by Thomas Baker
"I was trapped so long back there, I thought I was going to have to start drinking my ownpiss," Tyrone said.
Gus let out a hard, raspy laugh. "Well kid, glad we came along before that happened. We will find someplace to get you some water, food, and maybe get you cleaned up. No offense, but I've pumped out septic tanks that smell better than you do right now."
Tyrone let out a nervous laugh. "So I guess those things really were zombies?"
"Yep, zombies are a real thing now kid. If one bites you but doesn't kill you and eat you up, you become one. I saw it happen right before my own eyes. It doesn't take long either. Minutes and you're up and hot to trot again."
"Where are the cops? Or the army? National Guard? Somebody should be fighting these things shouldn't they? Figuring out what is going on. Saving people like me or my mom. You know what I mean?" Tyrone's voice quivered.
Dusty overheard and answered over his shoulder. "I'm in.... I mean, was in the Army. This thing came up fast, with no warning. Overwhelmed us faster than a tornado and an earthquake combined. I haven't seen or heard any indication that help is coming anytimesoon. It's like every post apocalypse movie you have ever seen all twirled together in a blender. It's every man for himself now."
Alan chimed in. "Who would have thought the truth would have been so close to fiction. We're America, how could it have all crumbled away so quickly? In the span ofa week, poof it was all gone. That's been my experience too though, every one of us is on are own now."
The group fell into silence for a while after Alan's last comment. The highways were clear for some time and they made good time. Not that it really matters, where did they need to be? That thought made Gus chuckle and feel sad at the same time.
When they would run into wreckage or abandoned vehicles Alan would slow to a crawl as he worked the SUV around. They never saw any signs of other survivors.
Tyrone started snoring beside him. Gus stared out the windows and found himself reading road signs and billboards, like anyone normally would on a road trip. It could be on a typical Sunday drive, if I ignored the packs of zombies roaming the fields or piles of half eaten bodies alongside the road.
"Alan, I sure could use a pit stop here prettysoon," Gus said breaking the silence. "Some of these bumps have made this old man need to weewee."
Alan laughed and shook his head.
"There's a place ahead I know," Gus continued. "Pretty well off the beaten path. We may be able tostock up on things if no one has gotten to it before us. Maybe even get ole Tyrone here all cleaned up."
"Straight ahead?" Alan asked.
"Yes sir, then some turns," Gus replied "I'll give you directions. When we get close, you'll see it. It's a big ole truck stop in the middle of nowhere. You won't be able to miss it."
JT couldn't help but notice that Hannah had been extra quiet in the backseat today as they traveled along. Once in a while she made a comment or threw in a question, but mostly she just sat there looking like she was on the verge of crying. JT thought it had been at least close to a week since they had all met up, maybe more, but he still really didn't know much about her. To pass the time they would chit chat about bullshit. At night the two slept off on their own in whatever abandoned house or hotel they stopped at. JT figured it was probably shock and maybe even depression. He did know she had family and friends she was worried about. She may never see or hear from them again. She may never find out what happened to them. That would be enough to depress him.
He didn't have that extra stress, his parents had both died years ago, and he was an only child. He had lots of acquaintances, but was mostly a loner. He wasn't as freaked out by the violence either. He had lots of experience in fighting, being a bouncer, along with working in security. He had firearm training, he was into survival shows. He had lots of confidence in his abilities to survive this.
Her friend Ashley, man was she the total opposite. He felt like he knew her whole life story by now. Plus, she was almost always veryupbeat. He looked over at her in the passenger seat. Today she seemed wired, like she drank three Red Bulls this morning. She was practically vibrating in her seat. She had a hundred things to say, and she commented on every dead body they passed, both the trulydead ones and the ones still walking around.
JT again looked down at the bright yellow light, warning them they were about to run out of gas. He followed the signs for a gas station realizing that it was a long shot thatthey would even have fuel. He was willing to give it a try though, he was tired of trying to siphon gas from other cars. A male zombie wearing a bright red sweat suit stepped out into the road in front of him. JT couldn't help but smile as he plowed over the walking corpse. The Jeep gave a satisfying bump.
