“Can you give us a hand up here?”
Cop or not, Frank was tempted to drive away. He wanted to live through whatever was happening. The more he stopped to help people, the less of a chance that would happen. But he saw Denise and the man whose name he didn't know in the waiting room. They had another woman and a baby with them. He'd never forgive himself if he didn't help.
“I'm gonna back up as close as I can,” he shouted. “Hurry up!”
Frank parked under the roof close to the front of the emergency room. Margie jumped on top of the van first and accepted the baby from Denise. Denise was right behind her. Joe was ready to make the leap when he saw Frank pull his gun and aim right at Joe's head. He fired a single time. Joe flinched as the round went past his ear and struck the creature between the eyes behind him that managed to climb out the window.
“Hurry the fuck up!” Frank said.
The women made it inside the van first. A creature shambled toward them from the waiting room as Joe landed on the ground, but a shot from Frank dropped it.
Joe jumped in the side and shut the door. Six creatures seemed to come out of nowhere. They pounded on the sides and back, trailing blood across the van. A creature that used to be a security guard lost its fingernails as it dragged them down the side. The rear window cracked, sending spider-lines across the glass. The baby was awake and crying in Margie's arms.
“Go, go, go!”
Frank hit the gas. He weaved his way in and out of parked cars and ran through a row of bushes next to the sidewalk. He drove past car accidents, creatures shambling through the streets, people dying in the allies. Margie was in the front seat, Joe, Denise, and the baby in the back. Everyone cried except for Frank. He wanted to join them, but knew he had to keep his composure, even after he saw his sister eating the hand of a doctor in the intensive care.
The world is falling apart, he thought.
“Frank, thank you, thank you so much,” Denise said. “Your sister?”
He didn't say anything, just shook his head.
“I'm so sorry.”
Frank ignored her. “Look, everyone. I don't know what's going on, but my grandfather used to have a house way up in the woods in Cumberland. I'm going there. You guys can come with me, or I can drop you off somewhere.”
“You're a police officer,” Denise said. “You're just gonna run?”
He shot her a nasty look in the rear view mirror. “I don't see you back there taking temperatures.”
She was quiet.
“Margie,” Joe said. He still had trouble talking, but he had to know. “What happened?”
The memory was still fresh in her mind. She wasn't sure if she could talk about it without breaking down.
“I lied, told them she was my sister, so I could be there. Sarah . . . Sarah died. Doctor Blair, he tried his best. But everything was screwed. There were people right outside the delivery room, killing each other. She had an aneurysm or something, right when he was born.”
She cried a moment. Denise put a hand on her shoulder from the back seat.
“He was right in the middle of a C-section. He told me I had to leave, but I wasn't going out there, not with those things. He almost had the baby out when . . . when Sarah reached up and bit Doctor Blair. She was dead, but she still got up.” She paused a moment. “I-I cut the cord myself, grabbed the baby, and hid in the bathroom. I could hear Sarah eating him just outside the door. I think he got up too. They beat on the door. They sounded so awful. Something would distract them, then they would beat on it some more.”
Margie cried at the memory. The entire hour she was in the bathroom she expected them to bust the door down and kill her and the baby. She could hear people being attacked and killed just outside in the hallway,.
She remembered something Sarah said.
“Joe. Sarah, before he put her under for the C-section, she said 'Tell Joe Aaron'. Do you know what that means?”
He sobbed. Sarah and Joe came up with hundreds of names for their baby over the past eight months. One of the early ideas they liked, but shied away from later, were names that could fit a boy or girl, like Aaron or Erin. Aaron had the bonus of being the name of Joe's father, who Sarah adored as her own before he died.
Joe held out his arms for his son. Denise handed him over, and the baby stopped crying.
“It's okay, Aaron. I'll take great care of you.”
Frank made it to the highway. It was almost as bad as the streets near the hospital. Cars were on fire, dead bodies on the shoulder of the road. He even had to maneuver his way around a big rig that was on its side with its trailer blocking most of the highway.
Everyone in the van was quiet. Frank didn't like it, and turned on the radio.
Two deejays debated and theorized as they took calls from several listeners.
“I'm telling you, these things are walking dead bodies. My neighbor got bit by one, and I can see him now from my kitchen window. He's just standing in his backyard wandering around.”
“Yeah, I've heard the same thing here. It looks like even people that are dying of natural causes are getting back up. Only damaging the brain seems to do anything. I mean, what is going on here?”
“You think it's a terrorist attack?”
“I doubt it. This is worldwide, and no one has claimed responsibility. Maybe God's just pissed off at us.”
“Whatever it is, for anyone listening, just stay inside. They're dangerous, but they don't seem that smart or fast. I've had a few callers say they've seen a few that can run, but not any faster than you or I. So please-”
They were cut off by the sound of glass breaking.
“Andrea, are you okay? Oh my God-”
Those were the last words. Denise put a hand to her mouth as they listened to two men dying over the air waves. There were screams, then they turned into more of a liquid, gargling sound as their throats were ripped open. They could hear whoever Andrea was feasting.
“We're all gonna die,” Margie said.
