Kenny Thompson was down on the ground with a wound to his pelvis but kept crawling toward me and Eddie like it didn’t hurt at all. He pulled himself along with his arms. Cursing, Eddie pulled the bolt clumsily back on his rifle and slammed it forward to chamber a round. He brought the shaking rifle up to his shoulder and fired again.
Bang!
I ducked unconsciously. The bullet slammed right into Janice Thompson’s chest. She bucked a little at the hit but kept staggering toward us.
“Fuck this…” Eddie yelled and turned to run. I agreed wholeheartedly and turned toward the street. One step, two steps, and then I jumped over the drainage ditch and turned right toward my driveway. The screams of Eddie’s wife, I never could remember her name, stopped me in my tracks. Looking back, Eddie must’ve slipped trying to get over the ditch. Mrs. Thompson has fallen on him. She was biting and tearing away large chunks of his flesh each time. Mr. Thompson was still pulling himself along the ground, now focused on Eddie’s screaming wife.
“Ryan, hurry. C’mon.” Sam was screaming and moving further into the yard. This finally pulled my attention from the gruesome scene near the road and I turned and ran for my own door. Sam threw it open as I ran up and we both ducked in. I turned and made sure it was closed and locked. Then we both collapsed onto the floor crying. As we lay there, both Malcolm and Tabitha came down the stairs and ran over to where we were on the floor. They fell on top of us and we all laid there crying and holding each other until we were out of tears. Even Thor came over and laid down at our feet.
Gradually, we all slowly got up from our heap on the floor. Mal and I were the last. He was scared now. Gone was the ‘cool’ factor of zombies. Replaced with terror. The kids had watched from the window upstairs once they heard the first gun shot. They saw Eddie get eaten by Mrs. Thompson. They saw my close escape.
How do you reassure your kids when you don’t feel very reassured yourself? The Thompson’s brought over chicken soup when someone was sick. They watched Tabby when Mal was born. We’ve gone over there on Christmas Eve for the past several years. Not this year, I guess.
I realized that Sam was trying to get my attention over near one of the front windows. Whatever was out there I was pretty sure that I didn’t want to see. But, if it could help keep my family safe then so be it. Eddie’s body was still lying next to the ditch. Looks like Eddie was a bleeder. But, instead of being dead, Eddie was twitching. Mrs. Thompson was now at Eddie’s front door rhythmically banging on it, trying to get in. Her attempts were slow, steady and relentless. Mr. Thompson had managed to drag himself over to the house and up on the porch to the door as well. He was banging on the bottom part of the door. There were dark blood marks on the door where the zombies were beating against it. As Sam and I watched this display of single mindedness, Eddie, or what used to be Eddie, rose to his feet and began that staggering zombie walk over to his old front door and began to pound on it.
It was just 9am.
Tabby called from the living room. The Speaker of the House was on the TV.
“My fellow Americans, I am speaking to your from deep inside a secure bunker. The President, Vice President and many other of your elected officials are dead, victims of this horrible tragedy. I have been sworn in as your new President. The cursed virus is sweeping through our country and the rest of the world killing many Americans and creating, well creating what have to be called zombies. These zombies are no longer your family, friends or neighbors. They are something else entirely and will not hesitate to kill you. We are desperately trying to find a cure. Until that time, I ask that you remain in your homes and limit your interactions with other people, especially those that seem ill. God Bless America.”
Sam and I agreed that he didn’t really say much that we didn’t know. But, he seemed really scared as he spoke.
“How would the President and other high level people get bit?”
“Well, I guess he gets the same flu shots as everyone. But, even if he didn’t there were those on his staff that did. So, now there are all these people in a secure location and one or two of them die and turn. Now you’ve got zombies in your bunker. It was scary enough out there in the open.”
“They aren’t going to get a handle on it are they?” asked Sam.
“No, honey. They aren’t. No 911. NO EMS. No Fire Department. And soon maybe no power or water.”
