by West, J. D.
“BANG! BANG!”
“Don't let them get behind us!” yelled Carlos.
Kahleem hacked and chopped any of them still moving.
“SCHHWAFF! SCHHWAFF!”
He cut off their hands, legs and heads. Their bones stuck out in different shapes and sizes. As another creature approached Kahleem managed to stab it through the head. He had to push against its chin just to extract the blade. Soon the razor sharp edge started to get dull but he kept swinging.
“THUNK! THUNK!”
The first swipe stopped going all the way through the bone. He had to make a second attempt and bring the machete down in a different angle or spot.
“WHACK! WHACK!”
The rest of the forsaken flooded towards us like an endless river of death.
“GROOOWWWL!”
Carlos, Joe and I each had to unload half a magazine into the moving mass of rotting flesh just to slow them down.
“BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!”
“If this lasts any longer then we are going to have to reload!” said Carlos.
One of them got through and the children saw it coming.
“POP!”
Maria had to pull the trigger as the kids screamed in terror. Her first shot only grazed its temple and created a laceration. The hungry beast kept coming. Blair stepped in front of Maria and swung hard with the golf club striking it in the jaw.
“SMACK!”
She knew that those two children and the baby she was carrying would be the key to helping us rebuild our shattered lives. The crushing blow caused two teeth fly from its mouth but it still was not dead yet. Maria concentrated aimed the gun and fired again.
“POP!”
This time she shot the beast at close range piercing the gray matter of its brain.
“I hit it!” she screamed. “I got that one! I got it!”
Blood and brains splattered onto everyone’s pants and shoes. Maria was so disgusted she never saw two more forsaken approaching from her blindside. Their glossy eyes were locked in on the children. Latia turned and threw a rock at them but they still lurched forward. Blair lifted the putter over her shoulder again and struck the forsaken just behind the ear.
“SMACK!”
The blow left a long deep gash in the ghouls head. The pastor used his body to shield the kids from the others.
“Get the children to safety!” he yelled.
He gave them a chance to escape but his actions caused him to be separated from the group. He beat the two forsaken away with his Bible and stabbed at them with his cross. Eventually they overpowered him. He fought hard but was still bitten several times.
“CHOMP! CHOMP!”
He screamed at the top of his lungs but the attack continued.
“Eeeyouch!”
The pastor was in excruciating pain and hemorrhaging from his wounds. The forsaken horde pulled and tugged on his arms and legs until he was drenched in blood.
“GRAAAHHH!”
With the children out of harm’s way he knew his sacrifice was not in vain.
“Aaaahhhh!”
They dragged him off and killed him while I watched with the others. The children were distraught as he was devoured by the creatures. They gnawed off most of his flesh and left him lifeless. In the end he still held onto the Lord's word. The Bible was clutched in his severed hand as he was chewed and sliced into mouth size pieces.
“GNAAAW! GNAAAW! GNAAAW!”
The sight of our fallen friend did not stop our determination. Together we killed as many of the other creatures as we could in a hail of gunfire and smoke.
“BANG! BANG! BANG!”
Afterward we knelt down in front of the wall for protection. By then we were almost surrounded on all sides and running out of real estate. It was time for Joe to set off the bomb. As the large horde lumbered forward the trap was set. He took aim and pulled the trigger.
“BANG! BANG!”
Both shots were wide right and missed the tank. Joe moved away from the wall and closer to the target to get a better shot.
“BANG! BANG!”
After several more misses he fired his gun again hitting the pressurized oxygen tank dead center. “BANG!”
The collision with the bullet caused it to explode.
“KAABOOM!”
A white cloud of oxygen smoke rushed out and was ignited by the lit road flare. The sky was filled with a ball of fire burning on the released oxygen. The wall of flames spread across the lot. The shock wave knocked the already unbalanced creatures off their feet. Many of them were engulfed in flames. They lurched from side to side before collapsing to the ground. The forsaken were charred and burned beyond recognition. What was left of the tanks nozzle and cylinder shot out in every direction. Joe stood there starring at his handy work with a big smile. Unfortunately a large piece of metal blew backwards towards him. The force of the flying metal cut his head off. He was careless and had moved to close. An even larger chunk of metal pierced the gas tank of a car next to the wheelchair. The car immediately ignited in fire. The explosion that followed was so big it destroyed two cars parked next to the first one.
“KAABOOM!”
All three of them were launched in the air. Red hot metal shards and shrapnel broke out the front windows of the hospital. When the rest of us saw the flames coming toward us we dove back behind the three foot wall. Kahleem moved too slow and was surrounded by flames. He was badly burned over ninety percent of his body. Caught out in the open nothing was protecting him from the explosion. He was knocked unconscious for a second and woke up screaming.
“Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!”
While behind the wall a blanket of flames flew over the heads of the rest of us. We stayed close to the ground until the flames dispersed. The shock wave caused our ears to ring but we were unharmed. Dirt, rocks, glass and other debris rained down on us. I rose back to my feet and saw that not all of the undead monsters were killed. Some of the forsaken had made it back up on their feet.
