Creatures Read online

  “What’s good?” Trey asked as he started rummaging through Cassie’s CDs.

  “I think they’re all good,” Cassie replied. “I wouldn’t buy something I thought sucked. Just pick something.”

  He grabbed one and looked at the cover. “Is all your music…I dunno…evil?”

  “It’s just music, dude,” Cassie sighed out. “Just put it in.”

  Trey did, and Cassie cranked up the volume as it started to play. Trey couldn’t much understand the lyrics, but he liked the sound. They passed the state line after another hour, and Cassie pulled into a hotel. They went into the lobby to rent a room.

  “I’ll need your identification, please,” the woman at the desk replied when Cassie handed her the credit card.

  “I’m his daughter,” Cassie told her as she handed the woman her driver’s license. “The creatures got him, and then he got our mother. He wouldn’t mind that we’re using his card. It’s an emergency.”

  The woman looked at the two suspiciously. “I can’t take this.”

  “Oh, come on,” Cassie snapped. “Fine, give it back.”

  The woman handed the identification and credit card back to Cassie. “Honey, are you in some kind of trouble? Is there someone I can call for you?”

  Cassie turned and headed out the door, Trey following.

  “Now what?” Trey asked when they got back in the car.

  “Do you know the PIN number? We can get cash from an ATM,” Cassie suggested.

  “I don’t know it,” Trey replied. “Why would I have his PIN number?”

  Cassie sighed. “I don’t know. He doesn’t have enough cash in his wallet for a room. We have to get money somehow.”

  “We can just sleep in the car,” Trey suggested.

  Cassie nodded. “We’ll find a truck stop to park in. Let’s find some food right now.”

  They went into a McDonald’s and ordered. Cassie swiped the card herself, and the employee handed her the receipt. They took their time eating, silently contemplating what to do next.

  “Where does Uncle Paul live?” Trey asked.

  “Florida,” Cassie replied. “Near Miami.”

  “Duh,” Trey returned. “I mean, do you know how to get to his house?”

  Cassie shook her head no.

  “Can you call him?” Trey questioned.

  “I don’t have his number,” Cassie answered. “Where’s Mom’s phone?”

  “Maybe in her purse?” Trey suggested in the tone of a question.

  They checked Linda’s purse when they returned to the SUV.

  “Fuck!” Cassie shouted. “I bet it was in her…you had it. You were calling 911 with it. What’d you do with it?”

  Trey’s face went somewhat pale. “I must have left it in the floor where I was sitting.”

  “Fuck, Trey!” Cassie snapped. “Why didn’t you get it?”

  Trey shrugged. “I’m sorry.”

  They pulled in at a truck stop a few minutes later and filled up the gas tank, swiping the card at the pump. Cassie then pulled to a far part of the parking lot and shut off the engine. She turned the switch to accessory and found a news station on the radio. The man speaking stated that the chaos was quickly spreading, and the entire state was now being evacuated. He listed off a few places in neighboring states that were offering shelter and assistance to evacuees.

  “Should we go?” Trey asked.

  “I guess,” Cassie decided.

  She hurried into the truck stop for directions and they were soon on their way. It was a community center a few blocks away offering the assistance, and many others had already arrived. Cots were being set up wherever they could fit them, and volunteers were passing out water and crackers. Cassie and Trey were given a cot each near a corner of the large open room, and they sat awake for quite some time. Trey had brought a deck of cards, and they played a few games to pass the time. Cassie snuck the gun inside by placing it in her mother’s purse. She watched everyone with suspicion.

  She was too nervous for both of them to sleep at the same time, so she let Trey sleep first. He slept about five hours, and then let Cassie sleep while he kept watch. It was about 6am before she had her turn at sleep, and Trey hoped the sun would come up soon. There wasn’t much light in the community center, and he was quite nervous in the dark. He woke her up about 9am, as the volunteers were serving breakfast. They stayed at the center through lunch, but shortly after, the creatures started showing up. The volunteers quickly locked the doors and wouldn’t permit anyone to leave.

