“So how long have you worked at the hotel? You said you were a mother?” I ask her. Drew stops at the edge of the parking lot. We’re about to turn onto the highway.
“I am. I have two children. Mateo and Sofia. They are my whole life, but Mateo lives far away. He’s in the military” she says, pride filling her voice.
“Sofia is… well… I’ve worked here for six years” she says, changing the subject noticeably. She begins to talk about the hotel and the owners, but I’m looking at her face. I find I really like her. Even though we just met. She feels like I’ve known her forever.
“I came here when I was sixteen years old. I wanted my son to be an American citizen” she explains. I nod, as she continues to hold my hand. She feels so maternal. Maybe, I connect with older women and feel close to them more so than normal people because I have some kind of mommy issues.
“I’ll tell you more about it, when we have more time baby” she says, stopping then, as we come to the street. I notice that she doesn’t drop my hand though. The conversation is over, but not the connection.
FIVE
We continue our slow parade through the growing mass of people. At this point, I can't even tell if they are the monsters, or just normal people panicking through the streets. It was hard for me to face the strange facts of what must be the looming reality before us at first. I never thought my life would become the subject of some cheap budgeted zombie movie, but that's what it looks like. At first, I didn't even want to think the word zombie, but now. Now it looks like that may be the only explanation. I look over at the others and see the fear in all of their eyes. Emily has her face almost pressed to the glass of the window, in an attempt to look for any zombies approaching our car, as we cruise through the growing crowd of panicking civilians, and bloodthirsty monsters. That's when one hits my window. I wasn't looking so it makes me jump a few inches off my seat. My stomach lurches painfully. I feel like I’m going to be sick. The fear is gripping me like a cold, rotting hand. Like one of their hands.
I whip around and see that it's not an infected. It's a girl. She looks maybe fifteen and is frantically pounding on my window. I go to open the door, so she can climb into safety, but three humans-zombie-things bring her down at that moment. She meets my gaze, as they begin to tear her apart. I rip my eyes away from the horrible scene, just as someone tries to climb up on the hood of the truck. There are hundreds of people in the streets. The level of panic is rising by the second, and I feel that if we don't get off the main road, then people are going to start turning on us. I look over at Drew, who is focused solely on driving, and hasn't noticed everything building so quickly. He is calm, and clear. He has collected himself better than any of us have. That is the first responder training in him. A teacher, two high school kids, a maid, a salesperson, and a nus-boy have nothing on a fire-fighter in an emergency. The tension building around us seems to be pressing on all sides. That's when Riley gasps in shock. I whip around to see what's wrong, at the same time as she begins to move away from Kerry. Her face says everything, before her mouth even opens.
"She's been bitten. She might become one of those, those things" she screams to the car at large. Emily and Thomas move away from her as well. Ryan looks back at her from the middle seat beside me.
"We don't know that for sure. It could be passed in a different way. Just because that is in all the zombie movies, doesn't mean that it's true for this time as well" I try to tell them, but let's face it. The fact that she is bitten by this beast, and we don't know what that means, is more terrifying than knowing what to expect. The woman begins to cry then. Her voice pleading. She is petrified before us.
"I'm sorry. I was going to tell you, but I thought that you'd leave me, if you knew I had been bitten. I just need to get home to my daughter. My daughter is the only thing I have left. Please don't abandon me. I need help. All I need is a ride to the hospital" Kerry pleads tearfully, her accent thicker than even before. It wraps around the words, twisting them into a panicked cadence.
"Of course, we're not going to abandon you. You're one of us now. You helped us, and now we're going to help you" I tell her. A smile forcing itself onto my face.
“She is not one of us. I say we drop her off. We can’t risk her killing one of us” Riley says harshly. Kerry gasps. I scowl at my sister. How could she be so heartless?
