Welcome To Hell.A.

by Stephens, L.

  Ryan turned back to Daryl to give him the ‘what the fuck?’ look Sarah had given him earlier.

  “Bruh, come on,” Daryl said with a chuckle. “You think I’m going to trust you? I bet these two girls here have done more badass shit today than you will ever do in your whole lifetime. If we’re going into the building, we’re going in as a team!”

  CHAPTER 112: DUMB SHIT

  It is under the greatest adversity that there exists the greatest potential for doing good, both for oneself and others.

  ― Dalai Lama XIV

  Sarah felt uneasy. She couldn’t get a read on Daryl. One minute he was going alone, the next he wanted to be a part of a team, and it didn’t help he had outlaid Ryan’s plan to betray them almost like a joke. She still had a boatload more trust in Daryl than Ryan, but it was the zombie apocalypse after all, and all bets were well and truly off.

  “We’re going to wait here,” Sarah said defiantly. “I wish you the best of luck, though!”

  “So, you are going to wait for Jake, huh?” Daryl said with a sinister smile. “You do realize once he does get here, he’s going to have to battle all those fuckers on the other side of the door by himself. Honey, he doesn’t even know you’re here!”

  “I know, I know,” Sarah spat. “Because you wouldn’t fucking tell him!”

  “Call him!” Daryl said pointing at Lynne. “I gave her phone back. His number is in there.”

  Sarah scrunched her nose at him as her eyes turned to slits. He was right. Letting Jake know she was here was a bad idea.

  “Well, I guess we could meet him halfway,” Sarah mumbled.

  “Now that makes a lot more sense!” Daryl snickered. “Let’s just get out of here, okay? Don’t worry about this asshole. I’ll make sure he stays in line. Anyway, I shared our location with your beloved Jake. If he is still alive he can find us.”

  Sarah nodded slowly. This wasn’t a done deal by any means. There were a lot of moving parts and the biggest moving part was Lynne and Ava, and she was only going to go if they came with her. She had made a promise. Sarah could feel deep in her soul that Jake was alive. He had an uncanny knack for scraping through, and she doubted even a city full of zombies were going to be his breaking point. Once again, Jake had been back in her life for barely half a day, and he had brought a tornado of love and hate to her door.

  “What about me?” Jill said. “I can help!”

  Everyone turned to see Jill standing behind them.

  “What about, you?” Daryl said mimicking her. “I trust you less than the fucking date rapist!”

  “Fuck you, asshole!” Jill sneered and pulled out a small metal box from her purse. “I got this!”

  “Is that a fucking Taser?” Daryl chuckled.

  Sarah winced. Between Daryl, Ryan and Jill she didn’t know where to turn. She was stuck right in the middle of an idiot convention.

  “Honey, you can’t use that,” Sarah said as she rolled her eyes. “I’ll find you something, okay?”

  The decision to leave wasn’t hers, but she knew that if they were going to make it, they had to do it together. It had become overwhelmingly clear, the only people that were going to save them was themselves.

  Sarah began collecting inventory like a level four paladin. She found a two by four for Jill. It was light and had a bit of length to it, but of course Sarah didn’t expect her to be able to use it. Best case scenario, she thought, Jill might be able to create some distance between her and her eventual attacker until some real help came. The assault rifle lying on the ground seemed like a good weapon, but Sarah decided it would be too heavy for her, and she supposed even if she attempted to use it, either Daryl or Ryan would take objection and confiscate it, so she didn’t give them a chance to usurp her. She picked up a thin metal pipe that was lying next to the edge of the building and held it like a baseball bat, swinging it a few times.

  “Let me guess, J.V. softball,” Daryl said nodding towards her.

  Sarah was homeschooled, so she didn’t know the true delights of normal school life, but she did have one episode of Sunshine High where she pretended to play softball.

  “I know what goes where and why,” Sarah said with a slight nod. “You know, you could always give me your gun.”

  “You’re not having my gun!” Ryan said, sticking his gun back in his jacket.

