by L. J. Cuff
Her eyes widened as she noticed movement by all the front windows. She slowly took a step back as the infected jumped out of the house, growling in her direction.
“Well, this’ll be fun,” She stated, taking another step back as she saw Ted step forward. He grunted in her direction and held up his hand. The infected stopped and watched him for directions. “Alright then,” Mary responded, nodding her head. She turned around and began running. Behind her, she could hear the footsteps gaining on her when suddenly the sound of gunfire filled the air.
She heard several thumps like bodies falling from behind her but she didn’t stop. There was still grunting coming from that direction.
She kept running until finally she was standing in front of a house. She noticed someone in the window but didn’t show any sign that she saw them. She spun around to see if the infected were still following her but found no one there.
“Ok…” Mary said skeptically. She looked to the east and saw the sun rising, revealing the area around her. The grass was only knee high, long enough to pretend no one had been living in the house for a while but short enough to not allow infected to hide effectively.
“I don’t see any more from up here,” The person from the window called down. Mary looked up to nod at her then stepped forward. She slowly made her way back to the house where everyone was still inside.
Along the way, she saw the limp bodies of the infected laying on the ground. Looking over to Claire she shook her head.
“Didn’t get all of them, huh?” Claire asked.
“Diane, Ted, and the one with scars aren’t here,” Mary responded, looking over to the fields.
“Well, if they’re out there then there’s nothing we can do at the moment.”
Mary slowly nodded and made her way inside. She glanced over to Ben who had a giant, celebratory smile. He gave Mary a warm hug of appreciation.
“Don’t celebrate yet, they may still be upstairs,” Mary stated.
Owen shook his head. “We checked there, it’s completely empty.” He responded.
“What about the truck?” Mary asked.
“That was driven into a ditch a few miles down the road. Bob and Adam should be returning shortly.” Ben stated confidently.
Mary stepped outside and stood next to Claire, they looked out at the field together.
* * *
A few days later, Dennis was able to walk and the time had come to part ways.
Claire gave Ben a firm handshake. “Are you sure you want to stay here? Paul knows you’re here, he will return.” She pointed behind her. “You guys are more than welcome to join us.”
Ben shook his head politely. “Thanks for the offer but not everyone has decided to leave and while they still want to be here then that’s where I’ll be.” He nodded over to Mary then Dennis.
Owen picked up his bag and gave Ben a hug. “Thank you for everything.”
“Are you sure about this?” Ben asked.
Owen looked back at the SUV, then over at Ben. “I have to… This place… It has good memories but…” He stopped and stared down at the ground. A single tear streamed down his cheek and Ben patted him on the shoulder.
“If you ever want to return, you know where to find us.” He stated and waved goodbye to them.
Mary, Claire, Dennis, and Owen climbed into the SUV. Claire put it into gear and drove up to the road then stopped.
“So where are we going anyways?” She asked, turning to Mary.
Mary raised her eyebrow then looked back at Dennis and Owen. “Well, maybe we could try going to your old military base? You know, the one you guys lost contact with?” She suggested.
Dennis and Owen looked at one another then back at Mary and Claire.
“Ok, then it’s decided…” Claire responded, pulling out onto the road and driving north.
Beasts
Chapter One
Mary bent over to pick up the first blackberry. She held it up in the sunshine, marvelling at the sight. She took in a deep breath and brought it to her lips. An odd noise came from around the corner, stopping her from enjoying her piece of fresh food.
She stepped over to the corner of the gas station while staying close to the wall. Peering around the edge, she saw a pair of feet swaying in the wind. She took a step to the side for a better look. The adult female infected was hanging from a rope that was looped around its chest and up its back.
Mary stood motionless as she watched it sway. She looked around the area but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
“Hey, Mary, are you done picking blackberries? It’ll be dark soon and we need to find a spot for camp,” Claire asked as she rounded the corner. She stopped moving the moment she noticed the infected.
