Don't Eat Me (an Apocalyptic Novel)
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Transcript of Don't Eat Me (an Apocalyptic Novel)
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Don't Eat Me
A Zombie Apocalypse
Novel
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By: Kasey Ann Cochran
Chapter One
The Problem
Iwatched the sun rise over the warm sand; it was relatively coolnow that summer had passed. The reddish orange light washed over
the sand, but there was more than sand to be lit. There were at least
thirty figures running this way, they'd seen me. Two options, I decided,take off and lead the mob of cannibal freaks away from the others or
run for the building and escape with them. When I stood I went for the
building. I yelled as soon as I was in earshot, telling them to get up,
telling them what was coming.
Their coming, my yell seemed to echo in my ears, get the
trucks. They're coming!
Move, move! I knew by the tone that it was one of the marines
that had spoken. We were lucky to find them a week ago.
The vehicles were starting, but I wasn't there yet. One truck
pulled off and drove away, two left. Another drove away. The last truck
drove toward me then turned away, going about eight miles an hour. I
sped up and grabbed the lip, then leaped up so I stood on the bumper.
I swung my leg over the lip and fell into the bed filled with supplies.
For a while I just gasped for air, and then I sat up. It didn't take long to
catch up to the other trucks.
I sighed with relief when the vehicles all came to a stop and I was
able to get out of the bed. My legs were sore from the early morning
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sprint. So I stretched my legs and arms and torso until I didn't feel like
I'd been sitting in the same position for over an hour.
Did anybody grab my bag? I asked. It had all my weapons in it.
I did, the older marine said, Ryan. He was well built, and he had
dark hair and ashy eyes, like everybody else, his hands were cracked
and dry.
When I fished my bag out of the bed of the truck, I opened it and
took inventory, even though I'd memorized what I had: Two long
hunting knives, an aluminum bat, and three pistols; each a different
caliber and model, a sawed off shotgun, four semi-automatics;
different calibers, and a machete; small and light. I also had a wide
range of medical supplies in my bag that I'd ripped off from a hospital
toward the beginning; I almost hadn't made it out of there.
Lindsey was talking to Ryan about god only knew what, but it
kept her busy, so I let it go. Lindsey was eight with blond hair and blue
eyes. She was the first person I ran into, the first I saved. Over time
though, I believe she had saved me too. Ryan was about 5' 9 withbrown hair and dark eyes. He managed to keep his head shaved
except for about a centimeter. I leaned back and started sharpening
my knives. The others clambered around, looking for a map they lost
track of in the chaos.
Mac, the younger marine, brought me some water and sat down
to watch them clambering around. His green eyes tracked their every
sigh and movement they made, and when he turned his head, his
shaggy black hair shook and shifted. He reached into the bag and took
out a pistol. A 45, my favorite one because it was the only one I knew
well enough to name the caliber.
Mac took it apart and started cleaning it. I smiled to myself as I
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watched the other three; Briana, Dick, and Paul. Brianna had red hair
and blue eyes, her skin was pale, so she was wearing sunscreen even
though the sun wasn't all the way up yet. Dick had dirty blond hair
and brown eyes, and Paul was all brown, including his skin. Briana was
just lucky; Lindsey and I found her fast. Briana was almost eaten by
her old best friend.
Dick was a major redneck, and he was fine on his own, but he
stayed with us anyway. Personally I think he has a thing for Briana.
Paul was fast, so he didn't need to fight much, but when we found him
he was surrounded. Mac was with Ryan, they saved us for a change,
and all of us stayed together ever since.
I let the others discuss what to do as I sharpened my machete
with a stone Id picked up at a sports center. Ryan got in on the
argument, and the three of them agreed with whatever his plan was.
So I started to listen a bit more carefully. We were going to hit a truck
stop several miles away and raid for supplies. If there were other
survivors already there, then wed keep driving to another one a whiledown the road, and if there wasnt we would stay the night after a
little fortification.
