Day 42

It is the fourth day since the city was barricaded and there is not a sound in the city. We had first assumed that this was because the military forces had pulled out, but as the sun rose and we could see the city, we knew they had simply lost.

Tanks litter the street, here or there. We watched one burn but could not tell what would have caused that. Buildings were crumbled and those erected had bullet holes scattered around them. Some had large brown-red stains on them from the blood of zombies or humans and I get the impression that during a quarantine human life means little. And that, life, is the eeriest part about viewing this war ravaged city. There are no bodies. Only indications that bodies had been, at one time, present in different locations. Like the blood stains. But, from where we watched, a five story window, there is no movement and no signs of humanity.

Josh and I watch for some time and finally decide to go down to take a look at things before we all leave. We climb the stairs down, stoping at each floor, because we had heard others were in the building. There was no answer and so we assumed that they must have left, or think zombies can talk.

The streets are gray, matching the sky above us and building around about. I have my back pack on, with machete, and the M21 in my hands. Josh has only his M4. It is quiet save for the wind and occasional rustle of paper as it blows by. The quiet is unsettling. Yesterday we witnessed a war zone and today, it is as if God himself came down and wiped everything out it is silent. Cars are scattered throughout the roads, abandoned by those that occupied them, fleeing for their lives, or trying to find another way out of town.

I turn and look up to where Dawn and Charlotte are watching, out the window. I give a thumbs up and turn, to continue on.

I walk forward, aware of the noise I make as I walk. It makes me nervous. Nervous because of what I've seen happen to those who thought they were alone. Perhaps there is a zombie waiting for us in one of the door ways, just out of sight. We turn a corner and some hundred feet from us is a zombie, just standing, similar to the one I had seen those days we spent in the California hospital. Josh raises his rifle, but as he does something tackles both of us and pulls us down behind a car. As I hit the ground underneath him I grab the hilt of my machete and pull it from its sheath.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the man whispers as I raise the thing. "What the hell are you two doing?"

"What?" I say, not sure how he wants me to respond. Surviving?

"You can't just shoot the thing. I mean," he looks at us as though we're little children, "hell! Do you really want every walker within a square mile to be on top of you?"

"Does everyone call them walkers?" Josh says rhetorically to me, referring to Charlotte's preferred name for them. "I mean . . . it's clearly a zombie."

"Are you kidding me? What the hell does it matter what I call them?" We don't respond, but stand back  up. "Get down!"

"Dude, we are here to see how everything looks. We have family we're going to get out of the city."

"You obviously don't know what these things do."

I sigh, and am about to explain that we do know, when a man runs out into the street with, what is obviously a cheap knock-off sword, he is aiming a blow at the zombie, still standing there. The thing is fast, faster than I'd ever seen one move. It ducks as his blade swings across where its neck use to be and pounces on him. Instantly and out of no where more come out and begin eating him alive. He screams and I want to rush in, but know that it would be unwise. I turn to the man who had tackled us but he is running the other way when suddenly he too is jumped be more of the things.

Josh and I both press our backs against the car. I sheath my machete and clutch my rifle in front of me, looking side to side. I can hear Josh breathing heavily and notice my heart is beating wildly in my throat. I watch silently as the man gets eaten by at least five of the things. I can hear the man behind me.

"I think our best bet is to move quickly and quietly around them and try to get back," Josh says, "If there are more we'll just have to shoot 'em."

"And then run like Hell," I add, knowing that if we fire our weapons many will hear and come to the sound.

I move first to another car and crouch down. They are still focused on the now mangled and dead man. They will give up soon and I know we need to move quicker but I can't bring myself to it.

"Come on," Josh says and I move forward, reluctantly. I move my rifle back and forth. Aiming at the group, and then the buildings lining the sidewalks. There is no movement. Suddenly there is a loud bang to my right, and looking over, Josh is firing at several zombies running quickly towards him. I fire and look behind me, more are coming out. I keep firing, swinging away from Josh.

"RUN!" I yell, and we both take off sprinting around the corner and into a building across the street. We go in through the door and I fire several rounds just before it is closed. We brace ourselves against it, and when they hit the door it throws us back towards a lobby area. I can see a sign pointing towards stairs and, grabbing Josh by his shirt run towards the sign and follow it down the hall. The zombies right behind us. I fire several more shots and swing the gun around me, pulling out my machete.

We race up the stairs to the top floor. We open the door and find a maintenance area just below the roof. I quickly look around, looking for an access door, or something that leads to the roof. The door behind us swings open and one comes through. I slice downward and cleave his skull. I pull the blade out, kicking the thing away and close the door again. There is a deadbolt on it, and I spin the lock. Josh is looking around but sees no access to the roof either. 

"Shit," I say, "now what?"

"I don't know . . ."

They are banging on the door now but the door doesn't budge. I think, looking around the room. There are vents in the walls that show some light coming through. There are, as well, elevator lift cranes and other boxes that I don't know what they do. I go over to the vents and with the machete, try prying them from the wall. They are screwed in. I grab my pistol and shoot it out.

Josh is watching the door. It still is not budging but occasionally it gives a very slight splintering noise.The screen falls and I look through the hole. It is a straight drop. However, it is only a few feet to the roof. It is the only way we can escape, but once on the roof, then what? Where would we go?

I hear gun shots coming from somewhere on the ground. I stick my head back out and look around but do not see anything. More gun shots. Suddenly I see our hummer, the window open with Dawn standing out of the window firing shots, trying to distract the zombies. Charlotte is driving.

It seems to work very quickly. The banging instantly stops and we can hear them moving down. I open the door and there are several zombies, dead, on the stairs. Trampled by the others. We run down the stairs following a ways behind the zombies that are running towards our Hummer. They all filter out the front door and run down the street towards the sound the gun shots.  We follow, but stop at the front door and wait, both of our guns out. The Hummer speeds around a corner and is alone.

"Time to go," Charlotte says, pulling up. We both get in and take off down the road and out of the city.