Fiction Short Story – The Outbreak (Part-1)
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It all started on a Saturday and I was on my way to work for over time when during my drive on the high way there was a loud explosion and I saw a ball of fire form in the air about 6 miles ahead of me. Each car slammed on their breaks each came to a stop with screeching tires. Once we stopped I got out of my car to try to get a better look at what was going on. I could not see a thing but I could hear screaming. I could not figure out what was going on till I finally realized where I was and I put two and two together… the explosion was the nuclear plant that was exactly 3 miles from where I was. I got back in my car to pull away when I saw people screaming and running away from the direction of the fire. They kept looking back over their shoulder as if they were being chased by their darkest fears. Then I saw it, the horror that was about to come. I knew what it was from the second I laid eyes on the first one. It was zombies! I jumped in my car threw it in reverse and matted it and got the hell out of there. This is where my journey began.
I drove and I drove till my car ran out of gas. I made it to a little town outside of Ohio. The zombies did not make it there yet, I took advantage of this and began to stock up I bought 10 big jugs of gasoline cans and filled them up along with my car, put it all on my credit card because let’s face it, I’ll never have to pay it off. I bought cans of beans cases upon cases of water. I put my back seats down and packed my car full with supplies. I stole three guns from where ever I could get them with no scene. I hid my car as best as I could. I found myself checking into a hotel and spending the rest of the real world watching television, an yes I know very boring but I felt since I would never be able to watch another episode of family guy or supernatural again why not make it one of the last thing I can do.
I spent two weeks in this town before I started to see the signs. I would over hear peoples’ conversations at the bar. One women talked about how her mother has not called her in a week and it’s unusual because she calls twice a week. I would set an alarm every night for every two hours at first and then each new night set it for an hour earlier waiting for it to take this town over. Now I’m sure you might be asking why don’t I warn anyone well because I know no one would have believed me, and it would have sent word around about me and I just didn’t need that.
The night finally came I heard the screams again. I jumped up out of bed grabbed my jacket and suitcase and rushed out the door I was on the fourth floor of the hotel. My weapon as of now, a bat… I cautiously but urgently made my way down the flights of stairs to the first floor. Surprisingly I did this with no problem once I got the first floor stairwell exit I heard a door slam against the wall and footsteps rushing down the stairs with the sound of footsteps chasing after. I shouted out “First floor! I’m down here! First floor!”
She came running down with a crow bar in her hand and two zombies trailing right behind. Once she was with me she turned and beat the one zombies head to the point it looked like a flatted beach ball. I took out the other once. I asked her what her name was and she replied now’s the time let’s get out of here! I told her follow me I have a way out. On our way to the car which was only around the corner in an ad banded garage. We came across five zombies just standing there around an unconscious victim with what looked like her ribs out of the skin and stripped clean of the meat that was at one point attached. Before I knew it the girl was standing over two of them heads unattached and she took down the next one and I finished the other two off. We made it to my car and hopped in we got out of that little town and got back on the highway.
We were driving down interstate, and we began to talk and introduce our selves. Hello my name is dean what is yours?
“My friends call me K.”
She asked me where I’m from and I told her. I’m from Pennsylvania. She told me she was born in Washington but was raised in Luthersmill where we met.
So K, you were pretty good back there where did you learn all of that?
“Let’s just say I play a lot of video games, and my life was call of duty.”
I thought to myself that explains it all. So I guess you don’t need my help to survive do it?
“Not as much as you need me but traveling alone is not the best option.
Neither is traveling in a big group no more than four is what I believe. K looks in the back.
“Looks like you were prepared?” I smiled. Before I could think, before I knew what I was doing I just said in an awkward soft-spoken way. I saw the first ones. I was there to witness the first outbreak. K looked at me and asked what happen, and what I knew. So I told her I was on my way to work three weeks ago. There was an explosion at a nuclear plant the radiation caused people to change into zombies but the more I think about it there not really zombies. They can run zombies cannot run or think for themselves. This is more like I am Legend, or Resident Evil anyway I only have three guns were soon going to need more. “I know just where to go take this right up ahead.”
We arrive at a looks like an air bunker. “This is where my team would come for target practice the weapons were kept in all of these bunkers. All sorts of weapons are going to be throughout here but they are mainly in just one and that’s the one with the flag of all flags.”
I did not know what she meant but I kept it to myself to save me the embarrassment of having to ask. We finally arrived at the first bunker the door was open and it was empty we kept moving to search for whatever weapon we could find. We found gas cans filled in the third bunker; I made the comment that the weapons are not going anywhere and it would be a better idea to take the gas cans to the car before continuing just in case something happens.
When we rounded the corner there were three of the creatures standing there with they’re backs toward’s us. I reached up for the machete I picked up a couple miles back, K with her brass knuckles on her left hand and a bat in the other. We both walked with ease up as closed as we could until one of them turned around and let out this hideous roar. A roar so terrifying it will never be forgotten the other two looked over right away and jumped at us. The one came sprinting at me, I side stepped and swung downward with my weapon cutting both legs from the knees down clean off I continued on to the second one slicing it over and over. K, well K did what K did best.
