As I pull into the parking lot of our apartment complex, I notice some people loading up their cars. As I get closer to our apartment, I notice Kassi’s car there. Whew. Good, she’s home. I park my motorcycle next to Kassi’s car as I run up the stairs towards our apartment. It’s locked. I pound on it, “Kassi! Open up!”
I hear the door unlock as Kassi opens it, with tear filled eyes. She wraps her arms around me tight as she begins sobbing, “Oh my God! I thought you were dead!”
I hold her as I push her inside the door. I turn around and lock it. I put my hands on her face as I gaze into her eyes, “I’m so glad that your home. I was so worried that you might still be out there.”
She shakes her head, “No, I had breakfast with my mom because I was so freaked out from yesterday and I couldn’t sleep, so I called my mom to have breakfast with her this morning. Then I came home and while I was drinking coffee and watching television, the news alert came on, then the television went black, so I tried calling you, but the phone lines were dead.” She gives me another tight hug.
I wrap my arms around her and hold her as I try to think about what our next move is.
Chapter 3
Candi Rowen and Chase Freeman
As I’m making my coffee, eating my bagel and watching the morning news show, Chase comes walking into my apartment. Chase lives across the hall from me. We’ve lived across from each other for almost two years now. We’ve been good friends, well, we’ve been friends with benefits I guess you could say. Anyway, we’re real close, we tell each other everything and we look out for each other.
“Morning, Candi.” Chase says as he walks into my kitchen, wearing only pajama pants, carrying his own coffee mug while he walks over to my coffee maker and pours himself a cup of coffee.
“Good morning, Chase. Why don’t you help yourself to some coffee?” I say sarcastically with a smile and a wink.
“Don’t mind if I do. I think I’ll also help myself to a bagel.” He says with a cheesy grin.
“That’s why I buy an extra package of your favorite flavor. Plus, you have your own cream cheese in the fridge.”
He walks over to me as he gives me a kiss, “And that’s why I love you.”
As he’s toasting his bagel, I’m watching the news and they’re talking about Zombie-like creatures in Europe and Russia. “Hey Chase, come here. Look at the news.”
Chase walks over to me and watches the news with me. “Wow, that’s some crazy shit! Where’s that at?”
“They said all over Europe and Russia.”
Chase shakes his head, “Screw that. Thank God, I am not going over there. Heck no!”
“I hope that they don’t come over here.”
“I don’t think those things can cross the ocean. As long as they don’t board any planes, we should be good.”
“That’s true. So, do you work today?”
“I work the overnight shift tonight. How about you, Candi?”
“Yeah, I work tonight. I was just wondering if you’d be able to come over when I get home from work, but I guess not.” I lightly touch his chest as I gaze into his eyes with my puppy dog eyes and pouty lips.
“Oh yeah, well, maybe I can sneak into your room in the morning and wake you up.” He says with a smile as he leans in and plants his lips on mine.
I stick my hand down his pajama pants as I wrap my hands around him and squeeze, “Why don’t you sneak into my bedroom now and pleasure me?” I wink at him as I lead him into my bedroom.
“What about my bagel?” He asks in a joking voice.
“You can eat it when you’re done.” I wink at him.
After we were done having sex, I lay my head on his chest as I lightly touch his chest with my fingertips. “So, you don’t think that those Zombie-like creatures will come over here?”
He shakes his head, “Nah, they’re far away from here. They’re on the other side of the ocean. It would take them a long time to get here, and by then, people will figure out what the problem is, and it’ll get taken care of. I’m not going to worry about it.”
I lean on my arm and look at him questioningly, “So, let’s say they do make it over here, what do we do?”
“We kill them.”
“How? How do you kill them? I don’t have a gun and I don’t know how to fight.”
“Bash their heads in with a baseball bat.”
“A baseball bat? I don’t even know if I have one.”
“Well, a knife then.”
“That means I need to get close to them to kill them. I’ll be dead by the time I stab them.”
He looks at me and laughs, “Why are we even talking about this? It’s not going to happen.”