Mary glanced over her shoulder then looked back at the rope. She shook her head.
The infected moved its head from side to side, watching the two women. It licked its lips and grunted in their direction.
“Who would’ve bothered with this and why?” Mary asked, watching it sway.
Claire shrugged. “Sadly, this isn’t the weirdest thing I’ve seen…” She responded. “Anyways, it’s time for us to get going. Did you pick any blackberries?”
Mary shook her head. “Sorry, was distracted by this,” She said, pointing to the infected.
“That’s fine, let’s grab a couple and leave,” Claire said, looping her arm around Mary’s to pull her away. Mary resisted slightly but finally allowed to herself to be taken.
Mary watched Claire expertly pick berries out of the bushes and put them in the small bucket she’d found inside. She closed her eyes, focusing on the breeze blowing through her hair. She opened them again to find Claire standing up, watching the shrubs to the side. Glancing over her shoulder, Mary couldn’t see anything but looking back at Claire, she knew something was wrong.
She turned around fully and backed away to the car, keeping the shrubs in front of her. She could see in her peripheral vision that Claire was doing the exact same thing. After a few steps, she finally saw what Claire was watching – a set of eyes were looking at them very close to the ground.
“What do you think it is?” Mary whispered over to her friend.
Claire shook her head. “I’m not sure and I don’t want to find out,” She responded, pulling the rifle off her shoulder and pointing it forward.
“Is everything-,” Owen began, stopping the moment Dennis raised his hand. Dennis bent his knees, keeping his eyes on the bushes in front of Mary. Momentarily patting the ground, he felt what he was searching for. Straightening his legs, he lifted the large rock over his shoulder, preparing himself for an overhand throw.
Suddenly, a large rock flew through the air, hitting the back windshield of the truck. Dennis immediately looked for the source but couldn’t see anyone nearby.
“Shit, these things are getting brighter by the minute,” He said under his breath. “Get in the truck,” He whispered over to Owen. Mary and Claire were still a few feet away.
The truck roared to life as Owen turned the keys in the ignition. Dennis motioned for him to move closer to the two woman as he climbed a pair of gas pumps. Owen stepped on the gas and the truck rolled forward but within moments, it came to a stop. He turned the keys again but the engine wouldn’t start.
Another large rock came crashing down, this time narrowly missing Dennis as it flew past him. He glanced over his shoulder at the ground then looked back at the source. Hmm… So they’re on top of the station, he thought, surveying the unfolding situation.
Mary and Claire in the meantime were now leaning on the side of the truck. Their hunter was still under the cover of bushes. Claire cocked her gun and aimed it carefully at the eyes. She pulled the trigger and silence befell the group.
“Did you manage to get it?” Mary whispered to Claire.
Claire didn’t respond, she instead fired another round at the eyes that were seemingly unwavering.
Dennis watched the area Claire was shooting at very carefully
. He could see an open spot in between the bushes right near the edge which seemed to contain her target.
Claire grunted out of frustration. She cocked her rifle again and steadied it.
“Save the ammo,” Dennis said to her. He glanced over his shoulder at the truck that still contained Owen. He looked back at the infected on top of the gas station. Climbing down the gas pumps, he motioned for Mary and Claire to accompany him.
Another rock came crashing down beside him making everyone except Dennis flinch. He looked down at the pieces then over his shoulder at the roof and shook his head. Owen got out of the truck to allow someone else to get in the driver’s seat. Dennis pointed at the trunk. “Please open it. Collect all you can carry and let’s go,” He said, watching with disdain as it popped open.
Mary reached in, pulling out a backpack and a couple of rifles. “Well, I’m ready…” She said, taking a step back.
She put her foot back in anticipation of giving Dennis more room when suddenly, she felt something attach to her ankle. Looking down, she saw a metal shackle wrapped around her leg as well as a spring mechanism laying on the ground, covered in leaves.
