This story is based in a timeline which the population of New York City has been infected with a virus that causes them to become zombies. This work is fiction and any resemblance to people real or imaginary is coincidental. Due to the nature of the story real places may be portrayed. This is not a reflection on these places or the people of New York City.
This story contains violence and, at times, gruesome descriptions of zombies and attacks. There are also relations between same-sex couples. If this disturbs you then this story is not for you.
Due to the nature of the story, there is no law. This allows characters to partake of substances which are banned in the real world. This is not an endorsement of these substances, and use in real life has real consequences. Don't do drugs. They are bad for you.
As usual, I apologize for the delay for this chapter. I have had a busy time and had to make time sacrifices. I am back, though, so I hope you enjoy this installment.
Comments and suggestions are always appreciated. If you would like to contact me, E-mails may be sent to johnashton07@gmail.com
Travis got up and looked at Lucas. He bent over and kissed his forehead and turned and walked out of the unit. Lucas looked at the door for a while, and decided to go lay in the bed. Sleep found him faster than he would have thought. Being high must have helped with that. The dreams that found him that night were as mixed up and troubled as he was feeling.
Chapter 7
Lucas woke up and saw cracks of light were penetrating the blackout sheets on his window. He looked over at the clock which informed him that it was two P.M. Rolling over he felt a shot of pain from his arm to his shoulder and yelled out.
As his eyes adjusted to the low light of the room he noticed that Samantha was gone. He leaned over and turned on the lamp. The briefcase was still open on the table, and it looked like Samantha had helped herself to a bit of the coke before she had left.
"Fucking Samantha..." Lucas said standing up and stretching a bit. He walked over to the table and packed away the contents of the briefcase before he heard a knock on the door.
"Lucas, you awake yet?" Travis said knocking again as he opened the door.
"Yeah, come in." Lucas responded putting the briefcase in the closet.
"I am just dropping off a bottle of penicillin. You need to take one of these every 8 hours to keep that infection under control." Travis said handing a bottle half full of pills to Lucas.
"Alright." Lucas said, still trying to wake up.
"How is your arm today?" Travis asked.
"It is about the same. Hurts to move it too much." Lucas said testing his words. As he lifted his arm pain shot through the cut and he lowered it instantly.
"Head?" Travis said.
"A bit presumptuous aren't you? Maybe I don't feel like sex right when I wake up." Lucas said.
"I mean, how is your head, smart ass." Travis said with a smirk.
"My head is feeling slightly better than my arm is..." Lucas said taking a seat on the couch.
"Well if you need anything for the pain Eric is supposed to be back soon from a supply run. He is hitting up a Walgreens, so we should be good on medical supplies and food for a while once he gets back." Travis said.
"What are you guys doing?" Bradley said peeking in the door.
"We are fucking like rabbits..." Lucas said looking up at Bradley.
"Terrific. Well when you are done Lucas, you have a shift in the security room." Bradley said.
"Alright, I will be down in a second." Lucas said standing up and shooing the company from his unit.
Lucas walked over to the closet and searched for some clean clothes to put on. He settled on a pair of jeans that fit slightly loose on him, and a black t-shirt. He made a note to clean some of the clothes so that he would have properly fitting things to wear. He walked out of the unit and downstairs. When he got to the security room Adrian was inside.
"Hey man, it is pretty dead out there..." Adrian said.
"Ha! Funny man." Lucas said with a forced laugh. "I get it."
"I try, but really, there is not much going on out there today. There was some motion off of camera 5, but that was a ways off." Adrian said standing up to leave.
"Sounds like a good day to me." Lucas said taking the vacated seat.
"Eric should be pulling up here soon" Adrian said before walking out of the room.
"Well, see you later, too." Lucas mumbled to himself.
"God damn pot holes!" Eric said recovering from hitting his head on the window. "One week and the roads have gone to shit!"
"This road was always shit." Samantha said rubbing her ear from her own collision with the side of the hummer. "If you would drive a tad slower, and maybe avoid the big ones we may get there without a concussion."
"Oh shut it." Eric said as he ran over another pot hole.
"Damn you Eric! Pull over, I am driving!" Samantha said.
Eric swerved off the road and onto the sidewalk and threw the hummer into park. He slammed the door open and walked around to the passenger side before Samantha had her seatbelt undone. He opened her door and stood waiting.
"Shit man, don't be such a dick about it!" Samantha said.
"Just move!" Eric said pulling her out of the hummer. "See if you can drive any better."
