I knew I only had minutes once I arrived because I lived only a few blocks away from town and at the rate the infected were attacking new victims they would surely be on my front door step in no time.
When I arrived at my house I was completely out of breath, dizzy, and panicked. I struggled for control as I fumbled for my keys. I stopped and tried to slow my breathing down.
In the distance I could hear screams, not just the screams of the infected that came out of the woods, but the screams of the people in the bar that were being attacked. I looked back towards town and could see a faint red glow beginning to engulf the sky over town.
I slammed open the front door, ran to my bedroom, and began grabbing whatever I could get to quickly. I stuffed some clean clothes that still sat in a pile on my bed and some emergency food stores I had set aside in the event of an earth quake into an old Navy sea bag. The stores weren’t much, just enough for a couple days.
I started out of the room when I remembered I had some weapons tucked away in a closet. Quickly I slid open a drawer containing a few large military style knives. I collected knives and had plenty of different variations to pick from. I ran to the closet and opened it hard enough to knock the sliding door off its tracks. In the closet I had two guns, one was an old hunting riffle I had inherited from my father. The .30-6 hadn’t been fired in some time but I still had some shells from the one time I had taken it out to target shoot.
The second gun was an old western style .22 that my dad used to hunt quail with a long time ago. I had not used it for anything except killing snakes and I had no ammunition with the exception of some snake shot rounds that were little more than BB's. Maybe I could get close enough to shoot one in the head, it might kill a person if they were hit in the right spot.
I grabbed what I could, shoved the rest into the sea bag and ran for the front door, slowly opening it to make sure I wouldn't be surprised. Once I noticed that the nightmare had not yet reached my street I made a break for my car. I held onto an old green ford explorer. I used this car only for driving my kids places so it sat in the driveway most of the time. I hoped to god it would start.
I reached the car and slipped inside. Pulling the keys out of my pocket, I calmly disengaged the theft system and slipped the key in the ignition, closed my eyes and turned. The car fired up with some struggle but it started. I slammed it into reverse, and squealing the tires I headed for the street.
Just as I pulled out of the driveway I looked behind me and there were several people running towards me. I thought for a minute about waiting for them to catch up, thinking they might be okay and just in need of help. I looked closer and could see that they were covered in blood, their mouths wide. They weren’t people anymore. They were infected and they were after me.
“I have to get the kids” I mumbled, I was so anxious that I was having trouble focusing. I dropped the car into drive and floored it, speeding away from the approaching assailants I headed for Amanda's house on the other side of town.
11.
-Frantic-
I raced through the narrow streets of town. There was little traffic on the road, most people were settled into their homes for the night. Occasionally I passed a pedestrian and had to fight the urge to stop to warn them.
I was panicked and could barely manage to yell out the window at them, the words that did get out were not very intelligible. Some responded with a vulgar slur or a raised middle finger. I kept driving towards my kids, the car tires barked around every curve until I reached the street Amanda lived on.
Ahead of me was her house, which we had bought a number of years earlier together. My youngest son was raised in that house and now she lived there with her revolving boyfriends and the kids half of the time.
The day after she kicked me out, she cleaned out our room and boxed up my things. she was through with me and I was so devastated at that I couldn't breath. I felt like I was standing on a rolling ship and it was sinking beneath my feet.
I pulled up to the house and could see that her truck was gone.
“Christ where could she be and where are the kids?” I was yelling out loud now. Frantically I pulled my cell phone out and dialed her phone number, but all I got was a 'NETWORK ERROR”.
“Shit!” I said, still yelling. If communications were down already it was likely it wasn’t just happening here.
I looked at the house, tense, and my eyes began to water. I didn't know if I was going to cry or scream. I saw movement in the house through the dinning room window.
Her current live in boyfriend was at the house. I ran across the porch and pounded my fist on the door. It slowly opened to reveal a very drunk man in his gym shorts.
“What the hell do you want?” Jaime, her latest conquest, was a 40 year old, balding, 6 foot tall, unemployed carpenter.
“Where the hell are the kids?” I demanded rather loudly. I was trying to contain myself.
“Hmf” Jaime groaned “she took them to her sisters. She got all pissed off at me and took off.” he looked at me through blurry, bloodshot eyes. “What the hell is the matter with that ex old lady of yours?”
“Shes a crazy, self serving bitch!” I snapped at him. “why the fuck are you asking me? Why don't you get out of my fucking house and stop living off the support payments I'm giving her.” I was mad. “You fucking leach”.
“Okay, dude. Shit calm down” He straightened up. “Shes been gone for days”.
“Thank god” I said
“Why whats going on?” Jaime asked.
I though for a second about telling him, but in a flash of rage decided against it. I smiled, looking at Jaime.
I said, “Nothing dude, just wanted to give the kids some books.”
I turned and ran for the car. As I sped off I thought about how terrible it was that I had left Amanda’s boyfriend to die. In the end I felt justified and even felt a little good about getting some revenge after having lost everything. Even if it was at that poor bastards expense. I felt good in a sort of evil villain sort of way. Even if it was cruel and momentary, but I took it and rode the feeling as long as I could.
