Omega Virus (Book 2): Gamma Hour

by Jake A. Strife

  I flicked on the light and aimed it around the small storm cellar, finding shelves of canned food. I balanced the flashlight on its end, sending light upward. “This sucks!”

  Kiki crawled next to me and laid her head in my lap. We didn’t say much as the still-violent wind shook the cellar doors. I hoped the storm passed fast.

  “Do you like cats?” Kiki broke the silence. “Like, say, black ones?”

  “I used to like them.” I shrugged.

  “Yay!” She cheered and clapped her hands. “Because there’s one in here!”

  “You mean a stuffed animal?”

  “No, silly. It’s sitting on the shelf over there. Can’t you see its eyes?”

  Fear pierced my soul. I didn’t want to be trapped with a zombeast! Kiki snatched the flashlight, and I cried for her to stop. I couldn’t take anymore. The beam of light landed right on a large furry black thing equipped with green glowing eyes.

  “This day can’t get any worse!” I crawled backward, holding up my arms.

  The cat stared. It didn’t move its eyes, nor did it breathe; only its tail twitched.

  Kiki reached for the zombeast house cat. “Can I pet it?”

  “No!” I snatched the light back, ready to defend us.

  She regarded me with a frown. “But it has cute white paws!”

  “No!”

  “Here, kitty, kitty!” Kiki beckoned the monster.

  It turned its head to stare at her but didn’t make a move. I held still and waited. Why didn’t it attack?

  “Kitty!”

  At last, it stood. I brought back my flashlight and prepared to strike, but it licked its fur.

  “Damn.” I broke into nervous laughter. “Zombie cats... Still too lazy to give a shit.”

  “Don’t call her lazy!” Kiki sat several feet away. “Bubsy is energetic, see?”

  “Yeah, right!” I face palmed. “Don’t give it a name!”

  “But what else will we call it?”

  In my mind, I saw Emma’s suicide letter. Was this her cat?

  “Nothing! We’re lucky she isn’t trying to eat us!”

  “Why would she? We’re way bigger than her!”

  I crossed my arms. “Didn’t stop the coyotes back in Texas.”

  “What coyotes?”

  “Oh, you know, the ones you crushed with your truck!”

  “I didn’t see them!” She giggled. I couldn’t tell if she joked or was blind.

  The cat scratched its ear and yawned. Kiki crawled across the cellar. “I’ll pet her.”

  “Don’t touch it! You’ll get rabies or something!” I moved to stop her, but as she caressed the small zombeast, it purred.

  My jaw fell. “What in the world?”

  “See?” She grinned the widest I’d seen. “Bubsy is a nice kitty.”

  Behind the cat were several rat skeletons; they were likely the food that had kept the cat coming back, even after death.

  “Just be careful.” I looked over the cat. “If it gets angry, leave it alone. Just because a coyote bite didn’t infect me, doesn’t mean a cat bite won’t infect you.”

  “You’re such a ninny-ninny dumb-dumb poopy head!”

  I shrugged and sat back against the shelf. “Let’s chat about something else until the storm passes.”

  “Nope.” She kept stroking the undead beast.

  “I’m bored out of my mind.”

  “Not my problem!” she sang.

  I’d to talk to myself. “Several months ago, most of the day, every day, I played games. If not online, then with my BFF Jessie, or my friends Jeff and Dave! And how I miss it. What I wouldn’t give for another chance at those games... to increase my gamer rank and unlock even more trophy stickers. I wasn’t sure if the website was correct or not, but it showed that I was rank nine hundred in the US! My friends had nothing on me.”

  “Did you say something?”

  A smirk spread across my face as I thought my friends. “I wasn’t a normal girl. All the others in the school were. Except for Jessie. The others were always so concerned with pedicures, manicures, and makeup. They had to wear the latest fashions. Ugh! All I wanted was a good game to play and my besties by my side.”

  “What were you saying?”

  “I already told you.” I swiveled my head to glare, then shrieked. She held the cat in her arms.

  Her eyes widened. “What’s wrong?”

  “You’re holding it!”

  “So?”

  Things were just getting too weird, too strange, too insane. I never thought I’d fear a house cat.

