by Max Lockwood
Matthew took a quick look at his watch. He had only been gone for about twenty minutes. If he could find the pills he was looking for and make it back to the office as easily as it had been to leave, then he was making great time. Hopping up onto the counter, he swung his legs around to access the room where the drugs were kept. Much to his surprise, the door was unlocked, so Matthew swung the door open and marched right in.
His lack of obstacles getting into the pharmacy attributed to the false confidence he had about the mission. Matthew accounted for all the evil creatures out on the streets, but he forgot about the ones who never got the chance to escape. Holed up in the storage room of the pharmacy were two workers who had become contaminated and turned within the confines of the building—and they were hungry.
The larger of the two was dressed in the store’s uniform. Matthew guessed that it was a cashier who had been attacked while working the register. The second was wearing a lab coat with the affiliated store’s logo embroidered on the lapel. This zombie was small and slight and wore a dangly earring from one lobe. The other ear appeared to be missing.
Both creatures seemed startled to see a human in their midst and took full advantage of the small space they were in. Starving for a taste of him, they were not subdued by the whacks of the baseball bat or the wild swings of the knife. In his panic, Matthew didn’t even notice that the door had closed and locked behind him.
Matthew fought for his life, nearly being overtaken by the zombies on a few occasions. Though they didn’t work as a team, they proved to be more than Matthew could handle on his own. One grabbed his arm and pulled so hard that he felt his shoulder pop out of place. Using his other hand, he made a last-ditch effort to destroy the larger zombie, stabbing it through the eye. It screamed in pain and crumpled to the ground, its brain pierced.
The smaller of the two was beginning to slow down. Unfortunately, Matthew was too. His injured shoulder ached, making it hard to swing a bat.
He needed to finish off the creature so he could be on his way, but seeing the zombie in the lab coat made his heart hurt. For the first time, he saw the zombie for what it really was—an unfortunate soul caught up in trouble. It was clear that this woman didn’t escape her place or employment quickly enough and was infected before she could flee. It wasn’t her fault that she was now a murderous corpse, terrorizing the remaining healthy people.
Still, there was nothing that Matthew could do for her. He swung the baseball bat, even though it caused him tremendous pain, and broke the creature’s skull. It crumpled to the ground, no longer able to torment him.
Trying not to look at what he had done, he quickly sifted through rows of industrial-sized pill bottles, searching for something to deal with extreme pain. Once he found the refill, he poured a handful of white pills into his empty bottle. He was about to leave when he noticed a prefilled orange canister of antidepressants. It appeared that the medication was prepared for someone who’d never had the chance to pick them up. After some contemplation, Matthew pocketed the tiny green pills just in case things got worse for him.
Though there was a store full of useful items to collect, Matthew zipped up the backpack and headed toward the door. Greediness would only get him into more trouble and he just wanted to get back to his friends.
Before leaving the store, Matthew cracked open a bottle of water and drank half of it as he looked out the storefront. There were still zombies in the area, but if he managed to run fast enough, he might be able to elude them. But his safety would depend on how quickly Ellie would open the door once he knocked. Even then, he risked bringing the danger home with him.
Tossing the bottle to the floor, he took a step outside, ready to fight. His injured shoulder throbbed, but he knew he would be able to rest it for an indefinite amount of time if he could return to the office in one piece. He was ahead of schedule, so he shouted to Ellie in his head, as if he could communicate telepathically across the street.
Matthew took a deep breath and made two long strides before freezing. He thought he heard the sound of a car engine, but he knew that wasn’t likely. He hadn’t seen survivors in quite some time, and the ones he found did not make it long. He had to have been hallucinating.
Hearing the snarling of the zombies on the street, Matthew worried that his hesitation had cost him valuable time. He backpedaled, ducking into the storefront as the noise came closer. He listened carefully, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. There was movement outside, and he had the feeling that it was human.
