Humanity's Death: A Zombie Epic Read Free

the day was developing into a serious shit free
for all. What in Christ's name was happening?
    His mind pushed it away, stowing it neatly
somewhere down in the subconscious.
    Papa saw them, “Carry me boy!”
    Jody hoisted him over his shoulders, Jack
carried his wheel chair, and Candy covered their movements as they
made their way over the bodies, back to the Humvee.
    4
    Andrew shut the engine off and guided them to the
embankment. Jack jumped out of the boat and carefully made his way
through dense woodland, eventually reaching the dead end of an old
dirt road. Camouflaged just off the road, the Humvee waited, gassed
and ready.
    Driving down that old dusty dirt road, he
noticed something out in the woods. A dim shack, with soft gray
smoke coming from a wood stove chimney pipe at the top.
    “Stop.” Jack said.
    The hummer slowed to a halt. An ominous and
strange feeling spread over him like the coming of a storm. Had he
seen this shack before? Surely not. How many times had he been down
this road? This dark and lonely road. Yet, he'd never seen it. He
was sure of it. He asked the others and they too agreed. It was as
though some force had wanted to keep them from seeing it. At least
that’s the thought that went through Jack's head while he stared
out at the rising smoke. The thick trees simply kept him from
seeing it, that was it. The occupant must use the fire only on rare
occasions. Or maybe the occupant just now set up shop there. All he
knew for sure was that something didn't feel right. A shadowy
darkness existed in those trees, and something sinister festered,
waiting (wanting?) to be found. The smoke was a signal. Come and
see what evils await dear friends, here at the world's ending. Jack
didn't like the idea of precognition. He didn't believe in all that
superstitious stuff. Yet, the dead now walked. And, although he'd
never seen a ghost, the stories flooded the air waves while the
world still had air waves. A ghost didn't light the fire that made
that smoke though. The dark and tepid evils of the world don't come
from the spiritual realm; they exist right here in the physical
world. He knew this from all the history courses he took. The
Hitlers and Stalins of the world didn't need supernatural powers to
commit mass murder. Neither did the Ted Bundys or the Zodiacs.
    Jody and Andrew stayed back with the Humvee,
just in case of a needed fast escape. Jack and Candy moved
cautiously through the trees. The ground wasn’t quite as damp and
mushy this far inland; but the trees still created a thick, shadowy
darkness, even this close to ten in the morning. The shack sat in a
round clearing; he still couldn’t believe he never noticed it
before. But there it sat, raggedy and worn from time, like his
grandfather’s ancient, flaky skin. He gave Candy a look, and she
removed her revolver.
    5
    The door was peeled gray paint, with brown, rotted
oak showing through. It was ajar; so Jack pushed it open with the
barrel of his AR.
    The door opened slowly with a long and drawn out
CREEEAK. Jack nearly puked. The smell came out and gushed up his
nostrils. There sat a man. Sitting there in a pile of bones, and
old newspaper cut outs. Every inch of the wall was covered in
newspaper headlines.
     
    THE DEAD ARE RISING
    BOARD UP YOUR HOMES STAY INSIDE
    DON’T GET CLOSE TO BITE VICTIMS, EVEN IF IT’S
YOUR FAMILY
     
    The man sat cross legged on the floor, muttering
to himself; then his head turned up and looked Jack dead in the
eye. “Have you come to take me away?”
    His eyes were black and void of anything other
than pitch blackness.
    “What’s the smell, fella?” Candy asked. She’d
aimed her cross hairs right on his forehead.
    “Jesus said to love all the children. But, you
know… those preachers never could get inside my head. I never
listened.” the man said.
    A small black wood oven sat in a corner, the
chimney pipe jutting out from the top. Beside it sat a red and
white cooler with blood splattered on the white