Remember The DEAD

Chapter 7

Instead of leaving, I laughed and suggested sleep instead. She and Jett agreed. I took the couch, they took the small room with the queen bed. Even with the dark and the silence, my eyes could not stay closed. The terror of the days' events, the fear of what would happen come daylight. It bottled up and kept my brain wired until i saw the lighy of dawn peek through the windows.

I sat up slowly and rubbed the sleeplessness from my eyes, standing up, throwing on the shoes I had hastily flung off and tiptoeing over to the room and closing the door. The smile that crept onto my face as I saw them sleeping, it felt warm. I slowly closed the door and leaned my forehead up to it.

During the hours of the inability to sleep, I came to the conclusion that, it was not a good idea to bring them. The idea of losing them like I had lost Clay. Or to that virus, or if we got separated. I couldn't risk that. I slowly gather my jacket, a few backpacks, and one of the bottles of Gin. I tuck that into the inner pocket of my jacket, the smell of iron hits my nose.

"Damn it, Clay...." I mutter to myself. Suddenly there is a loud knock at the door. My breath hitches and my fingers find themselves wrapped around the grip of my gun. My eyes dart to the room and back to the front door, once again there was a knock. I slowly take quiet steps toward the bedroom door, placing myself between them and the stranger. Hopefully, if they make it in, I will bide enough time for her to arm herself.

"H-hello? I see your truck outside, I need some help." I hear a voice, its a teens voice, lacking in the baritone I'd expect of a man. "I kinda got chased out here by some crazy old people, I thought they were lost but one tried to bite my face and another was going after my ankles like a friggin' chihuahua. They aren't too far behind me and I lost my phone. I can't get ahold of APS." I could hear him shuffle a little bit. "And I kind of have to pee..."

My eyebrow raised and I stared at the door, how in the worlds could this idiot not know what is happening? I heard the soft squeak of the door hinge to the bedroom, Lisa peeked her head through and her face reflected the same look of confusion I'm sure I had.

"Please, man, I really gotta pee and use your phone. I'm worried about those old people, they are loose and probably hungry. Who knows what happened in their depends diapers." His feet sounded like they shifted from one to the other. Lisa closed the door again, and gently tapped three times. It didn't take a genius to know she was ready for anything behind that door.

I reached my hand out and slowly unlocked the deadbolt, the man practically barged in and, his face covered in crappy special effects makeup meant to look like a zombie. I let out a yelp and stumbled backwards, falling on my ass in the process. I almost pulled my gun until i saw the placement of his hands over his pants front. "Its over there." Pointing to the bathroom door, he rushes over and slams the door closed behind him, I could hear him let out a long sigh of relief before he turns on the sink and washes his hands.

"Wash that crap off your face, too. You aren't gonna wanna look like that when I explain what is actually hap- wait. Did you say they followed you?!" I jolted up to my feet and slammed the front door, locking the deadbolt again.

"Yeah, thats why I need your phone. I was gonna call APS or the cops or somethin' to get them picked up and brought back home where they belong." His voice was muffled by the door. "Someone is losing their job tonight, lettin' all them old folks wander off like that...." I could hear the splashing of water as he washed off what makeup he had on and then the tap turned off. A few moments later he came out, his shaven face and damp blonde hair gave him the appearance of a young adult, maybe 19.

"Kid.... No one's phones are gonna be working. Those aren't old people..." I started but he cut me off. A wave of his hand then reaching out, palm upward. I shrugged and handed him my phone, then quickly pulled the gun from my pantline. "Go ahead and try. Li! We got trouble coming up."

He stared at the gun in my hand with horror, he raised his hands above his head, the phone held by his pointer finger and thumb. "H-hey man! I don't mean no trouble! Y-you can put that-"

"Shut up. Those aren't old people, they are actual zombies. Or at least as close to real as you can get. So how about you just zip your trap and let me handle this." I practically snarled. Who knew how long we had before they would show up. "Li this moron brought some of the infected this way. Get your gun ready."

I could hear him mumbling as I took a few long strides to the window, cracking the blinds i stared out, a thin layer of snow had coated the ground, and i could see his footsteps approaching the deck. The first one cleared the treeline and its jerky disjointed movements were the only confirmation I needed. "They're here." I unlocked the door again, throwing it open and aiming my gun, BANG. It was almost instant. The body of the old man hit the floor with a thud. The bullet missed its head, leaving a hole in its shoulder as it staggered back up to its feet. "Fuck.... fuck fuck fuck you have to shoot the head." I murmered to no one in particular as i took aim once more. BANG! This time it was a direct hit.

That was when the rest came into view. Six zombified elderly people. One was crawling with legs that didn't work. Two of them had hoses attached to their noses- oxygen tubes. One had one arm and the other two looked like just regular old people. Except their eyes, bloodshot rubies with pinpoint pupils locked on me.

It felt like my insides contorted and withered within an instant. I had 5 bullets left, my magazine only holds 7. "Li, I only have 5 bullets left, there's 6-" BANG. My ears started ringing as I watched one drop, it's head practically gone- turned into a chunky mist by her rifle, which she had aimed out of the window.

I knew in that moment, there was no denying the strange flutter in my chest when I saw her, when I thought of how strong she is. My heart skipped a beat and I took aim again, firing at the one closest to me. It toppled to the ground, the next bang was her- she had impeccable aim. She didn't miss either shot. We took them all out one by one, and when it was over I went back inside and slammed the door while staring this stranger- this hazard- right in the eyes. He was cowering in the corner closest to the couch, trembling, covering his ears.

"You god damned idiot, don't you watch the news?!" I heard Li come flying out from the room. Her voice was trembling with a mixture of rage and fear. "How could you not realize what is going on?!"