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Barricade
Jerry Bernstein had had a nagging feeling all day that he’d forgotten something. He went over every possibility that he could think of; did he pay the bills? Had he fed the dog this morning? He’d stayed late at work to fix his office mate’s latest blunder, the sun already down by the time he walked out to his car. His work done, his mind was able to wander back to trying to figure out what he’d forgotten. He was only a few exits away from home on the highway when it finally struck him; the sports car tailgating him came close to striking him too as he slammed on his brakes and cut across three lanes of traffic to take the exit into downtown. He’d forgotten his wedding anniversary. If he came home empty-handed after staying late at work, there’d be Hell to pay. So he tore through downtown, eyes constantly on the dashboard clock, breaking half-a-dozen traffic laws as he made for the mall.
Tires squealing, he pulled into a handicapped space in front of the mall. The mall’s closing, no one will need it, he rationalized as he dashed for the entrance, hit the door like a linebacker, and ran for the jeweler’s. Security gates were being pulled down and locked on the stores around him, the mall employees making their way past him toward the parking lot. He rounded a corner, praying to anyone willing to listen that the jeweler’s was still open, but as he ran headfirst into a security gate it was obvious that someone up there was laughing at him now. He helplessly shook the bars but eventually turned to leave. Not before giving the gate a nice firm kick, of course. His mind was racing for an alternative, somewhere else he could get something suitably romantic and expensive, when he heard the first scream. It had come from the parking lot where his car sat. More screams began to follow it, and the air filled with a loud, low groaning. Jerry and a few other last minute shoppers headed that way immediately to see what was going on. Jerry pulled open a door and stepped into the cool night air. He immediately froze at the sight before him. The parking lot, the road beyond, as far as he could see was crowded with shambling forms. Empty eyes looked towards the mall, mouths hung slack in wordless moans, graveyard dirt fell from the bodies of the horde drawing slowly closer. Jerry had seen enough movies to figure out what they were. Small shapes moved between the legs of the oncoming zombies, and as one darted forward and leapt for Jerry he finally had the sense to step back into the mall and slam the door shut. The short, scaled creature hit the door with a wet smack.
Jerry looked around wildly at the other people with him. Among them was a security guard who, after watching the oncoming swarm for a moment, turned and ran. He was so urgent in his flight that he didn’t even stop as his walkie talkies and some of the keys from his keyring fell to the ground behind him. A dark haired, dark clothed teenager among the remaining people shook his head.
“Lame. So lame.”
Jerry, rather than commenting on the security guard’s actions, picked up the dropped keys and found one that locked the front doors. He turned to the people around him.
“Something this big, someone is going to come along and help us. The army, or the air force, somebody. We just have to last until they get here. I’m going to go lock the other doors and see if there’s anything in here that we can use to keep them out. Who’ll come with me?” The mall goers looked at each other, but none stepped forward. Jerry sighed. “Fine.” He picked up the fallen walkie talkies and handed them to the people around him, keeping one for himself. “Just watch the entrance. Use the walkie talkies to let me know if they start getting through.” With that, Jerry headed off into the mall, the anniversary gift forgotten. Having to fend off a zombie attack was probably a good reason for forgetting. Probably.
Last modified: February 20, 2009