The First Days (As the World Dies 1)

Wordlessly, Katie handed off the revolver to Jenni and headed to the door to the outside, snatching the shotgun up and cocking it. Not even hesitating, she whipped the door open and shot the zombie in the head before he could register that the door was open. Then she was running while reloading the shotgun with Jack at her heels and Jenni and Jason taking up the rear.

The woman came out of the building behind them, still screaming her incoherent words of rage at them. Howls rose in the forest. It was obvious they heard the woman and were now alerted of their escape.

"Fucking bitch," Jenni shouted in anger.

"Just run!" As Katie ran she could see figures emerging from the woods, moving fast. It would be close. Down to seconds.

She automatically hit the UNLOCK button on the keyless remote and the truck whistled at them. Ripping the driver side door open, she turned to cover those behind her with the shotgun. Knowing the drill, Jack hurtled into the truck. Jenni raced past her, Jason in tow, to the passenger side.

Two sharp cracks of Jenni's revolver let Katie know it was getting closer.

The woman was almost on top of her now, screaming wordlessly. Not a zombie, but not human anymore. She wasn't infected, but her mind was gone. Behind her, still stabbed through, her son followed.

"Mom! Mom," he cried out.

And behind him, appearing in the doorway, a large, looming zombie followed by others.

Football Zombie guy had arrived.

The first blast of Katie's shotgun took out the mother.

The boy recoiled, stopped, stared at Katie, then leaned forward, his hands on his knees, and nodded.

Feeling numb, tired, but determined to do as the boy had asked, Katie fired and the boy fell back just as the football zombie hit him.

Then she was in the truck, slamming the door shut. She turned to look at Jenni and found herself looking at Jason. Jenni was crammed between him and the door. A zombie was already banging on the passenger side door.

"That went well," Katie finally said as she turned on the truck and shifted gears.

The truck did a sharp U-turn and sped down the dirt road away from the camp.

3. Return to Hell’s Highways

The next hour was rough. Jason slid between the front seats into the back seat and ended up with a lap full of doggy. Jenni leaned around the side of her seat, held his hands, and spoke in a tremulous voice as she recounted her story.

It hurt Katie just to hear Jenni's words. Jason's sobs from behind her told her how much those words devastated him.

Jenni broke down more than once as she told the story.

"…I woke up to the Benji screaming out "Mama" and there were…noises…"

"…I thought Mikey was still with me, but I was alone on the front steps…"

"…Tiny fingers…under the door…your father would never get the front door weather-stripping…"

At times, Jenni's voice vanished into anguished sobs of despair and Katie would reach out, eyes still on the road, to touch her shoulder.

Jason whispered, "No, no, no", but really did accept and understand what was being said. His family was gone and he had probably known it all along. But to hear how it happened was cutting deep. He seemed so young, no older than fifteen, and he would have to grow old quickly to survive.

When Jenni told of Katie's rescue of her, Jason's hand- a boy's hand still, not quite a man's- touched Katie's shoulder and he whispered, "Thank you.

Thank you!"

It took all of Katie's willpower not to cry.

Finally, Jenni told about the store. About Ralph and his Israeli wife who used to be a sniper and their newfound safe haven.

"And the hunting store is safe?"