Dawn of the Dead

[badbabysitter]

When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth

--------


BLAM!!

Paulo Rodriguez was dead. Again.

His now unanimated corpse collased to the ground. All was silent for a moment as the echo of the gunshot ended. Then the background noise began to filter in again.

Screams.Gunshots.Explosions.Sirens. And more screaming, always the screaming.

Sgt. Linda Riggs got up off the floor. SWAT had prepared her for many things, how to act without hesitation, without regret. She walked over to the window and stared out into the street.

SWAT had prepared her for many things. But not for this. Not for this...

A group of those zombies..those things..had turned overan ambulance and we're clawing inside to get at the paramedics and the wounded inside. A group of latino gangers were holding off a small group with machetes and clubs, but for every swing another living person fell and the zombies always seemed to be coming.

How did it come to this?

It had all started out last night. Sporadic reports of vicious attacks. But then the reports quickly increased. Patrol units called out these spots would dissapear. Soon it was an epidemic

The dead had risen and were hunting and killing.And if you were killed by one, you'd rise up and start killing as well.Assuming a pack of them hadnt completely eaten you

Her SWAT unit had been called in to protect the Hospital. A doomed mission from the get go. Those wounded from zombie attacks would eventually succumb and become one as well The hospital was a slaughterhouse.

Her unit ran a fighting retreat from the hospital but had become sepeated. She and her partner Paulo had managed to make into this abandoned tenement to recover and plan. He didnt tell her he had been bitten in the hospital. He was sick she knew that, but it didnt occur to her that her partner of 4 years was infected.

That was untill he turned on her.

And she had blown off half his head with her .44 auto mag.

How did it come to this.

"Think,damnit, think", Linda hissed lowly wiping the blood from the spray of her partners head off her face.

Outside there was a patrol car, abandoned by the looks of things. Somewhere a brother or sister in blue was dead, undead, dying or fighting for their life. Didnt matter. Everyone was fighting for their lives now.

She unslinged her tactical ithaca shotgun from over shoulder and pumped a shell into a loaded slot. She stripped her partner of his ammo and his side arms and moved quickly out of the room.

Luckily stealth training was in the SWAT curriculum and she got out of the building without notice.

But hearing that child scream for his mommy down the hall, then suddenly nothing..chilled her to the bone.

She fough back tears.Somewhere her daughter, her son..they were probably dead too.

The main entrance was wide open . She took a deep breath and dashed out into the street. The latinos were meat at this point. She couldnt stop to notice

Focus> Focus on the car.

She hustled her atheltic ass off to the car no more than 15 feet away, hopping over an overturned baby stroller. She was nearly to the drivers door when she felt a hand grab her ankle.

"Plea..puh--lease..help me"

Linda looked down into the face of a uniformed police officer.Severely wounded.His right arm was missing, so was half his cheek. A "little old lady" was chewing on his ankle. He looked familiar. She probably bought him a drink at Muldoons.

She couldnt help him. There was only one help for him.

"I'm sorry" she whispered.

BLAM!

The faceless oifficer fell quiet and dead and the old lady flesh dangling from her face turned to Linda. But Linda was already in the car. The old lady snarled and flailed bloodily against the window.But Linda was already driving away.

The city was a hell hole. Fires. Death. Explosions. She weaved quickly in and out of the traffic.Mostly abandoned cars, or vehicles full of feasting ghouls.

Linda had to get out.But where?

Drive. She thought. Just drive.Out into the country away from this insanity..

That proved impossible. All exits from the downtown core were jammed or blockaded. That left one option.

Testament.

Testamnet Mega Mall. It was on the outskirts of downtown. A spralling metropolis of shops. She had moonlighted there as secuity.SWAT wasnt always on call and her hubbys job as mechanic didnt always cover the bills, so they needed more income. She had the master keys.She could get in and remotely lock down the entire mall from any switchboard in the mall..

Being early morning the parking lot was empty.Couldnt be more than 630 AM.. She pulled up to a screeching halt outside the front doors and made a dash to them. Almost forgetting to grab her bag of guns and ammo.

She saw a group of maybe 6 or 7 zombies running across the parking lot. These were no crawlers, these ghouls could hustle.Like those freaks in that movie 25 , or 29 days later..whatever it was called.

She was in and locked the door behind her.

8 feet from her was a switchboard, she moved to it. Unlocked the box and punched in the code. Most of the lighhts were already red for "locked", but as the code went in, all went to red for locked..

Linda sighed and and turned and leaned against the wall. Just down the hall was a little boy huddled over the body of what she assumed was his mom.

"Hey kid, its going to be okay, I'm a police officer", Linda called out to the child.

That was no child.

A snarling feral face turned at me, half its troat was gone..but chunks of his mothers breast dangled between his lips. In a flash, the little boy darted at me. Red coated hands hooked as claws.

""Shit" the shotgun was empty. He was halfway to her when she had pulled the .44. Two feet when she blew his head off and sent him skittering back 8 feet to lie still. Forever.

Linda shook and shook and shook. She thought of her husband>Her son>Her daughter. All gone. Gone. Everything was gone.

She slumped down the wall. Put her head between her knees and began to sob.

 

[baroque]

Amy squatted in storage closet, listening for signs of movement. The dead rising had caused a nice little breach in security at the mall, and she was in, stealing jewelry, anything.


If only she realized the futility.

She was hiding in the closet after a run in at Zales with two store clerks, blood staining their suits. They were fast, much faster than those gibbering goobs in Romero's movies.


But you don't get far in this business without being fast and quick on your feet. She gave the zombies the slip and quickly hid in a storage closet.


*BLAM* The gun blast woke her from her daze. She opens the door and curiously peers out, stilletto knife in hand...

 

[nightray]

Ray

I look up as I hear the gun shot echoing threw the seemingly empty mall. I smirk looks like theirs another guest. I muddier to my self as I com out of the bathroom my hand going to my 9mm reflexively making sheer it’s still were it is supped to be. I stand in the food court staring at nothing as I think.

Just a few hours ago I was sitting in my house counting my money having just sold a few kelows of crack to some scum. I hated them but they are how I lived and so… I had the T.V on and the reporters were going on about how the dead seemed to be coming back to life and were killing every ware. I shook my head thinking it was a hokes or some dumb ass thing like that. When my living room window had been smashed in and a rotting corps stood there groaning. With out thought my gun was in hand and the top of his head was fling off.

“Holy shit!!!” I yield as I stud up looking out the window. My jaw dropped as I saw the dud I had just sold the shit to running tords me but his throat was gong. “Shit!!!” I yield agene taking aim and blowing a hole in his head too. I quickly threw my cash and drugs in to a duffel bag and ran out the door desiding it was time to find a more hospitable climet to live in.

