by A. L. White
The zombie in Zeus’s grasp was trying unsuccessfully to break free of the vice like jaw clamped on his neck. While Zeus was doing his best to bite clean through the neck it looked like Perseus was playing with his; letting it go, then pouncing on it again as if to show that he was the master of the creature’s fate. Only when Virginia shot it in the head with an arrow did Perseus let it go. Wondering if Zeus could bite through the neck, Virginia decided to end that one too, similarly.
Virginia glanced back at Al and Joe as she followed the lads into the bunker. The flare’s glow lit the main room well, even if it was starting to burn down. Virginia flipped the light switch by the door hoping that the solar batteries had been charged enough. The lights responded, bathing the room in light. Walking over to the flare, Virginia picked it up and tossed it into the fireplace. Zeus’s relaxed posture told her that the bunker was cleared of any danger. Out of habit she went from room to room verifying it for herself; not that she didn’t trust the lads at all. On the contrary, she would trust Zeus and Perseus with her life before she would trust anyone else.
Once she was sure it was safe, she went out to get Al and Joe; reminding them to bring the pistols with them, and to shut the truck doors. Virginia gave them a quick tour of the bunker, pausing only when she thought one or both were going to vomit.
“We can’t bring the children in here with this,” Al said pointing at Bob’s corpse.
Virginia thought for a few minutes about what could be done with the bodies, then came up with an idea, “We can drag them out to the garbage pile for today.”
Al didn’t want to touch them at all, and Zoe would never let them throw the bodies away like trash. “We can’t just throw them away like last night’s pizza box,” Al replied.
“We can leave them there for tonight, and you can do what you want to do with them tomorrow.”
Nodding his agreement, Al motioned for Joe to help him get the bodies out of the bunker. Virginia loaded an arrow and followed them. She repeated this as they moved Julie’s remains to the garbage pile. Then again as the zombies were being dragged. Finally, Joe asked her, “Are you going to help or just follow us around?”
“I thought you might want me to cover you in case something came out of the woods, or from behind the wood shed. I don’t have to if it bothers you that much.”
“Joe help me get this last one over there and leave her be. I feel better with her and that bow watching my back,” Al stated, smiling over at her.
Once the last body was thrown onto the pile Virginia went back into the bunker and turned all of the lights off but a small one in the main room. They would need to conserve the batteries until Al or Joe could get the generator going tomorrow. On leaving the bunker she latched the sole outside latch on the massive steel door. Joe opened the tailgate to let the dogs back into the bed of the truck without being told to by Virginia.
“It will be dark soon, do you think we can fit everyone in one trip?” Virginia asked.
Joe shrugged his shoulders as he got into the truck. “Maybe one of us should stay here?”
Al shook his head no, and said, “We need her to keep our way clear while you and I carry her sister. We will fit everyone somehow.”
Virginia swung the massive gate open then pulled it closed after Al drove the truck through. Walking back to the cab she pictured the gate being open when they had left yesterday. Virginia didn’t know if the feelings welling up inside her were fear of being found out or sorrow. Zeus and Perseus were becoming agitated in the back of the truck, helping her find her way back to the reality of the moment. Pausing, Virginia stared into the darkness at a fixed point. Her mind searched for any movement in the shadows; a sign that something was there that shouldn’t be. When she had decided that nothing was there, she climbed into the truck. The whole drive back was silent; no one seemed to have anything to say, which suited Virginia just fine. She was trying to listen for any sounds out of the dogs over the truck’s engine. She knew no better early warning system than Zeus and Perseus.
When they reached the farm they could all see a light on inside. Al stopped the truck and said, “Who do you think would have left the barn?”
“Aunt Zoe,” Joe replied, and they both chuckled because if anyone did, it would have been Zoe. Zoe had a way of doing what she wanted, when she wanted, and they both knew that.
“Stop the truck over there, between the barn and house,” Virginia instructed.
Al brought the truck to a slow glide into the place where Virginia had been pointing to. She eased the door open and motioned for them to head towards the barn. Zeus and Perseus jumped down out of the bed and took up their positions on either side of Virginia as they once again headed up the stairs to the farm house. The door burst inward, opening to reveal the largest man Virginia had ever seen standing there with what looked like a steak knife. The lads moved in front of Virginia snarling at the man.
“We don’t want any troubles. If this is your house we’re sorry, but we need a place to stay for the night. The man waited for an answer, and when he saw that none was coming he continued, “We have children in here, and they need to get warmed up.”
From off to her left side, standing next to the porch, a voice came, “Bring everyone outside and let us see them.” Virginia took her eyes off the man for a second to see if it could possibly be who she thought it was. Sure enough, standing there with her crossbow aimed at the door was Lori! Lori, who she had thought would possibly pass before the night was out was standing there.
“OK, give me a second please, need to get the kids moving.”
A few minutes later a much smaller man came out carrying a child, followed by a woman also carrying one. Then came a smaller, skinnier woman followed by the large man.
“OK we’re all out here. What next?”
“Move from the door, off to the right, and remember I have an arrow aimed at your head. No funny business or you’re the first to go,” Lori replied.
