Paul and Molly

On ward through the fog we pushed, despite the nearby groans echoing through darkness. “I think we can make it if we can get to the truck” I whispered, “You take the keys and I’ll lead them away.” Sounded like a good plan at the time. “Once you get in the truck, lock it, start it, haul ass over to the pawn shop and keep it running.” “What about you?” Molly said excitedly. “I’m not gonna make it without you Paul!” (UHHHHH!!…Getting closer) “Shhhh, you know that ally between Mac’s bar and Jane’s Beauty Parlor?” “I’ll be waiting to jump in the back.” “Slow down as you go thru the ally, but don’t stop no matter what!” “You just walk normal toward the truck now, and do like I say, you’ll be fine.” I let her walk about 20 feet and then I race off in the other direction yelling and raising hell in hopes to draw the lingering zombies my way.

They were everywhere, not congregations of them but it was as if all the people were sick or already one of “Them”. The sick were shuffling around in a trance-like state, groaning like they were in pain or weeping in deep sorrow. Once they’ve discovered you, they attack.
The ones that have turned already seem to be on the hunt, rampant and on the move. They are very dangerous but usually hunt alone.


I make it across two of the neighbors’ fences and hear the truck start. “Come on baby, run them bastards over.” I yelled as I ran down that back ally. I was doing good at luring those things in my direction, but there were more than I thought. I remember that Wally had a baseball bat on his back porch from his glory days and I grabbed it as I went by his house. I was about a block from the pawnshop when I saw Molly last. She turned on Tucker Rd. headed out of town. I burst into the bar thinking about what that bitch had just done and “WHAM”!


I woke up in a dark room with only the soft glow of a laptop and I can still hear them outside. It looks as if I’m in someone’s basement. Looking around I can see the shapes of people standing around in the darkness, motionless and silent. I hear clatter and the sound of dragging and footsteps approaching. I am frozen with fear. Then the memory of Molly leaving me and this town behind popped in my head. I thought, if this is the end then I want to go out fighting. As I raised up to initiate my attack my head felt like it was coming unraveled. The throbbing was blinding and as I collapsed back to the floor there was a voice that said “That headache is going to take a few days to go away, Debbie hit you pretty hard when you busted in the bar like a madman.” It was Mac’s voice, only a bit more excitedly than he usually speaks. Mac is always laid back without a care in the world, but when that world comes crashing down on you it tends to change a man. “Mac?” I said, trying to raise myself up off the floor. “Why did Molly take Tucker Rd., didn’t she know there’s a roadblock about a mile out of town?” “Why did you let her go without you in the first place, a woman couldn’t make it on her own out there and she…” “That bitch ditched me Mac!” I cut him off in mid-sentence. “We were supposed to meet here, we separated at the mini-mall and I lead the zombies away so she could make it to the truck.” “She was supposed to pick me up in the ally but she took the left out of town…” “Paul…” said Mac “Right after you burst in the bar and Debbie knocked you out we heard an explosion.” “It was Molly, she hit the roadblock head-on as fast as she could!” “Billy saw the whole thing.” “Said she was swerving and driving all crazy and then she held it to the floor until she hit.” “Something must have gone wrong.” I said, “I just can’t believe she would leave me like that!” “Charlie and Earl took my Blazer to check it out and said she never had a chance, poor girl was half eaten before she hit the barricade.” “Half eaten?” I said belligerently. “She was fucking fine when we split up and she didn’t have to make it 100 feet.” “I drew all the zombies away from her so she would have a clear path to the truck!” “No.” explained Mac. “Not all the zombies, she was attacked sometime after you guys split.” By then tears had filled my eyes and began their journey down my face. “But I heard the truck start and everything seemed to be going as planned!”