Chapter 3
I slept for fourteen hours without the slightest problem. When I finally opened my eyes there were two dogs standing over me drooling with excitement. They bounced up and down and licked my face mercilessly making me laugh. I wondered how long they’d been waiting for me. They were so happy that I was awake. So was I. Hell, at least I was alive and nothing had happened to us overnight.
I stood up and looked around. The smoke was still rising from the fire, but I could no longer see flames. I knew I had to put a lot of wood on it to keep it going, or I would have to start from scratch. I couldn’t do that again. It was too horrifying a thought. There were a lot more things wandering around down in the town. I didn’t like that one bit.
The good news was that there were absolutely no Zombies around the compound itself. Maybe I was worrying about nothing? Maybe we could stay quiet and let them stay down there? No. That wasn’t going to happen. The next wave would be by to annoy me soon. I was resigned to do this as long as it takes. Unfortunately, I knew that this infection was in for the long haul too.
I was famished. My stomach was growling nonstop. I went inside where I found my family huddled in front of the TV. FOX News had a Zombie montage where multiple shots from around the country were taken in front of major national monuments with Zombies walking around chasing fools. Some incredibly graphic footage was also shown of these Zeds taking down and feasting on unsuspecting people. I was amazed the reporters did nothing to stop it. Then again, I really wasn’t. I turned off the TV. My kids didn’t need to be watching this. I gave my wife a dirty look. She turned away. A few days ago I couldn’t get her to listen to me. Now she couldn’t get enough.
I grabbed some food out of the fridge and swallowed it without chewing. I was starving. I filled my stomach as quickly as possible. My wife gave me a dirty look. She hated the speed at which I ate. It was a learned skill I developed in residency. I ate this way, or I went without food for the day. I couldn’t help myself. She obviously disagreed. At least that hadn’t changed.
I looked at my kids. “Today, you are all coming outside with me until I say to come inside. I need you to learn how to take care of the animals and yourselves.” They looked at me with excitement and fear in their eyes. After watching TV all day, I could tell the last place they wanted to be was out in the open.
My wife spoke up, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. What if something happens?” She looked very concerned. She gave me another one of her ‘what the Hell are you doing’ looks.
I smiled at her. I did love her. “Don’t worry, we’re all going outside. I’ll be there with my weapons. The dogs will be out and about, and the gates will be locked. At the first sign of trouble, everybody goes inside, and we’ll lock the door. Is that fine?” I looked reassuring.
She thought about it for a moment and nodded in the affirmative. She looked afraid. At least she was now taking the threat seriously.
I turned away from her and used my best Dad voice. “Okay kids, go upstairs and dress in shirts, pants, socks, shoes, and I need you to find your work gloves in the garage. You’re going to need them.” I smiled at them. I heard a collective groan in return. They knew that I was going to put them to work. I smiled back sweetly in return. This was going to be fun.
I went and gobbled up a dozen bacon strips and the remains of my kids’ scrambled eggs. I was full at that point, not needing to make my own breakfast. My wife slapped my butt at that. She hated that too.
I grabbed Jen and put her in my arms. I kissed her. She gagged. I hadn’t brushed my teeth yet. She hated that as well.
“Did you miss me last night?” I leered at her.
She looked at me annoyed. “Yeah, dummy. I waited up for you wearing something very sexy. And you never showed up. I finally fell asleep.”
I cringed at that. “I fell asleep outside with the dogs and with my weapons.” I put my head in my hands.
She smirked. “I hope that it was everything you imagined.” She walked upstairs to change. She gave her butt an extra wiggle as she rose up the stairs.
Damn. I blew it. I shook my head and slowly followed her up to change my clothes. I had been so exhausted that I blew off my wife without thinking. I was a real dumbass.
After changing and brushing my teeth I gave my wife a real kiss. She smacked me in the head gently. “Don’t fail me again tonight.”
