This Dying World: The End Begins

by Dean James

  The heavy table leg made quick work of the window glass. I did the best I could to knock the remaining shards from the edges of the frame before tossing the makeshift club inside. Abby set Katie into the room while I watched for any threats from the inside. Our attention drawn towards Katie, we misjudged how dangerously close the following zombies had come.

  Abby screamed as one of the things bit down on her sleeve. She ripped her arm away, the creature coming back with only pieces of torn jacket between its teeth. She practically dove through the open window. I helped her along with a quick shove, sending her sprawling into the room.

  I shoved the undead thing away and sent it sliding off the roof. I had no time to recover as a second one latched on to my coat, its mouth open and heading straight for my face. I wish I could say I fought it off heroically, but the truth is I broke free of its grip by freaking out and falling on the ice. It lunged at me again, but found itself the victim of the icy roof as well.

  Unfortunately for me, the damage was already done. I found myself in an uncontrollable slide on the unforgiving ice. I felt the edge of the roof slip by, then nothing as my rotting companion and I fell to the earth below.

  Chapter Four

  Glass slivers dug into Abby’s hands as she pushed herself up and back to the window. She watched in horror as Dan disappeared over the roof’s edge, towing one of the crazed things with him. A second later she heard him grunt as he hit the ground with a heavy thud.

  Almost immediately, three heavy whacks sounded from below, as if someone was tenderizing a side of beef with a baseball bat.

  “Dan!” she screamed until she was out of breath.

  “Get out of there!” Dan yelled. “Get to the car!”

  She leaned out the broken window to catch a glimpse of what was happening in the yard below. She detected movement out of the corner of her eye, and launched herself backwards seconds before jagged fingernails raked across her scalp. She managed to stay on her feet long enough to avoid the pile of glass before she fell flat on her back.

  The white eyed monster stared at her from outside for a few seconds before lunging through the window and into the room. Its head took the brunt of its weight as it crashed down to the glass covered shag carpet. The thing’s neck broke on impact, cracking loudly as its head displaced from its spine.

  The immense injury did not slow it down. The thing rose unsteadily to its feet, swaying as it advanced on Abby. Its head rocked back and forth on its shoulder, the broken neck now unable to support the head’s weight. Vertebra popped as the bones scraped against each other.

  Katie screamed from the corner of the room where she had huddled into a ball. The creature, drawn by Katie’s loud cries, turned towards her. Its mouth opened wide allowing thick foamy drool to escape and hang off its chin in viscous strands.

  In the blink of an eye Abby’s instincts took over, going from terrified woman to enraged mama bear protecting her cub. She was on her feet, shoulder down she hurled herself against the midsection of the monster like a professional linebacker. The thing folded over on itself. Abby skidded to a stop before she went tumbling. The creature hit the wall, cracking the sheetrock before sliding to the floor.

  It sat back up, glaring at Abby. It hissed, teeth chattering away as it tried to bring itself back to its feet. More drool, thick and foamy dropped from its lips until its chin was soaked with the stuff.

  “Like hell you will!” Abby spat. She scooped the table leg from the floor where Dan had tossed it. Taking a hop to the other side of the room, she made a quick spin and kicked hard off the wall, launching herself towards the monster with club held high. The table leg turned club swooped down, Abby’s momentum adding to the force of her swing.

  She wasn’t prepared for the recoil of the wood as it hit. Her arms suddenly felt numb, and she lost her grip on the weapon. Her elbows and shoulder ached, and she could already feel the bruise forming on her already bleeding palms.

  The attack was devastating. The bridge of the zombie’s nose to the top of its forehead had been completely inverted. Its eyes were turned towards each other and budging outwards. Its head had broken through the wall behind it. Muscles twitched involuntarily, but there were no more signs of life in the monster.

  “Mommy!” Katie screamed again.

  Abby glanced up in time to see two more faces making their way through the window. She snatched the club from the floor and ran to the window, using it to try and push the creatures back outside to no avail. Their grip on the window frame was firm and unyielding. They were coming in one way or another.

  “Katie, go to the door!” she ordered. Abby worried that something may be lurking in the house, and sending Katie out into the hall before her would be a mistake. But she was not going to stop the menace forcing its way into the room. If there was something else in the building with them, they were both done for.

  She kept the two back as long as she could, until a third reached into the room at her. She broke away from the window and ran towards Katie. She didn’t look back when she heard the monsters falling into the room with heavy thuds. She grabbed Katie’s arm and pulled her out to the darkened hallway.

  Her pursuers slammed into the door just as it clicked shut. She put her back against it, pushing back as she slid to the floor to use her entire body for leverage. The door felt more solid than the one that had ultimately failed to hold the things back in her own home, so she had some time to figure things out. But unless she planned on sitting in front of the door forever, she still had to find a way to keep the things at bay.

  Suddenly an idea popped in her head. She took the tapered end of her club and shoved it under the door. She spun around on her butt and stomped against the wood, driving the wedge deeper until it would go no further. She watched the door until she was satisfied it would not give way soon. The creatures hissed while hammering against the door. It rattled in its frame, but the wedge held fast.

