Scott and Ron had worked together since high school. First it was classroom assignments, then yard work for the elderly around their block, and now an information booth. It had been Scott's idea to set up a small shack right outside of Hayfield Park. Their location was close to the mall and the docks; perfect locations for any tourist.
Hayfield was a small city located on the edge of the Mississippi River. It brought in thousands of tourists a year to its quaint streets. It was a small getaway for the average family. With not many buildings reaching 4 stories tall, the River Ridge mall was the town's focal point.
"May we have some information on the mall you have here?" Asked a college looking girl with blonde hair. She had on a pink tank top and an obvious push up bra to flaunt her assets. Her friend stood next to her. A tall brunette with a tight blue shirt reading "better go check on your boyfriend." To Scott and Ron they were both very attractive.
"Sure," Ron replied grabbing a pamphlet out from behind the counter. As clumsy as he was Ron dropped it on the floor. "Oh I'm so sorry." Scott was quick to help notice and ran around the side of the desk to help. He struggled lifting the thin pamphlet from off of the glossed floor.
"Stupid thing," he said grasping at it's edges. He stuck a finger in his mouth hoping to get a good adhesive. "There we go," Scott reached down and lifted the paper with ease.
"Uhm, Scott?" Ron asked implying something was wrong.
"What?" Scott extended his arm behind him still looking at Ron. "Here you go ma'am."
"They're not there." Ron exclaimed. Scott turned around to see that no one was in the store.
"Oh my God," Scott uttered annoyed dropping the pamphlet.
"I know," Ron said looking at some papers in front of him.
"No. I mean oh my God!" Scott was watching as kids played a violent game of tag. One kid ran straight into a tree trying to get away from his friend. Once he was down the boy started beating on him. Then another kid came over in a blue and orange striped shirt. He started to run, but a blood soaked "it" caught his legs and began eating them.
"What the?" Scott asked quietly. The two shivered in fear as the two children knocked an old man with his walker over. The kids bit him repeatedly until the old man became limp. Emma, a girl that Scott and Ron known fairly well came barreling into their store out of breath.
"They're everywhere," she panted. Her black un-straightened hair flapped in the wind. She looked on the edgier side and could probably pass as a tattoo artist if it wasn't for her lack of tattoos.
"Who's everywhere?" Ron cried. He'd already started to suspect zombies based on the comic books he'd read. With pauses between every word, Emma was able to get out the necessary information.
"Those things, zombies! I don't know! You've got to get the hell out of here while you still can." Ron ducked behind the counter as if dodging something that was just thrown at him. "Come on Ron!" Emma yelled running behind the counter to yank him up. Emma threw Ron out the doors by his arm and ran after him. Scott followed.
Outside, people were getting torn apart all over the park. Anyone who was a familiar customer to the hot dog vendor stood no chance in escaping from the zombies. Some people were trying to scurry up trees. One man dressed in a suit was smacking the hell out of a crawling zombie with his suitcase. Nonetheless it continued after him.
"Get away from me you…you thing!" The man's lisp was heavy.
Ron, Emma, and Scott were trying to comprehend the situation while running to what seemed like everyone living was headed to; the mall. River Ridge mall was only a few blocks from where Ron and Scott worked. Emma led them along with the rest of the people through the park.
Running across the duck pond bridge Ron spotted a kid about thirteen years old wearing a baseball cap running through the water below. Water splashed up high as a zombie took a dive at him, bringing the boy down into the water. Ron cringed at the sight.
"Hey!" Scott said. He pulled out the keys to his moped. Across the bridge was a brick covered parking lot next to the old Wilkinson's Family Restaurant. The trio ran for the bike. Scott, being the fastest seemed to reach the parking lot in seconds. He hopped onto the shiny red moped watching a man standing on top of a green car swinging a bat at a few hungry cannibals. He turned the key and sped towards his two friends.
Emma hopped on right away, throwing her arms around Scott's waist. Queasily Ron climbed on to the very back of the bike. It would have been quite a spectacle the three of them on one bike if not for the hordes of zombies. Scott picked up a broken sign pole as the moped jolted forward.
Soon the three friends were no longer among zombies, but running civilians. Scott rode the moped weaving in and out of people as if they themselves were traffic cones. Ron nicked someone's shoulder with his arm in the human stampede.
"Watch it!" He yelled to Scott, practically falling off of the bike. Scott drove the moped up a slope onto the sidewalk. Since people weren't using ordinary means of travel the sidewalk was pretty much clear. He sped up, occasionally beeping the whiny horn. Out of nowhere a zombie came lunging for the moped.
"Woah," Scott yelled, tossing the sign pipe up into the air. Emma speared it with her hand and quickly swung it at the zombie. The moped lost balance causing Scott to hit a bump in the sidewalk that sent them flying back out into the street. Emma was squealing with excitement. Ron was more concerned about falling off.
"I'm going to die!" Ron screamed over the stuttering engine. Soon Scott had steered the bike straight. He continued his job of weaving around citizens, but the moped's speed started dying down. "We're going to die!"
"Oh shit," Scott said turning his handlebars in desperation. The bike slowed to a stop.
"Oh my God, oh my God!" Ron was desperately looking around. Hundreds of zombies were not far away. They were a darkening horizon on this formerly nice town.
"There," Emma shouted pointing to the mall. A man was standing in front of the entrance waving down survivors. People were running in like herded sheep. Their dog was death. Ron was already running. It took a few seconds before Emma and Scott could catch up. When they did he was still muttering.
"Oh, my God, oh my God." They passed the man waving and ran into the mall.