by Dan McMartin
The bedroom was small with only the one door leading out to the main room and one small window that even Anna would have trouble squeezing through. They were trapped. The men out in the main room were shocked and shouting at one another. Pete could hear the fear in their voices. They weren’t hardened killers but simply desperate opportunists.
“Pete, what are we going to do?” Anna whispered in his ear. Pete shrugged. He wasn’t sure but he didn’t want to wait there to die.
“You two leave right now and we won’t kill you like we killed Ben,” Pete shouted. The men whispered harshly but Pete couldn’t make it out.
“No, you put down your guns and we’ll let you and the woman go,” the remaining new man offered.
“But I’m horny, Randy,” Mark, the meth head, said quietly.
“Shut up, Mark,” Randy warned him. “So, you leave alive and we keep the cabin,” Randy offered a second time.
“Why don’t you come in here and we’ll discuss it,” Anna shouted angrily.
“You should shut your bitch up before we just come in there and kill you both,” Mark said.
“Jesus, shut up, Mark,” Randy replied. Mark was reckless and bold but it sounded like Randy was aware that this situation probably wasn’t going to turn out well for either party. Pete wondered what to do next. They were trapped and he couldn’t see a way out.
Randy, however, seemed reasonable. There was no way to tell for sure but Pete didn’t think he was necessarily a bad man. Pete was pretty sure Randy didn’t like Mark, maybe he was just traveling with the addict out of necessity. “Why don’t you ditch the meth head and we can talk. There’s plenty here for the three of us,” he told Randy and winked at Anna to let her know he wasn’t going crazy.
“Fuck you,” Mark shouted but Randy didn’t say a word. Was he thinking it over or was he making a move? Pete steadied his shotgun, anticipating an attack. The beams from the flashlights bounced off the walls as if the men were moving. Anna got to her knees on the floor next to the bunk, rested her elbows on the platform and pointed her revolver past Pete toward the door.
The cabin was deathly quiet for long moments. The only sound Pete could hear was his own breathing. Then he heard something else. A raspy breathing and a dragging sound. He looked back at Anna and could see she heard it too.
“What the...,” Randy said and then screamed. Suddenly, there was gunfire and bodies fell to the floor. The sounds were unmistakable now. The growling, the gnashing of teeth and the screaming told Pete that a zombie had found them.
“Oh, fuck!” Mark shouted.
“Fucking shoot it,” Randy yelled. Pete motioned for Anna to stay still but she wasn’t about to move or make a sound anyway. Mark shot at the zombie, or so Pete assumed. Randy screamed louder as the clear sound of teeth tearing flesh could be heard. Mark emptied his revolver and then started screaming like a little girl.
Randy was sobbing as Pete dared to see what was going on. He climbed off the bunk but Anna grabbed his arm. He nodded at her, telling her he would be careful. He crept towards the door. Mark was squealing now and Randy was begging for help. Pete peeked through the door as the zombie gained its feet and began advancing towards Mark.
Mark was backed up against the kitchen counter, too scared to do anything but whine and beg for his life. But the zombie didn’t care. It was hungry and needed to feed. It lunged before Pete could react and sank its teeth into Mark’s neck. His screaming turned to gasping and gurgling as the zombie tore his throat out. Pete looked on in horror. Even a man like Mark didn’t deserve to die like that.
Anna was there suddenly behind Pete but he nudged her away and leveled his shotgun. The shot would kill both the zombie and Mark but he was dead already. Pete pulled the trigger and the horror ended in a thundering blast and splattering of blood, brains and bone. The zombie and its victim slumped over and fell to the floor. No telling how much of their supplies were ruined in the process.
Randy was still sobbing on the floor in a pool of his own blood. Pete grabbed the flashlight that lay on the floor and shined it at the dying man. “Ugh,” Pete exclaimed as he looked. Anna gasped too as she saw the extent of the wounds. Randy’s shoulder was exposed to the bone, his neck torn to shreds and his jugular pumping blood onto the floor of the cabin.
Pete and Anna stared at the poor man as Randy’s eyes pleaded for something they couldn’t provide. There was nothing they could do for him. If Mike was right, he would turn if they left him alone. Even if this man wasn’t a thief, and maybe worse, Pete would still have to shoot him. If not for mercy’s sake, then to prevent another zombie from entering the world already full of them.
As he gathered the nerve to do it, another zombie appeared outside. Did the gunfire lure them in? Probably. “I’ll take care of this one,” Anna said indicating Randy. “You kill that one,” she added, pointing outside.
Pete nodded as the shambling monster slowly approached, it’s instincts not yet triggered. “No guns,” he told her. It must have been all the commotion that drew the monsters in. They hadn’t seen one all day but now, as soon as the shooting began, they came. It must’ve been the noise and Pete didn’t want to alert others that might be nearby.
“Okay,” she said flatly. Pete grabbed the shovel that leaned against the wall near the door. Anna found a knife in the kitchen. They each carried out their tasks with little emotion or hesitation. It had to be done. The world was changing and they were changing with it. Survival required swift action and sure motives. It required a hard heart.
