The Camaro lurched, after being struck on the side. It threw me into Jason. Oh God, they were trying to roll the car! Horrified, I turned. Three zombies on my side withered down, thick blood streaking the window.
“Padraic,” I said and watched the black Range Rover back up and jolt forward, pinning the zombies between his grill and the Camaro. They popped like zits, guts and pus oozing from every orifice. “Again,” I told Jason, remembering that I needed to do something with the clutch. It was hard to shout out instructions over Argos barking. Jason heard me and the most beautiful sound of the engine rang out. “Please work,” I prayed and shifted into what I hoped was first gear. The car lurched forward, running over several zombies. Jason jerked the wheel, hoping to knock off the bitch on the top of the car. He hit a stop sign, bashing out the passenger sidelights. The zombie girl flew off, rolling on the pavement, her rotten skin peeling off with ease on the rough street.
I forgot about going to the Beta Theta Pi house. My brain’s only thought was getting the hell away and surviving. It took a minute of video game style driving through the abandoned streets of Purdue for me to break out of my timorous haze. I looked around, not able to fathom where we were logically. I had spent four and half years on this campus; I should know it well. Passing the Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education building jarred my memory.
“We need to get on State Street,” I told Jason, knowing fully that he had no idea where that was. I gave directions. Some of the buildings had been burned down. My stomach twisted at the sight of them, at the sight of what our world had been reduced to. I debated if we should try the highway and sneak in the back. Afraid it would be another frozen traffic jam, I decided against it.
We drove through the perfectly manicured lawn, smashing over Halloween decorations and trampling the bushes.
“Maybe you should stay here and keep the car running,” I said as my trembling hands gripped the door. My wide eyes scanned the yard. When I saw nothing, I got out of the car, Argos right behind me.
“No,” he countered. “Hilary needs to drive. It’s no secret I don’t know how to drive a stick.”
“Right.” The Range Rover stopped next to us. Zombie parts stuck to the front. Without thinking, Padraic got out and rushed over. He put his hands on my shoulders, his blue eyes drilling into mine.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
“Not really.”
“Good.” Still holding onto me, he looked up at the huge brick fraternity house. “What are we doing here?”
“Um, looking for supplies.”
“You’re not going in there,” Padraic stated.
I turned to the house. The front door was open and most of the windows had been shattered. There was no hope, really, and I knew it. I had made it this far and I wasn’t leaving. Not without exhausting every possibility. I had to find her.
* * *
Before I could come up with more stupid excuses, a crazy burst through the open door. Argos got to it first, taking it down and clamping his sharp teeth into its face. Four more took its place. Jason shot at one, hitting him in the shoulder.
The gunfire echoed across the lawn like a dinner bell, drawing more crazies and a few zombies from neighboring houses. I shot one crazy and two zombies in the head. Padraic had the dagger from earlier, and managed to decapitate one. Before I could acknowledge whether or not it was a bad idea, I shoved a new magazine into the .22 and traded him weapons. I didn’t trust him in hand-to-hand combat and I didn’t want to see him get hurt. His success with the zombie had likely been beginner’s luck.
“Aim for the heart,” I told him, hoping that if he missed the bullet would still have a chance of lodging in a stomach or face. I yanked the sheath off the dagger and rushed forward. “I’ve come here to pledge,” I leered at the crazies. They whipped around at the sound of my voice, drawing some of the danger away from the rest of my party.
I crouched, waiting. It would have worked out better if one was a bit faster than the other but, no, they got to me simultaneously. Taking a stance, I leaned back and kicked the bigger of the two crazies in the stomach, planting my foot back on the ground and whirling in one swift movement, the blade slicing through the air.
It caught the other crazy across the chest. Any normal person would have fallen, shouting in pain, clutching their bleeding front in fear and agony. I leaned back, avoiding his blood crusted hands, swooping the dagger up and into his neck. Blood splattered and I closed my eyes, not wanting to get infected.
