by Dawn, M. K.
The card game came to a swift stop and all fell silent.
“What did you see?” Sloan attempted to keep her voice steady which proved difficult.
“A shadow.” Sam pointed to the tree line opposite of the road where they sat. “Over there.”
“I don’t see nothing,” Angie, who sat on the same side as Sam, pressed her forehead against the window. “The sun’s going down casting shadows, that’s all. Stop trying to scare everybody.”
Molly whimpered in the backseat. “Mommy, can I sit on your lap?”
No answer.
Sloan gave Britney a light shake. “Brit, your daughter is speaking to you.”
Britney’s face paled, and her entire body began to shake. “Oh, God. There’s something out there.”
“Mommy!” Molly shrieked.
Maria wrapped her arms around the near hysterical girl. “Shh. It’s okay, we’re safe.”
“Where?” Sloan watched out the window but saw nothing.
“I still don’t see nothing,” Angie said. “You people need to calm down. You’re scaring the kids.”
“No,” Sam kept his eyes trained outside, “I saw it again.”
Angie groaned. “I think your eyes are playing— oh, Lord have mercy.”
Sloan’s breath caught in her throat as she too spotted the infested crossing the road. With its white skin, it blended well with the fresh fallen snow. “Everyone remain calm, stay still, and keep quiet.”
The children were the ones Sloan worried about the most. Molly, really. She had always had a flare for the dramatics before the world fell and struggled to keep calm when faced with danger. The boys had learned to put on a brave face, though like the rest of them, inside they must have been terrified.
“We can’t stay here,” Britney whimpered. “It’ll find a way in.”
“Like going out there will be any better,” Sam snapped.
Sloan knew this was no time for an argument. “Quiet before it hears us.”
Since the beginning, the infested had poor eyesight which seemed to magnify their other senses. But as of late, Sloan had noticed the black of their eyes didn’t appear as dark as they once were. She couldn’t be sure, not without further studying the creature, but she feared they may be mutating.
The infested creeped up to the truck, nose in the air. They could only hope the snow and wind would mask their smell. The claws on the creature measured several inches long, and on multiple occasions, Sloan had seen it tear through metal as if it were paper.
Rounding the vehicle, it came to stop at the passenger side door. Tears streamed down Britney’s face as she struggled to remain still.
Sloan grabbed her hand and gave it a tight squeeze in hopes of reassuring her sister that she was not alone.
The infested stopped at the window, its black eyes peering inside as if it could see its prey. Lips pulled back, it revealed its serrated teeth.
Molly screamed just as a shot rang out.
***
Sam was the first to break the silence. “Did anyone see what happened to it?”
Maria attempted to look out the window at the ground below. “I can’t see anything. You think Axel or Archer shot it?”
Ten minutes had passed since the shot rang out, and they had yet to see any sign of who pulled the trigger. Archer had impressive range when it came to long-distance shooting, but he needed the right kind of gun to do so, which he did not possess.
“Doubtful,” Sloan said, “or they would have revealed themselves by now. The more logical explanation is one of them had to fire their weapon and it scared our infested away.”
“Because they had to shoot something?” Blake asked. “Are they okay?”
“I’m sure.” But only time would tell.
“There they are!” Britney shouted with more enthusiasm than she had expressed in a long while.
Molly clapped her hands together, bouncing up and down on the seat. “Dad! Uncle Archer! Are they okay?”
“Quite down, child.” Angie reached over and stroked her hair. “We can’t be yelling, you know that.”
“Okay.” Molly settled down.
Axel was the first to approach the vehicle, while Archer stayed back to keep a lookout.
Britney rolled down the window. “Are you all right? We heard a gunshot.”
“Damn thing came out of nowhere. Luckily, Archer’s a quick shot.” Axel studied Brit’s face for a moment and moved on to the rest of the occupants. “What happened? Everyone looks a bit freaked out.”
“There was an infested!” Molly shouted. “Right there where you’re standing.”
“Shit,” Axel muttered. “Where did it go?”
Sloan answered. “The gunshot must have startled it. We don’t know what direction it went.”
Archer jogged up. “What’s up?”
“Infested in the vicinity,” Axel said.
“Dammit.” Archer rolled his neck. “Should we try to track it down before heading to the cabin?”
Axel glanced up at the sky. “And risk what little sunlight we have left? Not sure if it’s worth it. Fuckers like the dark.”
“Um, bad word, Daddy,” Molly scolded.
Sloan sighed. As if they hadn’t heard the same foul language a hundred times over? “Quiet, Molly. We need to figure out our next move.”
“Can’t we just sleep in the car?” Blake asked.
Sloan looked to Archer for guidance. “What do you think?”
Archer sighed. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea. For one, there isn’t enough room for all of us; plus, sleeping in the car is just not a good option, anyway. A horde of infested could rip through that in no time. And even if we tried to jam everyone inside the Humvee, if we got attacked, there’s no way we’d be able to defend ourselves in such close quarters.”
“What about this cabin you found?” Britney asked. “How secure is it?”
“It’s a one-bedroom log cabin,” Axel explained. “Fireplace with wood. A couple of bunk beds. Blankets and a bathroom. One door with a window on each side. Probably an old hunting cabin.”
