by Sweet, W. G.
“Zombies,” Alice said with a small nervous laugh.” She held her hands up when Joel and Scott shook their heads almost in unison. “I know, I know. They are not zombies, living dead, whatever, but I'm telling you I've seen them and they are bad shit. Bad shit. They may as well be zombies. No real thoughts seem to be going on in there.” She tapped her head with one finger. “They will attack you. They will try to kill you, eat you” She shrugged. “Not zombies, some sort of disease, but it is some very bad shit.”
“Like... Like plague of some sort,” Haley said.
“Yeah... Yeah, but they keep moving. I mean they should be dead, right? Their necks are swollen, faces black and blue, skin all messed up, running sores, this mass of black lines, like infection, running all through them, under their skin; but they don't die. It's like they are rotting on the bone, but they keep moving somehow. I don't get it, but I have seen it a dozen times. Crazy too, not rational, I mean they are attacking and trying to eat other living people, how is that rational? Head shot, yeah, maybe you could kill them some other way too, but you don't want to be screwing around, because maybe they'll bite you. I have seen what happens to those who get bitten, they get sick pretty fast... A day or two tops. And in just a few hours they got those little black lines running off under their skin. Like I said, bad shit.”
“Jesus,” Joel said. “Billy told us about some that were camped near them. They didn't even know it. They live like animals, nests in the woods, darkness, got one of their women, never found her, never found them, but the smell in the clearing was bad... Like death. And a few from the city told other stories. Central Park is over run with them. Thousands of sick and dying, only they aren't dying for some reason, like... I don't know, like they can somehow stay alive when they shouldn't be able to stay alive.” He shivered involuntarily. “Little spooky... I can see why some are calling them zombies.”
Alice nodded. “Difference is these are real. I think zombies are a made up thing, these are something goddamn close to that, but they're real. And there are some who seem sane, or... Calculating. I know that sounds even crazier, it's like they evolve into something else... Some higher form of insanity that is so far gone they're almost, well, sane again.”
Silence held for a few moments, Scott broke it.
“But a shot to the head does it, huh?”
“Yeah. Works every time. I mean, it sort of makes sense. Whatever the hell it is keeping them alive it requires them to have a brain so they can at least function on that... Well, on that animal level, I guess. No brain, no functioning at all.” Alice nodded once she finished and the silence held again for quite some time. This time Haley broke it.
“Well,” She squared her shoulders, “I guess if they look suspicious it has got to be a shoot first ask questions later sort of deal then, right?”
“Yeah,” Joel agreed.
“Yeah,” both Scott and Alice chimed in.
Haley leaned forward and threw a few heavy chunks of wood onto the fire. Night was not far away and the shadows were closing in fast.
“There were stories about that shit the planes sprayed on us,” Scott said after a long pause.
“Like?” Haley asked.
“Billy said he heard about it more than once. Almost all of us have stories about planes spraying stuff on us. I saw it back in Watertown, I... I think it was the next day... March 2nd, maybe March 3rd. We were up there in the Southern Tier... Raining all goddamn day, remember? Planes flying overhead. I remember seeing them. Blue shit... You guys?”
“I don't remember the blue shit... Seems I remember the planes, but I thought, I don't know, military transport planes. I really didn't think about it until we got back to Watertown and there were no troops there at all. I expected them to be,” Joel said.
“I remember planes,” Alice said. I was in Schenectady... Planes, I remember thinking the Army had arrived, but they just flew over real slow, cargo doors open, that was weird, I half expected paratroopers to jump out... No blue stuff though, not that I remember... Why? What was it about?”
“I remember the blue shit,” Haley added, as Alice finished. “What was it about. What did Billy say?”
