by M. Lorrox
“What about the money?”
“It’s fine; I’ll get it later. C’mon.” Sadie starts to lead Minnie toward the door, where people are already crowding, when all of a sudden the people begin screaming. The people start to run away from the door as gray arms reach in, pulling and grabbing. There are more gunshots. More screaming.
Sadie turns to look toward the side exit against the wall with the windows. The door leads out into the sunlight. Shit. She pulls the object out of her bag, a flask filled with blood. She opens it and gulps some. A line of blood drips from her mouth. She turns to Minnie and hands her the open flask. “Drink this. Drink it all, right now.”
“Mommy, I’m scared.”
“It’s going to be fine. I won’t let anything happen to you. Drink it.”
While Minnie’s drinking and people are running past their table toward the side exit, Sadie rips the thin white sheet they use for a tablecloth from the table and bunches it up under her arm. As soon as Minnie is done, Sadie grabs Minnie’s hand again, tosses away the flask, and pulls her into the aisle to make for the side door.
The zombies are inside now. There’s more screaming. Some of the brave are trying to fight them off with anything they have available, but there are just so many zombies. One man climbs up on a table and starts shooting at them with a pistol. He shoots several times and kills a few of them before -click, click, click-.
Zombies rush against the table, knocking it over and knocking the man onto his back. He’s bitten, and he screams. He puts in another magazine, cocks his gun, shoots the two zombies on top of him in the head, with one bullet each, then he opens his own mouth.
-BANG!-
Sadie and Minnie are nearly at the door when they hear someone shout, “Where’d they come from?”
Sadie glances toward the direction of the voice. Good question. Doesn’t matter. Gotta go.
They reach the door, but Sadie pulls Minnie off to the side before going out. Minnie looks terrified.
“Baby, I’m going to carry you. I’ve got to put this sheet over you.”
Minnie starts to cry. Glare from the sunlight against the floor, as well as light shining off the faces of scared people as they blast through the door, hurts her eyes. “But…the sun…”
She has always been told that if she is caught in direct sunlight, she’ll be burned so badly she could die. Even after drinking blood, direct sunlight can kill her.
“I know, but you’ll be fine, I promise.” Sadie wraps the sheet around Minnie and wishes they had used a thicker one. She picks her up with ease. Once standing, she turns around and notices a college-aged woman climb up a metal ladder to a platform that used to be an old catwalk. A mass of zombies separate the girl and the door.
Sadie frowns. Bad idea, darlin’. She steps and pivots toward the door, nudges her way into the mass of people fleeing, and busts outside. As soon as she’s clear of the building, she sprints.
She sprints FAST. Faster than most vampires could sprint while carrying a child, and much faster than any human alive. She’s always been blazing fast, and with her daughter at risk in her arms and the endorphins running through every artery, she has never run faster.
The Jeep is parked around the other side of the large warehouse, and it takes Sadie—even as fast as she is—almost thirty seconds to reach it.
She puts the wailing bundle down in the shade beside the vehicle, unlocks the front passenger’s door, and puts Minnie inside. She takes the sheet off of her. “We made it!” Sadie looks at Minnie. The skin on her face is very red, more red than just from crying; she got burned.
Sadie frowns and opens the glove box to get the emergency bottle of she keeps there. She opens it. “Drink this right now.”
Minnie grabs it through her tears and puts it to her lips. The liquid pours through the large opening of the bottle into her mouth. She drinks it as fast as she can, but a fair amount misses her mouth entirely and cascades down her shirt.
Sadie has tears in her eyes. “It’s going to be alright, baby.”
Minnie finishes the bottle and drops it on the floor. She’s still crying, but her wails are more controlled now.
Sadie hugs Minnie tight and shuts her eyes while she caresses Minnie’s golden head. When she opens her eyes again, she sees through the window that some of the zombies are now running out of the warehouse. Anyone inside is likely already dead.
That poor woman.
