Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 16

The panicked cries were coming from north-east side of the school, the side where the ambulance was parked, I realised. 

Emma looked at me, her face going pale.  "Lucas."

Without waiting for a response from me, she bolted towards the screaming.  As I followed, I glimpsed the principal on my left, sprinting in the same direction.  The adrenaline started pumping through my veins again as we neared the source of the outcry, the Hub,  the communal centre of the school. 

As we reached the Hub, the trickle of panicked teenagers running past us quickly became a flood.  They tripped, pushed, fell and sobbed as they struggled to escape something behind them.  "Lucas!"  Emma suddenly cried out with relief as she spied the lanky blue-eyed boy  herding a nervous grade-eighter ahead of him.  Hell of a first day, kid,  I thought wryly.

Lucas blinked in surprise as she threw her arms around him.  "Emma! What are you doing here?! Do you know what's going on?  It's gone crazy here!"

Emma didn't have time to respond as the answer to that question began staggering down the path behind Lucas.  He saw our eyes widen and turned.

"What are the old people from the nursing home next door doing here?"  Lucas asked uncertainly.  Somehow, his eyes didn't register the bloodstains on their pyjamas or the gaping holes in the limbs as they dragged their feet towards us.  But the boy with him did.  He emitted a high pitched squeak and dashed off after the other kids.

"The noise." I replied slowly. "All the noise the kids were making at lunch.  It's acted like a magnet for every zombie in the area."  The nursing home, the other school - was the entire area around this school now a zombie zone?  Would we be trapped here?  I looked over my shoulder and sucked in my breath.  The first lot of zombies had reached the school. They staggered towards us, drawn by the chaos.  We didn't have long before we found ourselves the meat in a very unpleasant sandwich.

"Zombies?" Lucas blinked and then started, as his eyes, so much like Emma's, finally registered what they were really seeing.  "Oh, shit."

Ignoring him, I looked over at Emma, who looked sick but determined. I knew what she was feeling.  Courage comes from having something to fight for, and she had Lucas.  "We can't get to the ambulance this way.  Let's head back and circle around the other way." 

Unbelievably, as we made our way back through the Hub, there were still some students wandering aimlessly, looking confused, huddling on benches or just standing, crying hopelessly.  The principal was grabbing them and pushing them desperately towards the hall.  "Go to the hall! Now!"

I hurriedly pulled a sobbing girl to her feet.  "You'll be safe in the hall." I said in my practical, don't-mess-with-me nurse's voice.  "Hurry up, off you go."  She nodded, eyes wide and frightened.  I gave her a little push and she stumbled towards the hall.

"Lori!"  The zombies were now staggering into the hub from both directions.  If we didn't leave now, we would be cut off.  I stood frozen in my tracks as I met Emma's terrified eyes, torn by my desire to save myself for my kids and the flaw in my character that would not allow me to leave these kids as long as there was a chance to save them. 

"Go!" I yelled at her.  "I'll catch up!"  Emma hesitated and then I saw her face harden; she grabbed Lucas' arm and they disappeared around the corner of the building.  I didn't blame her for a moment.  Kids come first.

Turning, I raised my cricket bat as I ran to cover a young boy who cowered in terror on the floor as the old zombies slowly encircled him.  With a gutteral yell, I jumped over him and poured my rage into the swing of my bat.  It knocked three zombies into each other like skittles.  Score! They went down in a tangle of limbs and moans.  Stepping back to stand protectively  over the kid, I hoisted the bat over my shoulder again and let loose in the other direction.  It slammed into their heads with a satisfying thud-thud-thud, sending the zombies staggering back a few feet. It seemed the infirmities of old age made zombies even less agile than usual.  Thank the gods.

I reached down and pulled the young boy up.  "Stay behind me."  Sobbing, he clung to my shirt as I backed up slowly.  Glancing behind me, I saw that the one remaining avenue was rapidly disappearing from view behind a wall of dull-eyed corpses.

On all sides, zombies merged on us.  The sight of young, blank eyed teenagers forming a ring around me sickened me.  To my side, I saw the principal thrust a child beneath the arms of  two clumsy old zombies.  For a brief moment, the child had a clear path. "Run, Madison!"  She cried out.  As the child disappeared, the principal gathered another child, a boy, in her arms as the zombies closed around them on all sides.

