C H A P T E R 2
When I woke up in a cold sweat, my nightmare still close at the back of my mind, I sat up breathing hard and fast with the baseball bat clenched in my fist. The first thought that came to my mind was; need to leave – zombies everywhere. The second was; what the heck am I doing on a bed? But my third was when I finally came awake and realised that I was in fact stuck in a town.
So great, I’m now stuck in a place I don't know how to get out of or around in, full of people who can't do anything but stare and blink every half a minute and I think may possibly be dead… or from what I could smell… should be.
Fan-freaking-tastic.
“At least their not-” before I could finish the sentence out loud I froze in the middle of heading toward the door despite the fact that the sun had yet to rise.
Oh shit, my brain said as I strained to hear the noise that caught my attention.
It wasn’t a car.
It certainly wasn’t a human.
But it sure was something I was damn familiar with.
Glancing out of the window I was now in front of within three steps, I soon saw a very dreading scene in front of me, causing me to take off in a run, flying out of the front door before I realised all the people that had been in the house were suddenly all coming outside; like brainless zombies.
No – robots.
“What the hell what the hell what the hell.” I practically chanted as I put as much distance between me and the zombies as I could.
And by zombies, I meant zombies; the real kind that I’ve been more than acquainted within the past 298 days.
This is not good, this is totally not normal, this so, so not good at all. Where the heck did they come from?!
Squeaking in surprise as I quickly stopped and made a sharp left turn into an alley to avoid the sudden line of zombies that were making its way down the street I was previously going down I all but flew down the alley and out into another tiny dirt road, more houses and more Frozens filling my view.
Again I was cut off by another line of zombies that seemed to awaken at my moving body, the sight of their running and limping grotesque bodies forcing me into the nearest house where I locked the door and raided all the closets.
Gun, I need a damn gun. How are there no guns in this stupid town?!
“Shit shit shit!” glancing out of the front door window quickly I saw that the zombies were more than preoccupied having the time of their lives ripping through the Frozens’, arms and legs everywhere, insides turned out and blood pooling the ground.
Poor bastards, I let myself think for only a moment before going into the kitchen and almost crying in happiness when my eyes landed on a gun on the top shelf, a box of ammos right beside it.
“YES!” I cried out getting onto the counter top and grabbing the gun and box quickly before I put it together and reloaded it in a record timing.
Turning around and pointing my new rifle at the pantry after hearing something I pause and stared at it for a moment, blood pounding and legs trembling in a need to run but my curiosity forcing me to stay.
Sliding the ammos into my back and front pockets I kept my narrowed eyes trained on the closed pantry before finally deciding it was nothing, turning around and going through the other cupboards in the kitchen in case there might be more guns or ammos or… anything.
Finding the knife drawer I slid a small but sharp looking one into my boot before grabbing another and-
“Who’s there?” I snapped turning around quickly and storming over to the pantry, heart thudding in fear as I pointed the rifle firmly despite the waver in my voice. “You have three seconds to come out before I shoot,” I warned as I clicked the gun into place, held it with two hands this time, and pointed.
“One,” I started, teeth gritting as I could hear the zombies outside getting closer and closer, louder and louder. “Two,” I waited for a moment and before I could say three something stopped me.
A voice.
“Wait,” it squeaked, voice full of fear before the pantry door opened, albeit very slowly, it finally did.
And do you know what came out of the pantry?
A girl.
A little girl who had tears in her eyes and looked no older than nine years old. Maybe eight.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed in surprise as I have never seen anyone younger than 18 since the apocalypse started. I lowered the gun but watched her warily as she pulled herself into a standing position, her big blue eyes widened and full of fear.
“M-my mummy was here,” the little girl started, voice catching in a way that let me know that waterworks were about to start.
Something loud rammed into the front door and I suddenly realised where we were.
“Okay,” I nodded down at her, turning to get the previous knife I was in the middle of getting. “Okay,” I repeated turning to her and assessing my choices.
She’s a liability, a voice told me.
She’s a child!
Leave her!
No way, she’ll never survive!
And neither will you if you bring her with you.
“What’s your name?” I asked quickly, moving around her little shaking frame as she tried to keep her tears at bay.
“Ma-Maya,” she stuttered voice hitching in the middle as she watched me helplessly run around the tiny house, first checking the front door and then moving to the back.
“Okay, Maya, I’m Samantha,” I looked at the little brown headed blue eyed girl [MJ1] before giving her a reassuring smile. “I’m going to help you okay? But I need you to help me too,” she nodded in understanding and I waved her over to where I stood at the back door, a few zombies roaming the back streets where the back door led but this being the safest outcome I could think of.
