by G Sasaki
Victor emerged from the store, dizzy from the attack from Mike. “They’re gone?” he asked, already knowing the answer.
“Yes,” one of the men declared.
“I see.” He looked at the faces of his men, obedient to his whims. After the night of the attack, the men who had somehow refrained from becoming zombies were left desperate for help, anxious for a leader.
Victor looked into the distance. “It’s time to pack up. We’re going after them. Some of you will stay. But I need help.”
“How will we ever catch them?”
“It’s simple. We’ll meet them at their destination… the hospital.”
None of the men questioned his plan. But some of them wondered how he could have possibly known where they were going. As blood trickled from his shattered hand, Victor smirked with the thought of revenge dancing in his mind.
18
The breeze from the hole in the roof massaged their cheeks and tickled their hair. Mike assumed driving duty while Grace rested in the passenger seat next to him. Hailey sat in the back, quietly observing the world outside as it passed her window.
The last two weeks had crawled by like decades. Even still, the world beyond the grocery store seemed the same as she remembered. But as the minutes passed and their car cruised down the road, the conditions Hailey expected to see started to materialize.
The bodies that were absent near the grocery store littered the ground. Body parts covered lawns like Christmas decorations. Cars had broken into pieces and turned over. The glitter of broken glass sprinkled the streets. Doors to homes swayed with the breeze. What she found really strange was how all of this didn’t bother her. Maybe looking at it through a shut window separated her from the reality of the carnage... or maybe… she was just plain desensitized after the last two weeks.
Hailey’s hand floated to the window and rested against the cool glass. Hmm. It was like it had done that by itself. But why? Do I want to be out there? Her reflection stared back. All the cuts and scratches spread over her face begged her to remember the details of two weeks ago. Hailey’s eyes met themselves. The soft green of her irises gazed back, judging everything about her. But who was that person staring? It didn’t look like the same girl she remembered.
Mike infiltrated her wandering mind. “So we’re going to Washington High, right?”
Hailey pulled back from the window. “No.”
“What do you mean no?”
“We’re going to the hospital. That’s where Alex was last.”
“Don’t you think it would be better to go to the high school? If some guy Dave offered help, we could use it. There’s no way to know what’s going on at the hospital. We only have two guns now…”
The odds of finding Alex were slim. That was the obvious truth. But the only hope of finding him lied in the hospital. A hint, a clue, something had to be hiding somewhere. Maybe he was still there. That small chance was her only hope. Hailey could feel her anxiety squeezing into her eyes. “What do you think, Grace?”
Grace and Mike hesitantly looked at each other. They both knew what needed to be done. Grace didn’t want to say it, but did. “I’m sorry Hailey. I think Mike’s right.”
Hailey sunk into her seat. “Okay. Let’s go to Washington High.” As the words left her mouth, her insides twisted at the thought. I need to get to the hospital.
Mike nodded. “Great. We’re not too far. Maybe fifteen minutes.”
Grace slouched in her seat with the draining energy of fatigue radiating around her. Like a curled-up cat, her eyelids slipped down as she took a deep breath. A soft touch landed on her head. The gentle feel of fingers stroked her scalp, sending relaxing waves through her body. When she opened her eyes, she saw Mike’s hand reached toward her. Mike looked at her barely-opened eyes and offered a smile. Grace replied with a slight grin of her own as she wandered into sleep.
From the backseat, Hailey uttered, “What’s your plan?”
Mike squinted his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“What are you hoping to do? Two weeks ago we could hope for something. We could work toward something… college, getting a job… something. What’s your plan now?”
Mike hadn’t thought much about things like that. Most of the time, flashes of his family flew around his mind. He didn’t want to leave an empty answer so he improvised. “Things are different. So all we can really do now is live, I guess. My older brother died three years ago. The rest of my family died two weeks ago. The two of you are all I know now. I’m going to turn into a bat.” He paused and bit his lip. “It’s weird… but… I’m not sad anymore. Maybe I’ve accepted this new world. What else can we do?”
Hailey looked at the ‘new world’ out her window: a place wrecked beyond hope. But Mike was right. It was her world now. It seemed pointless to wish for a return to the old world. Hailey stared at Mike’s arm reaching forward at the steering wheel; at the thick brown fur covering it. His transition into the new world had already begun. Hailey looked at her fingernails: clear, pink. She was entrenched in the old world. Something would have to give.
