by Paul Hetzer
I backed up to give myself room when they lunged at me, pulling the trigger two more times. Gore splattered the wall behind them and they dropped like rag dolls to the ground.
“Who’s out there?” a deep voice called out from the other side of the door.
“Another survivor like yourself,” I answered.
A rapid pop pop pop pop from out front told me that my wife was engaging more of those things.
“It’s safe to come out, but we need to get out of here now!” I called urgently. I holstered the pistol and re-acquired my rifle. I heard stuff being moved on the other side, and then the door slowly opened.
A bear of a man stood in the doorway. He was easily six-five and probably 320 pounds, most of it muscle. He had the blood covered remains of a pump action shotgun that he had been using as a bludgeon in his meaty right paw. He wore ragged blue jeans and a sleeveless tee shirt, his tree trunk arms sleeved in tattoos. A scruffy beard covered the front of his wide face and matched the long, scraggly brown hair on his head. He really did look like a bear.
His nose was crooked from too many bar fights; his green eyes held both kindness and gratitude when they fixed on me. He took a few cautious steps into the main room, looking around at the carnage. It was only then that I noticed more movement behind him: two women timidly hiding behind his reassuring bulk. He dropped the disabled shotgun and approached me.
“We would have been goners if you hadn’t saved our asses.” He offered me one of his huge hands. “Frank,” he said, introducing himself.
I ignored the blood splattered hand.
“That’s Amanda,” he said, nodding to the pretty young blonde who came out behind him. “And that’s Kera,” he said, indicating the equally young and pretty dark haired girl beside Amanda. They were both dressed for a hot summer day at a park, not a fight for their lives. Both girls were athletically slim, with long tanned legs that would cause boys to do a double take whenever they walk by.
Outside, Holly fired two more shots.
“I’m Steven,” I replied. “Are any of you bit?”
“No,” Frank answered for everyone, and the girls shook their heads in agreement.
“I’m not trying to be rude by not shaking your hand,” I said. “But it’s pretty messy.”
Frank looked at his hands sheepishly.
“How many y’all got in your group?” Kera asked with a slight southern drawl.
“Just three.” I turned and started back toward the front. “Come on, we need to go.”
I ran back the way I came and out the door, followed closely by the other survivors. We were met by the bright sunshine and midday heat. Holly had her back to us and was partially concealed behind a brick pillar with her AR aimed down the road. There were no Loonies moving within sight.
“I dropped a handful of them,” she stated, turning and taking in the three standing behind me. “I haven’t seen any more yet.”
“Holly, this is Frank, Kera and Amanda.” I could tell Holly was in awe of the big blood spattered man.
“Are any of you hurt?” she asked immediately.
“It’s not my blood.” Frank answered, indicating his crimson speckled arms.
“Okay. We have to get back to our son,” Holly said to them. “He’s on the bridge defending the truck by himself.”
“Frank, you need to get that blood washed off,” I ordered. He examined his gore splattered hands and arms again. “It’s brimming with a highly contagious virus. There are bathrooms inside.” I nodded to the building we had just vacated. “We have to be safe.”
His eyes widened when I said virus, but he turned back into the building to find the bathroom.
Holly gently grabbed my arm. “I’ll take the girls and head back up to the truck. We need to make some room for everyone.”
“Alright. I need to collect our spent mags and then I’ll be right behind you.”
The two girls looked at Holly apprehensively. She was decked out like some female action hero, slim and muscled, holding the short rifle at the ready. Beautiful and intimidating at the same time. She gave them her most charming smile. “The day’s not getting any longer, girls.”
They reluctantly smiled back then nodded, and the three of them began walking back up the bridge.
I quickly collected the empty magazines where Holly and I had dropped them and came back to meet Frank at the building entrance.
“Could I have caught the virus from their blood?” he asked with concern. “Will I turn into one of those motherfuckers?”
“It’s possible. If you didn’t get it in any cuts or get it in your mouth or nose, though, you should be okay.” He was shaking his head no to my subtle inquiry. “We’ll have to keep a close eye on you though.”
“Shit!” he spat. “This is one fucked up mess!”
“Come on,” I said, cautiously eyeing the road down into town, “before more of those things show up.”
The heat was rising off the concrete of the road, rippling the air ahead of us as we strode over the crest of the bridge. It was going on noon and the temperature was rising quickly. It would be another July scorcher. I was looking forward to the cool air-conditioning of the truck.
Holly was waiting at the pickup with a bottle of water for me and Frank. We both thirstily drained our bottles. Jeremy came up and gave me a hug, happy that I was back. He looked cautiously at Frank.
“I think we should take a break for lunch down in the shade of those trees by the church.” Holly indicated the old church on our side of the bridge by the southbound lanes.
“I can go down and make sure it’s okay, Papa,” Jeremy offered.
I smiled at him. “In a moment, son.” I turned to Frank. “This is my son, Jeremy. Jeremy, this is Frank.”
Frank knelt down in front of Jeremy. “Nice to meet you little man,” he offered his big hand to Jeremy who shook it a little apprehensively.
