Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse (Book 1): Sanctuary

by Scott, Joshua Jared

  “Oh, I didn’t even think to ask what you knew.” Jennifer sighed. “No safe spots that I know of. The reporters said it was everywhere, all over the planet, hit all at the same time.”

  Briana felt the slight glimmer of hope that was building vanish. “Figures.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No, no, not your fault. I just wish I knew what to do. I can’t spend another night hiding in a room while they try to break in and get me.”

  “They don’t know we’re here, so I think we’re okay.”

  * * *

  Following a quick summary of what Jennifer knew about current events, the pair fell into an uneasy silence, neither eating nor drinking, as both teenagers thought about what was happening, what had been lost, what they might do. And each found strength in the company of the other. This period of reflection lasted several hours – Briana later stated that she’d never thought the two of them could be together and quiet for so long – until they heard a sound outside.

  “What’s that?”

  “No idea,” replied Jennifer. “Sounds like a motorcycle.” She moved to peek out a window. “It is. It’s Harry!” She jerked the door open and ran out to the street. “Harry! Stop!”

  “What are you doing!” shouted Briana. She got off the couch and started after her friend.

  “Harry!” screamed Jennifer. “Come back!”

  The boy, a soon to be senior at the high school they both attended, never saw her. He roared down the street, deftly avoiding the walking corpses, and soon vanished from view.

  “Jennifer! They’re coming! Get back in here!” Briana felt her pulse quicken.

  Noticing the zombies shambling toward her from all directions, Jennifer tried to do just that. She took two steps before her foot caught the edge of the concrete walkway leading from the street to her front door. Losing her balance, she stumbled and fell.

  “Get inside!”

  The things were nearly on her, coming from several directions. In a panic, Jennifer forgot how slow and awkwardly they moved. Rising to her feet, she sprinted for the large oak tree resting in the middle of her front yard.

  “Where are you going?” called Briana. “Inside, not out there.”

  Jennifer skillfully grabbed a branch and pulled herself up. She’d been climbing that particular tree since she was little and was quickly out of reach of the zombies. They milled about beneath her, arms outstretched. A few even tried to pull themselves up after her, but none had the coordination necessary. She was safe, although there was no way she was going to get down again.

  “Briana! I need help. Try to get them to move away or something.”

  From the doorway, Briana looked at the sight and pondered what to do. There were seven of them, all around that tree. But maybe, maybe if she could get a few to move toward her, Jennifer might have a chance.

  “Over here!” She began to throw things. The pillows from the sofa didn’t come close, but the vase she hurled struck one zombie in the back. “Get away from her!”

  Two of them turned toward Briana and lurched in her direction, but it wasn’t enough to clear a space for Jennifer.

  “I’m stuck!”

  “They’re coming for me too!” shrieked Briana. “Stay there.”

  She slammed the door, and the zombies soon began to pound on it. Unlike with her bedroom, Briana had neither the time nor the means to secure it, and one of the monsters was a huge, burly man. His massive fists hammered against the cheap wood causing it to vibrate wildly. Then the doorframe shattered, and they were inside.

  Screaming, Briana ran for the kitchen. She grabbed a knife, saw the zombie enter the room, and promptly dropped it on the floor. Reaching the back door, she tried to open it, pulling as hard as she could. It wouldn’t budge. Then she flipped the bolt lock and darted into the backyard. She felt grasping fingers brush against her hair. Moving quickly, she ran around the house to the fence near the front. There was no gate on that side, but she clambered over and found herself facing the street.

  “Briana!” shouted Jennifer. For a minute, she’d feared the worst.

  How to help her friend? She had to do something, but Briana had no clue. The zombies by the tree hadn’t noticed her yet, but they would. A bang sounded behind her. The ones in the yard definitely knew she was there, and they were hitting the fence in an attempt to reach her.

