by Scott, Zack
Nasir’s decapitated head rolled slowly to a stop, revealing his horror-stricken face.
SCOT
He held her close on their bed in the guest room, their bodies dimly lit by the glow of a lantern.
Kelsey’s blonde hair was silk between his fingers as he moved them to her neck. He gave her a gentle massage and thought to himself: I am the luckiest man to have lived, or died, or whatever. Snuggling, rubbing, fingers intertwined—they’d yet to kiss on the lips since his resurrection, since the night of the reunion, since two years earlier when they left one another. The time had come to physically show his love. Touching her cheek, he turned her face to his. Their lips lingered a breath from one another. He moved first, then she followed, and as they were about to touch, a bullet rang through the cabin.
Kelsey leapt off their bed, poking around the dark hall first. Scot’s hands rushed on to her shoulders. Lexington Gunn almost ran into them. Through weak light, Scot saw blood leaking from his massive arm.
“Lex, what happened?” Kelsey grabbed him.
“Time to get the fuck outta here.” Lex snagged her wrist, dragging her with him. Her fingers touched Scot. Glad I still have my jeans on. No time to get his shirt. A man screamed and glass shattered as they flew down stairs. They paused at the cabin’s entrance.
Nasir stood with his rifle, firing at Sofia. Blood streamed down his skull. He didn’t look at them as he said calmly, “Run. Now.” Another bullet unleashed. Sofia flew into the couch from the impact, but instantly bounced back.
Lexington led them out in a rush. The dark blue morning chilled Scot’s bare torso. Outside, Addison was sprawled across dirt. He crawled out from the wreckage of the shattered chair.
Turning back, Kelsey yelled for Nasir, and she broke from the fleeing group, running back for the cabin.
“He’s done, Kels, let’s move!” Scot went for her wrist.
She screamed, “We can save him!”
But there would be no saving Nasir.
Sofia stepped on the porch and she raised Nasir’s head with one hand. Trails of blood dripped down her arm. With darkness in her eyes, she threw the head at them.
Addison screamed, staring at Nasir’s wide eyes and open mouth. Lexington snagged Addison off the ground and they all ran for the trees.
Their huntress leapt in pursuit. She will catch us.
Trees flew by. Lexington led, Addison over his shoulder. Scot, faster than Kelsey, decided to keep a pace behind her. I will not let her die. Branches crunched, brush was pushed. Lexington skipped over a large boulder, nearly toppling but he kept the sprint.
“Kelsey,” breathed Scot.
She almost turned around but he shoved her to keep running. “What?”
“I love you.”
“Scot?”
“Never stop running!” He slammed to a stop and swung his fist back. Sofia ducked and slid under his arm. A slam sent him face first on the ground. He rolled over and Sofia stomped his stomach. Blood filled his mouth.
“Scotty!” He heard Kelsey scream. Please keep running.
Sofia’s boot came flying down at him again but Scot lunged to his side. He rolled in dirt. Free! No. She tugged his shirtless back, lifting him in the air, rushing him straight for a tree.
Fuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—
His skull crushed against bark and he fell limply on dirt. He hated trees.
Sofia wrapped both hands around his neck and yanked him up, his feet dangling helplessly. Her darkness-possessed eyes stared into him. There is more than one Embracer? This truly is hell. And maybe it was the collision or maybe the death grip around his neck, but his vision began spiraling into oblivion.
A large branch cracked against Sofia’s head. Scot fell to the dirt again. Above him stood the heaving Lexington Gunn. The porn star swung at Sofia. She fell. He launched a kick to her face but she grabbed his ankle, drove her teeth into his flesh. He roared with the throat of a lion, and struck the branch across the Embracer’s face.
Lexington limped away from her, glanced at Scot. “I got this, kid. Go.”
Why do people keep insisting on fighting by themselves? It clearly isn’t working. But Scot admired the man’s bravery. Lex swung at Sofia again. She quickly flashed to her feet, dodging the attack. Another swing by Lex, his muscles rippling under his skin. Sofia blocked the blow and kicked Lex’s stomach. He lost his weapon.
