Rotting World Page 9

  Chapter 14:

  George and Greg left the parking lot of the building as fast as they could, in the rear view Greg could see a few of their captives running from the horde of rotter’s the bear had created, Greg laughed to himself as he saw the guys tripping over themselves to get out of the building alive. George drove as fast as the car could go so they could catch up to the rest, he knew they had a good twenty minute head start. The sun was starting to set, Greg found a radio in the back seat and fiddled with the stations, hopefully they could get ahold of their friends some how. Franz escaped the building barely, he hid in a dumpster behind the building and watched the rotter’s chase down his people. Franz waited until he no longer heard any of the screams or growls around the dumpster, he peered from over the top to see how many were actually left in the area. Franz saw his chance and headed for the nearest car, he turned over the engine. The sound of the car turning on caught the attention of the bear who was in the parking lot eating off a man’s corpse. The bear looked up toward the car, and began to run over. Before Franz could put the car into gear the bear was already on top of him, it’s massive body forced the shocks of the car to buckle as the bear climbed to the roof of the car. Jennifer clung to Mr. Frisker as the kitten freaked when it realized Greg was no longer holding him, it’s alright kitty your master will return soon. The kitten calmed when Jennifer talked softly to him, it was as if Mr. Frisker understood what Jennifer was telling him. In the rear view mirror Brad could see a car flying in their direction, hey Britney we have company. Britney grabbed her gun and looked back, the small car only held two occupants. That could be George and Greg, slow down so they can catch up. Brad slowed the truck down so Britney could get a better look, up ahead the motor home kept driving the same speed. Brad kept an eye on the motor home in case they turned on a side road. Once the little car got closer Britney could clearly see who was inside, she smiled when she saw George and Greg were safe. Brad slowed enough for them to catch up, Yuri noticed the truck was pretty far behind them, he slowed to a stop to see if something had happened to them. Yuri noticed the second set of headlights behind Brad and Jennifer, they must be waiting on George and Greg. Once the group was together again the small convoy traveled at a steady pace, as they drove through the wooded area until the trees began to clear. Judging by the terrain George figured they were somewhere near Nebraska. Britney saw overgrown fields everywhere, it had only been a month or so since the rotter infestation started but with all the dead bodies laying around the ground the plants have been using the body parts and blood like a fertilizer. Britney turned to Brad, do you think the plants are infected with all the rotter blood? Brad shrugged, it’s hard to tell when you don’t know anything about plants. Britney was looking behind the truck toward George and Greg, she couldn’t help but wonder what they had done back at the arena. Britney’s mind was wandering back to before everything had gone so wrong, she saw herself hanging outside George’s house while Kevin and George skinned a huge buck they had poached. Brad noticed Britney was overly silent, he glanced over to see tears streaming down her cheeks. Brad felt bad for Britney, he never had a family so he had no idea what she might be going through. Brad reached over carefully so not to startle Britney while she was deep in thought, he laid his hand on top of hers, Brad was surprised when Britney didn’t jerk away, her fingers wrapped around his hand as she stared out the window. Brad smiled but kept his eyes on road while he held Britney’s hand, Britney looked over toward Brad and watched him as he drove. She couldn’t believe he was the same guy that had been a part of the group that had killed her brother, Brad was so different from them, he had a certain charm that made him more like a lost puppy then a ruthless killer. She couldn’t help but wonder how Brad had gotten mixed up with those guys anyway, perhaps they kidnapped him and forced him to join their group in order for him to keep his life, like Franz was trying to do to them and that new guy Harry. Times were so different now, only about a month or so ago Britney was at college thinking about traveling the world with her friends over spring break and now she’s holding hands with a complete stranger trying to survive the end if the world with him. Greg and George were following along behind the other vehicles when they noticed smoke rolling from underneath the hood, George stopped the car and opened the hood to see what was happening. The radiator hose had blown off, when he touched the engine it was so hot it burned his hand, even though he had only touched