Day Beyond the Dead (Book 1) (4 page)

     The house was in shambles to some extent. It was like an altercation of some sort had taken place in there. There was no movement or noise coming from anywhere in the house which made Gerard’s stomach turn even more. Taking a deep breath he started going down the hallway to the bedrooms. He opened the first door on his left which was the bathroom and there was nothing. Then he went further down the hallway to the second door which was on his right. He opened the door and realized this was Bree’s bedroom. She wasn’t in it which was bittersweet.

     There was one last door in the hallway which was located at the end. Gerard got more nervous as he got closer to the door. Finally he got there and put his hand around the knob, pausing to prepare himself for whatever may come. He turned the knob and flung the door open. Nothing. He was torn between being relieved and being scared.

     They walked back down the hallway and headed towards the kitchen. It was in disarray. There was old, moldy food on the countertop and the stench was almost nauseating.

     “Oh my, that stench is wretched!” It was all Darren could do to keep down the contents of his stomach.

     Gerard caught a glimpse of something in the back yard, “Wait.” It was a detached garage and it was rather large. He went to the back door and headed towards it. He reached the door and took a deep breath and flung open the door, holding the tire iron above his head.

     “Bree? Damion? Is anybody in there?” There was no reply. Stepping inside the dim lit building he noticed a few boxes scattered around and various tools hanging on the wall. He handed the tire iron to Darren and went over to the hanging tools. “That’s more like it.” Gerard picked up the sledgehammer hanging on the wall. “Let’s check a few more places. Maybe they left a note or something. We didn’t find any bodies so that’s a good thing.”

     “Or a bad thing. Let’s not forget we’ve passed many bodies that were mobile.”

     Gerard couldn’t help but shoot a look at Darren when those words left his lips. “Really man?” Shaking his head, Gerard just kept looking throughout the house. Finally realizing there was no note, no Bree, no Damion he sits down on the couch for a moment. “I’m sorry Christa. I tried.”

     Darren comes up beside Gerard and puts his hand on his shoulder. “You did. C’mon, we can’t stay here. Who knows, maybe we’ll run into them.”

     “Yea.Maybe.”

     Heading back out to the vehicle they notice two undead trying to get into the backseat of their car. Tara begins to scream and kick out the window at them hitting them repeatedly in the face knocking the jaw off of one. Darren and Gerard run over to the car. Gerard pulls back the sledgehammer and swings about midsection going through both of them. Their body fall apart easier than it seemed they should. Both guys make a face that reveals how gross they both thought it was. Then they both take their weapons and bash in the heads of the corpses.

     Still frantic in the backseat Tara says, “See! I told you I don’t want to be back here!”

     Darren tries to calm her, “If you weren’t back here though Tara they might have gotten in and then you’d have to get out of the car. So which is worse? Personally I’m glad you were there to keep them at bay. It ‘will’ be ok. I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” She seemed to find solace in his words.

     “Wait. Where is the little girl?” Tara looks behind them at the house and then back at Gerard. He lowers his head and says nothing. Darren looks over at her and solemnly shakes his head.

     Gerard looks up at the clouds and notices the sun getting lower in the sky, “I’m not even sure what to do now or where to go really.”

     “It’s my turn to drive anyhow.” Darren walks up to Gerard and takes the keys. He knew it would be better for him to drive since Gerard’s mind was obviously preoccupied with various other things, especially in lieu of what had just happened.

     They take off down the road and Gerard notices something off to his right. It’s a small mob of undead surrounding a tree. Gerard knew there must be something in that tree attracting so many undead. “Head over there.”

     “Wait. What? Do you see that mini mob of zombies??” Darren couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Gerard wanted him to drive ‘towards’ the group of undead.

     “Listen man think about it. There is a group of zombie surrounding a tree. Why? There must be something in that tree attracting them to it.”

     “Well that could be a cat and I don’t want to put my life at risk for a cat.”

     “Nah, they don’t go after animals like that. I’ve noticed that much at least by now. Trust me. Drive towards them.”

     Darren shrugged his shoulders and turned towards the mob, “Here we go.”