Scot screamed, hoping it sounded courageous, and threw himself at her. She grabbed his head, giving his attack zero success, and flung him over Lex. The forest spiraled as he crashed into mud. He coughed, choked, and grabbed at his chest. Down in the mud, through the brush and through the trees, he witnessed the battle.
The branch blurred at Lex. He dodged the first two of Sofia’s attacks, charged at the third, grabbing the thick branch with both hands as it came crashing for his face. Raging with flexed arms, roaring and storming, he shoved Sofia until she slammed against a tree. He thrust his head right into her face, blasting black blood like splattering paint. He yanked the branch from her grasp and swung it at her. The Embracer ducked. The branch snapped apart against the tree.
Sofia launched both her legs into Lex’s spread-eagle stance. The porn star howled in pain, falling to ground, holding his groin. He’d lost the branch.
Sofia wiped her face as she stood. “Sorry about your cock. I hear it’s nice.”
Lex fought to rise but stayed weakly on his knees.
Sofia touched his chin, almost brushed it, then swung the branch at his head. Blood and sweat flew off his face. The branch came back again from the opposite direction.
Scot wasn’t sure if the loud crack he heard was from the branch, Lex’s skull, or a combination of the two.
Still on his knees, Lexington’s head bobbed, thick blood pouring off his lips. He stared at Sofia through his swollen eyes and smiled. “I’ll see you soon.”
She lifted the branch, inching it toward his face. “And why is that?”
“Because...” His lips shook as he tried to stay conscious.
Sofia forced him to focus. “Finish your thought. It’s your last.”
“Addison will kill you.” He clenched his blood-stained teeth, trying to rise once more but she easily shoved him down.
“Well, until he does, do me a favor and open wide.”
Scot wanted to help, he wanted a win, but he had no chance of defeating her. He stumbled away and fled blindly from the scene. The pornstar’s cries followed him, forcing Scot to look back.
Sofia thrust the branch between Lexington Gunn’s lips, breaking his mouth and shredding his teeth until ripping out his throat.
After Scot caught up to Kelsey and Addison, they escaped the forest and sprinted in the direction of rolling green hills. There was no sign of Sofia. Scot and Kelsey carried the ailing Addison between them. His dress shirt was stained and torn. Blood dripped down his neck. A glass shard was stuck in his eyebrow but he had said to leave it be. Scot had no protest, for he feared more harm would come if he tried to remove it.
They lowered Addison down onto a hill and fell a few feet beside him. Grass was warm and soft, and Scot guessed they’d been running for almost an hour.
Or he was just terribly out of shape.
“We have to keep moving,” Addison’s slit lips mumbled.
“We lost her, I’m sure.” Scot sat up before resting his head on Kelsey’s shoulder. She pressed her forehead against his.
“What I would give for some water,” she said. They had no time to gather supplies before fleeing the cabin. Scot had wanted to go back, get the rifle, and load up on necessities. But they ended in agreement to keep moving. She probably is waiting for us back there—or stalking us.
With chapped lips, he kissed Kelsey’s cheek. Her chin dug cozily into his boney shoulder. “I’ll keep you safe,” he promised.
She glanced away from him. “First Sadie, then Nasir and Lexington. God only knows where Nicole and the others are.”
“They’re safe, whether
or not God knows.”
“How can you be sure?”
Scot lifted her chin using his mud-stained fingers. Green eyes gazed into blue. “Alec and Jeff, they’re just like me. And if I’m still here,”—their lips moved closer—“then they are, too.” His fingers curved gently around her cheek. One little push forward and he’d claimed the kiss he craved.
Whirring sky cut them off. A helicopter emerged from behind the forest.
“Holy shit.” Scot let Kelsey go and rushed to his feet. He waved his hands above his head, screaming and running across the hill. Kelsey did the same next to him. The helicopter circled around before passing over them.
“Where are they going?” Kelsey grabbed Scot’s arm.
The helicopter cut back, heading straight for them. He turned to Kelsey. “Go back with Addison, hide, and let me speak with them first.”
