by M. E. Betts
"What's going on?" Daphne asked as she stood and began to pack her smaller bags into the trunk of her ATV.
"Undead," Shari said, "headed this way. And they're not the slow ones."
Daphne's eyes widened. "How many?"
Shari shook her head, pulling on her boots and mask. "I don't know," she said as she put on her cowboy hat. "But a big crowd. Maybe a hundred, I don't know. I can't imagine what the fuck that many of them are doing way out here, most of them fresh and running."
"How far away?" Daphne asked as she finished re-rolling her sleeping bag.
"I don't know, maybe a quarter mile," Shari said. "I expect them to be here any minute." She grabbed the last item, the percolator from the campfire. Daphne started the ATV, and Hugo climbed on behind her. Shari took the key from her pocket and unlocked the gate. She mounted her horse as Daphne sped out onto the road. As an afterthought, Shari placed the keyring over the chainlink fence as she passed through the gate.
Someone else might need it someday, and it's not doing me any good, she thought as she followed Daphne back out to the road. The crowd of undead was to their right, making their way down the road toward the radio tower. They were only about fifty yards away, filling the road and the ten feet between the shoulder and the dense line of brush that ran parallel to the road. Daphne turned left, the opposite direction of the crowd.
"It looks like some sort of macabre marathon straight out of hell," Kandi said. She and Shari watched as some of the undead succumbed to one too many snapped tendons and broken ligaments brought on by their heedlessness, and collapsed into the crowd, thusly trampled by their own kind.
I just wish I knew what in God's name they're all doing here, Shari thought. It doesn't make sense...none of them look like they've been dead for very long. And that's on top of the fact that if they were the rotted ones, we would smell a crowd of them from this distance.
The three of them had gotten about seventy-five yards down the road when they saw a bridge ahead crossing a creek. Although the bridge was packed nearly full of crashed and abandoned cars, there was enough room to their left to squeeze through with the ATV. As they approached the bridge, Shari saw undead approaching from the other side, fresh ones running toward them with the same speed and voracity as the crowd to their rear, who were closing in.
What the fuck? Shari thought. Why are they here? There's no good reason for so many of them to be here, on both fucking sides of the creek.
"I haven't the faintest idea," Kandi said, "but then again, I'm not sure that it matters right now."
Shari and Daphne looked around them, to their sides. They noted the thick brush to the side of the road, about ten feet in to either side. They looked at one another briefly, communicating an unspoken message--that leaving the road was a no-go. The large crowd behind them was too close to wait for, and deal with, the small group approaching the bridge on the far side of the creek. As Shari tried her best to jump-start her brain, producing a solution to their predicament, Hugo jumped up without warning and ran off behind them, toward the advancing wave of undead following them down. Shari and Daphne watched, dumbfounded, as he took a pair of headphones from his backpack, placing them over his head. They reminded Shari of the thick ones with the rubber gaskets she used to wear in elementary school, in the library when she listened to an audio book.
"What the fuck are you up to?" Shari snapped.
"Shhh!" Hugo hissed. "I'm the only one who should be making any noise." He put both hands in his jacket pockets, palming objects with each hand. "You two can fight your way across that bridge if you don't have to worry about more coming up behind you when the killing slows you down. There aren't nearly as many as there are back here."
"But you're basically committing suicide!" Shari protested.
"Just...just do it!" Hugo spat. "Even if I do die, do you want it to be for nothing? Don't you at least want to get away?" He turned to see how close the vast crowd of undead had gotten, then turned back, bouncing with apprehension.
This isn't right, Shari thought as she and Daphne started across the bridge.
"And what could you do about it, even if you wanted to?" Kandi countered.
Not a damn thing, at this point, Shari thought, gritting her teeth and arming her bow.
Hugo glanced over his shoulder, noting the crowd of undead twenty feet to his rear. He sighed, taking a flash bang from the pocket of his jacket and releasing the first pin. He steeled himself, planting his feet firmly into the earth beneath him in an effort to strengthen himself for what he was doing. He held down the lever, then took out the second pin. As he released the lever, he rolled the grenade toward the undead legion that was virtually on top of him.