The principal looked up and caught my eye.  A look passed between us.  My gut clenched as I recognised the look.  It was goodbye.  She had a look of peace on her face that comes with an acceptance of one's fate.  Rather than trying to save herself, she was choosing to stay for the child.   

"I'm sorry." I whispered as it dawned on me that I couldn't help her. How many times had I said that today? It felt like I had expressed that emotion too many times, abandoned too many people.

Taking a deep breath, I glanced at the child beside me.  He had a hold on my shirt so tight, I don't think a crowbar could have pulled him off. 

"We're making a run for it." I told him grimly as we continued to back towards the walkway.  I swung the bat at arm's reach in a wide circle around me.  "When I go, you go for your life.  If you fall, you're on your own because I am not stopping.  Got it?" Did I really mean it, I wondered, or was I just trying to put the fear of God in him?

He nodded fearfully, his eyes darting frantically around him. 

"Okay - now!"  And wielding my bat like some kind of warrior princess, we ran as I beat a path through the twenty or so zombies that had gathered between me and freedom.  I didn't stop to think, didn't dare to wonder if I could possibly make it, because I knew if I hesitated for even one moment, it would be over.  We would be overwhelmed by these creatures within seconds.

Yet it quickly became clear to me that I was losing the battle.  My run slowed to a trot as the space in front of me continued to thicken with zombies.  Desperately, I pulled out my parang and slashed at the arms reaching for me and the boy.  It wouldn't be long now.

Suddenly, the creatures in front of me began collapsing to their knees or falling against each other.  Seeing a momentary opening, I pushed through, hacking wildly with my parang.  To my complete amazement, Emma and Lucas stood before me, swinging cricket bats with ferocious abandon as they cleared the path for me.

"Go, go, go!"  I screamed as I ran past them, dragging the boy with me.  They quickly fell in behind me as we fled down the walkway as fast as our legs could take us.

Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 15

Throwing myself forward, I struggled to tug the parang out from under Mrs Jones' body.  Grasping it tightly, I turned around to see legs looming beside me.  Instinctively, I rolled sideways and jumped to my feet, heart pounding and parang held at the ready. 

Emma's father slowly turned to face me, and the reality of the situation hit me.   A big man, Emma's father towered over me by a good foot and a half.  How the hell was I supposed to bring him down?   I couldn't reach to cut his head off.  I glanced sideways, calculating my chances of just making a dash for it.

Too late.  The huge zombie staggered forward, his long arms bringing him within reach in a second.  I tried to duck under his arm but it closed around me and pulled me into a horrible caricature of an embrace.  I struggled frantically to free myself but his superior strength, even in death, kept me pinned against his body as his teeth lowered to my neck.  The parang struck futilely against his arm and shoulders but I just couldn't get enough momentum to make a difference.

As I felt his teeth pressing on my neck, I closed my eyes in defeat.  I'm sorry, babies.  A second later, my eyes shot open as his teeth slid off. He can't bite me without his lower jaw!  The knowledge filled me with adrenaline.  Swinging my legs up, I planted them against the bed's sidetable and pushed backwards with all my strength.

As the zombie stumbled backwards, his grip weakened for a moment.  I wrenched myself away.  Then, taking a running leap, I launched myself on his unbalanced body and rode him down to the ground.  Swinging the parang down with force, I buried it several inches deep in the skull. 

The zombie blinked slowly.  Shit!  I pulled the stake out of my belt and plunged it through his eye.  Or at least I tried to.  In my frantic haste, I missed, bouncing off  bone instead.  The zombie's arm shot  up and grabbed the hand with the stake.   Inexorably, he drew it towards his teeth.  I didn't know if he would have more luck this time but I knew I couldn't take the chance.  My suspicion that the zombie virus was transmitted through the zombie's blood or saliva meant that even the smallest break in the skin could be fatal.

