Winter's Salvation Page 2

  Julie’s small feet sounded like thunder as they pounded her heavy body toward the thirteen year old. Drew turned toward his mother fast and took a step backwards just as she fell on top of him. The boy disappeared under his mother’s huge body. Julie’s head flew up and back with a mouth full of black curly hair. She placed her hands on his head and ripped the hair from his head. Eric and Rod both jumped on her as she opened her mouth for another bite from her son.

  Drew arched his back and turned his head screaming as his mother’s mouth was inches from biting into his cheek. His hands were pushing against Julies eyes and were small in comparison to her obese face and gaping mouth.

  Eric yanked back on her hair, as Rodriquez pressed his small forearm against her throat and pressed his body between the child and Julie. Drew tried to push out from under her body, but Julie had two hands full of black curly hair in her fists and pulled his head toward her mouth.

  Blond hair pulled free from Julies head, leaving large chunks in Eric’s hands, causing him to fall backwards down the hall. He was up in seconds and was back on top of the raging woman trying to pull her head back. Drew’s body was out from under his mother, but she had him by the hair and was pulling him back in. Eric pulled his small pocket knife from his back pocket and began sawing through the black hair from one of her hands. He quickly went to work on the other hand, when she let go and reached for Rod that had taken Drew’s place under her.

  From behind Julie, Eric grabbed hold of her right wrist and quickly twisted it up and out to her side as much as he could in the confines of the hallway. “Let go Julie!” Eric screamed, while he twisted her arm back and up over her right shoulder. Any other person would be screaming in agony and trying to be still to stop the pain, but she pressed forward, pulling Rod into her. Eric felt her right arm snap and let go of it in shock. The forearm waved wildly as she used the stump of her arm to get closer to the victim under her.

  Rod pushed up on her face and his left thumb accidently, but deeply thrust into her right eye. He tried to pull it out, but his elbow was propped on the ground and with her pushing against it trying to bite him he could not pull it free. His thumb penetrated her eye socket and a black greasy fluid leaked over and into the palm of his hand. The black liquid continued to leak from her eye until her face laid flush with his palm and his thumb jammed deeper into her eye socket, stopping the leaking fluid.

  Eric straddled Julie’s back and grabbed her by her throat and pulled back. As her head pulled away Rod tried to pull his thumb from her head. She quickly turned her head to bite at the hand that was being pulled free from her eye.

  Without either of them seeing, David pulled up on her left arm. “Grab the other arm!” he shouted. Eric let go of her neck and her head jutted forward. Rod screamed in pain as he felt his left thumb bend back and a sharp pain shot through his wrist.

  Eric fumbled to grab at her flopping right arm. Her arm twisted and spun as she supported her weight on the stump of her right arm. He finally grabbed her by the upper part of her elbow and her arm pit.

  “Throw her in the bathroom!” Dave shouted over Rod’s screams and the growl of the beast that had been Julie.

  Eric turned to see how far he would have to pull her to get to the bathroom. The bathroom was to his right a few feet behind him. A couple steps back, he felt her weight being shifted to his side as Dave picked her up.

  As they lifted her to her feet, she turned her attention to Eric. She snapped at his face as they began to guide her to the door. She lunged at Eric ripping from Dave’s grip, but Eric was able to side step forcing her to trip and fall face first into the bathroom. She hit her head on the white tube and black blood appeared down the side of the white porcelain. Eric grabbed the door knob and tried to close it, but her legs were in the path of the door. She quickly got back to her hands and knees, using the tub to assist her up. Dave stepped in next to Eric and kicked her hard in the butt causing her to fall into the tub. Now that her legs were no longer in the way a quick pull of the door and she was trapped. The door shook as she beat wildly on it. The sound of her heavy hand beat high on the door then followed by a dull thud. She beat the door with her left arm and hit the door with her right stub. Even being crippled the door shook wildly and with her large body smashing against it, they knew it would not be long before the door collapsed.

  Rod sat where he lay a second before and did not say a word. He just sat there with his right arm back to support his weight and his left arm held up in a defensive posture. Looking at his left hand, he realized his thumb had been buried in his wife’s eye. His thumb was covered in a thick liquid that streamed the colors of red and white with a black tar that mixed the two. Once he took in the colors and as soon as he recalled the incident, the searing pain of his broken thumb and sprained left wrist shot him back into reality. The pain was great, but he did not show it. He stood up and started to walk to the sink in the kitchen.

  Drew stood away from the fight with his back leaning against the three stools that were under the bar in the kitchen.

  Dave cleared his throat, “We need to go.” He grabbed hold of Drew to shake him out of his shock. Who looked at him with complete confusion.

  Standing over the sink, Rod washed his hands gently so as to not move his thumb. “We need to get out of here.” He mumbled to himself.

  Eric moved to the door, grabbed Drew on his way out and Dave followed. As they passed Rodriquez, Eric hollered to him, “Dude come on!” He pushed Dave and Drew passed him, “I’ll meet you at my Jeep.” He walked to Rod slowly as he stared at the stainless steel sink under his clean hands. “Rod, your son and Dave are going to my car, “Eric said softly,” and we need to go with them.”

