Epidemic of the Undead: A Zombie Novel Read Online Free PDF Page A

talking if you hadn’t startled the shit out of me.”
    “Oh, come on. Dude, you’re way too uptight.”
    “Uptight? Are you serious right now? Uptight! Uptight! Mark is dead. I just freaking watched my cousin die right in front of me. We’re on the run from flesh eating dead people and you think I’m being too uptight? Of course, I’m fucking uptight. I’m trying not to die! This… this is blood.” Chris lifted his palm, shoving it in Steve’s direction. “Mark’s blood.”
    “Sorry, man. I was just thirsty.”
    “Will you two be quiet? I think I heard something,” Stephanie said, bringing a finger to her lips.
    “Hear what?”
    “Just shut up and listen,” she said. 
    The three of them sat hunched to the ground searching the silence. Fear strengthened its cold grip. It tingled up Chris’ arms in a heavy wave of goose bumps. He knew the others could feel it too. It was reflected in their eyes, and it contorted their pale faces.
    “I don’t hear anything,” Steve whispered.
    “Shhh . . . I think it came from over there.” Stephanie pointed toward the front counter and cash register.
    After another moment or two of silence, Chris braved a quick look around. His blood-covered index finger met his partially puckered lips without actually touching. He looked back at Steve and Stephanie, and slowly started toward the counter.
    A bag of potato chips that had fallen to the floor crunched under his foot. Watching his steps more carefully, an unusual stench that was permeating the air drew his attention. It became stronger as he approached the counter.
    Outside, between the obnoxious tiger pictures, Chris could see a few more zombies lingering around than before. They didn’t appear to be a threat.
    He made it to the counter and tried to lean over to see what was on the other side. He was so short that standing on tiptoes didn’t help. With a heavy sigh, Chris bit down hard on his lip. Sweat began to form on his brow.
    Going around the counter took him close to the slushy machine. A dead body lay unmoving and blocking his path. A large pool of blood clotted on the cold tile. Three bullet holes were punched into the corpse’s face. There were two in the head and one in the left cheek. The face was marred so badly that Chris was unable to determine the age of the man. His naked chest had deep lacerations that only someone with incredibly sharp nails could have made.
    The putrid stench of decomposition became harder to stomach. Chris freed one hand from the bat and lifted his shirt up over his nose. It didn’t help.  
    A very light tap…tap…tap sent his heart plunging into his stomach. Forgetting the mutilated cadaver, Chris rounded the counter, club at the ready.
    The tapping sounded again.
    Chris came upon two more corpses. One lay on top the other. The cash register was open and the money inside was covered in blood and gore. Some of the greenbacks were scattered across the floor and over the two dead bodies.
    Money suddenly seemed useless now. He was dumfounded at how fast the world could fall apart. With all of this death around him he felt like he probably didn’t even need to hang onto his social security card anymore, let alone money. If this really was a Nationwide epidemic, the government would probably never bounce back. If they did it would take years. It was a freaking warzone out there. If things really were this bad nationwide, Chris highly doubted that money would ever be worth anything ever again.
    “What is it? What do you see?” Steve called out softly.
    Chris glanced down the aisle; Steve had both hands full. What the . . . is he eating a sandwich , Chris thought. Waving Steve off, he went back to the carnage before him.
    The dead man underneath the others held onto a small handgun loosely. Chris wasn’t familiar with the different makes and models of firearms. Unless the thing came with instructions, he wouldn’t even know what kind of ammunition to put in it.
    Chris pulled the