hurt me, Mei.” For emphasis, he repeated more sternly. “You cannot hurt me.”
They glanced uncertainly at each other.
Harrison, who had been hunched over and ready, stood up again. He opened his mouth to negotiate with us but never got that far. His eyebrows dipped and his eyes darted to the side, deeper into the forest of trees. I was already looking in that direction by the time I heard his hammering feet traverse the space between us.
I could see them; barely making out their shape through the trees. Five, maybe six in front. Who knew how many were behind them.
My heart leapt into my throat as I told Harrison, “Get Beverly!”
She hadn’t seen what was heading for us, so she cast a glare over her shoulder at me before refocusing on Harrison. By then, she only had time for “Oh, shi-” and to brace herself for the impact.
Harrison scooped her off the ground and hauled her under his arm. A high pitched wail began to percolate in Beverly’s throat, but Harrison was quick to stop it, slapping a hand over her mouth until she understood this wasn’t part of the exercise. Doc and Mei did, and they were halfway across the grass toward the freeway by then. I assumed their pledge to defend Harrison was forgotten in their panic.
We sprinted for the road, taking cautious glances over our shoulders to see if the Infected had caught onto our trail. Crackles of breaking branches and subtle growls seeped from the shadowy trees as we reached the freeway. Harrison didn’t release Beverly, choosing instead to keep a solid seal over her mouth until we’d reached safety.
Ironically, Beverly still held onto the metal rod and could have used it in her defense if it hadn’t been wedged between her waist and Harrison’s arm. Instead it wobbled feebly like a seesaw between them.
Our small group ducked and weaved between the vehicles as best we could until we came to a gap five sedans wide. By this point, two of the Infected had slipped out into the open and were standing at the edge of the trees with their noses in the air.
As we hunched down, and Harrison maintained a firm hand over Beverly’s mouth, I motioned that the Infected were trying to sniff us out. Unfortunately, when the wind shifted, they’d find us, and none of us wanted to be around for it.
The only problem was crossing the gap, which gave the Infected a clear view of us. There was only one option, and it wasn’t a good one…I would signal when it was clear to cross and we’d pray the Infected wouldn’t look up and find us. I motioned this plan to the rest and they nodded in agreement. And then I paused because something amazing happened on that freeway. For the first time, I saw the start of a team forming. They understood me, and more importantly, we all agreed on something. Even Beverly nodded from behind Harrison’s hand.
With a glimmer of hope that we might just make it across, I spun around and peered through the cracked driver’s side window of a beaten up Audi A6. There were three Infected roaming aimlessly in the field between the woods and freeway, all of them coincidentally rotating their faces in the direction of the woods.
I gave the signal, and we took off.
My first visual check told me that the Infected were still focused on the trees. We were safe.
By then, Doc reached the other side. Harrison and Beverly were close behind.
My second check told me that the Infected were hesitating in that direction. We were still safe.
Mei slipped past the edge of the bumper and for the first time in days I actually felt luck was on our side. They were hidden now. I was the last one left exposed. Just a few more feet now…
On my third check I saw what it was the three Infected had been listening to…They’d been paying attention to fifteen more of them, as they sprinted out from the low lying branches and darkened woodland floor and into the sunlight.
They came at us scattered, in no formal order, mouths open, arms pumping, legs moving at
They glanced uncertainly at each other.
Harrison, who had been hunched over and ready, stood up again. He opened his mouth to negotiate with us but never got that far. His eyebrows dipped and his eyes darted to the side, deeper into the forest of trees. I was already looking in that direction by the time I heard his hammering feet traverse the space between us.
I could see them; barely making out their shape through the trees. Five, maybe six in front. Who knew how many were behind them.
My heart leapt into my throat as I told Harrison, “Get Beverly!”
She hadn’t seen what was heading for us, so she cast a glare over her shoulder at me before refocusing on Harrison. By then, she only had time for “Oh, shi-” and to brace herself for the impact.
Harrison scooped her off the ground and hauled her under his arm. A high pitched wail began to percolate in Beverly’s throat, but Harrison was quick to stop it, slapping a hand over her mouth until she understood this wasn’t part of the exercise. Doc and Mei did, and they were halfway across the grass toward the freeway by then. I assumed their pledge to defend Harrison was forgotten in their panic.
We sprinted for the road, taking cautious glances over our shoulders to see if the Infected had caught onto our trail. Crackles of breaking branches and subtle growls seeped from the shadowy trees as we reached the freeway. Harrison didn’t release Beverly, choosing instead to keep a solid seal over her mouth until we’d reached safety.
Ironically, Beverly still held onto the metal rod and could have used it in her defense if it hadn’t been wedged between her waist and Harrison’s arm. Instead it wobbled feebly like a seesaw between them.
Our small group ducked and weaved between the vehicles as best we could until we came to a gap five sedans wide. By this point, two of the Infected had slipped out into the open and were standing at the edge of the trees with their noses in the air.
As we hunched down, and Harrison maintained a firm hand over Beverly’s mouth, I motioned that the Infected were trying to sniff us out. Unfortunately, when the wind shifted, they’d find us, and none of us wanted to be around for it.
The only problem was crossing the gap, which gave the Infected a clear view of us. There was only one option, and it wasn’t a good one…I would signal when it was clear to cross and we’d pray the Infected wouldn’t look up and find us. I motioned this plan to the rest and they nodded in agreement. And then I paused because something amazing happened on that freeway. For the first time, I saw the start of a team forming. They understood me, and more importantly, we all agreed on something. Even Beverly nodded from behind Harrison’s hand.
With a glimmer of hope that we might just make it across, I spun around and peered through the cracked driver’s side window of a beaten up Audi A6. There were three Infected roaming aimlessly in the field between the woods and freeway, all of them coincidentally rotating their faces in the direction of the woods.
I gave the signal, and we took off.
My first visual check told me that the Infected were still focused on the trees. We were safe.
By then, Doc reached the other side. Harrison and Beverly were close behind.
My second check told me that the Infected were hesitating in that direction. We were still safe.
Mei slipped past the edge of the bumper and for the first time in days I actually felt luck was on our side. They were hidden now. I was the last one left exposed. Just a few more feet now…
On my third check I saw what it was the three Infected had been listening to…They’d been paying attention to fifteen more of them, as they sprinted out from the low lying branches and darkened woodland floor and into the sunlight.
They came at us scattered, in no formal order, mouths open, arms pumping, legs moving at
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