Chapter 6

"This is not looking good" I said to myself. The roaring sound of the truck's engine already made the infected shift their attention to me. They started rushing towards the vehicle but I was fast enough to grab my shotgun that has been resting on the seat next to me and shot the infected nearest to the truck at the head making the brain matter splash on the truck with an awful odour. I'm used to that already.

I reversed the truck as the infected kept coming and then pull up the handbrake with my leg on the clutch pedal making the car drift in a 160 degree circle with the car facing the dusty highway that led to the main city. I dropped the handbrake and put the gear in one with my foot hitting the accelerator, the truck shoots forward with such speed that i completely knocked down an infected that's coming from the opposite direction.

I drove as fast as I could and within few minutes, I was on the main highway. Few infected were there and I didn't think twice before knocking them down. 

I was wondering where the rest of the group could have gone to. Are they still alive? I thought. It's obvious they escaped since the mini van is no longer there, i thought again.

I crushed another infected with the vehicle, I was scared and angry at the same time. At first it was my family, now my friends where the fuck I'm I gonna find them? I thought again hitting the steering wheel with my fist.

I was so deep in thought that I almost hit a guy that was trying to call my attention for help. I hit the break pedal with the tires screeching due to the effect of the brake. 

The guy look frightened and I could see the horror in his eyes. Thank God I didn't kill him, I thought.

"Help me please" he said coming over to the driver's side. He's almost crying as he speaks.

"What's going on?" I asked wondering what a teen like him is looking for alone here.

"It's my sister" he said "she's dying" he added with tears dropping from his eyes. 

"Damn it! I gotta take a look" I said to myself

" What's your name?" I asked 

" Austin" he replied 

"Okay Austin, now where's your sister"

"In the grocery store over there" he replied pointing to a store just beside the road. 

I grabbed my backpack and shotgun, also bringing the lucky axe with me. I hung the shotgun on my back with the rope attached to it and followed Austin to the grocery store he pointed at.

We got into the store and i saw a teen girl groaning in pain on a wooden box she sat on with her back resting on the wall. She look pale and her breath is coming heavily. Austin provided a flashlight from a backpack on the floor, he switched it on and the light illuminated the store little. Although the sun is just about to set, but the store itself was dark as no light was able to penetrate inside due to the locked windows and doors.

I felt her temperature with my hand, gosh! She's really burning up. What the hell happened to her? I asked myself

"What happened to her?" I asked Austin. I realized he was finding it hard to answer my question. I took another look at the girl then I noticed that her left hand was bandaged. Why didn't I notice this before? I thought.

I grabbed her hand and carefully removed the bandage only to reveal a red angry bite mark on her arm, I could clearly see the black veins around the festering wound. What the fuck!

"What the hell happened to her?" I yelled alarmed

" I....I....I don't know" he stammered with fear written all over him

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"She was bitten okay! She was bitten by a zed" he replied with tears in his eyes

" What the fuck!" I said moving away from the girl. I brought out my Beretta, but Austin didn't give me a chance as he grabbed the shotgun I dropped on the floor and point it at me with shaky hands. 

"You're not going to shoot her, are you?" He asked with his voice quivering. I looked at the girl again and felt pity for her. She's almost age mate with Austin. I returned my beretta back to my waist with my belt holding it in place.

"It's okay Austin" I said trying to calm him. He lowered the shotgun and I took another glance at his sister.

"When was she bitten?" I asked holding holding her hand examining the wound.

"Yesterday evening" He replied. I looked at him in shock which he was quick to notice.

"What's it?" He asked alarmed at my reaction. He glanced at his sister who was still obviously in pain.

How come she was able to survive a bit since yesterday? I thought. I've never seen someone survive that long. 

"You're not talking" Austin said and realize he's becoming scared by my reactions.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen someone survive a bite for that long" I replied

"The virus runs within the system for just thirty minutes, after which the host dies and returns back as...." I swallowed the word zombie, it was difficult to accept the fact that they're zombies.

" Then that means she can still survive it?" He asked eagerly with an atom of hope sounding in his voice

"I really don't know, but we still have a chance" I replied.

I opened my backpack and produced some bandages and disinfectant. I still have my first aid kit with me, I always have it with me at all time.

I opened my water bottle and washed the wound with it, tearing one of the clean tops I provided from my bag, I applied the disinfectant on the cloth and used applied it carefully on the wound. Austin watched with interest all this while with the flashlight he already picked from the ground.

I produced a small can of gin from my backpack and drank a little from it.

"This might hurt" I told said and she nods with her eyes shut tight. I poured the content of the can on the wound making her flinch at the effect. I gave her some painkillers and antibiotics to swallow which she did without hesitation. 

Few minutes later, she dozed off on the box she was sitting on. Austin provided a thick blanket and a mat from a corner in the store, he laid her on the mat and covered her with the blanket. It's dark already, I glanced at my wrist watch and realized it's 8:13pm.

Austin and I sat at one corner of the store and talked about different things. Austin and his sister which I later learnt her name is Clara were twins, they were from Star City. They came on Vacation with their cousin Greg but was caught up in the midst of the virus outbreak. They couldn't return back to Star City 'cause the airports and major highways that lead out of the city were locked down following the mayor's orders.

Greg died few weeks ago when they were trying to escape from a group of bandits they ran into when they were looking for supplies. Greg was shot at the neck, although they later escaped, but Greg died from the bullet wound.

I told him about what had happened the last few days too and also how our home was over run by the infected. 

I told him of my intention to look for my group and family. He has a Kimber Custom TLE II (EM) .45 Caliber 1911 pistol which he showed me and I wondered where he got such a piece from. 

Clara has a Katana and can shoot guns perfectly too, he said they've both been going for combat trainings since they were kids. Clara prefers using her melee weapon than guns as she's swift and more brutal with it as Austin described. He said the infected that bite her caught her unawares when they where scanning an abandoned building to see if they can get something useful.

We kept discussing about different topics till late in the night before we both settled to sleep. Austin was the first to doze off and I had to wake him several times to go and lie down on the extra mat I saw in the corner. After several times of waking him, he decided to lie down on the mat. 

I decided to keep watch on them with my axe lying beside me on the floor. Especially Clara, I'm don't know if she's gonna turn at midnight, so sleeping is a no no for me.

I wondered were my friends are right now. I prayed silently for God to keep them save for me. It's been years since I've prayed, but I gotta do it fory friends. I kept on assembling my beretta and disassembling it throughout the night just to keep myself busy.