“Anyway, Paul grabbed the thing before it got too close, and it bit him in the shoulder!”
“You keep calling it a thing. What do you mean? Are you sure it wasn’t just some crazy lunatic?” asked Sara.
Hannah snorted. “I wish it was. No… this thing’s eyes weren’t… normal. Something was wrong with the pupils. And its skin looked grayish white, almost like skin when it’s decomposing. In fact,” she said sitting up straighter. “That’s what these things remind me of…dead people.”
“Dead people…like zombies?” I whispered.
“Exactly like that! You know my father owned a funeral home back in the seventies. Once I snuck down to the basement and saw a couple dead bodies,” she shuddered. “Yep, that’s what those things reminded me of tonight; dead people walking around, without their souls.”
I’m not sure why, but I believed her. From Sara’s expression though, she wasn’t convinced.
“What happened after your husband was bit?” asked Sara.
Hannah sighed. “Well, Paul smacked it on its head, repeatedly, until it finally let go of his shoulder and fell to the ground. Then the damn thing got back up and rushed at Paul, growling at him.”
“Did you kill it?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
“Hell yes. I grabbed the gun behind the register and shot the thing in the head,” she declared proudly.
Sara and I looked at each other, not sure what to say.
“Did you call the police?” Sara asked.
“Well, we tried calling the sheriff, but the lines were busy. So, Paul called a buddy of his on the police force, Jim Nielson. Jim was around, amazingly. He said these things were attacking people all over town.”
I shuddered. “All over the entire town?”
Hannah nodded. “Yes. And what’s even more disturbing is that the ones that turned into these….zombies, they were normal people just a few hours ago, people who live here in town.”
Sara rubbed her forehead. “So, what you’re saying is that normal people are turning into zombies?”
Hannah’s eyes narrowed and they darted back and forth, looking at both of us. “First, let me ask you something. Did either of you get the flu vaccine?”
We both shook our heads.
Hannah released a sigh of relief. “Good, then I don’t need to worry about either of you turning.”
Sara frowned. “Turning? Hold on. You’re saying that the people who are turning into…zombies…are doing so because they received the flu vaccine?” she shook her head. “You can’t be serious.”
Hannah laughed bitterly. “I am as serious as a heart attack. I wish it weren’t true, that Paul was still…alive. But Jim, he told us everything, the entire ugly truth. The truth the government is desperately trying to conceal and now fix. They’ve even shut down most of the power to try and contain these things.”
“They’re responsible for the power being shut off?” asked Sara.
Hannah nodded. “Personally I think someone high-up was already losing their mind when they approved “that call”.
“Nothing makes sense,” mumbled Sara.
“What exactly are they trying to hide?” I asked breathlessly.
She touched my shoulder. “Right now, anyone who’s been vaccinated is doomed. They’ve all been issued a death warrant. Only it’s their soul that dies, their bodies live on.”
I expected to hear a clap of thunder after her terrifying revelation. Instead Sara laughed out loud.
“That’s ridiculous! There’s no way the government would release a vaccine that would create millions of…zombies!”
“Well, that was our reaction when we heard the story. But you see, the newest vaccine was never tested thoroughly before it was released. The FDA actually never even approved the vaccine, but it was still released.”
“How can that be? The FDA would have had to have been involved in order for the drug to have been released.”
“Well, I’m not sure the specifics of what happened dear. That’s just the story I heard and after seeing some of these walking dead things, I believe Jim.”
“How could a drug make a person make decisions without a conscious soul?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I’m just hoping those lost souls are with their maker,” replied Hannah softly, drawing a cross upon her chest.
This was too much for me to fathom.
“How many more of these zombies did you run into tonight?” Sara asked.
“Well, after we got done talking to Jim, we closed up shop so we could high tail it on home. We didn’t really believe Jim at the time, not until we saw the horror of what was happening around town.”
“What did you see?” I asked.
“Innocent people were getting attacked by these… zombies. Right on the streets! I felt like I was in some sort of scary motion picture. My mind wanted to believe that all these people were actors, that the blood and gore wasn’t real. That it was just a scene they were shooting for a movie.” Hannah’s eyes filled with tears. “But it was real.”
“How did you guys make it out of there?” Sara asked.
“We own a Dodge Ram,” she sniffed, “with a Hemi! I tell you that thing just plowed through those zombies. They didn’t even know what hit ‘em.”
I looked at Sara in horror, picturing the bodies getting hit by the truck.
“If you made it out of town, what happened to Paul?”
Hannah shook her head sadly. “There was a little girl, about ten years old. Only a couple blocks away from here. Well, she was running and some soldiers were chasing her. We had to stop. We could see that the little girl wasn’t a zombie, but the soldiers…they’d already changed.”
“Why would the government allow soldiers who received the vaccines to monitor everything?”
“I don’t think they know exactly who’s been vaccinated, even with the military. You can walk up to the local drug store and receive a vaccine. Anyway, the soldiers you killed tonight were the two chasing the girl. We hit them with our truck, and they were pretty messed up, you saw their missing limbs. But that didn’t stop them from coming back at us. The taller of the two is the one who got Paul. He was fast and strong. I couldn’t help my husband,” she said, the tears flooding all over again.
