Situation Z

by Semple, A. M.

  A little girl appeared on a second floor balcony across the street. Fred inched his way along the bushes and risked waving his arms, motioning for her to go back inside. Finally, he got her attention. Too late he realized she was one of them. Growling, she threw herself over the balcony edge, landing hard, a bone protruding from her leg as she limped and came straight for him. Others caught sight of her and followed. Fred had no choice but to run. He leapt out of the bushes and raced around the corner. He threw himself down into a garden level balcony and froze against the stone wall that bordered the sidewalk. He heard what sounded like dozens of feet dragging along the sidewalk. The cold hard concrete seemed to seep into his bones, but he remained still.

  Fred awoke to an ice cold hand squeezing his shoulder. It was nearly dark. Exhaustion had taken over, and he’d drifted off. Now one of the dead was above him. He couldn’t see his face. But none of that mattered because the second that hand touched him, Fred was on his feet. A violence he hadn’t realized he was capable of seized hold, and he fought like a crazed person. His fist connected with the guy’s jaw numerous times with no affect. The man kept grabbing at his arms, trying to bite him. There was a loud cracking sound from behind the guy, and it was over. Fred heard the quietest whisper imaginable. “Come inside.” It was followed by a warm hand pulling him into an apartment. Fred’s whole body began to tremble as the adrenalin wore off.

  Chapter 6

  Jennifer caught her breath as she closed the slider. “Were you bit?”

  “I…I don’t know.” Fred’s voice was less than steady.

  “I don’t dare turn on the lights.”

  “You killed him.”

  “Baseball bat.”

  “You saved my life.”

  “You were out wandering around with no weapon. I had little choice.” She couldn’t keep the edge out of her voice.

  “That was brave.”

  “It was two of us against one, and to be honest I had been too scared to leave the apartment till I saw you getting attacked by that elderly man.”

  “Huh?”

  “I think that dead person was one of my neighbors.” She suddenly felt ill. It hit her all at once. She had saved someone but had killed to do it. “I can’t believe I just did that.”

  Fred was busily checking himself for wounds, feeling up and down his arms for uneven flesh. He felt something that was probably deep scratches, but he wasn’t sure. “I think I’ve been scratched but I’m not sure.”

  “Come with me to my bathroom. I have a flashlight there.” She grasped his arm and felt her way to the bathroom. She had been petrified and alone all day. Now she had another person’s arm under her hand. She had been watching him on her balcony for the last hour and a half. She’d been peering through a small crack in her blind when she first spotted him. Not knowing if he was one of the infected, she had a moment of instant terror. After grabbing her bat, she watched for his next move. But he remained motionless, pinned up against her balcony wall.

  After what felt like an eternity but was probably only minutes, she realized if he wasn’t infected, he was the one who was truly in danger. Countless dead filtered past as he leaned against the wall. He appeared uninjured, and she debated with herself whether or not to help him. The news warned repeatedly against such an action. But her human nature had an equally strong pull. She was alone and scared and just feet away from a person whose predicament was worse than her own.

  After an hour of tense indecision, she decided to take a chance and tentatively tapped on the glass. She hoped to get his attention and simultaneously prayed that he didn’t hear her. He looked all right, but if he wasn’t, her bad situation could turn infinitely worse. When he didn’t respond, she began another long debate with herself whether or not to tap louder. He could be asleep or wounded. She watched him for signs of breathing and thought she saw movement. She had been staring so intently, she hadn’t noticed the elderly man approaching until it was too late. She stifled a scream when the older man reached out aggressively. All in one movement, the man she had been watching was fighting for his life.

  A protective instinct she didn’t know she had took over. Without thinking, she slid open the slider and started swinging her bat at the elderly man. It was over so quick, the shock of what she had done hardly registered. And now the man she had been watching and wondering about was with her. She unconsciously squeezed his arm a little tighter as she guided him to the edge of the tub. “You’ll have to stand in the bathtub. I’m going to put a towel at the base of the door after I close it.”

  Fred didn’t think there was a chance of light getting past the little hallway, but he didn’t blame her. Her flashlight turned out to be a little squeeze light keychain. “You’re certainly not going to blind anyone with that.”

  “Well, it comes in handy in a pinch.” She examined his arms. “You’ve got some deep scratches, but I’m not seeing any bites. Thank god.”

  She had some first aid supplies under her sink. Together they cleaned the wounds as best they could and put a couple small bandages over the deepest parts.

  Jennifer let out an exhale. “My hands can’t stop shaking.”

  “Mine neither. Are you OK? Did you get any blood on you?”

  Jennifer squeezed the light and searched up and down her arms. “I seem to be all right.”

  Fred took it from her and searched her face, taking in her red brown, shoulder length hair. “I think I’ve seen you around the complex. I’m Fred.”

  “Jennifer, nice to meet you. I’m fairly certain I’ve seen you at the pool.” He had an average build, and his hair was a little shaggy. But she didn’t have any trouble recognizing him.

  “I think you’re the bravest person I have ever met,” Fred said.

  “I’m not sure how brave I was. I should have come out sooner to get you.”