the engine for a second. George pulled his hand away from the engine quickly and blew on the burn, it was so hot the burnt area was already starting to blister. Greg waved to the other vehicles to let the group know he and George were stranded, Brad noticed Greg waving his arms and stopped the truck, he put it in reverse to meet up with Greg and George. Brad radioed to the motor home to come back to pick up the two men, Yuri stopped and waited, he radioed back to brad, I would back up or turn around but maneuvering a huge piece of machinery like this motor home is harder then I thought. Brad told Yuri he would bring George and Greg to the motor home since he was having such a hard time. Britney was checking George’s burn when Brad joined them at the car, George I need to get you back to the motor home to work on your wounds, you sit up front with Brad while we head to the motor home, the less wind you feel on that blistered burn the better. The four of them hopped into the truck and headed toward the motor home waiting for their new passengers. Once they caught up with Yuri and the others Britney helped George inside the motor home, Jennifer and Veronica searched through the medicines for burn ointment. The three girls fixed his hand and wrapped it, George couldn’t bed his hand very well but he could still drive. Mr. Frisker saw Greg come inside the motor home and hopped off the bed running as fast as his little legs could carry him toward his master. The kitten jumped into Greg arms and purred. Greg scratched the kitten behind his ears as the kitten fell asleep. George looked at the guard they had tied up, Britney what should we do with this guy? Britney stared the guard down, his ropes were cutting into his wrists like he had been trying to escape. Britney tried to talk as calmly as she could, I’m going to take this gag off of your mouth, you have two choices, you can chose to survive along side of us and do what you can to help or we can leave you here tied to a post so the rotter’s can get a free meal. She removed the gag from the guards mouth, what’s your answer going to be. The guard stayed silent for a few minutes, I guess because I am not ready to die just yet I will join your little group, either way I’m dead if Franz finds your group. He would consider me a traitor and shoot me instantly when he sees me traveling with you, even if he finds me alive tied to a post waiting to die he will kill me for not performing my duties properly. Veronica walked over, well do you have a name or should we just call you guard? Kyle, my name is Kyle, I was security at the fairgrounds before the rotter outbreak started. I barricaded myself inside the arena along with a few others, Franz took control with his charms and gruff attitude. When he had a few people catch the bear he had people believing it was a god, when they began worshipping it and making sacrifices of innocent people to appease it, not only did I not agree but I made my opinion quite clear to Franz. He would have made me a sacrifice but my skills in security and military training pet him from killing me. Britney untied Kyle, alright you’re one of us now, we don’t kill people just to kill them but we do protect our own so if you try anything funny we will let the rotter’s deal with you. Kyle nodded, I’ll do what I can to help out. George started getting impatient, are we going to get this show on the road or are we just going to stand here talking until the rotter’s or Franz catch up and kill us all? Britney and Brad left the motor home and headed for the truck, they hopped inside and followed George down the road. As the small convoy got closer to the next town they ran into a traffic jam of abandoned vehicles, George was debating whether or not they should search for supplies when he saw rotter’s walking in between a few cars ahead of them. He radioed to brad and Britney, we are going to have to find a safer route around, these rotter’s look pretty hungry and I
’m not ready to become their dinner. Brad had seen a small road in the cornfield a few miles back they could probably drive through to get to the town, George let’s fly around and try that road, it might be a little tight for the motor home but it should be a bit safer. George turned the motor home back on and began to back up, Brad had already flipped around. Just follow me and we should make it through pretty easily. George followed Brad back to the small road, it was hard to get the motor home over the ditch but once he was over the motor home did pretty well on the bumpy road. Greg and Bruce worked on the radio Greg had found in the car, at first all they heard was static. Bruce tweaked with the antenna until he heard a faint voice coming over the radio waves. The town has been taken over by creatures, if you’re hearing this please turn around, there is nowhere safe. The voice almost sounded recorded, Bruce turned it up so George