
IAN DESABRAIS
PRESENTS
A ZOMBIE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
A Short Story
COPYRIGHT © 2011 IAN DESABRAIS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Smashwords Edition
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Photo by: Ian Desabrais
Cover by: Ivan Desabrais:
http://desabraisbros.wordpress.com/
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License Statement
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, and locations are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons or events, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
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Contact Information
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Also check out a book I write online with Ivan Desabrais.
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Be careful what you eat this holiday, it could be your family.
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Dedication
To all my wonderful tweeple who follow me on @myzombiejournal, I appreciate you. Enjoy my free story.
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Warning
This stories may not be suitable for young readers. It may contain real and mature themes. It may give you nightmares. It will make you think about zombies.
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Prologue
A father, husband, man named Rex, finds himself in a department store on Christmas Eve. People are fighting and screaming, there is blood and there's darkness. Hiding from the crazy people tearing each other apart, he asks himself a question, 'Will I make it out alive?'
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***A ZOMBIE FOR THE HOLIDAYS***
“What the hell is going on?” I asked anyone in general.
Racks of clothes were knocked to the ground. A woman with red hair screaming, some psycho chick had a handful of her hair. This is what I get for shopping on christmas eve.
“A fight dummy,” a smug jerk said at my side.
I looked at him, his brown eyes lowered. None of this would matter to me if the damn present I ordered my wife arrived on time. Got an email around 5pm telling me they wouldn’t be able to ship the package for two weeks.
“Who do you think you are?” I asked the jerk.
I stared him down, he shifted his vision back to the scene before us. A crowd was surrounding the battle, like some epic in ancient Rome, gladiators fighting for the prize. A shriek unlike anything I’ve heard, I’m sure it would’ve made those horror movie babes jealous.
The surrounding crowd howled out and stampeded away. They scattered in fear, a group charging in my direction. I maneuvered between the wild crowd. My actions brought me right onto the scene of the fight. What were they running from?
The red haired woman was on the ground, a shocking amount of blood pooling around her, she must have been stabbed. Her attacker, a lithe girl around mid twenties was on top of her. She was tearing at her victim’s shirt exposing flesh. Nobody was doing anything, just fleeing from the area. I moved closer. The psycho chick took a mouth full of the red head’s flesh and bit down, she tugged at it like a dog. What the hell was she doing?
“Hey, get off her,” I yelled.
The psycho chick half looked up at me, blood dribbling from the strands of flesh in her mouth. Her teeth broke the skin, she yanked back and chewed on it like a ravenous animal, making strange gurgling sounds. I was transfixed, I wanted to do something, but the scene was so strange I didn’t know what I should do. The psycho cannibal lunged back on top of her victim, she took another big bite out of her.
“Enough, get away,” I yelled.
The psycho looked up at me, her soulless black as death eyes cutting a hole to my soul. My wife would be pissed right now, she never wanted me to get involved in anything that didn’t concern our family. I maybe should have listened here, but my wife and kids were safe at home and I was in the moment.
The dead girl crawled over her victim towards me. Why would I think she was dead? Her mouth opened, revealing her crimsoned teeth, a strange throaty groan escaped her. It sent chills through my body.
“Stop,” I demanded.
I was moving back and the psycho was crawling after me. A few people rushed to the bleeding lady, one of them possibly a doctor, he was giving out orders to the others.
“Put pressure here,” the doctor directed, moving a woman’s hands over the red head’s body.
“Calm down,” I told the psycho.
This is one crazy night, what did I get myself into? I continued backing away with her following me. Someone talked over the intercom, a girl, she sobbed, it made her announcements inaudible. I bumped into a product shelf. The psycho leapt at me. I twisted and tried to move away. She grabbed my leg and sunk her teeth into my calf, right through my pants.
“Fuck, get back!”
Her ferocious bite broke my skin, I could feel the warm trickle of blood dripping down my leg. I grabbed a handful of her dark hair, lifted her head and swung the psycho away from me, she smacked onto the ground.
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
This is nuts, I wanted nothing more then to be at home playing some PS3 with my son, damn he got me addicted to it.
The psycho chick got to her feet, staggering like a drunk. The doctor was approaching her from behind, his hands up prepared to protect himself if something happened.
“Miss,” the doctor called.
She spun around and clawed at him, he bawled like a wounded beast and stumbled back, a gash ripped open on his face from her deadly fashioned nails. Sirens wailed, employees rushed to the doors. The police entered and chained the entrance at their backs. What the hell was that about? There was something off about these two, they already had their guns out.