"Ew gross," Ashley said from beside him." Was that reallynecessary?"
He watched in the rear-view mirror as the zombie turtle rolled, limbs flailing. JT was so intent on watching the zombie, he almost smashed into an abandoned garbage truck.
"Look out!" Ashley screamed.
He slammed on his brakes, missing the truck by inches. JT sat for a few moments, his heart whamming in his chest. As he began to calm down and his hands stopped shaking, he noticed a few zombies down the road in front of him.
Quite a few of them, he thought as he watched. They seemed to be focused on something else and didn't turn in his direction, even with the sounds of the car screeching to a stop.
"Way to go. Do I need to take over driving for you?" Ashley said sarcastically.
JT just ignored her.
"I saw a sign for a travel stop a few miles back. I don't remember how far away it said it was but we have to be getting close," Hannah offered, sitting up and looking over his shoulder.
"I saw that too. I have been following them for a while," JT said.
"Well let's hope we make it," Ashley said.
"And let's hope we can find gas. You ladies ever siphoned gas before? I think it should be one of you this time." JT laughed at himself.
Both the girls made faces at the sheer thought of it.
Feeling in control of himself again, JT continued on down the highway, a little slower this time. He went around the zombie pack this time. He tried not to show it, but it made him very nervous to think they could run out of gas out here in the middle of BFE. He felt a small sense of relief as they pulled away and the zombies disappeared in the rear-view mirror.
"There!" Ashley squealed a few minutes later. "Burton's Travel Stop three miles." She seemed proud of herself for seeing the sign and reading it aloud. JT glanced back at Hannah as she rolled her eyes and gave him a smile. JT smiled back as he shook his head.
"Burton's Travel Stop it is," JT said.
The next three miles were agonizing as JT flicked his eyes from the road to the fuel gauge and back again. Buildings came into sight. Not a moment too soon.
"Wait here," JT told his passengers.
JT coasted into Burton's Travel Stop. It looked like one of those dying breeds of gas stations, half truck stop, and half diner. JT had pulled up to pump number two. He had his pick. They were all surprisinglyempty. The gas gauge needle sat at E. The Jeep was pretty much running on fumes. Turning the Jeep off, JT felt a sense of relief thatthey had made it. Now to find a way toget some gas into the Jeep.
"I'll go in first. If or when it's safe, I will give you ladies the all clear." JT gave the girls a knife and a bat before he hopped out of the Jeep. "Honk twice if there's trouble." He tucked his 9mm into the waistband of his jeans and disappeared through the door with a bat in his handsas well.
Hannah had crawled into the front driver seat to be next to Ashley. Both women's eyes were wide as JT turned and walked towards the doorway.
JT stood just inside the entrance, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light filtering in. He felt like he was a character in a Resident Evil game as he scanned the store. To his left was the diner, its seats dull red upholstery that was cracked and worn. Straight ahead was the store, with two aisles leading back to a row of coole
rs. Everything still looked relatively fine. Funny though, he could see a few bullet holes in the outside glass. Inside the store, he couldn't see much that was trashed or even damaged.
He strained his ears, trying to hear the sounds of anyone, or anything inside. Could it really be this easy? he thought to himself. It looked as if they could easily rummage through the store and carry off enough food and drinks that would last them days.
JT held his breath without even realizing it as he walked down the center aisle, he looked through the cooler windows and even checked both bathrooms. He found nothing out of the ordinary. Still, he felt the hair on his neck standing up, as if he was expecting an undead army to come crashing through the walls at any moment. JT made his way back and crossed over into the diner area. On the way he picked up a flashlight and filled it with batteries. It clicked on, giving him more light.
The diner was a big open space. He swept his flashlight over the tables, some of which still had dirty plates on them. He didn't think there were many places someone could be hiding over here. Looking behind him, JT saw they had restrooms on this side too, as well as a door marked 'Employees Only'. He guessed that led to the kitchen and the stockrooms.
