“Let’s go together, Alyssa. On the count of three. One. Two. Three!” Coach said.
We both gave Russell one last push, then ran like crazy for the front door. Slamming it behind us, we sprinted for the van. I scrambled in as Coach Turner ran around to the driver’s side and jumped in. He put the key in the ignition and started the engine. I slammed my door just as the house door flew open and Russell staggered out, making noises that sounded like deep-throated growls. His face was a greyish black color that seemed to darken as he staggered across the lawn, toward us. As Turner threw the van into gear and peeled away from the curb, the thing that had been Russell made one last grab at us. He reached for us, his hand grazing the rear bumper as we pulled away and he fell into the gutter. Turner watched him in the rearview mirror as he sped down the street.
“Man, what the hell was with that guy?” exclaimed Jacob.
Conner just shuddered and held his mother. His face was white with shock.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Turner said, turning a corner. Up ahead was a minimart. “We need to tell somebody about what just happened, warn the authorities,” he said, turning into the store’s driveway and parking the van.
Coach looked out tentatively. There was movement inside, but the parking lot was nearly deserted, something I’d never seen before. This convenience store was usually a hive of activity, day or night. Turner honked a few times, and waited. Then he sat up straighter as two men came running out the doors.
“Thank goodness,” Turner said, then he looked closer. The men were running, but they looked odd, as if they were lurching as they ran, and they seemed directionless, weaving to and fro as they made their way across the pavement to the waiting van. Turner froze. The men’s faces were both dark grey.
“Oh my God,” said Turner. “Do NOT open the doors.”
The two men had arrived at the van. They didn’t seem to realize where the door was. One of them came up against the front windshield, and his blackened hands scrambled against the glass as his mouth opened to emit a low groan. The palms of his hands were scratched and bloody. The other man banged up behind the first, then came around the left side of the van to look through the windows. Both had blackened, discolored faces and were barefoot. Their eyes didn’t seem to focus correctly and seemed almost glazed over with a white film.
“Jesus,” Jacob exclaimed, “They’re the same!”
Risa began to cry quietly. I just put my arm around her and held her close. I stared out the window at the two men in amazement.
Turner quickly put the van in reverse and backed away from them. They stumbled after us, looking almost drunk. Turner grimly turned the van around and drove away.
In the back, Conner’s mother gave out a moan. She sounded like she was in a great deal of pain.
“We’ve got to go somewhere safe where we can get her medical attention,” Coach said, “I’m going to try a hospital. I’m going to try Saint Agnes. I hope they’re open and working.”
“What the heck is going on?” DeAndre exclaimed. “It’s like the whole city’s gone mad!”
“I think it has to do with the virus, D,” I said quietly. DeAndre looked at me. “Apparently it traveled faster than we’d hoped,” I whispered, shaken.
Conner held his mother to him and quietly began praying, “Hail Mary, full of grace…”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Turner said grimly. “Something tells me we’re going to need all the help we can get.”
He drove silently through the city as the sun rose higher in the sky. Herndon Avenue, the main expressway running west to east at the north end of the city, was nearly deserted. We saw a few people off in the distance, but there was no way to tell whether they were affected. After what seemed like a long time, but was in reality just about 10 or 15 minutes, we arrived at Saint Agnes Medical Center.
Chapter Three
“Mom?” Conner said in a quavering voice, “Mom?”
I approached him and his mother, “What’s her name, Conner?” I asked quietly.
“Her name is Debby. She’s only 38 years old,” Conner whispered, fighting back tears. “Do you think she’ll be okay?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. I took ahold of Debby’s hand gently. Then I focused on her face. “Debby?” I said gently, “can you hear me?”
Her lips moved, but at first nothing came out. Then: “y-y-yes.”
“We’re taking you to a hospital. Just stay still. You’re going to be okay,” I said. Then I checked her shoulder wound, lifting the towels that were pressed against it. It seemed to have stopped bleeding, but the bite was ragged. It looks like Russell had been at his mom for a while. Her face was bloody, her cheek and lip torn and bleeding. I stayed next to Conner, holding Debby’s hand. The van soon pulled up to the emergency entrance of Saint Agnes Medical Center. As Turner pulled up to the Emergency Room, several ambulances were there as well. We could see medical personnel milling about the area. They looked fine.