I headed east, now knowing the kids were probably safe for the time being. If she had been gone for days then she was probably not still on the road. Her sister lived in a more isolated place than we lived. Maybe they would be safe for the time being.
I decided to find them. they were in the Sierras, in Lake Tahoe city. That is where I was going. I drove East to highway 395 then headed north.
The drive would be long. It was dark now and I expected it would take most of the night to drive the full distance. I settled in for the long trip. I pulled out an IPod and scanned the list of artists looking for something soothing that would calm my nerves and push the racing thoughts out of my mind.
I believed the kids were safe, I stopped thinking about anything specific and let my mind clear. Images began to flow through my head as the road stretched out in front of me into the distance.
I thought of a woman. When I was unnerved I would often create an image of a woman in my mind. It made me feel warm and peaceful. Usually she was imaginary, something perfect that my senses craved.
My thoughts turned to a woman from my past. She was what I found to be most intriguing about the women I had known. She was beautiful, lustful, sensual, and a complete pain in the ass. She made me anxious and I decided she was the wrong image for me to carry to try to calm down.
I chuckled to myself as an image of a new woman crossed my mind. she was a recent love interest who was young, beautiful, smart, and sexy. She easily had 10 years on me but for some reason had some attachment to me.
We had been dating off and on for a while and I was beginning to fall for her. But I couldn't trust the feeling. I had been married for 15 years to a woman who wrung every ounce of energy out of me. I had a bad habit of running myself into the ground over a woman.
Amanda asked me to open up emotionally to her. I did, through my breakdown I opened u
p. It wasn't what she wanted after all and she asked me to leave.
How could I trust how I felt about a new love. I decided to put those thoughts out of my mind and wondered where she was. She was out of town and I hoped she was safe and longed to see her.
12.
-Drive-
The US 395 was a long desolate stretch of California highway that connected the southern part of state with Northern destinations like Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, and Lake Tahoe. Tahoe was where I was headed. Jaime had said Amanda had taken the kids to her sisters, and that’s where she lived.
It was difficult to keep track of the kids. Amanda was always taking off with them because she was pissed off at something. It really didn't matter what it was. She didn't need much of a nudge and she would unleash her fury on anyone in earshot. Proclaiming how the world was against her and no one respected her, She would pack up the kids and take off.
I spent much more time than I wanted tracking them down and persuading their mother to come back to town. I wasn't nice about it, but she usually responded which kept the sheriff from getting involved. That, however, had happened from time to time anyway. I had my share of visits from sympathetic sheriff's deputies responding to a false phone call from her.
She was always the eternal victim. I was glad for the fact I didn't have to deal with her on a daily basis anymore. Living with a woman like that presented daily nightmares that I didn't have to face anymore. Now there was a new nightmare to face.
I drove past the last gas stop before the first long stretch of highway started north. The last bits of civilization passed by in the darkness. Gas stations displaying bright signs inviting weary travelers to stop in, gas up and enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee. The nightmare that was coming hadn't gotten here yet and people strolled down the road unaware of the horror that was headed their way.
I was calmer now, my panic had faded and overwhelming rush of relief washed over me knowing that I was heading towards my family.
I was beginning to feel exhaustion. I could clearly recount the past few hours now in gruesome detail. I remembered walking out of the bar and hearing the distant screaming. It was unforgettable. That sound would stay with me, like noise in the back of my mind as I drove north.
It was dark now and the road ahead, illuminated by the cars headlights, seemed to fade into a dark abyss in the distance. The car rolled along over the subtle hills. One after another they rose and fell, like waves on the sea.
I was getting drowsy now and my mind was fogging up. I fumbled in the center console for the IPod and tried to change the music to something more upbeat that might wake me. The sound of rain came through the speakers, then a sullen baseline setting the tone of the song.
“Riders on the storm” the lyrics began.
My mind started to fade again as the lyrics repeated. The road ran on into the dark and the music played in the background. An image began to form in my cloudy mind.
The morning sun streaked through gaps in window curtains, beams stretch across a quiet room. I opened my eyes and found myself lying in bed. It was morning, and I could feel a warmth in the air, like summer. The windows in the room were open and a ceiling fan was spinning overhead, circulating warm soothing air around my body.
I didn't know how I got there but it felt good. I felt good, no stress, or tension, nothing lingering or nagging in my mind. I hadn't felt like that in a very long time.
A soft moan escaped a body lying next to me. Covered in a thin white bed sheet. I turned to see my partner but I can't focus on her. The figure rolled over to face me and as she did the sheet slips to the side revealing a beautiful naked body.
I followed the curves of her body as my focus cleared. I traced the curve of her legs, her hips, her mid section, the swell of her breasts. My eyes rolled over her shoulders and along her neck, I stopped to focus on her hair, it was dark with subtle curls.
Her form was familiar. I had felt her before, felt her presence, I knew her, but her face was not clear. She wasn't recognizable but still attached to me somehow. I knew her as my lover.