“Okay, everybody get back,” the grey haired officer said.
Really I don’t know if he was a cop, he had a uniform and a badge but I’ve never seen it’s kind before. No way was his gun police issue. He had an ammo pouch on his side. The armed men continued closer.
“It will be okay,” the grey haired one said, then mumbled some code into his radio.
They past the red haired victim on the ground.
“Shit, looks like it’s already started here.”
I didn’t like what was said. I had the instinct to flee. The grey haired man aimed his shining gun at the woman who bled out on the ground. BANG. Part of her head blew off.
“Oh my god,” the doctor cried. “What did you do? what did you do?”
The psycho had her head tilted inhumanly to the side. This is the first time I noticed her appearance. Her lips black, thick veins in her face and arms.
“She’s sick,” I said.
The grey haired man swung around, his gun aimed at me then crossed over to the dark haired girl who started this all. BANG. The psycho’s blood splattered over my shirt, her body lifted and crashed to the ground.
“Don’t move,” the grey haired man growled, coming closer.
The doctor was trembling, he kneeled by the psycho and checked her.
“You killed this woman.”
“She was already dead,” the grey haired man said.
“Morgan, what’s going on in there? We heard shots,” a woman’s voice questioned over his radio.
The grey haired man kept his gun aimed on me, “The virus has spread, had to cure a few.” He motioned towards his partner. “Junior get over here.”
The younger man sprinted over.
“Shit, look at his face,” Junior said pointing at the doctor.
Morgan turned his gun on the doctor and shot, his brains scattered and lifeless body fell to the ground. The gun swung back aiming at me. I wanted to run right there, to get the hell out of this godless place.
“Junior check him out, there was an infected right next to him.”
The young man walked to me, his dark pistol found his hand and he pointed at my face.
“You bit or anything?” Junior asked.
“I .... What?”
Bit, shit, that psycho tried to have a snack of my leg. I could still feel the blood on my calf. They killed the red head, the psycho and the doctor, I did not want to be next.
“I ....”
“Take off your shirt,” Junior ordered.
I was not interested in getting my brains blown out. Morgan came closer, he pointed his gun at my chest.
“You need to take your clothes off, you have blood all over you.”
I looked down at myself, he was right, I had no other option at his point. Maybe I could lie about the bite on my calf. People were standing around filming with their cellphones and these two armed men didn’t seem to care. None of the customers or employees were moving to help me. I started unbuttoning my shirt. Thanks you bunch of jackasses, stand there filming while I get my head blown apart.
“What’s happening?” A young female employee asked.
Morgan sighed, he turned to her. His gun sank back into it’s holster at his side. I took a few steps back, not enough for Junior to notice.
“There’s a very dangerous infection going around, we have to stop it before the virus spreads.”
The girl looked concerned, “What are you going to do with him?”
Morgan looked back at me. The store blacked out, no lights on anywhere. Screams and yells roared out.
“Something grabbed my arm,” Junior cried.
BANG...
My ears rang, but I wasn’t hit. That crazy bastard just shot somebody, hopefully his partner. Had to get far away from them. I slammed into somebody, we both tumbled over.
“ASSHOLE,” the guy I ran into yelled.
“Sorry.”
I fumbled through my pockets and found my slim cellphone, it was in sleep mode. I hit a button and a dull white glow was emitted. The guy was still on the ground, he looked across at me.
“What happened to the lights?” He asked.
I didn’t know how to answer, held back what I saw.
“Get out of here fast as you can,” I told him.
Got to my feet, using my cell as a light source. I looked back a the guy on the ground. A hand grabbed onto his shoulder, my heart jumped. He turned to find out who it was. I leaned in bringing my cellphone closer. A man’s face came from the darkness, his dull eyes staring at me. A hissing groan came from him and he sank his teeth into the man’s shoulder, he screamed and struggled against his hungry new friend. Another set of hands came onto him and a throaty growl. Together the infected yanked him into the darkness, the guy screamed out. There was groaning and a guttural growl, smacking lips and a sound much like cutting through a watermelon.
“No .... What the?”
I didn’t want to stick around. My cell blacked out on me, I hit a button and the white glow tore through what darkness it could. My feet just couldn’t move fast enough. People were calling out all around the store, worried and in panic.