“What’s next, then?”
“We need more supplies and we need to board up the house. But…” I gestured to Sam to follow me upstairs. “Kids, find a movie to put on please. Let’s take a break from the bad news.” They said yes and Sam followed me upstairs.
I sat on the bed and Sam sat next to me. Thor took his spot near our feet. Tears came freely again as I tried to speak. My wonderful wife just held me although I know she had a thousand questions and was scared too. After a few minutes I had a little composure.
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry, Ryan. We’re all scared.”
“No, it’s more than that. I can’t go back out there. Not today. Please don’t ask me.” With that I was crying again. “I know you’re scared, I know the kids are scared. But, you weren’t to those things as close as I was Sam. The eyes, there’s nothing there. The moan, it’s unnatural. That woman held Tabitha at the hospital the day she was born. And she was trying to tear my flesh off out there.”
Sam continued to hold me. She was crying, too. “Whatever you need Ryan. I know you’ll take care of us. You always do. We can plan the next few days and be ready to go.”
I was angry at myself and terrified at the same time. There were things to do if we were going to survive and I was crying on the bed like a child. I pulled away from Sam and went to the window. Shit.
“Sam, come here and look at this.”
“Holy crap, where did they come from?” There were now five zombies outside the door across the street. “They look familiar to you?”
“Yeah, I’ve seen them before. They must live in the neighborhood somewhere nearby.”
“You think the pounding noise attracted them?”
“Or the blood. I don’t know. Shit.”
“What?”
“Well, scared or not, I need to board up the house. It looks like the door over there is holding up well but what if the zombies tried the windows? They’d break with one hit. I can’t do anything with the zombies right there.”
“Then let’s go sit with the kids. They need some normal after this morning and we can check on Eddie’s house every once in awhile.” Sam had a good point.
The movie was a Disney animated one that they’d seen a hundred times but that’s just what they needed; something familiar and fun. I thought about what to do next if the zombies stayed across the street and what to do next if they left. But, Sam and I didn’t talk about it. Before I knew it, the movie was over.
“How about an early lunch?” Sam motioned for me to check outside while she and the kids went into the kitchen.
A peek outside revealed that the zombies had moved on. Which was both good and bad. I’m glad they went but where did they go? And why? Do they give up after awhile or were they drawn somewhere else? I just didn’t know enough about them yet to make a guess.
In the kitchen, Sam looked up from making salads when I walked in. Tabby was chopping tomatoes and Mal was rinsing some greens. Sam raised her eyebrows.
“Gone. Didn’t see where.”
The salads were delicious and I’m generally not a salad person. How was life going to be if we couldn’t get things like salad? Normally, I could live off of frozen dinners but that’s not going to happen in our new reality. We really were going to have to figure out how to grow all our food. Well, that’s a thought for another day.
“When we’re done with this wonderful lunch, I’m going to need some help.”
“What kind of help Daddy?” asked Tabby.
“I think I’m going to need you and your mother to help me in the backyard and Mal to be a
lookout upstairs.”
“I’m not going outside.” Tabby started to cry. Sam went over and put her arms around her.
“I’m not sure I want to go outside either after this morning, Ryan. What are you thinking?”
“Ladies…” I got up and walked over to them. “I would never put you in harm’s way. Never. Our yard is fenced, remember? You won’t be in any danger. I promise.” Sam looked a little better. Tabby wasn’t convinced. I knelt down next to her chair.
“I saw those things out there Daddy. I saw what they did. And it was Mrs. Thompson…”
“No, Tab. Mrs. Thompson died from the flu vaccine. That was a monster. Remember, we talked about the monsters? It just looked like Mrs. Thompson. Like it was using her body.”
I got the look from both of the women in my life.
“That’s not better is it?” They both shook their heads. But, I got a smirk from Tabby. “Tab, when we’re done, walk with me out back. We’ll make sure the fence is in good shape and if you can’t do it then you can come back in. Okay?”
