"What's all the ruckus about?" Bryce demanded as he rushed out of the room wielding his gun. Marcus followed after, with his own weapon at the ready.
"Get down! A horde's coming!" Chester whispered and the both of them dropped to the floor without a moment's hesitation. Fae, Misty and Nikki shuffled out of their room, with Fae still rubbing sleep from her eyes. Misty knew instantly that something was wrong when she saw the look on our faces and quickly ducked down. Nikki growled low and threatening, his hackles raising, and I shushed him. Thankfully, the smart creature understood the gesture and stopped. He stood by Fae protectively, who had also picked up on the imminent danger and got down on her knees beside me, squeezing my hand. The group huddled in closer, in the center of the living room, our breathing ragged and irregular.
"There's a horde coming in the direction from where we had came from, and they're going to be here in less than a minute. These assholes are attracted to sound, so as long as we shut up and stay hidden, they'll pass us by."
"That's too risky! We should make a break for the car!" Bryce said agitatedly.
"We won't make it!"
"Then what took you so long to notice an entire fucking army of zombies!"
"You really want to discuss that now?"
"Stop fighting, please…" Fae shook and whimpered, burying her face in my arm.
"Where's Rick?" I asked when I realized the muscle machine was missing, dread and hope battling each other to take over my mind.
"He's hiding in the car. He raised the alarm."
We could hear them now, the repulsive moans and hisses, promising death and destruction just to fulfill their insatiable and utterly pointless hunger. The horses have become frantic, neighing high and loud into the moon, kicking at the wood, no doubt struggling against their leashes to escape a bitter end. Even the chickens were worked up, clucking and crowing. They were stirring up a tornado in the coop, possibly beating their wings and scuttling around as the intents of malevolent and vile beings converged on them.
"The horseys…They're going to be eaten…" Fae cried and gripped my shirt, "Save them, please!"
I couldn't find the right words to say to her little face wet with tears. It was too late. There was nothing we could do.
"Please! You said they'll be fine! You promised!" Her small hands pummeled me weakly, and guilt and shame filled me such that I had to turn away from her accusing glare. I looked at Chester, needing an answer, and he shook his head slightly, signaling a definite no to the rescue operation.
Poor Fae, so young and so kind, who wouldn't hurt a fly. She shouldn't have to face such brutality at this tender age, but carefree childhood days were over. The terror that would unfold soon enough will taint her soul and haunt her dreams for nights to come. I just prayed it wouldn't corrupt her and make her lose her caring heart. The last thing I wanted was for the pure minds of children to become numb and indifferent to such senseless killing until one day, they no longer value life.
I hugged Fae close, whispering empty words of comfort. I was relieved that she didn't pull away; after all, she must hate me now. Nikki nudged his owner with his wet nose and sat by her loyally. It was only a matter of seconds before the inevitable arrived.
It began with the splintering of wood. The last wall of protection against the zombies creaked and groaned as its assailants pushed on it. Sounds of hooves hitting the ground and kicking up the dirt meant that the horses had finally escaped their leashes, although it was for naught. Sure enough, the fence caved in and a spine-chilling crash was heard. The horses wailed sorrowfully, desperate sharp, shrill brays. Fae cupped her mouth with her hand to keep from bursting out in tears. She shuddered fiercely in my arms and I covered her ears in a vain attempt to block the sounds out. No one dared to peek out the windows- the grisly scene played itself out in our minds.
The vile sounds of meat and skin ripping pierced through the shabby walls of the ranch and filled up the whole room. Heavy thumps on the earth sent vibrations into the floorboards beneath our feet as one by one, the horses fell. Even then, the high-pitched brays continued, indignant and yet, powerless, and a rancid taste filled my mouth as bile rose up to the back of my throat. Slowly, painfully, the brays quieted down into whines, the horses having surrendered to their fates, and finally ceased, leaving the sick tearing sounds of flesh to echo through the remainder of the night.
No one could sleep a wink. A green-faced Marcus went to the bathroom to throw up and came back even greener. Fae cried until she could cry no more, then scooted away from me to another corner, hiding in the darkness and letting no one near her, even Nikki. I brought my knees up to my chest and stared blankly at the passing shadows. They seem to be infinite, just like a nightmare that never ends.
