Alternia Comics

For Cian

   The figure ran across the quad, stumbling slightly. Though the space was open, bodies lay on the grass and the stars overhead did little to light his way. He panted heavily with each stride. Every pump of his legs brought him closer to his goal: the Cian Mac Mahon Memorial Library. Eight of them left the dorm four hours ago. Cody, JD, Lauren and Steve went straight for the library. Andy, Maria, Bridget and Jim made their way to the parking lot to get Jim's car.
   The plan was for Cody's team to secure the library, making sure it was a safe place to make a stand and barricade the doors against further infestation. Meanwhile, Andy's team would fetch supplies to enable the group to stay holed up in the library. The stone walls of the old building had taken much over the last hundred and fifty years. Hopefully they'd be able to endure a zombie horde as well.
   That was the plan, anyway. Andy hoped to God Cody's team had fared better than his as he waved the two people following him forward though the courtyard.
* * *
   “Alright, let's get a move on,” Andy barked as they piled in to Jim's car. Jim eased out of the parking space, then flew like a bat out of hell through the lot and on to the road.
   “It's awful quiet out there...” Bridget said, staring in to the darkness between street lights. “What if they're out there ... waiting for us?”
   “Don't worry, Bridge. I'm sure they are,” Maria said matter-of-factly from the back seat. Andy glared at her as Jim pulled the car in to the parking lot of the first store he came to: a Wal-Mart.
   “Oh hell no,” Bridget protested. “Find someplace else. I'm not shopping at Wal-Mart.”
   “Fuck it, Bridge. It's not like we're going to pay for anything we get,” Jim said.
   “Fine. But I'm staying in the car. I haven't been in a Wal-Mart for three years and I don't intend to start now. There's just something ... creepy about it.”
   “Alright, fine. Stay in the car and keep an eye out. Help Jim stay alert,” Andy said as the car pulled up to the front door. He stepped out and turned to the others. “Keep it running, Jim. I may need to get out of here fast.”
   He nodded. “Not like I've got a lot of choice. Doesn't seem to be any parking. I'll keep circling until we see you out here, or you give a signal.”
   “Good man. Maria, you coming?” She nodded and stepped out of the car. “Alright. You two stay safe. If I'm not back in half an hour, get back to the library and stay there. If you see any zombies, give me a call on my cell and we'll come runnin. If I don't answer, or we're not out in five minutes, get the fuck out of here and back to the library.”
   “What if the phones don't work?” Bridget asked.
   “Find a rock and throw it through the window, honk the horn, drive through the goddamn door. Do something to get our attention. Good luck.” He gave a quick salute that Jim returned and the two groups went their separate ways.
* * *
   Andy and Maria ran in and each grabbed a cart. “You handle food. I'll be in Sporting Goods if you need me. Meet back here in 20.”
   Maria paused to consider their surroundings. “Is it just me, or is it really dead in here?”
   “Now isn't the time for jokes.” Andy pondered briefly the feasibility of taking two carts with him.
   “No, I mean, there's no one here. No greeter. No other shoppers. No one at the check stands, but the parking lot was full.”
   “You thinking we might have slim pickings?”
   Before Maria could answer, a gunshot rang out from the Sporting Goods department. “Food! Go!” Andy shouted as he sprinted toward the shot, pushing a cart ahead of him. Maria rolled her eyes and pushed her cart slowly toward the groceries. Another shot rang out, followed by a battle cry in a female voice:
   “NO REFUNDS! NOT TODAY! NOT EVER AGAIN!”
   As he rounded the corner, Andy could see a body laying on the ground. He let the cart hit it as he kept running alone. Someone was in trouble.
   “Back! Stay back!” Each shouted word was punctuated by the report from what Andy could now identify as a 10 Gage shotgun. He turned another corner, following the trail of bodies, and saw her.
   She stood on the counter of the Returns desk, the shotgun in her hands and a baseball bat at her feet.
   “Hold it!” she barked as Andy came in to view. Having no other immediate threats, she leveled her next shot at his chest.
   “I'm a friendly!” he shouted back, stopping in his tracks as he raised his hands above his head.
   “How do I know?”
   “Because I'm talking and running? I don't know about you, but I haven't seen any of them do more than shamble and moan.” He nodded at one of the bodies on the ground.
   She laughed. “Not them. They begged and pleaded for me to let them have one of these,” she gestured with the gun. “But they're mine now. All mine!”
   Andy eyed her critically. She was clearly cracked. He'd seen it before with Sean yesterday. Something in his head snapped and he ran screaming out of the dorm. No one had seen him since. Cody helpfully suggested that some people just weren't mentally equipped to deal with surreality on this level. This girl, however, had taken a different tack. “Look, Diana, it's been a rough couple of days since this this all started.”
   “How'd you know my name?” She narrowed her eyes and cocked the shotgun.
   “Your name tag. I've worked retail myself, and I know how often you just want to strangle the bitchy customers, but that was last week.” He kept his voice even and calm. “Now it's survial. Living versus dead. Human versus Zombie. Us versus Them.” With each comparison he took a step closer to the counter, only three long strides away now, and he was in range to disarm her. She seemed to be relaxing. “I've got some friends. We're goi--”
   She tensed again and fired.

* * *

   “You see anything Bridge?”
   She sighed. “No. Nothing but parked cars.”
   “Yeah...” Jim pulled up to the front door again, having circled the lot three times since Andy and Maria left. “You'd think we'd see more people coming out ... hope there's still something left for Andy to steal.”

* * *
   Andy ducked on reflex, rolling to the left. His hand flew to his hip as he crouched before he remembered his pistol was still at the range, in his weapons locker, next to his M-16. He changed his stance again, remaining crouched with his arms low and to his sides. His eyes never left Diana.
   Her eyes followed the barrel of the shot gun to the walking corpse that had been behind Andy. “Aren't walkin now, are you!” she shouted.
   Andy turned slowly to see the zombie staggering back to its feet. Well, foot. Its right leg below the knee remained on the ground. “You're pretty good with that thing. You want to join me and my friends?”
   “And leave the store? Thanks, but I'll pass.” She jumped down from the counter as Andy stood up. “I've got everything I could want here. Weapons, food, entertainment, beds and a bathroom.”
   “Any other survivors? Someone for human companionship?”
   She cocked her head to the side before scoffing at him. “People suck. This morning, one of them bit me because I wouldn't give him a refund for an empty box!” She held our her forearm, showing him the bandage.
   “That looks pretty nasty. We should get you to a hospital..”
   “Naw. I've got plenty of first aid kits here, and lots of stuff in the pharmacy.”
   “If you say so.” Andy thought to himself, “She'll turn soon. I have to get that gun away from her... I wonder if she'll retain the ability to use it after she turns.”
   For the first time, Andy noticed the music on the store's speakers: a jazz instrumental cover of The Rolling Stones' “Sympathy for the Devil.” He chose to believe it was a coincidence and not that some higher power was doing it on purpose to mess with him. “Look, here's the deal. I need some weapons to defend us. Maybe we can reach some sort of agreement...”
   “How much you got?” she narrowed her eyes.
   “I've only got about a hundred in cash on me. But I've got credit cards too.” He hoped the automated card processing computers were still online.