“There will be no funny business. Move over there ya’ll,” the man said as he pushed the group over.
“Zeus. Perseus. Go check it out,” Lori commanded the two dogs.
The lads disappeared into the house for a few minutes then came back out and sat facing the strangers.
Lori lowered her crossbow and told the group to follow her. They walked past the dogs, and then Virginia, until they caught up with Lori. “Move quickly and quietly. I think you attracted a few things I would rather not meet up with right now. Best to be gone when they make it here.”
When they reached the barn door the group found themselves facing Zoe, Al and Joe. All three were armed, thanks to Virginia, and not giving an inch.
“They are ok, you don’t need those right now,” Lori stated. “Besides, if they try anything the dogs will take care of them before we even know what’s going on.”
“I believe that,” Al said lowering the pistol. He looked over at Zoe and nodded his head towards Lori questioningly.
“She got up a little while after you guys left. Seems to be ok, considering.”
“Zoe, I don’t know why that surprises me after spending time with the little General there,” he remarked as he smiled at Virginia, getting a rare return smile from her. “We should get everyone over to their bunker where it is warm.”
Lori’s face went pale, “No! You can’t go there! There is…”
Al, stopped her and said, “Don’t you worry about anything being in there. Your sister and those big dogs went in there like the Marines landing on a beach. It is all clear for us civilians now.”
CHAPTER 5
The ride back was silent for Charlie, even though Doc was talking a mile a minute. Words couldn’t explain what he had just seen. It was like a horrible nightmare that just wouldn’t end. There was no way in hell that this could be what Annie had turned into. Someplace inside of that thing was the woman who loved him more than anything else. He would walk through fire for Annie, and there was no doubt in Charlie’s min
d that she would for him. If Doc was expecting him to just throw away years of happiness and pull the plug on any hopes of being with Annie again, there was a sad awakening coming soon.
Doc pulled into Charlie’s driveway and Charlie swung the door open. He climbed out in a daze while trying to put everything he had seen together. All the afternoon’s sights raced around in an endless loop. Always starting with, and returning to, Annie before it raced through again.
“Charlie,” Doc said, “I know you don’t want this, but take it anyway.” Doc handed him the sheriff’s forty-five. “If you won’t take it for you; take it so I feel a little better.”
Charlie reached out and took the handgun, knowing full well that he wouldn’t use it on Annie. Watching Doc pull away, he swung the front door open. The smell in the house was a little like the Sheriff’s office had smelled, but not as strong. Charlie set the gun down on the antique table just inside the door, then made his way to Annie’s bright-red living room furniture.
Sitting down on the sofa he could hear rumbling coming from their bedroom. Rumbling that quickly turned to crashing, followed by what Charlie would have sworn was a low guttural roar.
If asked, Charlie couldn’t say how long he had been sitting there listening to the ruckus in the room above. Time had passed quickly, considering that his mind had all but stopped. It wasn’t until the afternoon shadow started to form through the windows that his mind was finally made up. Life without Annie wasn’t life. It was a slow death filled with pain and remorse. If there was a way to reach her, Charlie had to try. He owed her that much; He owed them that much.
Starting up the stairs, he paused on the third step and looked at the gun on the table. As if it was just a passing thought, Charlie continued up. The scent grew stronger with every step, but the sound had died down to nearly nothing. Deep inside he hoped that she had worn herself out, making this a little easier to do. At the door, he listened for any sounds of movement before inserting the makeshift key that came with all the locks. There was a faint click as the key released the tumblers of the lock. Pushing the door inward, the view of the room grew from a narrow strip to a wide view of everything but the far wall. The antique dresser that Annie had loved so much was shattered into pieces, along with the matching makeup table. Charlie took a deep breath and entered the room, keeping his eyes toward the unseen wall. There, in the near corner, was Annie with her head pressed against the crook of the wall. Charlie gathered his courage and called out her name slightly more audible than a whisper. No response. Moving a little closer and calling out again, he managed a little louder this time. Annie pulled her head from the wall and looked back over her shoulder at Charlie. Her eyes were no longer a beautiful emerald green, but black as coal and sunken in. Creamy white skin had turned to a pale sickly gray and her lips had pulled back exposing her teeth.
Before Charlie had knew it, Annie was across the room and on top of him. Her grasp was stronger than any he had ever felt, as she tried to pull him closer. Instinctively, his arms pushed back at the lunging body. A hand had hold of each of Charlie’s shoulders while Annie’s teeth were clicking in anticipation of feeding. Pushing against her neck with every ounce of strength in him only seemed to keep the teeth from finding their mark. Around the master bedroom they circled until Charlie somehow broke free. As Annie started forward Charlie grabbed the light that had once been on the night stand on his side of the bed, and brought it crashing into Annie’s side, knocking her off kilter for a few seconds before the advance started again. It was then that it had finally sunk in for Charlie. Now was the moment to decide his fate once and for all: let Annie end it all so that there was no having to go on without her, or make a hasty retreat from the room. This is not the way Charlie was going to go out, he decided, as he brought the lamp back up against the side of her head, sending the creature back, sprawling onto the floor. Charlie slowly backed out of the room as Annie worked her way to her feet.