“How far?” Sloan had no doubt the cabin would be more secure than the Humvee, but it was getting there that had her worried.
Archer gave Axel a wary glance before answering. “We marked the trees on either side so we have a clear path. The terrain is pretty rough. Lots of trees and overgrown— ”
“How far?” Sloan repeated.
Axel’s eyes fell on the children. “Thirty minutes if not more, depending on the supplies we decide to take with us.”
“Decide to take?” Sam rubbed his eyes. “We need it all. That shit was hard to come by.”
“Yeah,” Angie added, “but we have a lot of crap back there, and if we try to carry it all, it’ll only slow us down. Ain’t nobody in this car stupid enough to think those woods aren’t crawling with infested.”
Molly sucked in a sharp breath. “I don’t want to go. Please, can’t we just stay in here, where it’s safe?”
“Did you hear them?” Tyler gestured to the window. “We’re not safe in here, either.”
How strange it was to hear a ten-year-old speak with such maturity. And sad. These poor children had lost so much in their childhood. Sloan couldn’t ever imagine bringing a child into a world like this.
Britney rotated in her seat. “Molly, you’re gonna to have to be brave, do you hear me? I know it’s scary out there, but you’re gonna hold my hand and everythin’ we’ll be all right.”
The young girl gave her mother a weak smile. “Okay, Mommy. Just promise me you won’t let go.”
Britney took her daughter’s hand and held it tight. It was the most she’d done for either of her remaining children in weeks. “Never.”
***
“Just the essentials.” Archer threw a bag of random items back into the car. “We can always come back for the rest tomorrow.”
What he considered essentials, Sloan wasn’t sure. Most everything they had collected see
med essential to her.
Angie flung a bookbag on her back. “If the stuff is still here.”
“We haven’t seen anyone in weeks.” Axel grabbed the bags of dry rice and beans. “I doubt anyone will be strolling by in the next twelve hours, especially during a snowstorm.”
“What else?” Sloan asked, sorting through bags. “Clothes, blankets? How insulated would you say the cabin is? Just because it has walls does not mean it will protect us from the cold.”
Archer tossed two of the four sleeping bags at Sam and Maria. “This should do for tonight. We need to get going. No sense exposing ourselves to the elements longer than we have to.”
“I’ll let Britney and the children know we’re ready to go.” Sloan made her back to the Humvee and knocked on the window.
The doors opened, and Britney climbed out. “Are we leavin’?”
“Yes.” Sloan looked to the children. “How are they doing?”
Britney shrugged. “Scared but aren’t we all? How are we supposed to navigate the woods in the dark with three kids and a whole bunch of bags?”
Sloan had wondered the same thing, but what choice did they have? “We’ll surround the children and take it slow.”
“Ready!” Archer called out.
“Coming.” Sloan opened the back door. “Come on. Time to go.”
The boys joined them outside without further instruction, unlike Molly who stayed put.
“I don’t want to.” Tears stained her cheeks. “It’s dark out there and cold. Please don’t make me.”
“Come on, baby.” Britney held out her hand. “We have to go. It’s not safe here. We’ll protect you, promise.”
Molly scrunched her little nose. “No, you won't! You’re just as scared as I am. You don’t even know how to use a gun anymore!”
Britney pressed her lips together and swallowed hard. “You’re right, I am scared but we have to stick together.”
“And your mom still knows how to use a gun,” Sloan added. “As do all the adults here. Now come on, everyone is waiting on you.”
“Fine.” Molly wiped her face with her gloved hand. “But hold my hand, Mommy, don’t let go. You promised.”
“Get goin’.” Britney took her daughter’s hand, and they joined the others.
Archer addressed the group. “We stay bunched together, kids in the middle. Weapons ready at all times. No talking. That way we can hear danger approaching. Any questions?”
No one answered.
“Move as quickly and silently as possible.” Archer gave Britney’s shoulder a little squeeze. “No one panic.”
Sloan thought her brother-in-law’s gesture to be a little obvious, but if Britney felt the same way, it didn’t show.
Axel continued. “Archer will lead, and I’ll take the rear. The forest is dense, and it’s going to be dark.”
“What about light?” Maria asked. “You expect us to walk out there in the pitch black?”
They had run out of batteries to power flashlights a while back. “Here.” Sloan dug in her bag and passed everyone a large glow stick. “It won’t be much, but our eyes will adjust.”
“Thanks, Slash.” Archer took one last look at the Humvee and shook his head. “She got us this far.”
Sloan had never understood his affection for the vehicle. “Are we ready?”
Archer readied his gun. “As we’ll ever be.”
Chapter three
Axel
Ten minutes into the woods, Axel’s nerves piqued. There had been no sign of the stray infested that approached the truck, which in most cases would be a good thing, but deep in the woods with no lights, he couldn’t think of anything more terrifying.
The kids had done well so far. Britney, too. She had kept hold of Molly’s hand, as promised. Two months ago, that wouldn’t have even been a question. The death of Carson had changed her so much.
But tonight, a small part of the old Britney had emerged. The fearless Britney who would do anything to protect her family. Maybe there was hope for some sort of recovery after all.