He rolled toward the shrubby treeline, covering his head with his arms as he rolled. A moment later, he heard the deafening bang that he hoped would disorient the massive crowd of undead long enough for him to catch up with Shari and Daphne, and long enough for them to battle their way across the bridge. He struggled to rise to his feet, his equilibrium thrown off somewhat despite the headphones and the fact that he had avoided seeing the flash as it went off. He staggered toward the bridge, gazing briefly at the debilitated frontlines of the zombie crowd. The ones furthest back weren't nearly as affected, but they struggled to breach the obstacle of their own kind, immobilized and befuddled, rendering the road impassable. Hugo focused his eyes, with some difficulty, on Shari and Daphne, who had worked their way across most of the length of the bridge. Upon hearing the grenade detonate, Daphne had turned around, heading in Hugo's direction. Shari remained at the threshold of the bridge, ensuring it would be clear for Daphne and Hugo.
Hugo walked feebly in Daphne's direction as she crossed the bridge toward him. A few of the zombies managed to get to their feet, taking a couple of teetering, awkward steps before collapsing into the heap once again. Daphne reached him, and he climbed gratefully onto the ATV behind her. She regarded the undead throng disdainfully, flipping them the bird as she started back across the bridge. There were two more zombies on the far side of the bridge, where Shari kept guard. She raised her bow, pulling the string back as far as she could. She took out the first one with a headshot, knocking the forty-something undead male off his feet. She raised her bow again to take care of the remaining one, taking an arrow from her quiver. As Shari nocked the arrow, a third zombie popped into Daphne's field of vision, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
"Look out!" Daphne called as the undead assailant reached Shari's horse and lunged for her foot in the stirrup. Shari looked down, kicking the zombie in the face just before it tried to bite into her leg, and knocking herself backward off the side of her horse in the process. She lay stunned for a moment. I'm gonna feel that in the morning, she thought.
"Let's focus on making sure that we get to see tomorrow," Kandi said, pointing to the other zombie still headed in her direction. She took her revolver from its holster, realizing she didn't have the time required to get up off of her back, draw her bow, and nock an arrow before the attacker was on top of her. She pulled the hammer back, ready to shoot the undead teenage girl in the forehead, when she saw a wooden spike spin through the air, tousling the girl's blonde hair gently in the split second before it burrowed into her temple. Shari squeezed her eyes and mouth shut as the corpse fell on top of her. She rolled it to the side, then stood slowly. She turned to her left, where Daphne waited fifteen feet away on her ATV.
"That one that tried to bite me," Shari began as she walked past Daphne and Hugo toward her horse, "it must've come from underwater. I checked the whole area, under the bridge and everything, and both banks of the creek. That's the only place it could've been. Even though I know better, it's easy to forget they don't have to breathe."
She mounted Eva and they started down the road as the undead crowd they had left behind began to get their bearings and started across the bridge, quickly congesting the narrow opening. Daphne and Shari rode a bit faster to put some distance between the zombies and
themselves.
They stopped when they had made a safe distance, having detoured east to a back road running alongside 57.
"Where did you get that thing?" Shari asked Hugo, lighting up a smoke.
"What?" Hugo asked, looking absent-mindedly at the overgrown farmland around them. "You mean the flash bang?"
Shari nodded. "Yeah, the flash bang. What else?"
"Police cruiser," Hugo said. "I figured there had to be something good in there, right?"
"Yeah," Shari said, "I've found some nice stuff in those, too. Not flash bangs, but useful stuff, all the same." She paused for a moment, then continued. "You ever used one of those before?"
Hugo shook his head. "No."
Shari frowned. Crazy little shit.
"So you're telling me that was your first time trying one of those things--well, your first time using one at all, let alone on zombies?" Hugo nodded. "What made you so sure it would work?" she demanded.
