“Hi,” Clarence added as he closed the door. The cabin quickly filled with heat from the fire again.
“Hi.” Hank sounded nervous. His body tensed.
“I’m Dana and this is Hank.” Dana stared at Janet’s stomach, her belly button poking out underneath her shirt.
Janet caught Dana’s gaze and smiled. “Yes, I’m pregnant.” She rubbed her stomach and it started to move. It looked like a pair of hand were trying to poke through, large bumps forming an unnatural looking rhythm. “Due any day now really.”
“That’s so exciting.” Dana touched her own belly and wondered how much longer it would be until she felt a kick.
“So, how can we help.” Clarence moved closer to Hank. “We don’t have food to spare, but we do have a bed.”
“You don’t have any food?” Dana blurted out, worried for the baby.
“We have food,” Janet interrupted.
“We don’t have any extra,” Clarence boomed.
“We aren’t looking to take any food from you.” Hank interjected once he realized that Clarence was getting protective. “We could help you find some more.”
“Why would you want to do that?” Clarence sounded skeptical.
“We just want to help.” Dana didn’t know why, but she felt obligated. “To pay you back for letting us stay in the room.”
“How long do you plan on staying here?” Clarence demanded.
“Now honey, we have the room and you could use the help.” Janet tried to reason with her husband.
“I told you there isn’t any food around these parts. Those damn bikers took it all and if they find us here they are going to bring us back there.” Clarence pounded his fist against a large wooden column. “You ain’t with them, are you?” Clarence took an aggressive step towards Hank.
Hank started to reach for his gun. Dana grabbed his wrist. “The bikers won’t be bothering you anymore.” Dana eased Hank’s arm down to his side. “The Republic of Newfoundland is going to make sure of that.”
“The Republic of Newfoundland? What is that?” Clarence laughed.
“It’s a group of people who are willing to stand up against the Pelley’s.” Hank held his hands out in front of him. “After tonight, the Highway Hangmen won’t be around to bother anyone. If you let us stay here we can repay you with more food than you will ever need.”
Janet and Clarence exchanged glances, nodding at each other. “You can stay here for tonight. Tomorrow if you can prove to me that those bikers are gone, that will be payment enough.” Clarence placed his hand on Janet’s stomach, the baby immediately responded.
Ooooouuucchh
Janet’s face twisted in agony and she buckled over at the hips. “Jesus Christ.” She cried out in pain.
“What’s wrong.” Clarence voice was frantic.
“I think the baby’s coming.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:
THE LONELY ROAD
Eric looked down the hill towards the sea of dead bodies. The mammoth herd was unlike anything Eric had ever seen. His heart jumped into his throat as the rotten stench of decayed flesh poured over him. His stomach muscles clenched at the over powering odour. Eric tried to tell where the mass of corpses ended, but the herd flowed out of the forest and into the valley below like a river emptying into a much large basin of water. Their hungry groans drowned out all other sounds of the forest. The shambling corpses crossed the valley, trampling everything behind them flat. Small shrubs and young trees didn’t stand a chance.
Some of the freshly turned corpses still had bright red blood oozing from their wounds. Eric looked out over the herd and could tell they recently demolished a large group of survivors. There were hundreds of uncoordinated creatures stumbling amongst the hive of undead. The older creatures had adapted and were much more coordinated than the newly dead even though moved slower, their decrepit frames struggling to keep them on their feet. The clothing that clung to their bodies acted like a second skin, covered in filth and bodily fluids. Their shirts and pants deteriorated into almost nothing and completely indistinguishable, all of the colours and patterns long gone and replaced by tones of mud and dried blood. No one had been left out of their recruitment drive across the island. Men, woman, and children of all ages filled the ranks of the growing undead army.
Eric noticed the alpha zombies were guiding the massive flock of undead like sheep dogs herding cattle. The worked near the edge of the swarm, grunting loudly to help guide their army towards their next objective. The herd was being lead in the wrong direction, heading towards Gander Bay. Eric wondered what drove the alpha males in that direction, maybe their was a settlement of people there or maybe a herd of moose.
Eric reached back and took out one of the flares Wade had given him, he knew that would grab their attention. His heart pumped faster and faster with anxiety. There would be no escape from that giant herd if he made any wrong moves. The glare of the sun was hidden behind the darkening clouds as they loomed overhead. A strong gust of wind blew behind him, giving him a breath of fresh air as it pushed back the awful stench. Eric looked over his shoulder at the stark outline of the trees. Their denuded forms stood out like charcoal drawings on a white canvas. The cluster of dead branches curled up like gnarled fingers stretching out to grab anyone who dared to enter. The bitter wind shook the snow from their limbs and the dead trees did little to protect the forest floor from the elements. Eric needed to make sure he took the right path back towards Grand Falls. The dense greenery of the coniferous forest made it difficult to navigate on horseback, and his attempts to lure the zombies through the dense forest would be arduous. Eric choose to head through the dead forest, which had been engulfed in a forest fire years ago, back to the highway. He needed to be able to keep an eye on his followers.
