Val: Prequel to The Zombie Chronicles
Page 7
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Well, I’ve gotta warn you, Sammy, that things could get very dangerous out there on the road. We’ll be dealing with lots of zombies, maybe tons of them.”
“Battling the undead is no problem. That’s the story of my life. I’m a zombie-killing machine. I’m more worried about you chickening out. Can you really leave your home? You love this city more than anyone.”
I bit my lip hard. The thought of leaving the place I loved so much cut deep. I felt a suffocating fear, desperation, and anger that I was being chased out of the home I loved and adored. The zombie apocalypse had been so hard on me, stealing my fiancé, friends, and other loved ones away from me. I hoped connecting with my biological family would be a fresh start for me. Maybe they can help me heal, even if the scars stay with me forever.
“Val,” Sammy said, cutting into my thoughts, “are you really up for this? We’re a team you know, and we’ve both gotta be all in. Do you really wanna leave, or should we try to stick it out here?”
“We don’t have much of a choice,” I said. “Anyone who’s stayed here…well, they’re dead.”
“Right. I guess that settles it then. Pack a suitcase, and don’t forget some keepsakes,” she said. “Just be quick.”
I walked to the dining room table and start loading handguns with magazines and rifles with bullets. “These are gonna be way more important than trinkets and photographs.”
“Wow, Val. You think you have enough guns?” she asked.
I smiled. “You know what they say.”
“What?”
“Guns are a girl’s best friend,” I said, winking at her.
She smiled back at me, the first real grin she’d worn all day. “Definitely.” All of the sudden, she grew quiet, but I knew she was going through a hard time, and I didn’t pry. “Some birthday,” she finally said. “My life is filled with nothing but chaos and carnage. I’m supposed to be carefree and young, just having fun, going to parties, and living it up. Instead, I have to pilfer and loot for supplies, fend off local gangs, and kill zombies all day long. I’m done with it.”
“I’m fed up with it, too, Sammy. My life’s been snatched away, and pain and grief overwhelm me every single day. My heart aches. I’ve been robbed of everything, from my family and friends to my job, my dogs, my very identity, and even my humanity, forced to live like a prisoner in a zombie-proof fortress.”
“Well, then this is our chance to start over. I know it’ll be dangerous out there, but I think your grandma’s island is worth the risk.”
“Sanctuary,” I whispered.
She nodded, and a beam of hope spread across her face. “Yes.”
“We’ll still have to work hard and pull our weight.”
“Yeah, but I don’t mind that. I’m more than happy to help, as long as we’re safe. I’m gonna miss my apartment, but it’s been hellish here for the last year. Nobody should go through what we’ve had to endure.”
“I know. We’ve had to fight so hard here. I tried to make it work, but everything is crumbling right before my eyes.”
“It’s like sinking in quicksand, and the quicksand always wins.”
“Not always,” I said.
“Right, but only if we’re smart enough to haul our butts outta here. The harder we thrash, flail, and squirm, the deeper we sink. If we don’t leave now, we’re gonna be pulled in so deep we aren’t even gonna be able to breathe. This is all beyond our control. I know that drives you crazy, but zombie traps and zombie-proof houses won’t save us anymore.”
“I know.”
“Then let’s go…right now,” she pleaded. “I can handle life on the road. I’m more than willing to jump a fence, work an arrow, and kill squirrels. A girl’s gotta eat, right?”
“What?”
“Like Katniss, in The Hunger Games.”
“Oh. Well, I don’t own a bow and arrow.”
“Then you should consider getting one.”
I smiled. “I could be the next Daryl in the making.”
“Heh. The Walking Dead, right? I love that dude.”
“Me too. Never thought it’d happen to us.”
“Yeah, you and me both.”
“It’s gonna be nighttime soon,” I said. “Traveling in the dark is crazy. I say we leave at first light. We can be on Kelly’s Island before nightfall tomorrow.”
“You wanna have a sleepover in this house of horrors?” she asked in disbelief. “No offense, Val, but your home-sweet-home kinda gives me the creeps.”
“What else do you suggest? Camping out with the zombies?” I countered.
“We’ll be in a speeding car.”
“Lots of roads are piled up with cars so I don’t know about the speeding part. Going out there in the dark will get us killed. We’ll leave in the morning, and that’s final.”
“Fine. We’ll do it your way. Besides, it’ll give you a chance to pack a few mementos. I wish I had the chance, but I was forced to run for my life before the local warlord fed me to the zombies for sport and to make me an example.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask, what did you run back into the apartment for, when we were trying to run from the gang?” I asked.
She grabbed her bag and pulled out a family photo. “The zombies have taken everything from me,” she said, her voice quivering, “but they can’t have my memories. This will help me remember my family…how they were before everything changed.”
I glanced down at the smiling faces. “Nice picture.”
“Yeah, I’ve always loved it. I know my family wasn’t perfect, by any means. Matter fact, we were all pretty screwed up. But even still, I loved them.”
“And I know how much they loved you.”
She stared down at the picture, and a teardrop landed on the glass. “Like my hair in the pic’?” she asked.
“I remember when you were a natural blonde.”