Anna punched the knife into Randy’s temple as Pete crushed the zombie’s skull with the shovel. Once they were done, they dragged the bodies outside, both wary of other zombies but none appeared. Finished with the grisly task of disposing the bodies, they locked themselves in the cabin and without a word, sat at the card table as Anna unscrewed the lid of the Mason jar. They each passed the moonshine back and forth until the sun rose to reveal the second day of their new lives.
Chapter 6
Anna woke up from a dream. In the dream, someone was knocking on the door of the cabin. She sat up and instantly regretted it. Her head was throbbing. Then she heard the knocking again. Pete sat up next to her.
“Is that someone at the door?” he asked groggily.
“Yeah,” Anna replied as she grabbed her revolver. Pete was right behind her as she got out of bed, still dressed. With the moonshine gone and the sun coming up, they both stumbled to the bed to sleep it off. Pete grabbed his shotgun and checked it to make sure it was loaded. They entered the main room and approached the door.
“Who is it?” Pete demanded.
“The Sheriff,” a voice replied. The pair looked at one another and there was a moment of panic. They had killed three men, not to mention the two zombies, the previous night. Anna shrugged, unsure of what to do. Pete sighed. He lifted the bar across the door and unlocked it. He pulled the door open and sure enough, there stood a Sheriff’s deputy.
“Morning,” Pete greeted the man who casually stood on the threshold, brown cowboy hat in hand.
“Interesting night?” the deputy asked.
“Uh...yeah,” Pete replied sheepishly, unsure of what to expect.
“I’m not here to arrest anyone. That’s all gone. I just saw the carnage as I was patrolling and figured I’d investigate,” the deputy explained.
“It was self-defense,” Anna explained.
“I’m sure it was. I know at least one of those men. Mark Ingram. Local meth addict and all around loser. The clothes gave it away. I’d recognize that down vest and what’s left of the orange cap anywhere. He wore them all the time, even in summer”.
“He broke in,” Pete began. “Before we could do anything, he unlocked the door and let his friends in. I killed one of them and then we hid in the bedroom. The shot brought one of those...zombies and it attacked Mark and the other guy,” Pete explained.
“Folks are desperate. I assume you’re friends of the owner,” the deputy said.
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“Mike Boggs from Reno. I worked with him,” Pete said, leaving no doubt that he did know the owner. The deputy nodded.
“That’s the one. Where is he?” he asked. Pete hesitated as he remembered what had happened to his friend. He didn’t answer, instead just shaking his head. “Sorry to hear that. Didn’t know Mike well but he seemed like a good man. I made it my business to know those I serve...served. I’m Deputy Kirkland but you can call me Bob. This badge and title don’t mean much anymore,” Bob explained.
“You want to come in?” Anna asked.
“Gee, I’d like too but...,” Bob said and looked past Pete and Anna. They turned and saw the mess. Blood stained the floor and brains were dried on the wall and cabinets.
“The bedroom is clean,” Anna replied. Bob accepted the offer and followed the pair toward the bedroom after they locked and barred the door. Pete and Anna took one bunk and Bob sat on the other. Anna offered him something to drink but Bob declined.
“Are there many survivors?” she asked.
“A few. It’s strange. Mostly single folks. Most married couples...well, if both didn’t turn one did and finished off the other. I’ve found about a dozen people alive, hiding out and waiting to see what happens. In fact, I was checking on the cabins up this way when I saw the bodies,” Bob told them.
“Have you heard anything about anything?” Pete asked, looking for any good news.
“Not much. The power is still on at the station. Internet and phones are still working too. I’ve been able to make contact with a few fellow officers I know in surrounding counties. They all report the same thing. Lots of zombies, as you put it, a few survivors. Nothing else. No word from higher up but the chatter on social media indicates this is happening everywhere,” Bob explained.
There was a cell signal at the cabin but Pete and Anna hadn’t had time to check the news or social media. They had more important things to do. Then Bob snapped his fingers.
“Almost forgot. They nuked Los Angeles...if Twitter can be believed,” Bob told them.
“Holy shit!” Pete exclaimed.
“Why?” Anna asked.
“I guess to try and stop the spread. From what I gather, L.A. wasn’t the only place they nuked. In any case, it didn’t work,” Bob said.
“Oh my God. All those people. I knew people there,” Anna said.
“I’m sorry,” Bob offered. Pete put his arm around her.
“Sorry, Anna,” he said.
“It’s okay. Most of them would have probably died anyway,” she said wistfully. Pete couldn’t argue with that. The news was shocking yet Pete, and Anna along with Bob it seemed, took it in stride. Likely millions of people died in an instant but it was just another way to die in this new world. Many more millions had died, or been turned into zombies, over the past two days. What was a few million more?
“You two should board that window up,” Bob continued as if the news that Los Angeles was no more wasn’t out of the ordinary.
“We will,” Pete replied.
“I’d better get out of here. Here’s my card. It’s got my cell number on it. As long as they work, you can get me. I can’t promise help, the county is pretty big, but I’ll try. Take care,” Bob told them. He stood up, shook their hands and left Pete and Anna alone.
