Death Count

[Part 6] - To Have or Not to Have

WHEN I WAS TWELVE, I was obsessed of going to an adventure after watching some movie about a man who traveled the world to the point of reading a thick survival book guide. It came to the fact that I kept pestering my parents about going camping for a few weeks’ time before they relented. The day they announced that we were going to a secluded camping site, I dragged my parents to the mall to buy all sorts of camping stuffs. From tents down to what body lotion we will be using to deflect insects.

As the camping trip day arrived, I was so ecstatic I couldn’t stay still. I kept checking all our things, piling it inside the bags and pulling it all out again to double check I didn’t forget anything. However, as we arrived at the camping site, I discovered that I didn’t really need all those things as it wasn’t very outdoorsy type after all.

The place was huge. It took us miles from the entrance gate to reach the area, but that could’ve been an exaggeration since I was still a child that time. But the place was far enough from the city that by the time the car stops the sun was already down.

When I stepped out of the car it was revealed that we were in front of a cabin, a huge one at that. I couldn’t really quite remember if we owned that or we rented it, but I could definitely say that I didn’t get to use my tent that time. The cabin has its own solar panel that it lit up the whole place. A water system has already been built there. The water came from a small creek running from a few meters behind the cabin. I remembered asking my father about all this since they didn’t really let us roam around outside alone, but when we could, they would be there to check on us. That’s the reason we named that trip the façade trip. Since we’ve never really ventured far from the safety of the cabin and I never get to have much adventure from that trip, but it was fun. One of the memories I have with both my parents at one place as they were both very busy from work.

I smiled wistfully as I thought of the laughter that rang out from us that one time.

“So does that also mean you’re not sure where it was?”

I started in the seat I was situated in when I heard Cole talk. Turning to him, I raised my brow. “Do you think I’m that stupid to suggest something if I haven’t not think of that? Of course I know where it is.” I huffed.

Ree chuckled. “She has this very ancient journal where she put everything she thinks are important. From a tip on how to keep the stained carpet look new again to the dates of everything she deemed significant. Even that one time Olie—mmf buufm ghhhf…” she didn’t get to finish her words since I clamped down on her mouth using my left hand, waving the other around while pretending to laugh.

“Anyway, I got the address of that place however the problem is we needed a map in order to get there.” I said, changing the topic discreetly and jab my elbow to my sister’s stomach, hearing a distinctive ‘ooff!’ from my side.

Cole rolled his eyes. “I may have amnesia but I’m not an idiot to not know there’s a GPS we could use.”

“I agree” my sister seconded, pushing herself up from her seat and sauntered towards our bags beside the front door, pulling out her phone. After some clicks and scroll, she handed the device to me.

I took it and dashed upstairs to get my so-called ancient journal and also to get away from Olie’s prying eyes. Obviously the last topic didn’t get past him. Arriving at my room, I closed my eyes and even out my breathing. I let out a huge sigh and started rummaging my room for the journal.

As I was walking past my window, I heard a distinct noise, indicating that the street isn’t totally devoid of life. I parted the blinds and peered outside. Not seeing anything in my direct line of vision, I inclined my head to the side, craning my neck to get a good view of what made the noise.

What I saw made every hair I have stand on edge. There are at least two dozen crazies milling a few blocks from our house. The noise was suspiciously sounded like bones breaking. I squinted my eyes at the thing they were circling and nearly puke in my mouth, because there, at the center was a torn mass of limbs that resembled a body of a man.

I watched transfixed at the scene unfolding that only took a few minutes to subside. After they had their fill, I saw them ebbed away from their victim and started to walk off aimlessly. It seemed like their little crowd disbanded but after a few moments, they flowed as one as a crazy started moaning loudly, moving with a determined pace despite lacking of a few limbs to a specific location to which he had his sights on. Or smell, or hearing. I’m not certain to which sense they are using to track their victims, but if I am certain of one thing, they sure are determined to get their fill.

I realized a second too late that they are moving towards the house. Our house to be exact, shaking me out of my entranced state. Taking a sharp intake of breath as I saw them shuffled towards our house, I choke a frightened sob and scrambled away from the window.

I felt rather than saw my journal beneath my bed after I ended up leaning on it. Picking it up I ran towards the door and sprinted down the stairs to reach the others.

They were startled at my sudden appearance as I skidded to a halt in front of them. I breathe heavily and gestured for them to go. Not understanding my meaning, Ree raised a questioning brow.

“Crazies.” I huffed.

Olie, the ever observant, understood my one word caution right away. “It’s them, we gotta go now.”

I clutched the journal tightly in my hand and bend down to get my bag but a hand got it first. Looking up, I saw Olie hoist my bag on his shoulders. I blinked up at him.

“We manage to scrounge up some canned goods from your pantry inside this.” He shrugged his shoulders where the bag was settled. “Could be very heavy for you to run with this.” He added.

I nodded, signifying that I understood his concern. I patted my jeans for the car keys and fished it out. With both hands occupied, I wasn’t able to get my trusty weapon from the hospital. However, from my quick assessment with the others, I saw them holding some sort of weapon.

Olie discarded his pole for a steel baseball bat while Cole was gripping the biggest knife from my kitchen, a sharp glint from his side indicated that he also grabbed the other two knives in the cupboard, and even Ree was holding something that looks suspiciously like a… pan? I did a double take, yup, that’s a pan alright. I shook my head, I don’t know which one was more hilarious, Ree’s pan or Kelli’s pillow.

Remembering Kelli sobered me from my musing.

I tiptoed to the window that overlooked our yard and parted the curtain slightly. I quickly look outside to see where our crazy friends are now and saw them two houses from ours. Closing the curtains, I look back to my companions. I swallowed my fear and let out a sigh.

“Let’s go.”

We piled one by one out the front door with me in the lead and raced towards the car. I could see that when the crazies get a glimpse of our group they doubled their efforts to reach us, if that’s even possible considering most of them are missing some limbs.

Since I parked the car directly in front of our house with only the yard in between, we managed to reach it in no time. I gripped the car key tightly to avoid a repeat of what happened in the hospital parking lot. I heard a snort at my side where Cole is standing, it seems that I wasn’t the only one who reminisce the mishap.

Ignoring him, I climbed inside the car and pushed the button to open all doors. With everyone inside the car, I pushed on forward, bypassing the group of bloody crazies and the mangled corpse they fed on.

“What the hell was that?” I heard my sister say, clearly shaken to what she witnessed.

With a grim look I averted answering her and turned to Cole. “Can you check the journal for the address?” I handed him the journal and fished out Ree’s phone and also passed it to him. Without waiting for his answer I instructed him to which page to look, in case he landed on a very personal one.

He managed to locate it and jotted it down. “Internet’s down, I can’t get the exact located of this address.” He said quietly.

I sighed, “We need to get a map.”

“We can get one on the way out of this city. I saw a small dingy shop just on the edge of the last town. There, we could at least ensure that there are less zeds.” It was Olie.

I nodded, and then focused on driving.