Drew ran up to the
Eater
that he had taken
down and pulled the bat from the stilled body. The zombie seemed to
be finally at peace. Drew cringed at the thought that the child was
up running around at school earlier just like himself. Mater
retrieved her hatchet and ran over to Drew.
“
The others are coming,
it’s too many! We should make a run for it. They are not as fast as
these two,” Mater pointed as she wiped her hatchet free of
the
Eater’s
remains.
The clashing of teeth and
tortuous moans hailed from the direction of the other
Eaters
. The eldest of
the horde, followed by the others, scuffled towards Drew and Mater.
He extended his jaws wide like he was yawning. The other’s followed
quickly in pursuit of their new found meal.
“
Run and don’t look back!”
Drew yelled as he snatched up his backpack and hightailed it
towards the truck.
The speed of Drew and
Mater were no match for the
Eaters
discombobulated shuffle. Tarynn quickly opened
the doors as Mater climbed through the driver’s side and into the
passengers seat. Drew quickly hopped in, threw his bat into the
dashboard, and fumbled for the keys.
“
Keys are in the
ignition,” Tarynn pointed.
Drew’s hands trembled so bad that he barely
could get the truck to turn over. “Make sure Grace is buckled up,”
he said as he glanced over his shoulder, “it’s been awhile since
Mee-maw let me practice driving,” Drew said without a thought.
“
Drew?” Mater leaned her
head to the side and gently patted the bat sitting in the
dashboard.
“
Yea,” Drew responded as
he occasionally glanced back and forth between Mater and the
oncoming
Eaters.
“
You haven’t lost your
touch,” Mater softly said as she imitated Drew making a swinging
motion with her hand.
“
Can’t believe I’m killing
people,” Drew said. He looked down and ran his fingers through his
already tussled hair.
“
They are not people. They
are zombies now.
Eaters,”
Mater corrected.
Drew turned the ignition
and the truck would not crank. It sounded as if it wanted to start
but did not have the energy. Drew looked up from the keys and saw
the fourteen-year-old
Eater,
who led the other zombies, closing in. Tarynn
began to panic in the back seat and recited a couple of fast
prayers.
“
Those demons are getting
close!” Tarynn shrieked as she started reciting the Lords Prayer
out loudly.
“
Have faith!” Mater
shouted back at Tarynn.
The vein in Tarynn’s neck
throbbed, “Have faith? I won’t be worried about
faith
if I am zombie
food!”
Drew hit the dashboard and
tried the ignition again. After two more tries the truck finally
kicked on and Drew put
Big Thunder
into reverse accidently backing up into a
tree.
“
Oops,” Drew said as he
put the truck in drive with a big jerk and turned a full 360
degrees in the narrow road.
Big
Thunder
nearly trampled the first of the
oncoming
Eaters.
The fourteen-year-old
Eater
was able to grab a hold of the back of the truck.
Once Drew picked up speed the
Eater
could not hold on anymore and fell off. Drew felt
that he could finally breath a sigh of relief.
“
You and Mater are more
than welcome to come along with Grace and I if you like,” Drew said
as he looked in the rearview mirror, “if not I can take y’all
wherever you want and then Grace and I will be on our
way.”
“
You and Grace are all I
have now,” Mater staidly replied as she looked out the passenger
window.
“
Where are you going?”
Tarynn asked.
“
Washington. Washington,
D.C.,” Drew replied.
“
How are we supposed to
get to Washington?” Tarynn drilled.
“
Once we get out of
Wiggins, I will open the backpack Mee-maw packed for me. Might have
some answers on how to get there.”
“
Maybe a map might be
helpful?” Tarynn pulled her fire, red hair back over her shoulders.
Her face appeared sunken and tired.
“
Don’t know how to read
one,” Drew said. He tried to stop his legs from shaking. His nerves
were rattled from everything that had just occurred. He still could
not believe his grandmother, mother, and sister was all
dead.
Tarynn shook her head as
Drew pulled up to the stop sign that led onto the cluttered Highway
26. Smoke and debris filled the air. Random gunshots blasted off
every so often. Screams of pure agonizing pain and terror were
scattered throughout the town. The road had a different appearance
than before. Various abandoned vehicles were strewn across the
highway. Most automobiles were wrecked. A few cars trickled through
and onto Highway 49, which was no better than the highway that ran
through the heart of Wiggins, Mississippi.