 I struggled to pull my hand free but his grip was unbreakable.  Twisting the stake, I managed to plant it against his upper jaw and momentarily halt the downwards journey of my hand.  With my left hand, I wiggled the parang out of the skull with some difficulty.  The zombie's other arm reached up and knocked the stake out of the way. As he brought my hand to his teeth, I slammed the parang down on his arm with all my left handed strength.  Again. Again. 

Finally the arm fell away from the body and I suddenly had control of the stake again.  This time, I quickly but carefully placed it against the eyeball.  As the zombie started to raise his head,  I positioned the heavy parang as a hammer above the stake and, with one massive swing, drove it right through the creature's brain.

I shuddered and shook atop the still body for several long minutes before I could drag myself off the corpse.

Eventually, I dragged myself to my feet.  I felt drained and numb.  As I passed the dressing table, I caught a glimpse of my bloodstained uniform.  The up close and personal fights with Emma's parents had resulted in an appearance more suited to an extra in a horror movie than to a nurse.  I couldn't face Emma as I was, not drenched in her parents' blood. 

A quick search through Mrs Jones' cupboard unearthed a worn grey tracksuit.   After stripping off my disgusting uniform, I checked my appearance in the mirror.  A bit loose but it would do.  I rinsed the weapons, tucked the stake in my waistband and wrapped the parang in a towel. Taking a deep breath, I prepared to face Emma. 

She was waiting by the ambulance.  Her eyes skimmed over my change of outfit without expression but I saw her shoulders stiffen.

"So it's over?"  She asked softly.  I nodded wordlessly. 

"Dad?" Her voice sounded hopeless but I knew she had to ask.  I shook my head.  She closed her eyes and turned away.  I looked at her helplessly and hoped that she could forgive me one day.  Maybe she would always see her parents' murderer whenever she looked at me.

Roy interrupted the moment.  "We should go.  If it's reached here,  we're not safe."

Emma swung around, her blue eyes hard and determined.  "We have to pick up Luke first."  Luke was her younger brother.  She also had two sisters but one was working in Brisbane and the other was at uni in Townsville.  Luke was pretty much the baby of the family at twelve and coddled by all of them. 

I saw Roy roll his eyes in frustration but, for once, he held his tongue.

"Of course." I agreed.  "We're only a few minutes away.  He's bound to be okay, Emma."

She nodded and climbed into the car.  As I clambered in after her, she reached over to touch my arm.  When I looked at her, surprised, she said, simply, "Thank you."

****

The school looked peaceful and inviting, sprawled over a couple of acres of lush greenness.  So did their home, the unwanted thought popped into my head.  The lunch bell must have just gone as the high school kids could be seen eating and strolling in groups around the school.  The reminder that the day was only half done stunned me like a bucket of cold water in the face.

"Can I come, mum?" Michele piped up from behind.  I snorted, "Not a hope in hell."  I looked hard at Roy.  "You keep the car ready to go and you keep these kids safe, Roy, or you'd better pray the zombies get to you first."

He blinked and then grinned widely.  "You got it, lady KillBill!"  I scowled at him but didn't deign to respond.

"What do we do first?" I asked Emma as we crossed the carpark, my weapons discreetly tucked away.  I had offered the parang to Emma, reluctant to part with my trusty stake, but she had refused it without explanation.  Maybe the thought of the part it might have played in her parents' death was too much for her.  "Do we go to the office and warn the school or go straight to his classroom?  Do you even know what class he is in?"

"I guess we could cover both options." She answered slowly, thinking hard.  "All the kids have to stay in the communal area while they're eating their lunch so I should be able to locate him pretty easily.  How about you tackle the principal and I'll meet you back in the office with Lucas?"

I sighed.  Great.  Let's hope the principal had an open mind and was prepared to put his students' safety above his scepticism.  "Sure.  Make it quick, okay?  We don't know how far ahead of the zombies we are."

Emma headed for the noise-filled undercover eating area while I pulled open the office door.  Two minutes later, I was talking to the principal, a smartly dressed fortyish woman with sleek brown hair.  She listened to my highly edited version of the truth with an ever-increasing frown.

"Let me get this right.  You're saying that we've possibly got a crowd of infected and highly dangerous patients headed our way.  And the reason we haven't received any warning from authorities is because it has happened so quickly and they are overwhelmed?  Is that correct?"