She nodded.
“That’s my girl.”
“What’s the plan, Ryan?”
“We need more supplies and they have some next door. We don’t have to drive anywhere and we know the place is empty.”
“Didn’t they say to stay inside?” asked Tabby.
“They did, Tab. But, even with all the stuff we got at the store, it won’t be enough for long. I have to keep you and Mal and your mom safe, right? That’s’ my job now. There’s no place for tour guides in this new world. There’s things we need right next door and I have to go get them.”
“You’ll make a lot of noise climbing the fence,” Sam pointed out.
“Yep, so I won’t do that. We have two ladders. I’ll put one on our side of the fence and one on the other side. That way I can get over quietly. I’ll put that little folding table we have on our side of the fence.”
“So, you can get stuff over the fence without having to climb the ladder again.”
“Exactly, you know how I feel about ladders anyway. Plus it’ll make less noise.”
“What are mom and I going to do?” asked Tabby.
“You are going to be carrying the supplies into the garage and keeping a good lookout. Only one of you inside the garage at a time. That way the other can be looking out for zombies.”
“What am I doing Dad?” Mal was starting to feel left out.
“You have the most important job of all, Mal. We can’t see out front if we’re all out back gathering supplies. So, I need you to watch for zombies out front. If you see any, you come to Tabby’s window and bang on it so we’ll know. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“The ladders and the folding table are already in the garage. We just need to gather up all the grocery store bags we have. That’ll make it easier to carry things for all of us.”
With that decided, we took up our positions. Mal was upstairs where could keep a lookout but more importantly was inside the house where I didn’t have to worry about him. Tab, Sam and I were in the garage making sure we had everything that we would need. Ladders, table, bags and I had my handgun.
“Let’s go outside and see what’s what.”
The back yard was surrounded by a typical chain link fence. We had some flowers, a few trees and the remnants of a summer garden. But, there was plenty of room to work along the fence on the Thompsons side of the yard. It was eerily quiet. Thor headed out to pee and sniff around.
“What do you think, Tabby? You okay in the fenced yard?”
“I’m not happy about it but I want to help.”
“You’re not a kid anymore are you? Have you heard from Justin?” She shook her head. I walked over and put my arm around her and kissed the top of her head. She smiled up at me. But, I could see that she was scared. “Okay, both of you. If something happens, your best defense is running. Zombies move slow and can’t seem to figure out door knobs. So, you high tail it into the garage and close the door. Got it?”
They nodded and we went back inside to get our stuff. One ladder was set up quietly on our side, the other one on the other side of the fence. Then the folding table was set up.
“I’m relying on the two of you to keep an eye out. You’re protected by the fence but there’s no fence on the other side of the Thompsons yard. I don’t want to get trapped in there.”
I kissed both of them and then climbed the ladder and stepped carefully to the other one. I don’t like ladders or heights. But, I made it without too much noise or trouble.
The inside of the Thompsons house smelled as bad as I remembered it. I quickly regretted not having something to put over my mouth and nose. The back door from the yard led into the kitchen, but I went into the living room and closed the front door. I didn’t want any surprises. Then I realized, there was no way for me to know I was alone unless I looked. Crap. I pulled my gun and moved room to room in the house checking to see if I was alone. I was. But, I had never done anything so nerve wracking. I’m not a police officer. I don’t have this kind of training. But, something told me this would not be the last time I had to clear a building. Just another day in a world gone mad.
Back in the kitchen, I filled the sacks with all the canned food I could. Then headed into the back yard.
“Where have you been? It’s been like five minutes. I thought you were dead. Dammit, Ryan,” said Sam.
“Hey, hey. I’m fine. I had to check the house to make sure there were no surprises. I hadn’t thought of that before. It took a few minutes. Here.” I set the bags over the fence onto the table. “Gimme a kiss.” Sam pursed her lips but came over to the fence and kissed me. “Remember, someone stays on lookout at all times. I’m getting stuff out of the kitchen so this trip won’t take long, okay?”
