by W. A. R.
“Why don’t we discuss this now?” Regina offered calmly. “You see, the truth is, honey, I wanted Bobby to die.” Each word was weighted and so calmly given that it scared Amber. She glimpsed and saw George tense even more so, if that were even possible. Amber began to slow down, but Regina cleared her throat. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Amber knew the words were directed at her as soon as the felt George’s fingers wrap around her wrist in concern. Swallowing thickly, she glanced at him, accelerating once again. He sat perfectly still, his face blank and expressionless. Once satisfied with the speed, Regina sighed before continuing. “Now, you may be wondering, why? Why would his own mother want him dead? The answer is simple: I couldn’t raise my son in this world, it is a horrible place; so whenever he was fighting with that Biter, I let it happen. He begged for me to help him, and I didn’t, because it was what was best for him.” Every nerve-ending stood on edge and Amber suddenly felt sick and unable to move. “And would you like to know what else, George? When I shot him, I saw you. I saw you across the roads in the woods. That was why I waited. I waited for you to come back, at least until you didn’t. And now I want to die, and you are going to watch me do it.” She all but growled.
Suddenly the wind that had been blowing against Amber’s hair changed and the sound of a gunshot rang out in her ears. The back passenger tire had been shot, and Amber began to fishtail on the asphalt, the sound of the rim grating against the rough road echoing against the trees. Regina slung herself back into the seat while Zeus began growling, barking, and whimpering. The sound of tires squealed on the asphalt as Amber mistakenly slammed on the brakes in a naïve attempt to stop the impending doom. George reflexively threw his arm across Amber’s chest as she tried to correct herself. It was no use, as the car began fishtailing the other direction. She had overcorrected herself, she knew. It was the one fleeting thought before everything went quiet around her and the air dripped with anticipation. She heard nothing, smelled nothing, and saw nothing but the bridge that loomed before them with a concrete barrier.
Three hours.
“Amber…”
It was fuzzy, but she could make out the clock on the radio. It had been three hours, and yet, the damn radio was still on? She shifted her head to the right and squeezing her eyes shut in a failed attempt to block out the pain that radiated through her skull.
“Amber!”
She kept hearing her name; it sounded so far away. The voice sounded distant, and yet so close. It was a chant for her; a frantic whisper. She grimaced at the feel of something sticky covering the better part of the left side of her face. The acrid smell of dirt hung in the air. Curiosity got the best of her and she pried her eyes open once again. Things were clearer this time, and she saw the tint of twilight surrounding her. Gingerly picking up her throbbing head, she attempted to gather her strength, attempting to remember what in the hell had happened. She remembered crashing into the concrete barrier,...but why? The sudden feel of pressure on her shoulder made her whole body jostle.
“Hmmm…” she moaned, bringing her left hand to her temple. She gingerly touched the side of her head, wincing in pain as she did so.
“Oh thank God you are ok.” She heard someone whisper frantically. She felt the pressure that had been shaking her stop. Groggily, she forced her dry mouth to open, and her mind to formulate words.
“Yeah well,” she began licking her lips. Her voice was rough and unusual to her. The metallic taste of blood alerted her. She glanced at her fingertips that had been tenderly touching her sore head and saw blood. Damn. “I hope I am.” She glanced at the passenger, and realization hit her. Her eyes widened, and her pulse began to race. “George! Are you ok? Where is Regina?” she asked a bit loudly and quickly he slapped a palm across her mouth. She should have felt pain with it, yet didn’t; her head ached too much to notice any other physical ailments. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he stared directly into her eyes.
“Sssshhh. Be very quiet and very still. We have to find a way out of here.” He said softly before slowly removing his hand. He began looking around at their surroundings, as did she. They were nose first in a dry basin, the rear end of the car slightly elevated on the downward slope leading into the dry creek bed, with no light visible save for the moon. Behind them was the bridge, the silhouette of the crumbling barrier. George’s airbag had been deployed; the windshield shattered in a few places and her window was cracked where Amber had hit her head. She winced at the thought. The hood looked like crumpled paper, and a shiver ran up her spine, realizing her life had been spared by a narrow margin. Slowly she eased up onto her knees in the seat, turning to George, who had done the same and was glancing around, rummaging through the backseat quietly. She heard a soft whimper from behind her seat and looked hurriedly down. Zeus was hunkered down in the floorboard, shaken.
