Jeffrey McElyea's Zombie Compilation

by Jeffrey McElyea

  “I’m grateful we have such a luxurious option,” Landon said with a mouthful of chips. “There’s hardly anything worth a damn anymore. Nearly every food item we find is expired. As far as I know, factory production has halted. We need to find a good place to grow crops and raise livestock.”

  “That’d be a hellacious task,” said the man behind the mask, scratching his head.

  “If we could gather enough decent people, we’d be quite productive.”

  “Must I remind you of the dangers pursuing ambitious thoughts typically brings?”

  “No. That’s what I aim to do.”

  “I hope it works out for you.”

  “It will work out. It will take time, but it’ll work.”

  “Time will screw you at every turn. The only player in the game who wins is the grim reaper.”

  “I’m smart and capable enough to get it done.”

  “I hope you’re right. We’ll go with Zack’s plan for now. You know what’ll happen if our ammunition is depleted, about the risks of melee fighting.”

  Four days of waiting for the horde to move on passed before the woman separated herself from everyone else. The others knew she was having a hard time adapting to the apocalypse’s constant and unforgiving harshness.

  “What do we do about her?” the masked man asked. “She’s a huge liability.”

  “Give the woman a chance,” Zack answered coolly before lighting a partially smoked cigar.

  The woman quietly rushed over.

  “Can’t those things smell that?” the woman asked with widened fearful eyes, pointing at the cigar.

  “Don’t think so,” Zack answered.

  “Won’t they see the smoke?”

  “We’ll be fine.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Freaking out isn’t going to change anything.”

  “Sitting here and not doing anything won’t make anything better.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “That doesn’t matter.”

  “We need to call you by something.”

  “Nicole. What about the guy with the mask?”

  “My name’s Joey. Before you ask, no. I’m not taking off the mask.”

  “Why not?” Landon asked.

  “I don’t feel the need to give a reason why.”

  “Fine. We’re just curious.”

  “There might be a time when we need to know what you look like,” Zack said with a smile.

  “Maybe so, but I’m not taking it off right now.”

  “May I guess why you won’t take off the mask?” Nicole asked.

  “Nobody’s stopping you.”

  “Is it because you’re hiding something?”

  “The purpose of wearing a mask is to hide the face.”

  “Smartass.”

  “I will reveal my face if and when I want to.”

  “Whatever, weirdo.”

  “I don’t want to stay here for much longer. Oh well. Not like there are any other smart ideas. It’s stay here or go out there and die.”

  “I’m so scared, Joey.”

  “Get used to it or die, Nicole. Those are your choices.”

  “You all make living like this sound easy.”

  6

  Three long days passed. The group had been out of food for two days. Their water supply was running dangerously low.

  “We may have to do something stupid and desperate,” said Landon.

  “I’m glad I didn’t have to be the one to say it,” Zack said as he sat with his eyes closed. “This could be it for us.”

  “Don’t talk like that. Maintain confidence. We have a chance.”

  “Shit. You’re right, Landon. How are you always right?”

  “Nothing surprises me anymore.”

  “You sound like an old man.”

  “I am an old man.”

  “What’s the plan, old man?”

  “All I can come up with is a distraction and running like hell.”

  “Damn it. That’s all you can come up with?”

  “Got any better ideas?”

  “Nope.”

  “I’ve seen people get eaten alive by those things,” said Nicole. “That’s not going to happen to us, right?”

  “Let’s hope not,” Joey said, creeping over to the window to steal a peek at their surroundings.

  Joey paused and tiptoed back to where he previously sat.

  “Well?” Landon asked.

  “They’re everywhere.”

  “The one answer no one ever wants to hear.”

  “Yeah. Where will we go after we leave?”

  “I might know of a place.”

  “Really? Where?”

  “The sewers.”

  “What’s down there?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Sounds crazy. I’m in.”

  All agreed to Landon’s idea. For a half hour, they waited on and hoped for the right moment. Landon chucked two glass bottles as far as possible, kept his eyes peeled, watched the brunt of the horde hunt for the sound’s source and bolted.

  Everyone felt like they’d made a horrible mistake immediately after leaving their sanctuary. Many undead spotted them as they struggled to slip through the small gaps between their oddly organized ranks.

  “Don’t look back,” Landon said aloud. “We have to keep going. Maintain calm and a steady pace. We’ll get out of this.”

  For every zombie they killed or forced out of their way, three or more took its place.

  “The way to the sewers is blocked,” Landon announced. “We can’t go around or through that many of those things. Anybody have any ideas?”

  “I’m getting tired,” Nicole whined.

  “Push through it,” said Joey. “No matter how tired you become, no matter how much your body aches, you have to keep pushing. Puke if you need to. Do not stop. Hopefully, you won’t pass out. Don’t waste your breath talking. Focus on breathing and keeping up with us. Where are we going?”

  “We’re following Landon,” Zack answered.

  “We need to escape into the woods,” Landon said in a discouraged tone.

