A Small World

by R. S. Merritt

  He sincerely doubted they’d be getting rid of Seth though. They hadn’t caught site of a normal person since leaving the campground. They’d seen plenty of Zombies though. Kyler assumed that was what this new world was like no matter where you went by now. Zombies either shambling along by themselves or gathered together in the more formidable packs. One Zombie shuffling around wasn’t a big deal for them to evade assuming it wasn’t one of the ones with the freaky fast attack modes they’d seen. Luckily, most of the Zombies just kind of shuffled along.

  What none of them were dealing well with was the death. They were surrounded by it. In the convenience store he’d gotten the water from there’d been a body rotting beside the empty freezer that looked like it had been chewed on by multiple types of animals. The bullet holes in the upper torso and face told a tale of their own. Zombies weren’t the only thing they had to worry about in this new normal. They could lose their lives for a few gallons of gasoline and some bottles of water if they happened to be trying to grab something someone else wanted and was willing to kill for. Kyler was ready to hand over all their junk at the first sign of violence from any party they encountered. He didn’t want to sacrifice his humanity for ten buck’s worth of gas and a plastic bag full of barbeque sauce covered Vienna Sausages.

  Kyler was startled out of his deep thoughts by Mike almost sliding them off the road again when he took a turn too fast. Mike smiled apologetically at Kyler once he’d regained control and shrugged his shoulders.

  “Didn’t realize the turn would be so sharp.” He slurred as they started around the next turn. This time Mike was keeping the speed well under what was appropriate to get around the turn. Kyler recognized he should probably step in and drive. He tried to think of the best way to phrase it. He was starting to lose his patience with having to tiptoe around the one adult in the party. An adult who was acting more like a depressed teenager all the time.

  While he was searching for the right words, they made it around the bend in the road. Directly in front of them was a mob of the Zombies. The Zombies were all headed down the road straight at them for some unknown reason. On one side of the road there was a large swell and on the other was about a ten to fifteen-foot drop straight down into a large field. The Zombies were far enough in front of them that they should have time to stop and get turned around.

  Mike freaked out though. He slammed his foot down on the brake and tried to start turning all at the same time. Kyler and Seth were both screaming for him to turn around slower. There was plenty of time to get turned around before the Zombies would reach them. Where they had thirty seconds Mike tried to do everything in five seconds. Tires squealing with the brakes locked up he pulled hard on the steering wheel trying to coax a one-eighty out of the pricey SUV.

  The SUV didn’t handle like the trucks he’d been used to driving though. Fancy safety systems built into the vehicle kept him from executing the stunt driver maneuver he’d been picturing when he slammed his foot down on the brake pedal. Instead, they careened off the right side of the road.

  They experienced a sickening feeling of momentary weightlessness as the SUV left the road and arced into the field below. The weightlessness quickly replaced by the bone rattling sensation of smashing into the hard dirt making up the field. Kyler tasted blood as his face smashed against the passenger window. He was woozy and seeing big black spots floating in his vision. He heard Mike cussing on the other side of the truck. Mike was yelling to ask if everyone was alright as the SUV tumbled to a stop. The SUV ended up resting on the passenger side which meant that Kyler was looking through a broken window straight into the dirt. The windshield in front of him was spiderwebbed with cracks. A loud rumbling noise came washing over them from outside the totaled Range Rover.

  It was time to make a run for it. The Zombies would be jumping off the cliff and coming at them through the field within seconds. Kyler yelled at Mike to get moving. Mike seemed to get it and started struggling to get out of his seat belt and get his door open. It didn’t look like he had the leverage to get his door open and was probably going to end up falling on top of Kyler. Seeing he needed an alternative way out Kyler got his own belt off and started kicking the crap out of the windshield. His foot went through the glass on the second kick and he continued until there was a gaping hole that they should all be able to crawl through.

  Yelling for everyone to follow him Kyler crawled out through the hole he’d made in the windshield. Mike came tumbling down to land in a heap of legs and arms in the passenger side space Kyler had just vacated. Standing up and trying not to wobble around too much Kyler fought off a wave of nausea and darkness then looked around to try and get oriented. Mike was yelling something at him, but Kyler had just noticed he was burnt on his arms and face.

  “It’s just the airbag burns! Snap out of it! Seth’s hurt!” The words penetrated the hazy part of Kyler’s brain. He spun around to see if he could help with Seth. Looking into the SUV through the hole in the windshield all Kyler could see was Mike’s jean covered legs and the back of his shirt. Mike was trying to help Seth out of the backseat.

  Looking back towards the road they’d flown off of Kyler saw the first Zombie get to the side of the road and immediately leap into the air towards them. Even in the air the Zombie looked to be trying to get at them as it’s legs pinwheeled comically like something out of a Road Runner cartoon. The Zombie hit the ground hard. There was an audible snap as bones broke when it hit the ground at an odd angle. Kyler was transfixed as he watched the screaming monster immediately begin dragging itself towards them. It was pulling itself along by its arms since its legs were no longer working. In ones and twos, more Zombies began leaping off the cliff towards them. Like a bunch of murderous lemmings, they came. Heedless of the fact that the jump from the cliff was one that would leave most of them crippled. None of them tried to climb or even slide down the steep embankment. At least all of the ones Kyler watched made the leap with no regard for their own bodies.

