Chapter 16: ... To nowhere.

A lot of things pointed into my mind when Kin said I should shush. Did he see a zombie?

"Your voice is too loud. Be quiet, Look, now that we are heading to camp. I don't see any familiar routes we've passed before. And stop bothering yourself with that ancient mechanism of making fire, I have a flint in my bag.Here." Kin handed me a flint. I could have sworn I checked his bag thoroughly for supplies, but the flint I did not see.

I grabbed the flint from him.

"Let's keep moving," I said.

"Okay. "

"Believe me when I say this. Why the sudden attitude?"

"What am I believing in? Am not giving any attitude am just following you. And is there anything you said that I did not reply to? How's your ankle?" my friend said still giving a bit of attitude.

"Ok. It's fine" I said going back to where I left my supplies. I backed my back and my fire plough.

Night befell us, we were still looking for our way to camp. just as Kin said there weren't any familiar routes. I had high expectations of seeing the stream we found. I made touches for ourselves.

Everywhere was quiet, too quiet. The only sounds that could be heard were our feet steeping dried-up leaves and twigs.

One thing was at the back of my mind as we walked. what if we come across the hordes we saw last night? no joking the hordes seen by me and Kin were vast in number, more than three dozen, we managed to see through that dark night.

Honestly, I knew we were lost. This wasn't the way to camp.

Kin was right. The way to camp was east. And now we were heading west to nowhere.

I wanted to tell Kin we needed to head to where we were coming from. But I couldn't bear the mockery that would befall me.

Both of us were right and wrong at the same time Kin wanted to head in the opposite direction of camp and I wanted to go to camp. Kin's plan succeeded but he didn't realize it. Mine didn't but I realized it.

"We wait here," I said stabbing my stick to the ground.

"Okay," Kin said. He sat on the ground.

"We can't just stay in the open," I said, as if I was protesting.

"Any ideas?"

I had one idea.

"I have an idea. But if it fails we'll be burned alive."

"I don't like the sound of that." Kin plainly said.

"Well, we have to put dried-up branches around us, forming a big circle, After that, we'll take watch as we sleep". That was my idea. If any zombie come close to us, we'll add the fire on the dried branches and use the formed circle as a shield., " We aren't going to make a whole circle, we are going to leave little edges in case we have to escape. The fire was meant to distract the zombies and kill them".

"Okay," My friend said.

There was no moon in the sky it was empty. Only a few stars could be seen. It was dark. Thank God for our torches. It was also cold we made a campfire to keep ourselves warm. we had surrounded ourselves with my plan.

All that remained was for zombies to swarm us.

I was hungry, the egg and bird I ate was not enough to subside my growing hunger. Hunting at night was pointless. All the creatures had a sort of sanctuary.

"Am hungry" I said to myself. My stomach sang me a horrible song that I did not like. It rumbled trying to reach out to me to fill it with anything. I was also drained with fatigue. My eyes didn't need me to control them, my body moved out of my control. I drifted into my tired state and before I knew it. I was asleep.

Hah. How I loved to sleep. Even though I slept on the ground, it felt like I was on a soft and comfortable bed. The warmth of the fire and the cold from the night was just perfect, a perfect condition for me to sleep in. My constant prayers and wishes were combined into one. I prayed and wished for the night to be peaceful and free, free from diseased beasts.

I guess I exhausted my wishes and prayers for that day. Kin shook me heavily, waking me up. I was unaware of what was going on. my eyes were still filled with sleep. Both my cheeks were covered in sand.

When I fully woke. I discovered that we didn't have a fire. It had died, Kin must have dozed off too. Who am I kidding we were both tired.

"Shhhhhhhhhhh," Kin said. He was afraid

"The fire" I whispered

"That's not what we should be worrying about now. Just right in front of us, there is a whole horde of them. even with your plan, we can't outrun them. I had to put out the fire. Let's just lay low and not make a single sound." Kin whispered too.

I kept completely still. One could hear their sounds, like growls and snarls. It sounded harsh and I must admit, scary.

"They should have gone by now," I said as my breathing was heavy.

"They would have if they didn't see the fire. I think they are waiting." Kin said. removing something from his bag.

"What's that? It's your knife" I asked, and answered the question myself.

"My plan worked. Can you run?" Kin whispered.

"No. but I think I can in two days or three." I answered. I wiggled the ankle that hurt me to see if the short but blissful sleep I slept healed it. It did not, I needed more.

"Dane. I think we might have to run at some point. So brace yourself. We've got this." Kin said. Taking a sneak peek of the zombies.

"I have an idea. Since we are far from camp. Let's go around in circles and lure the zombies away from camp"

"That was what I was trying to tell you. But luckily this isn't the way to camp."

"Yeah " I whispered, "How many do you think they are?"

" I can't say. Ruffly above sixty " Kin Said

"Above sixty?". I whispered but in a high tone.

"Shhhhhhh" Kin placed a finger on his lips.

"Oh," I said realizing what I did.

I heard some footsteps. They were coming our way.

"Do not move or make a sound" Kin said what I already Knew.

I saw three zombies approaching us. They didn't look like they were looking for something. They had already found what they were looking for. Us

"Oh no," Kin said.