  “There’s nothing worthwhile in the wild,” Joey replied.

  “Have you been in the woods before, Joey?”

  “No.”

  “Then how do you know there’s nothing there?”

  “I’ve heard people say there’s nothing but death in the wilderness.”

  “Fuck what you heard.”

  “It’s better than dying here,” Zack said as he struggled to keep up with everyone. “I’m not sure how long I can run like this.”

  “We’re all tired and want to stop. We can’t. Failure is not an option. Don’t worry. Death isn’t getting us today. Not if I can help it.”

  Landon and the others were unable to reach the woods before ultimately tiring out. They had no choice but to hide out in the cab of an old semi truck.

  “I like being higher off the ground,” Nicole said joyfully. “False sense of security or not, it makes me feel a lot better.”

  “We need water,” Zack warned.

  “We’ve gotten through the worst part of this clusterfuck,” Landon encouraged, wiping the pouring sweat from his face. “The horde has no idea where we are. We have to make it across the street and past a wide but shallow river.”

  “You know the area?”

  “Yeah. My wife and I were staying on the opposite side of the river for months.”

  “What happened?” Joey asked.

  “People were being stupid and crazy. My wife decided to stay. She used to be the love of my life. That’s far from the truth now.”

  “I think we’ll survive, Landon.”

  “As do I.”

  “I like to think someone I knew before the world went to hell is still alive.”

  “Slim chance, Joey.”

  “I have to keep hoping.”

  “I understand. We all have to remain hopeful. There’s no motivation without it. Without opt
imism, our morale will turn to shit.”

  “What do you hope for?”

  “A better life. Thinking about of a better future for all empowers me. What about you two?”

  “I want to stay alive,” Zack answered. “That’s enough to keep me going.”

  “That’s all?” Nicole asked.

  “That’s all.”

  “I guess that’s fair.”

  “Nothing’s fair during these times.”

  “I want to be safe and part of a bigger group. I want to live in a big city full of people again. I want everything to be the way it was before I was kidnapped.”

  “We should move on in a few minutes. Living in this abandoned city is pissing me off.”

  7

  “They’re headed towards the woods,” Kate said as she sat back down in a poor-quality metal chair. “Not a smart choice. You know better than that, Landon.”

  “It’s everyone’s last resort,” an old man replied. “For all we know, it very well could be the best place to be.”

  “You know that’s not true. It’s where the cannibals sit and wait on the scared and desperate idiots who lose their ability to reason.”

  “We’re not in the woods.”

  “We condoned in cannibalism once because we didn’t have any other means to obtain food. We didn’t keep doing it.”

  “We’ve done it. We’ll do it again, Kate.”

  “If we have to, we have to.”

  “You know we will. We’re cannibals.”

  “Everyone left is a cannibal. We chose life over death. We’re strong enough to do what it takes.”

  “I doubt all survivors are cannibals.”

  “So, when are we leaving?”

  “When we want to.”

  “James is a good leader.”

  “Good leader or not, he is evil.”

  “I don’t care about morality. If he keeps us alive, I don’t give a damn.”

  “You’ve not questioned his sanity?”

  “He’s fine, old man.”

  “He’s fine for the moment. You’re mistaken if you think what sanity the man has left will last. When that happens, he will slip. One bad call can end it all.”

  “Anyone can make a bad call.”

  “He will do something we all see as going too far. We all know that.”

  “What’ll you do if that happens?”

  “When that happens, and it will, some will attack the rest in the group.”

  “Some plan to kill everyone who’s perceived as expendable, useless or undesired then loot the corpses?”

  “That’s right.”

  “Why tell me?”

  “You know why.”

  “You want me to assist in the betrayal.”

  “You are correct, Kate.”

  “Who will live? Who will die?”

  “You, John, Adam, Icepick and I will survive.”

  “James would be useful. He’s a hell of an asset.”

  “No. Join us, leave or die. Make your choice.”

  Kate turned to see the old man and three others pointing their firearms at her.

  “The others are already dead, aren’t they?”

  “You always were a smart one, Kate. Smart enough to make wise decisions, smart enough to make tough choices.”

  “I’ll join.”

  “Clever girl.”

  “I’m always going to make the best choice available.”

  “That’s why you’re needed. I, Doug Gonahala, will be the leader. I will lead us to success and victory. Winning is all that matters.”

  “What is your definition of victory?”

  “Surviving and thriving.”

  “Where will we go?”

  “Where your husband went.”

  “That’s stupid.”

  “It’s that or the sewers.”

  “The people in those sewers are worthless.”

  “You’ve said that. You’ve also said they outnumber us.”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’ll be dark soon. I know you want to see your husband, but we have to wait.”

  “Wake me up in seven hours.”

  “I’ve not seen you sleep for that long.”

  “I’ll see my husband again.”

  “I hope you do.”

  “Icepick.”

  “What?” the woman asked.

  “What’s your opinion on all this?”

