“You’ve got that look, and I know how insecure you get sometimes. Listen, you’re great, Chasity. You just have to see it for yourself. Why do you think Emily and I follow your lead all the time?”
“I have no idea,” Chas said, and she really didn’t.
“Because you’re a fighter, and you’re smart,” Vanessa said.
“Smart? Yeah, right,” Chas said with a snort. “Emily’s the smart one. Not me. And you’re the fighter.”
“Emily has book smarts. It’s a different thing. As for me, I fight, yes, but for all the wrong reasons,” Vanessa said. “You fight for us, for your family, for what’s right. That’s what makes you smart and loyal. That’s why we listen to you.”
Chas was silent, absorbing Vanessa’s words. She’d never thought about it like that. About why, exactly, she’d been nominated the leader of their little group.
“Anyway,” Vanessa continued. “Nothing happened between Dean and me. He just showed me around, we talked a bit, and he took me home. I got the feeling he felt sorry for me, you know? Because I’m a foster kid and all that.”
“Oh,” Chas said, unsure what to say. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m used to it. Besides, it sure came in handy today.”
“That’s true. Without you, we’d still be stuck in those ablution blocks,” Chas said.
“I’m just glad he had football practice today, or he’d have been caught up in all that madness at the fair,” Vanessa said.
“Yeah, let’s hope he got home okay and this stuff hasn’t spread too far yet,” Chas said with the kind of hope she didn’t really feel. “Tell me. What do you think we’ll find in town?”
Vanessa shook her head. “I haven’t said anything because of Emily and Andrew, but…what do you think we’ll find, Chas? This sickness moves fast, and the tainted meat is all over the shops.”
Chas nodded, her optimism sinking into her shoes. “I’m afraid of that too. This disease must be in town by now. What with our cell phones not working, the police not showing up at the fair…it’s all bad news.”
“Exactly. I just hope we’re in time to save our parents, Chas. They might not be my real family, but Sarah and James have been good to me. The best so far as foster parents go.”
Chas nodded. She knew how Vanessa felt. She had the same hopes for her family. They all did. “They’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
“I pray you’re right.”
***
After crossing the field, Chas and her friends stood poised on the edge of Red Rock, huddled beneath a clump of stunted bushes. The silence, calm, and darkness of the countryside behind them contrasted sharply with what lay ahead. Noise, cars, people, screaming, and lights. The city was on fire, columns of smoke blanketing the air with smog. More than ever, Chas hoped their families were still okay, but what were the chances?
She closed her eyes and imagined her grandparents’ home on the other side of town, away from the hustle and bustle of town life. It was a big house, set in a huge yard on a hill surrounded by trees. It had a beautiful view of Red Mountain from the porch.
Every night, Grumps would sit in his customary chair, the porch light flickering above his head, while the countryside hummed with life. Mice, coons, and possums would rustle through the grass, coyotes would howl, and owls would hoot. Lala would be in the kitchen, preparing dinner or making iced tea to ward off the heat, drops of condensed water dripping from the sides of the jug.
Now, it could all be gone. Grumps could be dead or turned into one of those things at the fair when he came to fetch her. Lala, all alone, might hear something in the night, and when she investigated…
“Chas, are you all right?” Emily asked, her voice soft.
Chas blinked, grateful to be torn from her morbid thoughts. “I’m okay. You?”
“I’m…I guess I’m fine. This is all just so weird, I mean. I’ve imagined outbreaks before, studied Biology, even considered becoming an epidemiologist, but this is nothing like I thought it’d be like.”
“What’s an epidemiologist?” Chas asked.
“Someone who studies and tracks the outbreak of diseases, their causes, and the possible means to control it,” Emily replied.
Chas whistled. “Wow. You really are clever.”
Emily looked saddened. “Too clever, maybe. I can see exactly where this is going, and I don’t want to know something like that. Not now.”
“What do you mean?” Chas asked though she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what the answer was either. Not really. Her imaginings were already bad enough.
