Necrose Apocalypse [The Complete Collection]

by Tim Moon

  Looking at the building, I still had at least thirty feet to go. That was just to reach the top of the roof, but it became my new goal. Only thirty feet.

  It was slow going. I knew it was a balance though. On one hand, I didn’t want to rush and make a mistake, and on the other hand, I didn’t want to go so slow that I tired myself out and made a mistake.

  My comfort level was growing but I still hated the height. Vertigo was a bitch. I tilted my head down to wipe the sweat off my forehead and caught a glimpse of the street below. So far away.

  Before panic could grip me, I focused on the building, again. The infected had caught sight of me and crowded the edge of the building. I smiled when a grungy looking zombie toppled off the edge and slid along the I-beam that broke the roof. When it flew off the edge underneath me, my smile faded some. That could easily be me.

  “No.” I shook my head and gritted my teeth.

  A few minutes later, I was just above the infected. Their snapping teeth were only feet away and their outstretched hands were disturbingly close. I could reach out and touch them. I wouldn’t, of course. How stupid would that be?

  However, having them so close was disconcerting. Their growls were an annoying distraction. I tried to think of a song but my memory failed me.

  I pinched the cable between my thighs and stepped down hard on the top of my foot stopping my descent. I wrapped my left arm around the cable above me and gripped it loosely, because most of my weight was resting on my feet. I wiped away sweat again, before it could blur my vision. It was warmer than usual for the time of year.

  My curiosity got the better of me. Now that I had a new angle on the broken section of roof, it was clear that entering the building there would be a bad idea. Some of the infected that had fallen fell off the roof had landed there. Since the drop was only twenty feet or so, not all of them had died. I could see two or three pulling themselves along with their arms and another three were standing there like ugly statues. One was on her back with broken arms and a leg that was bent in an unnatural way. She could only move herself around with a single leg. She pretty much spun in circles, pushing dust and dirt in a pile behind her.

  My window smashing campaign had worked well. There were at least a dozen options to choose from. At least that was as far down as I was willing to look. My new goal was to climb down past the broken section. So another thirty feet or so. Not so bad considering how far I’d already gone.

  I continued inching my way down. My system worked out; I would lower my upper body until my knees were bent. Then straighten my legs and squat down again. I kept up a slow, steady rhythm.

  Something brushed against my shoe. It swung me in the air and I caught a glimpse of an infected man slipping from the room and tumbling through the air below me.

  “Hell no.” I’d moved the cable too close to the building before climbing down.

  If they could already touch me, then there would be no way to slowly cover the next five to ten vertical feet. I would have to let myself slide down and prepare to fight off any infected that might try to grab me. Holding the weight of another body was impossible.

  “Get back, bitches,” I shouted at them. I knew they wouldn't heed anything I said. None of them showed a shred of consciousness or humanity. There was no regret, no emotion; just raw hunger.

  I kept the cable held loosely in my hands to avoid rope burn - cable burn? I gripped the cable with my thighs while easing the pressure between my feet just enough to start slowly sliding down. I regretted it right away.

  The infected leaned over the low wall, stretching out for me. The pushed and shoved trying to get at me. Two hands swatted at me, at almost the same time. I clenched my eyes shut and gripped the cable hard when their strike sent me swinging back and forth like a pendulum. It was the worst thrill ride, ever. I clenched the cable so hard that my forearms began to ache. When I didn’t immediately fall to my death, I opened my eyes.

  I’d have to fight the fuckers off me. Their fingers flexed and their teeth chewed the air. Annoyed by their moans, I growled back at them. Momentum took me away from them. When I came back they pawed at me. I threw an elbow, catching one in the face and saved myself from being bitten. There was no way to fight them all off; I had to get past them. I wasn’t going out like fish bait.

  I scooted down some more.

  Infected began to pour over the edge in a futile attempt to sate their hunger. A body whizzed by me on the left. Then one flew past in front of me and bounced off the building, nearly clawing me. Shivers hit me like ice down my back in the middle of winter. Zombies were bombing me, the same way I’d bombed them the other day.

  Fucking karma, man.

  I eased my foot grip and slid down several feet before I got nervous and slowed to a stop. As soon as I stopped, another body tumbled past. It struck the cable below me, sending me swinging back and forth again. A scream burst from me while I clung to my lifeline.

  There was another ten feet or so before I had completely bypassed the broken corner of the building. Two of the infected there, started towards me. They fell forward like robots. The woman kept pushing herself in circles.

  Curiosity caught me and I watched the infected fall away. In a second or two they were tiny specks. I couldn’t watch anymore because my hands had started to sweat again and that tingly feeling danced around my stomach, once more.

  Looking up wasn’t any better. Another falling zombie.

  “Shit!” I yelped, almost throwing up a hand to defend myself. Instead, I clenched the cable and heard the groaning woman flutter past me.

  Down I went, inching my way to a busted out window. I grimaced at the shadows moving around inside. One appeared in the window frame, suddenly. I flinched. Its teeth clicked loudly and its one arm rose towards me before it slipped on the glass and rolled out of the window.

  Infected continued to rain down in a slow, steady pattern. Their bodies made a whooshing sound as they passed me. Thanks to the Doppler Effect, their groans died off when they flew by and plummeted to the ground. Most of the noise from the roof didn’t reach me. The relative peace helped me to relax.

