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The Week of the Dead

Page 15

by Viktor Longfellow


  “What the fuck?” Devin said as he saw a pair of eyes staring back at them.

  “It didn’t go down,” Daniels said.

  “Shoot it again,” Devin said. Daniels got back behind the weapon and took aim. The eyes widened and ducked to the ground. Daniels was pissed. “Did you see that?”

  “If you’re human, you better speak, or you’re going to join these motherfuckers!” The air was filled with a loud roar like that of a bear. “Fuck this asshole!” Daniels said as he opened fire in the direction it was last seen. The street light donned the silhouette of dirt billowing from the rounds smashing into the soft ground.

  The red eyes came from its hiding place and began running toward the machine gun. “The head!” Devin shouted as he raised his shotgun. Daniels couldn’t hear over the thunderous sound of the .50 cal firing. The creature ran as it roared. Bullets sprayed black mist as they tore through its chest cavity. It reached the barrel of the machine gun and pushed it to the side. Daniels felt the gun leave his hands, and he stared at the crimson body that was staring back at him. “Fuck you freak!” Daniels declared as he pulled his pistol from his holster. The creature roared at Daniels as the bullets that were still lodged in its body began to fall to the ground at its feet. Devin raised his shotgun and smashed it in the back of the head. The creature turned and faced Devin. “Oh fuck!” he said as he raised his weapon again. The creature came to Devin who didn’t flinch. Devin pulled his knife from his side and stabbed it in the forehead. It let out a bloodcurdling scream as it focused its attention on the knife sticking out of its forehead. Devin was amazed that the knife didn’t penetrate further than an inch. “It won’t fucking die!” he said.

  The creature swung wildly and caught Devin across the chin, throwing him into the side of the truck. The creature threw the knife to the ground. The humans watched as the knife wound close in front of their eyes. “Holy shit!” the humans began opening fire into the creature without any avail. Devin got back to his feet. The creature latched on to Daniels’ neck and forced its teeth into his flesh. Daniels let out a scream until blood came pouring out of his mouth. As Devin watched, a flicker of light caught his attention; he blinked, and the creature and Daniels were engulfed in flames. The fire caused the creature to release its grip on Daniels and release a scream of pain. It fell to the ground as it continued to burn. “Sorry, Daniels,” Erica said as she held another bottle with a rag stuffed in the top. Daniels was on fire. He was screaming for a moment; suddenly Daniels’s screams became gargled. The young fresh skin of his face turned gray. The eyes seen through the fire had become red. The wound on his neck ceased to bleed red; instead it turned white and pooled as a white pus material came from the wound. Devin grabbed the other bottle from Erica. She held the lighter as he held the bottle. Devin threw the Molotov aimed at Daniels’s face.

  They watched as the bodies burned. Walker broke the silence with a gunshot as he was cleaning up those who were crawling. Jamison appeared around the side of the truck. “Is that Daniels?” Devin nodded. “Aw, shit!” he said as he removed his pistol and placed a round in each of the burning bodies’ craniums. “Just in case,” he said. He bent down and removed Daniels’ dog tag. Walker met up around the now-charring body.

  “What the fuck was that thing?” Jamison said as he examined the burning remains. Devin felt the adrenaline leave his body.

  “I don’t know, man. Fuck this shit. Let’s get out of here. Agreed?” No one answered. “Mount up! Let’s get the fuck out of here!” Devin said to those who had stayed in the house.

  “Some of them already scattered,” Walker said as he pointed at the distant red lights.

  “Keep an eye on them. They might find somewhere safe.” Devin turned to look at the pickup truck facing the house.

  The one who attempted to drive it had been bitten. Devin walked to the twitching carcass and fired a round into its face. The keys were in the ignition already. He jumped in the cab of the truck and threw the stick into reverse. He backed up to the machine gun that was still smoking on the tripod stand. “Walker, what do you think?”

  “How much ammo is left?” He said as he threw some things into a vehicle.

  “’Bout half a can.” Devin retorted.

