The Zombie Awakening (Complete 6 Volume Series, plus prologue)

by Melton, Cynthia

  The apocalyptic scene chilled Chalice’s blood. If not for the Army trucks they’d seen, she could almost believe they were the only living people on earth. “We’ll have to spend the night at the chicken house. It’s going to be too dark to travel that mountain road.”

  “If we find the chicken house.” Colton leaned forward over the steering wheel.

  “Do you think all the towns across the country are being burned?” Eddy pressed his face against the window. “Maybe this is the country’s way of cleaning up. Especially with the new virus floating around.”

  “Maybe.” But Chalice didn’t think so. Instead, she was closer to believing it was one rogue group’s way of gaining control. “There.” She pointed toward another road branching off the one they were on.

  Colton turned in that direction. The SUV’s wheels crunched over shattered glass and bounced over scorched beams. “I don’t like this. I feel like we’re being corralled.”

  Chalice rolled her window down and kept her gaze glued outside. Was that the crackle of a walkie-talkie? Did she see someone dart between burned buildings? “I think we need to go faster. We might have company coming.”

  “I can’t go faster. We’ll get a flat. What did you see? Living or dead?”

  “Definitely living.” The glow of a cigarette flamed then faded. They were definitely being watched. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

  Five armed men dashed from the shelled houses and blocked the streets, rifles aimed at Chalice’s group. “Don’t stop. They’ll have to jump out of the way.”

  “This vehicle isn’t bullet proof.” Colton hit the brake. “If we try going through them, they’ll start shooting. One of us could die.”

  “What do we do?”

  “Sit here and wait for them to make a move. If they wanted us dead, they would’ve shot us by now.”

  Two of them armed men approached, guns at the ready. “State your purpose,” one of them said.

  “We’re just trying to get through.”

  “To where?”

  Chalice tried to peer through the dark to see the man’s face. “We’re just traveling. We’re not here to cause trouble.”

  The man jerked, then whispered something to his partner before returning his attention to her. “We’re in need of young females to help repopulate this world. You guys will have to come with us.”

  “I don’t think so,” Colton muttered.

  Chalice rolled up her window. “Lay on the horn. I spotted some sprinters.” She thought that’s what she’d seen dart between two houses. “When these idiots are busy fighting, we’ll make our escape.”

  The horn shattered the silence. The armed men banged on the hood of the SUV. “Quiet! You’ll bring every undead in the area on us.” He reached for the door handle.

  Chalice locked it and shoved the barrel of her gun through the crack in the window. “Step back or I’ll shoot.”

  A scream split the air. The soldiers whirled, firing their automatic weapons. One man fell, only to be set upon by three sprinters. His shrieks vibrated Chalice’s eardrums. “Get us out of here, Colton.” She hated being responsible for anyone’s death, but these men meant them harm. Females needed to repopulate. Whatever! They could find someone else. She had enough responsibility.

  Soon the undead filled the streets, some burned bad enough she couldn’t tell if they had once been male or female. Colton inched the SUV through the throng while zombies beat on the windows, their moans sending shivers up Chalice’s spine. Their hands left bloody handprints and gore on the windows.

  Mychal and Eddy rolled their windows down just enough to thrust their spears through. Their efforts made little difference. When one non-breather fell, two more took their place.

  “So much for burning this town to the ground,” Mychal said. “It looks like the fire attracted them. It definitely didn’t kill a lot of them. Don’t these guys know you have to scramble their brains?”

  Soon the soldiers were overwhelmed and ripped apart. A tank rumbled down the street, riddling the horde with bullets. A searing pain ripped through Chalice’s shoulder. “I’m hit.”

  Colton cursed and increased his speed.

  *

  The SUV bounced over the undead, leaving behind a street full of road kill. Most would get up again to prey on the living, but he prayed some of them would be extinguished. If they didn’t find the chicken house soon, he’d have to forget about the small group of survivors. He needed to get Chalice to the farm.

  “Is it bad?” He chanced a quick glance her way.

