Benton: A Zombie Novel: Volume One Read Online Free PDF Page A

there are two more. Eli shoots them as well.
    Mark, Sara, and I are now in the van. But Eli, Gary, and Katie are still outside. Katie is screaming. She’s been screaming ever since Eli starting shooting the zombies.
    “Shut up!” Gary says. I hear another gunshot, and then I see more zombies coming toward the van. Gary gets into the van. Then, Eli.
    “Come on, Katie!” Mark shouts.
    Katie’s just standing there, holding her bag and screaming, her gun still in its holster.
    Mark and Gary rush outside the van, both shooting at more zombies. Gary grabs Katie and pushes her into the van. Then Gary gets back inside, followed by Mark. But there’s a zombie not quite disabled from its gun wounds. It tries to grab Mark’s leg, but Mark kicks it off and slams the van door. Then he hits the gas and we escape the zombies that are coming for us.
    I turn to look at Katie. “What’s the matter with you? Why didn’t you run into the van with everyone else?”
    Katie doesn’t speak. She puts her head in her hands and cries. Eli wraps his arm around Katie. “It’s okay. We’re safe now.”
    I don’t apologize to Katie. I just stare out the window as we return to the expressway, and I wonder how many zombies will be waiting for us when we get back to the garage.
    * * *
    The trip back was uneventful. After our escape from the store, we met no zombies on the expressway. There were no zombies waiting for us at the garage, either.
    Once we parked the van inside the garage and shuffled out, I apologized to Katie. She was okay, and she hugged me. Katie loves to hug.
    * * *
    It’s evening. Katie, Sara, Eli, and Gary are all playing cards, but Mark is sitting on the floor, drinking one of the beers we got from the store.
    I go sit with him. “How ya doin’?”
    He looks at me with tired eyes. “I’m okay, I guess.”
    I put my hand on his leg and, to my surprise, he puts his hand in mine.
    “I can’t wait to get to Texas,” says Mark. “I’m glad you’re coming with us.”
    “Me too. I’ve never been.”
    “It’s a nice house on about 200 acres.”
    “You’re not worried about zombies being there, are you?”
    “I am a little. But I can just picture it in my mind. Quiet. I bet it’s still quiet.” Mark holds my hand a little tighter. Then he sets down his beer and takes his other hand to my hair and brushes a bit of it away from my face. “You’re beautiful, Jen.”
    I smile, but before I can speak, Gary comes over. “You two gonna join in the card game, or what?”
    I grit my teeth. Gary stands there, staring at me.
    Mark releases my hand, grabs his beer, and stands up. “Ah . . . yeah, what are you guys playing?” He walks over to the table.
    Gary is still staring at me. “You like him?” he says.
    “It’s none of your business who I like.” I get up and walk past Gary, heading for the card game. The entire time I walk, I can feel him staring at my ass.
     
     

9.
    ABANDONED PEOPLE LIVED ON THE STREETS, or they were the elderly, who were shut off in nursing homes, or they were hermits who refused to cope with other humans. Before our world changed, I never thought I’d be one.
    Cancer killed my dad, zombies killed my mother, and my attempts to contact my family and friends had failed.
    The day I left my bedroom, I didn’t know if I’d survive, or, if I did survive, whom I would meet. But I have a new family now.
    We’re leaving this garage for good today. We’ve stocked the van with as many supplies as we could fit. There’s enough food and water to last us for at least a month; we’re stocked on gasoline and ammunition, and we’ve got plenty of medical supplies and personal products.
    We’re taking a chance that Mark’s vacation home in Texas is still okay. You would think it would be since, from what I understand, it’s practically out in the middle of nowhere. Besides, since there is a lot of land, apparently, the actual home is large and cozy. It sounds great, but Mark hasn’t been back