"We would never leave one of our own to die like that" I continue pointedly, and she smiles at me. We both ignore Riley’s harsh words. She looks at me with tenderness in her brown eyes, as we finally break through the crowd. We may actually be lucky enough to get away from the riot forming around us. I look around, the same time that Drew begins searching for where to go. His green eyes dart around, searching for a clear path. I can see he is biting his lip.
"Which way is the hospital" Drew asks her, not taking his eyes off the much emptier road. She sits up, and looks around at the surroundings, for an estimate of where we are.
"You turn right up here" she says, pointing to the intersection coming up. Drew speeds forward slightly, as a group of frantic civilians tries to run up on our truck.
As I take them in, my mind starts to race forward. I calculate the facts I’ve seen. If I can just logically come up with something, some plan, or theory. Will this bite change her? If it’s a disease like all the zombie movies, then the bite could be contagious.
Drew takes the turn at a higher speed than intended, and we slide across the road. I’m yanked from my inner theorizing. I half expect us to flip or crash into something, but Drew manages to gain control of the truck. I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Relief washes over me, as we come back down to level ground.
We're now on a completely different street, and there are still people everywhere. If at all possible, this road looks worse than the last. I can see broken windows, and even a fire in one of the already looted stores.
"Shit!" Drew hisses under his breath, causing me to turn my head to see what happened. There is a blockade in the middle of the street. We can't go forward anymore. Turning around to look behind us, I see that there are two jeeps getting closer and closer to us, the men are armed, and don’t look very friendly. Their pale faces turn to look directly at us. The man driving has a searching smirk on his face. I cringe at the intention in his eyes.
"Smash through the signs. They don't exactly look that friendly, and I'd rather not have to deal with anymore crap right now. We have to get her to the hospital, before she dies, or worse" I tell them, and Drew seems to agree because he pushes his foot on the gas petal, and we speed forward. My body lurches forward, causing my stomach to roll again. I feel like all this jostling is going to make me puke all over the truck. I lean away from Ryan again, after colliding painfully with his shoulder. I notice that he has tears in his eyes. The nurse in him must be sad at all the dying children around him. I know he’s really sensitive.
We speed forward and collide with the blockade signs. They give way easily to our giant truck, and we speed through the rest of the barrier. Drew doesn't slow down there, as we attempt to speed away from the mysterious people in the Jeeps. Drew takes another sharp turn, and then after only a few seconds, takes another sharper turn, followed by an even sharper one, as we pull into a small residential street. Drew slows down slightly, looking for something. Looking for somewhere to hide.
I’m greeted with silence. I sit there, frozen in fear. Where are they? Will they give up? Why are they following us anyway? Part of me wonders if they’re just taking advantage of the panic. I hear the sound of a dog barking then. It’s distant. Then silence ensues again. I’m starting to relax, when I hear a car alarm. Again, the sound is cut short. Could we really have been blessed with this luck? Are they still after us? I begin to straighten, when I hear it.
I hear the sound of the Jeeps, but they're very distant. It sounds like we lost them, and that they never even found the neighborhood we decided to hide within. We pull out of the neighborhood, and back onto the main
road. Drew looks at all of our surroundings, as we head back onto the main road. We need to get to that hospital.
"Where do we go from here?" he asks Kerry, who is still presumably dying in our backseat, and she sits back up. I look at her and see a sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her pretty brown skin is a sickly green color. Her nostrils are flared in what can only be pain, and her eyes look glossy. She looks rough.
"You have to go straight, and then there is a church, where you turn right. From there it's a straight shot to the hospital" she explains, and as she speaks faster and faster, it becomes harder to hear through her accent. It seems to grow thicker, and thicker the more frantic she becomes.
"My daughter, we have to get there. My daughter is at the hospital" she says, her voice going up an octave. I look back at her and see that her face is now dripping with sweat. She also looks unnaturally pale for her usual complexion.
"Why is your daughter at the hospital?" I ask her, and her dripping face drops in sadness. I have the urge to reach back, and clasp her hand, but the sight of her sickening bite mark stops me from doing so.