“Oh, thank God!” Turner exclaimed.
We all got out and helped Conner carry Debby into the ER. Risa left her dog in the van and followed us inside. I took her hand and smiled down at her, trying to reassure her. Conner and Coach Turner remained with Debby and talked to the nurses. The rest of us milled about, looking around. I headed off to find a bathroom. DeAndre, Jacob and Emily walked up to some vending machines. Caitlin and Risa followed me.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” Caitlin mumbled, she was shivering as we walked into the women’s bathroom. I headed straight to the washbasin. I was filthy after the ordeal at Conner’s house. I began washing my hands with warm soap and water.
“Yea,” I whispered, “God…” I leaned for a minute against the sink with my eyes closed. I felt exhausted. None of us had gotten much sleep since we’d left New York on our two-day ordeal in the van.
I washed my face next, and my arms, trying to get clean again. Something about that Russell guy just made me feel gross and unclean. I scrubbed my arms so hard they turned pink. Caitlin beside me was doing the same, sobbing quietly. Finally, after many minutes, I felt clean enough to stop. I turned and went into a stall.
“Risa, try to clean up your hands and face, okay honey?” I said. Risa slowly began to wash her hands.
“I hope we can change our clothes soon, I feel so dirty after that drive and what happened at Conner’s,” said Caitlin.
“Me too,” I answered, finishing up and exiting the stall. Caitlin was just entering one. I decided to stay until she was finished so we could leave together. I sighed and closed my eyes as I leaned up against the sink counter. I felt exhausted. I heard Caitlin finish up.
“Come on, let’s go find the guys,” I said.
We went out and looked around. Coach Turner and Emily were there.
“The others are in the bathroom,” he said, and then turned to Emily, “Em, you should go wash up, ‘k?”
I decided to walk around and stretch my feet as Emily went to wash up. I walked down the corridor and then up again, keeping the others in sight. The boys joined us a few minutes later, and a little while later, Emily was there, too.
“Any word on Debby, Coach?” I asked.
“They’re working on her now. The problem isn’t the bite so much as the possible infection. The doc said the hospital is already over capacity, I’m not sure if they’ll be able to keep her here,” he said wearily.
He went to sit down, then changed his mind and headed to the bathroom to wash up. He looked pretty grungy. Wrestling with Russell had messed him up a bit. We all sat down in some chairs nearby. As we settled in, a wild-eyed woman ran into the Emergency Room, holding a small child.
“Help me! Somebody help! My son!” she cried.
Two nurses ran up to her and took the child from her arms. He looked to be no more than 4. It was hard to see, but he looked bloody and unconscious. His mother followed the nurses as they raced down the hall with the little body. I couldn’t tell if he w
as breathing or not. I shuddered. Fresno was turning into a very scary place. Almost like a war zone.
“My God,” exclaimed Jacob quietly. Just then Emily came out of the bathroom and joined us.
“What happened?” she asked.
“This lady just came in with her little boy, he looked like he was hurt bad, he was totally limp,” DeAndre said.
Emily stood there, holding her arms and looking down the corridor. We could still hear the mom crying. Then a door shut and the ER went quiet again, except for a voice on the intercom calling out for different medical personnel. We sat for a while, then I got up to go look at the vending machines.
“Anything good over there?” I asked as I walked away holding Risa’s hand.
“They’ve got energy drinks and candy bars, mostly,” DeAndre said, getting up to walk with me. “I couldn’t eat anything. This whole mess has made me so queasy,” he finished.