I walked over to the crawling scum of what used to be a living breathing human. K tossed me the bat, I pointed to the sky as “The Babe” would up at bat and took one hard swing and hit a record home run. We carried the gas cans to the car; I filled up the car with what was left in the one can and put the can in the back. We drove the car to the flag of all flags bunker. Let me tell you, I now know why they call it that. There is an American flag painted on the entire side of the bunker. We shoot the lock off the door. And proceed inside.
When we entered the bunker there it sat a huge military vehicle with the cover over the back it must of say six feet off the ground the tires were almost bigger then I am it was something you always dreamed of driving but just knew you never would unless you joined the military.
“Search the back of the bunker!” shouted K.
“There’s a safe, the combo is 34-43-34.” When I opened I could have sworn, doves flew out and it was glowing with a gold tint. 7 of them, all of them, assault rifles. I ran them to the truck. Climbed up in the back and that’s when I saw four, ten gallon tanks pushed to the back of the right side lined up.
“What you doing?” said K, making me jump out of my shoes. I found gas.
“I’m guessing you want to take this don’t you?” Yes, yes I do. “Let’s do it!”
I turned the key and heard the most powerful roar of a motor I have ever heard. I pulled the truck out as K backed the car up. We loaded up the rest of the supplies into the big truck and pulled off. After everything was packed into the truck K and I were on our way. We knew that the cities were not the best choice so we stayed away from New York and Washington D.C. I suggested going out to the country. K agreed and we started our way to the country.
“Hey pull over!” shouted K. “Over there Walmart!”
I grabbed my bat and threw the 12 gauge shotgun over my shoulder. K as always she wore her brass knuckles around her belt loop held by a thread of yarn. She also brought an ax and a rifle. We entered Walmart and standing in the express isle was a flamer. Skin all torn up his left cheek missing held on by the lips. We make eye contact and he jumps over the register and runs straight for me, I walk confidently at him. When we get close I take a stand and swing with such force, upper cutting the flamer on sending him flying backwards through the air. By this time K was dealing with her own flamer. She was toying with the worthless thing. She chopped off on arm and was working on the other. The flamer stopped and looked at where his arms should have met his body, and actually realized what had happen to him he let out a ginormous roar! That’s where that flamer’s story ended. With one swing of an ax.
As we rounded the next isle, five stood facing the shelves. We quickly crouched behind the chips. Hoping they did not see us. I turned to K to signal on the count of three. And as I turned one was standing over me, you could see the rage in his eyes fist clenched eyes burning down back at mine he jumps on top of me. He wrestles and tries to get close enough to bite hard into my flesh. K forces her brass knuckles into the temple of the flamer knocking him off of me I jump up and swing the bat deeply denting the flamer’s skull knocking him down five more forceful swings I turn around to help K with the rest but she was already shopping with a cart. Damn is she amazing or what?
As we load the car I could hear something coming from a few isles back we leave the cart and exit the isle on opposite sides making our way towards the noise. I could believe what I saw. I lowered my weapon and raised my hand finally another human. We shook hands. I introduced myself “hello my name is dean” and he smiled and said “hi I’m Aj. Aj had blond hair cut short on the sides and longer on the top. He had his hair pushed more to the one side of his head lying loose. K walked up and introduced herself. “So what’s your story?” asks K. “Well my girlfriend and I were at the movies, I went to get popcorn and when I came back I jumped over the seat and started watching the movie and two minutes later my girlfriend, well it was not my girlfriend but it was trying to attack me with force I have never felt before.” I’m sorry. “Hey don’t be, bitch was a cheating anyway I made her pay for the movie and popcorn then I was going to end it after the movie.” Aj laughs. K and I join. He asked us ours and we told him.
Now there were three of us, Dean, K, and Aj. We searched the rest of Walmart through the cloths section to the sports and games. We searched all over and found nothing, it was strange but I did not think anything about it. We each grabbed a cart and took a section to shop I went to the snacks there was not a lot left but I took what I found. Surprisingly there were some cans of pringles; there was BBQ flavor, three cans. I grabbed two barrels of party mix. There really was not anything here but it would be enough since we already been in this shit for a week now.
“K thought to herself looking at all the cloths, she was only grabbing jeans guys and girls. Shirts for all seasons, it was smart, to an extent. We would need cloths for a bit. In the movies you never see them think about that. She grabbed belts and sweatshirts and made her way through the cloths to the bottles of water. She grabbed as many as she could. All there was 2 cases of 20 which for now would definitely hold us.”
“Aj was making his way through the hunting/outdoors section looking for any weapons or supplies that we may need. He found a tent and through it in the cart. He grabbed dumbbells saying must stay in shape under his breath. He grabs a baseball bat and a machete and threw them both into the cart and moved down the aisle.”
I was almost done gathering supplies till I realized we forgot to check the back of the store. I turned to run and I was face to chest with a tall flamer skin burned looking like Freddy Kruger. I reached back for my bat and realized it was in the other isle I felt so stupid I left my weapon. Before I could yell for help the flamer grabbed me and threw me into the isle knocking me and several shelves to the ground knocking me unconscious.
***