could hear, should we keep going on or turn around like the broadcast suggests? George though about it for a minute, we really need supplies bad, I think we should at least check it out. That broadcast sounds more like a recording then an actual person, the town could be empty for all we know. Greg nodded in agreement, we should at least take a look, if the town is overrun by rotter’s then we can just keep moving like we always do. It was settled, they were off to check out the town and see what they could salvage, if anything. They drove through the cornfield not knowing what they would find at the other end. Corn smashed against their windshields breaking apart making Brad turn on the wipers so he could see, Britney was having fun, it reminded her of the time she and Kevin drove through a cornfield back home to avoid the police when they got caught tipping the neighbors cows. So many memories flooded her brain, out of nowhere some rotter’s walked into their path, Brad swerved to miss them almost crashing as he tried to straighten the wheel. George turned to match brads driving, he didn’t see the rotter until it smashed into the motor home. It’s body rolled over the windshield cracking it more then it already was, Greg hollered from the back, I think the broadcast was telling the truth this whole place is overrun with rotter’s. George nodded, I’m beginning to think you’re right Greg. As the neared the end of the cornfield more rotter’s surrounded the vehicles, Britney radioed to the motor home, this town is way too over run, Brad and I think we should head out of here before we all get killed. The rotter were pushing at the sides of the vehicles, George told Brad to hit the gas, we are getting as far away as we can from here. The two vehicles plowed through the rotter horde, causing body parts to fly in different directions. One rotter grabbed on to the grill, it’s lower body drug underneath the front of the motor home, the rocks and dirt ripped pieces of flesh from its legs. It’s body was so rotten and torn apart from the infection it’s legs ripped away from it’s torso, it’s I sides fell out from his chest cavity rolling underneath the motor home. George tried to shake the rotter off, nearly tipping the large vehicle onto it’s side. The rotter hung on tightly digging it’s own nails into its palm. Dark blood poured from its hands onto the hood and grill. Yuri pulled out a shotgun and aimed at the rotter, before George could tell him not to shoot Yuri pulled the trigger, the rotter flew back and the motor home smashed into it making its body explode into what looked like a pile of hamburger mixed with bones. Everyone inside the motor home held their ears, the ringing and concussion from the blast almost made George puke. The motor home swerved off the road into the ditch, George pulled the wheel trying to stop from flipping over. The motor home was on two wheels, everyone was hanging on for their lives, even Mr. Frisker was holding onto a curtain. The motor home slammed back down on its other two wheels, George was beating a sigh of relief now. They drove as fast as they could through the corn and fences to escape the rotter horde. Brad radioed to George, are you guys alright? I saw you about to crash. George told Yuri to get on the horn, tell them we are all okay just shaken up a bit. Yuri was talking with Brad when George sped up, another smaller horde was right in their way. George smashed into a few rotter’s and kept driving. Tell Brad we need to head south, these rotter’s are pretty bad out here. The two vehicles traveled onward toward the south, their gas tanks were nearly empty. Greg walked up to the front and tapped George on the shoulder, some of our supplies took a bad tumble, the water jugs busted open leaving only enough for a day or two, we need to do something. George nodded, the next town we come to, if it’s not overrun like the last one was we will stop, either way we need fuel. The further south they got the worse things seemed, not only were they running into rotter’s everywhere along the roads but now the motor home was sputtering due to the lack of fuel. Guys this motor homes running on fumes, I’m surprised we made it this far. The motor home was chugging along down the hill, at the bottom it finally chugged it’s last. Brad pulled up to the driver side, Britney and I can go along ahead and get fuel, we just need a few gas tanks to take with us. Greg grabbed a few gas cans and hopped out of the motor home, I’m coming with you guys. Greg placed the gas cans into the back of the truck and hopped into the cab with Brad and Britney, we will return with what we can, you guys hold tight and be safe. George and the rest watched the truck disappear toward the nearest town. Mr. Frisker started meowing for Greg, Jennifer held him tightly, it’s alright kitty your daddy will be back soon. The kitten snuggled into Jennifer’s arms purring