Transformation Page 23

  30.

  Two groups of corpses moved slowly towards each other on the expressway. There was about a mile gap between them. Sal figured he had about fifteen minutes before the fastest of the dead arrived. In less than twenty minutes, the two groups would merge completely. But what could he do in fifteen minutes to get off the expressway? He, like the others, ran from side to side a few times looking for some way off; something to climb down or land on. Nothing.

  The closer the dead got, the more panicked he felt. But these weird kids acted as if everything would be OK. Especially Dawn who stood in the center of the expressway making moon eyes at Sal. Fucking creepy, he thought as she smiled at him. Hope stood next to her digging in her nose and Egg was on the ground shaking his balled fists and rocking back and forth. His face was contorted, his eyes closed tight, his mouth in a frown, and he was crying. That was no doubt from the pain of his broken leg. Sal felt sorry for the simpleton. Gerald and Cullen were getting more panicked by the minute. Eddie was . . . gone. Sal looked around again and sure enough the kid was nowhere to be found.

  Sal heard a hiss behind him and turned around. He saw Eddie’s head poking above the railing. He was on the outside of the railing. He held his finger to his lips, then motioned Sal over. He dropped below the railing.

  Sal was conflicted as he walked quickly over to where he’d seen Eddie. He turned and sat on the rail. He watched Dawn watching him. He saw Cullen and Gerald looking over the opposite edge. He was about to leave these kids up here to fend for themselves. He was tired of the crazy shit and wanted nothing more than to be away from them all. He heard Eddie’s voice.

  “There’s a pipe down here. I got on it using my pants, to your right.”

  Pants? Sal looked to his right. The kid’s pants were hanging over the rail by the crotch. He looked over the edge farther and saw Eddie standing on a pipe in his underwear. It looked to be a conduit for the electrical wiring that powered all the lights on this stretch of the expressway. Eddie must’ve held onto the cuffs and lowered himself down and then swung over to the pipe.

  Crazy kid! Sal thought. The height made his balls tingle, and he doubted he could climb over the edge like Eddie did.

  The pipe was only horizontal for about three feet then went up and into the bottom of the overpass. It ran vertically up the side of the support the expressway sat on. It wasn’t a very big pipe, Sal could get his hands around it easy enough, but it was forty feet in the air. And there were a lot of the dead on the ground below.

  “Hey, did you find something?” It was Cullen, coming over towards him.

  Sal straightened up. “No. Thought I saw something, but I think we are stuck up here.”

  Dawn came over. “Where’s Eddie?”

  Sal piped up. “I saw him over there a few minutes ago. Maybe he jumped or fell.”

  Gerald lumbered over to where Sal pointed and looked over the railing.

  Cullen smirked, “I think he found a way down and didn’t tell us.”

  Sal thought that Cullen knew where Eddie was but then the smirking twenty something turned and ran over next to Gerald and looked over the edge. While everyone was distracted, he grabbed Eddie’s pants intending to go over the edge. He made the mistake of looking down.

  The height made Sal’s head swim. The distance seemed far greater to him as he contemplated what he was about to do. He heard Cullen shouting and looked over. No one had yet turned to look at him. Mere seconds had passed but Sal felt he was letting eons go by, his chance at escape was slipping away. The dead were approaching and when they arrived he would be forced to jump. He took his best option before it was totally gone.

  Sal went over and almost let go of Eddies’ pants out of sheer panic. He held tight, tried not to yell, puke, or piss himself. He swung for an agonizing second or two, holding on for dear life. He felt his hands slipping and opened his eyes. Eddie was reaching for him and looked as if he might slip from his precarious perch on the pipes. Eddie snatched Sal’s belt and pulled. The slight boy could only steady Sal. He couldn’t move him at all.

  “You have to let go with one hand and reach down here.”

  Sal was fighting to hold on using both hands. If he let go he was going to fall. But it was no longer his choice.

  Cullen’s face appeared above the rail, “Going somewhere?”

  Sal let go with one hand and swung in towards the pipe and grabbed it.