I threw my stuff in the back set of my Thunderbird and burnt rubbing getting the fuck out of there. I winced as I plowed threw a grope of former buddies well more like regulars to my house. I shivered as my wind shield was covered in blood and gore flicking the wipers on to clear it too late I slammed in to the back of a truck. Luckily my seat belt was on.

I sit there for a wile dazed and shaking. I look up at the night sky asking god why not expecting and answer as I’ve never talked to him before never thought I needed him before. I look over to my right my eyes going big as I see another group coming at me but this one are moving fast. I rich behind me and pull out my submachine gun. Among it at the grope fingering watching in hoarer as only a few drop the once hit in the head the rest just keep coming. I curs as the gun James. I throw it down reaching behind me I grab my bag of money and tumble out the other side of the car rolling to my feet and running.

I hear the screams and gun fire all around me as I run only stopping long enough to blast one that is in my way. I see the mall ahead thinking that it would be a good place to get more guns and ammo I run for it. I move around it looking for an open door smiling as I see one propped open by a dead security guard. I slip in making sheer the corps is in no condition to fallow before kicking it out of the door letting it shut. I then move deeper into the mall.

Now I stand in the food court wearing a par of jeans and a white t-shit a leather coat that still has the tags on it and some heavy hacking boots. My bag of cash at my feet and my 9mm at my side and a refill that I got from the gun strop over my shoulder. I light a cig and puff at it fingering that the people that put up the don’t smock sings are in not condition to say anything to me about it. I pick up the bag and begin walking threw the halls looking for the sores of the gun shot.

I stop as I see a closet door opening some once head sticking out I know she’s alive sins she’s being couches, The thing coming from behind her is far from alive one of the undead comes out of the one of the jewelry stores obviously drawn by the gun shot and now has eye’s on the girl. I take a long drag on the cig as I watch the thing moving tords her I then shrug and pull my 9MM out and blast the tings head open as it gets with in a foot of the girl his blood and brains splattering on to her head. I smirk agene as I watch her reaction to it.

 

[baroque]

"Jesus Christ!" Amy jumps, not quite avoiding all the blood spray from the now healdless zombie behind her. Amy slowly gets up visibly shaken, picking gore bits off her form-fitting black turtleneck. She sees the man in food court and sighs with relief.


"Thank you so much"

Amy regains her composure, calming down.


"Nice to see someone who's not after my flesh, the name is Amy by the way."

 

[Marcus2]

Jason

~Jason ran quickly from the stairs of the entrace. He had made it in barely. Someone had turned the locks on right when he got through. Though half of a couple zombies made it through. He had no gun, no weapon~

Shit...

~Jason worked for a secret organization. He didn't even know the name, all he knew was that it was very secretive and he was one of the reasons why this had happened. He didn't know what the virus could do. But somebody had stolen the vials before he had gotten a chance to test them. And now, this had happened. Jason ran as quickly as he could, running around a corner~

Damn, don't these things ever give up?

~Jason was an average guy. Though he was sort of a scientist, he was not geeky at all. Though there were alot in the labs. Jason was built quite well from his years in school. He had even gone to the gym at his work underground. Luckily, he had made it up above to the ground level and found out exactly what happened. He had light blue eyes, and stood 6'0.

Suddenly, he turned another corner and totally ran into what he thought was a plastic doll. He wasn't wearing his lab coat or anything, actually it was his street clothes. He pushed the figure away realizing it could have been a zombie thing~

Get the fuck away from me!

~he bolted away. He had to find a gun or something~

 

[BrklynKnight]

Alex

"Danmit.. danmit...danmit" cursed Alex over and over again as he remained huddled behind the counter of the malls gun shop, a shotgun sitting in his lap and two nines shoved in his belt.

The body of the store clerk lay at his feet bleeding prefusly. He was covered in blood at this point but he didnt care much. He just sat there as he tried to work it through his head that this was all a bad tripp or something and swore he wouldnt touch another ounce of anything if all this would just end so he could wake up have a normal life again.

He almost let down his gaurd and relaxed he didnt hear anything it was quite and he was sure that it was finally safe. Then the gunshots rang out through the mall and his face went white as a ghost.

Cocking the pump action shot gun he poked his head over the counter and once again looked at the bodies left there by his own hand. THen slowly he crawled over the counter

"Only humans ...real humans... can shoot guns right? maybe there are other people who survived..." he said to himself reasuring ly as he crouched with the shotgun raised to his shoulder ready to shoot.

He knew that human or Zombie he didnt care he wasnt gonna die like this his hand, finger on the trigger, began to shake.

 

[nightray]

Ray

I smirk at Amy my eye’s looking her over from head to toe. I node at her in greeting taking what’s left of my cig out of my mouth and dropping it to the floor stepping on it as my eyes move from Amy looking around looking for any more of those dam things.

“I’m Ray.” I say simply my voice low just above a whisper it’s my normal tone I rarely talk loudly I finger if any one wants to hear me they will lesson carefully.

My eye’s move quickly as I hear a clatter coming from down the hall. My eye’s narrow as I see a man running having just thrown a manicon away from him. I chuckle softly as I see the freer painted on his face. I shake my head. Thinking hear we go agene I’m getting sick of these things already. I look at Amy and gesger for her to com over to me I holed out my 9MM to her seeing ass all she’s got that I can see is a knife not much help agents the undead.

Once she’s got that in hand I unsolder my newly acquired riffle checking the scoop. I watch as the dud comes running down he hall and then I see at least two freaks after him. I shake my head. I will beable to shoot one of them but the other is to close to the guy I may hit him instead eshily with the way he’s running I don’t know if he is even sees use yet.

I lift the riffle to my shoulder looking down the scoop taking careful aim not wanting to have to shut the ting twice. I pull the trigger slowly as I breathe out. I feel the recoil of it as I watch the thing drop like a rage dall the top of its head gone in a spray of blood. I smile as I move the scoop to the other one but I can’t get a clear shot as it keeps behind his pray.

There getting too close now I growl softly as I keep aiming trying to get a clear shot. “Amy move of to the side abet see if you can take that thing off his ass.” I say a bit louder to be herd over the mans running feet.

 

[Marcus2]

~he looked behind himself just to see a zombie drop dead, its head all over the floor~

Hm, squash...

~he smiled and then realized there was another behind it and near him. His instincts from training before took over and he slid to the floor, kicking the zombies leg out. It falling to the floor and he stood back up as his foot slammed right into the zombies face. His faced seemed to show someone else and then it was gone. He looked around, looking for the person that helped him~

 

[Eagle70]

Van


It had taken him awhile to get acclimated to it. I mean, how do you get used to something like this? It's near impossible. You just put your head down and try not to think. Just act. Become an automation, and maybe you'll get through "it". "It" of course, being the end of the world...