Sadie notices a zombie headed in the Jeep’s direction, attracted to some of the cars being driven off. A small pickup aims for it and hits it with the front corner. The zombie’s head bangs against the hood as the body is dragged under the front tire. The head, now separated from the body, bounces against the windshield and rolls over the cab and into the box in the back. The truck drives off, and as it does, Sadie can see more zombies headed toward the Jeep.
Sadie releases Minnie and looks at her. She’s sobbing gently, exhausted by the trauma. Sadie grits her teeth. I’ll kill them all. She shakes as she speaks to Minnie. “I’m going to lock the doors. You will not open them for anyone, you understand?”
“Yes.”
Sadie shuts the door and rushes to the back of the Jeep. There’s a zombie about fifteen yards away, barreling down on her now, and more are coming right behind it. Sadie swings the spare tire out of the way, opens the gate, slams something aside so hard that it shakes the vehicle, and narrows her eyes as she finds what she’s looking for: a twenty-foot tow chain. She yanks it out of the trunk, shuts the gate, and locks the Jeep as she stows the keys in her pocket.
The zombie is almost on her. Sadie runs in the opposite direction, pulling away from it quickly. While she runs, she wraps the end of the chain into a bundle she holds with one arm. The free end of the chain has a large hook on it. A few links down from the hook, she selects a link, feeds the thin side of the link into the gap of the hook, and yanks it tight. The heavy chain now has an even heavier ball of steel at its end.
Still running, she banks as if she’s on the edge of a wheel, and soon she’s lined up with the zombie that was charging at her and Minnie in the Jeep. She runs straight for it.
It’s time you die.
Sophia motions for Eddy to walk with her, away from the others. They walk toward the road, hugging the brick wall of the school. They walk slowly. She opens her bag and pulls out a bottle of . She takes a sip, then offers him some. “Want a drink?”
Eddy gestures back toward his bag. “No thanks. I’ve got my own.”
She shakes her head. “I just use the bottle…it’s fresh.”
Eddy smells the air. His eyes close and a smile creeps onto his lips. “Ahh. Well, in that case…”
“Help yourself.” She hands him the bottle. He takes a small sip of the warm, thick blood and lets it coat the inside of his mouth. He licks every drop from his lips. “That’s really good. Thanks.”
She takes the bottle back and puts it away in her bag. “Thank that giant pig back at the farm. I drain a little each morning.” She laughs. “Craig and his brother are really nice, but kinda dumb. They walked in on me draining the pig that first night I found the place, and I thought I was done for.” She bends her neck and raises a hand up. “But all I had to do was lay on a little charm.” She smiles. “I bet they didn’t see anything past my chest, let alone the tiny cut I made on the pig to drain the blood.”
“Yeah…” Eddy thinks about her breasts for only a moment, then returns his attention to the sweet taste of blood still lingering in his mouth. He’s had blood that fresh on a few special occasions, like when the family visits some of his mom’s friends up in Vermont or when he goes hunting with Charlie.
Sophia whispers, “Do any of them know? You know, about you?”
“No, but I’ll tell June soon. She and I are—”
“A thing?”
“No, no, we’re just, uh, close. We grew up together, ever since she moved here with her dad.” Eddy clears his throat. He’s never met anyone quite like Sophia. He’s never just stu
mbled upon a vampire he didn’t know before. He’s never been so intoxicated by someone. He takes a deep breath. “You’re headed to Atlanta?”
“Yup.” She thinks for a second. “I heard about a commune that lives on the outskirts there. Seems like as good a place as any.” She looks down to her feet.
Eddy can tell she’s sad. “Family?”
Sophia shakes her head.
“I’m sorry. How long are you staying around here?”
“Probably just the weekend.” She raises her right arm, the one with the extra-long glove. “My arm’s healed up now—been banged up for months—but now she’s good as new so I’ll be moving on shortly.”
“Oh, what happened to your arm?”
She sighs. “I got sloppy. Stumbled on a whole bunch of zed in this one rail car. I thought it was empty when I jumped in, but what do you know, a whole mess of ’em were in there. I got back out as quick as I could, but they took a lot out of me before I did.”
I bet it’s all scarred up… “Damn. Well, glad you made it out of there.” I wonder how many there were… Eddy loses track of himself and starts to smile.
