Zombieclypse (Book 1): Dead Quarantine

by A. Rosaria

  “Driver!”

  He had not gotten a reaction from the man before, but he had seen the man growing weary as the day progressed. The military presence and empty roads must not have sat well with him.

  “Hey, man! I have question.”

  Balls, he was still ignoring him.

  “Where are you taking us?”

  No answer. Lauryn stirred. Great, he woke her up. The moment she closed her eyes and fell asleep, she had not coughed. It was a weird thing that once humans sleep some of their discomfort felt during the waking hours seemed to disappear. She coughed, raised her head, and wiped the drool from her mouth. She pushed away from him and looked around with her dilated eyes. He'd thought she would feel better after a nap, but she looked terrible.

  “How are you feeling?”

  She shook her head, not giving him an answer and not needing to, the misery on her face said enough. He pressed his hand to her forehead. He knew already she had a fever, but she was really burning now. Something had to be done.

  “You need to get to a hospital.”

  She nodded. She tried to say something but winced. It must have been painful for her to talk. He shifted his attention back to the driver.

  “Driver! We need to go to a hospital.”

  The driver shifted in his seat. No one else on the bus was active or in any way helpful. Half were asleep, the other half awake, coughing and feeling miserable. Even the jocks, who had been boisterous the first hour, especially in insulting him and Lauryn, had fallen silent in the second hour. They had been driving for a little more than three hours now at about sixty miles per hour. That was close to two hundred miles from home. Something had to be done. No one else was able enough to do anything.

  He stood up. He should have done this way before.

  “Sit down,” the driver said.

  Ralph held the support beam near the driver’s seat, standing to the man’s right a little behind him. He had a full view of his bald spot, an island in a sea of black hair.

  “Go sit back down. Now!”

  “No!”

  “You better do as I say or—”

  “Or what? What can you do by yourself? Turn the bus around.”

  “I can't.”

  Ralph went for the steering wheel. The driver pushed him away. “Have you gone mad?”

  “Turn around!”

  “I can't do that.”

  Ralph stepped forward, intent on getting him to stop the bus.

  “Okay, okay, stop!” the driver yelled. Ralph halted. “We are almost there. The quarantine center has the medical staff you need. To turn around would take more time to get you anywhere remotely able to help you.”

  “I don't believe you.”

  They passed a stationary military hummer, which started after the bus.

  “Why wouldn't you? Besides they would never allow us to return.”

  The driver was sweating. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and still refused to look Ralph in the eyes. He got the feeling that the man didn't know much. But if he was right and they were close by and there was a medical staff, then it would be a waste of time to turn around.

  The hummer caught up with the bus and maneuvered to its side. At the height of the driver, a soldier sitting on the passenger's side signaled the driver to follow. The driver was right; there was no way they would allow them to go back.

  “Ralph,” Lauryn called for him. Her voice was croaked and low, all hint of the sweet voice he heard just hours ago was gone.

  He sat next to her and held her hands. So tiny, so fragile.

  “We are almost there. Someone is going take care of you soon.”

  She tried to smile but faltered. Jeez, he hoped his mother and sister were doing better than this. Some of the kids were only coughing but others were deteriorating fast, like Lauryn, and some even faster. He wasn't sure all those sleeping were sleeping or just passed out.

  “Ralph.” She had tears in her eyes now. “I'm scared.”

  “I know.” In the distance, the sky had an orange hue as if a forest was on fire. The sun hid behind dark clouds. “I'm scared too.”

  One kid, a freshman, got up. He walked a few paces and collapsed. No one reacted. The driver ignored what had happened as he focused on following the hummer. Clearly content with the end of his trip. Ralph left his seat to check on the kid. He was short and thin; he seemed much younger than the fourteen he had to be. The boy made him think about Ginny. Would she be like this? The thought gripped his throat. He tore his mind away from his worries and focused on the boy. He felt for a pulse. Good. His heart still beat, although his breathing was ragged.

