Journal of the Undead (Book 1): Littleville Uprising (29 page)

“Whoa, none of that is going on!” Evan insisted, anxious to end the conversation before his mother and Lucy returned. “I keep my promises.”

“What promises?” she demanded. Emma was outraged. Matt had no right to interfere with her relationship with Evan. She didn’t appreciate Evan’s promises either. While she stewed, Matt and Evan seemed to be sharing a private joke that Emma didn’t quite understand. The boys were laughing about Evan’s narrow escape and not having to ride his bicycle after his little make out session.

“Some doctor you’ll make,” Matt teased, realizing his sister didn’t get the joke.

Annoyed with her overly protective brother, Emma walked away. She decided to take one last bathroom break. As she rounded the corner, Kate was standing by the door as if she was waiting for something.

“Emma, if you don’t mind,” Kate began. “I just wanted to have a quick word with you, in private.”

Emma’s face blanched. Matt hadn’t been quiet during his earlier tirade. She feared that Kate might have overheard and thought the worst of her. There was trepidation in Emma’s voice as she squeaked out, “Sure.”

“Emma, I know I’m not family and I would never try to take the place of your mother so I’m just talking to you as a friend,” Kate began hesitantly. “I don’t doubt that you and Evan have real feelings for each other. Nothing would make me happier than to one day call you my daughter-in-law, but I just want you to be careful. Don’t rush into something you may regret later. It may look like the world is coming to an end but you have plenty of time. I know most people think that’s old fashioned, especially these days, but Frank and I waited until we were married to have sex. I have several friends who didn’t wait. Every one of them has said the same thing. They all wish they had.”

Emma could tell from the pained expression on Kate’s face that even though she had strong feeling about the subject, it was uncomfortable for her to discuss it with her son’s girlfriend. She thanked Kate for her concern and promised to give it some thought. Kate left her to use the bathroom in privacy.

When Emma emerged, the house was empty. Making her way to the door, she noticed a notepad and pen on the table. She decided to leave a note in the event the Jacobsons’ children came looking for them. Her first attempt was cold and impersonal so she crumpled it up and started again.

To Whom It May Concern:

Carl and Iris Jacobson died together in their home. They were a kind and caring couple who went out of their way to help protect complete strangers from the zombie uprising. At their request we buried them together underneath their ‘sweetheart tree.’ Together, I pray they forever rest in peace.

There was so much more that Emma wanted to say but she could not find the right words. If Carl and Iris’s children survived, they would at least know that their parents’ final wish had been granted and she found comfort in that. She considered adding that they were borrowing Carl’s truck but Emma chose to skip over that little tidbit. As they piled into the old pickup, she convinced herself that not everything needed to be addressed in the note.

The Jacobsons’ truck was not as big or as well equipped as their first truck but they were thankful to have it nonetheless. With no bike rack, the boys had to attach the bicycles with bungee cords to a bar that had been welded across the top of the bed for securing hay bales. The super-cab on their late ‘80s truck was roomy enough for everyone to squeeze onto the front bench seat, except Emma; since the small back seat had been removed, she ended up perched on a milk crate crammed into the space behind the front seat. Once their rifles were hanging on the mounted gun rack that spanned across the back of the cab, Evan revved the engine to life and barreled down the winding road.

More than once, Kate had to remind Evan to slow down. He would ease his foot off the pedal to appease her but as soon as Kate’s attention wandered, he would gradually increase speed. Pleased that they were finally making progress, Evan’s mood improved dramatically despite his mother’s nagging. In no time, they had crossed the border into Maryland and were flying along Route 68. There wasn’t a single sign that the flesh-eating monsters had invaded past Pennsylvania’s state border. An optimistic hope that the threat had been contained spread to each of the passengers. Evan wondered if it meant they might be able to go back home sooner than he’d hoped. His foot pressed harder on the gas pedal. Again, Kate insisted that Evan slow down when she noticed he had crept way over the speed limit.

“Maryland State Troopers are notorious for cracking down on speeding,” she said.

Before Evan could argue that the likelihood of the police bothering with speeders was next to nothing, flashing red and blue lights lit up his rearview mirror. He could feel his mother’s
I told you so
glare as he pulled off to the shoulder.

