Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 18

"We need another vehicle." I knew it was time to get moving again, even though part of me just wanted to stay here forever where it was safe and quiet.  "Any ideas?"

Lucas held up a finger.  "The staff car park?  The keys would be in the staff room."

I stared at him disbelievingly.  "You want to go back into the school?"  The thought of the hundreds of corpses waiting for us there sent a shiver through me.

He shuddered as the same thought obviously occurred to him.  "Um, no.  Not really."

We sat in silent thought for several more minutes.

"We could try some of the neighbourhood homes here." Emma offered tentatively.

 I shook my head firmly.  "We aren't going to take away other people's only chance of escape."

Flipping open the mobile, I rang Kaye.  "Maybe Roy is at my sister's.  He could come get us."  The line was busy.  Frowning, I tried again and got a busy signal again. 

Lucas spoke again. "There's the caravan park across the highway.  I see a lot of resort vehicles coming and going.  They probably wouldn't miss one."

Emma nibbled her lip, a nervous habit of hers.  "There could be zombies there too."

"Considering their proximity, it would seem a likely bet." I agreed as I mulled the idea over in my head.

It did seem our best option at the moment, I concluded unethusiastically.

I sighed. "Let's try the park.  We stay out of sight, get in and get out as quickly as we can, alright?"  Reluctantly, I pushed myself to my feet.  "Can you get us there without being seen, Lucas?" 

He stood up, brushing off his long shorts.  "I think so.  We stick to the gully until we get to the highway, take the underpass and then up the hill and we're there."  Emma watched him with a mix of emotions - pride, fear, love.   He was handling this crazy situation with a practicality that was admirable in one of any age, let alone fifteen.

"When we get the car, we're going to go find mum and dad, right?"

Emma froze and looked at me helplessly.  Stepping forward, I gripped his shoulder.  "I'm sorry, Lucas.  We've already been to your house.  Your parents... didn't make it."  I prayed that he would let it go at that.  I couldn't bear to have to tell him what part I had played in their deaths.

Lucas' eyes darkened as he stared at me.  His adam's apple bobbed convulsively.  Then he nodded jerkily and turned away.  My heart ached for him.  It was so unfair that he had to go through this but, my god, what a man he was turning into.  His courage, quick thinking...his family had every reason to be proud of him.  Lucas started to speak, stopped for a moment and tried again. "Are they really dead" He jerked his head towards the outside. "or are they still out there?"

I closed my eyes.  "They're dead, Lucas." I made sure of that. 

The boy bent down to pick up his bat.  "We should go."  Head bent against the roof of the drain, he moved towards the exit.  Emma's eyes were shiny with tears.  "I just couldn't tell him..."

"I know." I squeezed her arm understandingly.  "It's not a conversation anyone should have to have.  He's an amazing kid, though, Emma. "

She smiled tremulously as she tucked her bat under her arm.  "He is, isn't he?  Did you see how quickly he accepted the whole zombie situation?  It was, like, 'oh, zombies, okay.' "

Laughing, I agreed.  "If only the adults we've met had adapted so well!"

Lucas was cautiously examining the area around the other end of the drain pipe.  He glanced at us as we joined him.  "Looks clear."

Quietly, we left the security of the pipe and stepped into the open.  Under the blue skies, I felt horribly exposed and vulnerable.  If even one zombie spotted us while we were in the gully, it would bring hundreds of zombies upon us.

We placed our feet carefully, taking care not to step on a crackly  leaf or stick while keeping a nervous watch above us.  Occasionally, we froze as we heard a nearby moan or shuffle, but, to our relief, the sounds faded away. 

When we finally reached the cover of the underpass,  I collapsed against the concrete wall.  "Oh hell, I never want to do that again!"

Emma touched the wall appreciatively.  "The great outdoors is definitely overrated."

"We have to get up that  hill over there."  Lucas interjected.  He pointed to a steep incline a short distance from the overpass.  My stomach sank as I realised we would be heading out into the open again.  However, I knew we weren't really any more protected here than in the open.  Any zombies coming along this road would quickly spot us.  The sooner we moved, the better.

Moving forward to stand beside Lucas, I examined our surroundings carefully.   The road we were on circled around to join the highway above us.  The left bank lay at the bottom of a hill while on the right bank, trees and a wooden barrier indicated the boundaries of the caravan park.  In the distance, I could see some figures shambling along the highway.  I shivered, and craning my head, tried to check out the highway above me.  I ducked back quickly as I spotted a zombie shuffling along the bridge above us.  Putting my finger to my lips, I pointed above me and we waited silently for the shambler to pass.

After a few minutes, I cautiously took another look.  It seemed to be clear.  I strained my ears for any sound that would indicate zombies nearby, but all was quiet.  Not counting the constant scream of sirens in the distance.  It would seem the people here were on their own.

