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He had been sitting on the roof of the pole barn, looking down at the scene below him in his spare time. He had discovered that, most of the town was completely empty. Aside from, a few zombies roaming around here and there, at least one side of the place was a ghost town. Three days prior, he had watched a herd of the dead follow the main street to the other side of town. At the time, the large herd looked like a huge blob through his grandfather's field glasses. Then, they disappeared, all together. He had also been watching Rose Fox videos on; how to kill a zombie. She was very informative. He knew that he needed to pierce the brain. He knew that he needed practice, and that, it would be bloody. He wore a jacket. He made his way through the path, behind his grandparents property. He also knew, to be careful of the sneaky dead. Rose Fox warned her viewers about them, too. Those were the ones that came from the corners of tight places, or lunged at you from isle-ways, inside an abandoned store. He was on his way, with his hunting knife and axe. His grandfather had been sharpening his tools since Josh showed him a few of the videos. He hiked two miles into town. He had taken his grandfather's axe. Rob had sharpened one side to a point. He came to the rear of a house. He made it through the back yard, and to the window. He peeked through a sheer curtain. He could see one of the dead looking at itself in the mirror of a dresser. He ducked down so that the zombie would not see him in the mirror, also. He had told himself that he would not chicken out out. “Hold it together, Josh. Remember the videos. Avoid as many as you can, and take out the brain. Don't let them bite you.” He peeked around the corner of the house. When he saw that the coast was clear, he ran to the front corner of the house. He peeked around the corner. There were two zombies wandering around in the street. He waited, as they moved down the street. He ran the opposite direction. He saw an office building that had a second story. He ran to the rear, climbed on the roof from an awning, then looked around to see if the grocery store was clear to go into. As he looked around, he saw it. A car lot. There were several vehicles, but the selection of pick up trucks, caught his eye. If he could get one of them, and load up on supplies, he and his family would be set. At least, for a while. He needed to get into the office, to find the keys. He looked up and down the street. No one was in sight. Not even, the dead. He made his way to the car lot.
IMOGEN AND CARLY'S STORY
Imogen drove up the highway, while Carly took selfies. Carly asked, “ So. What do you think of Derek?” Imogen shot her a look, then rolled her eyes. “He's okay. I guess. Did you see the videos that are going around online?” Carly responded, “The ones that you sent the links to? Yeah. Those vids freaked me out. Don't send me those anymore... Okay? They gave me nightmares.”
Imogen said, “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. It's getting too weird, Carly. No one showed up at the Clinic, yesterday.” Carly blurted out, “So. No one was sick. That's a good thing.” Imogen added, “The staff, Carly! The whole staff stayed home!” Now, Carly turned her way. She said, “Really?”
Imogen answered, “ Yes. I had a few patients. They all had the same symptoms. They were all bitten, by other people. It's a little creepy.”
