Dying To Live & Fighting To Live-Book One and Book Two (Zombie Overload Series)

by Wright, C. M.

  Crouching down and finally finishing, doing the wiggle and just starting the jiggle, I hear a moan from the bushes closest to the field, not the road. I forget about the jiggle and yank my pants up, not bothering to zip or snap them. I grab my gun from the ground where I had placed it and take a few steps back. I can see movement between the dense leaves and branches of the bushes. Too dense to actually see details, just movement. But the moans and shuffles are unmistakable.

  I keep my eyes on the bushes in front of me and move back through the bushes behind me as quietly as I can. This is all while going uphill and holding my pants up with one hand, so I'm doing my best not to fall on my ass. I'm high enough now that I can see the top of the moaner's head. And then, what I see next does make me fall on my ass. There are zombies as far as my eyes can see across the field. On the other side of that field, just a few miles behind, is Springfield. The first layer has just made it to the bushes, joining the lone one I had heard. It's not going to take them long to get through.

  I fumble to get up, turn and, holding my pants up, run up the ditch to the others. I frantically search for my boys and can't find them. I grab Will and with the fear making me gasp and hard to understand, I try to ask where the boys are. I try to tell them we have to go. All I could do in the end was point toward the field.

  Will grabs me and shoves me in the Hummer and tells me the boys are fine and are asleep in the back. I look back to make sure and am relieved that they are indeed asleep and safe. I watch Mom and Dad run and get into their vehicles. Jake's already at his truck, settling Greg in the backseat so he could rest, when he hears the shouts from the others. I watch him look up and, seeing the mass of zombies coming our way, hurries to cover Greg with another blanket, and jumps in the driver's seat.

  But we are still too slow.

  Chapter 14

  The first of the zombies break through the bushes and are headed our way. At the bottom of the ditch the zombies have a hard time getting up the other side and I start to breathe a little easier. Until, that is, the zombies fall and the others just walk right on top of them. Now they are getting closer. AND WE ARE STILL SITTING HERE! What the hell, Will? I finally tune into what he is yelling about and realize the damn Hummer won't start. He's screaming at the vehicle, I'm screaming at him, and now the boys are awake and screaming at both of us.

  Dad had already driven off, not realizing we couldn't. Jake is behind us so he knows we are having a problem. I don't know what to do! I look out my window and the zombies are only about fifty feet away. Will's cell rings and my first instinct is to ignore it but then I know it could be Jake. It is.

  "Oh my god!" I scream into the cell.

  "Shut the hell up and listen. Raise the back seat and get out the rifle that is inside. It's an automatic so it will shoot faster. There's more to know about it, and I'll teach you later, but now just aim for the head and go in bursts of three, re-aim and fire. GO! GO! GO!" I was already getting it out before he had finished yelling. Rolling down the window, I point it outside and aim. Pulling the trigger, I'm startled with how it jumps in my hands, how fast it is, and surprisingly light it is. Remembering what Jake told me, I shoot three times then wait a second and shoot three times again. I hear another gun and assume it's Jake, but kinda busy right now to check.

  I'm closer to running out of ammo in the automatic and the zombies are getting thicker. They are at least ten feet away and still coming. I can't see the end of them and for a brief second it crosses my mind that, 'this is it'. I squeeze the trigger and eventually I hear a click and the gun will fire no more.

  I toss the gun onto the floor of the truck and raise my window. Still sitting on my knees sideways in my seat, I put my hands up on the window and watch as they come for us. I hear Jake's gun stop. And then the most beautiful sound I think I may ever hear. "Holy Shit!" from Will, ok, that wasn't it. It was the sound of the Hummer roaring to life. Just as the zombies reach my side of the truck, we shoot forward and leave them behind. I whip around toward the back and look for Jake. At first, all I can see are the zombies but then I see the few that had gotten in the front either fly to the side, are thrown through the air and flipped, or crushed under his big tires. He's now behind us and we are safe once again.

  I take some time for myself and my boys. I climb over the front seat and snuggle in between them. One arm wrapped around each of them, I hold them tight and we play some travel games like I Spy, sing a few silly songs, and tell each other jokes. Out of place with what's going on? Exactly. We all need this.

