Life has a funny way of suddenly changing on the unexpected and we were the furthest from expecting. In one day, just a single ordinary day, children were being born, people were getting married, birds were singing, and the dead they were walking.
Nobody knows why they came back I sure as hell don't. I do know that there can never be a scientific reason for it other then the fact that God grew bored of his creations and decided to purge and start anew. We accept them now, our dead companions on this lonely earth in an almost sick understanding. The violently moved us out of freedom and into the shadows of what we once were. They have assumed our role and the top of the food chain. They tore our families apart or obliterated them completely without any thought or emotion. But like I said before, life has a funny way of changing. And we're fighting back.
"Noel put that back right now." Katie said without even turning around. The little girl giggled and dropped the gun she was 'secretly' holding.
"You should go back home. Your mom is one to worry." Katie said gently picking up the handgun and slamming it into her holster.
"Katie! I want to go with you!" she pouted.
"Noel, if you go home now I might be able to bring you back something." Katie turned to reach a machete off the wall.
"Will it be something shiny?" Noel asked eagerly.
Katie laughed. "I don't know if anything out there is shiny enough for kiddo but I'll do my best."
"Yay!" The little girl squealed and bounded out of the ammunition room almost knocking over a tall red haired teenage boy.
The boy ignored the Noel and stepped fully into the room throwing a look of disgust Katie's way.
"You always take the good stuff." He groaned looking over the assorted guns and blades.
"Yeah, sorry Ryan. Hey, where is Stephen?" Katie
"Probably out at the jeep or something. I don't know the damn kid is everywhere. Ryan peered down the barrel of a shotgun. He swung it casually over his shoulder. "You ready then?"
"Yup. Ready enough anyway. Population control is ready to roll. As soon as we find Steve." Katie answered.
"Let's go out fighting." Ryan recited.
"I'm behind you 'till the end." Katie recited back and they left to find their third amigo Stephen.
"I was wondering when you two were going to show up. I've only been here for half an hour you know." Stephen was a long and lanky boy with blonde hair and cloudy blue eyes.
"Cram it poi Dexter we were looking for you." Ryan chunked some ammo into the back of the jeep and climbed into the driver's seat.
"Hey Stephen." Katie greeted brightly climbing into the passenger's side.
"Mornin' Katie!" Stephen said loudly just to irritate Ryan.
At the exit gate and guard checked over everyone's identification.
"Population control?" The guard grunted throwing Katie's I.D. back at her. "Crazy kids with guns. What is the world coming to?"
"What the hell kind of question was that?" Katie laughed as they pulled out into dead man's land. "What is the world coming to? Haha."
"If you see anything let me know." Ryan ordered.
"Oh like if we see something we're just going to ignore it. Honestly Ryan what great logic you have." Stephen answered sarcastically.
"Don't be a smartass" Ryan threatened.
"Don't be a prick." Stephen shot back.
Ryan slammed the brakes throwing both Stephen and Katie into the dashboard. "Haha! That's what you get you assclown." Ryan laughed at Stephen.
"Son of a bitch Ryan!" Katie shouted holding her hand over her mouth which was obviously bleeding. "When will you guys stop acting like fucking twelve year olds?"
"Oh geez Katie I'm sorry." Ryan expressed throwing a dirty look at Stephen.
"Forget it. I'm going out on foot for awhile." Katie climbed out of the jeep and walked over to a nearby gas station while Ryan shouted "Keep your gun out!"
Katie stood at the entrance to the gas station peering into the broken window. "Hello? Anybody home? Didn't think so." She jumped through a broken window landing on shards of glass.
She walked up and down the empty aisles stepping over rotting bodies and overturned shelves. "Oh god." Katie pulled her shirt over her mouth and nose and the smell was beginning to sink in.
Katie stepped into what at first glance looked like dried blood but had to catch herself as it was actually wet. The blood trail let out the back door of the station next to the door has only the torso and head of a bullet ridden zombie with flesh still hanging from it's teeth. Whoever it bit must still be in the area.
Katie unclipped her radio. "Ryan, Steven are you there?" she kept her eyes the back door the whole time.
Stephen answered back. "Yeah what can we do you for?"
"I think I might have found one."
"You think? Where at?"
"Out back behind the gas station I found some fresh blood and a dead zombie."
"Zombies are already dead. But alright we'll bring the jeep around."
"No I think I can handle this one alright. Haven't gotten the chance in ages."
"Suit yourself. Try not to get bit."
"Oh well thank you for your support."
"You got it. We'll be in touch." Stephen clicked off.
