Death Has Fallen: Freedom Rock Chronicles: Book 1 (2 page)

“I understand, please take what you need.  I am leaving soon and you are welcome to come along if you like.”

“Sure” she responded.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Amanda” she said looking toward me inquisitively “What’s yours?”

“Jake,” I held out my hand.

We shook hands a little awkwardly and I told her she could rest in my room pointing her down the hall. Her exhaustion was quite evident as she moved towards my room.

She looked like a worthy companion.  Long dark hair messy from the previous night flowed down over her shoulders.  Her eyes were green and piercing.  She was old enough to survive alone yet had a youthful beauty which she carried. I only had a couple inches on her and that is saying quite a lot since I myself stand just over six foot.

As she walked down the hall and into my room for a couple hours I grabbed a flashlight and headed to the basement.  For the first time in my life I was terrified to go into the dark.  The electricity had gone out during the chaos and my basement was black as pitch.  As I began my decent down the old wooden stairs creaking at each step my light barely punched through the thick blackness. Luckily the only thing in my basement I needed was my camping backpack.  The pack was mounted on a steel frame which helped distribute large amounts of weight over my shoulders and waist.

It was nice walking upstairs and leaving the darkness behind.  My mind was a jumbled mess, making it quite difficult to organize my needs.  The only necessities I could think of was food and water. My mind would not leave the two dead in my kitchen.  Over and over I replayed the murders I committed to stay alive. Even though I was physically well rested, I still felt completely drained both mentally and emotionally.  With the events that passed in the previous night my mind was numb.  Sitting on the couch which was pushed up against the front door helped some.  Laying my head back and closing my eyes let me process all of the events which led me here.

After a while my mind slowed enough to let me get back to preparation.  I grabbed the clothes laying on the counter I had taken from my room.  Going through the kitchen I was able to find a large box of matches, some cans of food, a couple nice knifes, and some smaller pots that could boil water. I picked up the nail board and tied it to the side of the bag for quick retrieval. I set the bag by the front door and pushed the couch out of the way.

Looking through the peep hole I could not see any danger, so I stepped outside to see how bad it really was.  My jaw dropped as I attempted to take in all that was before me.  Right in front of my house there had been a bad car wreck, the drivers of both cars should have died, but they were nowhere to be found.  Stepping down off the porch I noticed someone lying in our bushes face down.  His right arm was bent in a very unnatural way and both his legs looked obliterated.  It was easy to see that something huge must have smashed into him such as a truck.  On a closer look I was terrified to find he was still breathing.

I wondered how someone could survive such trauma without succumbing to their wounds even if an undead. Not feeling threatened I got close enough to see each body part.  Everything was destroyed but the head.  Apparently that was all that was needed for these things to have life a working brain. This thing continued to struggle and move, but with the damage it had sustained to its limbs movement was not possible.  The sound made from the breathing was horrible.  There was very little air getting past all the fluid.  He didn’t try to gasp or even notice that his breathing was impaired to survival.  He just sat there struggling to move another inch.  Walking ahead of him he finally noticed me and began moaning, though I think it was an attempted snarl.

Bored with my limp crawling zombie I went to look at my car.  The front passenger side window had been smashed and my radio torn out.  I guess even in the zombie apocalypse thieves will be thieves. The ignition was still intact and everything besides my valuables seemed to be ok.

With a better understanding of the surroundings and activity outside the house I went in to collect my pack and new traveling companion. As I walked into my room and woke her she was still dazed.  She displayed contempt and dissatisfaction with being woke up, but as she came to I explained that it was quite outside and this may be our only chance to get away.  We needed to head for the country and she could sleep on the way.

With the pack on my back I helped her up and we began our long journey to find somewhere safe.  As I pulled out of the driveway the accident in front of the house was right in the way.  I backed over the lawn and mailbox.  It seemed most of the neighbors got a head start, their driveways being empty of vehicles.  This must have been the reason we have only encountered a couple of the monsters since the ordeal had begun.  It was hard to imagine what it would be like when hundreds of those things came at us.  I attempted to keep my mind clear of such things and focus at the task at hand.

