Hive Of the Dead

Chapter 7 : Growing Anger

**Chapter 7: Growing Anger**

"Zack!!" Aunt Vera yelled as the black dude turned to the zombies. He held his bloody knife firmly as the zombies charged at him.

At first they were all headed for him but then one turned to me and another to Aunt Vera. "Zack!!!!" Aunt Vera yelled. "Fuck!" he exclaimed as he pounced on one, stabbing repeatedly at random places as it screamed and growled. Then he received a hit from the other which sent him flying without any resistance till he got to the ground. The one responsible for the hit went for him, and the other he had stabbed continued growling on the floor.

I knelt beside lifeless Mr. March, with tears still rolling down my cheek as the one who had been approaching me earlier stood there looking at me. His expression was that of confusion. He seemed to be contemplating. I picked out my knife from my leg where it was strapped. In rage and sorrow, I faced it and without a second thought charged towards it. I jumped up and gave it three stabs on its eyes and forehead respectively. I landed on the ground and turned to the one Aunt Vera had been trying to shoo away with one of the fire sticks. "Zack!!" she continued calling and crying. I turned to Uncle Zack who lay unconscious on the floor and the zombie in front of him about to dig into his body.

I guess they are all going to get what they deserve after all. "Derick!!" Aunt Vera cried aloud. I turned to her and realized the zombie had disarmed her. I felt pity and ran towards her still with my knife. I did a quick spin with it, putting the knife's handle up and its sharp body downwards as I jumped towards the zombie holding the knife with both hands. I pushed down on it as I came down. "Shit!" I exclaimed, missing its head. The knife landed on its shoulder due to a last second movement it made.

I was hit, a hit so hard it sent me flying. Luckily for me and Uncle Zack I flew and hit the zombie about to eat Uncle Zack who was still on the floor unconscious, and it helped reduce the intensity of my fall. We both landed on the ground, I and the zombie I hit.

My knife was still on the other one's shoulder, so I was unarmed as it walked towards me. Ignoring Aunt Vera, the one I hit stood up as well still obviously going to come for me. I on the other hand was still on the floor watching all of this and recovering from the hit. I looked forward and in front of me was Mr. March, whose blood had created a little puddle for him, and still strapped to his waist was his arrows. I picked myself up and rushed towards his pack of arrows taking two, holding one in each hand. They both turned to me still walking at the pace they had always been. I ran towards one. This time I was watchful of its fast swinging hand, and so successfully avoided it. On dodging, I jumped and pushed the arrow through its eye.

I landed and immediately ran away to watch it hopefully die and avoid a hit from the other. The one I put an arrow through its eye had begun to scream and hold its head, the now known to be normal way they behaved before dying, leaving me with just one. I turned to it and watched as it ran towards me. At this speed and aggression, one hit on me and I am certainly a goner, but so is it.

I waited as it ran towards me. I held the arrow firmly, and when it was close enough, I threw it at it, aiming for its eyes with all the might I had, and then I closed my eyes because it was just before me. Its speed remained unchanged.

I opened my eyes and saw it lying dead on me. The collision must have knocked me out. I had sustained some obvious bruises all over my body. I turned to the side and saw Aunt Vera seated next to Uncle Zack and trying to wake him up. After all I had done, she still did not care if I died.

I struggled out of the heavy monster which lay lifelessly on me. I took my knife out of its shoulder and strapped it back to my leg. I walked to the old man's corpse. I could not help but cry some more. I unstrapped the leather bag where his arrows were kept, same for the bow. I looked at Aunt Vera and Uncle Zack once again as she continued calling his name urging him to get up. I walked away, climbing up the ladder. I was going to tell Mrs. Claire what had happened, as well as give her Mr. March's necklace.

