The crowd in the center of the bridge reported their fear with wailing screams as the dead began to attack them. Paul didn’t know what to do, then looked at the bridge railing. He ran to it and looked at the water; it was a long way down, too long for what he considered. “We have to jump!” he told Katie. She looked over the railing with dread.
“Come on!” Paul said as he climbed up on the ledge.
“I can’t!” she told him.
“What? We have no choice. They’re coming!”
“I can’t, Paul, not with the child, she won’t survive the fall!”
“Katie?” he pleaded.
“No!”
He wasn’t going to leave her so he climbed down, he’d die with her if it came to that, which it looked like it was. On both ends of the bridge, the ravenous undead cannibals were killing everyone. People tried to fight them but, with no real weapons or protection, they didn’t last. Men fought them with tire irons, but they were quickly killed. Paul was at a loss. He took the handgun out of his pocket and checked the magazine—only a few rounds left—not enough for what was coming. He looked at Katie and she returned what was in his eyes…
Hopelessness.
Paul combed his hand through her hair gently and took her in his arms; she hugged him with one arm while she held the child between them in a loving embrace.
Their last.
“I love you, Katie.”
“I love you too,” she said in tears.
They stood there as many people ran wildly all around them. The dead would reach them in a few minutes. There was no escaping this and they had come to terms with it. They were happy because they were together, but Paul had no intention of watching those things kill the love of his life. He didn’t care what happened to him, but he would not allow Katie to suffer.
Paul raised the gun to her head.
She knew his intention and kept silent.
He placed the barrel right at her skull.
Katie squeezed him tightly and kissed his neck tenderly.
The child was silent as she looked at them with her big, glossy eyes.
Paul placed his finger on the trigger.
The undead killers would reach them in moments.
Paul squeezed the trigger…
This moment in their lives was about to be sealed forever…
THE MARKET
UNDER A YEAR AGO AT A 24 HOUR CONVENIENCE MARKET IN LONDON. The sleepless were lonely at this time of night, and the few people there dredged around in search of whatever comfort food struck their fancy. Paul Hubber was currently looking at a selection of milk, which was just milk, per se. Nowadays, with so many choices of nonfat this and one percent that, choosing lottery numbers seemed an easier task. With a bag of chips and some Twinkie-like pastry in his basket, Paul grabbed a large bottle of nonfat milk and headed to checkout.
There were six checkout stands with only two clerks working. One was a thirty-something man with a nice sized belly and disheveled hair, his mother’s basement waited for his return. The other cashier was Katie. A year younger and more beautiful than ever, her innocence glowed. She had three customers waiting to be checked out and Paul got in her queue. The other cashier finished with his one customer and was free. “I can take you here, sir,” he said to Paul.
Paul tried to play dumb. “Sorry?”
“Here, sir, I can take you here,” the clerk pointed to his open check stand.
“Thanks, but I’m alright.”
“What?” the clerk said. “You don’t have to wait. I’ll check you now.”
“No, really, I’m fine,” Paul said.
“I don’t understand, sir,” the clerk said, not knowing why Paul wanted to stay where he was. “You don’t have to wait. I’ll take you now.”
Paul glanced at Katie and she didn’t notice what went on. “Really, I’m fine where I am, thank you.”
Katie took a quick look at Paul and smiled.
“I’ll go then,” the woman in front of Paul went to the male cashier.
The old man Katie was in the middle of helping was going through his pockets in search of proper change. It seemed he would take forever, so the next person also went to the male cashier, leaving Paul next. The old man finally paid and slowly walked away. “Have a good night, sir,” Katie told him.
Paul placed his items on the conveyer and Katie began to scan them. “Hello,” she said to Paul.
“Hi,” he nervously said back.
“Weren’t you here last night?” she asked him.
“Uh, yeah. I think.”
She scanned his milk. “You must like milk then?”
“I’m sorry?” he answered.
“Milk. You must really like it?”
“I guess. Why do you ask?”
“This is the fifth time you’ve bought milk from me in so many days,” Katie said with a smirk.
“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” Paul told her, but wasn’t convincing.
“I’m sure,” Katie answered.
“The milk is for my flatmate.”
“He must be a big fellow,” Katie said.
“Yes, he is.”
Paul paid and Katie bagged his items for him. “Thanks for coming. Have a good night,” she said, and held his bag out to him.
He took the bag and their fingers touched for a second—it excited him to no end and, little did he know, it did the same for her. Their business was complete, but Paul stood there for a moment trying to muster the courage to speak. Katie was cool as she looked at him. “Yes, is there something else that I can help you with?” she asked.
Paul became nervous when he saw the other clerk and his customers looking at him with curious smiles. “Um…no, thank you. Have a good night.”
He walked away without saying what he came to say, again, and Katie rolled her eyes. “Yes,” she said.
Paul stopped. “Sorry?”
“Yes, I said,” Katie told him. “My answer is yes.”
“Yes to what?” Paul asked.
“I can’t wait forever for you to ask me out so I’m saying yes.”
Paul blushed, “Alright.”
She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to him.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“My number.”
“You had it ready for me or do you give your number to many boys?” he said with a smile.
“If you don’t want it, then give it back!” Katie said, and playfully tried to snatch it from him, but missed.
“No, no, I’m teasing!” Paul said. “Of course I want it.”
“Good then, because it’s been in my pocket all week waiting for you.”
Paul was embarrassed but happy. “I’ll call you,” he said as he walked away.
“We’ll see if I answer,” she said with a bright smile.
Paul backed away. “I’m only calling you once so you better answer.”
