Planet Dead (Book 1): Bloodthirsty

by Sylvester Barzey

  “What's wrong with you swee-” Catherine’s words killed off quickly as a dark leathery brown hand shot out and grabbed her arm. Her eyes quickly ran up the path of the arm till she saw him, his eyes were grey, his skin was cracked and sunken in but what chilled Catherine’s spine was the blood running down his jaw and push past a set of jagged white teeth. “Robert?” Catherine asked

  She tried to pull her hand back but that motion just aggravated the monster, it stepped forward and Catherine went to take a step back only to feel her other arm pulled forward, her eyes went over to her right to see Jordan, with the same jagged bloody teeth and tight leather skin. “No,” the word came out softly but as she felt her skin tighten and the. rupture under the points of Robert’s teeth, her whisper became a blood chilling cry, “No!” She was pinned to the floor now, in her mind she knew this couldn't be real, she prayed it wasn't real.

  Jordan’s head shot forward till he was eye to eye with his mother and his bloody lips slowly parted causing little drops of blood to fall onto Catherine’s eyes, she could feel the horrific rain shower mixing in with her hazel pools as she stared at Jordan. His lips parted and the blood quickly started running down his jaw as he smiled, the boy leaned in closer and screeched, “Remember Tiffany!” Catherine put her hands up to push her son off, but the boy shot forward, his teeth digging into her neck, and then came the blood.

  Not Reminded...Remember...Remember Tiffany?

  Catherine’s body shot up quickly, she turned to her left and then her right, there was no sign of her zombie family, all she could see was the cool metal of the ice cream truck, and the bright yellow glow of the morning sun pushing through the windshield of the truck.

  Catherine was breathing fast and heavy, her heart was bashing into her chest. She placed her hands over her face in an attempt to bring her mind back to the real world and away from that nightmare. The tips of her fingers ran over a thin cloth, “Fuck” Catherine’s forehead was delicate to the touch and neatly dressed with gauze and tape. The warmth of the sunlight covered her as she tried to remember what happened the night before, but all she could remember was that dream, all she could remember was...

  “Tiffany,” a soft voice called out.

  Catherine’s hands dropped and she looked around for a moment. It was the same name, still haunting her even while awake. The voice was so weak and faint that Catherine wondered if she was going crazy, if it was coming from inside her head.

  Then she looked behind her, laying in a blood stained corner of the truck was Faith. Catherine crawled over toward Faith, the girl’s eyes were still shut, but her lips were quivering ever so lightly. Catherine heard something softly pass her lips. Catherine leaned over Faith and placed her hand on the girl’s cheek, “What is it sweetie?” she asked.

  Faith’s lips parted and the name filled up the warm metal truck, “Tiffany.”

  Looking down at Faith, it became clear that Faith’s voice had broken into Catherine's nightmare with that name. Catherine leaned back over Faith again and softly asked, “Who’s Tiffany?”

  Faith’s lips weren’t moving anymore, she was still. Faith was so still that she could have passed for dead if it wasn’t for the light rise and fall of her chest.

  Catherine sat there on her knees looking at the redhead. She had clean white bandages wrapped around her head. Catherine sat there and her mind pulled together the events of last night, she looked down at Faith and wondered how someone or anyone could sell her to those animals, much less her own husband. There was more to Faith than Catherine would ever know. Catherine was starting to realize, in this world of the dead, no one really knows anyone.

  “Stop moving!” Tennessee shouted.

  “It hurts!” Sue replied.

  Catherine’s head turned towards the window of the truck, she dusted off her knees and slowly started to get to her feet. Stumbling for a moment, Catherine put her hands out to brace herself.

  “You make me poke myself, one more fucking time Barbie and I swear I’ll pour salt on you,” Tennessee said.

  Sue just softly replied, “I’m sorry.”

  The door to the truck flung open and Catherine’s boots smacked into the blacktop of parking lot as she leaped down from the truck. “You little shit!” Catherine said as she started rushing towards Sue and Tennessee.

  Sue shot up and started leaping backwards with her hands up, “Catherine, let’s talk about this!”

  “Talk!” Catherine screamed, her hand went to her head and she closed her eyes. “You wanna talk!” she continued.

