May 21st, 2013
It couldn't have happened. It just couldn't have. I'm going to close my eyes and when I open them, I'll be lying in my bed and everything will be okay....
The morning was bright, cloudless and warm. We started our day with fresh eggs for breakfast, courtesy of our new tenants. Kara was more excitable than usual and brought up the wonderful weather.
"It's really nice out you guys." She said with a bright smile. "We should spend a the day outside after the chores are done."
"For sure." Bre quickly agreed. "Oliver could use a bit of sun."
"Why don't we all work some more on the fire pit area?" Constance asked. "It's something to do, fresh air and it could be fun. Ollie can try out the swing we put up."
And so after the chores were finished, we all met out at the empty lot. Sebastian and I had already dug out a large hole so today we were going to start packing the bricks in around the sides and bottom for the foundation. The girls had a great idea of rigging benches up around the pit. Nothing fancy, just old crates and large rocks with wood planks over the top. When all was said and done we would have a great place to cook over during the day and relax around under the stars.
The sun was still high over us, beating down on our backs, as we finished laying the bricks along the bottom of the large pit. I wiped my brow and stood from my crouched position in the hole.
"Hey, Sebastian," I called, "the bricks are a bit loose, mind jumping on them while I go get another load for the sides?"
"No problem." He took the large bucket of water from the ground nearby and poured some over the top, making the soil even softer before he took his first jump in. A satisfying 'splat' was heard as I walked with the wagon over to the shed to grab more bricks.
After loading up, I turned back toward the pit to find my family all jumping and giggling on the bricks.
"Really?" I asked, smirking.
"Yup," said Constance, slightly out of breath, "Good exercise?"
"Right.....well if you all can step out we can start building the bricks up the side." The girls and Boyd all climbed out, leaving Sebastian behind and giving me room to climb in.
"Boyd, can you go mix some of that quick dry cement you brought from home?" Sebastian asked. "Bruce, get the largest bricks out to lay along the bottom." Sebastian had pretty much taken over the fire pit building. It was fine with me, just one less thing to worry about.
I climbed from the hole and started placing the largest bricks in a pile in the hole. Looking up from adding the last few to the pile, I saw Ollie giggling as Carrie pushed him back and forth in the baby swing. Karen stood nearby, taking the scene in as Bre and Kara unpacked the picnic they'd put together for everyone. Boyd came back from the well, carrying two buckets of nicely mixed cement.
"You boys ready?" He asked, putting the buckets next to the pile of bricks. We were silent as we quickly put up the first ring. Dollop of cement, brick, press, move on. Round and round we went as we built up the ring of bricks along the outside of our foundation. Soon the outside ring was rising over the edge of the hole.
"Break guys?" Karen called from the tree Oliver swung in.
"Boyd, Sebastian?" I looked at them.
"Hell ya I'm ready for some food." Boyd said as he carefully stepped over the drying bricks. Sebastian and I were quick to follow, hurrying after him and toward the food.
We sat around the edge of a blanket. Talking, eating, joking and laughing. The day was a fun relaxed one and I was glad for the break. I felt a soft bump on my temple and glanced up from my jerky to see Kara doubled over in laughter. A broken up eggshell lay at her side. I glanced around and saw the boiled egg, dirty and covered in bits of grass after having rolled across the ground from my head. I plucked it from the ground and dive, smashing it into Kara's hair.
"Egg salad!" I yelled. Bre and Carrie had already run off, sensing an oncoming food fight and left Oliver to dangle from the tree branch, laughing at our antics, with an amused Constance standing gaurd.
"Cowards!" Kara yelled, jumping from the ground and shaking egg from her hair and sending bits flying all over Karen. Boyd stood by, a stern look on his face, chiding us for our immaturity.
"Just calm down now kids." He said. "That's good rations you're wasting there." Little did he know, Karen was quietly sneaking up behind him, a water bottle open in her hands.
"Boyd!" Constance yelled but it was too late. Karen was already upon him, putting the contents over his head.
"Aaah!" He yelled, grabbing a sleeve of stale crackers and whacking Karen across the head. She ran away laughing, Boyd running after, holding up his too loose overalls and shaking his fist. Bre and Carrie came rounding the corner and threw a bucket of water over Karen, stopping her in her tracks. Everyone froze in their tracks, their mouths open in shock.
'Eeeeeyaaaaaaaaiiiii' the scream pierced the air and we all looked around. That wasn't a human scream. I looked toward the front driveway and saw a horde, bigger than I'd ever seen, closing in on our front barbed wire fence. At first it was holding but it wasn't long before a crack filled the air and the fence gave out under the weight of the fifty or so undead leaning against it.
"The baby!" Bre screamed. Constance, being closest, snatched the crying baby from his seat, holding him close to her chest.
"Carrie, you're the fastest, run him in." Boyd barked and she took off, grabbing the baby on her way by, easily skirting around the edge of the mass of undead reaching for her.
"Breanna, throw down the rope ladder." Karen said and she too ran for the kitchen door, narrowly missing the decomposing arms reaching for her. One woman grabbed hold of her loose shirt but was quickly shaken off as Bre spun, bringing a tightly closed fist into the soft, rotting head.
The rest of us ran toward the back of the house, picking up sticks, gardening tools and bricks along the way for protection. Breanna was quick but the horde was already less than ten feet away, circling us, closing in.
The ladder flew from the window and Constance grabbed hold, scurrying up the side of the house, Kara in tow. Boyd, Sebastian, Karen and I were held up longer, swinging our spur of the moment weapons at the stragglers leaving the circle to jump at us.
"Go!" I screamed. Sebastian climbed up, Boyd right behind him. I could hear the turret windows opening and the spray of gunfire exploding from within. Oliver was screaming, Bre was yelling for her mother and the boys, along with Constance and Kara, were picking off all the horde they could, while the infected themselves screamed, roared and grabbed. I was getting panicked and confused with all the noise and movement. I snapped back into reality as I heard Karen's faraway voice.
"Bruce, go!" I shook my head and jumped on the ladder, climbing halfway before turning to pull Karen up behind me. I closed the distance and fell over the windowsill, reaching back out for her, grabbing her by the wrist. She was almost up before I felt the tug.
"Help!" She screamed. I looked below and saw a heavy set infected being, so rotted I couldn't tell the gender, hanging from her ankle. I pulled harder, screaming for help.
Constance dropped her rifle, Carrie handed Oliver to Bre and they grabbed Karen's other arm. Together we pulled, as did the horde below. Tears were streaming from Karen's face and she babbled incoherently, panic and shock running through her features. By now the original fat zombie had her around the waist and another two had her legs. She was slowly slipping from our grasp. I could hear Sebastian yelling from his spot, he couldn't get a shot in. I let my hand slip from her wrist then used the other to grab her lower arm. With a newfound strength, the three of us pulled.
A sickening rip filled the air, blood splattered across the open window, leaving a filthy trail across our faces and Karen let out a soul shattering wail. Constance, Carrie and I fell back, Karen's arm still in my hand. I stumbled for the window, hoping for the best, but it was too late. Too late to save her. Too late to rid my mind of her pained cries. Too late to stop Bre's heart from breaking as she lost her mother.
Now....now I lie in my own sweat, my own bile, Karen's blood splattered like a dark painting across my body. I can hear Bre's unstoppable wails, Oliver's confused crying. I can hear Boyd, Sebastian, Constance, Kara and Carrie shooting into the mass below, screaming orders at each other and all I can do is sob into my own filth and pray that when I open my eyes, everything will be the same and I'll have my mother back.
