by Cluke, D. L.
“And out of those millions, how many were tourists traveling home? Or dockworkers? Or part of the crew on a ship traveling to every major port in the world?”
“And less than a week later, here we are. So now that the dust has settled?” Anna questioned, needing to know if they still had an invisible threat to worry about as well.
“The CDC’s theory is that the initial wave of airborne infection is now over. The only way to become one of those things is to be bitten.”
“Great, just great. So any one of us could turn into one of those things at any moment?”
“Becca,” Brandon started, “did you even listen? If you haven’t turned yet, chances are good you weren’t exposed. So unless you have a better idea to get us off this rooftop and out of the city, your negativity to everything Josh says is not helping.”
The girls looked at Brandon, disbelief on their faces that the normally timid man would say such a thing.
Josh smirked at the fuming Becca, but thankfully she remained silent. Those creatures continued to growl and pace below them.
“Okay, go to the other side, stay low, and out of sight.”
Once the group shuffled into position, Josh ignited the first of his homemade Molotov cocktails. He gave it a few seconds to make sure the fire caught the wick before throwing it down towards the white truck. The glass bottle shattered against the passenger side door, the flames quickly engulfing the truck. Josh lit the second bottle, this time landing the flaming missile on the top of the truck. Within a few minutes, smoke was rising high into the sky as the white paint peeled and burned black.
“Hey! Over Here! Come and get your fast food!”
Josh waited, screaming cuss words and obscenities at the infected. Once satisfied enough of them were heading his way, he ran over to the group, staying low as he waited by the stairs.
“What are we waiting for? An invitation?” Becca snapped at Josh, who sent a glare in her direction until she fell silent.
Within a few minutes, the dark funnel of smoke had reached high enough above the building to get the attention of the infected on their side of the building. Their excited growls grew louder as they zeroed in on the source.
“Not enough of them are moving in that direction,” Anna hissed, risking a peek over the edge, “there are still several wandering about the street.”
“Just a few more minutes. Be ready to move.”
The group waited, tension filling their bodies as they waited for-
BOOM!
A large explosion rocked the rooftop. Both girls screamed as the building shook beneath them, holding onto the railing of the stairs, fully expecting the roof to collapse.
“Well, that’s one way to get their attention,” Brandon smirked, watching the infected as they moved towards the commotion.
Josh had them wait a few more minutes until enough of the infected had made their way around the edge of the building.
“Follow me. Stay out of sight. Our best defense is to remain unseen and unheard.”
Josh descended the stairs, making as little noise as possible. The group attempted to copy his stealthy movements but didn’t have his years of hunting and tracking experience. He glared over his shoulder at them, but thankfully the sounds of the explosion drowned out the clomping of their feet on the metal staircase.
Anna could feel her heart rate increase once her feet hit the sidewalk. They were exposed and needed to get out of this city. She crouched beside Josh, revulsion running down her spine as he gripped her hand. She needed him to escape. Her friends needed him. She would find a time where they could ditch him. For now, she knew how unprepared they were for this. She knew how prepared he was. She smiled back at him, playing into his ego.
We need him. We need him. We need him.
Becca and Brandon joined them. Anna cast a worried look towards Brandon, his face already turning red from the slight exertion. She knew he was a video game addict, but never paid much attention to his slightly overweight build. Now she wondered if it would be the death of him. Would it be the death of them all? They still had several miles to cover.
“We need to keep moving.”
Josh crouched down and moved from vehicle to vehicle, staying as low as possible. The sounds of the infected could be heard, but so far they remained hidden. She tried to focus on Josh’s back, but the destruction and carnage of the attacks were everywhere.
Glass littered the sidewalk where the creatures had attacked storefronts and vehicles to get to their meals. Dark splotches of blood and body parts were discarded as the infected moved onto the next opportunity. Worry gnawed at her. There were easily hundreds of attack spots on this one stretch of the street, but where were all the bodies? She had spotted about 50 infected running towards the truck, unaffected by the burning flames as they caressed and melted their flesh.
Where were the rest of the infected?
Chapter Nine
They continued moving north or at least tried to. Several times, they had to backtrack and find an empty side street to avoid the motionless hordes of infected. Without a target, they stood in the middle of the street. Sometimes they walked a few feet or chased garbage tossed by the wind, but mostly they were just eerily still and silent. Somehow, this new behavior was way worse.
So far, they had been successful in avoiding the infected, but it felt like they weren't any closer to escaping the city.
Anna was lost from all the backtracking and zigzagging when she noticed a street sign that plummeted her hopes even further. Johnston Ave. They were only a few miles from the campus and the afternoon was wearing on. Already the sun was hidden behind the tall buildings, casting shadows into the streets. This game of cat and mouse had exhausted them all.
"Josh, we need to stop and rest," Anna grabbed Josh's arm, trying to get him to slow down.
"We have to get out of the city before dark," he pulled them into an alley, out of the eyesight of the infected.
"I know, but we haven't made much headway and we can't get stuck out in the open after dark."