Everybody in on the conversation agreed with the plan, and then
turned to where Mac and I were working our weapons. Mac nodded
and placed my 45 back in my bag, and then he started packing up the
food and drinks wed pulled out and began putting them back in truck.
The rest of the group waited for my answer expectantly, I was the last
real member of the groups decision making party, Lindsey just sort of
went along with everything I decided. She trusted me, and the others
left taking care of her up to me. I thought it through and then
shrugged abruptly as I came to a decision.
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Why not? I said as I got to my feet and headed over to where
Lindsey was drawing in the sand with a small rock.
She looked up as I approached and smiled slightly in greeting,
Whats up?
Were hitting a truck stop a while from here, I told her, Youre
in the back of the truck Mac is driving. When we get close you need to
keep your head down until we know its safe.
Okay, Lindsey rolled her eyes with a sigh.
I smiled a bit as I went back to where Mac was checking to make
sure the supplies wouldnt fall out if things got rough. When we go I
want Lindsey to be in your truck. If things look bad at any point I want
her out of there. Can you do that?
You do realize theres a difference between can and will right?
Mac smiled with a knowing look that said the question was rhetorical
and then nodded, I got you. Ill do it.
Thanks, I said, and then I hopped up to help secure the things
in the bed. When we finished two trucks were loaded, and Lindseyclimbed into the back of the third. Ryan got out of the lead truck and
came to talk with Mac for a bit about which weapons to take inside on
the raid, and I got into the front seat of the third truck.
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Others
Mac and Ryan heard it first, the roar of the engine in thedistance, we'd been about to take off when they stopped with their
heads cocked just outside their vehicles. Ryan tapped the horn and
called for everyone to get out, and we did.
Do you hear that? Ryan asked us.
When we listened we heard it too. Then we had to decide
whether or not to wait for the vehicle. We all took a vote on it, and the
decision to wait was unanimous. I took out two of my pistols, the 45
and a small six shot. Lindsey came over and took the six shot from my
hand, and then she waited for further instruction. The others stood so
that the vehicles would be between the approaching party and us. I
grabbed Lindsey's arm lightly and guided her to the truck furthest
from the approach.
Stay here until I say it's clear, I told her, I'm gonna try to make
sure you don't have to use that gun.
I stepped out away from the trucks so that I would face the
approach head on. If I needed cover I need only dive for it. Mac and
Ryan had argued briefly that one of them should be there rather than
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me, but I had pointed out that they were crucial to our survival. None
of the rest wanted to do it besides them so I got no further argument.
So I held my pistol down by my leg and waited.
An RV appeared and approached rapidly, laying it heavy on the
horn. It was as good as any wait up there was from this distance. The
others raised their guns behind me, ready. The vehicle stopped, and
the first person out was a tall black man that was obviously
dehydrated. I moved forward a bit to speak to him as he moved
toward my group.
My name is Sara, I told him as I reached him.
DJ, the man said as he met my eyes. Nice to see some people
again.
As I shook hands with him two others exit the vehicle. They were
empty handed, no weapons. The first to exit was a young Latino
woman; the other was an old lady with white hair.
Any others? I asked DJ as I tucked the gun into my jeans.
There used to be twelve of us, DJ said as his face fell into loss,the loss of people trusted, people cared for. A loss I often had on my
face. We were ambushed, and the three of us took off.
Smart move, I admitted, but hard choice.
Yeah, the Latino agreed, Sam, she offered me her hand.
Sara, I took her hand gently.
Kimberly, the older woman said, and her hand replaced Sam's,
call me Kim.
Nice to meet you, I smiled.
Just say what you mean Sara, Kim laughed, nice to meet
people who wont eat you.
I smiled, Kim was pretty forward. I liked that, Come meet the
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others and get a drink. You guys look half dead. None of you were
bitten?
No deary, Kim responded, we were in the RV when they came,
and it's been days since we've taken off.
