Perhaps We'll Meet Another Day

Small Steps

As they traveled through the afternoon, the wind picked up significantly. Any warmth that lingered from the overhanging sun was quickly snatched away by the wind, leaving the small group shivering. Lexi had found a light jacket in the days after first joining the group. She unzipped her bag to put it on.

Law consulted the map a few times, but eventually they passed by a green mile marker, displaying that they were only 6 miles away from the nearest town. If they kept at the pace they had maintained, it would only be a few more hours before they arrived. Even then, they'd have to secure a safe house before it became too dangerous in the dark. No one relished the thought of being outside while it was pitch black and still plentiful with the dead.

Lexi wasn't worried, but she could tell Law was. He glanced around at the sky often, no doubt wondering if the wind that had picked up was bringing a storm with it. It certainly looked like it had. The sun had disappeared behind the clouds at this point, rays poking out through the occasional gap in the cover, but didn't do much for overall light or heat. The air felt cool. The wind made it colder.

None of them were looking forward to trekking through cold rain. But it seemed the threat of having an uncomfortable and cold walk through harsh weather was as good a motivator as they needed, because their pace inexplicably quickened enough to get them to the town faster than anticipated. The sky progressively turned grayer and grayer, until the sun couldn't be seen at all through the thick clouds. By the time Law spotted the highway exit signs, the impending smell of rain was heavy on the air, their skin chilled by the moisture growing in the atmosphere.

Behind them, Lexi spotted the dark clouds and shadows of a heavy rain looming over the direction they'd come, slowly making its way towards them. It was heavy and foreboding and, normally someone who loved rainy weather and thunder and lightning, Lexi was worried about it catching up with them. "I'd say we've got half an hour before that storm hits us." She said, uncharacteristically initiating the conversation but feeling like the warning should be verbalized.

Law turned to glance behind them, seeing the storm she'd been keeping an eye on. "Hopefully we'll have found a safe place by then."

"As long as it's got a roof and 4 walls, anything will do. No use being picky." The redhead said, zipping up his jacket a little higher. The rest of them thought the same, and pushed a little further to make it to the town.

While the number of cars they'd seen on the long stretches of highway had been in the single digits at most, they came upon the highway exit and spotted several vehicles crashed into one another at the very bottom. The car doors were rusted open, and some sort of fabric flapped out of one of the car's windows, its edge caught on something inside.

Half a dozen zombies milled about without purpose, just beyond the wreckage. Small wonder who they had been. Most still retained the clothing they'd died in, the coverings soiled and tattered from years of weather and the wearer's own decomposition. Lexi only wondered if it had been the crash that killed them, or something else.

Lexi and the others didn't slow at the sight, even as the zombies caught their scent and groaned that ugly, disturbing whine that meant they'd sniffed out some food. The undead lurched and shuffled and dragged and cantered themselves closer to the humans, intent on having their next meal.

Law simply took out his sword and readied himself, bracing his legs on the concrete. Shachi and Penguin took up positions on his left, while Lexi decided to take his right, branching out to give space between them. Being so close to the city, they all gripped knives instead of their guns, knowing that the noise could royally screw them over if they weren't careful.

The first of the zombies approached, hands outstretched to catch them, but Shachi stabbed it in the brain, pushing the dead weight off of him with a grunt. The others weren't too far behind, but Law's group wasn't inexperienced. Blades stabbed and slashed, zombies fell and stumbled back from the blows, until only one remained. The last one seemed unconcerned or unaware that its brethren had fallen. These disgusting creatures lacked any empathy or intelligence beyond searching for their next meal. Therefore, it gave no hint of self-preservation as it watched Law sweep his sword across its neck, decapitating it and causing it to collapse to the concrete where the others lay.