After Genocide: The Dead Live Again

by Rodriguez, Jose

  “I hate you all!” Max yells and he begins to fire one of his shotguns uncontrollably at the zombies. I run to him and stop him from shooting.

  “Max come on get a hold of yourself, save your ammunition,” I say.

  All of a sudden there is a loud thud in the distance; “Did anybody else hear the loud noise?” asks Mike. We stay quiet as a group for we feared something terrible is near.

  Ch. 5: Polymerized Mutation

  There is the sound of grunting nearby, Blade began to act weird, growling at nothing.

  “What’s wrong with Blade?” I ask.

  “It knows something we don’t,” replies Michael. A hand grabs hold of the roof’s edge; and then another hand. Slowly two figures began to rise from hiding and exposed their faces, we were in shock; it is Mark and Eduardo. Pam made a face of disgust and she looks like she wanted to vomit, I didn’t blame her; the sight of watching Eduardo and Mark’s bodies is just grotesque.

  It’s like they were almost torn apart, eyes hanging out, skin torn, limbs were backwards and twisted; their uniform or what is left of it is basically rags torn and covered with blood.

  The two once human figures were now zombies, barely walking with their twisted limbs, but there is something odd about these two zombies; how did they get to climb to the top? Eduardo and Mark look at each other and look up, they opened their mouths and something from the inside of the bodies reached out and attached themselves to one another. The two became knotted in something I can’t explain it is like a polymerization, but with the mutation helping; as if somehow the virus is evolving to do numerous things besides zombies, now it could make a super zombie?

  Eventually the polymerization stopped and the bodies of Mark and Eduardo were nowhere in sight, we look up; a ten foot monster is standing about fifteen feet away from our group.

  “Oh shit,” Mike gasped.

  “Max, you can waste all the ammunition now,” I say as I stared at the monster.

  “Nobody ever told me the virus could do this,” said Six.

  “Nobody knew the virus is capable of evolving so fast and strong to have the ability to make something so horrible and just out of this world,” I say.

  Ten feet tall, muscular, deformed from the face and body, still with a mouth and sharp teeth and long nails; the skin is not inside out or peeled. On the contrary, the skin is a brown color, and the zombie had the usual red eyes. Its head with no hair, the monster is bald, you could see the veins throbbing, and the heartbeat made our palms sweat, and a shiver is felt down my spine.

  It looks our direction with those bold eyes and it takes one step making the roof quake. Hope this place is strong enough to hold it stomping around like The Incredible Hulk? I’m in shock, my mouth went dry; Pam couldn’t keep her finger steady and Six stared.

  “I don’t think it’s hungry,” I say.

  “What?” asks Pam?

  “Its eyes say that it just wants to kill us,” I reply.

  “Oh now you think like a zombie?” asks Pam.

  “No time to argue.”

  I drew out my pistol and we begin to shoot the monster, but bullets didn’t seem to affect him very easy, the skin is thick like body armor. It began to walk towards us, the face it made, it‘s like it is mad at us; like if Mark and Eduardo wanted me and Six to shoot them when they were being attacked back at the stairway, as if they were punishing us for that. A strange feeling gave me spooks like if the souls of our two fallen friends/comrades were still lurking around, except this time they were not going to help us.

  I stopped firing, “Hold your fire everyone the bullets are doing no good,” I say.

  “So what the fuck are we supposed to do?” asks Aaron.

  I look at Six’s waist, the grenades and now he looks at his waist and he followed my idea.

  “Joe you’re the shit man” he says.

  “Okay here is the plan. We circle around the creature; Six, Max, Ruby and Kelly will take the left side and carefully spread out. Me, Joe, Mike and Aaron will take the right side and spread out there. The team on the left side will throw grenades at the monster while the team on the right side will distract it. Everybody get that?” Pam ordered.

  “What about Blade?” a concerned Max asks.

  “I’m sure Blade is smarter than all of us put together,” Pam comforts.

  “Could I offer a suggestion, you guys fight that thing and I hide safe and sound,” says Ruby.

  Pam rolled her eyes, “There is no time, just throw grenades at it,” she replies.

