by G Sasaki
“Oh God,” she uttered at the realization. I just killed my brother!
Hailey whimpered like she hadn’t since she was a baby. She propped her arm against the door and leaned forward, her body losing its will to stand. The pressure on her head squeezed unbearably. Everything her eyes absorbed seemed to swirl. Her sinuses stuffed from all the tears that crawled out of her eyes. All that sniffling and whimpering could be heard throughout the house. All the way to Dad’s ears.
Dad stood in the middle of the hallway, looking at the faint image of his daughter crying against the front door. “What are you doing, Hailey?”
Hailey shot around, wiped her tears, and squinted into the dark. A dim figure towered over her in the hallway. She couldn’t see the details of his body or his face. For all her eyes could tell, he was just a shadow staring in her direction. Hailey declared, “I’m leaving.”
Dad laughed. His voice didn’t sound as… crazy as it did just a few minutes ago. “Where’s your mother?”
Hailey hung her head and nearly whispered, “You tell me.”
“Why are you acting so strange, Hailey?” Dad took a step forward and Hailey promptly pointed the gun at him.
“What’s going on here?” Dad asked, with confusion apparently genuine in his tone.
“I’m sorry. Goodbye Dad.” Hailey felt a sharp pain poke in her heart. The fabric of her soul was tearing in half with every passing second.
“Where will you go?”
“I’ll go find Alex.”
An infuriated roar emanated from Dad, practically shaking the house. The shadow figure in the middle of the hallway grew bigger. He was running toward her! Every footstep slammed against the floor and echoed in her ears. I have to do it. Hailey’s finger rested on the trigger. Please no. I love you Dad. Hailey’s lips quivered and tears blinded her eyes. But she had no choice. Her finger pulled the trigger.
BAM. The sound of the gun deafened her ears. The gun recoiled and blasted back toward her. For a flash of a second, a bright spark illuminated the hallway. Dad’s body collapsed forward with inertia carrying him to her feet.
Hailey couldn’t bear to look. She banged the front door open. As her foot tried to kick forward, a tight grip snared her ankle. She nudged forward but couldn’t move. Looking down, she saw Dad’s fuming face. He scolded, “I told you… You are not to see him outside of school!” His eyes screamed at her with a twisted glare.
Hailey again tried pulling her foot forward. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get free. Hailey pointed the gun at Dad. “Please let go Dad, I don’t want to shoot you again.” For all the fights they had, Hailey never could’ve imagined it would come to this. He was her father after all, and his incessant prodding was a byproduct of his desire for her to find happiness. She didn’t want to lose her dad. Hailey begged, “Please, Dad.”
Reluctantly, Dad’s hands loosened and let her go. In the last glimpse she saw of him, his face relaxed. And returned to sanity. With that, Hailey sprinted into the air of the night. She freed herself from the hell of her home and escaped into the street of her suburban neighborhood. Despite the insane mayhem she just experienced, she was still shocked by what happened next.
A fire raged across the street. The house that once stood tall now danced with flames that soared and twirled into the night sky. Ash rained from the heavens and fell around her like a winter snowstorm. She could feel the scorching air blazing against her skin. She looked in awe at the nice Victorian house whittling away to a frame of wood. If anyone was in there, there was no way they were alive. She turned and ran down the middle of the street to get away from the craziness that had taken her life hostage. With her backpack bouncing on her shoulders and a gun dangling from her hand, Hailey reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. Glancing at the numbers, she dialed 9-1-1.
Her breaths intensified and she grew weary. I should’ve tried harder in gym class! She forced her exhausted feet to keep moving on the unforgiving pavement. At least the gentle breeze offered a reprieve. Up ahead, some people crowded in the street. She couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked like she recognized some of them. At least a dozen people seemed to be circled around something on the ground. In fact, it looked like they were swinging their arms and kicking whatever it was. In her ear, a busy signal buzzed. 911… busy? A streetlight’s pale fluorescent revealed the details of her neighbors as she inched closer. A small, mutilated body lay in the street.
