Dead Ahead

by Park, Grant

  Carol ran. Surprisingly, Richard did not; he picked up the gun and started firing bullet after bullet into the first gen, long after it had flopped lifelessly to the ground he kept firing till the gun clicked empty. He didn’t notice the other one on top of the truck; he just stared at the motionless corpses, even as it took him down.

  Jim was pulling her along, Sarah pushing from behind towards the Husky. They couldn’t make it, they were everywhere!

  The other Husky burst into life: its bright lights dazzling in the moonlight. ‘He’s abandoning us!’ Cassie thought for a moment, but he wasn’t, he was distracting them, leading them away. The side door slammed shut as Gary shot forward and disappeared into the night.

  They made it to the Husky, gently closing the doors behind them.

  “Carol, we have to back for Carol,” Cassie begged Ethan.

  “I’m sorry Cass, We can’t, it’s too late.”

  He started the engine, and turned on the lights. A mass of crooked faces slowly turned to them in the headlights: some more skeletal than human, shredded and lipless faces; and the eyes, those dead eyes looked right into her soul. Cassie felt her heart sink and her skin crawl as they looked at her. They started their march towards them.

  Ethan surged the truck, tyres spinning on the gravel, into them encountering much more resistance than they expected, the tyres continued to spin slowly pushing the rotting bodies back but not pushing over them.

  “Roof gun, Sir?” Jim asked eagerly

  “I think that may be our only way out....” Ethan started.

  “Wait!” shouted Cassie, “Don’t open the hatch!” She could see the first gen’s working their way through the crowd, they didn’t just push through; they clawed and clambered their way over them. Cassie could see three of them and they were all headed towards the Husky, they were far too close to risk letting them in.

  Bright lights suddenly appeared to their right and the other Husky barrelled through the crowd of corpses before them, a wave of fetid blood spayed over the windscreen as they finally started making headway through the clotted mess.

  Gary, unfortunately, lost control of the Husky whilst ploughing through the creatures and clearing the road for them, his tyres slid off of the road on the gruesome filth beneath them and he crashed viciously into the gable end of a house; the Husky sat there for a few seconds, a mangle of twisted metal, before erupting in a giant fireball. Cassie felt the heat on her face and the truck shook beneath her, she had to shield her swollen tear filled eyes from the bright light of the explosion as it threw a grim golden light over the nights darkness.

  How could things be going so terribly? They weren’t even out of the complex twenty four hours and already they had lost so many; Cassie started to list the names: Her father, Mr MacMillan, all of the soldiers in the complex, Dominic, Brian, Nathan, Richard, Conner, Gary. Cassie was sure that she could hear a scream from the house as they drove away.

  ___________________________

  Caroline made it back to the house and slammed the door behind her. She fell to the ground sobbing with her back against what she hoped to be a sturdy hardwood barricade between her and the monsters outside.

  How could they do this to her? Why would they do this? The bunker was safe! They hadn’t even given her an option. Leave and live or stay and die? Leave and live indeed...? They had sentenced her to death without even having the common decency to honour her with a trial. How could they do this to her?

  She could hear one of the cars driving away. Now they were abandoning her! It was safer in the house anyway!

  ‘Safe as houses...!’ She felt a bump against the door; she yelped and scurried her way into the lounge crawling under the various blankets that had been left there. The other car had started to drive away.

  ‘Let them drive away! They will all die out there. She was safe here. Safe as houses...! Safe as houses...!’ The other car wasn’t leaving; it was just revving its engine and making quite a racket about it.

  ‘They will all die out there.’ She could hear screeching, screaming, moaning, a terrible roar and a great thud.

  ‘They are all dying out there.’ A great orange light lit up the curtains of the lounge and the windows exploded into the room with an ear shattering ‘boom,’ it shredded the thin material into tatters, cutting her face and her forearms as she put them up to protect her eyes.

  The moaning grew louder. She pulled the blankets up over her face.

  ‘Safe as houses...! Safe as houses...!’ The car drove away.

  ‘Safe as houses...!’ A soft thud, someone was in the room, the shuffling sound of feet on broken glass.

  ‘Safe as houses...!’ It sounded like someone was choking, groaning. Another thud. They grew closer.

  ‘Safe as houses safe as houses...!’ She felt a tugging on the blanket. She squeezed her eyes closed as the blanket was torn away. She threw her hands over her eyes to hide from the monsters looming over her, wishing them away.

  ‘Safe as houses safeas houses safeashouses...!’ She felt vicious tugging at her slender legs. Pain! Nails tore at her clothes and skin, pulling at her arms, wrenching them away from her face.

  ‘Safeashouses...!’ So much pain! She refused to open her eyes, even as the teeth sunk into her soft skin; skin that she had struggled to keep so tender and smooth, so blemish free since the acne days of her youth. She refused to open them.

  ‘Who was screaming?’ Even over the repugnant sound of the monsters slurping and slavering, she could hear it, a shrill cry of agony that filled her mind.

  ‘Safe as houses...!’ Slowly, the pain began to fade. She started to float free from her body as it was tossed and torn violently across the room.

  ‘Safe as....’ Even with her eyes shut the world spun round and folded in over her in the darkness.