"She's sick. She's been sick for about a year now. I've been trying to save up for her treatments. We have to go find her. I need her to be okay" she cries, and I can see the agony in her soft eyes. That's when we turn onto the street by the church. Kerry is crying now. I can see her body rocking with the uncontrollable sobs.
"We're almost to the hospital honey. Don't worry, we're going to make it. I promise" Emily tells her, patting her arm gently as we come into view of the hospital.
“Let’s park and go in. I want this to be over with” Riley says. I look at her again. I can see fear there, but what is with her attitude?
Emily, Thomas, and I get out of the truck with Kerry. I wrap my arm around her, trying to support her frail body. She looks up at me, a weak smile on her lips as we walk up the street to the entrance.
“I know we just met, but I already feel like I’ve known you my whole life. Thank you for your kindness Ben” she says, leaning her head on my shoulder as we walk.
“It doesn’t look very busy. My mom always told me that mass occurrences are a nurse’s worst nightmare” Thomas says, as we near the corner. A blue sign tells us the entrance is right around the corner.
“She said the hospitals get overrun when things happen in large numbers” he continues. He looks to me. I see worry there. He is suspicious.
“It’s okay Kerry. We’re gonna get you help. You’re gonna be okay sweetie” Emily is saying, as we turn the corner.
I immediately realize that something isn't right. As Thomas said, the hospital isn’t crowded enough. The next thing I notice is that there is a strong military presence outside the hospital. They don't look very welcoming either. I stand a little straighter, as we come closer to the front doors of the eerily empty looking hospital. We're just coming up to the doors, when the first shots are fired. I hear it, before the screams start. I instinctively duck out of the way. The military men are walking toward us, their guns are raised. Their faces are filled with panic, with danger.
“Run!” I roar at them, before I pull Kerry with my. I run back around the corner, just as more gunshots pierce the air around us. We sprint down the street. I trail behind because Kerry’s weight is dragging me down. I can hear the shots behind us, the voices, the boots on the ground. We make it to the truck and Drew is already reversing, as we pull out of the parking spot.
Drew spins the truck around, just as another gunshot rings loudly. I actually feel it zoom past my face as it misses by mere inches. Emily screams at that time, and I duck a second later. Drew slams on the gas, and speeds back down the road, but the people with guns must be following us because there are more shots, followed by another window shattering. Kerry is now screaming a high-pitched shriek. I hear her crying about her daughter, but we have no choice. We can’t get to her daughter. I realize then that she will likely never get to say goodbye. Also, in that moment, I wonder if the same thing is happening back home. Is my family safe? It’s the first time I’ve thought of my dad and Zo, or my grandma. Is Paul okay? The thought is like a dagger.
Drew speeds away from the gunshots, and away from the hospital. The one place we thought that we could be safe. The one place we thought we could go for help. Where else are we supposed to go? That's when we take a sharp turn, and I'm thrown into the side of the truck. Another gunshot sails past us, and we make another turn. Drew speeds down the road, and after a minute, I realize that the gunshots have stopped. They must have boundaries. The military must be keeping a specific area off limits. When I finally feel safe, I sit up, and look around. We're all still alive, and I don't see any blood, so that has to be a good sign. My window is gone, shattered glass all over my lap. The back window of the truck also has a huge hole shot out of it. That was so close. We could have died.
"What the hell was that?" I demand, and Drew just looks at me for a second, before turning back to the road before us.
"Our new reality, as far as I can tell" he says, as we turn onto another road, and continue to drive away from the gunshots. Away from what we thought was our sanctuary. Away from the only plan we had.
SIX
We speed down the road, and even though the bullets have completely stopped, I'm still on edge. This part of town is actually pretty empty, so we're not having to plow through riots, and dead people walking among us. Where are we going to go? Is this woman going to die in the backseat of the truck? I look behind me and see that she is shaking slightly. Her teeth are chattering. Her hair is matted with sweat.