Hailey halted her feet. The crowd of people abruptly turned their heads and focused their attention to her. A deep male voice yelled, “Who’s there?”
“Hailey Hill!” she responded. Hailey looked at her phone and rapidly scrolled through her list of contacts. She found the name she was looking for and dialed him: Alex. She put the phone to her ear and listened as the ringing echoed in her brain.
A female voice from the group screamed, “What are you doing out this late?” Another yelled, “Where’s your family?” Hailey stood still, unsure what to do. All she wanted was to keep them at a distance. She moved her feet backwards and grew the space between them.
In her ear, Alex’s voice sounded off, “Hailey!” A flurry of background noise popped around his voice. Trying to get a better grip on the sound, Hailey turned her back on the crowd and covered her free ear.
“Alex!” Hailey said a little too loudly. “Everything is crazy! I killed my brother!” Her voice cracked as tears emerged again, “I don’t know what’s going on.”
One of the people in the crowd commented, “Why does she have a gun?” They mumbled amongst each other as they paced closer.
Alex shouted, “The world is going to Hell! Check the news, everyone is turning into zombies!” A loud scream filled the background of Alex’s side of the call.
Zombies? But that only happens in movies. “Alex!” Hailey proclaimed, “Tell me where to meet you. I’ll find you.”
“Listen Hailey,” he said in a near whisper. “I think I might have this sickness. Don’t come looking for me. I don’t know what’s going to happen to me. Find somewhere safe and hide there.”
No. This can’t happen. “Alex, please…” A loud grunt from Alex interrupted her. Alex yelled to someone off the receiver, “Will you shut up already!” Hailey could only hear the sound of tussling and objects banging around.
“Alex! Please! I don’t care if you… turn into a zombie!”
Alex said, “I’m sorry, Hailey. I love you. That will never change. Just remember that I love you.”
With that, their call disconnected. Hailey dropped her head and yelled at the sky in frustration. Sam. Dad. Mom. Alex. This was all too much, too soon. Anger sprouted through her blood. Rage traveled to her feet, through her hands, and engulfed her mind.
Hailey spun around and saw a pack of her neighbors barely feet away from her. The Murowzki’s, the Lee’s, and the Smith’s were just some of the people she recognized. “Get away from me!” She didn’t know if these people were zombies. But with their slaughtering what seemed to be a child in the middle of the street, they acted enough like them. Hailey lifted her gun and didn’t hesitate. She fired at the closest person to her: Mrs. Lee. Her body crumbled to the ground and the others scattered in a flurry like a frightened flock of birds.
Hailey sprinted out of the street and leapt over the curb onto the sidewalk. If people really were turning into zombies, then Alex was right: she needed to find a safe place to hide. Just behind her, a raging lunatic missiled in her direction, screaming as he closed in. Hailey turned and recognized him: the boy she once had a crush on, Robbie. Hailey turned her arm backwards and fired a single shot to stop him. She didn’t turn to see the aftermath. She just kept running past an endless string of houses.
She glanced at her fingernails. They looked normal. If that really was some kind of indicator, then why wasn’t it happening to her? If Alex was sick, then she should have caught whatever he and everyone else became stricken with. She had climbed into his hospital bed and kissed h
im. What made her so special?
Hailey spotted a bike resting on the porch of one of the houses. Normally she wouldn’t steal, but at this point, after killing several people, she was sure it wouldn’t matter. She stuffed her gun in the back of her jeans, pulled her leg over the bike, and pedaled to the one place she could easily hide and wasn’t so far: her old grade school.
8
The cool wind blasted at her face. It smelled like her old neighborhood, a friendly tinge of pine, but this place looked like a warzone. Hailey’s feet whizzed the bike pedals around and the front tire clicked obnoxiously. She did her best to block her peripheral vision. Just keep looking straight. The mayhem blurred past. She wanted to avoid the sight of more blood; she’d seen enough for a lifetime. There was no tuning out the petrified howls of terror. Keep pedaling.
When she escaped the neighborhood, she struggled to pedal up an isolated bridge. There wouldn’t be much civilization in the remaining mile or so before she’d arrive at the grade school. Hopefully then she’d have a reprieve for a little while. Hailey figured – and prayed - no one would show up for class tomorrow.