“GRRRRRR!”
They moved across the pavement dragging themselves towards Joe’s body. The remaining army of shambling forsaken was slowly closing in on the wall.
“GROOOWWWL!”
The aroma of Kahleems burning muscles and body fat filed the air. The singed skin and hair gave off a smell similar to sulfur, metal or charcoal. I had smelled the same thing during the war. It was the same scent that lingered in the air after a roadside bombing. The decomposing bodies of the forsaken gave off their own putrid odor. Bacteria inside their bodies released a foul smelling methane gas. It hung in the air and clung to our nostrils. While still on the ground Kahleem was jumped on by a forsaken man. I was able to catch a brief glimpse of his attacker’s silhouette. He was dressed in a ripped up and dirty hospital security uniform.
“GRRRRRR!”
The creature mercilessly ripped his chest open and bit a huge chunk out of his neck and swallowed it.
“CHOMP!”
Soon he was bleeding heavily but still squirming around. Kahleem clutched his throat as his blood flowed turning his hands red. My mouth fell open as the forsaken version of my boss attacked him. The creature looked up at me with glazed bulging eyes as a sinister scowl came over his face. Loose strands of Kahleems flesh were stuck in his teeth and caked under his bloody fingernails. I had no choice but to pull the trigger and gun down my friend Lt. Arvayo.
“See you on the other side!” I whispered.
“BANG!”
A ragged star shaped entry wound formed on the side of his head. The bullet left a larger and messier exit wound on the other side. A large plume of blood rose into the sky as he slumped to the ground. There was no time to mourn his death. The sound of the bomb set off car alarms as it bounced off the buildings. The noise could
be heard from several blocks away. It also brought even more the forsaken walking out into the deserted streets.
“GROOOWWWL!”
A countless number of flesh eating creatures emerged from the side of several houses and entered the front yards. The organs of the decaying forsaken were exposed and limbs were missing. The crowd grew larger by the minute.
I calmed Kahleem down and let him know that he was probably not going to survive. He understood what I was saying and closed his eye's embracing death as a bullet from my gun ended his pain.
“BANG!”
Chunks of flesh flew into the air. With nowhere to run the only choice for the rest of us was to fight. Looking around I could see them creeping closer. Their moans seemed as load as a lions roar.
“GRRRRRR!”
Now was not the time to rest or stop. We were a couple of feet and a few seconds from death.
“Carlos you need to find a car and get it started right now!” I yelled.
A lot of them were still parked in the lot. I picked up Jo’s gun and grabbed the backpack of supplies. Then I got the girls and two kids to their feet.
“There are too many of them. We have to move right now!” I screamed. “Stay near me and run when I run!”
“My ears hurt!” said Latia.
I told Maria if we got separated to take the kids and lead them to safety.
They followed Carlos while I unleashed a volley of gunfire at the morbid army around us. “BANG! BANG! BANG!”
Small rain clouds of blood mixed with bone, cartilage and skin erupted from the backs of their skulls. The six of us quickly moved across the parking lot.
“BANG! BANG!”
Since I was running the rounds cut through the packs upper torsos and struck a car. Carlos cleared the path upfront and I tried to pick off the stragglers lumbering behind us.
“BANG! BANG! BANG!”
Our success was short-lived as the pack continued to follow us. The forsaken lurched past burnt out cars and charred bodies to pursue us across the lot. Blair, Maria, and the kids continued to run. We had already traveled too far to get back to the hospital.
“Without a car we were going to die out here!” screamed Blair.
“My legs are tired!” cried Alex.
“I know baby but we have to keep moving!” said Maria.
“I'm going to run up ahead.” said Carlos. “I can move faster on my own”
I agreed that it was a good plan and told the girls to keep moving. Maria took over and led them to safety while I faced off against our pursuers. As soon as the first one’s head came into sight I fired.
“BANG! BANG!”
The beast fell forward and smashed its jaw into the ground. A stream of dark blood splashed onto the face of the closest creature behind it. I readjusted my sights and fired again.
“BANG! BANG!”
******
Carlos moved in and out of the cars before coming to a stop. He had found what he was looking for! Two hundred and thirty five horses of diesel power sat in front of him. It was a Ford F-250 super duty with the crew cab. This truck was tall, wide and handled like a dream. He tried the doors but they were locked. He ended up breaking out the passenger side with his gun.
“BLAM! BLAM! CRASH!”
He climbed in the Ford's cab then disappeared out of sight. Inside the truck Carlos loosened the ring in the ignition with a screwdriver He got from Randy. In no time he had the switch out the dash. He separated the wires and found the two he was looking for. By the time he touched them together and turned the screw driver in the ignition. Only three minutes had past. When he stepped out the truck to see how close we were a pair of small hands grabbed his ankle. He was temporarily startled but kicked away and jumped back. Out of the corner of his eye he saw another child size forsaken approaching. It swung wildly trying to grasp his shirt.
“GRRRRRR!”