  “But I’m a girl,” argued Ruby.

  “Hey guys if you look, isn’t it weird the monster has no sexual orientation?” Mike commented.

  “Mike focus man,” says Six. We spread out into our two teams following everything according to plan. The creature stared at us, trying to figure out our next move, as if it were thinking. Six’s team went to hide near some air-conditioners that were operating adequately.

  “Okay here you go guys,” says Six and he divided the grenades six per person.

  “If you need more, just reach into the bag.”

  My team assembled on the right side, we aim and just as we were about to open fire, Blade ran right under the monster and let out a bark.

  “Blade!” Max yells.

  “Get back!” says Pam.

  “Let the dog go if he wants,” I told her.

  “Focus on the firing.” We cocked our weapons, and began to fire a few rounds at the zombie. The creature looks both ways and it appears lost for a few minutes, then Max threw a grenade at it; “Duck!” I yelled, and then an explosion on the zombie’s body.

  Pieces of skin fly and the creature turned angrily at Six’s group and let out a face of aggression; our group continued to fire at the monster, and we began to take steps and open our circled position for accuracy on the weapons.

  We continued to fire bullets flying all over the roof and the leftovers falling on the ground creating a clink sound each time a piece hit the roof. Kelly throws a grenade at the creature, it exploded on impact as it hit the creature’s chest then Ruby tried throwing a grenade.

  She removed the clip and kept it, “No, throw it,” says Max and Ruby threw the grenade too fast and missed the monster and landed near my feet.

  “Oh shit,” I say and rolled to the side and the others moved away from the grenade as well.

  The grenade exploded and it made a hole on the roof of the store. There is a minor creaking sound as some pieces collapse and fall inside.

  “Ruby, go hide behind the air conditioner okay,” six told her and Ruby just takes off. The monster began to walk towards Six’s group slowly but walking. Nothing looks like it is going to stop its destination. But as the creature walks there is a certain change of direction for it; the monster look as if it is going to Six’s group, the direction is accurate but we were not. The monster began to walk slowly towards Pam, who is at the end of our team shooting it.

  I noticed the creatures shift in movement and I began to follow it cautiously; as I approached closer, Aaron tried to rush and tackle the creature but unfortunately the creature swung his arm at Aaron and it sent him flying back several feet. At a distance Aaron looked much more dead than alive but to my surprise he is just unconscious; the monster began to move again and I pursued it with caution.

  It kept getting closer and closer to Pam with each step it took. I began to try and think of a diversion but nothing could cross my mind, as if I was lost.

  “Hey ugly,” I yelled at the creature and it just made a snarl but it is not enough to attract its attention. Pam tried to juke him out but made a simple mistake and she tripped relinquishing her weapon in the process.

  I began to run without thinking, a charge and tried to tackle the creature myself but the monster made a quick turn and caught me with its hand and lifts me in the air.

  I dropped my pistol, and with one hand grab his wrist and tried to push it off but the monster is too strong.

  I carefully reach
for my knife, and stab it on the ulna. The monster lets out a roar and released the grip he has on me. I pull my knife out and land with both feet on the ground. The zombie tries to pound me to the ground and I roll away to the side. I notice Pam is up on her feet now and moving as far away as possible.

  I get up and look, the creature began to continue its walk. I load an arrow to the crossbow and aim at the eye and shoot. A loud roar echoes of pain and then I thought and thought for a few seconds.

  “Six! Toss me a grenade!” I yelled.

  Six obeyed and he grabs a grenade from his bag and tossed it to me, I caught it with my hands and held it there.

  “Hey!” I yelled at the monster, but the creature did not want to bother with me again and it continued walking. I pick up my pistol and aim then shot the monster on its spine several times. The monster looks back towards me and it began to move towards my position.

  “Okay Joe just think for a second,” I whispered to myself to gain confidence for what I was about to do next.

  I take a deep breath and I began to walk towards him as well, the zombie began to curl its hands as if it couldn’t wait to grab hold of me. It looks at me with its eyes of anger, but I didn’t care and I continued walking in his direction. The monster looks at me with hate, it stopped; it look up into the sky and it began to roar loudly. My opportunity came early; I removed the clip from the grenade and threw it at the monster’s mouth.