“For fuck’s sake!” Mary shouted, kneeling down to remove her restraint.
Dennis spun around and fired a single shot towards the roof of the gas station. An infected holding a rock teetered over the edge for what seemed like an eternity. It finally tilted completely forward, dropping the rock to the ground. The infected, however, stayed on the roof, seemingly suspended in mid-air.
“Think that’s the last of them?” Claire asked, holding up her rifle, scanning the area around them.
Dennis looked over at her then back at Mary. He took careful aim with his gun and shot at her shackles. They fell to the ground from around her ankle and she stepped forward.
“So where to now?” Owen asked, looking over at Claire and Dennis who were both looking at each other.
“Are you thinking what I am?” Dennis asked with a sly smile.
“It’s insane,” Claire declared, shaking her head.
“What is?” Mary queried, watching for a reaction. Dennis and Claire looked at her and she realized what the plan was. She nodded slowly, gritting her teeth. “Let’s do it,” She said.
Claire pursed her lips, glaring at Mary then back at Dennis. “I hate being bait.” She stated.
Mary furrowed her brows. “I thought I would be-,” She began before noticing Dennis and Claire both shaking their heads.
“Claire is trained for hand to hand, she is able to defend herself when it comes right down to it,” Dennis explained, motioning for Mary to move away from the trap.
“I’ve killed more infected than she has,” Mary complained.
Dennis nodded in agreement and spoke, “I know and you’re very skilled at that, but Claire is able to disarm without severely injuring them. Whoever is coming to collect the proceeds of their traps is human, not an infected.” He pointed up to the roof. “The infected up there was just as trapped as any human or infected that makes the mistake of stepping in that.” He pointed down to the area on the ground.
Mary thought about it for a moment. “So we simply disarm and take their car?” She inquired.
Dennis nodded.
“Won’t that just leave us with an enemy like Paul?” Mary asked.
Dennis and Claire looked at one another then back at Mary. “It’s not very likely… Those kind of people wouldn’t leave these kind of traps,” Dennis responded.
* * *
The trap was set. For hours, Claire stood, pretending to have her ankle encased in the metal shackle. Dennis, Mary, and Owen hid in the bushes to the side, staying close to the ground.
A van came rolling down the road, slowing down as it passed Claire who watched it intensely. It stopped a few feet away and the driver stepped out. “Is everything alright?” The man asked, looking at the ground surrounding Claire’s foot.
Claire shook her head with a hint of tears in her eyes. “M-m-my f-foot is trapped,” She said, sniffling and wiping her eyes.
“Man, she’s good at this, isn’t she?” Owen whispered into Mary’s ear. Mary didn’t respond, she focused on the task at hand.
“What are you doing all alone out here?” The man inquired, squatting down a foot away from Claire.
“My friends left to find help…” Claire responded, pointing down the road. “Our truck stopped working here and we were attacked.” She nodded towards her truck and gestured to the infected dangling from the rooftop.
The man glanced over his shoulder to the van then down the road. He returned his gaze to Claire. “Here, let me help you out…” He began, bending over to remove the shackle. “I’ll get this off you, we’ll find your friends, then you can be on your way.” He took it off her ankle. “There, you’re free.”
Claire stepped away excitedly, staying within Dennis’ and the others sights. She suddenly stopped and stared at the man. “You know, you sure do know a lot about traps,” She mentioned in passing.
The man pursed his lips and reached around to his back. “Yeah… I guess I do…” He aimed his gun at her. “Now get into the van and let’s go find your friends…”
Claire smiled slyly and stepped to the side, behind a gas pump.
The man rolled his eyes. “If you come out quickly, I’ll spare you and one of your friends…” He said as he stepped forward.
“C’mon, one more step,” Dennis whispered, steadying his gun.
