Chapter 3: Setbacks.
Walking closer to the glass doors I see the walkers on the other side, counting 5 just against the glass beating on it. Luckily none were right front of the doors so I quickly opened the right one and put down the door stop to keep it open. No longer having to look through a dirty spiderweb cracked glass I could see further into the store and saw numerous bodies laying on the ground a few more selling around deeper in.
Raising my rifle up I take aim as the first walks into the opening, right as I pull the trigger a second popped around from the left a little faster and knocked the first one out the way. The dead man was knocked to the ground and my bullet sailed between them and hit one further in the store in the chest. It staggered and then snarled, turning towards me and began making its way to the open doors.
The others quickly followed suit and I could see that some that had been dead on the floor begin to rise as well.
"Fuck!" I cursed under my breath and after killing the walker that had knocked over the first I checked my surroundings to make sure there was nothing I could trip on and slowly started taking steps back. The volume of the growls and snarls grew louder as they bunched up at the door trying to squeeze out, this caused the left door to push free allowing 4 to squeeze out behind the second.
I fired 2 shots back to back and dropped the closest ones before taking a couple more cautious steps back. I lined up the next shot and dropped my 4th one so far, when it fell it tripped up the ones behind it as they 4 bodies fell next to each other. I didn't count on this and missed another shot as the 5th stumbled and fell down but kept crawling to stand up.
More began to pour out 2 at the time, and I counted 10 more before I pulled the trigger again on the closest one.
'Alright Jaron, I can't be missing shots. Account for trips and stumbles, only shoot when you have a clean shot. There's nothing rushing me right now.' I thought as I took one more peek around the area; seeing no other zombies I opened fire. When they reached 15 feet away I would pull the trigger, lining my sights and aiming where the rhythm of their walking would take them.
Some shuffled and dropped their head, others seemed to sway side to side as they walked and I had to take that all into account as I fired my rounds. After what felt like 10 minutes but surely couldn't have last more than 1 all the walkers were laying in the parking lot of the hunting and fishing store.
Each one had a new hole in their head, I counted 15 in total and cursed internally. That was half my fucking mag and I missed 3 shots, so 18 shots leaving me with only 12. I didn't have time to check the mag, so I would just have to trust my mental math that I wasn't wrong about 30 bullets.
Taking a deep breath I stepped passed all the downed bodies, making sure each had a new facial decoration as I walked into the store. Inside I could see the disarray that looters and maybe just safety seekers had left. It was a long shot from the fully stocked arsenal I had been hoping for. In my frustration I kicked one of the dead bodies before admonishing myself.
"I don't know these people and it's rude to disrespect the dead. Freeing them from being a mindless zombie is one thing, but it's not their fault. They were just trying to survive." Sending a mental apology to wherever the owner of the body went I continued to sweep the store.
It wasn't as bad as I had previously feared, having found a couple 12 gauge shotguns a box of buck shot and bird shot each. A few boxes of pistol ammo that luckily fit my 9mm, the biggest surprise was finding a box to go with the python.
Of course the police station had a several boxes but even that wasn't enough to make me want to consider using the weapon with its shortcomings. I grabbed a gun bag off a shelf and began loading all the ammo and weapons I found into it. I had been hoping for some rifle either hunting or specifically an AR-15. However it seems it was the first to be looted.
A few other additions to a new bag were machetes, hand axes, a small shovel and knife set. It came with a KA-BAR knife one with a 7 inch blade and another only a couple inches shorter. The others were some that I didn't really recognize and had to read the guide that came with the set to put a name to them.
"Boning/Filet knife
Gut hook skinner
Hawkbill blade knife
Caping knife
Skinning cleaver
It also came with a bonesaw
Knife and shear sharpener and the shears to sharpen."
Closing them up in the case they came in I only left the 7 inch KA-BAR out and even though it felt a little silly having so many weapons on me I found a spot for it on my ballistic vest next to my extra pistol mags. I tested drawing it quickly and got used to pulling the blade up and out of case before sliding it back in where a spring locked it in place. This kept it from jostling around and potentially falling out and all I had to do was give a strong enough pull and it would out no problem.
Next was to add the kukri style machete, it had a 20 inch blade that curved forward instead of back. I'll admit this was mostly a stylistic choice as there were some more normal machetes of the Latin, bolo, panga and Bowie variety. Though while I didn't add them onto myself they did go into a bag along with the blade maintenance kits that were nearby. I had a feeling I was going to have a lot to learn in the near future on how to keep their edges and preventing rust.
Now that I had a good melee weapon I moved my M4 to my shoulder and gripped the kukri in my hand. The handle was too short for more than one hand so I picked up the hand axe I had looted as well. I didn't see myself as some duel wielding machete axe combo Rambo or anything, I just didn't trust to keep a pistol in my off hand.
