The Human Race (Book 2): The Fighting Chance

by Tahnee Fritz

  “Am I normal again?” he asks without any force of the words at all.

  She nods, “Yes you are. Can you tell us your name?”

  “Joshua.” He says quietly.

  “I’m Katie and the girl who saved you is Bridget. We’re going to take care of you.”

  Joshua smiles and says, “Thank you.”

  * * *

  Morning’s here. A foggy morning and I can smell rain in the air. No doubt a storm is coming and we’ll get soaked before we find anywhere to hide from it. This is one of the few parts about being a traveler I don’t miss. Getting rained on constantly was never a fun thing, although it did help lead to a fun thing once. It won’t happen again, but I’ll always have that memory.

  There’s still no sign of Adam or George or anybody. I stayed up all night and not a sound came from any creature outside the truck stop. No deer running by or vamp trying to sneak a late night snack. I hated every second of the silence I was hearing. If it weren’t for Ryder’s quiet snores, I would’ve gone crazy. It just means that we really have to trek all the way back to that village in hopes of finding someone still alive.

  Hank found an old satchel inside the truck stop which he used to load some food and the rest of the water. There isn’t much left, but it will help them out in case they have to go without for a little while. The newest member of our small group, Joshua, has already helped himself to a stale bag of cheese puffs and ate it like he’s never eaten before. He’s a happy kid now that he’s human again and he can’t wait to find more people to be around.

  Speaking of food, I do find myself a little weary from hunger this morning. I haven’t ate much of anything since I met all of these people and had a quick meal of their blood. Ryder doesn’t count that as a meal, but when you’re part of the undead world like I am, anything you eat counts as something. As long as that anything consists of flesh and blood, then you’re good.

  The fog isn’t as thick as it was at dawn. We can see a good thirty feet in front of us as we walk through the tall grass back toward the village. It won’t take very long to walk there, about thirty minutes maybe. Five miles is nothing to walk, even on a miserable looking day as this one. However, it feels like a million miles when I have to force my feet to keep moving. I guess I’m hungrier than I thought. I can’t focus on anything and my stomach hates me right now for not feeding it. The only thing around that would even remotely cause the hunger pain to go away is the one thing I’m not going to give it. I’m sorry, but I’ll let myself starve into a state of not being able to move again before I let that happen.

  I can’t push the thought out of my head though. Being this hungry and this close to something that can solve my issue, makes them even more desirable. It’s hard to describe a feeling that could even relate to this. I guess it would be like a prisoner knowing freedom is right outside the fence but he knows he’ll never have it. In a way, I am a prisoner and I’ll never taste the one thing my mind and body so obviously crave.

  There’s a rustling up ahead. I open my eyes wide and strain my ears to listen. I don’t think anyone else can hear it. No one is paying attention to it or looking for the sign of the noise. They’re busy walking and looking for the people we were supposed to meet up with. There’s the sound again. Leaves are being kicked around by something and I can hear it perfectly, like it’s not more than a few feet away. I take a deep inhale through my nose and smell something that might bring a slight end to the pain in my gut. It’s not dead nor is it a human. Definitely not another rabbit or rodent of any kind.

  That’s a plus in my book.

  I hear the sound again, this time I can pinpoint exactly where it’s coming from. Off to my left and not far away. I stop walking and stare in the direction of the noise. Another sniff and I can smell the dirty fir on its body. The smell of the skin and meat under that fir is intoxicating. So much so that I bite my lip and take a step toward it without bothering to tell anyone what I’m up to.

  “Bridget?” I hear Ryder’s voice, but I don’t turn to him, “You alright?”

  His voice isn’t enough to break my concentration. I hear the animal moving even louder now. It’s four legs trotting through the grass, getting closer to me and its odor intensifies. The small doe appears from behind a bush. She doesn’t notice me or the humans standing behind me. I can feel their eyes on my back. They’re probably trying to figure out what I’m doing.