  Behind Kyler, Mike emerged from the wreckage of the SUV tugging a deer rifle and Seth. Seth’s right arm was twisted at a weird angle. He was screaming in pain as Mike tugged him by his shoulders from the ruined vehicle.

  “Grab Seth! Run for those trees!” Mike screamed at Kyler. Mike pulled the stock of the deer rifle into his shoulder and planted both his feet facing the incoming Zombies. He looked ready to die covering their escape.

  Kyler squatted down beside Seth and tried to get him to stand up. Something was wrong with the kids leg though. He couldn’t stand up, so Kyler hoisted him up in a fireman’s carry and turned to run for the woods. The screams of the damned were growing closer and louder.

  Shots started ringing out as Mike took down the Zombies who made the jump. He was conserving ammunition by just shooting the ones who were able to keep on running towards them after hitting the ground. Kyler labored to run while carrying Seth on his shoulders. He was in no real shape to run having just pulled himself out of a totaled car. Based on his dizziness and the black waves that kept threatening to overtake his consciousness he had another concussion. The world spun around him as he forced himself to run as hard as he could for the woods.

  The field he was running across was hard packed dirt with rows trenched into it. Kyler had no idea what would be grown in a field like this, but he found out quickly how treacherous the land was. He’d only made it about twenty yards when he misjudged one of the gaps between the trenches. His foot went into the trench at a bad angle and he hit the ground face first. Seth went flying off his shoulders. He groggily hopped back up, picked up Seth, and resumed his painful run towards the tree line.

  He heard a series of rapid shots being fired behind him. He knew Mike would be out of ammunition soon. His old friend was going to end up overwhelmed by the Zombies who were pouring over the edge of the cliff. Once Mike was down the Zombies would start coming for them and that’d be it. Kyler knew he could probably make it if he left Seth in the middle of the field and ran u
nencumbered for the tree line, but he refused to do it. He’d rather die trudging through this muddy field with the dead weight of Seth strapped across his back than leave the kid lying in the field to be ripped apart.

  The sound of the deer rifle firing tapered off. It was replaced by a deeper booming sound as Mike switched to his pistol. Kyler noted the change in the sound of the shots and sent a message from his brain to his legs to move faster. Somehow his legs were able to increase the speed at which they were pumping him through the field. He kept a sharp lookout for the trenches in an attempt to avoid going down again. Another misstep may spell out their death.

  The moaning and screeching of the Zombies punctuated by the sound of Mike firing his pistol barely penetrated his labored breathing as he kept up the struggle to reach the tree line. Every time he glanced up from watching the trenches to see how close he’d gotten the tress seemed impossibly far away. The Zombies would come sprinting thorough this field after ripping Mike apart. They wouldn’t be slowed down by the worry of a twisted ankle. For every Zombie that fell two more would take its place.

  Kyler kept running. His world reduced to staring at the trenches and pouring all his will into making his legs keep pumping. His vision narrowed to the point where all he could do was focus on his feet and the trenches. His peripheral vision had gone dark red. He had big red splotches floating across the periphery of his vision now. He was totally focused on the ground in front of him when a wiry middle-aged Zombie tackled him. The Zombie had come at him with no warning. Hitting Kyler hard from the side causing him to spin in the air and fall to the ground. Seth spun off Kyler’s shoulders and onto the ground a few feet away from where Kyler landed.

  The Zombie crouched in between the two boys. Its beady red eyes flipped from one to the other before he leapt for Kyler. A single shot rang out and the side of the Zombies head imploded. Kyler had been crab-walking backwards from the monster. He saw the instant the evil light was snuffed out in those inhuman eyes. The bullets impact acting like a light switch to turn off the Zombie. The corpse of the monster settled by his feet in a small, insignificant pile. A sad remnant of what had once been a human being.

  Looking up, Kyler saw Mike running full speed towards them. His right hand extended with the pistol showing he’d been the one to save Kyler’s life. His extremely lucky head shot had just saved Kyler’s life, but his drunken, crappy driving had put him in this position to start with. He pushed his aching body up off the ground. Once he was up, he walked towards Seth to get him back up on his shoulders and keep going. Mike caught up to them. He skidded to a halt behind them. His labored breathing threatened to overpower the screeching of the Zombies in pursuit.

  “More. Coming. Hurry.” Mike stammered out between breaths like Kyler had been planning to pitch a tent and hang out in the middle of the field or something. It wasn’t like he’d suddenly gone deaf either. The piercing screams were now coming from all around them. Mike moved Kyler out of the way and bent down to grab Seth. He gave Kyler a get the hell out of here look.

