However, I was counting my blessings much too early. As they were passing by, one got very close to the van. It must have sensed us because it banged up against the driver side door. I think we would have gone unnoticed if Cindy hadn’t let out an involuntary squeal. It wasn’t overly loud or anything but it was loud enough for the hungry monsters outside.
They began to surround the van. Their growling intensified as they stood outside. They began to push the van trying to figure out how to get to the food inside. I knew this would happen but I had hoped it wouldn’t. Now I could only hope that it wouldn’t go as far as I pictured in my head.
“Jessica, I strongly suggest you put on that seatbelt,” I said.
“No, it’s not like they’re going to push us into another vehicle at a high speed or something,” she said.
“Jess, just put on your stupid seatbelt,” Cindy said.
“No, the idea of putting it on is ludicrous. Besides who put this bitch in charge of us anyway?” She snorted.
“You did when you agreed to get into my van,” I stated.
She made a face at me but said nothing else. She still didn’t put on her seatbelt either.
The arguing was useless and had seemed to get the zombies more riled up as they heard our voices.
“Great,” Jessica said under her breath as the zombies became more aggravated.
They pushed at the van harder and more determined than ever to get in to the food that was making all the noise. Teasing them with our talking and living.
“We have to do something,” I said. “We’re just sitting here as prey.”
“What can we do?” Natalie asked. “We exit we’ll be eaten alive immediately. If we shoot at them we bring the ones that passed by us back.”
“If they haven’t already come back,” I said.
“Why would they come back?” Cindy asked concerned.
“Zombies are simple. They follow noise and they follow the herd. The herd right now is after us making a lot of noise. The only thing we can hope is the ones in front have no interest in turning back for the stragglers.”
Cindy nodded breathing deeply.
I didn’t understand why she didn’t know this already about the zombies. They weren’t hard to understand. They were not complex creatures by any means. Turning into these walking dead things stripped them of any individual personality they may have once had and now they were all more or less the same. There was no difference in what got and kept their attention. No difference in what they wanted. Ian and I had figured them out in a week. It may have been a month before we figured out all the quirks they had but it really wasn’t many.
Ian and I had theorized that this plague of the dead must have occurred before because the movies and books about the dead walking among us were accurate. Very accurate. A blow to the heart did nothing to stop them. Any other wound that would surely kill a human was no matter to the zombies. It was only by taking out the brain that they would stop and die fully like they should have already.
I didn’t get why Cindy didn’t get it, she had been out there, living in it. She should be well versed on what made these zombies tick and how they worked.
The van continued to sway more violently. We had to do something but I had no idea what should be done. I couldn’t see a way out of this one.
Then I remembered the flare gun. But how would we be able to shoot it off in a direction to distract the zombies. I thought maybe the ladder on the back of the van.
“Natalie, are there any zombies at the back of the van?” I asked.
She looked at me quizzically and peaked out the back curtain, “No,” she answered softly.
“Fantastic,” I said and unbuckled.
“Put on your seatbelt,” Jessica mocked. I was no longer in the mood and I drew back my left hand in a fist and knocked her right in the face. She was out cold.
“There’s no time for that bullshit,” I said.
“What are you doing?” Pierce asked.
“I’m looking for a flare. If I can get outside and climb the ladder and get on the roof maybe I can shoot it out in a direction to where they won’t pay attention to us anymore.”
“Are you mad?” Joey asked. “You’ll get yourself killed.”
“Most likely but maybe not. But if we just sit here and do nothing, we will all surely die.”
Joey nodded, “What do you need us to do?”
The van was still rocking violently and hard to navigate.
“I’m not sure, my plan only involved getting the flare and climbing onto the roof,” I said.
“I’ll go to the roof,” Pierce said, his chivalry taking over.
“No, it’s my crazy plan, I will be the one who executes it,” I said firmly leaving no room for argument. There was no time anyway to debate it. It had to be done. We were already drawing it out much longer than we should have been.
“Pierce, you get in the driver’s seat, once they’re gone. Start to drive.”
“But you’ll be on the roof.”
“Yes, but it’s not like we’ll be going very fast. I’ll be alright.”
“That’s not a good idea,” Natalie said.
“I know it’s not but,” I began before Natalie cut me off.
“You’ll die. You must not do this,” Her voice was strained and her face looked grave.
“Natalie, I have to do something.”
“You’re the only family I’ve got,” She said with tears in her eyes.
“And that is why I must try to protect you. I’m