"Well I couldn't drive any worse than you did, damn. Have you ever actually driven a vehicle this big before?" Samantha said regaining her composure and walking around to the other side.
She hopped into her seat and slammed the door. Only, the door wouldn't close. She looked at the door to see a hand caught in the door. She heard a moaning yelp and slammed the door again.
"FUCK!" Samantha shouted trying to hold the door closed.
Eric pulled out a hand gun and opened his door. He ran to the other side and saw a man with his left hand caught in the door. The man's entire right half of his torso was shredded, almost like it had been eaten away. Though his hand was caught in the door he continued to try to walk forward toward Eric.
"Just shoot it!" Samantha yelled from inside the hummer.
Eric shot the man in the head, putting him out of his misery. It still took a toll on him every time he had to kill one of them. He shook it off, however, and got back in the hummer. Samantha slammed on the gas and they tore down the sidewalk. Another man ran out onto the sidewalk right in front of the hummer, and before it could turn to see the loud noise quickly approaching, it was flung over the top of the hummer and landed on the cement behind. Three more ran out in front of the hummer and were run over, causing the Samantha to slam her head into the roof, and Eric to again hit his head on the window.
"Go!" Eric shouted. "Just keep going!"
"I am! I am!" Samantha shouted pulling the hummer back onto the road.
"This is Eric, come in!" The radio shouted, waking Lucas from a day dream. "Hello!"
"Lucas here, what is up?" Lucas responded to the mic.
"Get the gates open, we are around the corner." Eric said.
"Im on top of it." Lucas said.
He stood up and ran out to the garage. He had the gate up just in time for the hummer to drive in. He walked behind the hummer to its parking spot and helped unload the vehicle.
"I am just saying that your driving was at least as bumpy as when I was driving, if not more." Eric said.
"I had to run 4 of those... zombies.. Over! That doesn't count!" Samantha said slapping Eric's shoulder.
"Just grab some of these boxes, they need to get into the storage room." Eric said with a chuckle.
The three of them grabbed the supplies that had been gathered and took them to the storage unit, and the medical supplies up to Eric's unit, which was now more of a hospital room than a sleeping area. Eric and his family now slept in the unit across the hall from the clinic. Adrian had taken over in the security room.
Lucas walked down the hall toward his unit when he nearly ran into a little girl coming up the stairs. Shocked he fell backward. He was about to try to defend himself when he realized that the girl was still living.
"Hello." She said.
She had pale complexion, and looked to be about 5 years old. She was dressed in a pink flowered dress and black shoes. Her hair hung past her shoulders and had a nice curl to it. Her eyes were a penetrating yellow and when she smiled her teeth looked as white as ivory.
"I am Denise. Nice to meet you." She said laughing at Lucas who was standing up again.
"I am Lucas, but how did you get in here?" Lucas said still confused.
"I live here..." Denise said with a giggle.
"Alright. How have I not seen you before?" Lucas asked.
"Daddy doesn't like me wandering around. But I was bored. Me and Alex were playing, but he got bored." Denise said. "I don't think he likes tea parties too much."
"Who is your dad?" Lucas asked.
"Umm... My dad is..." Denise said obviously thinking hard.
"Denise, What are you doing out of your room? You are supposed to be playing with Alex." Amanda said walking up the stairs.
"He left. I was bored." Denise said. "I was just talking to my new friend, mommy!"
"Hey Lucas, how is the arm?" Amanda said. "She isn't bothering you is she?"
"It is fine, thanks. Is this your daughter?" Lucas said.
"Mommy! Lucas is going to come to the tea party. Aren't you Lucas?" Denise said more than asked.
"Umm, sure..." Lucas said.
"Yay!" Denise exclaimed before bolting down the hall to her family's unit.
"Eric and I adopted Denise about a year ago. She has been such a joy. We aren't able to have any kids of our own, you see." Amanda said.
"She seems, energetic." Lucas said.
"She does pretty good about keeping occupied, that is for sure." Amanda said with a smile. "You don't have to go to the tea party, you know."
"It is fine. I can entertain her for a bit. She seems like a good kid." Lucas said.
"She can be a hand full, but she is. I wish she could go outside and run, but it isn't the world it used to be out there." Amanda said.
"All the more reason to keep her occupied, I guess." Lucas said.
Amanda and Lucas walked down and met up with Denise in their unit. She pulled Lucas to the table and pushed him into a chair.
"Denise, be careful, his arm is hurt." Amanda said closing the door behind her.
"It's fine, Amanda." Lucas said.