“This disease is spreading very quickly, carried from one host to the next. The incubation period after eating contaminated meat seems to be a matter of hours, and after being bitten or scratched, mere minutes. The hosts are aggressive, strong, and actively seeking to spread their illness. The fact that it’s someone you know and love who attacks you makes it even more difficult to fight back or even react,” Emily said, assuming an academic mien.
This time, however, no one mocked her. Instead, they all drew closer to hear what she had to say, even Vanessa and Andrew. It was a grim picture she painted, but they all needed to hear it.
We need to be prepared for what lies ahead, no matter what, Chas thought.
“Already, the cell towers are down, the police have been overwhelmed, and most likely, all hospitals and clinics are now danger zones. Our means of communication has been curtailed, and our infrastructure is crumbling. Unless the government or CDC can implement a rapid turn-around strategy, our cities are lost. What is happening here, will be magnified a hundred-fold in places like New York.”
Chas sucked in a deep breath. “What exactly are you saying, Emily? What are we looking at here?”
“We’re looking at the end of humanity, Chas. This is a zombie apocalypse.” Emily hesitated, pausing to push back her glasses. “The Zombie Apocalypse.”
Chapter 6
Chas let everyone rest for a while, giving them the chance to absorb Emily’s dread statement and come to terms with the possibilities. She needed them to be strong, not only for her but also their families. There was no telling what they would encounter along the way.
“You guys ready for this?” Chas asked for the second time that night, only this time she wasn’t referring to a fun birthday party, but rather, the most dangerous adventure of their lives.
“No, but we can’t stay here,” Vanessa said.
“We don’t have a choice,” Emily agreed.
“Okay. We’re heading for Vanessa’s place first. It’s the closest,” Chas said.
“If we cut through the zoo, it will be even closer,” Emily said. “Like, half the distance.”
“Isn’t it closed?” Chas asked.
“So? We climb over the gates, run through to the other entrance and we’re almost at my house,” Vanessa said, flashing a smile at Emily.
“If it’s closed, that means no zombies either,” Emily added.
“I like that idea,” Chas said, and Andrew nodded so hard his head nearly fell off.
“Me too,” he said.
“Which way, Vanessa?” Chas asked.
“One block, that way,” her friend said.
“I propose we make a run for it. No stopping for anything,” Chas said.
The others agreed, and after a few seconds, they took off, sprinting down the street with Vanessa leading the way.
Though they were still at the outer edge of town, the chaos had reached the street, and the road was littered with cars. Some had just stopped in the middle of the way, their open doors pointing to owners fleeing on foot. Other had crashed, leaving mangled steel and puddles of blood in their wake.
A zombie smashed its fists on the windows of a car as they passed, caught inside with no way to get out. Chas nearly stepped on a teddy bear, its furry brown figure a pitiful sight amidst all the destruction. She didn’t want to know what happened to the owner of the teddy either and dreaded stumbling upon a zombie ch
ild.
Chas ran past three more bodies, all victims of the infected. Even as she circled around the corpse of a woman in a blue dress, her limbs twitched like a broken doll coming to life. “Move it, guys. One of them’s awake already.”
Increasing their speed, the four pushed themselves as hard as they could, weaving across the sidewalks in a zig-zag fashion. As they ran over a crossing, a screech alerted Chas, and she looked over her shoulder. A small knot of zombies had spotted them and was giving chase. Even worse, they were fast, very fast.
“Run, everyone. Get to the zoo!”
The panic in her voice must have carried to her friends because Vanessa threw her a terrified look and pointed. “It’s right up ahead. Keep going.”
The zombies behind them were gaining ground, their arms and legs pumping like pistons to catch their prey. Chas’ lungs were bursting for air, and a sharp pain stabbed into her side with each step she took.
“Almost there. Almost there,” she chanted over and over in a bid to keep going.
Andrew was lagging, hampered by the porcelain toilet lid he still carried as a weapon. She was about to tell him to drop it and run when the unthinkable happened. With a cry, he tripped and fell to his knees, dropping the lid to the tar where it shattered into jagged pieces that glinted in the yellow lamplight.