“Do you know about the zombies Maya?” I asked gently as I rechecked my rifle and it’s bullets. From the corner of my eye I see her nod, tears building up yet again but not leaving her eyes. “Good,” I murmured, glancing at the front door from across of where I stood and realising I didn’t have long before the zombie at the front would finally break down the front door considering how it was throwing it’s body into it every three seconds.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
“Maya, when I open the door, you have to stay with me okay? You have to do your best to stay and keep up with me and don’t stop or scream no matter what. If you scream, they’ll hear you. And if they hear you, they’ll chase us,” I think I was scaring her more than she needed but she had to be warned, she had to know.
“Okay,” she sobbed, body shaking in fear but her eyes telling me that she’d do anything to stay alive – to stay with me.
“Ready?” I asked, and the second she nodded and the bang of the front door started to creak and give in I swung open the back door and ran through the gap of three zombies that had no idea what came at them until I shot them in the faces and Maya stayed right at my heel.
Bullseye.
“Do you know a way out of here?” I asked trying my best not to run at full speed for Maya’s sake but wiling for her to go faster as I could hear the moaning and screams of the zombies all around us.
“There’s one down the back,” she said a little too loudly as she panted and did her best to keep up, “it’s this way,” she pointed down to the left but the next left turn of where we were headed was a tiny alley that I in no way trusted at all.
“We’ll have to find a bigger alley,” I said to no one in particular as I slowed a little considering there wasn’t any zombies down the road we were currently running down. But from what I could hear, they just haven’t reached us yet.
Glancing around at the Frozen who stood patiently, obediently almost at the front of the house that lined the dirt roads, I shook my head and took Maya’s little hand in mine pulling her into the next alley to the left that was much bigger than the last one.
“You okay?” I asked the little girl as I quickened my pace, let her go and grabbed the rifle with both hands again, eyes and ears on alert as I waited for a zombie to just randomly pop out of nowhere.
And, as if on cue, right after Maya mumbled a yes a zombie with a single left arm and eye and peeling right face jumped in front of the alley clearing, causing Maya to freeze and cover her mouth to stop a scream, for me to shoot the hideous thing and grab her hand without having to think and practically yanking her down the rest of the alley and out into another dirt road.
“Th-there!” she called out pointing at another area that was cleared and had no house around. An area that let me know that there was an electrocuted fence all the way around this ‘town’ that cut us off from the freedom and wasteland that was on the other side.
Coming to a stop I let her go and glanced behind me, realising that the whole line of zombies that had previously been following us were now munching and ripping apart the Frozen – completely oblivious to Maya and I.
“Don’t touch the fence okay Maya?” I warned after reading the warning sign that all electrocuted fences have, my eyes narrowed in thought as I wondered how the heck we’d get out of here alive.
“They’re coming,” she whispered, grabbing onto my shirt tightly considering both my hands were holding the rifle securely.
Turning and glancing at the four zombies that were now staring our way, realising there was better prey to target, I shrugged them off for now as they were too far away to worry about. “Alright, watch them for me okay?” I asked Maya as I glanced down at her wide eyes that never left the four staring zombies.
Shaking her head her hand tightened even more around the handful of shirt that she grabbed before her eyes met mine in a pleading manner, “don’t leave me, please, please don't leave me,” she said lower lip trembling and causing my heart to crumble.
Nodding I took her little hand in mine and gave it a little squeeze, “I won't, don't worry,” I whispered, glancing at the zombies who now went back to their food, deeming us too far away to chase apparently, before heading toward the high fence.
Letting go of Maya for a moment I bent down and picked up a stick, threw it at the fence just to make sure it was electrocuted, before having my thoughts confirmed.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath as I glanced at Maya whose eyes darted from me, to the zombies, and back again.
“There’s a little opening I found the other day,” Maya whispered to me as her eyes stayed glued on the single zombie who now decided to make its way over to us.
“Where is it?” I asked in surprise, “Maya, where is it?” I asked again grabbing her shoulder gently so she’d look at me instead of the limping zombie that was currently making a terrifying noise as it tried to run to us.
300 ft. to go.
“It-it’s down the back, near the middle,” she pointed and her eyes glanced behind me timidly again.
200 ft.
“Okay, go, quick, show me where it is Maya,” I practically ordered, trying my best to keep the panic out of my voice as about five other zombies started to follow the lone one who was still currently limping it’s way over.
“But-” tears crowded her fear-filled eyes as her body started to shake again but I was having none of it.
100 ft.
“Maya, come on! We have to go, now.”
Squeaking and grabbing my hand she quickly turned and showed me where to go, both of us running down the back of some houses, too close to the electrocuted fence for my liking, but making our route away from those monsters nonetheless.
“Here, it’s here,” she pointed at the tiniest hole ever but it was a hole either way.