The forsaken child lurched forward and tackled him. After the initial shock they tussled for a second then Carlos picked it up and threw it against another car.
“CRASH!”
Its body smashed the window but it hopped back up. He reached for his gun but it was still on the front seat of the ford. The little girl forsaken under the truck tried to bite him. “GROOOWWWL!”
He had to kick her in the side of the head.
“THUMP!”
That’s when the other dead child attacked again.
“GRRRRRR!”
Carlos grabbed the pint size creature by his throat and held him at bay. He knew his mother was still out there somewhere and Blair also needed him. He strained his body and stretched his figures until he reached the gun. Carlos put the barrel to the monsters head pulled the trigger and disintegrated it.
“BANG!”
Then he jumped back in the vehicles leather seats. Driving in reverse he backed over the female forsaken's head crushing it. The head split in half before it was flattened under the trucks weight.
“SPLOOSH!”
He threw the Ford in drive and plowed into a group of forsaken monsters coming from the other direction.
“THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!”
Three of them were sent flying. Four others were crushed under the wheels.
“CRUMP! CRUMP!”
Their bodies ended up mangled and broken. As he circled the lot Carlos flung the driver’s side door open and clipped an adult monster nearby.
“BAM!”
The creature was sent flailing to the asphalt. The lot was crawling with more of them.
“GROOOWWWL!”
******
I moved the rest of the group in and out of the parked cars trying to slow the pack following us down. Hope pushed us forward and fueled our exhaustion. The horde was closing in even though they were shambling on decaying limbs. You think we would just be able to outrun them but they never got tired and never stopped coming. Everyone moved a little faster but with two kids and a pregnant woman it was hard to keep our distance.
“We're not going to make it!” said Blair. “There are too many to outrun!”
I had no choice but to stop. Alex and Latia were gasping and wheezing trying to catch their breath.
“Get behind me and stay down!” I yelled.
Maria huddled them next to a minivan while I continued to fire at the creatures with both guns.
“BANG! BANG!”
If necessary I was going to sacrifice my own life to keep Maria and the others alive. Soon one of the guns was jammed. I placed one of the guns in my waistband in order to work on the other. As the creatures moved closer I nervously tried to clear the chamber. Their eyes never blinked and were wide open. Their decayed arms were outstretched. With seconds to spare I dislodged the round and squeezed the trigger. The bullet slammed into the forsaken eye socket exploding his head from the impact. The force accelerated him backwards tossing his body onto the ground. His hand grabbed my shirt on the way down and tore the pocket. I continued to shoot at the other monsters but the bullets flew wild. Some of them missed the head and hit them in the shoulders and chest. I slowed them down but most of the forsaken continued to stumble forward. Blair thought Carlos left us stranded and started to panic.
“I can't believe he left me!” she cried.
Maria slapped her in the face to shut her up.
“I'm sorry I had to do that but you need to calm down!” demanded Maria.
I slipped the backpack off my shoulder and handed it to Maria.
“Hand me a box of bullets!” I yelled.
She unzipped the bag and fumbled around for a second before handing me an opened box of 9mm. I popped out my magazines and hurriedly reloaded both guns. More hungry creatures lumbered toward us. I slammed both magazines back into my guns and opened up on them. “BANG! BANG!”
<
br /> The freshly loaded weapons pumped out round after round.
“BANG! BANG!”
This time my aim was true.
“BANG! BANG!”
I could see the truck moving in an open area of the lot so I waved the guns above my head. Luckily Carlos spotted us camped out near the van.
“BANG! BANG!”
Blair heard the noise of the roaring engine and immediately notified me.
“I see him!” screamed Blair as he approached us.
“Thank God!” responded Maria as she re-zipped the back pack and gathered up the children.
By the time Carlos stopped again the truck's flatbed was facing us. A small part of me thought he was leaving us behind. Suddenly the ford jerked backwards at a high speed.
“SKIRRRRT!”
The tires laid rubber and left smoking skid marks on the ground. I saw the truck coming and moved everyone out the way. The truck veered around us and sped up.
“VAROOM!”
The diesel engine roared as the truck reached sixty mph. The forsaken saw us standing there and didn't even pay attention to the oncoming truck.
“GRRRRRR!”
As Carlos got closer to them he accelerated even more. We all heard the thumps and thuds as they impacted the rear bumper. The momentum sent them flying like bowling pins.
“BAM! BAM! BAM! CRUNCH!”
Immediately after the crash a couple of forsaken were tangled underneath the tires. Several more were pinned between the crumpled tailgate and some other damaged cars. The truck left the dead creatures twisted like rotten pretzels on the pavement. Carlos eased the truck forward and came back to the clearing to pick us up just in time.
“GRAAAH!”
An assorted mix of decaying forsaken corpses was approaching.
“GROOOWWWL!”
“How many of these things are there?” asked Carlos as he starred out the window.
Without saying a word the rest of us piled into the truck’s cab. Blair buckled the kids into the bench seat behind us and sat down. Maria sat up front in between me and Carlos. Carlos turned on the blood splattered head lights and we made a run for it.