THREE

May 15, 2009 9 minutes earlier -
“Bobby! Jesus are those gunshots?! Girl, I swear to God if you’re dead I’m gonna kill you!” Caroline’s voice is practically screaming through the small speaker, not helping my nerves a bit.
“Caroline,” I say, hearing her sound of relief as my voice finally echos through the receiver, but flinching again as more shots fill the air.
“What the hell is going on over there?” She exclaims in frustration. How the fudge should I know? I think to myself.
Crawling on my knees, I scoot over to the open window that looks into our neighbor's yard. Through their glass sliding door I see the Sweepers that were just in our house. This time they’re running about the neighbors living room, flashes leaking into the air as their guns fire more rounds at something I can’t see.
“It’s next door, Sweepers are shooting the entire house up!” I watch wide eyed as a body slowly drags itself past the glass in the direction, I realize, of the front door hanging on it’s hinges wide open.
I see one of the Sweepers shout and raise his gun at the Zed but he’s tackled from behind; another Zombie. This is not good.
To my complete and utter horror I watch as my undead, zombified neighbor stumbles out the door and down the steps of his house.
My neighbor, the first real zombie I’ve ever seen in person, has turned out to be one ugly creature. Even from this distance I can see how the skin on his face, now tinted with a pale green hue, sags on the bone. Black goo oozes from numerous holes in his skin - bullet wounds I presume - and soak his tattered blue shirt. Blisters litter his arms, his eyes, bloodshot and black, pierce mine through the window. And the smell, oh God the smell, reaches my nose, making me gag on empty air.
“Caroline,” I whisper frantically once more. “Caroline he’s coming towards the house.” She starts rattling off words, the tone in her voice just as fear filled as mine, but I don’t understand what she’s saying; my mind is too jumbled.
The zombie comes closer, dragging its heavy body in the direction of our house. People say that Zombies don’t harbor feelings like regret or compassion, right or wrong. They say that a Zombie’s mind only holds enough knowledge to detect life and crave it. Like a rabid animals urge to destroy.
It’s closer now, a mere 10 yards from our door, and not slowing down.
I panic, dropping the phone once again and backing away from the window.
“Mom!” My voice loud, echoes throughout the house. After a second I hear her run down the stairs, paint fumes from her studio following in a trail.
“Bobby, are you okay? Where’s that banging coming from?” She stops at the bottom of the stairs, in front of the door.
“Mom it’s outside! Get away from the do-” My warning is too late though and the wood splinters open behind her, the Zed suddenly right there.
I find myself screaming as she turns around, surprise and fear painted across her face. Before I know it, both of them are on the floor, my mother’s screams mirroring mine.
Stunned, I run from the room, tripping over everything in the process with my always clumsy feet.
“Julia? Bobby?” Dad’s voice booms out from the back room. He was most likely in the basement, unable to hear, when the shooting started.
At this point, Mom’s scream has changed from one of astonishment to one of pain.
“Daddy!” I yell, stumbling into him as I round a corner. “It-it’s in the house!” I stutter as he grabs onto my shoulders, steadying me. “It g-got m-mom!”
“What is?” Jesus how can he be so stupid?
“Zombie!” I exclaim. Dads head snaps up, his mind finally clicking into place. But it takes my breath away when he lets go of my arms and starts running to where my moms voice has cut off.
“Dad!” I sob, my voice cracking.
“Get the car and get out of here, I’ve got to help your mother.”
I call after him but he’s already gone, in the room where the Zed was. Frozen and petrified, I stand, unable to just leave my parents behind. I find my feet inching back to where my dad disappeared but my muscles lock up again when I hear his voice.
“No, please, don’t! No, stop -” His deeper cry of pain cuts off the words in his throat and I stumble backwards, my every nerve trembling. Dads horrid scream is enough to shock my body awake, my feet finally deciding to run.
I reach the back door, fingers clawing at the knob, sweat causing them to slip. After frantically wiping them on my jeans I’m able to open the stubborn door and sprint down the steps into clean air. I lurch my way over to the blue Honda parked next to the house.
Trembling hands pull open the car door and I slid behind the wheel. Keys, d****t, where are the keys?! I rummage through the visor above me and the glove box, finding nothing. In my head a string of swear words knit themselves together in a rather colorful fashion. I rack my brain for where the keys are, praying to God they aren’t back in the house.
It only takes a moment longer before it comes to me, Under the seat! I reach down and feel around the floor for the key chain. Thankfully my hand closes around it and I let out a hurray. But then something heavy slams into the drivers side door, turning my faint cry of relief into one of sheer terror.
I sit up too fast and slam the back of my head on the steering wheel with a painful crunch. But as soon as I look to the left of me the car is filled with more shrill screaming.
On the other side of the glass, green, broken, and leaving black streaks across the surface of the car, is my mother.
I practically drop the keys back to the carpet, jumping out of my skin in the process, before pulling enough of myself together to shove the key in the ignition. The engine rumbles to life and I take a deep breath, trying my hardest [and failing] to ignore my moaning, putrid smelling mother.
Wait a second, my mind races, I’ve never driven a freaking car in my life! As I gear the shifter into drive the other part of my brain responds. I suppose this is the time to learn!
And so, with my Zombie mother still clawing at the door, blood seeping from her torn fingernails, I hit the gas.

Reviews

[Leumas Relwood]

Slow clap and standing ovation. Probably the best story I have read on this website since the 2 weeks I have been on here! GREAT JOB. Where did you learn to write a story like that?

[Kohleen]

haha you're so nice. Lol ohh i don't know, i wasn't even sure if this was a good story, nobodies really reviewing or anything :P

[Leumas Relwood]

Well, I'll be a friend. Keep it up!