“It didn’t heal right, so I had to keep carving it up to respawn growth.” Sophia notices his smile. “You find that amusing?”
Eddy jolts back. “No, sorry. I’m glad your arm is better now—that must have been really tough. Before you said that, I was thinking how it would have been really exciting in the moment. Scary, but exciting… I kind of need some excitement, if you know what I mean.”
She nods. “I think I do. This town…it’s…cute.”
Eddy laughs. “Uh-huh.”
The two reach the top of the hill that leads down to the road. Sophia turns around, and Eddy follows suit. The others are still by the targets. The boys are wrestling with one another, and the girls are laughing at them.
Sophia looks at Eddy. “Tomorrow we’ve got a big hunt planned. If you want to join, I’m sure you’ll be a great asset to us.”
“They don’t know about you, right?”
“No, they just think I’m a sharp-shootin’ cowgirl from the west—” She elbows Eddy in the ribs, hard. “—which I am!”
“I dunno about tomorrow, but I’ll come with you guys today.”
Sophia frowns. “Well, think about it. Zeds aren’t gonna kill themselves; somebody’s got to push ’em into Hell.” She looks at Eddy and can tell that he’s nervous. She can smell it—he’s sweating. He’s probably turned on to boot. What a cutie. He’s going to be a handful someday. Sophia starts to grin.
She puts out an arm and stops him.
“What is it?”
“I just, umm, wanted to wait a second before we get back. I haven’t been around anther V in a long time.” She looks at him in his vibrant eyes. They’re stark in color against his pale white skin and almost black hair. He is an attractive vamp… “Ooohh! Here!”
She reaches into her bag and pulls out a beaded bracelet, one just like what she’s wearing. She gives it to Eddy.
“What’s this?” Eddy takes it in his hand and turns it over. The beads look like shiny reddish-black stones, except that they have a thick shiny edge. That’s weird.
Sophia puts her arm on his shoulder. “Those beads are glass, hollow, and filled with powdered blood.”
Really? Eddy inspects them more closely. “No way. Where did you get this?”
“I make them, and before you ask, it’s a trade secret. I can’t just go ’round tellin’ everybody how it’s done or I’ll be out of a job.”
“How much, uh, blood is in it?”
Sophia pulls him close. “A pint. In every bead.”
Eddy shakes his head. “No way. That’s just crazy.”
“It is crazy, and it’s the truth. That’s all that’s left when you extract the hemoglobin.”
Eddy looks at her in amazement. “This is pure hemoglobin?”
“As pure as I can get it.”
Eddy smiles and hands it back to her. “That’s so cool. How much do you sell them for?”
Sophia smiles and puts her hand on Eddy’s outstretched hand, closing it. “It’s a gift. And I don’t sell them...yet. Like I said, I don’t come across many V.”
“I can have it? I’m not sure what I can offer in return.”
“A friend you can count on is worth more than twenty of those.”
Eddy beams. “Well, thank you. I’ll always wear it.”
“Good enough, for now.” She smirks and straightens the bag on her hip.
Eddy returns his attention to the bracelet in his hand. A bit of hair falls down and over one of his eyes.
Sophia watches and waits for his gaze to meet hers. When it does, she pours her eyes into his, smiling. Then she turns away. “Now come on. Let’s get up to that ridge and pop some zeds.”
They walk back to the group, and Eddy puts on the bracelet.
Craig sees them approaching. “Back from the bushes already?” He feigns surprise.
Sophia flashes her brows up. “You’re hilarious. So, what’s the deal? Let’s get on with this.”
June doesn’t turn around to see them; she stays focused on the target. She’s been on a streak of good shots. Tomas walks over next to her, encouraging her to finish with her last few arrows. Everyone else starts packing up to go.
When June’s last arrow makes a bull’s-eye, she turns around, not only proud of that last shot, but of the tight grouping of her whole set. Eddy doesn’t notice her; he’s chatting with Craig and Sophia.
