Zomblog 05: Snoe's War (16 page)

Anyways, we moved into position and I was able to maintain visual contact with Mary as we closed the distance. Once I had us in a spot that looked the best, I signaled for a halt. The trail these people were following would bring them here in about five or ten minutes. The sides were sheer enough that they would not be able to come up and attack us. Also, if they continued forward we had plenty of time to wipe them out, and if they retreated, we could do enough damage to make them almost a non-factor.

I waved at Mary one final time and then turned to my group to address them. “What we are about to do is going to be difficult for some of you. Unlike that last attack, this one will be more personal and the enemy will be in the open. That may not seem like that big of a deal, but unlike last time when the bodies fell and disappeared into the tall grass, these will be out in the open for you to see. I will not think badly of any who opt out now.”

I received nothing back except for some very determined stares and grim expressions. These kids—and that really is what we are since none of us is even out of our teens—knew what was at stake. Maybe they did not grasp the entirety of the situation, but they still had a pretty good idea.

As the group of soldiers came into view, I could tell that they were scanning the area for any signs of trouble, but they obviously did not expect any real resistance. This little trail does not actually get you into Irony and I believe that is why they were using it. From here, they could reach a group of watch towers that provided the best view into the town. If Major Carson—since I had to assume that was who this group was being led by—could take those towers, he would be able to better direct his forces.

I cannot say that I am any sort of expert on strategy, but I had to wonder why William had sent us this way to hold this particular hill. Granted, there was only the one approach, but he had to know somebody would think to use it. While almost everybody was involved in the house-to-house fighting taking place in Irony, this location had to be seen as at least somewhat vital eventually.

A part of me was busy wondering why Major Carson would come up here instead of joining his forces in the town. After all, once he secured this location, what could he do? Provided that he did see something from up on that ridge, he would still need to communicate that information to the people fighting. That was not something done easily. To send a runner would be pointless.

And then I saw the reason.

It took a few minutes to realize what I was seeing, but the men with Major Carson were carrying different parts of some sort of device that looked similar to a catapult. In addition, they were also carrying these small barrels. I would guess each one to hold about five gallons.

Now more than ever, it was vital that I take this person down before he reached his objective. I had no way of knowing what exactly was in each of those casks, but I knew it had to be bad.

When I gave the signal, everybody on my side drew back on their bow or aimed if they had a crossbow. I looked across the way to see Mary give the same signal. When my arm dropped, there was a series of twangs and thrums…and then just the very briefest moment of silence until the arrows reached their targets.

Screams came from below and I gave the order for everybody to fire at will. I lined up my next shot and hit a man who already had three arrows sticking out from his body but continued to stagger in a vain attempt to get away.

I don’t know what happened in those next several seconds, but I saw the soldiers below falling to the ground. I was scanning for my next shot and hoping that I could figure out which one was Major Carson, or that he might already be among the dead and dying, when a ball of fire erupted in the midst of the soldiers.

The whole scene changed as black, acrid smoke roiled amidst the flames. It took me a moment to realize that the ‘dancing’ flames were actually men who had caught fire and were running and rolling and swatting at themselves. Whatever was in those barrels, it could not be put out by any ordinary means. I saw some of the more level-headed soldiers drop and roll. It did no good at all. Eventually they would stop rolling, but the greenish-blue flames continued to burn.

I heard the sounds of retching and was not surprised to see a few of my people doubled over. The greatest problem we faced now was that all this dark smoke made it all but impossible to see. Additionally, at least five more casks went off, adding to the hellish scene and completely obscuring our ability to target anybody.

I yelled for a cease fire since we could no longer be sure of our targets. I split my group in half and had one group head back in the direction the soldiers had come from with the instructions to take down anybody they see that was trying to make a run for it. I took my group and ran to the end of the gulley where any of the soldiers who tried to continue forward would emerge.

By the time I was clear of the smoke and could see again, I was able to make out the faces of the enemy. I felt my heart squeeze just a bit as I saw kids no older than me in the uniform of the enemy. Their expressions were a mix of pain, fear, surprise…and anger.

I was not able to at that moment, but now that it has been several hours, I can reflect on that thought for a few seconds. If somebody on their side happened to be keeping a journal like I am (and it is way more common than I realized), then in their version…we are the bad guys. We assassinated
their
president, we rolled into town and started executing their religious leaders. (Although I am a bit squeamish about giving The Genesis Brotherhood the same status of being a religion as the more—for a lack of a better word—normal religions.) It really is just a matter of perspective when you come down to it.

So, as I am getting my first up close look at the enemy—just as I fire the first bolt into the chest of one—I hear screams coming from back in the smoke. I also hear what I was immediately able to identify as the rasping moans of walkers. I guess it was just a matter of time before all the commotion brought them down on us.

I told my people to take down the stragglers and motioned for three of my group to follow me. A little further down the gulley, the ridges started to descend. It is there that I was able to cross over and work my way back to Mary and her group. As I crossed the mouth of the scene of our ambush, I could look back for almost a hundred yards before the smoke obscured my vision completely, but coming out of that swirling black cloud were several, perhaps a hundred, undead.

Some of them had flames licking over their skin, but they paid it no mind as they were focused on the dead and dying soldiers that we had shot full of arrows and bolts. The screams were beginning to grow in intensity and number as the zombies started to fall on the first bodies. Since they were still a good distance away, they were nothing more than an afterthought for the time being. If anything, they were doing our dirty work and putting down the remainder of the enemy.