  “We can’t just stay in here,” Cassie told them. “They won’t go away. More will come.”

  After a half hour of pleading with the volunteers to let her and Trey out, Cassie’s survival instincts kicked in, and she drew the gun on them. A few people screamed.

  “Open the fucking door,” Cassie demanded, too determined to show fear.

  They decided it was best to open it for her. Cassie shot the creatures in the head that blocked the doorway, and she and Trey ran for the SUV. Cassie floored it out of the parking lot, hitting a couple of creatures on their way out. They headed south on the interstate, determined to get to Florida and find their uncle as quickly as possible. As they listened to the radio for updates on the situation, they learned that all chemical plants across the United States recently experienced an unexplained chemical explosion, and the creatures were now emerging from every direction.

  “I think we’re really on our own, Trey,” Cassie concluded. “Florida won’t be free of them either. They’ll be everywhere in two days’ time.

  Over the next few days, they just drove, not giving much thought to direction, as they no longer had a destination. Luckily, their dad made an excellent salary and there was plenty in the bank, for now. Even more fortunate that the card still worked, and some towns were still functioning, although Cassie believed it wouldn’t be for long. They stopped at gas stations and truck stops for food, gas, and to relieve themselves. Cassie wondered how to get the money off the card, and suddenly had an idea.

  “We gotta find a grocery store,” Cassie replied. “This town doesn’t seem to be affected yet, so we can try to find a room here for the night.”

  They finally located a grocery store and purchased canned foods, crackers, bottled water, a can opener, and several boxes of pop-tarts. She sucked in her breath as she swiped the card, chose debit, and typed the year of her dad’s birth. She had been afraid to attempt this with an ATM for fear it may keep the card.

  “It says incorrect pin,” the cashier informed.

  Cassie tried again, selecting the year of her mother’s birth, which was also declined. The cashier informed her she could run the card as credit if she had forgotten her pin. Cassie smiled and tried again. She typed the year her parents were married. This, too, was declined.

  “Sorry,” Cassie replied. “I just got it and can’t remember what it is. Let me try one more, and I’ll run it as credit if it doesn’t work.”

  Cassie held in her breath and entered the two-digit month and two-digit day of her parents’ anniversary. It was accepted! She selected the largest amount back, which was $100, and she and Trey happily carried the groceries to the SUV. They found an ATM and withdrew another $500, which was the daily ATM maximum withdrawal amount. They found a decent-looking hotel and went into the lobby.

  “I need a room with two beds,” Cassie requested of the hotel clerk.

  “I will just need your ID, please,” the clerk replied.

  Cassie handed the woman her driver’s license.

  “Honey, you have to be eighteen to rent a room,” the woman apologetically replied, handing the ID back to Cassie.

  “Look here, the world is going to shit,” Cassie sternly returned, keeping her eyes deadlocked on the woman. “I watched my father turn into one of those creatures, and then attack my mother, and I had to shoot them both. I have more bullets if the need seems to arise, and I have cash, so I suggest you just rent me the damn room.”

 
The woman agreed, took the cash, and gave them each a key to the room. They carried the groceries and bags into the room with them, and Cassie disappeared into the bathroom to shower. When she finally emerged, Trey took his turn at a shower. It was difficult to watch TV, as the breaking news of the creatures covered every station. Efforts to regain control were being promised, but whole cities had been wiped out.

  Cassie ordered some room service for dinner. They smoked cigarettes in the room, found a couple of movies to watch on pay-per-view, and slept soundly for the first time in almost a week. They were awakened by the knocking of the housekeeper.

  “We’ll be out at checkout time,” Cassie called through the door. Turning to Trey, she said, “Better take another shower while you still can.”

  At checkout time, Cassie returned the keys and they were back on the road. They stopped at a diner for a late breakfast. Cassie figured she would buy actual cooked food while she could, and save the canned foods for when the rummaging time came.

  “So are we just going to keep driving forever?” Trey asked as they ate.

