“The sun is going down,” said Phil. “We won’t make it back before nightfall.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Justin said quietly. “They’ll catch us by surprise.”
“We know these roads. Keep your wits about you. Try to not make so much noise so we can hear what’s going on around us.”
The three raced against time, but the sun went down. Halfway home, they were tired and scared.
“We need to go faster,” Adam recommended.
“I can’t go much further without resting,” Phil said as he breathed heavily.
“Are you alright?”
“No. I’m old and in poor health. I have to rest before we move on.”
“We don’t have the time,” said Justin. “We need to keep going.”
Suddenly, men from nearby bushes tackled the three survivors. The group struggled for a few moments before reaching for their firearms and killing their attackers. Adam, Phil and Justin had taken a few blows from tire irons. Justin and Adam struggled to get up. Phil was conscious but on the ground crying.
“We used guns,” said Adam. “We probably attracted every zombie within a few miles from here.”
“Should we ditch the goods?” Justin asked.
“We can’t afford to. Phil, you need to get up.”
Phil cried in pain as he continued on with Adam and Justin. They had only walked a mile when Phil collapsed.
“We’re almost home,” Adam encouraged.
“Yeah,” Justin added. “It isn’t far from here. You can do it. Let’s keep going.”
“I can’t!” Phil yelled.
They heard the sounds of numerous moans and growls coming from ahead of them.
“Cut through the woods,” Justin said aloud. “We’ll lose them in there.”
“What about Phil? He can’t keep going. Can the two of us carry him?”
“You can’t carry me. I’m a big guy. I weigh over two hundred eighty pounds. Leave me here and head through the woods. I can’t make it. I’m done. Ditch the carts and come back for them.”
“We’re not leaving you here,” Justin said with anger. “You need to push through the pain.”
“No, you idiot! I’ll distract them. My ribs are broken and I think one of my lungs has been punctured. Come get me, zombies! I’m right here! Come get me! Go, you two!”
Adam and Justin sped off into the woods. The sound of gunshots followed by screaming could be heard as they ran past tree after tree.
23
“We’re going to make it,” Adam said to Justin.
“We had to leave six grocery carts full of valuable resources.”
“We can’t let Phil’s death be in vain. We have to make it.”
A few zombies passed in front of them. It was nothing they couldn’t handle with the baseball bat and butcher knife.
“Let’s move faster, Justin. I feel too vulnerable.”
“Okay.”
They ran through the woods. They were filled with relief after crossing over the wall. Sarah and Eric were found in the attic.
“Did you hear the gunshots?” Sarah asked.
“It was us,” Justin explained.
“Are the two of you okay? Your shirts are covered with blood.”
“Some people attacked us with tire irons.”
“Where’s Phil? Are the people who attacked you dead?”
“The attackers are dead. We killed them before they could kill us. Phil is dead. We had to leave the carts behind. We’ll retrieve what we can tomorrow.”
“Phil is dead? So, it’s just the four of us now. Each time you go out there, there’s a good chance you won’t come back. There’s always a lot of them. I think more and more are coming from the city.”
“Yeah.”
“Our chances are slim, right?”
“Our chances have been slim since the beginning of this nightmare,” Allan said with a shake of his head. “We’re lucky to have made it this far.”
“How can the four of us operate effectively?”
“We don’t know,” Justin answered.
“We only have so much food and water,” said Eric. “After the stuff from the store is gone, we’ll have to go into the city.”
“No,” Adam protested. “That’d be stupid. There are restaurants and gas stations not far from the department stores. We’ll go there before we consider going into the city.”
“Let’s sleep up here,” Eric suggested.
“Sounds like a comforting idea,” said Sarah.
“Yeah,” said Justin. “There are only four of us and too many hostile beings around us. They’ll come for us eventually.”
“Will they?” Sarah asked.
“Probably. When they get desperate, people will eventually find this place.”
“What would we do then?”
“We’d fight and hope to win.”
24
The next day, Adam fired his shotgun from the other side of the neighborhood. His plan worked. In an attempt to find the source of the sound, the majority of the horde moved on. He and Justin waited for a few minutes and disposed of stragglers with the butcher knife and bat. The carts full of food and water were no longer there.
“Someone,” said Adam.
“Yeah. Took it.”
“Let’s get out of here.”
Before they could move on, soldiers rushed them from the ditches. They were perfectly blended in.
“Put your weapons down and we won’t hurt you,” said the biggest man.
“Can you be trusted?” Adam asked.
“This epidemic is coming to an end. Surrender your weapons. There is no need for bloodshed. When we figure out you’re good people, you’ll get your weapons back.”
“Well, we don’t have any other choice. Justin, put your weapons down. These people seem to be legit.”
“Okay. I hope you’re right, Adam.”
“I think I am.”
