're different." He said.

"Yes."

He didn't say any more on the subject.

"I thought you all were dead." I whispered.

"I thought the same of you."

I took a sip of water and we sat there watching the moon.