WHO:

  Angie Land ­ Young single mother and nurse's aide at Lakewood

  Memorial Hospital.

  Maylee Land ­ Angie's fourteen-year-old daughter.

  Dalton Land ­ Angie's twelve-year-old son.

  Parker Welch ­ Local hunter who was at Lakewood Memorial

  Hospital when the dead moved and ate. He has two twin daughters he

  has not seen in years.

  What:

  A sudden and massive attack has left the world in chaos. Corpses have

  risen from their graves and are eating the living.

  Where:

  The parking lot of Lakewood Memorial Hospital, the only hospital in

  the small town of Lakewood. It is burning and destroyed from the

  events of the night before. Angie Land and Parker Welch are the only

  survivors. Angie's children have raced to the hospital to meet her and

  have just arrived.

  When:

  The morning after the initial attack. It is late fall.

  Why:

  No one knows.

  Ashton

  Memorial

  Book 2 of a zombie trilogy

  A novel by Robert R. Best

  Ashton Memorial

  By Robert R. Best

  Copyright 2010. All Rights reserved

  ISBN10 -

  ISBN13 -

  Edited by Laura Best

  Interior formatting by Kody Boye

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication

  may be reproduced, stored, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any

  form, or by any means (electronically, mechanical, photocopying, recording or

  otherwise) without the proper written permission of both the copyright owner and

  "Library of the Living Dead Press," except in the case of brief quotations embodied in

  critical articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. People, places, events and situation are the product of

  the authors imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living, dead or undead,

  or historical events, is purely coincidental.

  Zero

  "We gotta move," said Angie, pushing Maylee and Dalton

  forward. The burning hospital behind them bathed everything in orange

  light. The sun was coming up, but long shadows hid large portions of

  the parking lot. Corpses could be anywhere. Angies back tightened at

  the thought.

  "Same here," said Park behind her. Angie stopped and turned.

  Park was heading off to her right, toward the outer wall of the hospital.

  "Wheres your truck?" she said.

  He pointed as he walked. Angie followed his gesture to see a

  pickup crumpled against the nearby wall. The front was crushed in and

  a metal ladder lay across the top of the cabin. Angie recognized it as the

  ladder that had been attached to the wall.

  "Is that even gonna run?" she said. Maylee and Dalton stopped

  a few feet ahead of her, turning back to look.

  Park shrugged and kept walking. "Fuck if I know. Well see, I

  guess."

  Angie turned to look at her kids, then back at Park. "Thanks

  for your help," she said, almost yelling as Park got farther away.

  Park chuckled. "Lets not start that shit. We both needed to get

  out. We just happened to be doing it at the same time."

  Angie snorted and turned back to Maylee and Dalton. Dalton

  was looking at stumbling corpses, far in the distance. Maylee held her

  aluminum bat over one shoulder and watched Park move to his truck.

  Maylees eyes met Angies. Maylee frowned. "What?"

  "Dont what me, young lady," Angie said, walking forward and

  motioning for them to follow. "You could have gotten you both killed

  coming here."

  Maylee let out a pained groan. "We couldnt very well stay

  home, Mom."

  "You stole a car."

  "We had to!"

  "You shouldnt have been driving."

  Robert R. Best

  6

  "Someone had to," Maylee protested. "Daltons too little!"

  Dalton shot Maylee an angry look. I'm twelve, the look said.

  "Youre too little," said Angie. "Youre fourteen!" They drew

  near to her car. Angie fished around in her hospital-issue smock,

  looking for her keys. For a panicked moment she thought she had left

  them in her purse, back in the breakroom of the burning hospital. Then

  her hands met metal and she sighed.

  From back toward the hospital, she heard the groaning

  complaint of an engine attempting to start. Over and over but not

  kicking in.

  "Who is that guy, anyway?" said Dalton.

  "Parker," said Angie, flipping through her keys to find the right

  one. "He helped me get out."

  The truck engine groaned and clanked in the distance. Over and

  over. Not starting.

  "Is his truck going to start?"

  "How would I know that, Dalton?" Angie snapped, then

  immediately felt bad. Dalton frowned at her. Angie sighed. "Look, I

  dont know, alright? I just have to get you guys safe and ..."

  A gargling groan came from their left. Angie spun to see a

  corpse, a man with a burned face and bloody exposed ribs, staggering

  toward them.

  "Shit!" said Maylee.

  "Dont say ,,shit, Maylee," said Angie. "Get in the car!"

  "Ive got this one," said Maylee. She gripped her bat and ran

  toward the corpse.

  "Maylee!" yelled Angie, furious and terrified as her daughter

  ran at the approaching corpse. Maylee let out a roar and swung the bat

  at the corpses head. The bat connected with a sickening "snap" and the

  corpses head fell to one side. The corpse dropped to its knees. Angie

  raced up and grabbed Maylees arm just as Maylee brought the bat over

  her head.