  “Watch out!” yelled Six, and everyone ducked or hid for protection from the explosion. The monster’s head exploded and pieces of its face flew everywhere: bones, skin, teeth and muscle tissue. Some of the teeth that flew landed on Aaron, me, Pam; Six, Max, Blade and Kelly. The only person safe from being hit by zombie skin, or teeth is Ruby. I ran towards where Pam is sitting “Are you okay?” I ask.

  She didn’t reply with words except a huge hug.

  I dropped my handgun and returned her hug.

  “I’m glad you’re safe,” I told her.

  Pam smiles, “Thank you,” she says. “You risked your life to save me.”

  “Yeah well you’re part of the team you know,” I reply, and she smiles again.

  I pick up my handgun and place it in the holster. Ruby appeared, “Is everybody okay?” she asks, and Pam sighed.

  I helped Pam up to her feet, “Poor Aaron,” say Kelly.

  Max grabs Pam’s handguns and says: “Here you will need this,” and he hands them over.

  “Thank you Max,” Pam says.

  “Mike, carry Aaron,” ordered Kelly.

  Mike is quick on his feet and moves in to pick up Aaron. Out of all the things, the helicopter remained unharmed by this mess, then come to look at things, this roof was bigger than imagined.

  Mike carries Aaron and as a group we walk to the helicopter; Six opens the door and enters through the drivers’ side and began to turn the engine. Kelly boards through the passenger side, Mike placed Aaron carefully on the backseat. Pam, Max, I, Ruby, and Mike sat down as well and Blade jumps in happily.

  “All aboard,” Six says.

  “Okay ready for takeoff.”

  Mike closed the door and locked it, the helicopter blades begin whirring loudly. Slowly we began to elevate from the ground.

  “Goodbye Wal-Mart,” says Pam.

  “So where to now?” asks Kelly.

  “The house where I grew up,” I suggested. “I want to know if any of my family members are still alive.”

  “Okay then, to Joe’s house it is,” Kelly says. We rested for the few minutes we were going to have, everyone is tired and could not believe how all this happened it is a disaster but it is uniting us all as a group a group of individuals at that.

  Ch.6: Past Curfew

  I closed my eyes for a few seconds just trying to forget anything, clear my head and prepare for whatever is next. Slowly opening my eyes, I notice Aaron still unconscious. Pam rests with her eyes closed as does the rest of the group.

  The fog is still dense by then we noticed the old H-E-B in Elsa.

  “Hey the fog is still dense,” I say in amazement.

  “Yeah it’s almost too weird,” commented Kelly.

  “So where exactly do you live?” asks Pam.

  “Well we are going to have to land on the parking lot of the Sacred Heart Church because there is no space where I live.”

  Six maneuvers the helicopter easily and began to land it on the parking lot; he shut the engine and said, “We are here.” Out of the blue, Aaron regained consciousness again. He grunts while holding his head, “Where am I,” he asks.

  “It’s okay you’re safe, you are at the Catholic Church in Elsa,” replies Kelly.

  “Are you able to walk?” asks Six.

  “Yeah, yeah I can do almost anything.”

  “Okay so we are at the church now what?” Pam.

  “Yeah, to get to my house we have to go to the street after and walk down near the end of the road,” I say.

  “A walk through the dark chilly morning, why do I suspect bad news already?” Pam’s question lingers through the group. She is right, what am I putting these people through, the rest of my family could easily be dead and I’m condemning innocent people to follow me to the brink of death?

  Max began searching inside the helicopter and found certain useful items such as grenades, and ammunition.

  “Hey guys load up,” Max says.

  I load another clip into my pistol, I am down to two of them and five arrows. I put my pistol back in the holster and sling my crossbow behind me. I draw my knife out and toss it lightly in the air and catch it again. Six loads his AK with another clip, Max inserts more shells into his shotguns and slings one behind him. Pam reloads both revolvers and Kelly, Mike and Aaron check how many rounds they have left.

