Z (part 1?)

   I never expected it to happen. not really. I was at work when I got the call from my husband, Dave. I ducked into the bathroom to answer. We're not supposed to be on the phone while on the clock, but I knew if he was calling me, it was important. It turned out to be more than important. It was catastrophic.
   Zombies. Seriously, walking dead. Once he convinced me it was not a joke, I immediately found myself on the other side of panic - the cold, business-like, calm action point. My husband had already picked up my daughter, raided the house and was waiting for me, the problem: he couldn't risk the life of a six-year-old to come back in town.
   "Is it already that bad? I haven't seen any signs yet." I asked him, my voice slightly quavering.
   "It happens fast. I'm hoping it hasn't reached you yet, but downtown was chaos. They've been silencing the news, I guess to avoid widespread panic. But before they could, I saw a news anchor go down, then get back up two minutes later. That's when they broke off the feed. Get out while you can. Come meet us. We're out past Sellersberg, in the outskirts of Henryville, but we can't stay here long." I could hear the concern in his voice, and the tension.
   "I'll be there as soon as i can. Don't wait past six. Find somewhere safe before teh sun goes down. How's Alice?"
   "She's asleep. I dosed her with Nyquil. She was terrified, but she's safe. So far."
   "Keep her that way. I'm coming."

   The next challenge was leaving. Dave and I only had one car, and he had it. Also, I was friends with my coworkers \. I had to at least try to save them.
   I went to Cami first. She had two kids and had the most need out of the others to leave.
   "Cami, we have zombies," I told her, my voice deadpan. She looked at me like I was crazy.
   "What? you need to work on that joke, it's not really funny." She glanced at me, then went back to working on price changes.
   "Seriously. Dave just called me. He's got Alice and is out by Henryville, waiting for me."
   "Right. Zombies. You need your head checked."
   I drug her into the bathroom, got online with my phone and googled the news report Dave told me about. I showed it to her.
   "Holy shit!" She was starting to shake.
   "I know. I know. Look, I need my girl and you need your boys. We also need supplies. Luckily, we work at a super center."
   "Girl, I'm broke and you know they aren't going to just let us walk out with what we need." Tears were starting to well up in her eyes.
   "You get Betty and Fiona. I'm going to talk to Ivy and Sandy. We'll get out, and we'll be supplied."
   Just so you know, Betty and Fiona are coworkers. Ivy is our supervisor, Sandy the store manager. I went straight to Sandy's office and shut the door. "Sandy, can you get Ivy here? I've got something really important to tell you guys, along with a favor to ask."
   "Yeah, what's going on?" Sandy called Ivy on the store phone and told her to come to the office.
   "I'll tell you as soon as she gets here."
   Ivy showed up maybe two minutes later. "what's going on, lady? the other girls look like they're about to run screaming out the doors."
   I took a deep breath. "Zombies."
   Ivy and Sandy both looked very angry. I expected this, though.
   "Zombies? You've got the pricing girls all freaking out over zombies? I'm pretty sure I could fire you for this!" Sandy said.
   "Oh my god, Maggie. I am very disappointed in you for this. What are you thinking?" Ivy said at the same time.
   I put my hands up in a placating gesture. "Please, hear me out. My husband called me. And Sandy, do you have actual interent access?"
   Sandy nodded. "Yes. This had better be good." She logged and accessed the web for me. I showed them the news clip. They stared. I saw the skepticism fade from their faces. Sandy looked slightly ill when teh reporter stood back up with a huge bite out of his neck and forearm.
   "That's enough." she said, closing her browser. "I still haven't seen that here, though."
   "That was just downtown, a fifteen minute drive from here. It's only a matter of time. My husband and child are waiting for out by Henryville. Cami's got twins she needs to get. We all need supplies."
   Ivy looked at me thoughtfully. "How are you getting to your family?"
   "I don't know yet. I'll find a way. I have til six."
   "I'm going with you."
   "Ivy! I can't stop anyone from leaving, but do you think that's really a good idea?" Sandy asked. "If it comes here, we can just hide out here until help comes."
   "O until we get eaten." I interjected. Sandy just looked at me. "The front doors are glass -- therefore breakable, no matter how reinforce, shatter-proof or whatever. they will fail under a tireless mob beats on it long enough. The loading docks aren't better, just a different obstacle between the dead and their dinner. There's no way to secure the store, and, even if we could, help may never come. Let us grab our supplies and go. If I'm wrong, well, you can fire me, chatge me for theft and lock me away. But I know I'm not wrong."
   Sandy sighed, then looked at Ivy. "Keep me  informed. Get what you need. Get out. Maggie, it was nice having you work for me, but I hope you're wrong."