  Sarah smiled. She knew what he was thinking. He was worried Daryl would take his gun away from him and give it to her, because she knew, and Ryan knew, what Daryl had said was true. Sarah was far more badass than him, and Lynne was too for that matter.

  “You don’t want his gun, trust me. That pipe would probably do more damage,” Daryl said as he turned and started walking towards the door. “Get your shit together people, but just remember, if you fall or get bit, I'm leaving you behind!”

  Daryl turned suddenly and pointed at Lynne and Ava.

  “That goes double for you and your kid!” Daryl said menacingly.

  CHAPTER 113: MOMMY DEAREST

  Ava doesn’t love me, Lynne thought. She never did. I deserve all of this. I have put her through hell, and that was even before today. Ava doesn’t love me. She never did.

  Lynne got off her phone. She had been feverishly messaging and calling anyone who she could since Daryl had given the phone back to her, but now Sarah was standing above her with her hands on her hips.

  “I know,” Lynne said, looking up to Sarah. “I guess we got to do this.”

  Lynne put the phone in her handbag and pulled back the sheet that made the makeshift tent that Ava had called home for the past few hours. She gently caressed her daughter’s head until Ava started to blink and open her eyes. Ava tried to pat her hand away, but Lynne leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

  “Come on darling, it’s time to go,” Lynne said softly. “We can’t sleep all day!”

  Lynne smiled down at her daughter as she wriggled and let out a big sigh as she resigned herself to the fate of having to be awake. Even though it had only been a few years, she felt blessed for being a part of every second Ava had spent on Earth, but their time together had run out, and Lynne had to start thinking about Ava’s future. She wiped away a tear from her eye, and looked up to see Ryan and Daryl dismantling the barricade. Jill walked up behind them. She was holding the two by four out in front of her with both hands, and her small purse was dangling from one arm. She was ready to take on the world in the least convincing manner possible.

  “Sarah,” Lynne whispered and nodded her head in her best come-hither signal.

  “What’s going on?” Sarah said quietly as she bent down to be closer to Lynne.

  Lynne gave her a grim smile as she pulled Ava gently to her feet and straightened her clothing and made sure her shoes were securely fastened. Ava was still groggy, but she was capable of standing up. Her still being drugged when they went back into the building was probably the best idea anyway.

  “You okay?” Sarah said kindly. “We’ll be fine. I’ll take care of all of us.”

  “You guys got two minutes!” Daryl called to Sarah and Lynne. “After that, you're on your own.”

  Sarah kept her eyes focused on Lynne and raised her arm in Daryl’s direction and flipped him the bird. Daryl smiled and went back to dismantling the barricade.

  “Don’t worry about him. He’s all talk. I know you can do this,” Sarah said confidently. “At any rate we got to get this little angel to safety.”

  Sarah used her hand to brush the hair out of Ava’s face.

  “Thank you, Miss Giselle,” Ava said sleepily.

  “Oh brother,” Sarah said with a smile. “Aren’t you just the cutest!?”

  Lynne smiled through her tears as she watched the interaction between Ava and Sarah. She was glad this was the person she was putting all her trust in at that moment.

  “I can’t go,” Lynne said meekly. “This isn’t a movie. I have been terrified all goddamn day. I can’t go in there, not like this. I need you take Ava. I can’t
let her see me turning into one of those things.”

  “I can’t do this alone,” Sarah whispered in Lynne’s ear. “This isn't about us anymore. At least with two of us looking after her, Ava has a chance.”

  Lynne felt ashamed. She hadn’t realized just how selfish she was being, but it was all she needed to hear: the reason to live, to fight and to survive was in front of her the whole time.

  “Do you really think we can take those things on?” Lynne asked hopefully.

  “Us?” Sarah said with a smirk. “Not a chance in hell!”

  Lynne let out a small laugh and grabbed Ava by the hand.

  “You ready for an adventure, kiddo?” Lynne said sweetly to Ava.