  “I have an idea,” said Jennifer. She twisted about, trying to find a better position. “We can…”

  The teenager screamed as she suddenly lost her grip. She fell twelve feet and hit a branch, taking the blow in her ribs. Briana heard something crunch. Then she bounced to the side and landed heavily on the ground. The zombies were on her immediately and wasted no time in taking bites, ripping off large chunks of flesh. Briana didn’t wait to see what happened next. She ran off, as fast as she could, trying to get far enough away that she wouldn’t be able to hear Jennifer crying out her name.

  Chapter VII

  The morning of the twenty second day found us sitting in our respective vehicles, well, not all of us. Julie and her family had accepted an unused tent. Due to the number of campers who’d died or vanished, there was no shortage, and their use had been offered to all. Briana was unequivocal in stating that she preferred sleeping lying down as opposed to sitting upright in the Jeep. I have to agree with her on that one. Even so, neither of us wanted to take the risk. If zombies approached while we were in a locked car, we had a good chance of waking and driving off before they sank their teeth into us. If we were in the open, even in a tent, we might be killed or infected before we could react.

  So, stiff and sore, we filed out to get cleaned up as best we could and eat some breakfast. The church folk prepared a group meal, apparently their norm, supplemented by food Simon and Julie had contributed. I briefly thought of adding to their stores, but since we weren’t staying, I discarded that notion. We’d keep what we found for our own use. If they were too lazy or cowardly to go out and look for more, let em starve. A bit brutal, I know, but I wasn’t feeling overly sympathetic. We joined them however, at Pastor Wills’s invitation.

  “We’ll be staying here,” said Simon, as I approached.

  I nodded. “You have to do what you think is best.”

  “Are you going to join us Cherie?” he asked.

  Briana’s eyes narrowed, and she looked about. Julie was a good ways off with Michael and some other children.

  “I don’t think so,” she replied. “I want to see what else is around here. Since Jacob and Lizzy want to explore, I’ll tag along for a while. I have my radio though, so we can keep in touch as usual.”

  I had never heard them carry on any sort of communications. Maybe they had decided to use a certain channel, different from the default. I considered mentioning that possibility to Briana, but then she’d be flipping channels constantly, and we’d probably miss any important messages directed our way. Besides, it was none of my business.

  “Do keep in touch Simon,” I added. “We might drift in and out of range, but I think we’ll be able to hear you most of the time. We’ll keep you apprised of what we find.”

  “That is an excellent idea,” agreed the pastor, “and it will be good to get additional information. Do let us know immediately if you encounter anyone coming to help.”

  “There won’t be any damn help,” snapped Lizzy. She rubbed her eyes. “I fucking hate mornings.”

  “Please my dear, there are children nearby. Do try to watch your language.”

  “You sound just like Julie with her whining, and there aren’t any damn kids around. They’re all way over there. Too far off for me to warp.”

  “What about Mary?” I asked.

  “I’m not a kid,” she protested. “I’m a very mature teenager.”

  “You’re thirteen. Thirteen and maturity do not go together, ever, and it doesn’t matter how much you think it does.” I was smiling as I said it, although the words are completely true.

  She tried to
glare at me, but Mary wasn’t angry. Nor was she good at pretending to be.

  “I’m going to mingle a bit,” said Cherie suddenly. “I’d like to at least learn some more names before we leave.”

  I didn’t pay much attention to her, but Briana kept an eye out – she really did not trust the woman – and later told me that Cherie spent most of her time talking to men, generally those who appeared single. She didn’t linger with any one fellow, but she did speak with quite a few.

  “Will you be returning after you search the rest of the area?”

  “I don’t think so,” I replied. “I want to find a good spot to set up a permanent settlement, a place with easy access to water and food but that can still be well fortified in case of attack. This area is too open and way too vulnerable. I think it might be prone to flooding as well, with the lake so close.”

  “We are only staying here until help comes.”

  “Help is not going to come,” snarled Lizzy. “Can’t you get that through your head? There is no help. Most of the world is dead. Those who aren’t dead are busy trying to stay alive or trying to get out of the cities, if they’re smart.”