“I’m just trying to be prepared. Haven’t you ever heard of the Zombie Apocalypse. What if this is it? We need to be prepared.”
Chase bursts out laughing, “Candi…there’s no such thing as the Zombie Apocalypse. There’s no such thing as Zombies.”
I sit up, “Chase, we need to be prepared just in case. I don’t want to get eaten by Zombies, okay.”
Chase pulls me down next to him as he wraps his arms around me tight and kisses my forehead, “Candi, if those Zombies come over here, I promise to protect you, okay. No worries.”
I look up at him and smile, “Really? You’ll protect me?”
He nods, “Yes, I promise I’ll protect you.” He kisses my forehead.
We lay there for a few minutes in silence, then I sit up and look at Chase, “I’m hungry and I need my coffee.”
Chase looks at me and laughs, “Yeah, me too. You wouldn’t let me eat my bagel earlier and now I’ve burned a bunch of calories pleasuring you.” He winks at me.
I playfully smack him, “Whatever!” I jump out of bed and put my pajamas back on.
Chase stands up and pulls his pajama pants on. “I need to take a nap yet before I work the overnight shift tonight.”
“Yeah, I need to work tonight too.” I look at him with wondering eyes, “If you wanted to sneak into my room when your off work, you’re more than welcome too.” I say with a smile.
He walks up to me, puts his hands on my face as he gazes into my eyes, “I would love to, Candi.” He plants a kiss on my lips, “Right now, I’m really hungry.”
As he walks away, I smack his ass, “Whatever, Chase!” I chuckle as I shake my head, “Dork.” I mumble to myself.
***********************
When I arrive at work that night, my best friend Kelsey is there. I walk up to her, “Hey Kels.”
Kelsey looks at me with a smile, “Hey Candi, what’s up?”
“Not too much. Had morning sex with Chase again this morning.”
Kelsey shakes her head, “Why don’t the two of you just officially start dating and move in together, seriously. You two spend so much time together, in your apartment, why don’t you just let him move in and split the rent?”
I shrug my shoulders, “I don’t know. I’ve thought of it, but we’ve never actually talked about it.”
Kelsey looks at me, shaking her head, “Just do it, Candi. Seriously.”
“So…um…Kelsey, have you seen the news about the Zombie creatures in Europe and Russia?”
Kelsey looks at me like I’ve gone crazy, “Uh…no.”
“Oh…well…it’s all over the news.”
“Eh, I don’t watch the news, it’s always so depressing. And obviously, with Zombie creatures roaming around, I’m not missing much.”
“Well, it’s kind of freaking me out, I mean, what if they come into the United States?”
Kelsey continues looking at me like I’ve lost my mind, “Are you being serious, Candi? Because that just sounds like a ridiculous, made up story. Zombie creatures? It’s so not going to happen. I’m sure it’s like Big Foot or the Loch Ness Monster.” She begins laughing.
I start to get defensive, “I’m being serious, Kelsey. It’s really happening! Zombies are roaming the streets eating people!”
Kelsey hunches o
ver laughing, “You are way too funny! Zombies!”
Matt, another server at our restaurant walks up on us, “Hey Kelsey, hey Candi, what’s so funny?”
I turn towards Matt, “I was just telling Kelsey about the Zombie creatures that are eating people in Russia and Europe.” I reply nonchalantly.
Matt looks at me with a smile on his face, “Yeah! I saw that on the news! That’s awesome! I love Zombies!”
I just look at him like he’s lost his mind, “You love Zombies? They eat people.”
“Yeah, that’s the downside, but that would be cool to see them in person.”
“Seriously, it’s not. It’s freaking scary. I’m a little freaked out about it.”
Kelsey stops laughing and stares at Matt, “So, it’s true? There’s really Zombies?”
Matt shrugs his shoulders, “I guess. I saw it on the news today.”
Kelsey grabs her phone and checks the news on her phone, “Oh, my God! It’s true! Holy shit!” She looks at me with apologetic eyes, “I’m so sorry, Candi! It’s really happening! How freaky!”
