Plague of the Dead (Book 1)

by Rayfield, Alli

  “Been better,” she smiled and drank some water.

  “Where is our daily rain? It can come at any time now!” Jamie stated.

  “Stop complaining Jamie,” Freddie snapped.

  “Well, not all of us have been wasting water pouring it on our faces like you so why don’t you give her a break?” I said.

  “Listen you lit…” he began.

  “You’ve been pouring water on your face?” Daniel asked.

  ‘Yeah, a little, to stay cool.”

  Daniel ripped the gallon of water out of Freddie’s hand. Freddie was so taken by surprise; he didn’t try to get it back.

  “Hey,” was all he managed to say.

  “You’re not going to waste water Freddie. We need it to drink if we hope to stay alive.”

  “Well we wouldn’t need it if we had just stayed home instead of going on this stupid trip to nowhere.”

  Daniel glared at him, “It wasn’t safe at home, besides I don’t recall anyone saying your ass had to tag along. You can go back anytime you damn well please. Believe me you’d be doing everyone a favor.”

  “Daniel,” Jamie said but it wasn’t very loud.

  Daniel let out a sigh and turned, walking about ten feet before leaning against a tree.

  “I don’t need you to fight my battles Jamie; I can handle your stupid brother.”

  I snapped, “listen shithead, she was just trying to defend you which you don’t even deserve so instead of being such a jerk about it be appreciative that she actually cares about you. I mean honestly Daniel could probably kick your ass in his sleep.”

  I heard Daniel laugh but he didn’t turn around.

  “You have a lot of opinions for someone who just joined our group about three hours ago,” Freddie barked.

  “And you have a lot of opinions for someone without a brain.”

  Phoebe laughed. Freddie chewed the inside of his cheek but said nothing. He turned and walked to the opposite direction of Daniel. Jamie followed him.

  “Well, that’s fun then.” I said and stood up.

  I walked over towards Daniel.

  “You’re not really scared of anything are you?” he asked seeming somewhat amused.

  “There’s nothing scary about Freddie. Besides, after your daughter almost rips off your face, very little is scary anymore.” I didn’t mean to say it. I didn’t really want to discuss Jackie with these people. I didn’t want Freddie to have a reason as to why I might be incapable of handling myself.

  “What?” Daniel asked, looking concerned.

  “Um,” I began, feeling unable to back out of it now, “My kid, Jackie, she turned. She killed my husband and tried to kill me and that’s why I’m here.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “Me too. Don’t tell anyone please. I don’t know why I told you. I really don’t want to make it a big deal.”

  “It is a big deal.”

  “Yeah, but it’s my big deal. No one else needs to know about it.”

  He nodded, “They won’t think you’re weak because you lost your family.”

  I felt unnerved then, like he could see through me and I didn’t like it at all.

  “I know but….”

  “It’s okay; I won’t say anything to anyone. If you need to talk though, I’ll listen.”

  I nodded, “thanks.”

  “We ready yet?” Phoebe asked. “If I sit here to long, I’m going to fall asleep.”

  “Yeah, we should head on.” Daniel agreed. He patted me on the shoulder as he walked by.

  I let out a sigh, feeling strange. Life didn’t feel like life anymore. I felt like I had fallen into some kind of strange dream.

  I turned and joined them as we continued onward.

  Chapter 10

  I didn’t want to be in the back alone anymore, I felt like walking food back there. So I stayed in the front with Daniel.

  Daniel wasn’t a man of many words but he did keep a conversation going with me about growing up and how he was worried about his and Jamie’s mom and dad in Ohio. He hadn’t been able to get a hold of them before his cellphone lost reception. It was nice not to be stuck in my own head even if the talk wasn’t really any less grim. I guess I didn’t feel alone in my despair anymore.

  My parents died a few years back. My mom had inoperable cancer and only a few months later my dad passed away. His heart was so broken after mom’s death that it seemed to just stop. I missed them every day and still found myself about to dial my mom’s number when I wanted to tell her something funny or something cute Jackie did. I’d wanted nothing more than to talk to her last week when I found out about Adam’s infidelity to get her advice and prospective on the subject. The heart doesn’t accept loss easily.

  As much as I missed them though this was the first time since their death I was relieved they were gone. Hearing Daniel talk about his worry for his parents, I was relieved they didn’t see this awful turn the world had taken. My relief I’ll admit was also selfish. I don’t think I could’ve survived with two more people I loved out there and not knowing what fate they might meet. It was hard enough just knowing Cate was out there somewhere alive, dead, or eating on other people’s flesh.

  In reality though, if my parents had been alive, I’d probably would’ve left Guam after I found out about Adam to stay with them. I had intended to go to my sister’s but part of the reason I had waited was until after her roommate moved out next week since there was no room for Jackie and me until then. I would’ve been with my family now and Jackie would still be alive had that been the case. I tried not to let my mind dwell on what might’ve been, I needed to focus on staying alive.

  Daniel got onto the subject of how the government covered this up until it was too late and if they would’ve told us sooner we might’ve had more of a chance. I was confused by the sudden change of subject and didn’t really follow his train of thought having gone so deep into my own mind for a moment.

