The First Days (As the World Dies #1)(18)

"Yes," Katie's gaze remained fixated on the screen. It was now showing a map of the United States highlighting where all the violence was occurring. "I had driven home to check on my…spouse." She hesitated, not really sure if she wanted to come out of the closet to this old-timer. "It was too late."

"They got him," the old man said softly.

Lydia rushing toward her, screaming, her chest torn open…

Katie nodded mutely and wiped away a tear. "Yes."

Ralph shook his head. "It's gone crazy. The whole world."

"Can I hear?" Katie motioned to the TV.

Ralph hesitated, then reached out, snagged the remote, and unmuted the TV.

"…and for anyone to suggest that this is something more than a viral infection that is causing psychotic behavior is ludicrous. We are not living in the dark ages," the man on the screen said firmly.

"Because of the severe wounds on the attackers, people are claiming the attackers are actually the reanimated dead," the reporter pointed out.

"Preposterous! We live in a modern era of medicine and science, not superstition. If we do not treat this as a medical crisis immediately we are doomed. Those who have been bitten and are infected must immediately report to the nearest hospital for treatment," the man identified as Philip Tritch was saying tersely.

"Most of the hospitals are now overrun with the…the CDC called them reanimated corpses."

"The CDC has fallen prey to the hysteria of a population overwhelmed by the mass infection of an Ebola-like virus…"

Ralph muted the TV. "'Bout one o'clock they said not to go to the hospitals anymore. Then CDC came on air and said it was a bunch of dead people getting up. Called them reanimated dead. Found it funny. Nobody wants to say zombie."

Katie smiled slightly, remembering her own reluctance to embrace that word. When had that changed? She wasn't sure. But it was clear to her now that the dead had returned.

And so she sat, watching the screen, watching reporters trying to report live from around the world only to be run down and torn apart. She watched anchormen and women break down crying as more and more reports flowed in. Maps were flashed on the screen showing where blackouts were already occurring. TV helicopters hovered over masses of the reanimated dead as they ran through the streets howling, chasing anyone still alive. Scenes of fires burning, the army firing, bombs exploding…

"It's the end," the old man said.

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.