"Well," he said, giving her a dead-pan look, "it worked, didn't it?" He sighed. "I wasn't...I wasn't totally sure it would work, but I was pretty sure. And besides, what if I had done nothing? We all would have died, at least we probably all would have died, so what else was I supposed to do?" He closed his eyes and pressed his palms into his eyelids.
"We could have gone into the woods--" Shari protested.
"Well, maybe," Hugo said, "maybe, if we left the ATV and your horse behind. I'm not sure--I'm not even sure we even could have navigated that brush." He pressed his hands into his eyelids again, and began to count slowly backward from twenty.
"Look at that, princess," Kandi chastised. "You've gotten him terribly upset, and all because you can't just be grateful that he was equipped for the task at hand."
"Hugo," Shari said, "I'm sorry. I appreciate what you did." She shrugged. "You're right. We didn't have any good options, other than what you did. And...I do have to admit, it got the job done."
"The noise of the detonation ruins their equilibrium," Hugo explained as he lifted his face to meet Shari's gaze, his eyes red from rubbing, "much like it would with a human. The zombies, though, the zombies--they're at a disadvantage. I'm pretty sure the only sense they have is their hearing."
"Yeah," Shari agreed, "I've long suspected that, too. So when something really screws with their ears, they lose their balance and their equilibrium, plus they can't hear." She smirked. "I don't suppose you have any more of those."
Hugo shook his head. "No, just that one. The good news is, the body of the grenade is reusable. The bad news...it's back there with the zombies. In retrospect, I wish I would have taken a closer look at it, seen what it's made from, because then--then I probably would have known how to make them." He froze up momentarily, then shook his head. "But don't get the wrong idea, okay? I never made any bombs before. I mean, I know how it's done, but I know how to make a lot of things. Weapons and--and implements of--of destruction have never been my specialty, but I'm sure, I'm pretty sure I could do it."
"Okay, okay," Shari said, "we get your point. You're not one of those homicidal smart kids."
"I just thought that you would think--" He paused, fidgeting. "I mean, I know I'm weird and all, but I'm not that kind of weird."
"He's got a pair hanging, he does," Kandi blurted out, punctuated with a gurgly giggle rolling from the back of her throat. She pursed her lips and her expression shifted into a bashful, china doll smile. "Modesty in the boot as well."
"I just have one more question," Shari said.
"What's that?"
"What's up with those headphones?"
Hugo shifted awkwardly. "I, uh...I, uh, carry them with me. Sometimes loud noises or bright lights are just...just too much for me. It makes me freak out a little sometimes, so I keep noise-cancelling headphones and sunglasses with me wherever I go." He paused. "I can't help what's going on around me, the noise and light level, but--but I can drown it out a little, you know?"
Shari nodded. "Don't worry, we all have our own little unique ways of getting through life. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking they're any different or any better." Hugo smiled, appreciative of the sentiment.
"We should probably get going," Daphne said. "If we're lucky, we might make it to Champaign before nightfall."
"What do you know," Hugo said, uttering a dry laugh, "it turns out I'll go to Champaign this August, after all, just not to go to school."
Daphne started her ATV, and Shari took one final puff before stamping her joint out. She mounted Eva and galloped after Daphne. He's with us now, isn't he? she thought. He's with us for good.
"Strength in numbers, princess," Kandi said, perched sidesaddle and facing Shari from her shining black horse. "Don't deny the herd mentality within you. It'll keep you alive, after all. It's tried and true. Daphne and Hugo have each saved your ass, so obviously you could use the help."
I didn't say I don't want other people around, Shari thought. Does everything have to be an argument with you? An excuse to belittle me?
"Oh, dear," Kandi said mockingly, "princess feels marginalized. Tell me, just how much do you think you need me?"
I beg your pardon?
"What if I disappeared? Right now? What would you do?"
Well, Shari thought, I guess I'd spend a whole lot less time looking like I'm having an internal conversation with myself.
Kandi's features slackened and her eyes went dark. "You know, princess," she said, her tone low and her voice monotone, "you'd be wise to value our relationship a bit more."
