Existing Dead

by Lyle Perez-Tinics

  “We know all of this,” Albert said.

  “Yes, Albert but as you can see, we have someone in our group who is very intrigued.”

  They all looked at Kyle.

  Greenly continued, “What has happened here is that the cause found another way to cheat death. The heart has been resurrected and is now continuing its duties as it did in life. The heart is no longer pumping blood through Frank’s veins, but it is pumping the pink matter through the body. I believe this is what is keeping it active. Now this is all theory with minimal facts, but I suppose that since the brain had been previously destroyed, that we cannot see the cause’s full potential. I can only imagine what the cause would be capable of if it was inside a living host. Of course that would be a paradox, as the body must expire first, then be resurrected.

  “Moving forward, once the creature has reached this state of being, simply destroying the heart will bring it down, hopefully for the final time.”

  Kyle thought back to when he was escorted to The Embassy, the way the trio moved. How some of them needed to be shot through the heart, while others were shot through the head, then searched for the boil. He then remembered how most of them stayed out of the sunlight. Kyle spoke up. “What about the sunlight? Why do some avoid it while others don’t?”

  “I believe it to be a phobia. They have many. For instance, the mustard plants. They didn’t want to be around the plants. I found out this morning that mustard plants no longer has the same effect as it once did. Perhaps they realized how silly that was. I have discovered one more very interesting thing. I learned this only a few hours ago. Let’s stand back.”

  The group moved away from the Existing Dead strapped to the table. It didn’t move when Greenly began to undo its restraints.

  “What are you doing?” Albert said reaching for the gun holstered at his side.

  “Don’t worry, Albert. I know what I’m doing.”

  Doctor Greenly removed the final restraint. The Existing Dead did nothing. It remained as still as a statue. It made no attempt to grab Doctor Greenly. It wasn’t until Kyle coughed that the creature sprang to life. It turned its head and looked at Kyle. Rolling off the table, the Existing Dead stood on its bare feet and slowly started for Kyle. Again, Frank made no attempt to attack Doctor Greenly despite him being within arm’s reach. Albert drew his pistol and held it firm in his hands. The group scattered like cockroaches, while Kyle remained still. His eyes locked onto the creature as it opened its mouth, revealing two very small fang-like teeth.

  “What the fuck?” Kyle cursed.

  When the creature was halfway to Kyle, Doctor Greenly took a mirror sitting facedown on the counter and held it in front of the creature. It only took half a second before the creature realized what it was looking at—its own reflection. Frank quickly recoiled and squinted as though the image were reflecting sunlight. Doctor Greenly walked closer to the creature as it backed into a corner. The doctor laughed as everyone in the room gasped.

  “That’s something we haven’t seen before,” Albert said lowering his weapon.

  “They don’t seem to like their reflection,” Greenly said.

  Kyle walked closer to Frank. It snarled at him, but then recoiled as Greenly shoved the mirror in its face again. “No,” he said.

  Kyle’s heart raced. The pieces were starting to fall into place. No one wanted to say what they thought, but Kyle wasn’t scared to admit it. Destroying the heart, sunlight, fangs, and now their reflections. “Vampires.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Yes,” Doctor Greenly said as he continued to hold the mirror in Frank’s face. He slowly guided Frank into one of the vacant offices. Once Frank was fully inside the room Doctor Greenly closed the door, locking him inside. “I’ll deal with Frank later,” he said.

  “Vampires,” Kyle said again, not asking a question, but making the radical statement.

  Greenly tapped his nose with his index finger. “Mythical creatures. There are many animals that share similar traits to vampirism. Vampire bats being the most well-known. This is all just too astonishing.”

  “So let me get this straight,” Kyle began, looking at Frank through the glass window. “The cause infected humans, showing zero evidence that an infection was taking place.”

  “Correct, that was from my earlier statements.”

  “It killed those infected and reanimated their bodies. Then those same infected people infected and ate other people thus creating more.”

  “Still following.”

  “Okay, so now, those same infected are evolving into mythical creatures?”

