The Reawakening (The Living Dead Trilogy, Book 1)

by Joseph Souza

  “Holy Christ!” Gunner shouted, moving over to his anguished wife.

  Delia lay on the floor, bleeding and crying out in pain, arms groping upwards the ceiling. The raw, exposed tendons on her shoulder, neck and face shone with a terrible intensity. The expression on her face haunted me, and would haunt me until the day I died. A gaping hole opened up where her nose had once been. Blood and milky pus oozed out of it. The sinewy, white ends of nasal cartilage flapped in the air. Gunner tried to staunch the flow with a towel, but I grabbed his arms and pushed him off her. He glared at me with hatred in his eyes as Delia screamed in agony, her arms waving in the air.

  “What the hell you doing, dude? You got a death wish?”

  “There’s a box of latex gloves in the bathroom. I’ll go grab two pairs. Your wife has just been infected.”

  “What do you mean infected?”

  “You want to end up like that?” I pointed towards the dead creature lying motionless on the floor. “You want to leave your kids orphans because you were too stupid to take precautions?”

  “Nah, dude.”

  “Good, because that monster used to be Rick’s wife. She got bit by one of the infected cows.”

  “Shit!”

  “Shit is right. Now don’t move, Gunner, until I come back with those gloves.”

  I returned with the gloves, and we pulled them on. I grabbed one of the towels off the table and then pressed the larger of the two strips against Delia’s face. I handed the other one to Gunner and ordered him to tie it around her shoulder. The cloth quickly became soaked with blood, and I had to get another one to staunch the flow. Her anguished cries felt like daggers in my ears, and I wondered when I would wake from this nightmare and be back in my Back Bay home with my family, writing novels and sipping single malts in my comfortable office. I ran into the bathroom and pulled the ointment out of the medicine chest. I removed the blood-drenched cloth off her face, squeezed some ointment into the open wound, and then pressed down. Delia let out a bloodcurdling scream. I turned away, the sight of her too horrific to bear. Ripping off a longer, wider strip, I made a sling for her arm. I ordered Gunner to treat her shoulder the same way. Then I stood and took a deep breath. I needed Rick’s help, but I knew he couldn’t bear to see his wife in such a hideous condition.

  “Where the hell you going, dude? My wife needs help here!” Gunner shouted.

  “I need to remove Susan’s body before Rick sees it.”

  “You can’t just leave my wife like this.”

  “Just keep applying pressure, and I’ll be right back. I need to get rid of this thing before we all become infected.”

  I grabbed it by the ankles, refusing to believe that this creature had once been my loving sister-in-law. I dragged her past the table, trying hard to ignore the moans of agony emanating from Delia. As I dragged Susan’s body out, I noticed that it left a trail of fetid gray brain matter in its wake. Once at the doorway, I dropped its ankles, opened the door, and dragged it to the furthest corner of the driveway. The odor emanating from the corpse was terrible, a putrid mixture of decay and death. I dragged it another thirty yards before I dropped its ankles and ran back inside. As I sprinted back to the house, I looked up and saw three hawks circling above my head and preparing to attack. By the time I made it back inside, I was dirty and exhausted, and struggling to catch my breath. I grabbed the rifle off the table and then went back into the pantry and found some lighter fluid and a pack of matches.

  “Now where you going?”

  “Just shut up, and take care of your wife.”

  I ran back outside, ignoring Delia’s cries. Glancing up, I saw the hawks nosediving towards me. I pointed the rifle skywards and waited until the last moment. Then I pulled the trigger. Two of them spiraled to the ground. The wounded birds fluttered their wings, trying to rise up. I sprayed them with lighter fluid and dropped a lit match, and they quickly went up in flames. I sprinted over to the monster that had once been Susan and sprayed her from head to toe. I dropped a lit match over its body and watched as it went up like a bonfire. The smell of its burning, decaying flesh nearly caused me to pass out. I staggered back to the house, noticing the lone hawk circling above, readying to resume its attack. Once inside, I shut the door behind me and collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath.