Eric twisted the top off of the flare and a bright orange, reddish flame burst into a glaring beacon. The herd stopped immediately and thousands of dead eyes took notice at once, their heads snapping towards the blazing light.
Huurmgg hurrnnnnn urrrghhhhh
Dead, boisterous cries erupted from the valley. The massive swarm of dead bodies instantly changed direction while the alpha zombies tried to keep order over the base instincts of their less evolved counterparts. The alpha’s tried their best to keep the swarm organized, but the flare amped them up, sending them into a frenzy. The hungry groans grew louder with the anticipation of tasting human flesh.
URRRNNGGGHH HUUUNNNRRR UGMPHHH
Eric held the flare up above his head, making sure the zombies didn’t lose sight of the blaring orange glow. The horse reared back, nearly knocking Eric out of the saddle. “Easy boy. Not yet.” Eric struggled to keep the stallion from darting away, the animal fighting against the reins and dancing around in circles.
The swarming mass of creatures made their way up the hillside, the young zombies trying to lead the way but tripping up in the deep snow. The older creatures showed no sympathy for their fellow dead, trampling over their fallen comrades without hesitation. Eric’s horse neighed loudly, begging to turn and leave. Eric let the horse move backwards about ten feet before the horse made a wild turn, tossing Eric from the saddle. He crashed into the deep snow below. “Wait!” Eric stretched out his arms trying to grab the reins before the horse galloped away at breakneck speed.
The flare still burned brightly, melting the snow around it. Eric picked it up and held it above his head. He wasn’t sure how long it was going to last, but it was his only flare besides the flare gun, which he was instructed not to use until he was close enough to Grand Falls. He was going to have to stay dangerously close to the great herd in order to keep their attention. Eric back-peddled through the snow and kept closer to the dead trees. The putrid odour was growing stronger and the exited groans had become deafening. Eric’s boots sank through the crust of the snow. He had to yank his foot out of each hole with every step until he could reach the path beaten down by the escaped horse. The hove prints were spaced far apart, not providing th
e relief that Eric had hoped for. The town of Grand Falls was several hours away and Eric could feel the strain on his quad muscles already.
Members of the herd slowly shambled into view as Eric entered the dead forest, the snapping jaws barely one-hundred feet away now and showed no signs of slowing down. An alpha zombie lifted his chin up and let out a mighty grunt the boomed over the rest, signaling Eric’s vulnerability to the rest of the herd. Eric pumped his legs and tried to put more separation between the mass of dead bodies, the cold air stinging his lungs as he sucked in winter cold. He leaned against a tall tree and tried to catch his breath, the frigid cold limiting his lungs abilities to fuel his muscles. The shambling corpses were relentless and Eric wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep going.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:
THE BEGINNING
Jason slumped against a tall pine tree, the snow quickly burying him as a harsh wind drifted the snow against him. As the sun began to rise, it struggled to push through the dense clouds. The world around him slowly came to life. The trees were slumbering under a blanket of pure white snow. There were no plows or salt trucks to dirty the pristine white flakes. It was what the ancestors of this island must have witnessed before the invention of cars and roads. This beauty must have been why they chose to stay here. During the breaks between gusts of wind, Jason could see grey jays fluttering back and forth between the trees. Their chirping calls drowned out by the gunfire in the streets behind him.
Jason raised his bloodied hands. The scarlet red stood out against the vast white of the snow on the ground. He didn’t know how much of the blood was his and how much belonged to the others. He had finally gotten his revenge on David even though he lost the fight with the behemoth adversary that had turned his life upside down. Both men still roamed this earth, but neither man was long for it. They would both be dead by the time the sun was high in the sky. Jason looked down at Tracy with a tear in his eye, her blank eyes frozen open for eternity. The scars from the fight had disfigured her face. She was almost unrecognizable to him. He had finally gotten her back and David ripped her from his grasp, tearing her to pieces in front of him. David had gotten what he wanted; Jason would suffer for the rest of his days, but at least his wife could finally rest. Jason’s knife stuck out of her head, the blade buried in between her ear and jawline. He couldn’t bear to watch her turn into a roaming corpse and he didn’t want her wandering around, looking for her next meal.