On the way out, Charlie left the door open because if Doc was right, these creatures couldn’t climb stairs. At the bottom of the stairs he tried to catch his breath and decide what he would take with him. Clothing was kind of out of the question now, unless it was in the laundry room. His coat, shoes and some food to last a few days were all down here.
A sudden crashing sound caused him to leap to his feet, swinging around. Doc said they couldn’t climb stairs, but he never mentioned falling down them. Annie was lying on the landing, growling and hissing at him. Later, Charlie would say he thought it was more of a hiss, but that the growl had been there too. She began a slow decent by crawling and falling down the last flight. Reaching for the gun on the table and raising it up in front of him Charlie said, “Stop! I don’t want to shoot you Annie! Just stop!” She kept coming, no more than three steps left before the main floor. Charlie squeezed the trigger and the round found its way into what had been Annie’s head. In the silence that followed, their life together passed in front of Charlie’s eyes. Of the millions of things that could have gone wrong in their marriage to bring it to an end, this was not one he had ever feared. Dropping the gun to the floor, Charlie went out of the front door and sat down.
******
Everyone climbed into the bed of the truck except for Al, Virginia and Joe, who all rode in the cab. The road was dark, with shadows moving everywhere along the side. When one seemed to be a little too far towards the center of the road for comfort, Al would veer toward the other side, never going too far for fear of what could be there unseen. As they pulled up to the gate the anxiety level rose as the truck slowly stopped and Virginia climbed out. Lori jumped down from the bed and called the lads to her side. “Go ahead, Virginia, open the gate. We are clear for the moment.” Without question, Virginia unlatched the gate and swung it open. Al drove through at a slow but constant pace with Virginia and Lori following. As Virginia swung the gate closed, Lori sent the lads ahead to check out the entrance to the bunker. Perseus circled the area a few times sniffing everything, while Zeus moved up to the door and smelled the air in all directions. Finding no danger present, he sat down facing the truck while Perseus, also finding it safe, continued to run around in circles. Lori came up and unlatched the door, motioning everyone inside. As Jermaine passed she motioned him to follow her, leading him to the generator.
“I’m going to prime this. Could you flip that switch please?”
Lori gave the primer three quick pumps and pointed a finger at Jermaine. Flipping the switch, Jermaine stepped back as the generator roared to life.
“Will this call out to the creatures?”
“It will quiet down in a few minutes. Besides, I think they know we are here,” Lori replied. “Let’s go make sure everyone is inside all the same, and get everything closed up for the night.”
CHAPTER 6
The night had passed fitfully with very little sleep to be had for Lori. Every time she had managed to feel as if she were asleep the horrible dead face would reappear, once again leering down at her as it scooped hunks of flesh from her shoulder. Giving up, Lori quietly made her way out of the sleeping area towards the warm glow of the fire in the great room. Starting towards the kitchenette to make a pot of coffee Lori stopped at Bob’s truck sitting against the wall. Bob never thought of the bunker as a permanent place to stay. It was just one stop on a list of places he felt were safe enough to hold up at. Opening the truck, Lori quickly found the tattered old folder that Bob kept his maps in. The first was a large map with all the stops circled in red. Underneath that was a local map for each red circle on the larger map.
Laying the large map out on the table Lori traced the red line from the bunker to a place called Rivers Crossing. It didn’t look like much of a place on the large map, and even less of a place on the local map. Of course, when she thought about it, the bunker didn’t look like much either from the maps and it started out reasonably well.
“I didn’t figure you for an early riser,” Zoe stated, startling Lori a little.
&nb
sp; “I was having a hard time sleeping so I decide to just go with it,” Lori replied smiling.
Zoe walked up to Lori and pointed at her shoulder, “You really should let me have a look at that.”
Lori nodded ok and pulled the shirt up over the shoulder. Zoe could see the wound was all but healed. If not for the gray glassy look the skin had turned you wouldn’t even be able to tell that there had been a serious wound there. Poking it softly Zoe added “It is hard as a rock, does that hurt?”
“It feels odd, but it doesn’t hurt there. I have more pain in the red areas around it.”
Zoe pulled the shirt back down over the shoulder and said, “For right now let’s keep this between you and I, ok?” Lori nodded her head in agreement.
Zoe started to explain her reasons but thought better of it for now and changed the subject. “So what are all these maps for?”
“I don’t think we are safe here anymore.”
“This place seems pretty safe; almost like a fort,” Zoe replied.
“Inside here we are as safe as anyplace, that’s for sure. Outside I feel like something is coming towards us that will make it unsafe. We can’t stay in here forever; we will need to get supplies from out there.”
“So where do we go that will be safe then?” Jermaine asked.
Lori and Zoe didn’t notice that most of the group had come into the room and begun listening quietly.
“If you look at this map here,” Lori said pointing to the main map, “Bob, the man who built and stocked the bunker we are in now, was a pretty good prepper. He had planned on making his way to a place that he felt would be a safe place to wait until things settled down. This is just the first place on the map, as you can see.”
Al pointed toward an island circled in red off the east coast of Florida, “So we pack up and go here then? Has to be the safest spot if it is the last one.”