I had only witnessed hordes of zombies about three times plus the one that surrounded us made it Four.
The first was on the day of the apocalypse, the second was the day at school, and the third was the day we fled to the woods. Yes, I almost forgot, the day Gerlio died.
Surviving a horde is virtually impossible. even the military faced their dooms when tens of zombies faced them.
Well, lucky for us. We were surrounded by about sixty. Surrounded from front and back left and right.
Unfortunately for us, the zombies were fresh. They had just been turned. But how did they know humans lived in the woods? Oh, they enjoy the infliction of agony on any living and breathing creature clothed by skin and filled with blood.
This was my uncountable near-death experience. There was no hope. I could not run or climb. I was tired.
"Get up!" Kin yelled, to me. I heard the urgency in his voice.
I had no choice. I got up, my stick was not in sight.
I limped a little.
I didn't care. My ankle hurts but it was better to endure the pain than being devoured. It was clear what the intentions of the zombies were. They weren't playing around by infecting what they saw. They were going to feast and devour us like prey.
I scrambled for my bag. I got it. Running and adding pressure on my hurt ankle. I was wailing in pain as my feet touched the ground.
To my right, a very fast zombie was approaching. Seeing in the dark was now a gift. I adapted to it. Perhaps due to the danger around me.
The zombie pushed me. I almost fell with it. But no. I did not.
Behind me. I heard the zombies screaming and snarling like dogs. It was loud, louder than a fight between hundreds of people.
Kin was meters in front of me. Some zombies were also in front of me chasing after him. I turned my head to the back. What I saw shocked me. The zombies behind me, I couldn't count but they were about thirty.
"Oh shoot! " I screamed in fear.
Kin probably didn't know if I was dead or alive, he kept running, running as fast as he could. On the other hand, I was running but I felt slow even though I thought I was faster than the zombies.
" If I could just make a fire and create a shield between me and the zombies," I said, or maybe thought to myself.
There was no time to reach for my bag and search for the flint my friend gave me. Doing that would have given me an intentional suicide.
"Hahaahkakahk" I heard Their voices as loud as ever. They now sounded like wounded soldiers seeking help.
They were fast but I was faster and smarter.
"Kin!!!!!!" I screamed with all the energy my lungs could provide.
He didn't hear me. Hah shoot, I thought to myself.
When I saw it, it looked like a gymnast swirling in the air trying to pull off a vaulting. Well, I would have loved the scene if it was from a gymnast.
It was a zombie, it was in the air. I felt like everywhere and everything surrounding me paused, even I paused. Everything was in Slow motion. The zombie moved in the air slowly. Its teeth opened in rage. Its black and reddened eyes, I saw without it blinking even for a second. The zombies' hands were stretched forward, trying to reach my face.
Everything suddenly became normal. I heard a thud on the ground, it was the sound of the zombie forcefully hitting it.
I kept on running. Kin had better chances of survival than me. He had a source of defense, He had his knife to protect him, all I had was a flint and what was I thinking? I can't start a fire without a knife and flint.
My lungs couldn't take the pressure of the high quantity of air I inhaled from running. It gave me signs that it needed a break.
My thighs felt like I had a leg day at the gym. It was heavy to lift.
But I the owner of both my lungs my legs and all my organs and the body that contained them was still willing to see Diana, Heyt, and the others. I wasn't willing to lose my life and give up.
Not yet.
"Come at me!" I yelled to the zombies behind me, feeling alive. I didn't feel pain from any angle of my body. My lungs were weak and my legs. But I told them, if you still want the opportunity to convert oxygen into carbon dioxide keep breathing, and if you still want to walk the surface of the earth keep moving, don't just keep moving.
Keep moving forward.
Motivating myself felt great. My speed increased a little. Am sure the zombies behind me were stunned why I did not stop and let them feast on me.
My moment of motivation was short-lived. The zombies that appeared to be runing after Kin, turned around, sprinting towards me. My eyes were wide open with shock and fear.
I was being chased both from the front and the back. I wanted to stop, I knew if I did, I wouldn't be able to run again for the night.
I kept running.
I ran forward, not afraid of the zombies that were sprinting towards me.
"If I die now. I died trying," I said, gently to myself. Congratulating myself.
I reached an open area and stoped there was an escarpment below me.
I couldn't move my legs.
I felt something touching my feet. I was pulled into the escarpment that looked like a big ridge .
I wanted to shout, but my mouth was covered. It was Kin, how glad was I to see him
"How are you still alive" I whispered. Kin didn't answer, he placed a finger on his lips.
I nodded.
He came close to my ears and whispered something into it he said: " it won't be long before they find us, we have to crawl over there"
Where Kin pointed to, was a small hole, it could contain us if we tried, but through the dark, I saw it was narrow.
I moved close to his ears and whispered something: "Too late. We have visitors. "