“Alright,” I nodded, “hold my gun and keep your eyes on both ends,” I told her handing her the rifle even though I doubted she knew how use it. “See a zombie, point and shoot. And try not to miss.”
The worst advice to give an eight year old but whatever.
Getting down onto all fours I inched toward the fence carefully, dug my nails into the hard and cracked dirt before digging hard and fast.
“I can't use a gun,” Maya whimpered behind me as I could tell she kept her eyes on me doing absolutely no damage to the ground whatsoever.
“Eyes on the openings Maya,” I warned as I stopped trying to dig once my skin started to break and blood started marking the ground, I got out one of the knives I put into my boot before using that to scrape at the dirt, making sure not to touch the fence and moving my hands as fast as I could.
Maya’s squeak let me know that a zombie had finally found us and the gun going off that caused her to fall on her backside let me know that I was the worst person ever to give a little girl a gun.
“Maya, you have to start crawling. Don’t, under any circumstance, touch the wire. Do you understand?” I asked taking the gun off her and helping her up as I ignored the zombie that was now full sprinting at us.
With tears filling her eyes she nodded but didn’t move toward the fence. “Don’t touch it Maya, I mean it. Take as long as you want, okay. Just don’t touch it.”
“Okay,” she whispered as she went and lie on her back before starting her little wiggle and shuffle beneath the fence.
“Don’t panic Maya, you take your time, and don't panic no matter what happens.” I inform seriously as I pointed and shot down the first zombie that Maya had first attempted to hit.
“Okay,” she said again, her head now past the fence as she continued to wiggle and shuffle slowly.
Slow, slow, slowly. That's it girl.
Turning around and shooting another zombie that came from the other end I knew I had to start somewhat saving my bullets, so as I watched and helped Maya through the fence a little more, giving her small pushes and encouragement, I waited until the next zombie was 50 ft. away before meeting it half way and using the butcher knives that I stole – burying one in its face and the other in its neck before I yanked it out and readied myself for the next one.
“Sam I’m scared,” Maya whimpered as she got her first half of her body to the other side, her arms now able to help her pull her waist and legs out.
“It’s okay, Maya; it’s okay. Just keep going and don't touch the wire. Once you’re out I’ll be there soon after,” I told her reassuringly. As I turned and shot the next zombie that came at me too fast and close for my liking.
“Promise?” she asked wiggling her butt even more before sitting up a little so she could pull the rest of her body out.
I glanced at her quickly before nodding and offering a smile, “I promise,” I said burying the butchers knife into another zombies neck before kicking it in the stomach and stabbing yet another one that came from behind.
“I’m out!” she squeaked as I saw her stand up from the side of my peripheral. “I’m out, Sam,” she said a little more quietly as she moved so she was beside me but still on the other side of the fence.
“Good Maya,” I panted grabbing the arm of one of the zombies and throwing it into the fence, causing Maya to squeak, slap a hand over her mouth to stop the scream, and fall onto her butt as the zombie screamed and froth at its mouth, shook and convulsed violently against the fence.
I didn’t have time to say sorry to the little girl before I was stabbing another undead and shoving it against the fence, letting it go quickly like I did to the last one to avoid the electrocution current, stabbing another and doing the same to that one too.
“Sam-” Maya’s worried and fear-filled voice whimpered, only this time it was fear for me.
“I’m okay Sweetie,” I said, panting and feeling anything but okay as I stabbed, shot and shoved the zombies non-stop; doing my best not to get bit or pushed into the fence. “I need,” I panted, kicking another zombie and breaking its leg, “to go find,” I kicked it again only this time against the fence where it screamed and convulsed like crazy like all the other ones did, “a bigger opening for me okay?” I turned and shot one in the head before turning kicking another in the face. “Run the perimeter and don't touch the fence.” I said locking eyes with her for only a few seconds before I was forced to turn and shoot another zombie.
Three left before I need to reload the magazines. I realised shoving the butt of the rifle into one of the undead’s face before kicking it into the fence.
“Maya, go, please,” I said not wanting her to feel as helpless as I knew she felt staring at me fight the relentless zombies that continued to throw themselves at me – and not in a good way either.
“But-” she whimpered, tears cascading down her cheeks as she hiccupped and did her best to stop crying.
“Maya please, it will help, I promise. I’ll be here. I’ll be right here. Run,” I said as the knife I had currently been holding flew out of my hand when a zombie barrelled into my shoulder from behind. “Run.”
Whimpering a second time she didn’t wait for me to tell her again before she went bolting off down the perimeter of the fence, running as fast as she could with eyes full of tears but otherwise staring at the ground for anything – anything – that could help me.
“Okay zombies,” I panted, “show me what you got.”