  Chapter 6

  DAR RAN OVER AND HELPED ME up. We went over to the window and stared at the burning corpses out in the driveway. Rick joined us as the remains of his wife went up in the pyre. The flames jumped and crackled in the wind and seemed to glow a deep orange. Reflected against the rolling hills, it appeared like some flickering apparition.

  Behind us, Delia continued to wail in pain. Rick ordered Gunner to take his frail wife into the next room where the two children were asleep, and then instructed Dar to carry the sleeping children upstairs. The sound of her tortured cries pierced my ears as we sat down at the table to discuss a plan.

  “So we know what we’re dealing with. We need to shut down their brains in order to kill them. It appears that all the animals around this area have become infected with the contagion. The how and why we don’t yet know. But what we do know for sure is that if you get bitten by one of these things, the host enters your bloodstream and you’ll get sick,” Rick said.

  “Uncle Rick, how can you be so calm and cool right now? You act like Aunt Susan never even existed,” Dar said, tears in her eyes.

  “Look, Dar, your aunt Susan’s gone, and there’s nothing we can do to bring her back. I’ll grieve when the time is right, so don’t give me any of your shit right now, okay?” Rick said. He turned to me. “We have a serious situation on our hands, Thom, that requires clear thinking and sound judgment. It’s something I’ve been preparing for these last few years.”

  “If what you say is true, Rick, then we have another big problem on our hands. Delia and her daughter were bitten by that dog. What are the odds that the two of them will turn into one of these things?” I asked.

  “Good question. This contagion might affect people in different ways. What could kill one person may have no effect on another.”

  “But you saw the animals out there after you shot them. Nearly every single one of them came back to life,” Dar said.

  “Or remained dead,” I said.

  “Or undead,” Dar said. “They’re freaks, whatever they are!”

  “Why don’t we stick to what we do know. Maybe there’s a biological mechanism that only makes them appear dead.”

  “Appear dead? Are you serious?”

  “Okay, mister novelist, what do you propose we do?”

  “For starters, I’d like to head over to that general store down the road and see what the hell is going on out there. I can pick up some supplies while I’m there and make a quick call home and then to the authorities.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” Rick said.

  “Dar, you stay here with Rick and the others and make sure the kids are okay. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “The nearest store is ten miles away. Head down the main drag, and you can’t miss it. It’s located at the very end of the road. Make sure you get some more first aid supplies just in case. Always can use more of that. I have plenty of food and water,” Rick said.

  “I want to go with you, Dad,” Dar said.

  “No way. You need to stay back and help out with the kids,” I said.

  “It’s okay if she wants to go with you, Thom. Gunner and I can keep an eye on the kids while you’re gone. You two won’t be that long.”

  “Okay, Dar, looks like you’re riding shotgun.”

  Rick grabbed one of the rifles and passed it over to me. Dar had only shot a rifle a couple of times and only under the supervision of Rick while out in the pasture. He kissed Dar on the head and then started to tap his finger against his temple.

  “Remember, Dar, aim for the skull. You go for the body and these things will keep coming. Shut down the cerebral cortex and you unplug these son-of-a-bitche
s.” Rick pulled out a Glock and handed it to me. “Take this with you just in case you come into close contact with one of those crazy dogs. I have plenty of other guns to choose from, and plenty of ammo, so don’t be afraid to use it.”

  “We shouldn’t be gone too long.”

  Dar and I stood at the door, waiting to head out. We scanned the sky and pasture for any potential predators. When the coast appeared clear, we sprinted out to the car. Thousands of birds circled above us, darkening the sky, but they flew too high to be any real threat. We passed the smoldering remains of the birds, their ashes soaring up into the wind. To our right burned the charred remains of Susan, tiny flames still dancing along the shrunken corpse. Ashes flew up and took root in the current, getting carried far up in the air. Upon approaching the car door, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the keys. Dar screamed from the other side as a formation of birds began to descend upon us. I unlocked the car, and the doors clicked open. We rushed inside and slammed the doors shut, and the BMW roared to life. Suddenly, we heard a loud series of thumping all around us. Metal popped and windows pinged.