A flurry of red and blue lights bounced off the trees and reflected off the pavement. She turned her head to see a police car drifting close behind. A male voice announced, “Pull over!”
Hailey’s feet didn’t want to stop. But they did. Her fingers fought against every impulse and tugged on the brake. Hailey took a breath of the chilled air to slow her racing heart. She plopped onto the cement and kicked the kickstand down with her foot. All she could hear was a melody of crickets and the tires of the police car crushing small pebbles.
The car pulled next to her and parked. Behind the window, a nice-looking policeman in the driver’s seat stared back. He doesn’t look like a zombie. Hailey shifted off her backpack and placed it gently in front of her feet.
Then the situation took an unexpected turn. A face appeared in the window of the backseat. Hailey instantly recognized her. It was Grace, her popular classmate and member of the Fab Four… her old friend. Grace was a perfect specimen. Blonde hair, dazzling blue eyes, a perfectly symmetrical face, and a flawless, fit build.
From the backseat, Grace’s eyes met with Hailey’s. They were globes covered in seas of terror. Seeing her that way sent waves of panic down Hailey’s back. So she looked away.
The officer’s confident voice pierced the sound of the singing crickets. “What are you doing out here, Miss?” His lips pulled back into a warm smile.
Hailey paused. I have to say the right thing. “Umm… well, I’m just…” she said, avoiding eye contact, “…getting some exercise. I couldn’t sleep.”
Hailey couldn’t help but peer at Grace again. Grace exhaled her breath on the window and made a small cloud. With her finger she spelled: HELP. Hailey nervously bit her lip and rubbed her fingers together. There was no way she could possibly help her. If their positions were reversed, would Grace help her? Besides, Hailey couldn’t trust anyone anymore. Anyone could be a zombie. She glanced at the officer’s hand resting on the steering wheel, and, sure enough, his fingernails were black.
Hailey faked a cheerful tone and asked, “Is there something wrong, officer?”
“You need to be careful. The aliens might abduct you.”
Despite the surprise smacking into her, Hailey stared at him and focused on keeping her face steady. “Okay. I’ll be careful.” An urgent tapping sound entered Hailey’s ears. She saw Grace’s finger knocking against the window. Grace held up the back of her hand and Hailey instantly noticed the color of her fingernails: perfectly normal. She wasn’t affected either!
I have to help Grace!
Hailey said, “Hey officer… who’s the girl in the back of your car?”
He let out a single chuckle then stated with an odd confidence, “She’s a member of the Illuminati. She’s planning to implement the NWO.” Hailey’s face gave away her confusion. So he clarified with a snarl. “The New World Order. I won’t let it happen!”
Hailey’s eyes went to Grace. And back to the police officer. What do I do? “That’s good. You shouldn’t let it happen.”
A sudden realization snapped the officer’s head. “Wait a second. You’re one of them…”
“No, I’m not. I hate the… Immanati.”
“I can’t take that chance. I’m going to have to arrest you.” The officer shifted in his seat, raised a gun to his open window, and pointed it at Hailey.
As she looked at his weapon, a powerful thought struck her. I have nothing to lose. She innocently rested her hands on her hip and crept them behind her back, inching them toward her gun. “Can I ask you a question?”
The officer’s finger teetered on the trigger. He teethed, “What is it?”
Hailey locked onto his eyes and said, “Do you remember when we were in 2nd grade and Jason called you fat? You were so mad about that. Do you remember what you did? We can leave this place, me and you. I just need you to trust me. I need you to do what you did back then. You know what I mean? You got in big trouble for it.” Hailey stiffed and sweat rested on her forehead. The officer strained his eyes trying to understand what she was saying. Hailey smacked the silence and shouted, “You. Are. FAT!”