"It" had started just like any other day for Van. Waking up at 8am, calling his mother at work to say hello and tell her he loved her. Putting on one of his patented mix-cd's to get ready to, bumping the loud "jock rock" metal through his home, loud enough to hear over the sound of the hot water pouring down on him during his shower. Staying in the shower a bit longer than usual, letting the water play against his muscled back, chest and arms. Sore, tired. Working 7 days a week, on top of going to school...it takes its toll. Shaking his head, Van gets out of the shower, opens the bathroom door to let the steam roll out, and begins to get himself ready. Got another long day infront of him...heading to the mall to get his girlfriend Kaitlyn a present for her birthday, then school and work...another typical day for the Kid.

As Megadeath's "Crush'em" filled his ears, he begins to dress, looking at himsel in the mirror. Never one to call himsel attractive, but sure enough that he was, he studied himself for a moment. Light brown hair, mediteranian features. But with piercing green eyes that should not have belonged to him. Large shoulders, leading out to bigger arms. Leaning back and stretching, nodding and smiling to himself, he thinks "Hey, not bad for drinking beers every weekend and not doing a damn atheletic thing since highschool". Bobbing his head back and forth, he pulls on his shirt and jeans...reaching to his bedstand, putting on his watch and putting his grandfathers gold ring on his finger. Grabs his backpack, and turns off the stereo..just in time to hear the tinkle of glass from downstairs, and the heavy thud of something falling.

A look of shock crosses Van's face. "Now way...not in friggin in the middle of the day..." He cautiously steps downstairs and looks around into the dining room...nothing. He heres movement coming from behind the closed door to the kitchen, and tenses his body. "Allright fucker..." he thinks to himself "You picked the wrong fucking place to try and rob..." He kicks the door open and takes off at a dead sprint to the form he sees stumbling around his living room. All 6'3'', 260 pounds of mass slam full tilt into the intruder, knocking it as well as Van to the ground. "C'mon, get the fuck up!" Van screams, his blood pressure shooting up. "Want to rob MY house?! Want to break in here?! HUH?!" Van kicks the shaking body with his size 16, hearing the pop of ribs, and watching a final convulsion. "Whoa...wait...I didnt hit him that hard..." Looking up, he takes stock of the situation. "The sliding glass doors to the porch have been..broken through? And this guy on the ground...he's got glass shards everywhere...what the fuc..." Van leans down and rolls over the intruder...to see half his face torn apart, one eye missing...and the other begin to flutter. "Oh what in the FUCK!" Van pushes off and scoots back...trying to get his bearings. "There is NO WAY this guy just...whoa..whoa..what..." Shocked, Van watches as the body begins to twitch...and a hand shoots out to grab Van's leg. "Whoa! Get the FUCK OFF!" Kicking as hard as he can, Van beats off his would-be attacker, shocked that anything like this could transpire. The time to be shocked is past though, as the sound of crunching glass gets his attention. 3 more ghastly disfigured creatures begin to shamble into Van's house. "Oh balls..." was all he could manage before "Fight or Flight" kicked in. Weighing his options, Van gets up and takes off for the back door to his house, grabbing the keys to his Expedition on the way out. Bombing through rooms, he turns the corner and sees his back door already being assaulted by hands and arms. Skidding to a halt, Van bombs up the stairs to his room, and opens the window for the first time. Outside he cant believe his eyes. Legions of these..these THINGS...walking around, as his neighbors attempt to flee. Gunshots sound out as he sees his neighbor from across the street, Mr. Fielding, attempting to shoot everything in his path with a .22, only to be quickly swallowed by the teaming masses of the...the Zombies. "No FUCKING way dude...no no no no. This isn't one of my comic books...this isnt a movie..no WAY are there zombies..."

Panic quickly strikes Van as he realizes that his mother, who'm he'd cared for since his father's death 2 years previous was still out there, as was his girlfriend, who even though they'd only been dating for a month or so, he cared deeply about. Looking about his room for a weapon, hearing the sounds of shambling and stumbling coming from the first floor, Van breathes deep and hard as he goes into his closet to pull out the one thing that could do any damage. "Never thought this would come in handy..." he thinks to himself as he retrieves a cerimonial Spartan sword. Given to him as a Christmas present from a friend that didn't get out of the house much, he had always joked about it. Now it was his only means of protection. Taking a deep breath, Van exits his house through his bedroom window and lowers himself gently to the ground like he used to as a kid sneaking out of the house. Quickly getting to his car, he turns the key in the ignition and hops on his cell phone, first trying his mother. Nothing. Gunning the massive engine of the Expedition, he tears off down the street, mowing down anything, living or dead, in his way. Calls his mother again...still, no response. He begins to fly past 45...50...the speedometer rising every second. He had to get to his mother...it was his duty to protect her. To watch over her. With no answer from his mother, he calls his girlfriend Kaitlyn. One ring...two...three...voicemail. FUCK. "Hey Kait, baby, its Van, I dont know WHAT the fuck is going on but *BEEP*" Looking at his call waiting, he see's Kaitlyn is calling him back! Thank God! "Baby!" "Hun, where the fuck are you!?" "I'm going to find my mom...babe, what IS this shit? You ok?" "Yeah, I'm at the Police Station, they put out a call to all the cadets earlier..." Of course, Van thought, she's a damn cop, she'd know about this before anyone else. "Listen baby, I'm safe here at the police station...go get your mom, and come back here, k?" "Allright baby, i'm going, i'll see you when i get there" Too bad that never came to fruition...


Bombing down the street at 60 miles and hour, taking down anything in the path of the big SUV, Van arrived at the school his mother worked at, and stopped. He put the car in park and put his head down on the wheel...and wept. For the first time since his fathers death, he wept. He sat in that car and cried for what seemed like an eternity. It wasn't until he heard the sound of something slamming into the body of the car that he shifted gears and pulled away...leaving the teaming masses of the dead that had overrun the school behind him...and the corpse of his mother shambling after him as he drove away....

Becoming much like a mindless, thoughtless zombie himself, he just sets his mind on getting to the police station...getting to Kait. Breathing deep, attempting to not totally loose his mind, he is oblivious to the carnage going on around him...oblivious to anything...including where he's going. Going too fast and not with enough control over the big car, as he takes a turn too quickly, the SUV tips onto two wheels and crashes to its side.