  “Went through,” Mychal said, pointing at the hole in the dashboard. “Almost hit me before going through Chalice.” He pulled off his shirt and pressed it to his sister’s shoulder.

  If the bullet would have hit something important in the engine, they could have suffered the same fate as the poor soldiers. Free of the undead horde, Colton increased his speed more, finally coming out on a road he recognized. The chicken house should only be a couple more miles. Hopefully, they had medical supplies.

  The moon sat high in the sky by the time they found a chicken house. Colton hoped it was the right one. “Y’all stay here. If I’m not back in five minutes, drive to the farm.”

  “No, Colton.” Chalice reached out a hand. “They’re bound to see us Let them come out.”

  He shook his head. “They didn’t look like fighters. They’ll stay hidden.” He shoved open his door and stepped into the dark. He pulled a headband flashlight out of his pocket and slipped it around his forehead before switching it on. Taking a deep breath, he hunched over and dashed toward the dark building.

  Inside, he paused, glancing around the cavernous room. Moldy hay lay strewn across the floor. At the opposite end was a school bus. “Hello? We said we’d come back for you.”

  The same man who had hailed them down hours before stepped from the bus. “We’d almost given up hope.”

  “Do you have medical supplies?” Colton asked.

  “No. We managed to grab some food and water, but little else.”

  They’d have to drive the mountain in the dark. “Does that thing run?”

  “Yes.”

  “I have an injured person with me. We’ll have to go. Follow us.” Colton raced back to the SUV and climbed back into the driver’s seat. “Keep pressure on her, Mychal. We’ve got to head to the farm.”

  “We’ll be fine.” Chalice laid a hand on his arm. “Keep the lights on and go slow.”

  “Right.” As if everything in him didn’t want to speed up the curvy mountain to get her the help she needed. He glanced through the rearview mirror as the bus pulled in back of them. They’d have to keep up. He sped back to the highway.

  The vehicle’s engine strained going up the mountain. Maybe the bullet passing through had damaged something after all. Colton eased up on the gas pedal. They’d never make it if they had to walk. Not with Chalice in the condition she was in. He took another look at her.

  Her eyes were closed. Mychal had made a tourniquet of his shirt and settled back in his seat. The boys were quiet, most likely stressed and exhausted after the day.

  Colton’s mind settled on the mall. They might not be back as soon as he’d planned. Hopefully, Eric and Rachel wouldn’t think they’d been overcome. With Chalice wounded, how would they get the farm packed up and moved out in the time frame he’d planned? They’d have to do it anyway. They couldn’t stay at the farm. Not with the new improved version of undead wandering the country.

  A zombie stumbled from the woods, the bone of one leg shining in the moonlight. Colton didn’t slow. The crippled body bounced off the hood and against the windshield, sending a spiderweb of cracks across the glass. Thank goodness they still had the hummer to drive back with. The SUV was on its last leg.

  The head-beams of the bus illuminated the inside of the vehicle, showing the pallor of Chalice’s face. “Hold on, Chalice. We’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

  “I’m fine,” she whispered. “The doc w
ill fix me right up.”

  Colton hoped so. He didn’t know what he’d do without her. Her beauty, her strength, her level headedness in a crises, it all worked to make her invaluable. Although only eighteen, Chalice showed a maturity past her years. The entire group counted on her.

  They rounded the curve into the pasture in front of the six-foot wood fence. The silent eeriness of the place reminded him of a graveyard. No lights glowed from the house. No one called out a greeting from the other side.

  The bus pulled behind them. Colton watched through his side view mirror as the driver, a portly man he hadn’t met, exited the bus and approached the SUV. He knocked on the window. Colton rolled his down. “We wait until someone notices us and lets us in.” Where were Bill and Sarah? They should never leave their post. Not ever. Unless something had gone horribly wrong on the other side. “Wait in the bus, sir. It isn’t safe in the open.”

  The man jogged toward the bus as ten sprinters burst from the line of trees closest to them. The man cried out and stumbled, falling to his knees. “Close the bus!”

  The sprinters descended on him like ants. Colton rolled up his window, leaving a two-inch gap. “Boys, get your spears.”

