State of Decay✔️

Chapter 07: Alone Again

"So what, you two were camping? Just the two of you?" Maya asked.

They were hiking back to the ranger station. The shadows were becoming long now, the sun heading toward its grave, just beyond a fiery horizon. Marcus' disappointment in finding only a single survivor showed in how little he talked, how slow his pace had gotten. Ed was silent beside him. Maya was leading the way.

"Yeah. Why? You were up here hunting with your two friends? Just the three of you?" Marcus replied. The question came out angrier than he meant it to, but he wasn't sure where he stood with Maya. He got the feeling that she might look down on him simply for not being in some kind of armed forces. He was a civilian. Both him and Ed.

"Yeah," Maya replied after a moment's hesitation. All of the scorn and teasing had gone out of her voice, making Marcus stop looking around and instead focus directly on her. Maybe she was feeling guilty for just that reason. "I wanted to get away from all the bullshit," she said. "There seems to be more and more of it around nowadays...what did you do for a living?"

"Office drones, both of us," Marcus replied.

"Why were you down here? Where are you from?"

"We both live up in Worthington. Ed's originally from here. We come down once a year for a fishing and camping trip to unwind, get away from the world," Marcus replied.

"Fair enough," Maya said.

They fell into another uncomfortable silence as they pressed on. Marcus checked his phone again, finding it to be past eight o'clock now. How had the time gone so quickly? He was certain that they'd be able to canvas the cabins and campsites within half an hour. Time, he supposed, really was subjective, and there was no good way to keep track of it if you didn't have some kind of instrument. He put his phone back, looking around, scanning the area of any more of the creepies. There were maybe a dozen zombies in view, wandering around, but they were all far away, not having taken notice of the three living people.

Looking up at the ranger station itself, Marcus frowned. Something seemed wrong. It was too still up there, he couldn't see anyone moving around behind the glass. What did that mean? Could they have left without them? He supposed it was possible. Trying to make himself calm down, telling himself not to panic, Marcus focused on the notion that he could get back to the nearby town if he really had to. Even if he had to walk, he knew the way there.

But then what? Find other people, he hoped, more supplies, a place to stay for the night. The night...he really didn't want to be out here in the dark.

The trio of survivors hit the blacktop and began to move across it. Glancing up again, Marcus caught sight of movement in the windows. He felt relief pour through him like a cool blue wave, but it soon turned to fear as he realized something was wrong with the way they were moving. It was too slow, too awkward, almost like...

"Shit," he heard Maya say.

"What?" Ed asked fearfully.

"I think something might have gone wrong with your friends." She hefted her wrench, and Marcus reluctantly did the same with his crowbar.

Maya took the lead, Marcus right behind her, Ed bringing up the rear as they ascended the stairwell. She reached out and cautiously pulled the door open. A low moan drifted out of the ranger station, the sound causing gooseflesh to break out all across Marcus' body. He tightened his grip on the crowbar.

"Watch our backs, Ed," he said as he followed Maya into the station.

"Got it," Ed replied.

There were three undead milling around, and several bodies on the floor. Among them, Marcus spied Wendell and the woman who had been tending to the wounded. The zombies became aware of Marcus and Maya, turned and began coming towards them. Maya brought her wrench down hard on the first zombie, a man in a vest and hiking boots with short, dark hair. His skull caved in and he dropped like a sack of potatoes.