Moments pass...and no movement from the car. Finally, Van's big arms come up from the top of the passangers side window. Grasping his sword in his hands, he sits on top of the car for a moment and talks to himself, as he's known to do. "Well Z, you can do one of two things right now. You can either sit here and wait for those things to come get you, kill as many as you can, and then go join Mom...wherever she is. Or, you could fight and try to get to Kait, try to survive...try to live. Choice is yours buddy." Setting his chiseled jaw, Van hops down and climbs over the top of the hilly road...to gaze upon the gigantic structure known as the Testament Mall. Hearing gunshots in the distance, he breaks out into a sprint. People. There's people around. Maybe he could get a car...get a lift to the police station where he and Kaitlyn can be together and be safe. Drawing his sword, he sprints through the crowd of Zombies, hacking and slashing at them, chopping off heads...those he dosent put down immediatly begin to follow him as he bee-lines towards the door. He see's a woman in Police attire through the glass doors, her head in her hands. Banging at the door, screaming out "Hey! Hey! Let me in!!" Looking behind him, he sees the zombies closing in. "FUCK!" Van thinks, bombing out to give himself more room, swinging his sword around. Hacking, slashing, kicking, punching, doing anything for survival. Looking back to where the cop was, he see's she isnt there. "Oh Fuck..." he thinks, "I'm so screwed..."

 

[nightray]

Ray

I put the rifle up on my shoulder as I watch the dud bash the other things face in with his shew. I chuckle and grimes at the same time. “Good thing theirs a shoe store in this place.” I say softly to my self. I look over at Amy my little smirk still on my lips. I pull out my pack of cigs sliding out another offering one to her before lighting mine.

I then pull out a cupl clips of ammo for the 9MM handing them to the girl as well figuring she needs it more then I do at this point. I look back at the new guy waving him over as I take a seat at one of the near buy tables putting my rifle up where it’s easy to get at.

I tilt my head slightly lessoning as the sound of some one or something beating at one of the doors echoes threw the mall. I role my eyes taking along nerve settling drag off the cig. “Ok ether some one needs help or some thing is rely hungry.” I say softly not caring if the other two hear me or not.

 

[BrklynKnight]

Hearing the bashing on the door echo through the mall and the various gun shots Alex's Curiosity finally over came his fear.

"Who the heck is out there? If your human speak up already!"he hollared at the top of his lungs and listened as it echoed through out the Mall .

"Well if anything is in here it knows im here too so i better not stay in one place for long."he said thinking aloud.

Standing he slowly walked out of the store and began to search around. As he passed the multiple outlest he noticed the windows broken in and merchandise sprawled all over the floor.

He saw the body of a woman sprawled across the floor, the cold corpse must of been lying there for a while now. Her throaght chewed out, probably by one of those zombie freaks.

He passed by the corpse just as he began to hear light scratching on the floor behind him.

"Oh fuck me!" he swore as he spun around to see the corpse rising from the floor. IN a panic he used his momentum and clubed the woman in the head with the barrel of the shot gun sending her sprawling to the floor. Then regaining his wits he unloaded into the woman.

Shot,
reload,
shot,
reload,
shot,
reload.

The booming sound of the shotgun echoed throught the otherwise silent mall.

"STAY DEAD, FUCKING STAY DEAD!!" Alex screamed.

 

[baroque]

Amy walks over and grabs some cold hot dogs from the "Hog Heaven" booth at the food court. "What now Ray?" She runs her fingers up and down the barrel seductively.

"Do we stay here, or do we move out?"

 

[badbabysitter]

OOC

sorry for not being on..real life has intruded recently

IC

All hell had broken loose again, Linda's brain snapped back to the here and the now.

No time for grief, no time for breaks.

Gunshots from within the mall, banging of glass to her right. Thank god, there were survivors. She took a glance at the entrance. Theres a young man cleaving of all things a sword at a pack of what looks like the remains of tourists.

Linda's muscles burned like acid as she got to her feet. She had spent the whole damn night fighting these things and it wasnt going to get better. She made a quick dash to the remote lock, eliciting a curse from her new friend as she dropped from sitght.

A fumbled word and curses and she flipped the switch to open the door, and headed back.

She pulled her glock and the one belonging to her former partner and hauled ass to the door. The young man was still handling himself, but for how long is the question.

"GET DOWN!!!" she yelled as she barreled at the door, bashing it open with a sideways block.She stepped to just in front of the man and dropped to one kneee and let free controlled fires at the beasts.

BLAM BLAM BLAM

10 shots and 3 seconds later there was a mild swath away from the ghouls but more were coming.

The young man seemed shellshocked for a moment, more shots could be heard from inside the mall.

" Damnit, get the fuck in the mall" Linda cursed.

He didnt need a second offer and was inside, followed half a second by Linda, slamming the door shut.

Right on the arm of a ghoul. Fortunately sword man was there to "disarm" the intruder and the limb feel to the floor still half twitching for a few moments., as Linda locked the door.


She stopped for a moment and took a half breath. She looked into his eyes and saw the half crazed, half afraid look she had been seeing all night. He stillhad his shit together it seemd, she just hoped it lasted.

Even more shots from inside the mall.

" Jesus.." she muttered. She had to investigate.

" Stay here..and dont open that damn door"

Aching she moved into the mall

 

[poohlive]

Matthew had tried for several hours to pray, but he couldn't think of the words. Nothing came to him, nothing that could even begin to describe this, to plead for this. He was lost, and hopelessness was the only thing to hold onto.

Inside the church, a dozen or more people had gathered. On the news, in the early morning, they had said this was one of the safe zones. A place where military were going to store you, until they could provide transportation to Fort Baxter. It was only outside the city, South on the highway. A half an hour to freedom.

When Matthew had gotten there in the morning, a huge government truck was already there. They were just about to send people to the base. Matthew, finally relieved, and happy to be a part of safety had jumped on, but a few minutes later a grandmother came with her daughter....

The 8 year old girl was bitten. Blood rushing down her arm. Matthew gave up his seat for the girl, and her grandmother, hoping they could get some medical treatment at the base... He could wait for the next transport. It would be along shortly.

That had been 8 hours ago. Things were turning bad. The shit, as they say, had hit the fan. Military guards, armed to the teeth, who occasionally only shot at a passing zombie or two, had now bunkered the entire place down, shooting at random, throwing gernades into huge crowds that now gathered around the barricaded front doors.

No one was allowed sanctuary.

Now, in the early morning light, the sounds of war and death had stopped. The guns were silent, and the droning groands of those beasts were becoming ever stronger. Matthew didn't need to be told what happened. Either those fucking guards had been eaten, or they abandoned their posts.

Matthew looked up through the stained glass window, seeing those creatures out there, waiting, watching, hoping for a chance at flesh inside.

No transport was coming. The roads didn't look like roads anymore. They had become barrenous wastelands of desert... tumbleweeds of broken cars, and undead hordes.

There was no end.

"We need to get out of here."

10. He counted 10 people in all. Ten people needed to get the fuck out of this church before it became an all night Buffet for those flesh eaters out there. Matthew bit his lower lip.

"Does anyone know where Fort Baxter is?"

"I've driven that road hundreds of times. I can get us there," a trucker, over fifty. He was bald, but one couldn't see it with his sweat stained hat on. He was overweight, but looked as pale as death. Matthew couldn't blame him.

