by Jean Booth
“Oh my god,” A woman cried out when she saw the screen.
“What is that?” the heckler asked.
“We need to load up and prepare for attack. The zombies are invading,” Frank said. His voice was calm, authoritative, and lacking the terrible fear he felt. He couldn’t pull his eyes away from the screen. Dozens and dozens of zombies poured across the grass in front of the fence, lumbering and shuffling toward the compound.
No one had believed that they might actually be attacked here. This was their safe haven. Slowly, Frank realized no one had moved. They were all staring at the grainy black and white screens in front of them. He clapped his hands together to gain their attention.
“Come on people. This is just like one of our drills. Grab your weapons and get to your places. We need to defend our home and protect the children. Let’s go. We’ve only got about five minutes until they’re at our door.”
They exploded into action, barricading the windows with plywood boards that were pre-cut and sitting underneath each window for this precise situation. Six of the survivors ran into the master bedroom to get shotguns. They sat in the living room with the children and Dog and waited. Hopefully, none of them would get the chance to fire their weapons.
The remaining adults went into the same closet and loaded up on weapons and ammo. Frank and Mark stayed close to the house to walk the perimeter, Frank in front of the house, Mark behind. Jennifer, along with three men, David, Chris, and Josh, ran to the two-story building and set up their sniper positions. Alex and Jeremy loaded up with extra ammo and returned to the gate they guarded. Bryant alone patrolled the inside fence line.
Frank sorely missed the others in that moment. He wanted the four other shooters that were still out on raids. Frank was scared, but he knew that Sarah and Matt had trained them all well enough for this scenario.
“Do you see anything?” Jennifer called out from the roof, from her position on the eastern side of the house. Frank saw her continue to scan the open plane with her scope. “Jesus.”
Chris, Josh, and David scrambled over to Jennifer’s side of the roof, looking for the sight that caused her olive skin to pale. They all drew back in horror. The small computer screen had been extremely misleading. Stumbling their way was a horde of zombies. There must’ve been close to a hundred of them.
“We’re not going to survive this,” Chris whispered.
“Shut up,” Jennifer replied. “We do what we practiced, what Matt taught us. We protect the farm and the kids.”
“There are so many,” Josh said. He cocked his weapon, loading a round into the chamber for when the infected were in range.
“There’s probably at least one leading them all. It’ll look almost human. Don’t underestimate it. They’re nothing like we expected them to be,” Jennifer warned, readying her gun as well.
The two other men followed suit, getting ready for action. It was completely silent on the farm while the snipers waited for the zombies to enter their firing range. Jennifer was the first to fire, her bullet hitting a lumbering zombie in the forehead. Its brains splattered on the faces of the infected behind it before it fell to the ground, as dead as it should’ve been. The others continued on as if nothing had happened, stepping on and over their fallen brethren as if he were simply another bump in the grass.
The four shooters plucked away at the zombie horde, each taking careful aim for headshots. Any other shot would be a wasted bullet. The hope was to at least thin the herd before it reached the perimeter.
“Fuck, the anticipation is killing me,” Alex exclaimed to Jeremy.
“I know, right? I just want to run out and kill the bastards already,” Jeremy replied, his skin glistening with sweat.
“Here they come,” Bryant said as he passed by the gatekeepers.
Sure enough, pale, grimy hands could be seen on top of the fence. As soon as the heads popped into sight, the three men shot. Jennifer and her team continued plucking away at the mass of infected and the three men steadily shot at those that attempted to breach the walls.
“Holy fuck,” Alex exclaimed in surprise as a zombie was thrown over the fence by what he could only assume was another zombie. Three more followed. The men started shooting the ones that were inside the fence, hoping to eliminate that problem before resuming their concentration on the wall.
Frank and Mark joined in on the action in the yard, both taking careful aim and doing their best to remember these weren’t humans they were killing, but creatures that should’ve died a long time ago. They helped kill the infected inside the fence, more and more joining the fallen zombies every second. Headshots were extremely difficult and sometimes took a few bullets before achieving; Frank began to worry they might run out of ammo before they even made a dent in the horde.
The shots continued for what seemed like hours, but in reality were only a few moments. Magazine after magazine was replaced, the empties piling up higher than the fulls. Frank thought someone should start replenishing the ammo out here. The magazines had to be refilled before the shooters completely ran out and were overwhelmed by the zombies’ presence.
Frank’s gun clicked empty. He took that as a sign to start loading magazines and enlisting the women’s help in filling everyone else’s magazines also. He ran inside with his empties, unable to hear much of anything and yelled orders at the women.
“We need the mags filled, now. Here are some to start with; I’ll bring in more shortly. If one of you wants to help gather empties, that would be great. Let’s go.”
One of the women stepped forward, volunteering to gather the empty magazines from the others while the rest of the women and children went about filling magazines as quickly as they could.
SARAH
Sarah and Matt jumped back into their van and sped over to the semi, not caring if Sergeant Stevens and his team followed or not. They had to help the others and they needed to see who was left from the first raid.
“What’s going on? How’d this happen?” Matt asked Emery as they reached the semi.
