Her kitchen window had a perfect view of the sunrise through the trees, casting gold shafts over the cabinets. The house was decent sized yet economically designed: it was an older home with dated wood panel design and wood floors to match; a mounted A/C unit in the living room; flowered, aged wallpaper that the landlord insisted on keeping; an unusable fireplace; three smaller rooms towards the back and one bathroom. It was far from the ritzy homes of downtown Austin, but she enjoyed the cozy feel and the overall safeness of the neighborhood. It was only a mile from the preschool that she and Eddie picked out for Stacy, and it was close enough to a store that they could walk. Far from perfect, but at least they could afford it.
Footsteps echoed from the other side of the house; Sarah found Eddie emerging from Stacy’s room, closing the door only part-way. He looked up and smiled, and she returned the smile, albeit more tired than she appeared to be.
She hugged him and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. “How long have you been awake?” she asked.
“About a half hour,” Eddie said. “Stacy was coughing a little bit earlier, so I woke up.”
Sarah nodded. “How is she this morning? She didn’t seem that bad when I left last night.”
“Other than the cough… she’s a little warm, but I don’t think it’s anything we need to worry about,” Eddie explained. “When I brought her home from school, her teacher said that there were some other kids that went home sick too, so she probably just caught whatever they had.”
“Are you sure we shouldn’t be worried?” Sarah asked intently. “She’s never gotten sick this fast.” She walked over to Stacy’s room and peered inside, finding the 4-year-old girl sound asleep with a slight rattle in her breath. “She’s still stuffy, too,” she pointed out.
“I know,” Eddie sighed. “I gave her some of that cough syrup and I think it helped a little.” He looked inside with Sarah. “I left a message at work and told them I wouldn’t be in today.”
Sarah rolled her eyes a little with a hopeless smirk. “You didn’t have to do that. I can stay up longer; I don’t have to work again until Monday.”
“I think it’s better you rest, you’ve been working almost a week straight,” Eddie reminded her. “We can manage with one day off; it’s not going to hurt us.” He put an arm around her. “In a little while I’ll be going to the drugstore to pick up a few more things for her – some vitamins, more tissues… you want anything when I go out?”
Sarah shook her head. “Thanks, but for now all I need is something to eat.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Eddie offered. “I’m in a pancakes and eggs kind of mood, hope you are too.”
A soft squeak came from Stacy’s room and a light thump of feet on the floor. Sarah watched the door open slowly and Stacy walked out rubbing her eyes. Her blonde hair was a mess and her pajama pants were crumpled halfway up her legs.
“Hi, baby girl,” Sarah said, leaning down to pick her up. Stacy was small for her age, but still a handful to lift. Sarah never figured out where she packed it all. “How are you feeling?”
Stacy mumbled tiredly and buried her head into Sarah’s shoulder. Eddie chuckled a little and then walked into the kitchen.
Sarah put her hand against Stacy’s forehead – she felt warm, but not alarmingly so. “You’re going to be okay, sweetie,” she reassured her. “Daddy’s making breakfast, are you hungry?”
“Uh-huh,” Stacy answered, nodding a little.
“Okay good, because we’re having pancakes.”
Even while seated at the table, Stacy still clung to her mother; Sarah gave her a few pats on her back as she watched Eddie prepare their meal. Sarah’s yawning continued, but she kept herself awake by depending on the scent of her breakfast. Mealtime was calm save for a few short coughs from Stacy, still perched in Sarah’s lap; Stacy barely touched her meal, but managed a few bites before retreating back to her apparent safe spot against Sarah’s shoulder.
Eddie rubbed his forehead, squinting at the sunlight coming through the window.
“Sun getting to you already?” Sarah joked.
“I don’t know, I’m starting to get a headache,” Eddie admitted. “I guess I’ll pick up some aspirin too while I’m out.”
Sarah sighed. “Don’t you go getting sick, too,” she playfully warned.
Eddie stood up and began gathering their mostly empty plates. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me.”
“I hope we’ll still be able to go camping this weekend,” Sarah said. A hint of excitement crept into her voice: “I can’t wait to try out our new .308.”
