Be Careful What You Wish For: A Zombie Apocalypse
Chapter 384: Blood In The Water

Chapter 384: Blood In The Water

The first group of hunters, those out looking for food, left the village long before the second group. Their footsteps were silent and steady; the soles of their shoes were built up like foot-high platforms of broken branches and dead vines.

They were the only thing to mask their footstep, the only thing that kept Death from figuring out that they were prey and not plants. But even with every precaution they took, they still knew that the jungle was waiting for them to mess up again.

After all, it had taken a lot of trial and error before even these shoes had been created.

It was barely morning, the sun still hidden behind the tallest trees, but the humidity was already so bad that it threatened to take the very breath from their lungs. The team of six melted into the jungle, not even their breathing giving away their location.

The jungle was still, and that was never a good sign. Even in the middle of storms, the jungle teemed with life. But not now, not today. Instead, it seemed to be holding its breath just like the men were, worried that a predator would be able to find them with ease.

Cedric moved with practiced ease, his mind not even concentrating on the task at hand as he ducked under low-hanging vines and brushed away the gnats swarming his face. His body still ached from the last raid—the claw marks on his back barely healed before he had to go out again and find supplies. But he was alive, and in this hell of a world, that was all that mattered.

The other men with him moved just as silently, their movements flowing like water as they seemed to merge with the jungle. But each and every man bore their own scars, proof that not only were they alive, but they were good at what they did.

Between the jungle itself, the creatures that stalked them, and the predators they couldn’t even see, staying alive was a full-time job.

"Fresh water up ahead," signed one of the younger hunters, pointing toward a clearing just off to the right. A slow-moving stream glistened under the early morning sun, its banks soft with moss and dotted with bird tracks.

Darren nodded his head, signing back for some men to check the fishing nets while others hunted the smaller birds. They were one of the only animals around that couldn’t put up a fight and so became a major part of the villagers’ diet. But without any form of preservation, the meat went bad fast, and the demand for more kept coming.

The group split up without question.

No one noticed the unusual log in the water. No one saw the eyes just beneath the surface, or the smile on its face.

Not until it was too late, at least.

There was no splash. No thrashing. One moment, one of the men checking the nets in the shallow end was there, and the next, he was gone.

Not a single splash or cry gave away his death.

The second man turned, his eyes wide with confusion. Reaching up into the air, he waved his hands to get everyone’s attention. "Where did Cedric go?" he signed, his eyes widening in fear. The other four men simply shook their heads in confusion.

Then the second man looked down. Blood bloomed beneath the water like dark ink, flowing toward him until he was knee deep in it. A severed hand floated up, fingers twitching on instinct alone.

Biting his fist, the second man refused to scream, even though he knew that the scent of blood on him was a death sentence.

However, as silent as he forced himself to be, someone else let out a soft gasp, a single breath that acted like a dinner bell to everything around them.

Birds took flight in the air, their warning cries heard by the predators stalking the hunting party on the ground.

The humans might be able to fool the plants on the ground, but the raptors had eyes. They could see the prey in front of them; they just enjoyed the hunt a little too much to have it end too soon.

From the shadows between trees, raptors stepped forward, their movement finally making their presence known.

Darren barely had time to shout before one of the younger hunters was taken from behind, claws slashing through his spine like paper, while another raptor jumped on his shoulder and tore off his head.

Another man tried to run. He knew that the raptors avoided the water; it was the only safe place besides the trees that the humans had. But he had forgotten what had caused everything in the first place.

Tink, happy that food had been delivered to him, snapped the man’s leg in his jaws before swimming off, effectively drowning his prey.

When he was certain he had managed to hide his kill well enough, Tink returned to the surface. It had been a while since he had a feast, since humans were stupid enough to enter his territory. He wasn’t going to stop now.

Blood dripped from his maw as he moved with terrifying silence, eyes locked on the next target.

The remaining three men froze at the edge of the waters. In front of them stood a few of the raptors’ pack’s best hunters. The seven reptiles paced back and forth with almost human-like smiles on their faces while the rest of the pack stayed in the underbrush.

Behind them was an unknown monster. A creature that had made its home in the once safe fishing hole.

If they moved forward, they were dead.

If they moved back, they were dead.

And just like the humans, the jungle was quiet again as it waited for the choice to be made.

Cedric stood frozen, heart hammering, his pulse thudding so loud it felt like it echoed in his ears. Resigned, he pulled out the massive knife from behind his back and leapt toward the closest raptor.

If he were going to die, he would do it his way. With a screech, the raptor darted to the side, just as another one landed on Cedric’s back. Letting out a sigh, Cedric closed his eyes, grateful that death had finally managed to claim him.