This Dying World: The End Begins (3 page)

Along with being an avid horror fan, I had a true fascination with zombie fiction.  I read every novel and caught every movie, good or bad, that I could get my hands on.  I was quickly discovering the real thing was not as much fun as it was in stories.

It didn’t smell all that great either.

I clubbed at its arm until the bone was all but pulverized.  It pulled its arm back through the hole and pushed its head through the door.  Putting my hand on the top of the table leg, I drove the tapered end like a spear upwards into its left eye and straight into its brain pan.

Movement ceased instantly, its head coming to rest in the crushed brain cavity of its mother in life.  The grisly scene in front of me did not stop the small lump in my throat from forming.  These were my neighbors, and they were good people.  And I killed them.

Without a word I went back to the table, breaking off two more of the heavy legs and tucking them under my arms.

“Let’s go.”

My eyes watered again, but smoke wasn’t responsible for it this time.

Chapter Three

We went to the window, which was already wide open.  (I still don’t get it.)  After quietly tearing a hole through the screen, we started our climb onto the frozen roof.  The shingles crunched under my shoes as the cold winter air slapped against my bare legs.

The smell of acrid smoke carried on the breeze.  It mixed with the sickening odor of death that blanketed the crisp night air.  Screams came from all directions, inside homes and on the streets.  There was so much gunfire it felt as if we had stepped out of our home and into a war movie.

Carefully leaning over the edge of my porch roof, I peeked into my yard.  A mass of the things wandered my snow covered lawn, slowly making their way to my house.  The number of crashes coming from the downstairs put the number of things already in my house somewhere between an ass load and a shit ton.  Yes, those are official units of measurement in the Foster clan.

“Oh God!” Abby whispered, her hand cupped over her mouth as she stared out into our yard.

“We should probably leave this party,” I said reaching for Katie.

“Yeah, did you happen to grab my car keys?”

My eyes opened wide as I froze, hope for a quick escape vanishing at her words.  We both frantically searched through our coat pockets.  Her CRV was parked in the lot in front of our house, and would be a short run once we got down to ground level.  Without keys though, it may as well be twenty miles away.  We both exhaled a sigh of relief when we heard the gentle jingle of her keys in her coat pocket.

The bedroom door came under assault again, causing Abby to jump as she stepped down on the icy roof.  I watched in terror as she lost her footing and slid towards the edge.  My instincts screamed to grab her arm and stop her momentum.  Helping her meant dropping Katie and potentially losing them both.  I watched helplessly as she drifted closer to the edge of the frozen roof.

Her foot found purchase on the rough surface of a dry shingle.  It was honestly a very short slide, but to me it lasted forever.  She could have survived the ten foot drop to the yard, but she would have been torn apart by the living dead.  I was only partially relieved though.  I wouldn’t completely unpucker until my family was out of trouble.

Abby’s slip and fall did not go unnoticed.  She had drawn the attention of the horde that once shambled lazily around the yard.  They suddenly recognized a three piece meal directly over their heads.  They moved en masse underneath the roof ledge.  Arms extended upwards, excitedly moaning as they pressed into each other waiting for food to literally drop into their mouths.

Abby made it back to her feet, this time carefully avoiding the icy patches on the shingles.  We slowly moved along the frozen roof, steering clear of the ledges.  The cold winter wind sliced like a knife across my legs.  With every movement I feared that my numbing extremities would not allow me to keep a grip on my daughter.

I always hated the idea of living in connected town homes.  Although it was all we could afford at the time, the thought of being close enough to my neighbor to hear them fart in their shower did not make an ideal living space.  It was ironic that the very style of housing I had come to loathe made our escape possible.  If we had to jump from roof to roof in the numbing cold, this would be a very short story.

I stepped up onto to my neighbor’s roof, mindful of the ice and light snow on the slight six inch rise.  Abby followed close behind, guiding herself along with her hand on the building.  The throng below, not wanting to lose their midnight snacks, followed along until they crushed themselves against the tall wooden fence.  The wood creaked under the weight of so many bodies.

The sound of glass crashing behind us sent my heart racing even faster than before.  The ghouls had pushed their way through the flimsy barricade in our bedroom and followed us out onto the roof.  A creature launched itself through the open window, hitting the same ice patch Abby had found.  Fortunately for us, it did not appear to have Abby’s luck.  It went sliding off the roof, crushing a few of its brethren as it hit the ground.  The gap filled quickly with others stepping up and over their fallen comrades.

“Dan, they’re coming!” Abby said frantically.

