Chapter 02: Natalie's War
[This story is a work of fiction. Any similarities are purely coincidental.]
[C] Copyright 2008 M Saint
------------------------[ Natalie ]--------------------------
Seven years had passed and Natalie stood in the midst of dust and debris, 18 years of age, and all woman. She stood at 5'11", muscular build on a thin frame, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes.
The summer heat felt harsh on her skin as the air filled with smoke. The war between the living and the dead had come, and many survivors kept shelter in underground holds, buildings that were boarded up tight, and even prisons that were kept locked tight. Zombies were still weak, but grew desperate as their need to feed became more aggressive.
Gina had long since died. An attack on her and Natalie on the outskirts of Ohio left Gina in a state of shock. Her throat had been ripped out, and her left hand ripped clean off. Gina died in Natalie's arms, as Natalie was only 15 years of age.
As Natalie stood on rubble, and looked around, zombies shuffled towards her, moaning and biting at her. Natalie pulled out her pistol from her belt and took aim for one of their heads. She fired, and it dropped to the ground as its head exploded. As she took aim for another, a zombie jumped at her from the side. It grabbed at her trying to bite her, and rip at her body. It succeeded in tearing half her shirt off, when she stuck the barrel to its forehead and let it pop a round through the zombie brain. Coagulated blood splattered like goo into the air, and the creature dropped to the side. Natalie lifted herself up, and ran for hiding.
Natalie made it to a building, and crept inside. All the windows were already boarded up, but some looked unstable. Finding a switch, she flipped it to see if lights would work. Nothing. The place was dim, with some light spots from holes in the roof. Natalie made her way through the place, and saw a flashlight sitting upright on a table. She grabbed it, and flipped the switch. The light shined bright as she pointed it forward in front of her, and again made her way around. Silence everywhere.
As Natalie stepped into the center of the warehouse building, she looked up to see several decayed bodies hanging from ropes and cables. They were not moving, and that only assured Natalie more that to become one of them, you need only be bitten by one.
The smell of rotting flesh filled the air, and Natalie walked on holding her weapon in front, in case of a surprise attack. Towards the back, the sounds of someone beating on a metal door of some sort. Natalie gripped her pistol tightly, creeping slow at first, then faster readying herself for anything. As she looked around the corner, a large steel door was shut, but screams were heard from just behind it. Natalie walked closer to the door, gripped the handle as it released the outer lock, and yanked it open.
"What the fuck!" A dirty man screamed, as he came face to face with the end of the gun.
"Who the fuck are you?" Natalie boomed. "What were you doing in there? Are you infected?" She screamed back.
"No! No, I'm not one of them. I haven't been bitten, see?" The man said as he showed her every part of his body.
"Put your fucking clothes back on," Natalie said, as the man did as he was told.
"I'm Nash," The man spoke, shaking nervously.
"I'm Natalie," She answered, "Come with me."
They walked away from the run down freezer hold where Nash had sat alone in hiding. They scrambled over piles of dirt, and Nash almost froze as he saw the bodies that hung over them. His eyes widened as he noticed the upright darkened blue faces, with tongues hanging from the mouths.
"I....I..I worked here once, you know," Nash told her, still shaking.
"Quiet!" They paused.
Down a corridor, shadows piled on the walls, as moans and screams echoed in the distance. The zombies were moving quicker, and their need to feed was becoming more vital to their survival.
"Run!" Natalie alarmed Nash. They ran out from the building, and down the empty road escaping the group of flesh eaters.
Behind a large dump area, a tanker roared as it crashed through taking a handful of zombies along for the ride.
"Whoa," Nash muttered.
The tanker came to a sudden halt, and Natalie looked up into the cab, waving her gun to the driver.
"Oh get in! I'm not gonna hurt ya." A large man grumbled.
Natalie walked to the passenger side of the cab, and hopped in the front seat, leaving the small back area for Nash to sit in.
"This town is thick with 'em," The trucker said, "So I suggest we make a run for it, and head straight for the next one," He finished.
"They are everywhere," Natalie said, almost interrupting the driver. "Where do you suggest we go?" She concluded.
"My brother's weapon shop," He answered.
Natalie had a smile on her face, and asked, "How much?"
"Everything, Darlin'" He assured her. "Just about every kind of weapon you can think of."
"What's the catch?" Natalie asked, wondering if there was a motive.
"Well, I'd let you blow my dick, but it hasn't worked since 1987." He said to Natalie. "My brother shot a hole in it."
Natalie chuckled a bit, and Nash let out a laugh. The man put on a smile and continued to drive.
"I'm Rico by the way," The man introduced himself.
"Natalie. Shakes back there is Nash," She responded.
"Hey now," Nash looked up at her.
The three headed for the next city over, passing corpses in the road, and even smashing head on a few walkers. Dust and blood spilled from their heads as they landed on the pavement. They continued on their journey.
------------------------[ Helvon City ]-------------------------
"Here we are," Rico announced. "Hell City," He laughed.
"Okay! Let's get in, and get the fuck out!" Natalie commanded as she hopped out of the passenger side, landing firm on the ground below.
"She always like this?" Rico asked Nash.
"Unfortunately," Nash responded, slightly less shaky as he talked.
"I like 'em rough," Rico blared, putting another smile on as he too lept from the cab. Nash followed.
Natalie took aim with her pistol and was about to shoot at the padlock on the gated door, when Rico stepped in hollering, "Wait! I have the key."
Natalie stepped back as Rico unlocked the padlock and pulled open the gate. It made a rough, rusty noise. As Rico unlocked the main door-lock, he pushed open the door. A bell rang upon entering.
Each one scrambled quickly to find fitting pistols, and gun belts.
Natalie broke the pistol case, and reached for two matching berettas. Stacks of ammo were on a shelf behind the counter, and she quickly grabbed a pouch to fill.
"Here, take this," Rico tossed her a pump action shotgun. She grabbed a bag this time, and filled it with extra pistols and ammo.
Nash walked with Rico to a digital safe hidden in the back. Rico tapped in the code, and the door unlocked. Dust fell from the top, and as it cleared, a set of custom uzi's sat directly in the middle.
"May I?" Nash asked Rico with a spark in his eyes.
"Hell if you can use 'em, you can keep 'em," Rico answered, reaching for the top as his hands grazed his brothers classic 9mm beretta. "Bingo."
They walked back out to the floor, as Nash continued to adore his new weaponry.
"Don't forget these," Rico said, tossing a small bag full of clips to Nash.
"Let's lock it up," Natalie said to the other two. "Darkness falls, and we need rest for the day ahead."
"Good thinkin'" Rico answered, locking the gate, and then the main door. "This place is sealed up tight," He assured them. "We'll be safe."
Natalie moved to the safe room to set up a small spot to sleep in. Nash followed.
Rico opened the door to an empty storage room, and huddled there. He looked in the corner, and saw a small box filled with dusty bottles. As he reached in, he grabbed one and dusted it off. "Whiskey," He mumbled. "Brother, you shouldn't have," He toasted the air.
In the other room, Nash sat down next to Natalie. "I think today is my birthday," He said, unsure of what the days date was.
"You don't know?" She asked him.
"Not really. I tried to keep track, but I was locked inside of a freezer for days. Thank God it didn't work," He opened to Natalie. "The smell was horrible." He tried to laugh a little.