Immune

by Jacqueline Druga

  He had been alone most of his life, and now he was alone in a world devoid of people. As hard as it would be, he would push forward. To do so he needed a focus and goal other than just staying alive. There was a safe zone out there, somewhere, and that would be his goal.

  Even if he had to walk, someway, somehow, Max would get there.

  He had to. He was a survivor.

  Alternate Two

  Eugene’s voice was froggy from being tired. He had caught an hour sleep after they spoke to Tara. She and her people already had an escape plan, and they were headed to the airport.

  He told her to find a terminal and to get to it from the fields, not the front entrance. To send immune people into the terminal and secure it. Each terminal was self contained.

  There was no coffee, and he desperately needed some. He and Myron ended up staying in the east wing after they rested. There wasn’t a choice, someone needed to keep an eye out. The sun had started to rise, and they sat on the roof listening to the sounds of the infected below. There were so many of them, it sounded like an orchestra of groans and squeals.

  “Where are our soldiers?” Eugene asked. “Didn’t you say there were, like, eight?”

  “When Stanton didn’t come back, they left.”

  “Smart guys.”

  “I thought we had one left.” Myron grunted and stood. “He was supposed to be up here. Are we going to tell Paul?”

  “I hate to do it, but yes. It’s only right.”

  “I agree.”

  “We can always knock him out if he—” Eugene had walked to the edge and looked down. “Holy shit.”

  Myron rushed over and looked as well. “It wasn’t like this twenty minutes ago.”

  “And it won’t be like this twenty minutes from now.”

  A sea of infected had converged on the school property, a few still straggling on the street, but they crammed in. The barricade had completely collapsed from the weight of all of them pushing through.

  “So much for five at a time,” Myron said. “We should move on this now.”

  “Agreed. Let’s get Paul, radio Tara that we’re leaving, and get everyone to the roof to evacuate.” Eugene climbed in the hatch and down the ladder. “Max is getting them ready now.”

  The last they had seen, Paul was in the south hall. That was their first destination. If Paul was sleeping, he had no idea what was going on. When they arrived at the south hall, they found the door to the science center open.

  “Paul?” Eugene called out.

  Myron walked ahead and checked the four rooms. “He’s not here. You think he left?”

  “No. He must be in the gym. Let’s radio Tara.”

  “Wait.” Myron moved toward the stairwell.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just seeing if he left. If he did, this door—”

  “He didn’t leave. Where would he go? Come on.”

  Heading back toward the gym, they hit the main hall and raced into the office. As soon as they entered the principal’s office, they realized what had become of Paul. The radio was gone and all that remained was a note.

  ‘Good luck,’ it read.

  Paul had left.

  With a sickening feeling, Eugene reached for the note. “Is he crazy? He couldn’t have left. Immune or not, how would he get through them out there?” He retracted his hand when he heard the high pitched squeal

  Myron’s eyes widened. “By letting them in here.”

  Eugene rushed by Myron out into the hall. “Oh my God.” He backed up, running right into Myron.

  Infected poured in through the main doors, one of which was propped open by a garbage can.

  The can toppled over and when Eugene was spotted, and the infected raced his way.

  Both men spun on their heels and ran.

  “What about the others in the gym?” Myron asked.

  “The doors are closed. We have to get to the roof. We can reach them from there.”

  When they passed the south hall they were greeted by a swarming mass of infected. They reached and grabbed for Eugene, and Myron quickly intervened, shoving them away. Their only option was the east wing stairs and hopefully, Paul hadn’t opened that emergency exit as well.

  <><><><>

  After the departure of the soldiers and those who had died, out of the forty-three people left, only twenty-four remained. They stood in the gym, what few belongings they had perched with them.

  “We’ll be taking it to the roof slowly,” Max explained. “Four at a time. The scaffolding will not hold a lot of people, so, keep that in mind.” He walked over to Grace. “Keep Candice close to you.”

  “Where will you be?” she asked.

  “Down here helping people up or on the roof making sure no one jumps the ladder. It’ll be fine.”

  “Is Canada really a safe zone?”

  “That’s what they say. Eugene will fly us somewhere, that’s for sure.” Max quickly turned his head at the sound of the gym doors being pulled as if someone were trying to open them. “Are they locked?”

  Grace shrugged.

  Beret walked across the floor. “I think they are. It’s probably Myron. I’ll get it. Start getting everyone up the scaffold.” He pushed the metal bar on the door and opened it.

  The door widened and infected poured in. So many rushed through the doors, even though he was immune, Beret was trampled beneath them.

  Max didn’t have enough ammunition in his clip. He grabbed onto Grace’s arm and pulled her to the scaffolding where many were already climbing on, running in a panic to get to the ladder.

  A tsunami of infected flooded the gym, making their way like a wave to the corner where the scaffolding was located.

