Rage

by Lee Pletzers

  She looked away from me. “They told me what happened, but I still find it hard to believe. You were the one to tell me to be wary of someone in pain or acting weird.”

  “That’s good advice,” I said with a smile. Looking around I saw we weren’t close to the camp. Not far. Not close. “What happened to the other guy? The one with the long hair?”

  “He changed on the way back. His girlfriend went nuts and took off.”

  Family, relationships, love, all normal things I had mostly forgotten in the passing months since the zombies showed up. When pointing the gun at him, I hadn’t thought he might have people who cared for him. “Did they find her?”

  “They shot her. She tried to attack Eric.”

  “Revenge.”

  “She returned a couple of hours later and went straight at him with a knife.”

  “Huh? A knife?”

  “Think about it,” Sally said. So, I did. And it dawned on me. She didn’t want to live, and couldn’t kill herself. Suicide by bodyguard. Guaranteed exit strategy. “Poor girl.”

  “Who the fuck cares?” I said.

  Sally’s tears had returned. She was stroking the Glock. My Glock.

  My voice was soft as I spoke, “I don’t want to die, but I’m glad it’s you pulling the trigger.”

  “I’m not.”

  “I’m so sorry, babe.” I didn’t know what else to say. But prolonging it was just making it harder. “Do it,” I said. “The bite was massive.”

  “You haven’t changed yet. I won’t do it until then.”

  “How long have I been here?”

  “They wanted to shoot you when you came back unconscious, but I wouldn’t let them.”

  “I’m kind of surprised they didn’t off me when they shot the other guy.”

  “He changed quickly. You didn’t.” She moved a little closer to me. The chains were tight so I didn’t try to move. “You came in yesterday, about thirty hours ago.”

  Thirty hours? How is that possible? “Are you sure?” Sally gave me an incredulous look. “Sorry. It’s just...thirty hours, that’s so long. Is it possible that it would take this long?”

  Sally said, “I guess we have to wait.”

  I nodded. Unable to shake the thirty-one hours since I was bitten I looked at my hand. It should take only a few minutes for the infection to gain control. It was weird that Sally and I were still waiting for my change after all this time. The bite I sustained was massive. I felt Jerry’s virus poisoned saliva shooting through my veins. A shiver shook my shoulders.

  “You’re still sick.” Sally adjusted the blanket. She touched my forehead. “Fever’s dropping. This is good news.”

  “It could be the fever holding the change at bay.”

  “We’ll know soon enough.” She seated herself in front of me. “We’re not leaving until you change.”

  “Thank you, Sally.”

  She smiled. She knew why I was thanking her.

  “I remember,” I said, thinking back, “my mother told me not to marry you.”

  Sally laughed. “I was a wild one, back then.”

  “She told me you were Lucifer in a mini-skirt. Still, it was the best decision I ever made.”

  “Of course it was.” A large grin spread the corners of her lips. “I’m great.”

  “Good to know vanity isn’t your strong point.”

  “I am humble...and shy.”

  I smiled but it was getting hard to keep my eyes open. That had to be the fever. My body needed rest to fight the virus. I felt sure that was what was happening to me. There was no other explanation for why I had yet to rise undead.

  My eyes closed. I could still hear Sally talking softly about the old days, our first date, my clumsy attempt to ram my tongue down her throat, the first time we made love, all seven seconds of penetration, our wedding day. Mum didn’t attend but we had a great time and partied into the wee hours of morning. Her voice trailed off before reaching the birth of our daughter. I kept my eyes shut, pretending I was asleep, knowing she wasn’t yet ready to go there.

  Sleep was actually taking hold of me. I felt myself drifting away, going deeper and deeper into the darkness until a gunshot snapped my eyes open.

  Sally was on her feet. “That sounded close.”

  “Too close.”

  Sally ran towards the shots.

  “Wait!” She stopped. I motioned to the chains. “I can help.” She stared at me a few moments unmoving. “Unchain me.” The uncertainty was clear in her eyes even in the fading light. More shots rang out and screams pierced the night. Eric’s defenses had been breached. It was hard to believe but again it was just a numbers game. The shots stopped. Silence filled the air. That was quick.