“Some government shit designed to strengthen us,” He held his hands up as everyone spoke at once. “I didn't say I believed it. Hell, Billy said every time he tried to nail someone down about what they heard and who they heard it from, they would get all sketchy. Oh, it was a soldier I met on the road, told me he knew because the planes flew out of the base he was assigned to. But no name of the base. No facts about it, just like a... You know what it reminded me of? Like an urban legend. They get going the same way. Always sketchy details, low on facts.”
“Yeah, well, that's one hell of an urban legend,” Haley said.
“Yeah, but the thing is there is always, they say, some seed of truth there,” Scott said thoughtfully.
“Maybe is,” Joel agreed.
“All I know is those things are real. We'll have to be careful,” Alice said. The silence fell and held this time.
“Well,” Joel said at last. “Sleep beckons.” He looked over at the tents they had been using. “Maybe tomorrow, take some time, pick up bigger trucks... Maybe taking a chance sleeping outside isn't smart.”
“I was going to mention that,” Alice said. “They might not bother us... Seem to hate fire, bright light. But if they did,” she shook her head. “I don't want to go that way.”
“Me either,” Haley agreed.
Joel sighed. “Why don't you two girls sleep... Scott, you too. I'll take four hours and then wake you for the next four.”
“Done deal,” Scott agreed. They all rose from the fire, Haley stretched up and kissed Joel.
“Be okay?” She asked.
“Perfect.” he kissed her again. “Listen... Why don't you and Alice sleep in the truck, you know, just to be safe.”
“I second that,” Scott agreed. “I'll take the tent. You guys can do most of the driving tomorrow, let us nap a little to catch up.”
“After we get better trucks we can sleep in,” Alice added.
“After,” Joel agreed. Haley stretched up on her tip toes and kissed him once more. She left without another word.
“Sure you want first?” Scott asked.
“I'm good,” Joel agreed. He watched Scott walk away and then turned toward the black landscape and the trees that surrounded them, wishing he had not parked so close to the woods.
Joel and Haley
Pennsylvania: I 81
September 18th
The sign read, Tremont 3, Pottersville 15.
“Hard to tell which way it used to point,” Haley said.
They had found the sign protruding from the vegetation at the side of the road. The metal rails that once held it had been snapped off, pulled apart, the sign was twisted, the lettering barely legible.
“I think we can take for granted we are near those places though,” Scott said. He glanced at Alice who was bent over the hood of their truck examining a map of Pennsylvania. She raised her head and looked around.
“That overpass up there is route 209... Goes into Tremont, Pottersville further on. Small places. Guys, we've been following route 81 for miles now. We don't have to find it we're on it.”
They had been looking for route 81 to follow it across Pennsylvania, through Washington and then into Virginia. From there they intended to pick up whatever routes they could find that would take them toward the coast. They had been following I 81 for the last several hours without knowing it was I 81. There were no signs. The traffic was bumper to bumper in places, non existent in others. Most of the congestion was around the interchanges, and they had only come onto I 81 from an interchange. They had found no more since then until they had come up on this one.
“A compass that was worth a damn would be nice,” Scott said. He shoved the small compass he held back into his pocket.
Joel nodded. “Sun rises in the south west: If we keep that in sight that should k
eep us generally on the right track.”
Haley nodded this time. “So, stay on it?”
“I think so,” Joel agreed. “But maybe a quick look around... Stock up, wouldn't hurt us before we start really laying down the miles.”
“Go up to 209,” Alice said, motioning up at the overpass, and go left... That will take us to Tremont... Small town or city, I can't tell, it looks small.”
“Left, that would be,” Scott pulled the compass from his pocket once more and watched the dial dip and quiver. He sighed and then threw the small compass up into the sun. “Should have done that long ago,” He said. “East, I guess. That would be east. What used to be east.”
“Still is east,” Haley said. “Compass doesn't know where true north is anymore, so it hardly matters. For now it's east.”
Scott nodded. “Don't know why it matters to me anyway,” he admitted.
“Because it keeps things normal,” Alice said quietly.
“Maybe,” Scott admitted.
