User blog:Ireithien/The Walking Jed - Chapter 8



Chapter 8

After Caysie's death, the group settled into a sullen depression as the full ramifications of the walker epidemic hit them. They had to keep their group alive. Look out for one another. Survive the apocalypse.

Makes it all the harder when the infected turn into flesh-eating maniacs out of a horror movie - or, rather, a zombie movie.

After running breathless out of the mall, Ire had allowed them a brief moment of respite by the van before they all loaded up and drove about ten minutes away. There was a small hill off the road and they chose that as their campsite.

They spent their first night eating a quiet meal, and then they all turned in for sleep.

The next morning, Ire gathered them up for a council.

"Okay... originally, we were headed south. But I've been thinking..."

"Always a dangerous pastime," grunted Malc. Ire glanced at him, then continued. "South is inevitably a bad idea. We'll be in Mexico, and that's not where I want to go. I think we should stop now and go back north. If we go far enough, we'll be in cold climates, and odds are, while we'll pick up supplies and warm clothing on the way, the walkers won't. They'll probably be affected by the cold."

He paused to let his words sink into the others. Aok nodded thoughtfully, as if he understood every word, while rubbing his chin. Malc just leaned on his sniper rifle, and Flux nodded.

"Why not?" he said.

They left the next day, after packing up their supplies.

"We better hope we find gas soon," said Ire, examining the gas tank. They were halfway full, but after long periods of driving, it'd be lower. "Or else we're walking." He shook his head and got into the driver seat of the van. Malc sat beside him, studying his fingernails intently.

The first day of driving passed relatively quickly. They kept plodding along for a few hours, then switched drivers.

Aok didn't get a turn. He was deemed unstable by the others, and he was perfectly fine with this assessment. After all... he was crazy, wasn't he?

A few days down the road, they crossed the border into Mississippi.

"Was born here," said Flux, a little wistfully as he looked out the window. "Comin' home."

The others hid grins.

The next day, they ran out of gas.

They had picked up a few gas cans lying randomly around as they had gone, allowing them to drive this far. But it was a pitiful amount and now they had finally ran out.

"Looks like we're walking," said Ire. "Stuff your stuff in your packs and let's roll out! We're looking for anything out here: a house would work. It'll need to be clear of walkers, but we need shelter for the night. Keep your eyes peeled!"

They kept a brisk pace, jogging for twenty minutes, and walking for forty, then back to jogging. By dusk, they had gone several miles, with no houses or buildings in sight.

"'We'll find a house', my foot," muttered Malc. Ire glared at him.

The small group stopped automatically as they crested a small hill. Ire looked behind them, then sat down.

"This will have to be our campsite. Get a fire going."

Malc and Flux worked together to build the fire, gathering wood and then using the lighter that Flux carried in his pack. Soon, they had a nice, steady blaze going.

Aok curled himself up in his blankets and dropped off to sleep immediately as the moon rose.

Ire, Malc, and Flux sat up by the fire talking and discussing until after the fire had died down to a bed of coals.

Not too far away, concealed by a patch of trees, two hidden observers watched the small camp.

One turned to the other. "You flank left... I've got right."