Run Page 9

  "There he is!" One of them begins hollering and pointing in my direction.

  Uh oh, time to go. I duck behind a tree and run off towards the road before either can bring their guns up to fire at me. It doesn't take me long to work my way back to the road. Running down the street I look over my shoulder. One of them is in the center of the street pointing my way while the other is starting up the truck. Inspiration strikes and I yell back at them.

  "Never going to catch me, go on and give up now!" I taunt them

  "You're a dead man!" The man in the road yells in response.

  Just then the truck turns into the road. Waiting only long enough for the second man to climb into the bed before the truck begins coming toward me. I wait a second letting them both get a good look at me before I dart off the road into the woods. I don't go very far into the woods, only enough not to be visible. But I stay close and watch the road from behind a tree waiting for them to come after me. The man in the back of the truck hops down and rushes after me before the driver has a chance to get out. Now is my opportunity I think watching the first man get closer to me. Time moves quickly. More quickly than I thought possible. Only a few heartbeats pass before he is right on top of me with only the tree between us blocking me from sight. He has no idea I'm here waiting just behind the tree. I'm holding my breath listening to his breathing and using his footsteps to gauge when best to attack. Knife in hand I slide around the trunk of the tree. Keeping it between us as he passes. He completely passes me, having no idea I was there. Seeing his back to me it's now or never. I take a quick step forward. I lunge my knife holding hand forward towards what I believe to be the area of the kidney. He howls in agony and pain as the knife slides in with little in the way of resistance. It slides right up to the hilt covering my hand in his warm sticky blood. He falls to his knees dropping his gun and reaching for his back. I pull the knife out fueled by adrenaline. Ignoring my disgust I plunge it back in again and again until he finally stops screaming.

  Remembering he's not along I look back expecting to see the second man right in my face. Nothing, the light he's shining into the roads is coming from next to the road. He must have decided it's a good idea to stay away from what was the anguished dying screams of his partner. I wipe the blood off my hands onto my pants and grab up the gun of the dead man. It's a shotgun and will hopefully make it easier to take out the other.

  "Did you get him?" he yells into the woods.

  I begin making my way towards the road again from an angle the light isn't shining. Only forty meters down from where the truck is and the second man who is now pacing with his gun at the ready. He keeps yelling into the woods for his partner. Further helping to cover any sounds I may make as I move closer to the truck. Traveling along the side of the road behind where his attention is. which is still glued to the forest. I sneak up to the truck keeping it between me and him, mentally preparing myself for what I'm about to do again. I ready the shotgun, peek over the edge of the truck making sure he's still facing away from me. When content he is I step around the back of the truck into the cone of light beaming from the headlights. I aim the gun at his midsection. Hesitating on pulling the trigger for just a moment. Long enough for the man to notice my shadow and begin to turn. Hesitation removed by fear. I fire before he can complete the turn he began when my shadow fell across him in the headlights. I leap the last few steps to his lifeless body grabbing the gun and sprinting back to the truck. Hopping into the driver seat ready to get home and out of this nightmare. With the two of them dead I take a moment to breathe. Trying to calm my nerves before driving the truck over to the shot-up car to grab my measly bag of supplies.

  The predawn sky of a new day is beginning to brighten the day as I pull into the driveway of my new home. I park the truck in the back and head out away from the house. Adam rushes out but stops when he sees I'm covered in blood. I notice fear in his eyes. I lock eyes with him shaking my head. And walk away from him and the house heading to the river on the far side of the field to wash the blood off my hands and soul.

  Back at the house, Adam watches James walk away. He moves to the truck turning it off. And finds the two shotguns propped up in the footwell of the passenger seat. Pulling them out one by one. The first looks pretty damaged, It's doubtful it'll ever work again. The second looks fine but blood covers the handle and trigger. 'What happened out there:' Adam muses and looks across the field where James vanished.

