Reanimates, p.5
Reanimates, page 5
part #1 of Reanimates Series
The store seemed empty of both the living and the undead, so I felt a thrill of luck wash over me. Frank drove by as was the plan and I noticed that there was a Ford truck at the drive-up ATM at the bank with the motor still running. The passenger door was wide open and there was a streak of blood staining the running board a dark shade of red. That put the blood at hours if not days old. I had watched enough crime shows in my day to know that fresh blood was a bright shade of red. This further put my mind at ease because with the exception of the two reanimatess that were dining on the side of the road, I saw no signs of others. That fact also troubled me because that further proved that what we saw in the movies would not prove to be true. The movies always showed urban areas to be overrun with reanimated people, yet this area seems devoid of all forms of human activity.
Looming in front of us was the overpass that was Interstate Eighty-Nine. I knew that on the other side was a Shell gas station and then the road that led to both a McDonald’s and a Burger King, which was where we would be turning around. As the overpass was above us, I turned to Julio.
“When we get back the Mobil you and I will go to the store and see what we can get for supplies.” Julio nodded at that. “Frank, I think you should pull up to an open pump and have Becca top off the tank. Above all else keep the engine running and the doors locked. We do not want one of those things to get into the Hummer, but we really don’t want someone to take it from us, because we would be stranded.”
Frank and Becca nodded as Frank made the left-hand turn on the road that led to the fast-food places. Frank executed the U-turn and a silence descended on the interior of the truck, the only sound was coming from the engine and the tires. As we approached the interstate overpass again, we all gasped in surprise as a car drove by on the southbound side. They must have been traveling less than fifteen miles an hour. This sight gave me further hope as this proved that we were not the only people to still be alive.
Frank turned onto Lower Mountain View Drive to enter the store lot via the side driveway. This was a smart choice as it would give us a clearer view of the interior of the store and what may or may not be moving around inside of it. The side driveway went directly past the large side windows of the store and we would be able to see just about the entire interior. The only parts that would remain unseen were the restrooms, the offices, and the inside of the walk-in coolers. The store was set back several hundred feet from Route Two, so our view of the interior from our first pass was not the best. As we slowly drove past the bank Karen let out a cry of surprise. We all followed where her eyes were focused as saw a woman pinned up against the glass of one of the windows. Holding her there was what looked like a man and he looked like he was chewing on her neck. That made three reanimates in the area, soon to be four or five depending on how much those three ate.
We turned into the side driveway and slowly rolled past the store. Unless there was someone laying on the floor the interior was empty. There were a few vehicles parked in spots around the lot, but it appeared that the owners were gone. Frank pulled to a stop in front of the only set of doors leading into the store.
“If there is any trouble, take off and circle back around,” I said to Frank. “Do not try to be a hero and do not try to fight off any of those things. The best bet is just to swing back around and grab the two of us.”
Frank nodded at me. “Good luck,” he said.
As Julio and I exited the Humvee, Becca and Karen echoed his sentiment. Julio and I closed the doors as quietly as possible and Frank pulled away as we entered the store.
There were no sounds coming from the store, the coolers and the elevator music had been silenced when the power went out. I was hopeful that the generator they had to keep the pumps running was still in use, otherwise we could end up in a bad way for gas.
Off to our left was the restaurant area where they made up the pizzas and sandwiches as well as the coffee bar. Directly in front of us was the area where the registers and tobacco products were. Behind that area were five small aisles of food and overpriced household products. The far wall was made up of the coolers with doors leading to a pair of restrooms and the office area.
I went to the register area to grab some bags while Julio went to see what there was for food that we could take and eat without needing to cook it. The registers were in a circular area made of countertop and shelving. On the left side was an entrance to this area. As I walked through it, I almost tripped over a severed leg that was lying on the floor. I chided myself that I needed to be more cognizant of my surroundings. That could have been a reanimate and also the end of my life. Thankfully, the former owner of that leg was not behind the counter. I grabbed a thick stack of paper bags and hurried back out to join Julio.
I found him standing in front of the beef jerky display. It looked as though it had been recently stocked, which was good. Jerky kept for quite some time and was a good source of protein. There were several varieties, form the overly processed Slim Jims to the locally made Rosie’s. We took it all and filled up three paper bags in that one spot alone. I ran these bags to stage by the front door as Julio took the empties and went over to the breakfast and protein bar area. When I rejoined him, he had two more bags filled, so I grabbed these and brought them over to the others. This system seemed to be working so we continued it throughout the store. As I made my fourth trip to the front door, I noted that Becca was still pumping gas and everything looked quiet out there, a trend I hoped would continue.
Our sweep of the food took less than five minutes, yet it felt like an eternity. Given the mixed nature of our group I decided to grab what the store had for feminine products as well. I sent Julio after the seven cases of water that were at the end of the first aisle. I ended up with one bag left over and decided to cram as many cartons of cigarettes in it as I could. None of us smoked, but I thought that they may come in handy one day to use in a bartering situation.
