Chapter Nine

Zen leaves the house and finds she isn't alone...

Chapter Nine

 

        
“-NO!”

 

I woke from the nightmare with a start.  My chest hurt from the heavy breathing I was doing and I was covered in sweat.  Where was I?

 

         I jumped up from the sofa and looked at the television.  The screen was blue.  No signal.  The empty house, the deserted streets and the smelly neighbor in the back.  Okay, I know now.

 

         I practiced slowing down my breathing and let my heart return to normal.  I felt like I’d just completed a marathon.

 

         “What a crazy dream”, I muttered to myself. 

 

         I turned the tv off and noticed there was a full moon.  The shined in through the kitchen window, who’s only dressing was a plaid valance.

 

         I dragged myself into the kitchen and leaned my head underneath the faucet for a drink of water.  The water wasn’t very cold but it wasn’t bad either.

 

         I turned the knob off and heard something in the backyard.  I froze and listened.  I didn’t have to wait long.  Someone was walking about the yard.  Close to where I stood near the kitchen window. 

 

         I dropped down to the floor, hoping the prowler didn’t see me.  He may not have seen me but I saw his shadow.  While I crouched on the floor in front of the sink, the moon casted a shadow on the floor.

 

         In that window shadow, a silhouette of a man appeared.  He just stood there too, waiting.  I didn’t think he saw me before I dropped.  He didn’t make any indication either.  Most of the time, when you peer into a window, you put your hands up to block any would-be glare.  The guy didn’t.  He just stood there.

 

         I held my breath and hugged my knees.  For a long time.

 

 

***

 

         I woke up on my side on the kitchen floor.  When I looked around, I instantly wanted to wet my pants!  I’d fallen asleep on the floor.

 

         I must have decided to get comfortable and laid down because I was stretched out.  So much, I was no longer huddled against the cabinet but in the sunlight.

 

         It was broad daylight.  The sun was up so high it casted a shadow.  The shadow of the man that visited in the night.  He was still standing there, …looking at me.

 

         I sucked in a sharp breath and held it.  I stared back at him, into milky eyes.  He was a ghastly sight.

 

         Half of his face was torn away, down to the bone.  It was like he’d been dragged by his heels on the asphalt or something.  The skin, which was left, was a greyish color and pasty.  His jawbone had been grinded flat.  Either he had been dragged or he fell on something that flattened the left side of his face!

 

         This dude looked like he’d been dead for days but there’s no way he could have been. Unless he was a zombie.

 

         I trembled with so much fear but said nothing.  We had a staring match, he and I.  This wasn’t the man from the backyard one block over.  This was someone else. 

 

         I sat up on my bottom and scooted back.  He continued to stare but perked a little.  Slowly I slid across the floor.  This movement agitated him.  He began to groan and rose up on his toes.

 

         He brought both hands up to the window and began to sorta tap on the pane.  The tips of his fingers were worn away, displaying the distal phalanxes of all ten fingers!

 

         His mouth worked furiously, as though trying to bite at the glass.  Since half of his face was gone, his tongue fell loosely when he began to tilt his head.  It was a purplish tendril that left a smear of clotted, blackened blood.  The sight was so vile I turned away quickly and headed for the garage.  It knew I was inside and was anxious to taste me.  Were there others?

 

         I ran to the car and felt my pockets for the keys.  The keys were back on the table in the kitchen!

 

         “Bugger!”  I whispered.  I turned back to the doorway that lead to the laundry room and kitchen.  The shadow of the man was still on the floor and wall.  The idea of seeing him again was not cool man.

 

         I ran.  I almost fell on some dirty linen but I managed to hold my bearings.  I snatched the keys and looked towards the window to see that the ‘nasty’ brought friends.  Now three of them were gawking at me.

 

         “Time to go”, I told them and headed back out.  For some reason, once I got inside the laundry room, I shut the door.  No need to make it easy for them if they got in, right?

 

         When I finally paid attention to the compact car in the garage, I almost broke out into laughter!  It was a Smart car!  What the heck!

 

         The car looked like a toy remote but on a larger scale.  It was pretty funny to look and frightening to think that once the charge ran out, I was dead on the streets.  Literally.

 

         I looked to the side of the car and saw the charge cord.  I turned the power off and yanked the charge cord.  I stole a glance in the back again; to make sure I had food, water and a change of clothing.

 

         There was banging all around me now.  Even the rolling toolbox that blocked the side door was being rattled.  Even the garage door was being assaulted.

 

         I needed to get out but if there were bodies on the other side, I was screwed!  I dropped into the front seat and looked at the visor.

 

         The garage door opener was attached.  Okay, I can do this.  I gathered up my nerves and placed the key into the ignition that sat on the panel, between the only seats in the car.  This thing was ridiculous!

 

         It started up and purred like a kitten.  Really, it was barely audible.

 

         “Okay, here we go”, I whispered and hit the garage door opener.

 

         As the door rose, I saw their feet first.  Shuffling, trying to figure what was happening.  Once they understood, they dropped onto hands and knees to get inside.  There were about ten of them.

