Vera headed for the center of town, driving ever deeper into the infected zone. Already decomposition and exposure were taking its toll on the undead citizens, and she wrinkled her nose as a whiff of decay snuck into the cab. “Ugh, that’s nasty!”
She closed the small gap in her window and cranked up the air conditioning, heaving a sigh of relief as the scent of pine needles wafted from the air freshener stuck to the vents.
The shambling inhabitants looked the part as well with their grey and mottled skin, milky eyes, maggoty wounds, and rotten teeth. Clara turned her head away with a grimace. “Vera?”
“Yes?”
“Do you think they’ll last forever? Or will they…you know, rot away?”
Vera hesitated. It was a fair question, one she’d pondered already in the deep of night when she struggled to sleep. She secretly hoped the latter. “I’m not sure, sweetie. They shouldn’t even exist, let alone walk around, so I really don’t know. Let’s hope they rot away in time.”
Clara nodded in agreement, her eyes large and troubled. “What if my mom and dad look like that? Or my brother?”
“I’m sure they don’t, sweetie.”
This was an old topic of conversation between them, but one she never prevented Clara from bringing up. The girl had lost her entire family in one afternoon, and she could hardly be blamed for wanting to talk about them, no matter how depressing.
“But what if they do?” Clara insisted.
“Well,” Vera said, chewing on her bottom lip. “I don’t think it’d be them anymore.”
“What do you mean?” Clara asked just like she had a hundred times before.
“When a person dies, their soul goes to Heaven, right?” Vera answered, repeating her theory for the sake of the child’s desperate need to believe in something better.
“That’s what the teacher at Sunday school taught us,” Clara said. “And the preacher.”
“It’s true. When these people died, their souls went to Heaven,” Vera replied, indicating the zombies that flashed by in the window. “All that’s left behind is the body, but it’s empty.”
“Like a doll,” Clara said, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
Vera nodded. “Just like a doll. They move, but their souls aren’t there anymore. It’s not them, not the people they used to be before.”
Clara sat back, staring straight ahead. “I hope so.”
“I’m sure of it.”
Clara’s face relaxed at the warm assurance in Vera’s voice, and she smiled. “I’m so glad I have you.”
“So am I, baby girl,” Vera replied, reaching over to squeeze her hand.
A few more turns got them onto the main street, and the houses made way for shops and restaurants, instead. A few windows were broken, and a bunch of places had been looted, but it was deserted. The only signs of life were the odd stray cat or dog and roosting pigeons in the gutters.
The truck followed the curvature of the road at a steady pace while Vera kept her eyes peeled for trouble. Blockages in the road, car crashes, and potholes…they were all familiar obstacles by now.
Already nature was taking over from humanity. Shoots of green grass pushed through the concrete on the sidewalks, and monkeys gamboled in the trees. The lack of people policing them had granted free range to the wily primates who took full advantage of the situation to plunder the city at will.
Clara stared out the window at the passing shops, quiet for the moment, while Vera navigated. She no longer bothered to swerve out of the way for the zombies. Instead, she nudged them with the bull bar up front, ignoring their raspy groans and the occasional splash of blood or brains. It was strange how quickly a person got used to it, even Clara who’d cried nonstop in the beginning. Now she hardly noticed.
It never got less scary, though, when a mob of infected descended on the truck to beat on the windows. The sight of their gruesome faces and their hungry leers was enough to fuel many a nightmare.
They were approaching a four-way stop clogged with cars, and Vera silently cursed as she looked for a way through. A bunch of vehicles was strewn across the tar, evidence of the panic that had reigned there only days before. Abandoned luggage littered the ground, and blood painted the windows in a macabre display of death.
Praying they didn’t slash a tire on the broken glass, Vera picked her way through to the other side. They’d almost made it when Clara suddenly yelled, “Look!”
Her finger pointed past the crossing to a small shopping center with an open parking lot, and Vera craned her neck to see. “What is it? What do you see?”
