Dead States | Year Zero | Nebraska Page 11

  The boy had been totally eviscerated and one leg had been chewed nearly to the bone making it nearly impossible for him to walk, causing him to lag behind the rest. The team got out of their vehicles with Blade and Amy standing on either side of Crystal to face the advancing dead, while Hank and Justin kept watch behind. As the dead approached Blade and Amy stepped away from Crystal to cause the group of dead to spread out.

  The mother and one girl continued towards Crystal, using her baton to contain the mother she stabbed the little girl with her knife, then Crystal quickly shifted the baton to trip up the mother. Crystal placed her foot on the things chest and drove the point of her baton through its eye. The little boy was still stumbling towards the team. Crystal walked up to him and swinging her baton like a club she pierced his little skull. In less than a minute the five dead ones were put down.

  As the team prepared to enter the house the barn door opened and a teen aged girl stepped out. “Are you real. Please I got to know”.

  Mary Kay Woltoski was your average teenage girl. Having just turned sixteen she was looking forward to driving on her own and entering her pony, Bella, at the 4H fair. She had come into this world though without much assurances of a routine life. Her mother Belinda had been little older than Mary Kay was now, when she became pregnant. Belinda's parents were strict Lutherans and kept Belinda on a short leash. Belinda had become involved with an older boy and for a while their relationship was exciting. She would sneak out of the house to be with him and cheer him on at the country road drag races. It wasn't long before Belinda convinced herself that she was in love. That all fell apart when she told him she was pregnant and he not only dropped her, but started spreading tales about her to his friends.

  Having no other choice Belinda told her parents she was pregnant. They gave her the options of either giving up the baby or moving out of the house. Feeling the life growing inside her Belinda was unable to give up her baby. Belinda worked after school at the local feed mill owned by an elderly couple, Benjamin and Esther Sue Thornsby. The Thornsby's having no children of their own took Belinda in when she told them of her plight. When Mary Kay was born they treated her like their own grandchild and proudly showed her off to friends and customers.

  When Mary Kay was nearly four a young man, Robert (Rob) Woltoski, came into the mill. He spent a long time conversing with Ben. Rob came from back east, but grew tired of the hustle and bustle of city life. He had built up a sizable nest egg and decided to try his hand at ranching. Ben recognized a greenhorn when he saw one and knew Bob would need a lot of help.

  Seeing Belinda casting furtive glances at the handsome young man, Ben introduced her to Rob, “Rob, Belinda here grew up on a small ranch if you were to ask kindly she may be willing to give you a piece or two of advice.”

  Rob turned to Belinda, “Ma'am I would be eternally grateful for any advice you could give me. I am more than a little over my head right now, but I promise to be an apt pupil if you are willing to take on the challenge.”

  Belinda was a little nervous to help Rob out. She had dated a couple of times after Mary Kay was born, but those had ended in disaster. Because she was a single woman with a child and the rumors spread by her ex she was looked upon as a loose woman and the young men were only interested in sex.

  Rob did seem genuine enough and she was aware of the state of the property he bought. “Well I do know the old Hobson place well enough, it is a fine piece of land, but old George Hobson really let it go. I hope you are not afraid of hard work. I get off of work at five, pick me up then and bring dinner for my daughter and I”.

  From that seed their romance started. It was slow to germinate, but grew every time they got together. Two months later, on Mary Kay's fourth birthday, Rob offered to take Belinda, whom he was now calling Bell, and Mary Kay to a movie and dinner to celebrate. From then on the couple had a standing Saturday night date and Mary Kay and Bell spent most evenings helping Rob at his ranch. Six months later Rob took Bell and Mary Kay on a picnic. After they ate Rob went down on one knee, took Bell's hand in his and propped Mary Kay on his knee.

  Turning to Mary Kay he said, “Mary Kay I have a very grown up question for you. I would like to ask your mother to marry me do you think I should?”

  Little Mary Kay was very pleased at having a grown up asking her for advice and whispered into Rob's ear, “Mommy has been waiting for you to ask her”.

  Rob turned to Bell, released her hand and fished a ring out of his pocket. When he asked her to marry him she promptly said yes.

  Rob then fished another smaller ring from his pocket and turned to Mary Kay, “Mary Kay I have another question for you. Would you do me the honor of being my daughter?”

  Mary Kay's eyes got wide at the sight of the little ring and hugged Rob around the neck, “Well of course you big silly if Mommy is your wife than your going to be my Daddy.”

  After they were married Rob and Bell wasted no time in adding to their family. First along came Emma, then Jewelie, and Linda. Finally the couple had a son Abe. Their small ranch was doing well, but they all had to work hard to keep it going. They were a close family and most of the time the chores were done with a sense of pride in helping the family.

  One day the news stations began broadcasting odd warnings. Telling people to stay inside, avoid strangers or anyone appearing sick. Rob instructed Bell to keep the children in, but the livestock still needed to be tended to and fences needed repair. While he was working on the fence near the road a car came by and the man driving called to Rob, asking for directions to Lexington.

  “My wife is real sick and I need to get her to the hospital in Lexington. The highway is all jammed up and I'm looking for a way around”, the man explained to Rob.

