Curse of the Immune

by Levi Doone

  “I don’t know, guys, but he’s getting rid of the zombies for us. They’re going after him. Just hold tight and we’ll get outta here once it’s clear.”

  It doesn’t take long for that weirdo to attract all the ghouls into the woods. He takes off slowly, as if to make sure they’re following him. Once he’s out of sight, a huge fire erupts in his place. The zombies continue after the blaze.

  “That’s our cue, guys. Let’s get going.” I know it sounds like I’m taking charge, but the truth is I just want to get the heck out of this tree house and away from those creatures.

  I go down first, look around, and motion for the others to follow. As dark as the sky is, the dust illuminates the ground, creating a spooky orange glow. It’s scary to think Earth’s landscape might be forever changed with this crap everywhere.

  Maria comes down slowly due to carrying Bruno. Oops, I forgot about him. I grab Bruno as soon as I can reach to let Maria come down with two hands. Guille climbs down, and we run. Bruno takes the lead as if he knows exactly where we’re going. He probably knows better than me. As long as he heads opposite the zombies, I’m fine with it.

  “Where are we going?” Maria asks.

  “To the main road, away from those things,” I whisper.

  We run to the street Maria and Guille’s house is on, and I immediately slip on the dust. That must be one huge bruise on my backside. Yeow!

  “Lea, we don’t have to run so fast. In fact, we can walk now. The zombies aren’t interested in us anyhow,” Maria says.

  “Yeah, but I’d feel better with more distance between us and those things. C’mon, let’s get moving.”

  “I’m with ya on that!” Guille agrees.

  I jump up, slip again, and nearly do a split. Yeow, again. Okay, dust is still slippery. I rub my sore butt and begin to trot while carefully placing my feet at every pace as if I’m running on ice. Guille and Maria are right behind me, so I assume they have fewer problems on the dust than me.

  As I get used to the slick surface, I run faster. We follow the road until it ends at another street. I turn in the direction I think will bring us to the main road. Maria doesn’t object, so I figure we’re heading the right way.

  “Lea,” Maria wheezes, “got…to…rest!”

  I turn to see her behind me, gasping for air. “Maria, are you okay? We’re really not going that fast.”

  She stops and walks to catch up while holding her chest and wheezing. When she reaches us, she still struggles to talk. “I…have…asthma…got…to…rest…so…sorry.”

  “Oh no, Maria, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” I gaze around for a good spot to rest. “When you can walk, we’ll go behind that house, but only when you’re ready.”

  I try to sound patient and calm, but my insides are screaming. Don’t stop! Keep running or they’ll get you! I do my best to ignore my cowardly instincts. I’m not going to abandon my new friends, at least not while the zombies aren’t around. I make no promises if we’re attacked. I just don’t know how I would react.

  Maria finally gets her breathing partially under control and we walk behind the house.

  “Is it usually this bad?” I ask.

  Maria holds up a finger as she sucks in wind while half bent over. Once her breathing is steadier and reduced to a light wheeze, she says, “No, never this bad. It’s the dust that’s making it hard to breathe. When we’re running and I’m behind, I’m breathing in all the dust you’re kicking up.”

  “Then you’ll go first,” I say.

  “Hey, Lea, there’s something’s coming fast,” Guille warns.

  I see a figure rushing toward us. “Oh God, it’s running. We’ve gotta go now!”

  Maria starts at a light jog. Not nearly fast enough. I turn and see whatever it is gaining on us. “Move faster or we’re dead!”

  Maria’s wheezing immediately returns, but she does pick up her pace.

  Guille looks back and yells, “Look out!”

  I feel something slam into my back and I’m sent tumbling awkwardly onto the ground. I land face first in the dust-covered grass. Something is still holding on to me and an ice-cold jolt begins in my throat and shoots through my body.

  That’s it. I’m a goner!

  Then a panic rises up in me and I start to totally freak out. I mean, I’m kicking and flailing like a fish out of water, but the thing is stronger than me. I just can’t break free of its grip. I begin to scream, mostly out of frustration. Then a hand slams over my mouth, and I bite down hard.

