Jake's Undead Nightmare

by McElyea, Ben

  “Do you want to sleep?”

  “I’ll try to.”

  “I have some sleep aid pills.”

  “I’ll take some.”

  “As long as one of us is awake at all times, it’ll be fine.”

  “In due time, I’ll be less scared.”

  “The sooner you’re less frightened, the better. Did you hear anything last night?”

  “No.”

  “Lower your voice.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Someone’s at the door. Let’s hurry.”

  Jake and Dan rushed up the stairs and to the front door. Someone was banging on it. Jake looked out the peep hole. A middle aged woman was panicking. She was surrounded by zombies. Dan looked and flinched.

  “Help me!” the woman cried as she continued to beat on the door. “Help me! Please open the door!”

  Dan looked at Jake. Jake shook his head.

  “If we let her in,” Jake whispered softly, “The zombies will know we’re in here. She’s doomed.”

  “You’re just going to let her die?”

  “Yes. There’s no other reasonable choice.”

  From the peep hole, Jake watched the tragedy happen just outside the front door. The woman pushed one zombie in front of her. Another zombie lunged in and bit her shoulder. She screamed in pain as the other zombies around her grabbed her and forced her to the ground. They bit her and tore her apart. The screaming stopped shortly after she was torn open. Dan took a turn looking outside and vomited. Jake’s eyes widened with fear. He wasn’t sure if the zombies heard him. Dan raised his hands apologetically. Jake took his turn looking outside the peep hole. He watched the zombies finish eating her corpse. Hearing the zombies chew frightened him more. Blood squirted everywhere. The zombies’ hands were soaked with blood. Dan sat on the mattress. Tears were rolling down his face. He held his hands over his mouth.

  Weeks passed by. Jake and Dan began to calm down a bit. They got used to the routine. They’d hear the occasional gunshot. When they did, they’d rush to the door and get ready for a fight.

  “I know why they keep coming here,” said Jake.

  “Me too. This barricaded house sticks out like a sore thumb.”

  “I wish people would stop coming into our area. They’re attracting zombies this way.”

  “We’re hearing less gunshots now. I think we’re losing the fight against the undead.”

  “I think so, too.”

  “I wonder how many people are still alive in the city.”

  “I doubt there are a lot.”

  “People should have stayed in their homes and been prepared.”

  “Yeah.”

  “So many people are probably dead. These green beans don’t taste very good.”

  “No, they don’t. You’ll be wishing you had green beans later on.”

  “Do you think we’ll starve?”

  “I hope not.”

  “I was hoping for an optimistic answer.”

  “We have enough food and water to last us for a long time.”

  “I wish we had enough to survive the outbreak, enough to where we wouldn’t have to leave. What do you think will happen when we have to leave?”

  “There will be hardship and horrifying situations.”

  “Like what?”

  “We could be shot, stabbed, blown up, bitten, eaten, scratched, enslaved, starve, get dehydrated, get sick, become one of the walking corpses, or something else.”

  “Do you think one of those things will happen to us?”

  “I don’t know. Even if we’re smart about everything, anything can happen.”

  “I’m not ready for this.”

  “No one is ready for this.”

  “I want to talk to Mom, Dad, David, Sarah, or Uncle Charley.”

  “I wonder how they’re doing.”

  “What are the odds of all of them being okay?”

  “Not good. All of them could be dead.”

  “Let’s change the subject.”

  “I’m glad we have lots of water.”

  “People would kill us if they knew how much stuff we have, wouldn’t they?”

  “Yep.”

  “That’s harsh.”

  “I’d say that by now those who are still alive are lucky, wealthy, smart, or crazy.”

  “I hope we don’t come across any crazy people.”

  “We probably will.”

  “You really think so?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  “People will lose their minds.”

  “I’m tired of sitting here in the basement. Let’s finish eating and go back upstairs.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Everything was going well for the two survivors until one day they heard banging on the front door. Jake quickly grabbed his shotgun and looked out the window. Jake pointed at Dan’s assault rifle. Six armed men were standing at the door. In moments, zombies were all around them. When the zombies got close enough, the men opened fire. The men ran out of ammunition before all the zombies were put down. They used machetes to dispose of the remaining seven zombies. Shortly after, one of them beat on the door again. The gunshots attracted another crowd of zombies.

  At first, the six men did fine. Then it took a turn for the worse. One by one, they were bitten and eaten. Jake watched the horde devour the men. The zombies stayed in front of the house after eating. Jake watched blood and flesh drip from the zombies’ mouths. Jake figured there were at least thirty or forty of them. Dan followed Jake into the basement. Jake sighed, shivered with fear, and sat on the sleeping bag.

  “Dan, I underestimated the carnage. I’m beginning to lose hope.”

  9

  “You can’t lose hope, Jake. If you lose hope, I’ll lose hope. We’re safe in here, aren’t we?”