  Rob gave the man directions on a back way to Lexington and then looked in back at the mans wife. He had her sort of tied up on the back seat and Rob reached in to check on her and she bit his hand hard enough to draw blood. Rob jerked out his hand and the man stammered an apology and sped off.

  Rob went back to the house to clean and bandage his hand, but by evening he was feeling very ill. Bell asked Mary Kay to feed her brother and sisters and see that they get to bed. Mary Kay wouldn't trade her siblings for the world, but getting them to bed was a pain, especially Abe. Mary Kay fought with her mom, but Bell would have none of it.

  Once she had them off to bed Mary Kay went out to the barn to blow off some steam with her pony , Bella. While out there she began to hear screams coming from the house. Once it had gotten quiet she found the nerve to see what was happening. When she opened the kitchen door she saw her parents and two of her sisters tearing the flesh off of little Abe and eating it.

  Mary Kay unable to stifle a scream drew their attention on her and they rose and began advancing towards her. Mary Kay raced back to the barn with the things that were once her family in pursuit. She made it into the barn and bolted the door shut. The fingernails of the creatures scratching at the door, unable to get inside.

  Bella's trough had at an automatic feeder, but the power went off after a couple of days and with it the pump that kept the trough full. With her family staying close to the barn, Mary Kay had no idea how long she had to stay trapped in this barn. Ever since Rob's blood pressure spiked Bell was after him to take better care of himself and eat better. To save on the arguments Rob took to keeping a fair stash of candy bars and pop in the barn.

  Even though Bell and the kids all knew of this stash Rob did try hard to tap it only on occasion. Mary Kay took stock of her supplies and it wasn't much. A couple of dozen candy bars, a case of pop, a full water trough and a couple of sacks of horse feed. Bella drank way more than Mary Kay did, but on the up side the barn had plenty of hay that Bella could survive on as well. Two weeks in the barn and Mary Kay was nearly crazy with hunger.

  She new the kitchen was stocked with all sorts of things , but she would be dead before she could get back to the safety of the barn. Mary Kay's desperation for food found her con
cocting a desperate plan, even though it meant losing her only companion.

  Mary Kay hugged her pony around the neck, “Now when I open the door you run as fast as you can. That is no longer our family out there, so no stopping”.

  When Mary Kay was sure her family was away from the main barn door she let Bella out and swatted her on the rump to get her moving. Bella was used to getting a treat from Rob and when she saw him she went up to him expecting a bit of apple or a carrot. Instead she became the treat for the flesh craving group. As her pony was being eaten to death Mary Kay stole out of the barns side door and into the kitchen.

  In the kitchen she began gathering up supplies. Her sister Emma, now one of the monsters like the rest of her family, surprised her. Emma was only nine and Mary Kay was able to quickly push her into a closet. Bella was silently giving up her last, while Mary Kay snuck into the security of the barn and prayed for a miracle.

  That miracle came just as she was nearly out of the supplies from the kitchen. Mary Kay could barely sleep for fear her family would break into the barn and catch her unaware. The weeks of starvation, dehydration and lack of sleep left her in a bewildered state. The lines between reality and fantasy blurred. More than once she saw her family as they once were and she could hear their voices calling to her. She had always been able to struggle back to reason and save herself from Bella's fate. She had been dozing when the vehicles pulled up and was jolted awake by the slamming of the car door. When she heard new voices and saw different faces she had to trust they were real.

  A pretty blonde woman was closest to the barn and answered for the group,“Yes we are real. Your safe now. I'm Crystal, what is your name honey.”

  “Mary Kay. Mary Kay Woltoski.” Tears started to stream down Mary Kay's face as she witnessed her family members.

  Crystal turned to one of the men,”Hank can you get them covered up. Amy, I think we could use some food and water over here.”

  Crystal turned back to Mary Kay, “I know you've been through a lot, but can you tell me if there anymore of them around.”

  “My uhm my sister is in the closet off the kitchen”, Mary Kay answered.

  As Amy brought up some food and water Crystal turned to another man, “Blade there is another in the kitchen closet.”

  “On it”, Blade responded.

  Crystal and Amy walked Mary Kay over to the picnic table that was placed in the shade of a hickory tree on the side of the house. As Mary Kay tore into the food they gave her, Crystal got her up to speed on the way the world had changed, but assured the girl they had a safe place to live.

  As Crystal was wrapping up her story a third young man walked up, “House is clear Captain, we'll have the uh, we'll have the other thing done shortly.”

  Amy took Mary Kay inside so she could pack up some clothes and a few personal belongings. The two went about the task in silence, Amy was unsure of how to comfort the young woman and Mary Kay was in a fog still trying to make sense of everything. As Mary Kay finished packing her suitcase she saw the corner of Abe's blankie sticking out from under her bed. The reality of what had happened in this house washed over Mary Kay and she fell into Amy's arms sobbing uncontrollably.

  Amy could only think to stroke the back of Mary Kay's head and repeat over and over, “Your OK, just let it all out now.”