  “Ow, let go! Let go dammit!”

  It talks?

  “You gotta keep quiet or you’ll bring every dead thing on top of us.” It is a he.

  He lets go of me, and I turn to face him. He has dark skin and beautiful big brown eyes in a very cute face.

  Whoa, down, hormones. Not the time to be looking for a date. Besides, I’m angry, right? “Why’d you tackle me?”

  “Sorry, but you were yelling. It was just instinctive to get you to stop. I didn’t want the whole world of undead coming this way. The fire won’t last long before they trample it.”

  “That was you?”

  “Yeah, you got a place to go?”

  “No.”

  A noise comes from in front of us and we freeze.

  “Lea…you…okay?” Maria wheezes.

  “Yeah.” I try to get up, but the boy’s still holding me. “Um, you can let go of me now.”

  “Sorry, sorry. You guys better come with me. I’m Rudy, by the way.”

  Chapter Eleven

  This guy Rudy takes off back toward the woods where we we’re just running from, Bruno by his side, fighting for the lead.

  “Uh, hey, Rudy, we’re sort of heading back were we came from. Maybe we should head, like, in the opposite direction?” I suggest.

  “Nah, trust me and stay quiet. We’ll be going around those dead things. I got some friends that can help us.

  I decide to trust him for lack of options. Besides, he seems to know what he’s doing, and he seems prepared. He carries a large backpack that completely covers his backside and looks to be heavy, but it certainly doesn’t slow or hinder him in any way. Walking behind him, all I can see below the pack are his legs and a sword in a sheath along his left side. When he turns to check on us, I catch glimpse of a pistol in a holster under his right arm. This guy is definitely ready for a fight.

  He’s tall—I guess six feet at least—and thin. Not skinny, but not buff. Nicely defined arms that show he’s in shape. I really hope following him is the right decision. It really is the only decision. Besides, if he wanted to hurt us, he would have already, right? I look forward to the chance to learn this guy’s story and what his plans are. Will he help me find Luke?

  We walk into the woods, and Rudy stays on a course that doesn’t follow any marked path. He just stays in a straight line as we trample through brush and over rocks and fallen trees.

  Maria’s wheezing subsides and she seems relieved we’re no longer running. Her brother stays by her side, ready to aid her if need be. I really panicked back there and could have definitely gotten us all killed. Now the panic is gone, replaced by a sense of relief, relief that I have someone to follow and make decisions, someone taking us to a safe place where we can find protection.

  We walk a while, and I start to notice how dark the sky is but how nicely lit the woods are with the orange dust. It’s everywhere, on the trees, on bushes, and on the ground. It’s actually strangely beautiful, and for a moment, I’m not thinking of this horrifying new world we are trying to survive in. Instead, I think of how enchanting and foreign it all looks. How different and unusual. I feel almost glad to be here, to have survived just so I can witness it all.

  We walk into a clearing that turns out to be the backyard of a huge old colonial house. Rudy stops and gestures for us to gather around.

  “I think it’d be a good idea to stay here for the night. I’m gonna check around the house. I want you guys to get inside and try to find
some food. I’m starving.”

  “What if there’s a zombie inside?” I ask.

  He took out his sword. “Here, stick ‘em in the brain and they’ll drop. Anywhere else and they’ll keep coming at you.”

  “A sword? I’d rather have your gun.”

  “No, they’re too loud. It’ll bring more of ‘em down on us.”

  I take the sword and walk to the house with Maria and Guille. Bruno goes with Rudy.

  What the heck does this Rudy guy think I’m going to do with a freaking sword? Actually slice and dice a zombie? Who does he think I am? Some kind of ninja?

  “I hope we find some food. I’m hungry too,” Guille says.

  Food? That’s right, I still haven’t eaten at all today. “Come on.”

  We walk onto a side porch, and I try the door. Locked. “Stay here.” I run to the front door. It’s locked also.

  A voice whispers from behind, “Break the glass.” I turn to see Rudy at the tree line with Bruno.