I nodded stupidly. I would have taken her right there if it weren’t for my kids who came into our bedroom and started to jump up and down on our bed. They had been stuck in the house for days and just wanted to go outside. For a moment I hoped I would be around long enough to ruin their sex lives when they were adults. I looked sideways at my wife who nodded. She knew exactly what I was thinking.
When I was sure they were all dressed appropriately (which was always a chore), we all went outside. I gathered them around. “You are all staying right here until I put more firewood on that fire. Do you understand?” I looked at each of them in return. They knew not to argue the point.
I went quickly to work. I put my guns on the ATV and strapped on my 9mm to my right hip. I grabbed a club and hooked it up to its cradle on the back of the machine. This sobered the kids up for the moment. They realized what its use was right away. I loaded up a dozen pieces of wood and headed for the front gate. I saw my kids staring at me. They looked scared. It was good they felt that way. I didn’t want them too complacent about this extreme threat.
I checked the front gate for threats, didn’t see any, and drove through to the pyre. I deliberately refused to look down into the depths of Hell. I spotted still burning flame and threw the wood quickly at them. I hoped they would start up without any more help. I had a feeling this fire would have to be lit for the next several months. It was disgusting, but necessary.
I got back on the ATV and looked downhill for any threats. I saw literally dozens of moving figures looking for food. They ignored the bakery and the grocery store. They obviously preferred something fresher. I shuddered. Soon, these things would be all that was left of humanity if we weren’t careful. I had to be vigilant.
I drove back in to the gate and locked it securely. I drove around the entire perimeter looking for anything askew. Everything was in order. I saw flames shooting out of my pit as well. I was grateful that I wouldn’t have to start from scratch.
I went back to the kids. They all wanted to go for a ride. I shook my head. I had the ATV loaded with weapons. I didn’t want any of them messing with it. They were all disappointed. Too bad.
“All right. Let’s feed the chickens.” The kids clapped their hands at that. They all grabbed the feed and started holding their hands out for the birds. That ended abruptly when my youngest son Matthew got pecked and started to cry. I picked him up and consoled him. He wanted to still hand-feed the rooster.
I put him down while I stared at him questioningly. I wondered if he was smart enough to figure out that it was a bad idea. He went to feed the bird again with his right hand and abruptly decided that was a bad idea. He dropped the feed in front of the rooster instead. I smiled at him. At least he figured out that pain was a bad idea.
After that we went on to the sheep, and then we watered the gardens and crops. We were having a great time in the sun, laughing and playing for hours while we did our work. I was always worried about security, but I did manage to allow some time to play with the kids. It was almost as if nothing had happened. Almost.
The dogs on the other hand were constantly vigilant. They grew bored with the feedings and the watering and scampered off when they finally figured out they weren’t included in farm work. They patrolled the fence line happily instead. A working dog was a happy dog.
After about two hours of this I heard some growls from the pups. I instantly became alert and looked at my wife. She gathered up the kids and told them to come inside for a tasty treat. The kids exploded into the house happily screaming ‘cookies.’ I smiled despite my worry. They were awesome kids.
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I continued to hear the dogs growling up at me. They were fixated on the front gate looking outward. The dogs were smart. They stayed several feet inside the gate so they would not get caught by whatever was out there. I got on my ATV and drove out there.
I grabbed the shotgun, made sure it was loaded, and flicked the safety off. I put the weapon up to my shoulder and walked forward. I scanned the immediate area and saw nothing. I looked downhill and saw a whole bunch of Zeds milling about outside various stores. I moved my gaze over to the middle of the street and saw a sight that would haunt me for the rest of my life.
There were two adult Zeds sitting on top of an adult female. They were tearing at her flesh as she screamed in agony. I saw a blood spurt across the road and knew they had hit one of her arteries. It wouldn’t be long now. She was done no matter what. They tore at her more and more as her strength left her. I turned away. There was nothing left for anyone to do.