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Carly replied, “ What were their symptoms?” Imogen said, “ Carly. They were all bitten by someone. High fevers. No color. Even the little girl. Her friend bit her, and now she is sick. It's just like they describe in the videos. I spent all afternoon writing prescriptions for antibiotics. That is not what I became a doctor for.” Carly blurted out, “ Well.... How will you make them better, if you don't write them prescriptions?” she laughed. Imogen said, “ Carly. This is not funny. It's not the prescriptions. This is different. I don't think that those prescriptions will help them. I don't want to be the kind of Doctor that hands out medicine that I know won't work.” Carly didn't understand what her friend meant by that comment. She turned to watch the scenery outside passenger side window. They kept moving down I-65 they came up on a long line of traffic. The vehicles were stopped for a half mile ahead. Carly blurted out, “Now what?” Imogen tried to get a view of what was happening in front of them, but could not see anything. Carly turned on the radio. It was static. “What's wrong with your stereo, Gen?” She pressed the scan button. The numbers on the radio showed that, it was scanning channels. Occasionally, they heard a mix of people talking. But, a lot of static. “We must be in between towers, or something.” The car sat idling, for several minutes. Imogen turned it off. They watched, as some people stepped out of their vehicles, and walked along side the long line of bumper to bumper vehicles, in an attempt to see what was going on. Carly became impatient. “Wait here. I am going to see what happened.” She stepped out of the car. She walked a few cars ahead. A couple approached her. She started talking with them. Imogen thought that, Carly had a concerned look on her face. She could not see anything. A few cars turned around, and drove through the grass onto the opposing side of the interstate. It looked like they were mad. Imogen noticed that, the people in the last car leaving, looked scared. She thought she'd heard some popping noises. Then, she heard muffled screams. “What is going on?” She stepped out of her car. She stood there, with her door open. She could only get a view of part of the scene. All of the sudden, she heard more pops. But, the sound was louder. Carly, and the couple that she was speaking with, turned and ran. As they started running, someone shot them from behind. The man fell dead, instantly. At first, Imogen stood frozen. She could not believe what she was seeing. Imogen started to scream, “Carly! Hurry. Run!” Carly ran to the car. She dove into the passenger side seat. Imogen also dove inside the car. As she pulled the gearshift into gear, she cried, “ Carly. Are you okay? What happened up there?” Carly screamed, “Hurry, go! Get out of here! Those guys up there are shooting everyone! Hurry !” She was screaming and crying. Imogen was already turning the car around. Other drivers were trying to get turned around in the middle of the traffic jam. They could hear people screaming from their vehicles. Imogen started to zoom down the Interstate. She glanced into the rear view mirror, she saw black S.U.V.'s. She still heard gunfire. She looked over at Carly. She was bleeding from her side. She looked pale and weak. Imogen cried, “Carly! Oh no! Carly. Are you okay? We have to get you to the hospital!” Carly fought to breathe. She looked down at her side. Now, the blood was gushing from her wound. Carly lay back on the seat. She started to nod off. “I'm so tired, Gen.” She said. Imogen cried, “Carly. Hold on! I'm going to get you some help. Keep talking to me Car. ” Then, with eyes closed, Carly slurred her words, “Gen, I don't think I will make it.” Imogen cried, again, “ Please...Hang on, Carly!” She started to speed. She drove around some cars. She saw an exit sign, and a blue hospital sign next to it. She swerved in that direction at seventy miles per hour. The car in that lane was traveling much slower.
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She still cut the driver off. As she drove around the car, she saw a police car speed up behind her with the lights on. She looked over at Carly. She looked pale. “Hang on, Carly. Here is a policeman. I'll ask him to get you an ambulance.”
In a flash, Imogen pulled over. She was out of the car, running towards the police car behind her. She yelled, “ We need help! My friend is hurt.” The officer yelled, “ Stop!” he pulled out his taser and pointed it at her. Imogen stopped. She threw her hands out in front of her, with the palms toward the officer. She blurted out, “ My friend needs help. She has been shot in the side!! I am trying to get her to the hospital! Hurry! There is no time!” Tears ran down her cheeks. The officer believed her. But, he kept the taser aimed right at her. He said, “Stay there, and keep your hands where I can see them.” She retorted, “ She is dying! She needs to get to the emergency room, now!” He ordered, “ Miss! Stay right there! How did she get shot?” He moved closer to the vehicle. She said, “We were stopped in traffic. Some men started to shoot people. I need to get her to the hospital. She is losing too much blood. Please?” He cut her off, “Stay here!” He walked alongside the car. He spoke into his