  Break the glass. I can’t shoot a gun, but I can shatter glass?

  I run back to the side porch because that door has a large pane of glass on its upper half. I put down the sword, pick up a wooden chair, and throw it through the glass. The loud noise, ruining the perfect evening silence, jolts me.

  I put my hand through the door and unlock it. We creep inside and see we’re in a kitchen. With dust mostly gathered in the sink, it gives us enough eerie dim light so we can search the place for food.

  Guille and Maria hop onto the countertop and start opening cabinets. I open a door I assume is a food pantry, but instead of Frosted Flakes, I find a pair of glowing eyes staring back at me.

  I slam the door just as it lurches at me with a bone-chilling screechy moan sound. The door closes on its arm, and I push hard to try and prevent it from coming through.

  I feel myself sliding backward. That awful feeling in my chest erupts. This is it. It’s gonna get me. But not the kids. “Get out of here!”

  I try to push forward as hard as I can, but with my feet forced in the opposite direction, I end up falling to the side of the half-open door and onto the floor. I look up and around comes a woman zombie with mouth open, ready to bite.

  I freeze once again. I just lie there paralyzed and wait for it to be over. Why am I like this? My survival instincts suck.

  The zombie bends to sink its teeth into me, and I become increasingly frustrated rather than horrified. This is how it’s gonna be, an undead creature at every turn, and all I can do is freeze up? My death is inevitable anyway; may as well be now.

  Somehow I manage to regain control of my body, but I remain on the ground. I’ll just stay here and let it be over.

  The lady ghoul reaches slowly for me, always slowly.

  No! I can’t let something this stupid and slow be the end of me.

  I hear a dog growl, then the zombie suddenly collapses on top of me. I hold my breath and wait, but it remains motionless. I pushed it away and see a sword embedded into the center of the back of its head. On the other end of the sword is Rudy.

  “What the hell are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?”

  “I, uh, no,” is all I can muster.

  “Rule one is always assume a zombie is where you’re going. Count on them being everywhere you’d find a person. If you don’t realize this, then you’re as good as dead.” Rudy pulls his sword out of the skull. “Rule two, never put your weapon down. I saw you leave the sword on the porch. You should have used it to punch a hole through the glass. It would have been quieter than throwing a chair through it, and less of a mess.”

  Zombies may freak me out to the point of paralysis, but an irate bossy dude with a ‘know-it-all’ complex I definitely can handle. Luke talks to me like this on a daily basis.

  “So the undead have been limping around for a day and you’re already an expert on them? Pardon me for being scared when a corpse with glowing eyes jumps out at me. So why don’t you give me a break, jerk!”

  He slides his sword back into its sheath and says, “I don’t have time for this. I’ve got to check the rest of the house.” He takes out a flashlight and walks through the door the zombie was behind.

  I get up and see Rudy going down some stairs to the basement. Bruno sits at the top of the stairs, ears perked. I turn to look down at the thing that attacked me. No blood, just some glowing thick substance on the wound.

  Maria steps up behind me. “Blood congealed to a jell-like substance, and it glows like the eyes and dust.” She squats and scoops up some dust with her hand. “I’ve got to get this under a microscope.”

  “Yeah, c’mon,” I say. “Let’s see if we can find some food.” I’m not really hungry anymore, but Rudy did save my life. The least I can do while he’s still making us safe is doing what he asked us in the first place.

  We rummage through the cupboards and closets and find some cereal, canned soup, peanut butter, bread, and bottled water. There’s also some fruit in a bowl on top of the refrigerator.

  Rudy finally comes up the stairs. Once he’s in the kitchen, Bruno continues to follow him as he resumes searching the house.

  We gather some utensils and put everything on the table, sitting and waiting for Rudy to finish.

  He returns and says, “House is safe. C’mon. Bring all that stuff upstairs to the hall.”

  “Why not eat here? If the house is safe—”

  Rudy interrupts me. “It’s safer in the hallway. No windows, and zombies are bad climbers.”

