The Storm

The flapping of the shade on the window woke her up. The wind had arrived, a warning of the coming storm. Jane shoved Ryan's shoulder to wake him. "Go close the window. The storms are coming, " she said.

Ryan groaned as he slid out of bed and stumbled to the window. He looked out to see the green tinted clouds racing over the barren land towards the house, their acid-laden rain falling against the dusty, cracked ground.

He returned to bed and snuggled close to Jane. The soft pitter patter of the rain against the roof lulled them back to sleep.

The sound of the soil around their house breaking and heaving caused Jane to wake up. The soft drone of zombies rising from the ground drove fear into her heart. “Ryan, wake up. The zombies …”

“Wha?” he asked. Jane jumped when they started scratching against the walls.

“Zombies!” she screamed. Her whole body was shaking as the walls heaved as the undead pressed against them. The acid from the rain further weakening the boards.

“Go to the shelter,” Ryan said as he reached for the automatic rifle next to the bed. He loaded it with a clip and cocked it. Jane scrambled for her robe, a blanket, cell phone and tablet. “What are you doing? Go! Now!”

When the apocalypse began two years ago, Ryan had bought a giant restaurant freezer. He removed all the innards of the freezer and fortified it with steel then added electricity, lights, WiFi, a microwave, and a wall lined with food that could be nuked in their own container and bottles of water. In one corner was a small porta-potty blocked off by a shower curtain. The freezer was furnished with a large mattress, blankets and pillows. A small fan vent on the top allowed fresh air to circulate. There was even a small camera connected to a small TV screen to allow them to see when the zombies retreated back into the ground. Whenever the rains and zombies arrived, they retreated to the shelter until they were gone again.

Jane looked around one more time to see if she was forgetting anything then ran after Ryan as he headed out of the room and down the stairs to the basement. Every time the walls cracked she jumped.

“They’re going to get us this time. I know it,” Jane sobbed.

“Just get in the hideout,” Ryan ordered as he opened the giant freezer door. The zombies broke through the wall and rushed the freezer. Ryan shot the first three in the head then pulled the door closed and locked it.

“Dammit. I forgot to double tap,” he said as he put the gun down.

“I’m sure you got them,” Jane reassured him. She had curled up on the mattress, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders as she started up the tablet then loaded the Apocalypse Now application. “It says this should be a short attack. The rains are moving quickly.”

“That’s good. Let’s get some sleep.”

They curled up together and fell back to sleep. The sound of Jane’s alarm clock woke them several hours later. “Are they still out there?” Jane asked when Ryan returned to the mattress after using the bathroom and getting two bottles of waters. He got up and looked at the TV.

“It seems clear,” he answered. “What does the app say?”

“It is still raining but it seems to be clearing.”

They curled back up on the mattress. Jane started the Netflix app and browsed to “Zombieland,” their favorite movie for when the apocalypse reared its head. When the movie finished Ryan checked the TV while Jane looked at the Apocalypse Now app. “They’re giving the all clear,” Jane said.

“I don’t see any movement,” Ryan replied as he picked up his rifle and cocked it.. “I’ll go out first, cover me.”

Jane picked up the rifle they kept in the shelter and loaded it, then stood about three feet behind Ryan. He unlocked and slowly opened the door. He stepped on the body of one of the three zombies he’d shot on the way in. It didn’t move.

“Looks clear,” he said. Jane put her rifle down and picked up all her stuff. She followed Ryan out of the shelter and closed the door, revealing the other two zombies that had bullet holes in their head but were still very much alive.

“Brains … we need brains,” they said and fell on top of Ryan and Jane before they could react. The zombies gnawed on their heads, ripping and tearing apart their brains.

Ryan reached for Jane’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice raspy as he neared death. “I knew I should have double tapped.”

“I know.” Jane convulsed as the zombie’s teeth tore through her brain. Ryan’s hand fell out of hers as she exhaled her last breath.

Ryan mustered all his strength and lifted the rifle. He let out a primal scream as he shot his attacker in the head then Jane’s attacker. “Sorry I failed you, Columbus,” he said then shot himself in the head.
Word Prompt: flapping, freezer, soft