“What happened to the little girl?” I asked.
She shrugged, and wiped her eyes with the tissue. “I don’t really know. Hopefully she made it somewhere safe.”
“What do we do now?” I asked Sara.
Sara looked pale. She walked away, speechless.
I felt like throwing up. The idea that my mother, sister, and father were in this nightmare, probably trying to survive was horrifying. I didn’t know if I could believe this stranger. Were there real life zombies combing the streets, looking for their next victim?
I turned to Hannah. “Um, what about the people that aren’t zombies? What happens if they get bitten or hurt by one?”
Her eyes widened. “I don’t know dear. I was too busy running for my life to find out.”
Chapter Twelve
I was overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted from everything that had happened. Needing a burst of caffeine, I walked into the kitchen to grab a can of soda and noticed that there was a message on my phone.
Bryce? I hadn’t allowed myself to think about him, it was just too painful to consider that he might be among the walking dead. I had no idea if he’d had the vaccine or his brother for that matter. It might be a good idea to keep a close eye on Bobby!
I picked up my phone and sighed with relief, it was Allie. I quickly dialed into my voicemail but my happiness was quickly shattered.
“Cassie,” whispered Allie, I could tell she was in tears. “Oh, my God…we need help! Dan is trying to… kill us.” Next, I heard her scream in terror and then the phone went dead.
Horrified, I tried calling her back but there was no answer. Then I sent her several texts and waited. But she didn’t respond. I threw my phone down and started cryin
g; I couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to Allie. Dan must have turned into a zombie!
Then it hit me. I knew exactly what I had to do; save my little sister.
Wiping away my tears, I stood up and grabbed my truck keys. There was no way I was going to sit back and allow her to be a victim to Dan or any other zombies. If she was still alive, I was going to find her.
Suspecting that Sara wouldn’t let me leave the safety of the house, I decided not to tell her of my plans. Instead, I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote her a note. I also asked her to keep a careful watch on Bobby. Finally, I added Paige’s address, just in case my mom or dad came home.
I went back down to the cellar and nonchalantly grabbed more ammunition near the gun safe. Sara didn’t even notice, she was too busy trying to console Hannah.
Yawning, I said. “I’m going to lie down for a little while.”
She looked at me and nodded. “Okay, Hannah and I are going to figure out what in the heck we’re going to do next.”
I said goodnight, then ran upstairs to grab the Berretta and my sectional staff, which is something I’d never used away from my karate class. It could inflict a lot of pain; if there was ever a time to use it, I knew it was now.
My truck was parked on the other side of the garage. With my heart hammering in my chest, I took a fearful breath and snuck outside, locking the door behind me. It was deathly quiet except for the sound of an old barn owl hooting somewhere in the distance. Thankfully, I was alone, nobody waiting for me in the shadows. I hopped into my truck and locked the doors.
“Please start,” I begged my persnickety truck. And just like that, it started.
With a renewed surge of hope, I put it in gear, backed out of the driveway and took off down the street, not putting on my headlights until I was far enough away from the house.
As I drove through the neighboring streets, I’d half expected to see dead bodies, but instead was surprised by how calm everything was. No bodies, no walking dead, not even any neighbors coming or going, which really wasn’t that odd after midnight, although tonight everything felt ominous.
I relaxed a little and turned on the radio, but there was still nothing but static.
Should’ve brought my iPod, I thought.
About four blocks away, I noticed Hannah’s truck parked recklessly in the middle of the street. It was yellow with streaks of blood splashed across the bumper and hood. I drove around it cautiously, expecting to see her dead husband, jumping out of it and coming for me. But thankfully, it was empty.
As I neared the first major intersection, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I really didn’t think too much about it until I slowed down for the stop sign and a bushy haired male zombie rushed my truck. It then crawled onto my hood while I watched, totally transfixed by its actions.
The zombie’s face contorted grotesquely and it let out a dreadful moan. I recoiled in horror as it stared hungrily at me with its insanely red eyes. He then pressed his mouth against the window and began licking the glass, as if it were trying to somehow taste me through it. The slimy residue its blackened tongue left behind was enough to make me gag as well as get me moving. I stomped my foot on the gas, thinking I might be able to shake him off, but my truck had other ideas; it gasped, sputtered and then stalled.
I locked eyes with the zombie who seemed aware of what just happened. Its grayish lips curled up into a sneer, as if mocking me, which made me furious. I raised my middle finger and flipped him off, hoping he’d understand what that meant too.
When that obviously didn’t get me anywhere, I restarted the engine, this time pressing much more gently on the gas. When the truck started moving I wanted to cheer, but the zombie was still holding onto the hood of my truck, putting a damper on my victory.
“Get off!” I screamed, but the zombie only stared at me with a cannibalistic yearning.
I gave the pedal more gas and watched the speedometer go up, but the zombie still held tight, its brown hair blowing wildly in the wind.