“Look up there. In the sky,” Mike said as he pointed ahead.
In the distance, specs of black flapped above the clouds. They looked like gnats that soared around, dancing through the sky. “What is that?”
“It’s us… the bats. To be honest, that looks pretty close to where the hospital is.” Mike looked back at Hailey. “You better hope they’re friendly... or we’re going to need a lot of help.” Hailey stared ahead at the spectacle that soared around like a spinning cloud. She sat back in her chair, worried, but eager for what lied ahead.
Mike continued driving toward the high school and mumbled to himself, “This isn’t going to end well for anyone.”
◆◆◆
“I’ll never forget her. She’ll always be with me.”
19
Every second grew more perilous. Diving through the trees, the sun descended and darkness would soon dwell over them. Hailey, Grace, and Mike stood at the entrance of Washington High. The brown brick building towered over them and the familiar ivy sprouted along the sides of the walls, reaching for the sky. Hailey stared beyond the clear double doors. Over the years, she had walked through them countless times. She peered inside: the perpendicular hallway leading to the classrooms on the right was empty. On the left, darkness blanketed the hallway leading straight back to the cafeteria. There was no sign of life anywhere.
“You ready?” Hailey asked.
Grace nodded.
Mike responded, “Yes.”
Hailey fit her hand through the door handle and gripped the soft, cool metal. She pulled. Surprisingly, the door opened. The air from inside the school blasted at them. “That was easy.”
Hailey and Grace propped open the door as Mike walked through first. The halls were just as Mike remembered. A strong scent of sweat and body odor snuck into his nostrils. His eyes scanned the dark halls for any sign of movement. He stood in silence, listening for any semblance of a clue. His amplified hearing absorbed slight ruffling coming from the cafeteria. He couldn’t identify the noises, but he definitely heard something. Mike put a finger to his lips and pointed down the dark abyss that led to the cafeteria. It’s coming from there, he silently told the girls. Mike motioned them in and held the door as Hailey and Grace stepped through.
Mike let go of the door and the wind slammed it shut. The crash of the door echoed through the halls like a bolt of lightning’s thunderous strike.
“Oops.”
Mike closed his eyes and listened for an increase in noise from the cafeteria. Sure enough, the buzzing grew. Hailey looked wide-eyed into the darkened halls, waiting for... something. The only thing Grace could hear was her thumping heart. She held her breath and waited for the bats to rampage upon them. But they didn’t. The darkness remained still.
Hailey stared toward the cafeteria, a wide-open space where a lot of people could convene. Hailey broke the silence. “Dave!�
� she shouted to the cafeteria. “Where are you?!” Her voice echoed and if bats were hiding in there, no doubt they heard her. As the silence sustained, Hailey gritted her teeth in irritation. Her feet carried her toward the cafeteria. “Dave! I’m here!”
Mike watched Hailey with frantic eyes. What is she doing?! The darkness enveloped her until she couldn’t be seen. “Hailey!” he whispered. “Hailey!” Mike glanced at Grace. “What the hell!”
But Grace didn’t know. They stared at each other, looking for answers to Hailey’s manic behavior and wondered if they should blindly follow into the darkness. “What do we do?”
CRASH!
The glass doors behind them shattered; the entire wall of glass exploded. Shards danced through the air and dangled around them, flashing their menacing daggers. Grace’s nimble body stumbled to the floor as her back deflected the bits of glass. Mike’s bare back endured minor scratches but he managed to maintain his footing. He held up his hand and turned to see the source of the broken glass.
Two fully-formed enormous bats stood in front of Mike and towered over his little-in-comparison figure. The two naked males stomped toward Mike, each step trembling the ground. With their wings folded in, their enlarged muscles protruded from their bodies. Their faces, like all the ‘zombies’, were no longer human at all.
Mike held up his furry forearms to show he was one of them. “We’re just looking for somebody. We’re not here for trouble.” One of the tall men released a series of piercing shrieks from his mouth. Mike, with the ability to understand him, heard, “We don’t care. Give us the girls.”
