Ana tried to drive past them but they were covering the whole road. It would be dangerous even to attempt it for there was every chance that the car could steer off the steep road, hurling them down the highway.

There was nothing else to do except go out and fight. The stakes were high this time. If any of them got bitten, they wouldn't be able to make it back to North Wellsington by three days time and then it would be too late.

I swallowed and jumped out of the car. Three zombies were not as hard to kill but there had to be no mistake. One wrong move could mean certain and agonizing death.

One mottled man leapt at me, growling. My stomach turned from the putrid smell emanating off him. I pulled out Nell's rusty iron rod from my belt where I hung it and smashed the zombies' brains out. He collapsed to the ground. I winced in disgust at all the zombie bits that had flown in my hair. If there was one thing I liked about myself, it was my hair.

I pulled out a knife from my pocket and began stabbing the other zombie who was surprisingly nimble as he managed to dodge my attacks. I stared at him in horror. When had they started becoming so intelligent?

I twisted, barely avoiding his teeth and stabbed him in the neck. It turns out he must have turned recently because his blood still seemed fresh. That explained his smart moves.

I finally managed to defeat the second zombie and bent over panting. Too late, I realised that I had forgotten about the third one completely.

I sensed him breathing down my neck and whirled around. His teeth were blackened and were reaching for my neck. There was no way I could avoid him.

To my surprise, he fell on his knees before he could bite me. Ana was standing behind him holding a huge boulder in her hands, trembling with fear. I smiled at her, still in shock. Ana had never been much of a fighter.

"Ana, you shouldn't have come out of the car," I said, shaking my head.

"And leave you here alone to die?" she snorted. "No offence, Mr I-can-fight-well but Nell would have killed me if I had gone back without your sorry ass."

I grinned at her. It turns out Ana was pretty blunt when she was scared.

"Are you going to stand here gawking like an idiot or climb back inside?" she demanded. "The scent of blood may attract more of those creeps."

I followed her into the car, still grinning. Nell liked the right kind of people.

It was not until we had been driving for a few minutes that I realised I had left my knife behind. I groaned at my own stupidity. Weapons were very valuable and we only had a few left.

I bandaged up all the cuts I'd gotten in the fight- not inflicted by the zombies but by my own stupidity when I'd fallen or stabbed myself during the fight. I sighed. This trip was going to be very hard indeed.