by David Lovato
“We’re going to have to clear some of this shit out of the way,” Jordan said. “I don’t want to risk a flat tire.”
“Can’t we just drive around it?” Evelyn said.
“No way,” Christian replied. “Unless you want to comb every blade of grass in search of shrapnel, we’d have to drive at least a couple miles into the field. I’m low enough on gas as it is.”
“We’ll just move the luggage and as much metal as we can out of the road, then,” Jordan said.
“Sounds like a plan, Stan!” Christian said. “Let’s get cracking. There might still be a few zombies around.”
Everyone climbed out and began moving fallen suitcases, jagged pieces of metal, and other debris out of their path. There was a lot to move from between the two pieces of the plane, but it went quickly with six sets of hands.
They split up to make the work go faster. When most of the luggage and bodies had been moved, Christian motioned for Alex. “If we want to get by, we should move some of these seats out of the way.”
Several sets of seats had fallen from the plane and rested in twos and threes in the road. Christian and Alex worked together to carry them out of the way.
That was when Aiden screamed.
All eyes turned in his direction. He had moved a suitcase from a pile, and a zombie had reached out from the hole he’d made and grabbed his wrist. Aiden tried to pull free, but all that did was help the zombie out from under the debris. When the zombie finally came loose, it pushed off against the pile with its legs, knocking it and Aiden to the ground. They began to wrestle.
“Shit, guys! Help!” Aiden screamed. He was holding the zombie’s arms, leaving it more than enough space to move its teeth to his neck. He dodged his head from side to side, afraid to even look away.
Christian and Alex were still holding a set of seats. Jordan couldn’t wait for them to put it down. He grabbed Christian’s gun from its holster and rushed to Aiden.
“Shoot it!” Aiden said. “Shoot it now, I can’t hold it!”
Jordan saw the zombie lurch forward, snapping its teeth. He had no time. He aimed and fired before he had even stopped running.
The zombie stopped struggling and turned toward the sound.
Another shot rang out, from behind Jordan; it was Christian, with Alex’s gun. The zombie’s head rocked backward, a spray of red shot out, and a hole appeared in its forehead.
The zombie slumped to the ground. Jordan felt his legs turn to rubber and his head turn hot when he saw blood seeping through a hole in Aiden’s chest as Aiden tried to stand. His shirt was growing darker. Aiden looked at Jordan and tried to say something, but only spat blood down his chin, then fell on top of the zombie.
Jordan collapsed to his knees. He cried, and Ashley sat down next to him. She put an arm around his shoulders. He was limp in her arms.
“How… I… No!”
“Jordan,” Ashley said, “It was an accident.”
Christian was tucking his gun into his pants. “We need to get going.”
Jordan looked at him. “Aiden’s dead!”
“Shit happens.”
Jordan jumped to his feet and charged at Christian. Christian caught Jordan by the shirt and slapped him across the face. Jordan fell to the ground, but Christian reached down and yanked him back to his feet.
“Look,” Christian said, “don’t think my heart ain’t in a million pieces right now, too. But where would you be if I had stopped and cried about everyone I shot back at the store?”
“It’s not the same thing, Christian! I-I killed him. He wasn’t a god damn zombie! He was my fucking friend! I wasn’t thinking, and I just fucking killed him!”
“I realize that, but you got people who count on you now, kid. You gotta think about them. Let’s say there’s some Great Beyond after we die. What do you think Aiden would say if you met him there in five minutes and told him everyone else died while you were crying over his dead body?”
Jordan tried to stop crying, tried to hold his breath, nearly choked.
“Jordan,” Christian said. “I know you didn’t do it on purpose. Ashley, Evelyn, Alex, we all know it was an accident. You can’t blame yourself. You have to just accept that it happened, and—”
“I… Just need a minute, okay?”
“And that’s fine. But after that, we move on. Nobody ever got anywhere by not moving on.”
“I’ll meet you all back at the car,” Jordan said. “Just give me a couple minutes.”
