Rise of the Undead

Chapter 5

The trek along Baldwin Street was treacherous at best. Whereas our entrance to the city had been quiet, things were more volatile here. Deserted cars were strewn across the road. Some had crashed into others, leaving behind small pile-ups. People rushed out of their homes, hoping to avoid the accumulating undead, only to become their next meal. The ensuing panic was more than I could bear.

I wove in and out of the stalled traffic, wincing every time an undead or a person banged heavily on the car’s sides and windows. The crack in the right rear passenger window lengthened with every hit across the glass pane. We’d need to replace the window soon, but that option wouldn’t be likely. Not with what’s been going on. Once it broke, we’d have to leave it that way. No one would be around to replace it.

We found an opening in the accumulating traffic near Piedmont Street. The elation was short-lived, however, as we came to a stop in the middle of the road. A mass of undead stumbled along in front of the gasoline station. I clutched the steering wheel, biting on my lower lip in thought. It was possible for us to plunge through the crowd in hopes of getting to Mom’s house, but we ran the risk of attracting more than we could chew. There were too many biters for us to make it safely.

“Is there a way around?” Rosa asked, her voice trembling with fear.

“Yes, but I’m not sure how effective it’ll be. We’d need to take Piedmont until we get to Cypress Street. From there, we’d drive along Stiles to get back on Baldwin.”

“It’s worth a shot, right?”

“I’m not sure.”

“We could stash the car in the Caravela Travel parking lot, Meg,” Mary chimed in. “From there, we can walk to Mom’s.”

A sharp cry was rent from my lips before I could refuse her offer. My SUV shot forth with surprising speed as a red Ford F-150 appeared out of nowhere, and hit us from behind. Frantic, the children scurried into the back seat as the rear window imploded on impact, glass flying in every direction. I watched as the pick-up burst around us, and tore down the road, taking as many of the undead with it as possible.

The incessant screaming inside the car grew to deafening heights. A group of zombies turned toward us as they caught a whiff of the blood now splattered around inside the vehicle. Without inspecting the damage done to my vehicle, I gunned the engine in reverse. The tires peeled across the pavement as we came around, and took off along Piedmont, oblivious to the smell of burning rubber.

I dodged vehicles, right and left, taking several zombies with us as they appeared out of nowhere. Jerking the steering around, I turned right on to Cypress Street, and the car barreled toward Stiles Street. I breathed a sigh of relief as I maneuvered the uneven terrain. The SUV bounced as we hit several potholes, but it didn’t stop us from continuing on.

So far, our current trajectory was free of obstacles. I swung right at the next intersection, pushing my foot against the gas pedal as we drew closer to the corner. An unexpected wave of undead burst from the shadows as I turned left, and came back on to Baldwin Street.

Amidst the shouts and cries inside the car, I continued driving. I hoped to get as far away as possible from the hungry horde. I pulled into the empty parking lot at Caravela Travel several miles down the road, and turned the car around. A thick silence descended upon us as I shut off the lights and the car’s engine. We waited in the darkness, praying we’d outrun the biters.

The children sniffled softly as they tried to rein in their wayward emotions. For a moment or two, nothing happened. Soon, a slight scraping sound in the far distance caught our attention. My hand shot out, and I blindly searched for the light switch. The unexpected glow blinded me momentarily. A group of zombies shuffled toward us, blood and viscera dripping from their distorted chins. We’d need to take care of them if we were to make it out of this alive.