Then, with a loud crunching sound, a leg came through the windshield. The starring had hid him from sight, the gunfire apparently having covered the sound of the zombie jumping on the hood. Seb shot the foot straight through the heel, and then twisted the top until he felt bones wrench. The screams from outside stopped the others who were pounding on the car. Seb and Jack both kept shooting. But soon, the pounding started again. The screaming stopped, and Seb glanced over to see why, and realized they were eating the one who was stuck in the car.
“Oh my God, Dad. They’re eating him.” The horror in his son’s words beat at him in sorrow.
“And it may save our lives. I don’t understand how this works. But I guess they’re taking advantage of his helplessness,” he said as he shot another. “He’s not dead, but he can’t defend himself.”
God help him, but he was glad they ate their own if it saved Jack. Sickened, but glad. Hopelessness tried to gain traction within me, but I reminded myself that despite the odds, we had a chance. I shoved the leg which had come through the window back out, but it didn’t budge, so they just prepared to fire more shots as necessary.
Then Seb heard more noises. Fuck. Had more shown up, drawn by the screams and gunfire?
Epilogue
More had shown up, but, as we fought, a helicopter came and dropped a fine dust over us. Within minutes, the ones who were still alive began backing up and looking around as if in a daze. I didn’t trust the so-called cure then, and I don’t now, but, at the time, it worked to save our lives.
Then a man carrying a rifle with a scope joined us. “Sorry I didn’t get there sooner. I saw the pile-up, and turned off, into the hills. I came around on foot to see how far the problem went.”
I shook the man’s hand, grateful. Likely, without the extra firepower, they wouldn’t have held out until duster had reached them. “You helped save our lives. I’m Seb. This is Karla, Rachel, and Jack.”
“Hi. Nathan. Glad to be of help.”
They stood around, gaping at the carnage. Despite a desperate wish to not look at them, they had to be watched. Whatever the news might have said, I refused to hang out with the “newly cured” hordes. Nathan apparently had the same idea, as they all stood in a knot, guns and bows ready, not trusting that things were really all right.
The National Guard came and dug us out, burning bodies and clearing the vehicles. They even took my windshield—and the body still attached—and threw it on the fire. As soon as the National Guard let us, we all left. Nathan moved back toward the hills, and we headed to Yakima. Despite my being jumpy as a cat at a dog fight, we made it home without incident.
Jack, Rachel—whose parents were found dead—and I moved in with Karla. In the current state of things, officials were foregoing the normal procedures, so I had legal custody of Rachel within a week.
Life started to get back to the everyday, but we never forgot. We take two showers a day. Just in case. Karla found an abandoned puppy along the road and brought it home to Jack and Rachel. She gets a bath twice a day as well.
I don’t know if we’ll ever stop being paranoid about the zombie disease, but I don’t believe everything the news and government are telling me now. Neither does Karla. But as long as the symptoms are kept under control, we’re safe enough. Though I couldn’t help wondering, what do they do about the missing chunks?
I convinced my boss to fire Olivia. He found a few discrepancies and, after that, it didn’t take much for the boss to let her go. Things settled into a pattern, but still, I worry. And wake up covered in sweat from night terrors of the zombies surrounding us, and the dusters not coming in time.
One day, maybe they too will fade.
Biography
USA Today bestselling author Leona Bushman is a crazy writer taught by dragons and known as Dragon Queen of the North. She loves to write and paint, even when her muse tries to muck things up. She chases after the three out of the five children still at home, and sometimes after the other two and the grandbaby around her freelance editing jobs. She has many hobbies like SCA, painting, quilting, sewing, and gardening. Or, as one blogger succinctly put it, Leona Bushman is a whirlwind made of sheer will with a dash of clumsy to keep her grounded.
She can be found solving mysteries, exploring space, making art, and loving dragons and other creatures of the supernatural at these places:
Twitter: @L_Bushman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLeonaBushman
Facebook artist page: https://www.facebook.com/LeonaBushmanArtisteExtraordinaire/
Website: www.leonajbushman.com
Blog: www.lbushman.blogspot.com and www.lbushman.wordpress.com
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