  Grace held Candice close to her. Max looked at the swarming infected then to those climbing the scaffold. It wasn’t going to work. No way would he get Grace there in time. His only option was to get them on the top bleacher. He reached for Grace and was shoved forward by someone running to get out. Max tripped, and when he regained his balance and turned, Grace was gone.

  “Grace!”

  “Max!” Candice yelled.

  He looked back. They were on the first level of the scaffolding. It was already shaking. Twenty people weren’t a lot, but it was enough to topple it.

  Reaching for the scaffolding, he held it tight. He was only one man, and chances were it wouldn’t make a difference, but he would try to keep it steady.

  The scaffolding shook and swayed, and Grace held on to the bar as she and Candice climbed. There were five levels. People were below her and above. The ones on the ladder weren’t moving fast enough.

  “Mommy,” Candice whimpered.

  “Keep moving, baby. Move.” Grace tried to see below. Where was Max? The infected aimed for the scaffold, hands reaching. They were safe as long as they were above them.

  Three more levels to go.

  “Grace!” Max shouted. “Keep moving. Don’t stop!”

  Grace looked down and caught a quick glimpse of Max on the bottom steps of the scaffold. Lifting her head, she saw everything was at a standstill. Four or five people were crammed onto the ladder.

  Please hurry. Climb faster. Climb faster!

  As they rounded the bend to take the next flight of stairs, the scaffolding swayed drastically, causing a blizzard of frightened screams. It steadied and Grace sighed. She inched Candice to the next set of stairs and without any warning, the side gave out. The scaffolding jolted and, screaming loudly, Candice flew backwards.

  Grace was fast. She reached out and grabbed Candice. Holding the bar above for balance, Grace held her dangling daughter by the wrist.

  “I got you! Don’t move!” Grace yelled down.

  It took all Grace had to hold her. There wasn’t a speck of floor to be seen through the massive crowd of infected gathered under her little feet, all reaching for Candice, their fingertips mere inches from her.

  “Help!” Grace yelled. “Someone help me!” Someone joined Grace an
d extended a hand down for Candice. “I’ll help.”

  “Mommy!”

  “We have you.” Grace kept her eyes on Candice, assuring her daughter with a look that all would be fine.

  The stranger joined forces with Grace. They had her and then… a taller infected man reached up with ease

  With sheer horror Grace watched him grab and pull Candice from her grip.

  “No!” Grace bellowed as her child sunk into the mass of infected.

  Candice screamed, high pitched and shrill, though her screams were instantly muffled by those who encompassed her.

  Max saw it all. The shake of the scaffolding, the breakage, and Candice falling from the edge.

  Grace had her and someone was there helping.

  And then… Candice dropped.

  Heart racing and a dire sickening feeling in his gut, Max climbed the side of the scaffolding, searching for Candice, listening for her screams.

  The infected swarmed like ants into one spot and Max knew why.

  Without thought, he dove into the mass of infected.

  Max hit them, pulled them, he gave his all, but he wasn’t making a dent. It was an endless tunnel and he wasn’t reaching the end.

  Grace tried to get back down. In fact she fought to get there, but someone grabbed her, anchored her around her waist, and hoisted her.

  “I’m sorry, there’s nothing you can do. Nothing.”

  “No!” Grace screamed over and over. She couldn’t handle the pain. It was horrendous, an emotional pain felt like a thousand knives in her soul. What her poor child was enduring. It worsened when she no longer heard Candice cry.

  No screams.

  Only the sound of infected.

  <><><><>

  There was nothing left. Bits and pieces of flesh, some of her hair, and a single shoe. Not even a shred of clothing was recognizable. In an instant, Candice was devoured.

  Max could not tell Grace. He didn’t need to; more than likely, Grace knew.

  When it happened, Candice wasn’t the only casualty. Seven others fell into the throes of the infected, but Max focused on Candice, his heart breaking.

  He plowed his way through them, fighting with everything he had. Driven by emotions, he reached into the crowd, trying to pull her out. At one point he had her. Her little hand reached out and Max grabbed it. “I got you. I got you,” he said.

  Her fingers wrapped tightly around his hand and Max pulled. He swore he felt an emotional reprieve, but it was short lived. Her grip released.

  He screamed. They were overrun and he realized when he finally made it to the roof that most of the infected were inside the building.

  Eugene approached him when he climbed up. “We thought you were dead.”

  Max shook his head. “I failed.”

  “No. You tried. You’re hurt.” Eugene reached for his arm.

  “I don’t care.”

  Myron was helping people on the fire ladder.

  “We have a chance now,” Eugene said. “There aren’t many infected out here. We have to take it. We have to move now, as hard as this is.”

  “Is Grace on the bus?”

  Eugene shook his head. “No.” He pointed.