“Uh-huh,” Katie said and laughed when Paul backed into the doorframe as he tried to exit like a cool guy. “Watch the big door,” she said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, thanks,” rubbing the back of his head. “Good night.”
“See ya,” she said.
Paul left with a bump on his head and a lump in his throat…
• • •
A week later at Paul’s place—a one bedroom flat, nothing too fancy, a bachelor pad—the night filled the empty apartment. A key hit the lock and Paul and Katie stood in the doorway. Paul reached over and flipped on the lights. “This is my castle,” he said and let her in.
“This is very nice,” as she looked around.
There wasn’t much to his place, just guy essentials and some soccer posters.
“So, where is your flatmate then?” she asked.
“Uh, he’s, uh…over there,” Paul said reluctantly.
Katie didn’t see him. “Where?”
Paul pointed toward the kitchen, “Right there.”
Katie went to the kitchen and found what he meant—on the counter was an adorable light brown hamster with white patches. The small creature moved around its cage and looked at her with its black eyes. It wiggled its nose at her. “He’s precious,” she declared. The cage had a maze tube that went out of the cage and over it, then back to the bottom. The hamster went up the tube to get closer to Katie’s face. “What’s your name, handsome?” she said to it.
“George,” Paul told her.
“Why hello, gorgeous George. Who’s the pretty boy? You are.” she said to the animal.
She noticed his water bottle hanging in the cage. “So where’s George’s milk?”
“He doesn’t drink milk. It’s not very good for him.”
Katie opened the refrigerator. It contained the usual guy food compliment—some bread, deli meat, and five large bottles of milk, only one of which was open with a small amount missing. Paul was a little embarrassed.
“Ah,” she said and picked up a bottle. She shook it and could feel chunks inside. “This one is quite ripe.”
“In retrospect, perhaps I should have bought water,” he said.
She put the milk back. “No,” she said and looked in his eyes. “Although it’s a waste, it’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me,” she said with a smile.
“Really?”
“Really.”
He looked into her green eyes and she saw the same thing in his sky-blue, it was a connection. One that few people ever get to see and it was wonderful. Paul took Katie in his arms and she held him tightly as he kissed her. The refrigerator was still open and its light basked them in a halo. As quaint as it was to have a kiss in the closet-size kitchen of his apartment, it lasted very long and into the next morning.
And just as Katie had hoped…
Their first kiss was something she wouldn’t forget.
UNABRIDGED
THE DEAD WERE CLOSING IN ON THEM FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE BRIDGE. Paul squeezed the trigger; one more millimeter and the gun would go off, killing Katie. At the last second he whipped the gun from her head and it fired into the air. Katie flinched in shock and wondered why she was still alive. She looked at Paul, who was staring at something behind her; she turned and saw a full-size, late model BMW sedan that was left unattended. The doors were open and the engine was running. New hope filled Paul’s eyes. “Come with me!” he said and dragged her with the child to the car. He closed the driver side doors and took her to the passenger side. “Get in!”
Katie got in the car with the child. “Lock the doors!” he told her through the window. She hit the button and all four doors locked. “What’re you doing, Paul?”
“Stay in the car!”
Paul put the handgun in his pocket and ran to the car in front of the BMW. He got in and checked for the keys—they were in the ignition—he turned it on, put it in gear, and hit the gas. The vehicle moved forward until it hit the car in front of it, Paul floored the accelerator and the tires burned as he tried to push the car. The unmanned sedan slowly moved forward and stopped ten feet later when it hit the car in front of it, it would go no more. Paul jumped out and ran to the van behind the sedan Katie was in. She watched him run by and hop into the van.
“Damnit!” Paul cursed when he couldn’t find the keys.
He put the van in neutral and then ran to the front of it and pushed it back by hand, his feet scraping the pavement for a grip as he pushed with all his might. The van slowly moved back and stopped when it hit the car behind it. Paul went to the car next to the BMW and got in. The keys were in it so he turned it on and put the car in reverse. The car rocketed back, hitting the vehicle behind it, and Paul gave it more gas, pushing it farther back. As he drove, Paul glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the dead getting closer; they would be there in moments. There were a couple hundred on both sides of the bridge now, rampaging their way towards the center, and everyone in their path was being mercilessly slaughtered and consumed.
The car would move no more so Paul got out—a fast moving corpse came out of nowhere and attacked him. He recoiled back into the car. The creature pounced on him, but he kicked it in the face, sending the thing to the ground. He fumbled with the passenger door lock blindly as he kept eyes on the stench; it was getting up to have another go at him. He got the door unlocked just as the fetid beast lunged at him, fell out of the car with the thing clawing at his heels, and kicked it away as he fished for the gun in his pocket. He thrashed his legs to avoid being bitten by the snapping jaws of the dead creature, kicking its face multiple times, but it wouldn’t stop. He finally got the gun out and shot it pointblank in the face. Its head dropped dead on the pavement in between Paul’s legs with its milky eyes staring at him.
Paul got up and headed to Katie, not realizing the gunshot had attracted more of them. “Paul!” Katie shouted in horror and pointed behind him. He turned to see several dead sprinters coming from only twenty feet away. Paul ran as fast as he could to the car. “Unlock the doors!” he shouted. She hit the button not a moment too soon as Paul’s hand reached the handle. He jumped into the car and the dead slammed into the door as he closed it. Katie hit the lock button and they were safe.
More of them got to the car and surrounded it. The child became scared and whimpered from all the angry faces at the windows.
More were coming…
“Buckle your seatbelt!” Paul told Katie as he buckled his.