Any weapons? I asked as we approached my group's trucks.
A shot gun with no ammunition, Sam said it with a longing that
suggested it was her weapon of choice and then continued, and a
rifle, has a scope and everything. You know, the kind you think about
when somebody mentions hunting.
What about supplies? I asked.
Ate and drank the last we had this morning, Kim said, but we
have a toolbox filled with nifty things.
Paul, I called, get some food and water for these guys, but try
to leave things securely in place.
Paul jogged to the nearest truck and started pulling out food and
water. Mac and Dick came forward with their guns drawn but pointed
down. Ryan was tucking his gun into his holster with a smile on hisface; I could tell he was happy about these new people.
When introductions began I went to where Lindsey still waited for
my all clear. She stood there with the gun gripped in both hands and
trained at the ground like Id taught her. My first rule was never to aim
unless you planned to fire, other than that the barrel shouldnt see
anything but the ground. Shed tried to fire it one handed once and
sprained her wrist. That was where the two hands rule came from. She
looked pretty calm so she must have heard the introductions and
friendly conversations going on.
All clear, I told her as I took the gun from her, go say hello.
Paul had made it back to the group and handed out the food and
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drinks. Lindsey rushed over to the group, and I could understand her
excitement. It had been way too long since wed met new people who
didnt try to eat us or rob us. For a while I watched them all talking,
and then I went to ruin the fun.
Ryan, I said as I came up, you should fill them in on the plan
so we can get going.
Of course, Ryan agreed with an easy smile. Then he shot into
an explanation of what would happen during our raid, and how things
were run within the group. That meant these people had to agree
before we went, and they did. Everybody prepared to leave again, and
this time there were no interruptions. Lindsey was already lying down
in the back, and I was willing to bet shed fall asleep soon. Mac drove
in silence as I watched the desolate road and desert, and sometimes
my eyes lifted to the sky. Hours passed this way, and I was feeling a
bit stiff in the seat.
Look, Mac said suddenly.
I turned my head and saw the outline of a building we wereapproaching fast. My eyes flicked to the two trucks in front of us and
then to the RV behind us. All the vehicles were pretty close together,
but not so close that braking would cause an accident. I leaned
forward and took a deep breath, rubbing my hands over my eyes and
down my face. When I looked back up I could see a few of the larger
details on the building.
Slow down a bit, I told Mac, we should see if its hot first. In
war a hot zone was a place of danger, where enemy spies or soldiers
were a major threat. I was grateful for the discovery channel, it came
in handy sometimes, and I was really starting to miss it.
Mac gave a small smile, Word of the week.
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I thought for a moment while he slowed down, trying to decipher
the meaning of his words. I gave a small chuckle as I remembered
how often Id used the word this week. A total of about nine times a
day, either from complaining or cautioning.
What can I say? I smiled, There are just some words that were
meant to be used more than other others, and it is hot.
Mac watched closely as the first truck reached the rest stop, and
nobody came out. Not a single human or zombie was anywhere in
sight. With a quick glance at me he sped up and then stopped near
the rest stop. I hopped out and made a waving motion away from the
rest stop after I slammed the door. Mac pulled out and drove a decent
distance down the road. I turned back toward the rest stop where
Ryan and Paul were approaching the rest stop cautiously and Dick
walked casually behind them, whistling. I jogged up past Ryan and
flung the first door open.
It was a ladies restroom, and I was grateful it didnt smell at all
bad. When I looked around I figured the lack of stench was probablythe scent dispensers on the stall doors. I eased further down the row
of stalls and drew my 45. Most of the stalls were all the way open, but
some were partially shut, and I had to kick those open. When I kicked
the first time nothing happened, but when I kicked the second time a
zombie came running from the next stall. I managed to fire once, but
it tackled me and my 45 slid out of reach. I put both my hands on its
shoulders and pushed as hard as I could as it tried to lean in to bite
me.