  “Better than nothing, bro.” Walker came to Devin’s side, and the two men used all their might to place the weapon in the back of the pickup.

  “Get some tie-downs, and we’ll have us a tactical,” Devin said as he marveled at his idea that came to be. Erica jumped in the passenger seat of the pickup.

  “I’m going where you go,” she said with a remorseful face. He reached and touched her hand and squeezed it. Devin released his grip and took the knife from her open hand. He sliced more tally marks into his forearm. He wiped the blade clean and handed it to Erica. She hesitated, looking at the blade in her hand. She wiped the blade again on her clothes. She slowly sliced two tally marks on her deltoid muscle. “Do I count the gas station?”

  “No, don’t know how many except the one that hit the car that one counts.” The caravan left the farmhouse. The bodies were left of the ground as they peeled out onto the road. Those who just witnessed the monstrosity that killed Daniels sat quietly trying to gather their thoughts. There was a new evil emerging.

  THE SONG OF THE DEAD

  CHAPTER 43

  WEDNESDAY 0018

  MEMPHIS

  Ethan was cradling Jenna who had fallen asleep. Josh and Ashley calmly looked at the campfire. Richard had gone back to the military tent as Junior tended to the fire. The busyness of Mud Island had become ambient noise. The stars had been shining for few hours. The helicopters had been gone for a few hours and haven’t returned. The inflow of survivors had diminished. The lift had stopped since there were no more people on the other side of the channel. The only things on the other side of the channel were creatures and the remnants of a great city. Many were aimlessly bumping into things. “What are you thinking?” Josh whispered to whoever heard him. Ashley remained silently focused on the campfire. Jenna let out a moan as Ethan stroked her hair.

  “I think we should do to this guy’s hideout. He obviously has information and a means to survive,” Ethan said quietly.

  “What about Parker? Wouldn’t you be pissed if someone gave you bad news and asked to sleep on your couch while there are people out to eat you?” Josh said, trying not to raise his voice.

  “I know you’re scared, dude. I am too, but you and I both know we can’t stay here,” Ethan said as he looked around from the ground.

  “Why not?” Josh asked attentively.

  “Lots of reasons,” Ashley started. “First, there are things trying to get us, and we’re in an open field. Two, lots of people here. If one person panics, we lose everyone. Lastly, disease. There are lots of people here and only a few toilets. We’ll run out of food and water. If we somehow get more, it’s highly probable that dysentery and other outbreaks will be the end of us.”

  “How do you know all of this?” Josh asked.

  “My grandfather was a POW in World War II,” she said as she looked at him.

  There was a new sound in the air. It was faint at first, but it arose slowly in the cool night air. Jenna opened her eyes and sat up and looked in the direction of downtown Memphis. The noise started out with a booming vocal. The louder vocal was met with mix-matched responses. “What the hell is that?” Someone off in the distance was heard. The noise got louder. “Look!” the stranger said pointing at the direction of the lift and Riverside. There was a single individual standing on top of a vehicle staring at the creatures below. It made the noise that filled the air. With every deep breath, the noise repeated. It sounded like a battle cry.

  Ethan got up and ran to the military tent. When he got there, General Bartlett, Richard, and the rest of the military had stopped to witness what was happening. “I need some guns!” Ethan said.

  “No way, son. This is still a military situation.”

  “Well it’s about to be a
really fucked-up situation unless you arm every man, woman, and child in this camp!”

  “You don’t know that!”

  “Oh no? Have you ever seen anything do that before? Do you know what these motherfuckers are? Because I sure don’t, and I’m assuming this is an ‘Alpha’ and it’s gathering the other motherfuckers to do something bad.”

  “You can’t possibly be serious.”

  “Sir, I’m asking politely. Give me some weapons. And I will take them out from here, and I’ll give you your guns back.”

  “Let’s see what they can do.”

  “I don’t believe this!”

  “Calm down, they haven’t made it across the channel yet.”

  “Have you seen them stand up and make noise in a controlled manner before?”

