Undead Incursion

Chapter 5

RILEY

Papa had been away for so long.

My eyes fluttered open as darkness blanketed the room, I sat up, rubbing my eyes as I tightly clenched the pillow. Another night that Papa had not returned.

"Don't worry Princess, I'll be home in a little while." He said with a hug and a kiss on the head before he left.

That was the last time I heard his voice before he had completely dissapeared. I missed his voice, I missed his hugs and reminders that he would always be there, but now he wasn't. I climbed out of my wrinkled bed and slipped silently out of the safe confinement of my room, and into the dark and clammy hallway.

"Papa?" I called out, peeking into his messy bedroom, where static still blared within, at first it didn't bother me, but now I wanted to cry, for Papa to come in and pick me up and tell me everything would be okay.

I closed the creaky door and tip-toed downstairs, my stomach growled, giving me a reminder that I hadn't eaten. As I reached the end of the stairs, I stood gazing ahead at the isolated living room, the window was the only source of light with the moon. I crept into the kitchen and opened the fridge, met with most of the past dinners in tupperware containers.

I grabbed the container of hamburger helper from a few nights before and opened it, the smell of uncooked beef made me scrunch my nose as I popped it into the microwave and set the time for one minute. I sat on the floor, obscured by the u shaped line of counters and buried my head on my knees, and began to cry. Everything seemed to weigh down, Papa was never coming back.

I wished for his arms to wrap around me and envelop me in a safe place where I would never be hurt, for him to offer his commiseration. My shoulders heaved with my racking sobs as I squeezed my eyes shut, with no care for the three beeps of the microwave. Eventually, I couldn't cry anymore and I shakily rose from the floor and opened the microwave, pulling out the lukewarm bowl of hamburger helper.  I sat on the floor again, eating silently, only the faint noise of the tv static in Papa's room carried noise through the house.

The loud pounding against the door made me drop the spoon, I jumped up and sat the spoon and the bowl on the counter as I grew silent. The pounding grew louder as I inched closer to the wooden green door, I stood on my toes and peered out of the peephole. It was not Papa. I screamed and ran upstairs, the creature on the other side of the door was horrifying. A man, missing a jaw, covered in fresh and old blood, along with two others.

I ran into my room and closed the door. I snatched the stuffed bear from my bed and hid in my closet, I hugged the bear and shut my eyes tightly as I listened intently for a break in. I shivered thinking about the monster outside, I was petrified.

What would Papa do? I thought, trying to think of something to get out of the situation.

"If anyone tries to break in, grab your things and run out the back door, run to Uncle Greg down the block." Papa's words rang through my mind. I opened the closet door, and crept out, I held my breath a few times, the suspense was frightening. I grabbed my old 2nd grade backpack and put the bear and a blanket inside.

"Food." I mumbled and exited ny bedroom, the pounding on the door continued, making me more startled by the minute, I ran to the kitchen and packed several cans of food and zipped up the backpack, slipping it on. I swallowed hard and grabbed my pair of worn sneakers that sat near the welcome mat at the door, I pushed my feet in and tucked the laces into the inside of the shoes, I couldn't believe all of this was happening in the span of a few minutes, and I began to piece together the reasons of Papa's absence. I stood, took one last glance of the house, and made my way to the back door, just as my fingers grazed the exterior of the knob, the front door swung open.

I screamed as the monsters ran inside, I pushed the door open and ran out into the cold, I shivered as one of the three followed after me, she let out a ear splitting shriek. My legs burned as I sprinted through the bushes of nearly eight houses, I stumbled onto the dry grass and scraped my knee on several rocks, I cried out as it bled, but I stood and continued to run, the agony as each bend of my knee caused the wound to stretch out and bleed even more. Eventually after what seemed like hours,  I reached the road and sped across, reaching the pavement and wheezing, I could barely breathe, the woman lunged foward, still screaming and clawing at the air.

"Jesus!"

A loud thump was heard as I turned to see a truck hurtle toward the woman, the next moment to see her skull smashed against the front of it,  her mottled arm dangled as she sunk to the ground, blood and gore covering the front of the vehicle.

"Riley? Riley!" A voice called.

Startled, I looked up at the driver, the familiar face took a moment to recognize, my eyes widened.

"Uncle Greg?"

He opened the door and hopped out. He hurried over and pulled me into an embrace, I tightly hugged him back, burying my face into his chest. An overwhelming wave of emotions surged through me as I began to cry once more, my hands clenching his coat.

"Papa..he's gone." I choked through sobs.

Uncle Greg ran his hand through my hair and shushed me softly, I snivelled.

"Shh. It's okay, I'm here."

He picked me up gently and moved to the passenger side of the car. He opened the door, setting me down on the seat and shutting it. He got into the driver's seat and started the car, and began to drive foward. I hiccuped and wiped my tears.

"Where is he?" I asked.

Uncle Greg tensed, he remained silent for a moment before he sighed softly.

"Your dad and I went to go find some things, an-and while we went to escape out of the back after we got the supplies, he.." Uncle Greg swallowed hard, barely uttering a sound.

My stomach churned.

"He's gone, Riley."

I couldn't cry, I could barely speak, I gagged and breathed heavily, the thought, all this time, he was dead. Those things killed him, I knew it.

"I'm sorry." Uncle Greg quietly said.

I could only nod, the forlorn feeling taking over once more as I stared out of the fingerprint smudged window. The drive remained silent for a long time. I leaned my head against the seat.

"Rest, we'll be on the road for a while. You need the sleep, hun." Uncle Greg patted my head.

I nodded, and closed my eyes, I couldn't get the thoughts out of my head. After several minutes of turning to get comfortable, I drifted off into a nap.

"Goodnight, Riley."