She started with the least dangerous inhabitants, unlocking gates and doors and throwing them wide open before moving along to the next. Some of the inhabitants didn’t even seem to notice that they were free at first, others waited until she was some distance away before bolting for freedom. The bolder characters were out almost before she had even gotten her key out of the lock, but some would never make it out at all. Each familiar character that she was too late to save saddened her deeply.
The process took time, but not as much as she had thought it might. She chattered away the whole time, greeting everyone by name and apologising for forgetting them. Although she got no thanks, she knew they were grateful to her.
Selena had no trouble until she came to Freddie. He was visibly agitated by his friend, Bart, who was laid on the ground, clearly in the final stages of his life. A hideous, choked braying was escaping from him and mixing with the general ruckus surrounding them.
“I’m so sorry, Freddie. I should have come sooner,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. He looked at her silently, making her feel even guiltier, while she clicked the lock open. When she stepped inside and tried to approach his dying friend, he stamped angrily at her, warning her to keep away.
“I want to help him,” she tried to explain, but Freddie wasn’t interested. He kicked her hard in the shin and sunk his teeth into her arm. Selena began to cry and backed away, sobbing her apologies.
With a final look towards Bart, who was still writhing, but with much less energy now, she fled.
When she arrived at the first of the more dangerous residents, she was much more careful, making sure that they were far enough away that she would have time to run.
The screams and cries started only moments later. She found that those who were fleeing their confines diverted any attention away from her presence, as they became targets of the barbaric violence. The sounds were awful but she carried on. Selena had known they would fight, and tried to tell herself that it came down to survival of the fittest. It didn’t seem fair on the weaker ones but they probably wouldn’t have made it anyway.
She hoped that most of them had been fast enough and were long gone by now. The rest were too preoccupied to pay her any mind when she tried to tell them to run.
Selena watched her back at every corner, her eyes darting all around but somehow she did it. All but Saman were freed from their prisons. The howling, yelping, and shrieking was deafening, but she could hear him booming out above them all.
Selena weaved her way carefully back through the chaos, ducking out of the path of anyone charging in the opposite direction, until she made it back to him.
“Oh, Saman,” She soothed. “See, I told you that I’d be back.”
He was positively furious by that point. She could see it in his eyes and flaring nostrils. She didn’t want to have to face that fury, but neither would she leave him here. He paced back and forth, back and forth. His head darted in the direction of anyone else that ran past, but his gaze always returned to her. He wanted her more than anything in that moment.
“Okay, now, be nice. Please don’t hurt me, Saman. I’m your friend, remember? I love you.” Selena’s voice wavered anxiously as she unlocked the first of the gates. He stopped his pacing and watched her attentively. “Stay calm, it’s alright.”
Selena clicked the second lock, the one that would set him free.
And that was when he pounced. Hunger shone in his eyes and the gate flung open.
Selena was pinned helplessly beneath 320lbs of African Lion. Luckily for her, Saman’s first bite was the only one she felt. Her life was extinguished by the powerful jaws of the animal she had adored most in all the world.
30.
‘It had only been a short drive through the baron, yellow, rocky hills when we started to notice signs for upcoming towns. We passed right by Mack and Loma without stopping. Instead, we stuck to the interstate, which hugged the Colorado River for a while, before bringing us to the welcome centre in a town called Fruita. It looked like as good a place as any to fill the tank whilst avoiding being overwhelmed by zombies. It couldn’t have taken us much more than half an hour to get there from our breakfast stop.
I was still quiet after our discussion about the CDC, but mostly over it by then. Still, my gaze remained on anything but my travel companions. The tinted windows stained the landscape beyond them, dulling its beauty through an inky filter. However, the day was warming up and so I rolled down my passenger window. The sun was higher now and its rays sparkled on the water that ran alongside the road. The clouds were ebbing away and the sky was clear and bright. The closer we drew to town, the more abandoned vehicles we weaved around. Until eventually, we were driving on the dirt to avoid a solid block of cars and trucks that jammed the road. There were people, too. Well... Dead ones. They ran after us, making Andy speed up, and his driving had Frank gripping the edge of his seat for dear life. Occasionally, he would suggest that we slow down as the immense vehicle lurched over rocks or around a stray car. Ultimately, we were just grateful to get there in one piece.’
“Hold on, I gotta make a right.” Andy sounded way too happy as he swung the typhoon around at the first roundabout.
“Enough already! We’re here! Now, slow down!” Frank pleaded, bracing himself with his arms and one leg.
Andy slammed on the breaks and everyone jolted forwards. They slowed to a crawl in order to skirt around a lorry that had overturned.
“Sorry about that,” He said quite cheerily. “I cut it a bit close that time.”
“My god,” Lucy breathed. “His driving is going to kill us.”
“Nahh, it’s all good,” Andy reassured her.
The car turned right at the following roundabout and then again immediately after that. This brought them into a parking lot where they found themselves facing four sets of gas pumps. One of them was still occupied by a car, which had its driver’s door gaping open, and beyond the pumps was a wide building with lettering that named it as the ‘Loco’ Travel Stop. Loco was as good a word as any for what appeared to have happened there.