“Shit, man, I don’t know. We just pulled up ourselves. How do we get in without getting eaten or shot?” he said, unable to look away from the carnage before him.
The zombies were piling up their dead to use as a ladder of sorts, to breach the electrified barbed fence. Bodies were draped artistically over the top to protect the other zombies from harm. Sarah could smell the charred flesh of those who were unlucky enough to have touched the electrified barbs.
“I say we start at the rear and start shooting. It looks like they’ve got a nice chunk knocked out, maybe we can help on the backside. Hopefully the others will realize we’re not infected when they see us shooting,” Sarah suggested, mentally calculating how much ammo she and Matt still had and knowing it wouldn’t be nearly enough. She wasn’t sure what else to do though. They couldn’t just stand by and watch as their fellow survivors were destroyed.
“That’s as good a plan as any. Are the rest of you as loaded up as these two?” Sergeant Stevens asked, startling the small group.
Emery shook his head.
“We ran into some problems at the store. We have more weapons than before, but we lost Michael. There’s no way we have enough to obliterate that,” he said, gesturing at the horde of infected still trying to crawl over the fence.
“What happened to Michael?” Sarah asked, pained at the loss of a good man. “You know what, never mind. Tell me later. Right now, let’s get down there and help the others.”
They all nodded, and began running across the bridge and into the fight with guns drawn. Brains and blood splattered all over the place when they began shooting. They took out the zombies systematically and efficiently, each taking a section of the field. Sarah refused to think beyond the shot. No one could deal with the repercussions of their actions just yet and they needed to continue to shoot. They’d deal with their guilt and remorse later.
Between the shooters in front and the shooters in back, the zombie
horde was almost completely obliterated within minutes. Sarah’s guns clicked empty and she cursed as she reached for empty holsters. She was completely out of ammo. All she had left to defend herself was the large knife in her boot. She reached for it just as a voice registered in her ear.
“You don’t know how I’ve waited for this,” Jessica said. “The brains of the sick and dying can only sustain a body for so long. But yours. Oh, yours will be a delight.”
Her gleeful laugh scared Sarah into action.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, turning to face her would-be destroyer. Jessica had seemed so normal, so human. Sarah wondered briefly if the other people in the army were infected as well but shook off the thought as a problem for later.
“I’d heard rumors that there was one, a leader of the cleansed who was smart, cunning, and so intelligent she could sustain one of us for months. I was afraid to believe it. You can’t imagine my surprise and joy at finding you. Leaving you alone in the store was almost too much. I held on, waiting and hoping to have you lead me here. I’ll never be hungry again with all these fresh brains at my disposal. I’ll start with yours.” Jessica lunged at Sarah, her hands curved into claws and teeth bared in a growl.
Sarah ducked and rolled away, pulling her knife out of her boot and holding it with the blade still tucked, hidden against her arm. She’d only have one chance to kill the monster in front of her. She had to make it count. Jessica lunged at her again and this time Sarah brought her arm up as hard as she could, slicing across Jessica’s throat, cutting herself in the process.
The blade completely severed Jessica’s head from her body, blood spurting from her neck in time to the slow beat of her pulse. Sarah flipped the knife, plunging it hilt deep into Jessica’s skull.
She looked up, arm dripping blood to mix with the already blood-soaked landscape. Bodies lined the ground. Brains, blood, and other bodily fluids mixed with the decayed corpses, releasing a stench she’d never forget.
She had survived their first attack on the farm. Sarah knew in her heart that they’d continue to survive for as long as it took to take back their world.
JESSICA
One Month Prior to Outbreak
“You don’t have to do this, you know. There’s still time. They caught it early, you still have options,” Jessica pleaded with Caleb, her voice breaking. He’d only recently been diagnosed with AIDS and she knew there was still time. There were still things they could do to help him. He didn’t have to risk his life on this untested, unapproved treatment.
“They said this was proven to not only stop the progression, but to eliminate it completely, Jess. I’d rather try it now, while I’m still healthy enough to fight. I don’t want to wait for this to not be an option,” he said. There was a tremor in his voice that Jessica wisely ignored. She knew he was trying to be brave.
“It’s been proven on primates, Caleb. Not humans,” she said with irritation. She wanted him to understand the risk he was taking. They didn’t know how this vaccine, this cure, would react with the human genes.
“You want to go with me?”
He was trying to act like he was doing her a favor, but she knew he needed her there with him. She knew he thought he couldn’t breakdown anymore. They were adults and he was supposed to be a man, not a scared little boy who still needed his sister’s support. Some days she wished Caleb still felt comfortable being that little boy who depended on his big sister.
“Of course, what a silly question. I love you, Caleb.” She pulled him close to her, hugging him fiercely and wishing that this conversation wasn’t necessary. Hoping that this was all a very bad dream.
Jessica sat in the uncomfortable hospital chair, waiting for the time when Caleb would be released. She hated these three hours more than anything else, but she stayed and would continue to wait for him for as long as he needed her here. He was her brother, after all.
She thought, as she often did, about how they had wound up in this situation in the first place. No matter how often she replayed things in her mind, she could only come up with one answer.
It was her fault.