  The boy must have had issues with his blood pressure and fainted. It had been a while since he had his first aid class. Hoping he remembered everything, he positioned the boy on his back and raised his legs above heart level. What was next? He had to wait, but for how long. One or two minutes, he believed. Ralph stuck his fingers in the boy's mouth. No vomit, which was good. His collar was not too tight, but he still loosened another button to no avail. The boy breathed but he did not wake up. The next step was to call 911. Ralph laughed nervously. He had his smart phone with him, but what would he say? That was if he had reception. He had tried calling before; he suspected he wasn't the only one that had tried, but it didn't work despite the signal bar being half-full. He tried again. Same result.

  “Driver! We have an emergency here. How much farther?”

  “Soon, it can't take much longer.

  “Ralph,” Lauryn called out.

  He looked at her. She had watched him with her eyes wide and red, her lips trembling. He could do nothing more for the boy. He put his feet on the seat, keeping them high. He hoped that was enough. The other kids were coughing or staring ahead sullenly. They were unresponsive or probably passed out. This trip was turning out to be a catastrophe.

  “Ralph, I'm cold,” Lauryn said when he sat next to her. “It hurts breathing, talking, everything hurts.”

  She sobbed. He hugged her. He didn’t know what to say, so he chose to stay silent. What comfort could he give if he knew there was none to be had? Who knew where they would end up? He doubted it was a health facility; he suspected it was more likely a military one.

  The bus slowed down and stopped.

  “Are we there?” Lauryn’s face lit up.

  No, they were not. When she saw this, her face soured. In front of them, buses lined the road to the horizon. How long would they stay here, bottled up in this traffic jam?

  “I've got to go look,” Ralph said.

  Lauryn grabbed his hand. “No, please stay.”

  He tore away from her tears and went to the driver's side.

  “You better go sit down, boy.”

  Ralph ignored the driver. Ahead of them all types of buses idled. Every so often they moved a hundred feet or more. The hummer came driving next to them. A soldier got off. He was not much older than Ralph. He walked up to the driver.

  “Follow the line; the compound is at its end.”

  “We got unconscious kids inside,” Ralph said. “They need medical attention.”

  The soldier looked at him as if he had only now become aware of his presence. “Do they still breathe?”

  “Of course they do. Why wouldn't they?”

  The soldier turned his back to them and put a finger on his earpiece. With a gust of the wind, Ralph heard what he said: ...might have a situation...what orders...okay understood.

  “Stay inside. I'll be right back.”

  Ralph sighed in relief. He sat next to Lauryn and held her hand. She smiled at him and he smiled back. Finally. Something would be done. Maybe his worries were for nothing and all would turn out all right. He certainly would miss his parents and sister during the time they would be separated, but he had found a new friend and that would ease the pain. And as she was, she needed his help to get through this nastiness.

  “I'm glad,” Lauryn said, “that you are here with me, that I finally dared to s
peak to you.”

  “You wanted to speak to me before?” She nodded. “Why me?”

  “Silly, is it not obvious?”

  Could it be? Nah, it couldn't. It would be too ironic and tragic at the same time.

  “I like you and now that I know you better, I know I was right in liking you.”

  He turned away; he didn't want her to see him blush. He hated compliments, though he liked it coming from her. He still hated how they made him feel like an impostor. She cupped her hand on his chin and turned his head to her. She really lacked the strength to do so, though he caved in and let her do it. He locked eyes with her feverish ones. What if it was all fever delirium that made her feel and talk like this?

  “I know you like that blond girl, but I had to say something, to do something...”

  She cut her eyes away from his to the outside. He followed her stare. The soldier, accompanied by another, came around the bus. They carried no stretcher with them or any medical equipment or supplies. Were they intent on carrying the boy like a sack of potatoes? The soldier aimed his rifle at the door.