  “Yeah, but we’ll die when we have to leave.”

  “Don’t talk like that. We’ll find a way.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Be positive, Jake. I can’t handle you being like this right now.”

  “We’re just delaying the inevitable.”

  “If you only have negative things to say, do me a favor by not saying anything.”

  “Fine.”

  “I do have one concern.”

  “What’s that?”

  “There are a lot of those things out there. Only God knows how many of those things are at the side of the house.”

  “You just told me to stop being negative. Here you are being negative.”

  “So many are dead because of this.”

  “I hope we get through this.”

  Jake went without sleep for two days.

  “You need to get some rest, Jake.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  “You’re upset. I get that. Do you want to talk?”

  “About what?”

  “Anything.”

  “What’s there to talk about?”

  “Let’s just carry on a conversation like nothing’s going on.”

  “I can imagine how hard being on your own was at first.”

  “A few people supported me.”

  “You’re a success now.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything now.”

  “Remember how good I was at kickball when we were kids?”

  “Yeah. This is boring.”

  “I won’t lie. This really is boring.”

  “There are zombies outside.”

  “Let’s do something to pass the time.”

  “Like what?”

  “Listen to the radio.”

  They found Jerry Water’s looped broadcast still playing. They assumed he was dead. They heard a broadcast they had never heard before.

  “My name is Keith. I don’t know if we’re the only good people left. If you’re hearing this, you are not alone. I and many others are holed up at the supermarket across from the corner store and next to the three red lights. If you’re a good person, we’ll let you in. Do not try to take over. You will
only get yourself killed. We are heavily armed. Some of us are military. If you come here, you’ll be checked for bites. If you’re infected, we will shoot you in the head. If you become one of us and disobey the rules, you will be punished or killed. We do not mean to sound like hostile killers. We’re just cautious and strict. We have over forty people here. We’re growing our own crops. We have loads of food and drinks. We unloaded the trucks, too. We have more than enough firearms, ammunition, food, drinks, and defense against the undead. If you come here, you will be asked to put down your weapons and go inside. Steer clear of the city. There are far too many of them to get in and out of there alive. We’re rationing what we have. We’re smart, efficient, and productive. Goodbye.”

  Dan smiled. Jake frowned.

  “What are you frowning about?”

  “It might be a trap.”

  “I doubt it’s a trap. It could be the answer.”

  “It could be the solution to dying a horrible death.”

  “Your cautiousness is annoying me a little bit.”

  “So far, my cautiousness has been a good thing.”

  “If we get desperate enough, can we go to the supermarket?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe. We’d have to travel a good distance to get there.”

  “Oh. Yeah.”

  “When we leave, we can’t take a vehicle. The roads are blocked by now. I’m sure there are a lot of zombies between us and the supermarket. I think there will be psychopathic killers, too.”

  “It’s really that bad, isn’t it?”

  “You may as well accept that it’s the end of the world. Even if humanity survives, it will be a long time before things get back to normal.”

  “Now that I think about it, I can’t think of a plan to get fifty feet from here safely.”

  “Other than run like crazy, I don’t know.”

  “I really think the supermarket would make a great sanctuary.”

  “You really think so, don’t you?”

  “I think we should join up with those people.”

  “Having more people with us means more mouths to feed.”

  “But we’ll be protected better. I’m glad you stockpiled so much stuff before all this happened.”

  “You said I was being crazy.”

  “I did.”

  Jake and Dan stayed in the house. Not for any reason did they go outside. They didn’t need to. Eventually, the power and water went out. They spent most of their time in the basement with a flashlight.

  “How can such stupid creatures be so deadly?” Dan asked. “You would think humans would be too intelligent to lose to a bunch of practically brainless zombies.”

  “All it takes is a bite or scratch. I’ve thought about something. I think humans are the reason why the infection started.”

  “Do you think animals are affected?”

  “I’m sure they probably die when they’re bitten.”

  “I’m still trying to get used to what’s going on.”

  “Same.”

  Living in the dark worsened the situation. The dark played tricks on them. Sometimes, they’d believe there was a zombie in the dark. No matter what they did, they felt vulnerable during the day and at night. They used a flashlight in the basement for a light source. Dan eventually agreed to learn how to play chess. They’d play chess for days. Later, they turned to books. Jake read books about cooking and U.S. history and Dan read mechanics books.

  10

  A month passed. They were running out of things to do to pass the time. Books and talking were all they had left.

  “We’re surviving,” said Dan.

  “You sound surprised.”

  “I am very surprised.”

  “Why?”

  “Think about the odds.”

  “There are a lot of dead people.”

  “I think the only reason we’re surviving is because we haven’t had to leave the house yet.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.”

  “How much food and water do we have left?”

  “We’re alright, but I underestimated our intake.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that.”

  “It makes me uneasy, too. We have enough to last us for a while longer. It looks like we’re going to have to leave before the apocalypse is over.”

