Trying to Survive (Part 1) (7 page)

   “Honestly? No, I don’t. But I also feel there’s no sense in heading south. If we don’t find anything we’ll just have to turn around… and there’s always the chance.”

   Melanie began walking back into the room. “Sounds good to me. This place freaks me out anyway and I really don’t like being here. Like you said – too many windows.”

   As soon as she made it back to the kids, Walt came out into the hall. It was easy to see that he was still angry at me for going alone. “If you aren’t back in a half hour, I’m coming after you.” Even though he didn’t say it, I heard “asshole” at the end of his sentence.

   I smiled and put my hand on his shoulder. “Make it forty-five minutes. If I end up having to find a map so we can go another way, it might take some time. And I might as well stock up on food and water if I’m in a convenience store.”

   When I went to turn around, Walt grabbed my arm. He purposely squeezed down hard to make sure I took him seriously as he said “Forty-five minutes… and get batteries if you can. We might end up finding some flashlights.”

   He held on for a few more seconds and then shoved me away. I waved him off and called back “I’m sure I’ll be back even sooner than that. Don’t make yourself crazy and do something stupid.”

Chapter 7

   As I drove past the fifth gas station on my way to check out I-95, yet another new problem presented itself. I glanced down at the fuel gauge to see that it was nearing a quarter of a tank...
Even if we can use the highway, we would still have to fuel up eventually.

   Almost every gas station I’ve ever been to had a large roof covering all the pumps so people could get gas during a storm. At first, when I wasn’t seeing the vast numbers of infected people that I’d prepared myself for, I took it as evidence suggesting my calculations were wrong. Then I discovered where most of them were.

   There were hundreds of them gathered at each of the gas stations around town, using the large roofs over the pumps to stay out of the boiling sun. The rest were inside the convenience stores, huddled together and just waiting for night to fall so they could hunt.

   Getting gas or even a map was going to require the use of our distraction technique. We needed a lot of time because one of us would have to figure out how to access the gas on the spot – if that was even possible.

   When I began to approach the main part of town, I found myself having to avoid a lot more abandoned and wrecked cars. Many of the infected were staying off to the sides of the road near the trees, and the others sought out shade anywhere there could. Almost every building I passed show signs of being breached.

   As the local hardware store came into sight, it gave me a new and much safer idea. I took my foot off the gas and rolled down the window so I could see if it was safe to go inside. My plan was to get some rubber hosing so we could siphon gas from the cars scattered around the Vet’s office.

   The double glass doors were broken out, and the one on the right was hanging wide open. Once I got a little closer and was able to see inside, I was greeted by a pack of the infected standing around the completely trashed store.

  I was starting to realize that we wouldn’t be able to get inside any of the stores unless we did it at night. If we tried during the day, I doubt they’d all come out. The ones near the back of the store probably wouldn’t even react until the sun was down.

   Fuck… this is looking worse by the minute, and we really need a new car. This one’s old as shit and the other one is about to fall apart from running over so many of those damn things…

   As I continued on, I began to notice that almost all of the cars had something in common. Whether they were just sitting there, part of a wreck or crashed against a tree – the doors were just hanging open... And I couldn’t imagine why anyone would just stop in the middle of the road and get out of their car at a time like this. In my mind, it had to mean they turned…

   The entire area was just dead, completely silent and inactive. All the store windows were shattered, cars were flipped over on the sides of the roads, and large signs and light poles were knocked down. There were scenes of a slaughter almost everywhere I looked, and I was still having a hard time accepting that any of it could actually be real.

   Even though I knew there had to be other survivors, everything I was seeing truly did make me feel as though we were completely on our own. As far as I could tell, I was witnessing the end of mankind. I was even starting to believe that we had no chance of survival – that we’d eventually make a mistake and pay for it with our lives.

   It was one thing to
think
we were all alone, but to find out it was actually true brought me to a whole new level of unbridled pessimism. I lightly laughed as I thought to myself –
Why couldn’t it have been an asteroid… or even a nearby supernova?

   All I could do was push aside my growing sense of doom and keep going. Even though trying to survive was starting to seem pointless, I still had Walt and the others to worry about. And I planned on fighting to the very last second.

   I drove slowly and kept the front windows down so I could listen for gunshots or other cars in the distance, but I never heard a sound. I also began to notice that the usual array of wildlife was nowhere to be seen. The sides of the roads were always teeming with squirrels, rabbits, birds and even deer.

  
It does make sense that the infected would eat all of the animals… Though how would they catch all the birds? Could it be that everything just left to seek refuge in the forests?

   I decided to check the main grocery store since it was right near the highway. It was another place we’d want to hit when we leave. After what I’ve seen along the way, I already knew it was a waste of time, but I went ahead and pulled into the shopping center anyway.