 

         They were a hideous lot, all dead and rotting.  They were missing body parts like hands, arms, and plugs of flesh- life!  The Nastys were running up on my stupid, toy car and I had to wait about fifteen seconds before I could hit the gas.

 

         They ran up on the vehicle, moaning and groaning.  I didn’t say a word, just breathed as though in labor.  I kept my eyes on the door, waiting for my moment to take off.

 

         The Nastys started to pound on the hood and roof.  They wanted in and if I didn’t get to moving, they’d do just that, peeling me out like a can of sardines.  “Hurry up Door.  Please!”

 

         The door stopped opening. The Nastys were hard at work when I hit the gas.  The car lurched forward and I cheered! But not for long.

 

         Problem is, the Smart car didn’t do well with bumping dead folks out of the way.  Plus it sits so low to the ground that rolling over them was freaking impossible!

 

         I spent the next five miles, dodge driving to keep from getting a dead body wedged into the under carriage.  The car was an upset and I had to find another vehicle.  Fast!

 

         I tried to drive as fast as I could.  The darned thing didn’t go over 90 mph.  I felt like some of the Nastys were running along side me for goodness sake!  I began driving and screaming at the same time for a while.

 

         I hit Marshall Road and made a right, onto Big Bend and slammed on the brakes.

 

         Before me, there were wall-to-wall vehicles.  “No, no, no, no, no…”  I chanted to myself.

 

         “Now what?”  I looked in my rear view mirror and saw more Nastys lurking about.  They were the ones chasing me from the garage.  Since my car wasn’t moving, they weren’t sure where to seek me out.

 

         I waited to see what they’d do.  They waited too.  Somebody had to make a move.

 

         “Stop!  Don’t hurt us!”  I heard a woman scream.  I couldn’t tell where the voice came from but the Nastys did.  They turned instinctively towards the protesting and dashed like a heard of wolves. 

 

         I sat perfectly still as they all ran past me.  None of them took the time to look at me when they had someone ahead in their line of sites.

 

         I waited a little bit longer and listened as more screams and shouts drifted to my ears.  It tore at my heart, knowing what they were doing to the people I couldn’t see.  I wanted to help but there was no way I was jumping out of the toy to do it.  No sense in all of us dying.

 

         Cowardice justified, I threw the toy in reverse and tore down Big Bend.  On both sides of the road, people were either fighting one another or eating one another.  It was horrible- worse than any movie I ‘d ever seen.

 

         Why was this happening?  How could this be happ-

 

         “Hey, over here!”  Someone shouted while waving his or her arms at me.  I swung the wheel to the right and stopped in front of him.  On a turn, the Smart car took on a threatening sort of maneuver, causing the guy to throw his arms out, placing his hands on the hood.  I doubted the toy could have caused him bodily injury but I was happy all the same when he walked around to my door.  I didn’t bring the windows down.

 

         “My friend- she’s stuck.  Can you please help us?  Please!”  He looked panicked to death. 

 

         His face was covered in blood and dirt, as were his clothes.  His brown hair was a mess and his eyes were like a deer caught in headlights.  He didn’t come off as a threat but I couldn’t be sure.  The world was a mess, why wouldn’t he look the part.

 

         I told him to stand back and I cut off the car.  I slipped the keys into my jeans pocket and got out.     He walked ahead of me, looking back periodically, as if I’d vanish if he didn’t keep an eye out.

 

         “Where’s your friend?”

 

         He began shuffling sideways and pointing over by a small tree in a small front yard.  The tree wasn’t fully mature but it had a thick base.  Underneath the knocked over tree was a teenager, her legs stuck.

 

She pushed against the tree with her hands but with nothing behind her, she didn’t have a chance to move it.  It was thick.  It was odd.

 

         “Uh, how did the tree fall on her?”  I asked, while looking at the guy.

 

         “A hit and run.  Everyone was going crazy last night.  People were running in their cars, on bikes and everything.  Someone’s car went upon the sidewalk and hit the tree.  It fell on Sheila and that was it!”

         “You mean, you’ve been out here since last night?  All this happened last night?  She’s been under here for hours?”

 

         No way!  There was no way the world could look like this in one night!  I wondered if they were setting me up, an attempt to get my ride or something.  I gave myself an internal elbow jab- yeah.  They want my toy car! 

 

         I looked the girl over and then the young guy again.  They came off more innocuous than menacing.  He wasn’t scrawny but I’d fought with bigger.  She was pretty much the same but younger.

 

         “Well, no.  I mean yeah.  Uh, it’s been going on for a while but this”, he pointed down at his ensnared friend.  “This didn’t.  Can you please help us?  Move it off of her so she can get out?”

 

         “Yeah, yeah sure.”  I observed the situation. 

 

         She was probably sixteen and dark skinned.  Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail of mini-braids and littered with grass clippings.  She didn’t stop to look at me much, likely due to the pain she was in.

 

         It was difficult to tell but it didn’t appear her leg was broken.  She was being crushed but not in horrible, bone-breaking pain.

