Deaders Read online

  Deaders

  Steven Bynum

  Text Copyright © Steven Bynum

  All Rights Reserved

  This is a work of fiction. All of the names, characters, places, and incidents portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATIONS

  To my family, as they are

  what is most important

  in life.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I would like to thank ATZ Publications for working on my novel, Deaders. Their expertise is greatly appreciated. It was a real joy working with Danielle Pascale and Jeffrey Clare throughout the process. I not only consider them to be the best team around, but I also consider them to be good friends.

  To my other friends that have given me support, thank you, Steven’s People: Mike Evans, Ramona Martine, Lisa Marie Williams, Sara Anne Jones, Shannon Walters, Lana Sibley, Lori Fontanez, Laurie Lane Mault, Anna Dolhancryk, Julie McCabe Greig, Rebecca Parker, David Reuben Aslin, and Giles Batchelor.

  A heartfelt thank you to all the readers. It is for you that I write. I hope my stories provide you with entertainment and enjoyment in your lives.

  Most importantly, I want to thank my family. Without your faith in me, I would not be writing. Without your support, I would not have the will to strive toward my dreams. I love you more than anything.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  Twenty-Two

  Twenty-Three

  Twenty-Four

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Zombie Alive Radio - November 7, 2014 - 8:00 PM

  Suzie: Hello everyone and welcome to another wonderful Friday night with Zombie Alive Radio. We are live. I’m you’re host, Suzie Tulips along with co-host Paul Terrance, Engineer Alice Parkins, Zombie Rebecca Parker, and Zombie Expert Fred Miller. Say hello Paul.

  Paul: Hello

  Suzie: Say hello, Alice.

  Alice: Hello hello

  Suzie: Say hello Rebecca.

  Rebecca: Hello everyone. I’m hungry for some brains.

  Suzie: Say hello Fred.

  Fred: Hey folks.

  Suzie: We have a great show lined up for you tonight. For our first hour, we’ll be talking with Dr. Trevor Atkinson from the Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. I’m so excited. I can’t believe he actually agreed to call in and be on the show for us. Hopefully, he’ll be able to answer some questions we’ve all been wondering about.

  I don’t know if you all have been keeping up with the news, but there’s some freaky stuff going on out there. There’s actually reports going around about a few people contracting some kind of disease, dying, and coming back to life. Have you heard about that Paul?

  Paul: Yeah, I heard about it and it has me freaked out.

  Rebecca: Scary as Hell I tell you that.

  Alice: Yeah, yeah, really frightening.

  Suzie: You’re stocking up, Alice?

  Alice: Yes indeed, I sure am.

  Fred: Yeah, I know it’s all making me wonder.

  Suzie: Well, let’s hit Dr. Atkinson with some to-the-point questions when he gets on in a few minutes. I know I’d like to find out what the Hell is going on. Let’s have a quick music break while we wait.

  (Music)

  Suzie: Ok, we’re back live on Zombie Alive radio. I’m your host, Suzie Tulips. We have our first guest, Colonel Trevor Atkinson, Chief of the Medical Corps, from the Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. He’s going to answer some questions for us about these reports of the walking dead. Hello, Dr. Atkinson, are you with us?

  Dr. Atkinson: I’m here, Suzie, thank you for having me on.

  Suzie: Thank you for coming on, Dr. Atkinson. Let’s jump right to the question we all want to ask you. Are there people rising from the dead?

  Dr. Atkinson: Ha ha … well, Suzie, I’ve heard the reports over the past few weeks. I can tell you this; I have seen no proof of any kind that some type of disease is killing people and reanimating their bodies. You know how people like to spread conspiracy theories and such.

  Can you even imagine a dead body coming back to life and walking around. That’s the stuff of fantasy, it’s not grounded in scientific fact at all. I’ve been in the medical field for a long time. I have never seen it happen and I’m sure I never will. It’s just preposterous.

  Suzie: So, you’re saying no one has died or no one has risen from the dead? Just to be sure.

  Dr. Atkinson: There have been a few mysterious deaths, but no one has come back to life. I am personally on my way to Fort Detrick to oversee research on what killed these people. My team and I will certainly get to the bottom of this quick and fast. There’s no need to worry, the United States Medical Corps has the very best and brightest working for them.

  Suzie: Well, doctor, with all do respect, what about the firsthand accounts? There was one report, let’s see, from a woman, her husband fell ill with all these different kinds of symptoms and she said he died. She called 911 and after the paramedics arrived, they checked for vital signs and the man had none. He was pronounced dead at the scene. She said when they were carrying away his body, he woke up and started attacking everyone.

  Dr. Atkinson: Yes, I read that report. I am not going to call anyone incompetent or anything, but this type of thing has happened before. The person’s vitals were so low at the time, they appeared deceased. Their condition is then misdiagnosed. Sometimes the vitals will jump back up and they wake up. Having a high fever and probably some brain damage, they go hysterical and have to be subdued. It’s not common, but it does happen. Heck, I’ve seen stuff in my military career that would make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Of course, I can’t talk about it, but I can tell you this, it was all natural. Every bit of it was eventually explained away by scientific truth.