     As they got closer it was more than obvious there was something in the tree. A person. No, two people. Bree and Damion. Gerard’s eyes grew big upon this realization.

     “Go go go go! They can’t hold out for much longer.”

     “Gerard, what’s the game plan? We can’t just drive up there, open the door, ask them to leave them alone and get Bree and Damion in the car. We need to have some kind of strategy or we’re all screwed.”

     Gerard looked around quietly for a brief moment. “I got it. I’ll get out and distract them. I’ll pull them away from the tree and as I do that you drive over there and quickly get them both. Then I’ll get far enough away from the undead that you can come by and pick me up. Deal?”

     “I’m not crazy about this idea but what choice do we have. So it’s a deal.”

Chapter 5

     Darren drives a short distance away and lets Gerard out. He runs about twenty yards away and starts making noise and throwing rocks towards the small mob surrounding the tree. A few of them take notice and start wondering towards Gerard but a few stay surrounding the tree. Gerard starts to panic. If they had issues with attaining Bree and Damion, they may have issues attaining him as well.

     Darren holds his position while half the mob moves towards Gerard then he makes his move. He throws the car into drive and speeds up and drives towards the tree Bree and Damion are in. The car slightly jerks with a thud followed by a few more as Darren runs over part of the mob still at the tree and comes to a stop.

     “Hurry up! We’re here to rescue you two. Come on!” Darren yells out the window to Damion and Bree as he gets out of the car with his tire iron to dispatch the few that’s left. Damion jumps down and motions Bree to jump into his arms. She lands safely in Damion’s arms and they run into the back seat of the car as Darren gets back into the driver’s position and speeds off.

     Darren looks for Gerard but he is nowhere to be found. He notices a small group of undead at the edge of a house but cannot make out the reason why they are there. As he gets closer he notices Gerard on top of a flimsy garden fence. Part of it has already given way under his feet as the small mob grabs at his legs.

     “Thanks for saving us. We were trying to get somewhere safe but there were too many of them and I had to find the nearest place to find refuge for my daughter and I. The tree was the only immediate place. If it wasn’t for that tree I don’t want to think what would have happened.”

     Darren looks back at Damion through the rearview mirror, “Don’t mention it. Christa really wanted us to come check on Bree.”

     Damion’s eyes grew wide and urgent, “Christa? Where is she? Is she ok?”

     Darren didn’t answer immediately. He didn’t even make eye contact. “Let me just concentrate on saving Gerard.”

     “Gerard? You mean Christa’s Gerard?” Damion’s confusion pertaining to the whole situation and the details was evident in his face when he asked that question. Darren just looked at Damion again and continued driving towards Gerard.

     “Oh my god, how am I supposed to get him when they are within a metal fence? I have no idea what to do. Anybody have any ideas? Preferably fast.” Darren kept looking around trying to find a means to help Gerard.

     Tara turned to Darren, “Wait a second. Try around front and just maybe there will be an easier way to get to him. At least we can hope.”

     “That’s a good idea.” Darren turned the car around and drove carefully between two houses that had no fencing. It was a tight fit and screeching was heard as the car scraped against the air conditioning unit that was beside the house, which only drew unwanted attention from the undead they hadn’t seen from around the corner of the houses. There were two, then three, then four and they just kept coming towards the front of the car. “What the hell? This is starting to look worse than the back.” Darren presses on the gas and plows through a few as the others paw at the car as it passes.

     He pulls around front and notices a small window of opportunity. There is a small segment that is cleared enough Darren can pull up to Gerard but he would have to do it fast. There are too many undead around to make a mistake or to hesitate. He presses on the gas quickly and stops too late. He hits the feeble fence that Gerard is on. Gerard loses his balance and leans backwards as if about to fall back into the small mob of undead but just as he is about to fall Damion grabs a hold of his leg right above the knee and pulls hard propelling him onto the hood of the car.

     “Quickly! Get in!” Damion urged Gerard and Gerard wasted no time in climbing into the car. There was undead already at the trunk of the car and starting to try to come into the knocked out window in the back seat which caused Bree to scream.