There were also signs for ‘Starvin’ Marvin’s’ and ‘Subway’, but what may have once been a pleasant and cheerful rest stop, was now crawling with grisly, undead patrons.
“I am not looking forward to this,” Harry stated, breaking his silence and looking through his window to assess the body count. He could see stumbling figures in all directions and they were beginning to notice their arrival. Others were still stumbling after them and following down from the road.
To the left of the gas station, Andy observed a woman charging out from what looked to be a market tent. The canvas sheets were bordered by a barrier of hay bales, which toppled over and burst onto the tarmac as she ploughed through them. Her focus was set intently on them and she abandoned her produce stand to investigate the fresh meat.
Across the road behind them, was an inn. Its sizable car park was skirted by bushy trees that had obscured them from view. However, the noise of their vehicle, combined with the excited groans and growls of hungry zombies, was attracting more attention from that direction. At first, the bodies meandered curiously through the trees, but their eyes were set alight by the commotion.
Harry rolled his window back up quickly, as the first of the zombies tumbled over the guardrail and into the car park after them. They climbed over each other thoughtlessly, each wanting to be the first to gain their feet and claim their prize.
“I’m going onto the roof again,” Frank told them all, as he got up from his seat. “We can’t open fire on them all and risk this place going up in flames, but I can probably pick off a few.” He was already rummaging through the weapon box as he spoke, and when he emerged, he had a sniper rifle in his hand. He pocketed a box of ammo and loaded the gun before slinging it up through the sunroof.
“Andy, Harry, can one of you switch places with me?” Pete requested. “It’ll be easier to get out from the front instead of lowering the r
amp, and then I can take some out with my machete.”
“I’ll do it,” Andy told him. “Pass me a weapon.”
Lucy obliged, picking out another sharp machete, whilst Frank hauled himself out of the truck. Xin positioned herself at a gun port with an assault rifle, searching out a safe direction to shoot in.
“Both of us,” Pete said to Andy. “Be careful, though.”
Harry climbed into the back to allow Pete into his seat.
“Ready?” Andy asked Pete. Pete nodded once in reply and they both cracked their doors open. They stabbed at the monsters on the other side and cleared enough space to open them fully. The first muted shots from the sniper zipped across the lot at the same time as Andy slammed his door behind him and took down the first grizzled old man. Pete also jumped from the car as his assailant crumpled before him. He kicked away an approaching woman and grabbed the next by her hair, thrusting the blade through her temples.
Andy was forcing the dead back and away from the car on his side. They fell around him as he hacked and slashed. A mangled young boy was the only one to catch him of guard. His small hands grabbed onto Andy’s leather jacket from behind and he sunk his teeth into the waist. Andy let out a cry of surprise and retched himself away, kicking out at the child as he did so. The child fell backwards and, without pause, Andy stamped, hard, on his head. His fragile skull gave out beneath Andy’s foot, leaving the boy looking misshapen but still alive. When he stamped again, the bone fractured into pieces. With one final stomp just for good measure, mushy red and pink splattered out across the ground and coated his boot. The boy was still and Andy quickly regained himself and moved onto the next.
“I can’t get a shot!” Xin exclaimed with frustration. “I’m going out there as well.” She pulled the rifle back into the car and climbed into the driver side.
“Then I’m coming too,” Lucy told her, unholstering her handgun.
Harry sighed. He couldn’t sit around forever, especially if the girls were joining the fray.
“Let’s do this,” He said with flat determination.
With Pete and Andy holding the zombies off on either side, it was easy for them to pile out onto the tarmac and take a stand. For a long time, all there was in the world was the firing of guns, the flashing metal of blades and the falling of bodies. The good thing about the zombies was that they were simple. Their dead eyes didn’t betray a hint of intelligence, just the carnal longing to feed. If the monsters that outnumbered them had been capable of executing any kind of battle plan, the fight would have been lost in a heartbeat. Instead, they just kept flinging themselves forward and the team would hack them right back.
Eventually the group stood, panting and breathless, surveying a vista of twitching bodies. The car engine was still running. The hum that it emitted, and their breathing, seemed to be the only noise after the clamour of their fighting. Xin lowered her rifle. Pete worked his way around each of the bodies that still moved, piercing their heads swiftly and moving on to the next.
“Andy, I saw that kid!” Frank called worriedly as he jumped down from the roof. “Did he get you?” He skidded a little, as he hit the ground and hurried over to him.
“I feel okay...” Andy said, pulling his jacket off and twisting to get a better look at his side. “Can’t see any blood or anything.”
“Are you sure?” Frank asked him.
Andy held his jacket up in front of him, turning it to examine the area the boy had bitten. “It didn’t go through,” He sighed with relief. “Look.”
Frank lifted the leather closer to his face. He could see the vague imprints left by small teeth but the material was intact. “You’re a lucky bastard!” He smiled, clapping Andy’s shoulder.
“I guess it’s a good thing that I didn’t listen to Mom when she told me I shouldn’t wear things like this,” He laughed, rolling his eyes. “Too many studs... You look like a thug,” He muttered, running a hand over the leather. His face lost some of its humour as he thought about her.
