A zombie short?...(Original Story)

[XxJason LivesxX]

Wow I didn't even know this section existed until the off topic post brought it up.

Here is a story I wrote a couple years ago. It is not related to CODz.

Friends

By

XxJason LivesxX

David pulled into the condominium’s weatherworn parking lot with a skid. He hurriedly punched in the entry code on the wrought iron gate and climbed the stairs to Jason’s third floor condo. Condo; David smiled at the term; it seemed you could make anything more palatable with the right wordage. Rundown hovel in Lakewood becomes Condo in urban setting just minutes from downtown Denver’s shopping and dining. Jason was suckered in and now he could score crack cocaine just by walking to the convenience store across the street; a selling point dubiously not mentioned in the listing.

He knocked on Jason’s door anxious to hear what his friend since high school had gotten himself into this time. Jason Williams was always into something or someone. David envied him in some ways but coming home to his loving family usually trumped any longing for the bachelor life and all the sticky awkward couplings with random club goers. Jason, however was the quintessential Peter Pan man child; never growing up, never taking responsibility, but he was a lot of fun to be around and had always been there for David so when Jason called, voice trembling, David told his wife Cherraline that he had to go and would be back in a couple hours.

After hearing the scrape of something heavy being pulled away from the door Jason answered; he was pale and his eyes were bloodshot and wide. David’s initial instincts told him his friend was high, shit high was an understatement his friend was gonzo. Jason’s eyes shot back and forth surveying the hallway before closing the door and unlocking the chain. He opened the door and rushed David into the condo.

“I’m so glad you came” Jason hugged him; David noticed he was drenched in sweat and a rifle was strapped to his back; David became very uncomfortable. Looking around David

noticed the apartment was in a state of disarray; the massive shelving unit that had housed Jason’s obscenely large DVD collection and movie props was now leaned against the wall next to the door, its contents were spread all over the living room floor. A silver hand emerged from the pile like a skeleton reaching up from the grave; it was Jason’s Terminator prop hand, he had watched Jason beam with pride as he opened the box it came in and now it lay there amid the DVDs and tiny action figures of modern movie villains.

“What’s going on man you look like shit” David said masking his concern behind a small laugh. Jason didn’t return the laugh he rubbed his face excitedly, pacing back and forth as he spoke.

“It’s here man. You know like we always talked about, we thought it was just bullshit, you know, good for a laugh, but it’s fucking here man.” Jason was visibly shaken; his words cracked as he spoke. “Jokes on us!” he pushed the shelves back in front of the door.

“Whoa calm down dude. What’s going on?” David said, trying to speak in a calming tone.

“What’s going on?” Jason wailed “It’s the fucking zombie outbreak. You need to call Cherraline and tell her to lock all the doors and wait for us” Jason thrust the phone towards David, who stood there with a surprised look on his face.

“Are you fucking high?” he asked incredulously “I drove down here from Castle Rock fighting traffic on the twenty five, and you tell me there’s a fucking zombie outbreak. What the hell is going on here Jason?” He gestured to the pile of debris on the living room floor.

Jason looked dejected; as he spoke tears ran down his face. “I’m not crazy. They’re here I’ve already killed one, fucking bitch tried to bite me. You need to call your wife and tell her to lock up.”

David took a step back and noticed Jason had dark stains on his brown shirt; he looked down and noticed that his own grey Mammoth’s sweatshirt was now stained red from where Jason hugged him. His heart dropped into his bowels turning him ice cold. He put his hand up and spoke very clearly in calming tones just as his de-escalation training at work had taught him. He had talked people down before; some just tired of being trapped in the system and some unmercifully tweaking on crystal meth. David had faced his share of unstable people working in community corrections, but his heart had never raced as it did now.

“Jason what did you do? I can help just talk to me, ok?” Jason shook his head as he continued to cry.

“David, don’t talk to me like one of your clients” He looked at his old friend pleadingly “I called you because I knew I could trust you and I thought you trusted me”

“You can trust me” David ensured “but you need to talk to me. What happened?”

Jason collapsed onto the sofa in a heap he lit a cigarette and slowly began to recount what happened. He was on his way home from work he had some extra cash on him from tips so he cruised Colfax Avenue looking for some companionship. David nodded he worked in the area and knew that all types of vices could be found by cruising Colfax Avenue. He assured Jason that no he was not judging him and then bid Jason continue. After finding an acceptable companion they negotiated an acceptable price. Jason brought her back; they smoked a couple joints, and did the deed. During the deed Jason noticed a pretty nasty bite mark on her outer thigh and questioned her about it. She stated that one of the homeless down by the shelter grabbed her and bit her from his cardboard shanty. Jason didn’t question her further, afterall he was busy.