“Nice to meet you too, sir,” Jeremy responded, staring at Frank’s tattooed arms. Frank let go and stood back up.
“I want to thank you all again for saving us, I’m in your debt,” he stated earnestly.
Kera and Amanda were leaning against the truck listening, the shock from their world crumbling around them still apparent in their eyes.
“Jeremy, why don’t you take Kera and Amanda down to the church and make sure it’s clear around it? Don’t go inside.” He was already turning to leave before I had finished the sentence. “And be careful!”
Jeremy ran to the two older girls. “Come on. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He patted his stockless rifle and I almost laughed at his posturing for the pretty girls.
Amanda smiled at him, “Okay, hotshot, you lead the way.” The three took off down the road.
“We’ll be right behind you with the truck,” I called after them.
Holly watched them until they turned off the bridge and then turned to us and motioned to the open back door of the truck. “I cleared out the back seat. It will be tight, but I think we’ll all fit.”
I looked over at Frank. “We didn’t even ask you what your plans are, or if you want to hook up with us.”
He smiled. “I can’t speak for those two, but I don’t see a better option for me.”
“Of course ya’ll are going to come with us. Were survivors of this pandemic. We have to stick together,” Holly said matter-of-factly. She collected our empty water bottles and shoved them under the tarp covering the truck bed.
“Let’s get the truck to the church and some food in our bellies and we can talk about plans and hear how you all ended up down there,” I said. I went to the driver’s side of the truck and got in.
Holly indicated for the big man to take the front passenger seat and she climbed in back. I looked back and saw that Jeremy and the girls had already reached the church yard.
I turned over the ignition and the truck growled to life. I backed down the bridge and swung around toward the church on the other side of the road—just in time
to see Kera open the front door.
Two creatures sprung from the entrance, tackling the girl, who let loose with an ear splitting scream. I threw the transmission into drive, jamming on the gas at the same time, sending the truck careening forward.
Jeremy sprinted from around thirty feet away, hurtling the headstones of the small graveyard while Amanda stood rooted in place, her hand over her mouth in terror. He reached the struggling bodies before we were even across the road and kicked one of the infected, an old man with a clerical collar, solidly in the head, knocking him away from Kera.
The other, an older woman with long, stringy gray hair flailed about her like some evil wraith, snapping her mouth at Kera, trying to find purchase with its teeth. Kera was fighting desperately to keep the head away from her.
The man stood back up, facing Jeremy, bloody froth dripping from his chin. Jeremy shot it twice in the chest with the Sig. A fine red mist erupted from its back where the .223 projectiles tore through its body. It stumbled backwards a few steps, then, despite its wounds, it leaped forward over the two struggling women at Jeremy. He shot again, the bullet exited the back of its skull, taking with it bone and brain. It fell dead across Kera and the woman.
The three of us were exiting the truck when Jeremy grabbed the woman’s wild hair in his fist and tried to pull her off Kera. The woman turned her attention to him, growling and snapping, struggling under the weight of the corpse across her back.
Lifting her head by her hair, Jeremy put the muzzle of the Sig to her forehead and pulled the trigger. Blood and brain matter splattered across Kera and the infected woman dropped dead to the ground. Jeremy still held the fistful of hair in his hand with the bloody decapitated cranium attached.
He looked at me, his face ashen and his eyes wide with fright. He cried out when he realized what he held in his hands and threw it aside. I ran to him and scooped him up in my arms, hugging him mightily. Holly was at my side hugging him with me and crying.
“Are you okay?” she sobbed.
“I think so, Mama.” He broke down into sobs also.
Frank pulled the two corpses off of Kera and helped her up. She looked like Carrie from the movie of the same name after the pigs’ blood had been poured on her.
“Never get that close to those things!” I admonished Jeremy., “They’re too dangerous!”
“I’m sorry, Papa,” he responded. “I was afraid I’d hit Kera if I shot.”
I took a deep breath and reluctantly released him from my arms. “You’re right, son, I’m sorry for yelling. You did the right thing.” I turned to Kera. “Did you get bitten?”
She was sobbing uncontrollably and was only able to shake her head no.
“Did you get anything in your mouth or eyes?” I asked, looking at the chunks of brain matter and blood in her hair and coursing down her face.
“I-I don’t think so,” she managed to answer between sobs.
“Frank, get her down to the river and get her cleaned up.”
“No problem, bro.” Frank gingerly placed his arm around Kera and led her across the church yard.
Holly went over to Amanda, who was still riveted in place. “Are you okay honey?” she asked the frightened girl.
Amanda looked at Holly with tear filled blue eyes, her lip quivered. “I…” she hesitated. “I can’t believe this shit is happening!” she screamed. “I want to go home!” She collapsed to the ground. “I want my mom!”
Holly knelt down beside her and hugged her gently. The girl put her arms around her and cried into her shoulder.
“I need to go check inside the church,” I said to Holly. She nodded. “Stay with them, son,” I said to Jeremy. “You did really good,” I said, mussing his hair with my hand.
