U.G.L.Y (13 page)

I
grabbed
what
I
could,
shoved the rest
into
the
sea
bag
and
ran
for
the
front
door,
slowly
opening
it
to
make
sure
I
wouldn't
be
surprised.
Once
I
noticed
that
the
nightmare
had
not
yet
reached
my
street
I
made
a
break
for
my car
.
I held onto an
old
green
ford
explorer
. I
used
this
car
only
for
driving my
kids
places
so
it
sat
in
the
driveway
most
of
the
time.
I
hoped
to
god
it
would
start.

     I
reached
the
car
and
slipped
inside. Pulling the keys out of my pocket, I
calmly
disengaged
the
theft
system
and
slipped
the
key
in
the
ignition,
closed
my
eyes
and
turned.
The
car
fired
up
with
some
struggle
but it
started.
I
slammed
it
into
reverse, and
squealing
the
tires
I
headed
for
the
street.

Just
as
I
pulled
out of the driveway
I
looked
behind
me
and
there
were
several
people
running towards me.
I
thought
for
a
minute
about
waiting
for
them
to
catch
up,
thinking
they
might
be
okay and just in need of help
.
I
looked
closer
and could
see
that
they
were covered in blood, their mouths wide. They weren’t
people
anymore. T
hey
were
infected
and
they
were
after
me
.

“I have to get the kids” I mumbled
, I was so anxious that I was having trouble focusing. I
dropped
the
car
into
drive
and
floored
it,
speeding
away
from
the
approaching
assailants
I
headed
for
Amanda's
house
on
the
other
side
of
town.

11
.

-Frantic-

     I
raced
through
the
narrow
streets
of
town.
T
here
was
little
traffic
on
the
road,
most
people
were
settled
into
their
homes
for
the
night.
Occasionally
I
passed
a
pedestrian
and
had
to
fight
the
urge
to
stop to warn them.

I
was
panicked
and
could
barely
manage
to
yell
out
the
window
at
them,
the words that did get out were
not
very
intelligible.
Some responded with a
vulgar
slur
or
a
raised
middle
finger.
I
kept
driving
towards
my
kids,
the
car
tires
barked
around
every
curve
until
I
reached
the
street
Amanda
lived
on.

Ahead
of me
was
her
house,
which
we
had
bought
a
number
of
years
earlier
together.
My
youngest
son
was
raised
in
that
house
and
now
she
lived
there
with
her
revolving
boyfriends
and
the
kids
half
of
the
time.

The
day
after
she
kicked
me
out,
she
cleaned
out
our
room
and
boxed
up
my
things. she
was
through
with
me and I
was so
devastated
at
that
I
couldn't
breath.
I
felt
like
I
was
standing
on
a
rolling ship
and
it
was
sinking
beneath
my
feet.

     I
pulled
up
to
the
house
and could
see
that
her
truck
was
gone.

“
Christ
where
could
she
be
and
where
are
the
kids?
” I was yelling out loud now.
Frantically I
pulled
my
cell
phone
out
and
dialed her phone number,
but
all
I
got
was
a
'NETWORK
ERROR
”
.

“
Shit!
” I said, still yelling.
If
communications
were
down
already
it
was likely it wasn’t just happening here
.

I
looked
at
the
house,
tense,
and my
eyes
began
to
water.
I
didn't
know
if
I
was
going
to
cry
or
scream.
I saw movement in the house through the dinning room window.

H
er
current
live
in
boyfriend
was
at the house
.
I
ran
across
the
porch
and
pounded
my
fist
on
the
door.
I
t
slowly
opened
to
reveal
a
very
drunk
man
in
his
gym
shorts.

“
What
the
hell
do
you
want?
”
Jaime,
her
latest
conquest,
was a
40 year old,
balding,
6
foot
tall,
unemployed carpenter.

“
Where
the
hell
are
the
kids?
” I demanded
rather
loudly.
I
was
trying
to
contain
my
self.

“
Hmf
”
Jaime
groaned
“
she
took
them
to
her
sisters.
She got
all
pissed
off
at
me
and
took
off.” he looked at me through blurry, bloodshot eyes. “What the hell is the matter with that ex old lady of yours?”

“Shes a crazy, self serving bitch!” I snapped at him. “why the fuck are you asking me? Why don't you get out of my fucking house and stop living off the support payments I'm giving her.” I was mad. “You fucking leach”.

“Okay, dude. Shit calm down” He straightened up. “
Shes
been
gone
for
days
”
.

“
Thank
god
” I said

“
Why
whats
going
on?
”
Jaime
asked.

I
though
for
a
second
about
telling
him,
but
in
a
flash
of
rage
decided against it. I
smiled,
looking
at
Jaime.

I said, “
Nothing dude,
just
wanted
to
give
the
kids
some
books.
”

I
turned
and
ran
for
the
car.
As
I
sped
off
I
thought
about
how
terrible
it
was
that
I
had
left
Amanda
’
s
boyfriend
to
die.
I
n
the
end
I
felt
justified and even felt a little good
about
getting
some
revenge
after
having
lost
everything.
E
ven
if
it
was
at
that
poor
bastards
expense.
I
felt
good
in a sort of evil villain sort of way. Even
if
it
was
cruel
and
momentary,
but
I
took
it
and
rode
the
feeling
as
long
as
I
could.