  Angie snatched the bat from Maylee and threw it to one side.

  The bat clanged across the parking lot. "What the hell do you think

  youre doing?"

  "Mom, the bat!" Maylee yelled back. The corpse groaned and

  fumbled around at their feet. "I need that!"

  Maylee started to push past Angie, toward the bat. Angie

  Ashton Memorial

  7

  pushed back, stopping her. "You will do as I say, young lady! Get in

  the goddamned car right goddamned now!"

  Maylee snorted. The corpse groaned as its head lolled around,

  limp. "Oh sure, you get to fucking cuss all you want."

  Angie slapped her across the face.

  Maylees jaw dropped and she put one hand to her cheek. She

  stared at Angie.

  "Goddammit, Maylee!" Angie yelled. Her body shook. "Im

  your goddamned mother and you will get in the goddamned car!"

  Maylee rubbed her cheek, staring at Angie. The corpse groaned.

  Tears grew in Maylees eyes.

  "Please," said Angie, her throat tightening.

  To their right, Dalton screamed.

  Both Angie and Maylee turned. A large woman, throat ripped

  out and blouse covered in dark gore, closed her arms around Dalton

  from behind.

  "Dalton!" Angie screamed, running toward him. Maylee

  followed.

  They reached Dalton as the corpse lowered her mouth toward

  his scalp. Angie grabbed the womans matted hair and pushed as hard

  as she could. The womans head snapped backward. She hissed at

  Angie, thick clotted fluid running from her open neck and pooling on

  Daltons hair. Dalton screamed.

  Maylee arrived next to Angie. She grabbed hold of the

  womans fingers and pulled them apart. Dalton wriggled free and ran

  past Angie, furiously wiping his head with his hands.

  The woman wrenched free of Maylee and grabbed hold of

  Angies smock. The woman was stronger than Angie would have

  thought.

  "Dalton! Maylee!" Angie yelled. "Get out of here!"

  Angie kept hold of the womans hair and pushed back with all

  she had, but the woman pulled her closer. Angie heard Maylee running

  away. Oh God, Angie thought, please let them get away in time. She

  struggled with the woman as best she could. She heard the broken-neck

  corpse groaning behind her. The womans mouth drew near to Angies

  cheek.

  A blur flew from the side and a loud "thud" rang out. The

  Robert R. Best

  8

  womans head flew back, her hair pulling free of Angies grip. The

  woman let go of Angies smock and Angie jumped away. Dalton threw

  his arms around her waist. "Mom!" he shouted.

  Maylee stood to one side of the woman, gripping her bat. She

  brought the bat over her head and slammed down on the womans

  skull. There was a sharp "pop" and the woman toppled over backward.

  Maylee panted and lowered the bat, looking at Angie sheepishly.

  Angie sighed. "Thank you, but dont ever d
o that again."

  Maylee nodded.

  Parks truck groaned and whined, still not starting. "Shit!" Park

  said, far away. Angie looked and saw corpses closing on the truck.

  "Dammit," said Angie, biting her lip and sighing. "Dumbass."

  She turned to her kids. "Everyone in the car."

  Both Maylee and Dalton moved to the front passenger door.

  They both stopped, scowling at each other.

  "Both of you in the back," said Angie, opening the drivers side

  door.

  "What?" said Maylee.

  "Why?" said Dalton.

  "One, because we don't have time to stand here arguing," she

  paused to nod toward Park's truck, "and two, we're gonna have to save

  dumbass over there."

  Moans came from behind her. She looked over her shoulder to

  see two corpses approaching the car. "See," she said. "No time. Now

  hurry!"

  Maylee and Dalton ran to opposite back seat doors. They

  opened them almost in unison and clambered inside. Angie climbed

  into the drivers seat and they all shut their doors at once.

  Angie tuned the key, grateful when the engine started. She

  grabbed the shifter and pulled down.

  "Seat belts," said Maylee from the back seat.

  Angie looked in the rear-view mirror. Maylee was clicking her

  belt into place. Dalton was grabbing his and frowning. "What is your

  deal with seat belts?" he said.

  Angie's eyes met Maylee's in the mirror. Maylee adjusted the

  belt and frowned. "Seat belts, Mom."

  Angie chuckled. "Okay. Seat belts." She pulled her belt across

  her chest and clicked it into place.

  Ashton Memorial

  9

  Thuds came from the rear. They all turned to look. The two

  corpses had reached the car. One of them was a fat man with a huge

  gouge down his face and neck. He pawed at the back window and

  moaned, the loose skin around his wound shaking.

  "Mom," said Dalton anxiously.

  "I see them," said Angie, pressing down on the gas pedal. The

  car jerked backward. The second corpse, a thin woman missing most of

  her scalp, fell backward and out of view. The fat man fell forward,

  toppling onto the trunk of the car.

  "Shit," said Angie, slamming on the brakes, hoping the corpse

  would fall off. He did not. He groped and pawed and groaned.

