Hell Bound (Book 2): A World Apart (2 page)

~~Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.~~

I shut the boy’s door behind me and take one last look around our beautiful home. This is the very first house that we bought together. It holds so many wonderful memories, I hope someday soon the world will be back to normal and we can come back home.

“Sam! Hurry... now!” Kat and Mathew impatiently scream at me. Their voices snap me out of my memories and I take off running towards the garage. Kat and Mathew are standing at the laundry room door waiting anxiously for me.

“What’s wrong?”

“The zombie horde is back,” Kat says as she peeks outside the door. Athena forcefully squeezes through Kat and my legs trying to see what the commotion is all about, a low growl comes from her mouth, showing her teeth. My heart starts to race, they are still following us, we are their prey, they won’t stop until they catch us and eat us. Across the street, the group of zombies stands around our neighbor that dangles from the tree branch.

“What are they doing?” I whisper, feeling my voice crack.

“They found their next meal,” Mathew says answering my question, staring outside towards our neighbor.

The zombie horde circles our neighbor, like a lion circles its prey. Slowly they inch closer and closer to their breakfast. All at the same time, they jump at our neighbor and start to tear off pieces of his flesh. His Flesh is ripped from his lifeless body, the smell of blood fills the air. The scent will attract more zombies in this area. I hear the sound of their teeth chewing on his bones. Teeth scraping against bones. I turn around and bury my face into Mathew’s shoulder. I can't stand to look at the scene outside. Trying to block out the eating frenzy across the street I put my hands to my ears and close my eyes tight. Mathew tightly grabs my hands and pulls them away from my ears.

“We need to go now.” I nod my head and follow Mathew out of the door into the open garage. Trying real hard not to make a sound.

Our feet hit the cement floor as we walk slowly to the SUV. I clench every time my shoes make any sort of noise for fear that the group of hungry zombies across the street will hear us.

Mathew unlocks the driver’s side door by hand and pushes the lock button up. Seconds feel like minutes as I wait for the sound of the doors unlocking. Once Mathew opens up the doors we jump in. Athena jumps in beside Kat in the back seat.

“Thank god they didn’t hear us. But we need to go now!” I say terrified. Mathew doesn't say anything as he puts the keys in the ignition and starts the car. Kat and I turn around and watch the zombie horde. They don’t seem to notice that we're here until the sound of the engine blares to life. Making each and every one of them snap their heads towards us.

“Mathew hurry let’s go!” Kat shouts.

Mathew puts the SUV in reverse and speeds out of the garage. The leader of the horde walks away from the rest of the zombies towards the edge of the sidewalk. Recognizing the half torn part leader of the group, it’s the same zombie I shot. He lifts up his right hand and waves, a creepy devilish smile creeps across his face as he watches us speed away. His other hand holds our neighbors arm, blood drips from the mangled arm. He lifts the arm to his mouth tearing flesh, chewing on it. He doesn't bother to follow us, he turns back around and walks back to his breakfast.

“What the Hell! How did they find us so fast? How do we get away from them?” I say frustrated throwing my arms up in the air.

“I don't know how they keep finding us. Maybe they can smell us and that's how they track us?” Mathew questions.

“Well, if it is our scent that they are following, how do we cover up our scent?” Kat questions as she rubs Athena’s stomach.

“I don't know,” Mathew adds.

“Let's just get to the High School and get our family and get the fuck out of here.”

Messing with the radio knob I change it to the AM station and turn it several times. Finding the AM station that Steve is on, hoping he might have some news for us. But the radio station is static.

The High school is about thirty minutes into town. Just the thought of driving into a very populated area makes the hair on my neck stand up. Who knows what kind of hell may be going on over there? I pull out my handgun and open the barrel, checking how many bullets I have inside of it. I snap the barrel closed and check to make sure the safety is on. I grab Mathew’s weapon from the middle console and check to make sure it's fully loaded and the safety is on. I put the shotgun back in the same spot that Mathew had it and grab his hand. I squeeze his hand and hold it tight in mine. He squeezes my hand in return. As we are turning down the street that leads to town rows of vehicles line the road as far as my eye can see. Seems like everyone from town tried to leave in a hurry and left their cars behind.

“What do we do? The SUV is too big to drive in between each car,” I question, maybe switching cars wasn't such a good idea.

“Ummmm, drive on the shoulder or try to find another way into town,” He answers back. “Let's drive on the shoulder,” Mathew says as he starts inching the car towards the main road.

