First Encounter

Sunday, 23^rd 5:46a

I've never thought about dying in the trunk of a car. Don't worry though, I'm not dead yet. I've been in here for two days now. Luckily some people actually listen about emergency preparedness and pack a 72 hour kit in their trunk. Not that it's done any good for the owner of the black impala that I'm hiding in. He's got plenty to eat out there. I'm down to two protein bars and a gallon of water and I'm thinking now is as good a time as any to leave. It's been quiet out there, nothing has bumped the car for hours. I break open another glow stick as try to decide what my options are.

It all happened so fast that most people didn't even have time to wipe their ass. All I could do was run for the nearest car, pop the trunk and lock myself in. They lost interest soon after realizing that I wasn't going to be easy to get to and moved on to the screaming running masses that were knocking each other down in the confusion.

Everybody thinks about Zombies, but no one actually thought it would happen. I've been thinking about it for years. We've been fucking around with science and nature for too long now for something not to happen. Most people think that they would go in, guns blazing and take out the zombies with no problems. They died just as fast as the confused ones running around. Zombies don't care about bullets and most people can't hit shit when adrenaline is pumping through their veins.

The smart ones hid.

I hid.

I used a tire iron to pop the tail light out so I could get air and keep an eye out on whats going on. The smell outside though is now as bad if not worse than the smell in here. Trunks don't have bathrooms.

I can't believe it's already been two days. I've had plenty of food and water, plenty of air and plenty of time to think. I've been eying the emergency trunk release for the last hour waiting for the sun to come up. Zombies don't care about seeing, but I do. I want to know that what I'm stepping on isn't going to go squish.

The sun just started to rise so I guess it's time. I reach for the emergency release and pop the trunk. I peer out as the trunk slowly raises looking for any signs of movement. 

Friday, 21^st 12:30p

Another boring lunch. I'm sitting across from Ash, watching him as he chews his meat infested sandwich with his mouth partly open. A piece of pastrami is stuck between his teeth, but he doesn't seem to notice. I stab the salad with my fork, moving the lettuce about in the dressing, but I'm not really hungry. We have been having lunch together every week for the last few years that we have been friends. Quick lunch to catch up on the week and then back to work. Every lunch he finds some way to harass me about the fact that I'm vegetarian. I look back up and notice his eyebrows are down and he's frowning.

James!

What I replied.

Have you heard a damned thing I've been saying?

Oh, sorry, I was just thinking about this office email thats been going around.

I hate lying to him, but who wants to know that they have dead flesh stuck between their teeth. I'll mention a toothpick before we leave. I start picking at my salad again as he drones on.

Did you hear about that mugging this morning over on 5^th?

Yeah, it was really weird. Who bites someone to steal their purse?

I don't know, I heard it took four officers to take him down. Two are in the hospital.

The guy must have been high on something.

The waitress comes over to drop off the check and refill my coffee.

Well, Ash says, Time for me to head back. I'm already going to be late. That prick Todd is gonna rip me a new one.

I laugh, Have you ever met a Todd with two d's that wasn't a prick?

He smiles as he passes me the check. Speaking of I left my wallet in the desk drawer. You got this?

Yeah, I got it. I reach for my wallet to pull out some cash as some joker with a baseball bat comes running into the restaurant screaming something.

Ironically my first thought was that this was going to be an expensive lunch.

Blood is dripping off his baseball bat and as he slides to a stop he ends up slipping in the puddle and knocks himself unconscious on the floor.

The entire restaurant erupts in a frenzy as everyone tries to make it to the door at the same time.

I run for the bathrooms forgetting to mention the toothpick to Ash. I figure if everyone is running one way, I want to go the opposite. For once luck is on my side.

I look back and yell at Ash, telling him that I see a back door at the end of the hall to the bathrooms.

He just sits there staring so I grab a salt shaker off the nearest table and chuck it at him.

Hey! I yell. Get off your ass and lets go!

He finally jumps up, but ends up running out the front door with the rest of the lemmings.

Idiot I mutter under my breath and turn around to head for the back exit.

As the door to the bathroom hall closes the screams from the front begin.

I make it out the back, but soon as soon as the door closes I realize that I'm fenced in. Security razor wire is looped through the top of an eight foot fence. Great, so much for luck. I reach back for the door, but it locked behind me. I can feel the panic starting, but after looking around a bit I see a ladder attached to the wall heading for the roof. There were no locks on it. I guess they figured that if you were back here in the first place you belonged on the roof. The ledge looks about twelve feet up so it will be a fast climb.

Up on the roof I look around and see that there is smoke from fires all over the city. What the hell is going on I think to myself.  I look down at the street and I see Ash. I wave my arms and start to yell at him, but the sound gets caught in my throat as I realize what he is doing. He is face deep in some poor lady's neck. Blood is smeared on his face and he is really digging in. I bet he has more than pastrami stuck in his teeth now...........

© 2012 James Pipes (ccrdnw.com)