“Scot—”
“If they’re dangerous in any way, you run, you hear me? Forget Addison if you have to. Just run, Kelsey.”
She gave him a quick nod, but he knew she hated this idea. So do I.
A lush, green flatland separated two hills, and Scot ran down there as the copter landed. The blades kept whirring as a hulking man, much like Lexington (only white) stepped out, lugging a massive machine gun. A woman crouched under the blades behind him. She cupped her hands. “Are you bit?”
“No,” Scot yelled and waved.
“Get on your knees,” the man commanded.
Scot dropped, pressing his hands to his head. “I’m not bit. I promise!” Though, I probably look like a zombie.
The woman, in a crouching run, rushed to him. She wore all black, and some sort of body-armor over her chest. Her hair was pulled tightly back, revealing her glowing forehead. She had a thick frame, but was not fat, and was quite attractive for a woman in the military. Well, Scot assumed she belonged to some unit, though these days it felt like he knew nothing about anything. She carried a sub-machine gun and kept it steady until she hovered over him. Her eyes scanned his bare slender chest covered in cuts and bruises. “Did you party hard last night?”
Scot smirked. “Can’t let an apocalypse stop the fun.”
She lowered her guard. “Where did you come from?”
“A cabin in the woods, as cliché as that might sound.”
She smiled, but her eyes constantly scanned the hill behind him. “Feels like all clichés are coming to life in this mess.”
“Well, writers and filmmakers had to be right about something, know what I’m saying?”
She smiled again, but it seemed forced. “We got room in our boat if you want to come with, but we’re not in the business of rescuing strangers right now.”
“What business are you in?”
“Searching for the remaining members of the Vault Tactical Force, bringing them back to Camp Numark.”
“You must trust me already to—”
“Yes, Scot Garner, I do trust you.”
What? A coldness crawled down his back. “I thought I was a stranger?”
“I never said that. The two with you, however, are.”
Scot glanced back at Kelsey and Addison. They were no longer hidden.
“Sgt. Slinger, we need to get moving!” yelled the man with the machine gun.
“I can’t leave them,” said Scot, still on his knees.
“You don’t have to. We will take you to Numark, leave you there, and return.”
“By leave me there, you mean with them, right?”
“Sure, if they’re clear of bites.”
Kelsey, Addison, and Scot all boarded the helicopter, and they flew west.
Scot, with one arm around Kelsey, leaned toward the woman. “You have my name, what’s yours?”
“Sergeant Chelsea Slinger of the VTF.”
“So you know Jeff Brennan, I take it?”
Slinger nudged the big man to her side. “Brennan is the only guy to beat Malone in arm wrestling.”
“He got lucky,” Malone growled, but not without a smile. “I was shit-faced.”
Scot laughed. “How do you know my name?”
Slinger and Malone glanced at one another. “Your friend likes to talk.”
Jeff? A talker? “Doesn’t sound like the Homer I grew up with.”
Slinger tilted her head. “Homer?”
Scot couldn't help but smirk at the old joke. “A story he has to tell you someday.”
Malone grunted. “Let’s keep the cheesy small talk to a minimum.”
Scot didn’t believe they knew him simply because of Jeff, but he went along with it.
The helicopter glided over the forest they’d escaped, heading for the coast. Rays of sun glimmered on the surface of the ocean, a beautiful and sparkling sight. Scot pulled Kelsey close, and nestled against each other; he inhaled the sweet scent of her hair. Despite all the fear, all the death, and all the suffering, he smiled.
KALE
Covered in a damp layer of Henry’s blood, Kale fell onto pavement in an alleyway just outside the liquor store. His hand ran with tremors over his chest, while the bone-dagger retracted back into his other arm. His skin wrapped itself neatly over the leftover stump. There was still no pain.
“What did you make me do?”
Silence in his mind.
“Answer me!” He rolled on his side, grabbing his gut.
A whisper, “I am simply the nudge you need to accomplish your desires.”
“Henry was an innocent man.”
“Then why did you kill him?”