After piling the stinking, rotting corpses of what were once probably halfway decent—albeit self-centered—human beings, Charlie mows the lawn. With an old push mower, the job takes a while, but Charlie feels there’s no need to upgrade to a riding mower. He’s had this mower for a long time, repairing it and replacing the blades as needed.
For all the procrastinating he does about mowing the lawn, he doesn’t mind it that much. Once he starts, he relaxes with the chore. The steady hum and vibration through the handle, the visual feedback of his progress as he completes each pass, and the simplicity of the task soothe him. His mind is free from the burdens of his day, and he is only occupied with the needs of the moment: of doing a good job.
When he finishes, as he’s about to turn off the mower and return it to the shed, he remembers what he forgot two weeks ago: there’s lawn outside the fence along the road. He also needs to mow that. He can see and hear Sadie in his mind. He imagines her standing there, tilting her head with a dumbfounded look: “You didn’t mow by the road? Do I need to go do that for you?”
Ay yi yi.
Charlie is frustrated for several reasons; the exact number will be equal to the number of zombies that are waiting outside his fence. Any roaming about in the area have certainly been attracted to his house thanks to the noise from the push mower.
I should have mowed that first. He squints his eyes as he looks up to the sky, then sighs.
He opens the gate, brings the running mower out with him, then closes the gate behind him. There’s nobody around, except for the zombies that were pacing the edge of the fence—zombies which are now running toward him. He stands there, waiting for them to get closer. He steps toward the road and pulls the mower behind him. He adjusts his grip on the push bar so his hand is in the center. As he waits for the zombies to reach him, with his other hand, he pulls the “GOOSE-IT” string he installed on the motor and slips the string under his hand on the push bar.
Come and get it, ugly.
Push mowers are very simple machines that use vacuum pressure and airflow to regulate power levels. When the engine struggles—against a thick patch of grass, for example—a butterfly valve opens a crack and allows more air into the system. This air picks up more gas, and the engine creates more power to help the motor against whatever is making it struggle.
If the “GOOSE-IT” string could talk, it would say something like, “Screw you and your automatic vacuum shit, mower. I’mma bypass your cute little butterfly valve a
nd give you all the air and gas you can take. That’s right, baby, it’s party time… What? Oh. That’s more power than you were engineered to handle? You’re afraid you’re going to blow up?” -SLAP!- “Whatever, mower. Shut up and rev up.”
-WwrrrrrhrhhheheeeeEEEEEEE! The engine builds up RPMs and is now running at its maximum power.
When the closest zombie is five feet away, Charlie howls. He throws his body forward, swinging the redlined-mower blades first into the side of the rushing zombie’s face. What was once its head ends up like gray vomit sprayed out along the side of the road. The next zombie is just a little bit behind, and Charlie uses both hands to swing the mower back in a reverse trajectory. This zombie meets the same fate; its head is chipped into hundreds of pieces, but this time the mass of gray liquid chunk is sprayed against his fence.
Ugh. So gross…
Another zombie approaches, oblivious to the futility of its attack. Charlie, with a grimace and shout, double-arm overhead-swings the lawn mower in a large arc straight over his head, and it lands on the zombie’s head, crushing its skull and spine. He doesn’t stop his shout until after the crushed lump of body on the ground—under the mower—stops twitching.
Charlie settles and looks around for more zombies, but he doesn’t see any. I guess that’s it. He notices a curtain fall closed in a window of a house across the street. Hmm, somebody got a show. Whatever. He pushes the mower past each zombie and grabs hold of a leg while he mows. He drags the bodies to the pile, or in one case, he drags each leg, and an arm, and a torso, individually—one per pass—as he mows the patch of grass.
When he finishes, he kills the mower and walks back inside the fence. Slick, gray, chopped-up zombie goo and fresh grass cuttings combine into a sludge in many areas, while bone fragments and decayed flesh sprayed against the fence dribble downward. A three-foot-high pile of corpses at the corner greets Charlie when he returns with a garden hose to wash down the fence.
Somebody drives by. Charlie looks toward the driver, but they just kept their eyes forward and drive past while shaking their head. Either they’re disgusted with the sight or with the world they find themselves living in, but in either case they’re right—this is disgusting.