     “Back up! Back up!” yelled Damion as he used the tire iron to keep the undead at the window from coming into the car. Darren floored it and took out a few before he smacked the rear of the car into a truck in the driveway behind him. He put the car into drive and sped away.

     “Damion.” Gerard gestured to Damion.

     “Gerard.”

     There was this awkward silence for the next few miles. There was no love lost between Gerard and Damion. They had all went to school together and it was no secret that Gerard always held a torch for Christa, but her heart belonged to Damion from sixth grade on. Even when they were younger Christa had always had something special for Damion.  So when Gerard started dating Christa, Damion was anything but happy about that fact. Gerard knew this.

     “I know a place we can go. Christa, Bree and I use to go there for vacations,” Damion made sure to make eye contact with Gerard when he spoke those words. “It’s not too far from here but far enough. Keep going north but get back on the interstate. I’ll let you know where to turn off. It should definitely be safe and there is always food reserves there. My dad is….well…was a survivalist junky.”

     Darren gave Damion a nod and continued to get on the interstate. The sun was slowly going down and as the darkness slowly crept in everyone was getting anxious to get to this destination. It was hard enough fending off the flesh consuming undead in the daylight let alone in complete darkness.

     Damion looked around for the right exit. “It should be the next right. Then as you go up the ramp take a left and go about five miles. You’ll notice a drive-way about that time to your right and there’s a huge sign that says ‘Big House on a Prairie’. Yes I know. My dad had an original sense of humor.” There were light, small bouts of laughter in the car.

     Damion’s attention turned to Gerard, “So, where is Christa?”

     “I don’t know.”

     “What do you mean you don’t know? Did you not see her at all? Do you at least know if she’s alright?”

     “I don’t know.” Gerard seemed lost in a haze of numbness.

     Darren spoke, “She was with us at Wal-mart but some guy got the drop on us and took her hostage. Gerard thinks he saw the guy…..,” Darren pauses as he looks at Bree through the rearview mirror and then looks at Damion as if to let him know that he didn’t want to repeat the awfulness of the situation in front of Bree.

     Damion’s eyes filled with water but then the anger took over and it was about to be directed towards Gerard. “You LET her be taken??! What the hell were you thinking??! The last I heard she was at the cabin writing and then the next thing I hear is that she was with ‘you’ of all people and she was taken hostage by some deranged asshole?” The anger faded from his voice as the sadness took hold again, “I should have never left her. This would have never happened.”

     Gerard scowls at Damion, “Maybe so but the truth of the matter is she didn’t want to be with you anymore Damion.”

     “Oh really? As I recall she didn’t want to be with you either Gerard. At least I was faithful to her. There was no one else for me but Christa. Too bad you can’t say the same.”

     The words went through Gerard like a knife. What could he say to that? Nothing. Damion was right and that reality hurt more than Gerard could bear. He messed up. He finally had what he had wanted for a long time, but he messed it up for some floozy in a bathroom. This was a fact he had went through a million times in his own mind but for some reason hearing Damion say it out loud was a blow to the chest that winded him. He couldn’t help but think if he would have never went to the cabin she would still be there alive and doing fine.

     “Hi, how you doin? I’m Tara. Darren’s sister,” Tara interjected trying to diffuse the situation. She extended her hand to Damion.

     He shook it. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”

     “Daddy, is mommy ok?”

     Damion looks down at Bree and kisses her on the forehead, “Baby, mommy is fine. We’ll see her eventually I am sure of it.” Damion said the words not knowing if they were true but his heart wouldn’t let him think anything else.

     They arrived to the sign on the right that read ‘Big House on the Prairie’ and turned into the driveway. It was a long winding drive and it seemed to go on for miles but they finally arrived at this huge house at the end surrounded by four buildings.

     “Wow Damion, this place is huge. What is this place exactly?” Tara verbalized her curiosity.

     “It was a place to get away for my parents. They built it when I was growing up and we’d spend quite a few summers and sometimes winters here. Christa and I use to come here. She loved it when she wanted to write. So we would just pack up and stay here together for a few months at a time.” Damion stared off lost in thought, “Good times.”