  She stood, pleased with her handiwork. Dan may be Mr. Fix-It around the house, but even he would be impressed with her barricade, she mused. Her heart fell when her thoughts turned to Dan. He spoke, so he survived the fall. But she didn’t know anything beyond that.

  “Dan, you had better be alive or I swear I will never speak to you again!” she whispered.

  Abby couldn’t imagine leaving until she knew if her husband was okay. She didn’t really know if she would even have the strength to leave him behind once they were in the car if she needed to. But she had Katie to look after, and she would die before letting anything happen to her. And so would Dan. She could only pray that she wouldn’t have to make that decision.

  “Katie, come to mommy, we have to go.”

  “I want daddy!” Katie bawled loudly. “Where’s daddy?”

  “Daddy’s coming. We’re meeting him at the car and then we’re going on a trip.” She hoped beyond hope that what she had said was the truth.

  “Where are we going?” Katie asked, still sobbing.

  Abby had no answer. She had no idea what the next step was. Dan was the one who had always talked about the “zombie apocalypse”. He was the one who spent time “planning” with his friends and family. She always blew it off as the wild imagination of her horror fan husband.

  But it was real. They were running from creatures that looked like people. But their faces were feral, and they attacked with animal-like ferocity. They looked and acted like every zombie film and TV program her husband had ever made her sit through.

  She found herself wishing she had paid more attention to the zombie apocalypse planning sessions between Dan and his brother Chris. That’s when the answer came bubbling to the surface.

  “We’re going to see Uncle Chris on the farm,” she said. “But we have to go to the car, and we have to be very quiet. Okay?”

  Katie’s nod was so slight that Abby wasn’t sure if it was in agreement or if it was just her trembling. Either way it would have to do. Other than stealth, she was weaponless. Her only choice
was to get to the car without being noticed.

  She stood carefully, eyeing the door in case she had to throw herself against it again. To her great relief, the wedge had not moved. She took Katie’s hand and walked quietly towards the stairs at the end of the hall. She found the bathroom empty, save for a decrepit plunger sitting next to the drain that the toilet used to occupy.

  She passed by another closed door. Probably to another bedroom, she guessed. She thought about checking the room for something of use, but decided against it. There was no way to know what was hiding behind door number two. Except for the bacteria riddled plunger, she saw nothing else that would make her believe there was a treasure trove of useful stuff beyond the door.

  The house was old and the carpeting thin. Abby cringed at every creak of the floor on their way to the stairs. The two stopped suddenly when a floorboard popped, sending echoes reverberating through the first floor. Abby strained to hear for movement below, but any sound downstairs was drowned out by the things trying to tear the door off its hinges behind them.

  Realization hit Abby like a freight train. She hung her head low and laughed to herself. She could fire off a cannon in the house and still not make as much racket as those things banging on the door were. If anything else was inside it would already be on its way.

  “Mommy, why are you laughing?” Katie looked confused.

  “Nothing, baby. Mommy was just being silly,” Abby replied as they quick stepped to the top of the stairs. “Stay here for a second. Come down when I call you.” Katie nodded.

  Abby only took a couple steps, and crouched down to stay hidden as she looked around. The room was laid out much like her own. The stairs let out into the living room, the front door to the immediate left of the bottom step. Large windows next to the door opened up a view of the parking lot, where her car waited. From her vantage point she couldn’t see anything outside. But thanks to the orange glow streaming in through the uncovered windows, she could see that nothing was waiting for her in the empty space.

  “Come on Katie, let’s go,” she whispered. Katie came to her with her hand outstretched. Abby took it as they made their way down slowly.

  Abby crouched again after fully descending. She motioned for her daughter to sit on the bottom stair, which Katie did. With her back against the door, Abby cautiously slid toward the window. Her head poked out just enough to catch a quick glimpse of the parking lot.

  “Shit!” she said under her breath while quickly ducked back out of view. Several of the things milled about in the lot, weaving between the parked cars and walking aimlessly around the front yard. Their mournful howls were partially drowned out by the roar of the fire that had jumped to her line of houses. She had to get to her car before the encroaching inferno reached her hiding spot.

  Her problems were suddenly compounded with the loud splintering crack of the door above starting to give way. With the noise coming from upstairs, Abby was certain there were more than the original three trying to break their way into the house.

  Katie’s eyes were locked to the second floor. She shivered, frightened beyond the point of tears. Abby frantically looked around for a way out. They were surrounded, and soon the beasts would come crashing through the door and set upon them. They were defenseless to stop it. Abby and her daughter were trapped.

  “Come here, baby,” Abby whispered to her little girl. Katie slipped off the step, sliding on her butt across the floor and over to her mother, curling up on her lap. Abby’s heart broke when she saw Katie sucking her thumb, something she hadn’t done since she was still crawling. Abby stroked her daughter’s hair, trying to do what little she could to comfort her.

  “Dan,” Abby whispered. “If you’re going to do something, now would be a good time.” She hugged Katie close, and waited.

  A loud crash thundered from behind the house. It was shortly followed by a litany of curse words she was certain she had never heard uttered by anyone who wanted to step inside the pearly gates. Katie slowly raised her head, eyes wide and jaw hanging open.