  Darkness became a blackening.

  Blackening became a peace.

  Peace became a hunger.

  _________________________

  Cassie tried to open her eyes. My god did her nose hurt; she ached all over. How the hell had she managed to fall asleep? She forced her eyes open. It was daylight, morning she guessed, her head was so fuzzy she couldn’t think straight. She looked over to Ethan.

  Shock took her as she sat bolt upright. Where is he? Completely awake now she scanned around outside, no one was there, just a twisted mess of cars and trucks in front of her; the road was completely blocked.

  “It’s ok, dear. The boys have just gone out to see if there is any possible way around this mess.” It was Sarah’s voice. A comforting hand reached over from behind and held her shoulder. “I thought it best if I wait here with you.”

  “Where are we?”

  “I’m not exactly sure, Sergeant Rigby said that we hadn’t really travelled that far, not as far as he would have liked anyway, somewhere outside Penrith I think. We may have to travel south.”

  “South? But we need to be moving east!”

  “I know, dear. Sergeant Rigby said something about the Lake District being ‘an awkward bitch that should have been levelled years ago’ or something like that, I always thought it was quite pretty myself.”

  Cassie just made a light grunting noise as a response and popped the door open to take a look around for herself.

  “Oh, I wouldn’t do that, dear. Sergeant Rigby said to stay in the car!”

  “I just need to stretch my legs, Sarah. I think I’m getting a cramp.”

  “Well then, you had better take this.” Sarah stretched out her arm, in her hand she daintily held a pistol “I really wouldn’t know what to do with it anyway.”

  “Sarah! Where did you get this?” Cassie asked, shocked, she took the gun; it was a lot heavier than she expected it to be.

  “Sergeant Rigby gave it to me before he left. We are to fire a shot if the zombies find us, we are to hide otherwise!”

  Cassie climbed out of the Husky; her legs complained after being locked in the same position for so long, she placed the pistol beh
ind her belt, put her hands on her hips and stretched her back till it gave her the satisfying ‘crick’ that she had become accustomed to over the years.

  Sarah’s head popped out of the Husky window, “The red dot means the safety is on, by the way!” Cassie just looked back at her confused “The pistol...!” Sarah explained.

  “Oh! Right! Thanks!”

  Cassie walked around the Husky to get a better look at the traffic ahead. Beyond the heap of crashed cars traffic stretched out as far as she could see. ‘Why would they even consider trying to get around this,’ she thought, ‘and where the hell are they?’

  “You shouldn’t be out here on your own!”

  Cassie turned round to see Ethan, Jim and Greg walking towards her.

  “I’m not on my own. Am I?”

  “I guess not,” Ethan said with a smile, “We just had a look around, doesn’t look like we are going to find a way around this. We are going to have to double back.”

  “Yeah, I thought as much,” Cassie said sullenly, “How far back do you think we have to go?”

  “Only a couple of miles, though it is tough going having to weave around the traffic.” Cassie had a look behind them; the cars stretched out just as they did before them. How had they managed to squeeze though as far as they had? “It could take an hour or so. I think we would be better heading off road again if we get the chance, we would make better time.”

  “Sounds like a plan. But first, can we eat? I’m starving.”

  They ate as they weaved their way back through the traffic; it was some kind of fruity granola bar which tasted only a little better than it looked. The driving was so slow going that Cassie found herself being thankful that she had been able to sleep through it the first time.

  It was when they were nearing their exit to the right that they began to notice scatterings of second gens making their way through the cars towards them. Jim took it upon himself to expertly place bullets into the brains of members of the undead that got a little too close for comfort, using a specialised, silenced sniper rifle from the roof hatch; Cassie was pleased to note that he took no pleasure in the task, seeing it as more of a chore than an opportunity.

  “What’s that?” Greg said, leaning through the gap in the front seats and pointing out of the windscreen.

  It was hard to make out, it looked like a tide of filthy water flowing between and over the cars far in front of them, but as it drew closer it was easy to see that it didn’t move like water, it moved more like....

  “First gen’s...!” Cassie cried out.

  “Shit! Buckle up people, it’s about to get bumpy!” Ethan warned. True to his word he changed gears and started to smash his way through the abandoned cars in an attempt to reach the exit before the first gens did. There were so many of them. Scores of them swarmed towards them, but why would they be here, and why so many? They couldn’t have been following them, could they? Surely that would register a certain level of intelligence, and if they were intelligent, could they learn?

  Some of the first gens started to drop to the ground, but only a few, soon the sniper rifle was handed down from above and the roof cannon started to blaze. More of them fell, but not enough, closer they came. It looked like they would both meet at the turning at the same time, but the turning was just as clogged as the road they were on. Just before the junction, Ethan called for Jim to close the hatch and swung the trick to the right, crashing it through a thicket at the side of the road. Several of the fist gens crashed into the side of the husky as he turned, but were unable to gain purchase, leaving thick coagulated blood smearing the windows.

  The truck bounced through the rough terrain surrounded by bushes and trees. Ethan did his best to avoid getting trapped between them but on several occasions had to reverse his way out of dead ends created by the thick brush. The First Gens could still be seen occasionally through the trees behind them.