  The banging of the bathroom door was followed by a crack. Eric looked down the hallway to see a bloody hand hanging out of the door ripping at the hole it just made. “Rod the door is not going to hold for much longer. We need to GO!” Eric started talking quietly and ended up screaming.

  Rod stared at the reflection of himself in the distorted stainless steel curve of the sink. Black and red blood slowly drained into the sink and his distorted reflection looked as if he himself were a crazed person covered in blood, staring back at him.

  Eric seeing he was not making any connection with his comatose friend, smacked his partially clean left hand turning him into a screaming maniac. “Dude come on!” Eric screamed back pulling on the collar of his shirt.

  As if Rod was listening the entire time he ran past Eric and through the front door. Eric ran behind him and turned as he grabbed the door knob. The same time he turned for the door was the same time Julie’s head broke through the bathroom door. As soon as she looked at him, the front door slammed with no hesitation behind Eric.

  Chapter 2

  The Road

  They traveled to the second level watching as more wild people seemed to appear out of nowhere.

  “I’m going to grab my gun.” Dave said and ran back up the stairs. As he ran a low growl that turned into a wild scream came from behind them. Before anyone knew what was going to happen, Rodriguez pushed Drew back against the green wooden railing and stood in front of him. Eric turned to see a man wearing a torn button up shirt that used to be white before his blood completely covered it and a black neck tie hung loosely around his neck. He turned the corner to run up the stairs and looked directly at the three. It’s left arm grabbed the railing and his right arm supported it’s weight as it crouched for a charge.

  The crazed business man looked as if he were in a car wreck with the right side of his face smashed in. The charging man’s left eye was opened wide with focus and fixed on Eric. It stood straight up and revealed an open and exposed ripped out chest under the torn button up shirt. Bare and broken ribs were open to the elements for all to see.

  The crazed man dashed wildly up the stairs and Eric stood prepared for the impact. He lifted his right leg and connected cleanly with the man’s face with his foot. Red and black blood shot ou
t in a spray under his boot.

  Any other man would have done back flips down the steps, but the mad man’s head snapped back violently. It stumbled down one step and continued forward as if he just miss placed his footing. During the creatures charge it lowered its head, mostly to regain his balance, and Eric stepped in front of Rod and Drew and connected with a punch, that landed square in the creatures face. It flew against the railing and turned immediately. The force and speed of the turn flung blood from the right side of its face splattering over the three of them and he charged wildly back at Eric.

  Eric side stepped it again, tripped it to the ground and jumped on top of its back. He grabbed hold of its hair and smashed its face into the wooden platform. Again and again he smashed it’s head into the deck. The crazed man fought to stand up, but was never able to buck Eric off. He continued to drive the man’s head into the wooden deck until the smashed right side of his face, touched the left side. It may have stopped fighting before Eric stopped, but he could not control himself.

  His world had changed. The only things he held dear to his heart were his parents, and they are alone in Maryland. “I’ve gotta go.” He said to Drew and Rodriquez and started to walk away.

  By this time David was on his way down to the second level. He looked at the body lying in a running pool of blood that flowed between the wooden deck boards. Eric turned his back to him and Dave could see his fingers were red and black with the creature’s blood.

  They followed behind him careful not to step in or on any of the blood the man was spewing. The parking lot was vacant with the exception of a few manic people devouring their victims. A mob had grown around the crashed car and they were already consuming the crash victim. Where Eric parked his black Jeep Grand Cherokee was away from the crowd and coincidentally was in the darkest corner of the lot. They all pilled in the car quickly and tried to close the doors as softly as possible. Eric turned his phone on speaker and tried to call his father again, but the phone system was not operating. He hung up and tried again, but with each try network busy continued to appear on the phone.

  The roads out of the complex were filled with crashed cars and as the lights to the jeep shinned down the street piles of bloody corpses were always close to the wrecks. There were a few wrecked cars with no bodies around them, but piles of blood and ripped clothing were close by or hanging from the open doors of the vehicles. The streets were empty of any humans, but as the light past the balcony of one of the complexes they were filled with commotion as if the entire side was having a party. The only difference was the fun was replaced with horror and the screaming of playing games was replaced with screams of pain, agony and fear.

  **********

  The main streets were filled with racing cars. Everyone was trying to go somewhere else, as if anywhere was better than where they already were. They sat and waited for a chance to make it out of their complex. Car after speeding car flew past. There was a car directly across from them in their sister apartment complex across the busy street. Its high beams were on shining brightly into the eyes of Eric and Dave. The car looked as if it were a van of some sort, whatever it was, it was perfectly angled, so the lights shined like spot lights to help the frenzied find their way for a meals on wheels feast. The vans lights shined directly into the jeeps passengers eyes hampering their vision.

