Stuck in China for the Zombie Apocalypse

Leaving the Hotel

A/N: So, today is the last day of NaNoWriMo and I have obviously not reached my goal. I'm okay with that - I've already done better than I have ever managed before. Having to be responsible to readers has definitely motivated me. I just want to assure you that I won't be dropping the story even though the month is over. I'll continue until I reach a reasonable ending point - which will take a while. So here's today's offering!

Final meeting finished, my group of a dozen individuals prepared to set out. Before Tank opened the metal wall, another twenty people showed up. Fox suggested that we all go out together and make our way to a medium sized mall before separating. This would give us the benefit of numbers and allow us to gather more supplies. I liked this idea and we quickly agreed.

Tank opened the wall and then joined us in front of the hotel before closing the wall back up. There weren't many zombies on the road in front of the hotel – the oak trees were doing a good job of keeping them away and growing rapidly from the nourishment they provided. So we created a formation with the weaker and non-combatants in the center and the fighters around them. Everyone was on high alert as we quietly made our way down the main road in front of the hotel.

The road was a mess. Cars were crashed, some had burned, blood, limbs, and unidentifiable bits were littered everywhere. The stench was awful. It took us two hours to reach the mall that had been fifteen minutes away before the disaster. The difference between walking and driving had never been so obvious to me.

The worst moment was when we passed a small grocery store. Survivors had apparently tried to loot it. Most had become zombies but a few thoughtless jerks had hunkered down in the living quarters above the grocery. They opened their window and started shouting for us to help them – which not only riled up the zombies in the store, but also attracted zombies from the surrounding area.

"Shut up, you fool!" Tank bellowed at them as the zombies began targeting us.

The man continued to shout for help until he suddenly fell silent. It was too late at that point, however, because we were surrounded and more zombies approached from behind the forefront.

I looked at the people in the center and decided I had no choice. They vanished into my space, to the shock and dismay of the rest of the group.

"They're safe," I called. "Now fight our way to the grocery – Tank can throw up walls and we'll destroy the zombies a little at a time."

No one objected to my desperate plan and we slowly made our way to the tiny store. The only positive at the moment was that all the zombies seemed to have left the store to get at us. By the time we had hacked, slashed, and bashed our way to the store, Tank had managed to cover up the large storefront windows with metal. We protected him in the center, with Fox guiding his steps so he could walk and create the metal coverings at the same time.

Once inside the grocery, Tank sealed the door opening and I pulled out a solar lamp/flashlight from my backpack. Growing up in my weird family, carrying a survival kit was pure habit at this point in my life.

We checked the store carefully for zombies but found only the remains some of the unfortunates that had met their end there. The store itself was a mess with shelves knocked over, food thrown on the floor, spilled, and worse. After I found the light switch, it was much easier to clean the area.

Some of the food was salvageable and people started filling their backpacks, suitcases, duffels and sacks with what they found. I checked the refrigerated and frozen goods – which reminded me of the people in my space. I checked mentally and they were sitting in the courtyard of my rustic house wondering what had happened to them.

I found a secluded corner and entered the space. They were very excited to see me.

"Sister Lia!" a teenage girl called out with joy, "You're here too? Do you know where this is? How did we get here? Can we go back?"