He hit the ground hard, rolling head over heels before coming to a stop on his side. Blood flowed down the side of his face and shone on his skinned knees. Struggling to get to his feet, he looked at Chas who’d stumbled to a halt. “Help me!”
Chas waved at Vanessa and Emily. “Keep going. We’ll catch up.” With that, she doubled back and grabbed Andrew by the elbow, hauling him to his feet. “Come on. Move,” she cried, but it was too late.
The frontrunner of the pack of zombies crashed into them. With a growl, the man latched onto Andrew’s shirt. Before he could bite, a hand flashed past Chas’ face, embedding a piece of the toilet cistern’s lid in the zombie’s eye.
Chas whirled. “What the—”
It was Vanessa, her eyes wild, and her hand coated in the zombie’s blood. She grabbed Andrew’s other arm. “Come on!”
As they yanked Andrew to his feet and into a run, the second zombie reached them only to be met by a whack from Emily and her table leg. He toppled backward as his feet flew into the air and he crashed to the ground, tripping up the rest of his friends.
It all happened within seconds, and then they were running all out for the zoo, followed by a howling mob of infected people eager for their blood. Andrew quickly regained his speed, fear spurring him on. Without the cistern lid weighing him down, he sprinted ahead until he hit the zoo gates. Turning back, he egged the rest on. “Hurry, guys.”
Emily got there first, and he hoisted her over in a flash. Vanessa needed no help, launching herself into the air with the grace of a gymnast. Andrew scrambled to the top and leaned down to give Chas a hand just as she reached the zoo entrance.
With panic pushing her onward, Chas climbed the wrought-iron gates faster than she’d ever have believed possible, helped by Andrew who pulled her over the top just as a zombie grabbed for her foot. Its grasping fingers let go of her toes, and she was free.
Chas dropped down on the other side with a gasp of relief, watching as the zombies beat their fists against the gates in futile rage. Luckily, they couldn’t climb, and the gates were secured with a thick chain and padlock. They were safe…for the time being.
Heaving for breath, she looked at her friends, glad to see they were all there and unharmed. They were all tired, however, exhausted and drained by all they had seen and done that night. What they needed to do now was regroup, and she knew just the place to do it.
“Come on. Let’s go to the shop. I’m starving.”
“You mean, break in? Steal stuff?” Emily asked with a dubious frown.
Vanessa laughed, clapping Emily on the back. “Consider it a loan, Em. If this all works out, we can always repay them. If not, well, you said it yourself. It’s the apocalypse.”
Emily sighed. “I guess so, and I am pretty hungry.”
“That’s settled then,” Chas said, straightening up to lead the way. “Just remember to stay away from anything with fresh meat in it.”
“Noted,” Andrew said as he shuffled after her. “Thanks for saving my life, by the way. You needn’t have come back for me.”
“That’s what friends do,” Chas replied with a faint shrug. “Besides, you needn’t have helped me over the gate either.”
Andrew grinned. “Guess that’s what friends are for.”
Chapter 7
Chas led the way to the little shop that sold cold drinks, snacks, memorabilia, and toys, leading by memory. She’d been to the zoo dozens of times and knew the place like the back of her hand. It was one of her favorite pastimes on a Saturday morning when her mom wasn’t working. They’d all get up early, have breakfast, and go to the zoo. After looking at all the animals, Lala and Grumps would stick them for a milkshake at the tea garden which was right next to the shop, and sometimes they’d even buy her a t-shirt or a bracelet.
The night was dark around them as Chas walked up the steep cobbled path that led to the top of an incline. Trees lined the way, their thick foliage rustling in the wind above their heads. The moon peeked through the gaps, barely lighting the way ahead. The silence was thick and ominous. Chas shivered, glad there were no zombies around. At least, she hoped so. The staff would have headed home before the outbreak, and the animals would all be in their cages, tucked away for the night.
