Carver Pike - Scalp

Inside, there was no greeter, which was to be expected. The self-checkout lanes were empty. The tiny sandwich shop tucked in its own corner to the right had nobody working the counter and no customers dining. It was too late for that anyway. In fact, the diner should have been closed already, as in the floor mopped and the chairs stacked on top of tables. The store was twenty-four hours, but the sandwich shop wasn’t.

“That isn’t a good sign,” Hal said. Nobody else seemed to pick up on what he meant so he added, “Stay alert. They’ve taken over the staff.”

Grant raised his rifle and carried it out in front of him like the point man in a military fireteam. It looked like he was about to lead them in clearing a house instead of searching for head lice ointment.

This is so stupid. It’s dangerous. And for what?

Clementine held two shotguns, one locked into each armpit, and Hal couldn’t help thinking the world had surely gone to shit. They’d become a rogue team of post-apocalyptic bandits. This was Mad Max and they were in the thunder dome.

For the first time, seeing the untouched shelves in front of him, Hal wondered if they should take as many supplies and as much food as they could pile into the back of the truck. If this thing reached beyond town limits, they could be plunged into darkness. It could become every man for himself . What was their plan once they left the store? To ride around and blast these creatures with head lice spray? If that didn’t work, then what? Shoot them? Or go hide away somewhere? If they were going to hide, they would need to stock up.

Grant looked back and waved for Sally to follow him. He wanted her by his side, and that was the first thing he really respected about the guy. He was doing his best to take care of his girl. If she was his girl. Hal wasn’t even sure. Now wasn’t the time to ask simple kinds of questions. If it didn’t involve saving the human race, it probably wasn’t a good discussion.

“It should be back near home and garden,” Clementine whispered. “With the pesticides and stuff.”

Hal was glad she knew where she was going because he had no idea where they’d find the shit. He couldn’t even remember the name of it. He’d heard of Nix, but that was about it. He figured that would probably be somewhere over by the pharmacy.

“I need to get me a carton of smokes while we’re in here,” Clementine added.

He wasn’t a smoker, but he had been in the past, and he could imagine himself saying something so dumb at a time like this. They were in here now, so whatever she needed to grab to make herself feel better, she might as well get it.

Grant was out front with Clementine close behind. Sally stayed behind them and Hal brought up the rear. The home and garden area was to the left, past the women’s clothing, the jewelry, the kitchen and bathroom supplies, the pharmacy, the toys, and the beauty care products. Hal could see the barbecue grills from where they stood near the cash registers.

If this were a regular shopping run, he wouldn’t have thought twice about the distance they needed to cover, but this was anything but normal. Between them and their destination lay countless shelves these creatures could hide behind. His heart hammered in his chest as they passed the women’s clothing.

Deeper into the store was the men’s clothing, the shoes, and the socks and underwear.

Hal knew this store well. He did all his shopping here. Sometimes, when lonesome and sorrow hit him hard, he’d walk up and down every aisle. He’d look at the yarn and remember how his wife used to knit sometimes as they watched TV. It calmed her nerves. He’d run his fingers along the young adult books in the paperback section. His daughter used to shut the world away whenever she was grounded from her phone. She’d curl up under a blanket and stay in her room all day and all night reading books. She’d told him once it was her way of drowning them out. She didn’t have to look at her mother or father if she was concentrating on the words in front of her.

Sadness hit him now as he thought about how much time was lost. He wished he could go back and unground her. He’d spend every one of those seconds with her talking, laughing, listening…

A groan came from somewhere in the back of the store. Probably at the electronics. He imagined one of those creatures knocking over the books his daughter might have picked out. Soiling the paperback covers with its disgusting hands. Its hair wiggling, searching for another human to infect. Human or animal. He’d seen the dogs too. The dogs were worse because they were smaller, faster, and more aggressive than the infected humans.

Hal could outrun some humans. He couldn’t outrun a dog.

Grant waved at the back of the store, completing his military image. He made hand gestures Hal didn’t understand but knew it had something to do with the sound he’d heard at the back. It looked like Grant was waving in that direction. If he thought Hal was going to go looking for the source of that growl, he was out of his damn mind.

As they all kept their attention on the rear of the store, Clementine stepped on a bag of Cheetos that had been knocked off a rack and lay on the floor. It popped as her weight came down on it and then the foil package crackled and the chips inside it crumbled. The sound was way too loud and way too sudden.

Oh shit.

Clementine looked back at Hal and mouthed the word, “Sorry.”

Sorry wouldn’t cut it. The growl they’d heard before now turned into a high-pitched wail. Then, to the right, near the bread aisle in the grocery section, a shriek sounded off. That led to a monstrous roar back in the auto supply area.

“Go!” Hal ordered.

Grant didn’t argue. He raced toward the home and garden section. Hal followed, but he really wanted to hightail it back to the front door and get the hell out of the store. It was too late though. He’d already committed to getting the permethrin. The others stormed ahead, paying little attention to the aisles on their left and right. Hal was all too aware. He wasn’t moving as quickly as the others out of fear something might pounce on them.

The others had already passed the greeting card aisle when Hal approached and heard the ruffling of cards and envelopes being knocked off their racks. He glanced right and saw it. A huge man, easily 6’4” and over 250 lbs., stumbled toward him. He walked with his hands outstretched, using his fingers to guide him, and the cards fell at his feet like congratulatory confetti. Hal was the lucky winner, and this creature was hissing at him, its hair clicking, as it came to give him his prize.

His first thought should have been to pull the trigger and blow him away, but he froze for some reason. The scene in front of him was surreal. Almost beautiful in its insanity. A card flew in front of Hal’s face and he was able to read it: Happy Father’s Day, Daddy. Your princess loves you.

As it fluttered to the ground, the big man’s face came into view behind it, and Hal considered doing absolutely nothing. Maybe the card was a sign from his daughter telling him it was time to come see her. It was time to let go of this cruel, nasty world and come be with the one person who loved him unconditionally. He raised his gun and pointed it at the creature, and then turned it on himself.

He would let the creature get to him, and as those tiny writhing bastards thought they had a new host, he would blow his own fucking brains out. Grant, Clementine, and Sally could finish their plans without him. He wasn’t much a part of it anyway. He lived a loner, he’d die one.

Come on, you bastard.

The creature was five feet from him when he heard a voice say, “Hal, what the fuck?”