   The parking lot was almost completely full – further suggesting that very few people escaped or didn’t turn. The few infected people that were hiding in the shade next to cars jumped up and began staggering towards me as I drove by, but they posed no real threat. I just had to make sure one didn’t climb in through the back window again.

   As I expected, the large glass doors had been smashed out and it was almost completely full of them – making it impossible to ever set foot inside during the day.

   I began shaking my head and then pounded on the steering wheel several times. “Can’t even catch ONE fucking break!?”

  
The fact that they grew weaker during the day and sought shade wasn’t going to help us at all… It was actually going to hurt us in the long run. And it also told me they would eventually try to break into that Vet’s office. The more of them that gathered in the area, the higher the probability would become.

   When I looked at the horde packed shoulder to shoulder inside of the grocery store, it reminded me of the way penguins huddle together in large groups to protect themselves from extreme weather. They were all almost completely still – like they were frozen in time.

   When one of them caught up to the car and started clawing and banging on the passenger side, the noise alerted some of the others in the store. The one’s close enough to care began making their way over, so I just took off. It was obviously a lost cause.

   This is not good… 

   There was a large overpass in the center of town that would enable me to perfectly see I-95 for miles in either direction and determine whether or not it was a viable route. I tried to stay positive, as using the highway make would our lives infinitely easier, though nothing but negative thoughts still filled my head.

   When I reached the overpass, I had no choice but to run several of them down and risk damaging the car. I needed enough time to get out and look through the scope, and I had no intention of using up any ammo unless I absolutely had to. Luckily, most of them had avoided the sunbaked strip of tarmac so my only real obstacles were all of the cars.

   I came to a stop, checked my surroundings and stepped out. There were two more of them heading towards me. There was no room for me to run them over because of all the cars in the way, so I had no choice but to waste two bullets. As I’d hoped, the few of them scattered around in the distance didn’t even react.

   The moment I turned my gaze to the highway, I already knew it was of no use. It was unbelievably packed with cars and it seemed as though there’d been a major accident ever few hundred feet. There were 18-wheelers turned on their sides, cars flipped upside down, along with tires and large pieces of jagged metal all over the road.

  
We’ll just end up spending most our time in the grass and probably get a flat tire. Or eventually get to a point where we can’t make our way through…

   I didn’t even bother looking through the scope, I just slowly made my way back to the car and let myself fall in. The obvious danger of our forced travel situation isn’t what scared me… What was really scaring me is that I
still
haven’t seen signs of any other people. It was just more damning evidence that suggested around 90% of the population has been infected or killed off.

  
If there were other survivors in the area, they’d probably be out right now looking around too…

   As I turned the car around and began to head back, I thought to myself –
Are we just gonna further risk our lives for something that doesn’t exist? If a small city like Palm Coast is this bad – I can’t even imagine what a more densely populated area would be like… What the fuck should we do?

   I pushed harder down on the gas pedal and sped up. I didn’t want to look at what the world had become anymore. I just wanted to get back up on that roof, take some time to think and talk to Walt… I didn’t even care about getting cigarettes…

   I was starting to feel the same overwhelming sense of panic that I did the first night while we sat and listened to what I can only describe as the soundtrack of hell… Every part of me truly believed that we wouldn’t be alive for much longer.

Chapter 8

   Tonight would be our first night without power. We had no flashlights, no candles or any other means of illumination. Walt suggested we move to a room with a window and open the blinds to let in some moonlight so the kids wouldn’t be scared. I quickly shot the idea down and quietly reminded him of how Melanie’s husband died.

   I still felt somewhat guilty for looking out that window. If I’d just taken the time to think, I might have realized it was a foolish thing to do and Chris would still be alive…

   When I returned from my miserably failed “exploration” attempt, I took Melanie out into the hall so I could give her the disheartening news. Then Walt and I headed back up to the roof and spent several hours discussing what to do next. Melanie was still unhappy about not taking part in our roof-top conversations, but she knew why we were up there and that it was best to make sure the kids didn’t hear any of what we were saying.

   After what Walt’s seen with his own eyes, partnered with the information I brought back, he was also starting to feel like leaving was a waste of time. That we’d just be traveling hundreds of miles to find the exact same situation – the only real difference being the higher probability of much larger numbers of infected people around.

   Even Melanie agreed when I truly let her in on the gravity of the situation…

   If anything, we were leaning towards trying to relocate to one of the several rural areas around. But of course, there was also a problem with that scenario. While we would be dealing with a lot less of the infected, we’d still have to travel all the way back to town and risk trying to lead them away from stores at night.

   We were finding it impossible to come up with any type of plan that was even remotely better than staying exactly where we were….