Had she paid closer attention, been more available to Caleb these past few months, he never would’ve hooked up with that stupid girl. Cassandra had been beautiful and intoxicating. Like any powerful drug, she had lured Caleb in, got him hooked and destroyed his life. Jessica still wasn’t exactly sure how he had contracted the AIDS, but she knew it was that whore’s fault. Either the little bitch had been sleeping around on him or they had used dirty needles when they’d been experimenting.
Had Jessica been around, Caleb never would’ve even thought about becoming involved with Cassandra in the first place. He’d still be safe and they wouldn’t be entrusting his life to doctors and their experimental cure.
“Code Gray to the S.T.U, Code Gray to the S.T.U,” a crackled voice called over the intercom.
Jessica glanced up at the clock, wondering what S.T.U meant. He heart leapt into her throat. She’d been sitting here for over three hours. Security and people in scrubs ran past the waiting room, straight toward where her brother’s room was. She leapt out of her chair and ran toward the door the staff was rushing through. The badges on their scrubs allowed them access to the usually locked doors. Jessica grabbed one of the nurses.
“I’m sorry, but I have to know,” she said, “please, my brother’s in there. I have to know what’s going on.”
“I’m not sure just yet miss, but when it’s over I can find out what’s going on with your brother for you. What’s his name?” she replied gently.
“Caleb. Caleb Gibbs. Please. I have to know if he’s okay.” Jessica felt her knees grow weak. She knew in her gut that something bad had happened, that all this excitement was because of Caleb. The nurse turned to leave.
“What’s a Code Gray?” Jessica asked.
“It means someone’s being abusive,” the nurse replied as she ran through the magnetic doors.
Jessica fell back into her seat as she noticed the sign on the doors for the first time. Special Treatment Unit. It couldn’t be Caleb. He’d never even killed a spider. He was way too gentle. It had to be someone else. She fidgeted as she continued to watch people rush by the waiting room doors. Her right foot tapped an impatient tempo against the floor.
She heard a scream as someone else ran through the doors. She jumped up, running after the last few people and into the secured area. She froze at the sight before her.
Amidst the chaos swirling around the unit, Caleb was calmly sitting on his bed. He had a blood pressure cuff inflated on his arm and was draining blood into a large syringe.
Jessica slumped in relief. He was okay. It wasn’t him who was in trouble. Although, she wondered, why is he extracting blood from himself, shouldn’t a nurse or a doctor be doing that?
“Caleb,” she called out.
He looked up at her, revealing a blood-soaked jaw and bits of gore stuck to his chin. His eyes had a dull, glassy look to them. Blood was congealing in thick globs throughout his messy hair.
Beneath his bed were the decapitated bodies of staff. Their heads were tossed across the bed, skulls opened and empty of the organ they were supposed to protect.
She blanched. The sounds of munching finally registered just as arms wrapped around her torso. She heard an inhuman shriek of terror leave her mouth.
“Stop.” Caleb’s voice was menacing, filled with more command and warning than she’d ever heard before. “Not her.” The thing behind her released its grip.
“C-Caleb?” she asked, her voice thick with fear.
He smiled, bits of brain that were stuck between his teeth showing. His grin was no longer filled with innocent boyish charm, but had become a macabre parody of itself.
“Glad you could join us sister. Come. Let me share this gift with you.” He waved toward her in a gesture of welcome, his other hand still grasping the blood-filled syringe.
“What gift? Caleb, what have you done?”
Her voice was breathy, incredulous. She couldn’t believe the massacre in his room.
His eyes narrowed with her accusing tone. “Only what you asked me to do. I’ve lived.” A warning note sounded under his tone.
“But—” she started, unable to finish her question. She simply opened her arms, encompassing the room filled with corpses, her gaze blurring as she looked around at all the death. She looked back up at her brother, tears spilling down her cheeks.
In a blink, he was in her face, spitting mad. “Don’t you dare. You left me. You begged me to find help. If you would’ve stayed, protected me like you were supposed to, cared for me like you promised, none of this would’ve happened. This is your doing.”
His accusations cut her to the core. He was voicing everything she’d been feeling since she had come back from college and found out he’d contracted AIDS.
“Caleb, I—” she started, her voice tight with pain.
“No worries, Jess. Unlike you, I keep my promises. I’ll live, and so will you. You’ll never be a victim.” He smiled, before lowering his voice. “I promise.”
She’d never forget his smile, even if she lived to be a hundred. It was filled with more hate than she thought possible. Even his dead eyes couldn’t hide his loathing from her.
“What do you mean?” she asked as she slowly backed away from the brother she loved more than life. His hand gripped hers tightly.
“What—” she screeched as the blood-filled syringe was shoved unceremoniously through the palm of her hand, its contents injected before she could push him away.
“Goodbye, sister,” he said, as her mind went dark.
JESSICA
She was writhing in agony on the floor, her insides burning with pain.
Darkness.
She felt something slick slide down her throat. It had the texture of overcooked lasagna noodles, but warm and chunky, like they’d been left on the stove too long. The same substance filled her hands, and it fell apart as she shoveled it into her mouth.