Perplexion scrunched Mike’s face. Before he could respond, the man extended his wings, launched himself forward, and swung his fist at Mike, colliding into his chest. The strike sent him soaring backwards toward the classrooms. Mike’s limbs helplessly twisted and flailed as he tumbled. The stubs emerging from his shoulders flapped, but his lack of wings did nothing as pain pulsed through his body. Finally, his back crashed into the cement wall.
Shards of glass rested on the floor and winked at Grace. Face to face with the floor, she flung onto her back to see the two bats pacing toward her. She sat up and crawled backwards, but the glass sliced into her hands, producing a stabbing pain that prevented her from moving. The bats’ heavy, furry feet slammed with every step, unaffected by the glass. Their sharp teeth ripped out of their gums as they hissed, delighted by the helpless girl in front of them. Grace looked with terror at the once-human bats closing in on her. Her heart raced so fast, she might just die before they had a chance to do anything to her.
One of the muscular bats leaned forward and brought its face inches from Grace’s. Its open mouth screeched and emitted a foul smell that flooded her sinuses and spun her head to nearly pass out. Grace stared at its brownish teeth and saw the end of her life dangling in front of her.
Although Mike had gained strength through his transformation, he struggled to lift himself up. “Get up,” he muttered. He could see the bat approaching Grace’s face. I have to help her. Get up!! His muscles trembled and he ignored every shot of pain as he forced himself to his feet. His lungs gasped for air and he struggled to stay upright. “Hey!” he yelled. The bats drew their attention away from Grace and turned their heads toward Mike. “Get away from her!”
One of the bats turned and sprinted toward Mike, flapping its wings to build speed. As he ran, the bat slammed its feet so hard, it left marks in the floor. “Shit,” Mike mumbled. He thrust his hand into his pocket and prayed the gun was still there. His fingers gripped the rugged metal and he pulled it out. His shaky arm pointed it toward the fast-approaching bat. Mike pulled the trigger, sending a bullet skidding across the bat’s arm. It stumbled but barely lost a step and continued flying down the hall. Mike fired again. And again. CLICK. His gun jammed. Those shots only managed to slow it down. His bad aim must’ve come from the pounding he took. Only feet away, all Mike could do was drop the gun and prepare to absorb the attack. He lowered his shoulder even though he knew he couldn’t win this battle.
But suddenly, the bat’s body barreled sideways, ripped away like a tidal wave had swallowed it. Another bat had tackled him!
This new bat threw his fists at Mike’s attacker. Their bodies tussled at an unnatural speed, like they were moving twice as fast as normal. Mike slipped away and sprinted to Grace, still prey. The bat, standing above her, saw Mike approaching and thrust up its hand. It would deliver one blow to Grace’s face and kill her. Mike ran as fast as his legs would allow. He tried using the frames of his future-wings to push him forward but it didn’t help. He would never make it in time.
Grace didn’t want to see what happened next. She closed her eyes.
BOOM.
The bat’s head flung backwards. Hailey stepped forward with her gun extended after drilling a bullet into its head. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked. The bat shrieked into the air, unable to handle the numbing sting of Hailey’s bullet. Hailey’s shoes crunched over the glass as she neared the howling bat.
Mike plowed through the unsuspecting bat. It slammed against the wall and tumbled to the floor, withering, screaming, and clinging to its life. Hailey stood over it, held her gun above the bat’s face, and fired straight into its eye. It slowed its movements and ceased its yelling. The bat was dead.
Mike tended to Grace. “Are you alright?” Mike kicked the glass aside and lifted her in his arms. Grace looked at her palms. Blood smeared across them and tiny glass particles stuck out. Mike said, “We’ll take care of that. Grace looked into Mike’s eyes and couldn’t help but smirk. “Carrying me again?”
Down the hall, the two fighting bats kept on, with one pummeling the other. Both muscular, both covered in the same color fur, and both glaringly naked, it was impossible to tell them apart. The bat that seemed to be winning slammed the other to the ground, stood up, and stomped its bare foot onto the other’s face. Its skull crushed and the red and pink innards of its head spilled out. The defeated bat’s body kicked and shook for a few seconds before ceasing. Mike turned away, sparing Grace the gruesome details of the execution.