"Ok, how is everyone? Could you run if you had to?"

Nods and general murmurs of agreement. They were all physically ok. Shaken up, emotionally fucked in the ass, but physically they were ok.

"Then, all we need is a truck... or a van."

Four women in the group, none of them looked like they were much help. Too old, too scared, and one held a son in her arms, crying softly to herself. Two other men, the trucker, and some lean man who looked like a computer nerd that hadn't seen daylight in years. And four children, even less help.

That left him.

Eenie Meenie Minie Moe...

"Ok, here's how it's going to work. I'm going out, I'll find a truck, or a van, or something to carry us all, ok? Then, we're going to Fort Baxter. We'll make it there, and get all the help we need. Ok?"

Some people agreed, others didn't seem to care. Matthew would have liked a priest or something to be by their side. No such luck though. God granted them a church, that was it... the rest is up to them.

He walked out to the back of the church.

"Wait," The nerdy looking man caught up with him, "You're going out there?"

Matthew sighed, looked at all the other people, and then nodded.

"You're crazy, you know that? They'll kill you."

"Yeah... waiting her to die is just as crazy. At least this way we have a chance."

The nerdy guy shook his head.

"What are you, Rambo?"

Matthew laughed, "No, I'm a marketing salesman."

The back of the church held small offices and rooms of varying size. Some of them were wildly decorated for children, while others simply had chairs and tables. In the far back, he reached two double doors, locked to the outside world.

"My name's Craig."

Matthew turned around, seeing the nerd had followed him.

"Craig? I'm Matthew."

"You a religious man at all, Matthew?"

Matthew shook his head.

"You'd better start, cause we need a miracle to pull this off."

Matthew nodded. He opened the door, and Craig went out first, careful of the scene. Several creatures, who had been grazing on some fallen corpse, turned their head at the noise.

The back of the church opened up to their parking lot. On Sundays, this would normally be full of cars, trucks, and vans, taking families to pray for forgiveness of their sins, but this was far from a Sunday. Sunday was a religious day, and this was an anti-religious day.

One van was parked in the lot though, with a huge cross on it. A church van. Matthew thanked the lord for small favors, and called Craig back inside.

"We need to find the keys to that van. They've got to be around here somewhere."

They searched tirelessly inside the offices, tossing papers, throwing files, destroying God's holy house of worship. It turned out the keys were on a huge Bulletin Board on the side of one of the offices, with a huge sign above it that said:

VAN KEY. THE GOOD LORD WANTS YOU TO REFILL HIS RIDE WHEN YOU'RE DONE.

Matthew smiled as he picked it up, "Sure, you can turn water into wine, but can't spring for a few gallons?"

He dismissed it, going back to the double doors. Craig was ready, poised at the entrance, holding parts of a broken chair. Huge spikes, they seemed sharp enough to be helpful.

"Now who's Rambo?" Matthew said, eyeing the nerd up and down.

"Hey, when in Rome..."

Indeed, when in Rome, get the fuck out before the locals eat your ass. Matthew couldn't agree more. He opened the doors, shoving out as fast as he could.

The two creatures had found a couple of friends, and they were out in the parking lot, waiting. Matthew made a straight dash to the van, ducking one of the zombies by mere inches. He felt the dead flesh on his back as he slipped by.

A blud curdling sound caught him as he turned back, seeing one fo those spikes imbedded deep into the skull of an undead. Craigh hollared in victory as he pushed another one out of the way.

"Come on!!!" Matthew yelled, jumping into the van, and starting it up.

Craig came bounding along side it, and jumped into the passenger seat. He yelled in pure victory pounding on the dashboard.

"You crazy motherfucker."

"I got one, did you see? Mother fucker!!! Got him right in the head. Ha ha.

"I saw... Craig. I saw. You ok?"

"Yeah, just a little bite. Damn fuckers, only got a piece though."

Craig showed him his pinky finger. A couple of small cuts, nothing more. Considering three of them were on him, Matthew thought Craig made it out quite well.

"That's all right. We can put some water on it, and there'll be doctors and shit at the Fort."

"Yeah man, let's get them and go."

Matthew needed no encouragement. He pulled the van right up to the door, so the panel side was just inches from the double doors. He moved back into the van, opening it up, and knocking as hard as he could.

"COME ON!!! COME ON!!! WE'RE MOVING NOW!!!!"

The doors opened, and everyone flooded in as fast as they could. Matthew got into the driver's seat, floored the van, and headed South.

They were going to freedom.

 

[nightray]

Ray

I smils faintly at Amy as she grabs some hot dogs. I shrug at her question as I put my riffle over my shoulder agene. “Well I’d say stay her for a little wile, at least rest and regroup arm up and see if the army comes in with there gun blazing.” I walk slowly over to her my eyes looking her over carefully as I pass her walking around the hot dog booth.

I look over the equipment then hit a switch smiling as the wormer starts moving. I put some cold dogs in it not liking to eat them cold like that. I look up at Amy and wink. I put my arms on the counter as I wait for the doges to cook my eyes moving around the mall. I watch the guy with the now messy shoe walking tords us tilting my head as I hear the pounding at the door stop only to be replaced with the yelling of some one ells. I sigh softly as I look at Amy agene. “Yaw know I was kind of looking foresd to seeing this place quite for once.” I chuckle softly as I smirk. I shrug then. “I gess that was wishful thinking.” I chuckle softly agene.

I look past her shoulder my smirk fading as I see one of my least faver people walking down the hall. I sigh softly. “Look there one of them S.W.O.T Galls.” I say softly my eyes hardening slightly they had cut in to my profits more then once with there persistent rades. I new her face never really met but I wouldn’t be surprised if she new me. I was well known as a fealry big dealer just never any proof. Thou if she took a look in my duffle she would find her proof it didn't just have money in there after all. I shrug agene and look back at Amy putting the pig out of my mind for now.

 

[BrklynKnight]

Sighing and walking through the mall, finnally bringing himself to reality and calming himself down. He decided to make a quick stop back to the Amunitions store. Figuring if there where other people here the more guns and ammo he could bring the better, he loaded himself with as much as he could fit in the small duffle he found stashed behind the counter. This included a few Berretta's a load of shotgun and pistol ammo. He even found what mustof been the clerks secret stash including a small full auto machine pistol. He figured hes keep that lil toy close, shoving it down the back of his belt.

Now satisfied he walked off to where he last heard the gunshots.

As he walked a familiar smell drifted to his nose, although it seemed a bit out of place admist the carnage... hot dogs.

As he approached he saw four figures.

Three of which standing relatively near a hotdog cart, which he assumed was where the smell was coming from . the other , judging from the uniform was swat.