I bent down and pet the dogs. I was happy to have them. I heard them bark down at the gate again. I saw two young girls running down the street. I saw a dozen Zeds chasing them. I saw the rest turning toward them too. My heart sank.
I saw them dodge around a few of the beasts and continue running. They couldn’t have been more than ten. They bobbed and weaved trying to get around the Zeds. I was impressed with their stamina, but I saw the circle forming and closing in around them. These guys were closing in. I realized they wouldn’t stand a chance. My heart pounded in fear. My hands began to shake, and I started to get angry.
Before I knew what I was doing, I unlocked the gate and hopped on the ATV. I drove as fast as I could downhill right at them. I had no idea what the fuck I was doing, and amazingly at this point, I really didn’t care. I had my right thumb on the accelerator, and my left hand held the shotgun by the pistol grip. But that was stupid. If I dared fire the weapon like this, I’d break my own wrist. The kick was way too powerful. I wanted to come up with a plan like I always did. I came up with nothing. This was beyond stupid.
I hit the bottom of the hill and accelerated to the maximum speed. I was going 53 mph right at them. What the fuck was I doing? I put the shotgun in its sleeve before I dropped it and careened right at the circle of filth before me. I gripped the handlebars as tightly as I could and braced myself. I was really going to do this. Holy shit!
I drove right at the three Zeds on my right side. They were all facing the little girls. I held on for dear life and hit them square in the backs. They went down hard. I felt the machine drive right over them without missing a beat. It was after all designed for all terrains. I bobbed up and down and all I could do was just hold on for dear life. At that point, the machine was in control. I was just a bug on its back.
I felt the vehicle slowing down, and for a moment I panicked that it was ruined from going over the bodies. I looked down and saw my thumb was off the accelerator. It was my fault. I depressed it fully, and the ATV jumped at full speed right at a couple of more. It hit one in the leg and one in the groin. The Zeds didn’t stand a chance. It was 1200 pounds versus 200 unsteady ones.
I screamed out ‘run!’ at the top of my lungs at the girls. They had been frozen watching me the entire time. They followed in my wake as I turned around in a narrow arc. I turned fully the way I came and saw five standing before me heading right at us. They were thirty feet away and were closing in fast. I looked around and saw the girls right behind me using me as a shield against them.
I screamed out, “Follow exactly behind me as quick as you can!” I saw them nod in understanding. I saw the look in their eyes. They were cornered animals.
I gunned the engine and drove exactly to the left of all of them. I wanted to take out the two Zeds at the extreme end of their line. I raced at them and hit them straight on. I crushed one of their legs and caught one of the things in the pelvis, impaling it in the handlebars. I lost all maneuverability right then and there. I couldn’t turn right or left whatsoever. I whispered ‘shit’ under my breath and kept going until I was clear of the rest of them. The impaled thing, despite its massive injuries to its lower half, was snarling and grabbing at me. I held on to the handlebars with my arms fully extended forward to keep my body away from its grabbing arms.
I hopped off the back to get away from its arms and saw the thing couldn’t get off even if it tried. I pulled out my pistol and shot in the forehead. It stopped abruptly. I kicked it mid-chest a good three times to get it off the ATV. That didn’t work. I grabbed the club and baseball swung it right at its head. It flew back and off the ATV. A bloody smear remained on it where it used to be. I thought to myself, ‘more cleanup’ before I remembered the girls. I felt instantly guilty about them when I spun around and felt something grab me around the waist. I almost panicked, and then I saw that it was the little girls. Up close now, I could see that they couldn’t have been more than eight years old.
I pulled them off me. “Girls, Girls! Get off. The Zeds are coming.” They immediately released my hip and got behind and between me and the Zeds. It reminded me of my kids when they were little, grabbing on to the rear of my legs to ward off strangers. Except these girls were literally holding on for dear life.
I went to move the girls away, but they had the strength of the dying and would not let go no matter what.