In that second, the big crazy jumped at me, his fat arms wrapping around my waist. We fell to the ground with him on top of me. Jostled out of my hand on impact, the dagger lay only inches from my fingers. Fatty licked the crazy’s blood from my face, swallowed gratifyingly, opened his mouth and dove down. I caught his head with my hands. Meanwhile, the others were fighting their own battles nearby. Drool fell on my neck as I desperately tried to push his face away. On instinct, I kneed him in the balls. Crazy didn’t even react. I tangled my fingers in his blonde curls and twisted.
It was revolting, the sound and feeling of a spine snapping. Revolting, but efficient. His body went limp. I rolled him off just in time to get attacked again. A slender, dark haired crazy boy growled at me, showing off his fangs.
What the fuck, fangs!? My fingers closed around the welcome metal of the dagger and I flipped myself onto my feet, ducking out of the way of his body as he dove through the air at me. He rolled to his feet and dove again, a predictable move I easily avoided. The first crazy I sliced crawled after me. He was running out of blood and wouldn’t make it much farther.
I was ready when Fangy jumped. He stabbed himself, impaling his heart on the dagger, body twitching and then going limp. I crawled out from under him, eager to roll him over and look at his teeth. I pried his mouth open and laughed. The fangs were plastic, held onto his teeth by putty. Oh, right. Halloween. He was dressed up as a vampire.
I whirled around. Two zombies lay dead on the ground. I didn’t recall hearing the guns fire. Obviously, they had. Jason stared at me with his mouth agape. I wiped my hands, which were covered in blood, on the grass and jogged over.
“I’m going in,” I said. “I think they all came out already and are hopefully dead. Or deader, in the case of the zombies.”
Padraic’s eyes were filled with wonder. He slowly nodded, though I doubted he knew what he was doing. Leave it to him to go into shock.
“Guard the girls,” I instructed. “There’s a zombie across the street.”
Jason immediately raised the rifle.
“No,” I said, putting my hand on the long barrel. “It doesn’t have legs.” I watched it drag its pathetic body through the grass. “If I’m not out in ten minutes, go.”
I didn’t stick and around and wait for the others to protest.
* * *
Something moved behind me. I spun, dagger raised.
“Argos, don’t do that!” I whispered. He was absolutely disgusting, covered with blood and zombie skin. He whizzed past me. I heard his paws bounding up the stairs. The Beta house was big, really big, and elaborately decorated for a Halloween party. I pretended the dead humans in the hallway were merely props.
If she was here, she would be upstairs. Like Argos, I quickly ascended the stairs. The smell of death was so strong I gagged, retching up what little I’d had to eat that morning. My bloody hands did little to help when I covered my nose. “Hello!” I called, hoping to draw someone out—friend or foe. I couldn’t be in this hall anymore. Not with the decaying bodies and the smell.
Argos had disappeared again. He was a bad ass when it came to taking down enemies; he was lacking on the loyal guard dog side. Forcing myself to not give up, I went to the end of the hall. Something moved behind a closed door. Its footsteps weren’t clear. When I thought I heard dragging feet, I hightailed it out of there. It seemed closed doors were a challenge to zombies, and this one could stay in there.
Argos barked. My nerves jolted with electricity. He barked again. I took off, running past dead students, Halloween decorations, and disheveled furniture. Damn this house for being so big. I was panting by the time I got to Argos. He was looking at the ceiling. My eyes flew to it and I gasped.
“Hello?” I tried again. “Is anyone alive up there?”
“Orissa?” a muffled voice replied. The attic stairs creaked as she pushed them down. “Oh my God, Orissa!”
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. “Raeya. You’re alive.” I couldn’t help the gooney smile that broke out across my face. I couldn’t believe it. Half of me didn’t. Maybe I had died, and this was heaven. An arm was strewn a few feet from me. No, this was no heaven.
This would be hell.
I stumbled up the stairs, throwing my arms around my best friend. “I knew you were alive,” I exclaimed.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” she cried. “See,” she said to someone behind her, “I told you she would save us.”
We broke apart, Raeya still holding onto my hands. Two people huddled behind her; there was a boy I didn’t recognize and a blond girl who looked vaguely familiar. Still smiling, I looked Raeya up and down, realizing that she was in costume.
