Summer's Dog Days (A Zombie Novel)

The Road

"Roll down the windows, Ty. It's a scorcher today." I swept the pooling sweat above my brow and sighed heavily as I tugged at the collar of my shirt. It had to have been in the hundreds and if it wasn't, it sure felt that way.

"Do you think we should try the supermarket?" Dane asked from the bed of the truck.

"No. There will be too many of them there and I'm sure the stores have been looted by now."

"We'll try anyway, Summer. I want to get back to the others as soon as possible. It doesn't hurt to at least give it a pass by."

I sighed in defeat. "If you say so."

Ty turned down a familiar road and in no time we were in our old neighborhood. Most of the houses were burned to the ground, run down or in total chaos.

"Has it really only been a week?"

The sight hit me hard and it felt like I was being suffocated. I tried not to focus on the disheartening sight around us and scanned the radio waves instead. Static zoned in and out as I turned the dial. I was about to give up when a familiar tinny voice interrupted the static.

"...is hope! I don't know if many of you are still out there listening but I hear there are safe havens for survivors. I'm going to try to reach one today. It's on the edge of the city, I've been communicating with their base for a while now and I leave today. It is the fifth day of total zombie breakout. I'll check back in on the eighth day. Whoever is out there listening, don't give up. There is hope! "

I snapped my head to look at Ty but his expression was unreadable. I turned to Dane and looked to see his eyes glinting with what seemed like excitement.

"Do you think he'll make it?" I asked aloud, silently hoping someone would say yes.

"Not likely, Summer. He's one guy in a sea of the undead. There's no chance for him." Ty gripped the wheel and sped up.

I looked back at Dane who had sunk back to one of the corners of the truck, his head hung low and his hair covered his eyes. I didn't want Ty's answer either.

"But you don't know that! He could make it and when he does we can go too! With Arlo, Amelia, Z, Derek...we can be safe!"

"We're safe where we are. Can you imagine how many people must be there now? Whoever is running the place will eventually lose their ability to keep the peace, the ability to feed everyone or the ability to shelter them. And not everyone is to be trusted, Summer. This isn't God's plan to wipe out every sinner! There are those who don't deserve to be alive and yet there are, and guess where their safe haven is?!"

He had a point and I couldn't raise my voice against him to argue. I slouched down into the seat and put my feet up on the dashboard.

"Ok, Ty. We'll stay where we are."

He put a heavy hand on my shoulder, the same way Dad would and let it lay there for a while. I looked at my filthy crusted jeans and flicked off hardened sand and blood. My mind drifted endlessly as I tried not to think about the impending doom we were encroaching upon, it wasn't safe for us, nowhere would ever be safe and it was naive to think otherwise.

"We're almost there, Summer. Get ready." I nodded and hit the back window to alert Dane. He was up to the cab in no time.

"We getting close?"