And that was the last time that he had spoken to either of his parents. He could kick himself now for missing out on time he could have spent with them. Alec regretted lying about going to the office. It wasn’t that he didn’t get along with his father and brother, his interest just didn’t align with theirs. He enjoyed shooting guns, but the thought of waking up at five o'clock a.m. to sit silent and motionless, in hopes to shoot some elusive animal didn't interest him in the least. Well, that and he would have rather spend the weekend with Natalie and Alexa. He wasn’t sure what it was that avid hunters enjoyed so much. Was it the thrill of the hunt itself? Perhaps the bragging rights of slaying that monster buck? Maybe it was the anticipation of waiting for that perfect shot. He just never could get into it.
“Did you hear that?” Kable asked, interrupting Alec’s thoughts. Alec hadn’t hear anything, at least he didn’t think he had. The crack of a limb in the distance was enough to give both men pause. Alec motioned to a fallen tree they could use for cover. Alec scolded himself for daydreaming instead of paying closer attention to his surroundings.
They sat behind the fallen tree silently, anxiously, hoping whatever was moving through the brush would simply pass them by. Alec told himself the noise was probably a small animal. Nothing to worry about. Kable didn’t seem to hold the same hope. He already had his AR-15 propped on the dead bark of the tree. The crunching of leaves and small branches sounded again, and Alec sighed. Whatever was making the noise was too big to be a bird or squirrel, and it was moving quickly.
Every muscle in Alec’s body tightened as he waited for a vile abomination to come crashing through the bushes. He was ready this time, the thought of revenge still warm in his blood. Fear crept into the picture as Alec heard something else… “Second set of footsteps. Wait…more than that,” he whispered to Kable. The footsteps were moving more rapidly, less than a hundred feet away from the clearing to their left. Alec held up his hand, pointing to the tree line to their south. Kable didn’t waste any time, sprinting to cover behind the nearest tree. Alec followed right behind him, taking cover a few feet away behind a large Dogwood. Any second now they would see what they were up against. Alec rechecked his LHR, ensuring it was fully loaded and the safety was off. He felt the cold of the metal as he pressed his cheek against the stock, just as he saw a flash of motion.
The leaves on the bushes shook violently, some falling free from the thick shrubbery as the beast leaped through the bushes, landing in the clearing on the other side. The branches on the shrubs still shook, but for a split second the beast paused, trying to find its way. Alec instinctively wanted to rub his eyes, to wipe the confusion away from them. The beast before him was no abomination, but a tall lean Rottweiler. The black and tan dog was much skinnier than it should have been, any remnants of fat stripped away leaving nothing but lean muscles and protruding ribs. The Rottweiler’s hesitation was short, and after a moment it bolted forward, scrambling to get away from its pursuers.
No more than five seconds later two female abominations ripped through the bushes in a frenzy, red eyes roving as they hunched on all fours, searching for their prey. Their mouthless faces came to life as their heads elongated. Alec watched the one on the left as skin began to stretch between its deformed nose and chin. Thin vertical slits formed, revealing a mouth with rows of jagged teeth. The strands of skin vibrated over its mouth like the sound hole on a guitar as it let out a horrifying screech. Another sound, a familiar and welcomed noise rang out over the terrible screeches. It was the sound of Kable’s AR-15 unloading round after round at the abominations as they began to scramble. Kable’s shots were true, hitting one of the abominations square in the chest. The impact of the round knocked it to the ground, just as three more abominations tore through the brush and landing on all fours.
Alec gasped at the sight of the last abomination. It was a massive male, only growing bigger as it stood upright. The abomination was well over six feet tall with dark, yet almost translucent skin stretched tightly across its burly chest and arms. Surprisingly it still wore shoes, red high-top sneakers with light colored laces, and a pair of dark jeans that for the most part were free of rips and tears. Like the rest of the foul abominations its head was bald, and its ugly face bore no mouth.