Denise got onto a step stool and pulled out 3 coffee mugs and filled them up with water from a bottle in the fridge. She carried them over and sat one at each spot at the table and climbed into her chair. Amanda sat down and smiled to Lucas.
The unit was equipped with a living room - dining room combination that was slightly smaller than the area in Lucas' unit. It fit the three of them, but any more would be pushing it.
"It is tea!" Denise said taking a sip from her cup.
"It sure is good." Lucas said, humoring her.
"Honey, you do good with the tea. It tastes so, pure." Amanda added with a smile.
"I am the bestest tea maker in the world. Daddy even says so." Denise said with a smile.
Lucas took another sip from his cup and smiled. It amazed him how easily kids can adapt to new surroundings and people.
"Mommy, do zombies drink tea?" Denise asked.
Lucas choked on his tea and tried to regain his composure.
"Denise, there are no zombies here. Tea keeps them away, remember?" Amanda said, looking at Lucas.
"That is right." Lucas said getting the hint.
"That is good, because zombies are not nice people." Denise said taking another satisfying gulp of her `tea'.
"Thank you for the tea, but I have to go. It was nice to meet you Denise." Lucas said standing up.
"It was very nice to meet you, too, Mr. Lucas." Denise said taking a final gulp of from her cup. She stood up and ran over to the door to open it for him.
Lucas left without saying anything more and walked down the hall. He had just passed the staircase when Adrian's door opened.
"Hey! I was just coming to get you! Come in for a second I want to show you something." Adrian said pulling Lucas inside.
Adrian closed the door and walked over to the closet. When he opened the door light poured out of it. Lucas walked over to the closet and saw a large light fixture had been set up in the closet and there were 7 small flower pots sitting under it.
"They are sprouting, man! I can grow stuff after all." Adrian said. "I can't guarantee the quality, but I have been watering them on time, and I throw some plant food in every other day. They seem healthy enough right now."
"What are they?" Lucas said kneeling down to get a closer look. "Cabbage?"
"They are the seeds you gave me. They just popped through the soil today!" Adrian said. "Soon enough they will be ready to be harvested! Well in a couple months, I guess." Adrian said. "But with how much you have you should be able to hold out at least that long."
"You are a genius. Good work there." Lucas said with a chuckle. "Drugs... the answer to this shit of a world."
"Well it is a small help, but something to look forward to right?" Adrian said.
"Yeah, I guess so." Lucas said.
"So what is up with you and Travis? Are you two..." Adrian asked
"I don't know. He is cool and such, but I don't know." Lucas said.
"You gay guys and your drama. The world is falling to pieces and you guys have to figure out who you are going to fuck through the apocalypse." Adrian said with a chuckle.
"Whatever man, seems to me you are jealous." Lucas said with a smirk.
"Fuck yeah I am! If I was gay I would be set! There is only Samantha here, and she is crazy insane." Adrian said.
"That is true. But beggars can't be choosers man." Lucas said. "Plus, she is horny as shit as she puts it."
"Someone talking about me?" Samantha said swinging the door open. "Horny as shit, reporting for duty."
"Do you ever knock?" Adrian said. "It is kind of rude."
"No, I don't see the point. You are going to let me in anyway." Samantha said walking in. "Holy shit, is that what I think it is?"
"No, probably not." Adrian said.
"Adrian is growing pot in his closet." Lucas said, dodging Adrian's arm which was swung in his direction.
"That is great! I was worried you would run out one of these days Lucas." Samantha said flopping down on Adrian's couch.
"I won't if you stop snatching my stuff." Lucas said.
"I only took a couple lines of coke, your pot is safe." Samantha said leaning back. "Speaking of which, can I have some more?"
"I will smoke you a bowl, if you shut up." Lucas said.
"Alright!" Samantha said hopping up. "You are the best!"
Lucas walked to his room and grabbed the briefcase. When he came back Travis was sitting in the room as well.
"Hey Lucas. Do you mind if I join in?" Travis said.
"Not at all." Lucas said. He sat down on the couch and opened the briefcase.
Lucas rolled a large joint and lit it up. He passed it to Adrian and looked over to Travis and blew the smoke in his face.
"Hey watch it ass hole!" Travis said laughing.
Adrian and Samantha each took their time taking their drags. Travis took his and blew the smoke at Lucas. Lucas was expecting this, however and pulled Travis into a kiss to shotgun the hit. When Lucas exhaled he took the joint and took another hit for himself, and shot gunned it back to Travis.
Adrian took the joint and dragged slowly and before he coughed it out Samantha grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss. Adrian dropped the joint beside him and it went out on the carpet. Samantha pulled away from the kiss and let out a small bit of smoke through a mischievous smile. Adrian was wearing the same smirk.