  I covered my face. “Stupid Zombeasts.”

  “Don’t be so mean.” Kiki booped Bubsy on the nose. “This one isn’t stupid.”

  I waved her away.

  “So, you were talking?”

  With tired eyes, I regarded her and sighed; it was my idea. “I miss my friends; the ones I had before the ZPoc.”

  She scratched Bubsy’s chin. “Did you have many?”

  “Few. Quality over quantity.”

  “I had a lot of friends... Before Mommy died.”

  I watched her squeeze the cat. “What happened to them?”

  “They stopped talking. I don’t know why, but it made me sad.”

  “They didn’t know how to help you. Sometimes people shy away from what they don’t understand.”

  “Like you with Bubsy?”

  I nodded. “Like with Bubsy.”

  “What did you like to do?” Her innocent smile warmed my soul. “With your best one?”

  I thought back to Jessie and her prominent freckles. She had the strangest giggle ever.

  “We talked about boys all night and played video games in our underwear. She always forced me to play the scary ones. They weren’t my favorite.”

  “Games?” Kiki cocked a brow. “Are you joking?”

  I pouted. “This princess saves herself. Or I try to anyway.”

  “Lame.”

  “What? You don’t understand what you were missing! They were the best things. Interactive movies and books. They taught me life lessons, and the good from the bad. I have stronger morals because of them!”

  Kiki scoffed. “Mommy said they caused people to shoot each other.”

  I leaned back. “No way. The only thing that caused violence was idiots with guns and all the political and religious propaganda shoved down our throats.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  “Why do you care so much? You never had the chance to play one, did you?”

  The girl smirked. “Sure, I did.”

  “Then, why didn’t you?”

  “Because the boys made fun of me. They said games weren’t for girls!”

  “You’ve got to be joking! Games are for everyone. I know the heroes aren’t as often women, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t deserve to play!”

  She returned to petting Bubsy. A tear rolled from her eye. “Tell that to the boys at school!”

  I sat there and watched her for a few moments. “The boys liked you.”

  “What? No one, not even Lucas!” She looked up, blushing.

  “You can’t hide it from me!”

  “So, what?”

  I grinned and nudged her with my toe. “I had my first boyfriend when I was around your age.”

  “Whatever. Goodnight.” The girl laid on the dirty floor and snuggled up next to Bubsy.

  “Bubsy the zombeast. Would’ve been a hell of a TV show.”

  Time passed, and I kept thinking of my friends...

  I opened my eyes and yawned. How long had I slept? Something was different, so I held my breath and listened—No more wind. The storm had passed!

  I grabbed Kiki’s shoulder and shook her. “Wakey, wakey!”

  She gave a corpse-sounding groan. “What?”

  “We survived the storm!” I cheered.

  I made my way over to the doors and shoved them open. Bright sunlight shone in blinding me for several long seconds. When my eyes adjusted, I wa
lked up the steps. Every direction appeared bare. No trees, buildings, telephone poles, nothing.

  “Holy shit...”

  Two forms sat in the dirt where the house used to be. They lifted their heads, jumped to their feet, and came running. I plastered a smile on my face. The guys had made it!

  “Oh, thank the gaming gods.” Tears formed in my eyes. “They’re alive!”

  I looked back as Kiki appeared, holding Bubsy. The cat still purred, swishing its tail. I bolted to my friends, and we shared a three-way hug.

  Charles slapped my back. “Good to see you!”

  Arik kept quiet. When we let go, he pointed at Kiki and moved his mouth, trying to form words. I rolled my hand in the air, motioning for him to speak.

  “A cat? W-Why the hell is there a zombie cat?”

  Kiki looked cheesed. “Her name is Bubsy.”

  LEVEL 07:

  THEY ATE MY NEIGHBORS

  Arik held the map, and we’d certainly passed the same tree five times. I tried to snatch the map, but he yanked it away. “What’s the dealio, yo?”

  I grabbed again. “I question the wisdom of allowing an idiot to navigate!”

  He pulled away from my reach. “Oh, yeah? I question the wisdom of bringing along a little emo with a dead cat that wants to eat us!”