  “I must disagree with you,” said Pastor Wills, quite calmly. “We have placed our faith in God and in our fellow man. We will not be disappointed.”

  He was delusional. I looked over at Simon, but he dropped his gaze. Julie was responsible for him staying. I could understand it well enough. She hated me, absolutely, and would never consent to follow me now that there was an alternative. Poor Simon was unable, unwilling, to leave her. I hoped he would be okay.

  “Faith is a good thing,” I said, “but take precautions nevertheless.”

  “And what would you advise?”

  I looked about the area. “I’d move the tents closer together. You’re too spread out. I would post watches at all times, day and night, to alert people if any zombies approach.”

  “We have seen none here,” protested the pastor. “They do not come to this place. God has declared it safe.”

  “None yet,” I corrected. “Watch the lake as well. I’m sure Julie has mentioned how zombies can walk across the bottom of bodies of water.”

  He nodded gravely. “Yes, she did share that with us, among other things.”

  “I’ve already corrected her… misjudgments,” interrupted Simon.

  “We are grateful for that,” said the preacher. “It has helped prevent some misunderstandings.”

  I could only imagine what Julie was saying about me.

  “And,” he continued, “we are grateful for the information about zombies and the water. We were unaware of that particular trait. We had thought water to be completely safe.”

  “Really deep water probably is,” interjected Briana, “since they sink to the bottom. I don’t think they can swim.”

  “The lake is never more than ten feet deep,” said Simon. “I was told that last night.”

  “Maybe you need a bigger lake,” suggested Lizzy, sarcastically.

  “There are none,” replied the pastor.

  He was unperturbed. The man might be nutty, but he did have excellent control over his emotions.

  “Anyway,” I said, “we’ll take my Jeep, Lizzy’s pretend Jeep…”

  “Hey!”

  “…and Cherie’s pickup. Simon, we’ll drop the spare tires for your SUV in case you need them.”

  He nodded.

  “Then we’ll explore and hopefully find a better spot. When we do, we’ll tell you where we are. That way we’ll be able to help each other out if need be.”

  “Hopefully we won’t,” said Lizzy. She wanted away from these fools. That had been made clear last night, once we were alone.

  “As I have said,” remarked Pastor Thomas Wills, “I believe it unnecessary, but you have my blessings in your endeavor. May God go with you.”

  Lizzy opened her mouth to say something, but Lois grabbed her arm. Reluctantly, she bit back whatever her reply was going to be, and the two of them walked off.

  “Lizzy’s in trouble,” sang Mary softly.

  “Happens a lot, doesn’t it?” asked Briana.

  “Oh, yeah. Lois is forever calming her down, making her apologize, telling her to behave. Lizzy really is a bad influence on me, you know. Good at killing zombies, so I tolerate her.”

  Briana laughed and then went off with Mary. I asked where they were going, slightly curious, but dropped the matter when Briana replied it was girl talk. There was simply too great a chance it involved feminine hygiene or some other topic I wanted to avoid.

  The pastor, Simon, and I spent some more time speaking, mostly about nothing, while I waited for everyone to finish what they were doing so we could get going. Things were never that simple though. Cherie soon returned with a young couple in tow, along with quite a few annoyed and angry looking folk trailing close behind.

  “What’s going on?” asked the pastor.

  “These two charming people want to come with us,” replied Cherie.

  “They can’t leave Thomas,” declared a woman. It was the same whiny hag from the previous night.

  “Of course Susan and Timothy can leave,” he said, honestly surprised. “This is not a prison, and we are not some foul cult that keeps our members isolated and locked up. Nor do we make them drink Kool-Aid when things go bad.”

  Her face fell. The preacher clearly knew exactly how to deal with this woman.

  “But,” she continued, “you know what happened last time some of us left.”

  “Oh?” I asked.

  Pastor Wills turned to me, his eyes sad. “As we told you before, a group was sent out after it began to see if they could find help or to offer any needed assistance, as the case might be. They went north to Chadron, it being the closest town. Things did not go well, and none made it in the end. Every last one perished. Since then we have remained here, completely safe from harm.”

