Three years ago when the Earth decided to implode upon itself, mountains burst through the land making huge gaps and fissures. I remember the scientists repeated warnings over and over of a cataclysmic earthquake that could shatter the world was expected, but I was young and never thought of the possibilities. The day it happened, I remember the lakes and ponds burning as smoke rose off their surfaces, killing the fish from within. The winds became highly toxic, as they spread the viruses and bacteria hidden so far beneath the Earth's surface. Many fell over dead, as did the animals and plant life. The virus that created zombies, one of the last to strike on that dreadful day, took the world by surprise and thousands upon thousands succumbed to the virus, creating flesh-eating crazies. My parents were lost, as they both became a freshie after my flesh.
But here I sit in a tree thinking I can stop all this craziness with my blood. I’m still alive and God I hope I’m immune and this isn’t some cruel trick I want to sing, yell, cry, but I want to find Clara and Gage first. A trip back to see Dr. Cilley is now in order. That mad scientist can possibly help cure the world of this disease and she can refuse all she wants, but she'll do it or die.
Climbing down the tree, I make my way back to the previous day's fight. The bodies of the dead still lay on the road, but now most are half eaten as the zombies lay siege to the area during the night. The dead humans all have holes through their head. Cole and Levi did the job I knew they would. I wasn't sure they would be able to make Clara and Gage leave, but there is no sign of the truck.
Walking further into town, I see the drugstore and our huge black truck sitting in the back lot. They’ll probably think I am a freshie if I knock on the boarded up door and I'll probably get my ass shot. I also know Clara and Gage will fight them all to get to me. With the freshies talking I’m not sure if I can convince them it is the real me.
Pulling the tailgate of the truck down, I jump on and sit. I can feel eyes burning into my back as I sit here waiting for someone to come out.
"Mak, is that you?" I hear Cole ask tentatively from the side of the store.
"Who else would it be, Cole?” I ask. “I’m not a freshie. I think I’m immune. Oh my God immune to the zombie virus."
Walking over to me, still unsure, he sits on the tailgate by my side. "Well, damn, guess I'm never gonna feel that sexy mouth on me." He grins as he pulls me into his arms.
Finally realizing I'm okay, I let the tears fall, soaking the front of Cole's shirt.
"Shhhh, Mak. You're good. You’re not one of those fuckers out there. You are amazing, Makayla. Oh wow, you could be the cure for all this madness."
I soon feel myself being surrounded by my little family. Clara, Gage, Levi, and Cole have me enfolded in their arms and happy tears stream from everyone's eyes as we all realize how fortunate I truly am.
The people at the store aren’t as trusting of me as my friends and from their wary looks we decide to leave, with a promise to check on them periodically. From the corner of my eye I see Clara and Colton have gotten kinda cozy with each other. Their soft smiles and tender touches make me miss Logan.
Walking from the dark depths of the store, I push Clara lightly with my shoulder. "He is hot, huh?"
"Who?"
"Ahh, come off it Clare-bear. You know who I'm referring to." I laugh lightly.
"Fine, but you're all wrong. He’s beyond hot. He’s steaming and he freaking likes me." She grins.
Laughing, I hug her close as we walk to the truck. "Well, are you okay with leaving here, when your true love could be just behind this wall?" I ask, watching for her reaction.
"I'm never sure of anything anymore bestie. I just go with the flow." Going with the flow is all any of us can do.
Chapter Ten
Clara jumps into the driver’s seat as Cole and Levi sit in the back with the few remaining survivors. Gage props up in the backseat, with a mile wide grin on his face.
"So where are we going?" Clara asks as she cranks the truck.
"It's time to go back to see Blu, Lainey, and the kids. I especially want a word with Dr. Cilley”
I peer into the horizon, watching as the scenery passes by as we travel back to our family, but my mind is never far from Logan. We can be together now. That thought alone occupies my mind as we continue. I never stop watching the road, the hope in my heart to see Logan again still lingers.
"We need to stop for the night,” Cole says, opening the back window, “it’s getting cold out."
