by Max Lockwood
The two at the top of the huddle worked quickly to disarm the zombies. While not every hit was a perfect kill, Ellie scurried around to finish the job. She sliced and stabbed the fallen zombies before they had a chance to get off the ground. As she worked, she began to feel more comfortable with her task and eventually fell into the routine of double-checking each zombie for signs of life.
Eventually, they cleared their way through the ally, effectively cleaning up the first set of immediate threats. Matthew quickly glanced up at the fire escape, unable to see Carl but knowing that he was watching the fight. Looking back, Matthew saw a thin crack in the door where Jennifer was watching them, ready to spring into action if needed. He gave her a quick thumbs-up to signal that they would soon move on, and she needed to go to the front window to keep an eye on them. The door creaked shut, separating the five from the inside of their shelter.
“Create a walkway,” Matthew commanded Ellie. Bodies lined the alley, which would make it impossible to quickly pass through in an emergency. Ellie dutifully rolled bodies toward the walls on either side of the space, creating a path that the survivors could run through but a mass of zombies might get stuck in.
When she was finished, she jogged to catch up with the others, who were nearly to the street. Matthew could already hear her wheezing, but there was nothing he could do for her. They had only begun their fight.
“Damn,” Sergio breathed as the rest of the block came into view. There was a swarm of zombies directly in front of the building, threatening to press their way inside. But beyond the immediate bunch, there were many more hanging back until they were ready to strike.
The moment Matthew walked forward and out of the alley, the office front erupted into chaos. Zombies scrambled over one another to get to the humans, scratching and clawing at their own. Matthew had never seen them behave that way, but he had also never encountered so many in such a large concentration. Between beating down zombies, he watched as one zombie ripped of another’s arm, just to prevent it from getting the first zombie’s kill. Matthew couldn’t help but smile. The zombies were eliminating each other, too.
That didn’t mean that their job became any easier. Even the zombies who were missing limbs were tough, clawing at the survivors. A hand grabbed Matthew’s wrist, but luckily, the tape kept its long fingernails from scratching into his skin. Ellie jumped in and cut off the hand before it could do any damage.
With so many zombies, Ellie could no longer stand in the back and clean up. Zombies made it through the gaps in the front line, making it necessary for her to strike. However, her skills and lack of athletic ability hampered her in these times. She managed to knock zombies down and wound them, but many were not completely dead. A few times, Matthew felt something on his leg, to look down and find a screaming zombie latched onto his calf. After he dealt with the injured zombie, he’d turn around to find three more directly in front of his face.
The others weren’t faring so well, either. Lucas’s shirt was tattered, yet there was no blood in sight. Sergio was dripping in sweat, causing his knife to nearly slip out of his hands on more than one occasion. Pip kept swinging her axe, but Matthew could tell that the weapon was growing heavy in her hands.
Matthew kept listening for orders to retreat from Carl, but they never came. He tried to take inventory of his crew, but it was hard to check in on the others when he was so inundated with his own zombies. After every kill, Matthew tried to look for at least one fellow soldier to make note of their condition. Everyone seemed exhausted, but no one was in extreme danger.
During the planning stage, the group had loosely discussed retreating. But the main view was that retreating equaled failure, and no one wanted to accept defeat. If worst came to worst, they agreed that they would slowly back out together and return to the building, but that should only happen in the most extenuating circumstances. Otherwise, they’d just have to tough it out.
As they weeded out the crowd, Matthew spotted Sergio farther out into the mass than seemed necessary or safe. It looked like he was returning toward the other fighters, but Matthew couldn’t make sense of it. After a particularly tough kill that required Matthew to use his knife to finish the job, he looked over and called out to Sergio.
“What?” Sergio’s voice responded from just behind Matthew.
