Zombie Exodus: Aftermath - Chapter 3

Continued from chapter 2 

Your group follows after her through a flat forest for the first hour until the woods grow denser. The terrain becomes uneven, causing you all to struggle to find footing. Portland groans as she twists an ankle, but you bind it with a strip of clothing you see on your path. None of your group complains. They've all lived according to one rule for so long. Expect no comfort; enjoy it while you can.

At the end of the second hour, you find a road leading due northwest. Without a map, you are only guided by Cameron's memory.

"We need to stay in this direction for another thirty or so miles. If we take the road, it will go easier on us. It's paved, and we can scavenge cars along the way." He starts along the shoulder, looking back to see if you're following.

"Will you wait? Who said we're taking the road? You didn't give us a chance to discuss how we're getting there. Democracy, dude," Jesse says.

Portland swipes her lips with Chapstick and places it in her Fanny pack. "The road is too dangerous. The Reds patrol this zone. We should continue through the woods."

"Got to agree with limpy. Even with a bum ankle, she's willing to walk," Jesse says.

Cameron sits on the ground and picks at the dirt in the tread of his shoe with a twig. "It's not just about comfort. We also have to factor in speed and wear and tear on our bodies. We haven't been walking long, and Portland hurt her ankle. We all have nicks and bruises. Hiking three days through the woods will not go easy on us."

"Isn't there a stream that way?" you ask. You remember a map of this area and saw the stream roughly following a northwest path. "Maybe we'll get lucky and find a canoe or something we can ride. We can fish along the way, and it will be much safer than the road. "

"Yeah, and maybe supplies will rain down from the sky, and a pack of unicorns will fly us to our destination," Jesse says.

"It's not a bad idea. Even walking along the stream will be easier than in the thickest part of the woods. And we can still fish, and there's always stuff to scavenge. People are always throwing junk in the stream." Cameron says.

"We need to find food. We have barely eaten all day. My stomach is growling like a Terrie." Portland lifts the front of her hoodie and squeezes her bare belly.

"We still have to worry about patrols on the stream. Not as bad as the road, but the Reds travel there all the time," Jesse says.

"Let's take the stream. It's safe and should be faster and easier than the woods," you say.

Your group follows after you on the northwest trail through the forest. Within the first half-hour, you find a bush full of blueberries and split them among the group for a quick burst of sugar in the first calories you have had in a while. Shortly after that, you find numerous chanterelle mushrooms. Though there is not enough for a meal for four, you greedily pick them and shove them in your bag for later.

Portland grunts and leans against the trunk of a tree for support. "Guys, I'm not trying to complain, but my ankle is really starting to hurt. Every time I put weight on it, it's like I'm being jabbed with a knife."

"All right, let's stop. We've been walking for the whole damn day," Jesse says and sits on the ground.

You pop out your first-aid kit and kneel next to Portland. Her ankle looks swollen, but nothing seems out of place. She lets you take off her shoe, and you take her foot through a circular range of motion. "It's not broken. It's likely a nasty sprain. I'm going to wrap it and make you a walking stick. Try not to put as much pressure on if you can help it."

You wrap the foot with several bandages from your kit. Portland tries not to groan, but you wrap it tight enough to compress the swelling. Anytime you look at her, she smiles at you in appreciation. You've noticed how she looks, and though you don't know her well, you are sure she likes you. Is it a crush? You can't tell.

"You should be fine now. I can give you some painkillers to take away that stabbing feeling. The meds wear off every few hours."

She shakes her head. "I don't want any painkillers. I'll be fine. This helped." She smiles at you, and you help her up. Cameron walks over with a long stick in hand that she can use to support her weight.

Another hour passes in a flash. Jesse talked the whole time, telling a story of how she once conned her way into a high-stakes poker match on a riverboat. She was up for stacks of chips before they figured out she didn't belong there, and she had to dive off the side of the boat to escape her pursuers.

"I don't know. Sounds like you're bullshitting us," Cameron says. "You dove off the third deck into the icy waters and survived? That must've been a fifty-foot fall."

Jesse scoffs. "You don't have to believe me. I know my truth. Hey, look up there."

You had heard the stream just before she said anything. On the bank sits a one-sail river boat. Your group hurries over to it, and you peer into the narrow vessel. Inside sits a backpack and a stack of books.

"Sweet! We got our ride. I can't believe the luck we just found," Jesse says as she climbs in the boat.

"Wait, this is obviously someone's boat. Are we just going to take it?" Cameron asks.

"Hell yeah, we're taking this boat. We don't know someone owns this. Who owns anything in the Apocalypse?" Jesse climbs from the back of the boat to the middle.

Portland limps forward. "I'd like to get off my foot, but I don't know about this."

Jesse turns back to the group and points to you. "What do you think?"

You take a step towards the boat. "I don't want to steal, but we need to get moving. Besides, Portland needs to get off that ankle for a while." 

You and Jesse help Portland get into the center of the boat. As you support her, you feel her hand grip the back of your shirt. It's a subtle touch but sends a shiver down your back. 

Cameron waits until you're all ready and then pushes the boat off the shoreline. As it starts to glide through the water, he jumps on, rocking the boat from side to side until it settles again.

Jesse raises the sail, which shoots to its full length and catches the wind. The boat picks up speed along the stream.

"Hey, what's this?" Portland says and picks up a backpack. "It was stuffed in this hatch here."

Jesse snatches it from her and opens the bag. "Let's see…a few bags of nuts and berries, some kind of dried meat or jerky, a harmonica, and sweet, a box of cigars."

Cameron high steps through the boat and grabs the jerky sticks out of her hand. He takes the bag of nuts and berries and tosses them to Portland. Jesse plucks out a cigar and checks her pockets. "Damn, no matches. Anybody got a way to light this?"

Continue to chapter 4 

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