  Tennessee stood up and started dusting off her jeans. “Lesbians,” she said soft as watched Sue and Catherine play their cat and mouse game.

  “You wanna talk?” Catherine said once again.

  “Yes, just let me explain,” Sue replied.

  Catherine closed her eyes as she started to take slow steps towards Sue, “Go ahead Sue, explain to me. How you left my family to die,” she said. Catherine’s eyes opened and she pointed at Sue, “Explain to me why you’ve been lying ever since I laid eyes on your little blonde ass!” Catherine shouted. She took another step forward and Sue tumbled over something landing on her back.

  She let out a scream, when Sue’s eyes came up, she saw Catherine was frozen, just staring off into the distance. Sue slowly started to sit up and when she did, she saw what stopped her weak attempt at an escape. Bloody tan boots laid under Sue’s legs, she started scrambling to her feet, and started walking backwards from the dead soldier that laid in the summer heat. His organs had been ripped from his body and scattered all around him. Yet it was his face that got to Sue the most, his bug-eyed look of terror was trying to burn a place into her memories, she knew she would see his silent scream at some point in her future nightmares. Sue kept backing up until she bumped into Catherine who was still staring off into the distance of the parking lot.

  “This is the CDC?” Catherine asked softly.

  “Yeah,” Tennessee said as she folded her arms over her chest, her black jacket tightened around her, the summer heat was strong but she still refused to remove the jacket even though Sue had asked many times. The final time Sue asked Tennessee had thrown the first aid kit at her, and told her to make herself useful.

  “This was our last great hope? Our only good plan?” Catherine said as she walked over to the pool of blood and leaned down, her fingers dipped into the dark red and came back up with a metal tag, attached to a chain around the soldier’s neck. She ran her thumb over the raised metal and looked over at Tennessee and Sue, “Private Valdez, doesn’t seem to agree with you girls.” Catherine said and then looked back into the distance and laughed as she said, “I don’t think they agree with you two either.”

  The parking lot was littered with tanks, overturned cars and beyond all that was a large fence with razor wire wrapped around the top, and beyond the fence was a hoard of moaning mindless zombies. The gate shook with everybody that seemed to stumble into it. The city had fallen apart a few months ago, no one knew what this was, no one knew how to fight it. Fingers were pointed, plans were made, but in the end people died. One way or another people died.

  “What’s the plan? You two gonna ask them nicely to step aside?” Catherine laughed and pointed at Sue, “This is your show Sue! What’s next?”

  “Listen, I understand you’re upset,” Sue softly said as she started to walk over to Catherine, by the time she leaped over, Catherine was already standing, staring at her. Sue stood there looking into Catherine’s eyes as she said, “but you don’t have to be a bitch about it! This was a solid plan.”

  Catherine smiled, “This was a shit show, not a plan. You two rolled the dice and look what we got!” Catherine turned around to look back at the CDC, “A greeting party of zombies, a shit load of problems, and an even bigger bag of lies.” She looked over her shoulder at Sue and softly said, “But not a plan in sight.”

  Tennessee raised her hand, “Actually I have a plan.” Catherine and Sue’s heads both turned
as Tennessee continued, “A pretty good one, but I’ll just wait till this little lovers spat is over with.”

  Catherine and Sue weren’t best friends, they didn’t know each other’s birthdays, or have late night talks about the future, they didn’t have history, but they did have trust. Sue knew deep down inside, that she was the reason their newly formed bond was now broken. While Catherine was passed out in the back of the truck, Sue created many different scenarios of how she was going to explain herself. Each scenario ended the same, with Sue flat on her ass and Catherine being held back from killing her. She couldn’t think of a way to make it better, so she just went along with making it worse. Sue looked at Catherine and then rolled her eyes, turning to face Tennessee. “What’s the plan?” Sue asked

  Catherine’s eyes were locked on the back of Sue’s blonde head. Catherine didn’t blink, not even as the sun shifted towards her light brown eyes, she continued to glare at Sue.

