Open Roads (21 page)

“Help!” Will finally called, with no other choice. He could feel the pain in his gut as he called out, like someone grinding their fist into his injured ribs as he pushed the cry out through his lungs. He knew that yelling would likely bring the whole group toward him, but it wouldn’t matter if the monsters already headed his way made it over to him.

“Help! Holly!” This time when he yelled, he used everything he had left in him. He cried louder, sounding more desperate. He picked his head up again, and could now see more of the creatures coming his way. He tried again to lift the hunk of dead weight from on top of him, but failed, yet again. He found himself confused, not sure what had happened to Holly, Charlie, and Scott. Had they run into resistance behind the cabins?

Will tried to ready his knife for the oncoming gang, but it was still lodged in the skull of the body on top of him, and his arm was pinned.

“Fuck!”

He looked up again, and the swarm was almost close enough now to where they could spit on him. Will made one last effort at his knife, and he shifted the weight of the beast further onto his arm. He yelled out, feeling that if he moved anymore, his arm might snap. An Empty had started to lean down to come for him when the first new shot sounded off through the air, and half of the creature’s head disappeared. Its limp body collapsed just a few feet away from Will. Human screams sounded across the campground, and the onslaught began.

One by one, the creatures fell. They’d turned their attention away from Will, and he followed their gaze to see Holly, Charlie, and Scott, weapons in hand, each mowing through the mob of Empties with gunpowder and lead. Will heard several bullets whistling overhead, missing their targets.

Another creature approached, kicking gravel and snarling. It was about to lunge at Will when it fell like its counterpart had just moments earlier. A shadow came over Will, and Holly was there. Gunshots continued in the background as she leaned down and rolled the dead, overweight beast off of him.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing his arm.

“Wait,” he said, pleading. “You’re gonna have to help me. I twisted my ankle, and I’m not sure if I broke a rib or not.”

Holly squatted down, and Will got up onto his knees. It felt like a shank jabbing into his side, but he got his arm around her, and used his good leg to stand up. Charlie and Scott provided cover fire for them as Will hobbled on his decent leg, on their way over to the van.

“Get him in the van!” Charlie said. “We can finish them off!”

Holly opened the sliding door, and she and Will loaded into the van. He felt safe to be inside the vehicle, the ringing in his ears only making it harder to handle the pain in his ankle and in his mid-section.

“Are you okay?” Holly asked.

Will nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

Moments later, the gunshots ceased. Charlie squatted down, fighting to catch his breath. Scott, seemingly in shock from what had happened, dropped the rifle he’d been firing and put his arms behind his head. He began to pace in circles, disoriented and confused about what was happening. Holly opened the door to the van, and Charlie straightened and joined she and Will.

“You alright?” Charlie asked Will.

Clutching onto his ribs, Will asked, “What the hell happened to y’all?”

“We got caught behind the cabin with four Empties,” Holly said. “One of them attacked Charlie, and I thought he got bit.”
“Shook me up real bad,” Charlie said.

“We didn’t use our guns because we didn’t want to ruin your ambush on this group,” Holly continued. She smiled and said, “Looks like you didn’t need us for that,” making light of the situation.

Will ignored Holly’s attempt at humor, looking past her to glance at Scott. He seemed short on breath, hyperventilating. His hands remained behind his head, continuing to show him in an utter state of panic and confusion. Will slid off the seat and onto the gravel. His ankle felt better, but he still used Charlie and Holly to stand, and applied all his weight to his healthy leg.

“Scott,” Will said. At first, Scott didn’t move. He just continued looking forward, spots of blood splattered on his white shirt. Will called his name again, louder this time. It garnered Scott’s attention, and he turned.

Will let go of Charlie and Holly, and took a step. Holly joined arms with him, which he allowed even though he was now able to put some weight on his leg. No reason to get too confident and hurt it even more.

Scott’s breathing sounded like that of a terrified child. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, and he looked like he’d seen a ghost
—
which really wasn’t far from the truth.

“Scott,” Will said, “what happened?”

Scott shuddered, still not snapping out of his shock and fear.

“Scott!” Will said.

Holly put her hand on Will’s shoulder, and looked at him, shaking her head. She stepped in between Will and Scott.

“Scott,” Holly said softly. “Scott, sweetie.”

He gasped, eyes still wide, and looked at Holly. Blood from one of the creatures he’d slain ran down his cheek.

“What happened?” Holly asked, still speaking in the same, mellow tone.

Scott looked back and forth between the three of them, and Holly continued to try and calm him.

“It’s okay, sweetie. Just tell me what happened.”

Scott’s breathing finally started to level. Holly reached down and grabbed Scott’s hand, then nodded at him as a signal to go ahead and talk.

“We-we were all outside,” Scott said, nervously. “Larry had the door to their cabin open. Marie wasn’t feeling too well, so he’d started a fire, but he also wanted to let some fresh air in for her.

“I decided to go and take a nap. I think I’d only been asleep for ten minutes or so when someone screamed and woke me up. I went to the front window of my cabin and—”

Scott had to stop mid-sentence, as he’d begun to cry. He sniffled, wiping his eyes.

“And, what?” Holly asked. “It’s okay, go on.”

“Th-they were everywhere. An entire mob of those things flooded into Larry and Marie’s cabin. Larry’s gun went off a few times, but then all I heard was screaming and the snarls of those things.”

