by A. P. Fuchs
The dog stopped moving.
One left.
He tried to stand but the dog still stuck onto his boot made it impossible for him to get the heel of his left boot under him. He fell over the moment he put any weight on it.
The remaining dog growled, tore for him and its paws left the ground. Its dark, blood-soaked body sailed through the air.
"Watch out!” Billie shrieked.
Just before it landed on top of him, a blur of silver-gray struck the dog in the chest, followed by a dull clunk. The dog flew backward through the air like a foul ball.
Another clunk, and the iron pipe smashed into the dog's head.
The young man holding the pipe turned to look at him.
It was Des.
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19: On the Way Up
Unable to get around the cars, the three made their way uphill away from the river, the first order of business to get out of there before having a small reunion.
Billie and Des walked ahead, Joe trailing behind. They were talking about what just happened, but too softly for him to get in on the conversation. Not that he wanted to. The gloating look Des gave him as he used the iron pipe like a crowbar to pry the dog's teeth out of his boot was enough. It clearly read: how's that for a heroic entrance? See? I can be cool, too.
Or maybe he was reading too much into it. Whatever the case, Des was now the hero and Billie looked at the guy with star-filled eyes because he had saved her life.
Despite not wanting the thought to be there, it was. I saved her life, too, and she didn't look at me that way. As if he wanted her to. There was only one girl for him, and she was dead.
But there was a piece of April in Billie, that same carefree spirit, the kind that seemed rooted in disguised insecurity, the kind that took pleasure in the small things, the important things.
Des walked boldly, tapping the iron pipe on an open palm, as if telling any onlooking zombies to “come get some."
That guy's gonna get slaughtered if he's not careful. Joe grimaced. I can't believe Billie is falling for it. She's smarter than that! Um, right? Relax. You don't know her. You shouldn't even care.
But he did.
"Where were you?” Billie said loud enough so Joe actually felt part of the conversation.
"I called and called,” Des said. “Didn't you guys hear me? I wasn't that far behind."
Joe picked up his pace so he was right behind them.
"We didn't hear anything,” Billie said.
"You guys deaf?” Des asked.
"No,” Joe said. “We didn't hear you because there was nothing to hear."
"I must have yelled at the top of my lungs."
"Don't forget we were also walking along a moving river, wind was blowing through the trees. Lots of ambient noise."
Des was about to reply but seemed to be considering that last part.
"Means background noise,” Billie said quietly.
"I knew that. Still think you should have paid more attention."
They reached the top of the hill. A wall of trees concealed whatever was beyond, likewise what was off to either side. The three stopped; Billie and Des caught their breath. Joe was just fine, his body used to being active.
"Did you see anything in the woods?” Joe asked.
"No. Did you?” Des replied.
"Just the dogs."
"Where'd you get that?” Billie asked, gesturing toward the pipe.
"Side of the road. Looks like someone warmed it up for me. See?” He held up the pipe and showed the dried blood on its end peeking out from the fresh blood glistening on it.
"You should really clean that off,” Billie said.
"Why? Kind of a badge of honor, don't you think?” he shot back.
"Do as she says. The undead can smell blood. It's what attracts them to us.” Has to be, anyway.
"Even if that was so, this is undead blood on this thing, remember? Should be fine."
"Do it anyway. Don't take any chances."
"Why, Joe? You scared?"
"Whoa,” Billie said, putting her palms up and taking a few steps back.
"You wanna run that by me again?” Joe said, taking a step toward him.
"Just saying that you take things a little too seriously, all grim and dark like some kind of Batman."
"Do you forget how long I've been doing this? Is it not reasonable to assume I know what I'm talking about?"
"If you did, you wouldn't have needed me to save you."
"Des,” Billie said firmly.
That's it. Time to set this guy straight. “You killed some dogs. Good. Billie and I are alive. Good. But don't start going around thinking you can take on the whole world, one filled with creatures that are stronger than you, just because you killed a few pups."
Des's green eyes bore into him. “I don't know why you're being such a jerk to me."
"Yeah, Joe,” Billie said. “He saved your life. And mine."
"Don't start, Billie. His head's full of hot air right now. It's gotta stop now or we'll all wind up dead."
"So you're gonna blame it on me if something happens to us?” Des asked.
"No,” Joe said. “But you gotta come down off your throne and get back to the real world. I'm only going to ask you to do this once."
"Or what? Think you can take me?” Des raised the pipe.
On instinct, Joe balled up his fist and sent it into Des's nose.
"Gargh!” Des muttered, dropping the pipe and covering his face with his hands. Dark red liquid leaked out from between his fingers.
Billie was at his side in no time, one arm around his back, the other catching the blood dripping off his hands.
"Screw you!” she shouted.
Joe ground his teeth. “Fine.” He stormed off up to the trees.
Behind him, Billie whispered words of comfort to Des. In front of him, he didn't like what he saw through the trees.
A cemetery.