"Okay, let's go."  I tried to look confident but my stomach was already churning.  "We'll make for those trees on the bank and then regroup."

Emma raised a brow teasingly.  "Regroup?"

I blushed a little.  "Maybe I watch too many action movies."  I glanced over at Lucas who stood silent and alert.  "Ready?"  He nodded. 

Never had being under open blue skies on a sunny day felt so frightening.  As I ran, I expected to be confronted by zombies appearing out of nowhere at any moment.  About thirty feet down the road, when I felt we were out of direct line of vision of the highway, I turned and headed up the roadside bank. I didn't check but I could feel Emma and Lucas behind me.  The need to get under cover helped me to negotiate that steep hillside in record time.  My calves screamed in protest as I topped the bank and bolted for the nearby trees.

Emma gasped as she fell in beside me, "There was a zombie on the bridge!"  She took a couple of deep breaths.  "It was looking the other way, though.  I don't think it saw us." 

"God, I hope not!"  I didn't know how many more runs like this was in me.  Lucas, of course, barely show any sign of exertion, apart from a bit of pink in the cheeks.

Within the walls of the tourist park, I could hear shouts and screams.  Along the highway, cars continued to race past.  Were they trying to escape, I wondered, or were they still blissfully ignorant of the disaster facing us?  Across the road, I could see a single figure staggering away from us.  In this town, it would be easy for a driver to dismiss the sight as yet another drunk making their way home, but I knew better.

"Looks like the zombies beat us to the park." Lucas said, matter- of -factly.

"Yeah." I agreed, resignedly.  "But it's still our best option."

"The entrance to the park is about a hundred feet down the road." He gestured to the highway running past us.   Walking to the corner of the fence, I peered around it.  The path beside the road had a lot of natural cover in the form of bushes and trees but I did not feel reassured, spotting several small groups of bodies staggering drunkenly down the road.

"It might be a better idea if we just hopped the fence here." I suggested slowly. 

Lucas raised his dark brows.  "Anything could be waiting for us on the other side."

I acknowledged his point and, after some discussion, we decided to do some careful scouting first.  I kept a lookout while Lucas gave Emma a leg up.  She peered cautiously over the fence for several minutes until Lucas said in a strained voice.  "Are you done, Emma?"  She nodded and he released her quickly.  "Man, how much do you eat, Emma?!  You weigh a tonne!"

"Hey!" She scowled at him. "I've just got heavy bones."

Before they could fall into familiar sibling repartee, I interrupted. "Well?  What did you see?"

Emma frowned. "Not much, really.  This end of the resort is pretty empty.  There are a few cabins that seem unoccupied, and that's it.  I couldn't see what was happening at the other end but it doesn't sound good."  No kidding.  The screaming seemed to have escalated in volume in the few minutes we were standing here.

"Good.  That means this is a good entry point for us."  I wished I felt as confident as I sounded.

Lucas cupped his hand and looked at me.  "You first."

"Gee, thanks." I  said, my voice dripping with irony.  Still, it was my idea.  Sighing, I allowed him to boost me up and over the fence.  Landing clumsily on my knees, I scrambled quickly to my feet and looked around.  Nothing exciting, thank God.  In fact, no sign of life whatsoever.  Or the life-less, I thought with a bit of gallows humour.   The absence of any activity in the area was a relief but also somewhat unnerving when the screams continued unabated not too far away. 

"Okay, Emma.  Your turn." I called softly.  A minute later, she landed on her bum with an 'oof'.

"Nice one, Lucas." She muttered ungraciously as she stood up. 

"Incoming!"

Emma looked up to see our bats come flying over.  "Hey!" She protested.

 With all the agility of youth and long legs, Lucas clambered over the fence gracefully.  "I said 'incoming', didn't I? ". 

As Emma glared at him, Lucas passed out the bats.  "The office is at the other end of the resort." He offered helpfully.  Of course it is.

My plan wasn't very original but, hopefully, it would work.  "If we stick to the trees and bushes, we should be able to make our way to the front unseen."  The other two agreed.  We worked our way from bush to bush, pausing to check the surroundings before making a dash for the next chosen cover.  We progressed maybe halfway across the resort before we saw our first sign of people - and zombies.

From our position behind a grove of palm trees, we watched helplessly as the camping grounds across from us became the killing fields.  Bodies lay strewn across the fields.  Collapsed tents told stories of battles already won or lost.  Not ten feet from me, a man grappled with a slack-faced young woman.  "What the hell!"  He was yelling.  "Get off me, you psycho bitch!"  A little further away, a woman labored to place her screaming children in the car as her husband swung a tent pole wildly in an attempt to keep four zombies at bay.  In a campervan,  I could see the terrified faces of three little kids peering out of the window.  Where were their parents?  Just beyond the caravan, I watched in horror as a pack of corpses brought down a young woman.  As she disappeared beneath them, I had to turn away while I fought to regain my composure. 