  It took some time, but eventually Mary Kay stopped her crying and looked at Amy, “Guess I've been holding that back a long time. Thank you. I'm sorry about your shirt, Ma had one that just seemed to suit her, I'd like you to have it.”

  Amy looked down at her shirt soaked with tears, snot and spittle, “Oh honey I couldn't take your Mother's special blouse.”

  “Its just an old flannel shirt, nothin special. Seeing you in it would help me remember my Ma the way she was, you know, before.”, Mary Kay replied.

  Amy choked up, “I'd be honored Miss.”

  They held a short funeral for the Woltoski family with Crystal saying what she hoped were inspirational words over the mass grave. Mary Kay silently said her goodbyes to her family, but her hand was clasped firmly around the little ring, she wore on a simple chain around her neck.

  “Blade, Amy and I will take the girl back home, the trucks about full anyhow. Camp out here tonight and we'll meet you in the morning at our next stop.”, Crystal stated.

  Blade simply nodded and gave Crystal a thumbs up.

  On the drive over Crystal put her arm around the girl, “Your not alone anymore.”

  Closing in on the compound Crystal picked up the radio, “Home base, alpha team here.”

  “Go ahead alpha team.”, came back over the radio.

  “Home base, we'll be there in fifteen minutes with a truck full of supplies and a lost lamb.”, Crystal stated.

  “That is good news alpha team, that will help take folks minds off of things here.”, answered the radio operator.

  “Is there a problem?”, Crystal queried.

  “I'll have Mac meet with you when you get here. He'll fill you in.”

  Sara Parsons was a woman used to getting what Sara Parsons wanted. Sara's parents were masters at working the system and had raised Sara and her brother to do the same. She was also gifted with beauty and the attitude to wield it to her full advantage. Sara had set her sights on Bill Parsons when they were in high school. Bill was going to be her ticket out of this small Nebraska town. In their senior year the football team was on track to take the state finals due in large part to Bill. College scholarship offers were rolling in and there was talk of Bill going pro after college. All of that ended in the state finals. Bill was leading the team to a sure win, until the opposing defense blitzed their linebackers one hit Bill low and the other high and Bill's knee not only popped it was mangled.

  Sara might of dumped Bill as well if it weren't for the town organizing a variety of fundraisers for the local hero that not only paid the medical bills, but left a small nest egg put in trust for Bill. Sara to get her hands on the trust spent day and night at the hospital dutifully looking after Bill.

  Without a scholarship Bill could not go to college, he proposed to Sara out of a sense of obligation. Bill's coach pulled some favors and got him a security job at the mall in Lincoln. Bill and Sara used the trust money as a down payment on a small, but nice house just outside of Lincoln. Bill was a natural leader and a couple years later when the head of security retired Bill was given the position.

  The position came with a lot of responsibility and a sizable pay increase. Sara may have been happy with this if it weren't for her idiot brother. Her brother was as lazy as her and stilled lived at home, but every time he saw Bill he had to give Bill a dig, 'How's the mall cop business'. Bill knew the guy was an idiot and was trying to put him down to build himself up, Sara bought into it though and started pushing Bill to join the State Police.

  To appease Sara, Bill began taking night classes in criminal justice. In reality any excuse Bill had to be away from Sara he would take. Once Bill was earning enough to support the couple Sara quit her job. With nothing to occupy her time she took to drinking. More often than not Bill would come home to Sara and her loud mouthed friends drunk as skunks. With his marriage in shambles Bill began plans to end it. He did not plan for reality to take a 180.

  One fateful morning Bill arrived at the mall early as he always did. Before the stores opened they would open the mall doors and there was always a few people who would get there morning exercise walking the mall. As Bill began to unlock the doors to let the people in a man came shambling up to the handful of people waiting to get in. He had a dirty disheveled appearance and he stumbled as if drunk. Bill at first thought he was a homeless person looking to panhandle.

  Bill got the door unlocked, the crowd began filing in and Bill was preparing to redirect the vagabond to the nearest shelter. Bill watched in horror as the vagabond reached out and grabbed the last man in line. The vagabond just pulled him back opened his mouth and took a bite out of him. As Bill pushed his way outside he yell
ed at the stunned crowd to call 911 and radioed for assistance. He grabbed the vagabond and threw him off the man.

  Mall security didn't carry guns, when the vagabond got back up and began advancing, Bill shot him with his taser. As part of his training Bill was shot with a taser so he knew what to expect. This vagabond didn't flinch, jerk or show any sign of the voltage being pumped into him. Bill tried his pepper spray which had zero effect as well. Having no other recourse Bill pulled his night stick and brought it down as hard as he could on the vagabonds skull.

  The vagabond crumpled to the ground and Bill turned to the victim. The man lay in a pool of blood and when Bill checked his pulse he found none. The woman who had called 911 came over to Bill and informed him that the 911 operator said they would get someone here as quick as they could, but they were experiencing an overwhelming number of calls this morning.

  The vagabond got back up and Bill struck him again and this time heard his skull crack. A scream from the woman alerted him to the dead man getting back up. He had the same glazed over eyes as the vagabond and Bill broke his night stick over the mans head to end his days. Bill sent everyone away and declared the mall closed for the day.