“There’s a whole bunch of zombies trying to get inside the shop,” Clara replied. “That means people, right?”
Vera nodded. “That’s right. Well spotted, Clara.”
Clara beamed at the praise and lifted her chin. Her excitement was palpable, and she jumped up and down in her seat. “Do you think there’s a lot of them? Have they been in there for long? How will we get them out?”
“Whoa, there. Hold your horses. Remember the last time we tried to help somebody?” Vera said.
Clara’s face fell, and she slumped in her seat. “I remember.”
Vera hated to spoil the moment for Clara. She was still so young and innocent. To her, everybody was a good guy, but that was far from the truth. The last time they tried to rescue a small group of people, it almost got them killed.
It turned out they didn’t need saving and were only too happy to rob a pair of naive children of everything they owned. It was only Vera’s quick thinking that saved the day. She’d produced her gun with lightning speed and aimed it at the leader’s head. With a manner as cool as ice, she’d threatened to blow his head off unless he let them go. Unwilling to call her bluff, he’d let them leave. It’d had been a bitter lesson, though. One she wouldn’t soon forget.
“It doesn’t mean we won’t try to help, Clara, but we must be careful. Don’t do anything stupid, okay?”
“Okay,” Clara said, her smile now firmly fixed in place once more.
Vera eyed her with an ache in her heart. She’s so lonely. She needs other people, a family, friends, but will she get it?
After navigating through the crossing, Vera drove past the shopping center slowly. A few cars were still in their spots, some with their doors open. Abandoned trolleys littered the ground with forgotten purchases strewn about.
There were no infected wandering about like they usually did because they were all jammed up against the glass doors, moaning and banging their fists without cease. She wondered who might be inside, and how many, but most of all she wondered what to do. Would it be a mistake to help? Or was there someone genuinely in need?
A quick glance at Clara’s hopeful face only worsened her indecision, and her stomach churned as nervous tension set in. She was responsible for both their lives, and one mistake was all it took.
Vera sighed when she realized she had no option. Not really. She had to try, even if it cost her everything. To do otherwise went against the grain, against every belief she had about life and justice.
“Here goes,” she muttered, drawing to a stop before opening the door. “Wait here, Clara. Don’t move a muscle.”
Clara nodded, her dark skin now the color of milky coffee.
Vera jumped out with her hand resting on the gun in her belt and did a quick circuit to make sure the immediate area was clear. When satisfied, she turned toward the clamoring throng of zombies and screamed at the top of her voice. “Hey, you rotters! Over here!”
It took a few tries before they noticed her, several seconds during which she screamed her throat raw and jumped up and down like a mad woman. At last, their heads turned toward her. As one, their teeth bared, and they sprinted across the empty parking lot. Some fast, others slow.
With her heart in her throat, Vera watched them come until she couldn’t wait any longer. Clara panicked when she saw how close the zombies were and added her voice to the din in a shrill note of hysteria. “Get
in! Please, get in!”
Vera wasted no more time and jumped inside the truck just as the first runners reached the vehicle, their bodies crashing into the side. Clara screeched as the truck rocked on its wheels, and for a second, Vera feared she’d made the biggest mistake of her life.
Jostled back and forth, she jammed the gears into first and planted her foot on the gas. With a roar, the truck lurched forward, bowling over a man who went flying across the bonnet with a loud crunch of broken bones. At last, they were off, followed by a steady stream of infected people.
Once they’d gained a little distance, Vera let go of the breath she’d been holding and eased into a slow but steady pace. A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed her that the zombies were following at various distances as fast as their diseased bodies allowed. “Thank God, that worked.”
Clara stared at her as if she’d grown a second head. “They almost got you.”
“Not really, sweetie. I was safe.”
