The Colony (Book 1): The Colony Read online

  Copyright © 2013 by Marie Lanza

  http://www.MarieLanza.com

  The Colony is an original work of fiction by Marie Lanza, who holds the sole rights to all characters and concepts herein.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are productions of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

  THE COLONY

  There was nowhere else to run.

  Emma and Jim found themselves trapped in a walk-in closet bracing against a dresser they used to barricade the door. They were trapped with no windows to escape and no weapons to protect themselves against the Carriers.

  The Carriers on the other side growled at the door pressing their bodies with all their dead weight causing the wood to creak and bend.

  A virus divided the world into two categories, Human vs. Carrier. There was nothing else left and the Carriers were out-numbering the living ten to one. The virus that infected the world populations was a fast acting killer leaving the human body into nothing but a rotting shell driven on pure adrenaline and only consuming human and animal flesh.

  Since the outbreak a month ago this was life; running, hiding and surviving. There was little sleep and finding food that wasn’t contaminated or rotten was rare. Survivors were on borrowed time and couldn’t take any moment for granted as it could be their last. There were no room for errors and being trapped in this closet was the type of mistake they couldn’t afford.

  “I don’t know about you but I won’t die like this.” Emma looked to Jim hoping he had some ideas.

  “I fucked up. I can’t believe I fucked up.” Jim shook his head in disbelief.

  Emma had only met Jim a few days earlier when they both broke into the same house from opposite sides. They were damn lucky neither killed the other out of fear they were a carrier. Both armed with guns and both dealing with losses of their loved ones. Emma’s husband was a marine fighting overseas when the outbreak happened and she hadn’t heard from him since. Jim lost his family from a hoard that over ran an evacuation center they had fled to.

  It was rare to see another person that wasn’t a deteriorating rabid beast. Rumor was there were colonies in the cold regions of the Northern US and Canada with survivors, but no one Emma or Jim had met had actually made it to one yet. Still, that was the goal: get to a colony.

  Emma and Jim had decided to stay together since everyone knew you were safer in numbers. They were camping out in a house at the end of a cul-de-sac. They were sure they locked everything down before they went upstairs to sleep in the master bedroom but somehow the Carriers still managed to seek them out.

  It was never safe to be comfortable so both slept under the bed on opposite sides. Emma woke up first to the sound of a window shattering but Jim wasn’t far behind her. After that it wasn’t long before the gurgling growls and moans of the Carriers were heard. These things moved fast and were up the stairs before Emma and Jim could even get to their feet. In the shuffle to get in the closet, Emma dropped her gun, and Jim didn’t even sleep next to his afraid he may blow his own brains out. And this is where it left them, trapped in a closet with Carriers about to break down the door.

  “Stay here. I’ll look around to see if there’s anything we can use to kill them.” Emma searched pushing the clothes out of the way, feeling the top of shelves where her eyes couldn’t see.

  The Carriers were casting all their aggression against the door. Emma and Jim had no idea how many were out there but from the noise, it sounded like a handful.

  Emma pulled at a metal closet rod ripping it from the wall causing the hanging wardrobe to fall to the ground. “This will work.”

  Emma was the tougher of the two and Jim knew it. He depended on her and in the last week she saved them from more than one attack. Emma was resourceful and independent thanks to having a US Marine for a husband.

  “I’m so sorry Emma. This is all my fault. It’s my fault you don’t have your gun and I’m a fool not to sleep with mine,” he babbled.

  “Jim there’s no time for that. Pull it together so we can get out of here.” Emma glared as she worked. To her there was nothing more annoying than a weak man. She hadn’t really decided why she kept him around for any other reason but ‘safety in numbers.’ Tonight however she was regretting it because they were very close to being killed.

  “What’s your plan?” Jim asked.

  “To shove this rod through their brains and get the hell out of here.” She stared at the door wondering how she was really going to do that.

  “Shouldn’t we wait a while until maybe they tire out?” Jim braced the dresser as a loud bang came from behind the door.

  “Yeah, that’s a great idea. Let’s just wait it out,” Emma said sarcastically. “Jim, I’m going to have to open the door just a bit to do this.”

  “Are you crazy?” Jim had a point.

  The closet was narrow preventing Emma from getting a good range of motion with the metal rod if she were to open the door with the dresser still in the way.

  The banging continued with full force and rage on the other side.

  “Through the door then.” Emma planned her attack while watching the wood crack from the beatings on the other side.

  Jim turned his body towards the door still bracing himself against the dresser.

  Emma raised the pole over her head and lunged it forward with all her strength sending an explosion through the wood piercing one of the Carriers against the door in the chest. The thing howled in anger. They punched at the hole, digging at it with their claw like hands tearing it apart.