  “Oh no you don’t.” Cullen reached down and grabbed Sal’s wrist. Sal was dangling by one hand. He had Eddie’s pants in the other.

  Cullen smiled as he let go, hoping to see the big man fall, but Sal disappeared under the railing.

  Cullen looked pissed for a second, and then turned away. “Well fuck him.”

  Dawn stood, mouth agape trying to process what had just happened. Hope still dug in her nose in complete concentration, oblivious to all around her.

  Cullen strut over to Dawn. “Looks like I’m still your Adam.”

  “No. No, this isn’t right. He . . . “

  “He dumped you,” Cullen smiled.

  “No. He . . . “ Dawn stopped and thought. Had he dumped her? But it was all so perfect. Was this some sort of test? Was she possibly wrong about the future of the human race? Was she to be Eve?

  Gerald screeched, “They’re getting closer.” He ran towards Dawn and Cullen as the dead closed in.

  Cullen stopped him with a slap to the face.

  “We still have a few minutes. Go strip Egg and tear his shirt and pants in strips.”

  Gerald didn’t respond. He was watching the approaching dead in horror and bouncing on the balls of his feet.

  “Hey! You listening to me?” Cullen slapped the side of Gerald’s head harder.

  Gerald turned to face Cullen but wasn’t all there. He was almost unreachable as he cried and danced in place like he had to pee.

  Cullen slapped him in the face as hard as he could and Gerald bellowed in pain.

  “What are you going to do Gerald?”

  “Strip Egg. Tear up his clothes.” He blabbered, blowing snot bubbles from his nose.

  “In strips!” Cullen yelled and raised his hand again. “Tear his shirt in strips. And don’t look at those shit bags again. You hear me? I will kill you before they get here if I see you looking at them again.”

  Gerald hurried over and started pulling Egg’s clothes off.

  Dawn looked around and saw Hope still standing a few yards away working in her nostril. The dead were still a good distance away but Dawn panicked.

  “Hope!” she yelled.

  Hope pulled her finger from her nose. “Got it!” She smiled as she held up a huge booger. She put her finger in her mouth and sucked it clean.

  Dawn ran to her sister and grabbed her arm and pulled. Hope followed but moved slowly, resisting each step.

  “Hope look! The monsters are coming for you. We have to leave.”

  The slowwitted girl looked up and screamed. She hadn’t noticed the dead approaching. Now she was wailing and begging Dawn to save her.

  Seeing that everyone was in a panic and sensing an opportunity to be in charge, Cullen stepped up.

  “Dawn take Hope there,” he pointed to a specific spot along the rail. “Egg! Egg! Get up.” But Egg didn’t’ move.

  Egg lay on his back in his underwear and dirty sneakers. His body was saggy, white, and hairless. His leg was swollen and purple. He was clearly in pain as he clutched his fists in tight balls and vibrated. He just shook like he was having a seizure. Every once and a while he’d gasp and squeal.

  “Egg! One more big jump and we are free. I will fix you. Make you OK.”

  Egg stopped shaking and tried to stand. He screeched in pain as he rose. He hobbled towards Cullen.

  Gerald arrived at Cullen’s side. He was carrying an armful of cloth strips.

  “Good.” Cullen started taking strips and tying them end to end. He knew the cloth rope wouldn’t reach the ground but his plan was to drop to the roof of the bus be
low. He would let a few of the tards go first to cushion his fall.

  Dawn looked over the edge. She winced at the height, but not for herself.

  “Cullen. I don’t think Hope is going to be able to do this.”

  “Then she’s dead.”

  “Fuck you. I’m asking for your help.”

  “Help? You stupid bitch. You fucking bust my teeth out . . .”

  Cullen tied the cloth strips off to the rail. He tied the other around Hope’s waist and gave Dawn a dirty look.

  “Hope. Close your eyes,” he said sweetly. She complied.

  “What are you doing?” Dawn demanded.

  “Helping you, not that you deserve it.” Cullen pushed Hope forward and she went over the rail screaming bloody murder.

  “Surprise.” Cullen was laughing as Hope spun in midair, screaming like a banshee.

