Page 1

I didn’t know how much longer I could go on. It had been five days since the Rescue Station at Huntington Bay fell.

About 100 of us left the ruins of the Junior High School after the attack and we were losing more and more each day.

The relentless walking and the never ending search for food was taking its toll on all of us, especially the children, like my 12 year old daughter Caroline.

I was very glad to still have my daughter with me but was constantly reminded of the fact that I had no idea what had happened to my wife or our baby son. I was teaching English Literature at Huntington College, and when the trouble started the administration sent us all to the local Junior High School as it was designated to be the towns rescue station.

Two days after we got there Sherry had brought Jared to the Doctors running the clinic at the Rescue Station and they thought his fever and cough important enough to take him to the local hospital. Only those that were expected to live were actually taken to the hospital so that was a good sign for my baby, but since he was only six months old one of us had to go with him.

I remember our last conversation.

“Sherry, honey you know one of us has to go. No one will have the inclination to take care of Jared like you will at the hospital. They are too overburdened. He NEEDS you.”

“I know,” she said, “but I don’t want to leave you and Caroline. Why can’t we all go?”

“The Sheriff said that only those really sick could go to the hospital. There was no room there for waiting relatives and since he cant take care of himself, and I suck at changing diapers, you get to go. “Besides think of the better food you will get…. Hospital food…yummy!!” That brought a smile to her face but only for a second. Food was scarce right now, and scavenging was dangerous with the current trouble and the roaming bands of looters around. The lack of good food and water was what had probably gotten Jared sick in the first place.

“Caroline and I will be right here waiting for you both when you get back” I promised. “Now go, the bus is waiting”The last I saw of her was as sheclimbed the stairs into the old city bus that now doubled for an ambulance, Jared bundled in the blue crochet blanket she had made him before he was born.

The attack came that night. There wasn’t enough time to really know what had happened but as far as I could tell it was a two front attack that just happened to be at the same time.

It was after what passed for dinner hade been served and most of us where in the Gym of the school when a commotion started at the entrance to the boy’s locker room. Since only those who were expected to live were taken to the hospital, those who weren’t were either taken to the boys or girls locker room, according to sex, where makeshift beds had been set up. The real Doctors and Nurses were either at the hospital or on duty taking care of those who were waiting to be transported so volunteers willing to give comfort to the dying were being used as medics.

Also as watchdogs since those who died had to quickly be transported across the school to the Wood shop area to be “fixed”. Before they came back.

Some one must have dozed off or went to get a cup of coffee because several of the ill men who had been taken to the boy’s locker room were returning to the Gym. Some of the wives and family members, having been close to the locker room doors waiting for news of their loved ones, noticed right away that they were returning and ran to greet them. That is when the trouble really started.

Carl Johnson, who ran the local bakery, came through the door first. He had been taken away due to chest pains and the suspicion of a heart attack, since he had a history of two of them. His wife, Velma, who always gave Caroline a hug and a cookie when we came into the store, rushed to him yelling “Carl, you’re better”.

The loving bear hug she gave him is what allowed him to hold onto her tightly and sink his teeth into the soft spot on her shoulder. I guess she thought he was lovingly nuzzling her neck. The pain took a moment to register on her face as shock.

Then she screamed. Her scream brought everyone’s attention to focus on the men coming through the locker room doors. Even way in the back of the room, as Caroline and I were, we could tell these men were not right. The returning men had a glazed look on their faces and apparently did not recognize any of the relatives and friends waiting for them. The only emotion on their faces was of hunger as they reached for the people standing closest and sunk their teeth into them.

[ Continue to page 2 ]