The wind howled at the bending, moaning trees. It was dark, and the trees masked imaginary dangers. Nature sounds no longer seemed peaceful- it was now foreign, mysterious, an uninvited visitor that brings in the dangers of the night.
The wind carried with it the sounds of a skirmish, a battle that was taking place. Gunshots pounded through the air, sending gentle vibrations through the air.
None of this bothered Bill. It was just the background noise to another wartime dream he was having in the cozy backseat of his 1970s vintage white car.
Just then, a loud explosion was heard. He could hear voices, frantic voices. He heard rubble fall down and the pounding of feet on the pavement.
Bill yawned.
The grizzled, old veteran sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The old man’s sharp eyes pierced the darkness in the car. His car was safely situated on a ledge overlooking the road below. He saw figures running down on the road.
Bill stretched out his old tired muscles and bones. He put on his old dusty army uniform with scars on the back. He remembered how accurate Charley’s bullets were, and how they nearly ripped him to shreds along with his uniform. It was the only thing he had worn ever since he had left his house. When the whole city went to hell two weeks ago, he packed up his guns, ammunition, health packs, basic necessities…and more guns.
Peering out of the window cautiously, Bill, armed with a shotgun, glanced around. He saw something that surprised him. It wasn’t the dark figures running or just standing on the road aimlessly. It wasn’t the strange, ominous feeling that had pervaded throughout the woods.
“What the hell happened to the military?”
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Down in the basement of a fairly decent house, an African-American man was scouring his basement for supplies. He was putting all his supplies in a black trash bag. However, the guns required more attention.
Louis brushed the dust of his old abandoned desk and found a business motivational book.
Rule #12: Remember to keep a sense of adventure.
Louis laughed and tossed in the business book in along with his many office motivational posters.
At long last, the electronics store manager took up his black trash bag and toted a shotgun in his hand. Even though he was trained to take charge of a crisis and observe his surroundings carefully, he was still filled with apprehension.
Unlike most people, though, Louis actually had experience with guns. He picked up a hunting rifle and dropped it into his bags, remembering how his father used to take him hunting in the Allegheny National Forest. Good times, and he took up marksmanship ever since. The hunting range was his retreat during lunch hours.
That might explain why he lived for so long. His colleagues were probably dead or infected. It might also explain how he managed to get into his new red car without so much a scratch.
After clearing out some infected that had overtaken his fresh cut lawn, Louis dumped his supplies and trash bag into the trunk. Louis took out the map from the compartment in the front seat. He drew out the shortest route to Riverside.
Riverside. It was a tranquil little town that wasn’t too far from the coast. Dad took him there once, and it wasn’t too bad. Without the zombies, that is. Now he heard from the radio that the military was clearing out an escape route for the survivors by retaking the city. He also heard they busted the bridge just in case the infected did overrun the small town.
His red car roared down the empty, desolate road.
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On the outskirts of the city, a group of shivering college students stood in the woods. From afar, they could see signs of a skirmish, a battle taking place.
“Think the military’s gonna hold up?”
“They better.”
“You betcha.”
The sounds of the battle stopped. The victor was undecided, and the students glanced at each other nervously.
A girl in a red jacket said, “Think we should’ve gone back? ‘Cause it’s warmer back in my dorm…”
The taller boy of the group shook his head sadly, bitterly remarking, “No chance, Zoey. They’re probably all dead by now. Good thing we left school early…I’d hate to-”
A shadow streaked through the air.
A shriek rang throughout the air, and the taller boy was instantly pinned by a hooded creature, which was tearing him into pieces. The taller boy struggled futilely.
Why is nobody helping me?
At that moment, the shadows within the trees came alive. Shrieking pale-faced monsters emerged from the darkness, surrounding the helpless group of students. Taken by surprise, the students were instantly overwhelmed by the horde.
“Shi- GET IT OFF!”
A boy whimpered helplessly, waiting for death in a fetal position.
