89.4 Zombie Radio

We walked a block in uncomfortable silence. This wasn't the city I knew. The city I knew was alive, and busy. It was full of life, and lights and the occasional drunken hobo. This was not my city, this is what a city looks like when it dies. I didn't like it one bit. It almost made me want to cry actually. I felt like I had lost someone close to me, and maybe I did. I loved this place, and it was dead. I wish someone was throwing a funeral, maybe I would when this was over.

We kept walking and in the distance we all saw a large group of zombies up ahead. They seemed preoccupied with whatever it was they were doing, or eating for that matter. They looked like a pack of wolves ripping apart a poor deer they had just caught. You could hear them gnawing at the corpse, even from where we were. I guess zombies don't really care much for table manners.

"We have to go around them," Jack instructed. So we turned a corner and started on a detour.

Just as soon as we turned the corner we ran right into someone, or something, it wasn't clear which. He was covered in blood whatever he was. He threw a punch at Jack, who caught it and kicked him onto the ground. Jack lifted the baton he was carrying into the air, preparing to swing away on whatever just attacked him. I looked and was shocked at what I saw, it was the British intern!

"Wait!" I cried out, "I know him!" Jack held back his swing.

"I'm not one of them! Please don't kill me!" he pleaded in his accent.

"Sorry, I couldn't be too careful," Jack explained. "If it hadn't been for her, you might not be alive right now."

"Well then thank you. What exactly is your name and how do we know each other?" he asked getting himself off of the ground. "I'm Carter by the way."

"I'm Jesse, I knew you because you were the cu... I mean the new intern where I was working at," I told him, a little embarrassed that I slipped up.

"Oh, so you worked at the magazine. What did you do there?" he asked, delightfully interested.

"Again, I don't mean to be a dick, but we don't have time guys. Let's go," Jack said. I knew he was right, but I had a hard time accepting it. We started down the next street, and saw another group of zombies in the distance. This horde didn't seem as preoccupied as the last one though, and I could tell they were headed in our direction.

"Oh shit, turn back!" Jack yelled. Just as he did, the horde started charging, there was no way we would be able to hold them off.

"Run for it!" Jack frantically screamed. I knew he didn't have a plan for this, we were just going to have to run and pray they didn't catch us. We all followed Jack, just like always, so far he hadn't been wrong, but you only have to be wrong once to get killed.

We backtracked down every street we had walked so far, in about half the time it took us originally. I was too afraid to look back, I thought if I did, one of them would for sure be right behind me. I was starting to run out of breath, and I could tell everyone else was at their limit too, but I could still hear the roars and screams not far behind. This was not looking good. Curiosity finally got the better of me, and I looked back. I noticed they were starting to gain on us a little bit.

"Run faster Jessie!" I thought to myself. "You have to, its over if you don't! Then you'll never get to talk to the cute British guy!"

I turned back around, and tried my best to keep up with the boys. Nimel was leading the way now. All I could hear was the loud breathing of everyone around me, and then, like it always does, disaster struck. As we turned a corner down a little side street, I tripped and fell flat on my face. I knew I scraped my arms and knees up bad. "No Jessie! Not good!" the voice in my head told me. I looked up and the boys had left me. There wasn't a sign of any of them, anywhere. They ditched me.

I knew the zombies hadn't given up, and I was now first in line to get eaten alive. I looked around for somewhere to hide. It didn't look like there was anywhere to go, that's when I saw it, just two feet in front of me. A big blue dumpster. The old Jessie would never even consider getting into something like this, but this was life or death here. I threw the lid open and climbed in. It was totally disgusting. The heated smell of old garbage was making me gag with every breath. I could hear the zombies coming, and I held my breath. Still trying my best not to throw up.

They were finally right next to me, and I guess they had tired out. The boys finally had gotten away, which didn't help my cause at all, because now they were right next to me. I could hear them growling and groaning outside the dumpster. I exhaled as slow as possible, the smell was the least of my concerns now. I inhaled, and heard more of them pass. There had to be at least, fifty or sixty in this group alone. I gripped the pistol I had and prayed to God. I didn't even know how to use this thing properly, and I didn't really want to know. Shooting Jack's zombie wife earlier was sort of instinct. I heard one stop right outside the dumpster. I couldn't see him, but I could feel something was there. I heard every breath he took and heard him approach me.

I pulled out the gun slowly and aimed at the top of the lid. The zombie let out a roar, and then moved on. I waited about a minute before I started breathing normally again, thanking God with every single breath I took. Now the thought of how bad I had to smell was going through my mind. Just when I meet the British guy, of course I would have to hide in the worst dumpster in town, and reek to high heaven. Then another thought occurred, I didn't even know where they had went. What if something happened to them? I knew I couldn't worry about it, they'd find me, or I'd find them, one way or the other.

I was just about to climb out of the dumpster, when I heard something else approaching. I ducked down and held my breath again. It stopped right outside, and just like that, I started praying again, but then I heard the most relieving whine I'd ever heard. I'd recognize it no matter how muffled it was. Nimel had found me and come to my rescue. I climbed out and gave him the biggest hug I had probably ever given him. He kissed me on the cheek, and my hands, probably because there was mashed potatoes, or whatever it was I was laying in all over them.

"Okay boy, its just me and you again, just like old times. Let's go find these dumb boys and get the heck out of here." Nimel panted in approval. We had always known what the other was thinking. We walked down a little alley. I could still smell myself, and was repulsed by the stench. Nimel didn't seemed phased at all.

"I bet you just think this is hilarious, don't you Nimel?" he barked as if to say "Yes, I do."