“We’re going camping, not deer hunting,” Eddie laughed, placing the dishes in the dishwasher.
“I’m still bringing it,” Sarah insisted with a grin.
Stacy lifted her head up a little. “Are we going camping?” she asked quietly.
“Yeah,” Eddie answered, reaching over to lightly pat her head. “We’re going in a couple of days. We’re going to look around the woods and find animals!”
“Okay,” Stacy answered tiredly. “Can I sleep now?”
“Sure,” Sarah said. “Let’s get you back to bed.” Sarah stood up with Stacy still in her arms.
Eddie reached for the keys on the wall hook, then walked over to give them both a hug. “I’m heading out now, I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Okay, see you soon,” Sarah said, continuing her path to Stacy’s room. As she sat her daughter on the bed, she heard the front door close and lock.
Sarah pulled the sheets over Stacy as she lay down with her doll. She gave her a kiss on her forehead and said, “I’ll come check on you soon, now get some rest.”
Stacy nodded, practically drifting off before Sarah could leave the room.
Sarah retreated to her room down the hall, partially closed the door behind her and sat down on her bed. Relieved from the pressures of work for the next few days, the tiredness began to take its toll. Can’t. I need to stay awake until Eddie gets back. Forcing her eyes open, Sarah got up turned on the TV across the room. It was already on the local news channel, which was discussing the presidential inauguration speech that occurred a few days earlier. Sarah paid it little attention as she didn’t care much for politics, but she left it on for light background noise and for the fact that she wasn’t in the mood to channel surf. She sat back down on the bed and laid down, stretching out the growing compression in her back. Two pops burst from her spine, sending both shock and release through her body. Breathing deeply, she began to zone out to the drone-like mumbling of news chatter.
Chapter 3
Sarah opened her eyes and noticed that the TV had turned to static. She was still dressed in her work clothes and her shoes were still on. Disoriented, she turned off the TV and caught a glimpse of her bedside clock. She panicked – it was 4:17 in the afternoon.
Shit! She had fallen into such a deep slumber that it altered her perception of time. I swear I just closed my eyes for a second! Sarah stumbled out of her bed and made her way to Stacy’s room, where she found Eddie leaned over the bed.
“Eddie, I’m sorry for falling asleep like that, I don’t know what happened,” she blurted out. As she took a breath, she noticed a wrapped bandage around his arm, seeping with blood. She was about to ask him what happened, but her heart stopped mid-thought. Eddie turned around, revealing a paled face with blood dripping from his mouth, smeared across his cheeks and down his neck. His eyes were bloodshot, but empty in his stare.
Sarah froze, her jaw dropping in disbelief. As she gazed behind him to look at Stacy, her body and mind numbed. Lying motionless in her bed, surrounded by disheveled sheets and strewn stuffed animals, Stacy was sprawled across the mattress, covered in blood and torn clothes. It was only then that Sarah noticed a splatter of blood on the wall next to the bed.
Before she could even think, Eddie stood up, lacking any sense of equilibrium as he stumbled.
“Eddie… what…” Sarah muttered, unable to form words. No… this is a nigh
tmare. I’m still asleep. “Stacy!” she yelled, but there was no response.
A deep groan echoed from Eddie’s throat, and he bared his teeth as he approached; a bloody, outstretched hand grasped at Sarah, missing her by inches.
Sarah fell backward, landing hard on her lower back. “What the fuck did you do!?” she screamed, looking back at Stacy’s bed in shock.
Eddie kept grasping for her, lurching unsteadily and grunting with a raspy tone – nothing like his true voice.
Backing up even faster, Sarah reached their room and pushed herself to her feet. “Oh god!” she said, her voice cracking as the fear took hold.
Eddie continued after her, apparently becoming more agitated the further she got from him. Sarah moved around the other side of their bed trying to keep her distance; he shambled around the bed, falling forward with a grasp of her ankle. She jerked her foot back just in time to see him snap his jaws together. Sarah jumped on top of the bed, almost hitting her head on the ceiling fan; Eddie clamored for her, pawing at the bed sheets with each swipe of his hand. Reaching the other side of the bed, Sarah looked between the mattresses and saw the butt of her pistol poking out; instinctively she pulled it out and cocked the hammer, aiming hesitantly at her husband.
