Human Extinction Level Loss (Book 1): Nicole's Odyssey

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Authors: Philip A. McClimon
Tags: Zombies
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it more of her father’s words that urged her to focus on the task at hand?  She did not know, but was happy to oblige. 
     
    When they were half way, Nicole tipped her second gas can, careful not to let the empty one fall out and alert the remaining Dead to their presence.  Her breath was ragged and the pain in her arms and chest tore at her, a battle cry to stop and rest.  Ignoring their calls, she quickened her pace.  They went unnoticed by the Dead as they rounded the front corner.  Nicole stared down the home stretch leading to her car.  The GTO was clear, but twenty Dead still milled about the front walls.  Nicole turned and watched the last of the gas leak from the can.  She stopped her cart and reached down for the lighter.  Frantically, she clicked it several times.  Nothing.  Nicole stopped and took a breath. 
    “Relax, Nicole.  You have all the time in the world.  Improvise and Improve,” she reminded herself. 
    Gripping the lighter, she slowly pressed down on the button.  A two-inch flame sprang up.  Nicole leaned back and lit the trail of gas behind her.  The fuel combusted and a line of fire raced away.  Just as she was about to turn around, one of the Dead shuffled across the gas trail and stopped, blocking the flame’s progress.  The fire raced to the Shuffler and lit it up.  A new smell filled the air as fire consumed rotting flesh.  Black smoke rose and stained the sky above as it stumbled.  It could feel no pain and hardly seemed to notice that its body, once ravished by decomposition, was now melting away under the flames.  The inferno did its work as what was left of tendon, muscle, and bone succumbed.  Nicole had hoped that in getting away she could destroy this horde, both for the distraction it would cause and the deadly threat it would eliminate.  The Shuffler stepped away from the gas trail and fell to its knees.  Nicole watched, disappointment nipping at the edges of her emotion.  Just as she gave up hope that she would be able to destroy the horde, the Shuffler fell backward, its flaming hand touched the gas trail, and the stream of fire resumed its course.  Nicole breathed a sigh of relief and then turned.  She saw that Sam had already moved around to the passenger side.  He tossed in his ax handle and climbed inside.  Feeling like her arms were going to snap off, she ignored the pain and began pushing again.  Nicole cursed the agony in her arms and chest.  The Dead felt no such pain, would not stop or slow down because of it.  Fully aflame, the Dead behind her only fell when all ability to move was seared to ash.  As Nicole strained against her own body, she wondered if all her efforts were only prolonging the time until the day came when her strength or will would fail, and she would go down in a gnashing frenzy.  It made her angry and her anger spurred her on.  Maybe there would be such a time, she thought, but it wasn’t going to be this time. 
     
    Nicole approached the GTO, just as Sam opened the driver side door for her.  She quietly rolled out from under the curtain, climbed behind the wheel, and eased her door closed.  Nicole inserted the keys into the ignition and waited.  Sam stared at the store. 
    “It’ll take a couple of hours to work, but when we come back all we need to do is clean up,” Sam said. 
    Nicole stared out through her windshield.  “That’s right, Sam,” she said.  The first explosions came from the rear of the store as the fire met the air over-saturated with insect repellent in Receiving. 
    As soon as she heard the sound, Nicole cranked the engine on the GTO and dropped it in reverse. 
    “What was that?!” Sam exclaimed. 
    “Just hold on, Sam,” Nicole replied as she hit the gas.  The car flew backwards in a cloud of smoke as secondary explosions rocked the store. 
    Nicole cranked the wheel in a whiplash 180 and slammed the GTO into drive.  Tires screamed as she fishtailed out of the parking lot and

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