  I slowly move my feet toward the creature. Her head is turned the other way and I move so quietly, I can’t even hear my footsteps. The smell grows and it’s all I can focus on. The blood boiling under that fur coat she’s wearing. That luscious flesh, it will be so filling and end the pain in my stomach. My mind is a blur. Nothing else is around me as I close the gap between myself and my meal. The monster inside is consuming me, begging me to end its suffering. Just a few bites and I’ll be satisfied. I can gain the strength I need to take on the world. A few feet to go and the doe finally turns her head. Her glasslike eyes are staring at me.

  Those eyes, calm and unafraid, are not enough to destroy the building frenzy. I can feel it taking over as I take one, final step before diving through the air to get to her. I wrap my arms around her neck and she struggles against my grip. I bring her to the ground and her hooves dig into my stomach and legs. This deer is no match for my new strength. I hold onto her with my arms wrapped around her tightly. She lets out a frightened wail as she continues to kick at me and the ground in hopes of getting away. I take in another whiff of her scent and close my eyes to get the full effect.

  Whatever has been growing, has complete control over everything I’m doing to the deer. Squeezing her neck tighter until I can’t hear her breathing anymore. She kicks and struggles, even after I bring my mouth to her neck and bite down hard enough to break the skin. Her warm blood fills my mouth and the frenzy I’m slowly getting used to is building all the more. I claw into her body with my fingers, feeling the skin and fur getting trapped under my nails. I take another bite, letting her flesh and blood flow down my throat, bringing an end to the hunger pains.

  Her blood drips down my hands and I can feel it soaking the sleeves of my hoodie. Her body slowly stops moving in my grip. I take another bite, then another, until there’s a decent gap on the side of her neck. I hold onto her lifeless form and let my monster win this little battle against me.

  Hunger is a horrible thing to ignore, even worse when you’re not human anymore. It’s like something I can’t control and something I don’t want to deal with. Whatever happened to me after being bitten is nothing I want to be. This demon that’s ripping into the flesh of an innocent animal, is not what I truly am. Yet, it’s exactly what I’m giving to the world right now.

  “Bridget?” I hear a voice not far behind me.

  The world slowly comes back and I let the deer fall to the ground. I open my eyes and see the green grass coming into view. I look at my shaking hands, blood dripping from my fingertips. I can feel the same blood on my chin and lips. I glance down at my handiwork. A gory scene lies before me. Her eyes are still wide open and terrified.

  “Are you alright?” the voice belongs to Ryder and I feel his hand on my shoulder.

  How could I have let him see this side of me? It was bad enough he had to see me rip into those few zombies two nights ago. Seeing me covered in the blood of an animal isn’t what I want anyone to see. Especially Ryder.

  He kneels to the ground next to me and I turn my head toward him. Through the corner of my eye, I can see the others in our group standing there, staring at me. Each one has a look of concern and worry written on their faces. My hands start shaking a little more and I can feel my lips quivering. They’ve seen what hunger will drive me to do. I can almost guess what’s on their minds right now. The crazy half vampire-half zombie could take us out in a minute. They could be right, no matter how hard I try to control it. I am a monster, regardless of what Ryder and Jason tell me.

  “It’s okay.” Ryder says quietly.
>
  I look in his eyes. He’s not afraid of me or what he just saw me do. I hear footsteps approaching and both of us turn our heads. Joshua is walking toward us. The one person of the group who should fear me the most is calmly walking this way.

  “You’ve got something on your chin.” He says with a small smile, revealing his sense of humor.

  I quickly wipe the blood from my face with my hands. There isn’t a lot of it that dribbled down my chin. Seeing as how my jeans are already bloody and ruined, I wipe my hands on them until they are mostly clean. Ryder reaches for my hand and I hesitantly give it to him. He helps me get to my feet and I stand to face the others. There’s not a whole lot I can say to explain myself. I can’t expect them to understand. I kind of expect to see them all run away from me.