  We find Dad and Mom stopped on the interstate not too far away and Will hands my phone back to me. I call my mom and tell her what had happened. I tell them to not get out and to just keep going. Mom informs me she had talked to my baby sister, Rose, and that it had started there now, too. She is at her home (the one in the country on top of a hill) and hasn’t seen anything there just yet. She had been in a large city about an hour southeast of where she lives, sitting in her car on break between her college classes, listening to the radio, when she heard the reports on a Kansas City station. KC is only about an hour from where she was sitting listening to the news report. She immediately started her car and drove toward home, calling our brothers and our other dad (remember I said we have two?). So now she is boarding up the windows on the first floor. She had stopped at the local grocery store on her way home and stocked up on food. She has a few hunting rifles (actually they belong to her fiance. Yeah, I remembered their official relationship.) and all the other kids should be arriving soon.

  That's a relief to hear. Some good news for once. The bad news? We aren't there, yet. Ugh!

  We say our goodbyes and hang up. I dig through our cooler and find the ham and cheese. After smelling the ham, (you never know with coolers) I make the four of us sandwiches. Finding a packet of plastic silverware and a stack of bowls, I open a couple cans of mixed fruit. We all savor each bite of the sweet fruit and every sip of the thick sweet juice, yum! The boys finally fill their bellies and are tired again. I get them laid down with a pillow under their heads and cover them with a light blanket. Brushing their hair off their foreheads, I give each of them a kiss on their cheek and climb back over the seat to the front. Sighing as I settle in, Will grabs my leg and nudges me to get closer to him. I scoot over and lean against his side as he wraps his arm around me and holds me tightly to him. I close my eyes, enjoying this now rare moment with him. I'm not really seeing a whole lot of privacy in our future. WHOA! WAIT ONE MINUTE!

  I lean to my right a little and snap my head toward him. My eyes are wide and my mouth is dropped. He looks at me briefly, looks away, then snaps his head back to me. Obviously, I have him freaked out and he's looking out all the windows.

  "What? What?" He asks me looking around wildly.

  "Honey. Do you think we will ever have sex again?" What! You think we don't do that? And do you really think it wouldn't be a concern of yours, too? Quit your lyin'!

  I watch as his face turns red with embarrassment (it's so cute when he gets embarrassed. So I do it often.)

  "Jesus, Canada! Seriously? We have dead people who aren't dead, well, I mean they are dead, but they are alive, too, and, oh hell! You know what I mean! And you're worried if we are going to have SEX again? Are you freakin' serious?" He looks at me in disbelief.

  I stare back.

  "Damn, you are. Of course you are," Then he laughs so hard I'm afraid we are going to crash into a car sitting on the side of the road.

  I bring his attention back to driving and, except for some explosive laughs every few minutes, he manages to keep us from wrecking. We get another ten or so miles further down the road, and I'm sitting back on my side with my arms crossed, shooting him 'go to hell' looks every once in awhile, and have only one thought....

  He never did answer me.

  Chapter 15

  We have made it to Missouri! At about the middle of the long bridge we had to go over, is where the state boundaries are. I was so sure that tha
t bridge would be impossible to cross, but, surprisingly it's pretty clear. We only have to maneuver around three vehicles, which is fairly simple to do, and pass just six of the undead. They went for us, but with us being able to drive faster, they have no chance of reaching us. I look down over the side of the bridge and can't believe what I'm seeing! In the shallower parts of the Mississippi, zombies are walking into the deeper areas, past their heads. Others are walking out of the deeper areas and it doesn't seem to phase them either way. I also see a tourist boat floating in the river. Everyone on it is a zombie. It was so creepy!

  We get off the bridge and are immediately at the edge of a town. Since the highway actually goes over the town, we don't have many obstacles or surprises. Now we are on a two-lane highway. This is going to be fun. NOT! And we don't have long to wait for the fun to begin.

  Up ahead we see the brake lights of Mom and Dad's vehicle come on. And beyond them, we see an eighteen wheeler on it's side, completely blocking the road. Damn it! And we were doing so good!

