ZAMBODIUM: The Day Africa Fell (Still Editing)

CHAPTER 12: HOME IS WHERE ZOMBIES ARE NOT

Around 2AM in the morning in pitch black silence, there was a moaning and groaning and shuffling happening 1km outside the perimeter wall, it echoed at first like a piercing scream then followed by the moaning.

At this juncture everyone panicked, the perimeter gate personnel rushed into the guard house and were frantically trying to close it. Gunshots rang through the air, as the soldiers had lined up like a firing squad across the entrance. The Zooms rushing ahead of the zombies were seen frantically sniffing through the air as they charged ahead.

The gunshots continued to ring raca-tack-tack-tack-tack for 10 minutes but the Zooms had closed down a 100 metres gap down to 20 metres from the entrance, and by sheer luck in timing the gate begun to close. When it closed, the Zooms being pushed back by the constant barrage of bullets lunged forward as if catapulted when the guns stopped firing. General Louis blurted out "what was that!!!!!! Imbeciles!" You nearly got us killed.

One of the guardsmen responded, it was a short power interruption Sir, it seems the generator needs maintenance. The following few hours until dawn neither man nor woman chose to sleep, as they were fixated on glaring at the Zombies and Zooms who's hands were reaching out through the gaps in the gate to want to grab onto anything that wondered within their arms reach.

Prince Okovo turned to General Louis "We have to enter this military base and secure ourselves in until this horde of zooms wears off in their energy, the children here are sitting in constant fear. General Louis signalled to his two trusted associates, they went towards the entrance of the Military facility, with it's entrance facing directly opposite the perimeter wall entrance. They forced open the 3×3 metre metallic door which slid to the side. Immediately a stench of death coming from the hallway hugged them. and the two soldiers backed away and only for one of them to vomit.

One of the soldiers who was nearby said to the comrade who had vomited, I was wondering which idiot had stolen my strawberry pie, now I see where and to whom it went. Then the guy who puked responded while wiping his mouth "well, I got no need for it man, you can have it"

General Louis signalled again to the others and they strapped themselves and went in with the "safety switch" on their rifles turned off. By Mid-day, Zone 1 of the military facility had been cleared of any zombies. The former soldiers, former Zooms now Zombies did not having anything to feed on in an enclosed space, hence simply turned on themselves and chipped away each other's limbs.

With a good amount of water supply running from the borehole into the facility, with a solar pump pulling up the underground water, they were able to disinfect and clear off the blood stained walls. The gaps in the perimeter gate were covered by flat metallic sheets which were wielded to the gate to raise the morale of the people as to avoid thinking that between them and being dinner for Zooms was a metal gate that could open at the push of a button. People could now roam freely in the yard of the base as well as inside Zone 1 of the base.

Zone 1 was the only Zone of 4 Zones cleared of zooms, it was the living area of the base, communal bunk beds, Sergeant quarters, showers, toilets, gym, these were a prominent scene. The people settled in quite quickly bathing with hot water, washing their clothes, much of the food they carried with them from the silo was put into a communal store room for rationing. But even these were not going to be enough to last them for the days ahead. The other Zones would have to be explored at some point.

Patrice Jnr and Julie opted to stay in the room quarter allocated to Prince Okovo, him and the children were inseparable now. Their story was all but too similar, both their parents taken away from them in a very gruesome way to which they were witnesses. Patrice was 15 years old and Julie was 12 years old. Matibo walked into the room and greeted the children, she then asked to speak to Okovo in private, Patrice Jnr walked out without saying a word but Julie insisted to stay. The young girl was all too traumatized at this point and the only person she felt safe around was Okovo, she panicked whenever he was out of sight and she certainly wasn't going to leave his presence.