Kick at the Darkness (5 page)

A high-pitched whine filled the room, and Adam winced. “Volume down.”

Parker lowered the sound while he read the message scrolling across the screen over a logo. He forced himself to take deep breaths.

“What does it say?”

Parker read the message aloud. “This is the Emergency Broadcast System. This is not a test. Stay in your home with doors and windows locked. If you are not at home, find a secure location. A state of emergency has been declared in the continental United States. Stay inside and await further instructions. The CDC has—” He broke off as his palms went clammy.

“What?” Adam asked tightly.

Parker swallowed hard, his throat raw, and his nose running. “The CDC has issued a pandemic warning. Avoid contact. This is not a test. “He muted the volume completely and watched the message scroll by again.

“Is that all?” Adam asked quietly.

“Yeah. It just repeats.” Parker scrolled through the rest of the channels, his chest tightening as he came across nothing but snow or dark screens, and a few other broadcasts of the same message. “Await further instruction. From who? The police are out there dead. But the army will do something, right?”

Adam was silent for too long before answering. “I hope so.”

“They have to! I mean, I…I can’t…” The pressure tightened on his chest like a vise, and he coughed, his lungs rattling. “I’m supposed to be taking my econ test this morning. I’m not supposed to be…this can’t be real. This isn’t happening. They have to fix it. They can’t just let this happen.” Blood rushed in his ears and he trembled.

“Shh. It’s okay. Breathe.” Adam was there, one hand on Parker’s shoulder and the other flat against his chest. “Breathe in.”

Lungs stuttering, Parker tried to obey. He gasped and the room spun.

“Now out. Look at me.”

Blinking, Parker struggled to focus on Adam’s eyes. They were flecked with so much gold they practically shimmered, and he zeroed in on the unusual color as he forced his lungs to expand and contract.

“That’s it. In and out. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

The room righted itself, and his pulse slowed. Sweat dampened the short hair at his forehead, and he swiped at his nose. Adam grounded him, his big hands warm and steady and strong. For a foolish moment, Parker wanted nothing more than to throw himself into Adam’s arms and be held.
Shit, man. Get it together
.

“Are you feeling sick?” Adam peered at him closely.

The CDC has issued a pandemic warning
. Jerking away, Parker shook his head. “I’m cool. Just freaked out. Thanks.” He was fine. This was some stupid cold. Or stress. It wasn’t anything else.
It wasn’t
.

For something to do, he went back to the TV and went through more channels. He was about to give up when he passed something new. “Whoa.” He backed up.

Adam stood behind him, and they watched. It was one of the TV network newsrooms. The camera was off-kilter, and drops of red dotted the lens. At the top of the screen, the studio lights were almost blinding. Below was the empty news desk, and in the bottom corner, something moved.

“Volume.” Adam’s voice was hoarse.

Parker unmuted the TV. They both jumped as the chattering filled the room, punctuated by the unmistakable sound of tearing flesh.

Adam spoke quietly. “Let’s grab some food and water, and find a safe place. And weapons.”

“Yeah. Let’s get some of those. How about now?” Parker flicked off the TV and the godawful noise. “I think now is good.”

He had a feeling locking doors and windows wasn’t going to cut it.

THE PROBLEM WITH getting weapons was, well, getting weapons.

“Does Home Depot stock swords?” Parker asked as Adam drove them back through campus, staying far away from the Oval. “People in zombie movies usually have a big sword of some kind. I can’t believe I’m talking about this for real. This is crazy. How do we even know what weapons will work on them?”

“Most creatures can’t survive decapitation.”

“Right. So swords would be good. Where do swords come from? Like, who sells swords in the twenty-first century? It’s probably all online. Does Amazon Prime still deliver in the apocalypse? But maybe—” He grabbed Adam tighter. “Over there. Are they…?”

Adam slowed the bike as they neared the library. There was a group of people out front. Parker squinted, lifting his hand to block the rising sun. His heart sank. In the daylight, he could see more clearly what appeared to be the effects of the virus, or whatever it was: violently bulging eyes, a jerky motion of the limbs, and hands reaching out with fingers in rictus, curled as if into claws. Blood was smeared on their faces and hands.