  All of us look around, get out, and group up. We keep the kids in the middle of our circle so they can move around a little. Little Kaleb is so cute with his pretty little blond curls and chubby cheeks. He's smiling and laughing at my boys while they play with him. I look at Baby Grace in her carrier and, as usual, she's asleep. She looks like a little doll. I figured Mom would probably like it if I took them back with me, so I went to grab her and Kaleb's diaper bags. Mom follows and tells me to leave Kaleb's. That she will keep him and I can take Grace so just one of us won't have two babies to try to protect and take care of. I open my mouth to tell her that I have the boys who can help, when I realize she has gotten a bit attached to Kaleb. So I offer to ask Bo if he wants to ride with her. She says ok.

  I grab Grace's bag and take it to our vehicle, asking Bo to come with me as I walk by him. I ask him if he wants to ride with grandma and grandpa and help with Kaleb. He never gives up a chance to be with his grandparents so, of course, he says yes. I help him gather his blanket, pillow, and other items he wants to take and we load it in his grandparents Hummer. I hear, as I walk by the others, that they are still trying to figure out another route. I go back to the group, pick Grace and her carrier up, turn toward our vehicle, and start walking back, calling out three letters that shuts them up and makes the men hang their heads in embarrassment and shame for not thinking of it first. GPS. HELLO!

  I change Grace's diaper, put her a new outfit on, and feed her. As I'm doing all that, everyone else is getting something to eat, something as in ham and cheese sandwiches. Well, we gotta use it up before it goes bad!

  As I was inside our vehicle changing Grace, the men moved the vehicles into a box formation using the semi to complete the square. Dad, Will, and Jake had gotten inside the semi and found it was stuffed with boxes of toys, everything baby, and some younger kids clothes and shoes. Nothing to fit our boys but Grace and Kaleb are set! We take all the diapers, wipes, formula, girl clothes and shoes that she is currently able to wear and a lot she will be able to wear. Also, baby items like teething gel, bottles, diaper rash cream, bottled water, cloth diapers, and pins. We also took all the shoes and clothes that would now and later fit Kaleb. The toys we took were enough for each of the four kids to have four each. Baby toys for Grace, toddler toys for Kaleb, and the older boys were able to get toys for their age group.

  I finish with Grace and leave her asleep in her carrier on the driver's side back seat. I leave the passenger-side door open so I can see and hear her and make my way to the others in the center of the square. Will hands me a plate of chips and a sandwich, and I kiss him in thanks. I sit on the ground in front of him and lean back into his chest. He puts his arms around me and I start eating, looking around at my family, Jake, and Greg. I can't imagine losing any of them. It hurts to think I very well could. And easily. I follow Jake and Dad with my eyes as they walk the perimeter. (See me using another military term!) Finished eating, I set my plate to the side. Will brings his head down toward me and whispers in my ear.

  "We will definitely have sex again." YEE HAW! Now that's what I'm talkin' bout!

  I turn my head, (I have just gotta see him turn red. And sure enough, flaming!) and smile up at him.

  "I love you, Baby." I tell him.

  "I love you, too, Beautiful." He responds, nuzzling my neck.

  "Hey, you two sickos ready to go?" My dad has a way of totally screwing up a moment.

  Will stands and helps me up. Kaleb, Bo, and my parents get loaded into their vehicle while the rest of us move to our own. Will starts to get in the passenger seat to slide to the driver's side, when I tell him I will drive for awhile so he can rest. He doesn't argue which lets me know how tired he really is. I help Ash get in and buckled, then slide in the front behind the wheel. Dad and Jake are able to just drive straight out but I have to back up for room to turn back east. Soon, we are all heading back the way we came, looking for the turn for the new route.

  I listen to Ash play with his toys and after a few minutes, I hear a great big snore. Looking over, Will has his head leaning against the door and is out cold. He never snores unless he is completely worn out, so I'm glad I had offered to take over driving for him. I feel bad about waking him but I know he will get one hell of a cramp in his neck of I don't. I tell him to lay down and put his head on my leg like I had done earlier to him. He does and I think he's back out before he even gets his head down, considering his head slams onto my leg, making me grimace in pain.

