Kids Never Die

Chapter 22: Subway

We all got back into our vehicles and began to drive out of the city. The rest of the state was mostly cornfields and though it was peaceful at first, after about one hundred miles of corn it grew more annoying than a younger sibling.

But eventually the worst happened. Both cars ran out of gas. We had just reached the border of a small town, so we worried little but there was something brewing on the horizon.

"Does anyone see that dust cloud out there?" I pointed back behind where we had driven. Everyone was slowly exiting the vehicles.

Josh reached into his cruiser and pulled out a pair of binoculars. He peered across the plains. "Uh, those aren't dust clouds. You should probably see this." He handed me the binoculars.

I looked through. About a mile out, there was a hoard. No, a stampede of zombies, all giants, running straight for us. "Shit. We need to get fuel now. Kyra, Nick, start looking for parts for the radio. Morgan, Gavin, and Sadie, Go find a gas station. Josh, you and Sam with me. We're gonna head down into this subway station, see if we can find anything useful. Emilee and Miranda, see if you can make a distraction. "

We all went our separate ways. Over in the sidewalk, there was a staircase leading underground with an overhanging sign that read "Subway Station." We were obviously in the right place. By the stairs, there was a a small box that looked like a remote control with a key hole. There was a small key attached to it by a string.

Josh picked it up. "Remote detonator... Looks like they were trying to blow something up. But what?"

"Whatever it was," I began, "It clearly didn't work."

"Here." Josh picked up what appeared to be string. "Here's some fuzes. Might come in handy."

"Awesome." I took one of them.

"Maybe whatever they were trying to blow up could benefit us. It's probably in the subway."

Sam smiled. "Well what are we waiting for?"

We all descended under the ground into the subway station. As we got deeper and deeper, the area grew dark. So dark you couldn't see your own hand in front of your face.

"Shit..." I felt around the walls. "See if you can find a power switch"

Sam found an unlocked door and her and Josh entered. "Hey, Christian!" Shouted Josh.

"What's up?"

"We found the power switch." Called Sam.

"Well, flip it." I answered.

There was a loud flash and then, all the lights clicked on. As they did, I saw that I was standing on the very edge of the platform. I stepped back and sighed
Sam and Josh entered behind me.

"Nice footing." Josh put his arm on my shoulder.

I pointed down the tunnels where the trains pass. "Look at the walls... They're lined with something?"

Josh walked to one of the walls "Explosives." He looked to me. "I think they were looking to collapse the subway."

I held up one of the fuzes. "That will stop the zombies." I smiled. "I need to get to the other platform and set this off." I peered down the dark tunnel.

"I'm coming with you." Josh handed me my shotgun.

"No." I took the shotgun from him. "I've lost enough people. I need you to keep communication with me. Head up to your police cruiser and get me a walkie talkie. I'll keep you posted on where I am."

"Keep yourself safe dumb ass." He ran up the stairs and came back down with a small walkie talkie. He chucked it to me. I began to stroll to the edge of the platform. There was a sound coming from down the tunnel. A rustle and crashing. Then a train sprinted faster than a cheetah directly in front of me.

I stumbled and fell back. My breath was taken straight from me. Josh and Sam each grabbed one of my hands Nd helped me to my feet. My hands were corse and rough. "What the hell?" I coughed. "Why are trains running still?"

"They're not trains." Sam shook her head. "Its a tram. A subway. It runs off electricity. Once we turned the power on, it probably started up the subways again."

"Dammit..." I stretched my arms. "I swear. Keep me updated on train times."

Josh nodded slowly. "Will do... Now go. And don't get yourself killed."

"No promises." I chuckled, then I sprinted down the track and into the tunnel. I watched the walls as I ran, all were lined with flashing explosives. After running for about five minutes, I spoke into the walkie talkie.

"I think I found the other platform. I'm going to light the fuze." I tightened the grip on my shotgun and climbed the platform.

"Okay, but hurry, the zombies are getting closer and Miranda and Emilee only have so much ammo." Josh answered in the Radio.

I heard footsteps from somewhere on the platform, but I couldn't pinpoint where. I spun around with my shotgun. A giant hand burst in front of me and slashed the gun from my hands. I punched the beast, but it did nothing. A large man with his skin peeling off was staring at me. His skin was bright white and his eyes deep black and blood spilled from his mouth

His massive hand hit my chest and slammed me against the wall. The tiled wall behind me shattered and tiles piled on the floor. The back of my left arm had a large cut down it now.

The massive hand wrapped around my tricep and I was yanked across the platform. I heard a familiar sound as my life flashed before my eyes. The rustle and clash of a train. I was thrown into the tracks. When I looked up, the train was coming directly towards me. So was the giant zombie. I rolled out of the way of both and the roaring train splattered through the roaring zombie. Blood and puss splashed over me like a wave from the ocean.

I stood and dusted myself off, then walked over to the wall. I held up my fuze. Half of it had been torn off by the train. "Fuck." I shouted.

"Everything okay?" I heard through the walkie talkie.

"Yeah." I choked back. "Just ran into some trouble."

I put the half a fuze in the wall through the explosion. I took the shotgun off the ground and blasted at the fuze. The fuze flickered and fizzed like a sparkler.

I stepped back and tripped over the track. I realized that the fuze was burning faster than I expected. I spazzed and stammered to my feet, then took of down the tunnel. I heard a loud bang that echoed down the tunnel. Then the walls around me burst. Pieces of brick and dust flew over my head and I sprinted for dear life.

Fire flowed through the tunnel like water. I was being hit with dust and pebbles from the walls of the tunnel as it all blew up around me and the ceiling fell like a ramp behind me. My pants had caught on fire and my leg hair was burning off. But I did not stop. I continued to sprint until I reached the opposite platform and climbed for my life.

I made my way for the stairs and back up to ground level. Dust dispersed across the ground around me. I fell to my hands and knees, coughing and trying to catch my breath. Josh ran over to me and helped me up.

"Holy shit dude, that was awesome." He smiled.

"Where is everyone else?" My voice was corse. I starred across the area I had just destroyed.