by catt dahman
Carl was a rangy man, dressed in his usual flannel shirt and faded jeans, a dip of tobacco in his lip. He nodded a hello to the pair of men who greeted them. Teeg was a handsome black man with an athletic build, big smile, and sensitive, intuitive eyes, and then there was Alex, a handsome, well-built man with sharp baby blue eyes. He looked happy to be in the mall.
“My God, it’s like the movie,” Alex breathed.
“Movie?”
“An image in my head…the old zombie movies….”
“Kind of like that, I suppose. We dug in and stayed. I think we’re scared to go outside, not knowing about things.” Anthony shook his hand, “are things better out there?”
“No and yes,” Beth said, “The zombies are still out there, a lot of them. They didn’t go away as you saw; it is still dangerous. There are bad people and a lot of bad going on. But we live in a place with full security, and we help people when we can. We have two doctors and some nurses, food, water, and about two thousand people.”
“Two thousand?” Bart asked. It was a lot of people compared to those in the mall, but few when he thought that the city housed over a hundred thousand at one time.
“About. We have a governor and head of security; he’s outside with the horses and some more people. We grow food, so it’s fresh, and we have cows…milk. We are doing well. Not saying it’s perfect, but we are making it.”
“We’ve been here…years…just waiting, I guess, in a fucking mall. Excuse my language but….” Bart didn’t know what to say, fresh fruits, meat, and vegetable? Amazing.
“What do you do?” Carl asked.
“Well, teach Patrick who is six and ice skate. The women and girls play with the clothes, read a lot, and play board games.
We have added security to the doors, made our living areas nice…not a lot. We’re starved for information about what’s going on out there. We haven’t been outside in a long time.”
“You see the zombies out there?” Teeg asked.
“They are all over the US…sometimes one or two…sometimes a thousand or more, but inside where we live, they can’t get in,” Alex said, “we came here, this sounds weird, but it was my idea to see the mall with zombies around it, just a morbid weird thought, and here you are.”
“Where is the rest?” Anthony asked.
“They came down with Red, and then many were bitten and infected by their own family members. Normal illnesses, accidents, starvation, and people who were…violent….” Beth explained. “Many people died. You know about the bombs?”
“What bombs?”Anthony asked.
“We bombed ourselves…the big cities…the government or whoever…they blew it all up so that the zombies wouldn’t take over. Imagine several millions of those things coming out of just Dallas.”
“That explains the tremors. But not everyone was infected.”
“There wasn’t a right choice,” Carl said, “in that position, I dunno, maybe I would have, too. Until a few thousand of them have you pinned, you can’t imagine the fear and…what is it?”
“Revulsion,” Alex added, “those things are an abomination. Seriously.”
“Come on and meet the rest. They want to hear news, too.” Anthony led the way, telling him he knew how clichéd they seemed waiting in a mall. The rest were impressed with the comfortable sleeping arrangements, the food and water supplies, and melee weapons. After the shops were cleared out, those doorways were covered, so even if a shop on the bottom floor of the mall were over run, the rest would be safe on the upper floor.
“No zombie body in the fountain,” Alex nodded, “good.”
“We got it out.”
“No shit?”
“I’m yankin’ your chain. We found a total of two Zs in the beginning and took care of them; then, we had a few people stop in over time,” Bart explained. “They moved on, never saw them again, and yanno…they probably didn’t make it. A few were bitten, and we couldn’t let them in. Saw a few killed right outside the door….”
“That happens,” Kim said.
They met the others and were appalled at the pale faces that looked at them curiously. Seeing Patrick with his white face and lack of sunshine made Beth feel horrible for the child. She unconsciously rubbed her arm where she was tanned from the sunlight. “I bet you’d love some fresh food, a doctor, sunlight, and even school,” she said as she smiled at the boy.
“School? Okay,” Patrick said as he grinned.
“I have an eight-year-old daughter and twins younger than you,” she told the little boy.
“I used to be a dentist; you need one of those?” Bart asked.