Joe found strength, and it wasn't a mystery where it came from. He looked at little Aaron, still sleeping in his arms.
“We're not gonna die,” he said. “We will get through this.”
“Amen to that,” Frank said. “I hope you guys like the outdoors, cause that's where we're headed, at least until this blows over.”
They continued on the highway in silence. Each one of them pondered their future.
Chapter 3
Frank was wrong.
It didn't blow over.
It didn't take long for the world to die. Two weeks after the dead began to rise, the news stopped broadcasting altogether. There were the assaults on supermarkets and department stores. The power went out slowly across the world, as less and less people were around to maintain the facilities that had spoiled society for a century.
There was no stopping the walking dead. For every person that died, there was one more walking corpse to avoid. Even deep in the country and small towns, the dead walked. For reasons that science was never able to determine, they didn't decompose like normal corpses.
The living did just as much damage as the dead. People killed each other for food and supplies. The world of the dead brought out both the best and worst in people. Unfortunately, the worse seemed to have the greater numbers.
Time passed, but for survivors, time was meaningless. What did the passing of a day, a month, even a year, matter to people surrounded by walking corpses?
A lot of time passed for Joe Thompson and his new family.
Joe was in the middle of a nightmare. It was a variation of a nightmare he had throughout the years. He was in the middle of a busy city street, but he didn't know what city it was. The walking dead surrounded him from every angle, building, every alley. They were led by his wife Sarah. She wasn't a walking corpse, like the others. She was alive and beautiful. As she got closer she slowly decayed in front of his eyes, before shoving a hand inside his stomach.
“Dad! Dad, wake
up.”
Joe woke up with a start. He sat upright and looked around. It was pitch black, but the familiar feel of the couch under him told him he was in the living room, in his home for the past fourteen years. His body told him it was late. The sheet he'd taken in their last supply run felt good against his skin. He couldn't see Aaron, but he knew where he was standing, right in the hallway that led to the three bedrooms. Denise and Margie shared one bedroom, while Frank and Aaron both had their own. Joe shared with Aaron for a long time, but was more than happy to give it up when Aaron wanted a little more independence.
“You alright, Dad?” Aaron asked.
“Yeah. Just having a bad dream. Nothing new, I guess. Especially with Frank's cooking.”
Aaron laughed. “You want me to stay up with you a while?”
Joe smiled in the dark. That was Aaron, a caring soul. They'd all done their part in raising him, and he was turning into a fine young man, even in the world they lived in. Sadly, Joe didn't know how old his son was. Thirteen, maybe fourteen years old.
“No, you go and get some sleep. We'll hit the lake, bright and early. Catch us some breakfast.”
“Alright. Love you.”
“Love you too, son.”
Joe listened as his son walked down the hall and back into his bedroom. All their ears had gotten sharper over the years, especially at night with only candles and moonlight to light the way. Aaron climbed into bed and shifted around for a minute. It was quiet, until a male voice cut through the air.
“Hey Joe. You mind keeping it down out there? Some of us who aren't pussies are trying to sleep.”
Joe smiled. “Bite me, Frank.”
The women laughed in their bedroom.
He stood up from the couch and stretched his arms over his head. He knew he should try to get more sleep, but after the nightmare, he wasn't quite ready to put head to pillow just yet. He easily navigated around the coffee table and loveseat and walked outside to the porch.
It was a beautiful night. The full moon hung high over the lake that was just outside the house. Joe walked to the edge of the dock and sat down, letting his toes touch the surface of the water. The breeze felt great.
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. The sounds of the lake and nature soothed him. Crickets chirped, birds flew overhead, fish hopped out of the water. It was hard to believe that just four miles away, in the nearby town, the corpses walked the streets.
The corpses never wandered back into the woods. Every now and then, a lone straggler would show up. But Frank always thought it was just a hermit deep in the woods, and not a sign of a corpse invasion. So far, he'd been right.
Joe didn't ever think he'd be the outdoors type. All things considered, he liked their lifestyle. Fresh water in the backyard, peace and quiet. Food could be a little rough. There were times he thought he'd die if he ate one more fish. But Margie did most of the cooking, and did a great job, even if she hated lighting the grill.
It took them a while to get used to the changes. Night was very black with no electricity. All the chores had to get done before sunset, or they didn't get done. Sleep schedules changed, no more sleeping in till mid-morning. Everyone was up at dawn. When supplies ran low, they had to brave the nearby town to get the things they needed. They hadn't driven the van in years, relying on bikes for transportation.
Their new life could be hard. But they were alive.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn't even hear her coming. His heart skipped a beat as he turned and saw Denise. The moonlight hid certain parts of her while giving a gray hue to others. She wore her favorite summer nightgown, and looked great.
“Sorry, didn't mean to scare you.”
He laughed. “It's okay. Just enjoying the night air.”
“Want some company?”
“Sure.”
She sat next to him. Joe was suddenly conscious of what he was wearing, which was just a pair of shorts. Her nightgown rode up her legs a little, and Joe caught himself trying to steal a look at them.
“I couldn't sleep,” he said.
Denise had the hint of a smile. “Yeah, we heard.”
“Sorry if I kept you up.”