Pete was wiping the gore from his machete onto a plaid shirt that one of the fallen zombies was wearing. “We need to get finished here quickly. We don’t know if there are others in the area that might have heard us. Frank, can you drive her over to the pumps?”
After Frank had done so, they discovered that the power that pumped the gas was out. And whatever backup power the place could have had, didn’t seem to be working.
“Fuck,” Frank cursed. “Fuck, fuck, fuck! We aren’t gonna make it much further if we don’t fill up.”
“Chill, dude,” Andy said. “There are plenty of cars and trucks here, we can just syphon them. I’ve done it before.”
“In that case, you two can see to that,” Pete told them. “The rest of us should see if we can find anything inside.”
The other four split up to search. Lucy and Harry took the restaurants, and Xin and Pete headed for the shop. They walked in awkward silence, neither quite knowing what to say.
“So... How are you doing with all of this?” Pete asked her eventually.
“Not bad, I suppose,” Xin replied. “We don’t have much choice but to endure it really, do we? We have to keep going. I mean, look at Andy, he lost his parents only yesterday.”
“Yeah, he’s a tough one,” Pete said. “I’m glad he wasn’t hurt back there.”
“Me too,” Xin agreed. “I’m not sure how well Harry is coping with it all. I think it’s getting to him more than we know.”
“Yeah, it’s not like him to get as mad as he did about the disease control place.” Pete was trying to stay alert, which detracted from the concern in his voice. “I’m sure he’s just stressed. The nightmares he’s been having must be bothering him and he’s probably not sleeping much.”
“That seems quite likely,” she responded. “I just hope that it doesn’t change him too much, he’s a good man. Say, did you mean what you said to him? When you were defending me, I mean.”
“Yeah, of course,” Pete said, without needing to think about it. He stopped scanning the area for a moment and turned his attention to her, smiling. “I feel like I really know you, and you’re a good, strong, intelligent and honest woman.”
“Oh... Thanks,” Xin said, feeling warmth rush to her cheeks. She hoped that she wasn’t blushing.
They were only a few steps away from the store front when, without thinking, Xin took Pete’s hand and stopped him in his tracks.
“What’s wrong?” Pete asked, whipping around, ready to defend them at a moment’s notice.
Xin didn’t reply. She looked up at him, and then leaned forwards on her tiptoes to plant a light kiss on his mouth. He was startled and barely had a chance to register what was happening, let alone kiss her back. A moment later, she had dropped his hand and pulled away, before striding off in front and leaving him thoroughly bewildered. She was smiling to herself and trying to hide her embarrassment by peering in through the shop window and pretending nothing had happened. Pete smiled too and followed after her wordlessly. He cupped his hand to the glass, blocking the sun so that he could see better.
“It looks ransacked,” Pete stated.
“Mhm...” Xin’s heart was still beating a little too fast and she hoped that her voice wouldn’t quaver. “There could still be something useful in there.”
Pete straightened up and walked over to the door. He tapped the handle of his blade on the glass and waited. Sure enough, a muted chorus of groaning started up inside.
“Looks like there’s three of them,” He sighed. “Here goes.”
Pete burst through the door and Xin followed close behind. They were greeted by a scraggly haired woman with one side of her face gnawed away, a middle aged guy who looked like he had probably been a trucker and another slightly older man in faded, blood-stained coveralls. There was an empty pushchair knocked aside in one of the isles. Xin guessed that the woman must have been the mother of the boy outside. She felt a small amount of remorse as she aimed her gun towards her and pulled th
e trigger. Xin then quickly handled the older man, whilst Pete took down the last one. When she store was clear, they glanced around at the mess of upended shelves.
“Let’s see what we can find then,” Pete said. Xin grimaced but set to work, picking through the disarray.
31.
‘Boy, I was hungry. In fact, I wasn’t just hungry, I was starving. For the past few days, I’d been so famished that I was repeatedly checking the fridge, even though I knew that it was empty and no longer working, just in case I’d overlooked something, anything really, one measly hunk of cheese or pot of old yoghurt. When I went to the windows I could see them all outside. On the worst occasions, I’d see my wife when I looked out there. My beautiful wife was still wearing her pearls, wandering near our mailbox. The writing on it continued to declare this the home of ‘The Smithson’s’. But it wasn’t really, not anymore at least. It was just me, locked inside, all alone and wasting away. There I was, scared and hiding like a coward behind the curtains. I did eventually step away from the windows, but not before she’d already seen me. That’s when I drifted upstairs so that I didn’t have to see her face, twisting and growling at me. I couldn’t stand to see her lips curling with anger anymore. It always looked like she was snarling my name. ‘Chaaaaarles’. It was many hours before she left and I finally dared to venture back downstairs.
Charles was growing more and more distressed by the day. In one moment of pure desperation, he’d blacked out and found himself chewing frantically on a discarded newspaper. He was ashamed to admit that he’d not stopped chewing, even once he’d returned to his senses. The mushy pulp churning in his mouth had repulsed him and he’d gagged before managing to swallow it down. Even that had been a small relief and he was grateful for the sensation of having something in his stomach again.
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