  Grace sat on the roof, her legs brought to her chest, and it was a painful walk to her.

  “Grace. I’m sorry.” He reached for her and she swatted his hand away.

  “Grace, we have to go.”

  “I can’t.”

  “You have to. We have to go.”

  “I’m not going. I’m done,” she sobbed. “I’m done!”

  “No, you’re not. Come on.” He grabbed for her arm, lifting her.

  “No!” Grace screamed. She swung out her arm and dove forward, grabbing the pistol from the waist of Max’s pants.

  “Grace, give me the gun.”

  “Go away.” She put the gun to her head. “Just leave. I have nothing left.”

  “Grace, listen to me, do you think Candice would want—”

  “Oh my God, what she went through. My poor baby. She screamed and screamed, and I dropped her!’

  “You didn’t drop her. You tried.”

  “No, Max, you tried. Thank you but, I’m done.” She engaged the chamber and placed the gun to her head.

  “Wait!” Max screamed. “Wait! Please. Please, I am begging you. Don’t do this.”

  “And what? Live with this curse? Because that’s what it is. Being immune is a curse. We have to watch others die.”

  “Or you can help people live. We have people that need us.”

  She shook her head, her finger held to the trigger. “Not me. I can’t live with this pain. I can’t. I don’t want to and I don’t have to.”

  “I know.” Max held out his hands. “I know. I also know I have no right to ask this of you. I know you just met me, Grace. But don’t do this. Please be the one person, the only person that doesn’t slip through my fingers. Give me a chance to help you through this.”

  Grace sobbed hard and her hand lowered. Max rushed to her, grabbing the gun, and then he grabbed on to Grace. Her legs gave way and she buckled immediately, and Max wrapped his arms tightly around her.

  She wept in his arms. While the others evacuated from the roof, Max stayed there with Grace a few minutes longer.

  <><><><>

  The usual forty minute drive to the airport took Myron nearly two hours. The quiet bus with only eighteen people took many back roads until the bus sputtered its last bit of gas on Tower Road and coasted to the tarmac outside terminal A.

  It was eerily deserted. No infected at all. There were planes parked by the gates, which probably had been waiting to leave but had been stranded.

  A lone bright green dump truck was parked near the gates, and a stairway ladder was perched next to an open gate.

  Myron thought it was a good sign. Because he was immune, he ventured out by himself and when he got to the stairs, a slender woman with short brown hair appeared at the edge of the extended walkway.

  “You made it,” she said.

  “Not without problems. Are you Tara?”

  “I am. Myron?”

  “I am.”

  “Get your people. We have it secure.”

  Myron nodded a thanks and turned. He paused to look at the plane that was sitting there. He had a good feeling, he really did. He felt like they had a real chance.

  He wasn’t sure where Thompson, Manitoba was, but as long as Eugene could get them there, that was all that mattered.

  <><><><>

  Grace sat in the back of the bus, speaking to no one the entire trip to the airport. Not even Max, who sat in front of her. She cried the whole way, her mind replaying the events over and over like a bad movie. Seeing her daughter’s precious face, then watching her fall into the horde of infected. Every time she saw it, her body tensed up, and Grace wanted to scream it out of her.

  She didn’t know who the stranger was that reached out his hand to help. She never looked at his face. Eventually she would find out who he was.

  The others started to leave the bus. Myron asked her if she was coming, and she didn’t answer. Talking was hard, because she was pretty certain the only sound she could make was sobbing.

  Grace felt weak. In fact, she was certain she was the weakest person on that bus. Moving was a chore.

  Eugene sat down in the aisle across from her. He reached out and grabbed her hands. “We’re here, Grace.”

  “I know.” Her voice cracked.

  “Let’s go inside. Rest up. In a few days I’ll have everything ready to go. We go north. You can do this. We all can do this.”

  “I know.”

  Eugene squeezed her hands and then stood. He moved sideways down the aisle and was the last one off except for Grace and Max.

  “Ready?” Max asked, standing.

  “Yeah.”

  Staying close, Max walked before her, moving slowly.

  “Max, thank you for stopping me. I’m not sure if it was really what I wanted to do, but I
know that moment was the wrong time to make that decision. So thank you.”

  “There will never be a good time to make that decision, you know this right?”

  “I do.”

  “We take it one step, one day at a time. Okay?” Max tightened his lips and offered her a comforting glance.

  Grace accepted the look and then took his hand.

  It was all one step at a time. Off the bus was the first step. Somewhere, somehow, one day Grace hoped to find her strength. Until then, she would push forward. That was the best she could do.

  That was the best any of them could do.

  Move forward and survive.

  ~ End ~

  If you enjoyed this novel, please visit Jacqueline’s website for other exciting apocalypse fiction. www.jacquelinedruga.com