until it fell asleep. Brad, Britney and Greg reached the next town, things were a bit calmer compared to where they had just narrowly escaped from. Rotter’s still overran the town but there wasn’t as many, Brad drove through the town slowly so not to make the horde pay more attention to them then just wandering aimlessly. They reached the gas station, Greg and Brad filled up the gas canisters while Britney went inside to see if there were any supplies. Inside the smell of rotting blood covered the whole building, Britney found a bandana to cover her face before she puked from the smell, she found some medicines and canned foods. Britney filled her arms and headed toward the truck, outside the doors she could see Brad and Greg loading up the full gas cans. Britney opened the door and walked out with her arm load of supplies, not much left that’s any good but I grabbed what I could find. Brad helped her unload what she had into the back end of the truck as Greg filled the last can. George kept an eye out for Brad and the others, they had been gone for almost two hours and it was starting to worry him. I should have gone with them, it’s m job to take care of Britney now that Kevin is gone and I’m failing miserably. Jennifer saw George looked down so she walked up to the front with Mr. Frisker still asleep in her arms, George don’t worry about Britney, she’s a tough girl thanks to you and Kevin, she’ll probably keep the boys safer then they’ll keep her. George nodded, we did teach her everything we knew. Suddenly the motor home jolted around like something had slammed into it. Outside they could hear grunts and hooves padding on the ground, George looked around, it must be on your side Yuri, look out the window and see what we are dealing with. Yuri opened the small curtain on the side of the motor home, outside he could see a large figure, when it turned around Yuri’s eyes widened. George come and take a look at this, it’s a bull. George walked back to Yuri and peered out the window, outside he could see the bull turning around to make another hit onto the motor home. The bull was covered in blood, patches of its fur had been ripped away from around its whole body. One of the bulls horns was ripped away from where it grew, the patch of skull showing looked cracked, blood poured down into what was once it’s eye. The socket of his eye looked rotted almost sinking into the skull. The little flesh that was left to protect the brain had slowly begun to deteriorate, George figured if he could get a good enough shot he could hit the bull in that weak spot. George grabbed his rifle from the front and rushed back to the window to get a better aim, everyone plug your ears this is going to get loud. George aimed is rifle, looking through the scope trying to find the eye socket. The bull started charging toward the motor home, it’s large body leaving trails of dust behind as it got closer. George sited in his scope right over the eye socket, he slowly pulled the trigger. Time seemed to slow as th
e bullet left the barrel of the rifle and flew out the small window toward the bull, everyone held their ears to stop the loud bang from making them go deaf. The bullet burst through the unopened window, it’s target getting closer. The bull grunted as it charged toward the motor home, as if the world had suddenly gone slow motion George saw the bullet make contact with its target. Blood and brain matter splattered through the back of the bulls skull, the massive body of the bull tumbled, sliding until it made a sudden stop when it hit the side of the motor home. The whole side of the vehicle lifted off the ground, everyone held on to what they could as the motor home slammed back onto all four wheels. Yuri patted George in the back, nice shooting brother. George backed away from the window and put his gun back where he had it, when George returned to the front e saw Brad and the rest returning from the town. Brad had seen the motor home moving back and forth, he knew that wasn’t them just moving around inside, something was trying to get to his friends. Brad pushed the accelerator down as far as he could and tried to reach them before whatever it was made its way in. The truck slid as he hit the breaks, narrowly missing the now dead rotter bull. Brad and Greg hopped out of the truck, he called for George to come help remove the bull from in front of the fuel tank. The men pulled with all their might, the bull must have weighed over a thousand pounds even with missing flesh and guts. It took almost a half hour for them to get the bull far enough away so they could get to the gas tank, George filled up the tank and they all drove away leaving the bull carcass behind in the field. The two vehicles traveled through the town Brad and the rest had gone to earlier for supplies. George had them stop back at the station to see if there was enough fuel to fill the remaining gas cans.