JT eased open the door to the men's room. He shined his flashlight into the dark room and couldn't stifle a laugh as the wall lit up with drawings of zombies with penises for heads and a barbaric character yielding a giant sword along with the caption "Captain Gravy vs. The Zombie Dickheads!!"
He found himself giggling again as he cleared the women's restroom next. This time he was treated to a unicorn with a penis for a horn impaling more dick headed zombies. JT couldn't believe it when he noticed #zombie written on the mirror.
For a small moment JT forgot about this whole mess and instinctively reached into his pocket to grab his phone. He wanted to snap a pic to send to his friends or show Hannah. That feeling quickly faded as he remembered those services no longer existed. That world was gone for now. He got back to the job at hand.
He turned around and noticed what looked like hundreds of bloody footprints. Also stains that looked like bodies had been dragged along the floor. They led through the 'Employees Only' door. JT slowly followed them until coming into sight of the freezer.
Painted on the door in orange were the words "SAFE HAVEN AWAITS"
"What the fuck?" His words echoed in the empty kitchen.
The freezer door had a screwdriver through the padlock hole that would prevent it from being opened. JT approached the door and nervously leaned against it listening for any movement on the other side.
He couldn't hear anything. He slowly pulled the screwdriver out of the handle, took a deep breath and released the handle to open the door.
"Blah!" JT exclaimed as the stench overtook him. He slammed against the door and dropped to his knees heaving and feeling like he was going to puke. A pile of dead bodies were inside. A big pile. It was the worst thing he had ever seen and the worst smell he had ever encountered. With one arm draped over his nose and mouth, he grabbed the screwdriver with his other hand and jammed it back in place.
His stomach was still churning from the smell as he leaned on the prep counter in the kitchen, trying to control his breathing and regain his composure. Frantic honking made him forget all about the horrible smell.
JT sprinted for the front door, drawing his gun while in full stride. He popped outside and was shocked to see two men by the Jeep. Ashley still sat inside, clearly in terror. Hannah was standing by the front of the Jeep, the bat cocked back over her shoulder. The man wearing fatigues had his rifle trained on Hannah. The other had a meat cleaver in his hand but was holding it loosely at his side. He was looking between the man and Hannah anxiously.
"Hey! Back the fuck off!" JT shouted, raising his pistol up. He swept it back and forth between the two men. From the corner of his eye he saw an older man huffing and puffing across the parking lot.
"Now, now, now let's not get all Hatfield and McCoy here boys. Dusty, drop your gun and let's talk about this," the older man said in between ragged breaths.
JT stole a glance at the girls. Ashley looked like she was going to cry at any moment. Hannah held the bat, she looked nervous but still poised to unwind at any second.
"Come on nowpeople. We really going to do this?" the older man continued. "My name is Gus, the hyper sensitive guy with a gun in these ladies's faces is Dusty. Next to him is Alan."
"Hannah, what's going on?" JT said, never taking his sights from the two men.
Dusty turned from Hannah to JT. "Drop the weapon punk!" He ordered.
"Not a fucking chance!" JT took another step closer to Dusty.
"These guys looked like they were rushing the store. I jumped out to stop them. I didn't want them to attack you from behind," Hannah explained.
"Hey, how about you guys put the guns down and let's talk before someone gets killed," Ashley squeaked out the window. "We have enough to worry about without you getting into a shooting match."
JT did a quick evaluation. Dusty looked ready to shoot them all and not lose any sleep over it. Alan looked more hesitant as he limply held a cleaver. Gus was weaponless. He seemed trustworthy, but it wasn't just his life in his hands now. If he made one wrong decision, all three of them could be killed.
"I have your back JT," Hannah said, tightening her grip. "Why don't all you men put your guns down."
"You need a woman to stand up for you?" Dusty sneered.
"On second thought JT, shoot this condescending prick. Then we can go." Hannah cranked back the bat a little more.
"Damn it Dusty! Stand down. They seem like normal folks, just like us." Gus sounded worried.
"Dusty?" JT laughed. "Lame name. You look like more of a Dickto me."