I scanned the three machines that were there. Nothing looked good to me. I got a couple of Monster energy drinks for later and tucked them into my pockets. I bought Risa a candy bar and an apple juice. For myself, I considered the candy bars, then went for a bag of chips. Munching on them, we walked back to the chairs with DeAndre in tow. Wearily I sat down again. The chips were tasteless. I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning my head back. Risa sat next to me and rested against me, exhausted. Jacob came to sit next to me on my other side, and took my hand in his. I opened my eyes and smiled at him gratefully. He smiled back. I leaned my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes again. All of a sudden I felt exhausted. My eyes opened again as Conner came up to us.
“Conner, what’s going on?” DeAndre asked.
“The doctors got the bleeding stopped and stitched her up. But they said she was probably infected. The wound on her neck was already turning a funny color, Coach,” He turned to Turner, “I don’t know what’s going to happen. Can you go talk to them? They wouldn’t tell me much.”
“Sure, son,” Turner said, and walked away to talk to the doctors.
“Conner,” Jacob said, “Is your mom gonna stay here?”
“I’m not sure. I think so,” Conner answered. He sat down wearily.
“I’m gonna hit the bathroom. Be back in a minute, guys,” Jacob said.
“Want a Coke?” I asked Conner. He nodded and I got up and went to the machines. Risa tagged along, slipping her hand into mine.
“Alyssa, I’m scared,” Risa said to me after a minute.
“I know, honey. Me too,” I said. I picked out a Vanilla Coke and a bag of Doritos for Conner and we headed back. I was exhausted. After I gave him the snacks, I settled back in my seat with Risa, and we both closed our eyes. I felt as if I could fall asleep right there in that chair. Every muscle hurt. I hadn’t had a full night’s sleep for days.
I hadn’t nodded off for five minutes when a scream pierced the air in the Emergency Room. I opened my eyes to chaos. From the corridor where Coach Turner had disappeared came several frantic screams. I jumped up and grabbed Risa’s hand and, without thinking, I sprinted down that corridor. The others ran after me, they had jumped at the sounds too.
Our tennis shoes squeaked in the polished hallway as I led the small group of us down the hall at a run. This was no longer the safe haven I had first taken it for. I wanted to get Coach and get the heck out of there fast. Something was happening, and I had felt it for a while. I hadn’t realized what the feeling was until now, but for the last half-hour I had felt a strange, unsettled lump in the pit of my stomach.
We ran down the curving corridor, and I nearly ran head on into Coach Turner. He was crouched in the middle of the hallway, screaming, with Debby in a hospital gown bent over him. As I came to a sudden stop, trying not to fall over them, I saw that she was biting down on his neck and shoulder. She heard me and looked up. Her dark brown face was beginning to turn a strange opaque black and her mouth was full of dripping blood, a piece of Turner’s neck hanging from her teeth. Turner seemed woozy from pain and stumbled to the side. Debby grabbed him again even as she began to chew and swallow the flesh in her mouth.
“Mom!” cried Conner.
“Ahhh!” I screamed at the same time, and without thinking, I kicked her away from Coach and grabbed his arm. He was dazed and bleeding profusely from his head, but he got up and ran with me. We all started back the way we had come.
“Run! Go, now! Come on!” I yelled, barely pausing as I ran back the way we had come. I glanced down the hallway as I ran. Debby and five others people were walking down the corridor toward us. When I say walking, it was more like a stumbled lurching. Blood coated their mouths and the bottom halves of their faces. The skin on all of them had a greyish-black tinge to it. Their legs didn’t seem to work as well as they should. Their arms swung in a funny way, too. But their eyes: there wasn’t a darned thing funny about their eyes. Although their eyes seemed to be turning somewhat opaque, they were fixed on us. Our pursuers emitted low groaning sounds as they stumbled forward, and their eyes never wavered from their prey. That was what freaked me out: they looked at us with hungry looks. Their eyes never blinked. Their grey faces were blank except for those eyes. So much expression in those eyes.
I made a strangled sound and turned again to run in the direction I had just come from. Risa had seen those people too, and she almost outpaced me. But then the unthinkable happened. As we ran all out, Risa stumbled after me, trying to keep up. I hung on to her hand, but I was going too fast for her, and she fell. She hit the corridor floor hard and her head made a ringing thud as it hit the floor. I grabbed her and tried to get her up, but her eyes were closed and her head bled at the crown. She was nearly unconscious and there was no time to stop, so I grabbed her and flung her over my shoulder and kept running. Conner and Emily helped Coach Turner run and we began again to make our way down the corridor. Those people were right behind us, but we ran hard and drew away from them.