“Thanks for cooperating. A few minutes ago, the government sent out a nationwide broadcast. People are to wait as long as they can before coming out of hiding. Those zombies are rotting. After a while, there will be much fewer of them. When this blows over, come to the city. We’ll have a civilization there. You’ll get a job, food and shelter. We’re growing food. Soon, the world will be calm again. I wish there were not so many deaths. Far too many have died. If only they could have held out. Too many lives have been taken by this plague. We’re going to build big, thick walls around the city. We’ll trade with other cities. We’ll operate our food factories again.”
The soldiers gave Adam and Justin their weapons back. They also gave them enough freeze dried meals and bottled water to last them for over a week.
“We just need to make it back and wait?” Justin asked the soldiers.
“That’s right. We’ll escort you to your hiding spots. We’re here to help.”
25
The soldiers escorted Adam and Justin to the neighborhood. One of the sergeants handed them three boxes of nine millimeter ammunition.
“Thanks,” Adam said with an appreciative nod.
“We hope to see you soon. We’re going back to our vehicle and waiting this out at our headquarters. Head to the city in a few weeks.”
Sarah, Eric, Adam and Justin listened to a new radio broadcast.
“My fellow Americans, this is your President. According to our scientists, those infected with this virus will no longer be able to harm anyone in a short time from now. There will be cleanup crews. Power, water, food and order will be restored. Stay in your homes for a while longer. Soon, the threats will be minimal. Help one another. America will be amazing once more. We’ve survived. We’ll re-establish connection with any surviving countries. The world’s population has been estimated. It’s estimated that the world’s population has decreased by eighty percent. We have prevailed over this horrible affliction. We will rebuild and become stronger. Every country will work together. We must have unity. My fellow Americans, we wil
l always prevail. God bless you all. I’ll keep in touch with you all until peace has been restored. Thank you!”
Adam, Justin, Eric and Sarah had made it. They had survived the worst of the zombie apocalypse. After not being able to find Sarah’s husband, Adam and Sarah became very close. Sarah helped Adam take care of Eric. Justin became a farmer. Adam and Sarah became traders.
None of the four’s family members were found. They grieved for their loved ones and moved on. It had been noted by all that those who died came back as a walking, flesh eating monster. Because of this, all people in the new city were closely monitored.
Humanity was nearly wiped out. No one was able to determine the cause of the epidemic. Many believed God was punishing humanity for too many sins. Some believed hell overflowed. Everyone who survived worked together to make the world a better place. It would be many years before the world’s population grew and thrived again. One thing was for sure. Humanity was far from extinction.
Harsh Grip
Copyright 2019 Jeffrey McElyea. All Rights Reserved.
Harsh Grip
Jeffrey Benjamin McElyea
1
“Finally finished reading the journal.”
“That took several hours to read, Jason. Wasting that much valuable time may cost you your life.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You should have spent those hours resting. Soon, you’ll be wishing you’d used those precious hours more responsibly. Always rest when possible.”
“I think reading the journal was a good decision, Austin.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah.”
“What makes you think that?”
“The journal flipped my ingenuity switch and was very entertaining. I can’t remember the last time I had fun.”
“It has been quite a while since we’ve seen any of the infected.”
“They’re out there. Trust me on that.”
“Oh, I know. It’s only a matter of time before we cross paths with more of them. Right now, I wonder how many sane people are among the living.”
“Anyone who has survived for this long is crazy, rich or a badass.”
“It’s been a while since all of this started. Everything’s easier now.”
“Everything’s much more difficult now, Austin. Get your head in the game.”
“My head is in the game. You’re just being a buzzkill.”
“It has been over a year and a half since the world went to hell. I feel like we shouldn’t ever leave this place.”
“I know the feeling. I don’t want to leave the safety of the walls. Hopefully, we won’t ever need to.”
“As long as there aren’t complications we can’t handle, we should be okay. There are fewer people roaming around now. Most survivors are part of a large group.”
“I’m not comfortable with the thought of being comfortable. Every time I think everything’s going to be fine, everything turns to shit.”
“Yep. That’s how it goes.”
“We’re never going to get a break, are we?”
“Nope.”
“Damn it.”
“Embrace and get used to it.”
“I know. So, what are you going to do today?”
“Fight.”
“Oh, God. I’m not going to tolerate you doing anything stupid, Jason.”
“Shut up and listen. We need more.”
“Who or what are you planning on fighting?”
“I’m going to participate in the fighting tournament.”
“You’ll lose, Jason.”
“You don’t know everything about me, Austin.”
“My chance of surviving will decrease if you die. Don’t screw up.”
“What will you do today?”
“Might gamble.”
“What will you wager?”
“My spear.”
“That’s crazy.”
“I’m willing to take the risk, Jason. The guards won’t let anyone in the gambling corner cheat. James made sure of that.”
“If you lose, you’ll have to trade something else of great value to get another weapon.”
“If I were to lose, I’d have to give up my rations for a while.”
