Endemic Rise of the Plague

by Jeannie Rae

  All three trespassers bled from wounds caused by the window shards, and seemed oblivious to the fact that they had just fallen through a glass window. Color had vacated their faces. With blackened-out eyes, they appeared sickly. The woman had a large shard of glass stuck in her neck, and yet she and the others shambled forward. Barking and growling at the intruders, the dogs backed up with every staggered step the strangers made. The blackened eyes of the invaders were void of all life, but somehow seemed to project hysteria.

  “What the,” Roxy said pulling both hands up to her scalp, then running them through her lengthy hair, dampened with perspiration.

  “We have to go now!” Ann shrieked, grabbing Roxy’s arm. “They will bite you, let’s go!”

  The taller of the two men made eye contact with Roxy, then began charging forward with a newfound surge of adrenaline. Ann dashed to the left, jerking Roxy’s arm and pulling her out of the path of the tall man. He had charged at them with such momentum that he ran right in to the kitchen table. He crashed to the floor taking a chair with him. By now the two others took notice of occupants of the house. The woman screeched in a maniacal tone as she charged toward them with the same intensity as the tall man.

  Side stepping to her hutch, Roxy retrieved Kate’s softball bat from the unzipped duffle. With no hesitation, she swung the bat at the woman’s skull. The woman’s head whipped over to the side crackling like summertime campfire. She fell to the floor, sliding to a stop near the wall.

  Guilt crept into Roxy’s mind. She had never in her entire life been in a fight or hit anyone with intent to hurt them. Her bottom lip quivered as tears began to filled her eyes. She had no doubt that she had to do whatever necessary to keep these insane intruders away from herself and Ann, but Roxy couldn’t help but feel unnerved at the entire scene before her.

  The shorter man’s were eyes fixed on the girls as he staggered forward, but not with the same quickness as the two before him. At this time, the taller of the men, rose back to his feet. Roxy lost sight of Ann, as she raced toward the taller man and cracked him in the back of the neck with the bat. Ann, returning with a carving knife in her right hand, raced toward the slower man and thrust the blade into his chest. The man seemed unaffected by the knife protruding from his body, instead, he grabbed at Ann’s arms snapped his mouth at her. She wiggled her arms so that he could not take hold of her. He tried to bite her.

  “We have to go! They aren’t going to stop!” Ann shouted running back toward Roxy.

  The woman climbed to her feet, with her head cocked to the side as though her neck were broken.

  “Come on ladies, let’s load up,” Roxy said once more to her dogs, she whacked the woman in the back so that she fell again.

  Her dogs obediently raced for the door in the kitchen. Opening the door, Ann and the dogs entered the garage first. Roxy snagged her blouse and boots with her free hand from the barstool and followed, backing in through the doorway, bat still in hand. She took one last glimpse, and could see the slow man closing in on the kitchen—knife in chest and all, while the other two were scrambling to their feet. She closed herself in the garage, lowered the bat and took up her keys from the wall hook.

  Ann and the dogs were already in the vehicle. Roxy slid into the driver’s seat, starting the engine of her mid-sized sports utility vehicle. She tossed her boots and shirt in the back, sliding the bat behind the passenger seat and buckling up. With Ann following suit by yanking her safety belt on as well, Roxy pressed the button on the remote attached to her sun visor and watched the garage door begin to open.

  Wheezing and salivating, Ann held her wrist. The blood-soaked towel streamed blood, as it could not stop the wound from hemorrhaging.

  “Okay, we’re outta here, and we’ll get you to the hospital,” Roxy declared, in an attempt at reassurance, although she wasn’t certain if she was seeking to reassure Ann—or herself.

  “Yeah, I’m feeling a little light headed. I don’t think I have too much time,” Ann slurred, breathlessly.