  Kyler turned to start running. A blur in his eyesight caused his pounding head to swivel around and watch as another Zombie came leaping through the air at them. The Zombie crashed into Mike right as he was trying to get Seth up off the ground and onto his shoulders. They went down in a pile of wildly thrashing limbs. Mikes curses were overwhelmed by Seth’s screams as the Zombie sunk its teeth into his stomach and ripped away a mouthful of flesh. Seth was swinging his good arm at the skinny Zombie as it ripped into his skin. The Zombie ignored the ineffectual punches from Seth and continued to feast on the boys living flesh. Mike finally got his feet back underneath him and brought the pistol crashing hilt first into the Zombies head.

  Kyler spun around and raced back with his knife in his hand. He dove into the battle. Mike brought the gun down again on the Zombies head as Kyler shoved his knife into the Zombies throat. He felt the blade snapping aside bones and cartilage and veins as it traveled deep into the things neck. Blood splattered everywhere as the Zombie rolled off Seth. The blood and gore covered Zombie tried to get up and attack Kyler and Mike. Using their boots, they finished the Zombie by stomping it to death.

  Seth was sitting up with his arms wrapped around his bleeding torso. He was screaming for all he was worth. Tears and snot and blood streaked the kids face. Mike and Kyler watched impotently as Seth kept up the screaming. Seth’s screaming was being supplemented by the Zombies who were closing in on them from all sides now. There was still a slight chance to make the tree line but they had to get moving immediately.

  Mike threw Seth over his shoulder and started running. Kyler kicked it into gear and began running right behind him. They ran for what seemed like hours but was probably no more than about ten minutes. They’d hit the tree line within a minute of starting to run and hadn’t stopped until they just couldn’t run anymore. The shrill cries of the Zombies who’d entered the woods behind them were falling further and further behind. Thinking they had a few minutes and needing to check on Seth, Mike came to a stop and fell to his knees in a small clearing in the woods.

  Kyler collapsed behind him onto his back and before he could say a word drifted off into unconsciousness. Mike carefully lowered Seth to the ground. Seeing how cold and still Seth was he frantically searched the tiny body for a pulse or any sign of life. There was none. At some point while they were running through the forest Seth had died. Mike’s body was wracked with silent sobs. He put his head down. He let the guilt and sadness roll over him. He’d let this boy down just like he’d let down so many others in his life. He sat and stared at Seth for a few minutes after making sure Kyler was still alive. At least he hadn’t lost both of them.

  Mike knew they shouldn’t stay in these woods so close to all those wandering Zombies for too long. He was concerned for Kyler. He had limited ammunition left for the pistol hanging on his belt. He’d thought he was out of ammunition completely until he’d found some rounds in a box in one of his pockets. He’d shoved the little box into one of the pockets of his cargo pants and forgotten about it. He also found one of those little airplane bottles with liquor in it in a different pocket. He threw the little bottle into the woods in disgust. He realized how bad off he was when he found he was standing up to go retrieve the bottle seconds after he’d thrown it.

  Physically shaking his head to clear it he made sure Kyler looked semi-comfortable then set about laying Seth to rest. He had two main goals with Seth. Make sure the kid didn’t come back as a Zombie and do something to keep his body from being desecrated. He didn’t have much time, but he felt like he owed Seth at least that much. He couldn’t just smash the kids head with a rock and leave him lying in the middle of the woods. He needed to give him some dignity.

  Mike dragged Seth over to the base of a large pine tree and made a shallow hole beneath the wide boughs of the tree. He put Seth in the shallow hole feet first leaving his head facing out from underneath the tree. Then he collected sticks and rocks from all around the area and brought them over to give him something to lie over the body of the young boy he’d failed. He bent forward and kissed the forehead of the angelic looking young boy who just hadn’t been cut out to live in a world like this. Mike knew there was a good chance he might be the next to go as he obviously wasn’t adjusting well either. He was keeping it together at this point out of a deep obligation to help Kyler make it out of this mess.

  Large tears rolling down his cheeks he raised a large jagged rock over Seth’s head and brought it crashing down into Seth’s sweet little face. Teeth broke as the skull cracked. He swung the rock a few more times until the smashed brain oozed out. Mike turned his head quickly to the side when a wave of nausea swept over him. Once he was done vomiting, he covered Seth’s body up as well as he could with dirt, rocks and pine straw. He knew he only had a few minutes to get it done before they needed to be on the move.

  Once he had the body covered up, he hoisted Kyler gently up onto his shoulders and began walking throug
h the forest away from the cries of the doomed echoing through the forest behind them. He wasn’t sure if people were coming back as Zombies or it was just infected people becoming the Zombies, but he still felt good about having made sure Seth wouldn’t suffer that final indignity. The cries faded into the night as dusk crept up on them. Kyler hadn’t moved around hardly any at all as Mike was carrying him. He’d positioned Kyler so that he could feel the boy’s breath on his neck as he walked which kept him confident that at least he was still alive.

  Having lost all their supplies and the kid they’d been supposed to protect Mike set a southern course out of habit and kept walking until it was too dark to see. When it got that dark, he made a bed for them out of pine straw and curled up into it next to Kyler. He hated that Kyler was unconscious, but he dreaded even more the time when Kyler was going to wake up and have to be told what’d happened. Mike’s self-loathing was bad but having to see that same loathing in the eyes of a boy he’d helped raise into a man might be more than he could bear.