OUTBREAK (A collection of Zombie Stories) |#Wattys2016|

90 DAYS DIE (#1)

[Author's note: Thought Rick and his group's story ended with Sanctuary? Think again! Here's the first part of the continuation of Rick's story, 90 DAYS TO DIE, and oh boy, this episode is a kicker! (Warning: not for the faint of heart)]

The car gave a low hum as Rick drove it down the dark highway. The skeletal winter trees that lined the road scattered the pale silver light of the full-moon. Rick kept his eyes on the dark road, looking out for any humans, zombies or cars that might be there.

It had been five months since the group had left the city, and they had braved through the majority of the winter. The snow and the cold had brought them to their knees time and time again, giving frostbite, blizzards and the breakdown of their army truck and all those weeks of wading through knee-deep snow on foot, yet with winter ending, Rick firmly believed the hardship had been for the best, since the group had come out of it stronger, and more united. Their two new members that had joined them at the end of, and after their escape from the city; Nicholas and Tyler had been a help to them as well.

Rick looked in the rear-view mirror of the car and saw Tyler and Nicholas sleeping soundly in the back seat. Tyler looked just as he had when they had first met him, but Nicholas had changed much.

He had grown taller in the winter, and despite the cold and lack of food, had put on some weight so that he no longer looked like a human skeleton. His black hair had grown longer and had been sloppily cut back with his knife.

Next to Rick, riding shotgun was his wife, Rachel who had Daniel in her lap. He was now three years old and had had his birthday in the dead of winter. Daniel was looking at the moonlight streaming down between the tree-branches, gurgling "moonlight" every so often. Rick smiled and ruffled his hair. Daniel looked up at Rick with large eyes and said, "Da-ddy! Look at the moon! It's hiding behind the twees! It'f pwaying hide and seek with uf!"

"Why yes, it is tyke!" Said Rick smiling, "But don't worry. We'll win this game!"

"Yay!" Whispered Daniel and he went back to looking at the moon, "We'f won moon! Daddy I'th on my side and he never loses!"

Rick heard the second car coming behind them, a few meters away. In that car were Samantha, Ashley, Zeb, Quentin and Denise, with Denise driving for the night-shift. Ever since winter had come, the group hadn't been able to find a good safe place to stay in, and had been on the run constantly, from Zombies and the occasional crazy person. However, the snow had also saved their asses, as it made it harder for the Zombies to move, and those precious seconds had accumulated to keep them alive.

Suddenly, he heard Denise punch the horn thrice: BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! AND Rick shouted, "EVERYONE GET DOWN!"

Tyler, Nicholas and Rachel were slapped out of their sleep and curled down as a hailstorm of bullets rained on the car!

RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT!

Rick Ducked down as glass showered down from the broken windows as bullets whizzed by from behind. Rachel covered Daniel to keep him safe from the shrapnel, getting nailed in the arm by a flying piece of glass!

Rick hit the gas and the car roared along the road, but the he was blinded by a set of headlights reflected by the rearview mirror

SMASH!

Rick's head slammed into the steering wheel as a car crashed into theirs, veering them in a circle. Another car rammed into them, and another, and yet another, this one a burly jeep. With each hit, the entire car shuddered and Rick heard everyone screaming and Daniel Shrieking his little head off. Tyler was yelling himself hoarse and Nicholas w3as uttering a fluent series of curses.