  “Those are very bad words mommy,” Katie said as the offending line of curses trailed off into silence. Her face still looked as if she had been caught trying to steal the cookie truck.

  “Yes Katherine. Yes they are!”

  “Is that..Daddy?” she said with widened eyes.

  “No baby,” Abby lied. “Your daddy would never say things like that.”

  Abby was elated that her husband was still alive. She would be sure to hug him tight before killing him for his tirade.

  “Mommy, it’s so quiet!” Katie turned her attention to the top of the steps.

  Abby suddenly realized the things upstairs had stopped trying to beat the door into toothpicks. She cocked her head towards the window. The blaze that was engulfing nearby homes was all she could make out. The moans of the dead were noticeably absent.

  A quick glance out the window confirmed her suspicions. Dan’s outburst drew the attention of the masses, and they were happy to respond. They were eerily silent other than the shuffle of their feet through the snow.

  “Katie, go sit on the step again. Be very quiet,” Abby whispered.

  As soon as her daughter was off her lap Abby quietly brought herself to her feet. She peeked through the small diamond shaped window in the door, looking around for any of the horrors that may have missed her husband’s oral history of curse words. There were no immediate threats between her and the car.

  She fished her keys from her pocket. In one fluid motion, she scooped her daughter up, unlatched the dead bolt, and sprinted her way out into a wintery nightmare.

  Chapter Five

  The wind whistled past my ears as we fell, until I came crashing down on top of a more than slightly overweight creature. The zombie’s bulk shielded me from a solid impact with the ground. I did not escape unscathed unfortunately. My right knee slapped against the frozen earth, sending arcs of pain shooting through my leg and up my spine.

  My landing pad was still very much alive…ish. Its bones had been severely crushed. The undead thing looked like a bloated cork screw flopping around on the ground. Despite this, it continued to snap its jaws as if nothing was amiss. Foul frothy spittle dribbled from its lips as it continued to bite at me. I did not know what the stuff was at the time, but I seriously doubted it was something I wanted to get acquainted with.

  It was all I could do to keep its head away from me long enough to find something to clobber it to death. With one hand firmly wrapped around the thing’s meaty throat, I felt around with my free hand for some kind of weapon. After a few large sweeps across the snow, my fingers fell upon the table leg that had tumbled down from the roof with me. Three heavy whacks to the head, and Big Funky was no more.

  I heard Abby call out for me. Since I took the express route into the yard, there was no way I would get back up there. Several of the dead were at the window, with more following behind. I shouted for her to leave, and I desperately hoped she did not choose that moment to ignore me. Those were the most frightening moments for me, watching a herd of killers chasing my family through the window. I had to get back to them.

  I grimaced at the stiffening pain in my knee as I stood. My shoulder burned, damaged from the fall and subsequent heavy bludgeoning. As much as I needed to catch my breath, the undead don’t understand the fine tradition of a “Time Out”.

  Three more zombies were still in the yard with me. Two that I know of had joined me in my rooftop swan dive. The other must have been there already before my flight touched down. They were closing on me, their feet dragging across the frozen ground.

  I had hoped at least one of them had fallen on its head on the way down. I mean isn’t that what parents tell us all the time growing up? Don’t play on the stairs or you’ll fall on your head. Don’t stand on the table or you’ll hit your head when you fall. Guess what…the top of one’s head is apparently not filled with lead, cause neither one of my pursuers landed on their rotten skulls. I’m going
to have to pencil in a point/counterpoint discussion with my mother.

  That is, if I ever see her again.

  Without the same benefit I had with my zombie air bag, the two that had belly flopped into the yard didn’t fare as well as I did. One of them had shattered its ribs on impact, its right chest wall completely flattened. The other must have landed on its shoulder. It walked slumped over, as if it was auditioning for the role of Quasimodo. The arm itself was mangled, broken bone protruding from several spots from its wrist up to its shoulder.

  The closer they came, the quicker they moved. It was as if the promise of food beckoned them forward. I backed away, nearly tripping over the splattered remains of Big Funky. My back hit the cold aluminum siding of the house, closing off any chance of escape.

  Something inside me snapped and I flew into a rage. These things came into my house, woke me up, threatened my family, chased me onto a roof in the middle of winter with nothing on my legs but boxers, basically threw me off the very same roof, and worst of all…broke my TV!

  With an angry shout, my first swing connected solidly across the temple of the closest zombie. It stumbled backwards, looking dazed if such a thing is possible. My back against the building and balancing on my good leg, I planted a foot in the chest of another. Waves of pain shot through my body as my damaged knee revolted. The thing fell backwards, splitting its skull open on the corner of an old wooden shed. Its limp form slid down the shed, bone scraping against wood like fingernails on a very disgusting chalk board.

  I guess parents did know what they were talking about after all.

  I whirled around, taking full advantage of the momentum of my spin. I connected with the side of the third creature’s face, its eye dislodging from its skull. Pressing the attack, I pummeled its head until it hit the ground. Its body went into spasms, until it stopped moving with a final twitch of its bare foot.