ZombiePalooza - Anthology

#TeamInsidesAndEntrails Pt. VI - @RaeKitano's "Non-Believer"

At the end of their street, Vera noticed the Lester's busy packing their two cars, along with their two children into Mrs. Lester's car. For the five-minute trip to the shops, Vera continued to speculate the reason behind the Lesters' hurried departure. Surely they had not fallen for the news reports streaming over the past week. Vera shook her head. If it wasn't one thing, it was another.

Convinced the world teetered on the brink of collapse through its own stupidity, Vera pulled into the shopping centre car park. Surprised to find it near empty, Vera had to calculate the date and time in her head to check the shops were indeed open. As she drove closer to the few cars parked near the entrance, a man jumped out in front of her, banging his arms against the hood of her car.

Vera hit the brakes, hands clenched tightly to the steering wheel, about to yell when the sight made her recoil. Covered in blood, the man's eyes were white, his teeth bared. Within the car, Vera heard emaciated breathing. What look like the insides of animals laid waste down the front of his clothing.

The sight was sickening, but thinking it a joke, Vera called, "What's wrong with you? If you think this is funny, it's not."

There was no response from the man as he slowly lumbered towards the driver's door, his bloody hands smearing blood on the car.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Vera growled in annoyance, locking the car door for protection.

As the man approached, the odour of decay drifted into the interior of the car, and Vera's face screwed in distaste. When he reached the driver's door, she refused to glance at the grotesque hands and the nails dragging against the window. The tapping of knuckles grew louder, drawing Vera's attention. Fear paralysed her, until the ringing of a single gunshot startled her. The man ceased his aggravated attack and fell to the ground.

Vera leaned forward to look through the blood-smeared glass. The man's head was blown clear off. Hand over her mouth; Vera contained the vile pooling in her mouth.

"Hey," yelled another man on the opposite side of the car.

Vera quickly turned, fearful of another attack. From the passenger-side window, a burly man sporting a long red beard and wearing a black basketball cap glared at her. He wielded a shotgun, smoke lingering from the end.

"You need to get the hell out of here, you stupid old bat. Are you looking to become one of them?"

Vera had never been spoken to in such an abrasive manner before and found the gentleman extremely rude. Before she could fire off a retort, the man banged against the window.

"I said get out of here. There are more of them around. Do you have a death wish?"

"Now see here..." Vera didn't have time to finish.

"You're prey in the open. Go back home, pack, and get the hell out of here until the all clear is given."

Vera continued to shake over her ordeal, furious at the outcome of her trip. However, she did as told, taking her foot off the brake and moving the car forward. Several metres away, Vera glanced in her rear vision mirror; the rude man was gone, but the dead body remained. Only during her return home did the events take hold. Vera's hands shook so violently, she had to pull over.

The sound of a car speeding towards her spooked Vera, and she watched a VW Camper racing towards her. The engine whined in an effort to accelerate faster and the faces of the young couple as they passed looked petrified.

Vera put the car in gear and returned home. Marcy would be mad she had not purchased the peaches, but not as mad as she would be when she saw the state of the car.