     They pulled up at the front door and everyone exited the car. Damion walked towards the door and went to a group of rocks. He bent down and opened one retrieving a key. He prepared to unlock the door but found it was already unlocked. With a look of confusion he prepared to step inside.

     “-wait! Don’t go inside without some kind of weapon. Just in case.” Darren handed Damion the tire iron. He took it from him and proceeded to go inside.

     There was no sign of anyone or anything. Everything was organized and in its place. Damion went from room to room checking thoroughly and once he was done downstairs he proceeded to go upstairs. It was severely dimly lit due to the sun about to disappear altogether, which made the search more dangerous. Damion checked each room and then came to the last room.

     It was his parent’s room. He slowly walks in and looks around. He kneels down and looks under the bed and in the closet. Nothing. Then he starts to head towards the bathroom. He can hear the shower running. As he nears closer to the door he tightens his grip on the tire iron. He slowly opens the door and grabs the shower curtain. He pulls back the curtain and raises the tire iron but no one was there. He leans over to turn off the water and feels intense pressure on the back of his head and blacks out.

     Damion comes to and finds himself staring at the ceiling. He feels something on his chest and looks down. It’s an arm around him. He looks to his right and it’s Christa. He immediately puts his arms around her and holds her tightly. “I knew you were ok. I knew it.” He flinched and touched the back of his head. “What happened? I feel like I got hit by a train.”

     Christa looked at him through sympathetic eyes and said, “Choo choo. I’m sorry Damion. I didn’t know it was you. I panicked and knocked you out. Once I realized it was you I didn’t leave your side. I’m so sorry. When you weren’t at the house I came here. It was the only place I could think of but when you weren’t here….I-”

     Damion grabbed her chin and picked her face up to meet his, “Shhh baby…That’s my girl. Don’t be upset. We are all fine and I rather you be safe than sorry and if that means I have a headache for a few hours then so be it. Besides sleeping in your arms wasn’t so bad, I’ve endured worse.” Christa playfully swats at Damion and laughs.

     “Is that so huh? Hmm, I’ll remember that the next time I want to make you endure my arms. I’ll show mercy.”

     Damion’s facial expression grew serious, “Please don’t.” He pulls her face closer to his as he moves his lips to meet hers. Their lips so tenderly touch as he breathes in her breath tasting the softness of her warm tongue. Christa lays her leg across Damion and he reaches down and grabs her thigh. Their kissing grew more passionate, more urgent. Damion motions Christa on her back as he rolls on top of her. His hands trailing all over her body.

     She quickly takes off Damion’s shirt and tosses it to the floor and then Damion discards hers. He continues kissing her lips as his hands casually reach around her back and unfastens her bra, sliding it to the floor. His lips make a trail down to her exposed breasts then begins to swirl his warm tongue around her nipple before closing his mouth over it and gently sucking it. Christa lets out a deep breath as his tongue flickers back and forth on her hard nipple. While this is going on they both undo their pants and toss them aside along with their underwear.

     Now Christa can feel Damion’s hardness pressed up against her softness. Her fingertips running down his back as she pulls him into her more wanting to feel his every inch. Damion can feel that urgency and slowly moves his lips back to hers. She can feel the tip of his shaft rubbing against her warm, wet clit and every now and then just barely sliding into her.

     She was writhing beneath his body. Wanting. Waiting. His kisses were deep and passionate, as if almost stealing her breath. He finally gives Christa what she wants and he puts his arms under her legs and spreads them apart even more as he slowly gives her every inch of his hard shaft. She arches her back and moans ever so slightly.

     Damion starts to move rhythmically in and out of Christa’s tight wetness making sure to give her every inch every time. Their kissing becomes more heated and Christa’s sounds become louder with every thrust from Damion. She missed this feeling. He always felt so good inside of her, like they fit like perfect puzzle pieces.

     She could feel her body tensing up, as was his, as the thrusting accelerated and breathing became more labored. His lips tasted so good. She let her tongue entangle with his, suckling it gently and tugging on his lips. Her hands were running over his skin taking in his scent, his taste, the feel.