  “Everybody, listen up. No one try to leave. Don't be a hero and there will be no unnecessary blood shed.”

  The other solder had a torch in his hand and started welding the door shut. Sparks flew from the outside to the inside. The few kids awake reeled back in their seats and uttered protests. The driver looked shocked. The courage, the hope dropped in Ralph. Lauryn started crying.

  The door welded shut, the soldiers walked back around the bus. The one with the welding torch got back in the hummer; the other came around at the driver’s side.

  “Keep them inside. Anyone trying to get out the windows will be shot,” he said to the driver.

  The soldier immediately turned and strode back to the hummer, not waiting for comments or questions. They drove back to where the came from.

  The silence returned in the bus once it had been settled that they were going nowhere. The silence was only broken by the continuous coughs and the revving of the diesel engine each time they had a gap in the line to fill. Ralph rocked Lauryn in his arms. She smelled of illness, a pungent smell close to puke. He felt sorry for her, worried about her state, and guilty. He of all people had stayed healthy and this stuck out. The sullen eyes of his companions weighed heavily on him. Not hers though. Hers were caring in a way he so far had only seen in his friend, Tom, and his family.

  He wondered about her. What would happen after this was over? How would he go about it? He hadn’t really known her for long. He never knew she had a crush on him. The thing was he had been so fixated on Sarah that he didn't, but Sarah was with Jake. He wasn't even sure she had noticed him; he was at most more like a friendly acquaintance. Lauryn liked him, she said so herself, and so far she showed nothing to make him doubt her, but was it fair to her that he had feelings for someone else? He wished he could make up his mind.

  “What are you thinking about? You look so far off,” she said in a hoarse whisper.

  “Nothing...no, not nothing. Lauryn, I like you too. Sure I only got to know you today, but I feel there is much to like about you.”

  She managed a weak smile.

  “I want to do right by you,” Ralph said. “After this is over, we should go out on a date.”

  A tear rolled from her right eye. He followed it down her cheek until it formed a drop at her chin. Did he say something wrong?

  “There might not be an after this,” she said.

  “Don't say things like that. Sure there will. This thing will blow over eventually.”

  The tears streamed out of her eyes. He did not want to think about the possibility that this was a more than just an epidemic. What if very few people survived this infection? What if only those few people who were immune survived it? That meant they all could die, including her.

  “No, Lauryn, don't cry.”

  He brushed her tears away. “It's just like the cold, the common flu.” He could feel the fever on her. It was bad, but nothing some medicine couldn't alleviate.

  She shivered. “I'm cold.”

  This was wrong.

  “I see the gates,” the driver yelled, excited. “We are almost there.”

  God, it was about time, They had been going at a snail’s pace for a few hours now. “You heard him; we are almost there. Things will turn out all right.”

  She didn't look convinced but at least she stopped crying. He felt a part of the burden was alleviated from his shoulders. Now, at least, they would soon find out what was going on. He worried about the military presence, but they were there to protect them, so whatever they did and would still do was with their best interest in mind. Wasn’t it?

  She raised a hand to his lips. “I have a favor to ask.” He raised his brow. “Kiss me.”

  He had never kissed a girl before. He didn't count Mandy in kindergarten. He sure didn't liked being kissed as a kindergartener. He felt ashamed not having kissed anyone at eighteen. He didn't know how. It was embarrassing. No matter how much he wanted to kiss her, he hesitated.

  “Please, Ralph. I like you. I don't want to lose this chance and die never having kissed a boy.”

  He pressed his lips to hers and gave her a dry kiss. She held her eyes closed. Her face looked so serene, and then she coughed and spat blood on the floor.

  “Lauryn!”

  “I'm sorry...I held it in so long...but…”

  He kissed her again, tender, long. He had no idea if he did it right, but it felt great. In that moment, he didn't mind her germs. He didn't mind the taste of blood. He only minded her and the miracle of meeting someone for the first time and already feeling like this. He let go of her. She smiled at him.