"YO!! you guys human? If you are i got a whole buncha guns for ya. Please be humans." he yelled out to the people.

 

[poohlive]

"Go, go. go."

It didn't come to Matthew until he had hit his seventh car, sending it out of their way, along with undead bodies feasting on their once occupants. The van, now smoking, and making a most horrendous sound each time he pressed on the gas, was dying before their very eyes. Matthew realized, at that point, they were travelling in God's van, with a huge cross on the side.

It comforted him in a way, as if this were an unbreakable cage that those flesh eaters couldn't pass. They had a barrier, the Lord's barrier, and no monster could break though.

This wasn't so much a thought, as a hope, as he saw another pile of cars in front of them.

The freeway had turned into a parking lot, causing Matthew to make it on side streets and regular roads. This proved even more impossible since they had become parking lots as well. But, with no way to turn back, they had to push through. The van had taken a few gentle nudgings, before beginning to wane and lax. Now, as Matthew tried his hardest to play bumper cars with the Lord's vehicle, it was just not working.

God's barrier had become a cheap Ford Motors carbon copy with reinforced steel. The radiator was all but empty, the engine sputtered like a 90 year old with a dildo up her ass, and zombies now were pounding on the sides of the glass, waiting to come inside. Supper is on boys, just step right up. God will be with you in a moment, he's dealing with an apocalypse right now.

Matthew had gunned it, one final bounce for the van as it sent two other cars spiralling away in a sheet of sparks and glass. The van lurched, tried to keep going, and then stalled. It rolled to a lazy stop, and Matthew already had the door open.

"Go, go, go!!!" He repeated, pulling open the door for the rest of the group. He stood there, defensive, waiting for the zombies to come running. As if on cue, they were, jumping over cars, running passed glass and fire and twisted steel. Matthew saw one of them was barefoot. God, was that even possible?

They scattered, different lanes, different roads. Back alleys. Matthew saw in horror as no one had any direction, any plan. They just ran.

He helped the last woman out, the mother, with the son in her arms.

"Take him," She said, pushing him into Matthew's arms. Matthew shook his head, trying to dissuade her.

"No, come on. We'll all go."

Instead, the mother only smiled, and then ran... towards the zombies. Matthew just stared in shocked confusion. Had he thought it were possible, had he seen it one moment before it happened, he would have grabbed her hand, tried to stop her. But, when his hand came out, she was just inches away from it.

She hurled herself between the zombies. She took one down, and grabbed the other one just so it couldn't keep running either. They both went down with her, and began chewing happily. Matthew turned, shielding this from the boy, who was already crying and struggling for his mother.

Matthew felt tears, hot and rapid in his eyes, but he didn't let them last.

"Come on, we need to move."

He ran out to the intersection, half pulling, half carrying the young boy, still looking back at his mother...

His mother who had saved them both.

Shots fired only a few blocks away. Matthew heard them, like a beacon. He moved, picking up the kid, dashing past cars and debris that littered the pavement. Yesterday this had been a street, a real street, and now... now it looked like some set for a disaster movie. Smoke everywhere, blackened cars still on fire, lumps of unidentifiable flesh, some of it still moving.

Matthew watched as an arm crossed the street by pulling itself with its hand. It left a trail of pulled muscle and coagulated blood.

As he rounded a corner, he saw a police station. Yes!!! He had found salvation. The police...

But, one look told him this was far from it. Salvation was littered with zombies. They were piling up on the cars and barricades that surrounded the huge double door entrance. Two cops with shotguns were keeping most of the beasts at bay, but it wasn't for long.

Matthew ran, looking for a weak link in the barricade, trying to find a way inside.

"We're human!!! We're alive!!!" He screamed, as several beasts turned around.

"Quick, get in one of the cars, they're unlocked!!! If you can!!!"

Two police cars were among the things used to barricade the front doors. Matthew nodded, as he ran for the nearest one, only one zombie in front of it. The thing might get one bite off, maybe two, but nothing else. He would be ok.

Matthew set the kid down, as he ducked in front of the zombie, and let the thing fall into him. It tried to bite, but Matthew caught it by the throat, hurling it towards another zombie running towards them at top speed.

He grabbed for the kid, but it was too late. The kid had run back to his mother... who, surprisingly was turning the corner. What had happened? It must have been a miracle. She opened her arms to the kid, who ran into them eagerly.

"Wait!!!" Matthew saw it, but just too late. It wasn't his mother.... not anymore. Matthew turned away, not wanting to see the rest. He jumped into the police car, and scooching across the seat to get out the other side.

"Come on, quick." An officer, a woman led him up the steps, opening the doors, and pushed him inside. Matthew fell to the cold linoleum floor, out of breath, looking as the door closed behind them.

She held a gun to his face.

"My name is Kaitlyn, do you understand?"

The gun distracted him. He didn't speak, he couldn't speak. For a moment, he just didn't realize that a gun would be dangerous with those fucking things out there. It seemed, almost comical.

She cocked it, pressing the cold barrel against his red hot temple.

"Yes, yes," He said, fast and furious, coming back to life.

"Were you bit, did they bite you?"

"No, no they didn't."

"Good, you might just live another day," She handed him the gun, and stepped away from him.

"Come on. If you're going to stay here, you're helping..."

Matthew looked at the gun, and then back at Kaitlyn.

She grabbed a shotgun, and began to load it with ammo on assorted desks. As Matthew got to his feet, he saw that the desks had been all pushed together, and assortments of guns and ammo were all over them, pouring over the sides.

"You've just been deputized," She said, cocking the shotgun once, and moving back to the front doors, "I do hope you know how to use one of those."

Matthew nodded, following her outside, where two more officers were already shooting again. Was it him, or had the number of zombies outside doubled in the passed two minutes?

"What is the plan?"

One of the officers, a tall muscular man, who had two guns, laughed out loud, "This is the plan, Jack. You are looking at it."

"We were trying to get to Fort Baxter. There were ten of us. We crashed..."

"They're all dead," He said, as he put his guns down, lit a cigarette, picked up two more, and began shooting fuckers again, "Ain't nowhere to go, ain't nothing to do. This is it."

"But, we were going to Fort Baxter, it's..."

"Gone. It's a fucking tomb, This is it. Come here, mother fucker. Yeah, you..."

One of the zombies trying to climb over a car had his entire head blown into a thousand little pieces. Matthew stared at the carnage with a blank apathy.

Kaitlyn moved to his side, "It's best if you don't think about it. Just shoot 'em. It makes you feel better, I promise."

Matthew raised the gun, found a young man scrambling up, and shot him in the eye. He gave a squeaky yawn, before falling behind the horde.

She was right, it did make him feel better.

 

[baroque]

Amy

Amy stares into Ray eye's as he speaks, thoughts coming into her head. She sets down the gun and watches the greasy hot dogs, their lunch begining to beam with light

"You know, we could get a little revenge on that S.W.A.T bitch, if we could get that handcannon away from her."


