Skyline

    The sky was grey, rain drizzling down upon me. No shelter from the rain in sight, I hop down from my temporary shelter and continue on foot in the rain.  Feeling rather alone, my mind began drifting.   I began to reminisce about the past few days before this nightmare began.  I was a rather boring person.  Opting to spend my days alone inside playing xbox or watching movies.  Aside from the comfort, nothing really changed. I never trusted people so I had few friends where I was.  Snaking through the sea of wrecked and smoldering cars was just a reminder of how, even if humanity made a comeback, nothing would ever be the same.  Life would return to normal, but humanity would forever remain vigilant of the menace of the living dead.  Much like any threat we have faced, hopefully we could overcome this, and be better prepared for this doomsday scenario in the future.  My internal musings cut short by the collective moan of hunger coming which seemed to come from everywhere. Seeing nothing in either direction on the overpass, I walk to the edge and peer over.  Thousands of them below, peering upwards.  Their hands stretched towards the sky, as to try and pull me towards their ever hungering carcasses.  Picking up the pace I begin to run between  the vehicles, hoping to beat the undead to the exit ramp.  Pulling my gun out of the holster, I prepare for the inevitable encounter with the ghouls below.
     After what seemed like hours, I make my way to the first exit.  The sky beginning to clear of clouds and the rain letting up, I make my descent.  The breeze, coupled with the rain from earlier, sends shivers down my spine.  The smell of decay and smoke heavy on the air makes it no better.  The closer I get to the ground the more of those things I see.  But they don't see me yet.  Hiding behind a burnt out SUV, I pull out my map.  Checking the roads I see that I'm a few miles from a metropolitan area.  "That explains the crowd."  I muttered as I close the map and place back into bag, grabbing a pop tart, before I zip it back up.  As I snack on the breakfast food, I begin to think about the upcoming obstacle.  The mass of walking corpses below  seemed to be rather alert and hungry.  Steeling my nerves for the fight ahead, I check my weapon.  Since I picked up back in Columbia, Ive only fired two rounds.  Leaving me..."Thirteen.  Lucky number thirteen"  Thinking out loud as I slapped the clip home.    Forty-three rounds in total, unless I could magic up a box of bullets, I wasn't getting very far with the gun alone.  Looking around me I find some rocks on the ground.  Picking them up I toss one away from the exit.  Upon hitting the windshield, the crack of rock against glass alerts the horde to the noise, slouching mindlessly shambling towards the source of the noise.  Moans of hunger float upwards, sending shivers down my spine.
       Seeing them home in mindlessly on the diversion gives me hope, tossing the last of the rocks away from the exit, the pings echoing for what seemed for miles.  After a few minutes I peek over the ramp.  The mindless creatures migrating towards the source of the noise.  But it wasn't enough.  I needed something louder.  looking around me I see something that will not only distract the creatures, but kill a few in the process.  A hulking SUV, still in good condition despite sending its nose through the cement guard wall.  Peeking in the car I see a man still strapped in, dead.  Checking the ignition I find the keys right where they should be. Turning the keys hear the engine start, then turn over.  Success!  The noise however seemed to have alerted them far better than the rocks ever could,  Panicking I look around for something to set on the gas pedal.  A chunk of the guard wall serves its purpose.  After putting the vehicle in drive I toss the concrete chunk at the gas, sending the SUV flying off the forty plus foot ramp.  The sound of twisting metal and airbags Is loud, followed by the car alarm.  Thinking back on it I don't know if this was the best plan, but too late for second thoughts.  I collect myself and head for the exit.
     Making my way towards solid ground I see the tail end of the seemingly endless horde slouch towards the wreck, now a towering inferno.  "Deep breaths, deep breaths.  You can do this.  Just run as fast as you can and whatever you do don't stop."  Thinking as I prepared myself to run through the alert mob of decay.  Opting to holster my gun and take out my machete, I steel my nerves again.  I wait behind one of many wrecked cars for my chance.  An open spot!  Not thinking twice I dart, A blur of khaki and blue through a sea of grey.  For those that did spot me, they were too slow to grab me.  I ducked, I juked, and I tried my damnest to remain scratch free as I sprinted.  About halfway through the mob I trip over a crippled ghoul, rolling on my shoulder.  Adrenaline pumping through my system I ignore the road rash on my shoulder and get back up and running.  Several times I felt a cold and icy hand across my neck, or on my back, but nothing life threatening.  The road ahead littered with cars, I start thinking.  "I cant dodge both cars AND zombies.  Ill have to take the higher road."  Making my way towards the first car I jump up, landing on the trunk and running over the vehicle, hopping from car to car.  Luckily for me they were crammed together.  To think that there were people trapped in these vehicles as mobs of undead from the cities began swarming the roads.  Trapped alive in their vehicles.  The moans coming from what seemed like everywhere, I almost didn't hear the sound of the helicopter above.  Looking up I saw it was a civilian chopper.  A news chopper from what I saw in the brief glance.  Waving my hands in the air, I hoped the pilot would see me.  Unable to look up to see if my prayers would be answered, I keep car hopping.  Pessimism getting the best of me I waited to see the chopper sail ahead of me, out of reach.
      "HEY!  WE SEE YOU!  KEEP RUNNING!  THERES A CLEARING AHEAD!"  The bullhorn from the chopper cutting above the the propeller and the moans slowly advancing on me.  My heart skipped a beat.  Well, several beats.  Newfound strength pushed me forward jumping with all my might from car to car.  The chopper sailing ahead of me, hovering what seemed like a quarter mile ahead of me.  Seeing the cars slowly gain distance between each other, I drop to the cement.  Dodging the occasional hand that shot out of the windows, I snake my way to the spot the helicopter was.  Hovering about five feet off the ground.  Three people, including the pilot, were watching me.  Guns drawn, an occasional shot rang past me.  I didn't care.  I was so close to safety.  Running up on the last car I dive for the chopper.  Adrenaline slowing time down to a crawl.  The two people in the chopper split in opposite directions of the cab to avoid the 140 lb human bullet rocketing towards them.  A dull thud is made, unheard over the sound of the propeller, as I land shoulder first on the chopper.  Legs dangling out as they raise up and carry on their route.  I manage to make it up and in a seat as we sped towards the city.Looking around I expected well armed military personnel.  Not here.  They looked just as scared as I had felt.  Silence in the cabin, but I manage to break it, "Where are we going?"  The woman replied just as confused as I had sounded. "For now were going to find a safe place to land.  After that..." She trailed off.  I nodded and took a look at my shoulder.  Scratched up from the concrete, and bruised from my recent landing, nothing life threatening.  I sigh as we sail towards the skyline of an unfamiliar city.  Adrenaline leaking out of me, I feel the pain from my shoulder first.  A dull throb which lead to sharp spike, coupled with fatigue from running almost two miles nonstop.  Still I remain wide awake looking from each new face to the expanding city skyline.