She set the picture down. “Yeah. That was back when I was normal…and boring.”
I playfully slugged her. “You’re completely normal, Sammy, and you’re definitely not boring.”
“You haven’t noticed? I’m a hot mess.”
I gripped her hand. “Me too. Being a hot mess is the new normal.”
“Good, because we nutcases need to stick together.”
I smiled. “Absolutely.” I reached into the desk and pulled out a photograph of my own.
“What’s that?” she asked curiously.
“I try not to be too sentimental, but I’m gonna take this with me,” I said, showing her a Christmas picture of my biological family. “I’m going to put it in a Ziploc bag so nothing happens to it. Can’t have zombie guts getting on it.”
She looked at it, then looked up at me, then stared back down at the picture. “Wow. That’s really them? Well, they certainly won’t be taking your father on Maury. It’s uncanny how much you look like them. You all have black hair and blue eyes.”
I chuckled. “I guess no DNA tests on a talk show.”
“I wish I had a family waiting for me somewhere,” she whispered.
“You do. I know mine will accept you with loving arms.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, as long as you don’t try to set the place on fire.”
She chuckled. “You know that was an accident, right?”
“Yeah.”
“I just…got involved with the wrong crowd. But even when everyone got mad and turned their backs on me, you didn’t. You’ve always believed in me. Thank you for that, Val. I guess it makes sense that we’re going to your family together, because you’re like a sister to me.”
“What are friends/big sisters for?”
“We’ll survive, right?”
“You better believe it, girl. It’ll be one exciting road trip, but we’ll make it!”
“We’ll be like a modern-day Thelma and Louise, only tougher,” she said.
“Hmm. Well, which one of us gets Brad Pitt?” I asked, laughing.
“Me with blue hair? Nah, it’d make me look too pale.”
“How about a nose-piercing?”
“Nah, not my thing.”
She hugged me tight. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I asked.
“For literally saving my life…in every possible way.”
I embraced her shaking body. Neither of us wanted to leave, but at that stage of the game, we were left with little choice. Herds of flesh-eating corpses had been pouring into the city and the outskirts of town. They’d eventually swarm into my home, no matter how well I’d made the barricade. As much as I hated to go, we couldn’t afford to stay.
Chapter 9
In the wee hours of the morning, while it was still dark out, I did a little workout, lifting weights to strengthen myself and to relieve some tension. By the time I was done, I was a sweaty mess. Sammy was still sleeping, so I went upstairs to take a sponge bath and clean myself up. I gathered huge buckets of water and washed my hair.
As I did, thoughts of our impending departure drifted into my head about leaving. I thought about everything, from Travis to my adopted mother. Then, again, just like that, the tears spilled out. I pictured my mother’s face, and the scene played out in my head of the last time I’d seen her. I had no idea at that moment that it would be the last time I’d ever seen her alive. I still remembered her pretty smile and sweet voice, and I sobbed, missing them. I loved her so much, and she had been my world. Why did she have to die in such a violent way?
I remembered my father telling me to be careful as he boarded up the door behind me. He was such a gentle, caring man. For some reason, that last time I saw him played over and over again in my head. Sometimes, I even dreamt about it.
I also thought of my last time with Travis. I remembered every single detail all too well. My beautiful, loving fiancée had been killed almost immediately, when it first happened. The sight of those zombies ripping into him still haunted my nightmares. I had shot every wretched corpse around us, but not in time to save him, and he died in my arms. A week later, I found my parents’ slaughtered bodies, and I went on a rampage of revenge and killed 100 zombies that night as revenge, maybe more.
I brushed my teeth then stared into the mirror at my bloodshot eyes. I had to leave everything I knew behind. I missed my parents, Travis, my neighbors, and my friends so much. I even missed my dogs, more innocent victims. I dropped to the ground and just let it all out, unable to contain my grief any longer.
“Val, are you okay?” Sammy asked from the other side of the door.
I wiped my eyes. “I’m fine. I’ll be out in a minute.”
After I dressed, I walked downstairs and outside. I took one last look around my house, then said a prayer for the people and pets we’d buried. I stopped to give them a final farewell, and I killed half a dozen zombies when they came lurking around that burial ground.
Sammy ran down the stairs when she heard the commotion. “I saw you outside. What were you doing?”
“Just practicing my zombie-decapitating skills.”
“What!? You shouldn’t have gone out there without backup. You know better.”
“I was saying goodbye when those creeps decided to crash the party. I was feeling awful this morning, so I guess I took out all my frustration out on them.”
“I saw, but you shouldn’t go outside without me,” she scolded. “I don’t care if you’re a cop. The same rule applies.”
“I haven’t been a cop in over a year,” I replied.
“Are you scared?” she asked. “Because I am…a little.”
I paused, then answered, “Yes, I’m scared. Anybody who says they aren’t is a liar. We’ve got a tough road ahead, but I have no doubt we’ll come out on top. Nothing can conquer the will of the human spirit.”