  “We open the gate to the fence,” Tennessee said with a large smile. Yet, as Catherine and Sue’s eyes locked onto Tennessee her smile started to fade. She could see in their eyes that they didn’t get the underlying genius behind her plan of action. Tennessee rolled her eyes and pointed at the Ice Cream truck, “And turn the fucking truck on? To play that jingle,” Tennessee said.

  Sue laughed and put her hand over her chest, “Oh, thank God, you had me worried for a minute. I thought your whole plan was to open the gate and let the zombies out. But no, your plan is to open the gate, let the zombies out, all while ringing the dinner bell!” Sue turned around to look at Catherine who was staring right at her, “I’m sorry Catherine. I’m really, really sorry. I’m more sorry than anyone will ever know.” Sue’s hands came up into a prayer position, “Please for the love of all that is just, don’t let Tennessee get us killed.”

  Catherine closed her eyes, and leaned her head back for a moment. She took a deep breath, followed by another then her eyes slowly opened looking up at the deep blue sky as the sweat on her light brown skin glistened in the hot sun. She wanted to beat Sue’s face in. To leave her on the ground begging for mercy, only to find none. Catherine wanted her to hurt, but what she wanted didn’t matter, not at that moment. Catherine knew there would be a time and place for her and Sue, but for now she played nice, “It’s a good plan.” Catherine said as her head came back down from the sunlight. She looked over at Tennessee and nodded “It’s a good plan.”

  Tennessee shoved her hands in her pockets and did her best not to look directly into Catherine’s eyes as she said, “Thanks.” She looked over at Sue and smiled as she spit out, “I told you.”

  Sue rolled her eyes and then threw her hands up into the air as she started walking back towards the truck, “Whatever! I’ve had a good run I guess, didn’t get married. I didn’t get my degree, but I went to Vegas,” Sue laughed and spun around with her hands on her hips looking at the two Tennessee and Catherine, “So I guess I can die a happy woman,” Sue said. She spent the past few months avoiding and running from zombies, and now here she was calling them over for an afternoon chat. It was crazy and desperate, but that’s what they were.

  There was nothing left, no other choice, they were in the heart of the city. The military failed to protect it, the virus took over Atlanta faster than anyone could have predicted. So she knew this was it. They needed to get into that building, because there was no where else to go.

  “We just got to get Faith. She’s fading in and out, but the fact that she’s up at all is a miracle,” Catherine said as she started to walk over towards Private Valdez’s weapon, she picked it up and started looking around for the magazine clip, slowly making her way towards the man’s body.

  “Wait Faith’s awake?” Sue asked and

  Catherine nodded, “Yeah she’s slowly coming around, she kept saying Tiffany over and over.” Catherine looked at Sue as she added, “Then she passed out.”

  Sue’s eyes quickly went from Catherine to Tennessee, “You know what that’s about?” she asked.

  Tennessee’s shoulders quickly shrugged as she turned to look at the truck. “No, we were prisoners, not sorority sisters” Tennessee said the words softly as her eyes locked on the window of the truck.

  “So you don’t know who Tiffany is?” Sue asked once again.

  But Tennessee seemed to be miles away. She was back in that tent, with her hands tied above her head, blood running down the side of her head. Smelling the vodka filled breath of Happy and listening to The Ringmaster’s nightmarish laugh. Tennessee was lost in that moment when she thought her life was over, when she thought there was no hope left, then she heard a soft voice through the darkness say ‘leave her alone’.

  It was a soft broken scream that caused Tennessee’s head to turn to the side, and in that moment she saw her for the first time. Faith was the only person to speak up for Tennessee. They were in the same hell, yet Faith was willing to risk her life just to help.

  “Tennessee!” Catherine shouted out causing Tennessee to be pulled back to the real world, Tennessee shook her head for a moment and then ran her hands over her face. “You alright?” Catherine asked softly.

  Tennessee nodded slowly, clearing away the water that had built up in her eyes. “Yeah I’m fine. I’m gonna go get her ready, you two open up the gate when I start the music.” Tennessee started walking towards the Truck and Catherine grabbed her arm quickly. Tennessee’s head turned towards Catherine, who was beaten and worn out like the rest of them. Yet, she stood there with the M4 tightly be held in her hands, and two clips peaking out of her cargo pockets. “I’m okay,” Tennessee said softly and Catherine nodded letting go of her arm.