“Everyone stay calm,” a woman’s voice called out. “Emergency lights will be on soon, stay still and be careful.”
“My son,” a young woman’s voice screamed. “He’s only four, I can’t find him.”
I could not imagine the fear that was running through her. My family was back at home, safe. I stopped running, leaned against a shelf of towels. I navigated through my phone and called my house.
“Honey, where are you?” My wife asked right away.
I wanted to tell her everything, I needed to. Nothing came out, I just listened to her voice.
“Hey are you there? Must have pocket dialed me again?”
“No, I’m here.”
“Oh, so are you almost home? You’re not driving and calling are you?”
“No, I’m still shopping.”
I looked around the dark store, voices were panicked, children crying, people complaining. Lights from phones and keychains were glowing in different areas. I couldn’t tell her.
“There’s a long line, I’ll try to be quick.”
We said our goodbyes and I went on. I love that woman, I will get back to her. A guttural growl then shrieking, I avoided the area hoping to find another exit. Shuffling at my back, turned and there was some teenager stumbling towards me, like the psycho did. I had nothing to say this time, I ran.
Moved into an aisle, a cart was in the center. My phone went black again. I let the darkness envelope me and tried to catch my breath. My mind throbbed, I didn’t know what was going on.
“Meghan, come to daddy’s voice.”
My eyes closed, I felt exhausted. My body wanted to quit, but I pushed on. How could I be this tired? A light was shining on the ground at the other end of the aisle. I started forward, store goods were on the floor, shopping carts left scattered. I got closer to the light.
Gurgling and moaning. I knelt and picked up the keychain with a small flashlight. Shined it around finding big boots, a man’s legs. Maybe the guy fell when he was navigating out of here. I followed up his body. A little girl in a bright red shirt and jeans was sitting on his stomach, leaning over him. She was ‘om nom noming.’ Her young head pulled back, she looked up at me, her cherub face makeuped in blood. The little demon hissed at me and went back to eating what was left of the big guy’s face.
I stumbled away, slowly making my escape, she paid me no more attention. Her little chomping twisting my insides, little moans as if she was enjoying the most delicious thing she ever ate.
My new keychain flashlight in hand I got the hell away from there. My mind tried telling me I didn’t see the little girl eating the face of some guy, it wasn’t real, just shadows playing tricks, nothing to worry about. I knew it was real and it did happen.
Loud bangs, something crashing on the floor, glass I think. I shined my light in the direction. People were running, Junior was after them, he shot and part of a woman’s head splattered her life essence over the others around her. Junior fired a few more times hitting some of the people that were trying to escape. His gun clicked empty, that hollow sound echoing. Junior stopped and fumbled with his next magazine. With my light on him, the people he was chasing charged. They knocked him to the ground, fists crashing into his face and body. His hands still worked at the gun and a few shots went off, a couple bodies fell limp. The weapon of death was ripped from his hands and Junior’s head was blown apart, his brains scattered across the floor.
A man stood, the only survivor from Junior’s hunt. He was trembling, hands shaking, one lower than the other like the gun was a heavy weight. Against my better judgement I walked closer to him.
“Are you okay?”
He aimed the gun at me.
“Whoa, put it down.”
He was frozen on the spot, gun pointed at me and still shaking.
“It’s okay, lower the gun.”
I shined my light around making sure we were alone, didn’t want psycho’s rushing us.
“Sorry,” he whispered.
I moved up to him, my little light illuminating the bloody scene then his face. It was Vic Nolan, I had worked with him recently on a big project, holy shit.
“Vic,” I said.
He looked at me squinting, right there I knew it was him, he always did that.
“Rex?” He asked.
“Yeah, Vic there is some crazy shit going on.”
“I just killed somebody,” Vic said looking down at the corpses.
I looked down at Junior’s lifeless body, his blood pooling around him, mixing with the essence of the people he killed during the struggle for his gun.
“It was self defense,” I told him.
A throaty growl called out.
“We have to get out of here.”
“Fine with me,” Vic said.
Vic started for the front of the store.
“They chained them shut, we need a back exit.”
“There’s an employee door in sports, it leads to their warehouse. We could get out through there.”
I liked his plan. We walked side by side, me lighting the way and him swaying around the gun. Tried to ignore the panicked voices, the sick growls and smacking lips.
“Do you have any idea what’s going on?” Vic asked.
I didn’t really know or understand what had happened so far. Morgan, which I am certain was not a cop, talked about a virus. No way was I going to tell the guy wielding a gun I may be infected.