“Good luck.”
“If I win, I’ll gamble a few more times.”
“Okay.”
“Why does everyone hate us?”
“You know why.”
“Because we’re new here?”
“I have to get ready.”
“You’ve heard the news, right? I didn’t see you at the meeting.”
“I prefer to stay away from large groups of people when I can.”
“One day, the information will be important.”
“You care too much about what these people say, Austin. I don’t think anyone here has useful information. They don’t know any more about what’s going on than we do. Nothing they can say will be about something I don’t already know.”
“You’re full of yourself.”
“You don’t know me.”
“They say there are people going crazy.”
“Are you really going to do this annoying shit today?”
“It’s a kind of crazy we’ve yet to deal with.”
“I’m listening, Austin.”
“Some who are still surviving outside the walls are acting different. Usually, around seventy percent of all outsiders are hostile. The percentage has increased a great deal.”
“People are getting more desperate. Supplies aren’t too hard to find, but the odds of each trip outside the walls being successful are super low now.”
“What you say is true, but that’s not what I mean. A lot of people look different.”
“How so?”
“I think someone has created a bioweapon.”
“No one alive has the technology to make something like that.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“We’re not going to get anything done by sitting here and chatting all day.”
“Good luck with your efforts.”
“Same to you.”
2
Jason walked out of the house, past the market and towards the fighting pits. Because he perceived everyone as a potential enemy, he tried not to attract unwanted attention.
He psyched himself into believing he was permanently smack dab in the middle of a live warzone. Doing so slowly wore his nerves. He believed it was a good idea. Even after winning many fights to the death during the initial outbreak, Jason hated violence and thought he’d never adapt to it. Every moment of every battle frightened him. He was and always would be a timid man.
Jason watched several battles before moving from the crowd to the back of the line of combatants waiting their turn. The man waiting in front of him turned his back to stare and give an aggressive chuckle. The big man was only armed with a meat cleaver. Jason shook his head.
“Idiot,” he thought as he heard a scream coming from the arena.
The man standing in front of him grinned.
“Fool,” the big man said loudly. “Can’t always be on the offensive.”
“Who the hell are you?” asked another big man standing in line.
“I’m the one who will bring you the ultimate change.”
“You’re not from here!” the man with the cleaver yelled.
The big stranger quickly reached for what appeared to be a detonator and pressed the button. Everyone watching paused and waited for an explosion that didn’t come.
“Feel free to kill me,” the stranger said aloud. “It doesn’t matter now. My work here is done. A new experiment will be performed on everyone here. Leave this place immediately or die.”
“What experiment?” a man asked.
“We’re trying to create a vaccine.”
“A vaccine for what?”
“The people here are exposed to a virus that has been going around. In the next three minutes, all who remain in the area will inhale the e
xperimental vaccine. It is being pumped into the air as I speak. The vaccine will kill or cure. I’ve been merciful enough to tell you. Whether or not you leave is entirely up to you.”
A panic erupted but not before Jason took off running towards the market.
“Need to steal before getting out of here,” he muttered, running to the first unattended food cart he saw.
He stuffed his pockets with vegetables and half-filled bottles of water. Without stopping, he ran to the makeshift entrance. The curious men standing guard stared while Jason caught his breath.
“Looks like someone’s in a hurry,” said one of the heavily armed guards as he gripped his rifle. “Could you tell me why you look like you’re in a hurry?”
“I am definitely in a hurry.”
“Why is that?”
“Chaos in the market and fighting area. How can anybody not hear the screams?”
“We don’t leave our posts unless James tells us to.”
“Can I leave?”
“Why would you want to leave? It’s safer inside the walls.”
“I seek fortune,” Jason lied.
“Another trying to make it big, eh? Fair enough. Open the gate, Lucas.”
The steel gate was raised. Jason took a deep breath and walked out. He wondered if Austin would escape the madness.
“Sorry,” he said before taking off.
After reaching a good distance from the gate, Jason nervously examined his surroundings. Everything was dead. He knew nothing near the walls was worth looking at. There was nothing of use or value near here. If someone wanted the best reward, one would have to venture towards almost certain death.
Jason jogged for a half mile. Soon, the intense paranoia hit him like a tank. Attempting to prevent the fear from taking control gripped him to a halt. Several seconds were spent hyperventilating, several more pulling himself together. Instincts forced him to push forward. The lone and frightened young man eventually came across an abandoned highway. Bandits and infected people came to mind. He looked down at the sword on his belt’s right side and frowned.
He knew the sword wouldn’t last for much longer. It was all he could count on when the beginning of the end began ravaging the planet. Jason was confident to be in possession of a hammer and screwdriver. Both tools would be highly effective against the infected. However, living threats were a larger concern. Jason intended to kill anyone he could. It was safe to assume any living people someone came across held malicious intent.
Jeffrey McElyea's Zombie Compilation Page 5