"Stop, just stop!!" Ashley screamed from the Jeep. Both men turned to look. Gus and Hannah exchanged a glance, then both stepped in between JT and Dusty. Alan took a couple of steps back.
"Let's all play nice now children," Gus said, pushing Dusty's rifle out of his face.
"Old timer," Dusty scowled, "if you ever do something like that again, I will leave you on the side of the road to fend for yourself."
"Yes sir, Sarge sir and all of that," Gus sarcastically saluted. JT was unable to help a small chuckle from escaping him.
"We just stopped in to use the throne and hopefully find some snacks before continuing our road trip to hell," Gus continued. "Lord knows we didn't expect to find other survivors. Now that things are a tad bit calmer, what's y'alls names?"
JT was hesitant to answer. He was still jazzed, his temper pounded in his head. Gus seemed like a nice enough old man, funny too. Dusty, he still wanted to knock his teeth down his throat.
"Gus, I'm Hannah," She dropped the bat to her side and shook his hand. "Next to me is JT and Ashley is the one in the Jeep."
Gus turned and waved over to the blue SUV they had arrived in. Out of it popped another person.
Turning back Gus said. "That over there is Tyrone. We are just one big happy traveling family, as you can tell."
Again JT grinned against his will. Maybe these guys weren't so badafter all. There was plenty to share in the store. They could all grab what they needed and go their separate ways.
"How is it in the store?" Dusty asked as he slung his rifle over his shoulder. "Did you do a full recon?"
"It's clear," JT replied. He wasn't going to take any shit from this guy. The nerve, questioning his abilities. "Also, surprisingly, the store isn't in bad shape. There's enough stuff in there that we don't need to fight over it. I just wouldn't go in the freezer, if I were you."
Harold was driving back from another excursion into town. He had grabbed a few things that were rattling in the back of his pickup. His real objective though was scouting things out, trying to plan which need had the highest priority. He was clearing out the zombies he found during each trip. That made things easier for the next time.
The empty stores were like abandoned gold and silver mines, waiti
ng to be reclaimed, which he was happy to do. If he could just figure out a more efficient way to get everything back to his cabin.
He was so deep in thought, he almost didn't see the woman ahead of him walking alongside the highway. She was walking towards him. He slowed down as he approached and could see she looked to be about his age, red hair, in prettygood shape. She carried a knapsack slung over her shoulder and had a big, brown sun bonnet on her head. It had a purple flower jutting out of a band that went around it right above the brim.
She looked up, locked eyes with him, and began waving both her arms in the air. Harold came to a stop right beside her.
"An honest to goodness truck on the road. It's been awhile since I have seen one of those," she said, leaning on the open driver side window. "Hi, I'm Barb."
"Barb." Harold echoed.
"Yep. Say, you wouldn't mind giving me a ride would you? My feet are killing me and I have no idea how much more walking I have to do."
She headed around to the passenger door and jumped in before Harold even gave a reply. His eyes widened in astonishment.
"Where are you going exactly?" he said with a start.
The woman, Barb, had really thrown him off. This was about the last thing he expected today.
"I'm not so sure where I'm going. I started seeing these signs for someplace called Safe Haven, with arrows pointing the way. That's got to be some kind of survivor community. That's what I think, anyway. I've just had a bear of a time finding it. I have been on my own for so long, walking in circles, I felt like I was about to go crazy. It's nice to find you, ya know? Say, you know anything about Safe Haven? Please tell me you know the way."
Harold contemplated before answering. He had started spray painting the Safe Haven signs not long ago. It was a compulsion he didn't really understand but was impossible to ignore. The impulse came to him one day. A message from God, his Dad would have said. He tried to reject it. Then the pounding headaches started, and he began to have strange dreams about his mother. It all went away right after spraying the first sign. Now here was this woman, Barb. She was the first fruits of his labors. She had nearly been drawn right to his doorstep by the signs. The woman awoke something in him, and even though he didn't know what his plan was beyond making the signs, the start of one coalesced in his mind.