Katie banging on the door and waited to see if something banged back and when nothing did she kicked the door open with her gun raised. The door had lead straight outside. The blood trail continued behind a dumpster. Something was humming off in the distance but Katie ignored it and moved slowly to the dumpster.
There sat a man with his back to the dumpster clutching his leg and a discarded gun lying on the ground beside him. His eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily. He would turn at any minute.
As Katie pointed her gun to his head he said with his eyes still closed. "I ran out of bullets. I used them all on those bastards and didn't save any for myself." He coughed and spewed blood everywhere so that Katie took a step backwards.
The humming seemed to be getting louder. The man opened his eyes and said "They're coming. To little to late though now."
"Who? Who is coming?" Katie asked peering at the bloodied man suspiciously.
"My boys are coming!"
Katie turned towards the humming sound and suddenly it hit her. "Shit!" she whispered.
"They are coming back for me." The man said slowly before losing his consciousness.
Katie grabbed her radio. "Ryan hide the jeep! Come in! Stephen hide the jeep and get out of sight!" Katie was practically screaming into the radio when the man turned and staggered to his feet.
Katie aimed and blew the zombie's head off before it could take a step towards her.
"Copy that Katie. What are we hiding from?" Ryan's voice answered back over the radio.
"Outcasts. I can hear their motorcycles from here."
On the other line Ryan was silent. The humming was now a dull roar. "We're coming after you!" Ryan voiced finally.
"No, it's to late they're almost here I got a place to hide. You guys just be careful."
"I don't like this Katie but ok we'll keep an eye out."
Katie clipped her radio back onto her belt and looked at the dumpster that was covered in blood and various other substances. Behind her she could hear distinct voices. They were in the gas station.
Groaning Katie climbed into the dumpster careful not the slam the door. She sat and waited for what seemed like hours. Whatever she was sitting on was fairly squishy and she had a horrible feeling that it was a body of someone who thought to hide only to slowly starve to death in an empty dumpster.
"I found him!" Someone outside shouted.
"Damn they really did get him!"
"Mother Fucker must have shot himself."
"Saves us some trouble now doesn't it."
Katie could not tell how many of them were out there. She was afraid they would be able to hear her heart beat echoing off the dumpster walls.
"Well there's nothing in the store. The damn fort probably cleaned it out awhile ago."
"They'll pay for it soon enough."
That can't be good, what are they planning? Katie thought to herself
"What are we going to do with him? Leave him here?"
"Nah he deserves a proper burial." They all broke out in laughter.
"Ah just chuck him in the trash and let's go back before it gets dark."
The color in Katie's face drained. They were going to open the dumpster and find her and when they do…
The dumpster lid began to creak open. Thinking fast Katie slumped over and closed her eyes. She could sense the light that invaded the small dark rectangle. Before anyone even noticed the body of the zombie was thrown on her lap. Katie felt it's cold blood running don her leg and she resisted the urge to whimper.
"Hey there's a girl in here!" Someone shouted.
"Yeah and she's dead." Shadows were blocking the light indicating that the outlaws were leaning in to get a closer look.
"So she looks fresh enough to last at least a few days. Let's take her back it's been awhile since we last had a woman."
You mother fuckers touch me alive or dead I'll blow off your members and then make you eat them. Katie thought trying her best not to flinch. If these men didn't kill her the smell of the dumpster would.
"We'd get slowed down and I don't want that group catching up with us. There were some runners and they can probably smell us now. Let's get out of here while we can." There were some murmurs and the dumpster lid slammed back down.
Katie jumped a little. "Shit! Let's get out of here! Move it!" The outlaws were screaming on the outside. The motorcycles roared to life and soon they were only humming in the distance again.
Katie, wondering what made them leave so fast shifted the body off her with much effort. She flipped the lid open and automatically started gasping for air. If the zombie around the corner had not roared before it charged at her she would have been bitten.
"Whoa!" She shouted pulling out her hand gun and shooting it's head off. "That was to close."
Another zombie came running around the corner roaring. Katie shot it as well. Oh shit Ryan and Stephen! She thought pulling out her radio again.
"You guys still alive?" Katie asked shooting at another slower moving zombie.
"Jesus Katie took you long enough!" Ryan came back.
"Yeah well I was busy."
"No kidding. Where are you?" Ryan voiced.
"Ugh. You don't want to know. But those outlaws brought a horde with them."
"Yeah me and Stephen heard the gun shots and they are starting to straggle in. We'll clear them out best we can and come get you if you tell us where you're at."
"I'll just come to you guys. Where are you at?" Katie asked.
"We're in a tree across from the gas station you went in."
"Roger that."
"Alright. Wait until we clear out an zombies before you run over here. We'll give you a call when you can go."
