We shook hands; the look between us was timeless.
He let go of my hand to open the door and pointed into the tree line. “Follow that path, there. It’ll get you out safe. You’ll hit the freeway after a few miles. After that, God be with you.” We said brief goodbyes, and then Madi and I walked in silence into the morning sun, leaving the home behind. Sunlight filtered through the trees, and birds flitted between the branches. The day felt filled with promise, and with rare hope.
A gunshot pierced the stillness, startling the birds into flight. Madi and I spun around, seeing nothing; another shot echoed through the forest. We turned, and continued walking, quicker than before. Another shot; Madi grabbed my hand.
I counted, ten shots in all. Eight, then two.
I hoped Henry found the peace he was looking for.
Chapter XI: Sanctuary?
The preacher was good to his word, and we reached the freeway after a few miles of hiking. The path emptied at the height of a steep embankment, which ended in a short wall that separated nature from the asphalt marvel that was a major freeway. The center divider itself was enforced by a low concrete wall, while a high wall lined the far end. A matching high wall ran parallel along the side we were now on, with the exception of the emergency turnoff area below us. Still and silent cars pockmarked the road, left where they had run out of gas or collided; they were all left in one direction, while the other was empty. It was clear, the way we should go.
“I thought we were trying to stay away from freeways,” Madi said.
I looked along the tree line, then back along the path we had followed. “Yeah, we are,” I answered, “We won’t be on it for long, just long enough to find a way to the other side. Besides, I don’t see anything moving, do you?” I didn’t mention, and resolved to avoid, the car in the near distance, with a single figure moving lazily inside.
She looked carefully both ways. “No, I guess not.”
We picked our way down the embankment and climbed over the small wall. Several cars were parked in the turnoff, most with their hoods propped open. Each was empty. The sun beat brutally on the asphalt, causing waves of heat to rise from the softening tar. The day was unusually warm, which would make travelling that much more difficult.
We crossed the center divider to the west side, and began walking down the clear stretch. Up ahead, far in the distance, I could see that there was a mass of long-still cars; most likely they had been trying to find a clear path using a break in the divider. I hoped that we could find an opening in the side wall before we reached them.
Somewhere, from deep in my mind, I remembered a line from ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’: It's over, don't you get that? Your times is over and you're gonna die bloody, and all you can do is choose where. Involuntarily, I shuddered despite the heat. The chances were decent, though, that the last human memories of that classic would die when I did. We stayed in the middle of the wide lanes, feeling safer there than by the side wall or divider. At least, if nothing else, we were on the road again. A light wind tossed Madi’s long hair.
“Sooner or later, you’re gonna need a haircut, you know,” I pointed out.
She looked up at me with a wry grin. “You, too,” she replied. I ran my hands through my hair and was surprised at how long it had grown; it had been too long since I last looked in a mirror.
“Yeah, I guess I do, don’t I?” I agreed. She laughed as I mussed her hair. “We’ll find some scissors sooner or later, I’ll give you a mohawk. How’s that sound?”
She contorted her face in mock disgust, “Yuk, no thank you!”
“Okay, offer stands, though,” I smiled.
We reached the mass of cars sooner than I had hoped, with nowhere to go but through. Tightly packed, difficult to navigate, unknown threats… I didn’t like cars, and especially didn’t like groups of them. Past experience taught me that many of them would be occupied; those sorry bastards that were bit and didn’t know what would happen to them, or those that knew and couldn’t do the right thing- kill themselves before they turned, and became a threat to everyone else.
Like the man in the garage. My mind forced the memory on me.
The undead had a strange way of waiting. They were almost docile, and infinitely patient, when they were alone; but when there was a meal close by, they came to life with a gruesome determination. Their memory, if they had memory, was short; once the prey was gone, they’d continue chasing only because that’s all they knew to do, and would inexplicably stop or turn with the precision of a Marine drill team. I didn’t understand it, but knew enough to stay far away whenever possible. Today, it would not be possible.
