Running for My Undead Life

Chapter 1: Hunted

My feet hit the ground with force and speed as I ran towards the grocery store that would be my only chance of escape. I could feel the wind in my hair, the rain on my face, and the fear coursing through my body. Luckily, I was not burdened with aching limbs or the incessant need to gulp air into starving lungs. Until this moment, I had never been grateful for the curse that I endured thanks to ancestors who existed centuries before me. However, as I sped towards the lit parking lot full of evening shoppers, I thanked the heavens, the stars, and the vile witches who were responsible for my affliction as I would have no chance of escaping the handful of men who were right behind me without the advantage of an undead body.

As I neared the store I slowed to a slightly more casual pace and attempted to blend into the shoppers while silently formulating a plan. I knew the men who were sent after me weren't known for their intelligence. Frankly, I would be insulted at the audacity of their leader to think they were on the same level as me if my entire existence were not currently at stake. Despite their lack in brain power, these men were dangerous and knew how to catch and kill whatever they were after, which happens to be me at the present time. As I walked through the aisles towards the clothes section, I stayed within sight of the doors and kept watch as I knew the men weren't far behind me. In a matter of minutes, I would see them walking in the door and when that happened, I needed to be harder to recognize if my plan was going to work.

I moved stealthily through the clothes, pulling pieces off of racks as I went, not pausing to discard my own clothes and replace them with the new ones. Time was of the essence and my eyes continuously darted towards the entrance as I changed my appearance. Right on cue, three men walked into the store and immediately separated going three different ways. My eyes lingered on the entrance as I could see my freedom being dangled in front of me. As hard as it was, I knew not to let my eyes deceive me. The entrance appeared to be empty, but experience taught me that at least two other men stood outside waiting for me to be corralled back out. What these henchmen didn't know, was my plan was also to divide and conquer and they had made the first part so much easier.

I followed one of the men to the back of the store, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Instinct told me to kill, but I fought hard against my nature, and prepared to simply incapacitate my prey. As the man turned down the last aisle, I quickened my pace to catch up to his retreating back. I rounded the corner ready to put him to sleep, only to be met with a gun pointed in my face. My eyes widened in surprise, perhaps these men were smarter than I had realized.

A grin spread across the man's face as he began to chuckle. "Hey there sweetheart. Looking for a little midnight snack?" My heart hammered erratically in my chest. I let out a small laugh, "I am feeling a bit parched from all that running. I was hoping you wouldn't mind if I had a small nibble." I wasn't even sure what I was saying, all I knew was that I had to keep him talking while I figured out what to do. One shot from his gun would be a guaranteed death sentence, no matter where it hit me. Running was not an option at this point. The man looked at me with pure disgust in his eyes, "Luckily for you, we have strict orders to bring you back alive. Nothing would make me happier than to put a bullet right between those cold, dead eyes." The tip of his gun was now on my forehead. I kept my face as smooth and relaxed as possible. I couldn't let him know how afraid I actually was. "Turn around and start walking. If you try to run, I will shoot you without any hesitation and we both know you won't survive long enough to crawl out of this place." Before I could turn around, a ball bounced around the corner with a little boy chasing right behind it. He skidded to a halt as he realized what he was seeing.

For a split second, the boy stood right beside us, staring wildly from the man, to the gun, and to me. Before either of us could react, a scream pierced the air with vigorous intensity. The man instantly pulled both hands up to his ears to muffle the torturous noise. Despite my desire to cover my ears as well, I took advantage of the situation to subdue my opponent. In one swift motion I had pulled the man forward, twisted his arm behind his back, kicked his knees to have him kneeling before me, and put him in a choke hold that would induce sleep long enough for me to escape. As an added bonus, the little boy continued screaming, which drew a crowd of onlookers to the scene.

As people began to surround the man I quietly slipped into the crowd and blended in. The other two men finally arrived and found their counterpart lying unconscious on the ground. Their eyes immediately scanned the crowd, looking for me, but coming up short. The boy, now standing there frozen with fear, was being comforted by a woman I assume to be his mother. As I noticed the men staring at him with questions in their eyes, I joined in the murmurs of the other onlookers. Only, instead of asking questions, I was providing answers. "Did you see that blonde girl run through that back door over there? I think it goes outside." Left and right I spread the rumor, waiting for it to reach the front of the group and the ears of the two men who were still searching for me. Finally, I saw alarm dawn on their faces as they whipped around to look at the firmly shut door. One of the men darted towards the door as the other one pulled out a walkie talkie and began talking quickly into it. I could only hope he was telling the two men outside to run towards the back as I quickly and quietly made my way toward the front entrance.

With confidence, I walked out of the store back towards the parking lot. It most likely wouldn't take the men long to realize they had been duped, so running was going to have to be a last resort. I scanned the parking lot for any signs of a quick escape. I watched a young woman load her groceries into the trunk of her car and then turn around to return her cart. Fortunately for me, she had left her trunk open and I had just enough time to slip into the back recesses of it, where the darkness of the night hid me from view. Moments later, the woman returned and closed the trunk. I heard her slip into the car, felt it as the car revved to life, and then finally relaxed as we sped away; hopefully far, far away.