Chapter 9
Marcus opened the door, and all of the undead tried to rush in. Marcus breathed a flame that engulfed enough of the undead for him to walk out and take off. When Marcus was in the air, he burned a path in their lines for Mish to run through. Mish sprinted behind the flame, and she was soon covered in ash. Marcus burned enough for her to run unhindered and she was soon out of the enemy lines.
They ran for several hours before turning to the west. They passed the narrow gap between the heavily populated areas of Montreal and Albany and were soon in the Adirondack Park Preserve. The area was mostly woodland, and Marcus asked Mish to take Zack back. He jumped on her from thirty feet above and landed on her back. Marcus flew ahead with Liz and searched for their meeting area. The place was empty. A few buildings were spread around a small township and the only large building was a factory at the center. Marcus landed next to the building and looked into the windows to see if it was safe. He saw nothing, and the scent of the undead was very dull.
The place was deserted, and Marcus felt a very human chill at the feeling of pure loneliness. Then he remembered Liz on his back, and he looked her over. She felt the same chill, and Marcus wondered if it was wise to stay here too long. Zack floated around a building corner, and Mish appeared below him. She said, “Where are all the people?”
“They are gone.”
Mish swore in Russian. All of them wanted to leave. Even Zack’s massive ego remained silent. Marcus said, “Liz, Zack, check the building behind me. If there are any undead within, turn and run out.”
“Ok, just give us time to get out.”
Liz and Zack walked slowly into the building. Zack held his blade in front of him. Liz was right behind him. They walked all around the first level, but there was nothing there. They started to climb the emergency staircase, but they heard the screeching of the undead far above and they turned to run. Liz turned around, only to see the shadows off the wall behind her. Zack grabbed her and pulled her out of the building. One of them grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back, but Zack’s blade cut off its head. They were able to get away just in time for Marcus to press his jaw over the door at a 180 degree angle. Liz watched as Marcus doubled in size. He started to glow a fiery red and he let a flame go into the building. The wall around the door was covered in a thin coat of fire and ash. It burned away the undead along with everything else. Every window exploded outward as the building was turned into a pillar of fire. Marcus finally lost the flame and let it die out.
The building was kept alight by its own designs, and Zack said, “I thought there weren’t supposed to be any undead here. What gives, asshole?”
Marcus bent down and smelled the severed head at his feet. The smell was foreign to him, and he wondered how anything could change so quickly. He relayed his thoughts when he said, “It seems these undead have different traits than the others. You saw firsthand how they moved differently. Perhaps they are evolving.”
Liz did indeed see how they used the environment to move faster. They looked like lemurs jumping between the railings to throw themselves. Marcus asked, “Did you find anything useful while you were in there?”
“Does it matter?”
“It matters to me.”
“Who made you in charge,” Zack asked.
Marcus barred his teeth and let trails of smoke climb between his nostrils. He said in as low a growl as he could, “I did. Would you like to take charge?”
Zack’s ego fell from his grip and broke upon the floor. The only thing keeping Marcus from ripping him apart was the fact that he saved Liz. Still, he kept himself standing firm until he was sure Zack got the message; yes, Marcus was the alpha and no, he wouldn’t tolerate questioners.
He let his expression lighten and stopped the smoke. He turned to Liz, who was equally frightened. He said, “Did you find anything?”
Liz held out her hand, and she revealed a small black notebook with the title, Survival. Liz opened it up with still shaking hands and started to read. It was a personal journal kept by one of the men in the caravan. Liz read aloud, “
September 12th, 2020.
Lost a lot of good men today. As soon as the big silver guy left us, the undead didn’t seem to care about our guns or Dem. The attacks just don’t seem to stop. Dem ran ahead to see if the undead are planning an ambush ahead of us. Sure hope he gets back soon.
September 13, 2020.
Dem came back. I was on the roof turret, so I got a minute to speak to the big guy. He said the undead were massing an army or some shit like that. Oh well, now our godforsaken pilot got an idea to go southwest toward the sea. He says there’s another airstrip over there.
September 14, 2020.
We made it to the meeting are where the big silver guy was supposed to meet up with us, but he aint there. You can hear the screaming of the undead as they make there way closer to us. It’s almost as if they’re right over the tree line. I can see movement in the trees. Oh God!
Liz stopped reading and she started to cry. Marcus leaded his head close to her and she embraced him. She cried for a few more minutes, and Marcus told Zack and Mish to start moving to the southwest. With Liz still embracing his muzzle, he said, “If anyone is still alive, they would be there.”
Zack climbed onto Mish’s back and Mish disappeared. He gave an angry look to Marcus and his floating body seemed to turn and float away. Marcus turned his gaze back to Liz, who was still teary-eyed, but somewhat collected. Marcus said, “I hate this. Every bit of it. If there is some way to bring piece to your heart, please tell me what to do. I would do anything to stop your tears.”
