Elvis Cardona

Dead Reckoning part 1 of 6 chapter 1“ Escape“


 
So there I was, alone, with
nowhere to run and absolutely nothing to use except the crowbar I had found lying
up against the fragmented and ravaged door. It looked like someone was trying
to board it up in a panic. As if they were trying to keep something or someone
from getting in.
Where I was appeared somewhat
familiar to me. It was very callous, obscure and dank and the smell was very stale.
It smelled like death. It was a smell that I will never forget. Like ammonia or
something that sets and you can’t seem to get the smell out of your head. I had
to have been trapped inside of an abandoned building of some sort, but wherever
I was it had to have been close to a landmark, somewhere recognizable. I had lost
track of time and I had no idea what day it was.
 I tried to search for something that I could
use to maybe shed some “light” on my situation. I looked around for a bit, but
keep in mind I was totally in darkness so I couldn’t see shit. I drug my hands
across the walls, in hopes that I would find a light switch.  The texture of the paint felt worn with age. I
could tell the paint had also been torn off in some spots. I finally found a
light switch and turned it on.
The room looked like it had
been abandoned for months. I’d say at least three or more. The windows had all
been boarded up and there was some wood and nails that had been left along with
a timeworn, tarnished hammer. I decided to guise around for some supplies,
things that would come in handy in case I needed them. The only things I
could find were things that were just lying around; an old flashlight that
looked like it maybe had some damage done to it. The bulb inside looked burned
out. It was the kind of flash light that took one of those big, huge batteries.
So I knew for sure it wouldn’t come in handy. For one I had no money and I was
pretty sure with the way things were there would be nothing open. Due to the
fact that it was the end of the world sort of speak.             
I
found an old, torn, tattered sheet that was stained with what looked like dried
blood. I think whoever was here before me must have used it to cover something
up. Maybe a body. Maybe someone they knew. It might have been one of those
things, but whatever or whoever it was, it wasn’t there anymore. There was
however a trace of blood that led to a window. The window wasn’t boarded up, just
left alone.  There was glass shattered
across the floor. Maybe someone was trying to get out in a hurry or maybe that
person was trying to keep something from getting in.  There might’ve been a struggle. There wasn’t
much furniture. A long-standing, ruined chair. An oak dresser missing a couple
of drawers and a really long forgotten television set. The screen was fractured
and smashed. On the oak dresser was a cell phone. You know one of those early flip
phones. I picked it up in hopes that maybe I was able to dial 911 or even maybe
someone I knew that might’ve been still out there. Just my luck I couldn’t dial
out, so making a call for assistance was way out of the question. The only
thing I could do was just wait for a miracle from God. I don’t even know if he
even existed and if there was a God, how could he let something like this
happen? The reality was that I was trapped in some abandoned building and I had
nothing or no one. So I decided to keep looking around to see if I could find
something that I could use.
     After hours of searching and hunting I
came across an old transistor radio. It looked like it had been through a lot
of use. I could tell right off the bat it was somewhat of an antique. I had
hoped that the batteries still had some juice left inside. Just enough to turn
it on in hopes to maybe find out what the hell was going on out there. So I
turned it on and crossed my fingers in hopes that it would work. “Holy shit…it
actually works!” I said to myself. I turned the tuning dial on the side of the
radio until I found a news station. Hopefully it was a local news station but,
for all I, along with the rest of the world, knew was that whatever was going
on had to be pretty wicked.
      The station that I found was local news
station. It was broadcasting that annoying sound that means an emergency
broadcasting system test is in effect.  Then
a man’s voice came on, “…this is not a test, I repeat this is not a test,
anyone who is already in doors I would suggest to stay indoors. Do not attempt
to reach loved ones for any reason.” Why would he be saying something like that
I thought? I continued to listen… “It has been announced to me from another broadcast
that the recently deceased have come to life and are attacking the living…” “Oh
my God!” I thought. What the hell did he mean by that?!  There had to be some kind of explanation,
right?
    And just as soon as he continued with the
report, the batteries died. “Shit!!” Now how was I going to know what was going
on and how was I going to know how far this epidemic had spread. Just then the
power in the building completely died and I was in total darkness. Then I heard
loud banging and what sounded like moaning outside. Those things had reached my
location and were breaking down the door trying to get in.
   I had to do something and quick. Then I
remembered the crowbar I had found earlier and I began to put it to it really
good use as well as to my advantage. I ran for the back door without tripping
over anything and making any loud noises because I had to get out before those
things got to me. I proceeded to try and break the lock off the door, but it
just wouldn’t budge. “God damnit, open you son of a bitch!!” It wouldn’t open.
Suddenly, I turned my head to the noise that got my attention. Those things
were breaking down the front door with the most brute strength. It sounded as
if there were at least ten or twenty of those things. And they were closing in
to seal my doom.
     I couldn’t let that distract me from the
task at hand which was trying to find a way out of this death trap. Then I
remembered the broken window, “If I could only get to the window I could break
rest of the glass and escape…” it was the only chance I had. So I took it. By
that time, those things had finally made their way inside and I was just
seconds away from the window when one of them grabbed me from behind and tried to bite
me. I quickly turned around and when I saw what I saw I was in total shock! It
was a man and he was dead, but still kind of functioning. I shoved him off me
and he was still coming at me. His arms were reaching for me and his mouth was
wide open. His eyes weren’t even there any more, that’s how I knew he was dead.

