Belong

"Jesus Christ…" Sam said lowly as he peered through the telescope. They stood on the second-floor balcony of their ski cabin overlooking the hill that led to their front door. "That is a lot of zombies…"

"I've never seen a horde this big…" Nico said. "Where are they coming from?" 

"They have to be from the city. Probably because of all the bullets Daniel fired getting back here." Sandra glared at Daniel who sat on a beanbag chair in the corner of the room. 

"Y'all wanna sit here pushing blame around?" Daniel said as he took a drag from his cigarette. "That horde is moving, and it's not gonna stop fora snack. We need to go. Let's stop talking about it and be about it." 

Tina stood at the edge of the railing closest to the door. She was the newest addition to the little survivor group, having been saved by Nico a few days ago. The days that followed were a series of Tina standing around awkwardly as the rest bickered about what their next step was. "As much as I hate to admit it, I think the redneck's right," Nico said, his voice layered with disdain. 

"Of course I am." Daniel stood from his beanbag chair. "I assume the bookworm has a plan."

"I don't know, guys," Sam muttered. He rubbed the back of his neck and pushed his glasses up his nose, which was barely held together by Scotch tape and willpower. "That horde is blocking our only way out."

Their exit in question was also the entrance to the cabin. It was a large hill built for skiing, with seats suspended from a zipline that would bring you back up. It was a hot commodity during the snowy months but in the heavy rain of spring, it was abandoned.

"What about the back? We could dive into the river." Daniel asked. 

"Are you absolutely stupid?" Sam smacked the telescope, making it spin in circles several times. "You know what's at the bottom of that river? Rocks. Jagged rocks. That means sharp." Sam condescended. 

Daniel stepped to Sam until he was mere inches from his face. "Alright listen up four eyes, you don’t gotta get all Harvard on me now. I got half a mind to throw you into the pack of dead under us." 

"Get out of my face," Sam warned. "You wouldn't last an hour without me. If it wasn't for my brains, you'd have been food for the zombies on the first day." 

"I’ll give you that, sure." Daniel tossed his cigarette over the railing. "Don’t mean I can’t beat your ass." Daniel launched his fist into Sam's cheek. Sam fell to the ground and Daniel kicked him across the face. Sam’s landed stomach first against the railing. 

Nico ran up and detained Daniel, but only for a few moments as Daniel used his superior strength to throw Nico into the wall of the cabin. Daniel straddled Nico and raised his fist, but the unmistakable click of the hammer of a gun forced him to stop. 

He turned to face the barrel of Sandra's Colt Python. "Yer soft. You don't got the guts to pull the trigger." 

The color rained from Daniel’s face as Sandra pulled the trigger, the bullet embedding itself in the wooden railing behind his head. Sandra's face was made of stone, not taking her eyes off of Daniel. "I wouldn't bet the farm on it, cowboy."

"There's a horde outside and yer--" 

"They're already headed this way, thanks to you. What's one more bullet?" 

"Okay guys, that's enough," Tina said. "Why don't we put this energy into getting out of here?" 

There was a series of thuds below them. The horde had completed their ascent up the hill and were clawing and banging on the doors and windows to the cabin, no doubt riled up by the sound of Sandra's Python. They all wanted to be the first to the dinner table. If there wasn't enough space at the front, they limped their way around to the sides and back of the cabin, aimlessly searching for a way in. 

"Shit, it's too late," Sam said. "They've got us boxed in." 

Sandra holstered her revolver. "We can still get out." 

"How do you suppose we do that, princess?" Daniel scoffed.

Sandra brushed off his attitude. "We mask our scent." 

The group fell silent. "What?" Nico asked. 

"The zombies are attracted by noise mostly, but also by scent. Similar to bloodhounds. They smell raw flesh like ours and they chase after it like moths to a flame. You never see zombies eating each other because that's not what they want." 

"I hope you're not saying what I think you’re saying," Sam said. 

"We cover ourselves in their blood," Sandra said. 

"Jesus Christ…" Nico whispered. 

"You remember when I went to scavenge the barn? And I came back covered and blood? It wasn't because I killed a bunch of zombies. I killed one and camouflaged my scent with its blood. As long as you walk slowly and quietly, they won't even notice you." 

Tina put a hand over her stomach. "I'm gonna be sick,”

"If you've tried it…" Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's crazy enough to make a little bit of sense." 

"Let’s go kidnap a zombie," Nico said.

---

They managed to grab three zombies by just barely opening the back door and letting them in one by one. Dispatching them was the easy part. Phase Two was where the dread sank in. 