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20: At the Top of the Stairs
August sat on the top step with his back against the makeshift barricade next to the door at the flight of stairs leading up to the roof of the Richardson building. It should hold. Before he had opened the rooftop door, he had taken a desk from one of the offices on the top floor, emptied its contents, dragged it up to the top of the stairs then went about filling it with as much paper as possible. He did the same with a couple filing cabinets before bringing up a couple of chairs to lock things in place once he was done.
Now, the door jerked in its hinges as the undead outside banged against it.
The entire rooftop was covered with them. Who knew how long they'd been up there, but the way they charged at him the moment he peeked his head out the door, he was lucky to move fast enough to close it and shove the desk in front of the door before they could break through. The filing cabinets were the hardest to move, even just the one foot from where he placed them to right up against the desk. The chairs were easy. But those zombies.... Their eyes, buried in deep and decayed sockets, were white and bloodshot; bloody drool oozed from the corners of their mouths.
They were hungry.
Yet that wasn't what bothered August the most about what he saw.
There was something else.
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21: The Cemetery
"Jerk,” Des said right after Joe disappeared between the trees in front of them.
"Yeah, you said it,” Billie said.
Quietly: “Did I do anything wrong?"
"Nuh-uh."
"Did I say anything?"
"Nope."
Man, did his nose hurt. Des slowly pulled his hands away. Blood was pooled in his palms. He shook them out then checked his nose. The bleeding seemed to have stopped. He pinched the bridge and tilted his head back, just in case.
"You gonna be okay?” Billie asked.
"I'll live.” His voice was all nasally.
A soft ringing bounced
from one side of his brain to the other, back and forth. Joe had popped him hard but, obviously, not hard enough to do some serious damage. Whether that was intentional or not, he didn't know. The guy had no right to get all upset. He had been the one who saved him.
Zombie wrangler? Not today. More like zombie smacker or something. It still felt good, though, to line drive those deranged dogs.
"Think we should go after him?” Billie said.
It'd be better if we didn't. But we can't leave him alone despite what just happened. Grrrgh! I hate being all moral inside! “Might as well. Dude'll get himself killed if we don't follow."
"I don't know. He's got a gun."
"Yeah? Well"—he bent down and picked up the iron pipe—"we got a bat.” Didn't sound as clever as it had in his head. He pulled his fingers away from his nose and checked for blood. It seemed to have stopped for good. He wiped his nose with his shirt then gestured to Billie for them to get going.
They went up to the trees, parting the jagged branches with their hands, and pushed through. Just on the other side was a chain-linked fence. And just beyond that was a graveyard.
Cemeteries always got the best of Des. When he thought about them, he only envisioned a few tombstones, a couple shrubs and some flowers. Every time he saw one up close—and he'd only been to two real funerals in his life—he was always reminded how serious a business death was. Everybody wound up in a place like this at some point or another. Everybody had their place amongst a sea of graves, just another number in the long, long list of life gone bad.
He always pictured his grave as out in the open, the tombstone a lone marker on a hill, a few daisies in small, pottered vases on either side of the stone. But, he realized, looking out on what had to be over a thousand graves, his would more than likely be in a place like this, his tombstone just one among many, passed by without second thought by everybody not there to visit him. And even if humanity did pull through this season of death, none of his family was left or his friends. And so far, aside from Billie, he hadn't made any new friends either. Relationships had never been his strong point. He'd only had a few friends while growing up but even those relationships were distant, as if those guys never really wanted to get close to him but only wanted to use him for his Nintendo.
"Need help?” he asked her, one hand on the top bar of the fence.
"I got it,” she said and climbed over.
He tossed the iron pipe to the other side, hopped over, then picked it up.
He scanned the cemetery. “See him?"
"No. Should I call?"
"And wake the dead?"
She gave him a screwed up look.
"Sorry. Couldn't help it,” he said, smirking.
They walked slowly between a row of graves, their eyes going between the plots and the rest of the cemetery beyond.
"Juice box hero, na na na na na,” he sang softly to calm his speeding heart. “Juice box hero, na na na na na."
Billie stopped and turned to him. “What?"
"Huh?"
"What're you singing?"
"That ‘Juice Box Hero’ song,” he said, not believing she hadn't heard it before.
"What?"
"You know, ‘Juice box hero, na na na na na.’”
She huffed and rolled her eyes. “It's ‘Jukebox Hero,’ Des.” And walked past him.
He stayed there a moment. “Thought it was ‘Juice Box Hero.'” He shrugged and whistled the melody as he caught up to her.
After, once they cleared the first section, Des's heart skipped a beat when they entered the next.
The dry, yellow grass on top of some of the graves was torn up, soil and a few shards of wood lay scattered atop the dead blades.
"Do you believe this?” he said. She didn't seem to hear him, her eyes transfixed further down the line. He tugged at her shirt and only now saw the thick lines of blood running from her waist to just under her arms. “What happened?"
She followed his gaze to her T-shirt. “Oh. Had a problem with a few broken boards. It's nothing.” She winced as she bent from the left to the right.
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
He cleared his throat. “Do you see this?” He pointed with the pipe to one of the torn-up graves.
