The Human Race (Book 1)

by Tahnee Fritz

  I let a few tears fall from my eyes. No one would be able to tell I’m crying with all the rain dripping from my face. I walk to the pile of dirt and mud from the hole and stick the shovel in it. I take one last, long look at my father before I begin piling the dirt on top of him.

  “I promise you dad that I will do whatever it takes to make it through this life. I’m not going to let you down, ever.” I say out loud, knowing he can’t hear my words. “Everything is going to be alright, because I love you, sweet dreams and goodnight.”

  Part Two

  I can’t get used to the fact that I’m alone now. It still feels like my dad is going to come waltzing around the next bend in the road and I won’t have to be sad anymore. It hurts my heart and my head knowing that I’ll never see him again, that I’ll never get to hear his voice or fake a laugh at his jokes. I know it will take a while for the hurt to go away, more than the few days it’s already been, but I just wish it would go away sooner. I can’t afford to be sad all the time.

  That first night, I camped out in the shack under the part of the roof that was still there. The sleeping bag served as a sort of comfortable seat while I leaned against the wall. I didn’t get more than a couple hours of sleep that night. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was my dad and it made things much worse. That morning, I packed my things, left the soaking wet sleeping bag, it would only slow me down, and went outside. I found a few old bricks and stacked them at the head of my dad’s grave as a marker and said one final goodbye before heading out again.

  I’ve only managed to get a few hours of sleep each night since I left my father’s grave. I tried sleeping in the back of an abandoned pickup truck, but there wasn’t enough room to stretch my legs and I couldn’t sleep all that well. What little sleep I got, my dreams were filled with images of my father and my family. The times we spent together when I was younger and our journey to Florida. I woke up with tears in my eyes every time.

  The rain has finally stopped now and my clothes have dried out. I’m still walking on the highway heading north, keeping to my father’s plan. There’s no sign of any other human out on this road. The only signs of anything were the few zombies I shot and the two vamps I encountered at night. After that little spat, I had to reload my gun and realized I only have a few bullets left. I need to find more supplies before I have nothing left. At least I still have my dad’s gun, but it’s running low as well.

  Clouds are scattered in the sky and the sun peaks out from behind them. A few cars and trucks are spread out all over the highway and I keep my distance from each one of them. It’s pointless to check if they’ll run or not. I’m not in any hurry to get to a place I’ll probably never find or die in the process, not that I really care too much about that anymore. When you have no family left, you run out of things to live for. The only thing I’ve got going for me now, is the promise I made to my dad. I’ll do my very best to survive out here as long as I can, but if things look bleak, there’s no use in trying anymore.

  It’s horrible that I think like that. Charlie would tell me to buck up or go with the flow. That’s just the kind of guy he was. The kind that said screw the consequences and went for whatever he wanted. Maggie would be too afraid to let one of those things touch her if she were in my shoes. Death by zombie would definitely be the last thing on her mind.

  I’m still carrying both of our bags, mine on my back and I carry my dad’s with my left hand. I tuck my gun in my jeans behind my back and realize it’s getting too hard to keep going with so much weight. It’s time to go through my things and get rid of what I don’t need. I just need to find a safe place to do so.

  There’s an off-ramp coming up to my right and I can see an old gas station not far from the exit. I might get lucky enough and have some time to go through what I have in the packs before running into trouble. Maybe I’ll find something of use in that building as well. I head for the exit and walk a little faster to get there. As far as I can tell, there’s no one around and the place seems dead. Not in the zombie or vamp sense, but in the no one’s around sense.

  A semi is parked off to the side of the station and a small sedan has crashed into one of the pumps. It must have exploded because it’s charred and has been gutted by a fire. I steer clear of the car and semi and head for the glass door to the station. I pull my gun out and nervously pull the door open. I let out a sigh of relief after finding out it’s not locked.

  Inside the convenience store is dark and dreary. The shelves are empty and a few have been pushed over. I scan the area, making sure I’m alone. I can’t see anyone around or hear any signs of life at all. But, that doesn’t take away the feeling like I’m being watched. I can practically feel the eyes staring at me. I step further into the store and check behind the counter for anything dead. It’s clear, then I focus on the dark corners. The first appears empty, other than an old newspaper stand. Back by the refrigerators the store gets darker and much harder to see.

  The perfect hangout for vamps.

  I set dad’s bag on the floor and pull my gun out, pointing it straight ahead of me. I strain my ears to listen for movement or breathing or anything at all that might strike me as something that doesn’t belong. I move my eyes and the gun along the back wall of the store. It’s dark and an eerie feeling creeps up my spine. In the farthest corner of the gas station, I can barely see the one thing in the place that doesn’t belong there. A tall figure, black enough to blend into the wall, is hiding in that corner. I can feel it staring at me, but I can’t tell if it’s living or one of two types of dead that roam around.

  I keep my eyes glued to the corner and wait. It moves, very slightly, but enough for me to tell. I tilt my head to the side and it moves again, quicker than before and coming my way. Too quick to be a zombie and I have a feeling it’s not human either. I glance back to the door, a few feet away and I could make it before things get out of hand. The clouds aren’t enough to block out the sun’s rays, so whatever is in the store with me won’t last long unless it is a human.