The next several trips didn’t take long as I found a bunch of usable stuff in the kitchen. More canned and dry food. A case of water. Flashlight in the drawer. Why didn’t I think to bring one? I’ll have to remember to have a flashlight at all times from now on. I grabbed some empty containers that would be good for water.
“That’s all in the kitchen. I’m going to go looking in the house some. It’ll take me longer, okay?”
“Yeah, sorry I yelled at you.”
“No worries. We’re all a little stressed. Tabby, you doing okay?”
“Uh, huh.” But you could tell she wasn’t happy about being outside.
I didn’t know what else useful I’d find in the rest of the house. But, there was one thing I was looking for. Kenny Thompson and I had gone shooting together once. I knew he had a handgun. A .38 caliber revolver. If he was like most people it would be in his bedroom somewhere. Just hopefully not in a safe.
When I entered the bedroom, I recoiled back into the hall. It didn’t take much to figure out what had happened. Janice Thompson, sick with some flu like thing. Kenny Thompson, sitting on the bed trying to help her feel better. Janice, dead. Kenny, sobbing into her chest. Janice, reanimating. Kenny, shocked as his wife of fifty years begins to tear into his neck and face. The bed was soaked in his blood.
The bedroom would have to wait a minute. I looked in the hall closet and found some blankets and candles. As I handed the bags over the fence, I didn’t know I was crying.
“You okay, Ryan?”
“No.” But I would say no more. I’m sure my wife could imagine what had happened between the Thompsons. I would spare her the details.
Back in the hallway of the Thompsons, I somehow found the courage to go in the bedroom. Rather than look at the bed and the blood, I focused on finding the gun. Nightstand, sock drawer, underwear drawer, all the usual places people keep valuables. Please, God. Let it not be between the mattress and box spring. No, it was on a shelf in the closet, just like mine. I wondered if that’s where I got the idea from. I managed to get his .38 caliber revolver, about 100 rounds of ammunition and a decent holster. The gun would be perfect for Samantha.
“This is for you,
” I said as I handed the bag to her back outside. “That’s all I want from inside I think. I’m gonna toss some firewood over.”
I hadn’t thought of the firewood before so I had no way to carry much of it at a time. But, it was going okay when Thor started barking. Thor was a big dog and he rarely barked.
“Dad, look.” Tabby was pointing behind me. On the other side of the yard there were 2 zombies. They were walking into the yard where there was no fence to protect me. Without hesitation, I climbed the ladder and into my yard even though it would take them a few minutes to get to where I was. I grabbed the ladder from the Thompson’s side. Not worried about the zombies climbing it but I didn’t want them to knock it over.
“Tabby, grab Thor and go back inside.”
Then, a faint moaning from the zombies as they approached their prey. Which was me and Sam, at this point. Now, more moaning but from the other side of our yard. There was a zombie in the yard next door. I recognized it as our neighbor on that side, Ben. Sam and I grabbed the last of the firewood and threw it into the garage. Then we stepped back into the yard just outside the back garage door.
“I want to watch this.”
“Why?”
“Just to learn. Janice couldn’t figure out the screen door this morning. God, was that just this morning? I want to see if they can figure out fences.”
They couldn’t. On the one side, the single zombie pressed himself up against the fence oblivious to its existence. The two zombies on the other side were doing the same.
“They can’t seem to figure it out. There’s no effort to climb or even to go around. They’re trying to take the most direct route to us.”
“Yeah, but they really seem determined to get at us.”
“And, they completely would’ve snuck up on me if Tabitha hadn’t seen them. They didn’t start moaning until they were close. I wonder if they’ll stay when we go inside.”
“Let’s go in and find out before more show up.” With that, Sam and I went in the garage and locked the door. Mal had come downstairs and was helping Tabby put stuff away. I went over to Mal and hugged him.
Dead of Knight: A Zombie Apocalypse Survival Tale Page 5