   Ivy and I left the office and almost ran over the rest of the pricing team. Betty was in tears, Fiona looked doubtful, but Cami had the steely look of determination.
   "Alright girls. Maggie's riding with me. I think we should listen to her from this point on." Ivy said in her voice of authority.
   I felt put on the spot. I've never been on the leadership side of things. Time to get used to it. "Okay. Fiona, I want you to go through Health & Beauty and grab a cart load of first aid, various drugs, hygiene, energy supplements and vitamins. Don't worry about things like knee braces and what not. Cold, fever, pain, toothpaste, soap, bandages, that kind of stuff." She nodded and went on her way. "Betty, go get and overloaded cart of nonperishables. Canned goods, lots of water, stuff like that." she was the youngest of us, and still soft arounf the edges. I squeezed her shoulder. "Just think like the movies. Get 100 proof liquor, too. It burns." She hurried to get our food. "Cami, us three go to sporting goods."
   We each grabbed a cart and backpacks, loading the packs with camping gear and the carts with machetes, hunting knives, ammunition, bows, arrows and arrow heads. "One more reason I like our competition better! They actually carry guns!" Cami exclaimed as she packed.
   We all rendezvoused at the doors to Garden Center, the only other doors out, and the closest one to our cars. At about the same time we got back together, Sandy paged over the intercom, calling all employees to the back.
   "She's been thinking about it." Ivy said, almost to herself.
   Cami began handing each of us a machete and a baseball bat. "We don't sell guns, but these offer at least a little defense."
   "Okay. We haven't seen anything in the store yet, but be on guard as soon as we head for our cars. They could sneak up out of nowhere. Go for the head if you have to fight."
   We all went to the cars to split the goods. We were three cars away from Betty's when I heard the first moan. I spotted the animated cadaver - a middle aged, portly woman with scratches all over her face and shoulders. Betty whimpered. Cami and Fiona looked like they weren't sure what to do. Ivy was in the middle of the four of us, so she couldn't easily get out. I grabbed my machete and ran at the once woman as she turned toward us. My first swing missed, only gouging her chest. I jumped out of reach of her arms, then swung again, cleaving into her head at the jawline. She stumbled and fell. It took a few tugs to get my blade free, then I bolted back to the group, who simply watched me, dumbstruck.
   "Let's move. That's just the first."
   We got Betty's car loaded and were at Fiona's when the next one made an appearance. This one was quiet. Cami saw him coming behind me. She grabbed her baseball bat and lunged at him. She didn't miss her first swing, beating his skull in, then adding a few more hits for good measure. "I never could stand him." was all she said when she came back.
   "Oh my God! That was Evan!" Ivy exclaimed. "He's not even from around here!" Evan was the regional director. That was not a good
sign.
   "Let's move fast! We don't have much time!" I yelled. Fiona hopped in her car and drove off faster than Betty had.
   Cami turned to me. "Wait for me. I'll meet you up there. Just let me get my boys." Tears glistened in her eyes.
   "I can only wait until six. If you don't think you'll make it in time, get in somewhere safe." We loaded Cami's sedan and sent her after her kids.
   Ivy and I quickly loaded Ivy's SUV and pushed the carts away. I could see more undead heading toward us as we hopped in the car and took off.
   "Fell free to run over them. You'll probably hit something more damaging if you don't, then we'll be stuck here."
   Ivy's only response was running down three zombies on the way out of the parking lot.