  “What do you suppose we do, Trey?” Cassie returned. “There is nowhere to go. We don’t even know if Uncle Paul is still alive. The creatures are everywhere.”

  “We should still try to get to the water. We could take off in Uncle Paul’s boat,” Trey suggested.

  It was the last functioning town they could find. The radio had gone off the air, other than a pre-recorded emergency message on some stations. There seemed to be no electricity as they passed some houses and buildings. It looked quite deserted, and Cassie was glad she had topped off the gas tank before leaving the last town.

  “We need a map,” Cassie sighed. “I don’t even know where we are right now, much less how to get to the ocean.”

  “Can’t you find it on your phone?” Trey asked.

  Cassie shook her head no. “There’s no connection. We need to find a gas station.”

  “There’s a gas station up ahead,” Trey spotted a few minutes later.

  Cassie pulled in front of the doors and cautiously got out of the SUV. A couple of cars were in the parking lot, but Cassie couldn’t see any sign of life anywhere as she peeked in the store. Her heart pounded, and she walked slowly into the dark convenient store. She spotted maps on the counter and grabbed one. She decided to stock up. She grabbed some canned foods, toilet paper, drinks, snacks, and every pack of cigarettes visible to her. She packed the large paper bags as full as she could get them, and Trey helped her carry them out to the car.

  “Maybe this won’t be so hard after all,” Cassie grinned as she closed the back hatch.

  “GWAAHH!!” A creature was there beside them, and both screamed. Cassie shoved the creature away with every ounce of strength she had and they both jumped in the truck. The creature was back against the SUV, attempting to reach them by ramming its head into the driver side window. Cassie cranked the engine, threw it in drive, and pushed the pedal to the floor. The tires peeled against the pavement, caught traction, and bolted forward, knocking the creature to the ground.

  “Fuck, that scared the shit out of me,” Cassie exhaled, her adrenaline still pumping.

  Trey lit them both a cigarette and handed one to Cassie, who took a long drag and sighed out with relief. Cassie’s mind raced. She expected all the towns would eventually be wiped out, but she didn’t expect it to be so soon. She prayed they come upon another functioning town, or at least one with gasoline cans sitting by the road. Once the gas emptied, the SUV would be useless to them. She decided against bringing this to Trey’s attention. When they reached a main highway, Cassie pulled over and yanked out the map. She looked at the road sign to determine what highway she was on, and searched the map carefully.

  “So, I think we’re in Huntsville, Arkansas,” Cassie told Trey.

  “Maybe we could just go back to Nebraska,” Trey replied. “Maybe it’s just kind of dead there now, and we could lock the doors and have our own beds.”

  “Trey, we don’t have…” she hesitated for a moment. “I’m not driving back to Nebraska.”

  “Then where are we driving to, Cass?” Trey demanded.

  “I like your water idea,” Cassie replied. “Zombies can’t swim.”

  “Maybe we can take the boat to Europe,” Trey further suggested, half-joking.

  “Yeah, I can see us trying to cruise over to Europe. That should only take a few months, maybe years,” Cassie returned sarcastically.

  “Well, what’s the plan? Are we just going to snatch his boat and float around in the ocean?” Trey returned.

  “I don’t know the fucking plan, Trey!” Cassie yelled. “I’m tired of driving aimlessly around, too, with nowhere to go! In case you haven’t noticed, the entire United States is a shit hole with fucking cannibal creatures lurking around every fucking corner! Maybe it’s the whole world, I don’t know! Do you see planes or anything from other countries over here looking for survivors? No, I sure as hell don’t! Our goal at the moment, Trey, is survival! That’s the plan!”

  “Suicide would be better,” he calmly returned.

  Cassie sighed and took a moment to calm her anger. “Look, Trey, I know this sucks, but it’s not just us. There has to be others out there. We just have to keep going, and one day we’ll find a safe place to start over. We are all we have left, just me and you, and we can do this. We have to be strong and stick together.”

