Rise of the Undead

Chapter 7

Once I was sure that Rosa and the children would be fine hiding at the travel agency, Mary, Chase, and I set off toward Mom’s house. We carefully trudged through the shadows, taking out the occasional biter or two. A wave of apprehension fell upon us the closer we got to our destination. The massive horde of undead moving back and forth in front of the gasoline station was astounding. It was now even larger than before.

Truth be told, we barely stood a chance against them. They were hungry, and definitely looking for their next meal. The countless body parts and viscera scattered all over the place was a testament to that fact. I shivered slightly as my eyes roved about the area, searching for the safest and most direct route to Mom’s place.

Chase tugged on my left arm, and dove into the hedge-covered front yard of a house nearby. He moved carefully around, keeping an eye out for any signs of danger. My sister and I followed suit as he hurried over to the leftmost spot of the premises. Climbing onto a wooden box pushed against the fence, he quickly scaled it, and dropped into Mom’s backyard. I had to hand it to the kid. He was smarter than I ever gave him credit for.

Mary and I followed suit, and dropped down beside him. An oppressive silence surrounded us. It was much too quiet here. Something didn’t feel right. I sensed it deep within my soul. Part of me wanted to turn tail and run, but I couldn’t do it. Not until I was sure that Mom and Joe were okay. I also prayed that Elijah and his family were alive, too.

“Ready?” I whispered, clutching the lug wrench tightly to me.

“Uh huh,” Mary said, her voice trembling slightly.

“Want me to go first?” Chase offered.

“Nope. I am. You two stay behind me.”

“Meg?”

“Yes, Mar?”

“If I don’t make it outta this in one piece, put me down pronto, ok?”

“Sure thing.”

“I’m serious.”

“I know.”

Chase shifted from foot to foot, shivering slightly from the cold. “Can we go now? I’m cold.”

“Yes.”

I took a deep breath to steady myself, and headed for the stairs. A quick glance at the nearest door alerted us to the fact that there was someone inside the apartment. Before I had a chance to ascend the stairs, a man shot out of the dwelling. Startled, we stepped aside in unison as he barreled past. My heart clapped a violent beat as I watched my mother’s neighbor crash into the metal fence. His burly body bounced against the mesh, and dropped to the ground like a pile of bricks. He lay there for a moment or two before regaining his senses, and rising to his feet. He shuffled about, eyeing us with a profound hunger shining in his eyes.

Without any further hesitation, I swung my weapon out in front of me, and clocked him hard across the jaw. The bone popped loose, and hung at a awkward angle. Congealed blood dripped from his lips. I shivered at the sight, and prepared myself for another swing. Sure enough, he didn’t disappoint.

I turned the lug wrench around so that its clawed end faced downward. In one fell swoop, I dug it deep into his head. I turned my head to the side as blood and brain matter sprayed in every direction. The zombie fell onto its back, its body twitching slightly. My weapon was still embedded inside its skull.

“Now, THAT is fuckin’ nasty!” Mary replied, wiping away some of the blood that had gotten on her face.

“You think?” I quipped, and bent down to retrieve the lug wrench.