Robert R. Best

  36

  squirmed behind her. Maylee watched the water on the floor spreading

  from wall to wall, sink to door.

  "Maylee," said Dalton.

  "Hold on," she said, waiting. The heater burned her hands. She

  held it as loosely as she could. The water covered the entire floor now.

  It kept pouring from the sink.

  "Maylee!"

  "I said wait!"

  The door shook and slammed open. Corpses stumbled into the

  room. The one in front was a muscular man missing one arm. Thick

  blood ran down his side from the stump where his arm had been. He

  groaned and came for Dalton and Maylee. His feet splashed in the

  water.

  Maylee screamed and flung the space heater to the floor. It hit

  the water and sparks shot from it. There was a loud crackling sound and

  the corpses shook violently. They convulsed and twitched. Sparks flew

  from the heater and from the outlet. Dark fluid oozed from the corpses'

  mouths.

  The outlet and heater gave out one last spark and the room went

  dark. The corpses all fell into the water, still.

  For a moment Maylee panted and stared at them. Her hands

  smarted. The running water in the sink was the only sound.

  "How did you know that would work?" said Dalton.

  "I didn't. I just hoped shocking the brain would hurt them."

  Then she heard Mom screaming.

  "Mom!" she yelled, leaping from the toilet. She hit the water

  and nearly slid into the wall. She stepped over the still corpses as

  quickly as she could and got her bat. Behind her, Dalton jumped off the

  toilet.

  "Come on!" she said. She ran to Dalton and grabbed his hand.

  Holding the bat in the other hand, she pulled him from the bathroom.

  * * *

  "Dalton!" screamed Angie as she backed toward the car.

  Corpses stumbled toward her from both sides of the gas station.

  "Maylee!"

  Angie backed up until she met the metal of the car. She had to

  Ashton Memorial

  37

  get to her kids. Her insides screamed at her to do it. But how? There

  were too many of them. The cold rain pounded all around her. Corpses

  stumbled through it, toward her.

  The lights in the gas station flickered, then went dark. The

  display on the pump went out.

  Angie screamed at the corpses coming for her. She wanted to

  rip them apart with her bare hands. One got close enough for Angie to

  reach. Angie rushed up and shoved it backward. It moaned, reaching

  for her as it fell backward into the corpses behind it.

  "You bastards!" she bellowed at the corpses. Into the rain. She

  felt like she was losing her mind. She heard moans behind her and saw

  corpses approaching the car from the rear.

  She screamed and ran at the corpses, stopping when she nearly

  tripped on the gas hose. A corpse, a woman with a torn throat and

  ripped cheek, hissed at her. Angie screamed back and pulled the nozzle

  from the tank. She flung the hard metal nozzle at the corpse. The nozzle

  cracked against the corpses head and it went down.

  "Mom!" she heard from behind her. She turned to see Maylee

  and Dalton run from the side of the station. Maylee let go of Dalton's

  hand and started swinging her bat.

  "Maylee, no!" yelled Angie.

  * * *

  Maylee rounded the corner, pulling Dalton with her. Cold rain

  fell everywhere, running into her eyes. Corpses were everywhere, their

  backs to Maylee. Mom was at the car. The corpses closed in around

  her.

  "Mom!" yelled Maylee. She let go of Dalton's hand and gripped

  her bat with both hands. She swung at the head of the nearest corpse.

  Its skull cracked and it went down.

  "Maylee, no!" yelled Mom, sounding very far away through the

  moaning corpses and the pounding rain.

  "Maylee!" yelled Dalton somewhere behind her.

  "Stay close to me!" yelled Maylee, swinging wildly. "We gotta

  get to Mom!"

  Corpses turned and moaned at her. At Dalton. Maylee swung as

  Robert R. Best

  38

  fast and hard as she could, but knew there were too many. She'd made a

  mistake.

  Maylee swung and Dalton clung to her back. The corpses

  closed in.

  * * *

  Angie screamed in anguish as she watched the corpses close on

  her children. She grabbed hold of the gas hose and pulled the metal

  nozzle back to her. She ran to the front of the car and swung the hose to

  her left. The nozzle connected with three corpses' heads, one after the

  other. The corpses fell back.

  "Maylee!" she screamed. "Dalton!" She swung the hose to the

  right, knocking three more corpses to the side. She swung the hose over

  her head, whirling the nozzle round and round. The corpses groaned

  and tried to draw near, but the nozzle slammed into any corpse who got

  close.

  Angie heard a loud crash and looked to the gas station. The

  large window in the front of the station exploded outward and Park fell

  out into the rain.

  "Park!" Angie yelled. She swung the hose over her head round

  and round, keeping the corpses at bay. "The kids!" She felt tears

  coming, mingling with the rain. "The kids!"

  * * *

  Park fell out onto the pavement as the window exploded around

  him. He'd had no time to get to the door. The little girl climbed toward

  him, over the fallen shelves.