  “Damn it.”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s what I hoped so much for.”

  “I didn’t get my hopes up.”

  “I wonder how long it takes for one of them to completely rot.”

  “That’d be a nice thing to know.”

  “We really need to bathe. Rag baths don’t cut it.”

  “Get used to it.”

  “What book are you going to read today?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’m not looking forward to leaving.”

  “I’m not either.”

  “I wonder what will happen.”

  “Nothing good.”

  “I don’t know if we’re going to make it.”

  “No one knows if they’re going to make it.”

  “You’re doing it again.”

  “Doing what again?”

  “Being so negative.”

  “I’m not being negative.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “I’m just being honest. Don’t expect anything good outside this house.”

  “I won’t.”

  “I think you’ve gotten too comfortable.”

  “Is there something wrong with being comfortable?”

  “Nothing, I guess.”

  “Okay then.”

  “Any positive thoughts?”

  “I don’t have to go to work. No more taking my boss’s bull. No more of my ex-girlfriend’s psychotic behavior.”

  “You never got along with her, but I didn’t think you’d be apathetic about her probable death.”

  “She stabbed me, Jake.”

  “Whoa. I didn’t know about that. When did this happen?”

  “A few weeks before the infection hit Mexico.”

  “I knew she was crazy, but I didn’t tell think she’d stab you. You had your head up her behind. If I would have told you to leave her, you’d have done that hateful jerk thing you do.”

  “I’m not that bad, Jake.”

  “I’m right about you being a jerk.”

  “Yes, Jake. You’re right. Always right.”

  “I own up to it when I’m wrong.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Why did you care so much about money before all this happened?”

  “It made life easier. Without money, you couldn’t do anything.”

  “You were so bent on working so hard for so long at that company. You made way more money than me and always made me pay for lunch.”

  “Anything else you’d like to whine about?”

  “Yeah. You always acted like you were better than me. You’re a snob.”

  “If you want to fight me, let’s stop talking and get to throwing punches. I’m sick of you whining and complaining about every little thing that has happened in the past. Just let it go.”

  “If you were in my position, you’d find it hard to let it all go.”

  “Do you not want me here?”

  “I don’t want your personality here.”

  “We don’t have to talk, you know.”

  “No, we don’t.”

  “Then shut up.”

  “Good luck with the zombie apocalypse.”

  “Are you going to leave me by myself when we run out of food, Jake?”

  “If you weren’t my brother, I would. If you weren’t my brother, I’d have shot you.”

  “If you weren’t my brother, I would have never talked to you.”

  “Same goes for you. Don’t get me killed, Dan.”

  “Don’t get me killed!”

  “Shut the hell up, you idiot. Don’t raise your voice.”

  “Sorry.”

  “You very well may have rung
the dinner bell for those things.”

  “You shouldn’t have started your whiny routine, then. Just keep your childish resentment to yourself.”

  “Jerk.”

  “I’m about to hit you.”

  “Okay. Injure me and lessen my chances of survival.”

  “No more talking.”

  “Fine.”

  For the next several hours, Jake gave his brother an angry stare. Jake pulled his pistol from its holster.

  “Jake, what are you doing?”

  Jake continued his stare.

  “You’re scaring me.”

  “Why shouldn’t I shoot you? You’ve been cruel to me for as long as I can remember.”

  “Can we just put it all behind us?”

  “I want to kill you, Dan.”

  “I can tell you haven’t been taking your meds.”

  “If I lower my pistol, you’ll kill me. I know how you are.”

  “If you lower the pistol, I won’t hurt you.”

  “I don’t trust you. I’ve never trusted you.”

  “You can trust me, Jake.”

  “We’re going to have a little talk.”

  “What do you want to talk about?”

  “Now that you understand how much what you’ve done has bothered me, you’re going to tell the truth. You better not tell me what I want to hear simply because you don’t want to set me off. You’re going to be honest with me.”

  “I’ll be honest.”

  “Why are you such a jerk?”

  “It’s just who I am, Jake. I’m sorry.”

  “You weren’t sorry before I pulled my pistol out of its holster. What do you have to say about that?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re not sorry. You felt good about belittling others. You got a kick out of it, didn’t you?”

  “Please don’t shoot me, Jake. I didn’t know I hurt your feelings that badly.”

  “Liar.”

  “Okay. I lied.”

  “Even when you have this pistol pointed at you, you lie and risk being shot.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re not sorry. If I put my pistol away, you’ll shoot me.”

  “If I shoot you, every zombie around is going to hear the gunshot.”

  “So you’re saying you’d shoot me if the zombie apocalypse never happened?”

  “If the apocalypse never happened and someone pointed a gun at you, wouldn’t you shoot them?”

  “You raise a good point.”

  “We need each other, Jake. Hate me or not, we’re in this together.”

  “If I didn’t need you and the zombies didn’t exist, I’d kill you.”