  #

  C hapter 13

  Four weeks have passed since this whole outbreak began. Three of the weeks of which we have been living at the farm. We have at this point counted and organized all our supplies. We've estimated for the three of us at twenty-five hundred calories a day. We have a bit over six weeks of food. Water isn't an issue. We are collecting and boiling water from the river. And we have barrels in the back collecting rainwater as well. The weather is beginning to drop below freezing overnight. In response, the three of us have been sleeping in the living room near the fireplace to keep warm.

  A week ago Adam and I began taking excursions to the neighboring farmsteads for supplies. So far we have managed to find one additional .22 caliber rifle and several boxes of ammo with it. We found some extra shotgun shells as well. Food-wise we haven't found any grand stockpiles but I'd guess we managed to extend our food by two weeks. Not too bad having only searched three houses during the week. We've been taking clothes we find too. Pretty much anything that looks the right size and is intact we take with us. Making our way to the fourth house in line. We park the truck up on the street at the end of the driveway Adam and I get out guns in hand and head out of the truck.

  "Someone is in the window!" Adam whispers

  I scan the front of the house seeing nothing in any of the windows. "Which one?" I say.

  Adam points with the gun at the window to the left of the front door "That one"

  I stand still, watching the windows. Scanning for any sort of sign that we're not alone here. Several breaths pass in silence but I sigh aloud.

  "Alright, so not a zombie at least. So if that is a person, maybe you should stop pointing the gun at them?" I ask him. Shifting my hold on the gun to the barrel in my right hand and holding both hands up. To indicate that I mean no harm if anyone is in fact in the house watching us. I look back at Adam with a glare when he doesn't immediately join me.

  "Hello? someone in there?" I call out moving closer to the house. "We mean no harm, just searching houses for supplies."

  "Just leave us alone, We've nothing left. You've already taken everything." A male voice shouts from the corner of the house. He must have come out a back door.

  "My friend and I have taken nothing from you, We're just out searching empty houses. We can't exactly go to Wholefoods anymore can we?" I respond. I walk back to Adam handing him my gun. "Stay by the truck yea?"

  "What are you doing" He whispers to me.

  "I'm trying to talk to him. You've been insisting we find others. Here are others" I say.

  About halfway up the driveway to the house, I stop with hands held at shoulder height.

  "Look, I don't have a weapon on me. I just want to talk" I say aloud to the corner of the house.

  A man's head peeks around the corner. He looks to be in his late forties. His black hair is graying . He stands just under six feet with square glasses on his face. Average build. He scrutinizes me for a moment before stepping out from the corner.

  "Hi. I'm James" I call out once again moving forward one step at a time with my hand towards him in greeting.

  The World is cast in shadow when Adam And I depart the house. We have spent the full day with the two occupants. Peter and Amanda, who met up on the day of the zombie outbreak and have been surviving together since. Amanda was leaving the yoga studio after an evening session of Yin yoga. Feeling nice and loose walking through the parking lot with her friend Olivia. The two discussing plans for dinner. When a high pitched scream echoes through the early evening sky. A handful pe
ople run towards the source of the scream looking to help. Upon arriving though they find a woman kneeling down over another girl lying on the ground. At first, she assumes the kneeling woman was helping. But no, she's eating the poor girl that let out the scream. There isn't much anyone can do. The girl is already dead. The zombie eating the girl's body looks up between bites. Gristle and gore hanging from her blood-covered mouth. Her eyes move through the crowd gathering around. Forgetting it's current meal it charges. Going straight for Amanda and Olivia. Frozen in shock and disgust the most either manages to do is flinch before the zombie is on top of Olivia. She screams as the zombie bites her arm. The arm that Olivia puts up between herself and the zombie in way of defense. With the help of a few others. They pull the zombie off of Olivia. Meanwhile, Amanda grabs her by the shoulders dragging her away from the zombie and crowd. Looking back only briefly to see. The zombie is now attacking the onlookers biting at their hands, arms, and ankles. Anything and everything within reach of the zombie's mouth becomes a target.