“They did, they almost had you, and…” Clara said, her face contorted with anger and fright. “Don’t ever do that again. I almost lost you.” Fat teardrops brimmed on her lids before pouring down her cheeks, and her little shoulders shook.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Clara. I didn’t mean to scare you like that. Please, calm down,” Vera said as she wrapped one arm around the shivering child while keeping the truck on the road with the other. “I’m all right, see? I’m still here, and I’ll never leave you.”
Clara sniffed, her voice muffled and her face pressed against Vera’s jacket. “Promise?”
“I promise.”
Vera’s Vow - Chapter 3
After leading the zombies from the supermarket on a merry chase throughout half the town, Vera doubled back. She was careful not to have an entourage this time, which meant she had to use all the ingenuity she possessed. It was worth the time and effort, though, when she pulled up to the front of the store and faced an empty parking lot.
She studied the low squat building sprawled across the square in a half rectangle. The front doors were still closed, and nothing moved on the inside or out. Either those within were staying put, or they were dead. I hope it’s not the latter.
“Clara, stay here,” Vera said, coming to a swift decision. “I’m going in.”
“I want to go with you.”
“No way, Clara. We don’t know what’s in there. It could be dangerous.”
Clara’s face fell, but she sat back in her chair without further argument. Vera opened the door and slipped out, her feet hitting the tar with a determined step. Though not thrilled about going into an unknown situation, it had to be done.
She checked the knife on her hip. It was secure in its sheath as was the screwdriver hidden beneath her jacket. Next, she pulled her gun from its holster and checked the load. It was full. With both hands holding the weapon in front of her, she shot Clara a quick glance over her shoulder.
For a moment, they stared at each other in silence, a million unsaid things passing between them. “Lock the door behind me, but if I come running, be ready to open.”
Clara nodded, her face solemn. “Go.”
“I’ll be back soon, sweetie.”
“I know. You promised, remember?”
“I remember.”
Vera turned around and sucked in a deep breath. Out of all the things she’d faced over the past two weeks, this surely wasn’t the worst or even the scariest, but she’d learned the hard way not to take anything for granted.
After a brief pause, she broke into a run, her feet pounding the concrete in a rhythmic beat. She crossed the short distance in a flash and paused again to study the surrounding area. It was clear for the moment. No zombies. She knew they’d be back, however. They always were.
A thick silence fell as her footsteps faded away to nothing. The atmosphere was grim, made worse by a bank of clouds rolling in from the East. The billowing mass blocked the sun, and a sudden chill filled the air.
Vera shivered as she shuffled closer to the front doors and windows of the shop. The glass was grimy, smeared by countless undead hands into a mess of dried blood and dirt. Trolleys and baskets littered the ground both inside and out. A plastic bag stirred in the rising wind, and a waft of sour milk rose from a trampled carton.
She squinted into the gloomy interior, but it was hard to see anything through the filth. Her hand reached out for the handles, and the rattle of chains confirmed her fears. It was locked.
Vera looked around to make certain she was alone and shook the doors again, louder this time. “Hello?”
She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against the glass. A ghostly figure appeared from the gloom, and she smothered a shriek as she jumped backward. Her foot became entangled in a basket, and she almost fell, tripping over the stupid thing.
With her heart banging in her chest, Vera regained her balance and kicked away the offending basket. She watched as a young girl approached the glass from within with stilted movements, her face a blank canvas.
At first, Vera thought the girl was infected and waited for her to attack the barrier between them. She didn’t move, though, and stared at Vera with haunted eyes rimmed in red. Sandy hair fell to her shoulders in a tangled mess and her clothes were stiff with dried blood.
Swallowing, Vera stepped closer. “Hello?”
The girl remained silent.
“Hello? Are you okay? I’m here to help.”
The girl didn’t even blink.
“I won’t hurt you.”
Nothing.
What the hell? Is she sick? Crazed, maybe? Vera glanced at the truck where an anxious Clara sat waiting. Maybe I should just go.