Matthew’s heart jolted. Upon second look, he realized the muscled figure was not Sergio, as he’d assumed, but a zombie. This one was different from the others. It had the characteristic crazy look in its eye, but its skin was normal, besides a slight graying of the flesh. It wasn’t covered in blisters and lesions like the other ones. Also, it looked strong and it was barreling right at them.
Matthew tried to reach it, but he was double-teamed by two wiry zombies that he toppled in one swing. He stomped their skulls to quiet their moans, but the creature was moving too quickly for him to stop. He held his breath, wondering if this would be the moment that Carl would take his shot.
“Pip, watch out!” Matthew shouted, but Pip was turned the other way. The powerful zombie tackled Pip to the ground, snarling as it pinned her to the concrete. Before Matthew could go to her aid, Sergio began stabbing at it with wild abandon. He pushed the creature off her, wrestling it to the ground.
Ellie bravely joined in, stabbing the creature in the neck as it fought and screamed. But this still wasn’t enough. Finally, Matthew was able to fight his way over, smashing the thick-headed zombie’s skull, effectively shattering it.
When it was dead, Matthew didn’t have time to check on the others. He continued fighting the dwindling crowd with Lucas at his side. But when the other three didn’t appear, he knew something was wrong.
“What’s going on?” Matthew asked between swings.
“Pip’s hurt,” Ellie’s strangled voice rang out.
His heart stopped. If she had been bitten by the zombie, that was the end of their group. Sergio and Carl would be absolutely distraught. The thought was too horrible to bear.
Matthew’s fear intensified when he saw Jennifer running to their aid. It was time for a retreat. With their best fighters either injured or incapacitated by grief, they couldn’t go on. With everything that was going on down below, there still wasn’t a shot from above. There wasn’t even an order. Matthew had to take control of the situation before they were all killed. The only problem was that they had never planned for this exact scenario. He wasn’t quite sure what to do.
25
For the first time since Matthew had met Sergio, he heard him freaking out as Pip lay motionless on the sidewalk. The soldier had always seemed so unflappable, so impervious to stress. When everyone else was nervous, he was clear-headed and calm, with a touch of sarcasm for good measure. He did not seem like the kind of guy to fall to his knees at a little turmoil, yet he hovered over Pip as if she had died.
“What do I do?” Matthew asked out loud, not loud enough for others to hear. He had to control the situation and pay attention to what was going on. Otherwise, they would all be in dire danger.
“Lucas, keep fighting,” Matthew said before swinging at a zombie and missing. He swung again and made contact with its neck. On his third try, it fell to the ground, where he continued to bash it on its skull. “Ellie, get back in there, too.”
“But Pip’s hurt,” she cried.
“I don’t care,” he roared. “We’ll all be dead if you don’t help.”
Ellie tearfully joined the fight, stabbing any body that twitched on the ground. She coughed and wheezed as she helped clean up the stragglers.
“We need to retreat,” Jennifer said worriedly as she tended to a motionless Pip.
“That’s what I’m trying to do,” Matthew responded, gearing up to take out more zombies. He had picked up Pip’s axe and tore through two smaller ones, amazed at how much strength it took to wield the thing. But with a hard swing, it cut through the decaying flesh like butter. “We have to get into a good position to retreat. You two take her inside. We’ll b
e there soon.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Matthew could see Jennifer and Sergio lift Pip and carefully run her down the alleyway. He listened for any information from Carl, but he heard nothing.
There were only about ten more zombies from the original huddle around the front of the building. They appeared to be the weaker of the group, the ones that weren’t able to fight to the front. They would be easy enough to take out. The problem was that there were a few more waves of zombies that were creeping forward. Eventually, they would replace the ones they’d worked so hard to get rid of, making all of their work for nothing.
But they had a crisis on their hands. There were only three fighters left and they were growing weary. Matthew could recognize a losing battle when he saw one. They needed to retreat immediately.
“Ellie,” Matthew called. “Slide around the corner and run against the wall back to the building. Don’t let them follow you.”
Matthew could practically hear her sigh of relief. She split from the scene, ready to be done with the fight.