  That was worse than I’d assumed, and I wondered how many had died.

  “I would like to know your reasons however,” he continued, shifting his attention to the couple before him.

  “We,” began Susan, “don’t feel safe just sitting here doing nothing. Looking around the area makes more sense. There might really be something nearby that’s better or at least more comfortable.”

  “And we won’t be going far,” added Timothy. “We can always return if it proves too dangerous.”

  “Of course you can,” said the pastor, reassuringly. “Your going may serve an additional purpose as well. You will be in an excellent position to preach God’s message to our new friends.”

  I was so glad Lizzy was out of earshot.

  That seemed to mollify many of the others, whom I assumed were fellow church members from Illinois. They were definitely dedicated to their faith, but then, I think only the most devout would take two weeks each year to go on a retreat like this.

  “We have extra radios,” I said. “We’ll show you how to use them. That way you can stay in touch with us and Simon here at the lake camp. By the way, do you have a car?”

  “Yes,” replied Timothy, “a minivan.”

  I repressed a groan. “That’s not going to work. We’ll be going off road on occasion. You need a Jeep, preferably, or at least a truck with four wheel drive.”

  “We do have several pickups,” said the pastor, “that are now without owners. You may take one of those.”

  “You have guns?” I asked.

  Susan shook her head. “We do not believe in violence.”

  “That wasn’t my question, but I’m taking that as a no.” She was annoying me, but then I always was quick to judge others. “I’ll give you each a pistol and a shotgun. We have some we took from a police van we found south of here.”

  “I am not carrying a gun,” she said stubbornly.

  “I’ll take it,” said Timothy.

  “You will not!” exclaimed Susan, as she rounded on her husband.

  “Each vehicle carries some weapons,” I
said. “That’s the rule. You don’t have to wave it about or anything, better if you don’t really, but if zombies get too close, you need to have the means to defend yourself. Hopefully that won’t happen. Even if it does, it’s usually me and Lizzy who drop them.”

  “That’s true,” said Simon. “I carried a gun the entire time, but I never used it. They did the shooting, and it wasn’t necessary too often. Jacob is good at planning. We were even able to stop on the road in places to eat or siphon gas and not even see one of them.”

  “If you go away from this area,” said the pastor, “you may need such a weapon.”

  “Well,” conceded Susan, reluctantly, “I suppose, as a precaution. I don’t like it, and I’m not carrying one myself.”

  That settled that. Timothy would have the gun. It’d be better if both did, but I wasn’t going force it. Too much trouble, and it probably wouldn’t accomplish anything.

  “Get your stuff together, and we’ll head out,” I said. “I’ll tell the others you’ll be joining us.”

  * * *

  We didn’t leave the camp until nearly ten that morning. Part of the delay was getting the pickup Susan and Timothy took started. It had simply been sitting unused for too long. Such problems were going to get worse as time went by. Fortunately, there were some mechanics among the pastor’s little flock, and they got whatever the problem was corrected. Additional time was spent showing Timothy how to use the 9mm I loaned him. He picked up on the shotgun quick enough, which was admittedly much simpler. Susan’s disdain of guns was repeatedly made clear during the abbreviated lessons, and she threw a fit when she realized Mary, at the precious and innocent age of thirteen, carried one.

  But eventually we got moving, checking out the service roads. Our plan was to fully explore one side of the forest and any neighboring countryside that was easy to reach, then cross back over US-385 and check the opposite half. Later, far later, we would make excursions into the neighboring towns.

  A strange thing, which we all noticed and discussed, was the complete lack of zombies. There wasn’t a one to be found, and that was, quite simply, impossible. People everywhere died and reanimated on that first day. Yet, the only zombies in the national forest seemed to be those that attacked the church camp. No, it was definitely not possible. There were more of them – there had to be – but their constant wandering had resulted in a lull. Sooner or later, the things would return.