  Greenly began to think about that statement. It sounded crazy when it was laid out that way. Greenly’s smile quickly turned into a frown. “Everyone out,” he said.

  One at a time, the people in the lab began to file out.

  “Wait a moment there, Kyle,” Greenly said.

  Kyle turned, as did Albert. They both walked toward Greenly. “Excuse me, Albert. Mind if I have a few words with Kyle?”

  Albert wasn’t sure of what to do. He didn’t want Kyle alone with Greenly.

  Kyle nodded to Albert and without any words being exchanged, Albert walked out of the lab, closing the door behind him.

  “You are brighter than you make yourself seem,” Greenly began.

  “Well, I did graduate high school with a 3.0 GPA,” Kyle said as Greenly began to walk in a circle around him. “Though most of my classes consisted of auto shop and Home Economics.”

  Greenly laughed. “And you’re funny. Did you like my explanation?”

  “Something’s do make sense.”

  Greenly stopped in front of Kyle. “Perhaps they do.” He gave Kyle a caring look. One any mother would give their child to show compassion. “Look into my eyes, Kyle.”

  Kyle suddenly felt a complete loss of control over his body. His head rose and his eyes locked with the doctor’s. Greenly continued to utter complementary words to Kyle, telling him how intelligent and strong and brave he was. Kyle’s head fell limp as his eyes closed. Greenly carried on, regardless.

  Kyle saw things in his mind. Happy things. He was flying high into the sky, flapping his wings higher and higher until he looked down and saw the spherical shape of the Earth. He smiled, but his joy was short lived. He flapped his wings, but nothing happened. Freefalling to the planet at ten thousand miles an hour, Kyle’s heart began to race. He saw the ground fast approaching. Again he tried to flap his wings, but nothing happened. He continued to fall.

  He glanced to his left. Mary and Eddie were there falling with him. He glanced to his right: Susie, Angel and Chet were also there. Under him was Morgan, holding hands with Victor as they fell. The ground drew closer. Any second now he would hit the ground. But what would happen? Would he die?

  As he took his final breath, he saw the image of Jasmine flash before him. His body collided with the ground.

  Kyle opened his eyes. Greenly stood before him. His mouth was open, exposing fangs. His eyes shone bright red. Kyle jumped back. He was stunned. Was Greenly infected? He couldn’t be. He, as far as Kyle knew, never died, nor had his brain been destroyed.

  “I have to say, Kyle. This is probably the best thing I have ever created.”

  Kyle’s feet felt cemented to the ground. He couldn’t run. “You started all of this?” He managed to ask.

  Greenly laughed. “No. This was by accident. Before I ran into this place, I created what I thought was a vaccine. I took the same general idea from the flu shot and injected a killed virus into my blood stream.

  “Killed?”

  “The pink substance is filled with the cause’s dead cells.” He paused for a moment, showing Kyle his fangs. “It worked. My body protected itself against the virus, but soon after, I was bitten. My body tried to fight off the infection, I felt every last second of it.” Greenly turned to look at the office where Frank was contained.

  Kyle glanced down at the scalpel on the table that Frank had been strapped too. H
e quickly reached for it. Before Greenly could utter another word, Kyle raised the knife and stuck it into the side of Greenly’s neck. The pink substance shot out of the wound and Greenly fell to his knees. Kyle found his legs. In fact, he found them long before he realized he was already outside.

  “Albert!” he yelled.

  Albert emerged like a shadow with his pistol drawn. A black bag was on the ground at his feet. “We have to leave now. Here.” He handed Kyle his Glock. “What happened in there?”

  Kyle took the pistol. “I’ll explain later. Let’s go. I need to get Victor.”

  “No, forget him.”

  Kyle didn’t hear him. He ran into the room where Victor’s body lay. It was dark. The only light in the room came from the stars outside. Kyle flipped the light switch.

  Victor remained perfectly still.

  “Come on buddy, we’re out of here,” he said, panic edging into his voice.