“Not a clue. I just want to go home.”
Shuffling at our side, it turned my stomach. I shined the light towards the noise, two of them, blood stained and coming at us.
“Oh god. What happened to those people?” Vic asked.
“Shut up and move.”
I started to run, but Vic wasn’t at my side, he was back there in the dark. Dammit, what was he thinking?
“Rex,” Vic called out. “We need to help them.”
I rushed back, the infected were closer. Vic jumped. A squelching sound coming from one of them. I grabbed Vic and pulled him with me, the infected tried to follow. A stench that crawled up and died in my nose had me gagging.
Vic made a cartoonish disgusted noise, “What is that?”
We crashed through a cardboard stand filled with DVDs, the flashlight rolled away into the dark unknown.
“What the hell Rex? Those people needed help.”
“Vic, two armed men came in here posing as cops, they shot three people right in front of me. One of them talked about an infection and they were here to kill it.”
He was quiet, I felt around and couldn’t find him.
“Victor?”
“I can’t see,” Vic said.
I sighed, “you should have come with me when I ran.”
A hand touched my shoe, I jerked back. A girl squeaked.
“Daddy,” she said, her voice was young.
My body quaked, if this was my daughter I would do what ever it takes to get her out alive. Out came my cell, the painfully dull light shined across her face, no blood.
“No darling, I’m not your daddy.”
“Rex we need light.”
A deep low moan called out, I closed my eyes, that’s when I realized there was little chance I could escape this situation.
“Come on darling, hold my hand. We’re going to get out of here.”
“My parents?”
“We’ll find them outside,” I told her.
The three of us stood. I was waving my hand out hoping to find a path. Really didn’t want to fall again or walk into an infected. Lights were beaming a good distance from us.
“Move,” I ordered.
My stupid feet wouldn’t move fast enough. I sure as hell didn’t want to yell and bring unwanted attention to us. Cold hands grasped my outreached arm, I yanked back biting down on my fear. The hand stayed clutched on my arm, It was bloody and missing some fingers. I screamed. (It was manly.)
“What’s happening, I can’t see anything,” Vic yelled.
The cold dead body shoved into me, trying to take me down to the ground. I fought back, refusing to be an easy target. The little girl was screaming and pulling at my hand to let her go, she would be swallowed up into darkness, probably be devoured by these nightmarish creatures. The cold hands of death left me. The girl was lifted into the air, she shrieked so loud I thought my ears would burst.
“Victor help me, something’s got her.”
“What do I do? I can’t see!” Vic yelled.
I grabbed onto the girl with both hands, her lungs never giving out, the screams deafening. I felt the cold lithe arms of her attacker, a woman. It groaned then the cold body jerked taking the girl from me to the ground. I dropped and felt for them.
There was something wet all over the floor. I found the little girls hand, she wasn’t screaming anymore. Chomping sounds and moans. The distant lights were racing towards us shining their lovely glow.
A petite woman was mounted on the young girl, tearing at her face with her teeth. The girl’s throat was torn open, her blood poured out like water from a faucet. How could this happen? She was so young, there was still much for her to experience.
My anger overthrew me, I jabbed the disturbed woman in the side of the head. She wasn’t letting up, the sick sounds of her chewing flesh was too much. I leapt to my feet and pulled her up by her silky hair. In the glow of the lights I could see her cold hands reaching out for the young girl.
“Mm ... Mom ...” The little girl gasped.
I lifted her and swung the sick woman off the child. Her body smacked into the tiled floor, with a wet thud. She rolled back towards the girl and clawed out at her. My black boot slapped into her face. The woman, my god she looked like an older version of the little girl, her mother. There were people around us wielding flashlights.
“Look at the girl,” a feminine voice called out.
“Is she dead?”
The little girl wasn’t moving anymore, tears dripped down my face. The mother quickly lurched onto her daughter and began devouring her again. I jumped back and everybody screamed. There was an emptiness growing in the pit of my being. I punted the woman from her daughter, my body controlled by another source. I was stomping on her head, voices were calling out, arms wrapping around my body trying to pull me away. Vic put me in some sort of hold, my arms were above my head and he pulled me away. Lights were shining over my actions, the mothers brains defaced the tiled floor. My bloody boots created a trail to my current location. The little girl was passed and I sent the mother to join her.