The shoulder isn't wide enough to fit an SUV, but I know we have no choice in the matter. Mathew pulls the car on the shoulder and drives toward town. My body jerks from side to side because of the uneven path we are on.

The shoulder does nothing for my already pounding head. I grab onto the handle and hold on while the car jerks its way through the uneven pavement. Athena tries to steady her legs as she looks out the window, but she fails and keeps losing her footing. Kat holds onto the back of the seat and the handle over her head.

“I feel a headache coming on,” Kat says as she flops around on her seat.

“You think this is bad you should see the dirt roads that goes into town. Makes this road look like a joy ride,” Mathew answers back.

My stomach starts to feel queasy with every jerk the car makes. Mathew comes to a stop when a car sits in the middle of the shoulder, not giving us room to pass by.

“What do we do?” Kat asks.

“Push it,” Mathew answers.

Getting out of the SUV. Holding my gun firmly to my side looking around at the empty vehicles. The street is completely quiet, not even a bird dares to make a noise, something about this street gives me the creeps. Mathew and Kat walk to the vehicle that is in our way. Kat opens up the car door and finds car keys.

“Look what I found,” she says happily holding the keys up. She sits down in the driver seat and puts the keys in the ignition. The car roars to life but then dies an abruptly dies.

“Give it some gas,” Mathew says to Kat.

I stand by the SUV holding the gun tightly in my hand, looking towards the rows of cars and bushes that line the street on each side of us. All the trees and debris makes it hard for me to see if anything is lurking in the trees. Athena sits by my feet helping me keep watch as Mathew and Kat try to start the car.

After what seems like forever Kat gets the car started, and moves it closer to the bushes, just enough for us to squeeze around the car. A low growl escapes Athena making me jump. I look down at the dog and point my gun in the direction she is growling. Athena stares towards the rows of cars on the street. Pointing to my gun towards the direction the dog is growling.

“Guys something is wrong,” I yell over my shoulder. “If you guys are done messing around can we please go?”

“Yes, get in the SUV.” Mathew quietly says to me. I'm about to grab the door handle when I think I hear something crying for help.  Turning around I try to listen.

“Sam please get into the car now!” Mathew yells frustrated with me.

Athena's ears perk up and lets out a growl again, this time showing her big white pointy teeth. This dog is deadly and very protective. I'm already in love with her! I hear the cries again coming from somewhere in the rows of vehicles.

“Mathew I hear someone crying.”

“It could be a trap from the zombie horde, they are close behind us. Now come on,” Mathew says to me.

Ignoring him I walk closer to the cars on the street. I can hear the faint cries of what sounds like a child, “Help me, please! Please someone.”

~~They promised that dreams can come true, but forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams, too.~~

“Mathew It sounds like a child screaming for help,” I say, turning around looking at Mathew scared and concerned for the little voice screaming for help.

Mathew and Kat jump out of the SUV and stop next to me. They stand quietly next to me patiently listening for the cries.

“I hear it,” Kat says, walking closer to the vehicles on the road.

“Come on let’s take a look,” Mathew motions for us to follow. The cries get louder as we walk further into the street.

Kat runs toward an overturned RV, “Over here!” She yells, leaning down looking inside of the RV. “There's a little boy stuck in the RV.”

Mathew and I rush towards Kat and kneel down next to her, we bend down to look inside of the RV. A little boy sits by the window pounding on it, crying hysterically. “Please help me and my mommy.”

“Quick, Give me something to break the glass,” Mathew says frantically looking around.  Kat searches through the nearest car for anything that could help. She pulls out a car jack and hands it to Mathew.

“Get away from the window,” I shout at the little boy as I step back from the RV. The little boy listens and scoots as far as he can away from the window. Mathew starts pounding the jack against the sides of the window. The window finally shatters into a million pieces.

The little boy moves towards the broken window, reaching for Mathew, Mathew leans into the RV and pulls out the boy. He searches the little boy for injuries.  “Where’s your mommy?”

“She's hurt inside, I want my mommy!” He screams as he points toward the RV and starts crying again.

“Kat grab him, I'll look inside,” Mathew says as he passes Kat the boy and disappears inside.

Kat grabs the little boy and hugs him tight. Rocking him gently, trying to calm him down. I lean down into the broken window and look inside searching for Mathew. The inside of the RV reeks of something dead. The smell reminds me of spoiled meat that’s been sitting outside in 100-degree weather for over two days. Mathew holds one hand over his nose and the other hand is checking for a pulse.

“Is she…dead?” I ask trying to keep my voice down so the little boy doesn’t hear me.