 

         “How about you get on that end and I’ll…” I looked around.  I spotted the scissor part of a manual carjack.  I snatched it up and sought the rocker bar and handle but to no avail.

 

         “Okay, I’m going to help him raise this log”, I told her.  “When it’s high enough, slip this under it and we can pull you free, okay?”  I knelt down beside the girl and showed her how I wanted her to slide the jack underneath the tree. 

 

         It wasn’t a huge tree but it was going to be tough to raise it up.  I didn’t know if it would work but the smallest height would get her out.  She nodded her understanding and accepted the jack.

 

         “Okay.  I’ll try.  Will it hold?”

         “Hopefully it’ll hold high enough to get you out.” 

 

         I walked over to the guy and patted him on the back.  I stood across from him and on the count of three; together we tried raising the fallen tree.

        

         We grunted but our knees were bent and our backs were strong.  As soon as the tree went up ten inches, the girl slid the end of the scissor jack under the tree.  It wasn’t able to get under, standing vertically but we probably wouldn’t have to if we could raise it another three to four inches.

 

         Rumbling, I asked, “Can you get it in?”

         “No but I may still may be able-“ She groaned as she pressed against the log.  She moved a bit but was still stuck.

 

         “I need a little bit more and I can get the jack in.”

 

         I began looking around us, making sure none of the Nastys were trying to creep us.  With the coast being clear, we raised the tree higher.  Using her elbows, the girl kinda crab-walked her way from under.  She was clear.

 

         “Let’s bring it down to my left, eh?”

         “Sure”, he said and we let it go.  The drop sounded like two trains connecting with the silence of the block.  It made me nervous.

 

         If things were anything close to the horror movies, sound attracts them.  We had to move.  I looked in the direction of my Smart car and wondered if there was enough room for the three of us.  Two, sure but three, including my backpack?  It may be a snug fit but it should do.

 

         “Come on.  You can ride with me if you like.”  I looked at the two of them while they looked at each other.  Simultaneously they looked to me in agreement and followed.  The girl limped but not enough to slow us down.

 

         On the way back, I walked as stealthily as possible.  If a crew of the Nastys came at us the way they did back at the garage, we’d be sitting ducks out here.  Luckily, we didn’t run into any of them.

 

         The guy climbed into the back, settling as much as he could.  The girl got in behind him and buckled up.  It was important to me that everyone was snug, in case we had to floor the car, maxing it at 90 mph.

 

         Once on the road, we didn’t see many of them wandering about.  The neighborhoods were scenes right out of an apocalyptic thriller; there were newspapers floating about and empty cars everywhere. 

 

         Stores had been looted, their busted windows sitting open bearing glass pieces like monster teeth.  Signs were knocked down, after being hit; some with the cars still leaning against them.  They were relics that showed proof of the sheer fear and recklessness of the drivers.

 

         There weren’t any bodies.  You only saw a person here and there, dodging the Nastys periodically.  I was worried and scared.  Where would they go?  Where could we go?

 

         “Uh, thanks”, the girl said beside me. 

         “No problem.”  I looked over at her.  She was young but I was wrong about her age.  She wasn’t a kid; she was probably in her twenties.    

 

         She had a sharp nose and large, brown eyes that glistened.  She seemed demure, almost mousy but she obviously didn’t like the silence we were riding in.

 

         “So where’ s your family?”

 

         The girl looked over her shoulder at the young man in the back.  “He’s my family.”

 

         I stole a glance at him in my rearview mirror and saw how he gazed at her.  He looked like a lovesick puppy.  He didn’t take his eyes off of her as she turned back to face me.  I kept my eyes on the road but knew she was watching.

 

         “What’s your story?  Are you all alone?”

 

         I didn’t know.   Did I have family lost out in this crazy world? Or was I all alone? 

Author's Note

Please...I see I'm being viewed but even if you don't like it, tell me. I am really looking for views from people I don't know. What can I do to make it better? I don't want to tie in too much detail but don't want to leave too much out either. It's geared mostly toward young adult Christians but anyone is my area.

Reviews

[DeliriousCerises]

I'm enjoying the story, it's interesting, albeit a bit confusing. Especially when you switched from third person to first person back in chapter 3 (I think it was 3...). But it did create a deeper understanding of the confusion she felt waking up without any memories. Also, when you switched back into third person for the dream, it seemed a lot more natural and easier to understand. And I guess that's partly why I keep reading, because I want to better understand what's going on. You're writing since chapter one has definitely improved. The imagery is more creative, and it seems to flow smoother. As far as improving upon it, the print seems pretty big, I feel like I have to scroll a lot to read a little. I also found a decent amount of typos which made the reading kind of choppy. It might be a good idea to just read over it a couple times before or after you post it to try and weed those out. There's also a lot of two and three sentence paragraphs that could be combine to help smooth it out. Overall I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this. Onto the next chapter --->

[Cre8nFrmWithn]

I first want to thank you so much! I have my mom edit for me but I guess she missed a bit in this one. I truly appreciate someone's opinion on the story. Yes, I did the swathing on purpose for the exact effect you described. I'm working to improve and I hope you give me more of your opinions and continue to enjoy!