Oh well, there was nothing I could do about it. I still had my pistol in my hand. I brought it up as I scanned for more targets. Two of the things spewing gore out of their mouths were lunging up at me. I front-sighted quickly and brought them down. My ears were ringing so bad from the noise, I stopped being able to hear anything. I ignored the bells in my head and looked for more threats. Now I saw a dozen coming at us from the road. All the noise drew them to us like moths to the flame. I wish I had a silencer.
I looked at the kids and screamed ‘RUN!’ and pointed at my house above them. They froze for a second, grabbed each other’s hand, and made a run for it. They realized that staying behind meant death.
I didn’t have time to see them run up the drive and make it to my front gate. Slowly, my ears began hearing some sounds. The ringing persisted.
I reholstered my pistol and grabbed the Benelli. I looked down the ghost ring sights and began firing slowly. I felt every shot in my shoulder and concentrated hard on what the weapon was doing to its victims. It was truly disgusting how the firearm shredded flesh. I reloaded once and looked around. I had woken up at least two dozen more. They were at least a block away. It was just too far for the weapon. It was way out of range. I got on the ATV and drove uphill as fast as I could. Luckily, I could move the handlebars now. I didn’t slow down at all as I made it to my front gate. I looked around for the little girls and found the dogs rolling on the ground with the girls. The dogs were licking their faces and making them laugh. It was a great sound to finally hear, full of life, hope, and happiness. It almost made me cry.
I drove through the gate and jumped off the ATV. I ran and locked the front gate. I quickly checked to make sure the girls were all right, and they were. They were better than ok. Then I turned back and looked at the front gate at a scene straight out of any horror movie. Dozens of Zeds were moving quickly uphill right at me. I led them right to us. I couldn’t have stayed hidden, could I?
“Holy shit, what did you do?” I knew my wife’s voice, and it cut through me. She was right. I was responsible for all this. I could have laid low and hoped that these things passed us by. No. I chose not to hide. I had to be a hero. I could have let the Zeds take the girls and my family would have been safe. Now, I put all of us at risk. How the Hell could I do this?
I hung my head low as I stared at these walking bags of teeth that were coming at us wondering what the Hell I was going to do. I saw one of the things down the hill crawling up at us. Both his femurs were sticking out of his thighs and right through his jeans. It slowed him down but obviously didn’t stop his need to feed. How were we supposed to defeat the mindless collective will of these things?
I felt m
y wife’s arms wrap around me from the back. She squeezed my chest from behind. She knew I needed a hug. “You did the right thing, you know. If you would have let those things eat those girls, you wouldn’t have been my husband. That’s why I love you. You’re always trying to save the World, no matter how much you despise it.”
I turned at that. I smiled at her. She was right. That was my flaw and my strength. I couldn’t help myself. I kissed her on the forehead.
We both heard growls from behind my back. Then I heard scraping of hands through the bars. She looked up at me and said, “Get to work.” She kissed me on the lips. We were loving each other while there were things just outside my gate that were trying to get in and eat my family. It was a very weird feeling but comforting nonetheless.
I saw her gather up the girls and run up to the house skipping with them. It made me smile again. The dogs ran toward me, bounded upright, and turned toward the gate excitedly. I could tell they were wondering why I wasn’t taking care of business. They had a point.
I looked over at the gate and quickly planned my attack. There were over a dozen snarling greenish-skinned Zeds slobbering out at me. Their hands were through the gates reaching for me and the dogs. The dogs barked back viciously. I was happy that the dogs kept their distances though. The Zed drool leaked down through the bars onto my driveway. The good news was that they weren’t trying to climb up and over. They seemed to be content just reaching for me. What amazed me though was that no matter how fat they were, they still tried to squeeze their entire bodies through the bars. They couldn’t figure out that the six-inch space between the bars was simply too small. Whatever higher function they might have had in real life was completely gone. Now all they were was a targeting system for their hunger.
My Last Testament Page 7