   Anthony and his sister had been keeping busy by looking through all the magazines we were able to find in the waiting room and stacked in some cabinets. They had dozens that were specifically meant for children their age. We were actually able to see them laugh and smile today as they read the funny stories and solved the little puzzles.

   It was amazing to think that something so simple could give them an escape and temporarily allow them to forget how much danger they’re in. To my surprise, the little girl finally told Melanie her name. It was Clara… the same name as my mother.

   When the name left Melanie’s lips, I caught a chill and my whole body started to tingle. When I looked over at Walt, I could sense that he had the same feeling – we were meant to save that little girl. All he could do is mutter “What are the chances?”

   Melanie took it as a sign from God. We weren’t raised in a religious family, so I knew it was a sign of something… Maybe she was right, or maybe it was just a coincidence. But it didn’t matter either way – because I knew were meant to save her.

   I was blinded in one eye, on the verge of passing out from losing so much blood, and having to maneuver the car. Though somehow, I managed to see Clara in that window – just for a moment… The thought that we almost didn’t go back to save her made my eyes start to water and my chin slightly shake. I was overwhelmed by a storm of emotion and genuinely struggled to maintain my composure.

   Afterward, Walt went and sat down with Anthony and Clara so they could finally get to know him. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts, so I went to the room with the refrigerator. I took out the warm bottle of diet sprite that I didn’t even want, and just sat there until Melanie came in to inform me that it was going to be dark soon.

   I was on the way back from checking to make sure the entrance to the building was locked when I saw Walt running down the hallway. He came sliding to a stop, and I noticed Melanie, Clara and Anthony were close behind him.

   Walt put his finger to his lips – motioning for me to be quiet. When we were close enough, he leaned in and whispered. “I don’t know what happened. I just checked one of the windows, and all of sudden there’re fuckin hundreds of them in the parking lot and around the building. I don’t think we can get to the roof or the car – what should we do?”

   I looked past him to Melanie and the kids. Anthony and Clara could sense something was wrong and were tightly holding on to her. Clara looked as though she could start crying at any moment.

   I got Melanie’s attention, pointed to Clara and brought my finger to my lips, signaling her to comfort Clara and keep her from making any noise.

   “Are they trying to get in yet?”

   As Walt rapidly and fearfully shook his head, I could see the beads of sweat fling off of it. “Not yet, but it looks like they’re really interested in the building.”

  
Fuck, I knew this was going to happen… Was staying here the mistake that’s going to get us all killed?

   “Are you sure we can’t make it to the ladder?”

   “Not exactly… but I could see far enough to the left to know they’re near it and probably on the side of the building already.”

   I turned and rushed into one of the rooms that had a window facing the back. My heart skipped a beat as I slowly spread apart the blinds…
Please don’t be face to face with one of those fuckin things this time… Please…

   “They haven’t made it back there yet.”

   Walt grabbed my arm and loudly whispered “The fireworks!”

   “Let’s do it. We each take a few and go to different windows in the front. As soon as we can see them coming out from the side of the building – we get to the back door as fast as we can. Melanie and the kids go up the ladder first.”

   Walt turned to head back and get to the duffle bag – I stopped him. “Remember, it’s almost dark. We have to be fast and quiet.”

   I instructed Melanie and the kids to wait by the back door. Walt ran up to me, dropped to his knees and frantically unzipped the bag. I could see his hands shaking as he laid four firecrackers out on the floor, stopped and then looked up at me. Concern laced his words. “If we each take two, then there’s only… seven left.”

   “Whatever, we use as many as it takes. And make sure not to leave that bag behind. Now let’s get started before it’s pitch black and we can’t see shit… Remember, I’m down an eye.”

   “Okay, I’ll take the left side of the building. I’ll be able to tell when the side is clear, so just wait for my word.”

   Walt hesitantly handed me the firecrackers before he said “Be careful… if it looks too risky, take the time to find another window.”

   I nodded. “Yeah, you too.”

   We bumped fists, then split up and I headed to the far right of the building. When I cracked the blinds, my eye bulged to the point where it actually caused me discomfort. I could even feel the pain in my left eye as it struggled to follow suit…
Oh, for fuck’s sake…

   There were more than just a few hundred. It looked like they’d emptied out onto the main road from all the surrounding neighborhoods. I could tell that the mass of them actually went on further than I could see in the dark.

   I took a deep breath, carefully reached through the blinds and unlocked the window. I pulled up the blinds no more than a foot, just so I could open the window enough to fling the firecrackers across the parking lot. I didn’t want to risk doing anymore and getting their attention.

   I had to keep reminding myself that it was getting dark and they were now at full strength. It wouldn’t be like the day Melanie’s husband was killed. I wouldn’t be able to hold one back long enough for someone to save me. I’d be dead within seconds if one came through the glass and pinned me to the floor again.