Once again, he prepared himself to make a run for it, stretching out like a track star before the starting gun went off. His eyes locked on the alleyway by the emergency exit, where Ellie was waiting for him on the other side. Forcing himself to just go for it, he was halfway through the street when he was nearly struck by a speeding vehicle. It screeched to a stop, just inches from his body.
Though his immediate reaction was to cower in fear, Matthew adopted a wide stance, gripping the baseball bat like he was in the major leagues. He didn’t know who was in the vehicle, but he would be damned if he’d show any weakness. As far as he knew, zombies didn’t possess the ability to drive vehicles. Their mental capacity was weakened by the disease that turned them so violent. But he had seen stranger things that he could not explain.
The driver’s door opened and Matthew puffed out his chest, ready to take down anyone who wanted to cause him harm. He waited for the driver to approach him, but instead, he saw the back of the man’s head as he jogged behind the car. With an inhuman screech and the sharp crack of a skull being broken, the zombies descended upon the mystery driver, hungry for fresh meat.
10
Matthew’s heart stopped. He couldn’t make sense of what was happening in the street. For the past few days, he had only seen zombies and helpless victims on the streets. Now, there was a military-issued Jeep right across from the office building where his companions waited for him. He was about to make a run for it while everyone in the vehicle was preoccupied with the hoard of zombies coming their way before he remembered what he had contemplated in prayer.
If the passengers were fighting off the zombies, then they couldn’t be terrible. Matthew realized that there were likely bad people who had survived, but he didn’t get the immediate gut reaction that the occupants of the vehicle were malicious.
In his moment of clarity on the top floor, he’d thought a lot about his purpose in life. Though he felt broken-down and weary, he felt his wife’s spirit nudging him forward. As he stood in the middle of the road while people got out of the car and ran into the action, he wondered if he was there for a reason, and not just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
By the time his shaky legs decided to work again, a crowd was forming behind the vehicle. Matthew counted three or four people exiting the vehicle, so the survivors were outnumbered by a wide margin. Baseball bat in hand, Matthew decided against self-preservation and went to help the cause.
The three men held rifles in their hands, but none of them fired. Instead, they used the butts of the guns to pound the zombies’ heads, sending them flailing to the ground. Matthew didn’t understand why they didn’t use their bullets—it seemed easier and much more effective.
Matthew approached the others and immediately dodged a blow to the face.
“Hey,” he shouted. “I’m trying to help you.”
A short man with tanned skin and dark hair quickly turned his head to look at Matthew. After ensuring he wasn’t contaminated, he turned back to face his opponent.
“My bad,” the stranger panted. “Good to have you.”
The others didn’t acknowledge Matthew, as any distraction would cause disaster. Instead of waiting for introductions, Matthew fought alongside the strangers, bashing zombies over the head with his bat. When his arm was about to give out, he switched to the knife, slitting the throats of any creature that dared to get back up from the ground.
The men worked methodically, bludgeoni
ng zombies as if they had plenty of practice. Matthew fit right in, mindlessly killing their attackers without rest.
When the number of zombies finally dwindled, a woman’s voice called from inside the vehicle.
“You guys should get back in,” she said nervously. “Let’s just get out of here.”
“We need supplies and shelter,” another man said. “We’re here for a reason.”
With one last blow to the head, the initial hoard lay in a pile on the street. Blood ran into the gutters like rainwater after a spring shower.
Matthew crouched down to the ground to catch his breath. He wondered if Ellie was still waiting at the door for him or if she had heard the commotion and gone to the front door to watch.
“I have shelter for you,” Matthew told the others. He knew Ellie and Genevieve would be furious at him for inviting in complete strangers, but he didn’t really have another option. It would seem strange to help these people fight off zombies, only to scurry away and retreat into a locked building.
“Yeah?” the tanned man asked. He was wearing military-issued boots, exactly like the ones Matthew used to wear.