The two abominations on either side of the hulk were much smaller and female. One of them looked like a granny from hell. Her pale skin wasn’t quite as translucent as the large male, mostly because it sagged from her old bones instead of being pulled tight by bulging muscles. Although her grey hair was matted, it still hung down over what appeared to a red night gown. She wore no shoes, but like her old age, that didn’t slow her down. The third abomination was a grossly mauled female. Her chunky left arm had been crudely severed near the elbow, and her face was full covered in tiny gashes that surrounded one massive crevice that left the side of her mouth a gaping hole. Through the hole in her mouth Alec was able to see the rows of tiny shark-like teeth she would gladly use to rip into his flesh.
“Lord help us,” Alec whispered as he opened fire on the hulking abomination. By his estimation, the monstrosity of an abomination was the biggest threat and thus needed to die first, if they were going to see morning. His first shot was a poor one and only grazed the massive abominations right shoulder. This enraged the behemoth, causing it to let out a deafening screech. Alec cursed himself for the wild shot. With sweaty hands, he quickly adjusted his aim and fired again. This time his aim was true and the round pierced straight through the hulking abominations twisted nose, shattering its facial bones and spraying a red mist out the back of its ugly head. A cloud of dust rose into the air as its brawny body collided with the ground.
The sounds of bullets filled the small clearing as Kable fired on two of the others. Amid the gunshots, Alec heard a sharp yelp from him East, the direction the Rottweiler had been running. Alec turned to see one of the remaining abominations stalking down the dog, who was now limping badly, but still alive.
Alec pivoted his LHR, quickly focusing the abomination into the reticles of his sight. It was a dangerous shot. If he missed, he would hit the dog. However, if he didn’t fire, the dog would suffer a much worse death at the hands of his attacker. Alec took a short breath, holding the cool air into his lungs and squeezed off a shot. The bullet struck the abomination in the left torso, but not downing it. He fired again and hit the abomination in the neck, apparently severing the spinal cord. The abomination fell, tumbling to the dirt. Even though Alec knew it took a headshot to kill one of the abominations, it was disturbing to see the foul creature begin to move again. Driven by pure hatred and a primal desire to feed, the abomination writhed its head from side to side, squirming towards the dog like a decapitated snake.
Knowing the dog was safe for now, Alec turned his attention back to Kable. Only one was still remaining, the grossly mauled female abomination. It was running straight at Kable on three limbs, its two legs and one hand. To look so maimed, the abomination was quick. Alec wasn’t exactly sure how fast they ran, but the fact that they had chased down a Rottweiler said a lot. Alec glanced at Kable and found him holding his AR-15 tilted to the side, with the butt of the gun resting on his abdomen. He seemed to be examining the gun…like it was jammed. His hands shook he desperately attempted to unjam the rifle, knocking the clip against his thigh.
Alec quickly readied his LHR, aiming just above a large gash on the abomination’s face that stretched from the corner of its mouth to its ear. He pulled the trigger multiple times, releasing the spray of bullets. The abomination leaped into the air, almost as if it could sense the incoming projectiles. The bullets zipped under its legs. It continued to charge Kable, less than thirty feet away now.
From this distance, Alec could see the extent of her mangled body. Tendons and flayed skin dangled below her left elbow where a forearm should have existed. Deep cuts ran across its upper legs and stomach, like someone tossed it in a meat grinder. It was baffling how anything could survive such grievous wou
nds.
Alec tried to slow his pounding chest by taking a deep breath. He let his training take control as his hands steadied the sights once again. Through the scope, he focused on the center of the abomination’s mauled head. He felt his finger squeeze the smooth metal trigger, unleashing the single round at high velocity. The bullet ripped through the air with purpose. It refused to be denied its target this time. The abomination jerked to the side, but this time it was the impact of the bullet that altered the abomination’s path, not a lucky jump. Alec let out a sigh of relief as the abomination fell to the ground.
A yelp drew Alec’s attention back towards the Rottweiler. The dog was still hobbling along, keeping a safe distance from the squirming abomination that he had paralyzed a few moments before. Alec turned to Kable, “make certain that one is dead, I'll go check on the dog.” “I got this,” Kable replied as he finally unjammed the rifle.
