“Yeah, okay,” he said, no longer in control of the situation.
The teen walked backwards into the store, not taking his gaze away from Kyle. He made his way behind the counter as Kyle walked into the store with the basket. He placed it on the counter as the boy began writing things down on a notepad.
“So what’s your name kid?” Kyle asked.
“Victor,” he replied.
“Hey, ah … Victor, I’m Kyle. Do you know what happened here? I’m guessing you were the one who was working when everything happened. Why did people just leave without their cars?”
“What? Have you been hiding under a rock?”
Kyle smiled. “Yeah something like that.”
Victor continued writing things down on the pad as he spoke. “Those things, whatever they are, started coming down the hill over there like a stampede. People panicked and ran in all the directions. There were so many of them that you wouldn’t be able to drive through them. They’d swallow the car whole. I was sitting here listening to tunes when I heard all the screams. I looked outside and there were people on top of people just biting and eating each other. Lucky for me I was alone so I just locked the doors. People started banging on the doors screaming for me to let them in. I froze. After about an hour the screaming outside stopped. I climbed to the roof to see what happened and there were bodies just lying on the ground dead, half eaten then suddenly they stood back up. A lot from the mob that came stumbling down the hill continued walking through the street chasing anyone alive, but there were a few that stuck around. Do you know what they are?”
“The Existing Dead,” Kyle answered, not really sure if that term had caught on yet. “So what happened after that?”
“Oh, I went to the roof and sat there. Eventually they just walked off and left behind a huge mess. I had no choice but to clean it up. It’s part of my job to keep the lot clean.”
“You’re a very dedicated worker.”
“My mom always said to take my job seriously. Even if it meant mopping the bathroom stalls after some idiot shit all over the ground, I should do it with a smile.”
“Yeah. So what were you doing when I came up?”
“That will be $52.50,” Victor said, then quickly continued. “When I heard your truck I ran into the freezer and hid. I’ve run into a few other survivors, but I usually keep the doors locked.”
“I’ll tell you what, how about you let me slide on the $52.50 and I’ll take you with me. You can’t just stay here,” Kyle said.
“Can you take me to my house? I live about thirty minutes away. My mom usually picks me up, but she never did. That’s why I’m still here.”
Kyle thought about it for a moment. He didn’t have time to go and take this kid home. Sitting here and doing nonsense wasn’t good for him either.
“Okay,” Kyle answered. “Help me put this stuff into the truck and let’s go.”
As soon as he answered, Kyle heard a very familiar moan. He jerked his head toward the door.
“Fuck, we have to get out of here, now. Hurry, get the stuff in the basket and grab anything else you can fit in it,” Kyle said drawing the Glock.
Kyle poked his head out of the door. The Existing Dead where everywhere, slowly converging toward the gas station. A quick head count revealed six just in his eyesight. He ran as fast as he could to the Honda and grabbed the gas can. The dead were coming closer. He poured the remaining gas into the tank and closed the lid.
He looked at the door and one of them was already making its way inside. Several gunshots blazed through the air. Kyle holstered the Glock and ran toward the shotgun. He held it upright and quickly walked into the store. Victor was behind the counter pointing the gun at the Existing Dead. The creature tried to walk through the counter as if it wasn’t there.
“I shot him, but he’s not going down!” Victor yelled.
“You have to get them in the head,” Kyle yelled back. “Get down.”
Victor ducked under the counter. Kyle squeezed the trigger. A loud boom erupted from the weapon that echoed within the small store. The shell went through the neck of the zombie, almost severing its head. It tilted to the side and was held together by a nearly snapped spinal cord. Kyle pumped the shotgun again and fired. This time, the shell hit the top of its head, leaving a large hole where blood and brain matter oozed and smacked to the ground.
“Victor, are you okay? Did it bite you?” There was no reply. “Victor!” he yelled as he walked around the counter. The teenage boy was curled up into a ball. He kept repeating nonsensical words as if he were praying. Kyle helped the kid to his feet.
“They’re dead, they’re really dead,” he repeated.
“We already went over this. Grab the basket. We gotta get the fuck out of here now.”
Kyle took a few steps out the door and stopped. They were surrounded by at least thirty of the creatures now. The distance between the truck and them was closed by the Existing Dead.
“Do you have lighter fluid?” Kyle called out to Victor.
The kid checked behind the counter and found a few bottles. “Yeah!” he yelled back.
“Drench everything you can with them,” Kyle said as he fired the shotgun.
Victor wasn’t sure what Kyle’s plan was, but he did as he was told. He grabbed two bottles and squeezed the liquid all over the counter and down the aisles.
“I can’t hold them back much longer. Spray the doors!” Kyle yelled as he fired his last shell. He held the shotgun by the pistol grip and drew the Glock with his other hand as Victor sprayed the doors. Kyle fired one shot after another bringing down any Existing Dead he could. They continued walking toward him, as headshots were much harder with a handgun. The slide on the Glock kicked back when he was out of rounds.
“I’m out! Grab the basket,” he said as he ran back into the store. He holstered the Glock and yelled, “How did you get to the roof from the inside?”
Victor grabbed the basket and ran toward the back of the store. Kyle followed, nearly slipping on the lighter fluid. Victor opened a little door which had a ladder that led up to the roof. Victor began climbing with one hand, the other holding the basket. Kyle looked behind him. The dead were pushing through the door and walking in their direction. Victor reached the top and opened a hatch door. Kyle climbed up as Victor pulled himself out.
“Do you have the store keys?” Kyle asked as he pulled himself onto the roof.
“Yeah, they’re in my pocket.”
“Give ’em to me. When I say go, jump off the roof and run for the truck. When you’re in, lock it. Here are the keys in case something happens to me and you need to leave.”
Victor took the keys. “What are you going to do?” he asked.
“I’m going to barbeque the fuckers,” Kyle answered with a smile. He walked toward the front of the building and peered down. All of the dead were inside the store. Kyle stretched his arm toward the doors and pulled them closed.
“Go now!” Kyle yelled.
Victor dropped the basket to the ground then jumped off the roof. He landed on a small mound of dirt and fell to his knees. The boy quickly got up, picked up the basket, and ran toward the truck. Kyle jumped off the roof with his shotgun in hand, landing in front of the doors. He grabbed the keys and locked the Existing Dead inside.
“Hey!” Kyle heard Victor yell behind him. He turned to see Victor throwing a yellow bottle at him. Kyle caught the bottle with his free hand and looked at it. A fresh bottle of fluid was in his hands. An Existing Dead slammed the glass door behind him with its rotted palms. Kyle quickly turned. He dropped the shotgun onto the ground and squeezed the bottle through a crack in the door, spraying one of the dead with fluid. He made a trail of liquid leading through the door. Kyle took out a lighter from his pocket, he rolled the flint but it wouldn’t catch. Finally on the eight try, the flame stayed on and he ignited the fluid. He threw the lighter on the ground. The fluid caught quickly, and within seconds the creature burst into flames. It walked clumsily through the store, igniting the rest of the fluid and the Existing Dead inside. Within a few minutes, the entire building was on fire. Kyle put the bottle of fluid in his pocket, picked up the shotgun and walked toward the truck.