  “What the hell is that?” I said, hunched down and looking around.

  “Holy crap!” Dar said, pointing towards the sunroof.

  The birds crashed against the windshield, along the windows and against the roof and trunk. Through the moon roof, I could see their continued assault. It looked like thousands of arrows raining down upon us. Their eyes looked ferocious, and they seemed intent on dying for their cause. Some of the birds survived and fluttered about on the blood-smeared windshield, their legs bent and wings broken at weird angles. I punched the gas pedal and peeled it out of there until I reached the paved road. Once we were safely coasting along, I breathed a sigh of relief. I turned on the radio to see if I could gather some news about the situation facing us, but heard only static. The road ahead was long and winding, and as I drove, I continued to scan the radio for any stations that might be airing news.

  “That was completely messed up,” Dar said, shaking her head in disbelief. “Why are they attacking us like that?”

  “That’s the million dollar question.”

  “I realize we’re in the middle of nowhere, but isn’t it weird that we haven’t even seen another car on the road?”

  “Everything is screwed up now.” I looked over at her. “How you doing?”

  “Much better than before.” Dar crossed her arms and stared out the window.

  “I’m really proud of you, Dar. You’re a lot tougher than I thought.”

  “Whatever.”

  “I love you, Dar.”

  “Cool.”

  We rode the rest of the way in silence. By the time we emerged out of the thick woods and into the clearing, we could see the general store at the end of the road. The parking lot was packed with cars, trucks and motorcycles, and a group of men milled around the store’s entrance. The sight of them caused my spirits to soar. I turned into the lot and saw the men shouting at each other, wielding guns and drinking beer from bottles. Some of the men pointed their shotguns skyward and fired into the air. Birds fell from the sky as they exchanged high fives. The sound of intermittent gunfire blasted in our ears, and I realized that many of the men were drunk. Dead birds, squirrels, raccoons and possum lay scattered over the blood-spattered parking lot and pushed off to the side. Someone was pouring gasoline over them and lighting a match. The men guzzled beer and bottles of liquor, oblivious to the carnage around them. I parked the BMW, got out, and approached one of them with my arms raised.

  “What’s going on? Is the store even open?”

  “Mister, you ain’t getting anywhere near that store. The Humphrey gang went in there and took the place over. Couple guys with guns tried to make their way past them boys, but they turned right around when they saw who was in there. They’re the ones deciding who gets what and when they get it.”

  “Why are they being such assholes?”

  “World’s going to hell in a hand basket, if you haven’t heard. You got your head buried in the damn sand?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Some people saying it’s the end of times,” the man said, taking a pull on his beer. “Them Humphrey boys dragged a few biker rivals inside and used them as shooting practice,” the man said, pointing at a bird on the pavement that was starting to reawaken. “See that critter? Fucked up, ain’t it! We just keep shooting them suckers till they’re good and dead.” He aimed at the bird and blew its head clear off.

  I turned to Dar, who was still sitting in the car, and told her to lock all the doors and wait inside. I sprinted over to the front door, where I was greeted by a ponytailed giant wearing a black leather motorcycle jacket.

  “We’re closed for business,” the burly man said, holding a shotgun in his oversized hands. “Now beat it, dork, if you know what’s good for you.”

  “You don’t understand, mister, I have two sick people back at my brother’s house, and we need some medical supplies to help them recover.”

  “Boo fucking hoo. Now get the hell outta here before I pin your ears back on that girly head of yours.” He took a long swig from a bottle of Jack Daniels and then readjusted the wad of tobacco bulging in his lower lip.

  “You don’t seem to understand the severity of the situation.”

  “No, you don’t understand, asshole. I already shot a couple of dudes that pissed me off. Wasting a city slicker like you wouldn’t bother me in the least.”

  “Where’d you put the bodies?”