Lucas pulled Travis into a kiss and his foot lifted to the table and knocked the briefcase over. The bag of weed fell out along with the bag of coke. Travis leaned over and picked up the bag and looked at it.
"Is this what I think it is?" Travis asked.
"What do you think it is?" Lucas said, with a slight smile on his face.
"It looks like cocaine..." Travis said opening the baggy slightly.
"It is good shit." Samantha said.
"This would help with that pain in your arm Lucas, it is a painkiller." Travis said.
"I realize that Travis, thank you." Lucas said. "Would you like some?"
Travis did not respond. He opened the baggy all the way and poured out a generous lump on a mirror that was in the briefcase and quickly split it into 4 lines. They each took a line and scraped the small amount of residue into a last small line. Travis licked the side of the half a joint that was left and stuck the fine powder to it. He lit it back up and passed it around. The joint went around 2 more times before it was done.
They all laid back for a minute before Adrian started getting the giggles.
"What is it?" Lucas said.
"Samantha kissed me." Adrian said with a smirk.
"Yeah, well it was for the hit." Samantha said with a playful nudge.
"Whatever, you know you liked it." Adrian said.
Suddenly the power cut out and the red light in the corner started flashing. The four of them sat quiet trying to listen for any sound. There was a quiet banging and they stood up and walked quietly to the door and into the hall. They crept down the stairs where the banging got louder. It was coming from the lobby doors, but the boards were holding.
Travis lead the way into the security room where Bradley was looking anxiously from camera to camera.
"I cant see what it is... It is out of view." Bradley whispered. "There is a malfunction in the camera outside the lobby."
"The boards are holding, maybe it will just move along." Travis said quietly.
"I saw a blur on the camera and set the alarm, then it went dead. I can't see it on any of the other ones." Bradley whispered.
"A blur?" Lucas murmured.
There was a loud crack and a bang that made all five of them jump. Suddenly everything was quiet. One of the cameras showed a car drive by with the window down. Three men were inside. One had shot whatever was outside and the car stopped. The three got out of the car and walked up to the side of the building.
Everyone in the security room walked out carrying guns that had been left there. They walked up to the boarded up door and could hear talking on the other side.
"Damn it Mike, did you have to shoot her?" a voice yelled out.
"That is how it is done. We can't have people stealing food." another said.
"This place seems pretty well boarded up. Do you think anyone is inside?" the third said.
"Lets just get back. Riley will be pissed if we are gone too long. Since those bastards got his sister he has been getting pretty crazy." a voice said.
The voices stopped, and a few seconds later they heard an engine start and drive away. Bradley got up and ran back to the security room to restore power and deactivate the alarm.
"Who was that?" Samantha asked rhetorically.
"I think a better question is, who is still outside there and are they alive?" Adrian said.
"I will check it out, cover me." Travis said moving toward the garage entrance.
Lucas followed him out and around the side of the building. They came to the lobby door and saw a woman lying on the ground covered in blood. Travis knelt down and rolled the woman onto her back. Her eyes were shut, but she had a pulse, for now.
"What do we do?" Lucas said.
"We can't leave her out here. If there are zombies anywhere near here we cant have them smelling a fresh meal." Travis said. "Help me get her inside and up to the clinic."
Lucas helped him lift her up and inside. He could hear her breathing but it was shallow and raspy. They got her up the stairs with some help from Adrian. Eric was already in the hallway when they got to the top of the stairs. He ran down and helped them into the clinic.
"My back hurts." The woman moaned as they put her on a cot.
"You have been shot, ma'am. It doesn't seem to have hit any major organs, but you are going to need to lay still." Eric said.
"Who were those guys, what did you do to them?" Lucas said.
"I was at the mall... I wanted some food. I just wanted some food." The woman moaned and coughed.
Eric pushed Lucas aside and injected something into the woman's arm.
"This is a sedative. I am a veterinarian. I am going to help you." Eric said.
"A vet?..." the woman said as she fell into a sleep.
"Travis, I need a scalpel! Get over here and help me!" Eric said.
"Im on it," Travis said handing him the scalpel. "You guys clear out."
Lucas, Adrian, and Samantha were hurried out of the clinic and the door was closed behind them.
"She was at the mall?" Adrian said.
Lucas and Samantha exchanged looks.
"Fuck.." Lucas said.
"Then those guys.." Adrian said.
"They don't know we were in here..." Samantha said. "Right?"