  I took some comfort in the fact that with almost no effort, albeit tons of risk, I had killed dozens of infected. Each zombie that plunged to its final death would clear the way for future survivors, whether they entered the building or not.

  A scream burst from me and streaks of agony burned my back as nails tore my shirt and flesh. The infected that clawed me as it dropped past nearly pulled me loose. My grip was loosened by the shock and I slid down, barely maintaining my grip until I could step on the cable again, hard enough to stop.

  I winced at the fresh hell stinging my back. Goosebumps sprung up on my arms from the sensation of blood dripping down my back.

  This time when the rope swung, I slammed against the window frame. Then I was swinging back away from the safety of the office like a wrecking ball gaining speed.

  Mustering what awareness I could, as I swung back, I tried to see if there were any infected on this floor. It looked clear at first glance. I winced, bracing for impact and struck the window frame again. The cable twisted and I spun like a top. First in one direction and then a couple times in the other direction.

  Everything wobbled strangely a long minute.

  When it settled down, the movement slid me down past the open window. My arms were too tired to climb up and the next window down was still intact which disappointed me.

  I continued inching down while I prayed for the next office to be empty.

  95

  I got lucky several floors down with a window outside another partially finished office, like the conference room I had stayed in a few nights ago. Wait, was it two or three nights? I couldn’t keep track.

  Excitement coursed through me even though I knew my body was sore and battered. The top of my foot felt bruised from pressing the cable into it to hold my body-weight. My arms had been rubbed raw, as I slid down. My palms were sweaty and my
fingers ached from clenching the cable during those close calls.

  It was all worth it. I’d found my prize and I would claim it.

  I couldn’t see much in the depths of the dark and barren room. Bits of shattered glass were spread across the tiled floor and they glistened in the sunlight. The door to the hallway stood open; almost as an invitation to escape the dangerous climb.

  To reach the windowsill I needed to swing, this time on purpose. Building up the momentum was difficult. The hook far below swung as well and it acted almost as a counterweight. Progress was slow until I got into a good rhythm.

  Each oscillation brought me closer and closer to the window sill. Still not enough to justify letting go of the cable. I was terrified that I would miss and fall.

  The cable swayed away from the building and when it changed direction and brought me hurtling towards the shattered window, I knew I’d make it. My technique was similar to sitting on a swing. My legs thrust forward, while still clutching the cable, and my back arched. My arms extended and the air whooshed in my ears as I neared the building.

  Then a zombie fell into my path. I was like a ninja swinging in to kick a bad guy out of the way, except I didn’t mean to and wanted none of it. I could see it happening in slow motion.

  In the split second before impact, my breath caught and my entire body tensed around the cable. I blinked and it happened. My feet hit the thing’s legs and it flew to the side. The impact spun me away while it slammed into the building. Even as I twirled around, I saw the zombie splat against wall like an insect. It seemed to stick there for a moment, like a cartoon character, and then it fell.

  The momentum of the impact brought me back towards the building. My back hit the sharp edge of the window frame causing my head to snap back. I grunted when my head struck. Tendrils of fire coiled around my skull while spots of light danced in my vision.

  Groaning again, I glanced up to check for incoming bodies. Even dazed, I knew that I couldn’t withstand another hit like that. With most of my momentum stolen by that dead bastard, I basically had to start over. The cable moved slowly at first and once again began to pick up speed.

  This time I knew I wouldn’t hesitate. When I was close enough to reach the building, I let go with both hands and flung myself towards the room. It wasn’t a graceful move.

  I flew through the air in slow motion. That’s when I realized I had mistimed the jump. I belly flopped onto the tiled floor, only halfway into the room. My legs hit the window frame below me with a loud thump and my already injured knee felt like it shattered.

  All the wind blasted out of my lungs leaving me gasping for air. My hands slipped against the glass covered tile on the floor as my body began to slide out.

  “No,” I wheezed.

  I tried to find purchase but my strength was sapped by the lack of oxygen in my lungs. I tried to force myself up, enough to swing a foot over the edge. That was all I needed. One foot over the edge and I would be able to leverage my body into the safety of the room.

  I gulped air. My eyes watered. After another breath in, I heaved with all the strength I had left. A burst of adrenalin gave me a slight advantage. I caught the edge of the window sill. A chunk of glass slashed my palm but I gritted my teeth against the pain.

  This was life or death.

  Was this how I would leave this world? Please, no. It was a long way down.

  With a growl of determination, I swung my leg up, levered my body in and rolled away from the edge. I lay on my back inside the room, gasping for breath, while tears of joy and victory escaped my eyes.

  My fist raised into the air.

  Success.

  Thank You

  I hope you enjoyed reading Dead Apocalypse, Dead Horde, and the other stories. Stay tuned for book three, Dead Evolution, coming soon!

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  About the Author

  Tim Moon is an author, artist, and adventurer from Washington State. Tim graduated from Washington State University, with a BA degree in political science and a minor in psychology. Tim is a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy and primarily writes in those genres. He loves to travel, go backpacking, read, and watch movies. After five years working in airport security, Tim moved to South Korea to teach English and completed his first book, Dead Apocalypse. Tim currently lives in China with his beautiful wife.

  Want to chat?

  www.timdmoon.com

  tim@timdmoon.com