Guts (the original interactive zombie apocalypse survival story)

49 - Find Artie's Dad

Going to the mall could be a hit or miss, you realize. Maybe your family is still there, maybe the place got overrun and they left. Finding this official guy, however, could be a good idea. At least when you find your family, you'll have information to tell them.

"Do you know where we can start looking for your dad?" You ask.

Artie nods. "His office. I been there a few times. I'll show you where. It' beside that park with the big, big slide."

You happen to know exactly which park with the big, big slide he's talking about. You loved that slide as a kid, but you had no idea there was any kind of official office building in that area.

The roads are hard to maneuver with all the wrecks and damage. Every time you pass a group of undead, they start to chase you until they lose interest. Turns out fast food is a lot less desirable when you're dead. The trip that should have taken you twenty minutes, ends up taking you forty. Sure enough, when you get there, you don't see any office buildings.

Not wanting to admit you made the wrong decision, you decide it could possibly be hidden. More important things come to your attention. . . .

This area may not have office buildings, but it does have people and undead. There were a few immobile corpses laying about, but there were even more walking around, and a group of humans fighting them.

On the Merry-go-round a little blonde girl dodged a slimy, slashed up undead. If it weren't for the obvious living dead situation of the thing, it might've looked like an innocent game of chase on the playground. That, and the older girl--whom looked as though she could possibly be the girl's sister--hitting the thing with a stick.

An athletically built woman is swinging around a golf club at some other undeads. Near her, two boys fight some off with standard hunting knives.

Gunshots ring out. A man stood on top of the big slide with a rifle in his hand, shooting every undead he could get a clear shot on. That man....he's a bloody mess, but even this far away, he looks so familiar-

And then it clicks. "Dad! Daddy!" you say, taking off in his direction.

He stops shooting and sees you. He calls your name, purely elated. Your sister pokes her head out from around the slide. She's halfway up, but she starts climbing down and your dad follows. You're so happy to see them, that you jump into your dads arms and then you grab your sister up into a hug as well.

"Where's mom?" you ask, excited to see her as well.

Their faces fall.

"No," you say, hoping it's not what you think. "She didn't...but-but she's okay, right?"

"She was bit," your dad says, sadly. "She was saving your sister."

For a moment, your world crumbles. You'll never see her again. Never have her hugs or her pancakes or smell her perfume as she walks by you again.

"Hey, hey," your dad says, bringing you back. "She died brave. She sacrificed herself for your sister and she'd have done the same for you. The best thing you can do right now, is focus on getting out of this in one piece."

You know he's right. Your eyes fall to the ground. Nearby, there's a rock big enough to just fit in your hand. You palm it. In a fit of rage and despair, you slam the rock into the nearest undead's skull. Then again. And again. The undead loses mobility and falls, but you hit it again for good measure. Darkened blood splatters you, with every hit, but it doesn't matter. This violent rage helps absorb the pain you feel at the loss you've suffered. So you hit another undead until it stops moving. And another. Everything else fades except this need to kill these things...until finally, there are no more near you.