Zombie Exodus: Aftermath, scene 20

Continued from scene 19 

You look at Serena and say, “He doesn’t have pneumonia. He got bit by a zombie, so we cut off his hand. The antibiotics are for the wound.”

Her eyes widen in fear and shock. She runs her hands through her black hair and paces in a short line. “I can’t believe you lied to Steven and me. All we wanted to do was help you, but you lied to us. I need to go back to my husband. Hopefully, I can still catch him.”

Branches snap from behind the cabin, and the three of you freeze in place. Serena pulls a hunting knife out of its sheath on her belt. You and Portland each grab a fallen branch to use as weapons. Light footsteps come from the far side of the cabin. You can’t see anyone from this angle, but you don’t want to move. If Cameron turned into a zombie, maybe he would wander away.

The footsteps move closer, and then you spot him in his bloody jeans and hoodie, his body hunched, and the stump of his wrist held against his stomach. His face looks pale, his lips dry and cracked, and he stumbles along the outside of the cabin like a frail old man.

Serena takes careful steps toward him, crossing one foot in front of the other like a gymnast on a pommel horse. After a few steps, she raises the knife in front of her and sets up for an attack.

“Hey, I don’t want any trouble. I don’t have much, but whatever I have, you can take.”

You hear Cameron’s voice and rush around the cabin to meet him.

“Cameron, where did you go?” Portland asks, rushing over to him.

He drapes his arm on her shoulder for support. “I went to pee in the bushes and saw a squirrel. I hadn’t seen a squirrel in a long time, so I followed it for a few moments until it ran up a tree. Then I heard some movement through the trees and heard voices. I followed them for a few minutes and saw some of the West Pointers leading prisoners towards the east. After they passed, I walked back to the cabins, and here I am.” He looks at Serena. “So, you’re not here to rob us?”

You step next to him. “This is Serena. I met her at a camp, and she agreed to take us to the farming community. How are you feeling?”

Cameron shrugs. “My wrist hurts, but at least I’m not infected. I ate a little bit, which took away some of the hunger I felt. I’m still starving, though. What are we doing now?”

Serena sheathes her knife. “The prisoners with the West Pointers, what did they look like?”

Cameron squints like he’s concentrating. “A short woman with long blond hair in braids, a dude with a Mohawk, and another lady with a cast on her arm.”

“Those are my friends from the farming community. We have to save them,” Serena says.

“Whoa, wait. You said you were going to take us to the farming community,” you say, stepping in front of her.

Serena leans against the cabin, lifts her foot, and reties her shoelace. “That was before you lied to me, and Cameron saw my friends. My primary goal of heading out this way with Steven was to find my friends.”

“Yes, but you promised to take us to the farming community,” he said. “Cameron may be fine for right now, but with he gets an infection? What if we didn’t amputate his hand correctly? We need to get him medical care.”

Portland raises her hand to get everyone’s attention. “Where’s Jesse?”

“She went with Serena’s husband to look for their friends,” you say.

Serena puts her foot down and adjusts the backpack on her shoulder. “I don’t want to lose any time and would prefer to go straight after my friends. Or we could try to catch up to Steven and Jesse, and we can all go find those West Pointers and my friends.”

You could go with any of those options or demand that Serena sticks with the original plan of leaving you all to the farming community.

Continue to scene 21