A sign pointed to the left, and she glanced at it as they passed. It showed the way to the gorilla enclosures, one of her favorite animals. She admired them for their strength and nobility, the way they stuck together and acted like a family.
Finally, their little group topped out on the rise, and a long low building appeared before them silhouetted against the deep blue night sky. Chas turned to the others, aware that she desperately needed a pee. “Do any of you need to use the bathroom? Because now’s your chance.”
“I do,” Andrew said.
“Me too,” Emily added.
Chas nodded. “I think we should all go. Who knows when we might get the chance again? Andrew, the men’s restrooms are over there. Meet us back here when you’re done.”
“Okay,” Andrew said.
“Wash your hands when you’re done,” Emily said, pointing a finger at the boy. “We need to keep germs to a minimum until we know more about this disease, and I know how you lot are when you have a whiz.”
Vanessa snorted as she tried to contain her laughter, and Chas had to battle to keep a straight face. Trust Emily to think of the weirdest things at a time like that.
Andrew frowned but didn’t say anything, making his way through the dark to the men’s side of the building. A light flickered on in the windows a few seconds later, and Chas was relieved the power was still on. Somehow, she’d expected it to be off by now with everything that was going on. Her full bladder twinged, and she waved to Vanessa and Emily. “Come on, you two. Let’s hurry up.”
They entered the women’s restrooms and Chas looked for the light switch, flicking it on and flooding the interior in a yellow glow. Emily rushed into the nearest stall, and Chas followed suit, relieved beyond measure. Afterward, the girls all washed their hands, arms, and faces before trooping outside.
Chas felt refreshed after the bathroom break, and she was glad to be free of the sweat and grime that had coated her skin before. Andrew didn’t look quite as happy as she felt. Instead, he looked nervous, shifting from one foot to the other, and Chas guessed that waiting outside in the dark alone hadn’t been fun.
“Are you okay?” she asked, reaching out a hand to him.
He bobbed his chin. “Yeah, I’m good.”
The shimmer in his eyes betrayed him, though, and she said, “You can talk about it if you want.”
He shook his head. “It’s just…what do I tell my mom and dad? Ab
out Macy, I mean. I saw her get eaten, Chas. Eaten alive, and now she’s probably a zombie wandering around and eating other poor kids.”
“I’m sorry, Andrew,” Chas said.
“Sorry doesn’t solve anything,” he said, turning his back on her.
Chas hesitated before putting her hand on his shoulder. He trembled beneath her touch but didn’t pull away. “I know it doesn’t change anything, but it’s all I’ve got. Let’s just focus on getting you home, okay? You can see your parents again. Don’t you want that?”
“Of course, I do,” Andrew said, his shoulders sagging. He turned to her. “Sorry for snapping at you just now. I didn’t mean it.”
“I know. Let’s keep going, all right? Vanessa’s house first, then yours, and so on.”
“Okay,” Andrew said with a quick nod.
Chas turned to Emily and Vanessa. “Are we all agreed? We keep going?”
“Yup, I’m still in,” Vanessa said.
“Me too.” Emily pushed her glasses back into place and blinked.
“All right, but first, we need to eat and drink something. We don’t know what lies ahead of us. It could be hours before we get home, if not longer.”
“Sounds good to me,” Vanessa said. Her belly rumbled as if to prove her words. “I’m starving.”
Chas laughed. “Luckily for you, the shop is right over there.”
She walked past the restrooms and toward a set of glass doors beneath a flashing neon light that read closed. As expected, the place was locked, but Chas wasn’t about to let that stop her. “Look for a rock or something to smash the window with.”
“How about this?” Emily asked, producing a sturdy bobby pin from her hair.
Chas eyed it. “I don’t know. I’ve never picked a lock before.”
“I have,” Vanessa said, pushing her way forward and taking the pin from her friend. “Why don’t you lot keep watch while I work on opening up here?”
“It’s a plan, at least. Fan out, you two. Let’s guard the perimeter,” Chas said, feeling just the tiniest bit like a boss for using the word guard and perimeter in one sentence.
Gen Z Boxed Set Page 4