Floodwater Zombies (45 page)

Next, he saw Alex smile at him. Rory tried to push the kid back down but he had orange
floaties
on his arms and refused to go under. Rory could see Kourtney lying in a chase lounge, glancing at her son over the top of a magazine. Then he saw a man in a bloody hospital gown stumble from the bushes and pounce on Kourtney from behind, breaking her shades with his yellowed teeth. Rory blinked the graphic image away and returned his attention to the one lying in front of him. A defeated sigh escaped him and he turned back to the stiff. What was the point in rescuing a child just so he could grow up in a world not worth saving?

Rachel opened her eyes.

What was the point in living a life not worth living? Not only would Rachel be gone forever, but so would the dream. His mom was probably dead, too, rendering everything a gruesome reminder of the twisted past. He was alone now, his family and friends gone in the blink of an eye. Why fight to live in a world that had so little left to give? Sooner or later, his luck would run out and he would turn into one of those things as well, left to walk the Earth alone and kill the innocent until the end of time. It was inevitable. And the worst part about it…all the time to think before it eventually happened. He was tired of thinking.

Rachel sat up.

Tired of struggling to breathe... Rory’s head snapped around, his eyes as big as saucers. She hissed and reached for him with blood-soaked hands and, for a split second, he actually thought about keeping her, like he had seen in some horror flick before. He considered locking her in the basement until someone found a cure. There had to be a way to reverse it and maybe they could still be that perfect family. Maybe it wasn’t too late. When the entire second had passed, however, he raised the gun and pulled the trigger, forever removing what was left of her beautiful face. She flopped backwards with a repulsive clunk as her skull hit the hardwood floor.

Rory bent over the lifeless body and cried in her blood-soaked chest. “No!” he screamed, repeatedly banging the butt of the gun against the floor and not caring if it accidentally discharged or not. Not caring if he lived or died.

A long shadow suddenly crossed the room and Rory could hear something dripping. Slowly, he turned to the door. His heart sank. It was already too late.

“Connor?” he said faintly.

Connor’s oily hair hung limply in his face. He snarled his response, spitting blood onto his tie and shambling into the living room, forcing Rory to make another quick decision. Other than the shiny blood covering Connor’s lab coat, he was dry. These things could be coming from anywhere this time around, not just the water. This battle would be much tougher to endure, leaving a future much harder to imagine. Each second of every waking day would have to be spent being on guard. Always ready to run. Always ready to shoot. And what was the point? Connor moaned and reached for Rory with blood-soaked hands, further confirming the futility of it all.

Rory lowered the gun and closed his eyes. An image of he and Rachel popped up. They were strolling down a sun-splashed beach, holding hands and smiling as waves broke in the background. There were others down the way. His father, Woody, Doc, and Deputies Meyer and Johnson all waved from a group of baby blue picnic tables, covered in different meats, cheeses, cakes and pies. Ashley, Kate and Clutch laughed at something funny before turning and waving him over. Even Mick and Rob were there, sporting Hawaiian shirts and wide grins. They raised their bottles in the air to him and then
clinked
them together and took a long drink. Rory chuckled and Rachel squeezed his hand. He turned to her ocean rich eyes and dove in, letting her glow wash over him.

Connor tripped over his own feet and stumbled sideways, making the floor shake. He grunted and regained his course, limping closer. Rory inhaled a long breath as a bright Christmas tree with presents scattered beneath it flashed through his mind. He saw himself excitedly unwrapping presents in this very living room as fluffy snowflakes fell outside the windows, frosting the pines and bushes like a magical wedding cake. It was one of those unforgettable memories of when everything was right with the world and Rory had no idea why the thought had just glimmered inside his mind.

Connor grunted, absent-mindedly kicking Rachel in the head and staggering closer.

Rory drew in another deep breath and cracked his eyes open. Connor peeled his bloody lips back and barred his teeth. Rory blinked with the scream that followed. There was only one choice to make and only a few seconds left to make it, so he raised the gun and pulled the trigger.

Sean Thomas Fisher was born and raised in the eerie town of Des Moines, Iowa and graduated from The University of Iowa. He is also the author of the chilling novel –
Cold Faith and Zombies
:
http://amzn.to/tgpIRz

Like his Facebook page for future release dates, end of the world forecasts, and safe-house locations at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sean-Thomas-Fisher-Author/285848344775603

If you are reading this, you are the resistance...