Zoey ran for her life. Amid the chaos and confusion, the adrenaline and will to live forced her to run. Past her doomed classmates…past the normal people who were now infected…past-
As she looked back onto the carnage behind her, she suddenly heard an equally terrifying shriek and felt a chill down her spine. A cold, slimy tongue constricted around her neck, making her gasp for breath. Perhaps for the last time….
*BLAM*
The first thing Zoey saw, when she was gasping for breath on the ground, was a scowling man on a motorcycle with a smoking shotgun in one hand. She had seen him before in the neighborhood bar and in those biker meetings…what was he doing here?
“Get on!”
Zoey instinctively dove for the backseat of the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around the man’s waist, sobbing uncontrollably.
The motorcycle roared through the dark forest. The man asked, “What’s your name, honey?”
Zoey sniffled. “It’s Zoey. Your’s?”
“Francis.”
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Louis drove down the empty road, eyes scanning the flaming cars and debris that was strewn everywhere. At long last, he reached the toll booth, which led to Riverside.
Though Louis was a law-abiding citizen, he smashed through the booth barrier without paying because the toll collector was now just a skeletal corpse slumped over the cashier machine.
Louis gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles, body shivering from the coldness of the carnage around him.
Also, something was following him. Something big, muscular…and tossing rocks at him.
*SMASH* With pin-point precision, the jagged edge of a giant slab of cement clipped his car, sending his car spinning uncontrollably. Louis fought his car with his steering wheel in vain.
The hulk was meters away. Louis reached for his shotgun…and lost it when the beast flipped his car with one humongous arm. Louis saw stars and lost sense of consciousness for a while.
The thing was near. He held his breath, watching it fearfully with frantic eyes.
The hulk surveyed the wreckage, sniffing with his nose. Fortunately for Louis, the gasoline that poured out of the car overcame the smell of warm, living flesh. After growling and bellowing a loud roar, the beast ambled away from the wreckage, and left the way it came.
When it was no more than a speck in the distance, Louis smashed his car window and crawled out. Disheveled and shaken as he was, he was not done yet. Far from it. As he staggered away from the car, it exploded into a ball of flame. He could hear popping sounds as the guns in the trunk fired out their ammunition.
He walked to Riverside, lonelier and colder than ever.
=====================================================================
“Where are we headed for?”
Francis replied, “I heard the military was holding out against those vampires at Riverside. If they clear a way through…”
Zoey shook her head. “They’re dead. My classmates and I were assaulted by those zombies. They probably got past the military… or killed them.”
“Fine, I guess we’ll just find Grampa Bill,” growled Francis. He pulled the motorcycle to a stop at a white car. Francis leapt off the bike and pounded on the car’s hood. “Hey, wake up, Gramps!” A shotgun blast smashed through the front window, nearly killing Francis.
“Dammit, I though you were one of them!” snarled Bill as he got out of the car. “And who’s that?”
“That’s a girl, and a fine one too.”
Zoey gave Francis an ugly look and pushed him. She said, “It’s nice to meet you, Bill. I’m Zoey.”
Bill took a drag from his cigarette. “I should move that car down there. If we’re gonna escape, we might as well get into my car. Three people including me, right?”
Zoey looked over her shoulder and saw a dark figure walking down the road. “Four.”
=====================================================================
Louis leaned back against the car, stretching out his sore leg muscles. “Damn…I was walking all the way here. Couldn’t even bring any guns and stuff.”
The survivors huddled around, talking about their past lives. Bill told his war stories while Zoey talked about how she used to skip out on classes. Francis recalled his biker gang’s stories and Louis about his ordinary job. As different as they were, there was a feeling of closeness and camaraderie.
After taking a swig from his canteen, Bill said, “C’mon, son. We gotta keep moving. These infected will be coming after us any second.”
Louis shook his head. “Not with that car. I heard the bridge out of here is busted. No way we can get out of here with your car.”
“Then why’d you come here?”
“I thought the military would’ve able to do something…”
“They’re gone.”
The silence was deafening as the survivors realized what they were up against. At long last, Louis got up and Bill popped open the trunk to reveal weapons, ammo, and health packs. Francis took a shotgun. The four survivors stood together, facing the unknown and god knows what.
This is the epilogue of the prologue.