Claire noticed the man was staying behind the truck. She looked left then right and back towards him. The man stood perfectly still, he watched Claire who was apparently shaking behind the gas pump then looked around. He didn’t see any other movement but his gut was telling him there was more to it then it appeared.
He’s not going to move, Claire thought, maybe if I force his hand. Let’s see how badly he wants me. Suddenly, she bolted towards the gas station. “Help! Help! Please, God, is anyone there?” She screamed as she ran.
The man moved cautiously after her, watching the shrubbery for any movement. He quickly took extra steps to get himself out of the open when he heard a shot fired. The pain in his leg was intense and immediate.
“You fucking bitch!” He shouted as he lifted his gun and began shooting towards all the shrubs.
Owen tried to sit himself up but Mary held him down tightly. “You’re better off on the ground,” She whispered into his ear. He nodded but Mary could see the fright written on his expression. He was not nearly as battle hardened as the others.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” The man shouted, limping towards the shrubs closest to him.
Dennis fired a second shot bringing the man down to the ground. He tried to stand himself up but found it impossible. Both his knees were intensely bleeding.
“Fucking assholes!” He grunted out of frustration. He took in a deep breath and brought his hand around his back again. As he brought it forward, Dennis saw his chance. He quickly jumped out of the bushes and aimed his gun directly at the man’s head.
“Put it down right now and we will walk away from here… We’ll even put you up there so you’re relatively safe.” Dennis commanded, approaching the man.
“Fuck you!” The man shouted, dropping the cartridge from his gun and quickly reloading it. Before he had a chance to lift it in front, Dennis fired another shot. The man fell backwards, his breathing became heavy.
“You killed him?” Owen asked, standing himself up from under the bushes.
“Not likely,” Dennis commented.
“But… He’s…”
Dennis walked over to the man. He was cradling his shoulder while his legs were both splayed out against the ground. Dennis nodded slowly, still keeping his gun aimed at the man. He glanced over his shoulder and shouted, “We’re on a time limit, let’s get ourselves out of here… I’m betting this fucker isn’t completely alone out here.”
Mary, Claire, and Owen quickly gathered their things from the truck and opened
the rear of the van. They briefly paused when they saw the cargo but then Mary and Claire carried on with the task. Owen was a bit more cautious.
“All done but we do have a drop off to make,” Mary called over to Dennis.
Dennis nodded in response and looked down at the man. “I’m going to give you a choice-,” He began.
“I don’t need or want anything from the likes of you, go fuck yourself.” The man said, shakily lifting his gun. It was quickly apparent that his left hand was not nearly as skilled as his right.
“Well then,” Dennis responded as he stood up and shrugged. “I guess this is goodbye,” He said and walked away.
“You’re just going to leave him there?” Claire asked.
“I gave him the option but he doesn’t seem to want to take it so… Yeah, kind of,” Dennis responded. “Now what’s with this drop off to make?”
“You’ll see,” Claire motioned for Dennis to get into the back while she got into the driver’s seat.
The moment he opened the doors, he could see the problem. There were three infected strapped to the van walls. Each one wearing a muzzle and its limbs fully tied to the wall. He stepped up to the first one and leaned in close. It struggled in vain against its restraints. He inspected its arms and legs.
“Dennis?” Claire called out from the front seat.
“Yes?” Dennis responded, keeping his gaze on the infected.
“Can you please close the back so we can get going?”
Dennis turned to the side then glanced over his shoulder. He briefly looked out then closed the doors. “Sun will be setting soon,” He stated, returning his attention to the infected.
“We have a full tank of gas here and I for one am ok with driving at least part of the night.” Claire commented, pulling her compass out and placing it on the dashboard.
* * *
Two hours passed and miles separated the group from the gas station. Claire pulled over to the side of the road. She kept the engine going while Dennis and Mary cautiously pulled the first infected off the wall. Mary lifted the infected’s leash and gave it a quick but decisive tug. It allowed itself to be led outside. It grunted at Dennis as it passed him on its way out.