  “Sorry,” Sally said and she turned, rushing to observe the damage and to help. They were her family now. Behind me, I heard a rustling in the bushes. I turned my head, but couldn’t see past the tree I was chained against. “Who’s there?”

  No answer, not that I expected one.

  It was most likely one of Eric’s crew come to finish the job that Sally had failed to do. Behind the tree, I heard a growl, low and guttural.

  Oh, fuck.

  The chains rattled as the thing behind me inspected my bindings, the chain pressed deep into my chest. I gritted my teeth against the pain. It grunted, perhaps not comprehending what they were, and released them. I was thankful for that.

  It shambled around the tree and came into my view. Blood flowed down its chin and rolled onto her naked chest. I remembered this woman. Her name was Ai (pronounced ‘eye’) Nishimoto. We found her hiding in a house on my first trip looking for supplies with Eric’s crew. Her skin looked fresh, almost alive. Was she infected in tonight’s foray? She had changed fast. Her eyes were wide but no fire danced in them. Ai dropped to her knees in front of me and reached out a trembling hand. She lightly stroked my cheek. I tried to pull away from her but couldn’t. Her hand was ice cold. She pulled her hand away and growled. Her mouth opened wide. Her body trembled.

  A strange thought occurred: she still had her memories. It was implausible, but then again, maybe not. Perhaps it took time for the memories to fade. If this were true, it would explain her reluctance to rip me apart. Drool rolled over her lip and mixed with the blood. Then again, maybe it was only a shadow memory.

  Someone burst through the forest into our clearing. “Oi, bitch!” Ai turned, the back of her head exploded, splattering me with gore and gray matter. I shook what I could off me. Eric approached. “You’re still alive?” He looked genuinely surprised. He pulled out a small towel from his back pocket and wiped my face. “I don’t think you’re going to change.”

  “You and me both.”

  “Why is that?”

  I shrugged.

  “You’re immune.”

  That bought a laugh from me. “I used to build computers. There’s nothing special about me.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  “I would love a double cheeseburger, fries and a coke.”

  Eric smiled. “I’ll see what I can do.” He turned and walked away, leaving me confused and still held captive.

  Eric had left the body where it had fallen. Could it be that zombies weren’t completely mindless when first infected? Ai hadn’t been, but then I remembered Dad and Skyler. How long had he been infected before going to her room? Skyler was quick ‘cause she was a baby. The guy at the truck had turned fast, yet Long Haired hadn’t. Oh fuck, this was doing my head in. I weren’t no scientist.

  I leaned my head against the tree and I must have dozed off because the next thing I know, Sally was shaking me awake. My chains were gone. “We have to go!” There was panic in her voice and her skin had gone pale.

  “What’s happened? Eric was going to bring me some food.”

  “He was over-ruled. We just had a zombie attack. It was a small one. Three or four at most, but an attack nonetheless and a couple of people are missing.”

  “Over there,” I said pointing with m
y chin. “Eric saved my butt.”

  “Not this time. They’re coming for you.”

  “Who?”

  “The people you call friends. We don’t have long. Eric made them attend to the barrier first.” She paused to give me time to process the message. I was almost on my feet when she handed back my Glock. “Going through the forest is our best chance.”

  “You sound like a seasoned professional.”

  Sally smiled. “I have to, to save your ass.” The smile faded quickly. “This way.” She used the .38 to point and dashed between the trees. I followed, hot on her tail. We broke through the forest about thirty minutes later and decided to run along the road, as it was quieter and faster than running through the woods. But the roads were dangerous. And in the pitch black of night, we wouldn’t see a zombie until it was almost upon us. It was a chance we had to take to get a safe distance from my previous comrades. Sally had called them friends. I didn’t. Anyone could die at any time; all it took was a bite and the loss of ‘friends’ hurt. I was having none of it. The rage inside kept me safe from those kinds of emotions. The only person I cared about was Sally. She was the only person who had put up with my shit for seven long years of marriage and six years of courting before that. She was a strong woman before our lives changed and she was even stronger now. I was proud of her and that only deepened the love I held in my heart for her.

