“You’re hair does not look dull,” replied Kristie.
“It’s so shiny that I’m sure you’ll draw all types of unwanted attention,” I muttered.
Bryce chuckled. “Okay, everyone’s hair in place? Everyone use the bathroom? Noses powdered?”
“Wait, I need my cigarettes!” Kristie said, running back into the house. Seconds later she returned with two packs. “Now, I’m ready for anything.”
“Good thing you volunteered Paige to stay behind,” I remarked.
She shrugged but I didn’t miss the gleam in her eyes.
Everyone got back into the SUV but Bryce and me.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
I nodded. I had the gun out and my hammer in a utility type of belt that I’d concocted from an old leather belt and holster.
“Wait,” he said, coming towards me. He grabbed the back of my head and pulled me towards him, stealing a quick kiss. He released me and looked into my eyes. “Just in case I don’t get a chance to do that again.”
His words were like a splash of cold water as the reality of our situation set in. We were heading right into serious danger again and it was more than feasible that any of us could be killed by a zombie.
“Hey, Bryce,” sighed Kristie from the truck. “They don’t have any more like you at home, do they? Cause I got to tell you…”
I chuckled. I knew Kristie was a hopeless romantic and it wouldn’t be long before husband number three would be in the mist. If there was anyone left.
Kristie turned towards the back of the SUV and snapped, “Oh, Eva, would you just chill the hell out.” I knew then that Eva must not have enjoyed the kiss as much as I did.
“Okay,” Bryce said, raising his gun and walking towards the garage door opener. “Get ready, everyone.”
Kristie started the engine and rolled up her window.
Bryce pressed the garage door opener, grabbed the dead zombie by its clothing, and started dragging him towards the opening. When the garage door was all the way up, Kristie pressed firmly on the gas and backed out, crushing two zombies who were staring stupidly at the SUV. I ignored the now-familiar bone crunching and moaning of the zombies and began firing my gun at the new ones coming toward us.
“Behind you, Bryce!” I yelled as dead and rotted Mr. Hendrickson appeared behind Bryce.
Bryce snapped his head back, hitting the zombie in the forehead. He turned around, kicked it in the stomach, then blew off Mr. Hendrickson’s slackened zombie face. Bryce scowled and brushed off the back of his head, trying to remove zombie brain particles.
I shuddered. “That was…so nasty.”
“To your left!” hollered Bryce.
The crazy old lady from up the street was snarling and coming right at me. She’d always been a cruel and hateful woman, screaming at anyone who’d ever gotten too close to her yard, and God forbid if you should accidently kick a ball onto her lawn. She wouldn’t just keep it; she’d destroy it while you watched, smiling smugly and daring you to say anything. Needless to say, my mom had weathered many heated arguments with the old broad and I still couldn’t stand her, dead or alive.
“Sorry, Hazel,” I said, raising my gun, “but your days of being a bitter old bitch are now over.”
Hazel growled angrily and then fell backwards as the bullet entered her rotting skull.
We killed the last two zombies trying to get into the garage, then closed it and jumped into the SUV.
“Those things smell awful! God, I could smell them from inside the truck,” complained Eva.
“That reminds me,” I said, pulling out the small jar from my pocket. “Vicks, anyone?”
~~~
Zombies must have been waking up all over the city because even the rural areas were plagued with them.
“I had no idea,” whispered Sara, staring out the window in horror.
The streets were like obstacle courses and it was difficult to navigate the SUV around both the abandoned cars and zombies. Fortunately, most of the zombies ignored us, staggering aimlessly with no real apparent destination.
“Watch out!” said Bryce as a zombie stepped in front of our moving vehicle.
Kristie cringed in revulsion as the zombie bounced off the front grill and over the hood. “That was…unpleasant,” she muttered, grasping the steering wheel a little tighter.
We drove past the karate studio and noticed the large plate-glass window in the front was smashed. Zombies wandered around the entire mini-mall, shuffling through broken glass…paper debris…and other dead zombies.
“I hope Master Jordan survived,” I said.
“Well, I know he didn’t get the vaccine,” replied Bryce. “Neither did Mae; both of them are into natural herbal remedies. I’d bet anything that he’s alive somewhere. He’s definitely one guy who’s not going down easily.”