   The window was old, so it began to scrape and squeal against the frame almost immediately. All I could do was gently inch it up and take my time, still making a lot more noise than I should be.

   Just when I was sure one of them was going to hear me, the popping and flashes of light started going off about fifty feet to my left…
Way to go, Walt…

   The noise allowed me to carelessly shove up the window and toss out the first firecracker. Before I threw out another one, I stood there and waited to hear Walt’s footsteps. After what felt like twenty seconds there was still no sign of him, so I opened the window a little more and threw one even further away from the building.

   I quickly closed and locked it, drew the blinds and headed out of the room. I was out of firecrackers so there was no point for me to wait. By the time I made it to the other end of the hall, Walt was already leaving the room. “Go! Go! We won’t get it much better than this!”

   We met up with Melanie and the kids, then had them stand aside while we opened the back door and checked for any of the infected that might have stayed behind. The coast was clear, so Walt handed Melanie the duffle bag and we started leading them to the ladder.

   The moment we turned the corner, I spotted two of them lingering near the front of the building. Walt loudly whispered. “Shoot now before they start running at us, and then get to that ladder.”

   Walt threw the shotgun to Melanie and brought the rifle from around his back. As he lined up a shot, I fired and struck the one on the right in the head. The one on the left was a large man in a suit and tie. It whipped around the second I fired, and before Walt had time to make the shot, it was just a few feet away, already having jumped at him.

 
Fuck! I should have waited…

   He fired and knocked it out of the air when they were practically face to face – I found myself in a momentary state of shock from having witnessed such a thing... Fearing it was still alive, I made sure by shooting it in the head. “GO NOW!”

   As we made it to the ladder, dozens of them were already running around the corner of the building. Walt got Melanie and the kids to start climbing while I fired shots at the wall of them rushing toward us. Within seconds, the three other rounds in my rifle were gone.

   Killing several of the ones up front made the others start falling over them, and caused a chain reaction that slowed down the entire pack for a few seconds. I grabbed Walt’s rifle, shoved mine in his hands and yelled out “Get up there now!”

   I took the time to kill the closest one while I waited for Walt to give me enough room to start climbing. When I grabbed the ladder and put my foot on the first rung, I already knew I was too late. They were coming from the left so I couldn’t see them… My ears told me that I was fucked.

   I climbed as fast as I could, and just as I reached out to grab Walt’s hand so he could yank me the rest of the way up, I felt the pressure from one of them biting into my right calf. The only thing that saved me was my flesh tearing away – causing it to fall backwards onto the others trying to climb after me.

   Walt helped me up on the roof and I immediately fell to the ground so I could concentrate on stopping the bleeding. I looked over, only to see them struggling to pull the ladder up.

   “They’re holding on to it! They’re tryin to climb up!”

   I yelled out “Just push it away! It’s not worth dying for! Push the fuckin thing away!”

   They both let go and watched as the heavy, metal ladder disappeared and went crashing to the ground. Walt ran over and took a knee next to me. “Melanie, get that duffle bag over here and then watch the kids!”

   He pulled out his knife and cut my pant leg so he could access the wound. When he closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, I assumed it was a bad sign. “Okay, okay… it’s not that bad.” He looked me in the eye and a pitying look spread across his face. “It really isn’t. You’re just gonna be limpin for a while.”

   I looked to my right and saw Anthony and Clara huddled up against the wall near the edge of the roof. I did my best to smile, pretend I wasn’t in pain and portray that everything was going to be okay.

   Melanie set down the duffle bag next to Walt and started pulling out the medical supplies. She said “Just let me do it. You need to go make sure none of them are finding a way up here.”

   “This roof is like fifteen feet high. They aren’t getting up here.”

   “You really wanna take the chance? Just check, please!”

   I turned away as Melanie pushed aside the torn and hanging, stringy flesh so she could pack the gaping hole before she wrapped it up. I just continued to look at Anthony and Clara, and listen to all those things below us – growling, groaning, roaring and scuffling around. I could even hear their teeth snapping as they fought and bit at each other.

   Anthony and Clara were both covering their ears and keeping their eyes tightly shut. I called out to Walt “What’s it look like down there?”

   “They’re trying to climb the walls and some pipes leading up the building, but I think we’re going to be fine man. They can’t get up here.”

   In between wincing from the pain as Melanie worked on my leg, I said “Just for the hell of it, walk the whole edge of the roof and make sure there aren’t any dumpsters or other shit that could allow them to climb up. If there are, we need to make sure they don’t find them. Use the firecrackers if you have to.”

   “Good idea – I’m on it!”

   Melanie finished up and helped me to my feet. It wasn’t easy due to her arm. A lot of the muscle was just gone, and it appeared as though my leg had suffered a similar fate…
I’ll probably never be the same. I only need one eye, but more than anything – I need to be able to run… Shit…