  Aaron gave a long stare at the church, I glanced around; the chilly breeze almost made me shiver, but it gave me the creeps more than anything.

  “There isn’t any noise,” I say.

  “What?” Pam asks with a twist in her face.

  “There should be birds chirping, crickets chiming but instead nothing barely the wind.”

  “All right guys keep an eye out,” says Six.

  “How about we check out the church?” suggested Aaron.

  “Bad idea,” says Max.

  “We must be very careful,” says Kelly.

  “How is checking out the church a bad idea?” Ruby question.

  “Because it is not part of the mission. Besides we need to conserve as much ammunition as possible.” Six’s voice is straight.

  “But you never know what could be in there,” replies Ruby. Six put a face of minor anger, one thing he disliked was being questioned about his military skill, even if it included the survival ratio of checking out a church.

  “Fine.” Six speaks out with some reluctance. “But you’re leading the way,” and he forces her to go first.

  We begin walking the group just barely eyeing Six for fear of being pushed in front of the line, but no, his beef was with Ruby.

  Looking around with the simplest wind blowing; small howls as it blew against and between branches. I kept my knife close and ready for anything.

  “We should have leave someone in the helicopter just in case,” suggested Pam.

  “I’ll go,” said Mike and he retreated back to the helicopter and sat in the driver seat.

  As a group we walk through the parking lot then trough a small cemented path made for people. We take caution in observing our surroundings. Pigeons lined up at the edge of the roof; the only movement from them is to watch our every move, funny thing is, they did not scatter about as they normally would.

  Ruby takes charge and just rushed into the church, “Is anybody here!” she yelled while making a scandal.

  “Hey do you not know how to keep your mouth shut or what,” Pam argued.

  “Back off, I can do what I want,” Ruby replies.

  Up ahead of us is the podium, sitting on an elevated level of the floor. Five steps, tha
t’s what it takes Ruby to walk up and stand on the podium as if she were the priest.

  “Hey come on no time to joke around here,” ordered Six, but Ruby disobeyed and stayed up there.

  “We should just leave her here,” whispered Pam into my ear. There is a door behind Ruby, the priest’s dressing room.

  “What if the priest is still here?” Pam asks.

  “I don’t think…” I uttered, but loud screaming and rustling made my mouth shut.

  “It came from behind that door,” says Kelly.

  “Pam is right, it’s probably the priest,” added Aaron.

  “You guys are just chickens,” says Ruby and she placed her hand on the door; “watch there is nothing here,” she said while she opened the door.

  A dark face, burned and rotten with inside out flesh and plain white eyes stared her down; drool dripping from the mouth and large teeth.

  “Crap,” she says and the zombie pulled Ruby with it and then there is only snarling and yelling echoes. The grip on my knife tightens at the thought of trying to do something but my subconscious kicks in telling me there is nothing left to do.

  “Shit, nothing we can do,” I say.

  “Prepare your weapons and get ready,” ordered Kelly and we wait.

  The sounds stopped and the group aims at the podium; the door flew open and several zombies burst out and jump over the podium, but quick blasts of the weapons sent them down like flies.

  “Is that all of them?” asks Pam.

  “How about let’s get out of here and not find out,” suggested Aaron.

  “Good idea,” Max agreed and we leave the church in a hurry.

  Mike loading his firearm in the helicopter noticed as we rushed out, “Everything okay?” he asks. “Hey where is the annoying one?”

  “Oh she was invited to dinner by the priest,” I reply.

  “Dinner?” Mike thought with a long pause.

  “Come on I have to check on my family,” I say.

  We walk as a group through the dark breezy morning, the fog still coming down like mist, it makes my nose get cold as the spray hits. The group is still tired, all this running around, but I need to find out, plus it might help with my amnesia too. I will make it up to them I promise, I don’t know how but I will. My knife still in hand as we walk. The neighborhood seems quiet for the moment, where was everybody? And by that I meant how come there isn’t any zombies to welcome me back home? Past the Gomez house, then the creepy gray house, then the Garza house and finally as we get closer there is a brick house which used to be Fabo’s Beauty Salon. My house is right next door.