Zombie Games
4
Road Kill
By Kristen Middleton
Copyright © 2012 by Kristen Middleton
Cover Photo by Ivan Bliznetsov
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This book is fiction. Any resemblances of characters to actual people, living or dead, is coincidental. The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Prologue
He waited anxiously in the crook of the tree, wondering how he’d escape the three zombies lingering down below. He was pretty sure they were aware of him, in fact, he was positive they could smell him from the way they continued to sniff the air while making those nasty, gurgling noises.
I have to get out of here.
Rubbing the sweat from his brow, he decided it was time. There was no way he could wait any longer. It had been at least two or three hours since he’d left Allie and Kylie, and they were probably freaking out, thinking he’d totally abandoned them. In a few hours the sun would be down, the forest would Now, he’d have to return with his tail between his legs, knowing he hadn’t accomplished anything but hiding out in a tree like a scared little wuss.
I may just as well have the word ‘fail’ embedded on my forehead, he thought. What a waste of time.
Releasing a sigh, he reached into his jeans and took out the pink rubber ball he’d found the day before, at the rest-stop. It was a long shot, but he had to cause a distraction and hope the zombies moved away to investigate. More than likely, however, they were just way too stupid and would completely ignore it. As he raised the ball to throw it into the woods, a movement in the woods caught his attention.
A pig!
The young Yorkshire was snorting happily as he stopped and began eating something on the grass which, honestly, looked like cheesy-rice or puke.
Luke shuddered as the zombies moved towards the pig, hoping that Wilbur was enjoying his last meal.
With his heart pounding, he waited until the creatures were about twenty feet away from his position and only then did he begin to descend the tree. Just as he was about to reach the bottom, however, the entire tree began to tremble and shake. Stunned, he jumped to the ground which also rumbled under his tennis shoes.
An earthquake?
Frightened and worried that the earth was going to open up and swallow him whole, he ran back towards the dairy farm. It was the last place he’d left the girls and he hoped that they were still alive and okay.
Chapter One
Cassie
“I can’t take it anymore,” groaned Nora. “If I have to listen to one more song by ‘Wailing Jennings’, I’m going to shoot myself in the head.”
“It’s ‘Waylon Jennings’,” corrected Henry, “and you need to show him a little respect, God rest his soul. Jesus, I had to listen to ‘Shityeah’ and lost two hours of my life that an old-timer like me can’t afford to waste.”
“It’s ‘Hellyeah’, and they freaken’ rock,” said Nora.
“Rock? Sounds like the main singer had some stuck in his throat,” said Henry. “It’s amazin’ what you kids listen to these days. Why, back in the day-”
Nora rolled her eyes. “Oh, here we go…”
“Artists like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry knew how to entertain their fans.”
“Well, even I can appreciate Elvis, so why don’t you just stop while you’re ahead,” said Nora.
He went on. “That there Elvis, by golly, he made the women-folk crazy with his gyratin’ hips and velvety, smooth voice. I remember this gal I dated in my early twenties, Barbara Jean Crawford, she got so worked up listening to Elvis on the radio on the way to dinner during our second date, that she jumped my bones right there in the parking lot of the restaurant. I saved myself five dollars that night man ‘cause,” he cackled, “we never made that reservation.”
“Oh, for the love of God,” sighed Nora.
“I purchased every one of his records after that and always kept an eight-track in my truck, just in case I was feeling a little frisky.”
“Wow, you, frisky? Huh.”
“Yep, went through a lot of shocks in those days, but,” he smiled, “them were some mighty good times.”
“Okay, we’re even,” said Nora.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“I just lost minutes of my life that I’ll never get back, either.”
Having heard enough, I sat up and stretched my arms. “Where are we?”
“Oh, look who’s finally woken up from the dead?” said Henry, glancing back at me in the rearview mirror. “I’m surprised Shityeah didn’t scare you awake, Wild.”
“Hellyeah,” grunted Nora.
“Nope. I must have really needed the rest,” I yawned. “I didn’t wake up until I heard you two bickering.”
“I’m surprised you could even sleep through this twisted, country twang,” said Nora.
Honestly, I wasn’t that crazy about it either, at least not the older county music, but when I saw the look Henry gave her, I changed the subject. “Nora, did you happen to find any of your dad’s CDs?” I asked.
She began fiddling with the black leather wristband that Billie had given her. “Yeah.”
“Why don’t you pop one in?” I asked.
“Later,” she replied.
After only a few hours on the road, we’d found a music shop and had stocked up on some CDs for the ride back to Minnesota.
“Your dad’s a musician?” asked Henry.
Nora stared out her side-window. “Yep, he’s the lead vocalist for Death Row.”
Henry rubbed his jaw. “Death Row? Sounds like one of those heavy-metal bands. Your dad doesn’t bite off the heads of bats or urinate on his fans, does he?”
Nora turned to him and scowled. “No, but he does smoke too much, tell tall tales, and thinks he’s God’s gift to women. Like someone else we all know.”