I understood now why we had not seen any sign of zombies at the other end of the park.  The campers were proving to be such easy and plentiful targets - tents not offering much protection from flesh-hunting corpses - that the zombies had not yet felt the need to wander deeper into the park.

Taking a deep breath, I turned back and tried to examine the situation objectively.  Some campers had already made it to their car and were fleeing the park .  Others had already lost the battle and joined the zombie horde.  The remaining twenty of so campers were clearly outnumbered by the corpses, three to one. I had to acknowledge to myself that I could not help them, as desperately as I wanted to. 

We were going to have to be even more cautious now.  It was going to be difficult to get past the zombies using the shrubbery, not with the next couple of blocks taken up by utility and entertainment features.  Catching Emma and Lucas' eye, I indicated that we were moving and hurried over to the back of the nearby toilet block.  As we pressed our backs against the wall, I whispered, "If we get separated, we meet at the office.  Okay?"  They nodded, eyes wide and scared.  I swallowed hard and forced myself away from the toilet wall. 

Scurrying like a rat, I ran across the small open space to the kitchens.  I waited for the others to join me and then I slowly inched along the kitchen wall until I reached the corner.  Peering around, I saw a group of zombies standing just a few feet away.  I pulled back quickly and indicated to the others to back up.  We slid back the other way until we reached the other corner.  Emma glanced around the edge of the wall for a long moment and then nodded at us.  I followed her as we slipped quietly into the kitchen. 

A body lay between the camp tables.  A closer examination showed it to be a zombie body, to my surprise.  A cleaver lay buried in its head.  Yay, I thought, strike one for the good guys.  I slid to the far doorway and peeked around it.  The laundry beckoned invitingly about fifteen feet away.  Unfortunately, the route was blocked by zombies hunched over a body, gorging themselves on intestines.  The body may have been male, judging from its length, but at this point, there was not much left to say for sure. 

I wondered briefly what to do next - wait it out or push forward.  In truth, I knew it wasn't really a question.  The camp kitchens didn't have doors so there was nothing to keep the zombies out indefinitely.  Lucas and Emma were looking at me questioningly.  I did the universal sign for zombies - two arms held limply out in front of me - while I wracked my mind for an answer.  We needed a distraction, I decided.  The question was, what?

Tales of the Dead Tropics - chapter 17

As we raced down the fenced walkway towards the hall, the zombies rapidly filled in the space behind us.  Urging the stocky little boy to find an extra burst of speed, I kept an anxious eye on the rapidly diminishing gap. I marvelled at how much faster the zombies seemed to move as a pack. It seemed the momentum of many bodies carried them forward as rapidly - and as inexorable - as a lava flow travelling downhill.  I shivered involuntarily as an image of the zombies flowing over me like lava absorbing a rock flashed across my mind.  It had been too close.

On the other side of the lattice fence, zombies dotted the garden that ran the length of the walkway.  They lurched instinctively forward as they spied us.  I veered over to the wall as one reached over the hip-high barrier.  The boy was still sticking close to me with Emma and Lucas bringing up the rear.  As more and more zombies moved to the fence, moaning and pawing at us, we had to slow down to make sure we got past them safely.   Unfortunately, a glance behind me showed, that allowed the zombies behind us to get ever closer.  "Lori..!" Emma called nervously, looking over her shoulder. 

"I know, I know!" Just ahead, the path opened onto a grassy stretch.  The hall was only a short run from there.  We could get the kid to safety and then circle the school back to our vehicle.

Seconds later, I knew that plan was blown to hell as dead-eyed kids stumbled onto the walkway ahead of me. 

"Hell!"  I stopped and looked at the others, feeling my heart pounding in my chest.  Fifty or more zombies already blocked the walkway on our left and now the right side was rapidly filling up.  And in front of us...

"Follow me!" I yelled, stopping to give the boy a hard stare. He gulped and nodded vigorously.  Finding a good-sized space between the zombies lining the fence, I jumped lightly over and immediately beckoned to the boy.  "Come on!"  Terrified but obedient, he hurdled over the lattice awkwardly, falling on his knees.  With the cricket bat, I whacked a zombie that staggered too close as Emma and Lucas joined us.  We could make it, I realised excitedly.  This stretch only had a few zombies.  The majority, thank god, seemed to be stuck in the walkway trying to work out how to reach us! 

Wordlessly, the three of us formed a blockade around the boy and held our cricket bats in readiness as we dodged and weaved our way past the zombies in the garden.  Once past them, it was a clear run to the large hall.  The doors flung open as we neared it, a woman beckoning to us urgently.  I slowed and stepped aside to let the boy pass me. "Go!"  I said, gesturing to the open doors.  Wordlessly, he darted forward into the teacher's waiting arms.    