“Zeus…” she comforted him softly, and upon hearing her soft voice he eased up, his eyes brightening. He raised his head to her left hand and nudged it, urging her to pet him, which she obliged to do. She then turned to George, who was handing her a hammer, knife, and screwdriver over his shoulder. “Where is Regina?” she asked him softly, grabbing the objects from his hand. Slowly, he turned to her. She saw that he was alert and prepared for something.
“She got out right after the crash and sat in front of the car, watching us. I pretended to be out until about fifteen minutes ago when she left that way.” He said, jerking his head to the woods behind her. “I have no idea where she went, and right now, we need to just focus on getting out of here, okay? Your head was pressed on the horn for a good forty minutes before she moved you. Those creatures had to hear it.” he whispered calmly, taking the hammer and knife from her hand. “It’s dark. They will be moving; not to mention, when she shot the tire and when we crashed had to have been loud. They will be looking for the source.” He whispered. Amber watched him, wondering how they had swapped roles. Just that morning, he had been the scared one with no hope left, and now, even after losing his son and his wife becoming a psychopath, he usurped her in bravery by a long shot. He glanced at her before searching for something else in the backseat. “Don’t freak out. Everything is going to be ok. You’ll make it out of here.” He assured her, and his words eased Amber’s anxieties slightly.
“How are you so calm right now? It’s like we swapped places. I am freaking out.” Amber admitted in a shaky whisper, checking her thigh for her knife and holster. He handed her a small flashlight over his shoulder before turning back to her. She shoved it into her pocket.
“This morning my son was dead, my wife was crazy, and I was totally alone and ready to die.” He paused as he heaved up a bag or perishables from the floorboard and into the seat, “and now, my son is still dead, my wife is still crazy, but I have accepted it. I am not alone in this. It is my turn to save your life. Right now, I need to keep Bobby off of my mind, and I have had two years to accept Regina not being there…” at this, Amber eyed him curiously before he sighed lowly, easing the bag back on the floorboard. He glanced back at her before continuing, affirming what Amber already knew. “She was having an affair with Coach Johnson before all of this went down. I lost her a long time ago, but I couldn’t seem to let her go. Anyways,” he turned, dropping the subject abruptly and began fidgeting with a bigger flashlight, “I see hope.” He whispered.
“Aww…” another voice interrupted, causing both George and Amber to jump, startled. Regina. They began searching for her silhouette in the dark with no luck. “You two decided to finally wake up.” She said loudly. Amber reached for her screwdriver when George caught her arm and stopped her. She knew what he was meaning by this gesture; she didn’t want to risk pushing Regina over the edge. “Both of you, out of the car.” She demanded, and Amber looked behind her to see the back passenger window busted out. Amber was tense, her entire body was rigid, and she knew that George’s reaction was the same. George clicked on his flashlight and placed a hand on the door handle. Amber mirrored his movements and s
lowly, they both opened the doors. Amber shielded her body behind the door of her car as she followed the light from George’s flashlight as it landed on Regina. She gasped at the sight of her. Blood covered her right shoulder and went further down to cover her chest. There was a big bite on her shoulder. Her dull eyes were now alive with fire, with a vengeance that Amber simply could not begin to understand. In her left hand was the pistol, and she was aiming it directly at Amber. “Your dog attacked me while I was climbing out of the car. Where is he?” she asked, and Amber felt her heart beat even harder.
“He must have gotten away.” Amber rambled out, the tone of her voice unsure. In just a split second, she felt something nudge her leg and brush past. Zeus. He eased out of the car beside her, through the open door and stood silently behind her.
“Bullshit. I have been here since the wreck, waiting. Close the doors.” She commanded and ruefully, they both shut the doors. Then it hit Amber. The guns! The guns were under the passenger seat. She stole a look at George and instantly, she knew he had forgotten all about them.