She smiled and gave me a fist-bump. She had taken out her braids, and her long, turquoise hair now hung in beautiful waves. Her hair was parted to the side, and she’d applied makeup to her face. I wasn’t sure why she’d dressed up for our excursion, but she had also changed into a fresh pair of jeans and some combat boots I’d found for her months earlier; originally, she’d refused to wear them. Her gun and knife were holstered on, and her rifle was slung over her shoulder. “Well?” she asked. “Do I look the part or what?”
“Lara Croft all the way.”
“I have black skin pants back at my apartment. If we can stop by—”
I laughed. “No way, but feel free to put your hair up in a ponytail if you want.”
She reached in her handbag and pull out a rubber band. “Your wish is my command,” she said, tying her hair back.
“Much better. This is survival, not a glamour pageant.”
“Thanks for the tip. I guess my mind was on other things.”
“Anytime.”
I went upstairs to peek out, since all the downstairs windows were boarded up. I moved the lace curtains aside and peeked out.
Sammy peered over my shoulder. “There’re so many of them!”
“I know. It’s crazy. They must’ve broken through the perimeter fence somehow.”
“They’re taking over, Val. We couldn’t live here if we wanted to.”
“Good thing we packed the car last night,” I said.
“I still say we should have left right away.”
“Traveling in the dark woulda been nuts.”
She touched my tactile vest. “Wait…did you fill ‘er up good?”
I cocked a brow. “Do you really have to ask? I’m stuffed.”
“I thought you looked a little more…fluffy.”
“Is that a nice way of calling me fat?” I asked, cocking my gun.
She smiled and shook her head. “You, of all people, should know I don’t mince words, Val. If I thought you were fat, I’d tell you so.”
I patted one of my pockets. “I put my Christmas picture of my family in this pocket for safe keeping.”
“Got the Ziploc bag?”
“Yeah, it’s well protected.”
“Great.”
I handed her a spare tactile vest I’d filled up for her. “Good, because this one is yours. Put it on…and you can be fluffy too.” While she suited up, I took a last look around my home, knowing I might never see it again. It held so many memories, good and bad.
“You ready?” she asked, squeezing my hand. “There’s a dark, bleak world awaiting us.”
“Cut the negativity, will ya?”
She smiled. “Fine. So give me a pep talk, Coach.”
“Well, this is our fresh start, a new day,” I said, “so let’s go seize it.”
“We’d better live like it’s our last day on Earth…because it very well could be.”
“The future belongs to us, not them, Sammy. Always remember that.”
She gripped her rifle tightly. “Bring it on, baby!”
Pointing my gun straight ahead, I opened the door, ready to shoot if I had to. I knew I had to conserve ammo, but when zombies started shambling toward us, I shot one with a black face and half a jaw, followed by a walking corpse with a smashed-in face. Four more stumbled from the left, so I fired four consecutive shots. Sammy fired, too, taking down two from the right.
We jumped inside the car and locked the doors, and I started the engine.
“Floor it!” Sammy shouted.
The tires peeled, and I sped off down the street. When we got to the towering, razor wire fence, I gasped. Dozens of zombies were shaking it, collapsing it before my very eyes. I was seconds away from losing the neighborhood I’d so valiantly fought for over the last year.
“Just barrel through them!” Sammy shouted.
“If we run over the wire, we’ll lose the tires. Even if the tires don’t go, they might box us in.”
“Then what do we do?”
“We have to find another exit,” I s
aid, throwing the car in reverse.
“Hurry!” she pleaded.
As I sped off, I heard the fence crashing behind us, and dozens of zombies poured in. I knew then that we wouldn’t have stood a chance if we had opted to stay. I had plenty of food, drink, and supplies inside and might have been able to wait them out, but the thought of being a prisoner inside my house terrified me.
I turned down the next street and drove until I reached the gate. I put the car in park and nervously got out to open it. Once we were through, I slammed the pedal to the floor, and we made a few turns, heading to the freeway.
When I turned down Germantown Avenue, Sammy screamed in my ear. “Turn around!” she squealed. “We’re right in the heart of it, the zombie queen’s lair!”
The entire street was crawling with zombies, and like a pack of hungry wolves, they staggered toward us.
Heart pounding, I spun the car around and took off down the street.
“That was crazy,” she said, holding a hand on her chest. “I almost had a heart attack.”
“And you wanted to make this trip last night.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, not about that. I’m sorry for yelling at you a minute ago. I just panic, and my mouth starts flapping. As many of those things as we’ve faced and killed, it still scares the crap outta me that they wanna eat us alive.”
“I gotta admit, my adrenaline was pumping too.”
“It’s like being in some kind of zombie movie, except the special effects are all very real.” “How about some mood music?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
“Like what?”
“Let’s find out, shall we?”
She laughed when the radio began blaring eighties hits. “No way,” she said.
“Yes way. There were some great power ballads and jock rock songs in the eighties, perfect for zombie-fighting inspiration. Heck, we might even hear ‘Thriller.’”
“Pssh. The eighties were for leg warmers, big hair, and shoulder pads, none of which are gonna do us any good right now,” she mocked.
We both burst out in laughter.
“Is it wrong to laugh?” she asked. “I’m sad and terrified, but I’m cracking up. Does that even make sense? Surely it’s some kind of insanity.”