Read Decay: A Zombie Story Online
Authors: Joseph Dumas
PETER
A
s the sun started to rise, I was the only one awake. Jen was asleep with Sam in the stockroom. And, the new arrivals Tara and Mike were each sound asleep as well. Both were each shaken up pretty bad upon their arrivals. It made me think of how strangely lucky Sam, Jen and I are. At least we were here together though all this. Tara and Mike were alone.
The infected have been roaming the streets all night. I turned off the main lights in the store shortly after Tara showed up, been running on flashlights ever since. The streetlights are pretty good on this street though, so it has been easy for me to see them—yet hard for them to see me.
Before Jen went to get some sleep, we got Mike’s gun and anything else we could use as a weapon together—blunt objects—mostly shovels. We thought it would be best to keep these things near the entrance if needed.
Also, Fido has been sleeping on the ground next to me. He finally started to calm down a few hours ago so I took him out of the office and was able to get him some water. He went to the bathroom a few times in the office and seemed quite stressed out, I’m glad to see him get some rest. For some reason, watching Fido drink the water and act like a normal dog in a normal situation reminded me of my mom, so I decided to hop on the store phone and give her a call.
I had a contact number for her while she was on vacation in Toronto visiting her sister. So, I called her and got no answer. It went to my aunt’s voicemail. I didn’t leave a message. I had to believe things weren’t like this in Canada. Although, she had to know what has been happening here. I know it’s selfish but I hope she’s worried about me. Better that than the alternative. I hope she’s okay.
Speaking of animals, I’ve been watching birds fly around outside, coming and going as they please. The thing is, they flew relatively close to some infected people and drew no reaction—this makes me think that these things are only after people, not just any form of meat, or dare I say, sustenance.
Once everyone wakes up, Jen and I were thinking of playing around with the bunny ear antennae on the old TV in the office to see if we could find out some news about what’s going on.
As it got lighter outside, I began to worry about them seeing me inside the store. Soon enough, my fears were confirmed as a man wearing a crimson coated shirt and sporting only one arm began stumbling across the parking lot. A few others stumbled through the parking lot during the night, but this one seemed to be coming straight towards the window.
Quickly, I looked up and down the street to see no other infected persons in either direction. So, I grabbed one of the shovels and decided to get rid of the threat.
JEN
A
fter sleeping for a few hours, I came out to the sales floor to meet Peter by the window and see if we could get the TV working. Fido came to greet me, but I was shocked and surprised when I looked outside to see Peter facing off with a sick man.
Scared, I quickly approached the window. “Peter!” I shouted. The infected man looked up at me with his bloody and blank eyes. Knowing there was a window between us helped a little, but I can’t explain the death stare I felt coming from him. As the man stared at me, Peter swung the shovel like a baseball bat at the back of its skull. Blood splattered on the shovel as the man fell hard to the ground. Peter looked up at me with anger written on his face as I motioned for him to come back inside.
Peter ran inside and I greeted him with a hug. After we locked the door behind him, Peter placed his shovel down, and removed his bloody shirt, replacing it with a
Fix-It Hardware
t-shirt.
“What were you thinking?” I asked.
He simply replied, “I had to…”
I continued to hug him for a moment as he stood there emotionless. Then, Mike came through the swinging stockroom doors. He looked around the hardware store for a moment and then at us.
“Hi, guys,” Mike said in a pretty monotonous tone.
“Morning,” I said.
“Hi, Mike,” Peter said. “How are you doing?”
Mike shook his head. “I guess this wasn’t just a dream…”
“Yeah, I know,” Pete replied. “We’re going to check out the news and see what’s happening.”
Mike nodded, “Sounds good. Is there a phone I can use first?”
Pete pointed to the cashier’s station. “Go for it.”
“Thank you.”
It was hard to read how Mike was feeling. He hadn’t said much about the night before so we had no idea what he had been through. He came to us, holding a shotgun with only two bullets—or shells I guess, and he was covered in little scrapes and bruises. Needless to say, he looked like a mess. Also, he had been holding his shoulder almost nonstop. Pete asked him last night if it was okay and Mike said, “Just a little sore, it was a rough night.” It wasn’t bleeding or anything and other than the little cuts he had, it didn’t look like he had any wounds or, more specifically, any bites.
That being said, Tara was just about as mysterious. She pulled into the parking lot with a car with no gas left. We weren’t even sure if the car was hers or if she found or stole it. She didn’t seem like the criminal type, but then again, I don’t think one would have to be to steal a car in a situation like this.
She wasn’t nearly as banged up as Mike, but she was sporting a waitress uniform that was covered in dry blood. I couldn’t even imagine how her work shift went… It was very evident that whatever she had been through was quite traumatic as she lightly cried herself to sleep once we got her situated in the stock room.
Peter and I seemed to be unofficially in charge of the small group that had formed overnight. Sam seems to be very distant after what had happened to Robbie and I don’t think she’s going to get much better anytime soon.
I just hope that we can hold things together until help arrives. We’re going to start fiddling around with the TV soon. Once Mike finishes his phone call, we’ll start figuring it out while one of us stays by the window. This will probably have to be Peter or myself as I’m not sure if we can trust Mike to keep watch by himself—he still seems pretty fragile or vulnerable at this time.
MIKE
U
sing the store’s phone, I once again tried to get in touch with my ex to see if she and Ellie were okay. Unfortunately, I had the same luck as when I tried in the Laundromat—no answer. Perhaps I would try again soon, but I was pretty sure they had left… Hopefully, they’ve made it somewhere safe and secure; away from all of this.
