All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter,
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
-Tolkien

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Special thanks to @foxyspirit and @eaglespirit for hosting this contest. Let me apologize ahead of time that I am not one for happy endings......sorry.

Zombie Writing Contest - Part III

The unexpected explosion caused Eagle to swerve just off the side of the roadway and lose control of the bike. The tires slipped in the loose gravel and the bike laid down on its side throwing Foxy from the back of the bike onto her stomach. The bike pinned Eagle‘s leg underneath the frame as the heated exhausted seared the flesh of her leg through tears in her jeans.

Through the impact of the wreck and fog of the shock of being thrown from the bike, Foxy was startled back to reality as Eagle screamed in pain from the white hot exhaust burning through her skin. Foxy could now here the baby crying, a good sign considering the turn of events. Foxy attempted to push herself up from her stomach to help Eagle, as she did a lightning bolt of pain coursed through her leg as she was instantly forced to lay back down. She gingerly felt down her right thigh to discover the four-sided razor tip of one of her arrows going right through the back of her leg and protruding out through her upper thigh. A crimson river coursed from around the shaft of the arrow and the pain was so severe she almost lost consciousness.

Foxy forced herself to mumble, “Eagle, are you ok? Can you move?”, though it barely came out as a whisper. Foxy gathered all of her strength and will and screamed, “EAGLE!”

Eagle replied, “I’m here, I’m ok.”

Foxy let out a sigh of relief as Eagle attempted to push the bike high enough to drag herself out from underneath this metal beast. “I can’t stand, Eagle. I have an arrow through my leg” Foxy stated.

“No worries, I’m moving the bike little by little and should be free here in a minute” Eagle replied.

Face-down in the gravel, Foxy noticed the earthen and asphalt odor buried within the gravel with each labored breath she took. She was able to maneuver the backpack off and around to her so she could check on precious baby, Angela. Although scared and crying everything else seemed to be ok with the beautiful cherub. Foxy cooed and soothed the child and quickly the child fell silently back into a deep sleep. Foxy wished for the oblivious bliss this child was able to find within their new world of chaos.

Eagle continued to struggle with the bike as she strained with all of her might to lift it just inches in order to slide out from under it. She checked to see that her pistol was still in the holster as she was sure the fall would have dislodged it and flung it into the dark unknown wilderness. But is was still there filling her with relief. At that exact moment, she glanced over to the woodline where she thought she detected movement. Everything was still, silent. “Must have been the wi…”, her thoughts were interrupted as a lumbering shadow stiffly emerged from the woodline headed there direction. “Foxy…..Foxy, you have to get up. Something is coming!”

Foxy lifted her head from the gravel and their surreal nightmare took a sinister turn as she watched a disfigured creature, in a full police uniform, stumble and jerk towards her and the baby. Foxy attempted to get up on one knee again, but the paralyzing pain from the arrow forced back down. She broke two of her fingernails as she attempted to pull herself and the baby away from this monstrosity. Slowly, methodically the zombie-cop made its way towards them. It’s lifeless eyes glazed and glowing from the moonlight. His mouth agape and dripping with a dark colored coagulated fluid as it came forward unabated. Foxy pushed the baby as far forward and away from her as she could. She, out of sheer force of will, turned her body away from the impending hell approaching her and slowly pulled herself inch by inch along the ground with one hand as she pushed the baby forward with the other.

After only a few inches of progress, she felt a sharp pain as cold, rough finders gripped her ankle and pulled.

Eagle struggled with all of her might as she watched the slow pursuit unfold before her. With push born from the depths of her soul, she moved the warped frame of the motorcycle just enough to pull her leg. A new, wet pain erupted with fire as the flesh from her leg was torn with the muffler it was seared to. The glistening pink gash caused her stomach to lurch and her eyesight to reel. She forced herself to maintain consciousness as she scrambled to her feet and drew her weapon to kill the horrible monstrosity that was slowly pulling Foxy into its embrace. Just as she lined her sights up and began to squeeze the trigger she felt a sharp pain in her neck as broken teeth eased into her flesh like a knife through butter. Another zombie had made its way up to her unseen and bitten her as she was concentrated on saving Foxy and the baby. A burning flame began to run through her blood as she instinctively pulled away from the zombie’s bite, tearing flesh and tendons in her neck in the process. She whirled and shot the zombie through an eye and it fell in a lifeless heap as what was left of its brain matter flew through the night. Eagle turned back to Foxy and her mind was assaulted by the most horrific images she could imagine.

Foxy, through the pain, forced herself to her back as the fingers steadily tightened around her ankle. She could hear Eagle setting herself free and struggling behind her. The zombie lunged forward and fell on top of Foxy as it made its way up her body, trying at every turn to sink a bit into her flesh. As she fought off the creature, the tip of the arrow was broken off and lodged into the stomach cavity of the creature assaulting her. The back of the arrow was painfully pulled and twisted through her flesh as she moved and struggled. It finally pulled all the way out and underneath her. The pain was intense, but she knew she would be better off with it out. She became face to face with her tormenter and the putrid smell of death and flesh was breathed upon her lips and nose. She retched and swallowed back the vomitus from the repulsive stench assaulting her senses. She fought with every ounce of her being. She was able to keep him from biting her when realized he was still pulling on her even though they were face to face. “Oh my God, he wants the baby!”, she realized as she fought even harder to keep this tragedy from touching the innocent flesh of the child. He slowly, slowly gained ground against her fight and now she was hanging around his torso, acting as dead weight as she clawed at his flesh and clothing to keep him from the child. The entry wound of the arrow head passed in front of her face and black, thick blood of the undead smeared across her face and into her mouth as her breaths heaved from the battle. She heard a gunshot and prayed it was over, but he kept moving. It was then her mind shuddered at the slow crunch and breaking of skull was heard as he finally tasted the child. Her mind broke.

Eagle stared in paralyzed horror as the zombie ended the purity of the child. She rushed over and robotically shot the zombie until the magazine was empty and the only sound on the thick night air was the hammer falling on an empty chamber over and over again. The burning pain in every cell of her body as the virus spread throughout her system brought her back to her senses and she shoved the body off of Foxy. She sat down in the gravel beside her and they both wept. Not for themselves or for each other, but for the purity and innocence of a child lost in this new and dark existence. Eagle could feel the cold “change” taking over her body and she told Foxy what had happened. Foxy looked her in the eyes and helped her gain the control and strength to release herself from the suffering on the horizon. Foxy did what Eagle could not, she pulled the trigger for her. Foxy sat among what was left of her dear friend and the beautiful baby, uncertain of what the dawn would bring and even more unsure if she wanted to experience it or join those who lay beside her.

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