  With a better view Emma pulled the rod back and plunged it again aiming higher and hitting the Carrier in the head, killing it. Its’ body dropped to the floor and the others piled on top of it still trying to break through. Emma pulled back again and continued thrusting the rod into the door, smashing out holes but hitting the Carriers one by one sending them to their second deaths.

  It was silent.

  Emma and Jim only heard themselves breathing.

  “I think I got them all.” Emma was panting.

  Jim got to his feet and looked out the hole Emma created over the dresser. “Fuck Emma, I think you did.”

  Emma slid between the dresser and wall to get a better angle of the room through the hole. The bodies were stacked against the door, she counted five. Just past the corpses she could see her gun lying on the ground.

  Jim slid the dresser away giving enough space for them to slide past it and get out of the closet. Emma was first, grimacing as she carefully stepped over the bodies. She would never get used to the look of their decaying skin and coagulated goop for blood.

  Emma grabbed her gun and aimed as she continued through the room making sure there weren’t any more coming around the corner.

  Jim jumped over the bodies with a sort of skip in his step landing hard creating a bang on the floor. He shuttered at the sound.

  “Really?” Emma shot a glance back at him.

  Jim made his way over to a bag sitting on a bedside table. He opened it, pulled out his gun and swung the bag over his shoulder. He aimed his weapon copying Emma’s every move.

  Emma picked up her backpack wrapping it around her shoulders. She looked back at Jim, “Aim lower! I don’t need you shooting me in the back.”

  He did as he was told.

  The second story floors creaked with every light step they took. Leaning
over the rail, Emma searched what she could see of the first floor as they cautiously made their way down the stairs.

  At the bottom of the stairs, Emma walked into the living room. On the fire mantle, two candles were slowly burning out.

  “They must have seen the light.” Emma stared out the large front windows shattered with sheer curtains blowing with the outside breeze. “I can’t believe we made such a mistake lighting those.” She blew out the flames.

  “Emma we can’t fix it now.” Jim whispered from behind her. “Let’s just get the hell out of here.”

  Traveling at night was never safe, but neither was traveling during the day. Especially on foot like they were.

  Jim walked over to the sliding glass door leading out to the backyard while Emma monitored the front.

  Carriers wandered the neighborhood aimlessly. Emma took noticed how slow they move when they aren’t chasing their prey, just shuffling along being guided by a virus that’s consumed their brains and put their bodies on auto-pilot.

  Emma made her way to the back where Jim was keeping watch. He stood on the side of the glass door peering out the backyard.

  “We’re not going out the front.” Emma informed him.

  “Looks good out here. We can go through the yard and into that field. Seems it stretches down quite a ways,” Jim said.

  They didn’t waste another second. Emma and Jim opened the sliding door and ran for the field each taking a look back to make sure they weren’t being followed.

  The pair didn’t have anything but the moon giving them light to navigate their way. The grass was long and dry growing almost to Emma’s knees, scratching against their legs. The field lined the neighborhood and beyond. Emma kept her eyes on the neighborhood for Carriers while Jim kept his eyes on the tree line in the other direction.

  “Maybe in there.” Emma spotted an old barn at the end of the field.

  As they got closer, they noticed the doors were busted open. They quietly approached from the side and peeked around the doors to get a glimpse on the inside. It looked clear so they entered.

  Emma climbed a wooden ladder leading to a loft. Jim followed behind her.

  “This is perfect for tonight.” Jim set down his bag.

  Emma sighed and looked around. “Yeah it’ll do.” She began pulling at the wooded ladder, Jim assisted her and they laid it down. “I’ve never seen them climb ladders but let’s not take a chance.”

  Jim only nodded in agreement.

  ***

  The sun seeped through the wood boards of the barn causing Emma to barely crack her eyes open as she woke. She laid there for a moment bothered by shuffling on the ground. It seemed so loud like someone was crumbling dry leaves right against her ear. Emma turned her head to where Jim fell asleep, he too was awake, staring at the roof just listening. Jim’s eyes caught Emma’s and with a slight hand gesture he pointed down.

  Jim rolled over slowly to take a look over the edge of the loft.

  Carriers.

  Emma quietly moved so she could get a better look as well. Two Carriers hobbled about the barn. They both knew Carriers didn’t seek out the living, only reacting if it was presented to them. So Emma and Jim stayed silent watching the infected monsters below them knowing they would never look up unless they were directed by noise.

  Emma and Jim waited not making any movements to bring attention to themselves. They lay there knowing if they used their guns it would be a calling card to more Carriers. So Emma and Jim waited. Lightening up their breathing, making no unnecessary movements, hoping these two Carriers would just wander away.

  “Emma, Emma it’s clear.” Jim patted her shoulder, whispering.

  “How long was I out?” Emma realized she had fallen asleep.

  “Maybe an hour.” Jim was digging through his bag and pulled out a can of black beans. “Let’s get something in our stomach and get the fuck out of this barn.” He punctured the can with a large knife and bent the metal top back. Jim lifted the can to his mouth and dumped a bite in his mouth then handed it over to Emma.