“What, me?” asked Henry. “I’ll have you know that I’ve never told a lie. I’ve had me a life filled with experiences that would knock your socks off, young lady. In fact, if I don’t survive this zombie apocalypse mumbo jumbo, I don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me. I’ve had no regrets in life and as far as I’m concerned, every day from here on out is a gift from the man above.”
“Oh, stop talking about death, old man. You’ll probably outlive every damn one of us,” said Nora.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tin of chew. “Not if I can help it. Why do you think I decided to tag along with the two of you? It wasn’t because it sounded like a fine plan. Hell no, I’m here because someone’s got to keep you reckless, young girls from getting yourselves killed. But, I tell you what- if I die because of it, I know in this here ticker,” he said, pointing towards his chest, “that it certainly won’t be in vain.”
I reached forward and gently patted his shoulder. “Come on now, Henry, we’re not going to let that happen. None of us are going to die on this trip.”
“Speaking of which, I think we should focus on getting gas right now,” said Nora, motioning towards the gas gauge. “Before this van dies.”
“Damn these gas-guzzling-mommy-mobiles,” he muttered.
“It’s still better than that gas-hog we left Atlanta in,” I said.
We’d been on the road now fo
r two days and were somewhere in Illinois. After almost running out of gas the day before, we’d traded the truck in for an abandoned Honda Odyssey, because Henry said it would have better gas mileage.
Henry looked at the fuel level and frowned. “I hope we can find something soon. You said you know how to siphon gas, Nora?”
“Yeah,” she said, pulling her dark hair up into a ponytail. I stared at the blue fairy tattooed on the back of her neck and wished I would have gotten something before everything went to hell. My dad, who was pretty old-fashioned, would have never allowed it, however.
“So, how did you learn to siphon gas?” I asked.
“Don’t ask,” she answered with a little smile.
“There’s another town coming up, about ten miles,” said Henry. “Let’s just hope the zombie situation is manageable.”
“We need more food, too,” said Nora, slipping a piece of spearmint gum into her mouth . “I’m freaken hungry and gum just isn’t doing it anymore.”
“I’m hungry too,” I said.
She handed me a piece of gum.
We drove the rest of the way in silence as I stared at my engagement ring, wondering what Bryce was doing at that particular moment. More than likely, he’d thrown quite the fit after reading my note and was probably debating on whether or not to track me down. Although I had to agree that it had been a reckless decision on my part, I still stood firm on it; my grandparent’s as well as Nora’s dad’s lives were at stake. If they were still alive, I had to go back for them. Besides, if I could survive the nightmare back in Atlanta, this would be a piece of cake.
“Head’s up girls, the town of Baylor is coming up,” said Henry.
I stared out the window as we entered the run-down little town. Just like most of the other places we’d passed through, it was empty and barren, except for the familiar sight of the dead, who shuffled in an out of broken entryways.
“Gross,” groaned Nora, rolling up her window.
Yes, the stench of death and decay greeted us like old friends. Baylor, however, had an extra surprise for us.
“Crap,” I pointed, up the street. “Something is going down.”
“Oh my God, are those nuns?” gasped Nora.
I watched in awe as three women, all cloaked in black habits and yielding sharp weapons, stood outside of an old drugstore, fending off a group of zombies.
“Pull up to them,” I said, picking up the ax I’d set down by my feet.
“Already with you,” said Henry, picking up speed and steering towards the group.
When we stopped, Nora and I both got out and advanced on several zombies trying to get closer to the women. Fortunately, the zombies were so transfixed by the nuns that they didn’t notice us, until it was too late.
I moved behind a tall, gangly walker whose head was bent at an unusual angle and swung the ax. As it fell to its knees, I dislodged my weapon from its skull and kicked the limp torso to the ground.
“Watch out, child!” hollered one of the nuns, a heavier set woman with red curls poking out of her hood.
“Got it,” said Nora, delivering a roundhouse-kick to another zombie who was staggering towards me. It fell to the ground and she quickly finished it off with her newest bludgeoning device- a long wrench we’d picked up in the last town. I cringed at the horrible crunching noise it made as she slammed it into the zombie’s skull.
“Thanks,” I said.
From there, I beheaded two additional zombies while Nora experimented with different ways of using her new weapon, delighting mostly in the “ram and twist” method. When we’d finished off destroying the rest of the zombies, the nuns thanked us, profusely.
“Thank goodness, you showed up,” said the red-haired nun. “I don’t know about Sister Theresa or Sister Elizabeth, but I’m not sure if I could have really attacked one of them.” She held up a large butcher knife. “The thought just sickens me.”
“You have to destroy them,” said Nora, kicking one of the zombies out of her path as she drew closer, “if you want to survive.”
Henry, who’d gotten out of the truck, took off his Stetson and nodded. “She’s right. Don’t you burden yourself with the guilt of saving your own life. I’m sure that God would understand.”
The nun sighed. “Well, I’m not so sure about that.”
