47 Behind Me

Sheloah looked at the time and she noticed that it was already 6:24 in the evening. She then looked at Veon beside her, who still continued driving.

"Are you tired?"

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "A little. It's okay. We're almost there, anyway. Once we arrive, we'll rest," Veon answered and Sheloah nodded at him slowly. "Where will we rest? Did you ask your uncle," he added and Sheloah got her phone to talk to them.

Sheloah contacted Sir Erick. She knew his uncle was driving that was why she called Sir Erick instead. After five seconds, Sir Erick answered.

"Hello, Sheloah?"

"Sir, can you ask my uncle where we'll stay to rest," she asked and she waited for their reply.

"In 7-Eleven," Sir Erick replied and Sheloah looked outside her window.

"Are we almost there," she asked as she opened her window for some air. Compared to Baguio, the atmosphere in the provinces were warmer even though it was already the evening.

"We will reach our destination within three to five minutes," Sir Erick said and he ended the call.

"We're almost there in 7-Eleven. We will rest there, they said." Sheloah relayed the message and Veon nodded.

"Finally! Driving for too long can also be tiring, y'know. Once we have time, I'll teach you how to drive." When Sheloah heard this, both of her eyes opened wide.

"What? Do you even know what you're saying? I might break your car and if I do, how am I gonna make up for it," she said as she rolled her eyes at him. "You know I'm scared of crossing streets. What more when I drive?" Veon laughed when he heard what Sheloah said at the end. He remembered Sheloah clinging onto him every time they cross the street.

The two buses in front of them halted for a while and Veon stopped as well.

"Killing zombies are way more extreme than driving. Then you tell me that you're scared of driving? You're crazy," he said and the both of them laughed.

The both of them were laughing but when Veon's expression suddenly changed into a serious one, it made Sheloah wonder. From the fun atmosphere, why did he suddenly become serious?

"Sheloah." Veon said her name as he pointed his gun at her. Sheloah suddenly showed a scared expression, surprised that Veon acted this way.

'Why is he treating me like this?'

"Veon, what—"

Sheloah stopped when she noticed Veon's finger on the gun's trigger.

"Be quiet," he said and Sheloah did not understand him for saying so, especially now that he pointed a gun at her.

But still, Sheloah went silent. She then realized that she felt that there's someone or something… breathing heavily behind her and it smelled rotten. Sheloah suddenly felt fear as her imagination ran wild.

'What the hell's behind me!?'

She bit her lip nervously as she looked at Veon. He was still pointing his gun at her as she felt the heavy breathing behind her.

She hoped that it was just a wild grizzly bear behind her, but she knew that there aren't grizzly bears in the Philippines. But still, she imagined it to be an angry bear, like Winnie the Pooh, possibly angry for not eating too much honey, instead if imagining it as a hungry zombie when in fact…

A zombie was really behind her.

Sheloah looked at Veon nervously when she noticed that the two vehicles in front started moving and they had not even notice what was happening to Veon and the others. She thought they would already arrive in 7-Eleven soon, but why have they not yet arrived?

These few minutes didn't seem few at all!

Veon did not follow the two buses just yet since the zombie was behind Sheloah, staring at her through the opened gap of her window. One wrong move, maybe the zombie might suddenly grab or bite her.

But what made them think was why didn't the zombie not attack just yet?

"Veon, drive," Sheloah mouthed and he understood. He got his phone to type something before he showed it to Sheloah.

"Don't move. I will immediately drive," Veon typed and Sheloah just gave him a look, agreeing to what he said.

Veon slowly put his gun down as he held the car's wheel. Sheloah felt the zombie's heavy breathing getting near as she closed her eyes, wishing for this situation to stop. She felt that her shoulder felt wet and when she looked at it, she noticed it was already the zombie's drool.

Gross! She wished she should've just kept her window closed from the start!

Veon was about to drive but the zombie's attention went aggressive when Sheloah's phone suddenly buzzed. Since it was very quiet, they could hear the buzz very well.

The zombie suddenly grabbed Sheloah's head from the gap of the opened window. This strangled Sheloah and she then struggled to free herself from the zombie's hold. Veon got his gun again and pointed it at them, but he couldn't shoot just yet because one wrong move could kill Sheloah.

She couldn't breathe already as the zombie's strength started to increase. It was desperate to take a bite on Sheloah's body. There was only one way to escape this.

Sheloah suddenly opened her car door and she fell backwards on the zombie, knocking it down. When she stood up, the zombie suddenly acted quickly by pulling her ankle. She got the pocket knife hidden under her skirt and stabbed the hand of the zombie multiple times.

The zombie released Sheloah and Veon quickly went out of the car to rescue her. He pointed his gun at the zombie and shot him two times on the head, leading to its death.

Sheloah sighed, relieved. "That was close," she said and when Veon turned his back, his eyes grew wide in shock.

"Sheloah, move!"

Sheloah looked back and she shouted when she saw three zombies behind her. Veon ran towards her and pushed her suddenly. But when Veon pushed her away…

He thought he saved her.