A presence rustled in the shadowed foliage; The Hunter’s ears perked up, becoming fixated on the sound and its origin. The Hunter listened from his makeshift tree stand as the rustling approached slowly through the darkness. His watchful eyes gazed down to the forest floor as he waited patiently for what prey that would emerge through the thicket. A figure shrouded in darkness emerged from the foliage and stepped into the clearing. The pale moon’s light illuminated the figure as it shuffled closer, its head cocked back and to the right. Hunched slightly with its arms that dangled lifelessly at its sides, the Creature slowly made its way forward dragging a useless right foot behind it. Skin greyed and rotten, exposed bone and decaying muscles, passing twenty yards from The Hunter’s hideout, the Creature released a frustrated snarl.
The Hunter raised his bow, an arrow already notched into place. Drawing the bowstring back with ease, the tip of his index finger grazed the anchor point in the corner of his mouth and held his breath as he carefully aimed the colored pin at the decomposing creature. With seamless fluidity the Hunter released arrow and breath, watching the arrow fly across the distance and penetrate the Creature’s skull. The Creature’s death was instantaneous as it silently slumped to the earth.
The Hunter slung the bow over his shoulder and shimmied over the edge of his hideout. His foot found the board nailed to the trunk of the tree and he descended quickly to the forest floor. Stepping lightly off the trunk, his feet made no sound as he cautiously approached the fallen creature. He hovered over the body for a moment then knelt with his knee against its neck, the Hunter yanked the arrow free and proceeded to wipe the diseased blood on the creature’s tattered shirt. The Hunter’s focus was so intent on his kill, he almost didn’t hear the ragged breathing of the second creature descending from behind. Instinctively the Hunter quickly rolled forward and away from the sound, unsheathing the Bowie knife from its sheath as he did so.
Moonlight illuminated the second Creature as it quickly advanced upon him; its arms outstretched, hands grasping at the air between them. The Hunter stepped forward, meeting the undead Thing head on as he drove his forearm into its blood-stained chest and pushed it back against a tree trunk. A snarl escaped its lipless mouth as its gnashed his face. The Hunter raised his arm and drove the gleaming blade of the Bowie knife directly between the creature’s eyes. The monster ceased its struggle and dropped to the ground as he quickly removed the knife. Stepping back from the now truly dead creature the Hunter took a moment to catch his breath with a sigh to calm his heart before proceeding to search each creature for usable items. The first creature was male, and he was able to scavenge a gold ring from its left hand. The second creature, a female, had a silver cross around its neck placed the items into a Crown Royal pouch and tucked the pouch back into his backpack before the Hunter slung the bag back over his shoulder. A lonesome moan sounded in the distance and was quickly followed by several more. Still on high alert, the hunter retrieved his bow from the ground, then cautiously and silently jogged through the dense woods, alert and prepared for a fight.
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His trek through the woods lasted several hours, as he carefully avoided several small groups of walking, undead creatures that wandered aimlessly among the tall trees. He emerged from the woods to a black top road, as the sun’s glow shifted the midnight blue sky to a growing sea of purples and oranges. The rays illuminated the black top; its surface littered with deserted vehicles and long deserted possessions. The warmth of the sun spread throughout the Hunter’s body, melting away the coolness of night and the memory of his earlier combat.
The Hunter positioned bow to lead the way, an arrow already notched as he cautiously moved forward weaving between vehicles. As he passed by one crash, he spotted a heavy-set figure, still trapped in a triangle barrier formed by the three cars. He advanced closer to the imprisoned creature and placed his hand on the bowstring prepared to fire. As he drew even with the creature, he drew back on the bow and gave a small whistle. The creature turned to face him with a snarl, and the Hunter released his shaft, its point driving home into the monster’s eye socket.
The creature fell back against one of the cars with a thud, setting off the loud wail of the alarm car’s alarm.
“Shit,” he cursed himself as several creatures materialized from the maze of cars drawn by primitive instinct toward the sound.
Leaping quickly over the hoods of the cars the Hunter retrieved his arrow, before retreating into the thick woods on the opposite of side of the road.