“Regina, that gun should be pointed at me. I am the one you’re mad at.” George said softly, but loud enough for her to hear. She easily turned the gun to him and smiled. Amber felt tears prick the back of her eyes.
“No problem, my love. It is nice to know that you realize your fate.” A sudden rustling came into earshot. Amber and George began looking around them, searching in the dark for the source. Amber began to panic. Regina’s eyes widened at the sound and she smiled. “Well, there they are. I was beginning to wonder where they were.” She raised her gun into the air. “Here is our time. Don’t worry dear. It will only hurt for a bit. Once Bobby stopped screaming from the pain, he was in euphoria from the shock.” And with that, she pulled the trigger, the sound so loud that Amber quickly shielded her ears. Fury washed over George as he charged to the front of the car where Regina was, tackling her to the ground.
“George!” Amber exclaimed, searching for him in the dark as grunts and screams roar out of the dark from the struggle. The flashlight had flown out of George’s hand and landed with a thud a few feet away, and in its reflection Amber saw at least six biters coming from the woods, more creeping out from behind trees, and she knew there had to be more completely surrounding them. “George!” she yelled again, running around to the front of the car, where he and Regina fought for the gun, Zeus at her heels.
She stopped when she saw three more Biters coming from the town side of the bridge. One stumbled and fell as Regina rolled George onto his back and hit him. The Biters grabbed at her dress, and shock befell her face. Amber ran to George when Regina hesitated, and grabbed at his hand. They needed to run. Regina saw this and acted quickly, swinging the butt of the gun towards her, connecting with Amber’s cheek. She grunted and fell back, feeling blood run across her face.
“Amber, get out of here! Run!” George yelled at her over the sound of Zeus’s barking. She watched as he rolled Regina back and pinned her down. “NOW!” he bellowed and instinctively her legs began to move without her mind telling them to, everything that had been in her mind leaving her memory. Zeus ran up the hill to the road ahead of her. She had to get out of there, and get out of there fast. She began climbing the hill, stumbling and grunting with exertion. She needed to go the opposite direction of town. There was a church a little ways from the bridge. She could make it. Suddenly, she felt her foot pulled from beneath her. She landed on her chest, the fall knocking the wind out of her. Her hands gripped at the dirt to no avail. She began kicking, feeling fingers groping at her shoe, at her leg. Moans rose up, and she shrieked; she was panicking. Quickly, she kicked out of her shoe and shoved the Biter down the hill. She finished her climb, and once on the road, whistled for Zeus, removing her other shoe in the hopes of being able to run faster. Everything from the gunshot to her standing on the bridge lasted only a matter of seconds, and yet time seemed to stand still for eternity. She spotted Zeus, hearing more Biters all around them. And with that, she heard Regina begin screaming, followed by panicked and pained screams from George, and she ran. She ran as fast as her legs would allow her.
Chapter Four
“Dammit Shelly!” Brian all but shouted as he ran into the mall and away from the Chevy Silverado, eyeing the man lying unconscious on the floor warily. He ran as quick and as quietly as he could to the lifeless body on the floor. What had she been thinking? He knelt down beside the man, rolling him onto his back. He felt Shelly’s apologetic hand on his shoulder and he tossed her a small smile over his shoulder, assuring her that everything was fine. Her hand instantly left his shoulder, and he heard the shuffling of her feet away from the spectacle he was now involved in. Pressing calm fingers against his neck, he found the man’s pulse, and breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that he was alive. There were small blood splatters sprinkled across the marble tile from the blow to his head. Brian winced at the thought and turned his hand and checked him for a temperature, insuring that the stranger hadn’t been bitten. Once he was satisfied with his inspection, he stood and turned to Shelly, who had now stepped back to lean against the wall. Her right hand loosely held the aluminum baseball bat and her left hand now held her head, which was lowered in...remorse? Relief? Brian wasn’t sure. He slowly made his way to her and reached up, brushing her long brown hair from her face. She brought her eyes to his and he saw tears threatening to fall. Her face was cleaner than his, yet still slightly dirty from all of the encounters that they have had with Biters. He was so proud of her and her bravery when it came down to the line. He tucked her hair behind her ear, kissed her forehead in assurance, and turned back to the stranger. “What happened?” he asked her as she refused to leave the wall. He reached across the man and grabbed both of his guns, setting them to the side before he began searching for any other weapons.