But the worst part was the chattering. Their teeth clashed constantly, and over the hum of the motorcycle, Parker could hear a low drone, as if it was coming from deep in their throats. These infected were students, and as the motorcycle neared, they turned, their joints unnaturally stiff.

Then they started swarming towards the bike, moving faster than should have been possible. Parker’s breath came in quick gasps as Adam steered away, seemingly calm as anything. It took Parker a minute to be able to speak again, and when he did, his voice was reedy.

“I think Walmart has guns, right? Too bad we’re not in Boston. My dad has a freaking arsenal. Not that he needs it, but you know. From his cold dead hands, second amendment, blah, blah, blah.”

At the thought of his father, Parker swallowed down the worry that simmered constantly and resisted the urge to let go of Adam to check his phone. They had to be okay. They
had
to be.

“Or maybe—holy shit.”

Around the bend ahead near one of the campus entrances, an ambulance was toppled on its side, red lights still flashing and engine running. The sun gleamed off the metal, and hundreds of infected crowded around it, their chattering filling the air like cicadas on crack.

“What are they doing? There can’t be anyone left in there to eat.”

“I don’t think they know what they’re doing. I don’t think they’re thinking anymore.”

“Doesn’t seem like it. That could be us. That probably
will
be us.”

“There’s a sporting goods store a few blocks from campus. Let’s check it out.”

“Uh-huh. Sounds good.” Parker couldn’t look away from the horde of infected, who lunged toward them with bent fingers and arms outstretched as they zoomed by. “How are you on gas?”

“Fine for now. We’ll fill up as soon as we can.”

The tangle of streets beyond the school came into sight, jammed with abandoned cars. “What do you think it’s going to be like off-campus?”

“I guess we’re about to find out.”

To reach the main road, they had to get uncomfortably close to the carnage. There were more bodies—and more infected. Parker caught glimpses of seemingly uninfected people as they weaved through the obstacle course the road had become. There was a flash of blonde hair behind a car; a rifle pointed from a window; two people holding hands and ducking behind a van.

“I think the store’s the other way. By the hamburger joint.”

Adam didn’t slow. “No, it’s this way. A couple more blocks.”

“Are you sure? I swear it was that way.”

“I’m sure.”

“Have you been there? How do you know?”

Adam exhaled sharply. “I’ve lived here for five years, Parker. I’m sure.”

“You better be.”

“I am.”

Parker pointed. “There, there! Sporting goods. Huh. You were right.”

“
I know
.”

The parking lot held only a few vehicles, and the store was dark. Adam cut the engine and they sat there for a moment, glancing around. It was unnerving how deserted the streets seemed in less than twenty-four hours. Parker hadn’t thought it would be possible.

“What do you think?” he asked Adam quietly.

In the distance, a woman shrieked.

Without another word, they both dismounted and hurried to the double set of doors. Parker tried the right one, but it was locked. He yanked on the left. No dice. “I guess we can break a window, huh? Not like someone’s going to arrest us. Actually, that would be great if they did. Throw the book at us. Lock us up safe and sound. Okay, how do you break a window?” He looked around for something to throw.

“Wait.” Adam was doing that thing where he held up his hand and listened intently. He sniffed loudly. “There are people inside.”

“Huh?” Parker peered through the glass. He could just make out the shapes of aisles, but with the sun bright overhead, he mostly only saw his own reflection. And Jesus he looked like hell—pale with dark splotches under his eyes, and the congestion and sore throat weren’t going anywhere. His kingdom for a venti mocha. “I don’t see anyone.”

Adam sniffed again, listening with his head cocked. “I’m positive.”

What the fuck?
“Okay, you apparently have supersonic hearing, but what’s with the sniffing? Is there some epic BO going on in there?”

Adam did the strangest thing: he blushed. “Of course not. I think there must be people in there because the doors are locked and I heard voices. You didn’t hear them? And I’m sniffing because I have a cold.”

“Oh. Okay.” It made sense—maybe they were both coming down with it. Then Parker’s stomach churned, and he prayed
it
wasn’t what had infected the others. Surely if it was they’d be eating someone’s face by now, wouldn’t they?