Its skin was cold and clammy, and its eyes had dark bags under
them. This one was next to new, the older ones ran a fever, and they
didnt have much color, like theyd burned it all away. I had only a
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moment to wonder where the one who bit him was when the last stall,
seven stalls away from me opened. I screamed as it rushed toward
me, there was no way I could hold two off of me. A shot rang out an
the standing one dropped dead. Then a second shot and the one
trying to bite me had his brain blown onto the floor. With a yell of
frustration, I heaved the corpse off of me and onto the ground.
When I sat up I was shaking a bit, and I knew it was either shock
or adrenaline. Either way the best thing I could do was calm myself
down. I picked up my 45 before I stood, and once I was standing I
looked to see who my rescuer was. It was Dick, and I nodded once in
appreciation just as Ryan and Paul came in. There was a reason the
others typically stayed together, and the reason was to avoid things
like this. My heart was pounding so hard my body swayed with the
beats, and as I paid more attention to my symptoms I decided it
couldnt be shock. I was still a bit jumpy, but I wasnt confused, and I
wasnt cold either. So I knew it was adrenaline, and with nothing left to
do my body resorted to the only available release of adrenaline therewas.
I cried. I was afraid of what almost happened, and what will
probably happen later. I was angry that Id been stupid and arrogant
enough to put myself in that situation, and I was relieved to still be
alive. When I stopped crying Ryan told everybody in the restroom that
the area was secure, and this room was the only room with anything
dangerous in it. Turns out I was just lucky enough to pick it out. I
washed my face with water from a bottle Ryan had pulled from his
pack, and dried it off with my shirt. When I was recomposed I went
outside where Dick, Paul, and Ryan were waving in the RV and Macs
truck.
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When the vehicles stopped Mac and Lindsey were the first ones
out. Lindsey ran over to me and threw her arms around me, and I
hugged her briefly before standing to greet a worried looking Mac.
I heard gunfire, Mac said with a frown, what happened?
I had a close call with two zombies, I said it as casually as I
could, like it wasnt that big of a deal, but Lindseys eyes widened and
glistened with tears.
Are you okay? she was already starting to cry.
Im fine, I smiled and made myself laugh softly, I can take care
of myself pretty well. I frowned abruptly and looked to where Dick
stood talking with the RV goers. Mac followed my gaze and an
appreciative smile lifted his lips as Dick met his eyes and then
nodded. It was a long distance guy version of thanks and youre
welcome, or sometimes what would we do without you and youre
pretty good too.
Lindsey made me tell her every detail of my close call, and when
the first zombie tackled me she looked horrified, and when the secondcame she started bawling, and when Dick saved me she ran to him
and gave him a big hug. Dick wasnt that comfortable around children,
so he just stood there awkwardly and looked to the people around him
for help. The RV goers helped to bust open the vending machines, and
everybody had beef jerky and candy bars for dinner as the sun started
to set.
The Beginning of the End
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While we ate DJ paused and looked at the entirety of our group,
so howd you guys meet up? Pretty mix matched group. Did you all
know each other before all this?
Ryan and I were the only two who knew each other before this,
Mac said, but Sara can tell you what happened.
Everybody looked expectantly my way, and I sighed before
beginning my tale, Id been trying to survive for seven hours on the
day it all started. I learned real fast that some people were more
dangerous than the zombies. So I didnt stick with anybody and I stole
a car. I made it a good twenty miles or so when I got the car stuck. I
ditched it and started walking. The area was pretty empty, just a few
every now and then. Id been walking about ten minutes maybe when
I saw an open garage. I decided to see if I could find anything useful.
Turns out a friend of Lindsey lived there, and since Lindsey was
sick all day shed stayed home with the door locked. She was feeling
better, and she was hungry, so she hopped on her bike and headed to
her friends house. When I saw somebody coming I hid. I alreadyfound a six shot and I had a shot gun too. She walked up to the door
and knocked and then a zombie chased her out onto the drive way.