“He was watching you…I don’t know. I just didn’t think. He was going to run out at you and I just acted.” She explained, her voice shaky with emotion. Brian chuckled out loud and he could sense her shooting daggers at his back.
“Remind me to never make you angry while you have a weapon.” He chuckled once more, finding a knife hidden in the man’s boot. He always made light of any heavy situation. It was who he was. There were plenty of people before the epidemic, and even after, that were immensely irritated with it. He didn’t understand why; he just never wanted to stress out about things that were beyond his control. Instead, he decided to laugh about it. Shelly, his girlfriend, on the other hand was the complete opposite. She worried about everything, and was often so sensitive that whenever anything happened, she would either:
A.) Cry
B.) Scream
C.) Yell
D.) Cry Some More
E.) All of the Above
“Is he going to be ok?” she asked, choking down a sob, bringing him out of his reverie. He looked at her and smiled.
“Well, you didn’t kill him this time. But, I tell you what…I’ll hold him down while you take another shot at the poor guy.” With that, Brian hoisted him into sitting position, pulling the stranger’s limp arms behind his back and putting him in a full nelson. The stranger’s head fell forward with the movement, and swayed with every other move Brian made. Brian was bigger than average; his personality as well. He was strong, becoming even stronger since the outbreak. It was a fact he was proud of. When he looked up and saw Shelly glaring at him, he slowly released the guy and grinned at her.
“Oh…Come on babe; it was just a joke.” He offered her as she began moving away from the wall. She continued to glare at him and he simply grinned. He loved making her angry. “You are so cute when your irritated.” He said, pausing his actions and staring intently at her. He watched the light return to her eyes, even though she continued to hide it. He knew her way too well, and yet, even after two years he understood that he still had so much to learn.
“Yeah, well…” she began, kneeling down on the other side of the guy, looking worriedly at Brian.
“What are we going to do with him?” she asked, slinging the baseball bat over her shoulder. Brian hesitated only a moment.
“Go grab something to tie him up with. Something strong and secure and we will just take him back with us.” Brian told her. She nodded, turning to go find something, and he could see a sadness still reflecting in her eyes. He sighed, wishing he could take away that pain. They had come to Takilma in search of her grandmother, even though Brian tried to explain that she shouldn’t. It had been months since the outbreak, and sure, they had been out searching for supplies a few times; he just always postponed that particular trip because he knew that she hadn’t made it. He knew that Shelly knew this as well, which was why she was much calmer than she would have been any other time. He finally understood and accepted that she just had to know for sure, and if it were indeed true that her grandmother was a Biter, she had to kill her, or rather, the monster she had become. It was the only way that she would move forward.
When they had reached her grandmother’s house, there were three biters on the property that Shelly and Brian easily took care of. However, once they stepped foot into the house and saw the rotting familiar face of her grandmother, Diane, it was a different story. Brian wasn’t sure what he had expected. He figured she would both cry and be unable to do anything, feeling sorry for herself or she would become angry and do it quickly, breaking down later after everything was done. Instead, she shed a few tears as Diane stumbled her way through the hallway to feed on Shelly and slowly raised her gun with a steady hand and pulled the trigger. And that was it. Shelly had turned to leave, expecting Brian to follow, which he dutifully did, draping a comforting arm across her shoulder. He didn’t know what to say; so he said nothing at all, and it seemed best for them. Afterwards, they decided to hit the bigger city of Takilma for supplies. The mall was their last stop, and lo and behold, they encounter the first outside human being that wasn’t infected, and Shelly had to damn near kill him. Brian studied the guy, noting his facial features, and an odd sense of déjà vu hit him. He felt as if he knew the man, but that wasn’t possible. Everyone he knew before the outbreak was either a Biter, dead, or safely secured in a safe haven of sorts.