  “I’m sorry all of you had to see that.” I say.

  My eyes scan each of their faces. None of them look afraid or like they want to run away. They don’t want to shoot me for acting like one of the creatures who bit me and them. That’s actually a bit surprising.

  Jason steps forward and shrugs his shoulders, “Well, if you’re not hungry anymore, we really need to keep moving.”

  He smiles and Annah lets out a quiet laugh. She follows Jason and Hank, heading back toward the small village. Joshua runs back to Katie’s side and grips her hand with his tiny fingers. I can feel the relief flow through me and I’m more myself again. Ryder gives my hand a little squeeze and I walk next to him, following the others.

  “You see, Bridge,” he states, “no one here thinks of you as a monster.”

  I shrug, “I still feel like one.”

  He sighs, “I’ll get you to stop thinking like that soon enough. Trust me on this one.”

  I try to smile. I try to let anything other than guilt and shame take over my mind. If I wasn’t so hungry, so tired and unable to move like a normal person, I wouldn’t have had to tear into the doe like that. These people wouldn’t have seen me like another zombie or vamp. I could still hold onto a small piece of my human self. Whenever the monster comes up to play, the only human part of me that’s left gets chased down like a dog.

  * * *

  The rest of our walk back to the village was completely awkward. I wasn’t sure what to say to anyone or even what to think when they turned their heads my way. They didn’t have much to say to me either. Other than asking if I’m okay or wondering if we’re going in the right direction. No one cared to bring up my crazed attack on that poor deer. I’m hoping they know I won’t do anything like that to them. Zombies, vampires, and the occasional animal is the only thing on my menu from here on out.

  It’s a very disgusting menu.

  We make it to the village and stand in the middle of the circle drive of the cul-de-sac. I look around, peering at each and every house in the neighborhood. The doors are shut and the windows are boarded up with plywood. Carter’s body still lies in the middle of the street, a white sheet is partially draped over him. His feet are sticking out along with his hands.

  A few others lie dead in the street, seven to be exact. Michael’s body is amongst them, piled with the others from the group of people who are after me. Three more are placed gently in a row next to Carter. There’s plenty of blood staining that part of the street and I have to force myself to stay strong. The evil part of me can smell the human blood before me and it definitely wants a taste.

  “Dad!” Katie shouts and walks down the street searching for Adam.

  Annah and Hank follow her closely, looking for anybody that is still alive. Joshua stays behind with Rose and practically hangs at her side. He’s frightened now and being in this place is doing it to him. We told him we’d find people here, others that will help take care of him and now it’s like a ghost town. I can only hope that everyone got out alive and found safety elsewhere.

  Katie shouts for her father again and her voice carries through the air. I take a few steps away from Ryder and scan the place a little closer. There are bullet holes in the plywood covering the two front windows of a house nearby. The door is ajar and there’s something blocking it from shutting all the way. I squint my eyes, focusing on the bottom portion of the doorframe. A foot is sticking out and it’s keeping the door from latching. It’s not moving and I can guess that person is dead. I look to the house next door and find a few more bullet holes. There’s no dead body at that house, but it’s a safe bet to think that most of these people didn’t get out while they had a chance.

  “Where the hell is everybody?” Hank shouts.

  He circles the area as his eyes scan everything he sees. This place is empty. Or it appears to be empty only giving me the impression that it’s not. If Trevor and his men are after me for a purpose I’ll never fully understand, they wouldn’t roam too far from the place they found me. I’m sure someone is still here, hiding in a corner so we can’t see them. I take a deep breath, sniffing the air. The only humans I can detect are those around me. I’m used to their smell and would be able to tell if someone else is around.

  “Dad!” Katie screams at the top of her lungs again.

  The echo that follows her isn’t her voice coming back. It’s not the sound of guns clanking from humans who are ready to attack nor the sound of footsteps walking this way. The response we get from Katie’s shriek for her father is a deathly moan coming from behind one of the houses. It’s a deep, raspy groan that could only come from one beast on this planet.