After devouring the main course, the ravenous beasts moved on to desserts. The chickens shrieked and squealed as the zombies gorged on their fat bodies. It was Misty's turn to use the bathroom. Unlike Marcus, she didn't take care to cover up the retching sounds. Fortunately, the zombies were too preoccupied with their meals and paid no heed to them.
We realized that we were more trapped that we thought we were at first when the corpses, upon finishing their hearty feast, didn't move on as we expected them to. Instead, once their formation and trail got interrupted, they forget their initial destination and wander around aimlessly, with quite a few getting dangerously close to the ranch. They remind me of guests you have over for Thanksgiving dinner, the ones who get drunk and keep hanging around even after the turkey's stripped down to the bones, and you end up having to put a bed out for them so they can sleepover, just to be greeted by a pool of vomit you have to clean up in the morning.
The worst part is always the clean up.
We had about three hours to dawn. Until then, we could only sit and wait. I felt a wave of fatigue wash over me and shut my eyes, anticipating sleep, though it never took over. I was stuck right in between dream and reality, the physical exhaustion pulling me towards dreamland and the constant moans and scratches at the door was the reality I couldn't leave behind no matter how I tried.
I wondered how Fatboy was coping. Probably better than us since he didn't have to sit through the entire massacre and listen to the gut-wrenching screams. The minivan was quite a distance away from the house; it had been Chester's idea to park the vehicle on the highway so that it wouldn't run into ditches. All of us thought it was a great plan, that if trouble hits, our legs would carry us to the highway faster than a stuck car would. What we hadn't count on was us spotting the trouble too late.
Chester couldn't be blamed. In a vast land where cities are few and far between, the only lights that guided our way were streetlights. From the ranch, even those looked like the weak glimmers of fireflies. Only someone with supersonic night vision eyes could have seen the horde coming. Chester obviously felt he's the culprit who'd gotten us into this mess. He leaned back against the wall, sulking, looking listless and the downiest I've ever seen him in.
Fae didn't stir from where she sat. Nikki gave up trying to coax her out of her hiding spot and laid down beside me instead. I idly stroked his back, and the little critter was soon out for the count.
Bryce was the only brave soul, or idiot, who went to find out what's up. He crept to the windows and lifted the curtains up a little, then shrunk away and sat back down in his spot beside the bookshelf. From the looks of it, he didn't like what he saw.
The first few rays of sunlight streamed in as dawn finally broke over the horizon, chasing away the frosty chill of night and bringing in morning warmth. With stiffened necks and sore limbs from sitting too long and too still, everyone stretched themselves out as quietly as possible. We got to work immediately and packed up our belongings in a jiffy, all the while crouching down on our knees.
I took a peek outside and counted the number of zombies lurking about the house, trying not to dwell on the sight of the bloody remains of horses.
"There's at least 40 or so hanging in front in total, but about 20 blocking our direct path to the car. "
"Shit. That's too many to bust through. And more will come at us while we're at it." Bryce grumbled.
"Maybe we could create a distraction?" Ruby offered.
"Like what?" sneered Misty.
"I don't know. Why don't you think of something?" Ruby hissed back.
"Will this work?" Marcus quickly intercepted before the argument could evolve into a full-fledged cat fight. He knelt down beside the TV and jabbed at a few buttons on a black metal box. It took me a while to figure out it was a cassette player. It had been ages since I last saw one. Technology had advanced at such an exponential rate for the past decade, but it seems to me now with all the satellites and uplinks down, that mankind will soon be thrown back into the Stone Age, and all the milestones we've achieved would be rendered useless.
Hermit Shack had a huge collection of cassettes. Marcus skimmed them through, trailing his finger over the covers, and frowned deeply.
"They're not labeled."
"So? Just pick one!" Ruby said exasperatedly.
"Fine... just thought we could use some mood music," Marcus pouted, then picked out the plastic tape his finger stopped on and slotted it into the player. He crawled over to the window at the back and gingerly nudged it open.
"Ready?" He asked, turning back to us.
"Fae, stick close to me and stay in the center of us at all times, got it?" I said seriously to the worn out little girl. She gave a weak nod and cradled Nikki in her arms, a silent determination shinning in her eyes.
"Okay, Marcus. Let's do this."