  Kiki stomped forward and stopped us. “Bubsy doesn’t want to eat anyone, and she’s not dead; she’s undead!”

  “Big difference! Now move your ass before I trample you!”

  I snatched the map. He tried to retrieve the folded paper, but I darted away.

  “Fine, you can have it!” he called after me. “I didn’t like navigating, anyway! It was boring!”

  I flipped the unfolded paper and peered at it. We were in the Ouachita Forest, Arkansas. With losing our way a thousand times, and all the bitching and breaks, Bellaire remained out of reach.

  Charles joined me. “Do you see anything worth noting?”

  I scanned the map from top to bottom. “A perfect place to drop off Arik; a nice, big lake.”

  “Oh, hmm, not a bad idea.”

  “Huh?” Arik lifted his head. “Wait, what?”

  “It’s called Nimrod Lake.” I tossed the map back, but he fumbled, and it hit the dirt.

  “Hey watch it! This is our salvation!”

  I wanted to punch him but refrained. “Not dragging us through a mountainous forest; now that would be salvation. And did I mention all the zombeasts that have tried to kill us?”

  “Can you please stop arguing? You’re scaring Bubsy.” Kiki, trailed behind, holding the zombeast cat in her arms. It continued to purr and lick itself, without a care in the world.

  “Your cat feels nothing.” Arik tried for the feline’s tail, and it flicked away.

  “Yes, she does!” Kiki jogged away from him.

  “Watch out; you’ll make her dizzy!” Arik mocked then gave me a dirty look as he passed. I smirked back.

  He groaned as he shook the map. “Can you believe her? She got our salvation dirty.”

  “Why are we in a forest, again?” Kiki pinched her nose. “It stinks here.”

  “It’s called nature.” I heaved a sigh. “We might’ve taken the road, but that herd of bovine zombeasts blocked our way.”

  Kiki shoved Bubsy into her backpack. “I need to keep you safe from nasty the forest zombeasts.”

  “I’m sure we’ll be—”

  Arik’s scream bounced off the trees. He and Charles were nowhere in sight. Kiki and I ran ahead. The child ducked under an angled log, and I jumped it only to slam right into Charles.

  Charles tumbled onto a steep hill covered in branches and leaves. “Damn you both to hell!”

  We peeked, watching as he bounced and rolled, cursing and screaming.

  Kiki lowered her head. “We’d better go after the dumb-dumbs.”

  I stifled laughter. “Yeah, it would be for the best.”

  We edged our way, careful to avoid loose dirt. I climbed onto a log, but it gave way and I landed, sliding.

  “Tiffany, watch out!” I heard her, but it was too late.

  Between my arms, I spotted a large branch. It cracked me in the forehead, flipping me off my feet. An edge came at me fast, and I couldn’t slow myself. I screamed as I flew. The fall had to have been twenty feet, but it cut short as something caught my ankle. I swung under the lip of the cliff and into a cave where my skull conked a stalactite. Blinding flashes of white appeared before my eyes.

  “Guys?” I whimpered as the daze faded.

  When no one answered, I reached for the root wrapped around my ankle, but I couldn’t reach. As I struggled, I spun clockwise and got a look at the inside of a cave. The high angle of the sun hid most of the interior.

  “Tiffany?” Kiki’s voice carried. “Where are you? Bubsy’s worried!”

  Charles’ voice was nearby. “Isn’t she with you?”

  I cupped my hands. “I’m here!”

  “Where’s here?” Arik’s voice came from another direction.

  “I don’t know, just here! I’m just kinda hanging. So, let’s play who can help Tiffany down first?”

  “Sounds boring!” Kiki’s smart-assery made me want to scream.

  A low rumble came from within the cave. I twisted, looking around for the source. Several strides away appeared a shambling grizzly bear. It was even bigger than an SUV. Its glowing eyes locked onto me, and green goo oozed from its mouth.

  I screamed at the top of my lungs, “The game is now save Tiffany from a zombeast bear!”

  Three smart-ass remarks returned.

  From Charles, “I hate time limits!”

  From Arik, “And I hate rescue missions!”