I walked till I got to his house and stood in front of the door for a moment as I thought of what exactly I was going to tell her. "March dear! Is that you?" I heard her ask aloud. "March!" she called again, this time with a shade of fear in her voice. Then I walked in. "Oh Derick, it's just you... it's just you! Where is March?" she asked looking outside. "Why are you with his bow?" she added and I remained quiet. At this time she had already started crying and so was I as I brought forth his necklace. "No!!!" she screamed as she walked closer. "Not March too!" she said as she collected the necklace from my hand.

I stared at her for minutes as she sat on the floor crying and resting her back against the chair, and all I could think about was how to get back at Uncle Zack and Aunt Vera. "First it was my son May, and his family, his wife Valerie, my grandson and granddaughter, June and April. They all died in this zombie invasion, leaving I and my husband alone in this world. It has just been us. Now he's gone," she cried in pain. "No!!!! March!!! Take me with you!" she cried some more. I stood there not knowing what to say or do, so I just remained there crying with her.

To be honest I have no reason for going back. I guess I should just stay here with the old lady, and help her defend herself, fill in the space that her husband has left behind.

"Mom's necklace!" I exclaimed, shocked to not find it on my neck. It must have fallen off in the hole or along the way. I have to go look for it. "I'll be right back!" I said to the old lady and was on my way back to the hole. I searched, looking at the ground on my way back home. If it fell along the road, I did this till I got to the front of the hole. There I stood and asked myself if I should or should not go in.

If I stay any longer, I will have Aunt Vera and Uncle Zack to answer to, so I climbed down. "Where are you coming from?" Aunt Vera asked as I walked in. "I went to give Mrs. Claire Mr. March's necklace," I replied. "And that's why you left," Uncle Zack who had a rag on his bleeding head said as he looked at me.

I personally was not paying attention to them. I just wanted my necklace. Once I get that, I am out, and out for life. So while they talked and asked their usual questions, I had my eyes fixated on the ground. "What are you looking for?" Uncle Zack asked noticing the way I looked at the floor. "Your might and courage exceeds that of a ten year old. I discovered what you did, single handedly killing the three zombies that trespassed your home. I am impressed and for that reason you feel you are old enough to survive alone," he added as he brought out Mom's necklace and raised it up. My eyes glowed on seeing it. "Isn't this what you want," he said. My eyes became fixed on him. "It's okay sweetie," he said to Aunt Vera who had been using a rag to wipe blood off his head, and then began to walk towards me. "Let me tell you a secret. You see this necklace," he said raising it up. He watched as I looked with curiosity. "The soul of your mum is trapped here, and with this and only this, you bring her back," he said as he got closer with his intimidating height. "Please give it to me," I said to him. "When you are man enough, I will, but for now you are going to stay with us and grow," he replied smiling like a demon.

I saw this and was about running off, when he pulled me back and pushed me on the floor. "For the first time, I didn't hit you for disobeying. I thought you've outgrown this childish behavior of yours," he said as he walked towards me. I really wished this guy was one of these monsters. I probably would have put a knife through his head by now. But what is really stopping me? After all he killed innocent Mr. March. He is as bad as the monsters if not worse even. "Since you want to act like a child you would be treated as such," he said as he approached me who was still on the floor. "Arghhhh," I said as I brought my knife out, and charged towards him. "Derick!" Aunt Vera screamed. "Temper!" he said as he dodged the attack smoothly, delivering one of his own on my chest.

I fell to the ground, just beside the snake's hole. "You want to kill me now? Amazing. I'll make sure I beat you till you can't even hold a knife," he said as he approached more violently.

I quickly ran into the hole, crawling as fast as I could when he grabbed my leg. "Get over here!" he said and pulled me back. I tried to grab anything I could but it was pointless. The entire place was made of dirt, nothing solid. I finally grabbed a rock held by the ground. He pulled harder and the rock came with me.

On getting out of the hole, I threw dirt in his eyes and rushed towards the ladder. "You!" he said and pulled me back to the ground. "Help!!" I screamed as he lifted the knife about to stab me, when we heard someone scream, "Stop!!".

To be continued.....

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