  Mychal punched Eddy in the arm to wake him. They scrambled to their knees and grabbed their weapons, jabbing at any undead that came too close. The SUV rocked, raising on the two tires on Colton’s side.

  Chalice screamed and clutched her shoulder as the vehicle turned over to its side. Sprinters clambered on top. Mychal and Eddy continued to stab, rancid blood dripping through the gaps in the windows. Screams came from the direction of the bus.

  The bus door closed consistently against a zombie trying to force his way inside. A booted foot connected with the undead’s face, shoving it back. The bus door closed.

  Shots rang out from the other side of the fence. The cavalry had arrived.

  8

  When the last sprinter fell, the gates opened. Colton helped Chalice from the overturned SUV and limped her into the compound. Mychal and Eddy raced ahead of them while the bus pulled to safety.

  Chalice leaned on Colton as two men, a woman and two preteen-age boys exited the bus. The woman sagged against one of the men, her sobs ripping at Chalice’s heart. The man who had fallen must have been her husband. She sighed at the despair of another loss.

  “What happened?” Mom rushed to her side as Bill and Sarah closed the gate.

  “She took a bullet through the shoulder,” Colton said. “Where’s the doctor? Why wasn’t anyone at the gate waiting for us?”

  Marianne’s face paled. “We’ve had one of the children and Lacey Wilson take sick of the virus. The doctor is tending to them in the barn. Everyone has been busy checking out everyone else to make sure we aren’t all sick.”

  “Sick? Are you sure it’s the virus?” Chalice’s legs trembled. “The Wilson baby just had a cold.”

  “We’re pretty sure. The child is already starting to show signs of turning.” Mom helped Colton take her into the house. Once inside, they rushed Chalice to an empty bed. “I’ll tend to her, Colton, while you fetch the doctor.”

  He nodded and hurried away. Mom started to cut Chalice’s shirt from her. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

  Chalice nodded. “We cleaned out a mall. There’s plenty of supplies to last us a good while. Eric and Rachel are clearing land for a garden and fortifying the place.” She hissed and gritted her teeth as Mom cut away the last of her shirt and Mychal’s makeshift bandage.

  “That’s good. This is going to hurt.” She grabbed a bottle of vodka and poured it over the gunshot.

  Chalice screamed and gripped the blankets under her. “Not…really.” She exhaled sharply. “There’s a military group burning the town. We’ll have to find a back way in.”

  “Let me take a look.” Doc pushed Mom out of the way. “Clean through. I’ll stitch you up, give you a shot of penicillin and you’ll be good to go in a day or two.”

  “We can’t wait that long.” Chalice met his gaze. “We need to leave. The sprinters are increasing in number. This place won’t hold them off for long.”

  “Then you’ll rest and the rest of us will do the work. For now, you lay here. Anything that needs doing can wait for the light of day.” He grimaced at the bottle of vodka. “I hate using that stuff to clean wounds.”

  “That’s all I had on hand,” Mom explained. “It’ll do the job.”

  Chalice wanted to ask who had taken up drinking but sleep overtook her, taking her away from the pain and the horrors of the day.

  *

  After checking on Chalice, Colton now stood outside the open barn doors. Doctor Hooper bent over the body of a little girl around eight years old. The child’s hands were tied at her sides. “She’s gone, Colton. Now, wait a few minutes and watch what happens. The process actually begins about an hour before death, and the final metamorphosis takes place almost immediately after the last breath.”

  Grabbing a paper mask, the type doctor’s wear, Colton fastened it around his mouth and nose and joined the doctor. The little girl stopped breathing. Then, her body jerked. Her eyes popped open. The same bloodshot, empty eyes of a non-breather. She growled and lunged against her restraints.

  “Holy Crap! The new virus turns the once healthy into zombies without being bitten.” He staggered backward. That was the worst possible news he could have heard. No wonder so many of the new variety roamed the country side. “What do we do now?”

  The doctor took a knife from his belt and plunged it into the child’s temple. “She’s the second one since yesterday. What seems like a cold turns very fast into this … new sickness.”