  Amanda holding onto Olivia's hand drags her away from the group and towards her own car.

  "She bit me!" Olivia utters through tears while crying and holding her bloody arm close to her.

  "Come on, let's get you to the ER," Amanda says while rushing to the car.

  Pushing Olivia into the passenger seat. Amanda hops in wasting no time starting the engine and peeling out the tires rushing off out of the parking lot.

  "It's just a bite. you'll be OK."

  "She took a chunk out of me! Not just a bite she was trying to eat me! what the fuck was that."

  "It's uhh I don't know," Amanda says distractedly while dialing 911.

  A recorded message answers the call and pipes through the car speakers.

  'The phone lines are currently experiencing increased volume. Please stay on the line and we will be with you as soon as possible" The message repeats over and over.

  Five minutes later they pull into the hospital lot. Ambulances and other vehicles are filling the lane up to and around the ER doors. pulling the car as close as she's able Amanda rushes around and helps try to get Olivia out. However, Olivia appears to have passed out in her seat. Instead, Amanda screams for help while running for the door and into the empty ER room. The room is empty and silent. Blood pools litter the ground shining in the fluorescent lighting. With her friend forgotten in the car, Amanda walks deeper into the ER looking for a doctor.

  "Hello," she shouts at the registration desk.

  The call echoes through the room.

  "Hello." She calls out again.

  Not knowing what else to do she grabs a wheelchair and heads back out to at least get Olivia into the building. It's a hospital there has to be a doctor that can help somewhere inside. Stepping out of the ER entrance. Amanda sees Olivia on her feet next to the car. Oh good she's awake she thinks.

  "Hey! hurry up and get in here" she yells rushing over to Olivia to help.

  At the sound of Amanda's voice, Olivia turns and locks eyes with Amanda just before she begins to move. Olivia takes off at a sprint towards Amanda before tripping over the step of the curb to the sidewalk. Amanda pulls up short, Startled by the movement. Halfway between the ER entrance and where Olivia is now on the ground frozen in indecision. Olivia is crawling on her hands and knees towards her. 'What?' She mutters to herself . Amanda backpedals away instinctively creating more distance. On the ground, Olivia continues crawling in a frantic unnatural way. The look on Olivia's face is one of pure hunger. A look of rage and hunger, A look of need. a look that sends chills up Amanda's spine. A look that is enough to send Amanda running for safety and leaving her former friend in the dust.

  Amanda turns and runs back into the ER away from that 'thing' that was her friend. It has to be a disease like rabies or something she's thinking. In the ER she goes through the swinging double doors.

  "Hello, Anyone?" She calls out rushing from door to door finding only empty rooms one after another. 'Where the hell is everyone' she's thinking while continuing her search. She runs into a large open area with a circular desk in the center with a sign reading information above it.

  "Hello" she calls out again even louder.

  A clatter of metallic objects echos down the hall across the empty lobby from her.

  Excitedly she calls out again hoping to have finally found help. "Hello!"

  A banging begins from down the hall as if someone is pounding on a door. Amanda runs towards the source. It doesn't take long to find the source. The banging is coming from a door only a dozen rooms deep into the hall. The door is shaking with the thunderous banging. Amanda who was only a moment ago ready to rush into the room pauses. Standing with hand on the doorknob feeling the door shutter with each bang from the inside.

  "Hello, Are you trapped?" she calls through the door. No response, only the continued slamming on the door. Steeling herself she turns the knob. The door opens forcefully knocking her down and to the side from the swinging of the door. From inside the room, a person comes running out full speed. He rams into the wall falling to the ground across the hall from the now open door. Amanda regains her feet at the same moment as the man that charged out of the door locks eyes on her. He has the same look Olivia had outside the hospital. Amanda's eyes go wide as she scrambles away from the man and sprints down the hall away from the crazed individual. She feels fingers brush through her hair behind her as she sprints down the hall. Scared out of her mind she runs through the first open door she sees on the left slamming it shut behind her. The door doesn't close though. The man managed to get an arm into the door frame. Keeping her weight leaning into the door she begins smacking and pushing at the arm trying to get him out of the way. With nothing in reach, all she can do is keep struggling. She begins to sweat with the effort and strain. Slowly with every extra push on the door, she begins winning out as the hand retreats a few inches at a time.