  He flashed then shined his high beams on the van in sheer disapproval hoping it hampered his vision as well. As soon as his high beams shined he noticed the vehicle pull out of the complex as many other vehicles had, but the lights were moving faster than normal. It pulled out and the sound of squealing tires followed the van. The van turned to its right and the passengers in Eric’s jeep could see four people clinging to the tan colored vehicle and more chasing after it. As soon as they could make out the details of the van and why it pulled into oncoming traffic a black truck rammed into its side. The truck crushed two men holding onto the side of it and another two went flying through the air on the passenger side of the vehicle. The two men that were crushed were smashed in half.

  The van and truck went spinning into oncoming traffic and spun into both lanes, while the two smashed in half bodies were thrown from the spinning vehicles. The cars that followed the truck slammed on their brakes and slid off the side of the road. The traffic that was coming in Eric’s direction slammed their brakes and tried to swerve to avoid the crashed vehicles with no success. Instantly a wall of metal was formed that allowed them to pull out.

  One of the cars that slid off the road across from them was trying to free itself from the ditch it was stuck in, but the black cars wheels spun wildly. The torsos of the two crushed people pulled themselves to the black car, dragging their entrails behind them. The car was half way down in a ditch and people started moving from the bushes that blocked the apartments from the street. Maybe Eric wanted to believe these people coming from the bushes were going to push them out of the ditch, but reality hit hard when the back door behind the driver opened and a heavier young woman with black hair holding a small child in her arms came running from the car and darted across the busy street. A speeding car slammed the breaks and slowed dramatically before hitting the woman and her child, but it hit her hard enough to lift her from her feet and send them flying back. Eric pulled away knowing there was nothing they could do. The small car that hit her turned slightly to avoid running them over and continued down the street.

  Eric watched through the rear view window and the other three stretched their necks to watch the mayhem. The vehicles lights were on due to the back door being left open and was lit enough, that they could make out people being pulled from the car and seeing the white light of the car turn the inside to a crimson glow. The crawling torsos of the two crushed undead reached the woman and child and immediately bit into their flesh.

  The car was quiet, all of them wanted to help, they wanted to do something, but none of them knew what they could do. They rode in silence for a minute, which felt like hours, until Dave turned the on radio. It was quiet now with the exception of an emergency broad cast. The news broadcaster was speaking from a helicopter, giving the news report.

  He had an English accent and had to speak loudly over the chopping blades of the helicopter and humming of the motor. “All the streets are packed. Bumper to bumper, it’s horrible these raging people are pulling people from their cars. Some vehicles are, close together they are trying to climb from the windows, but are stuck. They are so close they can’t move. The people who can get out are running; their running in all directions. They look so confused there’s nowhere to go. Oh my God. God help us all. There’s nothing they can do. If they run they get chased down. These things don’t rest, they don’t get tired, they just keep coming. If you are stuck in your car they pull you from it or get in with you. All they can do is wait, wait for help, but I fear by the time help arrives it may be too late.” There was a pause in the announcement and they could hear him swallow and breathe heavily, “Please stay home. If you can hear this, avoid the streets they are all congested. I’m traveling above Jacksonville and I have not seen a single street that was not completely covered with these crazy people or just jammed up completely and it does not look as if it will clear any time soon.”

  Rodriquez put his head between the front seats, “You just want to go to your place?”

  Eric answered in a low voice almost to himself, “That’s where I’m goin.” He looked at Rod quickly, “Yeah,”

  The streets were busy, some cars still obeyed the laws of traffic, but as soon as one stopped for a stop sign a fraction of a second, everyone behind that person jetted out from behind them. These crazy people the radio spoke of were running wild through the streets.

  They listened to the radio turned down low, so they could hear what was happening around them on the streets. From the back seat Eric heard a whimper quietly brake out barely over the radio. He glanced through the review mirror and saw Rodriquez holding Drew’s head against his chest. Rod
rested his chin on his black curly hair.

  You could hear Rod speaking low as if he was keeping the conversation between them two a secret, but he knew Eric and Dave could hear him. Drew’s whimper turned into a sob. He was not Rodriquez’s biological son. The only reason anyone could tell this was because of Drew’s pale white skin and Rod’s dark naturally tanned skin.

  Rodriquez and Julie had been married for eight years and Drew was five when they met. Julie was a single mom and Drew’s father skipped town and was not supporting them in any way. Julie was a hard worker; sometimes shuffling three jobs to give her son what he needed. It may not have been the best name brand clothing or food, but he got what he needed.

  They met while he was stationed at a Coast Guard small boat station in North Carolina, and decided to get married when he was going to be shipped off to Jacksonville Florida. Rodriquez will openly admit that he loved Julie with all his heart, but was not ready for that type of commitment. He battled with himself and weighed each option until he came to the decision, that getting married only made sense. He was not going to be able to afford to travel back and forth every weekend and he did not know who he was going to be roomed with. He may have been shoved in a small three bedroom apartment with two other kids right out of high school, bringing their high school buddies around every night, so getting married only made sense; to him. The military would give them money to get their own place, they would pay for their food, and medical benefits and Drew was going to need to see an orthodontist. Rod had convinced himself that by getting married he was not getting into a long term commitment so to say, but he was helping them and in his mind that is how he coped with getting married. After they conducted their small court house wedding, he never regretted deciding to spend his life with her.