He looked at the three men holding guns, plus the two women who popped their heads out of the car. They all looked hesitant. That, Matthew could understand. If he had a sturdy vehicle, he would never stop driving.
“It’s just that building right there,” Matthew said, pointing to the skyscraper. “I’ve spent the last few days securing it. It’s completely free of zombies and there’s plenty of space. We don’t have a ton of supplies, but I’ve gotten some essentials from the store. There are two women in there, waiting for me to come back. If you want in, we should go now. From my experience, we don’t have much time before more zombies arrive.”
The five looked at each other, silently debating their options. They were also wary of entering a strange building with someone they didn’t know. But they were in need of a place to rest and regroup. Perhaps it was worth the risk.
“Get in,” a man with dirty blonde hair said gruffly. The men returned to their seats, and one of the girls grabbed Matthew by the hand and helped pull him into the Jeep. The driver stomped on the gas and gunned it down the alleyway Matthew had pointed to. Matthew was the first to jump out of the truck, lunging toward the door. He knocked as hard and frantically as he could.
“All clear,” he shouted to Ellie. “Please hurry.”
The door opened a sliver and Matthew ripped it wide open, ushering the five into the building. Ellie jumped back and squealed, completely unprepared for visitors.
“It’s okay, Ellie,” Matthew said quickly as he closed the door behind the other survivors. “I found them outside.”
“Who are you?” Ellie asked, her mouth agape.
One of the men cleared his throat. He appeared to be around Matthew’s age. In fact, they all appeared to be close to the same age. Matthew reasoned that they knew each other before the disaster.
“My name is Carl,” the man said, lifting his hand for a short wave. “This is my sister, Pip,” he said, pointing to a slight blonde with big blue eyes. Matthew gathered she was the youngest. Her lips were slightly upturned in something between a smile and a smirk.
“I’m Sergio,” the tanned man who spoke to Matthew earlier said. “I’m friends with Carl.
“I’m Lucas,” the bleached blonde said, giving Matthew a wide smile. He was tanned and muscular, like he had spent a lot of time outdoors. “I didn’t know them until the shit hit the fan. I guess I’m the odd man out.”
“I’m Jennifer,” the other girl said shyly. Her dark brown eyes looked anxious, as if she were uneasy with their situation. She twirled a dark strand of hair around her finger as she spoke. “I’m friends with Pip.”
After their introductions, Matthew took a deep breath. It was going to be a challenge to remember all of their names and connections to each other. Matthew wasn’t great at making new friends.
“I’m Matthew,” he said bashfully. “This is Ellie. She’s a scientist. The other girl, Genevieve, is in our headquarters. She hurt her leg, so she mostly stays in there on the couch.”
“Nice to meet you two,” Carl said diplomatically, reaching his hand out for the two to shake. “I appreciate your letting us crash with you. We’ve been driving around for quite some time with little luck. Is this place really cleaned?”
Matthew nodded. “Sure is. It wasn’t completely overrun to begin with, but we made sure every floor was safe.”
“Nice,” Sergio said. “How’d you learn to fight like that? Did you play baseball or something?”
Matthew looked at the floor. “No, I used to be in the Army. I guess I picked up a few combat skills here and there.”
“Ha,” Sergio said, nudging Carl in the ribs. “He’s one of us. We’re Army too.”
“Yeah? Active duty?”
Carl nodded. “Yep. In fact, we were on leave when this thing started. We had been home for what, five hours?”
“Sounds about right,” Sergio replied. “Bad luck, I guess.”
“Or good luck,” Pip interjected. “It depends how you look at things.”
“True,” Ellie said. “Don’t know what we’d do without Matthew.”
“Did you know each other before the crisis?” Pip asked.
Matthew shook his head quickly. “Nope. I was kind of just drifting on my own. The girls were with another group, but they fractured off. We haven’t been traveling together for long.”
“Genevieve and I are scientists,” Ellie said brightly. “We’re not great at fighting, so Matthew’s been keeping us safe. We would be dead a long time ago if it weren’t for him.”