  In the distance, I heard a motor. It was coming from the opposite direction of Eric’s camp. Still a ways off but getting closer, and it was moving fast. We both slowed to a jog until we stopped, staring at the rise about a mile away, waiting to confirm it wasn’t our imagination.

  The only vehicle we had heard in the last few months was the 4X4 we used the other day for shopping. I had an ominous feeling about this and grabbed Sally’s hand, pulling her to the shoulder of the road.

  Bright lights crested the hill.

  “Get back.” I pulled her from the road and behind some trees. We squatted down and watched the 4x4 approach. Something was stretched across its hood. I could make out a couple of people standing in the back. They were shouting, drawing attention to themselves, probably hoping to draw out zombies for a little bit of bullet fucking.

  The lights were near blinding as they bored down in our direction. The trees and street were illuminated, as I hadn’t seen them in months. It was as if civilization had never ceased. I could hear thrash metal or grunge coming from the vehicle. I could never tell the differences between the styles.

  The thing strapped to the hood came into view with the lights.

  A naked zombie female was on the hood. Her skin was pale and her face twisted with hate and hunger. Her arms were strapped to the side mirrors, her legs tied to the chassis. Her rump hung over the edge of the hood. Red blotches gave color to the skin where she had been repeatedly hit. The dead don’t bruise.

  The 4X4 slowed. The boys were hollering and one was pissing over the side as they passed. Instinctively I pushed Sally’s head lower. If they spotted her, I’m sure the zombie would be replaced with my wife.

  I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until my lungs demanded air. They slowed a lot as they passed, I seriously thought they were about to stop. Sally had given me my Glock back but I only had the one magazine and I didn’t want to waste it on low-life zombie raping scum like them. One day that bitch was going to get free and they would end up fucked.

  The car engine faded. If any of Eric’s group were following us, they must have hid as the vehicle approached as well or— hopefully—given up and returned to the safety of the camp. It had been awhile since Sally and I were alone and on the move like this. It felt good for it to be just us again, but it was also very dangerous.

  I remembered the bite and checked my hand, gingerly lifting the bandage. The wound wasn’t bleeding, there was no puss and I felt the same. The fever was still with me but that was fading as fast as the pain of the bite. Was Eric right when he said I was immune? No one comes back from a zombie infection. I’ve seen it. Or, was I just lucky and the fever fucked it up? I don’t want to take the chance again to find out. I’ll count myself lucky and leave it like that for now.

  “How’s the bite?” Sally looked concerned.

  “It’s healing,” I said, releasing the bandage and patting it back in place. “Don’t think about it. I was lucky.”

  “The fever almost killed you.”

  I smiled. “It’ll take a little more than some heat to get rid of me.”

  Sally did not return the smile. She pulled something from her back pocket. “These are yours.”

  “My gloves.” I took them from her. “Hello boys.” To Sally: “Thanks for thinking about them.”

  “Hopefully they’ll protect you from other bites.”

  “I don’t want any more bites, thank you very much.”

  “We should get a move on.”

  I nodded. She was right. We needed to find somewhere to rest for the night and make some plans for tomorrow and the next few days. Most importantly, we needed water and food—in that order. Coming across Eric and his group was a blessing. A reprieve from the constant fear of attack. There had to be other camps like Eric’s. There had to be pockets of communities helping each other to survive through this nightmare scattering across the country. It was logical to know they existed. We just had to find them. And the hardest part was surviving long enough to reach them. No food. No water. Tons of zombies. Not great odds, but we had made it this far.

  The forest was thick and the going harder than we thought. It was pitch black in there and the moonlight didn’t reach through the dense overhead cover. We moved as quietly as possible, all our senses were on alert for any sound not ours. I doubted zombies would be in this thick bush, they’d be out on paved streets hunting the scent of a lone survivor or two. That was no reason to be lax. Alertness had kept us alive for this long and it was hard to switch off anyway. Being always alert had become second nature and that was a good thing in this world where fiction had become reality.