  Suzie, your listeners and everyone need to make sure not to start panicking about rumors not based on proper evidence. That’s the number one danger right now. If fear gets out of control it could lead to mass hysteria. You’ll then have riots and all kinds of stuff break out. People would be rushing to get supplies and such. It would be a dangerous situation.

  The best thing right now is to go about your normal life. Go to work, play with your kids, enjoy yourselves. Keep the news on so that you can remain informed. I’m sure this will all blow over soon. Then , the media will move on to something else like an alien invasion or something.

  Listen and understand, there are no zombies. People are not returning from the dead. There will never be real zombies. They are fictitious characters for books and movies. Suzie, you and your listeners do NOT have to worry about the undead. There … are … no … zombies.

  Suzie: And there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Dr. Trevor Atkinson, Chief of the Medical Corps letting you know there’s nothing to worry about. Thank you doctor for being on the show.

  Dr. Atkinson: My pleasure.

  Suzie: In the meantime, everyone, stay smart and stay safe. Go about your normal lives. Thank you listeners for spending this time with us. Looking forward to you being with us again next time. This is Zombie Alive Radio, signing off. Good night
and God bless.

  One

  Clump…clump…clump…clump…the zombie slowly walked across the floor. Jacob, Mary, and their teenage daughter, Sheila, were huddled in the cellar below. They were terrified. It had been a few days since the Emergency Broadcast System blared on the television, telling everyone to remain calm and stay in their homes. Like good citizens, they listened, and did what the message had said. Two days ago they had seen the first zombies strolling by their home. It was all so surreal and unimaginable. None had ever tried to get inside until now. This one was different somehow. As if it had a slight intelligence, it had smashed through a window and was now searching their home for something to eat. They wondered if it knew they were there, hiding.

  Clump…clump…with every step, Sheila became more and more frightened. She had begun to whimper, and Mary was doing everything possible to keep her quiet. Jacob was searching for a weapon. If it came down to it, he would defend his family with his life. He was becoming a bit frustrated. He had not found anything yet that he considered suitable for a weapon. Certainly there must be something down here. The darkness made the search even more difficult. At long last, his hand scraped across a claw hammer. It would have to do. Taking it, he moved to the bottom of the stairs, waiting.

  Mary caressed her daughter’s hair and kissed her on the forehead.

  “Everything will be okay, sweetie; daddy will take care of us,” she whispered. “It can’t get down here. You’ll see. We’re safe.”

  Clump…clump…the zombie stopped just on the other side of the cellar door. A long scraping sound echoed down the stairs as it slid its fingernails across the wooden surface. It scratched at the door, moaning. Jacob and Mary were getting nervous, and Sheila started trembling in her mother’s arms. She began whimpering again, and Mary placed her hand over her daughter’s mouth.

  “Shhh,” Mary whispered. “If you don’t be quiet, it will hear us. You need to control yourself, sweetheart.”

  The scratching stopped abruptly, causing a heavy silence to wash over them. Their minds raced, wondering what was going on. What’s it doing? Did it leave? There they waited, frozen in place, not wanting to make a sound. Their hearts pounded. The beating seemed so loud, they wondered if it could hear the thumping in their chests. They took shallow breaths as they watched the cellar door with wide eyes. Jacob’s muscles tensed as he gripped the claw hammer tightly. He held it up at the ready.

  Rap…the zombie hit the door with a fist, causing Sheila to scream aloud. The zombie snarled at the sound, and began pounding on the door. It knew there was food on the other side of the door, and it would not stop until it got in. Mary could not muffle Sheila’s screams. She had become hysterical with fear. Jacob took a quick look in their direction, and moved slightly closer to the door. He prepared to defend his family with all his might.

  “I’m not sure the door will hold,” Jacob shouted. “Get back as far as you can. We can’t get trapped in here. If it gets through, I’ll make an opening and the two of you run for it!”

  “We will not leave you behind,” Mary sobbed. Sheila was crying as well, as she held on to her mother’s hand.

  Pounding…the zombie was trying to punch its way through the door. Jacob knew it wouldn’t be long before the latch gave way. What am I going to do? He placed his back to the door in an attempt to brace it from opening. The punches from the zombie were strong and jarring. Even if he was able to keep the door shut, the wood was beginning to weaken. One way or another, the zombie would get through and devour their flesh while they are still alive.

  Smack…the zombie rammed the door, causing the latch to give way. Jacob was nearly knocked down the stairs, but he kept his footing, and slammed the door back shut. Bracing even harder with his arms and legs, he was able to keep the door closed as the zombie continued its assault. It was a tiring struggle, and he would surely lose before it gave up. He was already getting winded.

  “I won’t be able to hold it much longer,” Jacob shouted. “Get ready to run when I make my move! Please, for the love of God! You have to escape and live!”

  “Jacob, no, please,” Mary screamed. She began to cry even more, as she dragged Sheila to the bottom of the stairs. “We love you Jacob!”

  “I love both of you so much,” Jacob shouted. “Get ready!”