  “Dumped them in the walk-in cooler, same place you’re going to end up if you don’t get outta my face. I’m going to count to three, and you better be gone.”

  He shoved me back hard and pointed the shotgun at my chest.

  “Listen to me. Stay away from them, or you might become infected.”

  “One…”

  “Shoot them in the head if they come back. It’s the only way to kill them.”

  “Two…” His expression began to change.

  He was drunk and unsteady on his feet. These men had been partying hard and were now reveling in their newfound power. I peered inside and saw some of the men making moves on the teenage cashiers. There was fear in the girls’ eyes, but there was nothing I could do to help those poor kids. And now my daughter sat alone inside the car, waiting for me to return. I headed back, but before I reached it, I noticed that two men were dragging Dar off to the side of the lot.

  “Dad!” Dar shouted.

  Panic filled me. What were they planning to do to her? Of course I knew the answer, though I erased it from my mind. I grabbed one of the rifles out of the car and ran over, raising it to fire off a warning shot.

  “Let her go!”

  One of the men turned, big as a house, and looked me up and down before starting to laugh.

  “Pretty boy like you going to shoot me?” he said, holding a bottle of Southern Comfort in his free hand.

  “I won’t hesitate to shoot if you don’t let my daughter go.”

  “Fuck off, asshole! I haven’t had a piece of ass like this in years.”

  The man squeezed Dar’s bicep and began to drag her off into the woods behind the parking lot.

  I aimed the rifle at the burly guy’s head. Dar’s pleas for help quickly brought me back to reality, and I knew I had to act or else something bad would happen to her. This loose confederation of drunken good old boys wouldn’t do anything to help me or my daughter, and there was no way I was going to stand by and let them assault her in broad daylight. I raised the rifle and fired off another shot, but the man simply turned around and gave me the finger.

  “I’m warning you. Let her go right now, or I shoot.”

  “Sure I’ll let her go, just as soon as I get my rocks off with this fresh young bitch!”

  I took aim at his head, said a quick prayer, and fired. He collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from a gaping hole in his neck. It occurred to me that I had killed a human being, though I
felt no remorse for my actions.

  Dar got up and came running to my side. She threw both arms around me and began to sob. The other men in the parking lot, seeing what I’d done, began to circle around us. Surrounded, we had nowhere to go. One of the men walked over and examined his dying friend, and then turned and pointed me out. A few crows flew down and started to peck at the exposed, bloody tendons of the dead man.

  “You killed him.”

  “Get back in the car,” I whispered to Dar.

  “Don’t move, or I’ll shoot the both of you dead,” a tall, thin man said. He was wearing a baseball cap with a car-racing emblem over the visor. He pointed his rifle at my chest. “That was my brother you shot, mister.”

  “I warned him to leave my daughter alone. He didn’t listen to me.”

  The barrel of the gun poked at my chest as birds circled menacingly above. Before I could speak, a couple of the men pinned me up against the car. One of the men grabbed Dar by the elbow and started to drag her away. I tried to go after her, but the other men held me back. I shouted out her name, begged the man not to do anything to her, but none of my pleading seemed to work. Feeling helpless, I watched the man and my daughter disappear into the woods.

  Then a radical plan came to mind. It was a long shot but worth a try.

  “Your brother’s not gone for good. I know how to bring him back to life,” I said.

  “I been drinking all day, mister, but I ain’t that drunk,” the tall man said. “Butch was my kid brother, and now he’s dead. That daughter of yours is gonna pay dearly for the sins of the father.”

  “Please, let me prove it to you. I’ve been blessed with special healing powers, but I only have a small time frame to use them.”

  The others all looked at the tall man for a decision. Cases of pilfered beer sat stacked on the bed of a pickup truck. Men ripped cans out greedily and drained them. The parking lot was littered with empty beer cans, dead animals and broken liquor bottles. Some of the men hoisted bottles of whiskey up to their mouths. Others stumbled and fell they were so drunk. A young kid picked up all the dead animal carcasses and tossed them into the growing bonfire.