“A sexy nurse?” I teased. “How original, though I have to say the 1980’s yellow blazer puts a brand new spin on it.”
“I was cold and it was the only jacket up here,” she retorted. “And, please, do I have to remind you of some of the cliché costumes you’ve worn?”
“They fit my personality,” I countered. “But this, this is so not you. I bet Seth picked it out in hopes of a little role playing later on.” Then it hit me. Seth wasn’t in the attic. “Oh God, Seth?” Raeya shook her head, tears rolling down her face. I hugged her again. “I’m so sorry, Raeya.”
She sniffled and nodded. I looked around the attic; the junk had been pushed aside and blankets had been spread out, some covering the windows as makeshift curtains in an attempt to make the drafty room seem homey. That would have been Raeya’s doing. The blonde girl was dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood, her red cloak wrapped tightly around her body. The boy had on dirty overalls and a stained white shirt covered with something that was supposed to be blood, except it was too bright red to be real. His pale makeup had been streaked across his face, making his costume indiscernible.
“What are you supposed to be?” I asked, though it was not important.
“A zombie,” he replied gravely.
I burst into laughter. “Sorry,” I muttered, trying to compose myself. “We need to go. Do you have any weapons?”
Raeya grabbed a tennis racket and a can opener, holding them up proudly.
“That’s it? You have nothing sharp or pointy?”
“No,” Raeya said quietly, her shoulders sagging.
“It’s better than nothing. It’s good, really good,” I told her reassuringly. “Let’s go.”
The four of us had just made it to the exit foyer when one of the car horns honked. “Dumbass,” I hissed, imagining Padraic honking impatiently. “Why doesn’t he just tell all the zombies we’re here?”
Turns out, he didn’t have to. They already knew.
Jason stood on top of the Range Rover, rifle pointed. He shot, hitting someone somewhere. Blood splattered in the air. Still, they marched. There had to be dozens of them.
“Get in the car!” I yelled to Jason. I gripped the dagger, preparing myself. “Go to the cars,” I shouted to Raeya and the others.
Our sprint was interrupted by a crazy and four zombies. The new guy yelled, throwing his hands in the air. He ran forward, desperately wanting to find refuge in the safety of a car and leaving the three of us girls to defend ourselves.
I heard the gun fire a few more times and I knew before I saw Jason swinging the gun like a baseball bat that he was out of bullets. I went for the closest zombie, eviscerating him in one quick swipe of the blade. His intestines fell out, darkened, rotting and foul smelling. The zombie kept walking, unaware that his organs were spilling with each jarring step.
His large intestine flopped out, hanging and swinging as he moved. It tangled around his feet. With horrified curiosity, I watched the zombie fall, tripping over his insides. Someone screamed. A slow moving zombie advanced on Raeya. Its skin was flaking off in chunks and most of its hair was missing. It came at her open mouthed; most of its teeth were gone. The few that remained hung limply on dangling roots.
“This is for Seth!” she shouted and swung her tennis racket. Like a rotten tomato, the zombie’s skull popped. “Eww!” Raeya squealed, shaking her tennis racket. Bits of gooey zombie stuck to the nylon strings. “He’s all gummy!”
Gummy, but easy to kill. I looked up just in time to see Jason slip and fall.
“Jason!” I screamed. Another gun fired. Padraic. I couldn’t see what was going on. We needed to get to the car. The slow marching horde of zombies was getting closer every second. The crazy hissed, eyes on Raeya. Another zombie limped forward. It too was flaking apart. “Get that one!” I yelled to Raeya. She held her tennis racket out, at the ready.
“Which one?”
“That one!” I said, as I took on the crazy. “The gummy one!” This crazy must have been close to dying, or undying. Her skin was gray and she twitched uncontrollably. She grabbed my arm, nails digging into my wrist. Underestimating her strength, I yanked my arm back expecting to easily free myself. She countered, whipping me forward. My head cracked against hers. Little spots clouded my vision. I caught one foot on the other and fell.
With her death grip around my wrist, she fell too. She growled, opened her mouth and bit me.