"You don't understand. These things, the infected, get worse at night. They come alive, move around, they actively hunt as a pack. The night belongs to them."
"Then we need to hide, find a place to hole up until first light."
The thought of being hunted by those things terrified her and she could tell by Josh's worry, that she had every right to be afraid. Anna could also see the frustration and disgust on his face. He looked back at Becca and Brandon. They had done their best to keep up, but neither was in shape. Only sheer determination and fear had kept them going this long. If they ran into a mob now, Anna feared they would be done for. If they had to run for it, Becca and Brandon would be goners.
"Please, Josh," she placed her hand on his firm bicep, wishing things had been different between them. Wishing he had been different. Even now, she could see the hate in his soul as he glared at her best friends. She knew what he was thinking.
"Josh," she pleaded, drawing his eyes to hers. Moans filled the main street as dusk settled into the city. The infected were waking. Finally, after some internal debate she didn't dare ask about, he looked at her and nodded.
"This way, hurry and be quiet!"
Josh led them farther into the alley, pausing at a small and dingy hole-in-the-wall bar. The door was busted, barely hanging on by the top hinge, the dark interior lay silent. Anna peeked her head in and was about to step around Josh to go inside when he yanked her back. Stepping back from the entrance, they duck between two grimy dumpsters, effectively hiding from the infected that seemed to be taking over the streets. Darkness crept in on them. The moans transform into snarls and growls. They need to move now.
"It looks empty."
"Looks can be deceiving with these monsters, but I don't hear anything in there," Josh looked at Anna, his cold eyes calculating as he thought over their next move.
"We need to get out of sight and regroup before the monsters on the street sniff us
out. Make a plan for the morning. I'll check it out."
"I'll go with you," Anna blurted before she could stop herself. The last thing she wanted was to be in a dark bar with Josh, but she couldn't afford for him to get killed or leave them. Anna knew she couldn't get her friends to safety without him.
Surprised registered on his face. He smirked, nodded, and turned to the others.
"You two, stay out of sight and don't make a peep. If we aren't back in 10 minutes... you are on your own."
Josh headed back to the busted door of the Green Leprechaun. He looked at her, his hand resting on the doorknob. Anna swallowed hard and nodded once, shifting her gaze back to the darkness in front of her.
Josh raised his knife, rapping it lightly on the doorframe. No noise could be heard from within. He eased the door open, slipping silently into the bar. Anna followed him, her eyes frantically searching the interior for movement as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.
Josh paused, grabbing his flashlight and leading the way through the upturned tables and chairs. Anna's feet stuck to the floor with each step. A musty and dank smell hung in the air, reminding her of the few times she had been in a bar. She could picture the Saturday night crowd, beers sloshing as friends laughed and danced and sometimes fought. She wondered if this bar would ever see that again. She somehow knew it wouldn't.
Josh made his way behind the bar, sweeping his flashlight across the room as he went. He inspected every shadow, every chair, every upturned table. Once the main room was clear, they headed for the bathrooms. Josh repeated the same tactic, tapping his knife against the door before heading in. Both bathrooms were empty. They headed for the kitchen.
As they entered the dingy kitchen, Anna let out a little scream as rats scurried from Josh's flashlight. He ignored her, focusing his flashlight on the room. The kitchen was short and led to a hallway where it branched in two directions. As they inched closer, the rotten smell of decay hit them. In the enclosed space of the kitchen, it was overpowering, clinging to her tongue as she fought the urge to vomit.
Josh reached the tee at the end of the hall. To the left was a closed door with a small plaque that said office. To the right was an open door and the source of the smell. He backed up, retreating to the kitchen, out of sight of the storeroom.
"Should we just close the door? Trap whatever is in there?"
Josh shook his head, keeping his voice barely audible.
"That won't work. Those things are strong. If there is more than one, they might just break down the door later while we are sleeping. We can't risk it."
"So we clear the room."
Josh nodded, pausing a moment and tilting his head. Anna was afraid he would try to kiss her when a loud thump, followed by a word that would make her mother scold her, was heard from the direction of the bar. They both froze as moans drifted from the dark storeroom. Josh brought his knife up, his flashlight illuminating the hallway as he waited for the infected to make themselves visible.
Another thump and the scrapping of furniture behind them further enraged the hidden infected. Anna didn't have time to check on her friends. They would have to deal with whatever threat had found them. Two infected stumbled around the corner, their uncoordinated movements throwing them off balance causing them to bounce off of each other.
"I'll take the hairy one," Josh stepped to the right, trying to draw the larger man towards him.
That left her with a small middle-aged woman. Her stomach had been ripped open, guts hanging down her blue shirt, swaying with each shuffling step she took. Her white eyes focused on Anna.
Based on the numerous bite marks, the hairy man had become infected first, turning on her. Who was she to him? His lover? Business partner? Or just some random woman trying to find somewhere safe to hide?