  When the garage door reached the top, Roxy backed out of the garage and down the driveway. The street upon which she lived was in utter chaos. Smoke lingered in the air as there were several fires now, including the house directly across from Roxy’s. Neighbors were making their best attempts at eluding the murders that pursued them. Most of the murders were charging in the same fashion as two of the intruders in her house only moments before. Although, a few were also shuffling along like the shorter man that Ann stabbed. At the end of the street, she turned the vehicle and slowly drove down the road, trying not to draw too much attention to her car and not to hit anyone. She also didn’t want another car to come out from nowhere and hit her like the accident she saw earlier. As she rounded the corner to the next street, a man stood directly in her path. Gently, she turned the steering wheel, veering the car the left, away from the man. She watched him as she began to pass. He thrust his body up against the passenger door. Roxy’s dogs barked, jumping at the back passenger window. Blood oozed from the man’s nose and mouth, leaving behind a bloody smudge upon the window before he fell to the ground. She held in a gasp as she accelerated, struggling to control the anxiety that boiled within.

  “Okay, the hospital is only a couple of miles away. Just hold on Ann. I’ll get you there,” Roxy said steadily, depressing the gas pedal a little further with her bare foot.

  “Do you think that those things,” Ann swallowed hard, “those people, are everywhere, or just in our neighborhood?”

  Roxy hadn’t put much thought into this. She hadn’t had time to try to analyze the predicament they were in now, nor the events that had just occurred in her house just moments ago. Things happened so fast. She looked at the time on the stereo.

  I just woke up from my nap seven minutes ago, she thought. She hoped that these things, these people, were only in her neighborhood. As she rounded corner after corner and approached street after street, the mayhem seemed everywhere.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Junior sat in the passenger seat of the Angora issued SUV, marveling at what a magnificent job he’d done convincing Norma Swick to let her husband return to Angora. Rhino had been quiet for nearly the entire ride which wasn’t all that unusual, as they neared the lab. Junior shivered with excitement, knowing that Rhino will tell Randy about how he had really stepped up and handled the situation. It would be pretty sweet to get a little pat of the back from the boss, Junior thought to himself.

  “Are you sure this is safe?” Norma Swick asked from the back seat. “I think he should be in an ambulance or at least on a gurney.”

  “He'll be fine Mrs. Swick. We are only a couple minutes away,” Rhino said plainly, as he accelerated through a yellow light.

  On the passing corner, Junior noticed a gang of about fifteen strange looking people moving toward the curb. The gang quickly spread out into three separate groups and began running toward citizens on the street. Junior craned his neck back to look at the scene as their SUV sped away leaving the disturbance in the distance. “Hey, what was that?”

  Ignoring the comment, Rhino frowned at Junior, “You know, nobody's going to be happy about the misses being along for the ride,” he whispered.

  “I had to think fast,” Junior mouthed.

  Junior took offense to Rhino’s comment and the look on his face. He expected Rhino to be pleased with him for getting the Swicks to come along without incident.

  “Maybe if you didn't talk so fast, I could have offered something to the situation, without bringing her and without mentioning Angora,” Rhino whispered, glaring vengefully at Junior.

  “Well, maybe if we waited any longer for you to get your ideas out—she would have called security on us. Did you think of that?” Junior’s whisper began rising in volume.

  “How about this Junior,” Rhino growled through clenched teeth. “What if he dies on the way to Angora or after he gets there? Now you have opened up the company to a huge lawsuit opportunity. It's not like t
his is on the books, now is it?”

  Junior remained quiet for a moment. He scowled at Norma and let his mind go for just a minute. James would surely fire me for this if anything happens to the old man while the wife is here. The wife would probably sue. Yep. She looks like the type that would sue, in a heartbeat. Damn!

  “Why didn't you say anything? Or stop me? How am I supposed to know what you’re thinking?” Junior said, changing his whispered tone to a less argumentative one.

  “Hey, don't blow this back on me. How could you have been stopped? You just swooped in, with your brilliant explanation before I could even get a word in,” Rhino blasted.

  Junior sat back in his seat trying to sort things out in his head. If things go south on this, his job will be nonexistent.

  “I just can’t believe all this is happening. You know, I think it’s from that bite,” Norma said.

  Junior hesitated, waiting for Rhino to respond to the woman. He turned his head to Rhino, lifting his eyebrows as if to offer him the time reply. Rhino looked over at Junior with sarcastic glare and a nod, “It’s all you bro.”

  “What’s that ma’am? What bite?” Junior turned back in his seat with a frown, thinking that the old woman was half-delusional.

