Free Seeking Sanctuary (Walkers) by Zelda Davis-Lindsey Page A

my fanny.  Actually, I couldn't but until I heard the gunfire, and the first of the horde below me began to fall, I had visions of my skeleton melding with the wood of the tree to form some grotesque bird feeder.
                  When the walkers did began to fall I knew I had been rescued.  It seemed weird to see them fall and not hear gunshots but I found out later they were using silencers.  I lost some skin from my backside on the bark of the tree when I was helped down.  Mason was gonna carry me back to the RV but I talked him into helping me limp through the bodies instead.  I knew there was a cold bottle of raspberry flavored tea waiting for me cause Lacey 'told' me so.  I settled back against the cool seat, savored the tea and the cool air pouring from the vents.
                  It had started out as another typical day in the long monotonous trip back to Montana. The heat had been relentless, slowing man and machinery alike.  It seemed all we did was break down, mostly because we'd resorted to driving the dirt roads.  The paved ones had buckled and the bridges were a shambles after months of neglect, so we drove the secondary roads.  You'd think they'd be a mess too, but the locals took better care of them than the government did and we made pretty good time although it was just a dirtier, longer drive.  The dust clogged up the air filters and two vehicles had to have their radiators flushed not to mention visibility at times was non existent.  Taking turns driving at the head of the line everyone had a chance to spend some part of the day dust free.  I was looking forward to my turn.
                  It was during one of the change overs that we noticed a small town in the distance.  It was more out of a need to do something different than the need for any supplies that we decided to investigate. It turned out to be a Cantina, like a small tavern.  It had several out buildings, a large barn and a couple of houses.  We checked out the everything but the barn and when we were satisfied we'd done as much damage as we could to the other buildings we started that direction.  Bad move.  The one thing you always have to remember is to be on guard all the times.  Always.  There are times you have a tendency to forget that rule.  This was one of them. 
                  We'd been laughing and joking about some nonsense and just flung that barn door wide open like we knew what we were doing.  It must have been where the locals were keeping the walkers.  All the walkers.  They poured out of there like a dam had burst making us scatter to the four winds.  All I could do is a running, limping kind of thing, stopping occasionally to fire off a shot.  When I managed to get my senses about me, I realized there was no where for me to go.  The land spread out in front of me like a plate, waves of heat radiating off it making the distance look like a lake. I saw a large tree not far away to my right and headed for it.  I had no other choice. 
                  Mason passed me like I was standing still, sprinting for the tree and climbing it like a monkey.  When I got there, out of breath and limping badly,  he reached down, grabbed my hand and yanked me onto the lower branch.  After a minute he helped me climb to the next limb about three feet above us.  When we got settled I was amazed at the amount of walkers below us, grunting and wheezing.  The noises they were making was natural for walkers.  They didn't even sound out of breath.  I shot one just for that alone.
                  There were several children.  I hate to see walker children, squealing and crying for food.  Even if it was me they wanted to eat.  I hated it even worse when I had to put them down, but it was the best thing anyone could do for them.  They're the ones I spent my last ammo on and then I missed one.  Have I mentioned how hard it is to hit someones head