I made my way to the end of the alley and stopped to look around. Where would they have run to? I was too busy falling on my face to see where they had went. Maybe if I just stayed in one spot they would find me. Hopefully they followed Nimel when he ran off, and they were on their way right now. That's when I heard it. A feint sound of a child crying in the distance. I started following the noise down the street. It got clearer as I walked, and I found myself right outside of a daycare. "Kiddie Corral" it said on the sign hanging off the door. I opened the door and went in. A bell rang as I entered, and not soon after the crying stopped.

"Hello," I said, hoping for a response. The crying started again, louder this time. I followed it into the next room. I saw a little girl in pigtails, curled up into a ball, and crying her eyes out. Nimel stopped and started growling.

"Its okay little girl, don't cry," I said, trying to calm her.

"You stink," she said. I couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm sorry, its a long story," I told her.

"Where's my mommy? And why's your dog so mean?" she asked me.

"He's a nice puppy I promise, and I don't know where she is, maybe we can find her together, do you want to come with me?" I asked her, slowly making my way toward her.

"Only if we can take my friends," she replied.

"You're friends?" I asked, expecting her to pull out a little teddy bear or something like that.

"Yes, my friends, they're all around you right now," she said, her voice getting deeper. I started backing up and looking around. Nimel started barking, louder than I had ever heard him bark before. Slowly more children started emerging from behind objects in the room. I could tell by the looks on their faces, that they weren't human anymore. The little girl, then stood up and finally looked me in the face. She had a twisted smile, and her eye's were white around the pupil. There was a strange black mark on her forehead, and it looked like it was carved into her skull.

"What are you!?" I shouted, still backing up.

"You don't need to worry about it. You won't be alive long enough for it to matter. Don't worry, we'll make this quick, and we don't discriminate based on foul odor. Oh, and don't worry about my mommy, I already ate her." after her chilling speech, she screamed so loud I felt light headed. The other little zombies started charging at me, so I ran out of the room and slammed the door. I pressed my back to it, in hopes I could keep them in there until I thought of a plan. They started pressing their weight against the door and I could feel the knob turning. I knew I couldn't stop them, Nimel kept barking, I knew he was scared. I gave up on trying to hold the door closed and ran out of the building.

I got outside and frantically looked around for somewhere to run. I didn't have much time, so I just ran across the street and started pulling on doors until one opened. It was a butcher shop, with sausages hanging, and a pig's head displayed in the glass. The sight of it made me want to gag. I hated places like this, but there wasn't any time to discriminate, this place would have to do. I ran into the back and saw a butcher knife stuck to the cutting board on the table, still dripping blood from whatever meat it was used to cut. I picked it up and hid behind the door. Nimel seemed to know the plan, he stayed right next to me, looking and waiting for our pursuers.

It didn't take long before they came storming in after me. One of them came rushing in and I put the butcher knife right through the top of its head. I kicked the zombie down and got ready for the next one. It wasn't long before two more came rushing in. One tripped over the other who I had just killed. Nimel jumped on him and started fighting. I swung the butcher knife and caught the other one in the back of the head. I used the same strategy, and kicked it off the blade. Then, I ran over and took a downward chop at the one Nimel was fighting with. I wasn't going to stop using something that worked, I landed the knife right in the middle of its skull. Two more came in just as I was pulling the knife out of it's head.

Nimel Jumped on the first little girl who came rushing in. I got up and swung horizontally, catching the other little girl right in the side of the head. The knife got stuck, again, this time I just pushed her off. I quickly walked over to Nimel's side and put my foot on the little zombie's chest. It wasn't trying to get me off, it just was trying to bite my leg. I wasn't taking any chances, I chopped down on its neck and decapitated it. I didn't waste any time in trying to find the little punk who set me up. I would make her pay for this. I didn't know zombies could talk, she was the first one I had met. Her face would be forever burned into my mind.

It didn't take long before I found her, staring at me through the shop window. That same twisted smile wrapped around her face. She seen me glare at her, and laughed. I flicked the blood off of the knife and started making my way towards her. She ran off before I could get to her. When I got outside she was gone without a trace. Next time I seen her, she wouldn't be so lucky. I took a moment to catch my breath, and that's when I heard my name in the distance.

"Jessie! Over here!" I didn't hesitate to run in their direction. It was the boys, they had found me, I knew they would.

"What happened? How'd we get separated?" Dean asked.

"Well, I tripped, and you jerks kept running! Thanks a lot by the way," I said, half joking. "I have to tell you what happened though! I got in a fight with a bunch of little kid zombies! One of them could talk! She led me into a trap! It was crazy!"

"I think you're hallucinating," said Dean. "All I've heard them do is scream. Why do you smell like garbage?"

"Does anybody believe me?" I asked. Nobody responded. they looked at me like I was crazy. I probably did look nuts, standing there with a butcher knife and a shirt covered in blood. Still, why would I make something like that up?

"Whatever, you guys are idiots. Let's just go," I said.

"I'm not saying I don't believe you Jess, I'm just saying, I'll believe it when I see it," said Dean.

"By the way stop calling me Jess. My name is Jessica, Jessie is fine, but I hate Jess. Please stop calling me that," I snapped back.

Jack laughed and we started to make our way back down the street. Another situation down, but we were even further back then before. At this rate, we'd be stuck inside the city forever. We had to keep trying though, we couldn't give up. If we did, we were dead. I wasn't going to die like this. I wouldn't die like this. I held my head up and we marched down the street, like soldiers to war.