“Big time, let’s hope we have the supplies you need,” Alex laughed, “does that mean you’d like to join us?”
Joyce glanced at the others but nodded. “Very much so. It seems like a dream that you are here.” She brushed away tears and held her son. “Tell me you have fresh peaches….”
“All you want…fruits and veggies; Beth’s brother is one of our doctors, and he is all about fresh food we grow, sunshine, and some fun; children are very busy with us; they have teachers: put on plays and sing. Do you remember Cinder Montaine?”
Anthony frowned. “That’s weird to mention her; the first year we were here, all I did was hum those old songs. My momma loved ‘em….”
Robbin said, “I remember that, Ant; you sang all the time, same songs over and over.”
“She didn’t make it. In fact, California didn’t make it, to be honest, but Cinder’s daughter, Jilly Montaine is with us, and she teaches the children to sing and put on shows for us. Maybe you can sing with her, Anthony,” Alex said.
“About time we had some men around,” Lacy muttered as they began packing up some things they didn’t want to leave behind. She licked her lips as she looked at Kim and Alex. Unlike the other women, she used make-up every day and thought she looked great.
“He’s gay; Alex is,” Beth whispered to her.
“The other one is hot.”
“Kim?” Beth smirked.
“I may have to have some fun with him,” Lacey said confidently.
“I don’t blame you,” Beth said, “only, make sure it’s after he gets our five kids to bed; the twins always want double story time, and Katie is eight and full of trouble lately. Hannah and Jet are liable to be into messes, too, so if you can wait until they’re asleep, it would help.”
Lacy let her jaw drop.
Robbin, hearing the exchange, giggled. “Slammed. Wow, Lacey, zero for two. Hope there are more men for you to go after.” She laughed as Lacey went to get her own things ready. “That was priceless,” she told Beth.
“Last thing I have time for is jealousy,” Beth said.
Kim outlined the plan again so that everyone knew what to expect and what to do. Luckily, the people in the mall stayed in shape and could run if they needed to. Len and the others waited for them to come out or communicate something.
“Now, I’m not so young, and I can’t run, so if I can’t go….”
“No way, Tell,” Carl said, “our Governor George whom we told you about is about your age, and since day one, that man has been the heart of the group.”
“He can shoot, and he’s smart, and his friend Tink….” Beth couldn’t say anymore without her eyes filling with tears.
“They proved everyday that age is no barrier to survival when you use your brain,” Alex said, pointing to his head, “I have seen an older man act fully heroic as well as kids doing brave things. I think you’ll be a good addition, and I bet you’ll love it with us.”
“I’ll help ya, Tell,” said Patrick as he grinned at the older man.
As soon as they went out the door, every one of them shuddered with disgust.
The zombies gathered closer to the door the group was leaving by, and knocking them down wasn’t enough as they could crawl and grab people unused to running from them.
The moaning began at once. Kim shot the first one in her head, glad to see the explo
sion of blood and brains come out the back before she dropped to the parking lot where stray strands of dried grass grew randomly.
The up-close view of a zombie’s head exploding was a shock.
Big Bill raced forward on his horse, thighs holding onto his horse tightly, leading a second horse so Beth could jump into the saddle.
It took a few seconds to get Joyce on the horse with Beth as Big Bill reached for Patrick, holding him securely. Kim slapped Beth’s horse’s ass, and the pair of mounts took off; Joyce, her head whipping back and forth while she tried to watch her son, held on tightly to Beth.
Bart made a startled move and looked a little confused, but Kim told him, “They are a hundred percent safe, now.”
“You sure?”
“Big Bill will keep Patrick safe, and no one rides better than Beth.”
Len brought a horse for Tell, and Kim helped him get up on it. Surprisingly, the older man, Tell, used to ride years before, and the art of riding came back to him at once. He grinned, despite the circumstances.
Then, Len yanked Robbin up with him; she had a flutter in her stomach as the handsome former Marine skillfully helped her up.
“Getting hairy,” Teeg stated as more zombies shuffled closer to the small group.