“Good for you,” Pip said to Matthew. Her eyes twinkled when she smiled.
“Yeah, well, we’ve come into our share of good luck,” Matthew said sheepishly. “Let me show you our little camp. Are you hungry or thirsty?”
“Yes,” Pip and Jennifer exclaimed in unison before breaking out into giggles.
“We were running low on supplies,” Lucas explained. “We stopped in the city to grab something to eat and drink when we ran into you.”
“Well, I’m glad you found each other,” Ellie said, leading the way back to the break room. She was taking the influx of guests much better than Matthew expected. He figured that she realized that she would have more protection, thus wouldn’t be so relied upon to do the dirty work.
“What is that unholy smell?” Pip asked as they neared the atrium. She pulled her shirt over her nose.
“Bodies,” Matthew said plainly. “I hate to admit it, but that’s what’s blocking the front door and keeping us safe.”
“Ugh,” Pip groaned. “Please tell me the whole building doesn’t smell like this.”
“Don’t worry. It doesn’t.” Ellie chuckled.
Matthew cleared his throat. He would have said the same thing, but after going outside, he found the stink to be far worse than he remembered. The smell of death hung in the air just about everywhere he went, but it was concentrated in the ground floor of the building.
Ellie knocked on the door to the room, bustling with excitement.
“Genevieve,” she said, “we have guests.”
Genevieve unlocked the door and peeked outside. “Who is guests?”
“I found them outside. I’ve got some stuff for your leg,” Matthew said.
Genevieve cautiously opened the door, balancing on one leg. She hopped back to the couch and hugged the throw pillow on her lap.
Genevieve, this is Carl, Sergio, Pip, Jennifer, and Lucas,” Ellie said. “Everyone, this is Genevieve.”
“Hello,” she said softly, her accent evident in every word she said.
“Parlez-vous Français?” Lucas asked, a big smile on his face.
“Oui.” She giggled. Matthew and Ellie looked at each other. They hadn’t seen the girl smile or laugh in several days.
The two spoke in rapid French. Matthew tried to pick up on what they were talking about, but he co
uldn’t listen fast enough to pick out any familiar words. The group of five looked at one another. Apparently, they didn’t know that their new friend spoke such fluent French.
“You didn’t tell us you spoke French, Lucas,” Pip chimed in.
“You never asked.” He chuckled. “I studied it in college. I’m a little rusty, but it’s nice to use that part of my brain again.”
“I would have never guessed.” Pip laughed. “To be perfectly honest, I took you for a dumb jock.”
“Pip,” Carl chided, embarrassed by his younger sister.
“Just kidding,” she recovered, though it was clear she’d spoken earnestly.
“Come in,” Matthew urged them, gesturing toward the furniture. The newcomers took to the chairs. Ellie scooped up a handful of snacks from the vending machine and placed them on the table.
“So, you never told us,” Sergio said to Matthew, “what was it like when you were called in to deal with the zombies? You were, right?”
Matthew shook his head as he bit off a piece of a granola bar. “I was honorably discharged a few years ago. I was going to culinary school and trying to start a new career as a chef.”
“Really?” Sergio said. “You’re so young.”
“Twenty-seven,” he answered. “I was injured and heard I would be eligible for discharge. I enlisted at age eighteen, so I was ready to try something new. Were you two called in to help?”
“Yeah,” Carl answered. “I wasn’t happy about it. In fact, I’m also a little tired of our line of work. We’d just gotten home and we were called to base. But there was a breakout there, and the only thing we could do was contain it. We shot so many commanding officers . . .” he said, trailing off.
“Naturally, we booked it out of there,” Sergio said. “We had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into. Along the way, we picked up Lucas. Then we just drove aimlessly. Ideally, we’re trying to get somewhere without zombies. Obviously, we haven’t found what we’re looking for yet.”