“How many?”

“Just go!” Abby screamed.

I quickened my pace, taking larger steps that I felt comfortable with.  I thought momentarily about going through the first window that I saw.  I didn’t know this particular neighbor well enough to trust our lives forcing our way into her home.  She had never mentioned owning a gun before, but I didn’t want to find out the hard way if she did.

My decision was solidified when I saw the bedroom window.  The lights were off, allowing scant visibility into the inky darkness.  A crimson handprint was smeared across the middle of the glass.  Streaks of red dripped down the glass, pooling on the sill below.  Whatever had happened in there happened recently.  A sinking feeling told me there were horrors beyond the veil of dark that I did not want to bear witness to.

I looked back at Abby, putting my finger to my lips and motioning for silence as I pointed towards the darkened room.  The cold fear in her eyes betrayed the scream she was trying to hold inside.

I didn’t blame her one bit.

We moved past the windows, relieved that nothing inside saw us.  A thump and slide behind us announced another of our pursuers had fallen from the roof.  I didn’t look back.  Abby’s hand on my back let me know she was still with me, so I focused on moving forward.

We were forced to quicken our pace even more.  Our pursuers had no fear of falling to their deaths, no real reason to take care with their steps.  They chased with reckless abandon that we could not match without the threat of falling.  It was a one sided race, with us on the losing side.

The undead were closing fast by the time we made it to the empty house.  The lights had been left on by the realty company to give the place a lived in illusion.  I looked through the window and found the bedroom clear of monsters, along with everything else as the former owners had taken everything with them.  That included the toilets and every sink in the house.

“Katie, I need you to go to mommy,” I said, shifting her towards Abby.  She leapt to her mother’s arms.

The heavy table leg made quick work of the window glass.  I did the best I could to knock the remaining shards from the edges of the frame before tossing the makeshift club inside.  Abby set Katie into the room while I watched for any threats from the inside.  Our attention drawn towards Katie, we misjudged how dangerously close the following zombies had come.

Abby screamed as one of the things bit down on her sleeve.  She ripped her arm away, the creature coming back with only pieces of torn jacket between its teeth.  She practically dove through the open window.  I helped her along with a quick shove, sending her sprawling into the room.

I shoved the undead thing away and sent it sliding off the roof.  I had no time to recover as a second one latched on to my coat, its mouth open and heading straight for my face.  I wish I could say I fought it off heroically, but the truth is I broke free of its grip by freaking out and falling on the ice.  It lunged at me again, but found itself the victim of the icy roof as well.

Unfortunately for me, the damage was already done.  I found myself in an uncontrollable slide on the unforgiving ice.  I felt the edge of the roof slip by, then nothing as my rotting companion and I fell to the earth below.

Chapter Four

Glass slivers dug into Abby’s hands as she pushed herself up and back to the window.  She watched in horror as Dan disappeared over the roof’s edge, towing one of the crazed things with him.  A second later she heard him grunt as he hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Almost immediately, three heavy whacks sounded from below, as if someone was tenderizing a side of beef with a baseball bat. 

“Dan!” she screamed until she was out of breath.

“Get out of there!” Dan yelled.  “Get to the car!”

She leaned out the broken window to catch a glimpse of what was happening in the yard below.  She detected movement out of the corner of her eye, and launched herself backwards seconds before jagged fingernails raked across her scalp.  She managed to stay on her feet long enough to avoid the pile of glass before she fell flat on her back.

The white eyed monster stared at her from outside for a few seconds before lunging through the window and into the room.  Its head took the brunt of its weight as it crashed down to the glass covered shag carpet.  The thing’s neck broke on impact, cracking loudly as its head displaced from its spine.

The immense injury did not slow it down.  The thing rose unsteadily to its feet, swaying as it advanced on Abby.  Its head rocked back and forth on its shoulder, the broken neck now unable to support the head’s weight.  Vertebra popped as the bones scraped against each other.

Katie screamed from the corner of the room where she had huddled into a ball.  The creature, drawn by Katie’s loud cries, turned towards her.  Its mouth opened wide allowing thick foamy drool to escape and hang off its chin in viscous strands.

In the blink of an eye Abby’s instincts took over, going from terrified woman to enraged mama bear protecting her cub.  She was on her feet, shoulder down she hurled herself against the midsection of the monster like a professional linebacker.  The thing folded over on itself.  Abby skidded to a stop before she went tumbling.  The creature hit the wall, cracking the sheetrock before sliding to the floor.