She slid towards me and gently grasped my erection, gently kissing me. Tightening her grip she slowly moved her hand, sending an intense sensation through my body with each stroke. She slid her tongue into my mouth, caressing mine.
I felt an overwhelming warmth and love. I knew I loved this woman but I still didn't know who she was. I couldn't focus on her face.
She wrapped her legs around me and I could feel her heat against my leg. I could feel how aroused she was. She was wet, pressing hard against me she moaned softly.
In the distance, outside the bedroom window a horn began to blow. A deep horn like the kind you hear on a big truck. It began to get louder and sound closer. Eventually it sounded like a truck had pulled up under the window of the bedroom and blared its horn. As it got louder the light in the room got brighter. Brighter and brighter until the beautiful form of this woman was washed out by the light.
I opened my eyes to find I had fallen asleep and drifted across lanes. I was facing the headlights of a very large semi truck.
Panicked, I sat upright in the drivers seat. I leaned forward and jerked the steering wheel hard to the left. The semi truck attempted to swerve out of my path but the two vehicles made contact. It didn't take more than a touch at the speed we were traveling. A slight touch was enough to send my SUV into a spin and it careened off the road into the dark desert.
I managed to keep control of the car and bring it to a stop. I laid my head down on the steering wheel. My body shook from the adrenaline rush that was so intense, I couldn’t stop myself from crying.
After a while the shaking had stopped and I lifted my head, wiped my eyes and looked out through the windshield. The dust had settled and I could see that the headlights were partially obscured by large desert plants. Just beyond that, the ground seemed to disappear. 10 Feet ahead of the vehicle, the ground fell away at least 100 feet down into darkness. A very large ditch was cut into the desert, housing railway tracks as they traveled under the highway.
I turned off the car, killed the headlights and stepped out into the cool desert air. I took a deep breath and began to feel a calm wash over me again. Still shaking, I sat down on the ground and just stared off to the north, listening to the wind.
I felt strangely tranquil and after some time my eyes adjusted to the landscape. The desert was faintly illuminated by a waxing crescent moon. Eventually, I noticed a yellow glow over a hill to the north.
“It must be Kramer Junction” I was talking loudly to no one. “It cant be too far. I need gas and I could use a shot of anything right now” I said to the darkness.
After some effort, I managed to get the SUV back on the road. There was little damage to the car except some scratches and dents. With the four wheel drive I was easily able to drive out of the soft sand and back onto the pavement.
I drove north following the glowing horizon. It took another hour of driving before I crested the last hill. Two intersecting remote highways met below, surrounded by the light from restaurants and gas stations, spread out across the valley floor.
13.
-Crossroads-
Kramer Junction rose out of the desert like a Christmas parade. A crossroads intersecting US 395 and US 58, quite literally in the middle of nowhere. It was an oasis of fast food restaurants and gas stations offering weary travelers treats for their tired bodies and tired vehicles.
I sat behind the wheel of my SUV and stared into the flickering lights. As the vehicle descended the hill covering the final 10 or so miles of road, a flash caught my eye in the distance. To the North of the junction a prison sat on a hill. This prison was not affected by the first wave of infection but It was one of the prisons authorities had transferred surviving prisoners to, making room for the ill.
The flash I saw was the lights in the prison flickering on and off, then a small explosion followed that could be seen sending a fireball into the night sky that lit up the sur
rounding desert. The flash disappeared quickly and before I could give it much more thought I had arrived at a gas station on the edge of the junction.
I badly needed to stretch my legs and get a cup of coffee, maybe a bottle of whiskey as well. I pulled into the station and up to the nearest pump. I thought briefly that the explosion I saw was a result of the new infection and it had now gotten ahead of me as I worked my way North. That thought sent a shudder through my body and my next thought led me to never finding the kids. I pushed it out of my mind and slowly walked towards the door to the mini mart.
Through the lit window I could see people inside the store, standing very still and watching a TV screen. I walked into the store and could hear a news report about the outbreak in the southland area creating a growing death toll. And it was spreading.
“Hey kid” I said loudly so I could get the clerks attention “I need gas”.
“Uh, yea” the clerk, a young kid with dirty blond hair about 18 answered “how much?”
“Here Take $50, that should fill it up.
I glanced at the TV monitor hanging above the register to see a reporter in a news room reading a prepared statement from the CDC. The statement said that people were showing symptoms similar to the original U.G.L.Y outbreak and were attacking each other. The reporter described what I had seen outside the bar. It seemed to be spreading through contact with other patients who would rapidly fall ill before becoming very aggressive. There were reports of containment. I knew there was no containment, I saw how fast it spread and what its victims turned into.
“Contained my ass” I said a little louder than I had expected to.
A few heads turned to look at me but turned back to watch the screen without asking me about what I said. I turned slowly to the door and walked out into the night air. What a fucking mess this was. I was having some difficulty understanding what was happening even though I watched it happen in front of me. I was growing suspicious of groups of people and Wondered if I should avoid populated areas.
U.G.L.Y Page 4