I nodded vigorously.  "I know I must sound like a lunatic but, Mrs Lynch, if I'm telling the truth, you have a chance to save a school full of children.  If I'm not, all you risk by listening to me is some egg on the face."

"And my career, credibility and the parents' trust."  She added drily.

I held my peace, and resisted the urge to tap my foot impatiently, as she sat in deep thought.  Coming to a decision, Mrs Lynch reached for the phone.  As she dialled, she answered my unspoken question.  "I have a friend in the State Emergency Services.  I'm sure she'll have some answers." 

I crossed my fingers but, as I expected, the phone rang out.  The principal slowly returned the phone to its stand.

"I wish she had answered." I sighed.  "She would have, without doubt, confirmed my story and we could get on with saving the kids."

The dark-haired woman glanced distractedly at me as her fingers tapping on her table, obviously wrestling with her thoughts. 

"Actually, the fact that she is too busy dealing with an emergency to answer her mobile, lends some credence to your incredible story."  She answered slowly.
I leant forward eagerly.  "Then, please, move your students to the most secure location in your school. Trust me, you'll know within a couple of hours whether this is a hoax or not.  When the crisis is over, you can contact the parents."

The phone on the principal's desk rang.  She started and picked it up.  A bemused look crossed her face and she turned to me.  "It's for you."  Oh shit.  My stomach sunk to my toes.

I grabbed the phone. "Emma?"   I knew this call was trouble, but what?  Was one of the students infected? More?

"They're coming across the field!" Her frantic voice came over the phone.  "And I haven't found Lucas yet!  His teacher says he's showing a new kid around!"

I bolted out of the chair.  "Keep looking.  I'll come find you."   Slamming the phone down, I leaned over the table and looked the startled principal hard in the eye.  "You're out of time, Mrs Lynch."

"What's happening?" She asked warily.  Frustrated, I grabbed her arm and pulled her out of her chair. "See for yourself." 

I ran, half dragging the woman with me, to the far window.  Sure enough, across the large green playing field, I saw enough zombies to turn my insides to jelly.  They staggered across the field in a six feet deep wedge of dead, torn figures.  Many of them wore the same clothing.  A school uniform, I realised.  God, they had to be kids from the catholic high school down the road.

"There!" I pointed at the wall of bodies.  "Do you see that?!"

"My God..." Mrs Lynch whispered. 

I spun her around to face me.  "You've only got minutes!  You've got to get the kids to a safe location, immediately"

Charging out the back door, I headed in the direction Emma had taken.   I had only gone a few meters when the alarm went off.  At least I assume it was the alarm as what actually played over the speakers was Darth Vader's theme song.  The already familiar crisp voice of the principal came over the loudspeakers. 

"Head immediately to the hall!  Everyone is to proceed in an orderly manner to the hall as quickly as possible."

The students near me looked confusedly at each other. "Isn't this a fire drill? Aren't we supposed to meet in the car park?"

The other student shrugged. "As long as it gets me out of Maths this afternoon, I don't care."  They turned and headed towards the large purple hall near the right end of the oval.

I quickly spotted Emma running alongside the walkway, looking distraught.  She grabbed my arms as I ran up.  "I can't find him, Lori!  I can't find him!"

"He's fine, Emma. We'll just go to the hall and wait for him there." 

She nodded shakily, seeming to take comfort in my calmness.  If she only knew, I thought.  On the inside, all I wanted to do was to shake her and scream in her face that we - to quote Roy - needed to get the hell out of here!  I ached to hold my babies and assure myself that they were all right.

Walking fast past the calm lines of students and the teachers urging them along, we kept an eye out for the dark hair of Emma's brother.  Tall and sporting the bedhead hairstyle popular among boys today, he should be easy to spot.  But what I spied was something almost as exciting.  The sports shed. 

There was bound to be something we could use in there!   I pulled  the parang out and cleaved the lock off with one blow.  Inside, it was stacked up to the roof with sports equipment.  I glanced around quickly for anything I could be useful in a fight.  There was the usual hoolah hoops, ropes, balls and, aah, cricket bats.  I grinned happily as I hefted one in my hand.  Perfect.