I set this last bag with the others at the same time that Julio was dropping off the last case of water. We looked out the window and Frank was just pulling away from the pumps so we decided to do a quick sweep of the offices to see if there might be anything of use. We ran back to the door marked “employees only” and tried to pushed it open. The door stopped when it was halfway open, making contact with something that was solid but also had some give. I immediately suspected that it was a body. What I could not know was whether that body belonged to a human or a reanimate. Whichever it was, it did not move so I decided to go in. I pantomimed to Julio that I would enter the office and he should wait where he was in case there was trouble. There was no logic in both of us dying.
I slowly eased my way into the room, looking down in the direction of the body in anticipation of an unwelcome surprise. As soon as I saw the feet, I knew that the body belonged to a human and posed no threat. I called Julio to follow me in and entered the office with no caution.
The office was quite small and was more like a large closet. There was a single metal desk upon which sat a computer and a video surveillance monitor. To the right of the desk was a very old looking three drawer file cabinet. The walls were covered in unfinished sheetrock and the floor was the same as the rest of the store, an industrial grade white tile.
The feet belonged to a woman that looked to be in her late thirties. She had disheveled black hair and bright blue eyes that were looking up at me with fear. She was dressed in khaki pants and the maroon Maplefields shirt that signified she was a manager. Her feet were bound together with a pair of jumper cables and her hands were behind her back, most likely bound as well. There was a pink rag of sorts jammed in her mouth. She had the body of a woman that had probably drunk one too many beers but used to be in great shape. Upon the right breast pocket was a name tag that read Michelle. I crouched down so that I was eye level with her.
“Michelle,” I said. “We mean you no harm.”
“Jim, we need to hurry,” urged Julio.
I waved him silent but looked at him. “Start loading up the Hummer.” Julio left and I directed my gaze back at Michelle. “We just stopped here for supplies before we head to a safe place. I do not know if you have any idea what is going on…….., but the world has changed and not for the better.” As I spoke her eyes studied mine to see if there was any deception. “I am going to free you now. You can either come with us or you can go your own way. There are five of us right now, me and Julio, plus another guy and two women.”
I started to free her by pulling out the rag in her mouth. As it cleared her lips, I discovered that it was not pink but rather a white rag that had been stained with blood diluted with saliva. Michelle had a nasty cut on her lip that looked like the result of a hard hit. When her mouth was free of the rag, she made no attempt to talk. Her eyes continued to watch me as I went to her feet and undid the knots that were tied in the jumper cables. Once I had her feet free, I gently grabbed her shoulder to lean her forward and get a look at her hands. She did not resist. I was starting to get worried that she was in shock and would need medical care.
Her hands were bound by three of the same kind of rag that had been stuffed in her mouth, tied end to end. The knots securing them together were so tight that it had compromised the circulation in her hands, and they were cold with a greyish blue tint. I hoped that the lack of blood flow had not been severe enough to cause permanent damage. As I liberated her hands of the bindings the skin started to turn pink again which I took as a good sign. Slowly and as nonthreateningly as possible I backed away from her, I did not want to give her any reason to attack me out of fear. The only motion she made was trying to shake some feeling back into her hands.
“Michelle, I am going to leave now,” I said. “My offer stands, you can join us if you want.”
I backed out of the office and turned to join my group. Julio had enlisted the help of Becca with loading the supplies into the back of the Humvee. Julio looked at me with raised eyebrows in askance. I shrugged in response and bent to grab a case of water. As I exited the store, I scanned the area and felt a renewed sense of urgency. We had attracted the attention of the two reanimates that were feeding by the roadside and they were walking with great purpose towards us. I looked back over my shoulder at Julio and Becca.
“Guys, we need to hurry!”
Hearing the urgency in my voice they both looked to see what had caused it. It did not take long for them to see the pair of uninvited guests so they both doubled their pace. As I was adding the last case of water to the trunk, I kept an eye on the approaching undead. Running the math in my head I determined that there was no way for us to get everything loaded and back in the Hummer before they were amongst us. I summoned up what courage I had and decided that there was a need of a decoy. We were outside with plenty of room to maneuver and given the fact that the reanimates seemed to lack the ability to run, I figured I could keep them occupied long enough for everyone to finish loading and get back in the truck.
I looked at Becca and said, “You two keep loading. I’ve got those two. Have Frank swing by and pick me up after.”
I did not wait for a response and took off at a jog towards the pair. I realized when I had covered more than half the distance to them that I had neglected to select a weapon. Slowing for only a moment to decide if I should go back, I decided I did not need one. The reanimates saw me approaching and I swear that it almost looked like they were excited. I am sure that that was just my imagination and I hoped to be too swift for them to capture.