I look at Kelsey’s phone over her shoulder, “Yeah, that’s what I was trying to tell you. I’m scared. I don’t know how to fight, I would totally die if they came here.”
Kelsey just shakes her head, “Yeah, I don’t know what I’d do either. Hopefully they don’t make it here.”
“Hopefully, they don’t.”
**********************
When I get home from work about midnight, I turn on the television to the news. Oh, my God! The Zombies have spread to Africa! What happens if they make it here? What would I do? I start pacing the floor frantically. I take my cell phone out of my purse and text Chase. ‘Hey Chase, the Zombies are spreading! When you come over after work, can you please hurry and bring a baseball bat or something! Please! Candi.’
I look around my apartment for something to use as a weapon. I don’t really have too much, weaponwise. I find some knives in my kitchen, I found a glass vase. That might do okay. It’s pretty thick and hard. Ugh! I sure hope that Chase has a baseball bat, or two. Hopefully he has other items that we can use as weapons.
I make sure that all my windows are shut and locked. I lock my door, Chase has a key. I’m tired, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to fall asleep or not.
I go into my bedroom and shut the door. I look out my window, onto the apartment parking lot. I don’t see anything suspicious…yet.
I must have fallen asleep, because I hear knocking on my bedroom door. I wake up startled, then I jump out of bed and unlock my bedroom door. Chase looks at me confused, “Why did you lock your bedroom door if you knew I was coming?”
I shrug my shoulders, “I was scared.”
Chase looks at me like I’ve gone crazy, “Of what?”
“Zombies.”
Chase bursts out laughing, “You’re too funny, Candi.” He wraps his arms around me, gazes into my eyes, then plants his lips on mine. “And that’s why I love ya.”
“You love me?” I ask curiously.
He looks at me with an oh shit look on his face, “Yeah, I guess I do.” He looks like he’s thinking for a moment.
Hmmm…do I love him? Yeah, I think I might. “Well, I think I might love you too, Chase.”
Chase looks at me with an uncertain smile, “You do?”
I nod with a smile, “Yeah, I think I do. Um…why don’t you move in with me when your lease is up. It’ll be cheaper, we could split the rent.”
Chase smiles at me, “That’s a really good idea, Candi.”
“I know. I’m so smart.” I stick my tongue out at him. “So, did you bring a baseball bat?”
“I found three baseball bats.”
“Wow! Three! Can I use one as a weapon?”
“Of course, you can.”
“Cool. I’m going to go into the kitchen and make some coffee.” I leave the bedroom, holding a baseball bat as I start brewing the coffee. I put Chase’s bagel into the toaster first and as I’m waiting for the coffee to brew and the bagel to toast, I walk over to the television to turn it on. ‘Everybody needs to stay in their homes! Do not travel! Millions of people are fleeing the cities and getting trapped on the highways in road jams and pile-ups while Zombie-like herds are walking down the streets eating anyone who gets in their way! Everybody needs to stay home! Do not leave your house! There is an International Travel Warning! All public transportation has come to a halt! The Zombie-like virus has reached the east coast of the United States! Repeat…The Zombie-like virus has reached the east coast of the United States!’ Then the screen goes black.
I stand there, eyes popping out of my head, jaw has dropped to the floor, I think my body has gone into shock. What the fuck is going on right now?
Chase walks out of my bedroom, stops in his tracks as he approaches me. He waves his hand in front of my face, “Candi…Candi…CANDI!”
I slowly turn my head towards him, “The Zombies are here.” I simply state.
He looks at me confused, “What?”
I repeat myself, “The Zombies are here.”
He turns towards the television set, “Um…the television isn’t even on. What are you talking about?”
I pick up the remote and turn the power of the television off and on. “It stopped working. They announced the Zombies are here, then everything went black.”
Chase takes the remote out of my hands and starts messing with it, trying to get the television turned back on. Then he grabs his cell phone, “I’ll just call the cable company. There must be some kind of glitch or something.” He dials his cell phone, puts it up to his ear, then takes it off his ear, looks at the screen, then tries dialing again. Then he stops, looks at me with concern, “Um…my cell phone isn’t working. I don’t have service. Can I borrow yours?”