“Why?” I asked, curious to know the nun’s take on the zombies and all the killing going on. “What do you mean?”
The nun turned to me and smiled, grimly. “Because these are the ‘End of Days’, honey. These walking corpses are all part of God’s plan, to eliminate the evil and corrupt, to cleanse the earth, so that we can start fresh.”
Henry’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“Yes,” said the other nun. “This is just the preliminary to what’s going to happen next.”
“You mean it’s going to get worse than this?” I asked, not knowing what to believe anymore.
“Much worse,” she replied, laying a hand on my shoulder.
Chapter Two
“Wake up, Allie,” whispered Kylie, shaking her arm.
“What?” she mumbled, opening her eyes. “More tremors?”
“No, if there’d have been another quake, you’d have woken up with me screaming my butt off. It’s just… Luke’s not back yet.”
She pushed herself up. “How long has it been?”
“Well, you’ve been asleep for at least two hours.”
She groaned.
That meant he’d been gone for four or five hours, maybe longer.
“Do you think they got him?” whispered Kylie, biting her lower lip.
“I don’t know,” said Allie, pulling out pieces of straw from her blonde hair. “Probably not. He’s pretty smart.”
“Yeah.”
Allie wrinkled her nose. “Jesus, it stinks in here. Like a mixture of horse manure and…”
“Death,” said Kylie.
They were hiding up in the loft of an old barn in the middle of nowhere, while a dozen or so zombies wandered aimlessly below, sniffing the air, as if searching for a source to the succulent smell of living flesh floating in the air.
“We should have stayed in the van,” said Kylie, playing with a piece of straw. She twirled it between her fingers and then threw it. “How are we ever going to get out of here?”
“Don’t worry. Luke will be back and he’ll know what to do.”
“Right,” sighed Kylie.
They’d run out of gas less than twenty-four hours after leaving Atlanta, and had been forced to abandon the van. After walking a couple of miles, they’d chanced upon an old farmhouse, inhabited by rotten food and even rottener- zombies. Tired and hungry, they’d run to the barn and hid in the loft, while Luke went in search of another vehicle.
“He shouldn’t have left us,” said Kylie. “It’s too dangerous to be alone. We could have helped him.”
“Or we could have been eaten,” said Allie. “Look, it’ll be easier for him if he doesn’t have to worry about us.”
“I suppose,” she said.
Allie crawled over to the edge of the loft and looked down into the lower part of the barn. “None of them have tried using the ladder?” she asked.
Kylie moved along next to her. “They couldn’t figure it out,” she said as they watched the zombies shuffle around, moaning and agitated. “One of them stood at the bottom, looking up and I thought for sure, he was going to crawl up here, but fortunately for us, he was just too dense.”
“Thank God.”
One of the zombies, a woman with long stringy hair and a chewed-up nose, must have heard something, because she looked up at them and began growling. Then, two other zombies joined in and soon the entire barn sounded like a bunch of cats in heat.
The girls backed away from the edge.
“God, I wish they’d just stop,” groaned Allie, holding her hands over her ears.
Kylie closed her eyes and began praying.
“What are you doing?” asked Al
lie.
Kyle opened her eyes. “Praying that someone will come and save us.”
Allie closed her eyes and began praying, too. Anything was worth trying at this point.
After several minutes of praying, both girls noticed the zombies had quieted down and they opened their eyes back up.
“No way,” whispered Allie, peaking over the edge of the loft again.
Not only had the zombies quieted down, but they’d actually left the barn.
“Don’t get too excited,” said Kylie, walking over to the open window. She leaned down and pointed. “Look.”
Allie stared in horror at the scene outside. Luke had returned and was holding some kind of make-shift torch, trying to get back into the barn while a crowd of about fifteen zombies were moving towards him.
“He needs our help!” cried Allie, rushing towards the ladder.
“Are you kidding me- there’s too many!” hollered Kylie, grabbing her arm. “It’s suicide to go down there. We lost our weapons and there’s no way we can kill those things with our bare hands.”
The sound of gunfire startled both of them and they scurried back over to the window. A big red-pickup was now parked outside of the barn, its owner firing his gun at the zombies surrounding Luke.
“Holy cow,” whispered Allie, staring at the tall, muscular guy. “That guy is fine.”
“Seriously, he’s like, old,” said Kylie. He had to be in his twenties.
Noticing the two girls looking down from the window, Luke ran into the barn and yelled for them to climb down the ladder. When they reached the bottom, they both hugged him and he blushed.
“Oh my God, are you okay?” cried Allie, noticing the pain on his face when she released him.
“Yeah, I’m okay. I had a close call with a zombie, earlier. Thankfully, the lower part of his face was missing and he couldn’t bite me.” He shuddered. “I don’t think I’ve ever smelled anything that bad in my life.”
“You weren’t trapped in the barn with us and a group of those things, these last few hours. Even the cow dung couldn’t mask the smell,” said Kylie.
Zombie Games (Book 4): Road Kill Page 1