Had her down on the ground by the time I shot it. I sank into my
memories as I told the story, reliving it like it was happening right
now.
The zombie had been thrown clear or the blond girl with the force
of the blast. A group of survivors that robbed me of two guns earlier
that day had used similar bait, only their bait was a full grown woman
in danger. So at first I thought she was bait too, and I waved the shot
gun in her terrified face and demanded to know who she was with.
Shed said she wasnt with anybody, and she told me where shed
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been all day and what brought her to this particular house.
Come with me, Id said, but as I reached out shed backed up.
I need to call my parents, she said.
Where were they? I had asked her. If they were close by I would
have taken her to try to find them, and I would have left her with
them.
They work in Phoenix, shed said. I knew if it was bad here then
the cities had to be worse, and I got angry that she had hope for her
parents. So I hurt her with it.
Then you parents are dead, I said.
She took another step back and shook her head as tears started
to pool in her eyes, no theyre not!
Theyre dead, Id yelled, Your family! Your friends! Everyone
you knew is DEAD!
Lindsey had cried, and my heart had hurt for her, but I didnt
take it back. If shed gone after them I believed she would have died.
So I let her believe me, and even as I tried to tell myself it was true Ifelt a little guilty saying it out loud.
When she calmed down I held out the six shot, Come with me,
or end up like everyone else.
She shook her head as she looked at the gun, I cant
Ill teach you, I told her.
She took the gun hesitantly, and I showed her how to hold it.
Then I said, If you dont plan to shoot dont point it anywhere but the
ground, and watch your feet.
Then Id given her the briefest description of the dilemma I could
manage and added, Anyone bit is a goner, so dont waste your time.
Wed barely started leaving when somebody screamed nearby
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and I pulled Lindsey down behind some bushes just as a woman ran
into sight with three zombies chasing her. Lindsey tried to get up and
go help, but I grabbed her arm and held her there.
Shes a goner, I said icily, let her go.
Lindsey had yanked her arm from my grasp and ran out to help
the woman. I went after her and shot down the three zombies with
ease. The woman thanked me and I shrugged.
The kid saved you, I said, I would have let them have you.
The woman seemed shocked and then thanked Lindsey, My
name is Briana.
My name is Lindsey, shed said, and that was how Id learned
her name.
The two of them looked at me expectantly, Sara, now lets go.
The noise attracts attention so from now on be quiet.
When we were a decent distance away from the place where the
screaming and shooting had occurred I turned to Briana and pointed
my gun at her. She went pale and her eyes widened. Give me onegood reason not to kill you.
Are you thirsty? Briana had asked. She found food and water
pretty quickly, and I liked her resourcefulness.
Fine, Id said, you can stay with us. Find something to use as a
weapon and keep alive. Youre no good to me dead.
Briana did pretty well through the rest of the day, and we found
a house to stay in for the night. We all stayed in the same room and
we took turns on watch throughout the night, I concluded the first
day of my story, we didnt get much sleep that first night, even when
we werent on watch.
Damn, DJ muttered.
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I looked up at the stars in the sky, We should get some sleep, I
said, Its late, and the rest can be told tomorrow.
There was a small debate on who slept where, and the 6 sleepers
in the RV was divided into two shifts. Kimberly was always in it, since
it was hers and Lindsey because I gave up my shift of RV comfort. On
the first shift were Ryan, Paul, and Sam, and on the second shift were
DJ, Dick, and Mac. So I slept in one of the trucks as Mac took first
watch. I dreamt of the second day of the incident.
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The Day in HellIt was the second day of the incident, and all of us were half
asleep as we trudged through the neighborhood looking for food,
weapons, and water. I sighed as the sun beat down on my back. Today
held none of the chaos of yesterday, but there were reminderseverywhere. Cars were overturned, some were still on fire. Glass was
broken or cracked where ever it existed. There wasnt a single figure
walking down the street, and I hadnt seen any dogs since it all began.