“We should—”

Parker rattled the door. “Hello? Someone in there? Open up. We come in peace. Hello?” He thumped on the glass. “We’re going to break it in a minute, so just open the door. Please?”

In the silence that followed, Adam sighed. “I guess that’s one way of going about it.”

“You have a better idea?” Parker glanced around to make sure his shouting hadn’t attracted any infected. Down the block he could see movement, and expected the chattering to reach his ears any moment. “Shit.” He turned back to the glass. “Seriously, we need you to open the door.
Now
.”

Silence.

“Time to break it,” Parker said, but Adam was somehow already returning from a nearby car with a tire iron. He raised it over his shoulder, and Parker scurried back out of the way.

“Wait!” A female voice cried from the shadows of the store. A moment later three faces appeared faintly in the glass beyond the reflection of the parking lot.

Parker returned to the door. “Hi. We’re just looking for weapons. We’re not going to hurt you. We’re not infected. See?” Parker motioned back and forth between himself and Adam. “We’re okay. Can you please open the door?”

The young women looked around Parker’s age. They glanced at each other, and then back out at Parker and Adam. One of them leaned her head in and whispered to the others.

“We won’t hurt you,” Adam said.

Their heads shot up, and they stared mutely.

Parker whispered to Adam, “Okay, that bionic hearing is a little creepy, dude.”

Adam didn’t reply. Instead he pressed against him and wrapped his arm around Parker’s shoulders. “My boyfriend and I don’t mean you any harm. I swear. Please unlock the door.”

Boyfriend?
Parker opened his mouth, but the question died on his tongue when Adam dug his fingers into Parker’s upper arm.

“So they don’t think we’re going to rape them,” he hissed.

Oh, right. Parker cleared his throat and smiled at the girls. He was aware of the unnatural noise of the infected getting louder to the east. “Look, I get that you’re scared. We’re scared too. I totally would’ve died last night, but he saved me.” His heart tripping, he put his arm around Adam’s waist. “Me and my boyfriend here, we really need to get some weapons. Please? We won’t hurt you.”

Adam looked to the left and tensed. “Open the door. We can help each other.”

As the girls exchanged another glance, the chattering swelled. Parker was about to tell Adam to smash the damn glass after all, and Adam was tightening his grip on the tire iron when one of the girls flicked the lock. With a long exhale, Parker opened the door and held it so Adam could wheel the motorcycle inside. They locked it quickly and backed away from the glass. The front wall of the store was fortunately brick with windows near the roof too high to reach. The double glass doors were the only weak point.

Silently, they watched the infected twitch their way down the street. A few wandered into the parking lot, but were more interested in the cars, reaching for the gleaming metal with bloody fingers. They ignored the store, and after a few excruciating minutes, Parker, Adam, and the young women were alone again.

Parker took in the dark aisles. The sun through the doors and high windows, and an emergency light at the back of the store cast just enough glow to see. “Did you guys come in here for guns?”

A blonde with a pink stripe in her long hair shook her head. “I’m the night cashier. It wasn’t busy, so the manager left me to close up.” She indicated her friends, a petite Asian with her hair in two braids, and a tall brunette with the kind of pixie cut Jessica had tried in middle school and regretted instantly. “Lauren and Daniela came to pick me up. We were going to the Sigma party. Then everything went crazy outside. We turned off the lights and hid. We thought it was some kind of riot. Then we looked online and it seems to be happening all over the place. We saw some videos on YouTube that were…bad. Really bad. San Francisco and Oakland looked like something out of a horror movie. The bridges were blocked with cars, and there were…bodies. And all the news sites said to stay locked inside. They said it was some kind of pandemic or something?”

“Yeah. Apparently.”

Daniela spoke up. “But how is this happening? What kind of virus or whatever makes people batshit crazy? This is insane, right? They have to do something. Someone will come help us, won’t they?”

“I hope so,” Parker answered. He wanted to believe it, but with each passing hour it felt less likely. “Well, thanks for letting us in. I’m Parker, and this is Adam. My boyfriend.” He tried to smile, and likely failed spectacularly.