  Albert walked into the room with the duffle bag in his hand. “Hurry.”

  Kyle put his arms under Victor’s neck and legs. The boy felt cold in his arms as Kyle lifted him. Victor’s head snapped back, revealing two small puncture wounds on the side of his neck. Kyle’s heart sank.

  “Check his pulse,” Kyle said, almost in tears.

  “We don’t have—”

  “Just fucking check it!” he interrupted.

  Albert put two fingers to the side of Victor’s chin and waited a few seconds. He looked at Kyle and then shook his head.

  “Pah,” Kyle said as he let out air trapped at the bottom of his throat. Tears fell down his face as he hugged the boy. His Victor, his adopted son, his boy, was dead.

  Chapter Thirty

  “I’m sorry, Kyle. But we have to leave,” Albert said.

  Kyle continued to cry, holding Victor’s limp body closer to him. “I’m sorry,” he whispered and put Victor back on the medical bed. “I killed her and I’m so sorry.”

  He looked toward the ground, and his stuff was still there. He grabbed the robot backpack and the bloodstained Winchester. “Let’s go.”

  Albert walked out of the room with the bag in one hand and the pistol in the other. Kyle took one last look at Victor’s body. “We’re leaving now, okay, buddy?” He waited for a second for a reply, but it never came. “I love you,” he said and let the door close behind him.

  They began running toward the cafeteria. No one was outside.

  “Where did everyone go?” Kyle asked.

  “When we left the room everyone went separate ways. No one said anything, it was like they were zombies.”

  The gate that led to the parking lot was a few yards in front of them.

  “Hey!” they heard someone yell from the roof. It was Carter. “Where you two going?” He pointed his rifle in their direction and fired.

  Albert kicked the gate open as bullets whizzed past their heads. Kyle raised the pistol and fired twice. Both shots missed, but Carter didn’t even try to take cover. They ran through the gate, but standing at the roof of the gym were Ignacio, Ricardo and Virginia. All three had their weapons trained on them. In their path three men Kyle had recognized from dinner, though he didn’t know their names, blocked their escape.

  Kyle glanced up at the three who that morning had saved his life. Now they were looking to end it.

  Using his military skills, Albert shot off three rounds. Each of them hit the men in the legs. They collapsed to the ground and the trio on the roof opened fire. Their machine gun’s rippled through the night sky. Kyle ran as fast as he could, zigzagging all the way to the next gate. Albert was close behind. The lock on the gate was new, one that Albert had never seen before.

  More bullets bounced off the pavement below them.

  “What are you waiting for? Open it!” Kyle screamed.

  “I don’t have a key!” Albert shot the lock but the round bounced off, not making a dent.

  Kyle tossed the robot backpack over the fence first, then the Winchester. He holstered the Glock on his belt and began climbing. Albert tried to heave the black bag over the ten foot high chain linked fence but it didn’t go over. The bag came tumbling down and landed a foot away from him. He tried again, with no luck.

  A bullet ricocheted off the ground and struck Albert in the right shoulder. “Ahhh!” he yelled as the force pressed him against the fence. “Fuck it.” He abandoned the bag and began to climb. Kyle had already made it to the ground on the opposite side. The wound on Albert’s shoulder wasn’t letting him climb as fast as he wanted. He was going to need help over. Kyle jumped back on the fence and climbed up to help Albert over to his side. As both men reached the top, a bullet, shot from the gun of Albert’s former military team, entered the side of Albert’s head, ejecting brain and blood out of the exit wound. Kyle was caught in a spray of blood. He saw the life instantly leave Albert’s body as he fell limp and dropped ten feet to the ground below.

  Bullets continued to fly as Kyle let go of the fence. He hit the ground and fell to his knees. He grabbed his supplies and ran to the other side of the parking lot, where his new truck awaited. Jumping into the truck, Kyle threw everything into the passenger seat and used the screwdriver Albert had given him to start the engine.

  The truck roared.