  Finally, after what seemed like forever, a clearing appeared up ahead of them just past some thick bushes. The truck burst through them and careered right into one side of a poorly constructed wooden house and out of the other. A shower of splintered wood surrounded them as they landed on the road in front of the house leaving only piece of paper trapped under the windscreen wiper bearing the insignia of Centre Parcs.

  As they bounced down the road of the urbanised forest getaway they were greeted by the short clad decaying bodies of its guests roaming the streets.

  “Oh my god....” Sarah whispered in the back.

  “I know,” Greg said staring at a group of the ex-holiday reps writhing within a tangle of hire bicycles, “Those dead eyes, the expressionless faces, it’s like they haven’t changed at all!”

  At speed they followed the signs to the exit and burst through the gates on to the road ahead, luckily the traffic had thinned enough for them to negotiate their way through easily enough to escape their pursuers. But would they ever be able to escape them fully? Cassie didn’t think so. In fact, she was sure they were picking up more and more pursuers the further on they went. How far would the sound of one vehicle travel amidst this vast emptiness and silence? She had to stop herself from actually working it out, she was sure that the answer wouldn’t please her.

  Cassie satisfied her curiosity in wonder of how quickly the world around her had fallen apart, now that it was devoid of humans and all of their activities. Uncut lawns were thriving in the sunshine as a light breeze tussled their blades; vast quantities of rubbish, also caught in the breeze, flowed across streets; in only a matter of weeks, weeds had started growing through untraveled roads and pavements. There was a quiet serenity to it all, as nature slowly reclaimed that which was once stolen from it. How long would it be before it was all gone? How long until it was buried under mountains of dirt like the ruins of ancient Greece? Would people in the future speculate over how humans used to live, as they do now...?

  ....As they did. Would there even be anyone in the future to find it?

  A sombre mood settled into the Husky. No one spoke; they just stared out of the windows as the wretched world passed them by. The Dead filled the streets to watch them pass like a morbid parade, and as they passed, the Dead followed; some slow, some fast, but each and every one of them had hunger in their eyes.

  Eventually they found farm land in which they would at least have a chance to leave the Dead behind, but each time they seemed to be making headway they would encounter a river or impassable dip in the land and have to double back to find a road or bridge to cross, it was as if nature its self was against them. They had no choice but to return to the roads.

  Ethan slowly rolled the truck to a stop some good distance in front of a motorway underpass, cars could be seen above the railing all packed tightly together.

  “What’s up E?” asked Jim.

  “I dunno, I just got a bad feeling about this.”

  “Can we go round?” asked Sarah.

  “This is the M6, we either go under or across it, and I have an even worse feeling about going across it.”

  “We go under then! Let’s go!” said Jim.

  Ethan nodded his head, he looked more than unconvinced. Despite his misgivings he floored it towards the tunnel.

  As soon as the engine roared into life Cassie could see movement above the motorway railings, a lot of movement. Bodies started to tumble over the railings and down onto the road ahead, landing awkwardly in a heap but still trying to drag their broken carcases toward the oncoming vehicle. They were piling up before them; some started rolling down the grassy embankments to the side of the underpass too, if they didn’t make it through the pile of corpses they would be surrounded.

  Bodies continued to fall.

  Still they accelerated forward; Ethan started to scream at the heap in front.

  Cassie braced for the impact as vile faces rushed towards her.

  BOOM!

  The Husky leapt into the air as it smashed into the wall of contorted bodies. Blood and bones erupted around them bla
cking out the windows in the dark tunnel enticing a shriek from Sarah. They bounced back on to tarmac as Ethan desperately tried to clear the windscreen enough to see through the smeared glass; all they could see was a deep red blur ahead of them where the tunnel exited. The wheels screeched on the road as Ethan tried to control the truck; crashing over some debris in the middle of the road. The window cleared. The truck straightened out. They were almost through.

  Bodies began to rain down in front of them. Ethan tried to exit to the left hand side where the pile seemed thinnest, but they didn’t have the same speed that they had had before. Cassie felt the seatbelt tighten around her as they hit. The same dark red enveloped them as they lifted into the air again, but the interior was soon lit in bright crimson as the sun hit them. They landed much softer this time, but as they did a great rattling thumping came from the roof.

  “What the fuck was that?” shouted Jim.

  The window started to clear before them to reveal a large pile of cars directly in their path. Ethan tried to swerve to the left to avoid them but slammed into the side of a blue Van, sending two objects flying off of the roof and in to the van, they both landed in a heap on the bonnet of the Husky.

  The heap began to move.

  Ethan threw the Husky into reverse, grinding the gears as he did. But the two First Gens were already up and coming at the windscreen. One of them tumbled back and off of the bonnet as they flew backwards but the other managed to grab a still sweeping windscreen wiper and hang on.

  There was a thump from the back of the truck this time.

  “Shit! There’s more!” shouted Ethan, looking in his wing mirrors. He ground the gears once more finding first and shot away as fast as the Husky could, still with the First Gen on the bonnet trying to punch its way through the glass.

  “There’s one on the roof....” Shouted Jim.