All of a sudden they heard, “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.” Climbing the steps three at a time they got up in time to see Hank on the floor with a woman on top of him.
She had clawed his chest open deeply. Her face had transformed into a toothy horror. The thing bit at his neck and chest working up the face.
“No, shoot it,” cried Autumn.
Vick ran over and slammed the butt of his shotgun into the woman’s head. She reeled over onto the floor with parts of Hank clinging to her teeth. He cocked his gun and squeezed the trigger. “Boom,” rang out in the attic space.
The chatterer exploded. Her face and head tore into fragments spraying the area with blood, bone, and muscle. Vick dropped the gun and puked.
“No dad, no,” screamed Autumn.
Hank lay there gurgling and sputtering on the floor. His bare ribs were showing through the torn flesh. The man’s face area was a mess. Blood was everywhere.
The rest of the group backed up as Autumn went to her fallen father. “You can’t leave me daddy, you can’t,” she cried. Tears rolled off her little cheeks and onto Hank. He gurgled noises as if trying to speaking but nothing intelligible came out.
Suddenly his eyes rolled back into his face. His nose began sniffing loudly. “Oh shit,” said Trina. She grabbed Autumn and the group ran down the stairs and outside. Only Cade remained, though no one noticed.
“I’m so sorry Hank. I tried to get us all to safety. Don’t worry about Autumn, we will look after her. I promise you.”
Hank was trying to get to his feet. The newness of the infection made it slow. “Is this why there are chatterers and sniffers? The originals chatter and the ones they turn sniff?”
Cade wiped a tear from his eye and lowered the pistol. Hank stopped moving, somehow maybe knowing what was coming. He put the pistol at Hanks brain, “I am so sorry.”
“Bang.”
The would be leader went outside with the others. They all were consoling Autumn who was on her knees in tears. “You killed him,” she cried.
“Sweetie he was already dead,” said Cade wiping more tears that had fallen to his dirty cheeks. “But yes I shot him. So he wouldn’t hurt anyone who might come here next.”
Vick and Dwayne closed the gymnasium door and put a chain around the handles that was on the ground. Vick then told Cade to hitch up the boat and park it tight against the doorway.
“That way no one gets in or out without a lot of work,” said Vick.
After securing the door with the boat they got back on the interstate. The group was quiet except for the occasional wailing of Autumn crying for her, “daddy.”
Chapter 7
Two hours pass on the long lonely road. The group had only made it about 50 miles. The roads were cluttered badly with abandoned cars and wreckage. Both chatterers and sniffers lumbered in and around making traveling difficult except at a slow crawl. The vehicle had run over to many on the way to take much more damage.
“We need to sleep somewhere soon,” said Trina.
Vick looked in the rearview mirror at the people behind him. Poor Autumn was in a ball tucked close to Keiko. The others were weary, tired, and hungry.
The vehicle chugged and slowed to a stop. “Oh god,” cried Keiko, “Why did we stop?”
The men piled out and popped the hood. “I think we’re done here, we stole a clunker.” Cade rubbed his face and looked into the car. “Everyone out, were going to be on foot for now.” Everyone but Autumn grabbed what they could of the weapons and supplies. She slowly followed as if in a trance.
“No guns out here unless there’s no other choice,” said Dwayne. “We have to move quietly and find some shelter.” The group agreed that sleeping outside was a bad idea all around.
They moved as stealthily as a group of six could. Cade led the group down the shoulder and followed the road from the ditch. The darkness made it difficult to see anything very far ahead. Vick followed in the rear making sure no strays were
She had clawed his chest open deeply. Her face had transformed into a toothy horror. The thing bit at his neck and chest working up the face.
“No, shoot it,” cried Autumn.
Vick ran over and slammed the butt of his shotgun into the woman’s head. She reeled over onto the floor with parts of Hank clinging to her teeth. He cocked his gun and squeezed the trigger. “Boom,” rang out in the attic space.
The chatterer exploded. Her face and head tore into fragments spraying the area with blood, bone, and muscle. Vick dropped the gun and puked.
“No dad, no,” screamed Autumn.
Hank lay there gurgling and sputtering on the floor. His bare ribs were showing through the torn flesh. The man’s face area was a mess. Blood was everywhere.
The rest of the group backed up as Autumn went to her fallen father. “You can’t leave me daddy, you can’t,” she cried. Tears rolled off her little cheeks and onto Hank. He gurgled noises as if trying to speaking but nothing intelligible came out.
Suddenly his eyes rolled back into his face. His nose began sniffing loudly. “Oh shit,” said Trina. She grabbed Autumn and the group ran down the stairs and outside. Only Cade remained, though no one noticed.
“I’m so sorry Hank. I tried to get us all to safety. Don’t worry about Autumn, we will look after her. I promise you.”
Hank was trying to get to his feet. The newness of the infection made it slow. “Is this why there are chatterers and sniffers? The originals chatter and the ones they turn sniff?”
Cade wiped a tear from his eye and lowered the pistol. Hank stopped moving, somehow maybe knowing what was coming. He put the pistol at Hanks brain, “I am so sorry.”
“Bang.”
The would be leader went outside with the others. They all were consoling Autumn who was on her knees in tears. “You killed him,” she cried.
“Sweetie he was already dead,” said Cade wiping more tears that had fallen to his dirty cheeks. “But yes I shot him. So he wouldn’t hurt anyone who might come here next.”
Vick and Dwayne closed the gymnasium door and put a chain around the handles that was on the ground. Vick then told Cade to hitch up the boat and park it tight against the doorway.
“That way no one gets in or out without a lot of work,” said Vick.
After securing the door with the boat they got back on the interstate. The group was quiet except for the occasional wailing of Autumn crying for her, “daddy.”
Chapter 7
Two hours pass on the long lonely road. The group had only made it about 50 miles. The roads were cluttered badly with abandoned cars and wreckage. Both chatterers and sniffers lumbered in and around making traveling difficult except at a slow crawl. The vehicle had run over to many on the way to take much more damage.
“We need to sleep somewhere soon,” said Trina.
Vick looked in the rearview mirror at the people behind him. Poor Autumn was in a ball tucked close to Keiko. The others were weary, tired, and hungry.
The vehicle chugged and slowed to a stop. “Oh god,” cried Keiko, “Why did we stop?”
The men piled out and popped the hood. “I think we’re done here, we stole a clunker.” Cade rubbed his face and looked into the car. “Everyone out, were going to be on foot for now.” Everyone but Autumn grabbed what they could of the weapons and supplies. She slowly followed as if in a trance.
“No guns out here unless there’s no other choice,” said Dwayne. “We have to move quietly and find some shelter.” The group agreed that sleeping outside was a bad idea all around.
They moved as stealthily as a group of six could. Cade led the group down the shoulder and followed the road from the ditch. The darkness made it difficult to see anything very far ahead. Vick followed in the rear making sure no strays were
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