Eating my experiences (9)

TOME 10

My heart beat faster with each pounding footstep, harder with each anxiety riddles thought of the impending town. We are now a mere half a day from town, and we had an eerily low amount of problems. We had not seen any in person, having only heard them on rare occasions, though I suppose not many people traverse this route now.

The towns tallest buildings poke over the hilly terrain now, only building anxiety. We walked in silence until breaking to go to sleep, we would need the energy tomorrow. Alex clearly knew something was off, but was too kind to press me on the matter. He knew I would speak when ready and not a moment sooner.

I took in a long heavy breath, not raising my gaze before speaking " I...okay so there's something bugging me, shouldn't we have seen a zombie out here by now? Where are they? Could they really have gotten that smart?" I was deeply plagued by the concept that they could now be smart enough, experienced enough to lay in wait.

"Well, yeah, I see what you mean, but... I dunno if there's much to do other than stay on guard" he said while laying out his sleeping bag. I could see his breathe in his back as I studied him, unsure of how to steady my mind. God I miss sleeping pills.

"Okay, I mean, I know you're right, but listen, we are going to have to start keeping watch after tonight I think...maybe, I don't know."

"Yeah, hey, would it make you feel better if I kept watch tonight?" Alex had turned his attention to me, concern in his eye.

"No...no...we really need sleep, we have no idea what will happen tomorrow." I swallowed hard knowing I would sleep better were he awake, yet I would hate myself forever were he to be hurt due to exhaustion tomorrow. I slept in hour long increments, knowing I would miss coffee in the morning, of which we had only found small amounts of in the two or three months this outbreak had been around.

I woke to Alex packing up in a rush "Good, you're awake, I'm sorry but we need to get out of here, I heard people talking." He knew as well as I that humans would be our biggest threat in the coming days. I rushed to gather myself as Alex packed my bags for me before puling me to my feet and hugging me, saying "I know you didn't sleep well, I'm sorry. I love you but we must leave" He grabbed my groggy hand and led me on a diagonal from the road into a gathering of trees, where we waited.

He was right of course there was a couple meandering from the town, a mere mile away down the road. They seemed harmless enough, yet we couldn't risk it. We had a mission, and I was going to get Zack back. We crept out of the trees towards the town, oddly quiet in the rising sun. It was cold and the world was blanketed in dew, causing my knees to grow tired as my feet slipped about on the grass as we walked.

We arrived on the edge of town, bewandered by the level of people around. We had been in that secluded farm land since the Zombies first took hold, and we hadn't seen people outside our group since. Well, until the night Gabe died. I was overcome with anxiety, how would we find Zack? I was overwhelmed by grief as the realization finally swept over me, there was still a full town, and I would need to find him amidst this bustle of people.