“Oh god, what’s happening!?” she screamed again, her eyes glazing with tears. Sarah backed out of the room, keeping her aim on Eddie. He followed her out of the room, with no indication that he understood there was a gun pointed at him. She stopped in front of Stacy’s room and caught herself staring at the carnage; her throat welled up and she became dizzy, only snapping out of it when she saw Eddie approaching faster. She backed up further, maneuvering around the couch and into the kitchen.
“Eddie… what’s wrong with you?” she asked, her voice breaking up. Sarah had no way to justify what she’d seen, and Eddie hadn’t explained anything – the only thing he did was mindlessly follow her around the house with an occasional grunt. Regardless of what was wrong with him, the evidence was obvious of what he’d done… and once the reality hit her, her blood began to boil.
“I’m sorry, baby,” she said, tears creeping from her eyes and her voice wavering between pain and fury, “but I can’t forgive you for this.” She aimed at Eddie’s chest, and her hands quivered as she pulled the trigger. Eddie’s body reeled back, but he didn’t fall to the ground. What…? He walked forward again, with a bullet hole in his shirt on the right side of his chest and dark, thick blood oozing from the wound. Now more frightened than anything, Sarah shot again, this time at his forehead. Eddie dropped instantly to the floor, leaving a growing pool of blood on the carpet.
Sarah’s quaking hands dropped to her sides. With all sense of balance gone, her mind reeled and her vision faded in and out; she willed herself to wake up, unsuccessfully convincing herself that she was still dreaming. She couldn’t hear anything, and the world around her lost all color. Her chest tightened and her gaze remained on Eddie’s crumpled body and lifeless face. Slowly she lifted her head toward Stacy’s room, hoping the loud noise would wake her up and she’d come running. Nothing happened. This isn’t happening… Sarah’s skin chilled and prickled, standing almost motionless for several minutes.
With no thought of why, Sarah found herself walking out the front door, not even closing it behind her. She walked to the sidewalk in front of her house and the exterior light temporarily blinded her, taking her slightly out of her daze; she squinted as she adjusted to the change in brightness, which wasn’t much due to the overcast, and rubbed her eyes with her free hand. She soon noticed very little sound around the street; no cars drove by, no dogs barking, not even birds – only a slight breeze and some distant sirens. The chilly, cloudy day combined with slicked streets from an earlier rain amplified the dreariness. She looked behind her toward her house – the overgrown lawn that Eddie promised to mow, bushes covering the bedroom windows, a chipped stone façade – and the hopelessness crept in. Am I really dreaming…?
The breeze made Sarah’s already cold body tingle; lacking any sort of coherent thought, she began walking down the street, passing endless silent houses. Her gun still in hand, she stared ahead of her not actually looking at anything – it felt more like she was staring through everything. The world was a haze, a blurred grey reminder of life just a short twelve hours ago. She stopped at a house with a chain-link gate and a child’s swing set in the front yard, and her thoughts naturally went to Stacy. Sarah pictured her swinging with Eddie pushing her higher, but her vision was warped when they started bleeding from their eyes. She blinked a few times and they were gone, but the thought lingered.
There was no sense of time as she meandered through the neighborhood, focusing primarily on the horrific image of her daughter’s room. Sarah stopped and looked down at her right hand, still clutched around the pistol grip; the hand twitched as she raised it up to cradle the weapon in both hands. She looked around again, finally becoming aware that there was still a world around her; the sirens had increased in frequency though still distant, the rest of the environment remained silent and darkness crept through the sky as sunset neared. Staring at the pistol, the thought finally crossed her mind: What am I doing… I can’t go home, there is no home anymore… They’re gone. They’re really gone. Eddie… killed her, and… I killed him… Sarah tilted the barrel toward her face.