  We comply and bring everything to the second floor. All the doors up there are closed so it’s pretty dark. Rudy shines the flashlight on the center of the hall floor, and we place the food there, sit and begin opening cans and jars. I kneel to avoid sitting on my soar rear.

  Rudy takes the bread and says, “Don’t get used to this stuff. In about a week, all bread will go moldy, so enjoy it for now.”

  I take a piece, spread on some peanut butter, and take a bite. My hunger has returned, and I really savor each bite. It’s quiet while we’re busy eating our first meal since the world essentially ended: peanut butter sandwiches, baked beans, vegetable soup, potato chips, and water. Delicious, right?

  Bruno moves from person to person, begging, as we take turns giving him pieces of our food.

  After we finish, Maria asks, “Rudy, you said you had friends somewhere. Will they be worried you’re not there?”

  He laughs. “Nah, they won’t miss me.”

  “Some friends,” I mumble.

  “Have you seen many survivors?” Maria asks.

  “Just the seven kids I was with and you guys.”

  “Any adults?”

  “No. How about you guys? Have you found anyone else out there?” Rudy asks.

  Maria answers, “No. I don’t think any adults survived. Why a few kids are unaffected is what I find puzzling. Rudy, are you adopted or have foster parents?”

  “Strange question.”

  “The three of us had foster parents. I heard a girl on the radio today say she too had foster parents,” I said.

  “No, I live with—or lived with—my Dad.” He stops to clear his throat. “My mother died seven years ago. It’s been me and Dad ever since.”

  “Where did your mother work?” Maria asks.

  “For a delivery service. She wore a uniform. The company isn’t around anymore. New England Delivery… Yeah, NED was the name.”

  “Curious,” Maria remarks. “My parents and Lea’s died about seven years ago in the same fire at the lab in which they worked.”

  “My mom was hit by a drunk driver. My parents were divorced, and Dad was in the military. He retired to take care of me,” Rudy says.

  Guille stands up. “So what about our parents? Why does it matter they died seven years ago? Nothing’s gonna bring them back. Nothing’s gonna change what’s going on out there.” Tears run down his face. The poor kid hasn’t had a chance to morn his loss. None of us has.

  I stand and clean up the mess we
made, attempting to change the subject. “Come on. Let’s put this stuff away.”

  “You’re right, kid. This really sucks,” Rudy replies. “We can’t change a damn thing, but we don’t have to give in to it. We’re gonna fight this crap and we’re going to survive.”

  Maria just sits, deep in thought. Analyzing the new information she has.

  “So where do we sleep, Rudy?” I ask.

  “Right here on the floor. It’s the safest place.”

  “But there are beds right through these doors.” I sound whinier than I mean to.

  “The family got sick in them before they went all undead. If you want to lie in their mess, then be my guest,” Rudy states.

  “Good point. I was just concerned for the kids.” My bruised butt will have to suffer on the hardwoods.

  “We’ll be fine. We used to go camping all the time,” Guille declares.

  Bruno stands up quickly, tilting his head side to side a few times, then starts to growl.

  “Stay here.” Rudy stands and slides out his sword. He rushes down the stairs with Bruno following on his heels.

  Chapter Twelve

  Rudy’s downstairs for what seems an eternity, but according to Maria, it’s only a few minutes. It’s quiet and I can’t understand what the deal is. I give it a few more second and get up.

  “What are you doing?” Maria asks.

  “I’m going downstairs.”

  “You sure you should? Rudy said—”

  “I know what Rudy said. I’m just gonna check on him.” I proceed down the stairs slowly, stretching my neck to try and look into the living room as I descend. My mind begins to race with ‘what-if’ questions. Mostly like: what if Rudy’s dead and it’s up to me to protect Maria and Guille?

  Answer to that: they’re screwed. I really don’t think Rudy’s dead. It’s too quiet and I’m sure if there were a fight, we’d have heard something.

  When the room is in view, I see it’s empty. No sign of Rudy or Bruno. When I get to the landing, I see Rudy against the wall, squatting and holding Bruno with one hand, the other over his snout. He sees me and makes a shhh motion with his mouth.