Rise of the Undead

Chapter 4

We encountered a partial road block as we neared exit 26. Abandoned cars were scattered across the expressway, their occupants long gone. Or so we assumed. Smoldering wreckage could be seen several paces from where we stood along the highway. My heart raced within my chest as I realized our journey had become much more difficult. Night had descended upon us, and I knew we couldn’t stay here on the highway.

“There’s a slight gap between the cars,” Chase murmured as he shifted in his seat.

“Hmmm?” I mumbled as I absent-mindedly rubbed my left temple.

He pointed toward a spot on the right side of the road we hadn’t paid attention to until now. “There.”

Sure enough, an opening spread out before us. I followed the minute gap, mentally creating a map of the terrain. The path ended unexpectedly, as it was lost in darkness. We had a chance in using it to our advantage, though. Granted, we had no guarantee that we wouldn’t find any of the undead along the way. This was our chance to make it home unscathed. It might not have been our best course of action, but it was the only one we had, so far. We’d come a long way, dodging obstacles right and left. We were not going to turn back now.

“We goin’ for it?” Mary asked.

“Yep. Whatever happens, don’t make too much noise.” The children snickered behind me. “I’m serious. We don’t know what’s out there. It’s too dark to see, so we have to assume these things are around and waiting. The more noise we make, the quicker they’ll find us.”

“There’s zombies in all that?” Grady questioned, his voice shaking with fear.

I turned on the overhead lamp, and turned in my seat to face him. “Yes.”

Chase gestured to an overturned truck lying on the side of the road. “If that’s anything to go by, there won’t too many. This looks like things got out of hand.”

“Chase is right, Meg. I think people panicked. A road block this big with so many abandoned cars means people couldn’t handle the unexpected rise of the undead. I bet there’s a lot of accidents the closer we get to Waterbury.”

“Maybe.”

Mallory pulled herself out of Mary’s grasp, and climbed in between the two front seats to slide her small body into my arms. “I want Mommy.”

I ruffled her dark-brown curls, and hugged her to me. “Me, too. She’s still alive, at least.”

She snuggled against me, burying her face against the curve of my shoulder. “Can we eat when get home? My tummy hurts.”

A soft sigh escaped me as I rubbed the small of her back. “I know, Baby. We’re hungry, too. We’ll get something soon.”

She drew back, and presented me with a hopeful smile. “Promise?”

“Yes. Now, how about you hop back into your seat?”

She giggled, and slid between the seats to dive into Mary’s arms once more. I shook my head, and smiled. Despite everything we’d been through, we held out hope that things would somehow get better. We’d gone through Hell and back. Surely, that counted for something, right?

“All right, guys. Hold on tight. We’re heading into the maelstrom. No sense in sticking around, and waiting for something to happen.”

Rosa passed a dozing Julianna into Emma’s arms, and clipped her seatbelt into place. She nodded, and sat back in her seat, nervously wringing her hands together. I shifted gears, and turned on the high beams as I inched the car toward the gap. Carefully maneuvering through the tight spot, we moved through the maze of abandoned cars and burning wreckage. Our progress was slow, but we made headway, none-the-less.

We came across the undead the closer we got to the city. They hid behind cars or trucks, feasting on the remains of those who’d tried to escape the grisly pile-up. My hands grew clammy as I zig-zagged through the unexpected graveyard of vehicles. The mass of zombies was minimal, but they still presented a threat to us.

I breathed a sigh of relief as exit 21 loomed in the distance. The pile-up had begun to clear. From what I could see, thus far, it looked like we’d have an easy passage home. I released a pent-up breath, and swung the car past the last of the abandoned cars near exit 22. The tension inside the vehicle lessened as we drew closer to our means of escape.

My heart raced with apprehension as I carefully descended the ramp. For the most part, the road was clear. No cars or zombies were in sight. An unexpected wave of fear wrapped around me, and left me unsettled. An ominous and oppressive presence hung over the city.

I turned left on to Meadow Street, and eased the SUV toward Bank Street. The road was free of impediments until we got near the intersection. A line of cars extended from the gasoline station to the middle of the street. Several of the vehicles were still smoking from the unexpected blaze. Scorched bodies were scattered amongst the wreckage. The station itself was practically non-existent. A large hole gaped in the center of the lot, and the sharp smell of gasoline permeated through the air.

“Close the windows,” I ordered. “Don’t let the fumes get in.”

Mary and Emma scrambled to do as I had asked; their eyes wide with fear.

“What’s the battle plan?” Rosa prodded.

I chewed on the right corner of my lower lip in contemplation, and mentally cataloged every inch of the scene. “I’m going to skirt the edge of the station. There are too many cars near the roadway to be able to navigate safely.”

“The rocky outcrop is too high.”

I smirked with amusement. “We’re in an SUV.”

“We won’t make it.”

I reached out to pat my cousin’s hands with reassurance. “Have faith.”

“Sis?”

“Yeah?”

“If we end up dyin’, I’m goin’ to haunt you in the afterlife,” Mary replied as a matter-of-factly.

Laughter burst from my lips as I turned in my seat, and gazed in her direction. “Ok.”

She frowned. “I’m serious.”

“I know.”

“Meg?” Chase breathed, his voice barely a whisper.

“Yeah, Sweetie?”

He cleared his throat, and pointed at a spot behind us. “You might wanna hurry. We’ve incoming.”

I whirled about, and glanced in the rear-view mirror. Sure enough, a horde of undead shuffled in our direction. I gunned the engine, and tumbled toward the edge of the gasoline station. We bounced up and down on the rocky outcrop, taking out the small pine trees the establishment’s owner had planted in the middle of its grassy area. The car teetered across the node’s border, and popped out onto Bank Street with a hefty rebound.

I tore down the road, and turned onto West Liberty Street, barely avoiding the bumper of an abandoned pick-up as it sat on the side of street. I weaved in and out of the empty vehicles littering the roadway, my heart pounding by the second. The children moaned with fright as we came across more of the undead the farther we drove along the street. Getting to Mom’s house was not going to be easy.