Liz was silent, and her grip did not lessen. Marcus licked her and pressed his chest to the ground. Liz climbed up his large plated leg, but she fell and lacked the will to try again. Marcus grabbed the back of her shirt with his jaws and lifted her up off the ground. He picked her up and placed her on his back. Marcus took flight and headed for the southwest, where he hoped to meet some old friends.
They ran for several hours before turning to the west. They passed the narrow gap between the heavily populated areas of Montreal and Albany and were soon in the Adirondack Park Preserve. The area was mostly woodland, and Marcus asked Mish to take Zack back. He jumped on her from thirty feet above and landed on her back. Marcus flew ahead with Liz and searched for their meeting area. The place was empty. A few buildings were spread around a small township and the only large building was a factory at the center. Marcus landed next to the building and looked into the windows to see if it was safe. He saw nothing, and the scent of the undead was very dull.
The place was deserted, and Marcus felt a very human chill at the feeling of pure loneliness. Then he remembered Liz on his back, and he looked her over. She felt the same chill, and Marcus wondered if it was wise to stay here too long. Zack floated around a building corner, and Mish appeared below him. She said, “Where are all the people?”
“They are gone.”
Mish swore in Russian. All of them wanted to leave. Even Zack’s massive ego remained silent. Marcus said, “Liz, Zack, check the building behind me. If there are any undead within, turn and run out.”
“Ok, just give us time to get out.”
Liz and Zack walked slowly into the building. Zack held his blade in front of him. Liz was right behind him. They walked all around the first level, but there was nothing there. They started to climb the emergency staircase, but they heard the screeching of the undead far above and they turned to run. Liz turned around, only to see the shadows off the wall behind her. Zack grabbed her and pulled her out of the building. One of them grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back, but Zack’s blade cut off its head. They were able to get away just in time for Marcus to press his jaw over the door at a 180 degree angle. Liz watched as Marcus doubled in size. He started to glow a fiery red and he let a flame go into the building. The wall around the door was covered in a thin coat of fire and ash. It burned away the undead along with everything else. Every window exploded outward as the building was turned into a pillar of fire. Marcus finally lost the flame and let it die out.
The building was kept alight by its own designs, and Zack said, “I thought there weren’t supposed to be any undead here. What gives, asshole?”
Marcus bent down and smelled the severed head at his feet. The smell was foreign to him, and he wondered how anything could change so quickly. He relayed his thoughts when he said, “It seems these undead have different traits than the others. You saw firsthand how they moved differently. Perhaps they are evolving.”
Liz did indeed see how they used the environment to move faster. They looked like lemurs jumping between the railings to throw themselves. Marcus asked, “Did you find anything useful while you were in there?”
“Does it matter?”
“It matters to me.”
“Who made you in charge,” Zack asked.
Marcus barred his teeth and let trails of smoke climb between his nostrils. He said in as low a growl as he could, “I did. Would you like to take charge?”
Zack’s ego fell from his grip and broke upon the floor. The only thing keeping Marcus from ripping him apart was the fact that he saved Liz. Still, he kept himself standing firm until he was sure Zack got the message; yes, Marcus was the alpha and no, he wouldn’t tolerate questioners.
He let his expression lighten and stopped the smoke. He turned to Liz, who was equally frightened. He said, “Did you find anything?”
Liz held out her hand, and she revealed a small black notebook with the title, Survival. Liz opened it up with still shaking hands and started to read. It was a personal journal kept by one of the men in the caravan. Liz read aloud, “
September 12th, 2020.
Lost a lot of good men today. As soon as the big silver guy left us, the undead didn’t seem to care about our guns or Dem. The attacks just don’t seem to stop. Dem ran ahead to see if the undead are planning an ambush ahead of us. Sure hope he gets back soon.
September 13, 2020.
Dem came back. I was on the roof turret, so I got a minute to speak to the big guy. He said the undead were massing an army or some shit like that. Oh well, now our godforsaken pilot got an idea to go southwest toward the sea. He says there’s another airstrip over there.
September 14, 2020.
We made it to the meeting are where the big silver guy was supposed to meet up with us, but he aint there. You can hear the screaming of the undead as they make there way closer to us. It’s almost as if they’re right over the tree line. I can see movement in the trees. Oh God!
Liz stopped reading and she started to cry. Marcus leaded his head close to her and she embraced him. She cried for a few more minutes, and Marcus told Zack and Mish to start moving to the southwest. With Liz still embracing his muzzle, he said, “If anyone is still alive, they would be there.”
Zack climbed onto Mish’s back and Mish disappeared. He gave an angry look to Marcus and his floating body seemed to turn and float away. Marcus turned his gaze back to Liz, who was still teary-eyed, but somewhat collected. Marcus said, “I hate this. Every bit of it. If there is some way to bring piece to your heart, please tell me what to do. I would do anything to stop your tears.”
Liz was silent, and her grip did not lessen. Marcus licked her and pressed his chest to the ground. Liz climbed up his large plated leg, but she fell and lacked the will to try again. Marcus grabbed the back of her shirt with his jaws and lifted her up off the ground. He picked her up and placed her on his back. Marcus took flight and headed for the southwest, where he hoped to meet some old friends.