  Blinking through the rain, he saw corpses everywhere. "Fuck,"

  he said. Then he saw Angie swinging the gas hose in large circles,

  using the nozzle to hold the corpses off.

  "Park!" she yelled through the rain. "The kids! The kids!"

  Park looked to his side and saw Maylee and Dalton. Maylee held

  the corpses off with her bat but was seconds away from losing. The

  corpses moved in close, too many for Maylee to keep up with.

  "Hey!" yelled Park at the corpses. "Over here!" He yelled as loud

  as he could, so loud his throat hurt.

  Ashton Memorial

  39

  "Hey!" he repeated, running up and shoving the corpse nearest

  him. It turned and moaned at him. It was an old man with exposed ribs

  and yellow, rotting teeth.

  "That's right dickhead!" he yelled, shoving the corpse again.

  "More meat over here! Hey fuckers! Over here!"

  The old man moved toward him, but the others stayed focused on

  Maylee and Dalton.

  "Shit hell fuck!" yelled Park. He took the rifle from his shoulder

  and fired once, into the air. More of the corpses turned to face him.

  "That was one, you dumb-fuck bastards! You better look! Come on!"

  He took a few steps backward and they followed him.

  "Get to the car!" Park yelled to Maylee and Dalton, then ran back

  into the now-dark gas station, leading the corpses with him.

  * * *

  Angie swung the hose round and round, watching as a large

  group of corpses followed Park into the gas station. As the group of

  corpses disappeared into the building, Angie saw Maylee and Dalton.

  Maylee was swinging her bat and Dalton clung to her back. They both

  looked unharmed.

  "Maylee! Dalton!" she yelled. "Over here!"

  Maylee saw her and grabbed Dalton's hand. They both ran for

  the car, rain pounding down around them.

  Angie heard a moan from her left. She looked, still swinging

  the hose, and saw a corpse drawing near. It was a short man, short

  enough to get under the swinging nozzle. Then Angie realized he was

  missing his legs from below the knee. It hobbled toward her on raw,

  bleeding stumps, reaching for her and gurgling.

  Angie screamed and swung the nozzle downward. It cracked

  across the corpses jaw, sending bloody teeth flying. The nozzle

  followed through to the pavement, sending up sparks as it slammed

  against it. Angie kicked the corpse back and swung the hose back over

  her head.

  She grunted, swinging it in a wide arc over her head. It

  connected with several corpses' skulls, knocking them aside.

  Maylee and Dalton drew near. "Duck under the hose!" Angie

  Robert R. Best

  40

  yelled. They did, joining her in the circle of protection provided by the

  swinging hose.

  "Are either of you hurt?" Angie yelled.

  "No!" yelled Maylee.

  Angie let out a relieved sigh. "Good. Now get to the car!"

  Angie backed up, swinging the hose round and round. The kids

  backed up with her. Slowly, inch by inch, they made their way to the

  car. Angie kept swinging, careful to keep the hose high enough to avoid

  hitting the car.

  "Get inside!" she yelled when they reached it.

  Maylee and Dalton ran to the back seat and scrambled inside.

  Angie heard them shut the door. She gave the hose one last swing then

  let it go, aiming for the nearest corpse's head. The nozzle connected

  with a loud "pop" and the corpse went down.

  Angie ran to the car. She wrenched open the driver's door and

  climbed inside. She slammed it shut as the corpses closed in. Rain

  pounded on the hood and roof.

  She started the engine and pulled the shifter into drive. She

  slammed on the gas and the car shot forward, running down several

  corpses.

  "Mom," said Dalton. "What about Mr. Park?"

  Angie gunned the engine and turned the steering wheel.

  * * *

  Park pushed open the door to the gas station and ran inside. The

  corpses behind filed in after him, moaning and reaching. It was dark

  inside. The power had gone out and the storm outside allowed for little

  sunlight.

  He ran for the back of the room, hoping for a back door, a

  window, anything. He was quickly lost in the dark.

  He felt around the back wall for a door handle. He found one but

  it wouldn't turn. It was locked. He heard the corpses behind him

  drawing close, moaning and hissing.

  A familiar hiss came from his right and he felt a small corpse

  wrap itself around his leg. The girl.

  "Shit!" he yelled, kicking her free of his leg. She flew off into the

  dark, slamming into something Park couldn't see. The kicking motion

  Ashton Memorial

  41

  twisted Park around and he stumbled to one side.

  The corpses pressed forward, backing him into a corner. He tried

  to bring up the rifle but there was no room. It was dark and their fingers

  closed on his clothing. My girls, he thought. Gotta get to my girls.

  Suddenly the gas station lit up red. Crimson light from outside

  backlit the corpses into black groaning shapes.

  The red light focused into taillights, racing toward the station.

  There was a huge crash and the wall exploded inward. Corpses groaned

  and splattered as Angie's car hurtled backward into the room. Park

  pressed himself against the wall. The car flew past him.