  “That damn, good-for-nothing brother of his bit him—right on the arm. Then—he bit our angel, Jenna, on the hand,” she said pointing to the bandage on Kyle’s arm.

  Junior’s mind began to reel. What is this woman talking about?

  “What happened?” Junior asked in a monotone voice. He really didn’t want to hear about it, he had bigger problems of his own right now, but he didn’t want to be rude to the old lady with an ailing husband beside her.

  “Ever since Kevin got home from that flu shot clinic, he was acting different, like he was back on the gin again. We told him, if he started drinking again, we’d kick him out. And wouldn’t you know it, he went into some tantrum and bit my husband. Little creep!”

  “Wait, who’s Kevin?” Junior asked, puzzled.

  “I told you, Kevin is Kyle’s good-for-nothing brother.”

  “Wait Kevin and Kyle were both at the flu shot clinic?” Junior asked.

  “Well… Kyle was there, but he got tired of waiting and was going to leave,” Norma looked down in shame. “Kyle called Kevin and asked if he wanted a flu shot, so as to not let his spot in line go to waste. So they switched spots.”

  “Whoa, whoa, wait a second. So Kyle never got a flu shot?” Junior asked.

  “Nope, they’ll have another shot clinic at the VA hospital later this month and Kyle can get it there. Kyle thought it would be for the best anyhow, since Kevin doesn’t have any insurance and he’s always coming down with some illness or another. See, Kyle always does right by his brother and do you think Kevin could do the same? No!”

  Junior turned to Rhino who glared out the windshield. Not only did I get Angora into this mess with a sickly old man, but it’s not even the right patient we were supposed to retrieve. Great.

  “He's dead!” Norma squealed. “Oh my god! He's dead! Help him!” she begged Junior with pleading eyes before throwing herself onto her husband’s lap.

  Junior, dumbfounded by this new information from this screaming widow, reached over the seat and felt Swick's neck for a pulse. No pulse. Shaking his head at Rhino, he slumped back into his seat and stared out the front windshield. They were slowing down at the entrance gate to Angora. Rhino looked into the security camera, mounted to the card reader outside the gate, and slid his ID card. The buzzer sounded as the gate began to open.

  “We are almost there Mrs. Swick,” Junior said, repositioning himself in his seat. He sat with his back to the passenger door, so that he could easily see out the windshield and back at the Swicks. Now’s not the time to lose it Junior. Norma wailed uncontrollably, while holding her husband.

  Junior wanted to vomit. This is it. My job is toast. It died in the back seat with Kyle Swick. Randy and James are going to tear into me after this one. He tried to think of what he might say to them, but he couldn’t think straight with the misses back there blaring like a fire alarm.

  Rhino pulled the vehicle through the gate, accelerating as he saw Brody out of the security booth, waiving them on.

  Junior looked out the front windshield, as the SUV sped closer to the building, when Norma’s bellowing transformed into burning squeals. He gave Rhino a panicked look before turning to the backseat.

  “Shit!” Junior yelled.

  Kyle’s mouth was latched on his wife’s neck. Blood had sprayed all over her face and poured down her chest, staining her top. Norma gasped and gurgled, with her eyes peeled open, as her husband maintained his hold.

  “Stop!” Junior yelled.

  Rhino looked in the rearview mirror and slammed on the breaks. Junior smashed into the dashboard and the Swicks smacked into the back of the Junior’s seat.

  “Draw!” Rhino commanded.

  Junior froze. He stared, as Kyle sunk his teeth deeper into the neck of his wife, like he’d seen lions do to their prey on the Environmental Channel. Rhino put the truck in park, drawing his weapon. Without hesitation, pointing the gun at Kyle's head, Rhino squeezed the trigger, just once. Kyle’s body fell limp on top of Norma. The wife didn’t move. Rhino and Junior looked at each other, then at the bodies in the back seat, covered in blood. Rhino reached between the seats and grabbed Norma's shrunken wrist, he shook his head at Junior. They were both dead.

  “Why? Why did he do that?” Junior muttered.

  “I thought he was dead,” Rhino frowned at Junior.