Tucking the bat under my arm, I trotted after Emma who was nearing the front of the line.  "I can't see him!  He's not here!"

It was then that the screaming started.

Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 14

I pushed past a suddenly frozen Emma and moved silently around the large four poster bed.  Stepping past the bed, I saw the back of a woman kneeling before another body on the floor.  The body's top half was blocked by the woman but I had no doubt who lay there.

"Mum?"  Emma choked, moving up beside me.  The kneeling figure slowly turned.  Emma's mother looked indifferently at us as blood trickled down her chin.  Something was clenched in her bloody hand but I avoided looking too closely at it.  One look at Emma's father's ashen face made it clear that he was close to death as his eyes fluttered continuously in blood loss shock.  "Daddy?"

As Emma reached for her father, I flung out an arm to block her.

"Emma, you need to leave."  I pleaded, my heart going out to her.  "I'll ...deal with this."  I didn't want to deal with this.

Emma wrenched her eyes away from the ghastly scene.  "What are you going to do?" She whispered, eyes glazed with shock.  Looking at the kneeling woman as she placed something red and raw in her mouth, I swallowed an urge to retch.  "Your mother is already gone, Emma, but if we hurry, maybe we can save your father.  But I need you to go and let me handle this."

Emma bit her lip and nodded slowly.  "Okay."  Taking a step back, she took one last look at her mother kneeling in a pool of her father's blood, her face an agony of love and despair.  "I love you, mummy.  I love you, daddy."  Turning,  she stumbled out of the room.

Emma's mum watched me as I approached her carefully.  Although there was no sign of intelligent thought or fear in her eyes, she followed my movements closely.  For some reason she reminded me of a cornered dog. I shifted the parang back to gain some momentum.  "I'm sorry, Mrs Jones."

As I swung the parang down, the creature that had once been Emma's mum launched herself forward, knocking me right off my feet.  The machete flew out of my hand.  Stupefied, I looked up to see the zombie lowering its mouth to take a bite out of me. 

"No!" Panicked, I pressed my hands against her chest and, with desperate strength, pushed her up and off me.  She gnashed her teeth and flung her head from side to side, trying to reach me.  Gone was the endearingly plump and kind face I'd seen smiling at me for years.  Now she stared at me through dispassionate eyes even as she tried to savage my body with her bloodstained teeth.

My arms already shaking from the strain of holding her body away from me, I pulled my right leg up and positioned my foot at her hip.  With an almighty heave, I shoved the zombie to the side.  It rolled away, giving me time to scramble up, grasp the nearby parang and swing around again to face her.

The zombie hurled itself at me again.  I met her with all the ferocity I could muster, burying the parang deep in her neck, feeling it sever bone and sinew with the same ease it cut through chicken carcasses.  To my horror, she continued to move forward until she stood face to face with me.  I stopped breathing as the diminutive Mrs Jones gazed coldly into my eyes, so close our noses could have touched.  Tremors ran continuously through my body as I stood frozen in my tracks.

With infinite slowness, her head tilted to the side and then, finally, rolled completely off her neck, remaining attached to the body by one remaining tendon.

Collapsing on the floor, I gulped in huge, sobbing breaths.  I couldn't quite believe I was still alive.  The memory of how cocky I had been, just a short time ago, about dealing with one or two zombies made me cringe inside.   It was a real wake-up call, and I was grateful to still be alive to appreciate it. 

As I sat there shaking my head, some sixth sense made me look up.  Mr Jones, a gaping hole where his jaw should have been, lumbered towards me, hands reaching hungrily forward.

Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 13

Roy was sitting behind the wheel as Emma and I jumped in the car.  He looked at me challengingly, as if expecting an argument from me but I just buckled in and told him to drive.  A quick look behind me reassured me that Michele and Jessie were okay.  I fished out the mobile phone and rang Kaye's number.  My anxiety started to increase with each ring. 

"Hello, Kaye speaking."

"Kaye!"  I released a breath I didn't even know I was holding.

"Hello Lori!" I heard the surprise in her voice.  I rarely rang her while I was at work so she immediately knew something was up. 