  “Is there a cure?” What if they had to kill everyone that caught the sniffles?

  “Not everyone dies. Some recover.” The doctor wiped his knife on a bale of hay. “I stacked the other body, Mrs. Willis, behind the barn. We’ll have to burn the corpses.”

  “Does her husband know?”

  Doctor Hooper turned red-rimmed eyes in his direction. “I told him an hour ago. He took the baby back to the house. I haven’t seen him since.”

  “Colton, Adam Wilson went through the gate.” Mychal stopped at the barn entrance. “When me and Eddy tried to stop him, he pulled a gun on us.”

  “Does he have the baby with him?” Colton raced toward the gate, grabbing his spear on the way.

  Mychal followed. “No.”

  Colton scrambled to their lookout point. Adam resembled a zombie, his steps shuffling as he crossed the moonlit pasture. Idiot. Colton sympathized with his grief, but the fool was asking to be killed. “Cover me,” he said to Mychal as he climbed down the ladder. “I have to bring him back.”

  Eddy swung the gate open, allowing Colton to slip through. He rushed to Adam’s side. The man pointed his gun at Colton’s head. “I’m not going back. Without Lacey, my life means nothing.”

  “You have a son who needs you.” Colton held his hands up, one clutching his spear. He glanced around them, hoping they hadn’t attracted any attention.

  “My boy is as good as dead. We all are. Either we catch the flu or one of those freaks will eat us. It’s all the same.” His hand shook.

  Groaning came from their right. Colton turned. Three shufflers emerged from the trees. From the gate, Amos slipped through, keeping to the darker shadows along the fence. He worked his way around to Adam’s back. “Come on, man. We need to get inside.”

  “I’m going to meet my destiny.”

  As he took a step toward the shufflers, Amos tackled him to the ground. Adam fought, kicking and screaming. Amos punched him in the jaw. Adam went limp. The big man threw the distressed father over his shoulder and sprinted for the gate, Colton close behind him.

  Once inside, Eddy closed the gate.

  Colton took Adam’s gun. “Lock him in the attic until he comes to his senses.” They didn’t need a crazy person stirring up trouble. They had enough trouble already.

  “Will do.” Amos c
arted the man off as if he weighed nothing more than a little kid.

  “What’s the plan?” Bill asked, lighting a cigarette. “We pulling out tomorrow?”

  “Or the next day. We start loading tomorrow.” Colton studied the man’s face a moment, noting the glazed eyes. “You been drinking?”

  “When my work’s done.” Bill met his gaze. “I don’t drink while on watch. There’s too much at stake, but you can’t begrudge a man a nip after the horrors of the day, can you?”

  “As long as it doesn’t get anyone killed. If you’re ever responsible for that, I’ll kill you myself. You weren’t at your post. We could have all died out there.”

  “I’m sorry. Sarah started sneezing. I needed to get her to the doctor pronto. We didn’t expect you back for another hour or so. Turns out she has allergies. Go figure.” He shook his head. “Scared me good, though.”

  Colton headed for the house, hoping someone had saved him a bite of dinner. Bill was one of their best. If smoking and drinking helped the man cope, who was Colton to tell him to stop? But he meant every word of his promise if the man messed up.

  *

  “We’re leaving soon,” Mychal explained to the younger kids gathered around him and Eddy. “So, it’s even more important that you practice your zombie killing skills.” He handed out steel rods he’d had Bill sharpen to points. Even Trinity, at eight, could stab a zombie in the eye if it were clawing at her through a window. With what waited between here and the mall, he wanted everyone as prepared as possible and had gathered everyone from the age of eight and up. With the two new kids who had arrived earlier that evening, they had seven, not counting him and Eddy. After all, he and Eddy had proven they no longer classified as kids.

  “Some of them have thicker skulls than others, so try to use two hands when possible, and keep any of your body parts as far down the rod as possible. If you get bitten, you’re dead. Either you turn into one of them or we have to kill you before you do.” He hadn’t witnessed any of their group being finished off, but he knew how the doctor had taken care of those who’d died of the flu. He’d seen the bodies behind the barn.