  I think back to the last time dad and I ran into a vamp during the day. It wasn’t much different than this. We were rummaging through an old house and one of them popped out of a closet. Dad and I made sure it followed us outside and ignored its instincts to stay out of the sunlight. Sometimes these things get stupid hungry and would do anything for a taste of fresh blood.

  I stare at this one, it moves ever closer to me. A small smile comes to my lips as I see the small ray of sunshine coming through the glass door. I lower my gun and take a deep breath.

  Maybe it’s time to play a game and get rid of some of this sadness.

  “You’re hungry, aren’t you?” I ask.

  I’m answered with more shuffling of feet. It’s close enough now for me to see what it looks like. A young woman, no older than thirty, her dark skin a pale shade of brown and her black hair has changed to a dull grey. Her eyes are white and lifeless, but I still see the hunger burning in them. I reach my hand out, offering her a taste of my blood. One bite from that vamp and my life will be over just like my father’s. That’s how their disease is spread from human to human. Whatever poison they carry gets transferred from their saliva and into our bloodstream, not unlike the zombies. Although, with either a bite or scratch from a zombie and in a matter of minutes you’ll be lying on the ground in pain while your body dies and you transform into one of them.

  And I’m not ready to die either way just yet.

  “Come on, I know you’re hungry.” I coax her to come closer.

  She opens her mouth and lets out a raspy voice, “Blood,” is all she asks for.

  I nod and pass her a sly smile. She reaches out for my hand and I take a step back. She’s mere inches from grabbing my wrist and pulling her mouth to my hand. Exactly where I want her to be. She reaches out again and this time, I grab one of her hands and yank her toward me. She lets out a squeal as her mouth reaches for my skin. With my gun, I jab it against her skull hearing a sh
arp crack and she stammers back a few paces. She lunges at me again and I know whatever is going on in her mind will not stop her from plunging into the daylight. I rush backwards and run to the glass door, forcing it open so the sun can enter the store.

  Just as I thought, she still comes at me, a harsh anger to her howls. The instant the sun hits her skin, she falls to her knees with steam rising from her body. I step away and let the sun do the dirty work for me. The girl screams with all her might and slams her boiling fists into the concrete thinking that will take the pain away. She can’t gather enough strength to go back inside the gas station and is in too much pain to come after me. Her dark skin is already bubbling with boils and a severe sunburn no amount of aloe lotion will soothe. Her hair is even starting to sear and smoke bellows out of her nostrils and mouth as she screams. She’s so outraged and in pain there’s literally smoke coming from her ears.

  Her white eyes look my way and she curses me for bringing such agony her way. I know it isn’t her fault my father is dead, but he was bitten by a vamp much like her. There will forever be a strong hatred for vamps deep in my heart. The kind that will only go away by killing more of them. Because of them, my father is dead and I am left to wander the world alone. They deserve to suffer just like he had to.

  The boils on her skin start to burst, sending droplets of puss splattering against the cement and door leading into the station. Her screams could be heard for miles and I’m sure something close enough can hear them. I hope they take their sweet time getting here.

  I watch her pain for another moment before a hint of mercy comes to my heart. Her pleading eyes are begging me to end this suffering. Whatever human part of her that’s left, is trying to break free to get me to see that she’s ready to die. That she can’t stand living in this state any longer.

  With a deep breath, I inch my way closer to the gory scene. Her fingers are now bloody stubs clawing at the ground. She doesn’t even reach out for my feet when I stop with an arm’s length away from her. I guess blood can’t even soothe the amount of torture she’s going through right now. I hold the gun out in front of me and aim for the middle of her back, right where her black heart will be. I squeeze my finger around the trigger and her screams go silent. The only sound now, is the rustle of leaves blowing in the wind.

  After making sure the vamp is one hundred percent dead, I walk back into the store. Dad’s bag is still sitting by the counter where I left it, but before I can go through anything, I need to make sure the rest of the place is empty. I’m not up for any more chances. Up by the counter is still clear so I walk back to the darker section by the coolers. I keep my eyes peeled for anything I can eat or something that will come in handy.

  Trash has collected in most corners of the floor and dust covers the shelves and floats in the air. I step over a fallen rack and hear a crinkle of a plastic bag under my foot. I look down and notice a pile of old magazines in shreds next to the bag. I move around it and keep moving forward.

  I glance back to the entrance, only to make sure nothing else is standing there waiting for me. The sun is starting to shine a little more and is beginning to brighten up the place. It shines through the grime on the windows and I can see a little better back here. I pass by the coolers and peer inside each one of them. So far, I’m not coming up with anything at all and I can hear my stomach growling. I haven’t eaten much in the last few days. Sadness sort of takes the point of eating anything out your head entirely. Not like it matters anyway since I have nothing to eat in my pack.