shoulder, as he walked around the front of Imogen's car to where Carly was slumped to the side. Imogen watched, as the officer opened Carly's door. He spoke to her, “ Miss. Miss, can you hear me?” He reached up, and placed his two fingers on the side of her throat to feel for a pulse. He looked confused. He scratched his head and spoke into his shoulder, again. Imogen walked towards her car. “What is he doing?” He yelled at her, “ Get back! I told you to stay there!” She yelled, “ You are taking too much time! I have to get her to the hospital!” He replied, “I called for an ambulance.” Imogen argued, “ There is no time for them! We have to get her there, now!” He spoke into his shoulder, again. The look on his face changed to one of worry. He kept speaking into the radio on his shoulder. After a few minutes, he walked back over to where Imogen was standing. “ Miss. I need you stay here and answer some questions about all of this. Do you have someone you can call? Where is her family?” He paused. Imogen replied, “ Why now? We don't have time for that! I can tell you, when we get her.... ” The officer cut her off, “She is gone. I'm sorry. But, I can't let you touch her. I have to wait for the coroner. And, they are really busy, lately. So, it will take a while.” Imogen heard him, but it seemed like he was speaking in slow motion. She ran to the driver side door of her car. He said, “ No, Miss. Don't go over there.” She could see Carly. He took her by the shoulders and walked her back to the back of the vehicle. She saw Carly. She was not breathing, and gray. Her lips were blue. “ No! No! Carly!” She walked back to where she had been standing. She looked back at Carly. She didn't move, at all. Imogen became frantic. She tried to run back to her friend. The officer caught her, and held her back. She started to yell and cry. “ Let me go! Come on, Carly! Wake up! We have to go, now. Wake up, Carly.” The officer said, “ Miss. You need to stay over here.” He force-walked her further behind the car. Then, he stood in front of her. He blocked her from approaching Carly's body, again. She felt numb. She stopped crying, and stared at her feet. The officers' voice kept ringing in the background. “What is your name, Miss?” Imogen quietly, said, “Imogen. Imogen Cole.”
“What happened, Imogen? How did your friend get shot?” She said, “ The men in the black S.U.V.'s. They stopped the cars. They were shooting at people. We thought we got away. Then, after I started driving, I realized that Carly was hurt. So I got off on the last exit.”
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The officer stared at her, as though, he did not know what to believe. He cut in “So. Some guys in a black S.U.V. shot at you, and your friend? Whose car did they stop? Where at? Why did you decide on this last exit?” She could see that, he didn't believe what she was telling him. She felt flustered. She continued, “I saw the hospital sign. He studied her. He had been hearing stories about weird attacks, then military showing up. And, the department had been put on notice weeks earlier, concerning an outbreak. He had been hearing other stories that trigger happy contractors for government were showing up, after crazy people were trying to eat people. But, this was the first time that he had to deal with a victim of it. He asked, “ Where did the shooting occur?” She said, “I told you. The Interstate.” He said, “ Okay, Miss Cole.” A van pulled up to where they were parked. The van had big black lettering on the side that spelled out, CORONER. When Imogen saw the van come to a stop, she started to cry, again. The officer paused when he saw her getting upset, again. He said, “Wait here. We have to get you home.” She said, “I have to take my car.” He said, “ Miss. Just sit here, and wait. The detectives will need to impound your vehicle, until evidence is taken from it.” She started to cry and ask, “What evidence? Are you kidding?” The officer replied, “Miss. You have bullet holes in your vehicle. They have to do ballistics testing. We have some guys down the interstate, right now. They are looking for the S.U.V.'s. We had other calls. There are other victims, too. Because, of the nature of this event, we have our work cut out for us. I am sorry about your friend. Please, sit here, and wait. I am going to need more information about your friend. Then, I will get you home.” He opened he door to his cruiser, and gestured for her to sit. She slowly, sat inside the cruiser. She watched him walk towards, and start talking with the Corner. Another officer had arrived. She could hear an occasional blaring voice, blurt out something from the cruiser radio receiver. She waited there, feeling like it was all a dream. It seemed like she was there forever. She watched, as they pulled Carly's