“Get us the fuck out of here,” Lacey demanded. She scooted farther away as if she were about to run, but the way she faced was partially blocked, and she wouldn’t get far. Her eyes went wide.
Rae and Julia both shot at only the zombies they could hit without accidentally hitting one of their friends, but more of the ghouls gathered quickly, and both women had frowns of concern that Kim recognized.
Lacey jumped on the horse that Julia had on a lead rope, and at the same time, a zombie scratched at the horse; Lacey went up and over, falling onto the ground as the horse bolted in fear.
“Get up,” Julia snapped. She was impatient with worry and fear.
“I’m trying, Bitch,” said Lacey who was furious. Her knees were skinned.
Had it been a better time, Julia would have smacked her in the face.
Anthony dodged the horses in order to help Lacey but was cut off by the zombies who pressed forward as they increased in numbers.
Kim helped Jessica up on another horse, but the gunshots and moaning made the horses nervous. The stench caused the animals to roll their eyes in discomfort and fear. Both Julia’s mount and Jessica’s mount reared almost at once, and both women landed hard on the ground.
Julia yelled obscenities in Mexican.
Rev was right there. Bart got on a horse while Rev tried to pull Lacey on with him, but the girl was in a panic, and between the three of them on the ground and the two rearing horses among corpses, the situation was chaos.
Kim pulled Anthony’s arm, and they ran toward their friends and safety. A mall shuttle bus on deflated tires stood close by, and Kim yelled, “Head there, and climb in.”
Julia and Teeg helped Jessica to move faster as she clenched her jaw and limped on a badly injured ankle. She hissed every time her foot came down, but she kept her eyes on Kim and Anthony who climbed in and stood on the bus.
Alex kept up the gunfire as Carl pulled Lacey along with him.
“I can’t,” she complained, but he pulled her anyway.
Big Bill finally returned after off-loading Patrick and Joyce.
Beth lay in the grass, steadily sighting her targets in the scope of her Ruger Mini 14 ‘Ranch Rifle’. “One shot, one kill, Len,” she whispered to herself.
When she was nervous, she remembered when Len had taught her to shoot. After five shots and five hits, she had to load a new magazine and finish one of the zombies. She then began on the rest who moved closest to Kim and the girl on the shuttle.
Big Bill dodged a fleeing horse and moved toward Julia and the limping girl. Julia swung up onto a horse, and Big Bill reached with one arm, held Jessica tightly, and took off with her hanging on. To her credit, she gritted her teeth with fear and pain, waited until he found a clear patch, and then pulled her up behind him on his saddle.
“Hang on, Missy; we’re almost home free.” She laid her head against his broad back, feeling safe already but still shaking.
Kim, Anthony, Alex, Teeg, Lacey, and Carl stood on the shuttle amid a sea of stinking monsters that moaned and drooled.
Rae, Beth, Julia, and Len made every shot count, but they soon would have to move positions as the ghouls figured out where the four were and were steadily heading that way.
“You think it’s better? We didn’t fight the things in there,” Lacey screamed.
“Calm down,” Kim said.
“This sucks…idiots.”
“Shut up, Lacey,” Anthony said quietly.
“Excuse me? We are standing on a fucking bus, Ant.”
“Yep, three-fourths of us done made it to safety, and these people done risked their lives. If you had paid attention…Jeez, girl.”
Rev yelled from his horse, came closer and then backed away, tempting the zombies to follow him. A few well-placed shots cleared the back end of the shuttle, and Teeg and Carl moved, pulling Lacey along.
As Teeg slid over to the ground, Lacey pulled away, fell on her butt, and almost rolled off of the roof of the shuttle. Carl lost his balance, fell off sideways, and barely caught himself, but it was enough to bruise his knee as he pounded the pavement.
He cursed.
“Go,” Teeg said. He helped Carl to his feet, and the two bashed at the zombies to get through. Rev was there in a flash, but it took Teeg’s help to get Carl into the saddle. He looked as if he wanted to stay, but Teeg ignored it and hit another zombie in its head.