  “Thank you.”

  She rested her head against the window and closed her eyes, falling asleep.

  “Boy,” the driver called him over.

  Up ahead the gates loomed tall. Above, the sky went from orange to yellow. Something was burning. Would they be stripped naked and anything on them burned down. How many people had it taken to collect this much material to built this huge fire? How long had this been going on? He had many questions and no answers. It didn't help that he couldn't see beyond the wall. Another yellow school bus was being led into some cradling device, clamping down on the front and sides like a wrench on a bolt. The bus was being tackled up the slope toward the tall, steel gate. It must have been more than thirty feet high.

  “Listen, kid, I can see you are not infected. You're immune or something. I'll try convincing the soldiers to let you go. You can come with me once I drive back.”

  Lauryn slept peaceful with a tiny smile despite how awful she must have felt.

  “No need to do that; eventually we all get quarantined anyway.”

  “Ralph is it? Listen, Ralph, girls come and go. You better go stay with your parents instead of some girl you may not be with tomorrow.”

  An old man trying to give him advice. He didn't get the notion that the man cared all that much about others. The way he had been, not telling them anything, not offering any comfort, was a sure sign of that. The driver had been distant. Maybe he knew more than he let on. Ralph appreciated the offer; it was a step in the right direction for the driver to be less of a douchebag.

  The gates opened and the bus in front of them was led upward. They could see the back of the bus go up higher through the door. Suddenly, a girl was beating on the rear window. She was quickly pulled back and disappeared from view. The bus started rocking and the gates closed, blotting the bus from their view.

  “What was that?” Ralph said.

  “Just a kid that panicked.”

  Ralph didn't believe the man; he was sweating too much and gripping the steering wheel too tight.

  A soldier signaled the driver to drive the bus forward and take the spot of the previous bus. The clamping device came back down.

  “Maybe we should get out of here.”

  “I don't think so. We are at our destination; everything will b
e fine. And where do you plan to go, just walk away, have you seen the amount of soldiers? You won't get far.”

  He was right. They had nowhere to go but up. The clamping device attached itself, covering the front and the exit door. Had the door not been welded shut, they wouldn't have been able to leave through it. All of the buses he had seen were old yellow school buses, the kind with only one door in the front. Could it be the device’s other use was to make sure that the passengers stayed in? This didn't feel right.

  The unconscious kid lying on the bus floor started convulsing. His body shook violently. Ralph tried to press him down, but the force with which the boy thrashed was too much. As suddenly as he started, he stopped.

  “What's wrong with him?” the driver said.

  Ralph felt the pulse. “He's dead.”

  He couldn't believe it. To be sure, he put his ear to his chest. No heartbeat.

  “Fuck me much!” The driver pointed to the back.

  A few kids were staring at Ralph, but most had their eyes closed. It gave him a chill at the thought they might be dead.

  “Look outside,” the driver yelled.

  The bus behind them rocked violently. The driver of that bus was fighting kids who were swarming over him. They tore at him; blood swept over the windshield. The driver went down.

  The boy stirred. Ralph recoiled, falling on his behind. The bus started being pulled up. He kicked away from the body. It must have been him imagining things. The boy lay motionless on his back.

  “We need to get out,” Ralph yelled.

  He got up and went to Lauryn and shook her awake. She moaned; her eyes stayed closed. He shook her more. Her eyes fluttered open. They seemed a bit clearer than before.

  “Wha...what's going on?” She looked around, bewildered. “You, you are still here?”

  She smiled. Sweet as he thought it was, now was not the time. Things were getting weirder by the minute. They had to get out of here.

  “Oh my God,” the driver exclaimed as he stood up behind the steering wheel. Ahead of them, at the top of the hill, a pit went down. In it, thousands of torn and melting buses lay in an inferno of fire that sucked the oxygen from you if you stood too close, as they soon would be.