CRASH! Grace’s feet burst through the window and sent shards of glass soaring through the air. In a window of less than a second, the officer glanced back to see what caused the thunderous noise. Hailey gripped the handle of the gun sticking out of the back of her jeans. As the ridges dug into her palm, her hand soared around and aimed the gun at the officer. Her finger bent. The gun recoiled and sent her hand whipping back. The bullet bolted right through his teeth and stretched out through his neck. Before he had any idea what happened, Hailey shot him again, this time square in the head. The officer’s head fell and hung out the window as blood poured onto the street like it came out of a spout. The gun fell from his hand and bounced onto the pavement. Grace’s voice shook and rang out, “The trunk!” Hailey opened the door to the front seat as the officer’s body flopped to the cement below. She pulled a lever inside the car and the trunk popped open.
After Hailey opened the back seat, Grace popped out, free from captivity. Shock pulsed across every nerve on her blank face as she stared at Hailey, who couldn’t help but smirk. As terrible as things were, having Grace with her now made everything just a little bit brighter. Grace hissed, “Why are you smiling right now?”
“I’m just happy to see someone else is still with me.”
Grace rolled her eyes and sighed in disgust. She felt slightly annoyed that it had to be Hailey who saved her. Grace pointed out the obvious. “You just killed him.”
Hailey nodded. “I’ve killed…” she paused and choked out the rest, “…a couple people tonight.” That wasn’t an easy thing to say. And sure enough, Grace’s eyes watered over. Whatever memories she harbored played over in her mind. Grace mumbled, “We should get outta here.”
“Together?”
“Obviously.”
Phew. Hailey did not want to separate. In school, she wasn’t cool enough to be friends with Grace but at least for now, maybe she was. Remembering Grace’s strange first words, Hailey asked, “What’s the deal with the trunk?”
Grace led the way to the back of the car and gripped the cracked-open trunk. She whipped it open and said. “He kept talking about the army in his trunk.”
Dark metal glowed from inside the trunk, like gold at the end of the rainbow. Dozens of guns rested there, thrown haphazardly on top of each other. Hailey didn’t know how to use most of them. What exactly was this officer planning to do?
Hailey picked up her backpack and zipped it open. It was stuffed to capacity with clothes, but she’d have to make room. She pulled out all of her clothes and tossed them aside. “I’ll show you how to use them.” Hailey methodically dumped the heavy tools into her bag, one metal clunk at a time. But suddenly, the sound of sobbing teased at her ears.
Grace broke down. Her hands covered her ey
es and she cried. Hailey zipped up the backpack and slipped her arms through the straps. It weighed much heavier than before. “Grace,” Hailey said. She reached a hand behind her head and gently rubbed with her fingertips, something Alex used to do to calm her. “We’re in this together now. You’re my sister. Remember?”
Grace’s red eyes pulsed with tears as she nodded. Images of their old friendship flashed through her head, enough to thrust her forward and hug Hailey.
Grace squeezed so tight, Hailey thought she’d suffocate. The fresh smell of Grace’s blonde hair snuck a nice aroma into her nostrils and reminded her of the way things used to be.
Grace whispered, “Thank you for saving me.”
Hailey squeezed her friend, thankful to have anyone. A smile rested on her face but deep down, a worry swam around her gut. Why is it so easy for me to kill?
9
“Why us?” Hailey asked. “Why didn’t we turn into zombies?”
Grace’s battle-stressed face overwhelmed with surrender. She had no response. Her blue eyes just wearily looked back at Hailey.
Their only light came through the windows from the moon above. The faint light shone onto the guns that lined up on the teacher’s desk, one next to the other. Hailey didn’t know how most of them worked. Before any attempt at sleep, she’d have to figure them out. At least for now, the school was what Hailey hoped it would be: a place of refuge.
Grace sat underneath one of the windows with her back against the wall. In deep thought, her arms wrapped around her knees. Hailey looked at Grace and asked the one question Grace didn’t want to hear. “What happened to you tonight?”
Grace left her internal solitude and turned her head toward Hailey, who sat in front of her. Despite Grace’s despair, the dim moonlight made her pretty. But the sights and sounds of hours ago scrunched her face and made her whimper. “Everyone killed each other. My family…” she paused. “…they’re all dead.”