Alec swung his LHR over his back as he walked towards the squirming abomination. He watched as the abomination still struggled, unaware of its impending demise. A part of him wondered if he should feel pity. Was there any part of the human in there to feel pity for? Then he thought of Stephen and his merciless death. No, these things don’t feel pain, remorse, or pity for its victims, he concluded. They are ruthless, vile things, incapable of feelings and emotions that once made them human. “I don’t pity you. I hate you,” Alec snarled. With that he gripped the leather handle of his Katana and drew the sword from its sheath on his back. The blade easily passed through the socket of the abomination’s left eye and its snake-like squirm ceased.
He flicked his blade towards the ground, shaking the blood free of his blade and splattering into the dirt. A low growl turned his attention to the dog. Not wanting to appear threatening, he slid the blade back into its sheath. He locked eyes with the tired brown eyes of the dog, hoping he wouldn’t have to put the poor thing down. Step by step he slowly approached the Rottweiler as it continued to growl. It wasn’t a viscous growl, but a growl of warning, of defense. There was no telling what the dog had been through in the last few weeks in order to survive.
“Easy boy, easy. We aren’t going to hurt you,” Alec said in a gentle voice. He kneeled down, still several feet from the dog. Although it was still showing its teeth, the dog had stopped growling. Alec dared to move a few more small steps towards the dog, who was now standing up again on its three good legs. The injured leg was tucked upwards, paw barely grazing the dirt, obviously painful to put pressure on. Alec slowly reached into his backpack, trying to ease out a small piece of food. “Ya hungry boy?” He asked as he held out the tiny peace offering. The dog wore an expensive looking golden name tag surrounded by diamonds that hung from the dog’s oversized collar. It took Alec a moment to realize that the collar wasn’t oversized, the dog had just lost that much weight.
“Careful Alec, that that thing could infect you or something,” cautioned Kable. Alec hadn’t even noticed his friend walk over. “He is just scared and hungry. He doesn’t want to hurt me. You can see that in his eyes,” Alec said in a steady voice. The dog warily sniffed the small pieces of food in the outstretched hand.
Alec had always wanted a large protective breed like a Rottweiler, German Shepherd, or Doberman Pinscher, but that never set to well with Natalie. Alec could hear her voice even now “I’m not having a dog like that around the Alexa. It’s just too dangerous.” Although Alec disagreed, he knew it wasn’t worth the fight. Natalie had always been uneasy around dogs, and that just worsened after they had Alexa. One of Natalie’s best friends from grade school had a baby that was badly injured by their long-time dog, ending Alec’s chances for good.
Apparently the Rottweiler decided Alec wasn't a threat, or maybe he was just too hungry to care. Either way, it quickly scarfed down the food from his hand, licking the crumbs with a large red tongue. When Alec’s hand had been thoroughly cleaned, the dog began to nudge Alec’s hand with its large black nose, asking for more. “You’re not going to take it back with us,” Kable said, one eyebrow raised. Alec wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement. “Well I’m not going to leave him here to die. Once he heals up it might be good to have a guard dog around the cabin. He did manage to survive out here on his own this long.” Kable grunted, “that’s just an extra mouth to feed. One big ugly mouth at that.” He stood watching the dog with disdain as it ate a second helping of food from Alec’s hand.
As the dog ate, Alec examined it for more injuries and took a closer look at its wounded leg. The hind leg had deep gashes, but didn’t appear to be life threatening. The bleeding had mostly stopped, leaving a patch of bloody and matted fur, but Alec guessed the wound would probably heal up in a few weeks. As Alec’s eyes scanned the rest of the dog he noticed some patches of its black hair were terribly matted, every rib was visible through the thick coat of fur, and then he noticed something else. “I think our he is actually a she.” He nodded to the underside of the dog. Kable moved to closer to inspect the dog but was halted by a rumbling growl, unlike the low growl of wariness towards Alec earlier. Kable threw both arms into the air “See, this why I don’t like dogs, man.” Alec couldn’t help but smile at his friend. Despite his size, Kable had always been afraid of dogs. “She can smell your fear. Just give it time, I’m sure you two will be buds in no time,” Alec said as he gently stroked the top of the Rottiweiler’s enormous head.
“Sasha. I think that's what we’ll call her.”