  It was getting late and we had to get going before the crack of dawn. The forest was thick and silent. I sat down against a tree. Sally looked exhausted. I was faking mine. I had slept a lot; yes, it was a feverish sleep but sleep nonetheless. I don’t think Sally got much sleep looking after me. “We need to rest,” I said. “I’ll take first watch.”

  Sally sat next to me. “Okay. Wake me in a couple of hours.” She cuddled against me and I put my arm around her and held her close. I felt her warmth and soft breathing against my neck. These were the moments I would remember if I managed to reach old age or these would be my last memories as my life faded from existence and a virus animated me.

  Was it safe to hold Sally like this if the virus was waiting for the fever to pass to gain control?

  I didn’t want to think about that.

  Hours passed. I stared into the blackness not intending to wake up Sally. She needed her rest. My eyes were getting heavy, but I was pretty sure we were safe here, for now at least.

  Sally stirred. “You didn’t wake me,” she said.

  “It’s still dark. You needed sleep more than I did.”

  She kissed me softly on my neck. “You’re a good man.”

  I looked at my hand. Yeah, but for how much longer? That thought was not voiced. Sally covered my neck with small soft kisses. The tenderness felt good, felt right. Sally straddled me. Her kisses were hard on my lips as her tongue forced open my willing mouth. Her hands went to my zipper. I fumbled with her jeans and managed to pull them down to her knees. Suddenly she went down on me. That was a first. She gagged, taking my shaft too deep. I pulled her off and kissed her hard. She wriggled onto me, impaling herself and moved in slow rhythmic thrusts. I grabbed her ass cheeks helping her to move faster and ground deeper. I wanted to get as much of her as I could. She grabbed my hair and pulled my head back. Her eyes bored into mine. “I love you,” she whispered and clamped her lips on mine before I could reply in kind. Her tongue mas
saged mine. I felt her body shiver, and I exploded into her. Both spent, I pulled out of her. We adjusted our clothing and held each other close until the sun started to break through the night sky.

  Two days later, we broke through the forest and came to a paved road. It led into a small township. We found water and canned food, which we ate cold and straight from the can. We encountered no zombies in the township, though they may have been there and not caught our scent. We were filthy, covered in dirt, sweat and grime.

  On the outskirts of town, we found a secluded house. It was empty and had good, clear exits if a hasty escape was needed. The water worked. There was a generator out back but I knew better than to turn that on. Cold showers were better than no showers. I also got to clean and apply a new bandage to my wounded hand. The bite had started to scab over. That was a good sign. At night, we slept in a bed. All doors were locked and we jammed chairs under the handles. I discovered storm shutters on most of the windows and kept them locked day and night. Only the kitchen window was unprotected. It was a nice break from our harsh living. We stayed two weeks. I knew that was pushing our luck but life seemed to be livable during this time. Sally and I were making love almost every night. We were well fed. The house had a pantry filled with canned food and stale bread that was delicious, if a bit crusty and moldy. It was bliss. But all good things come to an end and it came with the sound of an engine.

  I cracked open the bedroom storm shutter and saw the same 4X4 go roaring past with the same zombie strapped to the hood. Those sick fucks were still around. Dumb luck was keeping them alive, I guess. “Tonight we move out,” I said and Sally nodded her agreement. We both knew this wouldn’t last. I grabbed a rucksack and filled it with water and food, enough to last a few days. It needed to be light and easy for hasty movement.

  As soon as it was dark we were out of there and jogging at an even pace along the side of the road. Two nights later, I was captured and locked in this room with the zombie known as George.

  It’s staring at me with something akin to amazement or hunger. The bite on my hand is itching. It’s been awhile since that’s happened. I didn’t realize we were locking eyes at one another until the itch became unbearable and was dealt with. My fingers dug into the teeth marks. It was relief and pain at the same time, like popping a pimple.