More time passed before Sam asked in a hushed voice. “How much farther?”
“Halfway there,” Axel replied.
That might have been a bit of an overestimation, but it was better than telling them less time and having them grow anxious.
The snow picked up along with the wind. If they didn’t make it to the cabin soon, they might find themselves buried under a couple feet of snow. God, how Axel missed the days of a daily weather forecast...and internet...and anything else technology based.
Archer tapped the seventh and last tree and pointed them west. They were almost there.
“What was that?” Britney spun around, gun pointed at the trees.
Axel peered at the rest of the group to see if anyone else had heard anything. All of them looked just as confused as him. “Britney?”
“Hush,” she shushed. “I heard somethin’.”
Molly clung to the hem of her mother’s jacket and trembled.
Axel moved closer to Britney. “Nobody else heard anything. Probably just an animal or something.”
She kept her eyes on the trees. “In this storm? Doubtful.”
“We have to keep moving,” Archer said. “Whatever you heard, we don’t want to be out in the open if it decides to come in for a closer look.”
The group moved on, but Britney continued to glance over her shoulder every couple of seconds.
“The night can play tricks on the mind,” Axel said.
“I’m not crazy,” Britney hissed. “I heard somethin’ out there.”
Axel hated the term “crazy.” He would never say that about his wife. “I believe you, really I do. But—”
A low growl echoed through the trees, cutting him off. The group froze, guns raised.
“Where?” Maria mumbled, voice laced with fear.
Axel saw nothing, only heard the crunch of the snow, but with the wind whipping around them, it was hard to tell where the sound was coming from.
“There,” Archer mumbled as a petite infested stepped out from behind a tree.
Angie shoved Blake and Tyler behind her back. “That’s the one from the road.”
“Someone shoot it,” Maria hissed.
“As soon as I get a clean shot.” Archer, the best marksmen out of them all, tiptoed around to the front of the group and readied himself for the shot.
Sloan moved in next to Axel. “What is it doing?”
Axel had wondered the same thing. The infested never just stood around with prey so close. “Maybe it’s defective?”
The infested cocked its head from side to side as if contemplating its next move.
Fear rippled through Axel. This felt wrong in so many ways.
Archer took aim and fired a single shot at the infested’s chest, dropping it to the ground.
The group let out a collective breath.
“We need to hurry,” Archer said as he passed Axel and returned to the head of the group.
Axel couldn’t agree more. It was rare to find a single infested hunting alone. They seemed to always travel in packs.
They hadn’t made it another ten feet when another growl cut through the trees.
“What the fuck?” Axel felt the air woosh from his lungs. The infested Archer had shot rose to its feet, black goo seeping from the wound. Behind it waited a dozen or so more infested, all crouched ready to attack. No way would they be able to take them all down without some of their own casualties.
“Grab the kids and run!” Archer scooped Blake into his arms.
Axel grabbed Molly, and Angie took hold of Tyler, who was too big to carry. They raced off into trees, dodging branches and leaping over logs. Most stumbled more than once, but no one cried out. If anyone was hurt, they weren’t letting it slow them down.
Britney, Sam, and Maria took the rear, firing at will. The infested struggled in the dense forest, unable to reach their max speed.
Many of the infested gave up.
Or so Axel prayed. By the time they reached the cabin, not a single infested was in sight.
Archer threw open the door and ushered everyone inside. “We need to barricade the door somehow. This rusted lock won’t keep them out for long.”
“With what?” Sam yelled. “Can’t see a Goddamn thing in here.”
“Axel,” Archer called into the dark. “Weren’t there some boards laying around?”
“Yeah.” The glow sticks didn’t offer near enough light for him to search the floors quickly.
“Ouch!” Angie cried out. “Dammit.”
Sloan rushed to her side. “What happened?”
“Stubbed my toe. But good news, I found the boards you were looking for.”
Archer stayed with his back at the door. “Hammer and nails are in one of the bags. Axel and I will board up the door and windows if someone else will start the fire.”
“On it,” Britney said. “Come on, kids, you can help.”
Everyone got to work. It wasn't long before the sound of a crackling fire filled the room. The door and windows were nearly secure by the time the others started the rice and beans.
“One more board should do it.” Archer sifted through the pile of old lumber.
Axel took one last look outside before Archer placed the board. “Weird.”
“What?” Archer hammered the nail in.
“Nothing. I’m sure it’s just my eyes playing tricks on me.” No way he saw what he thought he saw. An infested standing in the shadows watching the house? That was too horrifying to say out loud.
***
The kids fell asleep not long after dinner. Snuggled together on the top bunk near the fire, they looked so peaceful. How they kept up their spirits living in such a shitty world blew Axel’s mind.
“Are we going to talk about what happened out there?” Sam asked the adults huddled near the fire.
Britney’s eyes darted to the bed the kids slept on. “Keep your voice down.”
Sam narrowed his eyes. “I’m not talking any louder than you.”
“Everyone settle down,” Archer said, always the one to keep the peace.
Maria ran a trembling finger through the dirt on the ground. “I don’t understand. You shot that infested and it got back up. How is that possible?”