"Are you okay ma'am?" I ask her, and she just shakes her head miserably. I look down sadly at her still exposed bite. It’s a nasty yellow color. The crescent shaped wound looks almost like a kaleidoscope. The actual bite is yellow, but its surrounded by a half circle of red, and an outer band of purple bruising. The sight of it makes my arms erupt in goosebumps.
"I'm cold, so cold. I must be running a fever" she rambles, and I know that she's getting worse by the minute. What are we supposed to do, when someone is dying, and the hospital is being guarded by people who are shooting at us? We can't exactly get her treated, when we're being shot at for pulling up. I feel my eyes sting. I cannot cry now. I might never stop if I start right now.
"Why don't we head to the college, and see about their medical facility treating her, what do you guys think?" Ryan pipes up. He's interested in the medical program at the college, so he knows about the amenities. I look over at him and think for a minute. Maybe the college will be safe? It's our only hope at the moment, so we have no other choice. I nod, before I turn away. I can see blood trickling down his chin from where he was biting his lip.
"I guess head over to the college" I tell Drew simply, and he switches lanes in an instant. We speed in the direction of the university, and the whole time we drive, I'm silent. I'm still struggling with the reality of this situation. How can something like this be happening here. I realize again at that time, that my family back home, may be in danger. I pull my phone from my pocket and dial my dad’s number. Nervously, I wait for it to ring.
After waiting about five minutes, for something to happen; I realize that the line isn't going through. That means that I can't reach my family. I can't see if they're okay. What if I never see them again? I have the urge to call Paul. To break that barrier of silence. I decide otherwise. Turning to my brother again, I can tell he’s panicking. Although there isn't worry etched on his young face, I can see it in his brown eyes. He's wondering the exact same thing as me. Will we ever see any of our loved ones again? As soon as we find somewhere to take this woman, we need to make our way back home, before it's too late. Drew turns on a new road at that time, and I look around curiously. We're back on the road with all the rioting, and the dead, and the dying, and the panicking humans all around us. Right as we come onto the road, a woman jumps on the side of the truck, and grips the railing tightly, as we try to pass the crowd. I'm just about to roll my window
down, when I realize it’s shattered. At that moment, she is ripped from the truck by two of the diseased.
I watch as her head snaps back rapidly, and then she goes limp. I can only see some of it from the distance, but I'm pretty sure, she broke her neck from the fall. I avert my gaze, as we plow through the now thinning crowd. Where is everyone going? That's when Drew slams on his breaks. I whip my head forward and see that a horde of the dead is amassing before us. They look like a militia of corpses, as they sluggishly tromp in the direction of the panicking civilians. They're all running in the opposite direction, and so our path is being cleared out. I'm getting so into the scene before us, that when the dying woman in the backseat howls in pain, I jump an inch out of my seat. I turn back to the onslaught of predators before us, and then realize that we are going to be surrounded here in a minute. Good thing we're in a big truck, I guess.
"Push the gas down as hard as you can. We're about to be surrounded" Thomas shouts to Drew, and he immediately does as he's instructed. He floors the gas pedal, and we lurch forward with a spurt of speed. The truck flies down the road, hitting the bodies before us with such force, that they either disappear beneath the truck, or go flying forward. We finally reach the road the college is on and find it unobstructed thankfully. Drew speeds down the road, and within minutes, the college comes into view. I smile, as we plow through the open gate, and find ourselves on campus. Maybe we'll be safe here. Maybe we can find help for this poor woman, and then we can all go home, and escape this hell around us. I look around, as we pull into the front parking lot of the university. That's when I see a few of the diseased, aimlessly strolling down the parking lot.
How are there so many of them all of a sudden? There have been no news segments about a disease or dead people coming back. Did all these people become like this today? Is this new? How did it start? How do we end it? Why do they look so decomposed? I know decomposition can accelerate based on weather and circumstance, but this seems really excessive.
We Are The Hunted (Book 1): We Are The Hunted Page 4