A portly trooper strutted from his cruiser to Evan’s window.

“Where’s the fire, son?” the trooper said. “License and registration, please.”

The trooper stopped mid-sentence when he noticed the multiple rifles hanging across the back window. Whipping his pistol from the holster, the trooper stepped back and pointed the gun at Evan’s head.

“Nobody make a move. Now, slowly place your hands on your heads. Do it!” the trooper shouted in his most intimidating tone. “Driver, put your right hand on the steering wheel, use your left hand to reach out and open the door. Slowly!” he instructed. “Now step out and place your hands on your head. Center passenger, slide to the driver’s seat. Put your hands on your head and exit the vehicle.” One by one he repeated the instructions for the rest of them until they were all out of the truck.

“Everyone on the ground, face down,” he ordered.

Doing exactly as they were told, everyone slid out of the truck and laid face down on the ground. Lucy was sobbing and Evan hissed at her to shut up. Wondering why he hadn’t radioed for backup, Emma lifted her head just enough to look around. The trooper had his radio raised to his mouth, but stood frozen with a puzzled expression on his face. From behind them, a minivan was careening down the highway at top speed and headed straight for the cruiser.

“Look out!” Emma shrieked.

She yanked Lucy to her feet and pushed her over the guardrail. The rest dove for safety as the minivan plowed into the cruiser before it ground to a halt amidst a cloud of smoke and twisted metal

“Holy shit!” the trooper bellowed as he rushed over to the minivan.

He ordered the rest to stay put as he pried open the minivan door. Pulling the driver from the wreck, he laid the man’s body on the ground and began CPR. Midway through the chest compressions, Trooper Ashby noticed Emma had crept up beside him.

“I’m CPR certified,” she said. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Continuing the compressions, he shouted for Emma to get back with the others. In that instant, the corpse reanimated and clamped its hands around the trooper’s throat. It plunged its teeth into the victim’s face and tore away his lips along with most of the flesh from his chin. With terror-stricken eyes, Trooper Ashby looked at Emma and opened his mouth to scream. The only sound was a gurgle as his scream was smothered in the gush of blood. Emma ran back to the others, shouting for them to get in the truck. Evan floored the pedal, sending a spray of dirt and gravel behind them. Kate didn’t bother telling her son to slow down this time.

Thanks to Evan’s heavy foot, they reached the West Virginia border in less than an hour. Emma and Matt breathed a collective sigh of relief, but their spirits were slightly dampened when they learned they still needed to get to the opposite end of the state. Evan assured them that barring any unforeseen issues, they could still make it to the cabin before nightfall. With more than half of the distance behind them, Evan relaxed and even played tour guide.

“Morgantown is home of the West Virginia University Mountaineers,” Evan began. “Their fans are among the most loyal anywhere. Heck, they’re practically rabid! Did you know the students actually burn couches to celebrate?”

Emma thought that was weird, but Matt was familiar with the Mountaineers, having seen them in bowl games. The boys chattered on about college football and basketball while Lucy drifted off to sleep. The beauty of nature surrounding them awed Emma and Kate to silence. As the truck sped along Interstate 79, the rolling hills on either side were ablaze in brilliant colors. The leaves were the most vivid hues of fiery oranges, radiant yellows, and rich reds that Emma had ever seen. A doe with her still spotted fawn was grazing on the grassy slopes and Emma watched in silent reverie. Having lived in suburbs or cities her whole life, she found unspoiled nature captivating.

“Fairmont, West Virginia is where Father’s Day was first observed,” Evan said as they passed the Downtown Fairmont exit sign. Emma’s eyes grew watery as she thought of her father. Evan silently cursed, wishing he had kept that piece of trivia to himself. Though it seemed like a lifetime ago, it had only been a week since the twins lost their father. Evan’s own father had been sent off to battle undead monsters and there was no way of knowing if he was alive or dead. Changing the subject, Matt asked Evan to tell them more about the cabin and who else would be there.

“Well, let’s see,” Evan began, thankful for the change of topic. “My Uncle Jimmy; he’s a contractor. He designed and built practically everything. He wasn’t able to come to Lucy’s birthday because of a work emergency, but I think you’ll really like him.”