“Let’s take a break before we move on, my feet are killing me,” I lied. In reality, I wanted us to be rested and fed before we made the attempt.
“It’s because of your boots, I bet,” Madi answered. I looked down at my feet. I’d been wearing the same ones since before The Flu first hit. “You should get a new pair.”
“I guess we’ll have to go shopping, won’t we? Maybe hit the mall, get you a haircut, too, and grab one of them big cookies.” She laughed. The small luxuries that we used to take for granted had become nothing more than a joke now. She was right about the boots, though, I’d need new ones if we were going to stay on foot any longer; But Aimee had given me this pair the day I started my new job. Aside from Madi, it was the last thing that connected me to her. I noticed the delicate necklace hanging from Madi’s neck, which brought me a small comfort.
I pulled off her pack and laid it in the back of a battered and rusted pickup truck before lowering the tailgate. “Up you go,” I grunted as I lifted her into the back. She sat and dangled her legs over the edge. I tossed my pack next to hers and sat next to her.
“Ravioli?” I offered, pulling the can and opener from my pack. The ambient smell of rot was barely noticeable anymore, even though it was all around us, and no longer had an impact to our appetites.
“Sure!” She answered, rewarding me with a smile. With the clear skies and the warm breeze, this was as fine a day as could be expected, despite the horrors waiting for us yards away. Madi munched happily on the cold pasta; I noticed that she hummed quietly when she ate, like when she was younger. I wondered when, or why, she started again.
Something’s not right.
The thought violated by consciousness, taking root and refusing to leave, even though I didn’t understand why. I ran down my makeshift checklist in my head. Nothing moved nearby, except for me and Madi. Nothing moved, that I could see, in the near or far distance. Only thing moving was a flock of birds overhead.
All flying in the same direction. Fast.
I reversed their flight-line to the nearby horizon, artificially close by the slight rise in the road. A lone figure shambled aimlessly down the highway, with the marked, steady gait of the undead. A well-deserved peace was once again robbed from us. We were in the middle, caught between the advancing figure and the mass of cars. Madi didn’t notice, but stared serenely at the wooded ridge that rose from beyond the wall.
“Look, Dad, deer!” She pointed happily. I could see them running in the same direction as the birds- away. She was oblivious to the danger.
“Yeah, honey, I see that,” my voice cracked. I glanced towards the horizon. More of the figures had appeared, easily dozens by now- the fastest of the group. Steadily, more figures crested the hill and I knew there were more behind them still. The figures, even from here, were grotesque, with missing limbs, trailing viscera and misshapen, twisted heads from those whose brains weren’t completely destroyed. The wind carried with it a barely perceptible moan. They know we’re here, my fears shouted in my head.
“Come on, Madi, let’s get moving,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I slipped to the ground and pulled her to me, lowering her to the ground and by my side.
“Already?” She whined as she took the pack I handed to her.
“Yeah, we’re going to move on, maybe find a playgroun
d or something, would you like that?” I bargained, offering anything to get her moving.
She thought for an agonizing moment. “Okay, yeah, let’s go,” she agreed.
I led the way, carefully, through the narrow path between the cars, my pistol tight in one hand and Madi’s delicate hand in my other. Neither of us spoke. She knew, as well as I did, that we were to avoid cars whenever possible, but she also saw there were no other options and remained silent as we passed them. I held my breath each time I approached a window, expecting to find a creature inside desperate to get out. One by one we passed the vehicles in line, each one stopped on its own journey; my heart beat thunderously in my chest, and I could feel Madi tighten her grip on my moist hand. We moved carefully and quietly, afraid to make a sound.
Another car; empty.
And another; empty.
Another; empty.
Each looked abandoned, except for various personal effects, such as toys, luggage and long-dead pets. I wondered what had caused the previous occupants to run off, seemingly leaving everything behind… and where had they gone?
I didn’t wonder for long.