“You dumb alien fuck!” Kale clawed at the ground until his nails bled, then he clawed at his own skull, hoping to dig the whispers out of his mind. Without any action on his part, his hands swung down to his sides of their own volition before he managed to do any damage to himself.
“Much more work to do.”
“Not by me.”
“You showed great loyalty by ending poor Henry. Such a good boy. Don’t disappoint me now.”
Spit oozed down his chin. “I don’t care if I disappoint you. I care nothing about you.” He tried to crawl with aching limbs to the alley’s end, but an invisible force, a heavy pressure, slammed his chest to the ground. He flipped on his back, striking to stab his attacker.
Nothing. He was alone.
“Where are you?”
“Only heard, never seen.”
“You’re not real!”
“If I’m not real, then you are solely to blame for Henry’s death. Why did you kill such a nice man?”
“I never wanted to!” Kale launched to his feet, the bone-dagger ripping forth from his arm. He rushed to the street and leapt on a taxi’s hood. In a crouched twirl, he scanned for anything to stab, anything to slice, anything to unleash his hatred.
No humans.
No animals.
No zombies.
The shoe store became the only thing in his sight.
“Yes, boy, yes. Take the wife. Take the son.”
“Never,” Kale snarled.
“Maybe. They are innocent, after all. But they’re not your friends. Leave Henry’s family to mourn. Now we must follow destiny.”
“Henry was one thing,” he whispered. “You have to kill me before I harm my friends!”
“No,” the gravelly voice echoed between his ears.
Kale slid off the hood of the taxi. His feet carried his weak legs toward the shoe store. “You can’t make me.”
“Go to your friends and we will spare the family.”
A frail woman to his side feasted upon an unrecognizable body. It paid Kale no attention. “Kill me,” he cried at it. Nothing. The bone-dagger slowly retracted.
The shoe store grew closer.
“Please, please, stop.”
“You know what to do.”
“But my friends, they—”
“They don’t respect you. They never cared for you.”
“They do, they have to.”
“You’re naïve. I care for you. I’m here for you.”
“I saved them from you once. I’ll do it again.”
“Yes, yes, Kale the hero. You’re not their hero, though. You’re only a burden to them. Always have been. But you can be this family’s savior.”
“No!” Kale tried to drop his body. He wanted to, needed to, but the shoe store flashed to a reaching distance. He pressed against the outside wall, inches from mannequins in the window. He heaved, eyes closed. “I will save Henry’s family. I will save my friends.”
The Eradicator of Life fell silent.
“I’ll save everyone from you!”
Silence.
Kale rushed for the door. He frantically knocked until Polly, Henry’s wife, opened.
“Kale, oh my!” She grabbed his arm and pulled him in. She poked outside. “Henry, where is he?”
“Polly, get your son. We have to go,” Kale said, yanking her off the street and slamming the door shut.
She stared at him with such innocent eyes. “Henry? Kale! Where is—”
“Mommy, are they back?” Benvolio stepped from behind a shoe rack. “Where’s Dad?”
Polly rushed to her son, back facing Kale as she hunched over the young Benvolio.
“Kill her now.”
No, Kale thought, stepping to the shadows for the remaining Wright family. Never.
Polly rose and grabbed Kale’s wrist. “Are you hurt? Your blood.”
“Not mine.”
Her grip went slack. “My Henry. My sweet, sweet Henry.”
Kale embraced her, pulling the widow close in a hug meant to comfort. Benny ran to them and they held one another.
“I’ll see to your safety.” Kale’s voice spoke lightly, but it didn’t feel like his voice. “Everything is fine now.”
The bone dagger ruptured from his skin again.
Later, he lay their bodies neatly side by side. Mother next to son, son next to father. He shut the three pairs of eyes and interlaced their fingers. The Wright family lived in a better world now, he told himself.
The black evil that dominated his eyes and flowed through his veins slowly seeped away. He stumbled from the three bodies, sickened by the sight of them. A ray of light came in from under the front door of the shoe store, and it called for him, wanted him, and needed him. And he needed a way from the dark. “I killed them for you,” he called out, “and now my friends are spared.”