Marcus nodded, turned the volume all the way up and pushed the play button. There was a burst of static, and then loud fuzzy country music blared through the speakers. Marcus pulled his arm back and hurled the player out through the window. It skidded across the grass patch, twirled on one end and laid flat down. The strumming of ukuleles and an accented masculine voice singing rang out over the land.
It worked! We silently cheered when we saw the zombies twist their grotesque bodies around and stumbled on their tangling legs towards the metal box. Looking out the front window again, my face broke into a triumphant smile.
"They're moving!"
"Alright, let's take this slow and steady. There will be some along the highway, so don't relax too fast." Chester said, sweat gathering at his forehead.
We waited until the last of the zombies roaming in front of the house moved to the back, lured by the music, and glided out the front door as quiet as a mouse. The dirt beneath our feet muted our footsteps, and encouraged by this, we began to move faster. Fae kept her gaze on the ground as we stalked pass the ruined stables lying in shambles around a pile of gooey, sickly stuff.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a zombie making its way over to us. I signaled to Chester that I was going to get it, and took off to finish the job before he could answer. Knives were lethal weapons but their small surface area provided little room for error. Unlike an umbrella that I can swing recklessly about, I had to be sure of my target and aim the blade directly at it. I drew closer to the zombie and looked right into its dead eyes. Fear pricked at my spine and my knees buckled. A little voice pleaded me to turn around and return to the safety of the group.
Come on, this is not your problem.
It is endangering our lives. It IS my problem.
Well, it's not yours alone. So why take it on all by yourself?
Someone has to do it.
Aren't you scared?
Yes, I am. Which is why I gotta do this. Now, shut up and piss off.
I clasped the knife securely and brought it up beside my face, ready to drive it through the zombie's brain. When the zombie was within an arm's length, I sucked in a deep breath and went in for the kill. The blade sailed through the air beautifully, and lodged right in between the zombies' eyes. The skull split with a satisfying crack, and pride and happiness surged through me as the thick red fluid trickled down from the opening. I did it. It wasn't the first zombie I killed, but it was the first one I confronted. Flicking the gore off my knife, I caught up with the group. Chester shot me a look of disapproval, probably because I took matters into my own hands again, but I couldn't have let the sucker advance any further than it already had, could I?
We reached the car without further interruptions and rattled on the window pane.There were a few zombies shambling about on the highway, and we crouched behind the car, out of sight. Knowing how danger lurked close by had me on tenterhooks, and I jumped at every rustle, every whisper of wind and every strand of hair that fell loose and slid down my face.
"Fatboy! Open up, quick!"
No answer came. We were out in the open. Way too open.
"Hey, Fatboy! What the fuck are you waiting for! Open up!"
Nothing but silence greeted us. Bryce yanked on the handle, but it was locked up good from the inside. Can he not hear us? I propped myself up on my knees and peered into the minivan, and drew a sharp breath. The van was in a mess! Our backpacks were all emptied out and the canned food and gear were lying haphazardly about. The empty backpacks were stacked up in the middle of it all, forming a huge mountain of green canvas... that was shivering? Fatboy!
"Hey!" I tapped on the glass, "Rick! What're you doing! Open the door!"
The pile jumped. Fatboy must be underneath it. He couldn't be asleep?
Loud moans coming from nearby alerted us to approaching zombies. I looked up to find about a dozen of them swarming to us. The ones at the ranch were starting to drift away from it too. The music had stopped, most likely because the zombies had chewed the player to bits, and now with nothing else to distract them, they would soon get a whiff of our trail and come on to us as well. Shit, we were caught.
Well, no need for subtlety now.
"Rick!" I pounded the glass, "Rick, please! I'm Ema! It's us! Open the door!"
"Rick! Oh my god, open the door!" Ruby pummelled it desperately too.
The boys took out their weapons and started to make their move on the zombies.
"Guns? No guns? Guns?" Bryce voice was shrill from fear.
"Whatever works!" Chester shouted back.
I turned my attention back to Fatboy and banged on the door with all my might. Fatboy could hear us all right. He wouldn't leave us in the lurch like this. Something must have gone wrong. What did?
"FATBOY OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR NOW YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!" Misty screeched and tugged at the door handle, "OPEN IT NOW!!! GOD!!!"
Gunshots rang out from behind me and almost broke whatever nerve I had left. The boys had started firing. Looks like close combat had failed.
No... it can't end like this, can it? There must be something we can do! I looked around for an answer, and found it lying on the ground a distance away. A slab of rock!