My body was sluggish, I didn’t want to do anything. Hunger had me in it’s grasp, tearing into my stomach. The bile sloshing from side to side making me feel nauseous. I realized Victor was leading me away, the other people with flashlights were with us.
“Where are we going?”
“The hell out of here,” one of the guys said, he was bulky and wearing Velcro shoes, paint on his pants and a big silver thumb ring.
“To sporting,” Vic said.
There was six of us together now, we got more lights from one of the shelves, searching for the packages with batteries. Rubber flashlights, they were heavy and awkward. I was just glad to have some form of light with me.
A short man stumbled upon us, he was bathed in blood. Whole chunks of his body were chewed away, he was missing his right arm. He hissed at us, and shuffled closer, wanting to fulfill his twisted mind with our tortures. His intestines were dragging along the floor behind him.
The girl that was with us screamed, “ETHAN.”
“Izzy, calm down,” Ethan said.
“Lets move,” thumb ring guy said.
I couldn’t leave this infected man free to roam, it was only a matter of time before he kills somebody, possibly a child.
“No. Victor give me the gun.”
He didn’t think twice, the cold steel was placed in my hand. I’ve played tons of shooter games with my son, I’m sure I could handle this. The infected man wasn’t far, he was still approaching unaware I was about to deal him death, if he could die. I felt like a barbarian, my mind was numb, acting only on instinct. I aimed death at the man and pulled the trigger, it wouldn’t go down all the way. I smacked the gun with my other hand, like I imagine a caveman might, I bashed it again and pulled the trigger, still nothing.
“The safety,” Vic said.
He walked up to me and flipped the little switch on the side of the gun. I aimed at the infected, he was right in front of me. I shot, the gun kicked up and jerked back towards me like catching a hard baseball. The sound shocked me the most, my ears were ringing. The bullet ripped through the air and tore into his arm. My son would have made the shot. I adjusted, placed the gun against his head and squeezed the trigger again. BANG.
My eyes blurred, ears ringing, I stumbled back. The floor rushed up at the bloody man who’s head I sent splattering into the air. Girls hands grabbed at the gun, I swung my fist out but stopped before I hit Izzy. She had her hands up hiding her face.
I breathed out, “sorry.”
“You killed him.”
I looked back at the corpse, that was just walking towards us.
“He was already dead.”
“Lets get going,” Ethan said.
“SHUT UP Ethan,” Izzy shouted.
“I don’t have time for this, my family is at home. I need to get to them,” I said.
“Izzy, lets go already.”
“I don’t want that guy with us,” she said.
I stared at Izzy, down her neckline in that sweetheart sweaterdress. Her skin had a slight glow to it. Her blonde hair dangling over her cheek, she chewed on her lip begging her Ethan with her best puppy dog eyes. My tongue felt dry and chalky, I could just sink my teeth into Izzy. Fill my mouth with her flesh and blood, it would sustain me. Those thoughts couldn’t be mine.
“Once we get outside, I’m going my own way.”
Gurgling called out, strange breathing. Everyone spun around shining their lights looking for the infected. I moved closer to Izzy, her body was emitting a lot of heat, I wanted it. My hand reached out and grabbed her arm. Izzy screamed and swung her rubber flashlight into my head. I don’t know what I was doing or why I went for her. My heart racing and mind wheeling, I calmed myself. Everyone was looking at me, their lights focused on us. I had to do something.
“We can’t stay in here. Lets get outside, hopefully there’s lights out there.”
Izzy stared at me, she looked at my hand still firmly gripping her arm.
“My wife and children are waiting for me at home, I will get to them.”
She nodded her head, “your hand is ice cold.”
I released her and looked at my tingling fingers.
“Bad circulation.”
Izzy squealed. I looked at her. A man missing part of his face had her in his grasp, his fingers were only bone, flesh eaten right off. I aimed the gun, the monster brewing inside me directed my actions. I shot. She screamed and threw herself to the floor. The infected had a nice new hole in his head, he wanted her so bad. He stepped forward but was dead on his feet, hopefully for good. His infected body crumbled to the ground. Izzy heaved on the ground, her shining flesh begging me to have a taste.
“Get up,” I growled.