Katie nodded even though they couldn't see her. Gunfire broke out and Katie shifted her weight in the dumpster waiting for the ok.
Stephen called over the radio this time. "Alright you should be clear now but be careful a group of them are heading over to the gas station. I think they are attracted to something in there. But Ryan ran for the Jeep so just meet us over here before they come back."
Katie groaned. "How many Stephen?"
"How many what?" he answered back.
"Zombies damn it how many are heading over to the gas station?"
"Ah fuck Katie are you in the gas station?"
"Well no, not technically. But I am in the area." Katie answered.
"Well get up on the roof!"
The back door to he gas station creaked open and a zombie toppled out. Two more came creeping out from around the corner and Katie could hear more moaning on the other side.
Katie began firing at the oncoming dead. She picked up her radio while continuing to shoot. "To late they found me I'm going to need some back up behind the gas station."
"Okay I'm sending Ryan around with the Jeep. Hang tight."
More and more zombies found their way to Katie. She had to drop the radio and began to swing her machete at the ones getting to close when she ran out of bullets. Ten or fifteen now surrounded the dumpster.
One grabbed onto Katie's arm forcing her to drop the blade. "Shit!" She yelled yanking her arm back and retreating back down into the dumpster pulling and holding down the lid behind her.
She wasn't sure if the zombie were smart enough to open the lid or not but she did not want to risk it. They were slamming onto the metal obviously knowing that food was somewhere inside. The pounding was constant and Katie had thought she'd gone deaf for a few moments. That is until she heard the gun fire from the Jeep's mounted machine gun.
"Katie?" Ryan was on the radio. When Katie had dropped it, it fell underneath the outlaw's body. Katie moved to retrieve it but when she moved her hands away from the lid a zombie slipped in bloodied hand in.
"Damn it!" Katie hissed pulling the lid back don quickly crushing the still moving hand. "Katie this is Ryan come in!" the radio crackled just out of reach.
Katie tried again to reach it but to no avail. There was a faint tearing sound and the zombie's hand landing in her lap. The banging from the zombies was still consistent.
"Katie are you ok?"
Katie picked up the zombie hand and used it to try and grab the rado. It didn't work and the smell and the noise were getting to Katie. She was having trouble concentrating and felt as though she would pass out at any moment.
There was another sudden burst of gunfire only this time some shots went through the dumpster. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." Katie moaned.
Another round was being shot and more bullets ripped holes in the metal. She had to duck in order to avoid being hit. Katie let go of the lid and when it didn't move she quickly reached for the radio just as more gunfire rattled the dumpster. Katie rolled to the back using the unknown body as a shield.
"Ryan stop!"
More gunfire and I felt something tear through my leg. "Stop shooting! I'm in the dumpster! Hold your fire! Repeat hold your god damn fire!" Katie shouted into the radio.
"Christ Katie! Whatever you do don't leave the dumpster." Ryan answered.
"Oh that's beautiful! Where do you think I'd go? Just get me out of here!"
"That's a problem you're completely surrounded."
"Well why aren't they coming after you?" Katie asked angrily.
"They haven't seen me yet. I'm hitting and running."
"I'm going to hit you whenever I get out of here!"
"Katie! You're alive!" Stephen now called.
"And just where the hell are you then?" Ryan shouted.
"I'm up on the roof to the gas station."
"Good see the dumpster?" Ryan was talking to Stephen.
"Yeah sure do. I'm standing right above it. Looks like they are trying to open it or something."
Katie leapt up and grabbed a hold of the lid again before she talked back to Stephen. "Listen Stephen you have to snipe them all so I can get out."
"Are you in the dumpster?!"
"We've already established that now just do what she says!" Ryan said.
"Hey I don't see you do anything Rambo." Stephen mocked.
"Now is not the time to be arguing!" Katie shouted.
"Ok this will only take a bit." Stephen assured.
Gunshots came out in singles and Katie sat back down patiently waiting.
"You're doing it all wrong!" Ryan was saying.
"Just shut up and let me shoot."
"If you call that shooting." Ryan scoffed. Katie rolled her eyes. She really had no idea why they fought so often.
A few moments and many gunshots later…
"Ok you're clear." Stephen called.
"Are you sure?" Katie asked cautiously. Another shot ran out. "Now I am."
Katie pushed the lid up and climbed out gasping for air and smelling worse than a dead person. She tried to stand but collapsed in pain.
"Katie are you alright?" Ryan asked running over to her and lifting her out of the dumpster.
"Is she bit?" Stephen called from above us.
Katie smacked and pushed Ryan away. "You fucking shot me!"
"You shot her?!" Stephen roared from above.
"I'm sorry it was an accident. Just get down here and we'll take her back."