“The doctor's office is closed,” Haley said and laughed. “We're all fucked up. No doubt about it. Let's get some supplies and get on the road.” Silence held for a split second and then Scott laughed. Alice joined in and Joel chuckled right along with them.
“Let's go,” Scott agreed. A few seconds later he was gunning the motor slipping through the high grass, fighting his way up to the overpass.
Tremont PA.
The streets seemed deserted, the buildings dusty and empty. Most of the main street was gone, what buildings remained perched on the edge of a yawning chasm. They approached carefully and looked down to see a small stream flowing across the floor of the cut some forty feet below: Emerging from a dark smudge on one side and flowing under a huge rock overhang on the other. Moss grew on some rocks near the stream. It had an air of permanence. The imagery below looked like something out of a wilderness camping guide.
“Looks like one of those forever wild things... Hike the Appalachian trail or something,” Alice said. She let her eyes wander upward where the buildings perched on the edge of the abyss, as though waiting to plunge down into the small, peaceful stream far below. “And then you have this,” she raised her arms to encompass the buildings where they sat. “Surreal.”
Scott nodded his head. He stood from his crouch and looked around at the buildings. “Deserted, I guess.” He had no sooner spoken the words than gunfire erupted and shattered the quiet afternoon air. He dove for the ground, remembered where he was, but too late. He hit the slope to the bottom of the gully and rolled toward the bottom. Halfway down his head struck a small rock outcropping and he stopped wondering about the gunfire and where it had come form.
Alice lunged for the gully, but Joel grabbed her just as quickly and pulled her toward one of the buildings Haley had run for. Already she had made the doorway and stood beckoning to them. Joel pushed Alice forward toward the building and then leapt the short distance to the cover of the corner of the building. The leap was too much for his still healing leg and he collapsed in agony just within the shadow of the building.
“Joel!” Haley from the shadowy interior of the building, Alice crouched next to her.
Behind him he heard running footsteps approaching, he motioned for Haley to go before he pushed himself over onto his back to face who ever this was. The pain flared bright in his leg as he used it to turn himself over, and he almost passed out. He got his gun up and pushed himself up on one elbow ready to fire. A second later a figure ran around the edge of the building and into his line of fire. He hesitated only the briefest of seconds, but it was long enough for the young girl to bring up her own weapon and fire. Joel's pistol roared as he felt a stinging sensation on his neck, and he watched the young girl twist backwards and slam off the brick buildings inside corner as his bullet found her. As quickly as the noise had begun the afternoon turned deadly quiet. No bird calls, the vague gurgle of the stream as it flowed far below in the gully, nothing else. Joel put one hand to the side of his neck and bought it away bloodied. “Great,” he muttered to himself. He turned slowly, used one hand to get his good leg under him and stood from the sidewalk he had fallen on. Haley spoke from behind him and he nearly jumped before he could calm his staggering heartbeat down and respond.
“Baby... Baby, come on,” Haley whispered again.
“I told you to go,” Joel said tightly as he limped toward the darkened doorway of the building.
“And I didn't,” Haley said every bit as tightly.
Joel made the doorway and looked around at the darkened interior. “Where did Alice go?”
“Ran back toward the pit when you went down. I... I couldn't stop her, Joel,” Haley told him.
“Of course not... Wouldn't have stopped me if it was you down there either.” He sighed.
“Jesus, you're bleeding bad, Joel, really bad,” Haley told him. She pulled her t-shirt over her head, wadded it up and pressed it against the side of her neck.
“Feel funny,” he said, “Sleepy... Hey, no bra, that's...” The lights dimmed down suddenly; winked out completely, and he spiraled down into darkness.
Tremont PA
Full dark
“I wanted... I wanted you to know it... I wanted you to know... Know it,” Joel said. His words were garbled and barely intelligible. His eyes snapped open in the darkness, his breath caught in his throat, and he began to sit up. Haley placed a hand against his chest, leaned close and whispered into his ear.