I stood at the phone for a moment, looking around this hardware shop. I kept thinking how normal everything looked. Various products were displayed everywhere, sale signs promoting
Summer Specials
. I tried to imagine that I was just there to buy some tools for yard work or something along those lines. However, my attempt to escape from reality was short-lived as I glanced out the front window to see a car flipped on its side across the street—I was told this was the car Peter, Jen and Samantha used to get here… They must’ve had quite an experience.
As troubled as I was that I was unable to reach my daughter, I was very intrigued by Peter’s idea of trying to get some news on the TV in the manager’s office. Perhaps we could figure out what exactly was happening and how long we’re going to have to wait this out.
As I stood there with my mind traveling through various thoughts, Peter walked up to me and handed me a mug that said
Fix-It
on the side with a little cartoon hammer next to it.
“What is this?” I asked.
“The manager was—uh, is—he has a ton of instant coffee in his office,” Peter said to me.
“That’s great news,” I said. “Thanks!”
Peter nodded as he handed me the lukewarm cup of coffee, likely made from hot water from the tap. But, it was still good for what it was… It was strangely comforting.
As I sipped my cup, Peter glanced at the phone and looked at me. I knew what he was going to ask so I simply said, “I didn’t get through.”
“Sorry,” he said.
I tried not to think about it. “What about this TV situation?” I asked.
“Jen’s been playing with the antennae.”
“Should we go see how she’s doing?” I asked.
Before Peter could answer, his little dog came running to us.
“Fido,” Peter said.
I smirked as I looked at the curious pup sniffing around my shoes.
“Hey, guys,” Jen said from the other room. “I think I’ve almost got it!”
“Nice!” Peter said, enthusiastically.
As we were about to go check out the TV, the stock room doors slowly opened and one of the other girls, Tara, came through them.
“Hi,” she said.
Peter and I smiled at her. Jen came out of the office.
“Hey, Tara,” she said. “How’d you sleep?”
Tara shrugged. “Okay, thanks.”
“We’re trying to get the news to come in on the TV,” Peter explained to her.
“Oh,” she said, “the other girl back there is awake, but she wouldn’t say anything to me.”
Jen and Peter looked at each other; you could see the concern written all over their faces.
“Let me go back there,” Jen said.
“Yeah, go,” Peter said. “Tara and Mike can help me check out the TV.”
PETER
J
en went to check on Sam while the rest of us took a look at the TV. We were all very anxious to hear what was happening outside. I kept thinking they had to have contained it by now with all the advancements in medicine. This thought eased my anxiety but was quickly overridden with the but what if they haven’t thought.
I got Tara a cup of instant coffee and we all headed into the office. Fido followed us and was very curious about Tara and Mike. Tara seemed to like Fido a lot and was picking him up and petting him most of the time while Mike and I attempted to get a picture on the old TV.
The picture came and went as we started to hear jumbled sounds. An anchor that I had never seen before was talking as names of locations scrolled across the bottom of the screen.
“The events have contin…” the anchorman said but static interfered with the audio.
I looked at Mike and Tara as they stared at the screen, waiting and hoping for the connection to settle and news to come through.
“Come on. Work, please,” I said.
Mike sat forward and gently smacked the side of the TV. The picture jumbled for a moment, mixing up the different colors. Then, as if it was a snow globe, the picture came together as the colors and hues settled into their correct positions and the static-filled audio warped a little until the seemingly amateur anchor’s voice settled into a steady tone.
“Good job, Mike!”
“Thanks,” he said to me.
Suddenly, Jen showed up in the doorway. “It works?” she asked, excitedly.
“How’s Sam?” I asked.
Then, Sam peaked around the corner with a blank look on her face.
“How are you feeling?” I asked her.
She simply shrugged her shoulders and walked away.
“I’m going to sit by the window with her for a while,” Jen said. “You guys check out the news and let me know what they say.”
I nodded as Jen followed Sam to the front of the store.
THE TELEVISON
A
NDREW HELMS: “This is Andrew Helms, reporting live for the ‘Channel Five Emergency News.’ The time is now 12:14 p.m. on June 14th. It has now been over twenty-four hours since the first infection became apparent. What was once believed to be riots followed by severe acts of violence is now known as an epidemic which has been labeled the ‘Arthriphagy Virus’ by Doctor Joanne Sanders at Massachusetts General Hospital. Doctor Sanders was one of the first Doctors in the New England area to inspect the rapid-spreading disease. We will now go to a previously recorded interview with Doctor Sanders.”
CUT TO: MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL (TITLE: PREVIOUSLY RECORDED: JUNE 13 APPROXIMATELY 11:30 A.M.)
JOANNE SANDERS: “This disease is one I have never encountered in my 25 years of practicing medicine. After treating several patients, we are led to believe the virus begins with a bite wound. Depending on the severity of the bite, symptoms may take effect within one hour, though we have taken in two bite victims whom have not shown symptoms, yet have been bit for over two hours.”
INTERVIEWER: “What exactly are these symptoms, Doctor?”
JOANNE SANDERS: “Well, the symptoms seem to vary between individuals. Thus far, each patient I have examined has shown slight discoloration, a fever, usually around 103 degrees Fahrenheit, and dizziness. However, some patients have exhibited profuse vomiting, slight loss of memory, and severe numbness, mostly of the lower body.”
INTERVIEWER: “And, how many Arthriphagy patients have been treated so far?”
JOANNE SANDERS: “I personally examined about twelve patients this morning. Other staff members have also examined patients. But, as to how many have been treated... I regret to say, none have been treated successfully. At this time no cure for the Arthriphagy virus is known.”