They looked about the cabin and both sighed almost in unison. “I guess we better clean this place up,” Anna announced.
“I suppose so. We can’t live in this mess,” Pete said. He wasn’t looking forward to cleaning up the drying blood, brains and flesh splattered everywhere but if they were going to make the cabin home, it had to be done. Afterward, they boarded up the window. Again, there were no zombies about. Without the commotion last night created, there was nothing to attract them to the spot.
Pete and Anna worked quietly even though they didn’t see any of the shambling creatures. After they made the cabin livable again, they went about burying the five bodies. The mass grave wasn’t especially deep but it would keep the odor at bay and wild animals from getting at the bodies. It was late afternoon before the two survivors finished the grisly task. The mornings were cool but the afternoon sun had turned the day hot.
Pete couldn’t help but watch Anna work. She had stripped down to the tank top she wore under her work shirt. She was beautiful despite being all sweaty from digging. Her dark skin glistened in the sun and Pete enjoyed seeing her work. Suddenly, however, Anna noticed. Pete could have turned away, pretended he wasn’t watching her but he didn’t.
“What are you doing?” she asked. Pete didn’t want to piss off his partner in survival but then again, she had indicated more than once that she liked him. What the hell, Pete figured.
“Looking at you,” he said. Anna smiled and blushed.
“Why?” she asked. Pete sighed, steeling his resolve. It was the fucking apocalypse. If not now, when was he going to move past what Gloria had done to him?
“Because you’re sexy as hell, Anna. I should have asked you out a long time ago. I just wasn’t ready, I guess. I’m ready now. We might not be alive tomorrow and I’m not going to wait one second more. I want to make love to you,” Pete said and damn, it felt good.
Anna stood there, leaning on her shovel. Her green almond eyes narrowed as she considered what Pete had said. Then she smiled and looked around. She didn’t have to but it was a habit. There wasn’t a living soul for miles as far as she could tell. She pushed the shovel aside, peeled off her tank top and then removed her bra. Her breasts fell free, not especially large but full and perky.
“It’s the end of the world as we know it, right? No need to play games, is there?” she asked Pete.
“No reason to play games,” Pete replied. He walked over to her, took Anna’s hand and led her to the cabin. They didn’t waste any time, kissing passionately as they undressed one another once they had locked themselves inside. They made it to the bedroom, clothes hitting the floor along the way until they were both nude.
They were both sweaty and hot but that just added to the attraction. Their passion was raw and full of need. Pete took Anna’s naked body in his arms, lifted her up and laid her on the bed. She giggled as he did. She reached for him as Pete lay down next to the beautiful Asian girl. She was so soft and warm. He grabbed her short, spiky hair and kissed her. The pair succumbed to their desire and indulged their need long into the night.
~~~
Stanley awoke and at first, he didn’t remember what had happened. But as his eyes came into focus the stark and horrible truth came flooding back into his mind. The mushroom cloud, the fire, the destruction. He was many miles away from the blast but still its flash temporarily blinded him. Then the wave of hot wind washed over him, knocking him from his feet. He didn’t know how long it had been since he had been rendered unconscious but the fires in the distance still burned and the mushroom cloud was still there, though not as distinct.
Then the pain washed over him. His clothes were burned and full of holes. His skin underneath was red and blistered. He sat up and screamed as the realization hit him. He was going to die. The radiation and heat had ravaged his body beyond repair. He began to sob, as much from the searing pain of his wounds as the knowledge that he wasn’t long for this world.
Stanley cried as he sat there, his world gone. The infection that turned others into mindless monsters had spared him but everything he loved and held dear was destroyed. Then he heard it. It growled as it approached, surely attracted by his scream. The gray creature with the cloudy eyes was burned and scorched as well, but it didn’t care. The lumbering gate of the monster turned into a shambling run and before Stanley could react, it was on him.
Instincts kicked in. He fought the creature as it tried to sink its teeth into his flesh. Its nails clawed at him as he looked around for a weapon. He had a pistol, salvaged the previous night as things went to hell, but he couldn’t find it. But there was a rock or maybe a brick. The vacant lot he was in when the blast occurred was full of debris. He grasp
ed for it but it was out of reach.
The monster was winning the battle. Stanley’s strength waned. He lunged at the rock and managed to grab it but in doing so, the monster gained enough leverage to bite his shoulder. Stanley screamed out in pain and anger as he brought the rock to bear. One, two, three crushing blows and the monster finally fell motionless next to him, it’s brains spilling onto the soil.
As if radiation burns weren’t enough, now Stanley was bleeding freely from his shoulder and would surely turn into one of those things. He lay down on the ground and cried again. It was all too much. It wasn’t simply sadness and loss, it wasn’t just the pain. No, he cried as the anger overwhelmed him. Everything he loved, his beautiful wife, his son and daughter, all gone.
His city burned and now his life was at its end as well. The anger seared into his mind, branding him with its lust for revenge. His baser needs ignored the reality that he was dying. It didn’t matter. His rudimentary emotions raged. He pounded the bare ground as Stanley let the madness overtake him. But his strength drained away and he passed out there in that vacant lot next to the monster he had killed.