Free ZOMBIES: "Chronicles of the Dead": A Zombie Novel by Will Lemen Page B

some point!”
    “I guess you’re right,” Gin mumbled. “I mean what’s the hurry anyway; we don’t know where we’re going or what we’re going to do when we get there anyway, right?”
    “Right, at this point that’s about it in a nutshell,” I said nodding my head.
    “Let’s put one of the oars in the front of the boat and one in the back, that way we can push things away from the boat or push the boat away from the shore at any angle,” Jacob said, as he reached for one of the oars.
    “Yeah," Billy said. "And we can use them as a club if we need too, instead of firing a gun and drawing the attention of other eaters in the area.”
    “That sounds like a good idea,” Gin said, handing the second oar to Billy.
    As the night wore on, we each burrowed out a small area to sleep in among our stacks of supplies, then I announced that I would take the first watch and assigned Billy the second, and Gin the third, and Jacob the last one; each of us taking a two and a half hour shift.
    To my surprise, there was no resistance from anyone regarding the imposed sentry duties. I guess they all realized that it was a necessary evil and an unavoidable chore that had to be done to ensure the safety and security of our family.
    Although the temperature dropped to an uncomfortable level that night, we didn’t suffer too much, as our coats, blankets, and sleeping bags were thick enough to keep us warm, and the gentle rocking of the boat on the river along with the pillows that Gin insisted on bringing, allowed us to get some sleep.
    The night passed uneventfully, and the sunrise signaled the start of the first full day of our journey south. It was to be the first of many days that we would never forget on our way to our new life under the dark cloud of the horrific disease that had taken over the world.
    When I woke up, I saw Jacob at the bow of the boat aiming the .243 Steyr hunting rifle off the port side of the boat, pausing for a moment, and then slowly rotating to the starboard side, pausing again, and rotating back to the port side and back again.
    “What are you doing son?” I inquired.
    “I’m checking out this scope dad. You know I could take out any one of them, or all of them easily with this rifle.”
    “Any or all of what son,” I asked, a bit confused.
    “All of those eaters. Look at all of them!”
    I sat up, looked over the side of the boat at the riverbank, and I could hardly believe my eyes.
    Hundreds of zombies were standing on the bank snarling and snapping at us. Of course, we were too far away too distinctly hear their hungry growls or the clatter made by their teeth pounding against each other as they mimicked chomping down on our delicious flesh and bones, but we could clearly see their ominous presents and menacing body postures.
    Some were just swaying back and forth leering at us as we slowly floated downstream past them. Others were stumbling around in a somewhat controlled frenzy as if they were going to charge into the river in pursuit of us, yet stopping short of entering the water and then quickly backing up, acting as if they were afraid of the flowing liquid. Some had walked to the edge of the river but no further, and stood there drooling as they ogled us with their minatory stares.
    With the voracious appetite for flesh and brain that these undead cannibalistic abominations had exhibited in the past, along with their undaunted resolve to satisfy that hunger, it was hard to believe that something as simple as water would be enough to halt the onslaught of these horrendous monsters. However, it was all too clear that they had a deathly fear (another opportunity for a pun) of the water.
    However, one thing was for sure. Almost every one of them had taken notice of us and would have attacked us if it weren't for the fact that we were at a wide part of the river and there was about fifty yards of water between them and us.
    “This is very interesting,” I said, as I rested my elbow on