  From Kiki, “Also, I hate games!”

  I retrieved the shotgun off my back and aimed at the bear. “No way am I part of your necessities, assface!”

  A pull of the trigger taught me a rough lesson in physics. I blasted back and then swung toward the bear. Its face now had a chunk missing; I’d pissed off the zombeast. It slashed its claws, clipping my shoulder, and sending me spinning.

  “Time’s running out!” The bear’s strong paw smacked me again, and dizziness overwhelmed my senses as the root twisted tighter.

  Physics or not, I needed to shoot the bear. By the time my friends made it, they’d find an empty Tiffany piñata. The beast swung again, and I pulled the trigger. Gore splattered the wall, as a mass of its shoulder blew off, but I may as well have been poking it. The bear charged, and shoulder rammed me, pulling me free of the root and taking me along for the ride.

  A scream erupted from my throat as the zombeast snapped its fangs. It stopped its bull rush and sent me rolling. Dizzy, I staggered to my feet, still holding my shotgun.

  I narrowed my eyes. “Okay, you son of a bitch, come at me one more time!”

  It didn’t need to told twice. The zombeast rushed. I held the shotgun ready and fired point-blank. The grizzly’s face exploded, and it slammed into a tree. I backed away as the undead animal slammed its head into the tree over and over—system.exe crash.

  “There you are!” Arik appeared from the tree’s side. He screeched and dove backward, having laid eyes upon the bear. It rammed one last time, and its skull collapsed. Gore splattered Arik and with a thud, the monster fell over, permadead.

  My friend looked at his stained clothes and then the bear; he recoiled and screeched again.

  “You’re a scaredy-cat!” I slapped my knee. “Throw me a box of shells. I’m out.”

  “One: That was a bear! And Two: Get your own!”

  “Three: You’re a selfish asshole. I wasted a whole box having to save your sorry butt from that deer when we first entered this stupid forest.”

  Arik held up his palms. “It was Bambi’s revenge!”

  “You’d make an excuse to avoid fighting a mosquito!”

  “West Nile Virus!”

  A great groan escaped me as I stomped back to the cave. Charles and Kiki were in the back talking to Arik
. They could talk, but with an hour of daylight left, max, we needed shelter before the sun set.

  I’d picked up a new pack on our journey, and from it, I retrieved a glow rod and gave it a quick snap. I rolled it into the cave, illuminating the front entrance and snapped another. This time, I threw the rod as far as I could, and lost sight of it.

  Shotgun over my shoulder, I pulled out a pistol and took careful, crouched steps. As I made my way inside, it narrowed the further I crept.

  After several more yards, I stood before a huge cavern with a twenty-foot wide skylight. I stared with widened eyes. The cave sloped into an arena shaped chamber. At the bottom, there was a lake reflecting intricate patterns onto the walls.

  “I’ve got to show the others...”

  A rock shifted nearby. I went to turn, but something jabbed the back of my head followed by a deep husky voice spoke. “Make another movement little lady, and I’ll paint that there wall with your little brains.”

  Fear rose inside, and I wanted nothing more than to spin back and hurt this guy, but he reached around and yanked my gun away before I could react. “See? You’re in our home. And ya killed our guard. You and your friends outside all wandered into our forest. Didn’t y’all read the signposts? No trespassers.”

  “Just point the way and we’re gone.” My mind flashed to when the religious freaks held Wesley and me captive in Milpeg.

  “Too late,” came a woman’s voice.

  “Ow!” Arik bitched. “That’s sharp!”

  I took a deep, annoyed breath. What a surprise, they got captured.

  “We want to have you for dinner.” The woman’s words had my gut twisting.

  “Look this way.” The man jabbed my back. “I need a good look!”

  I turned and found a tall man. He had long blonde hair, tied back in a ponytail, with a chiseled jaw and a thin beard. If he hadn’t been holding a rifle to my face, I might’ve found him handsome.

  “Whee-hoo! This here’s a cute one! Think Krool will let me have her?”

  I set my jaw, wanting to strike. “No one gets to have me!”

  No one but Zach.

  “We’ll all just have to share.”

  I glared with hatred in my soul.