  “No, we’re still learning about them.”

  “Defensive measures?” Richard asked.

  “A squad of soldiers doing patrols, C4 on the lift, and handheld weapons.” The creatures began to sing in unison. The lead creature on the vehicle jumped down and began to rattle the chain-link fence. The others joined in.

  More creatures were coming from every direction. Some were seen falling out of skyscrapers. “They are trying to break in, General!”

  “They are still human!” General Bartlett shouted with a finger shoved in Ethan’s face.

  “No they aren’t, and you damn well know it!” Ethan wasn’t scared of the bald man in camouflage. The chain link began to break off the support poles.

  “What do you expect me to do? Give weapons to these fucking hillbillies? We need soldiers!”

  “The Second Amendment states ‘A militia may be needed in the security of a free state.’ Now, c’mon man. We may not be soldiers, but we’re southerners. Fighting is in our blood. The south shall rise again and all that shit! You need us. We need our guns. If nothing happens, so be it, but you only have a handful of troops…” Bartlett released his grip on Ethan’s collar.

  “Most of these people have never seen a gun,” Bartlett said.

  “Well, there’s a first for everything, man. Now, unlock the gun cage. You can stay here and do whatever it is you people are doing.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Ethan turned to face the general again. “I’m going to kill these motherfuckers.”

  “Reynolds, give him what he needs.” Ethan nodded his head to the general and made eye contact with Reynolds. “I need everything you got.”

  INBOUND

  CHAPTER 44

  TUESDAY 2230 CST

  FORT KNOX

  Phil had awoken with Paul leaning against him. They were inside the museum part of Fort Knox. The thick walls limited the noise coming from outside. He looked around and found Mia resting against the wall and Harrison standing up and stretching. “Can’t stay still too long. My joints start to ache.” Harrison said as quietly as possible.

  “What time is it?” Phil asked.

  “Almost 10:30 p.m.” The men stopped talking to listen to combat boots coming down the tile hall. They both looked to see men in flight suits and helmets running down the hall to the makeshift airfield. “Something is happening.” After the pilots had left, the room was filled with white lights and a thunderous noise of rotary blades.

  HONOR

  CHAPTER 45

  WEDNESDAY 0045

  MEMPHIS

  Bartlett spoke on the radio. “What’s your name, kid?” Bartlett spoke to Ethan. “My name? Ethan Simmons, sir.”

  “Come back to the tent for a moment.” Ethan slung his rifle over his shoulder. He walked into the tent to find General Bartlett and Jenna standing there waiting on him. Without saying a word, General Bartlett pressed the button on his microphone. “Let it be known. Ethan Simmons is hereby named ‘Commander of the Southern Militia.’ He is in charge of this defense. The helicopters are on the way for a full evacuation. He will give you further orders.” Bartlett put the microphone down.

  “You can’t be serious, sir,”Ethan said.

  “Oh, I am. I’m giving authorization to you.”

  “Why me?” Ethan asked.

  “Well, son, you’re either really brave or really fucking stupid. You are a natural leader. Your companions look to you. You’ve got the balls to carry a loaded weapon into a military installation. You’re obviously smart since you knew my name before I met you,” Bartlett said.

  “I eavesdropped that one.”

  “Like I said, crazy or stupid. This takes a lot of weight off me too.”

  “You’re just pushing the responsibility on me, aren’t you?” Ethan’s face went slump.

  “That is correct. I have to save the rest of the world, remember?” The general pinned a ribbon on Ethan’s shirt. “Protect these people. That is your duty now.” The general saluted Ethan, who returned the gesture as best as he could. “We’ll work on the saluting,” the general said as he let out a smile.

  Jenna took Ethan’s hand and led him out of the tent. “Congratulations,” she said as she looked up at him.

  “This isn’t how I expected it to turn out,” he said. He bent over and placed his hands on his knees and began to hyperventilate. “Holy shit, holy shit,” he kept repeating as his breathing increased. Jenna placed a hand on his back, trying not to touch his sore shoulder.