  “No, no, no,” Sheila was screaming.

  Jacob let the door swing open, and bull-rushed whatever was standing there. The zombie was off-balance and easily toppled over with Jacob on top of it. It tried to bite him, but he managed to dodge the attack. With all his strength, he brought the claw hammer down. It struck the zombie between the eyes, but only cracked the skull. Jacob had time for one more swing. This time, with the clawed end of the hammer. The zombie’s skull split open, sending blood splattering across the floor. An eerie white mist spewed out of the open skull and dissipated into the air. Jacob didn’t notice. Mary and Sheila ran past him, attempting to figure out where to go next.

  Both screamed at the same time when they noticed another zombie trying to make its way through the smashed window. It was having a difficult time. Its left arm had been eaten away and was useless. Its right arm was outstretched, reaching for them. No matter how hard it tried, it just couldn’t get the lower half of its body through the window. It snarled as it struggled relentlessly. Mary and Sheila both ran back to find Jacob, who was running to find them.

  Jacob saw the struggling zombie and immediately ran over, bashing it in the head over and over with his hammer. Fear, anger, and adrenaline fueled his attack. He didn’t stop until its head cracked open, and its brains spilled out onto the floor. The same white mist spewed from its open skull. Jacob saw the mist, but figured it was a type of liquid squirting from the brain matter. Sheila gagged at the gruesome display, while Mary turned her head for a moment to compose herself. Jacob could see several more zombies heading toward the broken window.

  “Come on, help me with this,” Jacob shouted.

  He ran over and began shoving the old cupboard his grandfather had given him a few years ago towards the window. It was made of oak, which caused it to be very heavy. Jacob pushed with all his might, but the cupboard was inching along. Eventually, Mary and Sheila realized what he was doing and joined in. The three managed to get the window covered halfway before the next zombie arrived. Moaning, it tried desperately to get through. Its body blocked any more effort to finish covering the window with the cupboard.

  Jacob refused to have his barrier compromised. He grabbed his claw hammer and with a shout of anguish, dispatched the zombie. He noticed the white mist spew from the skull, but refused to give it any more thought. Shoving the body out of the way, they finished what they started. Pushing together with all their strength, the cupboard slid, covering the entire window completely. Not a moment too soon, because another zombie slammed against it. The cupboard moved slightly, but held.

  Satisfied for the moment, Jacob and Mary calmed down slightly. Instead of running around frantic, they began taking their time to make observations and formulate a plan of escape. Sheila clung to her mother and continued crying.

  “Ok look. We’re going to have to get to the car and get the hell out of here,” Jacob whispered. “We can’t stay here any longer. Our home is no longer safe. Keep your voice down and maybe those bastards won’t try to get in here for the time being.”

  “Where will we go with all those things out there,” Mary whispered, her voice cracking slightly. “If we go out there they’ll get us.”

  “Honey, they’ll get us if we stay here. We just need to get to the car and get out of here. We can decide where to go later. We have to do this. Sooner or later they’ll smash through the other windows or the door. There’s nothing else to do.”

  Sheila began sobbing. “I don’t wanna die.”

  Mary pulled her close, and kissed her on top of the head.

  “Shh, sweetie, shh. Daddy will protect us. Don’t worry. Everything will be ok, you’ll see.”

 
; Jacob hugged both of them together for nearly a minute it seemed. He almost began crying himself, but only allowed one tear to fall. He needed to be strong right now for his family.

  “Stay here,” he whispered.

  He handed Mary the claw hammer. At first, she would not take it, and had a questioning look on her face.

  “I’m going to get the crowbar. You keep that in case you need it.”

  She took the hammer from him and held it close. She never noticed the blood dripping from it onto her blouse. She watched Jacob with frightened eyes as he made his way back to the cellar. She kissed Sheila on top of her head and began looking systematically window to window. She prayed zombies did not try to smash through them. Mary really did not want to get all that close to one, much less fight one with a hammer. She had never harmed anything in her life. However, she would do whatever was necessary to protect her family.

  Jacob slinked his way back to the cellar door. The zombie had torn it up fairly well. Before going down the stairs, he paused and looked back at his wife and daughter. They were fine for the moment, and no zombies were inside the house. Clicking on the light switch, he hurried down the stairs. There were no windows in their cellar, so he figured it was ok to have the light on. He wanted to find that crowbar as fast as he could anyway. It was hanging on the wall in all its glory. Forty-eight inches of pure metal, with a rocker head and double clawed. He had never used it. One day, he and his wife were in the hardware store, and he saw it. It had called to him, and he wanted it. Perhaps it was just one of those man things, because at the time he really wasn’t sure what he would use it for. Now, he was sure. He’d use it to protect his family.

  “Ok, I’m back,” Jacob whispered.

  There was really no need for him to tell them, since they had watched him come up from the cellar and slink over to them. It was just one of those reassuring things that he felt he needed to do. Mary and Sheila looked like they were more at ease after he said it. Perhaps it was all in his mind, he wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter. He felt better after saying it. If he lost them, life would be meaningless.