“All right,” Ashley said. She and the others went back to clearing the road.
Jordan dragged Aiden’s body into the grass beside the road, then covered it with a stained, tattered blanket he found among the wreckage. It was no proper burial, but it meant more to Jordan than leaving him there, just another body in the middle of a road paved with bodies.
Jordan looked up at the sky. The sun shone down on him, until a single cloud glided over it. The day grew darker, and Jordan looked away with a sigh. He went to join his companions, and they continued their trek to Big Springs.
****
Jordan kept his gaze on the road. Not long after all signs of the crash had disappeared from the rearview mirror, Jordan glanced back and saw Christian flashing his hazard lights. He needed to fill the jeep.
The freeway branched off into an old two-lane road. The pavement was cracked, but the yellow lines dividing the lanes were still vibrant. A sign readied them for a gas station coming up, and about a mile down the listless country road, sitting in the middle of nowhere, they found it.
It looked very old, resting on the right side of an intersection with a hanging traffic light containing one circular, flashing, yellow light. On the opposite side of the intersection was an equally ancient building. Judging by the vines and other foliage growing around and over its walls, it hadn’t been used in years.
The two cars pulled into the void that was the parking lot. There were only four pumps, but they looked new compared to the rest of the station.
“I sure hope this place takes plastic,” Christian said after he got out of the Jeep. A wind blew the ends of his do rag around, along with a few strands of hair. He plucked his wallet from his back pocket. The dull, worn chain jingled as he opened it.
“It looks like they’re newer pumps,” Evelyn said. “They probably do.”
Christian withdrew his debit card and walked over to the pump. “You’re right, Evvy.” He smiled at her and opened the gas cover.
While he filled the Jeep, Jordan began to fill his car. Ashley and Alex had also gotten out. There wasn’t a zombie in sight.
“I wish we hadn’t made this trip,” Jordan said. He looked at the ground as the gas gurgled through the hose. Ashley and Alex looked at him, surprised.
“Why?” Ashley said. “If we hadn’t come, you’d be wondering about your parents for however long this thing goes on. I don’t think you’d want that, Jordan.”
“If we hadn’t come, Aiden would still be alive.”
“Jordan, you really had no way of knowing that was going to happen,” Alex said.
“Alex is right. It’s not your fault he’s dead.”
“But it is my fault. I shot him!” Jordan closed his eyes, a tear rolled down his cheek.
“Think about what Christian said. All we can do is move on. It’s okay to feel bad about Aiden. But it’s more important to learn from it, and shape your future around it.” Jordan just looked off into the sky, even when the pump clicked and his tank was full. Ashley placed a hand on his cheek, gently guiding his head back to her. “Look at me, Jordan. We’ve all lost a lot in this, but we need to keep going. We can’t let these things take away our reasons to live. It’s the things we’ve lost that make us appreciate what we still have.”
“We can grieve, but we need to keep going,” Alex said. “It’s hard, but not impossible.”
“We all still have each other,” Ashley said. “You still have your parents. We’re almost to Big Springs.”
&nbs
p; “You’re right,” Jordan said. “You’re both right.”
Christian walked over to the others, the Jeep’s keys dangling in his right hand.
“Where exactly is this safe zone at?” he asked.
“It’s a high school,” Jordan replied. “Big Springs High. It can’t be more than a half hour from here.”
“Good, then.” Christian smiled a yellow smile and flashed a thumbs-up before walking back to the Jeep. “All right, lead us to it, Jord.”
The cars pulled out of the gravel lot and onto the road. Dust fell off of the tires as they spun over the pavement.
****
Big Springs looked bleak. There were dozens of bodies and zombies around the road and among the houses.
“It’ll be a right up here,” Ashley said. She was holding the map so Jordan could keep his eyes on the road. Some of the zombies tried to keep up with the cars.
“Shit, they’re following us,” Alex said.