  “Are you kidding? Some strange guy out on your balcony with the world crumbling around you? Believe me, you were brave to come out when you did.”

  “Actually, I think I’ve seen you at the pool a couple times.”

  “Makes no difference. I wasn’t opening my door for anybody. Even the news advised that.”

  “I never listen to the news.”

  Fred chuckled, then ran a nervous hand over his face. “Maybe I should go back out to the living room and take a look outside.”

  Jennifer turned on the flashlight long enough to grasp his arm. “Can we stay here a little longer? It’s the safest I’ve felt all day.”

  Fred placed a comforting hand on hers. “I’m not in that big of a hurry to check it out. I got a pretty good idea of what I’m going to see.” When he started to release her hand, she squeezed his and did not let go. In turn, he held onto his rescuer’s hand and gallantly offered her a seat. “Where do you want to sit, bathtub or toilet?” he asked.

  “I’ll take the tub.”

  She turned and stumbled getting into the tub. He grabbed her, pulling her against him till she got her footing. Everything hit her at once, and she began crying silent tears, burying her head in Fred’s shoulder. The fact that she had just met him didn’t matter. Her emotions had reached a boiling point, and he was there. Somehow, it felt OK just to let go.

  Fred gently patted her back. “Jennifer, we’ll make a plan. We’re going to get out.”

  She didn’t respond for several, long minutes. Leaning back, she wiped the tears with the palms of her hand. “You think so?” Her voice was shaky from crying.

  “Yes, I do.” It was overly optimistic, but it was all he had at the moment. “We just need a good exit strategy. When it’s light, we can better assess the situation. Maybe we’ll leave and travel north where it’s less populated.”

  “We are supposed to stay inside.”

  “We’ll stay in as long as we can, but at some point we may have to leave. In the meantime, I think we should make a plan.

  “OK, that sounds good.” She liked the way he was thinking.

  “Unfortunately my tru
ck was totaled when I tried to leave. Do you have a car?”

  “Yes, but I only have a quarter tank of gas.”

  “That’s a start.” He turned her toward the tub. “Hand me the light.” He aimed at the tub. “Why don’t you close your eyes and rest. I already had a nice nap outside.”

  Jennifer let out a gasp of laughter, though tears were still falling. She got in the tub, never letting go of his hand.

  He sat up against the wall next to the tub and began to think. It would be a long night. But as bad as things were, he had a lot to be thankful for. He gave her hand a squeeze, and she squeezed back.

  At some point during the night her hand went limp. Fred gently folded her arm and tried to put her hand in a more comfortable position.

  “I’m awake.” She sat up straighter.

  Fred chuckled. “You don’t sound very awake. Give me back your hand.”

  She reached out her hand, feeling a little shy now that her head was clearing, and she wasn’t quite so afraid.

  Fred felt her hesitancy, and sensitive to rejection, gave her an out. “If your arm is getting stiff, you may want to rest it.”

  She smiled in the darkness. “It’s not that stiff.” All shyness evaporated, and she squeezed his hand. “I can’t believe I relaxed enough to fall asleep. I’m so glad I rescued you.”

  Fred laughed. “I’m glad I could be there for you. I also have some ideas in case we have to leave.”

  “What’s the plan?”

  “This is what I’ve been thinking. First we should see how bad it is outside and check the news. Then I want to see what kind of supplies you have. I also want to find something to siphon gas. Then we should study a map and plan a route. I’ve got a few destinations in mind.”

  “Actually my supplies are fairly decent. I had an experience at the hospital with these infected people before things really got bad. Then I did some research on the internet and found out there were others with experiences like mine. I thought there was a chance of things escalating even more, so I did some shopping. I hadn’t thought we would have to leave the area, or I would have fueled up. But as far as food and supplies, I’ve got a pretty good start.”

  “Brave and prepared, a woman after my own heart.”

  Jennifer blushed in the darkness. Fred was so sweet. Watching him out on the balcony, she had no idea what to expect. “Did I mention that I have a battery operated radio to catch the news?”

  “My god, I hit the jackpot.”

  She laughed then groaned. “I can hardly stand. The bathtub makes a poor bed.”

  Fred started to get up and had a keen awareness of every muscle in his back and legs. “Don’t come out too quick, I’m not doing a whole lot better.”

  Together they hobbled out to the living room. It was still dark and eerily quiet. “I don’t like this,” Fred whispered.

  Jennifer grasped his arm. “Follow me. I’ll get us around my furniture.” They glanced out the side of the blinds and were horrified at the number of people silhouetted by the moon. Their low moans were barely audible.

  “There must be fifty of them out there,” Fred said quietly.

  “Let’s find out what’s going on in the news.” Jennifer led them back to the kitchen and felt around for her radio. She clicked it on and hastily turned down the volume. They were being told to stay inside, and that everything was being done to contain the infected. There was no estimate on how many people had been turned or killed. The president would be speaking from an undisclosed location at noon. Then the broadcaster gave his own ominous opinion. “I’m not supposed to say this, but I think you should be properly warned. There has been no containment whatsoever. Many populated areas have been completely overrun. My immediate family is safe, but I know people who have lost loved ones. I have lost a number of friends…”

  Jennifer walked away and sat on her couch. She had been hoping for some sort of good news and got the worst news imaginable. She felt the cushions shift beside her.