Our street seemed to be one of the clearer streets.  Once we pulled onto Main Street which was the quickest way out of town my heart began to sink.   Cars, bodies, and trash littered the road making driving extremely difficult.  Sidewalks seemed to be the clearest path so I pulled up on the curb.  As I did the noise brought out all the dead.  They came out of stores and from between the buildings.  Drawn to roar of my mustang’s engine.  Luckily I had a full tank of gas and enough horse power to push the majority of obstacles out of my path.  The zombies walked straight for my car and without remorse I punched it through them.  A very large man, who looked like my mechanic I rammed.  Hoping the impact would be enough to knock him away.  He flew up and landed pushing in my windshield.  I slammed on the breaks throwing him further down the sidewalk.  Other zombies were able to catch up and began punching the windows.  Once again I hit the gas swerving to avoid the large lump I created.

Leaving the downtown area things calmed down quickly.  The noise of the engine was good at giving us an idea of the number of zombies in any given area.  We moved through town avoiding areas where the road had been blocked.  The storefronts had all been destroyed and looted.  Many were on fire with the dead standing around hypnotized by the flames paying no attention to us as we drove by.  Luckily the road was not completely blocked by debris.   It took around a half hour before Main Street turned into the highway and took us out into the beautiful Colorado countryside. 

Chapter 3

As we drove on through the eerily quiet countryside Amanda was finally able to sleep.  I couldn’t help staring over at her.  A smile graced my lips as I thought about saving this girl’s life.  Deep down I knew I could never forgive myself for the acts I committed yesterday, but it was not possible to change anything and if it was me who had turned I know I wouldn’t want to live life devouring the flesh of living men and women.

It was October and there was a chill in the air.  Driving through a valley of quaking aspens the gold leafs fell slowly from the trees, allowing me to forget the death we left behind just for a moment.  Amanda began snoring, softly at first then loud enough to numb out the sounds of wind we were passing through.  At that moment I cursed the villain who stole my radio.  In a catastrophe such as the one we were in, how could a person believe it was any benefit to steal a damn car radio? 

Nothing to do now, but keep driving and hopefully find an area which would be suitable to take shelter.  As the miles rolled on, cars were pulled to the side of the road deserted and gasless. Worry fell across my face as I looked down seeing my car was at a quarter tank.  Doing the math in my head, I knew there was only around seventy miles left. 

We passed a small pickup truck with the hood opened and a young man’s head inside.  He heard us on the road and quickly peeked out and began waving us down.  I was extremely hesitant since the man looked quite large.  Even Amanda asked me not to stop, just keep going and let the man fend for himself.  There was something inside me fighting for the right.  Passing the man by, may be sentencing him to death which was something I couldn’t do.  The death caused by my hands can only be rectified, if I choose to save those I can.

Slowly stopping the car, the red headed gentleman poked his head in the passenger window thanking us for pulling over.  We got out and I asked if there was anything that I could do.

“I’m afraid not, the only way you can help me is by letting me come with you.” He said with a hopeful gleam in his eye.

“Well the back seat is quite small and full of supplies if you don’t mind squeezing in then I suppose you could come with us.”

I stuck my hand out, “The names Jake.”

“Caz,” he shook my hand then stuck his hand in the passenger side shaking Amanda’s hand as well.  Amanda stepped out of the car pushing the seat forward allowing our new passenger access into the back seat.  It took a minute for his large frame to squeeze in.

We began down the road once again the car feeling much fuller with three of us.  He asked if we had heard any news about the disease, we told him the only thing we knew is how hopeless our situation is.  He said that he heard about a place which was well gunned and protected.  A large group of people had settled at a quarry.  They had built walls of steel surrounding the area and shacks within.  There are hundreds of people and all of them are clean. 

“Where did you say this little town was?” I asked.