I started back towards where I imagined Mary and her group to be. I am a little bothered that she did not split her forces like I did to deal with the stragglers. If anything, I would have expected her to at least head this way and ensure that any of Major Carson’s men who might try to continue towards their objective be stopped.

As I reached the point where the smoke began to become a problem, I had to put my arm across my face so I could breathe, and that was not very effective. I was only able to go a short ways before I being forced to retreat. The screams, however, were growing in number and intensity. I could go wide, and hope to find Mary or somebody from her group, but that would really just be a waste of precious time.

I fell back just as the first few soldiers emerged from the smoke. These were the ones who were not quiet dead and had zombies move in to take a few bites. A couple showed very little actual damage from the zombies. In fact, the first one that I saw looked like he had a bite on his hand, but I couldn’t even be sure. It was hard to look away from the half-dozen arrows jutting out from his torso.

When a cluster of them emerged, I got an idea. One of them had a cask strapped to his back. I moved around just enough to get a good shot and fired my crossbow. It hit and caused the exact effect I was hoping for…another explosion. I figured that would take care of the zombie problem and maybe even take out a few remaining soldiers if I got lucky.

Signaling for my group to rally around my location, I decided that there was nothing much that could be done until the smoke cleared. All I had to wonder about now was what, if any, response all of this would bring from either faction in Irony.

It was only a short time before a detachment arrived on horseback. They were from our side and I think they had a difficult time reconciling the devastation with the group of youngsters that greeted them at the scene.

I explained what I had seen and what we did and one of the members of the detachment wrote a note, handed it to a girl on a horse that was pawing at the ground and obviously ready for a good run. Something was said about how they had really blown it by leaving this area exposed. I didn’t bother saying anything about how it wasn’t…we had been here.

We were talking as the smoke finally cleared and allowed us to see the carnage in the gulley. Creepers were everywhere. I guess the explosions had blown limbs off of several. And then I felt my throat seize.

I will never know how she ended up down in all of that, but Mary was dead…and now she was undead. Her body was burnt pretty badly, but I could make out the face well enough to know it was her. One of her legs was gone from around mid-thigh. A handful of her soldiers were in similar condition.

Somebody grabbed my arm as I went to her, but I shook it off and kept walking. I took out a few on the way, but I never broke eye contact with Mary as I approached with my machete drawn. I ended her and the others of her group that I saw before returning to my group. I could feel the need to cry in the back of my throat, but I refused to give in to it just then—mostly out of fear that it would be another one of those sessions that might disable me for the rest of the day.

At some point Betty took charge and the riders all returned to Irony after telling us to hold this ridge at all costs. Didn’t they realize we were already doing that? And as for ‘cost’? As far as I was concerned, one loss was already too much despite the fact that plenty of other people had likely died today.

And so here we are. Betty and I are on this ridge with our group. We can see figures scurrying around Irony like ants that just had their hill kicked. I feel exhausted and dread what tomorrow will bring. If the expressions that I am seeing on the other faces are any indication, then I am not alone.

Today changed a lot of people. I remember reading in my History class about wars. They seemed to be described in such a way that it was nothing more than dates and an estimated number of people killed. That can take a lot of the actual horror out of something so terrible. It makes it seem like any other fact that you learn like “2 + 2 = 4” or something equally mundane.

The reality is that war in any form is a brutal and violent thing. It does not matter which end you are on. There are no “good” guys or “bad” guys. When it comes to killing, it is an act that will stain your soul for the rest of your life. It will change you.

Some of those sitting around in this group are twelve years old. The oldest may be twenty. Killing zombies is one thing, but today, we killed a whole bunch of people. The funny thing is…I have no idea if we were actually facing Major Carson and his men. Not only that, but I have no idea if he is among the dead. Did we really accomplish anything?

Tuesday, March 30
^th

Yesterday we saw what looked to be the worst day of fighting so far. I pray to God or whatever may be out there masquerading as a supreme being that it was the last gasp. Late in the afternoon there were a series of explosions and black clouds mushroomed skyward.

There looked to be a concentrated effort on three buildings in particular. One of the kids in my group said that one building was the one that had been taken by The Genesis Brotherhood when Dominique established her post in Irony. Even from as far away as we were, the sounds of battle could be heard as an angry buzz. It seemed to grow in intensity for several seconds.

And then…silence.

We have not heard anything from Irony since then. I will wait one more day before I pick a group to go with me.

I must say, this Genesis Brotherhood did not seem like much to me. I think it might be like any other case where people jump on some bandwagon belonging to something horrible. I know that one of the most common symbols that has seen being sported by raiders that roam the wilderness once belonged to a German sect called Nazis. For some reason, there is an element of fear that comes simply from seeing that symbol. Personally, I think that people who etch that sign into their flesh are simply trying to draw on something they don’t even understand. But by using that symbol they are able to mark themselves as something terrible and to be feared. There is a power that they draw from which leads me to believe that evil is something that is tangible and similar to a well. Only, I don’t know if the reservoir that feeds such a well actually has a finite supply. Evil seems to almost re-spawn itself as if by magic.

As for my little detachment, we had to go back to the scene of our battle and put down a few lone shamblers that were wandering the area. The zombies appeared almost like they were confused. They were just shuffling around in that gulley.

I noticed a lot of the group spent most of their time asleep or at least pretending to be asleep. With so many of us here, we are able to keep the watches short. That may or may not be a good thing. I spent far too much time with my own thoughts.

In any case, we will be alert through the night.

Thursday, April 1
^st