  “Where we going, mommy?” Ava whispered.

  “We’re going to go home, baby,” Lynne said with a smile.

  “Are there going to be any of those things?” Ava asked quietly. “I don’t like them.”

  Lynne turned to Sarah. She could feel the blood leaving her face and pooling in her throat. Ava had finally acknowledged there was something going wrong, and it was the worst possible moment.

  “Don’t you worry about them, sweetheart,” Sarah said kindly. “They are only mean to mean people, and you are the sweetest person in the whole wide world.”

  Ava smiled bashfully and Lynne thanked Sarah with her eyes. She didn’t like lying to Ava, but in this case, she thought the zombie apocalypse was probably reason enough to start.

  “You sure about this?” Lynne said firmly

  “We got to try,” Sarah said as she lifted her head to the horizon. “Last thing we want is to see is those two assholes driving down the street with us stuck up here, hoping for a miracle.”

  “I just don't think I can,” Lynne said, the gravity of the situation weighing heavy on her.

  She could sense Sarah was searching for something to say, something to give her confidence, but as time stretched Lynne could see the one person she was relying on to fill her with strength was struggling herself. Sarah broke eye contact with Lynne and turned to Daryl. He was already waiting for her as he tapped an imaginary watch, pantomiming the need for them to hurry up.

  “Okay!” Sarah said stiffly. “We’re coming. Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

  Sarah turned back to Lynne, and Lynne could see something different in her eyes now, more determination, more purpose.

  “Look, I don't want to be harsh about this,” Sarah said. “But you have got something in your favor me and Ava don’t: you've already been bitten. You are Ava’s best chance of getting out of here!”

  Sarah’s words sparked something that Lynne couldn’t have ever imagined, and she caught herself giggling.

  “That is a little harsh,” Lynne said between chuckles. “Way to kick a girl when she’s down!”

  Sarah had given her something that she really needed: the truth. She didn’t need to worry about being attacked and eaten; becoming a zombie was inevitable, but being able to ensure Ava got to live out her days was her duty, and she was the best person to do it.

  Sarah stood up and her body blocked out the sun. To Lynne and Ava she looked like a superhero, her bold stance, holding the pipe, her hair blowing gently in the breeze with the highlights shining—all of it. Sarah offered her hand to Lynne, and Lynne took it. She was inspired and ready to take on the world, so she bundled up Ava in her arms and got to her feet.

  “Let's do this!” Lynne said as she followed Sarah to the door and their destiny.

  CHAPTER 114: JAKE AND THE FATMAN

  Jake pounded the last of the Pepsi and discarded the can to the floor, next to the pile of other generally unhealthy choices he had made since he had entered the mini-mart. The sustenance he chose consisted of candy bars, soda cans and potato chips, just what a growing boy needed in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. He put on some deodorant from the small selection of bathroom accessories available and wiped his greasy hands on his jeans. After checking his phone, he saw there were no messages from Daryl, and he thought about messaging him, but Daryl was used to waiting for him, and this time he had a pretty good excuse for running late.

  Jake pulled up Sarah’s name from the list of recent messages. He had been texting her all day since they had parted ways at the alley behind her house, but each and every one of them had no reply. With Facebook down, he couldn’t even message her on that anymore, so he feverishly typed one last text message, because he knew it could be his last communication with anyone, and he hoped he had saved his best stuff for the occasion. The message read:

  “Sarah, I really hope when you get all these messages that you’re safe and beautiful just like I saw you this morning. Honestly, it made my fucking year. Actually it made my fucking life to see you again! You can’t understand how much I fucked things up! I know I’ve never used the L word with you or anyone but hon, I’m fucking ready to use it with you, but only in person.

  PS… If you’ve been bitten or have become a zombie, tell me, please. I’ll fucking come to you and you can eat me alive—I can’t imagine a better way to go. If I never see you again please know, you are the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  Jake didn’t check it for spelling or over statements. He just pressed “Send” and smiled. That was the most honest he had been with anyone, ever. He closed the text message app and there was one notification staring back at him, and he couldn’t shake it. He didn’t want to head out to his possible demise without knowing what it said. After staring at the notification for a few seconds he reluctantly pressed the button, and Max’s voicemail began to play.