“Lucas, once we’re done with this set, we’ve got to go.”
“Are you sure? There are so many more out there.”
Matthew scoffed. He was surprised that Lucas wanted to stick around. Even he wanted to be done with it.
“Yeah, I’m sure of this. Make your kills and get the hell out of here.”
The two worked quickly, slaughtering the zombies in as few moves as necessary. Matthew moved so hastily that he was nearly clobbered by one before Lucas came to his aid and smashed the monster’s kneecaps. Luckily, it did nothing more than knock the wind out of Matthew.
Finally, it was time to retreat and finish the ill-fated mission. When Matthew gave the word, they sprinted back to the door where Ellie was tearfully waiting for them.
Inside, they found Pip on the ground with the others surrounding her. Blood matted her blonde hair, drying into a thick paste. Her eyes were closed, her mouth agape.
“Is she—” Lucas started, his voice quavering.
“She’s breathing,” Ellie answered. “But she won’t wake up.”
Jennifer hovered over her, lifting her eyelids and testing her reflexes. She seemed hesitant in her motions, as if she couldn’t quite remember what steps to take. Carl and Sergio knelt on either side of the girl, their faces pale and morose.
“Is she going to be okay? What’s wrong with her?” Lucas asked.
“She hit her head really hard when that zombie knocked her down,” Sergio said as he squeezed her hand.
“It could be a concussion,” Jennifer said. “Or it could be worse. We don’t really know. She probably needs a CAT scan, but obviously, that’s out of the question. I just hope that she’s not bleeding internally. Her vital signs seem fine, but it’s concerning that she hasn’t come to yet.”
Carl leaned down and stroked her face with his finger. He bit his lip as he muttered to her.
“Come on, Pip. Stop messing around. We need you to wake up now. Come on, Pip, I need you. Please don’t leave us. You’re all I have. You’re my only family in this world.”
Matthew felt like he was intruding on a very personal moment, but he couldn’t walk away. He needed to support the others who were going through hell.
“How did this happen?” Carl asked.
“I’m sorry,” Matthew said. “I don’t think any of us saw it before it was too late. I should have been there to save her.”
“No, I should have been there to save her,” Carl said, grimacing. “I should have shot that thing before it reached her. I should have been on the ground alongside her. She should have never had to fight like this.”
“No one is to blame,” Jennifer said gently. “She wanted to fight. It would be an insult to her if she knew you were saying this stuff. She never wanted your protection. She never wanted you to take the bullet for her. She could come out of this. We just need to give her a chance.”
“Okay,” Carl said softly, taking her hand. “Whenever you’re ready, Pip.”
“Don’t do this to me, Pip,” Sergio whispered, his head drooping toward the floor.
Matthew felt horrible. He had forgotten that Sergio had already lost someone he loved in the army. What made it worse was that Pip was his rebound of sorts. Losing her would be two tragic deaths in a short amount of time. There was only so much a person could take. Matthew couldn’t imagine losing Rebecca twice in a row.
Sally rushed downstairs, carrying food and drinks, but no one accepted one from her. She hung around for a moment, bending her knees to the floor and bowing so low that her head nearly touched the floor. She sat there for a moment, her eyes tightly squeezed shut. Then, she popped back up to her feet and scurried away.
Matthew figured that was probably for the best. He wasn’t particularly pleased with Sally’s refusal to participate. Staying up late—while she was already up with her baby—to keep watch and fetching food and drinks that no one had the appetite for were not really helpful. What would have been helpful would be if she had wielded a knife and helped clean up the streets. If she had been in a position to help Pip out, maybe the accident would have never occurred.
“How is everyone else?” Jennifer asked, briefly looking up. “Any injuries?”
The group shook their heads. Matthew was a little banged up and sore, but nothing that required anyone’s attention. He’d nurse his minor injuries in private.
“Any contaminations?” she asked, lowering her voice an octave.