“It’ll be fine as long as we keep moving.” Jordan looked in his rearview. Christian appeared to be calm, Evelyn seemed a little more worried.
They passed a burning, overturned car. The zombies following them quickly lost interest and headed for the flames. They moaned in pain when they entered the fire, but made no effort to escape.
Both cars took a right, and according to the map, Big Springs High was coming up soon. The bodies in the streets and on the sidewalks only grew in number. Even with the windows closed, the passengers couldn’t avoid the smell.
“Are we almost there?” Alex asked.
“We should be.”
A zombie chasing a dog ran into Jordan’s path. Jordan slammed on the brakes, but the zombie still rolled up onto the windshield. Its face hit, smearing blood across the glass.
“Fuck!” Jordan said. The zombie rolled off the hood, moaning. Jordan looked back and saw Christian had stopped shy of rear-ending him. Ahead, the zombie watched as the dog disappeared into the neighborhood, slowly climbed to its feet, and limped after it. Jordan and Christian moved on.
Humvees and Jeeps were parked on the street in front of the school, a few others in the parking lot, right in front of the entrance. There were barricades on the windows, but there was no one in sight.
Jordan stopped. Christian pulled up by him and rolled his window down.
“Let’s go around back,” Jordan said.
Christian nodded, looking around. “It looks pretty fucked up around here, Jordan.”
“Yeah. I’m thinking everyone locked themselves inside, that’s all.”
“I hope this place is safe,” Evelyn said.
“Well, we’re attracting attention,” Ashley said.
The windows rolled up, and the two cars headed to the back, where there was another parking lot. It contained a few civilian vehicles and more Humvees. The body of a soldier, or what was left of it, leaned against the front end of one. The school’s back door was wide open.
“This doesn’t seem good,” Alex said. He looked at Jordan, who kept a straight face; it didn’t break, though he was terrified.
Jordan parked behind Christian, as close to the open door as possible. A few zombies approached from the direction of the baseball diamond. Christian climbed out and picked them off while the others went for the door.
“This place can’t be safe anymore,” Evelyn said.
“My parents are in here. I have to find them.”
Christian came up behind Jordan and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Whatever happens in here, kid, I’m behind you every step of the way.”
“Thanks, Christian,” Jordan said. He entered the school, and the others followed. Ashley brushed her hand against Jordan’s, and he took it. Alex closed the door behind them and latched it.
The windows were all barricaded, but the lights were on. One of them was broken. Glass cracked beneath the survivors’ feet, echoing down the otherwise silent hall. Bodies rested against the walls. Most were partially eaten, some untouched. There were bullet casings on the floor in several places. The survivors tried not to look, especially when they turned a corner and saw a body that had been massacred, its parts spread all over the floor, blood smeared up the walls.
“The gym would probably be where everyone would’ve stayed,” Christian said, looking down an empty hall.
“Yeah, just need to find the damn thing,” Evelyn replied.
“It can’t be that hard to find,” Jordan said. “Let’s keep going.”
Other halls branched off from the main one, but the survivors had no plans of visiting them. They rounded a corner and saw zombies idling in the hall, some just in front of the doors to the gym. Alex shot one that came from another hall, and Christian took care of the small group ahead. A final bullet casing hit the ground and bounced a few times, each one echoing through the halls, and then the school was silent again.
“These shits are smarter, knowing to keep quiet when people are around,” Christian said.
The gym doors were closed, and they couldn’t hear anything from inside. Jordan looked at Ashley, still holding her hand.
“They could be in here,” she whispered. “Are you ready?”
“Yeah. Although…”
“What’s wrong?” Alex asked.
“I think I want to go inside alone.”
“We understand,” Evelyn said.
“Actually, Ash, will you come with me?”
“Of course I will, Jordan.”
“We’ll stay out here and guard the doors,” Christian said. “Don’t hesitate if you need help, okay?”
“Don’t worry. Thanks, guys.”
“Here,” Alex said, offering Jordan his gun.