"Okay, keep a lookout for a good place,” Clara replies. When we hear Cole bang on the roof of the truck, we turn down a familiar old dirt road. The lights flash across the same old Victorian. The one we stayed at before.
Pulling slowly down the path, we see the bodies of the dead freshies picked clean by zombies or others of their kind. A stark reminder of how harsh the world we live in is now.
"I'm not sure this is a good idea,” Gage whispers from the backseat.
"I have to agree with you, buddy, but we have no other choice,” I say, casting my eyes to Clara.
Shaking her head, she stops the truck in front of the towering Victorian.
"I'm not sure if anyone should stay outside on this one, but I'm also not sure of what will greet us once we're inside either." I climb down from the truck. "Let's go, everyone.” It’s not safe to stay out here."
Everyone walks uneasily up the steps of the old Victorian, each creak and noise has everyone visibly cringing. We are down to fourteen now. The attack from the freshies cut the survivors down by seven. David no longer volunteers to help. He stays hidden in the background. I’m sure that the shock of seeing how violent the freshies are is too much for him to bear and I am okay with his absence. Cole and Levi have my back when I need support, which I am greatly appreciative of with so many to watch over.
The inside of the house is pitch black. Our candles and flashlights only cut through short distances of the surrounding darkness. When I hear movement, I flash my light in that direction. Huddled between the corner and an old hutch is a young child, her body is trembling so badly it shakes the floor and walls. Walking up to her carefully, I lay my hand on her shoulder, but she tries to bite it off.
"Get away from me,” she snarls in a terrifying, yet child-like voice. “Leave me alone. I'm not of your kind anymore. My parents. God, I ate my mom and dad." Tears stream down her dirty face as her body is wracked with shivers. To be so young, she is the most intelligent freshie we've come across.
All eyes move in the direction of a rustling noise. The girl indeed ate her parents. Their stomachs are now gaping holes, the organs missing from the newly created freshies. The neck on the man chewed to the bone and the woman's ear and breast were eaten completely off, the girl rushes to their side when she notices they are now awake.. "Mommy, Daddy. I missed you."
I lift my sawed-off shotgun, and aim first for the father who is steadily making his way to the fresh meal standing before him.
"Hungry, so hungry,” the woman mutters, stomping our way.
An angry sneer appears on the young girl’s face. "Time to eat." She charges at us.
Shit, I aim at the young girl. Her little face is still unmarred from the zombie virus and she looks as normal as Ricky. Levi pushes me out of the way, and shoots the girl. She falls to the floor. Her newer blood spreads rapidly, drawing her parents’ attention, She screams and tries to fight them off as they converge on her. I can't let this happen. Lifting my shotgun once more, I blow a hole through the girl’s head the size of a baseball. Her bright intelligent eyes fade as death takes her away completely. Her parents now turn toward the rest of us, making their way over. Clara raises her pistol, cutting the father down with a shot through the neck. He crawls and reaches out, but he never touches any of us as Levi’s gun smokes in the dim light, evidence that he’d finally ended the freshies new existance.
The mother falls on the father and starts tearing into his flesh. The crunch and wet chewing noises coming from her makes me want to v
omit. I walk closer and silently withdraw my katana from its sheath. In the blink of an eye, her head rolls across the floor by her husband and child, ending her existance. I turn away from the the girls dead eyes, grab the flashlight from Cole, and walk away from the trio.
Chapter Eleven
After a quick search of the rest of the house, we find it blissfully empty. The living room door is shut from the sight of the three dead freshies. Spreading out, everyone finds their own little resting place. I volunteer for the first watch of the night only to be vetoed by the brothers. I’m not happy, but I concede the point and lay close to Clara and Gage.
Within moments, I pass out, too soon afterwards, I’m being awakened for my shift at watch.
When I quickly rise from my blanket, I cast my eyes uneasily around the room, and turn back to Cole. "How was the first watch?" I ask.
"It was fine. Not a peep out of anyone or anything." He yawns.
"Okay, go ahead and get some rest. I’ve got this." I smile, as I start my perimeter check.
"Want me to wake, Gage? It's his watch, too." Cole stretches out on the floor by Levi.