It sat back up, glaring at Abby.  It hissed, teeth chattering away as it tried to bring itself back to its feet.  More drool, thick and foamy dropped from its lips until its chin was soaked with the stuff.

“Like hell you will!” Abby spat.  She scooped the table leg from the floor where Dan had tossed it.  Taking a hop to the other side of the room, she made a quick spin and kicked hard off the wall, launching herself towards the monster with club held high.  The table leg turned club swooped down, Abby’s momentum adding to the force of her swing.

She wasn’t prepared for the recoil of the wood as it hit.  Her arms suddenly felt numb, and she lost her grip on the weapon.  Her elbows and shoulder ached, and she could already feel the bruise forming on her already bleeding palms.

The attack was devastating.  The bridge of the zombie’s nose to the top of its forehead had been completely inverted.  Its eyes were turned towards each other and budging outwards.  Its head had broken through the wall behind it.  Muscles twitched involuntarily, but there were no more signs of life in the monster.

“Mommy!” Katie screamed again.

Abby glanced up in time to see two more faces making their way through the window.  She snatched the club from the floor and ran to the window, using it to try and push the creatures back outside to no avail.  Their grip on the window frame was firm and unyielding.  They were coming in one way or another.

“Katie, go to the door!” she ordered.  Abby worried that something may be lurking in the house, and sending Katie out into the hall before her would be a mistake.  But she was not going to stop the menace forcing its way into the room.  If there was something else in the building with them, they were both done for.

She kept the two back as long as she could, until a third reached into the room at her.  She broke away from the window and ran towards Katie.  She didn’t look back when she heard the monsters falling into the room with heavy thuds.  She grabbed Katie’s arm and pulled her out to the darkened hallway.

Her pursuers slammed into the door just as it clicked shut.  She put her back against it, pushing back as she slid to the floor to use her entire body for leverage.  The door felt more solid than the one that had ultimately failed to hold the things back in her own home, so she had some time to figure things out.  But unless she planned on sitting in front of the door forever, she still had to find a way to keep the things at bay.

Suddenly an idea popped in her head.  She took the tapered end of her club and shoved it under the door.  She spun around on her butt and stomped against the wood, driving the wedge deeper until it would go no further.  She watched the door until she was satisfied it would not give way soon.  The creatures hissed while hammering against the door.  It rattled in its frame, but the wedge held fast.

She stood, pleased with her handiwork.  Dan may be Mr. Fix-It around the house, but even he would be impressed with her barricade, she mused.  Her heart fell when her thoughts turned to Dan.  He spoke, so he survived the fall.  But she didn’t know anything beyond that.

“Dan, you had better be alive or I swear I will never speak to you again!” she whispered.

Abby couldn’t imagine leaving until she knew if her husband was okay.  She didn’t really know if she would even have the strength to leave him behind once they were in the car if she needed to.  But she had Katie to look after, and she would die before letting anything happen to her.  And so would Dan.  She could only pray that she wouldn’t have to make that decision.

“Katie, come to mommy, we have to go.”

“I want daddy!” Katie bawled loudly.  “Where’s daddy?”

“Daddy’s coming.  We’re meeting him at the car and then we’re going on a trip.” She hoped beyond hope that what she had said was the truth.

“Where are we going?” Katie asked, still sobbing.

Abby had no answer.  She had no idea what the next step was.  Dan was the one who had always talked about the “zombie apocalypse”.  He was the one who spent time “planning” with his friends and family.  She always blew it off as the wild imagination of her horror fan husband.

But it was real.  They were running from creatures that looked like people.  But their faces were feral, and they attacked with animal-like ferocity.  They looked and acted like every zombie film and TV program her husband had ever made her sit through.

She found herself wishing she had paid more attention to the zombie apocalypse planning sessions between Dan and his brother Chris.  That’s when the answer came bubbling to the surface.

“We’re going to see Uncle Chris on the farm,” she said.  “But we have to go to the car, and we have to be very quiet.  Okay?”

Katie’s nod was so slight that Abby wasn’t sure if it was in agreement or if it was just her trembling.  Either way it would have to do.  Other than stealth, she was weaponless.  Her only choice was to get to the car without being noticed.

She stood carefully, eyeing the door in case she had to throw herself against it again.  To her great relief, the wedge had not moved.  She took Katie’s hand and walked quietly towards the stairs at the end of the hall.  She found the bathroom empty, save for a decrepit plunger sitting next to the drain that the toilet used to occupy.