  “More and more undead are coming, Kate. There’s nothing but death for those who stay here.”

  “I wrongly hoped for a comfortable life in the city.”

  “Me, too.”

  “We failed again, huh?”

  “Yep.”

  “We’re going to be southern hillbillies living in the woods.”

  “No way.”

  “Bad joke?”

  “Horrible.”

  8

  “We’re trapped, Blake.”

  “I know, Shirley. We all know that.”

  “And what are you doing anything about it?”

  “I don’t see anybody else doing anything.”

  “You’re our leader.”

  “I’m nobody’s leader. Talking will get nothing done, old woman. I’m going to come up with a solution and leave.”

  “You can’t just leave us!”

  “Why not?”

  “We’ll die without you.”

  “The reason why the strongest of our people are gone is because they lost their lives trying to protect you idiots.”

  “Will you abandon us, Blake?”

  “Not all of you.”

  “What will I do?”

  “Stay here and die, I guess.”

  “May God have mercy on your soul, young man.”

  “My soul was destroyed after my baby died.”

  “Lack of medicine?”

  “None of your business. I desire nothing but survival and power.”

  “Wanting power is a very unhealthy addiction, Blake.”

  “I wish you the best, old lady.”

  Blake was wrong to believe he could recruit a mass of people to leave with him. Only a single man and two women helped him rob the underground community of what useful items remained. He shot three people before escaping the sewers and running down the street with his followers.

  “We basically just killed all those people,” said the man. “We’re going to hell.”

  “Who’s to say this isn’t hell?” one woman asked.

  “No talking unless it’s necessary,” Blake said as he led the others down the street. “There should be thousands of zombies in this area. There aren’t. I wonder what made them move on.”

  “Where are we going?” the youngest woman asked.

  “The woods.”

  “That’s a stupid idea, Blake.”

  “Have any better ideas? Didn’t think so. Keep following me and don’t stop.”

  Blake led the three young adults down street after street. They reached the woods without encountering anything except the occasional stray flesh eater.

  “This is stupid,” said the man. “Going through here is suicide.”

  “Didn’t have to follow me in here,” Blake replied. “None of you have to follow me.”

  There was a long pause. They fearfully traversed through the nearly dead woods. More frightened than they had ever been, every sound heard brought flinching and shivering.

  “I’m Greg. This is Irene. The gal in the pink is Mindy.”

  “Don’t talk. Something isn’t right. I think we’re being watched.”

  Blake felt something solid press against the back of his head.

  “Don’t move,” a voice said softly.

  Blake saw that his three companions were also being held at gunpoint by unknown individuals.

  “What do you want from us?” Blake asked.

  “Why are you here?” the man behind him asked.

  “Trying to survive.”

  “So is everybody else.”

  “Please let us go.”
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  “Not sure if we can allow that.”

  “If you let us go, we’ll turn back and never step foot into your territory again.”

  “Looks like you four have been doing well. Clothes aren’t rags, not starving and plenty of equipment. Where did you come from? If you lie to me, I’ll end your life. I’ll know if you’re lying.”

  “We came from the sewers. We eat what we can find.”

  “Ate anybody yet?”

  “No.”

  “We have.”

  “If we give you everything we have, will you let us go?”

  “You have nothing to offer us, for we already own you and everything you have.”

  “We’ll work for you.”

  “Never heard that one before. Keep walking in the direction you’re facing until I say otherwise.”

  Blake looked at Greg, Irene and Mindy. They’d lost hope. He knew they believed they’d be eaten alive. Blake remembered everything he passed. Although he waited for an opportunity to escape, no such blessing presented itself.

  To say the least, Blake’s captors were quite intimidating. Ugly talismans made of human hair and teeth hung loosely from their slender necks. They wore jackets crafted from hardened human skins. Their teeth were sharpened and resembled those of a shark’s. The mad, malnourished and bloodstained woodland dwellers led their prisoners for miles through the woods to reach their stronghold. Blake was surprised to see a large community surrounded by guards and sturdy walls of metal, wood and debris.

  “You belong to us now,” said one of the crazed men. “Welcome to the home of the righteous.”

  9

  Blake, Irene, Greg and Mindy were literally thrown into a deep pit. Inside the manmade pit were several living people and a fresh corpse. A woodland lunatic laughed and stared at the women.

  “I’m gonna make one o’ you ladies my wife!” the man yelled. “It’ll be great! Yeehaw! Gonna need to throw a big ole hootenanny!”

  “This guy is dead and should be removed from this hole,” Zack said aloud. “He’ll turn soon.”

  Without hesitation, the wild man revealed a pistol and fired. A bullet hole was put in the head of Doug’s corpse.

  “That’ll be your food for the day,” the woodsman said with a grin and gurgling hiss. None in the pit said a word until the man skipped off.

  “Funny seeing you here,” Landon said to his wife.

  “I’m surprised you’ve made it this far, Landon.”

  “How many innocent people did you sacrifice to get this far?”

  “As many as it took.”