Chapter 9
Bread was quite the chatter box as he guided Zoey back to his safehouse, explaining how his wife left him three years ago. “Honest word it was a blessin’. She was always telling me I weren’t good enough and going out on me.” He went on to tell her about how he found the group of people he is now with purely by chance. “Ran into Sam at the Cornell Civic Center. It was one of them ‘vacuation centers. Knew him some from working down at the factory years back. Day or so later he said there was a small group getting’ out, staring up their own place. They caught wind that some of the other ‘vacuation centers was being overrun by the ghouls and weren’t gonna be next.” Zoey occasionally nodded as he talked, but didn’t really feel like conversing. For the most part, Bread’s story was just like everyone else’s, depressing and gloomy.
“So what’s yer story? How’d you end up sleeping all by your lonesome in the middle of a park?” Zoey hoped that he would be content doing all the talking. She shrugged, “I’m making my way south, out of the city,” she said simply. “You ain’t got no family? No husband or nothing?” She shook her head, “I’m only twenty.” Zoey hadn’t really though too much on the subject of marriage. Sure, like most little girls she had dreamed about getting married, of getting out of the inner city and living in the suburbs. The thought of having kids terrified her. Her own childhood was full of tragedy, of dark memories. On the other hand, the prospect of creating the family she had always wished for was exciting. None of that mattered though. Even if the world wasn’t completely screwed, no one really wanted her. What did she have to offer? Maybe she caught the attention of guys from time to time, but they were always the wrong types of guys. Guys like her father. Guys with smooth tongues and bad habits. Guys that would end up hitting her or lying to her. The only man that had truly loved her was Zachary, her twin brother. But he was gone now, taken from her, just as her mother had been three years back.
“Shoot, I had you pegged at twenty-five at least,” Bread grumbled. “What about yer parents?” The big man asked hopefully. “Dead,” she replied coldly. “The ghouls get’em?” He asked assumingly. Zoey shook her head again, “Before.” He shook his head and continued to walk, “Sorry to hear that.” Zoey’s short answers and shrugs must have eventually taken their toll on Bread. They walked the next few minutes in silence, to Zoey’s delight.
“We’re just about here,” he said, pointing to an old cinderblock building, painted white on all the sides. Zoey squinted her eyes, looking closer and noticing the playground that sat beside the bui
lding. “A school?” She asked. “Don’t see why not. Lots ‘o space, fenced in, and locks on every door. Few of us pulled beddin’s from homes around,” Bread gestured with his huge paw at nearby homes that surrounded the school. Zoey studied the old building. “Have there been any attacks?” she hesitantly asked. “Naw, ain’t had none yet. Few us got guns if they do, but don’t know how much good we’d do if a herd of ghouls come.” Zoey wasn’t too sure how she felt about sleeping around armed strangers, but the sun was nearly set, not leaving her much of a choice. One night, she told herself. Then I’m out of here in the morning.
They walked parallel to the chain-link fence surrounding the school, South Oak Elementary School, making their way to the fence gate. They had added a pad-lock to the gate, which Bread palmed, turning the dial this way and that until it clicked open. The lock looked like a tiny toy in his massive paw. He un-threaded the steel chain through the links of the fence and opened the gate. “Ladies first,” he offered, making a show of it. “Thanks,” Zoey murmured as she walked through, unamused with his fake manners. He looped the chain through the gate, clicked the lock back into position, and then smiled, showing off great gaps between his teeth.
Before Zoey continued she asked, “What’s the code to the pad-lock? I may leave early in the morning and don’t want to bother anyone.” She didn’t like the idea of being held prisoner. Bread had just walked up to the side door to the elementary school, but stopped at the question, confusion in his eyes. “It won’t be no problem to get one of us up. Can’t be giving out the codes to everyone.” There was the slightest of hesitations before his reply, just long enough to make Zoey squirm a little inside. She thought about turning and running. Just climbing the chain-link fence and running for one of the nearby homes. She tried to remind herself that he had been nothing but polite, perhaps even saving her life by waking her in the park. Zoey struggled with the decision but ultimately tucked her concerns. She didn’t trust the man, but didn’t like her chances finding somewhere else so late in the evening.
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