  “They were trying to stop it. They didn’t want a panic from what I heard.” I said, since that was what Dr. Benson had told me.

  “Maybe, but it seems to me that they probably knew early on there was no way of stopping this from spreading. They could’ve given us time to prepare ourselves.”

  I nodded. “True.”

  “They did cover it up. Didn’t you hear about that reporter?” he asked.

  “What reporter?”

  “There was this reporter in Boston or New York who released a story about incidences with the undead and got fired. The story was mocked and called complete trash and only a few weeks later it turned out to be true.”

  I did vaguely remember hearing something about a reporter who got fired over an article about some kind of plague outbreak. It was one of those stories that you hear about and think is completely ridiculous and dismiss immediately. Turns out it was one not to be ignored.

  “I thought it was ludicrous,” I said.

  Daniel gave off a bit of a laugh, “me too. Thought she must have been crazy, turns out she was right.”

  We stopped for a quick bite however it was really more to do with the fact Jamie wasn’t feeling well. She didn’t eat anything, just drank some water. I wasn’t hungry either. I was so hot I felt like I wouldn’t be able to hold much down. Even breakfast felt like it was going to make a comeback sometime soon.

  We weren’t making the greatest time which worried me. I didn’t know how long they would still be running the ships out of the Navy base, how many they had or even if they hadn’t already stopped. I felt like I was on an invisible time table and no idea of how long it actually lasted. It was like trying to run against an unseen hour glass and it was driving me crazy. I couldn’t go on by myself and I didn’t want to make these people who were generous enough to invite me into their group feel rushed but at the same time I wished we’d get a move on. The heat wasn’t making it easy though.

  After what felt like an eternity, we got on our way. It wasn’t a long walk before we came
across the devastation. The main road was littered with cars that were abandoned. To the naked eye it might look like a huge traffic jam but it was more than that.

  We slowly made our way through the mass of cars. It was an unpleasant sight. Almost like witnessing a deadly accident. A lot of the cars had blood on the seats. I even noticed the sight of torn muscle tissue in one of them. It felt like a biology class for the demented that wouldn’t end. I felt my stomach drop. A feeling of dread like I’d never known washed over me.

  In one of the cars, a zombie sat in the front seat, scratching at the window. It seemed to be trapped by the seatbelt still being buckled. There was torn flesh visible on the zombie’s neck. Where it had come across the other zombie that was responsible was a mystery.

  “Come on,” Daniel said for all of us stopped to look at the zombie struggling to get us from the car.

  Yet, there seemed to be no other zombies around. That’s what made me nervous. People wouldn’t just abandon their cars for one zombie stuck in the driver seat of a car. Most people probably wouldn’t even notice that zombie.

  No, something happened. Something big must’ve transpired. Why else would everyone leave? But what could’ve happened that would make so many people just take off. There weren’t a lot of places to go. We were on a tiny island. As far as I knew, no safe haven had been set up for the citizens on Guam, if there were any at all in the world. So where would they go? Only extreme fear would make them take off like that, I was sure of it. I felt extremely uneasy.

  There was also an odor that was thick and heavy in the air. It was getting stronger too, the further into the traffic we got. I knew the smell. I knew it when I walked into the hospital room where Jackie was, the smell that reeked from Julie’s every dying pore. This was much stronger than either of those had been. The smell of death. The stench of decaying flesh hung heavy in the tropical heat, multiplied by tens, perhaps even more.

  Chapter 11

  “Something’s not right,” I said, not to anyone in particular.

  “It’s fine,” snapped Freddie.

  “No, something’s very wrong. People wouldn’t just leave their cars like this without a reason.”

  Everyone stopped to look at me. Freddie didn’t hide the contempt on his face.

  I continued, “Don’t you smell that?”

  “What is it?” Jamie asked scrunching up her nose.

  “Decaying flesh,” Daniel answered. His gaze met mine and I saw the realization of how much danger we were in dawn on his face.

  “It’s really potent, there’s got to be a lot of them around.”

  “Well, where are the bastards then?” Freddie asked condescendingly.

  As if waiting for an introduction, the moaning became audible. It wasn’t that close but it wasn’t that far either. I turned to see the zombies coming out of the jungle that lined the road we were on. They were maybe 30 feet away from us.

  “Shit,” Daniel said.

  I’d never seen them in a group before. Their slow movement didn’t seem so slow when they were all together. Like they were pushing each other forward or were in a race to get to food first. Whatever it was, it made my heart feel like it had stopped in my chest. I felt like I was dead right there.

  “Come on,” Phoebe said as she grabbed my hand, pulling me back into reality.

  I followed behind them as we made our way quickly through the cars.

  “Over there,” Daniel said pointing to the mall. It was only a few yards away from us. Close enough to feel like a blessing, yet far enough away to seem like a curse.

  We made our way between the cars to the small hill that led down to the mall parking lot.

  I couldn’t help myself but when we reached the bottom of the hill, I looked back to see where the zombies were. I know I would’ve been a pillar of salt for sure. The zombies were having a hard time navigating the cars. It gave us time but only a few more precious seconds.