"Marcus! Cover me!" I shouted and dived for it. Snatching it up, I spun around, and let loose a wild scream of terror as I came face to face with a snarling beast. It sprang towards me before I could even blink and I tripped backwards, holding up the rock as a shield. The beast reared its head back and then struck out, but its teeth caught the rock instead of me, and I shoved it deeper into it jaws, tearing the lips apart. A bullet zipped by and exited out the side of the zombie's head, who went limp and slumped onto me. I heaved it off as Marcus came jogging up. His eyes fell onto the mass I was carrying, and he nodded, realizing what I was planning to do.
"Go on! I'll cover you!"
He said, and began shooting the ones nearing us. I sprinted back to the car, panting and sweating profusely.
"Out of my way!" I screamed, and Ruby and Misty backed away from the car, watching me intently.
I clutched the rock high above my head, and heaved a deep breath. Letting out a war cry, I threw my entire weight forwards and plunged the rock in to the window pane. It shattered away, the glass spilling in on to the lump of canvas, and we cheered in victory. I reached in quickly and fumbled with the lock. My heart leaped when I heard a tiny, exquisite 'click' and I flung the door open.
"Quick! Everybody in!" I shouted at the boys and quickly strapped myself down to the driver's seat and revved up the engine. The gang tunneled into the car, stepping over Fatboy in their haste, who still refused to move from his cover of backpacks despite all the chaos unfolding about him.
"Go go go go go!" Everyone was shouting and knocking about. I slammed the accelerator and the vehicle zoomed off. Chester and Bryce shot at the zombies blocking our path, and I swerved left and right, avoiding the ones they missed.
The scenery around us blurred as I hit the top speed. I clung on to the steering wheel for dear life, burying my nails into the leather.
"Slow down!" Chester shouted as he bounced in his seat, gripping the handles above.
"How!"
"Stop hitting the fucking accelerator!"
And so I let go and put my foot on the brakes instead. The car skidded across the gravel road, the tires screeching as they burned against the concrete. It jerked to an abrupt halt, and everyone lurched forwards, hitting the seats in front, yelling and hollering incoherently.
"Oh my god oh my god oh my god..."
"That did not just happen."
"Fucking intense."
"I can't take anymore of this shit."
WOOF WOOF!
"Are we safe?"
"I can hear the blood in my ears."
"That was fun."
"Are you kidding me? We almost died!"
WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF!
"Guys!" Ruby raised her voice above all the excited banter, "aren't we forgetting something?"
Everyone looked down at the trembling pile they sat on, and quickly scrambled off it. Now that all of us had shut up, we could hear whimpers and wheezes coming from it. The bumpy car ride had scattered the backpacks about but Fatboy was still buried in whatever remained of his little tent.
"...Fatboy? You okay?"
Ruby lightly touched the top covers and tried to pry it off. Bryce stopped her before she could and pulled her away.
"What?" Ruby asked softly, utterly confused.
"There's blood..." Bryce motioned towards the pile, and we all saw it at once. Coating the canvas was the ghastly red ink that seemed bent on following us wherever we go. Everyone flew into a panic again. We burst out of the car, clutching our weapons to our chest, fearing the worst.
"Oh god... It's not right?" Misty cried, "someone do something!"
"Hey! Fatboy! You alright in there!"
"For fuck's sake, say something!"
"Stay back," Chester warned and cautiously strode up to the shaking lump, "Rick, I'm coming towards you now. Don't, don't do anything stupid. Please."
Gently, he grabbed hold of the top. Bryce cocked his gun and aimed it towards Fatboy, tears streaming down his face. Who could bear to put down his own friend? With a deep breath, Chester clenched his fists and ripped the covers off.
Author's note:
Another chapter up early! I apologize for the sucky title because I've ran out of wits (Yes, wits are commodities I've been running dry of lately...)
As usual, I ended the chapter with a cliffhanger sorry about that... There's never a better time to end a chapter than on a cliffhanger. I'm going to challenge myself to NOT end the next chapter on a cliffhanger. Maybe someone falls asleep, or someone takes a bath, etc etc. I'll try my best to see what I can come up with.
In the mean time, do like comment share!
I'll be going on a holiday for the whole of next week~~~ So updates will be slower but I promise they'll come.
Cya!