  I hear Ash playing with the baby. I hear her cooing in delight and I can't help but giggle when she does. Both my boys are good with babies and the babies adore them. My heart swells so much I think it's going to burst through my chest and right onto my hubby's head. God, how I love my family. And how hard I'm going to protect them or, at least, die trying.

  Again, I have not mentioned other living people. But they are around. When Will was driving, I even helped shoot a few zombies that were about to have some of them for dinner. I am so lovin' this shootin' shit! I think Will's getting worried about how much I'm enjoying it, but he hasn’t said anything, yet. Guess I need to play it cool from now on.

  So now we are on some back roads that are covered in loose rocks. Trees from both sides loom over the road, making a gloomy tunnel effect. Creepy. That's all I can say about it. The sun is already setting so, pretty soon, there will be complete darkness. I'm really not looking forward to that. We can't travel very fast on these roads and that's frustrating. All I want is to get to my sister's and get out of this damn vehicle. We drive uneventfully for at least three hours. Then, I see a truck up ahead, sitting sideways, and blocking the road. That's not unusual in itself, considering we see vehicles blocking the road constantly. It's rarely a problem either, as the keys are usually still in them and we can move or push them if need be. What made this one different, is the group of maybe twenty or so zombies surrounding it. Which can only mean one thing, people are inside that vehicle, otherwise the undead would have moved on. The windows are all busted out and the undead are stretching into the truck, which is high off the ground, as far as they can, but are unable to reach whoever is inside.. The dead are also unable to climb up on the high hood of the truck or over the tailgate in the back, though not from lack of trying.

  Mom, who took over driving for Dad a few hours ago, pulls over to the right side of the road onto the narrow shoulder. I pull onto the left shoulder and Jake stops in between us in the middle of the road. A few of the zombies give up on the unreachable food and start toward us. Jake rolls his window down and sits on the frame, raising his rifle and aiming. Dad in his truck, and I in mine, do the same. Will is whipping his head all around trying to make sense of what's going on since he was deeply asleep until I shook him awake and pushed his head off my leg. I can tell when his head clears and he understands what's going on from the sharp breath and 'oh shit' that comes from inside the Hummer.

  I raise my gun and Dad raises his. Mom gets on her window le
dge and raises her's. That makes me hesitate for a second. I look at her wide-eyed and it kinda freaks me out. I mean, think about it. If your mom is like mine was, then she's a gentle, caring person who has never held a gun in her life, only swears when she's so pissed off she can't even see straight (and even then, the most she says is 'shit'), and is one who can find the good in anybody, even if she can't stand them. To look over and see her holding a gun like a pro, fire and determination in her eyes, and, not to mention, the zombie ass-kicking she did this morning, makes me realize how easily she could have taken me out when I was a teen. She's a totally different person than I had come to believe she was. Not a very comfortable feeling, but then again, I'm thankful she can take care of herself. She is my momma, after all.

  Movement to my left jerks me back to the here and now and I swing my rifle in that direction. Firing, I take down the zombie and aim for the next. The four guns going off made a great deal of noise and I hear the baby start crying and Ash tries to calm her. I bend down to check on her and see Will leaning over the backseat, talking to her and giving her a bottle. Satisfied that he can handle it, though she may still cry, at least she knows she isn't alone with Ash and Will there.

  I lift my head back up and before I can get my balance stable again, I feel something grab the back of my shirt and jerk me out of the window.

  I fall hard on the ground and the wind is forced from my lungs. My vision is blurred but, even so, I can smell the damn thing. I feel the thing's hands grab at me and, as hard as I try, I can't move! I'm screaming, although I can't tell if it's out loud or just in my head. Vision clearing, I look up and see an undead leaning toward my stomach, his smell is foul and disgusting. His eyes have dark black rings around them, skin so pasty and gray. He's an older man, maybe in his 70's, probably someone's grandpa. He's a large man but not overly so. He's wearing a pair of filthy loose jeans and a grungy t-shirt that may at one time have been white. Over the t-shirt he's wearing a flannel shirt. No shoes.