position, but pain exploded into his shoulder. He cried out while returning to his original posture.
“Don't try to move,” the driver said. “Keep your head down.”
Josh couldn't see out of the window. He tried to peek, but the slightest movement sent waves of anguish throughout the upper half of his body. “What's going out there?” he asked. Inhuman sounds coming from outside of the car pricked the hairs on his neck. Beneath the bestial groans was a woman's final cry for help. A man followed shortly after, protesting his own demise. “Hey, what's going—”
“Sssh,” the driver said. “Be quiet.”
Josh grumbled, “Dude, did you hit me?”
“Yes,” the driver said. “You came out of the woods. Fast. Couldn't stop.”
Under normal circumstances, Josh would've berated the unkempt man. Threatened him. Possibly instigated a fight. He definitely would have cursed the guy out, called him an asshole and told him he should have watched where the fuck he was going, even if it was his own damn fault for running out in the middle of the road. But these were not normal circumstances.
Josh sighed heavily. “Don't worry about it. I should've looked before I ran out.” He shook his head. “Stupid,” he muttered silently. “I'm Josh, by the way. Josh Emberson.”
“ Ben Ackerman.”
“ Nice to meet you, Ben—”
“ Shit!” Ben yelled, and cut the wheel hard.
The car spun three times, finally coming to a screeching halt. Bodies of the dead filled the windows. Josh cowered, shrinking in his seat, watching the faces of the living dead appear around them. Bloody spittle flew from their mouths as they pounded on the glass, trying to smash their way in. They gnashed their ravenous teeth together, the life in their eyes stolen by mindless hunger. Josh studied their faces, void of human attributes. They were monsters, nothing more, nothing less.
Ben pressed the pedal to the floor and cut the wheel, shaking off a few zombies, but not enough. He could barely see beyond the windshield. He glanced back in his rear-view mirror and saw nothing but open road. He slammed on the brakes, dislodging a few more. Josh saw them tumble awkwardly to the pavement. As Ben spun the wheel, Josh clung onto the “oh-shit bar” tightly. The Hyundai one-eightied in the middle of the road, and Ben sped off in reverse.
“ What are you doing?” Josh asked.
“ I can see better like this.”
Josh glared at the dead folk crowding the front windshield. He closed his eyes, wishing he never left his bed that morning.
Ben cut the wheel once again, without warning. The remaining stragglers lost their grip, were tossed to the road like garbage. Ben stomped on the gas pedal. The car zipped down the street, free from the departed.
B en pulled over on the empty highway, taking in deep breaths of air. Signs of tears appeared in the corners of his eyes. Josh was certain he wouldn't be able to hold them much longer. The levee would break momentarily.
“ You okay, man?” Josh asked.
Ben shook his head.
“It's okay if you cry, man. I won't think you're a pussy or anything.”
Ben chuckled softly. Josh was glad he had kept some humor under grim circumstances. He suspected Ben was the laid-back type, someone who didn't get angry very often.
The vague grin on Ben's face quickly retired. His eyes leaked down his cheeks.
“ We were in my parents' neighborhood. I thought that...” Ben trailed off.
“ What happened?”
“ They're everywhere, Josh. I mean, everywhere . Major highways are flooded with them. Suburban developments are overrun. I don't want to even think about the cities.”
“ I'm sorry about your parents,” Josh said. He thought about mentioning how he watched his mother become torn apart like wet tissue paper, but decided against it. It was Ben's time to mourn, and he respected that. Besides, reality had yet to hit him. With the exception of his broken arm, he felt fine, unaffected by the day's events. Am I that
“Don't try to move,” the driver said. “Keep your head down.”
Josh couldn't see out of the window. He tried to peek, but the slightest movement sent waves of anguish throughout the upper half of his body. “What's going out there?” he asked. Inhuman sounds coming from outside of the car pricked the hairs on his neck. Beneath the bestial groans was a woman's final cry for help. A man followed shortly after, protesting his own demise. “Hey, what's going—”
“Sssh,” the driver said. “Be quiet.”
Josh grumbled, “Dude, did you hit me?”
“Yes,” the driver said. “You came out of the woods. Fast. Couldn't stop.”
Under normal circumstances, Josh would've berated the unkempt man. Threatened him. Possibly instigated a fight. He definitely would have cursed the guy out, called him an asshole and told him he should have watched where the fuck he was going, even if it was his own damn fault for running out in the middle of the road. But these were not normal circumstances.
Josh sighed heavily. “Don't worry about it. I should've looked before I ran out.” He shook his head. “Stupid,” he muttered silently. “I'm Josh, by the way. Josh Emberson.”
“ Ben Ackerman.”
“ Nice to meet you, Ben—”
“ Shit!” Ben yelled, and cut the wheel hard.
The car spun three times, finally coming to a screeching halt. Bodies of the dead filled the windows. Josh cowered, shrinking in his seat, watching the faces of the living dead appear around them. Bloody spittle flew from their mouths as they pounded on the glass, trying to smash their way in. They gnashed their ravenous teeth together, the life in their eyes stolen by mindless hunger. Josh studied their faces, void of human attributes. They were monsters, nothing more, nothing less.
Ben pressed the pedal to the floor and cut the wheel, shaking off a few zombies, but not enough. He could barely see beyond the windshield. He glanced back in his rear-view mirror and saw nothing but open road. He slammed on the brakes, dislodging a few more. Josh saw them tumble awkwardly to the pavement. As Ben spun the wheel, Josh clung onto the “oh-shit bar” tightly. The Hyundai one-eightied in the middle of the road, and Ben sped off in reverse.
“ What are you doing?” Josh asked.
“ I can see better like this.”
Josh glared at the dead folk crowding the front windshield. He closed his eyes, wishing he never left his bed that morning.
Ben cut the wheel once again, without warning. The remaining stragglers lost their grip, were tossed to the road like garbage. Ben stomped on the gas pedal. The car zipped down the street, free from the departed.
B en pulled over on the empty highway, taking in deep breaths of air. Signs of tears appeared in the corners of his eyes. Josh was certain he wouldn't be able to hold them much longer. The levee would break momentarily.
“ You okay, man?” Josh asked.
Ben shook his head.
“It's okay if you cry, man. I won't think you're a pussy or anything.”
Ben chuckled softly. Josh was glad he had kept some humor under grim circumstances. He suspected Ben was the laid-back type, someone who didn't get angry very often.
The vague grin on Ben's face quickly retired. His eyes leaked down his cheeks.
“ We were in my parents' neighborhood. I thought that...” Ben trailed off.
“ What happened?”
“ They're everywhere, Josh. I mean, everywhere . Major highways are flooded with them. Suburban developments are overrun. I don't want to even think about the cities.”
“ I'm sorry about your parents,” Josh said. He thought about mentioning how he watched his mother become torn apart like wet tissue paper, but decided against it. It was Ben's time to mourn, and he respected that. Besides, reality had yet to hit him. With the exception of his broken arm, he felt fine, unaffected by the day's events. Am I that
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