There were no sirens as there had been yesterday, and the TV and
phones still didnt work. Computers were down, they wouldnt even
turn on. Lights stopped working about the same time everything else
had, so something happened somewhere.
My shotgun already felt heavy in my hands, and I let it hang from
the strap rather than carry it. Abruptly Lindsey fell, and when she got
up there was a huge gash in her left arm. My eyes sought out the
cause, and found blood fresh and dripping on a piece of metal jutting
out of a ruined car nearby. I looked around for something to stanch the
bleeding with, and found a dirty rag on the ground. I picked it up,
shook it out, and then pressed it onto her wound.
Briana stood a few feet away from us, scanning the area with
watchful eyes to try to spot any threat that may exist. She dropped
down suddenly, and looked right at me and then pointed at the place
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beyond the car we were hidden behind. I gestured at the rag I was
holding with my chin, and Briana applied pressure on the wound while
I gripped my shotgun firmly and peered carefully over the car. There
was a small group of survivors walking down the street, dragging a
woman along the road. She was struggling, but her struggles came to
a halt as the biggest guy in the group shot her in the head with his
pistol. There were five of them in total, and I had a feeling they'd kill
us too if they found us. I turned to Briana and ducked down into the
small area of cover we had.
We need to get somewhere hidden, I told her.
She looked around swiftly and then pointed at the closest house,
that's the only place we'll be able to get to without them seeing.
Go, I said, get Lindsey to safety.
Briana pulled Lindsey into the house without trouble, and I stood
to follow, but there was a shout down the road. I looked up just as the
group started taking their aim. I darted away from the house, and into
another just across the street. The stairs were carpeted, and Istumbled a few times on the way up. As I reached the top the front
door burst open and the group piled into the house. I could hear them
moving around down stairs, and I took aim from where I was, so if
they came up I was ready for them. Then I heard a gun being cocked
right behind me, and I turned my head. A woman stood there with a
pistol aimed at my head. Her hands shook and her face was pale.
The men down stairs will kill us if they have the chance, I told
her in the closest thing I could to a soothing voice. We can help each
other.
She looked at the stairs and then back at me and nodded. Then
she moved up next to me and aimed at the stairs. When the men
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came up the first two were shot down before the group knew we were
there. The third one tried to take aim, but was killed first, and the
other two actually got shots off before falling with the others. The
woman collapsed onto the floor beside me, and my leg ached badly.
When I looked I saw that my shin had two holes in it, but the bone
wasn't damaged, and the shot went clean through, so I turned my
attention to the woman. She was heaving forced heavy breaths that
gurgled slightly, and there was a spreading blood stain on the chest
area of her shirt.
I'm sorry, I said to her, and then I cocked the shot gun and
looked her in the eye, I can shoot you now, or you can wait and
drown in your blood. It could take hours.
Shoot, she gasped, me.
I stood, placing only a small amount of weight on my injured leg
and then took aim. I closed my eyes and dropped the gun aim. I did
this twice before taking a deep breath, re-aiming, and firing. Then I
threw up, twice. I stumbled out of the house a few moments later, andthen ran for the house Lindsey and Briana were holed up in. When I
opened the door I came within inches of kissing the barrel of the gun
Briana held pointed at the door. It was a semi-automatic, something
that would have been useful a minute ago. Briana lowered the gun
and returned to where Lindsey sat on the couch with a washcloth duck
taped tightly to her wound, but it still bled through.
We need medical supplies, I said, lets search the house.
Lindsey went into the downstairs bathroom and I went upstairs
with Briana before we split up. I looked in a bedroom, and I found a
decent duffel bag and slung it over my shoulder. Then I took the
bulging box of shotgun shells from my jacket pocket and put them in
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the bag. I brought a rag down stairs with me. It wasn't long before we
all stood in the living room again empty handed.
