“So,” Vital said as we entered the first part of town that was fortunately abandoned, “How exactly are we getting back home?”
“Umm,” I paused, “That’s a great question. Did anyone ever tell you that you ask great questions?”
“You didn’t have a plan to begin with!”
“Shhhhh!!” The three of us simultaneously hissed. Alerting those things was the last thing on my list to escape.
“Look I wanted to discuss the details on the bus but I did not want to stay any longer. Besides walker clears up my head.”
Byrd question, “Well what are our options?”
“We could fly there in a plane.” Shira stated.
“Yeah let’s check the airlines, I’m sure out of all the places that’ll still be working during a zombie apocalypse.” Vital saracastically retorted.
“No you butt plug I meant take a plane ourselves.”
“That would be all wine and good but none of us knows how to fly a plane.”
Byrd piped up again and said, “Actually I do.”
The three of us came to a halt and asked, “You do!?”
Byrd pause for a moment, looked each of us in the eye and said, “Nah not really.”
I almost wanted to head butt him if I was not laughing the type of laugh when nothing comes out. Vital was so anger that he walked off while Shira face palmed laughing as well.
“Ok,” as I wipe a tear from my eye, “maybe we can catch a boat?”
Shira calm down as well to say, “But we don’t know how to pilot a boat either.”
“I think sailing and driving a car is like the same thing.”
“Well hey I don’t know how to drive yet so I wouldn’t know.”
“I know how to drive actually. For real this time.” Byrd stated.
“Well hey there’s the plan, find a working boat and hopefully sail back to Japan.” I say.
“You make it sound so easy.” Shira said.
“Well hey glass half full right? Well anyway, we should look for supplies maybe even weapons as well to take with us.”
After I finish my sentence a loud Ping! Sound came from an alleyway farther up ahead of us. We all jog over to see if Vital had taken care of some straggling zombie and sure enough one laid at his feet with its pale brain out of its head.
“Guys,” Vital began, “Our supply and weapons problem has an answer.”
Behind Vital was perhaps apocalyptic heaven; a grocery store with other storefronts along with a sword shop. An actual sword shop! I take a step, not believing our luck, until I heard the distinct moaning sound of the undead to my left. Sure enough a small cluster of zombies ambled to our direction probably from the shovel hitting one of their own.
“Should we take care of this ugly es?” Shira said cracking his knuckles.
“You’ll just attract more,” Byrd stated before he picked up an empty beer bottle from a trashcan and launched it to the wall that the zombies were passing. Taking the bait, the undead immediately turn around to satisfy their hunger.
I gathered my friends into a circle and whisper, “Here’s the plan, Byrd and I will go into the sword shop to pick up weapons. You two go over to the grocery market and gather supplies. I am pretty sure we’ll be done first so Byrd and I will head over to you guys. Got it?”
Everyone addressed me with a nod as we began to move to the stores passing by straggling zombies who did not see us approaching into the shop. As Byrd and I approached the sword shop, Kobyashi’s, we entered the through the door and was met with the sight of all types of weapons of the short. Kendo wooden swords, short knives, katanas and other weaponry filled the stores walls.
“Good to see that a place like this hasn’t been looted yet,” I start, “Well let’s get the weapons.”
“Think Shira would like a katana?” Byrd asked.
“Umm, I wouldn’t think so. Look for some gloves I guess.”
“Yeah sure, let’s find gloves in a sword shop.”
I chuckled and began my search. As much as swords were cool and all, they were not exactly my cup of tea. I kept looking until I decided that none of the weapons was exactly for me. I needed something that could be a back up if I ever dropped Old Dusty. Oh great, I’m naming weapons now. I smiled as I headed to the back of the store to check out the international section that had an interesting selection; however, the most interesting thing about it was that a certain weapon set was missing; one long machete blade under the South America label was there yet the other blade was missing. Curious as always, I made my way over the counter top to see if maybe the weapon was in the manager’s office.
Upon opening the door I was greeted with a gruesome sight as the same as yesterday. One of ‘them’ was on his knees eating the insides of the old storeowner picking at the corpse like a desperate vulture. Next to the already dead old man was a shotgun clutched to his hands along with his head blown wide open, curtsy of the shotgun blast I take it. The sight was overwhelming yes but I noticed something as the dead slowly turn towards me; the weapon, a long machete, off the rack was planted in its stomach.
Clumsily walking towards me hoping to make a mal out of me was a horrible decision on his part. I plant my foot into the thing’s stomach, remove the machete with its entrails out and finally pull off a nice clean cut to the throat severing its head. Oh yeah, these are the weapons I have been looking for.
Byrd walked in sword at the ready asking, "Yung are you alright?" He saw my newfound weapons in my hands confirming that I was alright so he relaxed his posture. Byrd then glanced to the old corpse and immediately turned pale.
"Did you know this guy?"
"Yes. He made my sword for me after stopping a thief one day. He was nice man, to see him go like this... At least he didn't turn like 'them'."
I put my hand on Byrd's shoulder to comfort him. As much as I wanted to say the cliche hero line "I'm sure he was a good man," I felt that this was enough.
Byrd finished his moment of silence for the shop owner and then reached down to take the double-barrel shotgun off the owner’s dead hands.
"Well damn I thought you were going to close his eyes like the movies."
"I don’t think we have time for that so I just grabbed the gun. Now let’s search for ammo."
"Business as usual huh? No wonder Saeko likes you." I teased.
"What!? That's! Hey! Don't do a low blow like that! I just respect her strength, abilities and personality as a kendo master."
"I think you forgot about her body in your nouns Byrd."
"... Just, look for the ammo."
"Yes sir Mr. Saeko."
That comment earned a good punch to the side ribs. Worth it.
As I held my side while searching for some ammo I asked, "In all seriousness though, do you like Saeko like that Byrd?"
"Well... yes."
"Right so there's nothing wrong with it?"
"Besides the fact that Vital likes her as well."
"Oh are you serious!? Well that sucks, love triangles in high school are such bullshit."
"Amen. I have no idea what to do man. Admit my feelings or let my friend go out with her."
"Yeah but at least you don't have to worry about love triangles where we're going."
"Oh yeah, I completely forgot we were going back to the states. Hopefully if this ever blows over I'll come back to tell her."
"That's pretty romantic actually, no homo." An opened cabinet to the top right later I found it like an Easter Egg on Sunday. "Bingo!"
Byrd helped me stock the items on to the counter I was standing on and said, "Six boxes of shotgun bullets, two pistols and six boxes of pistol bullets, a small key ring with two keys, along with severely throwing knives. Damn."
"No kidding, now how do you figure we carry all this?"