The First Days (As the World Dies 1)

Katie rubbed her face and looked at him. "You think so. "

"Too many of them now," Ralph answered.

Katie wiped a tear away and looked back at the screen. A reporter was sobbing as he read off the overrun shelters that people should not report to.

Ralph flipped a channel to show Chicago on fire. More maps showing the infection. Their area, she noted, was free of any of the major markers. It figured since they were out in a sparsely populated area. The cities and larger towns were deathtraps. She was relieved that she had made the right choice to run into the hills.

A hand tenderly took hers and she turned to see Jenni sitting next to her. She smiled slightly and squeezed the trembling hand. Together, they sat and watched.

"The President is being evacuated from the White House to go to Camp David and will soon release a statement to the nation," the local Texan anchorwoman said, her lips trembling. "We are soon abandoning our station to go to a shelter. Anyone who is still watching this, stay where you are, be happy if you are with your family, don't go into the cities. Don't risk it. Don't listen to what anyone says on these shows anymore. We don't know anything.

No one does. Just fight to live until you don't want to go on anymore. My family is dead. I just got the word. Do you understand?" She was crying openly now and her co-anchor reached out to calm her. "I don't want to die like that. I don't want to be one of those things! It's all over!"

The camera started to swing away from her, but anyone still watching saw her lift the gun she had been keeping on her lap to her chin. The sharp retort and blood splatter hitting the co-anchor was vivid evidence of her suicide.

Jenni sobbed beside her and Ralph switched off the TV.

"She had some good advice. They don't know nothing. I got more information watching zombie movies on the late night picture show," he said.

Katie nodded and stood up shakily. Nerit came to hold Jenni and whisper to her soothingly. Jenni continued to sob loudly and Jack whined as he tried to soothe her with little doggie kisses. Katie moved on stiff and numb legs across the living room and pushed back a heavy brocade curtain.

The sun was setting slowly behind the hills. Below her stood a man, bloody and mutilated, looking left then right over and over again. She knew if he looked up and saw her that he would start that horrible shriek.

She left the curtain fall back into place. Standing before the window, she felt herself let go of the old world and embrace the new. She would survive this. She would go on. There was all there was to it. She couldn't give up without a fight. She would do whatever it took to survive.

Turning to Ralph, she said softly, "When's dinner?"

Chapter 4

1. Purgatory

Jenni was bored.

Her finger clenched.

The head with the long blond hair burst and the body tumbled forward.

"That was Dwayne Emory," Ralph said behind her.

Nerit crossed another name off the list.

They all stood on the roof of the hunting store once more. The evening sky spread out above them a lush panorama of cold stars and velvet darkness.

The zombies of the small town spread out on the dirty street below in a shambling mess of dead flesh and lost hopes.

"See if you can get the one over the corner," Ralph said and pointed.

Jenni aimed again, her finger squeezed, and another head popped like an overripe tomato.

The evening had started off well enough. A delicious dinner with good conversation followed by cheesecake had made her feel better than she had all day.

Afterwards, they had trudged downstairs into the shop at Katie's insistence.

Jenni glanced over at Katie who stood next to her. Nerit was instructing Katie on the finer points of the rifle she was holding. She had tucked her blond curls up into a ponytail making her Germanic features stand out strongly. Katie radiated strength and it made Jenni feel safe. Ralph and Nerit were capable, but Katie was the one to follow.

Nerit had found a skirt and T-shirt for Jenni to wear and she felt more comfortable now. She had thrown the bathrobe and nightgown away with disgust, never wanting to see them again. The color pink would forever haunt her. She wanted to forget about this morning and those tiny fingers…those tiny fingers…

She squeezed the trigger again.