“Yes, “Mathew says in a low voice.

“What happened?”

“I’m not sure, she has a big gash on the back of her head. And she lost a lot of blood.”

“Maybe she bleed out?”

“Looks that way.” Mathew agrees.

“What happen sweetheart and how long have you been trapped in the RV?” Kat asks as she brushes the boys' raggedy hair out of his sweaty face.

“My mommy was driving and someone attacked us and she lost control and we tumbled over. She hit her head.”

He mumbled out. He looks to be around six years old, the poor thing smells of his own urine. His clothes are drenched with sweat, green snot runs down his little nose. He's trembling so bad you can hear his teeth clatter together.

“My name is John, I was going to go with mommy to get my daddy at the high school. But mommy never woke up.” He says, whipping a snot across his face. Smearing it across his cheek.

              “John, I'm Sam and he's Mathew and that's Kat. We are on our way to the high school too,” I say, trying to keep my voice calm and gentle.

“Want to come with us, we're going to go get our little boys. They are around your age. I'm sure they would love to play with you.”

“Can mommy come too?” He says with a little bit of hope gleaming in his eyes. I look up at Mathew and shake my head. Trying not to burst into tears at this poor helpless boy. Mathew leans down next to the little boy and gives him a pat on his head.

“John your mommy can't come. She is in heaven,” Mathew says gently. There is no easy way to tell a six year old his mommy died and his daddy may or may not be alive. He may very well be an orphan, alone in this godforsaken world.

“Momma is...is...dead?” the little boy repeats and starts crying again. He turns away from Mathew and clings to Kats chest. Kat picks him up and carries him to the SUV. Mathew and I say nothing for a couple seconds as we watch Kat walk away with John.

“Let's get the Hell out of here,” I say, crawling back into the open window. “But first let me cover his mother up and get anything that belongs to John,” I say as I crawl through the window into the RV.

The smell of feces is so overpowering I gag several times. John’s mother must have been dead for several days. Her body is already decaying. Dried blood soaks her hair, she lies in a puddle of blood. Hands laid out around her. Turning away, a little bedroom is in the back of the RV, the mother of the little boy lies with her head face down in a circle of dry blood. I step over her and grab a blanket that's on the floor, turning around I lay it over her body.

That poor boy must have been stuck with her for at least three days. Empty bottle waters and candy wrappers cover the floor of the RV. I turn away from the body and grab anything I can that belongs to John, clothes, stuffed animals, monster trucks.

Not wanting to be stuck inside of the small confined walls of the RV I start walking back to the broken window. Mathew helps me out and grabs some of the items out of my hands. I take a breath of fresh air, but the smell of rot still feels my nostrils. Once we get into the SUV I open up the side door and put all of the items that I took from the RV on the floor, John is passed out on top of Athena’s belly. The Silly dog cuddles with the little boy, almost like she is protecting her baby.

“Right after he finished the chips and water I gave him, he passed out on top of the dog,” Kat says as she rubs John’s back.

“Poor thing, do you think we will find his father?” I question.

“God, I hope so. He at least needs his father,” Mathew says as he starts the car. The road evens out a little bit, making the drive less bumpy than before. John must have been tired because he doesn't wake once during the very uncomfortable bouncy drive to the high school.

Finally reaching the outskirts of our town. Mathew stops the car and puts it in park. The town is quiet, too quiet, reminds me of something out of the twilight zone. This town was always so busy. But today it seems like a ghost town.

The main street that leads to the high school is completely blocked, lined with Military vehicles, Humvees, Ten tons, Jeeps, and tanks. Red Signs saying Quarantine cover the K-rails that are placed in front of the military vehicles. Blocking cars from going into the town and coming out of the town.

This can't be a good sign, if there were anybody in this town, then wouldn't there be military soldiers guarding the vehicles and the streets? Where is everyone?

“Where’s the High school,” Kat asks.

“About another ten minutes into town,” Mathew says, staring at the barricade in front of us.

“This isn't good,” I whisper more to myself than to anyone in the car.

“What now? There are only two ways into town. And if this way is blocked, then I'm sure the other way is too. And I sure in Hell don't feel like walking through this town blind-sided.” I say frustrated.

“Sam, keep your voice down,” Kat says rubbing John gently. John stirs a little bit but settles closer to the dog. Athena wags her tail at Kat panting, she puts her head back down and ignores our bickering.

“We have no other choice but to walk the rest of the way Sam. We need to find our family and we need to find John’s, father, too.” Mathew says pointing behind him at John.