She passed by another closed door.  Probably to another bedroom, she guessed.  She thought about checking the room for something of use, but decided against it.  There was no way to know what was hiding behind door number two.  Except for the bacteria riddled plunger, she saw nothing else that would make her believe there was a treasure trove of useful stuff beyond the door.

The house was old and the carpeting thin.  Abby cringed at every creak of the floor on their way to the stairs.  The two stopped suddenly when a floorboard popped, sending echoes reverberating through the first floor.  Abby strained to hear for movement below, but any sound downstairs was drowned out by the things trying to tear the door off its hinges behind them.

Realization hit Abby like a freight train.  She hung her head low and laughed to herself.  She could fire off a cannon in the house and still not make as much racket as those things banging on the door were.  If anything else was inside it would already be on its way.

“Mommy, why are you laughing?” Katie looked confused.

“Nothing, baby.  Mommy was just being silly,” Abby replied as they quick stepped to the top of the stairs.  “Stay here for a second.  Come down when I call you.”  Katie nodded.

Abby only took a couple steps, and crouched down to stay hidden as she looked around.  The room was laid out much like her own.  The stairs let out into the living room, the front door to the immediate left of the bottom step.  Large windows next to the door opened up a view of the parking lot, where her car waited.  From her vantage point she couldn’t see anything outside.  But thanks to the orange glow streaming in through the uncovered windows, she could see that nothing was waiting for her in the empty space.

“Come on Katie, let’s go,” she whispered.  Katie came to her with her hand outstretched.  Abby took it as they made their way down slowly.

Abby crouched again after fully descending.  She motioned for her daughter to sit on the bottom stair, which Katie did.  With her back against the door, Abby cautiously slid toward the window.  Her head poked out just enough to catch a quick glimpse of the parking lot.

“Shit!” she said under her breath while quickly ducked back out of view.  Several of the things milled about in the lot, weaving between the parked cars and walking aimlessly around the front yard.  Their mournful howls were partially drowned out by the roar of the fire that had jumped to her line of houses.  She had to get to her car before the encroaching inferno reached her hiding spot.

Her problems were suddenly compounded with the loud splintering crack of the door above starting to give way.  With the noise coming from upstairs, Abby was certain there were more than the original three trying to break their way into the house.

Katie’s eyes were locked to the second floor.  She shivered, frightened beyond the point of tears.  Abby frantically looked around for a way out.  They were surrounded, and soon the beasts would come crashing through the door and set upon them.  They were defenseless to stop it.  Abby and her daughter were trapped.

“Come here, baby,” Abby whispered to her little girl.  Katie slipped off the step, sliding on her butt across the floor and over to her mother, curling up on her lap.  Abby’s heart broke when she saw Katie sucking her thumb, something she hadn’t done since she was still crawling.  Abby stroked her daughter’s hair, trying to do what little she could to comfort her.

“Dan,” Abby whispered.  “If you’re going to do something, now would be a good time.”  She hugged Katie close, and waited.

A loud crash thundered from behind the house.  It was shortly followed by a litany of curse words she was certain she had never heard uttered by anyone who wanted to step inside the pearly gates.  Katie slowly raised her head, eyes wide and jaw hanging open.

“Those are very bad words mommy,” Katie said as the offending line of curses trailed off into silence.  Her face still looked as if she had been caught trying to steal the cookie truck.

“Yes Katherine.  Yes they are!”

“Is that..Daddy?” she said with widened eyes.

“No baby,” Abby lied.  “Your daddy would never say things like that.”

Abby was elated that her husband was still alive.  She would be sure to hug him tight before killing him for his tirade.

“Mommy, it’s so quiet!”  Katie turned her attention to the top of the steps.

Abby suddenly realized the things upstairs had stopped trying to beat the door into toothpicks.  She cocked her head towards the window.  The blaze that was engulfing nearby homes was all she could make out.  The moans of the dead were noticeably absent.

A quick glance out the window confirmed her suspicions.  Dan’s outburst drew the attention of the masses, and they were happy to respond.  They were eerily silent other than the shuffle of their feet through the snow.

“Katie, go sit on the step again.  Be very quiet,” Abby whispered.

As soon as her daughter was off her lap Abby quietly brought herself to her feet.  She peeked through the small diamond shaped window in the door, looking around for any of the horrors that may have missed her husband’s oral history of curse words.  There were no immediate threats between her and the car.

She fished her keys from her pocket.  In one fluid motion, she scooped her daughter up, unlatched the dead bolt, and sprinted her way out into a wintery nightmare.