   He looked pissed and angry when I shoved him
off me and that only made him more aggressive. I got my crowbar ready for when
he came at me again and when he did, I stabbed him directly between the eyes
and straight though his brain. He immediately fell to the floor. “Jesus
Christ!!” I had to get out and I had to get out now. Now they were all inside.
And they were drawn to me like moths to a flame. I made my final attempt to
escape out the window and I finally did. “I can’t believe it… I made it!” I
looked back and those things were moaning and desperately trying to get out so
they could devour me.
    Just as I turned my head to the opposite
direction those things started surrounding me, getting ready to tear me apart.
I couldn’t fight all those things at once so I lay on the ground and just as
they were closing in, a group of refugees came to my rescue… “Dude what the
fuck are you doing, are you fucking crazy?!” “Yeah, get the hell out of
there!!” I got up and ran toward them as the group began to drop those undead
bastards one by one. They had driven up in some kind of bus like vehicle. It
had the words “Dead Reckoning” written on the side with red and black spray
paint. “Dude, are you alright?” one of them asked me. “Yeah, I think so… by the
way, thanks for the rescue.” “Not a problem bro.” “Yeah, like you were almost
their damn dinner!” another one said from a distance. I had no idea who they
were, but I was sure as hell relieved they had showed up out of nowhere.
    “Who are you guys anyway?”, and the one of
them who looked like he might’ve been the oldest of the group said, “We call
ourselves The Zombie Slayers.” “Yeah, there’s only four of us here, but there’s
more of us back at camp.” I asked them what was going on and why had the world
gone to shit. The oldest one, Cody, told me to just get in the vehicle and that
they’d explain everything on the way back to camp. “We’ve got food, shelter,
weapons and fresh water and clothing that is if you want to join us?” “Sure” I
said. Cody handed me one of his IOF .32 revolvers. “You’re going to need this
bro.” “I know Cody.” “By the way what’s your name? Cody asked me. “My name is
Ben.” He looked at me and he told me that I reminded him of his father, Thomas.
I asked him why I did I remind him of his father and he said it was because of
the way my face was shaped. I thought that was pretty odd, but I didn’t tell
him that. “Yo, we ready to bounce or what?!” the second oldest one asked. “I
think so Jeremy.” And so began my journey with The Zombie Slayers, into the
world that once was ours, but that now belonged to the undead.         
                                                           TO BE CONTINUED….
                                   
                                          Dead Reckoning written by: Elvis Cardona
                                              Copyright © 2012 by Elvis Cardona

 
    



hello! this is elvis cardona, author of dead reckoning. this story is about my character, "ben" who is trapped in an abandoned building and he doesn't know what day it is. this story takes place during the zombie apocalypse. what ben does to survive is what any one would do to survive.Authors comment

All rights belong to its author. It was published on e-Stories.org by demand of Elvis Cardona.
Published on e-Stories.org on 01/21/2012.

 
 

Comments of our readers (1)

Show all reader comments!

Your opinion:

Our authors and e-Stories.org would like to hear your opinion! But you should comment the Poem/Story and not insult our authors personally!

Please choose

Previous title Next title

More from this category "Horror" (Short Stories in english)

Other works from Elvis Cardona

Did you like it?
Please have a look at:


Dead Reckoning chapter 2: 130 miles out - Elvis Cardona (Horror)
A Long, Dry Season - William Vaudrain (Life)