The hospital, I suggested, it's not too far from here, especially
if we find a car. Let me see the duct tape.
Isn't that gonna be packed with people or those things already,
Briana pointed out as she put the tape in my hand, it's too
dangerous.
Come with me, I told her as I bound my leg the same way
Lindseys arm was bound, you can stay at a place nearby with the
car, and if I don't make it back you can go.
Who is this kid anyway? Briana demanded, Your sister?
I never even saw her before yesterday, I admitted, but
honestly I don't think we can afford to lose anybody who can be
saved. She's not gone. Not yet. She can be helped. Briana I need you
to watch her while I go in. That's all I'm asking you to do. You can even
keep the semi-automatic machine gun.
Briana sighed, I know it's the right thing to do, but if we alldie...
We won't, I said, I won't let it happen.
Briana you need to trust me, I said, Lindsey saved your life.
Now it's our turn to save hers.
Then I guess we should get moving, Briana stayed where she
was for a moment despite her words.
The three of us came out of the house together, and a few
streets over we found a car in decent shape. The three of us got in,
though Briana whined about the blood stains. The keys were in the
ignition, and I turned them. The car started pretty easily. Briana had
the roll of ducked tape around her wrist like a bracelet, and I couldn't
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stop glancing behind me to check on Lindsey as we drove. We came
within a mile of the hospital and stopped. I turned off the car and
turned to face both Lindsey and Briana.
Pick a house somewhere nearby to search, I told Briana, make
sure Lindsey gets some sugar, and keep her from bleeding out until I
can get back. I'm going to grab as much as I can carry. Be in this car
with the engine running before I get back. You'll have at least an
hour.
Lindsey leaned forward, what if you're not back yet?
Wait until noon, I decided, then move on if I'm not back. Don't
look for me either, because if I don't come back I'm most likely dead.
In case I'm not head back to the first house we stayed in and stay
hidden. One day tops, and then move on. If I don't meet you there I'm
never coming back.
I turned and walked over to a car that looked in tact, but it had
no key so I moved on to the next one. There was a crowbar in this one,
and I picked it up and weighed it in my hands. It wasn't too heavy toswing, but not so light it wouldn't get a job done. I set off toward the
hospital, occasionally diving behind cars and dumpsters when I saw
something coming. When I was across the street from the hospital I
ducked behind some bushes and looked on. There were zombies in the
parking lot and a lot of the windows were broken. The doors lay on
either side of the doorway, crushed and shattered. I worked my way
around the building, making sure to stay hidden as I did, and found a
clear path to a broken window.
I sprinted over and peered inside. The room was empty apart
from some office equipment, but there was no way in without cutting
myself so I looked around. I saw a hospital bed laying near a body a
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few feet to my right, and I went for it. When I was close enough I
brought the crowbar down on the bodies head for good measure. It
didn't move, and I hooked the curved part of the crowbar into one of
my belt loops before lifting the bed and taking it to the window. I could
hear something approaching, the broken glass everywhere gave me
that advantage.
As I set up the bed so I could step up onto it I listened for the
source, and it sounded like it was around the side of the building. I
boosted myself up onto the bed as quickly as I could and scrambled to
my feet. I came to the edge of the window and jumped into the room.
I landed on my feet, but the forward momentum forced me onto all
fours. I pulled my crowbar free of my belt loop and crept forward,
staying low. When I got to the door I pressed my ear up against it and
listened. I heard nothing. Cautiously I rose to peek out the window, but
I couldn't see anything moving.
I turned back to the room and looked around, searching for a
map, or something that could point me in the direction of thepharmacy or supply room. There was none. I put my head in my hands
and cursed softly. Then my eyes flew to the desk, and I thought just
maybe there might be something. I approached it quickly, too quickly
to stop myself from crashing into a body that had risen from behind
the desk. I suppressed a scream and pushed with all the strength I
could muster.