“Be careful, you two,” Evelyn said. She, Alex, and Christian waited outside as Jordan and Ashley opened the doors and entered.
The gym looked like it had been converted into a slaughterhouse. Blood had been slung on the walls, bodies lay among several rows of cots. Many were overturned, and blood had soaked into the fabric. Jordan and Ashley exchanged glances and kept moving. At the end of the gym, facing a wall, was a woman. She was leaning over a body.
“Jordan, is that your mom?”
“Oh my God, it is!”
“You don’t think—” Ashley started, but Jordan was already running, avoiding the cots and bodies.
“Mom!”
“Jordan, be careful!” Ashley said. She followed him.
“Mom! Hey, what happened… here…”
Jordan’s mother turned around, blood dripping down her cheeks. Beside her on the floor were the remains of her husband. Jordan’s heart sank.
“Reaaahhhh,” Mrs. Lackey said.
“That isn’t your mom!” Ashley said. “That isn’t her!”
“They said it would be all right.” Jordan faced his mother, and Ashley placed a hand on his shoulder.
“It’s not safe here. We need to go. I’m so sorry.”
“We came here for nothing.”
“At least you know. You would have just wondered, otherwise.”
“Mom, how could I have let this happen to you?” Jordan said.
“It’s not your fault, Jordan. We should just go—”
“We can’t just leave her like this!” Jordan raised his gun as his mother approached, slowly. She moaned, and almost sounded sad. Jordan took aim, shut his eyes, and pulled the trigger.
Mrs. Lackey grunted as the bullet lodged into her forehead. She collapsed, and Jordan opened his eyes, wishing he was waking up from a terrible dream. He wasn’t. The gym was still there, with all the blood, bodies, and his dead mother just in front of him.
His father’s corpse was against the wall. Jordan stood in silence for a minute, Ashley by his side, then he made his way toward his father’s body.
Jordan’s father held a tape recorder in his hand. Jordan recognized it as the one he had at breakfast every morning, for recording story ideas. He reached for it, almost stopped, and then grabbed it. Jordan pressed the rewind button for a moment, and then p
ressed “Play”.
“…There is a gray spot on this couch that wasn’t here before… How strange. Something that may scare some people, but I won’t be startled by th—Jordan… if y-you are hearing this, it’s over. I’m sorry I couldn’t see you before the end. We were blindsided! Your mother was bitten… I’m sorry I c-couldn’t protect her.” His father coughed and wheezed, and then he sighed. “We love you very much. Please know that, son. If you hear this… get out. While you still can. Keep living as long as you can. Ah… God. I remember one day I—I asked you why you always went in to work when someone called in. You told me it was your responsibility. Jordan… You’re still a kid, Jordan. You have to go on living, now. Growing up, that’s your… Re… Respon—”
The tape stopped. Jordan and Ashley left the gym.
Christian took one look at Jordan’s face and said, “I’m sorry it went down this way.” He patted Jordan’s back.
“It’s okay,” Jordan said. “We should go, though. I don’t think I can stand to be here another minute.” The survivors walked down the halls.
“I wonder what happened,” Alex said. “What could have happened to cause a safe zone like this to fall?”
“It never was safe,” Jordan replied. “Nowhere is.”
“Where will we go, then?” Evelyn asked.
“Somewhere safer than here,” Ashley said.
“Somewhere less dangerous than here, you mean,” Jordan said.
Evelyn kicked a bullet casing. “Maybe we can go back to one of your houses and wait.”
“Wait for what?” Christian asked.
“Some good luck. Maybe the end of this.”
“You still think there’ll be an end?” Alex said.
“Everything has an end,” Jordan said.
“Not everything.”
“Most things.” They made their way out of the school. Jordan looked at the car, then he sighed. “Wherever we go, I don’t want to stay in my h—”
Jordan’s eyes lit up. The others looked at him.
“Something wrong?” Christian asked.
“I just remembered something,” Jordan said. “Something I have to do.”