Her stomach rolled when she noticed the first figures of infected in the distance. They’d come back as she’d known they would. The damned things were tireless. Relentless. I have to go, but the girl…I can’t just leave her. She’ll die if I do.
“Miss, don’t be scared. Please.” A few moments passed, and she tried again. “Miss, I’d really like to assist you, but I can’t do anything if you don’t let me.”
The girl raised a hand and mouthed the words. “Help me.”
A tiny burst of hope filled Vera, and she looked over the girl’s shoulder into the shop. “Yes, I’m here to help you. Are there any more of you?”
A negative shake of the head.
“Can you get out? It’s locked.”
Fear filled the girl’s face. “It’s not safe.”
Vera lifted the gun. “I can protect you, and I’ve got a car, but you have to come out. Now.”
The girl shook her head again, and Vera sighed. “Look, I’m sorry, but if you won’t come out, I’ll have to leave you. Your choice.”
To show she meant it, Vera backed away a few steps. For a long moment, nothing happened. Then the girl nodded and produced a key from her pocket. With slow motions, she unlocked and unwound the chains around the handles. Lethargy marked her every move, and Vera wondered what was wrong with her. Is she ill? Traumatized?
Vera eyed the approaching crowd of infected and shifted from one foot to the other. They were getting much too close for comfort. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, the nearness of danger sending her senses into overdrive.
“Hurry! You have to hurry, please,” she begged. The girl opened the doors at last, and Vera beckoned to her. “Come on. Follow me.”
When the girl simply blinked, Vera took a chance and reached for her hand. The girl flinched at her touch but remained motionless otherwise. With gentle fingers, Vera gripped her wrist and pulled. “It’s not far. You can do it. I’m here for you.”
With shuffling steps, the girl followed Vera to the truck and climbed into the back with much coaxing. She immediately curled up into a fetal position while Vera slammed the door shut and slid in behind the wheel.
None too soon either. As Vera steered the car out of the lot, the first infected reached it and flooded inside with a chorus of groans. She bypassed the crowd and got o
nto the main road. While keeping an eye on the way ahead, she asked, “What’s your name?”
No answer.
Vera flashed Clara, who’d thus far sat as quietly as a mouse, a pleading look. Clara twisted around in her seat. “Hello. My name’s Clara. This is Vera, my friend. Who are you?”
“L…Laura.”
“That’s a nice name.”
“Thank you.”
The girl’s voice sounded hoarse, and Vera passed Clara a bottled water. “Here.”
Clara offered the water to Laura who snatched it from her hand and gulped it down in one swig. Halfway through, she coughed and sputtered, her face turning blue.
“Easy does it,” Vera said. “A little at a time.”
After Laura had drunk her fill, Vera questioned her. Who was she? How long had she been trapped inside the shopping center? Has she been alone all this time? What happened to her?
When it became clear Laura wasn’t going to answer, Vera decided to let it go and focused on getting out of town instead. Whoever the girl was, she’d been through hell and back. The evidence of that lay in her haunted eyes and the rank smell that emanated from her body.
After a few minutes, Clara turned to Vera. “She’s sleeping.”
“Poor thing. She’s been through a lot it seems.”
Clara nodded. “What now?”
Vera sighed. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I don’t know, baby girl. I guess we find somewhere safe to hole up for a few days.”
“Like a house?”
“Yes, we can’t all three sleep in the truck. Plus, I think she needs a little time to come right again.”
“Will she?”
“I don’t know, sweetie. I don’t know.”
Vera’s Vow - Chapter 4
On the outskirts of town, Vera stopped by a small garage to refill the empty jerry cans in the back. They still had plenty of fuel, but the place was deserted which meant it was too good to pass up.
With Laura and Clara safely tucked away, she got the empty cans and checked the pumps. To her relief, the power was still on. How long that would last, she didn’t know, and what they would do then, she didn’t know either.
Children of the Apocalypse: Mega Boxed Set Page 113