“Oh I would say fifty miles or so directly south of Denver. Though you must understand the town is only a rumor.  There is no assurance I could make.”

Amanda sat up turning around looking at Caz.  “It sounds wonderful, anything is better than this hell that surrounds us.”

“Yes it does, it is where I was headed before my truck broke down.” He replied.

I looked at both of them and pronounced, “Well it seems we have a plan.” Both of them gave the best smile they could muster under the circumstances and we headed on.  Having the thought of a small city, or safe haven, in my head, certainly improved my mood.  For the first time since the outbreak hit Jackson I had hope of a future.  No longer was the simple thought of surviving locked in my head.  I laid back watching the road flow below us realizing a safe and happy life may not be lost. 

While driving we all talked about our old life.  The fears, hope, and dreams.  It was clear we all shared many similarities.  The want off success and a happy life was the common theme.  The loss of this was still being absorbed, not quite realized yet. Our voices shared a similar depressive aspect as we looked out the window into what our reality was now. Slowly pulling out of the grove we began coming up on a city.  We had to pass through it since this was the only road north.  The town had a sign as we pulled up. 

Maddison Population 5,600 Elevation 3,544.  The next sign showed Denver 157 miles giving our trip roughly a 100 mile goal.  The town was like ours it seemed quite deserted, besides the endless roaming of the town folk who were not lucky enough to escape.  The main street was filled with destruction.  Stores rummaged through, cars rammed into one another, and death everywhere that impacted us the most.  Bodies lined the streets with pools of blood filling under them.  The dead still walking seemed to enjoy eating the ones who were truly dead.  The gage on my gas monitor was below the E.  Without finding gas we would be walking and through this area it would most likely be our death.

My engine was roaring which grabbed the attention of all those that walked the streets.  As their eyes fell on my car a group began chasing us.  From the look of these undead the disease seemed to do a very good job preserving them.  Though they no longer needed many of their body functions besides the brain the disease seemed to provide them with the sustenance necessary to stop death and decay.  I thought of the progress in evolution this could stand for.  Getting rid of all unnecessary processes for life.  These beings no longer possessed emotions, the need for warmth, and even air.  Nothing besides intake of food stood between these and life.  These thoughts fascinated me.  Human evolution no longer meant making us more complex, but rather the opposite.  To bring us back into natures fold.  Even if this was true I would prefer my faculties of thought remaining intact.  As this thought left my mind another worry popped up as my car sputtered and sputtered finally coming to a stop. 

Luckily there were only a few undead walking around.  All were headed in our direction.  We quickly stepped out of the car, I grabbing my bag in the back seat.  As I grabbed my bad I ripped my lucky board from the side.  Blood still stood on the nail tips from the gentleman in my home.  I could hear the steps coming closer.  I turned seeing the young woman with a fierce grin on her face.  The shredded clothes she was wearing had blood stains from top to bottom.  Her roar was that of a ravage beast and she was as fast if not faster than a normal human sprinting.  She stepped in swinging distance I pulled the board above my head and swung watching as the nails pierced the top of her skull and sink deep into the brain.  The eyes reminded me off my mothers, the white film covering him.  The death of an undead seems to take the form of that which is living.  Slowly the movements which seem natural to them fade.  The woman fell to her knees, as I ripped the board out of her head she fell to the pavement with a thud.  Other undead seeing the death of one of their own became angered.  No longer were we food, but now we moved up to a threat.

Running from the car the three of us took cover within an old school café.  By itself it would not have offered much safety, but the owners took their time boarding up all the windows.  The door had been broken down allowing for quick and easy entry.  I ran in following my two new friends and turning as I passed the first booth.  We had a very large man chasing us.  His steps seemed to shake the ground.  High enough to scrape his head on the top of the door way I grabbed my 2X4 and swung it like a bat hitting him in the face.  The shock was enough to stun him for a couple seconds.  I pulled the bat out and the nails ripped chunks of flesh away.  With his one remaining eye he glared at me then tackled me with full force.