  “That was horrible.” Fred dropped his head in his hands.

  Jennifer snapped out of her stunned silence. “I would have preferred a little candy coating.”

  “I don’t think anybody can afford that now.”

  “I know, but I still would have preferred it.”

  Fred smiled in the darkness.

  Jennifer reached for Fred’s hand. “Hope is important.”

  ****

  Wilson adjusted the tarp on the back of his truck, satisfied that he had everything. His cell phone went off. Surprised it was still working, he checked caller id and snickered. It was Russell. The man was turning into a regular mother hen.

  “Talk to me, Russell.”

  “Are you on the road?”

  “I’m getting in my truck as we speak.”

  “I’ve contacted my connections. I got the word out about your immunity.”

  “Good.”

  “Drive careful.”

  Wilson detected concern. Unusually sober, he responded. “Russell, I’ll be there. I don’t know when or how, but I’ll be there.”

  “Good man.” Russell’s relief was palpable, then he hung up.

  Wilson got in his truck and started it up. Quite a crowd was gathering up the road and heading in his direction. He just sat and stared. He could have been one of them. It had happened so quickly. Wilson glanced up, thanking God, then peeled rubber.

  ****

  It was about an hour after they had left the bathroom, when the smoke alarms in the neighboring apartments began going off. Fred watched as the crowd outside began dissipating in all directions, and the screaming began again.

  “Oh my god,” Jennifer whispered. “They’re being forced to choose between the crowd outside and the fire inside.”

  Hazy morning light had begun filtering in. Fred turned to see her stricken face. “We’re going to get through this.”

  “Are you just saying that because I told you how important hope is?”

  Fred hesitated.

  “I think I have my answer.” Her voice was a hopeless whisper.

  Fred grasped her shoulders and ducked to meet her eyes. “I’m not sure why I said it. But it felt true. I liked what you said about hope.”

  She nodded. “It’s all we have right now.”

  They both jumped when the smoke alarm next door went off sounding like a death knell.

  Fred ran to the slider and looked out. In the early daylight, silhouettes of the dead could be scene disappearing toward the other apartments. “We’ve got a chance of making a break. They’ve scattered.” He turned to Jennifer. “But we have to go now.”

  She grabbed her bat and the car keys from the counter.

  “Have you got any other weapons?”

  She handed him the bat and ran to the other room and grabbed a golf club. “So much for plans.” She had never been more angry or scared.

  Fred grabbed her hand and opened the door. “Lead the way to your car.”

  Together they sprinted through the smoke filled apartment complex. Jennifer stumbled over something soft, and Fred caught her up in his arms. “Don’t look down.”

  She nodded and they continued down the sidewalk. The parking lot looked like a war zone in the smoke filled haze. She spotted her car. It looked unharmed but was boxed in by another car.

  “Get in and start your car. I’ll move this one out of the way,” Fred said.

  She jumped in the driver’s seat and started up the small SUV. Fred used the bat to break the driver’s side window of the other car and opened the door. Thankfully it was an old stick shift and easy to take out of gear. They were on a slight incline, so he was able to push it out of the way. Though they were both moving fast, everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. A small crowd was growing larger and heading in their direction.

  When Fred jumped into Jennifer’s car, she had it in reverse before he had his door closed. Their plan had been to head north. Now they would be lucky to get out of the parking lot. There were
bodies and abandoned cars everywhere.

  “I don’t know if I can do this.” Jennifer’s voice had a high-pitched edge.

  Fred’s tone was soft as he responded. “You certainly backed out of the space just fine.”

  She spared a quick glance in his direction. “You were all the way in?”

  Fred held a smile. “Yeah, I was in, mostly. Just try to keep your eyes on the horizon. We can switch places once we get further away from the crowd.”

  She stepped on the gas, keeping her eyes focused well ahead, not an easy thing to do with all the nightmarish obstacles in her path. When they reached the end of the parking lot, and she had put a little distance between them and the crowd, she stopped the SUV. She adjusted her seat for Fred. “I can’t do this. I just rolled past a baby’s head.”

  Fred shot her a concerned look, then glanced behind them. “OK, let’s trade places.” He was exiting the car as he spoke. He got in on the driver’s side, waited for Jennifer to close the door, then stepped on the gas. “I was praying you didn’t see that. I saw so many things yesterday, I’ve grown numb.”

  “I’m sorry, Fred. I’m sure you would have seen less if I’d come out sooner.”

  “Actually, when I landed on your patio, things quieted down. Jennifer, it’s because of you that I didn’t become one of them.”

  Though he had said this numerous times, the impact of his words finally hit her. He really was there because of her. She stared at him for a long time before speaking. “Thanks, I never thought of myself as the rescuing type. I like it.”

  He laughed. “Lucky for me.” They were turning onto a four lane road leading to the nearest highway. “…oh my God, we’re going to have to make a run for it.”

  Hundreds of the diseased were up ahead, surrounding the cars. The opposite direction was better, but there was no way of getting to it except on foot.