I crossed the last fifteen feet and swerved at the last second narrowly avoiding the hand of the reanimate on the right. It looked like he used to be an employee of Shaws, the grocery store that was almost directly across the road from the Mobil. His work shirt was mostly ripped apart, but the logo was still visible on his chest. His blonde hair was matted to his head with blood, no telling to whom it had once belonged. The left half of his face was missing, and I could see his teeth working in anticipation of the meal that was charging at them. Most of the flesh from his stomach was gone as well as his large intestines. His small intestines were dragging behind him.
His companion was once a late teen boy, maybe around seventeen. He was dressed only in boxers and I could not quite figure out how he was still moving. Both of his legs were almost completely bare bone, with the exception of some tendrils of muscle and tendons remaining. From the waist up he still looked like a living person, except for the glaze that had covered his eyes.
In retrospect, I should have been paying closer attention to where I was running instead of studying the undead pair so intently. It is true when people say hindsight is always twenty-twenty, even if that hindsight is focused on mere moments behind you. As I swerved to avoid the outreached hand of one reanimate, I ran full speed into something that was both soft and unforgiving and found myself flat on my back. The back of my head complained about the sharp contact it had just made with the pavement. I laid there for only a moment before my mind cleared enough for me to realize that laying there was yet another terrible idea.
As I tried to roll over on my stomach, I felt the iron grip of a hand on my ankles. I felt a wave of panic rise within me and looked down at my feet. I saw a pair of bloody hands that belonged to what was once a woman. All I could see of her was her long, curly white hair and the lustful hunger in her eyes. This must have been what I had hit while running, and it was the second reanimate that was feeding on the side of the road. I could see the pair so clearly now and chided myself that my death would be a result of my not paying close enough attention. The kid with the fleshless legs must have been their meal and had also reanimated.
I tried in vain to shake my legs free, but she was not letting go. If I survived, I would add the fact that these things seemed to have an almost superhuman strength. Without stopping my legs from kicking, lest she be able to sink her teeth into me, I looked back towards the pair that I initially ran towards. They were closing in on me and it seemed like it would be a matter of seconds before I was turned into a buffet.
I knew that I did not want to meet my end, but I especially did not want to meet it without at least fighting back. I sat up, which was easy with my spotter holding my feet in place. Once upright I started to pummel the head of the female reanimate with punches to her head. These punches had two effects. The first being that my hands started to hurt and the second was that it made my knuckles bleed. It did not result in the reanimate letting go of me or stopping her attempt to consume my flesh.
I could feel the sweat start to pour from my head and the strength start to fade from my arms. I knew the end was imminent and I was starting to not care anymore, at least that is what I thought. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I spun to try to fight off this new threat and saw that it was Becca. I heard a solid thunk and felt the grip on my ankles disappear. While I was still pondering how and why Becca was behind me, I looked down at my feet and saw Julio standing over the decapitated body of the female reanimate, paper cutter blade in his right hand.
I scrambled to my feet and saw that although she had lost her head, that head was still trying to bite at my feet. I turned to look at the other two reanimates and saw that they had also been decapitated and that those two heads were still moving. It seemed that the report I had read was correct. They no longer posed a threat, but the bodiless heads were creepy.
Julio looked at me with a big smile. “That is two you owe me, Jim.”
I was speechless, so instead of thanking him a wrapped my arms around him in a mighty hug. I heard Becca clear her throat behind me and released Julio. When I looked at her, she had a bemused look on her face.
“Nice right hook you have there,” she said. “Now can we please get in the Hummer and get the hell out of here?”
The three of us were walking back to the truck when Michelle stumbled out of the store. Her face was a mix of shock and confusion. Her eyes were focused on the three reanimates that we had eliminated.
“It’s true? What they said when they robbed the store was no lie? Zombies are real?!?” she asked.
It was Karen that answered her from within the Humvee. “You’re damn skippy they are. Now either get in here with us or don’t.”
That was Karen, always keeping things short and sweet. Michelle did not look like she needed to be invited a third time. She ran to the Humvee and climbed in the back seat. Julio and Becca followed close behind. I grabbed six bottles of water from the trunk and then regained my spot in the shotgun position.
I closed the door and looked at Frank. “Home Jeeves,” I said. “I think we’ve got enough food here that we do not need to risk the airport.”
Frank did not need to be told twice. He pushed the clutch down, put the truck in first gear and then took off down the road towards the interstate.
Chapter 5
Uncertainty loomed before us as we traveled from the Mobil to the interstate access ramp. A silence had fallen over the group as no one really knew what to say. We were leaving behind all that we were familiar with to go and try and set up a place to hide and live. I knew on some level that I should be engaging Michelle to help put her mind at ease and to get to know her better, but at the moment my mind was blank.
I did notice when Frank laughed at himself for turning on his blinker when executing the right-hand turn on the access ramp. I also heard him drop the f-bomb as he slammed on the breaks. This caused me to stop my introspection and focus on the outside world, not an easy task given the fact that I had almost died twice today. The almost dying was not what really got to me, it was the fact that I had almost gotten eaten twice. I think of all the phobias that existed, being eaten alive was top on my list.