One it was loud and would probably attract more walkers than I cared to deal with right now and 2 I didn't know how my free hand would react while I swung the kukri. I may accidentally squeeze the trigger when I don't mean to, but with another melee weapon I have something I can block with that has a long non bladed handle that both hands can grip if needed.
Nodding for no reason but to psyche myself up I continue forward awkwardly holding the axe up and out in front as if warding a wild animal off with a torch. The kukri stayed low but ready as I didn't want the weight to tire out the arm I planned on swinging.
Passing the shelves I came across different hunting essentials that I figured I would come back for. Tents, sleeping bags, fire starting kits, gas canisters for small gas stoves. Then there were things I didn't really need like salt licks and baits or calls. Though I did pocket a duck call because you just never know.
The rest of the store ended up being empty except for one room where I found the door locked and could hear snarling on the other side. Finding keys under the check out counter I picked through until
I found the right one and peered through the crack as I opened the door and saw what was making the noise.
Someone had tried to commit suicide by hanging themselves, but I guess they didn't know they would still turn. I opened the door the rest of the way and after checking for anymore I walked up and cut the rope that had been tied to the handle of a safe. Once the walker dropped and collapsed to its hands and knees I drove the blade of the kukri into the crown of its head, killing it.
The force had recoiled up my arm and I grimaced slightly, I would definitely have to work out some more and perhaps start going for the neck instead. Leaving the heads to be finished off later with a stab through the eye or something.
Searching the room I find a piece of paper on a desk and pick it up to read.
"John and Mark went out to try and calm down the unruly 'customers', I tried to stop them but they are as hard headed as oxen with bodies to match." I nodded picturing the 2 giant walkers that I had killed towards the end of the group.
"I heard them scream immediately and they banged on the door to be let back in, but I'm a coward. I know I don't deserve it and I hope whoever finds me in here can forgive me, but I don't want to be killed by those… by those things.
God have mercy on us."
At the bottom of the paper was a string of numbers with the word "safe combo" beside it and I felt a smile cross my face. Walking over to the safe I tap in the code, but just as door opens up an alarm inside the safe starts going off.
"Fuck! You gotta be kidding me!" I growled as swung the door open all the way looking for something to turn off the alarm, but safes like this usually hid them where only the owner or someone familiar with safes would know where to look.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck. God damnit!" I wanted to kick the corpse of that bastard but held back.
"What idiot doesn't let you know the safe has a battery powered alarm on it!" I cursed one last time and began pilfering the safe. Thankfully it at least had stuff worth taking. Food rations, though rations was stretching it. It seems they took all the jerky, and protein bars from the shop area and stowed them in here. Drinks from the vending machines were put in ice chests and I groaned and cursed mentally. I was glad for all the loot but this would be a lot to carry out while this alarm was going.
I started with the food rations and hurriedly loaded the humvee. Thankfully when I peaked out I didn't see any walkers, so I went back in and loaded all the guns and ammo into it. Slipping a couple boxes of the pistol ammo into a back pack I grabbed in the store along with some water bottles and protein bars. I wanted to be prepared in case shit decided to hit the fan.
I was on the last couple bags when I spotted a bow and arrow set I had missed before, and the fishing poles of the fishing side of the store. I dashed over there and snatched up various baits and poles since I didn't know how to fish, but I was sure I could learn. Just as I made it back to the entrance I cursed.
"Fuck me."
I dropped the bow and fishing equipment and pulled my rifle back out.
'Remember 12 bullets.' I mentally reminded as I popped the first walker entering the store. Behind it I saw more and more, some farther down the street, but there was no way to get to the humvee.
'No look what you did Jaron, you got too greedy now you gotta whole horde of em out there.'
Another breached the doorway and I dropped it too, but something else caught me off guard. The back door to the building next to the room with the wailing safe opened revealing a cluster at the back as well and they began charging towards me. I held back the mental curses as my mind worked over time.
I turned back to the front and shot a few more as I ran to the doors and shut them. Locking with a bolt and sliding a "natural" walking stick into the door handles. It was a carved stick that have been sanded and then glossed to give it a shiny look, and was the only thing I thought might be able to hold the door.
I chose what I felt was the lesser of the 2 evils, there were definitely more than 30-40 walkers out front but I had only seen 5 at the back door. Turning back around I see that they had crossed half the store. Their growls and groans sent a shiver down my spine, but i readied my rifle and with the minuscule amount of muscle memory I had gained from today I walked toward them.
Each trigger pull started with a pop and then a thud as the bodies dropped to the ground. 5 had just been the beginning, and killing them along with the 5 at the front had left me with only 2 bullets left in my rifle. I could feel my heart beating faster as I breathed in and out trying to calm it. I was only 20 feet from the back door now and could hear the walkers at the front beating on the glass, some with bricks they somehow found and others with their hands and heads.