Ethan grabbed Izzy and we all ran, I was right behind her. I don’t know if I wanted to escape or take her into the shadows and have a bite. There was fitness equipment ahead of us, we were close to sports. One of the guys, tall and lanky was way ahead of us. His flashlight spun in the air and crashed to the floor. His body vaulted and crashed hard to the tiles, bouncing his head off the ground. He didn’t move again, his brains scrambled. We got closer to him, blood was streaked across the floor. Our lights followed it illuminating a swarm of the psycho infected. They were gnawing away on a group of people, children and adults. One looked at us, his dead eyes flickered in the shine of our lights.
“Kill them, oh my god. Shoot them,” Izzy yelled.
I had to oblige, maybe she would let me take a chunk of her, just one, enough to sustain me. I opened fire, shot three times before anyone stopped me.
“Enough,” Victor said. “We’re almost out of this nightmare, lets go.”
The infection, driven to eat flesh what the hell kind of sickness was this. We rushed down the aisle and found the employee entrance. I was shaking at this point, couldn’t stop. Gunshots back within the store, it had to be Morgan, the fake cop coming to kill the infection.
The warehouse was blacked out just like the storefront. This place would be harder to navigate, none of us have been back here before. Stacks of goods and everything I would have expected to see, lined the aisles. There were other doors and big sorting areas. Rumbling of a running vehicle, the most evident sound. We walked around trying to find our way to the loading dock.
“Michael,” a young man called out. “Where are you man? I loaded the tv’s in you car, lets get out of here. I don’t want my supervisor seeing me.”
A teen boy was standing at the loading door, in the glow of his car headlights. He still had his uniform on from his shift. He froze in our judging eyes.
“Uh ... Hey,” he said.
“We don’t work here,” Ethan said. “Just trying to get outside.”
The teen looked us over, “oh okay, doors right here,” the thieving employee pointed to a metal door.
I rushed for it and shoved open the door to freedom. The others close behind me. One guy remained, he was talking to the teen.
“You coming?” I asked.
“Not now, I’m getting a tv for my family. These plastic boxes are damned expensive,” and in the same breath, “A hundred, for a 40 incher.”
“Two fifty,” the teen responded.
“Idiots,” Izzy said.
The heavy door closed behind us, we had a long walk to get around the building. I wanted to call for a taxi but was unsure how the driver would react to my blood drenched clothes.
“My car’s at the restaurant down the street, I could give you all a ride home,” Vic offered.
“No way,” Izzy said.
Ethan was more polite, “thanks for the offer, I’ve got my car out front.”
Bright lights rolled up on us, attached to a big black truck. It stopped and lights on it’s roof flashed on, it was blinding. Something inside me wanted out, my mouth opened and I roared like some alien monster in my son’s console games.
“Take them out,” a voice called out from the vehicle.
Someone’s upper body poked out the side window then his big gun.
“Run,” my voice sounded strange, but I paid it no attention, there wasn’t time.
The four of us took off, Victor stayed close to me, probably because I was the only one with a gun. Ethan and Izzy ran straight ahead as Vic and I charged for the trees. A few shots, I dove to the ground within the forest, right behind the store. Victor beside me. Izzy was screaming, they probably shot her. I looked over, another shot silenced her.
Ethan and Izzy on the pavement, blood leaking from their bodies. These people were here to kill us. I didn’t want to stick around and trade bullets with them. Vic and I ran through the trees, we had a head start and a good chance of surviving the night. I knew this area, last month a neighbor and his kids lost their dog back here and I helped them find it, there was a path, it led to a car park.
The gun wielders sent a few more shots into Ethan and Izzy. They shined their lights into the trees after us. Victor killed his flashlight, the glow of the moon was enough for us to see and would not give away our position.
“They entered the trees!”
“Go in after them, nobody gets out of this. Bring back their bodies.”
Vic and I glanced at each other, we pushed harder then I could have ever imagined possible. Hit the trail and charged down it like an invading army that spotted a weakness in their enemies war-line, or like how I though it was, we were a fleeing army, I do prefer the other.
I clapped Vic’s shoulder and pointed the way out of the forest, the crazy armed men were way behind us, struggling through the trees. There was no chance they could catch us now. Standing way down the street, we looked back at the store, we just escaped. Fully geared people loaded body bags into big trucks.
“That could have been us Vic.”
He was silent, probably wondering what would have happened if we never got out of that place.
“What do we do now? I’m covered in blood.”
“My place isn’t far from here,” Vic said.
We walked to the very populated restaurant where Victor’s car sat awaiting him to return. There was a gaping scratch down the side of the car’s body. After a few words flew from Vic’s mouth he angrily got in. I approached from the shadows and climbed in the passenger side. It was a quiet ride.