Time was gone, and Teeg was trapped between the horses that took off at a run and the bus; a horde of zombies was with Teeg, but no one could put them down for fear of hitting him.
He figured this was it for him. It was time to take it like a man and hopefully not go down screaming too much. He had his gun and could finish himself if needed.
This wasn’t how he planned things. Facing where he thought his best friend Beth was, he clasped a fist to his heart and reached it out to her. He thought ‘goodbye’.
Beth let out a scream.
Chapter 5
Hannah
Sadie and Jim fired at the few zombies that shambled around the farmhouse on foot, trying to look confused and desperate. “Anyone here?” Sadie called, “hello?”
“No one is here,” Jim yelled back at her as they ran to the porch and banged against the heavy door. He made plenty of noise. They stomped and slammed around, hoping the few ghouls would stay back long enough for them to get inside the house.
The door swung open, and Hank caught Jim before he could fall. “Come on in; we’ve got you.”
“Thank you. That was too close,” Jim replied and slumped.
Sadie joined them, and she and Jim pretended exhaustion as they collapsed to the floor, but the fear that wrapped their guts was real. “Thanks….”
Although Jim and Sadie pretended to gasp, they looked at the family who stared back with frank curiosity and some wariness.
Hank and Peggy looked the pair over carefully. “Where you folks from?” Peggy told one girl to get them water, but Sadie and Jim wouldn’t touch a bit of water or food from these people.
“All over…been traveling…worn out now.” Jim got pointers from Dave about things to say. “Good to see such pretty little ladies,” he said as he smiled disarmingly at Peggy, Elizabeth, Rachael, and Rebecca, gaining Hank’s full attention.
Thomas said with a frown, “We tend to lead them away, not kill them unless it’s a desperate thing; they are sick and possessed people; they have souls. It’ll be work to bury them. Work for me.”
“Sick? Those are monsters. Why would you bury them?”
“The apocalypse and the end of time aren’t easy, Son. There’s no more room in hell, so the dead walk; the chosen will rise to Heaven, and all of this will be cleansed. They aren’t monsters; they are just walkin
g the earth until we are called.”
“I don’t believe in all that,” Sadie said casually. She saw the people trade glances, as Dave said they would, feeling that they had their next victims ready to be put into dog cages in the basement.
“Souls...no…afraid I’ve just seen monsters trying to eat us.”
“Well, you can be a nonbeliever, but you will see the truth,” Peggy said, “but there’s time for that later; you need to rest, and we have food.”
“Food,” Sadie echoed, feeling as if she might vomit at the thought of these people and their idea of food.
“Let me show you a place in the basement where you can get some food and get cleaned up, where you can rest and be safe,” said Hank as he smiled falsely, “it’s safer down there away from trouble; you can relax. We go there for safety.”
“We appreciate it.” Jim smiled back. Under the flap of his over shirt, he caressed the butt of his pistol. Hannah and Jet, experts on stealth, led Dave and Andie in quietly, so they crept in behind the family, guns already leveled and ready. Jim and Sadie kept the family’s attention focused.
“One thing,” Sadie began.
“Drop it, Thomas,” Dave said. He knew the young man was the only one who carried a weapon for safety; the rest used guile; soft, twisted words; and muscle to get their ways.
Hank glowered. “I see a wayward sheep brought wolves back to the door.”
“Sheep? You stupid son of a bitch, if you had any learning from the Bible, then you could have used it to give people hope, and you could have followed the Bible and loved people, like your neighbor. And helped people. You’re just a nut, using that to control the rest and justify being a monster.”
Peggy sniffed, “You are deluded.”
“You’re with him?” Thomas asked accusingly.
“I guess we are,” Jim admitted. Seeing what these people became made him depressed. In some way, he hoped that the family was just confused and that maybe Dave misunderstood the danger.
“That thief tried to steal from us, and he attacked us. We fed him and his friends, and that’s what he did?” Thomas asked. He sounded very believable.