"Where are the kids?"

"Playing in the gutter out front.  You know how they love getting wet and dirty."  Didn't I ever.  I closed my eyes in relief.

"Kaye, I need you to do something for me.  Go bring all the kids inside, lock the doors and windows, close the curtains and stay quiet.  Can you do that?"

"Of course."  She replied briskly.  That's the wonderful thing about 40 years of sisterhood - I didn't need to waste time convincing her of my trustworthiness or sincerity.  "Can you tell me what's going on?"

"Not right now, Kaye but I will when I get there."

"All right."  She paused.  "Whatever's going on - stay safe, okay?"

"You too, Kaye." I whispered.  "Give my babies a kiss for me."  She promised to do so, and I reluctantly hung up. 

I looked out the window for a moment, gathering my focus as Emma took the phone and rang her house.  It rang out unanswered.  She bit her lip but smiled tremulously.  "They're probably not even there.  Mum loves to go to Rusty's Markets on Fridays..."  She stopped suddenly as the realisation of what that might mean for her family struck home.

Roy glanced over.  "Uh, isn't that only a block away from Central?"

"We don't know anything yet, Emma." I interjected firmly, glaring at Roy over her shoulders.  "They might just be working in the garden."  Her face flooded with relief at the thought and she smiled tentatively.

****

Emma's street looked untouched by the dramas in town.  As we pulled up beside her parents' home, we looked carefully for any sign of trouble but there was nothing that hinted of danger.  The woman next door was unloading groceries from her car while a couple of doors down, an elderly man walked his little dog. 

The neighbour looked askance at our ambulance as we jumped out.  "Emma?  Is something wrong with your mum or dad?"

"Oh no," Emma assured her.  "Just, ah, hitching a lift with a colleague."  She met my eye and shrugged infinitesimally as if to say 'it was the best I could come up with'.

The neighbour nodded agreeably and started carrying her bags into the house.

"Oh, Mrs Moore, have you seen my mum or dad today?"

"Well, I saw your Dad this morning when he was collecting the mail.  He made one of his jokes about how he wouldn't have anything to read if it wasn't for all the junk mail he receives."

I grinned.  That sounded like Emma's Dad.

"And I think your mum went out somewhere.  I saw the car leave a few hours ago."

I saw the tension in Emma's shoulders on hearing that, so I reached over and squeezed her arm reassuringly.  Stepping back, I looked at Roy as he watched us from the driver's seat.  "Keep a sharp eye out, Roy.  Don't let anything sneak up on you and the kids."

He nodded abruptly.  "Trust me.  Ain't no one sneaking up on me!"

The door was unlocked.  Exchanging a tense look, we stepped into the house.   I immediately tensed.  The house seemed way too quiet but more than that, it felt...wrong.  I could tell Emma felt it, too, as her breath quickened.  Carefully, we peered in the living room but there was no one there.  I jerked my head towards the kitchen and silently we moved down the hall.

The small, normally cosy, kitchen stood empty and chilly.  I touched the kettle. Cold. My tension immediately ratcheted up several knots.  Emma's parents drank tea like it was water yet this kettle hadn't been used in hours.  Don't be ridiculous, I scolded myself, you're letting Emma's anxiety affect you.  Her parents may be visiting friends for the afternoon or something. I didn't succeed in convincing myself one little bit.

As I passed the sink, I saw the steel parang sitting in its block.  Emma and I had bought one each four years ago on a trip to Malaysia.  The heavy hatchet favoured by the infamous headhunters of Borneo worked a treat cutting through boney pieces of meat, like chicken.  Quietly, I slipped it out and grasped it firmly.  It's might come in use later, I assured myself, but I was careful to keep it behind my back and out of sight of Emma.

We headed for the bedrooms, placing our feet carefully on the hallway's wooden floorboards.  My heart started pounding like a drum as we neared the master bedroom.  Please, please let there be no one there, I prayed fervently.  I could see Emma's hands  shaking as she slowly pushed open the door.

The room appeared empty, but before I could breathe a sigh of relief, I heard a familiar sound that sent a knife through my gut.  It was the sound my old dog used to make as he gnawed on a bone.