"Now for a little bit of surgery," Daniel said as he drew his knife from its sheath.

Daniel stuck his knife into one of the zombies' stomach, just below the ribcage, and dragged it downward. Blood sprayed across his face. He responded grunted and continued cutting. He made a long horizontal cut at the top of the line, stretching to both of the zombie’s exposed ribs and another horizontal line just under his belly button. In the end, the zombie now had a giant letter 'I' in his stomach. He dug his hand into the vertical crevice he made and pulled outwards, revealing the zombies decayed organs. He plunged his hand into the pitch-black blood and began rubbing it on his neck. 

The rest of the group looked on in disgust. "Don't be shy, now. Dig in." Daniel said with a smirk. He was loving every minute of watching the group hold back their vomit. 

Sandra followed Daniel's process into another zombie and began lathering herself in its blood. This encouraged the rest to at least make an attempt. Sam scooped a little onto two of his fingers and wiped it on his neck. His eyes widened and he ran to the other side of the cabin, vomiting his entire breakfast. Tina would've been in the same boat if she hadn’t skipped breakfast. 

The group wiped the blood all over every piece of exposed skin on their bodies in silence, only breaking when someone would dry heave. Daniel went as far as to go around hanging intestines around people’s necks like scarves. 

"I think that'll do," Daniel said as he rubbed his hands together. "You guys have never looked better."

Sandra rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Daniel. Let's get out of here." 

Sandra led the way to the cabin's front door. She turned to the group. "Remember, walk slowly and quietly." Sandra paused. "Just act like you belong and you will belong."

Sandra opened the doors and the zombies waltzed in. The group stood absolutely still as the zombies passed them. Occasionally one would stop and investigate the survivors for a few seconds before moving on. Their faces were locked in permanent torment. Jaws hung dislodged from their normal manner, bones poked out of sickly yellow-green flesh. Some crawled on amputated stumps, others dragged organs spilling out of their stomachs across the shaggy cabin carpet. 

"Remember," Sandra's voice was barely audible over the groans of the infected around them. It didn't help that she was speaking below a whisper. "Act like you belong, and you will belong."

Sandra walked out of the doors at a snail's pace, taking one step every five seconds. The horde seemed unending. It almost looked like the outside of a concert; all the undead standing outside, waiting for their meal to show itself. 

Tina was halfway down the hill her mind began to run rampant. She hugged herself as she took cautious steps. Sandra’s advice played in her mind like a broken record. Act like you belong, and you will belong. Act like you belong and you will belong. Tina thought about her twin sister. The look of horror in her eyes as she realized the inevitably of her situation. The way she screamed in immense agony as the zombies sank their teeth and fingernails into her skin. The way they relentlessly pulled her apart until you could see her bones. Tina! Tina! Help me please! Hel-

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She tried to stifle the sobs but they forced her lips to part. A few zombies stir at the sound of her sobs. A small commotion comes somewhere on the hill. Out of the corner of her eye, Tina saw Sam on the ground. It seemed he tripped over a rock that was buried in the hill. He tried not to scream as he held his ankle, which Tina could only assume was sprained. Daniel looked around frantically as the zombies closed in on the sudden noise. Sam held his hand up to Daniel, and Daniel hesitates before helping Sam up. They both looked for an exit; a break in the swarm of zombies. Daniel smirked and Tina could tell what happened next would not be good. Daniel pushed Sam into the horde of zombies.

Sam screams were drowned out as the zombies clamored at the sight of their next meal. They grabbed every inch of Sam’s body and devoured him. Daniel wasted no time watching Sam die and sprinted down the hill. 

Act like you belong, and you will belong

From the other side, she spotted Nico fighting off as many zombies as he could with a rock. He bashed one in the side of the head and drove his elbow into another. He pushed one away before it could grab him and ducked as another took a swipe at him. He threw his rock at a zombies head and reached down for a large branch. He swung wildly, but as hard as he fought he knew from the beginning he was not going to make it out alive. I’ll be damned if I get taken out without a fight Tina recalled him saying when she’d first met him. 

Act like you belong, and you will belong

Tina couldn’t stifle her sobs anymore. They escaped her lips in full force. At the bottom of the hill, Tina could see Sandra waiting, her Colt Python gripped in her right hand. She shook her head and closed her eyes. She had to have seen the carnage; Sam’s sad end, Daniel’s betrayal, Nico’s hard-fought end. Tina was still sobbing as the zombies turned in her direction.

Act like you belong--

All of a sudden, she didn’t belong.