Hailey grinned. She toggled on the safety of her gun and stuck it back in its holster. The victorious bat casually shook his foot of blood and walked toward Hailey, who remarked, “Thanks for the help.” She looked at the pancaked head of the other bat, blood and brain tissue spilling out. Mike looked over his shoulder, worried about the bat that inched closer. Hailey announced, “Mike, I’d like you to meet my friend… Dave.”
20
Hailey stood in the center of the cafeteria with Mike and Grace. All around them huffed the heavy breathing of at least a hundred bats. The darkness of night had consumed the high school and all that supported their vision were candles scattered around the wide space. The light flickered around, revealing the naked bats of all sizes. Some tall, some weak, men and women alike, their variance offered a glimpse of their previous human states.
Silence gripped the room. The bats stood and stared while Hailey, Mike, and Grace did the same. The bats surrounded them and some stood on tables, all struggling for the best view. With the sheer amount of bodies in the room, heat radiated. Sweat dripped down Hailey’s forehead. She wiped it away with her sleeve. She wanted to trust Dave and his secret group of seemingly friendly bats, but after Victor’s grocery clan revealed themselves to be less than honorable, it was hard to trust anyone. Dave had found her in the parking lot of the grocery store and now it was time to find out why.
Dave, who stood at the forefront, opened his mouth and spoke in his bat-language. The squeaks echoed through the cafeteria. Hailey and Grace couldn’t understand him. But Mike could. Mike lifted his head and interpreted the sounds. “He welcomes us. He’s glad you got his message. He will protect you.”
Hailey sighed. Protection. She’d heard that before. We don’t need it. Is that really it? Dave continued as Mike translated, “The two that attacked us… they must have followed us. They’re looking for hu
mans…” Hailey watched under the dim orange light of the candles while Dave’s mouth effortlessly emitted the high frequency shrills. Mike said, “And Dave believes that you are…” he stopped. Silence. “Nevermind.”
Hailey stepped back. Really? You’re not getting away with that. “What did he say?”
Mike breathed deeply. “He said he believes you are… the Chosen One. The one who will save the world.”
Those words flirted their way to Hailey’s ears. She stood silently, analyzing what was maybe the most ridiculous thing she ever heard. A chuckle slipped out. “If you want a chosen one, pray to God. I’m not a chosen anything. I can’t save the world. I don’t even know what’s going on. I’m just looking for my boyfriend, Alex Bates… Is he here?”
Hailey looked directly at Dave, who shook his head.
Back at the parking lot, Dave was the first to offer his hand. This time, she stepped toward him and offered hers. The smooth skin of her hand glistened against the candlelight and floated in the air, waiting to be taken. Dave’s fur-covered hand gently embraced hers and he lightly squeezed. Hailey said, “I understand why you want a Chosen One. I’m not it. But I do need your help, Dave. I’m going to the hospital. It’s where I saw Alex last. I know there isn’t much in this world to hope for. It’s all I have.”
Hailey gazed into Dave’s amber eyes, the one recognizable part of him that never changed. As the candlelight gently dashed around, she could see Dave admirably absorb the image of her human face. Hailey was going to the hospital next, with or without him. But she knew with would make things easier. Dave released Hailey’s hand and emitted his usual high pitch sounds.
Mike directly translated as Dave spoke, “The area around the hospital is dangerous. It’s where most of the ‘Unstables’ have settled. There are hundreds of them. They kill for food. They kill for sport. After that night, they never recovered. They’re the true zombies. The two that came here are nothing compared to what you’ll face. The Unstables are driven by instinct alone and all they want… is to be human again. It’s their only motivation. When they see you, they won’t just kill you. They’ll tear your body apart, while you’re alive, and try to become you. They’ll peel off your skin, all of it, one inch at a time, and try to wear it. They’ll remove your face and tear the muscles apart like string, believing they can wear it like a mask. They’ll rip you apart and ingest your organs to make them their own. They’ll do this with their bare hands and as you scream in agony, they’ll ignore you. I know this because I’ve seen it. I can never un-see those horrors. If you’re captured, you will beg to be killed. But death won’t come. They’ll leave you alive, without a face, without skin, and all you’ll have is a beating heart. They’ll keep you alive for as long as they can. Eventually, death will come. It could take hours, it could take days. This is the way they believe they’ll become you. If I lose sight of you, this is what you’ll face. If you are willing to risk this to find your boyfriend, I will help you.”