Survivor's Journal, Day 74

Day 74
We met a lot of new people from diverse backgrounds in Zim’s Camp.  Each had their own very unique story on how they made it this far.  One of my favorites was a group of rednecks who dubbed themselves “Those Guys”.  They were a fun loving group despite the dire times we now lived.  Always a source of constant jokes and stories about old times.  One of them, Ox,  always talked about his wife cheating on him.  

He said he lost count on how many times he walked in on some dude from the trailer park banging away on her... and how he’d have to beat the crap out of a different bo each week.  He said he really cared more about the dudes drinking all of his beer than banging his “crazy-stripper-wife-bitch-zombie-whore”.  What a vocabulary!  Still, something about the way he smiled when he told the story suggested there was more to it.  It made me consider the order of the pet name for his wife. “crazy-stripper-wife-bitch-zombie-whore,” I wonder if it started with one or two of the metaphors and then others were added as time went on. 

Anyways, sure “Those Guys” hogged all of the alcohol and would start fights with each other from time to time but they made up for it with their crude inventions and quick fixes for all of the camp’s “technical” difficulties. I say “technical” loosely because, really, outside of some bunk racks, Zed-traps and vehicle repairs, their specialty was keeping the moon shine still functioning.

Zim, the camp leader, got word that some CDC scientists were holed up in a nearby neighborhood.  They had been broadcasting every few hours on a VHF radio that they were trapped and were pleading for help.  Zim wanted to get to them before another Camp got the same idea. He assigned a squad each from “Those Guys” (head hunters) and “Alpha-Niner” (ex-Mil).  Having somewhat of an affinity for the head hunters, I went with them.

The day had just dawned and a light fog settled over the area as we cautiously approached Glenwood Estates from the Western archway.  Garbage and refuse was everywhere.  Burned out vehicles were overturned and crashed into homes which looked eerily dead themselves.  I could see the 5x members of Alpha-Niner take point on the other side of a small community center.  They immediately signaled to us indicating a threat had been sighted.  The leader of the small redneck team I was with was Ox and I was glad for that, not because he was such a good story teller but he was lugging around a FREAKING double-barreled FREAKING elephant gun.  I swear you could probably load a can of coke into the chamber.  Anyways, Ox held the team on a corner and we covered the Alpha's advance.  In small unit tactics, you can’t get too distracted about the business of the other team.  If you get wrapped up in it, distracted by it, you might miss a bunch of Zeds who always seem to come out nowhere and ruin your whole day.  It's up to the team lead if firepower assistance is necessary. 

Gun fire; there were seconds of short controlled bursts and then silence.  Alpha gave the all clear and advanced well ahead.

I don’t know what it was but right when the gun fire ceased I felt it.  The wind stopped, the bugs stopped, all of the ambient noises stopped.  I think silence scares me more than the living dead do. Isn’t that strange?  I think it has something to do with anticipation.  You don’t know what noise you’re going to hear next.  Is it going to be a threatening noise, like gun fire? Is it going to be someone crying out because they need help? Is it going to be a moan of the dead? Your brain is racing a 100mph  trying to figure it out and it is driving all of your senses crazy.  However, when you see a Zed, you always know exactly what he is trying to do… he wants to eat your brains so there is no surprise there.

We found a decent spot to hunker down across from a church that had been boarded up. From here we had good lanes of fire and could see Alpha-Niner approaching a large two story house about 100 yards from our position.  They had successfully engaged two other groups of Zeds and were all juiced up on how smoothly the op was going.

Do you have any idea what happens at 7am on a Sunday?  Never being a religious person, I was not prepared for the incredulous hammering of church bells.  It would seem that nearly every Zed in ear shot of the bells had already converged on the church because as the bells continued the Christmas-like jangle, the large oaken front doors flung open and out poured a swarm of the shambling dead.  A bit startled, Ox led off and let loose with his giant shotgun.  Two thundering blasts led the chorus of gunshots that ensued.  Zeds were dying, again… heads popping, arms flying, ribs shattering…

Alerted to the immense amount of gunfire, Alpha-Niner ran out of the two story building with the scientists in tow.  I was reloading when I saw them.  Alpha was about 50 yards from our position when they stopped in the middle of the street.  I know they saw the Zeds bearing down on us.  I know they saw we were about to be overrun.  If they engaged from range we could all safely fall back and leap frog out of here.  That didn’t happen. Alpha-Niner shifted their evac route and left us there.

Blasting away with his giant shotgun Ox hollered out for us to prepare to get close.  The bastard Zeds were crawling over heaping mounds of their lost dead to get at us.  We couldn’t keep them back and they came at us from all sides. 

Growing up, you always wonder about times like these.  You always think you will be the hero, that you will save everyone except maybe one guy who will die in your arms and you will say something appropriate to mark the occasion of his or her death.  Then you will go home to a hero’s welcome where everyone will be cheering your name.  

The Zeds pulled down Ox first and eviscerated him.  He screamed and screamed as he watched them eat his entrails.  Seemingly drawn to his cries of pain, they bit at his face and mouth – it muffled his screams but I could still hear him.  Ox had a lot of spirit… he wasn’t meant to die that day.  Each of the men from “Those Guys” fell in the same horrible manner.  A frenzied mob ripping at their flesh and their bones.  I could still hear Ox.  How could he still be alive.

I was separated from the head hunters just prior to the melee.  One of the Zeds came from behind and dragged me back to make me a meal all to himself.  Though it scared me half to death, I still had the presence of mind to jam my K-bar into his head.  Laying there with the hulk of a dead Zed pinning me down, I watched it all happen.  I saw them all die.