Billie took a step closer to examine it. “The rain must have gotten to them, too."
"How?"
"I'm only guessing, but it probably soaked into the earth and got in between the cracks in the cement casings that hold the casket. I'm also betting some of these graves are just a wooden box buried in the earth, too. The really old ones, anyway.” She checked the tombstone. “Yeah, see? Elizabeth Martin, born eighteen-oh-four, died eighteen-sixty-eight. This one's a hundred-and-forty years old."
"That's heavy duty, man."
"You're telling me."
"Think any of them are walking about? I mean, around here?"
She looked around. “Don't see any, but you never know. If there were any, they're probably en route to the Haven like the rest of them. Which is why we better get moving. The highway's just over there, right?” She nodded straight ahead of them.
"Yeah. Leads up to the Disraeli then it should be just up and over, twice, and we're done."
"It's a long bridge to walk, Joe said."
"Speaking of which, where is he?"
* * * *
"Those idiots better follow me. I'm not going back for them,” Joe muttered as he made his way between a row of graves. Already having taken note of the several he saw with stirred-up tops, he had the X-09 drawn and at the ready.
He shouldn't have hit Des despite how much the guy deserved it. And it wasn't even that. A shot to the face for acting like a jerk? That kind of thing didn't merit a bleeding nose.
But jerks did.
He'd encountered too many in his life, the last real one being Dan, April's boyfriend or ex-boyfriend or whatever he had become to her after that glorious weekend together. Dan had been your typical tough guy, the kind that bullied up on the girl. He had even hit her once, April told him. What drove Joe nuts about the whole thing was that April had taken him back on the promise it would never happen again. And Joe had no way to verify it didn't happen again either.
Smacking Des was just a knee-jerk reaction, nothing more.
Yet Joe didn't feel the need to apologize. If the guy thought he could handle himself and Billie out here alone, fine. Let them see that fighting the undead wasn't a joke and unless you knew what you were doing, they'd take you in a second. Wait, they already knew that. He had saved them twice!
Joe passed by a mausoleum, where banging and muted groans came from behind its stone door.
At least those ones are trapped, he thought.
He turned around and surveyed the cemetery for Des and Billie. There they were, four rows over and two sections behind, just two dots amongst a plethora of tombstones.
Another dot was moving slowly toward them.
Then another.
Then another.
* * * *
"I'm not going to wander around this cemetery till tomorrow, looking for him,” Des said.
Billie didn't have to look at his eyes to know he was dead serious.
Des spun the iron pipe with his wrist then planted one end of it on the ground.
"No, you won't have to. We'll just keep going toward the highway. He's probably standing there, waiting for us."
"You think?"
"Probably. Seems a decent enough guy to not leave us hanging despite how cold he sometimes seems."
"Wonder why he's like that?"
Billie thought back to her chat with Joe in his kitchen and the way his eyes went vacant when he talked a bit about his old life.
"Just don't think we need people like that right now. You know as well as I do that people need to get together when crazy stuff like this goes down,” Des said.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone approaching them. Still mad at Joe, she didn't feel like looking up at him right
now. “Shh. He's coming."
Des must have felt the same because he didn't look up either, not until the humanoid shadow came up behind him and wrapped both hands around his neck. “Hey! Quit it! Where do you"—he twisted himself around, trying to wriggle out of the hold; instead the hands held on—"get off?"
"Des!"
He shrieked, dropped the pipe and grabbed the pair of wrists attached to the hands with gray and dead fingers around his neck. The zombie must have been a local because it wore a dark, navy suit appearing to be from the ‘40s, its owner's head a shrunken skull with a couple tufts of black and dried, curly hair. Its face was all sunken in, its eyes deteriorated to nothing, just black vacuous holes in a crusty gray, patchy-skinned skull.
Billie shot out both arms and drove them in between Des and the zombie, attempting to use them as a crowbar to pry the two apart.
More shadows.
Three more undead, all in outdated clothes, were drawing near to them.
With a grunt, she shoved her elbow into the zombie's chest with one arm and the palm of her other hand into Des's, shoving him away.
"Run!” she shouted, and she and Des turned tail and darted away from the walking dead.
Des doubled back.
"What are you doing!” she screamed.
He grabbed the iron pipe off the ground then zipped back toward her.
They poured on the speed and leaped over a pair of tombstones and kept cutting across the rows, running, leaping, running, leaping, until it felt like she was flying. Another leap at the next set and—floonk! Her toe caught in between a pair of headstones and her body went horizontal. The next moment, she slammed chest first into the ground, the bottom of her chin smacking into the packed earth beneath the dead grass, sending her bottom teeth across the tip of her tongue. Her mouth immediately filled with blood.
Tears springing to life, her vision went and all she could see was the blurry yellowy-brown of the dry grass and the dark lines of shadow running in between the blades. When she looked up, a murky figure was running on ahead. Des didn't seem to have noticed she fell. She seemed to be tripping a lot lately. Maybe she had been pushed so past her limit that even her coordination was giving out on her?
