Left for Dead

The morning we left it was raining, but just a drizzle. The rain was now pouring hard which caused us all to be saturated. I was developing a small cold due to being completely drenched and walking through waste deep swamp water didn't really help. Not knowing where we were going also didn't help make matters any better.

"Man, if y'all ask me, these swamp people got it all figured out. No cops, no rules..." Ellis said stopping the silence between all five of us.

"No indoor plumbing..." Rochelle added sarcastically.

I remained silent as I shivered from the pouring rain and coolness from the wind. Looking around, in the distance I could see zombies staggering through the swamp, some falling face first into the water and some standing in place throwing up. That's how you knew they were freshly turned into a walker, hunching over and throwing up, green vile.

"They figured out how to stop going to the bathroom? Man that is amazing! …Oh. No, wait…oh, I just got that. Shit, that's gross as hell." Ellis replied shaking his head.

Sasha rolled her eyes and continued to push her way forward through the swamp water and mud. She clearly wasn't in the mood for humor at this point. I couldn't blame her though. This sucked. However, Ellis was just trying to make the best out of the situation and cheer us up, even if it was annoying.

"Did you guys see that? Up ahead!" Coach alerted us.

"What?" Nick asked shortly.

"A goddamn moving boat! Must be looking for survivors!" Coach replied in excitement.

"Whatever it is, let's get to it before any of us catch phenomena." Sasha said in a whiny tone.

"So, what are we suppose to signal him with?" Nick asked as we all walked out of the swamp, Standing in a small huddle.

"There's flares in the gun bag." Ellis answered as he wiped off excess rain from his forehead with his arm.

"What gun bag?" Nick asked in annoyance.

"You forgot the guns?" Ellis asked leaning his head to the side and closing his eyes in disappointment.

"Me? Who died and made me gun monitor?" Nick asked shaking his head.

"Pretty much everybody..." Ellis replied referring to the undead.

Reluctantly I forced myself through the mud as the other took care of the zombies that noticed us and ran towards us. Walking in mud is harder than it looks, I defiantly was getting a killer leg work out in. The sound of pouring rain against the mud made it hard for me to hear anyone let alone listen for the noises that came from the nearby undead, that is until I heard the rumble of a boomers stomach.

"Hey, guys, be honest: are my muscles getting bigger?" I could barely hear Ellis say to the others, who were laughing at what he had just said as I paused, staring over my shoulder to see a boomer within a few steps from me.

My heart dropped as the boomer puked all over me. My instincts kicked in as I shut my eyes and mouth tight, praying none of the vile got into my mouth. I immediately tilted my head back so that the hard rain could rinse the puke off of my face, even though I expected the opposite. Surprisingly though that worked in my favor. I was able to see again, see the hoard of zombies that were now attracted to the smell of me, haul ass towards me.

"Help!" I screamed in fear as I tried to turn around and run but failed due to the mud.

I tripped and fell forward with my hands out, breaking my fall. The loud gun shot and the noise of the boomer having a shotgun shell blasted through its stomach was all I could hear as multiple zombies surrounded me. I kicked and flailed around in the mud using all my leg strength to kick zombies off of me in hopes that none of them would bite me.

The snake like constricted feeling of a smokers tongue wrapped around my arms and my torso, dragging me out from the mosh pit of zombies. Thank God. Even though I was being dragged through the mud, I was at least out of seconds from being infected. I continued to scream for help as I watched Sasha and Rochelle run towards the group of zombies that were just attempting to chomp down into my flesh. Between the two of them and the help of their axe and katana, they didn't have much trouble taking out the walkers.

"Hold on!" Nick yelled as he tried to shoot the smoker that was dragging me towards him.

Ellis and Coach fought to keep themselves from falling due to the mud as they ran towards me. They couldn't just start shooting at the smoker in case they missed and shot me instead. Which, wouldn't be all that bad over being killed by a smoker.

"Got him!" Nick yelled notifying everyone.

I was released from the smokers grip instantly. I rolled over onto my stomach, clenching a clump of mud in between my fingers as I gasped trying to get my breathing and heart rate back to normal. I shut my eyes and sighed in relief, laying flat in mud. The cool mud on the side of my face caused shivers to go down my spine.

"It's alright. I'm here... I'm here" Ellis soothed in a whisper as he lifted me up onto my feet.

"Tank!" Rochelle screamed in fear.

"Get to the boat!" Nick yelled as the tank made its way toward us.

Ellis looked back over his shoulder at the tank. Without any hesitation Ellis wrapped an arm around my back and ducked down a little. Confusion joined into my mixed emotions as I watched Ellis who immediately used his other arm to place under my knees, picking me up 'bridal style' and carrying me towards the boat. Usually I would blush and refuse but a fucking tank was chasing after us and let's be honest, he probably knew something would happen to me because of my shitty luck so far.

"Get on the boat!" An unfamiliar voice called to us from the boat itself.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Nick exclaimed as he did a head count as Sasha, Rochelle and Coach got onto the boat after Nick.

I watched over Ellis' shoulder as the tank made it's way toward Ellis and I, followed by raging hungry zombies. The roar of the boat motor echoed as we got closer and closer to the boat. Ellis, still carrying me in his arms, leaped from the dock onto the boat.

shit... he's stronger than he looks

"We're all on! Let's go!" Ellis yelled out to the boat owner.

We had just made it as a tank ripped a piece of the dock off as if it were nothing but a jenga game piece and threw it towards the boat, luckily causing no damage as the boat took off. A handful of zombies foolishly ran into the water as if they were going to catch up to the boat. The tank angrily roaring and ripping pieces of the dock off and throwing them into the water.

"We made it..." Ellis whispered looking down at me, still holding me up 'bridal style' in his arms.

I placed my hand on the back of his neck, pulling his face towards mine, gently kissing him.

"Surprisingly..." I whispered as I pulled away from his face.

"We're going to make it... I promise." Ellis promised, setting me down on my feet and turning to face the end of the boat, staring back at the tank and zombies who were now in the far distance.

"Don't make promises you aren't sure you can keep..." I replied looking directly at Ellis who was still staring off into space.

He turned his attention and looked at me with a blank expression, "I don't make promises I know I can't keep."