Zombie Dawn Apocalypse (20 page)

“Come on, you remember what happened in Hawaii, and that was after it was purged and re-colonised. The reality is there is no escape from this plague,” Madison said hopelessly.

“So you think as a species we were destined to die?” asked Jack.

Madison looked at Jack, “I’m not sure I believe in destiny, I think we have just met our match and are finished for good.”

“Perhaps God will save us,” added Wells.

“Yeah, we’ve seen a lot of evidence of that so far,” Riley sneered at him.

“Well perhaps we aren’t the ones who are chosen by God,” said Wells.

“You think there are other survivors in the world? Still alive?” asked Riley.

“Why not, we managed, surely others did too?”

“Managed? Look at us, this isn’t managing, this is dying slowly and miserably.”

“Well you got any better ideas?” asked Jack.

“Don’t you think I might have mentioned it if I did?” Riley sighed.

“That’s enough, both of you! This is total shit, but nothing we can do about it. We are all still exhausted from last night, let’s chill out, get some proper sleep, and continue on with fresher heads tomorrow,” said Madison.

“Some good points,” added Wells.

The rest nodded in agreement but nobody spoke. They just unravelled their beds and laid to rest, to get what uneasy sleep they could. Madison wondered about Jack’s intention of going to the canyons. It was rough terrain where their speed would be reduced, and they had a greater risk of becoming trapped. It felt as if Jack was intentionally leading them into a fight, without admitting it they all thought it, but nobody questioned the tactic. Living had long been a nightmare, death didn’t seem such a bad thought any longer.

* * *

Madison awoke to the fresh warm morning, surprisingly well rested, perhaps the acceptance that they were all going to die sooner or later had helped, reducing the constant desperation and stress that they all felt. No one spoke of their fallen friends or the night which had caused their deaths. They were all happy to get on with the day, glad of each other’s company, it was their most valuable asset left in the world. The five survivors packed their gear, mounting their horses with a new kind of enthusiasm and relaxed vibe, eager to move on.

After three hours of riding they were only half way to the canyons ahead, and the heat beat down on them ruthlessly, they were glad of the water stores they had amassed.

“You know what I’d kill for right now?” asked Madison.

“What, a beer?”

“A snow cone,” she answered.

“
Mmm
, not a bad idea, if it could come with an ice cold beer,” Jack said.

“All sounds good, if I could enjoy them whilst travelling in an air conditioned RV,” added Riley.

“Yeah, with a big TV,” said Justin.

Wells joined in, “Ha, that doesn’t sound half bad.”

A few hours later they reached the entrance to a large canyon with a wide path into the basin. They stopped as they entered the canyon, alerted by the sight of vehicles. In front of them was a line of vehicles, a few buses, RVs and pickups. They looked completely deserted, with years of dust and dirt build up, and no signs of life or the creatures in sight.

“What do you suppose happened to the people?” asked Madison.

“I’m guessing they ran out of gas,” said Riley.

“All at once?” she asked.

“Well, if they were rationing out, they’d all be finished up about the same time. They probably either continued on foot or put what fuel they had left into their best vehicles,” said Jack.

“Where do you suppose they went?”

“Probably the same place as us,
Maddy
. Wherever took their fancy, wherever they hadn’t been before,” he said.

“Hey, check out the Hummer! Always wanted one of those babies!” shouted Riley.

“Do you think we should check the vehicles for anything useful?” asked Justin.

Wells moved closer, “No, just look at them, they were thoroughly stripped by whoever left them. There will be nothing of use for us there, they’re just relics of the old world, statues for future species to remember us by.”

“He’s right, there’s nothing left for us here,” said Jack.

“That’s a crying shame, Jack, always wanted to drive a Hummer,” Riley said.

“Come on, let’s get going.”

They continued on, deep in to the canyon. They eventually reached a narrow rock corridor with high sides, with no end in sight. They stopped, looking to Jack for leadership.

“What do you think?” asked Riley.

“We didn’t come all this way to turn back did we?”

“You know we could become trapped if this corridor goes on for long,” he replied to Jack.

“Maybe it’s time we worried a little less, and lived a little more,” Madison added.

“Walking into a potential death-trap isn’t my idea of living,” said Riley.

Jack’s response to that was, “The whole world is a death trap, so how about we make the most of it?”

“Fuck it, I just don’t care enough to think about it anymore,” Riley snapped.

“Anyone else have a problem with the plan?” asked Jack.

They shook their heads and continued on into the bottleneck of the valley.

“You know this could lead anywhere right? A dead end is just as likely as anything else?” Madison asked Jack.

“Aren’t our lives a dead end?”

“I suppose.”

Twenty minutes later they reached an opening in the bottleneck, revealing thick scrubland. In the distance they could see the track narrowing again into a thin alley. They trotted casually though the opening, the lack of wind and the striking sunlight was already making them all feel weary and sleepy. Madison stopped and pulled her jacket off that was already open to allow air in, but was now stifling. They kept their base armour on in the days, a simple rule to keep them protected at all times, but the heat was simply too much, and nobody thought the worse of her for doing so.