A devilish grin grows on her face, and she licks her lips.

"What do you say, cowboy?"

 

[poohlive]

They abandoned the entrance soon enough. The temporary barricade could hold a few zombies at bay, and even a couple dozen if there were some good shooters out there, but now... a good fifty of them were scrambling over the cars, pushing passed cement blocks, and pressing hard against the solid oak double doors.

"And they're all gone?" Matthew had been asking about other cops, reinforcements. Back-up. A word that had been on his tongue since this whole thing had started. Back-up. Where in the hell was all the back-up?

"It started so small. We thought we could contain a few riot areas. When it spread, we got defensive, moving to key areas. Hospitals, emergency stations, places the government called 'safe zones.'"

Matthew remembered the church, alone and abandoned before dawn had ever come upon this gravesite that used to be a city.

"Then... nothing. No one called, no one came back. We haven't had a solid answer from anyone in over an hour. We think they either fled, or were eaten."

"Killed," Kaitlyn corrected him.

"Same fucking difference," The man, smoking another cigarette, loading up more guns for himself. His name was Gage, and right now, he was about as close to Rambo as they got. The other two officers were old bald guys who had spare tires, and looked like they held comfortable desk jobs until this morning. The whole world had been a comfortable desk job until this morning. God, how things change.

"They could still be out there, locked up, trapped like us."

Gage cocked his head, "And what if they are?"

"Well..." Matthew didn't know. He just, he liked the idea of people, and he wanted more of them. As many as they could find.

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly."

"We have to at least try..."

Gage bellowed out smoky laughter, throwing Matthew a police radio.

"Fucking go for it, kid."

He went out to one of the windows, and continued shooting. Matthew sat there, the radio in his hands, looking at it, and then back at Gage, shooting like a mad man.

"He's been waiting for this, hasn't he?"

Kaitlyn sat down beside him, her hand found his, "All his life. He's helping though, so it's best to stay out of his way."

"You really think we should stay here?"

She didn't answer.

Matthew started fiddling with the radio, "Hello, hello. This is Matthew at the police station. Is anyone out there? Can anyone hear my voice, over?"

Kaitlyn watched him, as he repeated it over and over again, to nothing but static. A silence interrupted only by silence, and Gage's eventual outburst of joy over another enemy slaughtered.

"There isn't anyone," Kaitlyn said, after he had been around the list of stations three times now. Matthew nodded, solemnly.

"But, what's the harm in trying?"

"You keep thinking they're still here. You keep thinking they're alive. They're dead, they're all dead. We're the only ones left."

Matthew saw something hard in her eyes, something forced and unfeeling. He understood now, why she wasn't going to try.

"Are you afraid of losing him, or are you afraid of finding him?"

She didn't answer the question.

"He could still be out there."

No response.

"Please..."

Kaitlyn took out her cell phone, pressing a single number. Speed dial. She stared at him hard, as if knowing this wasn't going to work.

"Hello, is anyone out there?" He turned to another station on the radio, again hoping someone would answer.

Someone would have to answer.

 

[badbabysitter]

Linda went from entrance to entrance ensuring the dorrs were locked, never bothering to come close to the survivors. They seemed to be okay, have their shit together somewhat as they gobbled down hotdogs in the food court.

Feeling somewhat secure herself for a moment , she stopped and leaned against the last mall entrance door. ignoring the dismebowled early morning jogger flapping bloody fists against the reinforced glass. She took a deep breath and got herself together.

'Play it cool, Riggs, you're only safe for the moment..for the moment..'


she went over her personal armory again. 2 glocks fully loaded, 4 extrac lips. 2 ithaca stakeout shotguns, fully stocked with 3 full boxes of shells, 1 44 auto mag, 2 extra clips, her mace, her nightstick and 4 flashbangs.

To anyone else she was a walking arsenal, but odds are she'd need more before the day was through. The mall was secure now, but who knows what was inside.

Linda drew herself together and made her way into the food court and took a look at the survivors. Vaguely fmailiar, she thought..could be cops, or copuld be skels she had busted. Made no difference anymore anyway.

There were a few there, 2 men and a woman..shit..Ray. Linda was in such not a mood to deal with this right now, that bullshit ended the moment people started eating each other.

She could tell by the wary cold looks she was getting that the other woman was no friend to the PD either. She holstered her .44 and put her ahnds up in a shrug.

What..ya think i'm going to bust you/...dont know if you've noticed, but the whole legal system kinda ended today.'

Shje sauntered right past them and slipped into 'Hog Heaven' and grabbed herself a gatorade. Downed it in a few quick gulps and leaned onto the counter.

'You guys want the good news or the bad news first..' she stopped looking for a reaction

Tiredly she continued, she was exhausted sore emotionally drained. This morning she had been a cop, a wife, a mother. Now, she was a survivor in a wolrd that didnt want survivors anymore.

'The bad news is.. there is no help coming, no army, no miracle cure, no tactical strike, no saviours, we're alone in this as of now... the good news is..we're safe in here as long as the supplies last and no one decides to go for a stroll outside'

She was about to elaborate when she got some squabble from the emrgency channel on her police radi on her belt. She hadnt heard anything from anyone in hours, but here it was..someone was alive.

"Hello, is anyone out there? came the unsure voice from the other end

' hello, this is Lt Linda Riggs, SWAT, we're secure in Testament Mall, over'

She waited half sweating for a response

 

[poohlive]

"... Riggs, we're secure in Testament Mall, over."

Testament Mall. People... She said we, she said we and that meant more people.

"Swat... She's swat, and there's more than one of her. There are people alive..."

Kaitlyn nodded her head, slowly. Matthew couldn't tell, but he thought he saw confusion mixed in with hope. A mall. A mall, if they had to be stuck somewhere, with these fuckers outside, a mall would be perfect, wouldn't it? All the items useful for survival. Everything from air mattresses in Sporting Goods store, to food, to fresh coffee.

Gage gave a haughty noise which Matthew didn't recognize, but then again, he didn't have to. The tone said it all.

"Testament mall? It's all the way across fucking town. What are we supposed to do about that shit?"

Matthew stared at the walkie talkie, and then back at Gage. It was a long way, miles and miles, inside this fucking jungle of a town. Even if they could get to a car, it wouldn't last long.

"There's..." He counted, "Five of us, including me. My name is Matthew. We are at the police station. Four cops... and one suvillian, I guess."

Kaitlyn gave him a small wink, hit the button and said, "Over."

"Oh, right."

He smiled thanking her.

"We've got the ammo. We can take one of the assault vans."

Kaitlyn was thinking now. They could plow their way through the fucking city... with government arsenal in their hands. Matthew thought it was brilliant.