  After managing to shut the door all the way and click the door lock into place. She stumbles into the room proper with the banging on the door to keep her company. The room is your standard patient room, TV mounted on the wall in the corner. A single bed in the center with chairs on either side, no windows, and an open door into the attached bathroom. She moves into the bathroom closing and locking the door behind her. Seeking to put as many walls and doors between her and the crazy man outside the room still banging away on the door.

  'Bang, bang, bang.'

  #

  'Bang, Bang, Bang.'

  Kelly whimpers in fear at the renewed banging from outside the room she and Peter are hiding in. The two currently huddling in the corner with Peter holding Kelly tightly as if he can protect her from the world. The renewed banging emanating from down the hall reigniting the fear in the two of them. The two have been hiding in the surgery recovery room since Kelly's shoulder procedure. It was a simple outpatient procedure. But they needed to wait around for the anesthesia to wear off after the operation. Shortly after the surgery noise and general hell broke loose. The hospital was awash in the sounds of the intercom calling for a hospital lockdown. Repeating the message. "All people are to find a room and lock the door, do not leave until the all-clear is announced." That was six hours ago and not long after the message did the screaming begin. The message repeated for half an hour, the screaming, however, went on for hours. People screaming in pain, pleading for help and their lives. All the while Peter and Kelly hid in the room by themselves. When the screams started getting closer Peter improvised a barricade. Using the bed and chairs it stacked against the door in the tiny hall of the room. It wasn't much but it was all he could think to do. Fortunately, the door and barricade were never tested. So it came to be the nightmare cacophony outside the door lessened and quieted. Until the hospital hallways gave off an almost as disturbing unnatural silence. A silence that can make one's skin crawl in the context of a hospital, A silence to drown the world out. That is until now, with the female voice calling out in the distance.

  "He
llo" She calls multiple times. Sometimes further sometimes closer. And just when Peter worked up the courage to move the barricade intending on going out to the voice. A clanging of metal objects falling fills the silence. Peter has the door open and is halfway out when the banging begins a new answering the girl's calls. He steps back into the room closing the door. Locking it behind him. Placing all the barricades back into place and listening to the girl's voice. It's getting louder and closer. Holding his breath listening at the door hand over his mouth to muffle his own breathing. Hearing the girl's footsteps as she runs past his room. Moving toward the other end of the hall and the continuing banging. "Hello, Are you trapped?"

  'Yes,' Peter thinks although he knows she's not talking to him. A moment of silence before a scream echoes down the hall. Follows closed by a loud thud as a door swings into the wall. Having opened a bit too forcefully. Another thud against the wall much duller this time. Then the hurried steps of someone running for their lives. He listens to a struggle and heavy breathing. A door shuts repeatedly on something blocking it from closing all the way. The girl is screaming. Every ounce of his being is telling Peter to rush out and help. But fear keeps him rooted in place holding his breath. Listening to the struggle not knowing what's happening. Until finally the sound of a door latching shut and the banging begins again. All of this sounds like it's happening across the hall from the room. The room Peter and Kelly are currently cowering in. With the banging, he moves deeper into the room going back to Kelly and holding her tight once more.

  Hours pass before the banging stops. Peter's watch reads Ten twenty-three PM. Peter paces the room letting off nervous energy. Kelly is sitting in a chair that isn't used as part of the barricade.

  "About ten-thirty. It's been hours since we've heard anything. I'm going to take a look outside" Peter says.

  "Don't go out there. You don't know what's waiting. You heard that poor girl earlier!" She says