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I look around one last time at the room I called home for the last sixty days and get moving.
Luckily, Gage gave me some valuable information. The dead weren’t just waiting outside the door for me to come out. They don’t know what a door is. They’re attracted to noise, so they’re often in pods, and easy to spot.
I avoid the main street, and keep to the shadows, using a flashlight to make sure nothing is lurking in front of me.
That’s another thing about the dead. While they can see, light doesn’t attract their attention as much as sound does.
I manage to get four blocks before my first real issue presents itself. A sea of ten dead congregating where I need to pass.
Passing them through the shadows will have me within three feet of one, which is too close for comfort, but going out on the main road will put me around more roused dead, as sounds are muffled in the alleyways.
There’s a fire escape I can get to in the time it takes the dead to realize what I am, which will allow me to fight them off one at a time, another Gage tip. Bashing ten heads won’t be easy, but at least I won’t be swarmed.
A part of me wants to flee back up to the safety of my closet, but in this world, safety is only an illusion.
I hold my breath as I creep past, amazed by how they don’t even notice me. They’re literally standing in a daze, doing nothing.
Soon, ten blocks are behind me, then twelve, then fifteen. There’s the occasional lurker, but none of the zombies are fully awake.
Or at least they weren’t.
I blink, hoping that my eyes have deceived me.
They haven’t.
There’s a group of six zombies wandering the alley up ahead, all fully aware, which means the slightest noise will send them rushing in my direction.
As much as I’d wanted to avoid the main road, at this point, it’s my only option. I can’t beat six zombies with a bat, and even if I could, they’d attract more.
I try to keep to the shadows, but the main road is more open, and there’s glass littering the sidewalk.
It’s only four blocks. You got this.
I walk quickly, keeping the bat slung over my shoulder. There are a few dead, but they’re standing in a daze, not even noticing me.
It’s almost too good to be true. It’s quiet, and the area is relatively clear. I only have two blocks left, and then I’ll be…safe…ish. I’ll be safe-ish.
“Hey!” a voice shouts.
Startled, I look in the direction the shout came from and see a thuggish man hanging out the window one story up. He’s old, his hair wild. He’s sporting a mean face, broken teeth lining a sinister smile.
I put my finger to my lips, hoping he gets the point.
“You either go through that door below me, right the hell now, or I’ll make sure every zombie around knows you’re here.”
My mouth falls open.
“Don’t you look at me like that. I’m a good man. I can keep you safe.”
Gage never claimed to be good. In fact, he all but told me he was a monster. ‘You should know the monster you’re getting into bed with,’ he’d said, being upfront about my sex slavery.
There’s no way I’m taking my chances with this crazy loon.
I start forward again, but a bottle crashes a few feet away. Then another.
“Hey, hey, hey—look what I have here!” the man screams.
A guttural groan gets my attention. I look over to see three dead rushing toward me.