I was glad it was dark, every time we got under a street light or past a car, light shined in at us. My clothes were blood soaked, it looked like I was from a murder scene. Vic had a nice home, it was a bungalow, all brick, with two garage doors. We got inside.
Vic gave me some clothes and directed me to the shower. I kept the gun with me. I got under the water, it was strange against my skin. I quickly cleaned myself and jumped out. I starred at myself in the mirror, a monster in my eyes. I wanted to cry, shout and destroy something, I shoved those feelings down deep, where they will hopefully die. My cell chirped to life, I answered.
“Rex,” my wife said, “are you almost home?”
“Yeah. I met Vic at the store and he wanted me to see his place. I’ll be home in an hour, I promise.”
“Kayla just got back, I gotta run. Love ya,” she chimed.
“Love you too.” We hung up.
This quake rocked through my body, I dry heaved for what seemed like an eternity. The bite on my calf was blackened. I searched his cupboards and used peroxide on the wound. Now I know why my daughter hates the stuff.
“Rex are you good?” Vic asked.
“Yeah.”
I got dressed and met Vic in the kitchen, he had a tv on the wall and was flipping through the channels. He found a newscast that talked about a terror attack on a store from a disgruntled employee, he had guns and shot everybody, no one survived.
“That’s not what happened,” Vic said.
“It is now, don’t tell anyone you were there.”
My body convulsed, vision went blurry and I felt like I was falling. My limbs were numb, body wouldn’t respond. I tried to yell but nothing came. Hunger twisted in my stomach, I wanted to be fulfilled. A surge of energy ripped through my body, I flailed my arms and bit at the air.
I dreamt of a happier time, a family BBQ. I was eating prime rib and everyone I knew was there. My children and wife were not smiling, something was wrong. Something else was here with me, a hunger, a power I didn’t have before. I could taste copper in my mouth.
Vic was standing over me, his mouth was moving but his words faded before they reached my ears. His arm was right beside my head, he was offering up a meal. I lurched at him and sank my teeth into his bare arm. His screams filled me with joy. I tore into his flesh and his blood spurted out. He shoved me back and leapt to his feet, Vic was down the hall heading for his room. I was on him in the doorway, he barely got out of the kitchen. We fell to the floor, he cried out swinging his fists at me. His struggle made the victory so much sweeter. I chewed down to his bone, nothing left of him to get infected, I did you a favor Vic.
My mind throbbed, did I just do that? Kill Vic and eat him? I was shrouded in darkness, with no feelings. I wasn’t hungry anymore but the knots in my stomach twisted and flipped. I wanted to scream, yell and destroy. My mind couldn’t handle these thoughts, it wanted to flee.
Cold brisk air whipped at me, a honking horn. Bright lights shining in my face, a voice, it sounded distant. I was outside, in the street, a car right in front of me.
“Get on the sidewalk,” the guy behind the wheel yelled.
He went around me and drove off. What the hell happened? I don’t remember leaving Vic’s. I looked down at myself, wearing the clothes Victor gave me, sweat pants and socks. I should be freezing, I couldn’t feel my feet. Where was my shirt? A sharp stabbing in my head. I didn’t want to remember, but part of me did. The dark smiling face that was layered underneath my own, a place for it to hide.
I got my bearings and continued walking. Kept my arms wrapped around me, though I didn’t feel cold. Not many cars on the side roads, I made good time, didn’t seem to get tired. I ran the second I saw my house, it was all lit up, car in the lane way and flashing TV glowing through the curtains. My things were in the pockets of my sweat pants, even the gun. Popped my trunk open and was glad when I seen my dry-cleaned clothes starring back at me.
Went into the garage and cleaned up at the sink. There was blood on my socks, the sight of it froze me. What happened? I searched myself, there was some gooey substance beneath my finger nails. The copper taste in my mouth and a numbness that vibrated through my body. I got dressed in my clean clothes, tried shaking the feeling off.
The house door opened, my twelve year old son Bryan came out with plastic recycling.
“Hey dad,” he said. “Mom’s been worried.”
“I know, lots of people out there.”
I tossed the clothes Vic gave me into the bag of leaves left over from fall and closed it up. Bryan was heading back in.
“Oh, I got up another six levels tonight.”
“Great, lots of catching up to do I guess.”
He laughed, “Admit it, you can’t handle me.”
“Oh really, well I’ve been practicing.”