“What the hell is that smell?” Justin asked.

“Not sure, but I don’t like it,” said Jack.

“Must be a dead animal nearby,” said Riley.

“That’s what bothers me,” was Jack’s quick response.

Madison caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of her eye, a bush rustling. She quickly turned to investigate, as a creature sat up, rising from the bushes. She quickly reached for her hammer as she noticed a second movement near the first.

“They’re everywhere, in the bushes!” she shouted.

Jack looked around as the dead rose from the scrub around them, evidently having been lying lifelessly under the carpet of greenery, as if waiting for food to present itself for them to pounce on.

“Get moving, now!” shouted Jack.

Madison kicked her heels in, launching forward as quickly as she could. Leading, she raced for the cavern before them at full gallop. They were moving before most of the creatures were on their feet, but the few between them and the opening were standing and lusting for blood. She lifted the hammer above her head swung it with a circular motion against the head of the first creature, taking it off its feet and flat onto its back. Her horse hit the next one as if it was a rag doll, trampling it under foot.

They reached the narrow cove and kept up their speed, knowing they needed to gain some serious distance on the horde that was close on their heels. Less than a minute later they reached a fork in the canyon, Madison quickly drew her horse to a halt as Jack stopped next to her.

“Which way do we go?” Madison shouted.

“Your guess is good as mine!”

“Left!” called Riley.

“Why?”

“No idea, it’s just what came to mind first, you got a better idea, I’m all ears!”

She looked at Jack with fear and uncertainty, they could be gambling their lives on a toss of a coin, worse still, both could be dead ends.

“Do it!” shouted Jack.

They continued on down the left fork, all praying that they had chosen wisely. A few minutes they met their greatest fear, a dead end with high walls. Madison pulled the reins around and immediately headed back the way they had come.

“Back to the fork,” she called.

At the greatest speed they could muster they raced back, but were again halted when they met a horde of creatures as far as they could see down the narrow cavern, past the point of the fork.

“Fuck!” shouted Jack.

They again turned their horses and raced back to the dead end, desperately trying to buy them a few moments to at least think. They arrived back at the end of the cavern.

“What do we do?” cried Wells.

“Only two choices, fight or climb,” said Jack. “If we fight we will almost certainly die. If we climb, we may not all make it and will have no horses and lose most of our gear.”

“Some chance of survival is better than none,” said Madison.

“So you want to live now?” asked her father.

“Yes!
 
I want to live!”

“Alright, take only the essentials, and get climbing!” Jack ordered.

Each grabbed what they could, which was little more than their personal weapons, including the few firearms they had left, and some water. Madison slung per prized AK47 over her back. She had not fired it in seven years, reserving the ammunition for last resort scenarios. The survivors could already hear the groans and unsettling sounds of the horde approaching. Madison took to the rock face, beginning the climb.
 

The ascent was only a hundred feet but without climbing equipment, in a stressful situation, with gear on their backs and the ever impending risk of death, it was tough. Madison’s hands were sweaty, from both the heat and rush of the situation. Her grip was weak, but she struggled on. By the time they had made it just twenty feet from the bottom, the ground below them was flooded with creatures, howling and scratching at the walls in disappointment.

“Listen up! Take it easy. We’re safe from them now, the only concern is getting to the top safely, so don’t take unnecessary risks, go slow and safe!” shouted Jack.

Twenty minutes later they had only made another thirty feet. The heat was bearing down on them heavily, and their relentless enemy below would not be silent, they would not give them a single peaceful moment.

“
Ahh
! Shit!” Justin cried out.

Madison looked around to see him hanging by his hands at the corner of a rock, his legs were hanging freely and he was desperately trying to find a grip.

“Justin, hang on, I’m coming!” she called.

“
Maddy
, no!” shouted Jack.

“We have to help him!”

“You will only risk yourself, now be quiet!”

“Please! Help!” shouted Justin.

“Justin, just relax, you need to gain your footing!” Jack called over to him.

“How?”

“There’s a ledge to your right, don’t swing for it, bend at the hips, use your feet to find it!”

Justin desperately tried to find the ledge with his feet, unable to get a good look at what he was aiming for. The man was already panting heavily, in part from exertion, and the rest from panic.

“I can’t find it!” he cried.

“It’s just to your right, you have to reach it!”

“That’s enough, I’m going to help him!”

Before anyone could respond to dissuade her from endangering more of their lives, Justin’s grip finally failed and he plummeted from the rock face.

“Justin!” screamed Madison.

The four left could only watch in horror as their friend landed on two creatures, crushing them to the ground. More zombies engulfed him until they could see nothing but an angry mob.

“Fuck sake, Jack. I could have helped him!”

“No, you might have been able to, and you may just have likely as ended up down there with him!”