The lot of us ran down the hall, stopping only to grab our stuff from the chairs before running out of the doors we had entered not an hour previously.
“Come on, guys!” I screamed, handing Risa to DeAndre and fumbling in Coach’s pockets for the van keys. We heard new screams coming from the waiting room. Those grey lurching people had come into the room and as I looked through the glass doors I saw one grey man with a bloody face grab a woman who had been sitting near us. He held her and bit down on her face. She screamed as blood poured from the bite. He continued gnawing on her and, paralyzed with fear, she seemed incapable of anything but screaming as he destroyed the left side of her face. I turned and helped get Risa and Turner into the van, then scrambled into the driver’s seat.
“Are we all in?” I yelled as I started the van.
“Jacob was in the bathroom! He’s still in there! Oh My God!” screamed Emily. As she said this, Jacob sprinted out the doors at top speed. He was on the track team as well as the theatre club, and he flew like the wind.
It’s a good thing Jacob ran so fast, because Conner’s mom was in hot pursuit. Conner opened the door and waved to Jacob, who sprinted toward us. When he reached the van, he jumped in, slamming the doors with about 10 seconds to spare. Debby was right behind him, and as I threw the van into reverse, she lurched up to the vehicle, slapping the driver’s-side window with a bloody hand.
“MOM!!!” sobbed Conner.
“OH SHIT!” I exclaimed as I squealed the tires and drove in reverse away from the nightmare that had been Conner’s mother only an hour ago. In a move that would make any NASCAR driver proud, I sped backwards and then wrenched the wheel and flipped the van forward, slamming the gearshift into drive and gunning the engine, so that we peeled out of the parking lot on two wheels. We must have been doing 50 mph. There was a minute there when we almost tipped to the left, but I got the van under control and sped down the road, leaving the nightmare behind us.
Chapter Four
We all sat in stunned silence as we sped away from the area and onto the freeway. I was putting as m
uch distance between us and the area as I could, as fast as I could. No one could blame me: any one of them would have done the same thing had they been driving. Probably would have flipped the van going around that corner, too. After a few minutes, I turned to the others.
“How is Coach doing? Is everybody else okay?” I asked quietly, “anybody else hurt? Anyone else get touched by those freaks?”
I looked back momentarily and saw Jacob and Caitlin trying to staunch Coach’s bleeding. He looked unconscious. They wrapped his head tightly with a t-shirt.
Everyone else was okay. Nobody else had been hurt, and no one else had been touched. Coach looked bad, but I turned back and concentrated on driving. I wanted to put as much distance between us and that hellhole as possible.
Conner sat looking out the window, silent tears running down his face. Leaving his mom behind probably hadn’t been as shocking as seeing how crazy she had become. How crazy all those nuts had become. Conner wasn’t alone. Everyone had a shell-shocked look, me included, I guessed. But I also felt a determination. I looked out the window, and the breeze felt welcoming and cool. I sighed and drove on, looking all around. I glanced in the rearview mirror, half-consciously afraid that those people – those creatures – might somehow be following us. I wanted to know what was around me at all times: I had to know if anything else crazy was going to happen. I felt jumpy. The last three days had been nuts.
And now there were so many questions. Where should we go now? And what the hell were those people about? The way their skin looked, like it was turning greyish-black, the way they lurched when they walked, as if their legs didn’t quite work right, was absolutely freaky. And especially the way they attacked people and tried to friggin’ eat them. My God. I shuddered. They were acting like every cliché of zombies I had ever seen in the movies. But that couldn’t be. Could it? I took a deep breath and made a silent wish. I wanted to know everything that had caused this to happen, I wanted to know why Conner’s mom had changed. And I thought of something else.
Mad World (Book 1): Epidemic Page 3