Anna grimaced as she noticed a piece of the woman's lower intestine still clamped within his decaying hands. Shaking her head of the random thoughts of lives past, she focused on the woman, having to trust Josh to take out the man. She couldn't humanize these things. You can kill monsters. She didn't know if she could kill a person.
Bringing up her broken broom handle, she did her best to copy Josh's stance. She braced herself for the woman's attack. Anna misjudged as the infected stumbled. Her blow pierced the woman's cheek, ripping her face apart, but not slowing her down.
She screamed, dropping her broom handle and shoving her forearm up against its neck, preventing the infected from biting her. The woman's cold and clammy hands gripped at her arm, teeth trying to reach any morsel of flesh. Needing to satisfy a never-ending urge to consume. Its teeth inched closer to her face and Anna realized just how strong these things were. Just how unequipped she was to fight them. This tiny monster was strong, much stronger than her.
The woman reared back, her black teeth seeming to ooze decay and death. She prepared to lunge.
Anna knew her life was about to end.
Chapter Ten
Anna registered a thump off to her right and the woman was yanked away from her. Before she could register what was happening, the steel of Josh's machete exploded out from the woman's eyeball. Her cloudy white eyes went dark and her body limp as Josh lowered her to the floor and extracted his knife.
"I guess we need to do some training once we're out of the city," he muttered, disgust showing behind his cold eyes.
He picked up her makeshift weapon and handed it to her. Anna sourly realized, without Josh, none of them would survive this hellish new world.
Before she could retort a snappy reply, another thud sounded from the main bar.
"Guys," Becca whimpered, "we've got a problem out here."
Josh brushed past her and charged into the bar.
"Well, damn."
That can't be good.
Making her way through the swinging doors, she spotted their current problem. Two of the infected had followed her friends into the bar. They were currently using chairs, not quite successfully, as battering rams to keep them at bay in the corner. If they didn't do something soon the noise would attract more of those creatures.
Josh circled the room, trying to stick to the shadows and remain unseen by the creatures. Realizing he was trying to get behind them, she started doing the same thing on the other side. If nothing else, she would provide a distraction so he could take them down.
She watched in awe as Josh quickly dispatched each of the creatures with a quiet stab to the back of the head. Neither one had seen him coming.
"All right, we need to barricade that door. Find a solid table and something to prop it up with," he gestured towards Becca and Brandon.
Anna noticed something particular about the infected on the floor. They were small, very small. She inched closer, careful to stay out of reach, but she couldn't escape the smell.
"My god, they're just kids."
She could feel the bile rising in her throat, the hot acid burning a path up her esophagus as the merger contents of her stomach threatened to erupt.
"They were kids. Now, they are just another predator looking for a meal. And that meal is us."
Josh pulled her away from their small forms. The two little girls were still wearing their plaid catholic school uniforms. Were their parents out there searching for them? Or had their parents already succumbed to the infection? She shuddered. In all the madness of the past few days, her mind refused to acknowledge the live footage of kids devouring adults, like a pack of hyenas. There was no escaping this hell.
"Anna, let's finish clearing the back."
She gulped, not wanting to be alone with him but needing to focus on anything but the kids laying in front of her. She knew that in order to survive this new world, she'd have to get used to all the carnage. She would have to get used to Josh being around… At least until she figured out what she needed to do to keep her and her friends safe. Until then, she would deal with him and learn as much as humanly possible. No matter what it took.
They cleared the rest of the bar, finding no othe
r infected and plenty of food to hold them over. Thankfully the stovetop was gas and with a little added help of a lighter, they were able to cook a hot meal. They found a case of water in the back and distributed the bottles evenly between the four of them. Their backpacks would be heavy, but once they were back out on the streets, there was no telling how long it would be before they found somewhere safe again. If it was safe, would that place have any supplies? There were no safe assumptions.
The longer this thing went on, the harder it would be to stay alive. Bedding down for the night, Anna felt a twinge of loneliness as she watched her friends cuddle. How easy it would be to forget Josh's controlling nature, to submit herself to him, and rely on him for survival. To crawl into his sleeping bag and find the comfort she so desperately needed as she listened to the sounds of the undead ravaging the city around her. She brushed her fingers lightly against her lip, still remembering the sting as he backhanded her all those months ago. Rolling on her side, she faced the wall and silently cried herself to sleep.
Chapter Eleven
What felt like a few short hours later, Anna felt herself being gently rocked awake. Becca’s face came into focus. Already there were bags under her eyes.
I’m guessing no one will be getting any sleep for a long time.
“Josh wants to get moving. The sun will be up any minute and we need to get out of the city as soon as possible. Things are getting even worse. If that’s even possible…”
After taking care of some morning business, thank god for the small favor of a still flushing toilet, she saw Josh. His muscular form was coming down an outside staircase that led to the roof. She watched as his strong forearms gripped the windowsill, easily slipping back into the bar via a window in the back office.
She shook her head, clearing thoughts of his body from her mind. She didn’t need those distractions. His body is part of what got her into the mess with him in the first place. A zombie apocalypse was not the time to start that train wreck of a relationship back up.