  It came to a stop with the front passenger door nearby. It opened.

  Angie was leaning across from the driver's seat, holding open the door.

  "Get in!" she yelled. "Now!"

  Park raced to the car and climbed inside.

  * * *

  Angie straightened back up in the driver's seat as Park climbed

  into the passenger side and shut the door.

  "Thanks," he said.

  "No problem," said Angie, pulling the shifter into drive. "You'll

  just need to pay for any trunk damage."

  She gunned the engine. The car shot forward through the gas

  station. Two corpses stepped into view but were immediately knocked

  aside. The car bucked and rocked over debris and screeched its way

  back into the parking lot. Rain pounded onto the windshield and roof.

  Angie turned on the wipers but they did little good.

  Angie spun the wheel to the right, barely avoiding the gas

  pumps. Corpses pawed at the car as it raced by, leaving bloody stains

  on the windows. The pounding rain quickly washed the blood away.

  "You okay?" she said, steering the car back to the road.

  "Yeah," said Park, nodding. He put one hand on the dashboard

  for support as the car swayed from side to side, avoiding staggering

  corpses.

  "Good," said Angie. The car reached the road and she banked

  hard onto it. The back wheels of the car slid on the wet road and she

  nearly lost control.

  Robert R. Best

  42

  "Mom, look out!" said Maylee from the back seat.

  "I've got it Maylee!" she snapped, steering the car back straight.

  "I told you to stay in the car!"

  She raced toward the exit. The freeway was close now. A few

  cars went by through the rain, but not nearly enough for this time of

  day. Angie was going close to 80 miles an hour.

  "Mom, the things are gone! We're okay!"

  Angie steered the car onto the exit, not slowing down. "I'll

  decide when you're okay!"

  The car roared down the exit ramp.

  "Mom!" screamed Maylee, real fear in her voice.

  Angie slammed on the brakes as a semi raced by, inches from

  the car. The semi's horn bellowed in complaint. The car's tires slid in

  the rain for several more seconds before coming to a halt.

  Angie opened the door and vomited onto the street. She panted

  and gasped, letting the rain run over her head. Her head spun and her

  body shook.

  "Mom?" said Maylee.

  "What is it, Maylee?" said Angie, still facing the pavement with

  the rain running down her cheeks.

  "I never got to pee."

  Angie sighed and nodded. She straightened back up and shut

  the door. She looked at Park.

  "You drive."

  Two

  Ella bit her thumb and paced the Communications Office of

  Ashton Memorial Zoo. She didn't know where her mom was. She didn't

  know where her twin sister Lori was. She didn't like it. It made her

  nervous. Especially with the stories of what was going on outside.

  She paced past screens, speakers and microphones. All shiny

  and new. She didn't know how they all worked but her stepdad talked

  about them constantly. The whole zoo connected. Everyone able to talk

  to everyone else.

  So why couldn't she talk to Mom and Lori?

  Caleb sat at the main desk. Caleb was a college student,

  working part-time at the zoo while he studied to be a vet. He was nice.

  "Where are they?" said Ella, to no one in particular.

  "With your dad," said Caleb. He had short blonde hair and

  sideburns, and wore his zookeeper vest loose and wrinkled.

  "Not my dad," said Ella.

  "Your stepdad, then."

  "You're a wealth of information."

  "Don't be a smart-ass, Ella," said Shelley. Shelley also worked

  at the zoo. She was Caleb's girlfriend. She walked over to where Caleb

  sat.

  "You're not my mother," said Ella. "If you were my mother

  you'd look like my mother, and that's how I'd know you were my

  mother and not Shelley." She bit her thumb and kept pacing.

  Shelley gave her a look as she walked away. "Don't be rough

  on her," she heard Caleb say to Shelley. "She's worried."

  "She's a weirdo," said Tom, walking in from the attached

  breakroom full of Keepers. "Keeper" was short for zookeeper. It was a

  nickname most of them used. Ella knew Tom considered himself the

  unofficial leader of the Keepers. The only Keepers who didn't accept

  his leadership were Caleb and Shelley.

  "And we're all fucking worried," Tom continued. "Turn the

  outside cameras back on."

  Caleb shook his head. "No point."

  Robert R. Best

  44

  "Screw your point from behind, asshole," said Tom.

  Ella turned to Tom. "That sentence made absolutely no sense."

  "You don't make any sense, whack job," said Tom. "You wrote

  Steve on the back of my chair. My name's not Steve."

  "First, Tom, it's not your chair, it's a chair that belongs to the

  zoo that you happen to like to sit in. Second, I know Steve's not your

  name, it's the chair's name. I can write Tom on you if you like."

  "Just keep away from me, weirdo," said Tom. "I don't care if

  you are the boss's daughter."

  "Stepdaughter."

  "Whatever." He turned his attention back to Caleb. "Turn the

  cameras back on, pussy. I wanna see more of the freaks. If we're stuck

  here, we might as well have fun."