Sam Williams: Tales from the Swollen Corpse

“Hey Dan, is there still a can of gas in the fire locker behind the contractor’s booth?” Ryan asked.

“Should be,” Dan replied, while wiping his boots off on the dead guy’s t-shirt.

“I’ve got an idea. You guys wait for me here; make sure they don’t get out.” Dan said. He wanted to go too but Ryan convinced him he’s faster and has less chance of being seen by himself. I reminded him to hurry because we should be getting bombarded any second.

I kept my back against the door to make sure it wouldn’t move and so I could keep a lookout. I saw something move past the end of the aisle just in front of us. Dan walked and looked down a few rows but said he didn’t see anything. Heather leaned against the wall and slid against me. She held my hand firmly, and I could tell she’s scared. Expecting to see a hungry mob coming for us any minute, I was scared too, and couldn’t think of anything to say that would make us feel better. Dan leaned against the other door and looked around. He was thinking the same thing from the worried expression on his face.

We waited a few minutes but what seemed way too long. I started to think of a plan B but came up with nothing. Suddenly we heard something; a sound like a high pitch whine turning into a buzz, then it was gone.

“What was that?” Heather asked as she squeezed my hand to the point that it hurt.

“Sounds like a… oh hell yeah, look.” Dan was pointing past Heather and me at Ryan, who was walking quickly towards us with three chainsaws.

“Ok, you guys start these puppies up; we’ll make a line and keep Heather in the middle. When we get to the ladder unlock it; we’ll keep ’em off you and Heather.” Ryan said, handing me a saw.

Heather took the saw from me and asked Ryan how I’m supposed to use a chainsaw and unlock the gate.

“Do you even know how to use it?” Ryan asked sarcastically.

Heather answered him by pushing the primer, then flicking the saw with one hand and pulling the cord with the other instantly starting it.

“What? My dad owns a landscaping company.” Heather said, revving the saw.

Looking at Heather, Dan elbowed me and told me he had a chubby again.

Walking over to the aisle in front of us, I grabbed a galvanized pipe. “Works for me, let’s do this. Ryan takes the lead, Dan you’re in back and Heather stay close. “

With everyone’s saw fired up and my pipe ready, I walked to the side of the door. Ryan looked at me and counted; one… two… three. Pulling the wood out, I opened the door quickly, before I could see what was on the other side, I heard Ryan’s saw motor whine and saw a spray of red. I got back next to Heather and we made our way into the back room. Looking behind me, I saw the others were on their way and wondered if Barb really held them off that long.

Heather and I stayed almost back to back as we walked. The pipe was working surprisingly well at busting heads wide open. Blood and chunks were flying all around me. I did my best to keep my mouth shut in fear something might land in it. When we got to the ladder, I took Barbs keys and got to work figuring out which one unlocks it. Fumbling, I found it and opened the guard that covers the lower rungs.

“Got it.” I yelled and turned just in time to see a big, hairy Sasquatch-looking fucker pin Ryan to the table. The impact forced the saw into Ryan’s neck. He went limp and dropped before the mob engulfed him. Heather took a swing at the big fella. She missed the bastard’s head, digging the saw into its shoulder blade which seemed to piss it off. The hairy bastard turned around with the saw still stuck in him.

“Heather, climb up the ladder!” I screamed.

The fucker lunged at her but missed. She started up the ladder. When he tried again I smacked him home run style against his skull, which only stunned him. Dan’s on it and took a swipe with his saw to the back of the guy’s knees; Sasquatch went down. I cleared my way to the ladder, then dropped my pipe and climbed. Dan was just behind me, wielding the saw like he shouldn’t be allowed to watch any more horror movies. Once we were all up the ladder, out of reach, I looked out into the room. It’s packed from wall to wall with the dead. You can’t even see the fifty or so we had just taken out.

After a little fuss, Heather got the roof hatch open. We climbed onto the roof and heard the sound of machine guns off in the distance. I asked if anyone was bit, we looked ourselves over and seemed to be alright. Dan, Heather and I walked over to the side of the building. Looking down the street to the south, we saw a parade of soldiers and Humvees making their way slowly toward us.

Standing to my side, Dan threw his hands in the air and yelled, “The cavalry is coming, yeah!”

With Heather in my arms, we watched the sun rising from behind the foothills. Looking at the sky, turning from black then deep purple to blue, I was filled with hope. We made it; life might actually get back to normal.

“Mikey,” Heather squeezed me and looked up from my chest.

“Yeah babe?” I said, looking down into her angelic eyes.

“I’m pregnant.”

Dan laughed.

Pa said the well was contaminated. I told Emily that meant it had gone bad. Mama didn’t know how water could go bad. I don’t think Dad knew neither. He sure didn’t have a good answer from the look on Ma’s face. Grands said we were cursed by the heathens for taking their land. She had Billy scared and Mama didn’t like that one bit. Didn’t matter one way or the next, the water was bad.

I found it turned before my chores. Ma caught me at the door and told me to fetch water so she could start breakfast. Told her cooking was women’s work. I grinned so she’d know I was joking. She told me if I ever wanted to eat again I better fetch the water.

Ol‘ Shep (bless his heart) was sleeping on the porch like always. He woke when he heard me. Shep followed me to the well; he looked thirsty so I gave him a sip from the bucket. Mama didn’t like me doing that, but she wasn’t around. Last time she caught me, I told her Shep was cleaner and less hairy than Grands so she shouldn’t pay no mind; boy did I get a beating.

It weren’t no more than a minute after he drank that Ol‘ Shep started scratching at himself. First he started clawing and biting, then he found a rock and started rubbing against it real hard. I ran inside to get Pa. When we got back, he was still at it. The rock was bloody, an eye and most of the side of his face was gone. Pa went back in the house to get the shotgun. I knew what he meant to do and turned to go back in before he could. Passing Pa, I walked quicker so he wouldn’t see my face. Pa didn’t like it when I cried.

Inside, it took awhile before I heard the shot, it sounded more distant then I expected. Pa must have taken Shep out to the far field. Mama came running. I told her Shep was sick and Pa had to put him down. She wiped a tear from my cheek and gave me a big hug. I laid my head on her shoulder. Ma told me she didn’t know what to tell the twins. Billy and Emily loved that dog, we all did.

I went back out to help Pa. He didn’t say what he had done with Shep and I knew better than to ask. I told him about giving Shep a drink and how he went crazy right after. Pa had me bring up another pail. He looked and sniffed at it, putting his face closer to the water than I liked. We took it over to the old sow since she was already sick and dying. We had her separated from the other hogs. Pa didn’t know why she was sick so he hadn’t made up his mind what to do with her.

Pa and I climbed into her pen. She laid in the shade of the sty. Her eyes followed us but she didn’t move a muscle. I couldn’t get her to drink so Pa held her head back and I poured the water down her throat. It didn’t take long before she started squealing, it was the loudest sound I ever heard. Mustering her strength, she got up. The sow started rubbing against the pen leaving bits of red on the old coarse wood. She was rubbing like she wanted to take her skin off! Pa took the shotgun he had left leaning against the pen and shot her. I didn’t turn away this time, I had seen Pa butcher so many pigs it didn’t bother me like Shep.