  “You’re going to do fine. You got us this far.”

  He stood up, closed his eyes, and stood listening. The sound of the new world filled his ears. “OK…OK…I’m OK. We’re OK. We’re going to get through this,” he said. “I’m the man. I’m the man,” he kept repeating.

  Reynolds, Josh, and a handful of others began gathering supplies. Ethan stood at a table with crudely drawn figures of their location and was pointing out things to a group of soldiers. “We need to get all the kids and old people toward the back. Hopefully the helicopters will be back to get us the hell out of here. I want barriers build against the east wall facing the city. Ethan looked up to the creatures who were still trying to break down the fences on Riverside. “Pop another flare!” he said to a man with a nautical flare gun. “They are drawn to the flare. Hopefully that can buy us some time. More of the Alphas are showing up. Jenna, I want you to get the others and help pack. Will you help the nurse pack her stuff? We need to get everyone out of here. We’re getting out of here.” He kissed her before she jogged toward the medical tent.

  “How do you think, man?” Josh asked. Ethan looked around at the human faces. Most were busy building barriers and checking out their weapons.

  Reynolds appeared next to Ethan. “How did you know how to do this?”

  Ethan turned his face. “The Alamo and videogames,” he said with a serious face.

  “You’ve got to be shitting me!” Reynolds responded.

  “Nope, a bunch of dudes in a fort, surrounded by a bunch of other dudes who want to kill them and take their stuff, same concept.”

  “Didn’t everyone die in the Alamo?”

  “Yeah, but they didn’t have automatic rifles,” Ethan responded with a smile.

  “Video games?” Reynolds asked over the microphone.

  “They improved my aim,” Ethan said as he racked his weapon.

  “Ethan!” Josh said excitingly. Ethan walked over to Josh standing with Ashley and Jenna. “We want a picture.” Ethan looked down to see Parker’s cell phone in Josh’s hand.

  “Serious or goofy?”

  “Both!” Jenna said with flair. They posed for the serious one first. Ethan and Josh both held their guns while the girls smiled. “Next.” Ashley jumped in Josh’s arms while Ethan and Jenna faced forward. Ashley began counting down from three. When she said “one,” Ethan turned his face and kissed Jenna on the cheek causing her face to light up even more. They stopped and embraced each other. They were both afraid. Ethan was afraid he was going to fail. Jenna was afraid of being alone.

  Josh brought out a cigarette and lit it up. “Fucking right, man,” he said as he took a puff.

  “Let’s survive fo
r another day.” Ethan took a draw and handed it back to Josh. He ran and stood on top of a table. “Hand me that bullhorn.” He clicked the bullhorn on and pressed the button on his radio so everyone could hear him. “Ladies and Gentleman, stop what you’re doing, and listen. My name is Ethan. I have been sworn in as your commander. I know you don’t know me. I don’t even know me, but what I do know…is there are evil things coming to get us. I don’t know what they are. The thing I know is that they can be killed. This is a ‘kill or be killed’ situation, people. I know this isn’t how any of you thought it was going to turn out. I know I didn’t. There are a lot of things I don’t know. But I do know this. We will survive the night! We will still be standing when the smoke clears! We will not give up! The monsters are coming out of the darkness! Do we let the darkness take us? Do we? Call them what you will! They are demons! They are not your friends and family! They are not us! We will put away our trivial differences. This is not about color of skin, religion, or nationality. This is about staying alive! This is about the survival of the species! Now, those of you who have taken up arms, I thank you. I want one military per a handful of us good ole boys ‘n’ girls. Those of you who don’t want to fight, I want you packing up all the supplies. If we get overrun, we will regroup on the barge to the west. If we move the barge, you will swim or die trying. Do not let these things get close to you. Aim for their heads, and I will see you tomorrow! Stay safe, and keep an eye on each other!” he said as he jumped off the table to a loud applause. He picked out a familiar face in the group. The dentist was armed with an assault rifle. Ethan met eyes with him and nodded.

 

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