After they finished Jason offered his bathroom for her to clean up and he went to the **** please report this topic, post **** to grab another beer and make a hot pocket. When Jason came back to the bedroom she was still in the bathroom and he heard her retching; he asked if she was ok but she said it must have been something she ate at the dollar scoop Chinese place a few doors down from Casa Bonita.

Jason waited outside the bathroom door as his patience wore thin. The sounds of her vomiting gave way to low moans of agony. Jason had to kick his bathroom door down to get to the woman whom he thought was dying and when he did she came at him!

He claimed her eyes were clouded over and she moaned as she grabbed at him. He showed David a series of long red scratches on his forearm; the skin had barely been broken. David nodded and listened intently. Jason was able to push the girl over and she fell backwards hitting her head on the toilet seat. Blood spilled from the wound in her head and sprayed out towards Jason, but she got up like it was nothing, her arms reaching for him as he retreated into the bedroom. He pushed her backwards again and she stumbled backwards into the tub with a sickening snap.

Jason was crying as he told this last part. The woman got back up her neck hung unnaturally to one side but she still reached for him teeth gnashing. He didn’t know what to do, she was almost on him!!

He grabbed the lid to his toilet’s basin and hit her with it. The first strike snapped her fragile arm in two but if she felt it she didn’t show any sign; she reached for him with the limp broken limb. He struck again this time hitting her in the head; the woman wobbled a little but did not fall.

He lifted the heavy white porcelain over his head and struck her again this time bringing her to the ground. One more strike and she stopped moving.

Letting what had just happened sink in Jason barricaded the door and called his friend David; his friend David who now sat across the living room looking at him like he had a third arm growing out of his back.

“So let me get this straight” David began “You have a dead hooker in your bathroom that you had to kill because she became a zombie and tried to eat you” Jason nodded his affirmation.

David smiled nervously it had to be a joke right? Jason was always pulling this type of stuff. However something told him this wasn’t one of those times, but then that would mean…

“Stay right here” David stood up and started towards the bedroom “I swear to god if Ryan jumps out at me back there I’ll kill him and then you” Jason put his hands up in a gesture of mock surrender.

He stood in the doorway to the bathroom for two minutes waiting for his mind to process the scene before him. The white tile floor was completely covered in a deep red. In the middle of the floor lay the dead woman. She was naked except for the shattered porcelain that covered the top half of her head. Her arm was broken; David could tell because the bone had broken through her skin and was now caught on the bowl of the toilet seat tearing through flesh as she fell down presumably.

Judging by her skin tone and hair she was either young black women or a young Hispanic. It would have been easier to differentiate if her face hadn’t been turned into leftover strawberry pie. Her neck was bent towards her left shoulder and there were bruises all over her legs and body.

David felt the bile rising in his throat as he stepped out of the bathroom. His head was swimming as he leaned against the doorjamb; he just couldn’t take his eyes away from the poor girl lying broken and exposed in his best friend’s bathroom. He wondered what kind of person she was, what could have driven her to the streets and this undeserved fate. Before he left he took the sheet off of Jason’s bed and covered the girl’s corpse with it, noticing a swollen bite mark on her outer thigh.

Jason sat on the couch looking to his feet and smoking when David entered the room. David kept his distance from his friend and glanced towards the barricaded door. What was he going to do? Jason was into horror movies and sensationalized violence, but he couldn’t have done this, could he? They used to smoke pot and watch "Evil Dead" or "Last House on the Left" after school, but they both knew it was just a movie, just a fun waste of time before their parents would get home.

David had never seen any behavior from Jason that would indicate something as heinous as what was lying in his bathroom and spilling out onto his carpet, no torturing little animals, no beating up women, Jason was just Jason he was an easygoing likeable guy.

"That’s what Dahmer’s neighbor’s said about him" David thought and instantly regretted it. Pushing that from his mind He turned his attention to Jason who looked up at him like a puppy.

“Did you see it?” Jason asked in jumble of nerves. David nodded his head. “So you saw it?” Jason said with smile.

“Of course I saw it! It’s all over your bathroom floor!” David heard his voice echo in the apartment and quickly caught himself; one thing you don’t do is agitate the crazy guy with the rifle.

Jason was un-phased he shook his head dismissively.

“No, did you see the bite on her leg?” He asked. David nodded “see I told you man.” He said with relief.