  Dawn rushed to the edge to look at Hope. Dawn was pissed, but Cullen was lowering her sister down and to safety.

  “You need to go down and cut her loose. Let’s just hope this thing holds both of you.” Cullen Sneered.

  Dawn grabbed the cloth rope and went over the edge. She heard the faint sound of tearing as her weight was added to Hope’s. She looked at Cullen torn between cursing him and thanking him but said nothing. She eased her grip and slid down to Hope.

  Dawn managed to get Hope to open her eyes and stop screaming, but she was still yelping and whining. The two girls were spinning in space on the end of the thin cord when suddenly Hope dropped to the roof of the bus with a loud boom. Dawn dropped right next to her.

  “OK. Go. Go.” Cullen made Egg go next.

  Egg grabbed the rope and went over the edge without hesitation. He slid down the cloth so quickly it was almost as if he was just falling. When he hit the end, he just kept going. He landed on Hope. He rolled off and she was bawling, her nose was bloodied. The giant, underwear clad boy had messed himself on the way down and Hope had a brown smudge on her forehead.

  Gerald ran for the cloth rope. Cullen put a hand up. He never cared for Gerald much.

  “After me. You need to keep them back.” He motioned to the first few of the dead to arrive.

  Gerald, eyes wide with fear, ran screaming at the first corpse in a desperate attempt to kill it. He pushed it down and tried to kick it in the head but it rolled away as it tried to stand.

  Gerald looked back and Cullen was gone. He wanted to run to the rope and go down, but there was another dead shit bag almost on him. He jumped away from it, it grabbed air. He ran from the next one too, but it got a handful of shaggy hair. Gerald yelped as the zombie yanked, but the dead grasp slipped away. Gerald was starting to hyperventilate. He was panicked and running in a zigzag that probably saved him from certain death.

  He finally turned to run for the rope and lost track of where it was on the railing. He charged in desperation and knocked two of the dead over the edge with his bulk. He ran a few yards until he found it and he grabbed it and went belly on the rail over the edge. The fact that he could hold his own weight with his own hands was a miracle. He clutched the fraying cloth strips and kicked with his feet, not knowing what to do with them.

  A dead hand grabbed hold of Gerald’s wrist and the snapping corpse bent forward, its cracked teeth scraped his knuckles. He let go and slid down the rope so fast he burned the skin off his palms. He reached the end and dropped on his ass. Before he could stand, the corpse that had his wrist landed on him and knocked the breath out of him. He was buried under rotten flesh and screaming for help as another corpse landed, then another. He was getting crushed under the weight but one hand grabbed him and held on tight. It jerked him from under the pile and dragged him across the top of the bus. It was Egg.

  Egg was panting, moaning, and whimpering all the while he was dragging Gerald to safety. He had a few bloody gashes in his arms that looked like they could be bites. He dragged Gerald to the front of the bus where the others were already jumping down to the roof of a van. Bodies were raining off the overpass and falling with loud booms on the bus roofs or splatting on the ground and vehicles around them. The noise was horrendous, loud and jarring.

  The kids ran on, dodging the grasping clawing hands of the first wave of the dead as they crashed into the vehicles. The kids had to scramble over a fence, the bodies following them crashed into it and bent it down, threatening to flatten it. The kids ran on, disappearing down rapidly darkening streets. Moments later the fence gave way and a tsunami of corpses poured in after them, filling the city behind them.

  §

  Eddie and Sal were still perched on the pipe uncomfortably wedged between it and the concrete overpass. They could hear the dead moaning above them. Every once in a while a body or two would go over the edge. They watched as the other group slid down the makeshift cloth rope and escaped, followed by a dark wave of death.

  “I’m exhausted,” Sal whispered. “I think I’ve lost too much blood. I have to rest.”

  “Yeah,” was all Eddie said. He started to shimmy down the pipes to the ground.

  Sal was worried he was too weak to climb down and was terrified of falling but knew the sooner he could get down the better. The slide down the pipe wasn’t so hard but the concrete grated his knuckles raw and the stress and exertions hit him the hardest when he was finally on the ground. He felt his body relaxing and shaking with weakness as he fought to stay on his feet.