“Look Joe. If you want we can take turns on the couch. I don't mind at all.”
“No, I'm fine. But thank you.”
They were quiet for a moment. Joe enjoyed watching the moonlight bounce off the ripples in the lake. He enjoyed spending time with Denise, more than he admitted. He owed her a lot. Not just for saving his life, but Aaron wouldn't be who he was without her.
“It's gonna get cold soon. I'll start working on some wood tomorrow.”
She nodded. “We might have to head to town soon too. Some of our blankets are falling apart.”
Denise scooted an inch closer and carefully leaned her head on his shoulder. The closeness made Joe's heart pound just a little harder.
She wasn't sure when she fell in love with him. She had long arguments with herself that it even was love.
It was only when Joe and Frank returned home two days late from a trip into town that she realized she couldn't live without him.
It was Frank's house they were living in. He also taught everyone how to fire and care for a gun. But it was Joe who was their leader. It was just something about him, his calm manner in which he approached everything. He had a quiet leadership that Denise didn't think he was aware of. Everyone was in a panic those first few days after the dead rose. Joe pulled them through, all while looking after Aaron.
He somehow made everyone laugh. There was a time Denise thought she'd never laugh again.
I love you, Denise thought. She had that thought so many times. Now if only I had the guts to say it.
“I, uh, think Frank and Margie are having sex.”
“What?” He turned toward the house. “Right now?”
“No, not now, nutball. Just, you know, having sex.”
Joe suspected as much. The other day, while getting the cooking fire ready, Frank had to get more wood. Nothing unusual about that, until Margie went with him. Joe thought maybe there was something going on there.
“Maybe you'll get your own room soon, after all.”
They shared a laugh and she moved her head more onto his shoulder. She ran a hand through his hair.
“You're gonna have to let me cut your hair tomorrow,” she said. That was as good an excuse to touch him as any. “It's getting long.”
“Maybe I'll just cut it all off like Frank and Aaron.”
Frank had decided he had enough of his thick head of hair years ago, and Aaron just had to look like his Uncle Frank. They were both completely bald.
“No, you can't do that. I like your hair.”
“Why thank you.”
This is it. Make a move.
“Hey Dad!” Aaron called from the porch. “A possum got in the house. Uncle Frank and Aunt Margie are both screaming in here. He says he'll kill it with his gun if you don't get rid of it.”
“Let's go save the day,” Joe said.
Denise smiled. “Yeah, we're heroes.”
He helped her to her feet. Her smile faded when she realized he was watching her, looking at her face. She could barely make out his features due to the darkness. He didn't let go of her hands, just rubbed them gently.
He likes me too.
They walked back to the house. Joe held her hand the whole way.
*****
The sun had only been up a little while. After catching six large-mouth bass, Joe was cleaning the outhouse, not his favorite job. Denise and Margie were in the house straightening up. Frank was chopping logs with an ax. Aaron was out in the woods practicing with a compound bow, a gift from Joe he'd found on their last trip to town. Archery was a talent Aaron was getting dangerously good at.
“Hey everybody!” a voice came from the woods. “Check this out!”
Joe and Frank looked up. Aaron walked toward them. The first thing Joe noticed was his son covered in blood. He panicked f
or a moment, then saw the huge deer Aaron was carrying on his shoulders. It was nearly his size.
“Uncle Frank, can you give me a hand?”
“Jesus, Aaron,” he said, dropping the ax and rushing over. “What the hell? You trying to be the Incredible Hulk?”
“I know.” Aaron had a huge smile on his face. “Dinner for a week. We haven't had deer in a while. Who's the Incredible Hulk?”
The women left the house to greet Aaron. They listened with smiles as Aaron told them the story. He was practicing with his bow on the other side of the lake when he saw the buck getting a drink of water. He killed it clean through the trees with a single arrow from about forty yards out. Everyone was impressed.
As Aaron told the story, Joe grew unhappy. It was only when his son finished did he realize why.
Aaron was growing up fast. Soon, he won't need me anymore.
“Hey Dad, you mind if I clean up and read a while? Then I'll help Uncle Frank with the wood.”
Joe nodded. He grabbed Aaron's shoulder before he could walk away. “I'm proud of you.”
Aaron just gave his father a confident wink. Joe tried not to laugh as his son walked around the back of the house to use the buckets of lake water they kept to wash up. If high school still existed, Aaron would be the scholar athlete, getting excellent grades, then hitting the track after school. Not the snobby popular type. Aaron wasn't like that.
“They grow up fast, don't they?” Joe said.
“It just means we're all getting older,” Margie said with a smile.
“Speak for yourself. Maybe you all are old. I'm not,” Frank said.
Joe was ready to get back to the outhouse when he saw the three of them trading looks with each other. Something was going on.
“Guys? What's up?”
Frank took a breath and shrugged at the women. “Do we want to do this here?”
Margie nodded. “Yeah.”
“Do what?”
Margie tried to stifle a smile as Denise took Joe by the hand. Denise tried to keep her feelings for Joe a secret, but she never did a good job.
“Joe, Aaron's gotta learn how to shoot a gun.”
“He hates guns. Scared to death of them. He can barely aim one straight.”
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