Eaters
were observed wandering in
between the cars and around small businesses. Drew and the other’s
knew what the undead were looking for. Live Flesh. Human
flesh.
“
By the look of things, we
need to get away from here as far as we can. We will walk,
hitchhike, drive, or whatever… because whatever is in this
backpack,” Drew pointed at the backpack, “is important enough for
us to go there. It might be a detailed explanation of what is going
on out there. Plus my grandmother is ex military and she knows
someone there who will keep us safe.”
“
I think I have had my
share of
trusting
people,” Tarynn howled as she reminded Drew about the death
of her parents.
“
It’s all we got… Either
way, that’s where I am headed,” Drew said with assertion as he
turned in the opposite direction of Highway 26. He refused to go
through town where all the chaos had occurred.
“
All I have to say is at
some point we will have to find a bible. Count me in,” Tarynn
said.
“
I am hungry….” Grace
mumbled as she lightly kicked the back seat. The empty pack of
gummy worms sat underneath her doll.
“
We will stop and get food
as soon as we are out of town and I can think,” Drew replied to his
little sister.
Drew took the only back road that he knew of
in Wiggins that would eventually lead them to Hattiesburg. After
about two miles of cruising the clutter free Project Road, Drew
noticed a big black blob in the middle of the street. From a
distance away, the blob resembled a mass of ants.
“
Holy hot sausages! What
is that?” Tarynn howled.
“
Please, no more
monsters….” Grace whined.
As Drew neared, his worst
fears came true. The blob was an army of
Eaters
that ranged from the age of
an infant, which crawled on the pavement, to the age of
seventeen-years-old. The pack consisted of forty plus
Eaters.
The sight of the
truck sparked an interest in the
Eaters
as they picked up speed and
hurriedly shuffled towards
Big
Thunder.
Drew slowed the truck as he
pulled his thoughts together.
“
I say run straight
through em’.
Big Thunder
has this,” Mater said holding the door embracing
for the impact.
Drew looked in the rearview mirror, “looks
like we don’t have a choice but to knock em’ down like bowling
pins.” He swallowed hard as he contemplated turning around. He
could not risk going back into town where so much madness and
mayhem was occurring. He turned around and smiled at Grace.
“
Hold on tight, we are
going on a roller coaster ride,” Drew fibbed.
“
Yay! I like fun rides!”
Grace playfully said.
“
Tarynn start your
praying. We need it now more than ever,” Drew said as he made the
accelerator kiss the floor board.
Big Thunder
promised to bring them through the eye of the
storm and plow down the weeds as it raced to take the
Eaters
out. Drew shouted
for joy until the truck went dead, cutting off midway, 200 feet
from the gruesome pack of
Eaters.
Drew began to panic as
the
Eaters
closed
in. He quickly checked to see what could possibly be wrong with the
truck. He tried the ignition again with no success and again with
it completely going silent. His eyes flew to the panel that held
the gas meter. The needle fell below the red line.
Empty.
“
Oh God….” Drew whispered
as the
Eaters
surrounded the truck.
Drew beat his head on the
steering wheel and tried to think of how they would survive
fighting off forty plus
Eaters.
Big Thunder
rocked like
a cradle as the
undead took turns trying
to snag their current meal. Grace began screaming hysterically in
the rear seat as a mutilated arm broke through the back glass. The
loudness of the
Eater’s
growls became so vociferous
that it smothered the cries that flowed from within the
truck. Drew reached back with his bat and started beating at the
hands that invaded the back seat. Mater started chopping away at
the disfigured tiny hands that smashed through the front
windows.
Drew knew it was only a
matter of time before
Big Thunder
succumbed to the zombie attack
but little did Drew Jacks know the worst was yet
to come. The next thing Drew knew, he was being pulled by his hair
through the driver’s side of the broken window. He was able to get
a glimpse of Tarynn trying to protect Grace by kicking at
the
Eaters
. He
saw Mater fiercely battle the undead that hailed through the
passenger side of the window but it was too many. The burning
sensation that came from the hands barbarically pulling his hair
sent sharp pains that shot down to the bottom of his feet. It felt
like his scalp was on fire. Drew tried to reach out for Grace, the
only thing that kept him fighting but his feet slipped and he hit
his head. The last image that Drew seen of his sister Grace was her
bright watery blue eyes and arms reaching out for him. On his way
out through the jagged window, the nest of
Eaters
embraced him…. Then the last
thing Drew Jacks knew… everything went black.
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