“Fucking zombies can you believe that.” He leaned back on the couch and exhaled a cloud of smoke that circled around his head for second satisfied that David was onboard.

“I saw the bite Jason” He said “It doesn’t prove anything. Look you’re my friend but I have to call the police now. We’ll go through this together. I have friends in Jefferson County. I know a good lawyer.” Jason laughed a deep mocking laugh that made the little hairs on the back of David’s neck rise.

“A lawyer, what the hell are you talking about? We’ve watched all the movies, we’ve sat here and discussed how we could make it once the zombie outbreak hits. Now it’s here and you want to lock me up and bury your head in the sand.”

“Listen to yourself Jason. Zombie outbreaks are you serious? There are no zombies yeah we talked about an outbreak we also talked about who would win in a fight Robocop or the Terminator.”

“Terminator of course” Jason said in a matter of fact tone.

“That’s not what I’m talking about. You have a dead whore in your bathroom. Yeah I saw a bite on her but that doesn’t mean shit. You could have done that yourself. You called me because you obviously needed help, Jason, let me help you.” David reached in his pocket for his cell phone and remembered it was still plugged into the cigarette lighter in his Cherokee, in the parking lot, damn.

“Ok” Jason threw up his hands in frustration “but please call Cherraline and tell her to lock up; you have a daughter to think of.” He punched in few numbers and handed David his cell phone. “It’s ringing.”

David grabbed the phone and waited for his wife to pick up...

“Hello” her voice always sounded so calm and inviting. He just wanted to be with her right now; away from Jason and away from the mess in his bathroom. “Hello… I have caller ID Jason.”

“Cherraline it’s me babe.”

“David what’s going on everything ok? What was the big emergency? Did Jay get the clap again?” she giggled playfully.

“Hon I’ll explain everything when I get home. I’ll be very late tonight.” Jason pantomimed locking a door frantically. “Oh and Babe lock up tight ok”

“David what’s going on? I don’t like the sound of this. Is everything ok?”

“No everything is not ok I’ll tell you all about it when I get home. Please lock up and give Meagan a kiss for me” and he hung up, instantly missing her voice. “Ok Jason now let me call the police.”

“Sure man it’s after seven I’ve got free minutes” Jason bowed his head in resignation.

David dialed 9-1-1 and waited while it rang. After several rings an automated voice chimed in informing him that all of their operators were currently busy and to hold the line and his call would be answered momentarily.

Waiting impatiently David listened to the recording two more times and hung up. He quickly redialed and listened to the same recorded voice, Jason picked up on his frown and his own mouth began to perk up.

“No answer huh? What does that tell you?” the smile on Jason’s face widened.

“It just means its Saturday night in Lakewood” Sirens wailed in the night as if punctuating David’s assertion.

David looked out of the window to the parking lot; a few homeless staggered about on legs steadied by MD 20/20 and Steel Reserve. He could see flashing red and blue lights a few blocks down the street. He turned to Jason. What was he going to do now? He talked him down, ready to turn himself in, and nobody would pick up the phone. Jason stood up went to the fridge and grabbed a beer stopping by David and offering him the bottle. David shook his head no.

“So, now what?” he asked as he put the green bottle to his lips and took a deep draught.

“Now we’ll just take my Jeep down to the station, but you should definitely leave the gun.”

“We’ll just waltz right out huh? In the middle of a god damned plague?”

“Enough with the zombie shit. Ok?” David moved towards the door “We’re going to the police station and that’s that.” He heard the round slide into place as Jason chambered it.

He turned slowly but he already knew what he would see. Jason had the barrel of his hunting rifle pointing towards him center mass.

“No that’s not that” he said thrusting the rifle towards David “this is fucking this.”

David’s body froze like a deer in the headlights. His mind reeled in fear racing to find a way out of this situation; it came up empty.

“I’m sorry David but I can’t let you open that door. Please don’t make me hurt you, I love you”

“Ok” David said and carefully moved back towards the living room and away from the barricaded door. “Ok Jason just put the gun down. Ok?”

Jason looked undecided; he held the gun towards David but lowered the barrel slightly. He leaned the rifle against the couch and sat down next to it. David sensing the change in body language edged over to his friend and sat down within arm’s length of the rifle.

“Christ man” Jason started through the tremors in his voice. “I thought you’d understand. If anybody would have it would have been you.” David was waiting for the right opportunity to go for the gun. Jason noticed his eyes and pulled an automatic from the small of his back and pointed it towards him.

“You’re not that fast” was all he said. David deflated into the couch; he was at his friend’s mercy.