The older guys were already stocking up, getting things ready.

"Oh fucking shit. What do you mean 'we'? You think tweedle dee and tweedle dum are gonna help much? It's you and me here Kaitlyn, everyone else is baggage."

Matthew bit his lower lip. He hated to admit it, but he was right. Point blank was one thing, shooting these guys, but if they were in a car, speeding along, he was fucking useless."

"Herb."

One of the older gentlemen nodded his head, "You can drive."

"No problem."

"We can do this. You and I will take the rear, keep the hatch open, fucking shoot whatever decides to hang on. Jonathin, you can run sidecar, navigate as best you can, and tell us when Herb's about to hit anything big, and Matthew here and reload us when we're out."

A plan. A solid plan. They had a plan again. Matthew was liking this. This was exciting. They were getting their shit together.

"Oh, fucking come on," Gage kicked apart a desk, sending shards flying across the room, "I'm gonna fucking babysit while you pieces of shit go running off on a half cocked suicide mission to the mall?"

Matthew didn't like the plan so much coming from Gage's perspective.

"Either that, or we stay here. Just on food alone we'd last three days."

Gage pointed the gun loosely in the direction of the two guy in back, loading guns and lining them up.

"That can be fixed..."

Matthew was about to stand up, say something, but Kaitlyn beat him to it.

"We're going, Gage. You can come or stay. We'll leave you plenty of ammo."

Gage gave a half smile, "My ass. There's never ammo with these fuckers."

Gage turned in on himself, thinking and breathing hard for a moment. Matthew could see wheels turning, slowly but surely.

"Fucking babysitter," He muttered under his breath, but gave a nod. It was as close to a yes as Gage could come up with.

They had a plan.

"We're coming over, as soon as we can," Matthew spoke into the walkie talkie, "We're coming to see you real soon. Over."

 

[krazykyotee]

The main four lane street was remarkedly quiet, for this time of the day. The undead were starting to squabble over the corpses, now. Packs of two or more were picking over the remains of corpses half pulled out of their SUVs and compacts, haphazardly parked all over the street lanes now like toy cars. Nothing was breaking their concentration as they gorged themselves... until they heard the sound coming down the street..The roar of a heavy diesel engine over the sounds of rending steel and breaking glass broke the silence.

As they looked up with their filmed over eyes, they saw the source. A white Peterbilt tracker trailer, with blue lines, was smashing its way down the crowded lanes, with any vehicle in its path being pushed or thrown to the sides. A man was at the wheel of the white rig, and did not flinch as the heavy ply tires rolled over a zombie in the remains of a Armani suit.

Brad had seen a lot of things on the thousands upon thousands of miles he put under him at the wheel of his cherished "Tacoma Tess", but this has got to take the almighty cake on this day. Shifting down a gear to shove a Honda aside, he glanced to his left hand mirror, just to see a unwelcome grizly visitor about to climb his way into the window. Adjusting his stub of a cigar, he picked up the H&K USP pistol lying next to him and calmly squeezed off a few rounds into the forehead of, well, whatever it is now, and muttered, "No hitchhikers".

Laying the pistol back down on the seat, Brad just caught the last of a conversation on the CB, the first he'd heard anyone on it the last few hours. Sounds likes some folks need a ride to that mall on the other side of town. Cranking the wheel hard over and rolling a Beetle over in the process, Brad gunned the engine and steered twoards the police station

 

[badbabysitter]

bump

 

[poohlive]

Ooc: I think the zombies ate them all. How sad, I liked how they were about to cry mutiny over the SWAT officer.



It wasn't until part of the ceiling actually started to chip away, falling lightly over their heads that Matthew took any notice. He heard, or rather felt, something grumbling towards them. Outside, he could see the zombies moving away, those who weren't already slammed up against the police door.

"Look," Matthew told the others, coming over to the window. They saw it coming down the street, crashing against everything it could, finding a trail where there was none before. It flattened zombies, crushed cars, and went down the street as many others had just yesterday.

"Fuck a duck."

Gage winked, "Looks like our ride's here."

Grabbing up the rest of their supplies, they opened the double doors, making a rush outside. Zombies piled in, but found themselves in a hail of gunfire, unable to do anything else besides die once more.

Running, crawling, and scrambling over the undead dead bodies, the small team made their way outside, where the huge truck now stood idle. Gage was in the front, shooting with such precision, Matthew could only compare it to a neurosugeon. This man made death an art form.

The elder gentlemen shot where they could, bringing up the rear, as Matthew and Kaitlyn jumped into the back, helping them in. Gage got into the passenger side, shooting two more who tried to follow him.

"Much abliged partner. This is the best piece of fucking shit I've seen in my entire life. You know where we're going, don't you?"

Gage could understand that he did, and where to find him. The man had a CB, after all.


In the back, Kaitlyn pulled her gun out, aiming it at Herb, who was holding his hand as blood trickled down his arm.

"What are you doing?" Matthew knelt down at Herb, looking at the wound.

"He's gotta die."

"What? Why?"

"He's been bitten."

Matthew didn't get it, "So?"

"That's how you get to be one of them. They bite you, it's something in the blood. You get bitten, you die, and then you come back."

Herb gave them a sick sadly look, almost painful.

"No, wait. Come on, that can't be how..."

"I've seen it happening all night. Bites, infections. We heard some stories over the radio at the hospital before it got over run too. He'll be undead in a matter of hours."

She cocked the trigger.

"We can't just kill him, can we?"

"If we want to live... we have to."

Herb shook his head, taking out his own gun, "You don't need to do that."

Smiling, the old gentleman took out his gear, most of the ammo, and even unloaded the gun he was carrying, aside from one bullet. He jumped off the back, into the street, where other zombies who had been following them were about to overtake them.

Matthew watched in horror as he put the gun to his head, and pulled the trigger. As the body fell to the ground, Matthew turned away, tears filling his eyes.

Kaitlyn wrapped her arms around him, "I'm sorry."

 

[krazykyotee]

Brad gunned the engine, aiming the nose of the tractor twoards the mall. Jamming his gun behind his belt, he started talking, his eyes never leaving the road ahead.

"Sorry about the tight fit folks, the sleeper section aint really designed for this many people."

"That was some nice shootin back there, bud. You in the Army? Marines? Ranger myself, 3rd Battalion. Truck driver during
Somalia. This reminds me a bit of that....except the somalis werent trying to eat your brains."

"Shouldn't take too long to get to the mall from here..." Brad's voice trailed off as he cocked an ear twoards the engine. A sound started working itself louder and louder, over the folks talking in the cab and the demolition derby outside."Ah nuts, i think one of those hits we took nailed the tranny.Hope one of you folks have an idea, cause this rig is coming to a grinding halt here very soon."

Only now did beads of sweat start to appear on his brow.