“Lay still, Babe. Lay still... Be quiet... Something is out there... Someone... Quiet.” Her hand kept firm and steady pressure against his chest and he sank back down to the floor. It seemed he was barley holding onto consciousness, his eyes kept rolling up into his head.
“Goddammit,” Haley exploded. A second later her machine pistol began to chatter. Joel sank back down into unconsciousness.
The Gully
Scott's eyes flew open in the darkness. Something... Something had awakened him... He had been asleep and something... Close by a woman screamed and the sound of a semi automatic weapon firing fast came to him. The scream tore off abruptly, reduced to a series of gagging, pleading sounds, and then nothing. He tried to move and nearly grayed out from the pain that flared in his left arm. Something, he thought, was broken or badly injured. He tried again and this time it responded better. Dislocated, he told himself, as he grimaced to bite back the cry that wanted to slip past his clenched jaw. He whimpered slightly from reaction and the expenditure of energy, and grasped his left wrist firmly with his right hand. A second later he was pulling and twisting slightly. A sharp pull, a sharper twist. Once, twice and he was on the edge of passing out. He drew several deep breaths and tried a third time and the shoulder slipped back into place. He fell back against the moist earth and closed his eyes, intending only to gather his strength for a moment, but his eyes betrayed him and he spiraled away down into the dark.
The Vacant building
Haley made her feet and duck walked forward to where the two figures had crumpled to the ground. The one, a woman, half her lower jaw missing, one leg hanging by a thread and blood pumping out of her at an alarming rate, was snarling softly and crawling toward the road where a second woman lay breathing hard. She reached her and rose on one elbow before lowering her face and beginning to bite with what was left of her shattered jaw. The woman laying in the street began to scream, Haley switched to single shot, stood and walked up behind them and shot them both. The one on top still whimpered and snarled, almost sounding as though she were pleading, before Haley shot her one more time and she collapsed: Silent at last. Haley faded back into the shadows, listening, but the night was silent.
She returned to Joel who had slipped back down into a deep sleep once more. She had given him morphine, a small shot. They carried it. She had debated doing it, but he needed it. He had opened up a large section of his neck and the bleeding was heavy. She had to stitch it and she couldn't have him waking up halfway through that. She had looked with dismay at the
dirt grimed into her hands and under her fingernails. Infection was a real possibility in this world. She had drenched the whole area with a full bottle of peroxide, something else they carried, stitched the wound with dental floss, and then sprayed it down with a once popular spray antibiotic. She had managed to force three penicillin pills into him and got him to swallow them down, out of it as he was. There was nothing else to do, but wait it out. He had lost a great deal of blood, but she had not been able to get him to swallow again, the water just poured out the sides of his mouth when she gave it to him.
She took his head into her lap now and held him. Watching the black and silent night, her machine pistol across her lower legs. Safety off and ready.
Tremont
September 20th
Her eyes blinked rapidly, she drew a deep gasping breath and then came fully awake. Alice stared around the ravine at the gray light that was beginning to paint color back into the world. Rock, sand and water. Moss on some rocks. She puzzled the information over and over again in her head. Rocks and water... Rocks, water, moss, sand, rocks... Moss, water... The realization of where she was come to her as she remembered the events of the day before. She rose to her scraped and blood crusted elbows and then to a sitting position. Her back felt sprung, maybe it would hurt more later, but for now she could deal with it. Her heartbeat seemed a little odd. Too slow, something, but it wasn't skipping beats or anything so she dismissed that too. She sat, shaky, and let her mind come more fully back to herself before she raised her head and took in her surroundings more fully.
Hypothermia, her mind said, and she was cold, very cold, there was no heat in the ground down here. That could explain the heart beat seeming to be too slow, hypothermia did that. Her mind seemed determined to keep up a dialogue with her as she studied first one side and then the other side of the ravine.