"No, I'll wake him." I move toward his blanket.
When a bump sounds from upstairs, Clara, Gage, and the brothers all jump up. I reach for my Glock. Ready for action.
"What the hell was that?" Gage whispers.
I want to jump on him for cursing, but another time, another place. "I'm not sure, but we should wake the others."
The brothers move off to wake everyone and hush them as they do.
David's eyes grow huge as Cole shakes him awake. "I can't do this, leave me out,” he says, loudly.
“Shhh man, damn." I hear Cole admonish David. Drawing into a ball, he rocks himself back and forth. He is clearly gone. He isn't made for this world or its new inhabitants.
Moving out of the kitchen, Clara and Cole at my back, we leave Gage and Levi to watch over the remaining survivors. The bumping noise amplifies as we move up the stairs and search each room we reach. We find nothing until the last door. It's blocked by a chair against the knob and on it is written a dire warning in blood, DO NOT OPEN ZOMBIE INSIDE!!
"I thought we checked every room earlier,” I say.
"Oh man, I think this was the teen girl and David's search area,” Clara murmurs.
I turn swiftly around to Clara and Cole, I hold my finger to my lips and motion for them to move away from the door.
I push my katana back in the sheath, and exchange it for my dad's Glock. I move the chair from under the knob, I slide the door open gingerly expecting to be overrun by the zombie within, but whatever is in the room doesn’t rush at us, however the bumping gets louder. A mumbled groan sounds from the end of the massive bed where a large cedar chest rests. "Damn someone trapped one." I fist pump the air.
"Should we open it?" Clara asks moving closer to my side.
"Ummm no. It will eventually starve to death." I turn to leave. Another couple of bumps sound again and a few words that are so garbled against the wood, I can't understand them.
Clara moves steadily closer to the chest and casts her eyes my way. "I'm opening it Mak. I want to make sure that's a freshie in there and not a person."
"Fine, but let me. I'm immune. I can handle a scratch or a bite and not turn. You cannot." I push her slightly away.
She gives me the evil eye. "You know I can handle myself."
"Clara, I know you can, but what I know and what I don't wish to happen are two totally separate things, so back away."
The bumping within the chest increases dramatically. Flipping the latch, I throw open the chest. A bound and gagged Logan stands up, he's very wobbly. I rush to his side and reach out a hand to steady him. Glancing up into his eyes, I rip the duct tape covering his mouth off.
"Fuck, Makayla, that hurt like a son of a bitch." He rubs his lips.
"Why were you tied up and in the chest?" I ask, inching closer to his side.
"The damn freshies locked me in there. I was interfering with their plans to eat all of you,” he says looking at Clara and Cole.
I lead the way back downstairs, Logan glances around the room and swears under his breath. "Mak, can we talk?" He walks into the kitchen.
"Um, yeah, I guess." I bite my bottom lip.
"I thought you would have found someplace safe and dropped all those people off. It's not safe to travel with so many, hell the smell alone will drive the zombies fucking crazy,” he stutters over the last part. “Damn, I'd prefer you were back with Blu. You don't need to be on the road period, it's too dangerous for two women and a boy.”
“This was my safe place for them, but it turned into a shithole, but why are you so upset?” I ask running my hand over the wood hilt on my katana. The smooth surface helps calm my heart rate. Turning, he pokes his chest. “Really, I’m the one upset? All I want to do is protect you.”
Standing toe to toe, Logan’s eyes flash copper.
“I can look after myself.”
“I know you can Makayla, but you can’t protect the world,” Logan says softly. “I’m sorry, but I worry about you.
I look up into his eyes. The copper has once again receded, leaving me breathless as I search the dark depths of his eyes.
“I have something important to tell you, Logan.”
But before I can say anything else a loud crash comes from the living room.
“Damn, they’re back,” Logan shouts angrily
I grab his arm, and demand he look at me. “But I thought we killed most of them in this area,”
“Apparently not, Makayla.”
When we arrive back in the dining room, I see a few freshies coming in through the window. Cole, Levi, Clara and Gage are fighting them off, keeping them away from the other survivors.