  “Rhino, he had no pulse. I checked it. He was dead,” Junior said, beginning to doubt himself.

  “So, he was dead. Then he woke up, all on his own? No CPR, no defibrillator, just all on his own, right?” Rhino yelled sarcastically.

  “Listen, man,” Junior began, deepening his voice.

  Movement caught Junior’s eye in the backseat. Both men turned around and were stunned to see that Norma had pushed her husband’s corpse off of her. His gory, lifeless body slumped up, against the back of Rhino’s seat. Her head cocked to the right side, away from the wound her husband had inflicted upon her. She slowly sat up, glaring at Junior with hollow eyes. Without a sound, she lunged at him. Her bloody body pressed up against the back of Junior's seat, her arms flailing around, trying to grasp him. Junior crammed himself against the windshield and dash board, trying to stay out of her reach. Awkwardly gasping for air, almost hissing like a cat, she stalked him with starving, soulless eyes. Her eyes, whites included, had completely changed color to black and were pulled open so far, that she appeared to be in a frenzy of sorts. Rhino fired another single head shot, and her body slumped against Junior's seat.

  “Shit, shit, shit! I thought she was dead Rhino! I’m done. I'll walk!” Junior thrust his door open and leapt from the vehicle, slamming the door.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Forty-five minutes had passed since getting stuck on the Wheel, and the crowd beneath the ride began to calm. Some were wandering around, while others stood beneath the wheel looking up at the people contained in the carts.

  “Dad, look,” Kate gasped, pointing forward to the cart directly across from them. “They’re getting out. Where are they going to go?”

  “I’m not sure, hon,” Joe looked around at the wheel spokes and looked back at the young couple evacuating the cart across from them. He steadily stood in the cart reaching out to the spokes.

  “What are you doing? Dad, please sit down,” Kate squealed, without loosening her white knuckle grip from the safety bar. “What will they do when they get to the bottom? In case you forgot, those things are still down there. They haven’t left. They’re just waiting for us to come down, so that they can…get us,” tears welled up in Kate’s soft, brown eyes.

  “Kate, it’s okay. Just relax. I’m just checking things out,” Joe said patiently.

  Chatter started among the riders, the carts began to sway as more people were standing
in their seats and attempting to step out onto the spokes.

  “I’ll be right here,” Joe reached up, grabbing the steel pole above the cart. While trying to maintain his balance, he slowly placed a foot on the edge of the cart. It swayed slightly. He and Kate exchanged a panicked look.

  Joe squeezed the massive steel piping connecting their cart to the ride that extended around the perimeter of the wheel in a giant circle. He delicately maintained his balance while keeping the cart from rocking. With every twinge of the cart, Kate would gasp in terror. Feeling a high degree of balance, he lifted his right foot from the edge of the cart and positioned it on another steel pipe. This one ran parallel with the cart, leading to the center of the giant wheel. Keeping his grip, he steadily shifted his weight from the cart, to the parallel steel. Stepping out of the cart completely, clutching the overhead perimeter pipe, he took a moment to survey the situation.

  The empty cart just below them hung more than three feet above the crowd below, slightly out of their reach. Taking a quick glance upward, Joe felt thankful that they weren't in the cart on the top of the wheel. Once, we’re able to get to the cart below, then what?

  “How you doing sweetie?” He asked, turning his attention to Kate.

  “I'm okay, Dad,” Kate’s voice quivered, breathlessly.

  “Listen. I need you to come out here with me.”

  “No way Dad! I'm not moving,” she tightened her grip.

  “Kate, you have to get out of the cart. Just take your time and slide over to this side,” he pointed to the place where he had been sitting when they boarded the ride.

  “Why Dad? Why do I have to get out? The cops will be here anytime, and they'll help us get down after they arrest those people down there.”

  Frustration overpowered Joe as if he were being strangled by it. All he wanted in this moment was for Kate to trust him. For once, he wanted her to shelf her doubts and questions and do as she’s told. During this critical situation at the carnival, he wanted only a few minutes of compliance from her without having to outline every single detail to her. He took in a deep breath, closing his eyes. As he began to compose himself, he looked to Kate with newfound patience, although it remained clouded with reluctance at what he would need to show her.