Last Dawn of a Horde

Chapter Ten: The Showdown ~1 James

~James~

            John was driving the truck.

            Rolcene and I sat with him on the front, and the rising sun blinded us as we drove east. I had this bothersome feeling that Perry died because of us.

            Well, not exactly because of us. He died because he cared about us. John looked anguish—the look everyone of us had too—and he wasn’t smiling. I know he was having the same thought.

            I lost track of the days.

            Because of this forced survival, I thought we’ve been together for a month—fighting zombies, foraging food and supplies, and staying alive, so the sudden death of one of us seems unbearable.

            Twelve of us left.

            Three of us died as of now—Perry, Noe, and June. Then the faces of my classmates kept on zooming in and zooming out of my mind, telling me I couldn’t help on keeping them alive a little longer. It was like my classmates carried a card with them telling how many days and hours they still have to fight for life.

            Then an empty road welcomed us.

            Well, not entirely empty—there were some zombies, walking and double dead, and they were just a minor problem now. I had a million threats in my mind that keeps on bugging me: What if we run out of gas? Will this endless road end? Where are we going? How are we going to die?

            Seeing the dead corpses that got crushed on the road sparked hope to John.

            “Someone had used this road just now,” John assured. “The blood on the road was fresh. Someone using a car had been travelling just now.”

            I didn’t know if I was to be happy, but Rolcene said, “I’m betting it was Jimmy and the others, or Jules, if he got out alive.”

            I was about to answer when Mr. Riggins chimed in. “Where is Wakefield, Rolcene? He isn’t with us!”

            That thought bothered me. Jules wasn’t with us.

            “He returned to the control panel, I guess,” Rolcene replied. “Maybe to press that scary black button to execute self-destruct sequence of the base.”

            Mr. Riggins scowled. “No! The base should’ve exploded minutes ago! Wakefield didn’t do something! He was after someone who must’ve been locked there too.”

            I try not to speak—I think I know who this ‘someone’ is, and Jules had told me her name last time I’ve talked to him.

            “Rolcene, have you noticed other people that are locked away in cells?” I asked Rolcene.

            “Yeah, but most of it were noisy zombies that just wailed and shrieked. Some were criminals wearing orange shirts,” he responded. “Why, you think you know who he returned for?”

            I was sure of my answer. I nodded.

            “Yes,” I chided. “The girl he liked, Sam.”