  “Jacob, my boy, my son, I’m not one for apologies, I’m one for vengeance, but I’ve let you and your mother down in many ways over the years and…”

  Jake pressed delete, he didn’t need to hear this horse shit, and he instantly felt regret that he had sent the same type of crap to Sarah but in a text message. He was no better than his fucking deadbeat dad, and he didn’t want to be reminded of that anymore.

  He picked up the headphones he had discarded on the floor and put them back in his ears. It was time to play some more running music. He didn’t need anything high-tempo, just something to keep pace to, and he chose Talking Heads and their aptly titled best-of album, “The Best Of Talking Heads”. He set it to shuffle and started with the most apt song he could think of: Wild Wild Life, his favorite.

  @KillingJake found a mini-market on Spring St. the service ain’t great but the price is right. #FiveFingerDiscount #SorryJennings

  Jake left his temporary sanctuary and started running the correct direction down Spring Street. He just needed to make it four more city blocks to get to Daryl and what he hoped was safety. The air hit his lungs hard and he spluttered a cough but quickly regained his composure. Running for his life had become his new thing, his answer to beards and flower crowns. At the corner of 4th Street he saw something that grounded him back in to the severity of what he was facing. This wasn’t a fun lark in the countryside, this was a dark and deadly journey into HELL.A.

  When he saw him, Jake moved away at an angle, and hid between two parked cars out of view. The guy was large but not in a tall or muscular way. This guy had taken a liking to taco trucks and hadn’t stopped. The city was brutal that way; if you had a penchant for tacos, you couldn’t step outside without a truck or cart waving their stank in your face. It was obvious he was running for his life and the zombies behind him were close, but it looked like he was making a game of it.

  “Run!” Jake yelled.

  Besides his vocal support, Jake also raised his gun and fired a couple shots at the lead zombies that were about to pounce on the large man. He missed. He may have hit a torso or an arm, but with these things it made no difference. It was a headshot or nothing; they just kept going. The large man fell, and as far as Jake could tell it wasn’t a trip or a stumble. He just fell onto both knees like Willem Defoe in Platoon.

  “Fuck!” Jake said as he ran around the back of the dog pile that had descended
on the large man.

  Jake filed the grizzly scene into the back of his mind so he could freak out about it at a later date. Like an inappropriate joke on Twitter, the large man had lost a few followers as they had seen even fresher meat in Jake, but the rest were sticking around to devour him and make him feel small. #JustLikeTwitter

  There were forty yards between Jake and his would-be feasters as he approached 6th Street and saw a familiar SUV parked in the middle of the road with the front passenger door wide open.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Jake muttered as his head swiveled.

  The last time he had seen the SUV it was surrounded by zombies, right before he had developed a hero complex and lured them away, doing his new fashion statement, running for his life.

  “Sarah!” Jake yelled. “Sarah!”

  Jake looked over his shoulder to see the zombies were closing in on him. He rolled his eyes and took a quick look at his surroundings before he surmised that the eight-story building in front of him was likely the location where Daryl was holed up. The glass doors beckoned, and Jake noticed blood on the polished marble that led to the entrance. He slid to a halt at the front of the doors and pulled hard on them, but they didn’t budge. His first instinct was to turn and see how much time he had, and as usual it was suboptimal. If he had time to calculate, it would have been fifteen seconds, which isn’t much, but when you are being chased by a pack of ravenous zombies it feels like a lifetime. Jake pulled at the door again. The heavy glass door was stiff but did move a little more than last time but not enough to squeeze through.

  “Fuck!” Jake said as he stepped back and aimed his gun at the door.

  He let off two shots into the glass but there was no shatter, no implosion just two dime-sized impact impressions.