“Jesus Christ,” Charlie said.

"I didn't know what to do. I couldn't help them. I had no weapons. There was nothing I could do, I'm telling you."

"The kids," Will said. "Where are the children, Scott?"

Scott shook his head. "I don't know. They were with Larry and Marie when I left
them. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He was crying, and sounded like he'd mentally lost it. He said, "I can't do this," and cupped the back of his head with his hands again. He paced to the middle of the courtyard, and sat down on top of one of the picnic tables.

Will looked to Charlie and Holly. "We have to check that cabin. The kids could still be inside."

"How are we supposed to get inside? Look at that place," Charlie said.

 
Holly appeared on the verge of losing her shit in the same way that Scott had. Will gently grabbed her by the forearm and said, "Stay calm. I need you." Holly wiped her eyes and nodded.

Will said, "We've gotta—"

The explosion came out of nowhere. Will threw himself onto Holly, not thinking or caring about the pain in his ankle or his ribs. She screamed, and he covered her head, the boom going off in his ears. Debris fell around them, but they were more than fortunate when only some small scraps of wood fell onto Will's back.

Will poked his head up and looked back to see that Larry and Marie's cabin had exploded. His immediate thoughts went to Dylan, Mary Beth, and Reece. Will removed his weight from Holly, and slowly rose to his knees. He watched what was left of the cabin, still in flames. Holly appeared beside him, weeping.

Will put his arm around her and pulled her close. She sank her head into his chest, and let everything out.

After a few moments spent in shock, Will remembered the others. He turned to the left, looking for Charlie first. Charlie lay on his stomach, remaining still.

"Charlie, you alright?" Will said.

Charlie picked his head up, uncovering it. He looked back to the cabin, standing with his eyes wide and his mouth open.

Holly pulled away from Will's chest and wiped her eyes. She looked off toward the center of the courtyard and asked, "Where's Scott?"

The blast had scattered the picnic tables, and Scott was nowhere to be seen. Will moved Holly away so that he could stand. The adrenaline dissipating, his ribs hurt again, making it difficult to breathe. He gasped, and Holly helped him to his feet.

Charlie moved past them, calling Scott's name.

As Will made it up onto his feet with Holly's assistance, Charlie cried out a four-letter word and raced toward debris. Will followed Charlie's path and saw a leg hanging out from a stack of tangled wood.

"Oh, shit," Will mumbled.

He began to hobble toward the pile, and Holly helped him until Will demanded she leave his side and rush over to help Charlie remove the debris from on top of Scott. Or, at least, what they thought to be Scott.

The body lay under only a couple of layers of light debris, and by the time Will made it over, Charlie and Holly had both turned away, their faces covered. Will slipped between the two of them to look down and see Scott's eyes, wide open. Blood was everywhere, and an indistinguishable piece of metal jutted from his chest, having impaled him.

Will looked away, glancing back to the cabin. The two cabins on either side now stood aflame.

Will grabbed Holly by the hand. "Come on," he said.

Crying, Holly asked, "Where are we going?"

Before Will could answer, from out of the woods they heard a gunshot, followed by the scream of a young girl.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

He stood there, the gun still shaking in his hand. Even though this wasn't the first time he'd destroyed one of the creatures, it may as well have been. It lay on the ground, motionless, the top half of its body sunk under the water on the shore.

Behind Dylan, Mary Beth cried. Her weeping snapped him out of his shock.

Reece sat against a tree, clutching his neck. Blood seeped between his fingers. The creature had just missed the vein bulging from the boy's thin neck. Even with everything Dylan had seen over the past couple of weeks, he'd never seen so much fear in anyone's eyes.

Leaves rustled not too far off through the trees as more of the Empties headed toward them.

"What are we gonna do?" cried Mary Beth.

"Help me get him up," Dylan said.

Dylan had only gotten a few feet away from Reece when the teenager began shaking his head and stuck the palm of his free hand out, telling the two younger kids not to move any closer. Dylan could see under Reece's crimson stained hand just how bad the wound was. The Empty had taken a chunk out of Reece's neck, thus rendering him unable to speak. Even over the sound of the group approaching, Dylan could hear the hiss of the blood seeping from Reece's throat, like a puncture in a running hose.

His lips moved, but no words came out.

"What?" Dylan asked.

Reece reached down and drew something small from his pocket. The black object firm in his hand, he pressed a small button, triggering a blade to appear from the handle. Again, he tried to speak, and again no words came out. But, this time Dylan was able to make out what he was saying.

His lips mouthed one word: "Go."

Mary Beth cried louder, covering her mouth in an attempt to mute herself. Dylan again saw the hurt in Reece's eyes. As young as Dylan was, even he knew that no one deserved to die like this. Especially someone not much older than he himself was. But with the horde fast approaching, Dylan had to honor Reece's wish in order to save himself and Mary Beth.

Dylan slipped the handgun back into his pack, and put his hand on Mary Beth's back. He said, "Let's go. We gotta get out of here."

Pulling her hands away from her face, Mary Beth said, "We can't leave him. I won’t let him just sit out here and die alone in the woods.”

When Dylan looked back to Reece, he could now see the frustration in his friend's face. He'd told them to go, yet there they stood, wasting time. The group of creatures was getting louder and louder, closer and closer, with each wasted moment that passed.