Screw it. I pressed the gas to the floorboard, not too worried about oncoming traffic. This time I felt a surge of exhilaration as the zombie tumbled off the side of the hood and onto the pavement. I held my breath until I couldn’t see it in my rearview mirror and then let out a shaky sigh. I’d just survived round two against the zombies.
I calmed myself down and continued on towards Paige’s, noting several abandoned vehicles on just about every road I took to get there. It was so surreal and I started feeling as if I was the lone survivor in a bad horror flick. Even though I was terrified, thoughts of my little sister kept pushing me forward
When I finally arrived at Hillshire Commons, the posh gated community where Paige lives, I noticed the security station was vacant and the entrance was open. I drove through it warily, searching the streets for zombies, not wanting any more leaping onto my truck. I held my breath for the entire four blocks, and heaved a sigh of relief when I made it up Paige’s cobblestone driveway without any obstacles.
The house appeared dark and ominous. My hands began to shake uncontrollably, imagining what I might possibly find inside. As I grabbed my truck keys out of the ignition, they slipped out of my quivering hands and fell onto the floor mat, so I bent down and picked them. When I sat back up, two pairs of red bloodshot eyes stared at me through the window. I screamed in holy terror.
Chapter Thirteen
When I finally stopped screaming my head off, I took a deep breath and assessed the situation. Two zombies were feeling around the outside of my truck, trying desperately to get to me. They were hideous and hungry; they were also out there and I was still somewhat safe in my truck.
“Scat! Go away!” I hollered, raising my gun.
One of them, an obese zombie wearing pajamas, cocked his head, staring at me like I was some kind of delectable appetizer. Blood coagulated from where his nose used to be and I shuddered in revulsion.
The other zombie was frothing at the mouth. She was a rail-thin revolting creature who must have been taking a bath or something when she changed into a zombie. I could only presume since she was stark naked, wearing only a plastic cap. This creature was growling and clawing frantically at my driver’s side window. She didn’t appear to be wounded, but she had the tell-tale zombie eyes and her skin was gray and mottled.
I knew my situation wasn’t good, so I decided to wait a few minutes, to see if the two zombies would lose interest and eventually wander off. But then the skinny female started beating on the window with her hands and I became paranoid about the window shattering. So I decided to try a different approach; I screamed at them, to see if they’d get confused and possibly leave me alone. It was a shot in the dark… that totally missed.
Both zombies froze and stared at me as I screamed with all my might. I thought I was doing good and kept screaming until the female let out a high-pitched screech that made my cries sound like whispers. Then, in horror, I realized her screech caught the attention of other zombies in the area who were now coming to join the party.
Cursing, I moved to the passenger side of my truck and opened the door.
The male zombie began slobbering on himself as he staggered around the truck towards me. I aimed my trembling right hand and shot him in the head. Rancid zombie brains colored the pavement.
“Oh, God,” I shuddered, resisting the urge to vomit. I looked towards the female, who was also moving towards me. “Listen, you’re next if you come any further,” I warned her.
She snarled and then leaped at me, but not before I shot her between the eyes.
Sensing the other zombies in the neighborhood getting closer, I grabbed the flashlight from my glove compartment and rushed towards the front door. Unfortunately, it was locked.
Ring the doorbell? It was certainly worth a shot. I figured a zombie wouldn’t have enough sense to open the door, let alone unlock it. Plus, if one of the girls were still alive, she’d open it for me.
A hairy chested, boxer
short sporting, grandpa zombie growled at me from the edge of the lawn and I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. I ran to the side of the house and tried the tall wooden gate. Luckily it was unlocked. I entered the back yard and did a quick scan of the swimming pool, using my flashlight. There was no sign of blood, just wet towels, snacks, and a couple of floating chairs still drifting in the water. I decided to check out the house and went through the open patio door to the kitchen, where I found a cast iron frying pan lying on the ground and a few missing knives from the butcher block. Then, I caught something dark and red splattered on the marbled kitchen island. As I moved closer to the stain with my flashlight, I let out a shaky sigh of relief; pizza sauce.
Wiping the perspiration from my forehead, I decided to move on. Their house is massive, over ten thousand square feet and I knew I had a lot of ground to cover, so I started with the obvious; Kylie’s bedroom. Right away, I found Allie’s pink leather purse and overnight bag sitting on a futon, but no other signs of either girl.
Next, I made my way to Paige’s room, which she likes to call her “wing”. She has her own bathroom with a whirlpool tub, walk-in closet, and even her own personal reading room. By chance I found her new iPhone sticking out from under the bed, as if she’d carelessly dropped it. I put it in my pocket and continued searching the entire house with the flashlight. After I scoured every room in the house, including the theater room and upper level where Kristie and Dan slept, my eyes began to fill with frustrated tears; the place appeared deserted and I had no idea what to do next. As I trudged back downstairs to the kitchen, my phone began to vibrate. I cringed when I saw who it was.
“Thank God! What in the hell were you thinking girl?” yelled Sara.
I cleared my throat. “Look, I have to find my sister, she needs me. If it was your sister, you’d do the same. You know I’m right.”
She was silent for a minute then sighed. “Yes, you are. So… have you found her yet?”
“No,” I replied sadly.
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