  Catherine looked over at Sue and sighed, “Before we do this, maybe you should change,” Catherine said.

  Sue’s eyes went down to her bloody white tank top and the stained red cut off jeans that hugged the top of her thighs. “And where am I gonna-” Sue’s words for cut off as Catherine’s head nodded over to Valdez’s mutilated body. “No. No. No! That's not happening!”

  SUE STOOD THERE in the bloodstained camo pants and a cut up tan shirt, her eyes were fixed on Tennessee, who was laughing at Sue’s sagging pants, “I feel like a grave robber,” Sue said.

  “Better a grave robber than a happy meal,” Catherine said with a light smile before turning back to the madness they were about to face. “Let’s do this. We’ll open the gate when the music starts. It should be enough to draw them out towards the truck,” Catherine looked over her shoulder at Tennessee, “When they get close, start the truck up and take off. Lead them away till you can get back here.” she said

  Tennessee nodded as she started walking towards the truck. She heard the sound of Catherine’s combat boots smacking into the ground and Sue’s pitter patter not far behind, then Tennessee heard it, and it sent a chill over her.

  “Tiffany...Tiffany,” The frantic whispers filled Tennessee’s head, her thoughts were in a spiral of panicked voices. One voice screamed to turn back, it pleaded for a moment of clear thought, but was forced back into the shadows by more malevolent voices.

  Voices that screamed for justice, revenge and blood! There was a small part of Tennessee that wanted to walk away. There was a part of her that wanted to move on, but as her footsteps got closer to the truck, that part of her started to slowly die, much like the rest of the world. Before Faith’s eyes opened to see Tennessee sitting on her chest, hand firmly pressed against Faith’s lips.

  “Why?” Tennessee hissed out, leaning in slowly and pressing all her weight onto Faith, Tennessee pressed Faith’s bandaged head into the metal floor of the truck. The bright white bandage was quickly being taken over by a dark red. “Why fucking now? Huh? Why now Faith?” Tears started running down Faith’s face and through the blur of her tears, Faith could see Tennessee was crying as well. The two women were crying together, much like they did every night for the past few weeks, but this moment was different. There was no speculation, no guessing, no hope. They knew how this
was going to end, as Tennessee let out a long deep sigh, she softly whispered leaning into Faith’s ear, “I can’t let you ruin this.”

  Faith’s chest was rising and falling, Tennessee could feel every fearful beat that Faith’s heart made. She was trying desperately to fight off Tennessee. Faith was using every little bit of strength she had, but as Tennessee pressed on her head once again, Faith knew she wasn’t going to make it out of this alive. Faith closed her eyes tightly, trying to slow the river of tears.

  Tennessee’s head came up slowly, till she was eye to eye with the girl. She took her free hand and cleared away her own tears, before smiling and wiping Faith’s eyes as well, “Don’t do that, don’t cry. You’re better than that,” Tennessee said. She closed her eyes and softly said, “I’m gonna have to kill you Faith.” Faith’s eyes opened to see a faint smile on Tennessee’s face after those words.

  Tennessee rolled her neck till it cracked, then she slowly pulled out a rusty metal hook, with an old wooden handle. As the sunlight shifted it cause a new set of tears on Faith’s face to sparkle. Faith started fighting again, shaking her head back and forth, until Tennessee’s hold got tighter. Fingernails started cutting into Faith’s cheek, “I told you don’t do that! You’re better than that damn it!” Tennessee said sharply.

  Tennessee’s left hand came up, dragging the rusty hook along with it. Green eyes meet brown eyes and in that moment they both shared the same thought, that this didn't need to happen. The hook came down quickly. Even with all the brown and orange rust, it still slide in smoothly, finding a new home in the side of Faith’s neck.

  The green eyes went wide, wider than ever before. It wasn't her monster or a father. It wasn't her drunk of a husband. It wasn't even a crazed rapist clown that lead to this moment, it was Tiffany. A woman Faith thought of as a friend. Tennessee pulled the hook out, ripping off a chunk of Faith’s flash with it.