Evan prattled on about his uncle for a moment before his attention was diverted. “Oh, that can’t be good,” he gasped.

On the overpass ahead, the flash of red and blue police lights flickered against a group of aimlessly wandering bodies. At the top of the ramp, two survivors were frantically waving their arms and shouting. Matt sighed heavily and Evan dropped his head and groaned. Jerking the wheel, he pulled onto the exit and accelerated up the ramp toward the pair in distress. Emma was already removing their guns from the rack while stuffing ammo into her pockets.

“You should wait in the truck, Emma,” Matt suggested, overplaying the over-protective brother role.

Bringing the truck to a stop, Evan pulled the emergency brake but left the engine running just in case. He and Matt hopped out while Emma climbed over the seat to join them. Once out of earshot, she told Matt exactly what she thought of his suggestion.

Evan did a quick head count and estimated they could easily knock out five apiece, putting them back on the road without getting too far behind schedule. Matt was already targeting a bulky man in coveralls while Emma was sighting in on a coed wearing a Mountaineers sweatshirt. In a flurry of gunfire, the reanimated corpses fell to the ground. Thick, inky fluid oozed from their wounds and pooled on the asphalt below.

Kate and Lucy ran from the truck shouting a warning to Evan that more zombies were coming. Fearing for her safety, they sheltered Lucy in the abandoned police car while Kate reloaded empty rifles. Another volley of gunfire whizzed through the air and rained down on the mass of monsters shuffling along the road. They continued to fire until the last zombie’s brain resembled Swiss cheese. Matt helped Lucy out of the police car and they all made their way back to the truck. Evan looked around for the couple that had flagged them down, but they were still under cover.

“Who are you guys, the Manson family?” a man’s voice called out from behind an abandoned utility van.

“You’re welcome,” Emma spat back sarcastically.

The frightened couple crept into sight. Wearing a button down shirt and tie, with khaki pants under a trench coat, the man walked tentatively toward the group. His hands were raised to show he was unarmed. His companion, a strikingly beautiful woman, was wearing a short, plaid skirt with a white blouse and matching tie that resembled a Catholic School uniform. Her long, silky blonde hair fluttered in the breeze.

“Hey, I didn’t mean any offense,” the man replied. “I tend to make bad jokes when I’m uncomfortable. Sorry about that. We weren’t expecting a family of zombie slayers to appear out of nowhere and open fire.”

“You’re the ones who flagged us down; what were you expecting?” Matt asked.

“We didn’t flag you down,” the woman responded. “We were trying to warn you to stay away!”

“Well, we’re lucky you didn’t. Thank you for your help, we certainly needed it! My name’s Ryan McCallistar, this is Cassie Taylor, and we’re in your debt.”

Ryan stepped forward and extended his arm to shake hands with Evan. Evan shook hands with Ryan then Cassie.

“Okay, let’s introduce the Mansons,” Evan quipped. “I’m Evan; this is my mom Kate and my sister Lucy, my girlfriend Emma Wexley and her brother Matt.”

“But Mommy,” Lucy whispered indignantly. “Our last name is Stone, not Manson!”

Laughter erupted but Lucy did not get the joke. Amazed at their skill, Ryan asked how they knew so much about killing zombies. Emma fished around in her backpack for her copy of
Journal of the Undead: A Survivor’s Guide
and handed it to Cassie.

“Here, this will help,” Emma said matter-of-factly. “Oh, and you’re gonna want to rethink that outfit and your hair.”

“Well kiddo, I think I have more important things to worry about than the fashion police,” Cassie said, glaring at Emma.

“No, that’s not what I meant! Look, there’s a whole section in here about what’s safe to wear. Baggy clothes or ties, and especially long hair, gives them something to grab on to. Trust me, I saw this girl in my class get hauled in like a marlin when a zombie grabbed a handful of her long hair. They ripped her to shreds. I really didn’t mean to offend you. Your outfit is cute and all but it’s not very safe. Besides, your legs are probably freezing. Here, you can have a pair of my jeans. They’re clean.”