  I keep walking through the store, kicking trash and debris out of my way. I see my reflection in the glass doors of the coolers and stop to stare at myself for a moment. I still look the same, my hair is a little frizzy at the moment and my pony tail needs to be fixed. I take a moment and decide to fix it. I pull the hair tie from my hair and run my fingers through the tangles to smooth it out. Once the frizz is gone, I tie it back into the same ponytail I’ve been wearing for the last few years.

  I don’t feel the same as I did the last time I saw my reflection. I feel older, more grown up. Maybe losing everyone in my family was the final ticket I needed to be completely grown up and mature. I have to take care of myself now and have no one to depend on. There’s no one to take care of me when I get sick, no one to look out for me. I’m all I have and I’ll never be okay with that.

  I notice something else in the reflection, something on one of the shelves behind me. It’s small and yellow and most likely expired, but I spin around on my heels to make sure it’s actually there. I walk down the aisle, stepping over more trash in my way, and stare at the object of my desire. A small bag of potato chips still sits in the middle of one of the shelves with a slight layer of dust on it. It’s sealed and I lick my lips as I stare at it. It’s been a very long time since I’ve had something like that to eat. Just the thought of having something from my past takes a enough of the sadness away for me to gain an appetite.

  I reach out and take the chips from the shelf and blow the dust off the bag. There’s not a doubt in my mind they are stale and not crunchy at all, but it is the only thing around and I need something to eat. I bring my prize to the front of the store and sit down next to dad’s backpack. It isn’t much of a lunch, but better than nothing.

  I pop the bag open and the smell of salt fills my nose. My stomach growls and I reach in for a chip. I stare at it for a moment, taking in this wonderful thing. There’s no saying when or if I’ll ever get to eat something like this again and I want to enjoy this little moment of mine. I shove the chip in my mouth and close my eyes as I chew the food. It might not be crunchy and it might not taste as good as it did when it was fresh, but still the best thing I’ve had in a while.

  As I enjoy my small meal, I slip my bag off my back and set it on the floor next to me. Then I reach for dad’s and unzip it. His gun is the first thing I see and the first thing I set in the pile of things to keep. Next, are his spare change of clothes. A pair of jeans and an old t-shirt. Not something I need to keep, but it brings a lump to my throat as I set them off to the side and continue digging. I find a paperback book, The Hobbit, something we found on our way to Florida. He used to read it to us when we couldn’t fall asleep or were stuck in the rain. I put that in the keep pile. A nice memory I can’t throw away. The flashlight we found at the rest area, the one that doesn’t work. I know I’ll never run into any batteries and I doubt anyone will trade things for a broken flashlight. It goes in the trash pile.

  I keep digging finding a few plastic bags, empty of course, at the bottom of the bag along with a pocket knife which I shove in my pants’ pocket and a box of ammo I didn’t know he had. I take the box out and open it noticing that the bullets are for my gun. It makes my heart hurt knowing he had these stashed in his bag just for me. It was like he knew I would run out soon.

  There isn’t much else in his bag that I feel the need to keep. He didn’t have anything sentimental from our home and never bothered to carry any photos. He always had his old wallet on him and it was in his pocket when I buried him. There are pictures of us kids and my mom in there and that’s all he ever needed. I toss his old bag off to the side along with his clothes and the broken flashlight. Then I reach for my own pack and begin going through my things.

  I keep my extra clothes, my brush and the soap. I found two apples on my way here and keep them in a plastic bag. The water bottle is shoved in its own little compartment on the side of the bag and that’s where it will stay. I have some old things from my childhood home and start to realize I don’t need them anymore. I don’t need to hang onto a music box that will never play again. I don’t need makeup I’ll never wear or toys I kept because they remind me of home. I do, however, need our family photo album. I can’t bring myself to open the book, but I’ll never be able to throw it away.

  I pack everything up in my bag, reloading my gun before stowing away the ammo. After it’s zipped up, I lean my head back against the wall and stare out into the e
mpty gas station. I hold the gun in my hand resting on my lap and close my eyes for a few seconds. It’s a dreadful thought knowing I have such a long way to go and I have to go it alone. It makes things seem a million times worse when there’s no one else around for me to talk to. Talking to myself is fine for a little while, but answering my own questions gets old after a while. If I knew for sure that Sherry and her family would have still been in that town, I would have went back. I could have traveled with them and had someone to talk to. I’ll never see them again and I have to find a way to accept that. The same way I have to accept that my family is dead.

  The wind blows through the open door sending shivers up my spine and the horrible smell of burning flesh up my nose. I open my eyes and glare at the vampire corpse in the doorway. At least she’s still lying there instead of running at me with a revengeful lust for blood in her eyes. I take a deep breath, trying not to breathe in the rancid smell, then force myself to get off the grimy floor. I grab my backpack and fling it over my shoulders. I head back for the door and step over the body and out into the sunlight.

  The highway is a short walk to my left and an even longer walk to wherever it is I need to go. I look to my right and see a few buildings about a mile away. A small town, possibly abandoned like most of the small towns I’ve come across. A good majority of the people have chosen to leave their homes in hopes of finding sanctuary away from those monsters. I can’t say I blame them when my own family did the same thing. Still, I decide to check it out. There might be food there or something of use there.