Shari sighed. I know how much you help me, okay? You get off on the killing and maiming that keeps us alive, and I think that's just great. Now can we drop this?
Kandi shrugged, gazing ahead as they continued north on the narrow, two-lane road. "Whatever you say, princess," she said. "Just remember what I said." She turned toward Shari once more. Her eyes, even the whites, were solid black as she spoke. "Let's not get into a row which neither of us can win."
Shari strode freely down the aisles of an abandoned grocery store. They were in Effingham, about sixty-five miles north of the last area in which they had stopped. She and Daphne had checked every nook and cranny of the small store with all due diligence and thoroughness. There had been a few corpses, but no zombies. Shari picked through what was left on the shelves, which was, to her surprise, substantial.
"Is it okay to eat food that was sitting in this sealed-up building with these corpses?" Daphne asked, gagging as she walked past one of the bodies.
"I wouldn't take anything that wasn't sealed," Shari said. "And besides, we couldn't take the majority of this even if we wanted to. It's not like we have a lot of room. Anything small, in its own pouch or wrapper, is worth taking." She glanced toward the rancid frozen and refrigerated section, non-functional in a building with no power. "Well, if it's shelf-stable, obviously. We'll have to forego the ice cream and pizza rolls." She opened a box of fruit and nut granola bars, taking the individual bars out and stuffing them into her backpack.
"Is it really a good idea to spend the night in here?" Hugo asked. "I mean, I know it's a safe building, like you said, but--but--it really smells pretty bad in here. I mean, I think it could get us sick, between the bodies and the rotting food."
"The upstairs room is okay," Shari said, pointing toward the stairs near the checkout area. "As long as we keep the door closed, we'll be fine for one night." She turned and headed for the staircase. "Although I'll admit, I can't wait to be out of here. This place has a smell that, unfortunately, I don't believe I'll ever forget. I think I'm gonna eat, smoke, and go to sleep a little early. Get about...ten hours or so, be back on the road by six and th--"
A sound cut her off mid-sentence. It was faint at first, but it grew steadily closer and louder until they were certain of what they were hearing. It was a human voice, a human scream, and it was headed in their direction. Daphne ran to the front entrance, which was protected by a security gate.
"There's a lady out there," Hugo called from the
opposite side of the store, where he had climbed a shelf to see out the high windows. "She's about a block away, and she's being chased by a bunch of zombies, a whole bunch of zombies."
"Just one lady?" Shari asked.
"Yeah, I think so. I only see one person...and a whole bunch of zombies. They're fresh ones."
"Is she bloodied or anything?" Daphne asked, crouching to release the gate lock.
"Not that I can tell," Hugo said.
"How big of a gap is there between her and the zombies?" Shari asked, eyeing the door nervously as Daphne swung the security gate open.
"Mmm....not much. Fifty feet, at best. And she's closer...she's running past the building next door."
Shari pushed the powerless set of automated swinging doors open and rushed out into the fading daylight. She turned to her left, toward the road and the sidewalk, and waited for the first glimpse of the frenzied, screaming woman. When she saw the stranger's form, she grabbed her elbow, covered her mouth as she attempted to scream, and whispered into her ear as she dragged her toward the store entrance.
"It's okay," she said. "We heard you screaming. It's safe in here." The woman whimpered, allowing herself to be guided toward the door. Shari glanced down at the small-framed, middle-aged woman with the fake red hair and the deep grooves in her face, the kind that are caused by a lifetime of intense anxiety. Shari realized there was a chihuahua tucked into the woman's inner jacket pocket. Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me, she thought. As they reached the threshold of the entrance, the dog squirmed free from the woman's grasp and jumped from her arms, running across the street.
"Poco!" the woman wailed, starting after the dog. "Poco, come back!" Shari grabbed the woman just before she could run into the street, catching her by the collar of her jacket. "Let go of me!" she hissed, still attempting to pull away while Shari held fast to her collar. The undead who had been chasing the woman were now about twenty-five feet away, and it was clear they were headed directly toward Shari and the woman she was attempting to rescue.