  They were still in Arkansas when the SUV ran out of gas. They were just outside of Little Rock. Cassie panicked just a little. She was afraid of entering a large city without a vehicle.

  “We can find another car that has gas in it,” Trey suggested.

  “Well, other than gas, we need keys to make a car start,” Cassie snapped. “We’ll have to walk.”

  They were in a shopping center parking lot, and Cassie was relieved to see a sporting goods store in the center. She hoped Arkansas was a pro-gun state. She still had a few rounds left, but knew she should stock up.

  “Let’s go in there,” Cassie told him. “We can get camping bags to carry our stuff, and hopefully some guns and ammo.”

  Once inside, they moved cautiously and quietly through the store. Suddenly, they heard the familiar moaning and grunting noise of the creatures. They froze, squinting to see in the darkened store. The creature emerged from behind and grabbed hold of Trey. The boy screamed and tried to fight off the decaying human form. Cassie quickly shot it in the head, and turned to face three more. She took aim and fired a shot at each one, nailing all three in the head.

  “I’m glad you’re a good shot,” Trey replied.

  “Well, we better find more, and fast. I’m out of ammo,” Cassie returned.

  They hurried over to a gun case. Trey picked up the computer monitor on the counter, ripped the wires from it, and threw it as hard as he could at the locked glass case. The glass shattered, and Cassie grabbed four pistols from the case. She gave two to Trey, and then she busted out the glass from the rifle case and grabbed two rifles. She showed Trey quickly how to load the magazines and put them in the guns. Luckily, he caught on fast with things like that, just as Cassie had. In the camping section, they came upon two mostly eaten bodies in the aisle.

  “Ew,” Cassie said, stepping over the remains.

  Trey locked his eyes on them, and then suddenly vomited all over the floor. Cassie looked at him, a little surprised.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” he returned, spitting the putrid liquid from his mouth.

  “Just try not to focus on it,” she advised. “Here, we need these backpacks. We’ll take a couple of these sleeping bags, too.”

  “We should get flashlights,” Trey told her. “And batteries.”

  They made it back to the SUV and loaded up the bags with food, water, ammo, some clothes, and the sleeping bags. She crammed the cigarettes in the bags, too.

  “We definitely will want those,” she replied. “It’s the only stress relief we got.”
/>   With that, they started their hike. At first, they followed the road, but as they entered Little Rock, there was a pile up of cars and creatures everywhere. They caught the creatures’ attention almost immediately.

  “Cassie, that’s a lot,” Trey stated, fear in his voice.

  Cassie looked around quickly, spotting a fire escape ladder on a nearby building. She pointed to it. “See the ladder? Run.”

  They took off toward it, their pistols in hand, shooting any that came in arm’s reach as they made their way to the building. They climbed the ladder quickly until they reached a platform about four stories up. Cassie looked in the window to see that it was an apartment. She beat on the window first. With no response, Cassie fired a shot through it, which shattered the glass, and the two climbed inside. Cassie could hear something once they were inside. She followed the sound with her gun drawn.

  “Aaaahhh!” a woman screamed, startling Cassie as well. “Don’t shoot! I’m not a creature! Please!”

  “Ssshh,” Cassie returned, lowering her weapon. “Are you hurt?”

  “No,” the woman returned. It was obvious she had been crying. “I took apart every piece of wood furniture and nailed the door shut. I’m nearly out of food, I can’t help you.”

  “It’s okay,” Cassie returned. “We have our own food. We were just trying to get away from them. The creatures are everywhere out there.”

  “I know,” the woman replied, sniffling. “That’s why I boarded up the door. They’ve tried to get in.”

  “You should come with us,” Cassie told her.

  She shook her head frantically. “No, I’m not going out there.”

  “Right, sit here and starve to death. That’s much better,” Cassie returned with sarcasm. “Do you have a car?”

  “Yeah, in the garage,” the woman replied.

  “Well, we need it,” Cassie demanded. “You can come with us if you choose. If you don’t, you’re going to die from starvation and you won’t need the car anyway, so give me the keys.”