I jogged back to the entrance of the church. It was very dark inside except for the patches of light from the multicolored windows. The heat from the place hit me along with stink of shit, piss, and something else. I removed the SureFire light from my hip and flipped it on. The beam cut through the darkness. Dust particles swam and danced in the light, swirling from the gentle breeze coming through the door.
I illuminated the neatly lined up pews that led to the main altar on the other side of the small church’s sanctuary. I walked down the aisle, sunbeams from the ornate stained glassed windows casting rainbow hues across the wooden benches. Then I saw them.
By the looks of things they had been locked in here since the plague had hit. Three bodies lay before the ceremonial place near the front, already stinking with rot, half devoured. I felt the bile rise to the back of my throat when the putrid smell of decaying flesh reached my nostrils. The bodies seemed to ripple in the darkness and I shined the light on them. Masses of maggots blanketed their remains. My empty stomach heaved and I quickly retraced my steps back outside, gasping large mouthfuls of sweet, clean air. I slammed the door to the church shut and moved a heavy concrete statuary over to it to block its opening.
A hand grasped my shoulder and I uttered a startled cry, twisting away. I let out a relieved breath when I saw it was Holly.
“I’m sorry I startled you,” she said. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s bad in there, but there are no more of those things,” I rasped, still shaken. I looked behind her at Jeremy and Amanda, who were sitting in the shade of a tree on the other side of the old cemetery.
“Are they okay?” I asked.
She looked back over her shoulder before answering. “Yes. It’s been a traumatic day for them both. They are young and resilient. I wish I could say things will get better.”
I spotted Frank and Kera walking back up from the direction of the wooded riverbank.
“What do you think of our new additions?” I asked her as they approached, a bear of a man and the petite eighteen year old girl.
“First impressions seem good,” Holly replied. “Not that we can choose who we climb in bed with in this brave new world, so to speak.”
“No,” I countered, “we do have a choice.” I eyed the two again as they sat down with our son and Amanda in the shade. “Anyone that threatens our family, whether infected or not, we will deal with decisively if we have to.” I pulled Holly close to me, comforted by her familiar form next to mine. “I couldn’t imagine doing this without you, you know.” I smiled at her. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Steven,” she replied, taking my hand. “And neither of us has to face this alone, thank God.” She looked back again at the group under the tree.
“We have to watch them,” Holly said. “Just until we know they didn’t contract the virus.”
“We’ll know soon if they did. They should start displaying symptoms within an hour of infection.”
We started walking back.
“The greater our numbers the better chance we have of surviving this,” she said bluntly.
“I know, Holly. We just have to be careful. Not everyone who survived will be decent upstanding human beings.”
She nodded. “I know.” “How do you feel about these three?” she asked.
I looked over her shoulder at them. They were sitting in the shade with Jeremy and talking, looking over to us occasionally.
“It will take some time before I trust any newcomers completely, although I have a good feeling about Frank. I’m not sure about the girls yet.”
“They’re young and scared. Probably lost everyone they were close to.” She squinted her eyes against the sun, surveying the group. “I think they’ll cope.”
“Should we take them all the way to the farm?” I asked, already knowing how I felt.
“We have to. We’re going to need as many people there helping us as we can find.”
“My thoughts too,” I affirmed, smiling. Still holding hands, we walked back to the group.
CHAPTER 9
We sat in the shade eating sandwiches that Holly and Kera made for us. We arranged ourselves in a circle so we could watch behind each other’s back for any movement. Frank had taken some fishin
g line from our supplies and tied several soda cans to it and strung it across the bridge. The idea was that any Loonies coming over the bridge would hit the string and rattle the cans, alerting us to them. It was our hope that our shooting foray in Port Royal had killed all the Loonies in that area, nonetheless, we wanted to be cautious anyway.
We had also carefully dragged the two infected corpses into a culvert so we didn’t have to see or smell them while we enjoyed our brief respite from the hazards of the road.
“So tell us how the three of you came to be here,” I inquired of our new additions between bites of my sandwich.
Frank raised his eyebrows and looked at the two girls, “Ladies before brutes,” he said jokingly.
Amanda looked at Kera. “Um, you go ahead,” Kera urged.
“We’re from down in Gloucester,” Amanda said, then looked toward Kera, “we’re cousins. My mom and her dad are sister and brother. We just graduated from high school a couple of months ago and were just hanging together for the summer until we left for college.
“Kera stayed over Monday night so we could stay up and, you know, watch the meteor storm together. It was really cool to see, almost as good as a Fourth of July show. The next morning Mom woke us up before she left for work and told us a lot of people had gotten sick overnight and the news people were saying the comet caused it. She was feeling fine and wanted to make sure Kera and I were, you know, okay. She had called my brother at his apartment and woke him up. He was okay too.
“Kera called her house and spoke to her parents before they headed to work. Her dad was fine, but her mom wasn’t feeling good. She was going into work anyway. My dad passed away in a car accident when I was younger, so it’s just been me, my brother Nathan, and my mom for a while now.