  I continued running. The group was a few paces ahead of me but not far.

  The zombies behind us were not our only friends. There were zombies coming at us from the right as well. They must have been in the parking lot across the street from the mall. They didn’t have speed to speak of either but they didn’t have as many cars to cut through as the ones behind us did.

  Jamie noticed the group to the right and tripped in front of me. I helped her up. She was bleeding from her arm where she scraped it. The small amount of blood was all it took. The moaning intensified and I could’ve sworn those zombies picked up the pace as much as their decaying bodies would allow.

  “Thanks,” Jamie said.

  “You’re welcome,” I said pulling her along as I ran to catch up with the rest of the group.

  They had already reached the entrance of the mall. Daniel was trying to open the door but had no luck. They were locked.

  “Damn it,” he said.

  “Just break the glass,” Freddie said.

  “No,” said Robert. “We don’t have time to find anything to block the door with. Or time to block the door for that matter.”

  “We’ve got to be able to get in,” Phoebe said, sounding a bit panicked.

  The zombies were getting closer. We didn’t have much time.

  I noticed an emergency exit to the side only about ten feet from where we stood.

  “Let’s go there,” I said.

  I led the way to the emergency exit. We caught a huge break. The door had been propped open with a rock. We all hurried inside letting the door shut behind us.

  Daniel lit a flashlight, illuminating the long hallway we stood within. We all took a second to catch our breath. I leaned against the wall. Phoebe crouched down with her head on her knees as Robert rubbed her back. Daniel drank water and I noticed Freddie looked a bit unnerved.

  I handed Jamie a band aid from my first aid kit. It was the mom in me coming out.

  “Thanks,” Jamie said with a smile and put the band aid on over her scrape. “Someone propped that door open,” She said. “They might be coming back.”

  “It’s too risky James,” Robert said, still rubbing Phoebe’s back. “There are dozens of those creatures out there. We can’t risk them getting in here and if someone’s out there, they’re not getting through that crowd.”

  Jamie looked upset but said nothing. She just crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. Daniel put an arm around her and whispered something into her ear. She turned towards him and hugged him.

  The banging on the door began from the outside. The zombies had caught up to us.

  “Do you think they can get in?” Phoebe asked, looking up but still hugging her knees.

  “No, I doubt they can.” Daniel said. “Shall we?”

  He began to move forward and the rest of us began to follow him down the long dark hallway into the unknown.

  Chapter 12

  We made it about halfway down the hallway when we came across what must have been some kind of storage area. The big double doors were chained shut from our side. There was dark, almost black blood on the chains and across the door. A big bang came from inside. Then the moaning started. They could sense food on the other side. I swallowed hard. I heard Jamie let out a yelp. Phoebe shushed her.

  I noticed someone had written “Don’t Open” in black marker across the doors. It was written so big that there was no way anyone could miss the message.

  “Let’s hope that’s the only ones in here,” Daniel said.

  We continued through the dark hallway leaving the banging and moaning behind us. I felt the goose bumps all over my body. I had an uneasy chill running down my spine.

  We made it to the end of the hall and went carefully through the door letting us out into the mall. All the stores were still open but there was no one left in the building except the undead it seemed.

  It was decided that we would try the sporting goods store for safety. I think it was also for the potential stuff we could find to help in our journey. I wasn’t happy that we wou
ld be settling in for the night but it’s not like we had any other options with the hoard of zombies outside.

  “There’s no way they got all the zombies,” Freddie said.

  I hated to say that I thought he might be right.

  “Just be observant and cautious. I do agree that this seems a little too perfect,” Daniel replied

  “It might be alright,” Phoebe suggested. “I don’t hear anything.”

  There were no noises coming from anywhere, which in a mall was a little weird. I’d never been in an empty mall and it was extremely unsettling.

  We made our way upstairs and past the food court. Robert suggested after settling in we should have a team raid the food court for dinner so we wouldn’t have to get into our food supply. Leave it to the chef to have the best plan involving the food supply.

  It didn’t take long to get to the sporting goods store. There were already two tents set up for display, so it wasn’t necessary for us to use ours.

  Robert, Daniel, and Phoebe decided to be the raiding food team. I was disappointed to be left with Freddie and his negative attitude. Jamie seemed to be overwhelmed by everything that was going on so I knew she wasn’t going to talk much. I wasn’t worried about help with the watch since the plan was to keep the gate closed while they were gone.

  After they left, Jamie retreated into one of the tents. Freddie joined her.

  I walked around the store, listening carefully for any sign of the undead. I didn’t want to sit still for I was scared I would fall asleep. My emotions had made me exhausted. If I kept busy I could ignore it for the most part. I knew then I probably should have gone with the group raiding the food court because there was only so much to look at in the store.

  I noticed some blood by a display of hiking boots. The uneasy feeling that was just staying at bay now came up to the surface. I pulled out the gun from my holster and followed the trail of blood. It led to a storage room in the back. There was blood all over the floor in front of the door and on the handle.

  I reached out and opened it with caution. There was a zombie sitting on the floor with what looked like guts all over its lap. It was still eating from the pile of intestines and didn’t seem to notice me open the door.