I shove Gage aside, and rush to the front and with the aid of my trusty katana I slice at anything that moves.
"Help me.” Someone yells as a tall rail-thin woman drags them from the room.
I race to her side, and slice the freshie woman’s arm off, twirl my katana in my hand and then I cut her stomach in half. She flops around on the floor still trying to reach for her meal.
"Bitch,” she snarls. Cutting through her neck, I end her time on this Earth.
I turn in time to see a freshie grab Gage's hair, I watch in horror has he throws him to the floor. "Nooooo!" I scream out, gaining everyone's attention in the room.
Gage is giving it everything he has, he fights with his fists and legs. He sweeps out knocking the freshie to the floor. Once he has a better footing, he stands back up, levels his pistol between the zombie’s eyes, and shoots. The now lifeless creature stares up with deadened eyes.
I rush forward, grab Gage, and hold him tightly to my chest. My heart pounding in my chest at the thought of losing him. "Are you okay? It didn't bite or scratch you did it?"
"No, Mak, I'm fine. Really." He grins. When did the young boy I saved so long ago turn into a man?
I hold onto Gage for a minute more, just to assure myself of his safety before I pull away and go back into the fray. I glance around and notice all the freshies, except for three, are dead. The three scoot to the corner, they hold their hands on their heads. It is a tad bit funny and yet not.
"We are so hungry. It’s not our fault,” one says, demanding our attention. I grab the opportunity to ask a few questions of this smart freshie, I move forward pushing everyone out of my way. "How can you talk now?"
"Not sure, evolving,” the woman replies.
"What drives your hunger?" a lady in our group asks
The woman freshie holds her stomach and answers. "It is a baser need. I see you as human, but you smell delicious, it’s different from when I was human. Now I see you as food." Saliva drips down her chin. She snakes her blackened tongue out, to clear it away.
Shoving her aside, the rail-thin man I tried to rescue steps forward. A gasp fills the room behind me. "Let us go and we will not come back,” he demands.
Logan walk
s up to the man and grabs him around the throat. "No zombie can be trusted, not when there is an ample supply of food around."
"Wait, wait, please. Let us talk to Derek,” the young redhead named Mia says as a tear slips down her cheek. "I told you Derek, that this would happen to you if you didn't come with us,” she says angrily.
Derek sneers and steps forward. "So you did, Mia, but where are the rest of the prisoners?” he asks, a wicked gleam in his eyes.
Mia backs away uneasily, when she bumps into Logan she flinches.
Logan lifts an arm and moves her behind him.
I lift my dad's Glock and shoot Derek between the eyes. His new evilness creeped me out too much to let him live. The two female freshies fall on him immediately, noisily eating their fill. Not able to stand the noise anymore, I lift the Glock and blow golf ball sized holes through both of their heads. When I lift my head, I glance around at all the faces. They are wide-eyed and staring at me. I didn’t want to see the recrimination in those eyes, but I am sure it’s there. I lower the Glock to my side and walk out of the room. I do what needs to be done. I protect my own. Gage, Logan, and Clara are my family.
"Hey, what's up?" Clara asks, as she lays a hand gently on my shoulder.
I sigh, lift my head, and murmur for her ear only. "I feel the condemnation of the whole room. I protect them with all I have, but for killing two zombies they cast their eyes on me and make me feel bad. What the fuck, Clara?"
"I don't think they are condemning you. I think they are in awe of your capabilities.”
"Right."
Chapter Twelve
As the sun rises in the sky, I finally get a chance to pull Logan aside. "We need to talk."
"Yes, we do.”
“I told you to stay away from here and what do you do? You come right back and fall into another zombie trap." He sneers
"I'm my own person, Logan.” I enunciate clearly while I back him into a wall and poke him in the chest, emphasizing each word. “You need to get that and another thing straight. We're headed back to Blu, Tessa, Lainey and Ricky. I have something important to tell them and I hope evil Dr. Cilley can help. I guess you don't need to know what I wanted to tell you though, so fuck off, Logan!"
Surviving Earth: Makayla's Journey Continued Page 5