-Complete- #happinessawards24
A zombie apocalypse with a twist of Native American Lore.
It all began from a sequence of events so absurd, complicated and uncommon as to be unbelievable but an ancient Hopi Pueblo Prophecy predicted a time when the...
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The Hopeless Distance
A heavy rain pelted the city streets in Salt Lake City, turning to a vapory steam which permeated the hot afternoon air, and compounded the stench of rotting flesh.
Some of the dead had been trapped in their stalled-out cars for days, raging. Their pale, blinded eyes hungering with lust for flesh they hadn't yet tasted.
Some lay in the street, shot down where they stood, others sat propped up against their vehicles where they too had died, put out of their misery by vigilantes trying to get out of the city.
The freeway leading out of Salt Lake City was what had ended Billie Jo and Keith's flight of escape.
Stopped them cold. As far as the eye could see, vehicles lined the Southbound lanes.
The two of them stood on top of Keith's truck and peered into the hopeless distance. Already the sick ravaged dead were coming, being spurred on by their own hopeless delimma of being between life and death with a hunger which was never satisfied.
Keith heard an exasperated sigh. He gave Billie a grim look.
"We have to keep going. I know it looks impossible, but we have to get as far from here as possible." Keith barely whispered as his eyes roved over the meandering lines of walking corpses rambling to and fro, some of which were now coming straight for them, reaching blindly in blood-lust.
He helped her from the roof and together they collected the couple of bags Keith had, slung them over their shoulders, and keeping as much distance between them and the wandering dead, began making their way through the maze of scattered vehicles toward the shoulder of the interstate.
It was here that they walked for miles, sometimes running to avoid the dead the best they could and other aimless and scared people and it was in this manner that Seth, Cole and Monica found them several hours later.
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Keith saw the camo, double-cab ford flying up the northbound side and Billie saw it just about then as well. He yelled, "run in the other direction," and Billie screamed, "Seth!" When Keith heard her, he stopped and turned around. She was running and flailing her arms wildly, yelling as she went.
"Billie NOOO! Don't ---" Keith trailed off and abruptly went silent. Her yelling triggered every undead rambling throughout the gridlock of vehicles they had been trying to avoid. His hands gripped his head in utter disbelief and he watched horrified as Billie Jo reached the cement median and tried to climb over, the horde of blood starved dead gathered and converged behind her folding in on her back and fell upon her, scratching and clawing her to the ground.
Keith heard a bloodcurdling scream from inside the truck which had come to a screeching halt and before the driver could even throw it in park, he saw Seth leap from the cab screaming, running in her direction as she fell under the flesh ripping frenzy, tearing and biting, finding a meal that had not been meant for them.
Another young man had also jumped from the driver's side door intercepting Seth, grabbing him and slinging him around and throwing his arms around Seth's waist in an effort to hold him back from becoming another victim.
Seth fell to his knees and slammed his hands on the road over and over, screaming until he was hoarse. He yelled for his Mom, a forlorn cry of anguish, bowed his head on the road and wept.
Cole heard a yell and looked up to see the man who had been with Seth's mother standing off the road in the other side. He was hugging himself and swaying back and forth. Cole jerked Seth up and pointed him out. Seth wiped his eyes and simply nodded.
His heart was pounding against his chest. "That's Keith," he muttered brokenly. "My Mom's staff nurse."
Cole looked back to the man and pointed him to run down further. "I'll meet you down there!" He hollered, grabbing Seth. "Come on. We have to help him." He turned to the truck. "Monica! Get back in the truck and shut the doors. Stay in there with Payton and don't get out till we get back!"
She nodded and did as he said without any arguments.
Seth followed gradually, looking back at the carnage. He was in shock. His whole body ached with agonizing emotional pain. How had his Mom been so careless. He gripped the back of his neck following Cole up the highway, thinking about his own run-in with these frenzied, diseased beasts.
How had he not understood what Nate and the others had said.
Maybe he just didn't want to believe it could be real and he sped up as Keith jumped over the median, pushed Cole to the side and grabbed Keith by the front of his shirt, shaking him like a ragdoll.
"WHYYY!!!" Seth yelled continuing his assault. "Why didn't you PROTECT HER KEITH!!"
Keith took Seth by the arms trying to stop his raging onslaught and Cole stepped in too, jerking Seth back and pushed him violently away.
"Stop it Seth! It's not his fault!"
"It is his fault Cole!" Seth came right back facing Cole with vengeance in his hazel eyes. "He let her die! You watched with your own eyes!"
Cole pushed Seth back again and the two came at each other throwing punches. Keith jumped in and tackled Seth to the ground and laid on top of him all the while Seth fought and yelled.
"No! I'm not getting off until you calm down!"
"Fuuuuck! Aaaaaghhh! Whyyyyy!" Seth wailed slapping his head. "Whyyyy," he sobbed.
"She took off before I could stop her Seth! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please believe me! I got her out of that hell hole Seth! I was bringing her to find you! I'm sorry!"
"Get off me Keith!" Seth grunted with a choking sob. He pushed against Keith and Cole helped the nurse off the top of Seth.
Keith stepped back brushing off his shirt.
Cole held his hand out to Seth but he refused to take it, slapping it away in a huff and getting to his feet. He stood there breathing hard and giving a Keith a go to hell look.
Cole shook his head. "We gotta get the hell out of here Seth. Let's go." He looked at Keith. "Are you coming with us?"
Seth turned and walked away, his shoulders hunched over in despair.
"Well?" Cole prodded Keith.
Keith nodded bitterly.
They followed Seth and headed back to the truck falling into an uncomfortable silence.