Jason paced back and forth from the window to the barricade wearing down his retro shag carpet. He held the rifle at the ready as he mumbled to himself; zombie this, apocalypse that intermittently he would ask David random questions; How much gas was in the Jeep? What kind of neighbors did he have, did he think they had weapons? David answered his questions as best he could, trying to hide the fact that he was terrified and couldn’t stop picturing his wife and daughter over and over in his head.

Not only was he terrified but he was also crushed; he had been friends with Jason for close to twenty years and now the Jason he knew was gone, replaced by this delusional wreck that paced back and forth in front of him. Jason stopped at the window and his eyes widened.

“Fuck” he yelled and drew the curtain closed “They’re here. Jesus they’re here” He motioned David over to him.

David sat on the couch and did not move. Jason rushed to the couch and grabbed him by his collar jerking him to his feet and pushing him towards the window.

“Look David that’s all I’m asking” David smoothed out the collar of his shirt and peaked out the window.

In the parking lot below the same few vagrants David spied earlier staggered around aimlessly. David watched them wander around for a few moments when the crack of the rifle deafened him replacing all sounds with a ringing.

As he registered that a gun had just been fired within close proximity he watched one of the homeless fall to the ground as blood pumped from his forehead. The man lay on the ground as the blood pooled black in the moonlight.

The other homeless hurried to his side and crowded around the grisly scene. Before it could sink in, he watched the face of another of the homeless evaporate into a mist before crumpling over the body of the first. He turned and watched Jason, in horror, at the rear window work the bolt action and fire another shot into the crowd with a loud report that intensified the ringing in David’s ears.

He looked down on the scene and saw another body lying on its back trashing around in the black puddle.

Jason chambered another round and took aim. David looked through the haze of gun smoke in the apartment and saw the butt of Jason’s pistol hanging from his waistband; he quietly made his way towards Jason as he fired another round out of the window.

David watched Jason chamber another round and steady his aim, as he did he grabbed the gun from his waistband and leveled it towards his best friend. Jason whirled around; the surprise contorted his face into a grotesque scowl. Jason grabbed for the gun in David’s hand and David jumped backwards just out of reach.

“Drop the gun Jason!” David yelled. Raw emotion dripped from his every word. “Put the gun down or so help me I will fucking shoot you.” Jason smiled and walked a step towards him.

“David, it’s me Jason” he said lightly, casually bringing the barrel of his rifle around.

“Jason, stop!” David pleaded as he watched his friend moving the rifle towards him.

He squeezed the trigger once and a red blossom bloomed from the right side of Jason’s chest. Jason stopped and brought his hand to his chest frowning when his hand came away glistening red.

“Son of a bitch” he coughed through the blood collecting in his lung and aimed the rifle at his best friend. David squeezed the trigger again putting another hole into Jason’s chest. Jason dropped the rifle to his side and managed a few more steps before he collapsed face first arms flailing about trying to gain a grip on something, anything.

David rushed to his side and held his hand while he bled out.

“I’m sorry” was all he said and he kept repeating it until Jason’s body went limp and his eyes became vacant.

The recorded voice informed him that all operators were currently busy and he should hold the line. David hung up and dialed his wife.

She answered on the first ring.

“David? Thank god you’re alright get home as fast as you can” Her voice was so frantic now, it unsettled him to no end.

“Babe what’s wrong? I’ve had a hell of a night”

“Haven’t you been watching the news? It’s all over there’s like riots or something all over downtown. The news said they’re calling in the guard they think it might be some sort of terrorist attack.”

“I’ll be home as soon as I can. I love you” He said and dropped the phone into his pocket.

He walked over to the window and saw the homeless down in the parking lot; they were still gathered around Jason’s victims, but they weren’t trying to help, no he was mistaken as to their intentions earlier.

As one of them stood up he could see the vagrant clutching a severed arm while thick ropey strands of flesh hung from its jaws. David staggered backwards as tears began to form in his eyes.

He held his breath as he heard movement behind him. Frozen, he heard a guttural moan coming from where Jason fell.

He didn’t want to turn around; he already knew what he would see…

[MyLittleHellhound]

Wow, we'll you have some good skill there! I like your characters and such.

Would you be continuing this or are you opposed to adding it to a pile of stories CoDz is putting together?

[XxJason LivesxX]

I do have a continuation for this story in mind (Every story I've written has a continuation in my head :roll: ) However, that would be way later if at all.

As for adding stuff to a CODz collection, yes you guys could have this story, but I could probably write something much more releated to CODz on my next few days off.