of others that were either lifeless or writhing in agony on the ground.
“Jesus Christ!” shouted Jack.
Jack grabbed for the whistle hanging on a ribbon around his neck and blew the high-pitched device, hoping to salvage at least some support and survivors. He leapt to his feet and grabbed his hatchet from beside his bed. He ran at the man he used to know as Greg, who had blood covering his shirt, a mix of his own and others. He spun the tool around and smashed Greg in the head with the blunt back edge, knowing he could not risk getting the weapon stuck. Greg dropped to the floor with the impact, the skull slightly splitting and leaking blood from beneath his hair. Jack hit again in the same fashion to be sure, striking the brain ferociously.
Turning around to survey the situation, Jack could see Madison hitting out at the outstretched arm of what used to be their friend Dale. The second strike of her hammer burst the creature’s nose and forced it to stumble backwards. Before the beast could regain its footing, Madison leapt forward and dealt a deadly strike to the temple with a well-aimed swing, the creature falling to a lifeless mess. Madison and Jack looked around, a few other survivors had managed to get to their feet, but many were lifeless or bloody and wounded.
“What do we do?” she asked.
“We must purge all signs of the creatures!” shouted Wells.
“You mean kill what, half our friends?”
Jack sighed, he looked at his feet, not wanting to admit the situation to himself, let alone to Madison.
“You know it has to be done, or we’ll all be dead within forty-eight hours!” said Wells.
“So what do we do, kill at random?” asked Jack.
“We need to divide the infected and the uninfected immediately,” said Wells.
“How?” asked Madison.
“Everyone, listen up, those without injury, step to my right, into the open, Maddy and Wells will check you over,” said Jack.
Jade began to cry, she sat down, cradling her legs with her arms, knowing she was finished. Several of the wounded could do barely more than groan. Riley and Justin ambled over to where Jack had pointed, and Joey finally followed.
“ Maddy , Wells, check them thoroughly,” Jack ordered.
It was a horrific situation, neither was comfortable with what had to be done. The father and daughter began checking their friends as if they were terrorists.
“Listen up, you all knew this day was coming sooner or later. This world we now live in, it was insane to think we could survive, but we have this far, we have earned and fought for a longer life. No matter how much crap we have faced these last ten years we have maintained a community, and we have had some good times, we have maintained our humanity. For many of you that road has ended. Accept it, there is no shame in it,” said Jack.
Jade, still weeping, burst out with sadness.
“So what, you’re just going to kill us?”
“If you have been bitten, you have two choices. Let us end your life before you become one of those fuckers, or you take a walk in the opposite direction, right now, and don’t stop until you can’t walk any longer,” Jack answered.
“That’s it!” shouted Katy.
“What do you want me to say? You all know the reality of this, the longer you stay around, the more you risk our lives. We will finish off those who cannot walk, as peacefully and quickly as we can, and then we’ll move off in a different direction.”
“So this is it?” cried Jade.
“I’m sorry to say, my dear, yes,” said Wells.
“I’m sorry too, but we have no choice, and time is not on our side. First we must finish off anybody who is at risk of turning in the next hour,” Jack added.
“How do we decide that?” cried Madison.
“If they’re bitten and cannot stand, then put them out of their misery. If they’re bitten and can walk, either get them moving now or end it for them,” said Jack.
Madison looked at Jack with a look of terror in her eyes. She had faced all
“Jesus Christ!” shouted Jack.
Jack grabbed for the whistle hanging on a ribbon around his neck and blew the high-pitched device, hoping to salvage at least some support and survivors. He leapt to his feet and grabbed his hatchet from beside his bed. He ran at the man he used to know as Greg, who had blood covering his shirt, a mix of his own and others. He spun the tool around and smashed Greg in the head with the blunt back edge, knowing he could not risk getting the weapon stuck. Greg dropped to the floor with the impact, the skull slightly splitting and leaking blood from beneath his hair. Jack hit again in the same fashion to be sure, striking the brain ferociously.
Turning around to survey the situation, Jack could see Madison hitting out at the outstretched arm of what used to be their friend Dale. The second strike of her hammer burst the creature’s nose and forced it to stumble backwards. Before the beast could regain its footing, Madison leapt forward and dealt a deadly strike to the temple with a well-aimed swing, the creature falling to a lifeless mess. Madison and Jack looked around, a few other survivors had managed to get to their feet, but many were lifeless or bloody and wounded.
“What do we do?” she asked.
“We must purge all signs of the creatures!” shouted Wells.
“You mean kill what, half our friends?”
Jack sighed, he looked at his feet, not wanting to admit the situation to himself, let alone to Madison.
“You know it has to be done, or we’ll all be dead within forty-eight hours!” said Wells.
“So what do we do, kill at random?” asked Jack.
“We need to divide the infected and the uninfected immediately,” said Wells.
“How?” asked Madison.
“Everyone, listen up, those without injury, step to my right, into the open, Maddy and Wells will check you over,” said Jack.
Jade began to cry, she sat down, cradling her legs with her arms, knowing she was finished. Several of the wounded could do barely more than groan. Riley and Justin ambled over to where Jack had pointed, and Joey finally followed.
“ Maddy , Wells, check them thoroughly,” Jack ordered.
It was a horrific situation, neither was comfortable with what had to be done. The father and daughter began checking their friends as if they were terrorists.
“Listen up, you all knew this day was coming sooner or later. This world we now live in, it was insane to think we could survive, but we have this far, we have earned and fought for a longer life. No matter how much crap we have faced these last ten years we have maintained a community, and we have had some good times, we have maintained our humanity. For many of you that road has ended. Accept it, there is no shame in it,” said Jack.
Jade, still weeping, burst out with sadness.
“So what, you’re just going to kill us?”
“If you have been bitten, you have two choices. Let us end your life before you become one of those fuckers, or you take a walk in the opposite direction, right now, and don’t stop until you can’t walk any longer,” Jack answered.
“That’s it!” shouted Katy.
“What do you want me to say? You all know the reality of this, the longer you stay around, the more you risk our lives. We will finish off those who cannot walk, as peacefully and quickly as we can, and then we’ll move off in a different direction.”
“So this is it?” cried Jade.
“I’m sorry to say, my dear, yes,” said Wells.
“I’m sorry too, but we have no choice, and time is not on our side. First we must finish off anybody who is at risk of turning in the next hour,” Jack added.
“How do we decide that?” cried Madison.
“If they’re bitten and cannot stand, then put them out of their misery. If they’re bitten and can walk, either get them moving now or end it for them,” said Jack.
Madison looked at Jack with a look of terror in her eyes. She had faced all
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