Epidemic of the Undead: A Zombie Novel Read Free Page B

didn’t shut, but bounced back swinging outward.
    As Chris crossed the lot, two ghouls rounded the corner near the gas station’s rear, heading toward them. Grunts preceded the stiff pursuit and outstretched arms clutched the air in eager anticipation. Chris instantly recognized one as the lady that had fled the blue Sedan earlier. Her left arm was severed and dripping blood, leaving a trail of inconsistent splatter. The young boy next to her was even worse for wear with his stomach torn open and the contents on display. Nothing but a pair of boxers and one shoe remained on his otherwise naked body. Blood soaked his midsection down to the knees.
    A large chunk of the boy’s intestine spewed out from the open wound. It slapped wet in the dirt and cement, right in front of his path. As it squashed under the zombie’s foot, the sloshing viscera splashed in a heap of mashed chunks. Just as fast, the boy tripped over his spilled entrails, falling forward, and slipping on the abdominal muck. His head collided with the ground with a solid crack. There was no attempt to catch its fall, as the creature’s only concern was its chase of prey.
    “Fucking hell,” Steve said, with one hand gripping at the pink car door and eyeing the two creatures.
    “My purse! I forgot my purse!”
    “No offense, but forget the damn purse,” Mark said, just as the first of a dozen ghouls reached the back door to the coffee shop from inside.
    “My car keys are in my bag!” She frantically patted down the front pockets of her skintight jeans.
    With its ribs protruding out, the first of several zombies slopped into the lot from the coffee shop’s rear door.
    “Fuck the car!” Mark yelled. He ran toward the dead female with the missing arm, bat at the ready. With one wide forceful swing, the bat collided with the dead woman. As the metal bat met her face, an echoing ping signaled the crack of bone and cartilage, sending her nose inward. A violent spray of black and red blood squirted out upon impact. The woman collapsed to the ground, violently kicking and convulsing.
    Mark, Steve, Chris and their new female friend darted past the writhing creature and the boy struggled to get to his feet, the intestinal muck working against him. With Mark in the lead, the four rounded the big metal dumpster, out into the open street behind the gas station.
    “Where are we going?” the cashier cried.
    “We need to get to the van!” Mark yelled, briskly jogging past the backside of the convenience store toward the next side street.         
    As they arrived at the street junction, Steve was already heaving to catch his breath. “Man, I don’t know how much longer I can do this, guys. What the hell is going on?” He leaned over a few seconds later, vomiting on his shoes.
    “Dude, you need to get into shape and keep it together,” Chris said, peering down the side street. From behind, the sounds of lustful moans permeated the air.
    Chris took a moment to weigh his options. It wasn’t the best place to be staying in the streets right now. They were venerable and out in the open. Sure, the van was less than a block away. But the sound of distant gunfire popped in the air followed by shouts, telling Chris they needed to move. A heavy-set man emerged from bushes four or five hundred feet ahead. Limping at a pace equal to a crawl, he only made it halfway across the street before collapsing. Behind him, two putrid creatures followed.
    The man was so exhausted that he didn’t scream. He didn’t even let out a whimper as gnashing teeth and tearing claws ripped the flesh off his body.   
    “We going to do this or what?” Mark said, stepping out of the shadows, and into the poorly lit street. “We need to get to the van and get the hell out of here!” 
    Mark, you are going to get us freaking killed, Chris thought, as he watched Steve and the girl follow Mark’s lead. “Stick to the sidewalk,” Chris whispered, hoping that Mark knew what he was