A dull, wet sound startled me and Madi both, capturing our attention to a few vehicle lengths ahead. A slab of flesh and meat had fallen from the broken tinted windows of an SUV which, according to the proud stickers, belonged to a “Soccer Mom”. The meat was still; Madi and I were still. I stole a glance; easily hundreds of shuffling figures were behind us, moving steadily down the highway.
Slowly, it moved. The hands, first, then the arms as the creature propped itself up. As it turned, I saw that its entire lower half, below the waist, was missing; black liquid and snake-like entrails oozed from the stump as it pulled towards us, hand over hand, drawing the diseased intestines out even further. Its face was fixed with the fearful mask of death, and its mouth opened. I knew what was coming… the moan.
Madi screamed, loud and shrill. I clamped my hand over her mouth and pulled her close but it was too late, she had gotten their attention. Grey, disfigured hands began to beat at the nearby windows, and faces peered through the narrow cracks in the glass. A creature, then another, pulled itself free from their vehicles and fell to the ground, unable to navigate the complex process of stepping down onto the road, but passionate about finding their meal.
“C’mon, Dad!” Madi screamed, pulling my hand to draw me back the way we had come. She stopped when she turned. She saw them, the creatures coming behind us, filling both sides of the bidirectional highway now. There was nowhere to go. “Oh,” She said simply, finality underlining her tone. “Dad?” she meekly touched the question. “What are we going to do, Dad?” She trusted me, but I didn’t know the answer either.
I looked around. More heads were visible among the cars, moving in our direction. The beating of flesh on glass grew louder as the creatures inside grew more desperate. There was a narrow window of time for us, but it was closing quickly.
“Madi, listen to me, drop your pack.”
“But my pack! Our things!” Madi squealed, knowing what it meant to long-term survival.
It wasn’t long-term that I was concerned about. “Drop it!” I yelled.
She obediently, but reluctantly, slipped her arms free, and the pack fell noisily to the ground. I did the same, and took the briefest of moments to pull out what I could. A small flashlight, the small pair of binoculars, spare ammo, food- although I left the pork that Henry had slipped in my pack- a bottle of water, warm clothes from Madi’s pack; I shoved them into my satchel until it could hold no more. I could only hope that we would be alive to miss the rest of the contents, but could move faster without them.
By then, the closest creature, the dragger, had nearly closed the distance to us, its jaws snapping in wild anticipation. “Madi, follow me, and stay with me. We’re going to run through the cars, and we’re going to keep running. I won’t leave you, but if anything happens to me, you keep running until you’re safe, then change direction once you can and run some more. Do you understand?” I cast a glance at the approaching horde. It was massive and bearing down.
She nodded her head.
“Promise me, Madi. We’ll go when you promise me,” I repeated.
“Yes, I promise!” She whispered. Tears and fear were visible in her eyes.
“Let’s go!” I pulled her with me, running faster than I knew she could go. She’d need to stay with me. I’d make her stay with me.
I reached the dragger, and in mid-stride brought my boot up and let my momentum swing the steel toes into the creatures face. There was a satisfying crunch as its head, then body, followed my boot and crashed against the side of the SUV. We kept running through the cars, dodging around the growing numbers. I could hear Madi panting with the exertion, but she didn’t complain, she just kept running, and I kept pulling her. But I was already tired, and didn’t know how far we could go.
After running around vehicles, through them when needed and in a desperate scramble over the hood of another, we broke free of the mass of cars. While the dangers were, literally, behind us now, I knew that the advantage was still theirs. We’d get tired. They wouldn’t.
The brief benefit of the adrenaline rush ended, our run slowed to a jog, then to a fast walk with panting breath. We hadn’t made it far enough; the sea of shambling death still rolled steadily towards us. It seemed that staying ahead of it was merely delaying the inevitable.
“Dad, my legs are hurting,” Madi said through panting breaths, slowing even further. I looked behind at the horde, still in dogged pursuit. I squatted. “Climb on.”
She climbed onto my back and locked her arms across my chest. I stood, despite my painfully throbbing legs and began to walk as quickly as they’d allow. I could hear her fearful, raspy breath in my ear.
