Roads Less Traveled by C. Dulaney Page A

There was a mass of zombies, all milling around and bumping into one another. Just before they were out of sight Ben noticed their eyes turning towards him. There were at least a hundred of them, and Ben prayed they’d have their business finished at Pete’s and be long gone before the swarm caught up with them.
    This new street seemed to be quiet and free of the undead. Mike moaned again and Ben realized he had forgotten about the guy. He risked a quick glance and saw that Mike was now sweating profusely. His skin was shiny and pasty, and there was spit running down his chin. He was also starting to smell. Ben jerked his eyes away and focused on Jake’s brake lights. He felt the thump-thump before realizing he had hit something.
    “Shit!” he shouted and slammed on the brakes. Ben looked all around and saw nothing. Just as Jake started yelling at him over the radio, he looked up at the rear-view. A little girl lay in the road, her arms flopping and one leg kicking slowly and clumsily.
    “Ben, goddammit!!” Jake was screaming. Ben thought about picking up the mic and answering him, but he was too shocked. He had just hit a little girl. He threw the truck in park and almost fell out the door. He didn’t notice Jake had stopped as well and was running back towards him.
    “Ben! Ben!” Jake was still screaming as he ran. Ben stumbled over to the little girl and kneeled beside her. She stared up at the sky with vacant eyes. Her mouth hung open and half her face was covered with blood. Her arms continued to flop, each thrash causing gray matter to ooze from her hair. One leg was twisted and bent at an unnatural angle while the other kicked lazily.
    “Oh no, no, no, no,” Ben began to whisper. His hands shook as he tried wiping the blood from the girl’s eyes. She didn’t flinch or give any other indication that she felt him brushing her hair away from her face. Ben’s shoulders began to move up and down as hoarse sobs crept out of his chest. He didn’t hear Jake slide to a stop beside him, and didn’t feel Jake as he grabbed his shoulders and shook him roughly.
    “Come on! Ben, we have to go! We don’t have time!” Jake screamed in Ben’s ear. He looked at the girl, but all he saw was a deadhead dressed up in a pink jumpsuit with half her face eaten off. He gripped Ben’s shirt and pulled him away, jerking him back on his ass. Ben threw his hands up to push Jake off, then got a hard slap in the face. Jake grabbed him by the collar and pulled him on his feet, standing nose to nose with him and breathing right in Ben’s face.
    “That kid’s dead, man! She’s a fuckin’ deadhead! Now let’s go!” Tiny sprinkles of spit sprayed Ben in the face as Jake screamed. Ben shook his head violently.
    “No, no I killed her! I ran over her!” he cried back. He tried to shake free of Jake, who was starting to drag him back to the truck. Jake cuffed him again across the cheek and spun him around, forcing him to face the thing lying in the street.
    “Look at her! Goddammit Ben, look at her! She’s already stopped floppin’ around cause you cracked her skull open! And while you’re at it take a look down there!” he yelled as he pointed down the way they came.
    The horde was now turning the corner and beginning to lumber slowly towards them. Ben stared at the little girl, then at the mass of zombies approaching. He wasn’t sure if it was the swarm, or if it had been Jake’s repeated hits, but whichever it was finally spurred him into action. He turned and ran alongside Jake to the truck, grabbed the door handle and was about to jump inside when he realized Mike was dead.
    “Shhiiiiit…” Ben swore and grabbed Jake by the arm. He cussed in return, then shook his head and took off towards the Jeep. Ben climbed inside and hoped the seatbelt and sleeping bag would restrain Mike until after this current mess was over.
    He struggled to regain his composure and was just able to pull the truck into drive and catch up