body out of her car and placed her into a body bag. She could not see everything. It looked, as though, Carly's body was still frozen a sitting position within the body bag that they had placed her in. The Autorities stood around, and took pictures. They searched through everything inside the car. A few hours later, she was still sitting there. A female officer approached her, and offered her a bottle of water. “You can have this. I am sure that you are thirsty.” She looked up at the police woman in a daze. She took the water, and said, “ Thank you.” The officer relied, “You are welcome. I am Officer Tammy Sonora. I need to ask you for the name and address of deceased. Also, a next of kin. Mother, father, etc.” Before Imogen could answer, they could hear commotion coming from the Coroners' van. All of the sudden, the back doors flew open. A man jumped out yelling, “ She 's alive! She's alive! Hurry, get a paramedic over here!” She could hear some more commotion. She laughed out loud. She was so happy that her friend was going to be okay that, she stood up, and bolted towards the van. “Carly!” As she approached the van, she came to a screeching halt. They had pulled Carly out of the van, and as soon as they un-zipped the body bag, Carly attacked the paramedic. And then, a policeman. Her face looked twisted. She looked purple and gray. She growled and snarled, as they tried to restrain her. Imogen dropped the bottle of water she had been holding in her hand. “Carly? What are you doing?” Carly, now being restrained on the gurney, turned towards Imogen. She looked possessed. Imogen felt terror run through her body. Her heart started pounding. This was not Carly. Her eyes were dead. She snarled and snapped her teeth in the air, like an animal. Imogen tried to talk to her. “Carly. They are trying to help you. You have to let them help you. Please, let them help you...” The new Carly still glared at her, while growling.” She didn't even try to speak. She never looked at her wound.
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Imogen asked, “Carly, why aren't you worried about your side? Carly, let them help you.” Imogen started to cry, again. Just then, Carly's mother walked up. She started to cry out loud. She went to hug Carly. The officers stepped in her way and explained, “ Wait Ma'am. We have to sedate her.” Carly's mother turned to Imogen, “ What happened?” Carly started to explain, “ I'm sorry Mrs. Mendoza. I, she....I don't know what is wrong with her.” Carly was still growling. They had restrained her. The officer standing by Carly, turned to say something to another officer. Mrs. Mendoza rushed to her daughter, and, before anyone could stop her, hugged her daughter. The policeman blurted out, “ No! Not yet!” As Mrs. Mendoza bent down close to Carly, she bit her mother on her cheek. Mrs. Mendoza screamed out in pain. Carly was latched on to her mother. The officer rushed to help Mrs. Mendoza. T took them a few minutes, but they broke Carly's grip on her mother. Now, they were treating Mrs. Mendoza for a bite. Another officer guided Imogen back to the cruiser. He blurted out, “Hey. I am taking her home.” Another officer yelled back. “ Okay.” The rest was a blur for Imogen. The officer tried to question Imogen more about the incident. She gave him as much information as she could. She became angry when he asked, “ Is your friend trying any new drugs? Has she had anything to drink today?”
“No! She was shot! We were stopped in traffic by those crazy people! We were trying to get away from them!” As they approached Imogen's street, a blaring voice came over the radio. “All units. 10-40 . 5567 Jetson street.” Another voice shot out, “10-30. 5567 Jetson street. Officers on scene. Riot unit at the scene. Stop at north corner to suit up, and receive orders. Do not approach any suspects, until everyone is briefed, and in position.” The officer driving took his radio microphone in his hand and placed i
t in front of his mouth. He pushed the button and asked, “ Dispatch, did I hear that right? How many people involved?” A voice came back, “ Too many to count, at this point. Use extreme caution. Stay on your radio. If you have to take a shot, make it a head shot.” The police cruiser came to a stop in front of Imogen's house. The officer stepped out of his vehicle, walked around to the back door and opened it for Imogen to get out. As she stepped out if the car, he said, “ You can check with the hospital, tomorrow. Then, you can get more information on your friend. I am sorry about all of this.Try to get some rest, Ms. Cole.” She said, “Thank you. When can I get my car back?” He said, “ Call the station tomorrow, and they will give you a time to come get it.” He watched Imogen walk into her home. He left in his cruiser, head on towards his last call. Once inside her house, Imogen called out for her parents. They were out. She went to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. Her phone beeped. Still in a state of shock, she answered, “Hello.”
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