I fired my last 2 bullets as 2 more walkers busted in through back door. I sling the rifle back over my shoulder and drew my pistol and my KA-BAR which I held under my pistol for support. I'll be honest I'm operating purely off what I've seen in shows and games with that. It's probably a stupid idea, but it made me feel just a little safer.
When I made it to the door I saw that it was a swinging door so kicked it hard and sent it swinging through to the outside. I heard it collide with something through the wails of the alarm. Not slowing down I stepped out and immediately looked left as the door had opened to the right.
A walker was there arms outstretched and continued toward me even as the bullet sunk into its skull. I leaned back into the store as it fell passed me hitting the door causing it to swing again hitting the walkers behind it. I poked back out to see a spacious alleyway with a wall that had trees and flowers on top. To the left further down was a street that would lead away from town a little to the suburbs that Rick lived in.
I still couldn't get over the feeling and thoughts I would get from him, but I was grateful for it now. Unfortunately a couple walkers were coming from that way and I still had to deal with the ones on my right. Stepping past the door I find the walkers staggering up from the ground and shoot them quickly.
*pop*
*pop*
There were more down the right side as well so I chose the left side and started charging toward the lone 2 zombies. As I got closer I slowed to take aim and after missing while trying to still run, I came to a stop and dropped them easily. I wasn't good enough yet to accurately fire while I'm running, which would need to change soon.
Stepping over the bodies I skidded to a stop as 10 more zombies came around the side of the store. Panicking I look around and see a dumpster with the lid closed and close enough to the wall that I could jump from it and climb the wall.
"Alright body! Don't let me down now!" I yelled as i holstered my pistol and made a break for the dumpster. I leaped from my right foot once I was close enough, climbing on top of the dumpster but the slanted plastic coverings were slipper and I had find the grip with my boots against the ridges to be able to reach the top with my hands.
I heard the walkers hand slam into the dumpster just as I pulled myself up, and from there I leaped to the wall. Thankfully from atop the dumpster the wall only reached my hips, so with a good jump forward I was able to to easily pull myself up on to the grass. I rolled on to my back looking at the leaves that decorated the trees and trying to drown out the sound of the walkers clawing at the wall beneath me.
I heard a twig snap to my right and saw one stumbling toward me, I raised the beretta and fired. The walker continued forward and I pushed it off of me as it fell on to the growing horde below me. I sat up to catch my breath looking around and letting out a deep sigh when I saw no more walkers up her with me. Getting up I made my way to a nice 2 story house with red brick and a wooden fenced in back yard.
The cars weren't in the driveway so assuming no one was home I opened and closed the door behind me. After clearing the house I began pushing furniture in front of the front door, closing the blinds and pulling the curtains closed for no sunlight to get in. I found glass cups in the cupboards and broke them. Littering them under the windows and in front of any possible access point. Empty cans were found in the trash can so I strung them up with strips of sheets I found in a hall closet.
They were tied to door knobs on every door in the house. It may have seemed like I was being obsessive and I was. Everything on the first floor was either blocked off or had some kind of warning measure to alert me of any walkers trying to enter. Then I placed the love seat diagonally on the stairs to further restrict movement, I would loot the house tomorrow.
For now I just wanted to know I would be able to sleep here safely because what was going to be a quick trip in and out of town had become much more than I had anticipated. My weakened body was exhausted and I could feel my hands trembling as I came down from the adrenaline.
I made my way to the room at the end of the upstairs hallway where the master bedroom was. It had a large king bed and everything seemed to be in order. There was no mess as if someone had packed all their clothes to leave, drawers were full of both men and women's clothes. There was a hamper in the corner that was half full, bathroom door was open with makeup supplies and hygiene products on the counter.
It looked like people had got up just like any other day and never made it back home. Perhaps this would unsettle most but after rigging my door with the last string of cans and locking it and sliding the waist high dresser in front of it I dove into the bed. Everything smelled clean compared to what I've been smelling since waking up here. Looking at the nightstand I saw a bottle of pillow spray with a lavender scent, and smelling my pillow I could still smell the faint fragrance on the pillow.
Turning to the window I could see that it was still probably only noon outside. I had gotten an early start on the day to try and get it over with before heading to Atlanta, but now I didn't know how long it was going to take me. I would have to clear out the walkers around the store, finish looting and then drive to Atlanta. Sighing I buried my head in the pillow, not bothering with the blanket because it was too hot outside to warrant one.
The silence of the house unnerved me slightly but also soothed my frayed nerves. I didn't feel like I needed to be on guard at all times like I needed to be out there. My breathing evened out along with my heart and my eyes grew heavy as the fatigue hit me all at once.
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Little bit of a long one and had considered making it 2 different chapters but decided against it. Didn't want to pointlessly add more just to make sure I reached 4k and could split each chapter evenly with 2k lol.
Enjoy
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