“We’re gonna be okay, Madi.” I spoke through a dry throat over my shoulder. She didn’t answer. I didn’t believe it, and doubted that she did either. The slow chase would be a bizarre comedy, if the circumstances were much different.
We did the only thing we could do, kept moving as quickly as we could, and ignoring the rising, hungry moans. Not the only thing we could do, I remembered, feeling for the pills in my pocket.
From far ahead, the brief pinpoint light of a reflection caught my attention, offering only the momentary distraction of curiosity. It came from a single vehicle in the distance, set apart and seemingly intact. Maybe it still runs, I entertained the fool’s notion. Or maybe the windows will hold long enough for the poison to take effect.
I realized that both were true when the vehicle began to move. Slowly, at first, it crept along like a silent jungle cat. So slowly, that at first I believed that my eyes were lying to me. But, it began to pick up speed, rapidly closing in our direction.
“Dad, do you see that? Who is it?” Madi breathed into my ear with a mixture of fear and hope.
I didn’t answer; I didn’t know. I didn’t know, either, how to feel-whether I should be relieved or afraid, but the vehicle brought with it a certain sense of dread. It moved gracefully between vehicles, still picking up speed, like a shark hunting from within a school of fish. I remembered what they living were capable of, and wondered if we were any safer with them.
It came closer, now roaring towards us and the horde at full speed. I could see now that it was a military humvee, painted for the desert. Remnants of the Military? I wondered. Stolen? It didn’t matter, I didn’t care anymore. It was, at least, the possibility of rescue in the face of otherwise certain death. A silhouette rose through the turret as the vehicle slowed slightly, steadying itself.
Crack!
The shot echoed off the concrete walls; I wondered if I had been shot, and wondered if I’d feel it if I had. A moment later I had my answer. Another shot rang out, closer now. A creature, one I hadn’t seen, fell in a chaotically writing mass over the partition with black liquid pooling from the body. I began to run faster, burning the last of my strength.
The humvee ground to a
halt in front of us, turning sharply to the right; the man in the turret struggled to remain stable and the rear door was flung open. A grim, weathered face yelled over the growl of the engine, “Get in!” They weren’t military, I guessed, but they were well-armed and appeared to be well fed. We’d take the chance, compared to the steadily advancing death that had washed over the collection of cars and was now maybe a football field’s length away at best. We collapsed into the rough green seat as the door slammed behind us. Another slam as the driver reseated himself before racing in the opposite direction.
No one spoke.
Crack! The shot caused Madi to jump.
Crack! Another.
She wept in my arms as I struggled to catch my breath. No one spoke. Someone, I couldn’t see who through the free-flowing sweat, handed us a pair of water bottles, which I gratefully accepted. They were warm, but clean.
A voice, a woman’s, asked, “Either of you bit?”
I answered with heaving breaths, “No, no we’re fine. Thank you, you saved our lives.” It sounded cliché, but appropriate to the situation.
Another voice, a man this time, “We saved her, you’re just lucky you two came as a package.”
As we sped along the highway, the scenery whipping past the thick ballistic windows, I wondered what the man meant. But, for now, Madi was safe and alive and in my arms, which was all that mattered.
Chapter XII: Washington High
We had driven for longer than I believed we needed to, mostly along back and winding roads, until it became clear that they were trying to confuse the route to our destination. Idly, I began to count turns and realized that we had been travelling in a wide ‘figure eight’.
I didn’t know how long we had travelled, but we eventually reached a relatively smooth road set into high, jagged hills that led into a wide valley. I watched the small community grow larger in the windshield as we approached. Several modest homes and storage structures stood intact, but the rest of the area had been completely razed; only the streets and neat, low piles of debris showed where the town had once spread. The centerpiece of the commune was a sprawling High School campus with dull concrete buildings and complexes that were surrounded entirely by a large chain link fence topped by razor wire. The razor wire had clearly been attached after the occupation. A large stone sign with gold inlay announced “George Washington High School”, and below that, “Home of the Sharks”.
Dahmer Flu Page 13