“Not according to your login status, three days ago.”
The bugger was right, it’s rare to get one up on him. I liked all the time we were spending together. I followed him in. My hunger was insatiable. Headed right into the kitchen, so many options to choose from. Leftovers, cookies, chocolates. I grabbed one of my favorites, a chocolate fudge drop, my wife made them every year. I popped it into my mouth, the usually chocolaty taste was overpowered by ash. It felt mushy and almost burned my tongue.
I heaved it up and rinsed my mouth, even the water tasted off. My eyes were burning, it felt like they were on fire. Threw cold water on my face.
“Welcome home,” my wife said.
She closed in on me, her skin smelled like cherries. My body felt tight, I couldn’t move, how I wanted to hug her. Images plagued me, wanting me to devour her. My body moved closer, the dark face coming up, eager for a delicate meal. She was at the counter.
“Dad, you wanna play?” Bryan asked.
There was something in my throat, I couldn’t swallow. Opened my mouth and all that came out was a throaty groan. My wife walked up to me, placing the back of her hand on my forehead.
“You’re ice cold. Sit down, I know how to warm you up.”
She led me to a chair in the kitchen and helped me sit. My dear wife, she made a plate of food and presented it to me. Just a bite of her arm, it’s all I wanted.
“Now eat up.”
I wanted to yell, to tell her everything that happened. I wanted to devour her living flesh, it would sustain me. Her blood would flow through my body, my eyes blurred. My mind afraid of what I might do, it closed itself off. Surge of energy, I was on her. She could do nothing.
A walking nightmare. The sounds of Bryan’s game reverbed in my ears. I went to the living room, my body wet with his mother’s blood. He was facing the screen, he didn’t even feel the danger that was coming at him. Bryan was in my hands, I could feel what was coming, my soul quaked at the atrocity. I wanted him to fight, to run away and take his sister. She was next, I wanted her, to devour them both. My wife would be one with me, I just had a nibble of her. How could I do this?
Bryan was screaming and fighting back.
“DAAAAD!” He yelled.
Please run Bryan, don’t let me get you. But that’s not what I said. I hissed at him and lunged over the couch. My son broke free and was gone in a flash. I gave chase but stopped at the kitchen. My wife was on the floor, her eyes wide. Blood defaced the travertine tiles. She would be with me forever, just like we promised. I went to see our kids, because what is a parent without their children?
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Our souls wait and then we’re born into growing lives that are hard and torn. With hopes and dreams crushed at our feet, all life’s pleasures become sickly sweet. Whispering demons try to steal our lives and all the angels have prying eyes. We struggle and fight everyday, endlessly searching for one true way. Never finding peace of mind, all of us starving for one clear sign. In life there is only one true bet, that everyone will come to know death.
From an Ode to Death by Ivan Desabrais
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Thank You from Ian Desabrais
Thank you for reading this short story. I hope you enjoyed the journey.
Yours,
Ian Desabrais
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To the reader:
I wrote this free short story for my fans and my tweeple on twitter who follow @myzombiejournal and @iandesabrais. If you're interested in seeing more of my writing, check out my contact information below.
Thank you for reading this story.
Ian Desabrais
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Contact Information
You can reach me through facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ian-Desabrais/142740985812902
Twitter via
http://twitter.com/Iandesabrais
You can also check out my tumblr page
http://desabraisbros.tumblr.com
Also check out a book I write online with Ivan Desabrais.
http://twitter.com/myzombiejournal
Comments can be sent to
mailto:iandesabrais@rogers.com
Amazon
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Coming soon
Elnore - The first novel in the Saga
Elnore the bear was exiled form his home, he was forced to waste away his years in a small seaside village. His brother in war Thordon was embraced by the Lady Hel during the night and the maidens of death will lead him to the gods abode. During the funeral, Blood thirsty raiders kill and burn his world to the ground.
Elnore survives because of his son, Torim. The bear learns the raiders were sent by Loth, a would be king that wants him dead for killing his warmonger father. Elnore decides to give the gods one last battle to earn his place in Valhalla. With his war hound at his side he’s ready to take on an army but finds his son followed and swears to keep him alive.
@Myzombiejournal Part 1 - It's been a year
The year is 2014. We never saw it coming. Zombies are everywhere. Everybody I knew is gone.
@Myzombiejournal Part 2 - Now there's a reason
We're outnumbered. Raiders are hunting us. The world's gone crazy.
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END