behind me open, as the vehicle surged forward. "Oh Lori, you were fantastic!"
The adrenaline that had fueled me was draining now, leaving me feeling shaky. "Thanks, guys. All in a day's work, really." My voice sounded weak with relief.
My thoughts turned to my oldest child. How would I find her? I didn't have my mobile with me. I didn't allow myself to think for a moment that she wasn't okay. She had to be.
"So, what now, folks?" Mike's calm voice interrupted my thoughts. I glanced at him defiantly.
"Central. I'm getting my daughter."
A long pause and then he nodded. "Do you know where to find her?"
I laughed a little hysterically. "Not a clue!"
"You need to find a mobile." Emma said quietly from behind me. I nodded. But where would I get one?
"My God." Ken said softly.
I blinked and saw what he was seeing. All along the esplanade, zombies moved towards us. Hundreds gathered along the green strip. In the cafes and shops that bordered the other side of the street, blood and flesh splattered the pavement, tables and chairs. Even as we watched, fresh bodies rose to join the walking dead.
"How far has it spread?" Ken wondered aloud. I couldn't answer as fear for my daughter clenched my gut into a knot.
Turning the corner, I saw a few of the creatures staggering down the road towards the business district. To my amazement, I also saw people, real people, still wandering the streets. My heart flared with hope. Maybe this madness hadn't reached Michele yet. Maybe I would be in time .
Ahead, a young girl with a backpack turned towards the car. Long brown hair fell over her chest but it did not hide the gaping hole in her chest or the glazed eyes. Deliberately, I swerved the car at her.
"What are you doing?" Emma gasped. Whatever it takes .
The girl stood motionless as the car powered towards her. At the last moment, I twitched the steering wheel so that the the car only clipped the girl. Spinning, she flew several feet before landing heavily on the bitumen.
Braking hard, I jumped out of the car and ran back to her. She lay faced upwards, the bloody hole in her chest repelling me as I knelt beside her. I pulled out my stake, waiting. Sure enough, her eyes opened and focused on me with the mindless stare I had become familiar with.
"Sorry." I whispered, feeling an ache for the girl she had once been and for the loss her parents had suffered. Before she could react, I plunged my stake through her eye with an ease that should have troubled me, but didn't.
As the body stilled, I pulled her backpack off and rummaged roughly through it. My hands closed over a familiar shape and I pulled out a mobile phone. Sending up a fervent prayer of thanks, I ran back to the car.
Dialing Michele's number, I sent the car squealing forward again. It rang once, twice, three times. Pick up!
"Hello?" My daughter's familiar voice coursed through my body like red wine.
"Are you okay? Where are you?" I yelled as I drove through a red light. Vaguely I was aware of a car crash on my right.
"Oh, hi mum. Um, I'm fine." Michele sounded surprised and wary. "Why, what's going on?"
I took a deep breath and tried to talk normally. "Is everything okay at the shops? Any trouble?" People running on my left. A sudden scream. I blocked them out as I focused on getting to the large shopping centre which was looming in the distance.
"Everything's fine. Oh, there is something going on in the food hall. Hannah and I were just heading over to see what all the fuss was about."
"No!" I screamed, my heart in my mouth. "You run the other way right now, do you hear?! Meet me out front if you can get there safely."
Michele sounded scared now. "Mum, what's going on?!"
I took another deep breath. There was no way to explain this situation in a few words. "Bad people, Michele. Very bad people."
I heard a sharp intake of breath. "Terrorists? Okay, okay, we are leaving now. Come quick, mum, please."
"I'm three minutes away, baby."
2
A commotion in the back
The adrenaline that had fueled me was draining now, leaving me feeling shaky. "Thanks, guys. All in a day's work, really." My voice sounded weak with relief.
My thoughts turned to my oldest child. How would I find her? I didn't have my mobile with me. I didn't allow myself to think for a moment that she wasn't okay. She had to be.
"So, what now, folks?" Mike's calm voice interrupted my thoughts. I glanced at him defiantly.
"Central. I'm getting my daughter."
A long pause and then he nodded. "Do you know where to find her?"
I laughed a little hysterically. "Not a clue!"
"You need to find a mobile." Emma said quietly from behind me. I nodded. But where would I get one?
"My God." Ken said softly.
I blinked and saw what he was seeing. All along the esplanade, zombies moved towards us. Hundreds gathered along the green strip. In the cafes and shops that bordered the other side of the street, blood and flesh splattered the pavement, tables and chairs. Even as we watched, fresh bodies rose to join the walking dead.
"How far has it spread?" Ken wondered aloud. I couldn't answer as fear for my daughter clenched my gut into a knot.
Turning the corner, I saw a few of the creatures staggering down the road towards the business district. To my amazement, I also saw people, real people, still wandering the streets. My heart flared with hope. Maybe this madness hadn't reached Michele yet. Maybe I would be in time .
Ahead, a young girl with a backpack turned towards the car. Long brown hair fell over her chest but it did not hide the gaping hole in her chest or the glazed eyes. Deliberately, I swerved the car at her.
"What are you doing?" Emma gasped. Whatever it takes .
The girl stood motionless as the car powered towards her. At the last moment, I twitched the steering wheel so that the the car only clipped the girl. Spinning, she flew several feet before landing heavily on the bitumen.
Braking hard, I jumped out of the car and ran back to her. She lay faced upwards, the bloody hole in her chest repelling me as I knelt beside her. I pulled out my stake, waiting. Sure enough, her eyes opened and focused on me with the mindless stare I had become familiar with.
"Sorry." I whispered, feeling an ache for the girl she had once been and for the loss her parents had suffered. Before she could react, I plunged my stake through her eye with an ease that should have troubled me, but didn't.
As the body stilled, I pulled her backpack off and rummaged roughly through it. My hands closed over a familiar shape and I pulled out a mobile phone. Sending up a fervent prayer of thanks, I ran back to the car.
Dialing Michele's number, I sent the car squealing forward again. It rang once, twice, three times. Pick up!
"Hello?" My daughter's familiar voice coursed through my body like red wine.
"Are you okay? Where are you?" I yelled as I drove through a red light. Vaguely I was aware of a car crash on my right.
"Oh, hi mum. Um, I'm fine." Michele sounded surprised and wary. "Why, what's going on?"
I took a deep breath and tried to talk normally. "Is everything okay at the shops? Any trouble?" People running on my left. A sudden scream. I blocked them out as I focused on getting to the large shopping centre which was looming in the distance.
"Everything's fine. Oh, there is something going on in the food hall. Hannah and I were just heading over to see what all the fuss was about."
"No!" I screamed, my heart in my mouth. "You run the other way right now, do you hear?! Meet me out front if you can get there safely."
Michele sounded scared now. "Mum, what's going on?!"
I took another deep breath. There was no way to explain this situation in a few words. "Bad people, Michele. Very bad people."
I heard a sharp intake of breath. "Terrorists? Okay, okay, we are leaving now. Come quick, mum, please."
"I'm three minutes away, baby."
2
A commotion in the back
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