Chapter 4
A screech of rubber on pavement echoed through the streets, bringing Sarah out of the moment; she peered down the street as a brown station wagon careened through one of the cross streets into the iron fence of a house in front of it. The brakes squealed but it was to no avail as the front half smashed against the fence. The engine shut off and a mild hiss emitted from the vehicle.
Now with her full attention, Sarah shoved the gun into the back of her pants and ran over to the wreckage. As she approached, the front passenger opened the door and stepped out, a heavier set man in his forties wearing a trucker hat. He inspected the front of the car and groaned loudly in despair.
Sarah found her voice. “Are y’all okay?” she called to them, slowing as she got closer.
The trucker looked up at her, and he sighed in relief. “Oh, thank you Lord, you’re a normal person!” he declared.
“Normal…?” Sarah stammered. “What do you mean?”
“Those demon people that are runnin’ around eating other folks!” he said. “You haven’t seen ‘em? They’re all over the place!”
Oh my god… this is real… but that means…
“You see any of those things around here? Freaky eyes, don’t talk, walk funny and bite everything in sight?” he asked nervously.
Sarah’s thoughts drifted to Eddie. “No… no, I haven’t seen anything like that here. It’s been pretty quiet.”
An agonized groan came from the driver’s side; Sarah looked and saw that the driver was bleeding from his head and nose, and the back passenger appeared to be out cold, his face pallid and sweaty. The trucker ran to the driver’s side and opened the door, helping out a younger, lankier man in his thirties; as he gained his footing, he bled profusely from the wound on the side of his head, which he promptly noticed and pressed his hand against his forehead.
Sarah opened the back passenger door and saw the out-cold person slumped against the seat – he looked similar to the driver in stature, except even younger. The inside of the station wagon was strewn with empty beer cans, used bandage dressings and a shotgun in the adjacent back seat. In the trunk area there were blankets and an assortment of bags and suitcases.
“Hey, you okay?” she called in a louder tone, hoping to jostle the man awake. There was no response, so Sarah inspected closer to see if he was breathing. She saw no sign of breathing, but a second glance showed a bandage wrapped around his thigh.
She stood back up. “I don’t think he’s breathing,” she told the other two.
“Damn it,” she trucker said. “He got bit by one of those crazy zombies, we were tryin’ to get him to a hospital!” He mov
ed to where Sarah stood and leaned into the car and he shook the man. “Jimmy, wake up! We need to get walkin’! Jimmy!”
Zombies?! You can’t be serious!
A growl came from inside the car.
“Oh, shit!” the trucker yelled in surprise, stumbling backward into Sarah and causing them to lose balance for a moment. “Bob, you gotta get that shotgun!” he said. “Jimmy’s turned into one of those things!”
Sarah looked up in terror. Jimmy now had a lifeless, expressionless face with bloodshot eyes and darkened veins, almost identical to Eddie.
Bob, still braced against the other side of the vehicle, moved away from the front which was now smoking and steaming from the impact. “I ain’t doing it, Harry!” he shook his head fearfully. “I’m not gonna get myself bit, too!”
Sarah stood up first and helped Harry to his feet, horrified by what she was witnessing. Jimmy wasn’t moving much, he had crawled halfway out of the car and about to fall out. She wanted to ask why they needed to shoot him, but then Eddie flashed through her head again – unresponsive to her cries, and unrelenting.
“Okay, as soon as he falls out of the car, we need to get the gun,” Harry said.
In the distance, a low moan came from the west – two more crazed people were shuffling their direction.
“Shoot, we’re runnin’ out of time,” Harry said.
Jimmy tumbled out of the car, seeming to struggle with balance. Bob took the opportunity and went to the back seat to grab the shotgun; he ran around to meet with Harry and Sarah on the other side. “You two may want to step back.”
Sarah and Harry took a few steps backward; Bob cocked the shotgun and pulled the trigger, obliterating Jimmy’s head.
Sarah faced away, her stomach turning inside out. “Oh my god!” she exclaimed.
Kellie's Diary (Books 1-3): Decay of Innocence Page 10