Wind Through the Pines

The Push

The day I decided we should all leave, we almost didn't make it out.
I stood in my bedroom looking at the pack of papers in my hand.
Fill them out. Get it over with.
The headlines flashing across my TV screen required more attention than the papers. I tucked them into my purse to work on later.
"Kids," I called, "time to go. Grab your things."
We trooped out to our full—ton black pick—up. My over full trailer attached. I wanted to bring more supplies not knowing the next time I could get more.
Traffic neared gridlock on the way out. The trailer made travel even more difficult.
A car accident resulted in a pile up right behind us. "I am going to see if everyone is alright — stay put."
A person ran off in strange jerky motions — blood streaked through long hair and splattered across their clothes.
" Wait up!" I called out, running after the person toward a parking garage. "Let me make sure you're OK."
Well into the deception of the shadows, the blood covered person stopped as if on instant command, sniffed, then knelt next to a body hidden behind a car, and feasted on entrails.
My reflexive gasp caught the cannibals attention. Their head turning toward me like a cobra. A woman.
Blood dripped from her mouth. Her pupils dilated, the veins in the whites of her eyes ruptured and black. Blood vein's dark and prominent under bluish colored skin.
A menacing growl came out from behind bared teeth. Whole body muscles tensed to pounce on fresh prey.
A gun shot blasted off to my side. I screamed in surprise.  Blood sprayed my shirt and the woman dropped.  
A stout man with weathered red skin and white wiry hair stood at the other end of the first level with a 12 gauge. His smile as proud as getting his first deer of the season on the first shot.
I smiled back.
"Thank — "
Another body came flying out from behind a car beside the elderly man, taking him down to the concrete floor.
Blood spurted  from his neck as he let out blood curdling screams which turned to wet gurgles.
The second cannibal rapidfire ripped chunk after chunk of flesh from the old man's neck.
His silence came faster than I could think to help him.
I turned and ran.
Not until I left the shade did I quick peek behind me to find nothing followed.
Reaching my vehicle — shaking enough to mix a full can of paint — I pulled the key fob from my pocket. I had to use both hands to grip the fob and press the unlock button.
I ripped open the driver side door, peeled off my blood sprayed shirt, dropping it to the ground.
"Mom. What's going on?" One of the kids called. A stress ringing in my ears kept me from filtering which child called to me.
I grabbed a bottle of water, pouring it all over my head, face, arms, and torso washing off all the blood I could.
I reached under the driver side seat for my handgun checking the barrel to make sure bullets occupied all the chambers.
"What do you need that for?" Cherise asked.
"To keep us safe." I whispered, the loudest I could get out.
Cars started honking.
"Mom, they want us to move!"
Putting the safety on I put the gun back under my seat, slammed the door shut, and hit the lock button more than necessary.
More bodies ran around on the street the same way the woman.....
Sounds of heavy objects colliding happened moment after moment. Screams followed.
"I want everyone down." I barked.
"Mom— what's—"
"I said down! Cover yourselves with your blankets. Don't get up till I say so."
All three ducked.
Another car zoomed past me crashing into a light pole. The car in front of me slammed on their brakes making me do the same. "Mom." Cherise shrieked.
A body got out of the crashed car running into the side of the pick up.  A cannibal slammed his head into the hood of the pick up leaving a dent.
"What's that?" Wade's sat up.
"Stay down." I ordered.
The car in front of us hit the gas, tires leaving rubber on the pavement. I followed, hitting the man sending him flying. Another body, blood down the front of the shirt, missing an arm, running like a cheetah, slammed into the front of the pick up then went flying.
"Mommy." Cherise cried.
People started abandoning their cars in the middle of the street causing us to slow and navigate around or push them out of the way with my own vehicle.
I watched a man run out from an alley, into the middle of the street, then stop, look up, and make eye contact with me before running around the back of the trailer to finish crossing the street. I prayed he would stay safe.
Do I have enough ammo? I'm all by myself with three kids. My heart thudded in my chest.