  Even after they made it to the ground safely, they still had to find a safe haven before they could even catch their breath. They walked on the bus roofs in the opposite direction of the others and clambered down a high fence to the street. It was mercifully clear.

  A few blocks away and they had to take what they could get. Sal was simply at the end of his strength and could no longer go on. They entered a large dark drugstore a few blocks away through broken windows. It was pitch black inside and Eddie used a lighter he carried to navigate the cave like aisles, leaving Sal at the front of the store. The man could barely walk and Eddie thought they would both be safer if he stayed back.

  He found food, drink, and some pain relievers for Sal. They clambered to the roof of a small building nearby and Sal was done. No longer needing to run, he ate, drank, and laid on his back and fell into a very deep slumber.

  Hours later and Eddie was unable to wake Sal. He wanted to move on, but couldn’t leave him on the roof alone and unconscious. Sal was sleeping so soundly Eddie was starting to worry about him. He worried that maybe he’d lost so much blood he wouldn’t regain consciousness. But then he noticed the pills that Sal had taken and picked up the bottle. They were pain relievers with a sleep aid in them. That made Eddie feel better but now all he could do was watch the large man sleep and hope he woke up sooner than later. He tried to sleep a little himself but could only manage a few catnaps.

  The sun rose and Eddie was up and pacing the roof, looking around the area, trying to stay busy as Sal slept on. He finally decided to try and wake him so they could move on but even when he got Sal awake, he was so groggy he would lay his head right back down and fall instantly back to sleep.

  Almost a full day went by and Eddie was worried. The bottle said to take two pills once a day and Sal had taken five.

  31.

  Ron backed away out of fear as Francis walked forward, hands held high. But he couldn’t abandon the old man. He was terrified and stepped close to a tree for protection but he held his ground and didn’t flee. The next few seconds seemed to stand still as his mind raced.

  Ron had never been so unsure of his actions in all his life. On one hand he knew his only logical choice was to run as fast as he could away from this place and the old biker Dale said was not to be trusted. But then Francis was trying to rescue him. He knew if he lingered any longer, he would most certainly die. He would probably die if he ran too.

  Ron found himself stepping forward with his hands up.

  The Nazi was closing fast, holding a rifle, pointing it at Weed. When Ron stepped out, he stopped and turne
d the weapon on him.

  Weed struck, once again, at the best possible moment. He’d already had his knife out, open, and blade locked into place. He slipped it from the sleeve of his shirt when he lowered his hands. He was armed.

  The young pursuer didn’t see it coming. So great was his hatred for blacks he zeroed in on Ron.

  Weed was on him and stabbed for his neck. The young man fell backwards and dropped his rifle as he went down. Before he had time to react, Weed jumped on the prone man, pinning his arms and legs, driving the blade of his knife into his throat. Much as he’d killed Odin. He was amazed at how easy it was to kill most of these folks. None of them seemed to have ever been in a real fight before.

  Weed stood, quickly gathered the pistol, rifle, ammo and radio.

  “They’re coming,” Ron said.

  Weed handed him the rifle. “Then we best be getting a move on.”

  Watching the man get murdered made him sick. He knew it had to be done and knew Francis had just saved his life. But what bothered Ron the most was that the murder of this young man bothered him far less than the death of the man that had tried to kill him—twice.

  Neither Ron or Old Francis were woodsmen, but Francis seemed to have a keen sense of how to evade his pursuers and avoid detection. It surprised Ron how often Francis would stop to listen, letting their hunters gain ground, and then walk calmly away. Then it all made sense when Francis stopped once, broke a few branches and kicked up the pine blanket to the right and then he led Ron to the left. They walked a mere forty feet or so to a slight rise where they could see the area they’d just left but were concealed in the trees. They watched as the group of men and boys stopped and then continued on to the right. Francis had tricked them into trying to ascend a steep slope. Now about sixty feet out, Ron and Weed watched as the men were struggling up the steep hillside. They all started to bunch up, several were talking and they all started to look around.