I point to the last spot I set my cell phone down. He walks over to it, picks it up and tries dialing, then he stops, stares at me with a freaked out look on his face, “Your cell phone doesn’t have service either, Candi.”
I look at Chase as I simply state, “Chase, this is the Zombie Apocalypse.”
Chapter 4
Blake and Lynda Ryan & Sally and Parker Gibson
I walk out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, where my beautiful wife, Lynda, is making eggs and bacon for breakfast. I walk up behind her as I wrap my arms around her waist and rub her beautiful, pregnant belly. I kiss her neck as she turns around, smiles at me, and kisses me on the lips. “Good morning, honey.” She says with a big, glowing smile.
“Just a few more weeks, sweetie, till this beautiful baby girl comes.”
She looks at me, rubbing her belly, “Don’t forget tomorrow I have a doctor’s appointment.”
“I wish I didn’t have to work the twelve hour midnight to noon shift tomorrow, I’d love to be there.”
“Don’t worry, it’s just a regular check-up.”
I squat down to her belly, “I can’t wait to meet you, Blakelyn. Daddy can’t wait to hold you in his arms.” I kiss her belly. Then I stand up and plant a kiss on Lynda’s lips. “I can’t wait to see her. I bet she’ll be beautiful, just like her mommy.”
“Or…she might look like her daddy.”
“Uh…I hope not.” I reply with a chuckle.
She turns back to the stove, “Breakfast is ready.” She plates up two plates of food, then hands me one. I walk over to the table carrying my plate. Then I grab the remote to turn on the television.
Lynda waddles to the table, holding her plate, as she sits down next to me.
I turn to the morning news channel, as we both sit here, eating our breakfast, watching the news.
We both sit there, staring at the television in disbelief. I look at her, “Did they just say Zombie-like creatures?”
Lynda shakes her head, “Yeah, I do believe that’s what they said? That’s very strange. I thought that was a made-up thing.”
“I thought so too, but I guess not. They said it was a highly contagious virus that�
��s causing it. I wonder what kind of virus that is. Maybe I’ll have to talk to Mac Barber at work and see what he says. He specializes in viruses.”
“Now, they said it’s in Europe and Russia, do you think that it will spread to the United States?”
I shrug my shoulders, “It’s hard to tell. There’s so many different factors involved, there’s airplanes crossing the ocean, there’s boats, there’s just so many different ways to cross-contaminate from one continent to the next. Unless the government shuts down all travel to where Europe and Russia aren’t allowed to leave the continent, it’ll be hard to contain.”
Lynda gets a worried look on her face, “What would we do?”
I shake my head, “I’m not sure. Hopefully, it’ll get contained, otherwise, I’m hoping that the government, the International Disease Administration and the military are working hard together to figure it out so that it doesn’t jump onto our continent, or any other continent. Hopefully, they’ll be able to keep it contained over there. Maybe somehow quarantine that continent.”
Lynda nods in agreement, “Well, we do have a lot of smart people I’m sure working on it right now. At least, I guess we just need to trust that they are.”
“Yep. Well, I’m going to go to bed now, I need to get some sleep before I head to my very long work shift tonight.” I lean in and give her a kiss, “And you need to prop your feet up and get some rest.”
She nods, “I will. I promise.”
**********************
Lynda gives me a kiss on my forehead as she announces, “Blake, it’s time for dinner.”
I open my eyes as I look into hers, “Already? I feel like I just fell asleep.”
She giggles, “It’s six p.m., you fell asleep at ten a.m., you’ve been asleep for eight hours.”
I stretch my arms in the air as I sit up, “Well, it sure doesn’t feel like eight hours.”
“I made you homemade fried chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner. Oh, and there’s corn on the cob and biscuits, your favorite meal.” She winks at me.
Zombie Havoc (Book 1): In The Beginning Page 3