  "Mom," repeated Dalton.

  Gurgling came from the front of the car. Angie looked to see

  the broken-neck corpse climbing onto the hood.

  "And there's that fucker," said Angie. "Wonderful."

  "If you'd let me finish it off earlier," said Maylee.

  "Zip it, Maylee," said Angie. She pulled the shifter into drive

  and slammed down on the gas. The tires screeched and the car lurched

  forward. The corpse on the trunk slid down, cracking its gouged chin.

  The corpse on the front rocketed forward, flying across the parking lot

  and slamming into the hood of a van. The "crack" of the corpse's back

  was so loud Angie heard it over the engine.

  Angie hit the brakes again. She and the kids rocked forward.

  The corpse on the trunk slid toward them. Black fluid spilled from the

  corpses mouth and flowed over the trunk.

  "Gross!" said Dalton, looking backward. Angie pushed the

  shifter into reverse and gunned the engine. The car raced backward

  with such force the seat belt dug into her shoulder.

  She spun the steering wheel to her right. The tires screeched

  and the car twisted in a half circle. The corpse, moaning and clawing at

  the trunk, slid off and rolled across the pavement. Its head spun free of

  its body.

  Angie braked, and she and the kids rocked violently in their

  seats. They paused for a moment, panting and looking around.

  "Shouldn't have put off having the brake pads replaced," Angie

  muttered.

  "Mom!" said Maylee, pointing to their right. Angie looked. The

  Robert R. Best

  10

  broken-neck corpse was pushing itself off the van. Its head hung limply

  and its broken back twisted impossibly.

  Angie pulled the shifter to drive and sped toward the hospital.

  The hospital was almost completely in flames. Black smoke

  obscured most of the front. Park's truck sat to the right, still immobile.

  Park sat in the front seat, visibly frustrated as he tried again and again

  to start it. Five corpses were closing in.

  Angie turned the wheel hard to the right, aiming for the two

  closest corpses. They heard the car coming, and turned to stare with

  empty eyes. One, a young man with no arms or tongue, hissed at them.

  Angie gunned the engine harder and knocked both corpses aside. They

  flew in either direction, limbs coming loose and scattering. Angie

  slammed down on the brakes, stopping just short of Park's truck.

  Park looked up from the ignition, frowning. He turned his head

  and saw the car, then Angie. He snorted and tried the engine again.

  Angie rolled down her window and leaned out. "Hurry up,

  jackass!"

  Park looked over at her, shaking his head. "I got this."

  "You ain't got shit!" said Angie. "Get in the car or I'm leaving

  you here!"

  He glared at her. "I need the truck to get to my girls!"

  The remaining three corpses were getting closer. One reached

  out to grab the tailgate of the truck. Black smoke crept up from behind

  Angie's car, the acrid smell stinging her nose. She could feel the heat

  from the fire behind her.

  "For fuck's sake," yelled Angie. "We'll get you another truck!"

  Park tried the engine one last time. "Fuck!" he bellowed,

  striking the steering wheel. He looked back at Angie. "You better."

  Park pushed his door open and climbed from the truck. Angie

  leaned over in her seat to unlock the passenger door. When she

  straightened back up, Park was struggling with a corpse.

  "Great," she said. She undid her seat belt and let it retract. "You

  both stay here or it's your ass!"

  "Mom, no!" said Dalton as she opened her door.

  "Just stay here!" Angie yelled in a tone she knew scared both of

  them whenever she used it. She hated to use it. She climbed outside and

  shut the door. Smoke stung her eyes and heat assaulted her. Corpses

  were nearby. She could hear them groaning.

  Ashton Memorial

  11

  She rushed over to Park. He was struggling with a bald man in

  boxer shorts. Thick dark blood flowed down his leg, from a large gash

  on one thigh. The man's eyes were white and his rotten teeth snapped

  together, inches from Park's face.

  "Fucker," Park grunted as Angie arrived and grabbed the bald

  man's arm. His skin was slimy. She pulled as hard as she could,

  managing to put a few inches between him and Park.

  "You should have told me your truck wouldn't start!" she yelled

  at Park, straining as she pulled at the bald man.

  "It fucking started before!" Park yelled back, pushing at the

  man's face and struggling to avoid getting his hand bitten.

  Angie mustered up her strength for one more pull. She tugged

  so hard she felt her back twinge. The bald man pulled back another

  inch. The smoke grew thicker around them. Groans and the sound of

  flames came from all sides. "Before you crashed it into the wall?"

  "Pretty much," Park said, bringing up his free hand and

  punching the bald man across the cheek. The bald man let go and fell to

  one side.

  Angie looked around, coughing in the smoke. Dark shapes

  swayed and groaned.

  Park leaned back into the truck.

  "What are you doing?" yelled Angie, between coughs.

  Park slung a hunting rifle over his shoulder.

  "I thought you ran out of bullets," Angie said.