Walkers are Near

“Walkers are Near”

They’re coming.

You can tell by the crackling of the leaves under their feet.

Kaile hid in the brush, hoping they wouldn’t notice him.

They’re coming.

You can smell them already, putrid honestly.

He started to control his breathing and tried to get as low to the ground as he could.

They’re coming still, can’t be more than twenty paces away now.

You can hear them breathing loudly, one growls and makes some other noises that Kaile doesn’t understand.

He still can’t see them, though he dare not even move his head to look around; only his eyes moved back and forth.

What if he ran for it now?

He’s most certainly faster than them. They have always been slow and relatively dumb.

Where there is one, you will usually see more also. They almost travel in packs, or herds.

Kaile called them “Walkers.”

They were a nasty thing to have to deal with, somehow, he had managed to survive so far though.

Most days he spent foraging for food and water, and never saw them.

But when you do see them, you either run or hide. Don’t fight them. You will lose.

Still hunkered down on the ground now for a while, Kaile assumed they too must have stopped moving. He could still smell them. And hear them breathing excessively loud.

There was a stream to his side. He might make it. He might make it across that stream to safety. It was deep enough to keep them from crossing, they didn’t like to get in the water. He learned that years ago, when he ran instinctively from a group of them and crossed a stream very similar to this one.

They did not follow then. Maybe they wouldn’t follow now.

He heard a twig break just ten paces behind him.

His heart began to race.

Was one of them behind him? Did they find him and approach from the rear? He had never seen them be clever like that. But he supposed anything was possible.

No, not them. They can’t be behind him. Or if they were, then they can’t know where he is. Otherwise, they would be on him already.

Greedy little monsters they were. Always taking more than they need. These “Walkers” were a real nuisance.

Finally, he hears one grunt. Thirty paces still in front of him somewhere he decided.

So, what was behind him?

Then the wind turned, and he picked up a touch of the scent.

Not a “Walker” at all. Another one of his kind.

Kaile turned his head a smidge and used his peripheral vision to see behind himself.

This guy was a real rookie. He was standing straight up, looming almost three-fourths of his body above any kind of cover.

They most certainly saw him.

Kaile watched. He dared not say anything. They might hear him. They might get two-for-one then.

He noticed the fool was breathing heavily, adrenaline was starting to kick in; fight or flight mode was taking root.

A couple of loud grunts from the front side of Kaile startled him, but he didn’t move. He stayed perfectly still.

A twig broke again, and the fool bolted.

Kaile watched through the strands of grass in his face, as the fool headed for that stream. Perhaps, not such a fool. He might make it. He might be safe on the other side. And then Kaile would be alone with the “Walkers” again.

But he made it only half-way to the stream before a loud thundering sound occurred, Kaile had heard this before. He was prepared for it.

He did not move.

Shortly after the sound the fool wobbled and fell over. Then the beasts were on him.

Kaile watched as the savages began to rip his skin off. His belly was ripped open, and all his innards began to fall out.

Blood was everywhere. The savages didn’t seem to mind. They seemed to revel in this poor soul’s demise.

More grunts, louder now than before from the crowd of “Walkers”.

Kaile was still. He was incredibly still. They should move on soon.

They’ve had their fun.

They won’t keep looking in the same area now, most likely.

He thought, “Just a little bit longer and I’ll be safe.”

And he lied there and waited for them to finish, whatever it was they were doing. He dared not continue to look at the horror before him.

               *             *             *

“Well, shit son, guess you got your first deer.”

“Yeah, I did good, huh dad?”

“Yup, you shot him clean through the heart. Never felt no pain.”

The man reached down into the deer and ripped out the organs, careful not to sever anything that would contaminate the meat.

“This is how you clean them.”

“Wow, that’s so gross.”

“It is gross, but some day you may need these skills to survive.”

“We should thank the deer, son. It lost its life, so that we could have dinner.”

“Thanks deer. Sorry you had to die.”

The man threw the deer over his shoulders and off they went.

“Always, appreciate what nature provides you son. Or someday it may be us getting skinned and cooked up for dinner.”

“Okay, dad I will remember to always thank nature for its provisions.”

The man smiled at his son using the word “provisions”.

“Soon we’ll be home, and I’ll show you how to cut the meat off and store it.”

               *             *             *

Kaile was still. Incredibly still. Statuesquely still really. He was so near death then. If the fool hadn’t of done what he did, then they might’ve found him. And then it might’ve been him over there near that stream and being carried away right now.

“God damn savages,” Kaile thought to himself.

“Why can’t you just eat plants, like a normal person?”

Kaile waited a while and then stood back up. This area won’t be safe now. Other predators will smell the blood and come to investigate. So, he moved himself to the other side of the stream and went on about his business.