"I hope you have a Plan B."  Lucas said, trying hard to maintain his composure.  He and Emma were staring in horrified fascination at the mass of bodies heading in our direction. There must have been a hundred at least, pouring out from both ends of the school.  Young and old, they all had a single goal.  Us.  "Yeah." I murmured, tearing my eyes away from the sight of a dead girl in her bloodstained uniform.  So young.  So inhuman.

"What is it?"

"Run."

Options being pretty  limited, we chose to head across the oval.  With all the zombies, it seemed, on our heels, there was nothing stopping us getting to the ambulance that way.  I hoped.

"I wish I'd gone to gym more often." Emma gasped as she jogged beside me.  It was a sentiment I echoed.  I felt completely burned out and yet the adrenaline continued to pump through my body.

"Almost there." I panted.  I could see the copse of trees blocking my view of the ambulance some fifty feet away and felt relief flooding my body.  We were going to make it.  The zombies were falling behind. 

"Look!"  Lucas yelled as he pointed to our left.  Oh no no.  Pouring across the car parks were more zombies, probably from the estate across the road.    I did some quick estimates of the distance to the car.  It was going to be close.  Without another word, I raced for the road, Lucas and Emma close behind.  I sprinted with every last bit of reserved energy in my body, acutely aware of the wall of bodies closing in on my left.

We burst through the trees to the road and the ambulance waiting on the other side.  Except it wasn't.

We stopped, stunned, for precious seconds as we looked at the space that the vehicle had occupied.

"Come on." Lucas tugged my arm until I moved forward again.  He led us across the street and down into the gully that ran the length of the road.  Silently we raced towards a storm drain.  I felt numb.  Where had Roy gone with the children.  Why had he abandoned us?  Did he leave because he felt the kids were in danger?

When we arrived at the storm drain, Lucas grabbed the grate covering it and with a jerk, removed it. The sound brought me back to the present.  As far as I knew, the kids were safe.  Us, on the other hand...

"Looks like you've done this before." Emma murmured suspiciously to her brother.

He glanced at us as he stepped aside with the grate.  "Nah.  Everyone know it's where the smokers hang out."

The lumbering sounds of heavy feet at the top of the gully told us we were out of time.  I clambered into the drain with Emma and we pressed our backs against the curved wall as Lucas climbed in. Quietly, he pulled the grate back into position.

We held our breath as bodies began stumbling and falling into the gully.  Thump!  One fell so close to us that I could see every detail of the raw wound that marred the left side of his head.  The young adult male pushed himself to his knees and then linked his fingers through the grate to pull himself up.  I tensed, sending up an urgent prayer to the gods above for the grate to stay in place.  Emma clutched my hand convulsively.  As he stood up, his face pressed against the grate.  It was dark in the drain but I had no idea if it was dark enough to hide us from the monster.  I stopped breathing as I saw his dark, cold eyes seemingly looking straight at me.  For a long minute, he pressed against the grate before, finally, moving away.

I slowly released the breath I had been holding.  Emma loosened her grip on my hand but I was so terrified of attracting attention that I daren't even turn my head to look at her.

More and more zombies gathered in the gulch.  Soon it was so thick with bodies that they stood shoulder to shoulder- men, women, the elderly and the students.  The air filled with the sound of their moans.

We sat there, unmoving, for an interminable time.  At least it felt like forever, although it turned out to be only about thirty minutes.  The creatures milled, no doubt trying to locate the warm human bodies they knew were here somewhere.  I breathed as shallowly as I could, petrified that they would hear me.  Sometimes they wandered right up to the grate, appearing to be peering inside.  Any second, I expected them to realise we were here and drag us out.  Each time one came near, my heart hammered so violently against my chest, I feared that it was audible.

Finally, the zombies, one by one, shambled off.  The sound of sirens in the distance suggested there were other targets attracting their attention now.  As the last of the zombies disappeared from sight, the drain reverberated with the sound of all three of us taking our first deep breath in half an hour.

Lucas cleared his throat.  "You know, I thought zombies would be a lot more fun than this."

I laughed  as I ran my hand shakily through my hair.   "Stick with us, kid.  We really know how to show you a good time."  I caught Emma's eye and she grinned weakly in response.  The relief of having escaped with our lives was exhilarating.  I doubted any drug could match the natural high we were all feeling at that moment.

For several minutes, we sat quietly in the dark, relishing the feeling of just being alive.  Outside, we could hear ambulances, fire engines and police sirens constantly. They seemed to be coming from all directions.

"I'm guessing the authorities know about the zombies now." I said wryly.

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.