“No,” other fighters said in unison.
“Good.” She sighed. “At least we have that going for us.”
Several minutes had passed and Pip hadn’t shown any signs of movement. Matthew was getting worried. He’d seen people get knocked out with concussions, but they typically came to in just a few minutes.
“Her pupils look like they’re dilating,” Jennifer said, flipping her eyelid again. “And I think I’m getting reflexes from her, but I don’t really know if I’m doing it right.”
Suddenly, a low groan came out of Pip’s mouth. Matthew jumped back, as the sound was eerily similar to the moan the zombies made. From the reactions from the others, he wasn’t the only one who thought that.
“Pip!” Carl cried. “She’s alive!”
“My head hurts,” she whimpered, her eyes still closed. “Everything is so dark.”
Carl looked alarmed. “Jennifer, I think she’s gone blind,” he hissed.
Jennifer crinkled her brow. “Pip, open your eyes.”
It took her a few seconds to work up the strength, but she eventually squinted at the others, who stood around expectantly.
“How’d we get inside?” Pip croaked.
“She can see,” Jennifer chuckled. “She just had her eyes closed.”
Carl let out a sigh of relief. He was used to this sort of thing from Pip.
“Damn it, Pip, you scared the hell out of me,” Carl groaned. “Are you okay?”
“I feel like I have the worst hangover in the world,” she said.
Sergio laughed, then big, blubbery sobs escaped his mouth. He quickly composed himself, but a few tears continued to trickle out.
“What did I say?” she asked, seeing Sergio’s reaction.
“I thought you were dying, Pip,” he cried. “Do you know what that would have done to me? That was the scariest moment of my life, seeing you on the ground like that. Don’t ever do that to me again.”
“I can’t make any promises.” She smiled. She tried to sit up, but the pain was overwhelming. Sergio caught her shoulders in his arms before she hit the floor.
They looked at each other for a moment with a curious look in their eyes. Matthew’s stomach clenched. There was something familiar about the way they locked eyes.
Then, their faces drew close and the pair kissed. Sergio was hesitant and cautious, but Pip moved as if she were drunk, pressing her mouth to his without a care in the world. She hung limply from his arms, all of her concentration focused on his lips.
When they parted, Sergio’s face blushed red. Pip looked satisfied and sleepy.
Carl turned his shoulders, acting annoyed with his sister and his friend displaying affection right in front of the others. But when he turned his head, Matthew saw a tiny smile on his face. Jennifer began to giggle, nudging Carl in the arm. The unlikely pair had gotten their fairytale moment.
“Break it up,” Carl droned, still trying to act tough. “She’s still bleeding all over the place. We need to take her to the couches so she can rest.”
“Hand me the roll of gauze,” Jennifer ordered. Once Carl fetched the item, she carefully layered clean cotton around Pip’s head, creating a snug headband. Her blonde hair jutted messily from the bandages. Jennifer used a paper towel from her kit to sop up the blood from the ends of her hair before it dried into crusty spikes.
“Want me to carry you upstairs, Pip?” Lucas asked helpfully.
“No one is carrying me anywhere. Where’s my axe?”
“I’ve got it,” Matthew answered. “I’ll take it upstairs for you. You probably shouldn’t walk up the stairs by yourself.”
“I nearly crack my skull open fighting zombies, and you’re still treating me like a little girl,” she retorted before cracking up.
Matthew looked at the ground, willing his face not to blush with embarrassment. He realized how much he wished Pip had lost some of those memories with the accident. Maybe she’d forget how they’d clashed in the beginning. But he was glad that she was already feeling like herself. Her spunky attitude told him that she would make a full recovery.
“Should we get back to the drawing board?” Carl asked as Lucas and Pip led the way up the stairs, the young man’s arm around her waist. Carl nudged Sergio with his elbow. Sergio seemed to be in his own world until the poke from Carl. He snapped out of his daydream with a jump.