  He drove out of the parking lot. He came to a closed fence but did not stop. The truck reached sixty miles an hour without a sweat. It made impact, with the gate breaking it open. A sign that read “EXIT” with an arrow pointing right was directly in front of him. He followed the sign and was led to the main highway.

  The roads were filled with the Existing Dead. There was one for every ten cubic feet. Kyle concentrated. Any distraction would be fatal. Jasmine was the only thing on his mind.

  He drove as carefully as possible, not letting any of the dead in front of him hold him back. If they were in the way, he would run them over. Some tried to grab the truck, but there was nothing for them to hold on to. They fell to the side as he drove by.

  Kyle didn’t know the area well, but what he did know was that Interstate 15 was nearby. Another mile up the road and Kyle saw the sign indicating that the Interstate 15 onramp was just ahead. He pressed the accelerator and made a hard right onto the highway.

  He was surprised by the lack of cars abandoned on the 15. There were big enough gaps for him to drive carefully at a steady pace. He looked down at his gas gauge and smiled. It was full. “Thanks, Albert,” he breathed.

  Poway was usually five hours away from where he was. By driving on the shoulder to avoid any cars blocking his way, would surely double the time. He didn’t want to stop. He would make it to Poway. He would make it to Jasmine. He would make it.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Kyle drove through the night. He was surprised that once he made it onto the highway, there were no Existing Dead anywhere in sight. Maybe they didn’t bother with the highways because cover was too far away.

  Sunlight began to break through the horizon as he glanced at the gas meter through red and tired eyes. It was almost on empty. The 78 freeway onramp was directly in front of him. He knew that he still had another twenty or so miles to go. He hoped that the reserve tank would get him through.

  “You’re almost there, huh?” Mary said.

  Kyle looked to his right, and sitting there was Mary. Between them was Eddie. They both had their seatbelts buckled. They stared at him. He laughed for a split second.

  “Yeah, finally.”

  A figure in his rearview mirror caught his attention. It was Morgan, trying to look into the truck. She moved and Kyle saw the rest of the ghosts that had been haunting him gazed blankly at Kyle.

  “What do you want?” he asked Mary coldly.

  “Oh, nothing. Are you ready to find her dead?”

  “Shut up.”

  Mary smiled. “I’m just being realistic; after all, it took you how long to get here?”

  “Shut up,” Kyle said.

  “Okay, okay. I just hope your legs aren’t asleep.”


  “What are you talking about?” Kyle asked. He turned to look at the ghost of Mary, but she was gone.

  The truck began to splutter as he took the Scripps Poway Parkway exit. He looked at the gas gauge. It was on empty. The truck sputtered again and then rolled to a stop. He was so close; only two miles away.

  There were no moving bodies anywhere. I thought California was the most infected area? Kyle mused, relieved that the ghosts had finally gone.

  He opened the door and stepped outside. The warm Cali breeze washed over him as he took in his surroundings. Nothing had changed in the years he’d been gone. “I’m almost there, Jasmine.”

  Taking a few steps to get used to his legs again, he stared in the direction he needed to walk. The road was completely blocked by cars. Some had overturned, while others were just charred frames. Even if the truck hadn’t run out of gas, he would have had to abandon it anyway. Kyle reached into the truck and grabbed the robot backpack, as well as his Winchester. He looked at the gun and shook his head. It was going to take a lot of cleaning before he could make it look new again.

  Jasmine, like Kyle, loved guns. They used to frequent the local shooting range at least twice a week. He was confident that she would have everything he needed to make his Winchester shine.

  Kyle placed the shotgun in the bed of the truck and began looking through the robot backpack. He found empty magazines and only four additional rounds, which made a total of eight. He loaded the extra rounds into the Glock, which was still holstered in his belt. He looked at the sun and prayed that the Existing Dead were the same here as they were back home. The sunlight should provide hours of security as its rays covered the city.

  He took the last bottle of water in his bag and chugged it. He tossed the empty bottle into the truck’s bed and grabbed his things. He was ready.

  Only two miles, he thought.