  I step away from the others, heading toward the sound. Katie rushes back to the group, Annah follows close behind. Joshua hides in the middle of all of them to become the most protected one. I hear the grunting come again along with the quiet shuffling of feet on the grass. I run my fingers through my hair and keep walking as the sound gets louder. This thing smells fresh meat and its song is getting louder.

  It appears from behind two-story brick house with a wraparound porch. There’s a gash on its forehead and blood staining the shirt its wearing. The zombie is a man and he limps on his left leg while his arms sway carelessly back and forth. His face is dirty and his hair’s a mess. Not enough to hide the face I recognize.

  “Greg.” I say, noticing George’s father inching his way to the others in the group.

  He doesn’t look my way. His black eyes are focused on the dinner standing a few yards away from him. The human smell is enough to get his legs to move a little faster and his groaning to grow louder. I look past him, trying to see further behind the house. Another body is dead on the ground, holes covering the clothes and I can spot a bullet wound in the head. That zombie might be dead, but the five others that are walking my way, are just as undead as Greg.

  I don’t recognize these other zombies. Two of them are women and the rest are older looking males. One of the men has grey skin and a missing left hand. He looks further gone than the others. His body is more decomposed. I don’t know if my cure will work on him and I don’t know if I really want to try. It’s gross enough that I have to bite the body of the deceased in order for this thing to work. This zombie looks like he just crawled out of the ground after a long nap in the dirt.

  I glance back to my group just as the five zombies march around the corner of the house and head for them. Katie lets out a loud shriek when she sees just how many there are. Jason raises the gun in his hand while the girls hide behind the three guys. I can’t let Jason shoot any of these people. It’s going to be hard, but I have to try to cure them. They had a life once and it’s the right thing to do to give it back. No matter how disgusting it may be, I have to try.

  “Try not to kill them.” I say.

  Jason nods and keeps the gun held high in case one of them gets too close for comfort. If he has to, he’ll pull the trigger, but only to protect himself and the others.

  I’ll do my best to keep the zombies from reaching them. They’re already moving faster than I can think right now, so it’s time to get on it.

  I rush to Greg, the zombie closest to the humans. He pays no attention to m
e. I’m dead to him and don’t smell appealing. I should feel the same about him. My stomach, however, is telling me otherwise. This zombie would make a decent meal for now and the more I think about it, the more I want to taste his flesh. It’s bruised and veiny in places, his eyes are black, and his clothes are bloody. That blood smells pretty damn good too. At least I’ll be performing a civil service in the process of ending my hunger.

  “Don’t worry,” I say to the walking corpse, “you’ll be back to your old self real soon.”

  He keeps walking, letting out groans every chance he can get. The five other zombies join in with his song. The maniacal look in his eyes is screaming for a taste of the human flesh standing behind me. I reach out and grab his arm, forcing him to stop moving. Finally, he pays attention to me. A growl escapes his throat and he claws at my hand on his arm. His fingernails are sharp, I can feel them breaking the skin on my hand. The pain has no effect on me and I pull him closer.

  I feel good about being able to save this one. I guess knowing a person who’s been bitten makes this cure of mine a little more meaningful.

  I lean in closer, smelling the decay on his skin. The frenzy in my mind takes over and the hunger grows. Greg claws at my arm one more time as I open my mouth for the bite. A sharp blast rips through the air and the world around me seems to stop. My ears ring and I jump back a step. The zombie’s arm goes limp and I feel the weight of the body tugging at my grip.

  Greg’s arm falls out of my hand and I watch him fall dead to the ground at my feet. Blood seeps out from a hole in the back of his head.

  “No.” I whisper.

  Five more shots are fired, each bullet coming from a different direction and I find myself covering my head in case one gets too close. The other zombies fall to the concrete. Their dead bodies hit with a thud. I lower my hands and look to each of them.