Jason was glad that he had turned his back to the war zone that had taken the place of the once quite town of Grand Falls. The army of the dead had brought out the worst in humanity and were only a catalyst for the carnage that had befallen the island of Newfoundland. This apocalypse had been on the verge of happening for years. The dead rising from the afterlife gave it the push it needed to begin. Corrupt politicians selling the rules and laws of the government to greedy businessmen were the ones responsible for all of this chaos. All he wanted to do was spend his last breaths alone and in peace, reflecting on his victory. He was coming to terms with departing from this world. He had done his part in securing a better future for the Republic of Newfoundland.
Jason could see where Eric’s blood had gushed from his hand and spilt over the ground. Tracy had managed to sink her teeth into his flesh and ripped his finger clean off his hand. Jason had managed to save Eric from Tracy and Eric had prevented David from landing the killing blow. The two old friends had said their goodbyes. Jason wasn’t sure if Eric would have enough time to save Dana, but he had given him the cure for the zombie virus that had plagued the world. If Eric could get it into the right hands, humanity would finally have a fighting chance against the dead.
The wind and snow stopped without warning, one last thunderous roar of gunfire blared loudly before everything fell silent. The sun shined brilliantly through a break in the clouds, the golden glow pushing the clouds apart. The snow seemed to hang in the air, frozen in place against the background like white specks of paint on a canvas. A giant moose trotted out of the forest, holding it’s antlers up proudly as it knocked the snow from the branches. Its grey fur kept the animal warm and was made for the rugged winters of Newfoundland. Its large black eyes turned to look at Jason. They locked eyes and the majestic beast turned and trotted towards him. Jason reached out his filthy hand towards the animal. The moose stopped just outside of Jason’s reach, not getting close enough for him to touch. The moose’s eyes were wet and as black as the pure night sky, the animal looked like it was crying. Jason admired the creature’s antlers. They must have been nearly six-feet wide and the bones had remained unsoiled by the filthy creatures roaming the earth.
Jason didn’t know exactly why the moose had chosen this moment to come out of the woods or why it stood in front of him, staring down at him with its sad eyes. The mighty beast nodding its head up and down for some unknown reason before walking past Jason and heading towards the town. Jason looked over his shoulders and watched as the giant animal used its antlers to gore a shambling corpse that had wandered away from the city. The zombie’s stomach tore open, the blackened organs flooding over the moose. The foul corpse’s intestines hung from its stomach, swaying back and forth as the zombie lunged forward trying to bite the poor animal. Before the dead man could sink its teeth into the neck of the mighty moose, it flung the corpse head over heels into the sky. The zombie’s head smashed hard into the frozen ground, its neck snapping on impact. A gush of blood and rotten grey brain matter spilling out of a large crack that had split the creatures head wide open.
Jason looked down at Tracy once more. He stroked her blood soaked hair with his hand. He wanted nothing more than to stay here with his wife and look off into the sun set, wondering what the new world will become. He wished he didn’t have to leave her here. Jason had unfinished business. He wished he could have laid here and let the snow fall over him and Tracy, frozen together until the sun melted the white blanket in the spring, but Jason still had something to contribute. He struggled to his feet and reached down to move Tracy’s body towards the tree. He felt a sharp, hot burning pain in his chest from where David had crushed his ribs. He fought to get oxygen into his lungs, his breaths shallow and short. Jason knew that he would never be able to truly rest without knowing that David was dead. He knew Eric wouldn’t be able to kill the behemoth. Jason had to be the one to deliver the killing blow.
It would be the last thing he did before he would draw his last breath.
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Reptilia is the terrifying novella that tells the story of what happens when creatures – not unlike zombies themselves – infect a small military town and the havoc that ensues. Written by Bestselling Occult author Matthew LeDrew
Bio: Paul Carberry
Paul Carberry lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is a Logistics Officer with the Royal Canadian Navy. He lives with his wife Leah and their two incredible children, Dana and Rick.
Zombies on the Rock: The Republic of Newfoundland is his third novel in his Zombies on the Rock series. He has also had short fiction published in Fantasy from the Rock, Chillers from the Rock, and Flights from the Rock.
In his free time, Paul enjoys reading and watching just about any professional sport. He enjoys traveling, and trying all the different coffee shops in Atlantic Canada. His goal is to keep writing and hopefully entertain some people along the way.
MORE TITLES FROM ENGEN BOOKS
THE BLACK WOMB SERIES
BLACK WOMB
TRANSFORMATIONS IN PAIN
SMOKE & MIRRORS
ROULETTE
GHOSTS OF THE PAST
IGNORANCE IS BLISS
BECOMING
INNER CHILD
GANG WAR
CHAINS
THE LONG ROAD
THE XANDER DREW SERIES
SINISTER INTENT
THE INFINITY SERIES
INFINITY
THE TOURNIQUET REPRISAL
EXODUS OF ANGELS
THE ENGEN UNIVERSE
JACOBI STREET
Zombies On The Rock (Book 3): The Republic of Newfoundland Page 19