  “Thanks.” Emma sat up, reached for the beans and took a bite.

  Emma and Jim passed the can back and forth until it was gone. There was never any packing that needed to be done. Everything they owned was in their packs.

  Emma took a long look over the loft before they put down the ladder and made the decent. She peaked out the barn door and spotted the two Carriers in the field.

  Emma and Jim left the barn headed in the opposite direction.

  No one ever knew how long they would be on their feet. It was all a matter of how the day went surviving the Carriers. If the day was light on encounters they could walk for hours but if they had run-ins with the infected beasts it usually meant hiding out for awhile.

  The only direction Emma and Jim ever headed was north with nothing guiding them but the sun’s position in the sky. When they hit towns, typically they would go around the best they could, as those areas were full of Carriers.

  It was still early morning as they continued through the field and hit the tree line to a wooded area. Emma and Jim continued on in the protection of the trees. It was shaded and cool through the woods, much more pleasant than what the heat felt like on the exposed roads.

  They came upon a creek and turned to go against the current.

  “Why do you think the colonies are only in the North?” Jim asked.

  “I don’t know. Maybe these things don’t like the cold.” Emma responded keeping her eyes on their surroundings.

  “Do you think about if your husband is still alive?”

  “Why are you asking about my husband?” Emma turned to him with a defensive tone.

  “Just wondering Emma. I think about my family every day. Just making conversation.” Jim raised his hands up in a surrender gesture.

  “I think about him all the time.” Emma turned and continued walking. “I’ll never know what happened to him, if he’s still out there fighting or if he’s been killed.”

  “I’m thankful I have my closure. I do wish it had been me instead of them.”

  “It’s your duty to survive now Jim. Remember that. They would want you to remember that and continue their memory,” Emma said.

  “Is that was drives you?” Jim scanned behind them to make sure they weren’t being followed.

  “I guess you could say that. My husband was on his third tour overseas so I was used to surviving without him. But he is always with me in spirit.” Emma explained.

  “You’ve never told me his name.”

  “What?” Emma hadn’t realized that.

  “His name. You’ve never mentioned it,” Jim informed her.

  “Ryan.” A small smile lit up on Emma’s face.

  Emma let her mind fall into thinking about Ryan. Even though she thought about him every day, she only let herself think of their memories together. It was too hard to wonder if he was still alive and fighting to survive the way she was. If he was surviving, where was he? Was he at a colony or holed up on a military base or maybe they made it back to the US and he was looking for her? These thoughts were useless to Emma and would only make her mad trying to figure out answers she didn’t have. Ryan’s memory was what gave her strength to push forward.

  Emma lost contact with Ryan a few days after the outbreak. Their home was on a military base at the time and it was overrun with Carriers. Since then, she had convinced herself they would never see each other again being on opposite sides of the world. His last words were reminding her to survive.

  The pair continued walking in more silence. The dry leaves cracking under their feet and an occasional bird fluttering through the trees were the only sounds through the forest. They hadn’t seen a Carrier for hours now. Emma and Jim soaked up the peace the silence brought as they both knew this didn’t happen often.

  “It would be nice if every day was like this.” Emma pointed out.

  Jim nodded in agreement.

  The day came and quickly wen
t with the sun sitting low in the afternoon sky. Emma and Jim hadn’t stopped to rest, taking advantage of the calm.

  “We should start looking for somewhere to stop for the night.” Emma suggested.

  “There’s a bridge up ahead. Maybe there’s a crawl space under it.” Jim pointed at a crossing over the creek bed.

  “Or the trees, if we can climb one with big enough branches.” Emma looked up at the trees standing over them. “We’re too vulnerable on the ground.”

  “Look there at the end of the bridge.” Jim stepped ahead of Emma. “These will do.”

  Emma followed.

  The tree branches grew thick and started low on the trunk extending all the way to the top. Emma and Jim crossed the bridge and heard a splash in the water. They looked over the edge but there was nothing. Emma walked to the other side and a Carrier lay in the water clawing at the air. It looked like it was in the final stages of starving to death, pale green rotting skin draped over a skeleton. It slowly turned up in Emma’s direction and growled while trying to reach her.

  “What’s wrong with it?” Jim grimaced.

  “It looks like it’s dying.” Emma pulled out a knife from her back pocket.

  “What are you doing with that?” Jim looked at the knife.

  “Well I’m not going to leave it there and I’m certainly not wasting a bullet on it.” Emma

  jumped over the bridge and splashed into the water next to the Carrier.

  The Carrier snarled and desperately reached out to her legs. Emma looked down at this pathetic creature that was once human. She wondered who it may have been. What were they like before the virus took them? This was the closest she had ever got to a Carrier that was still alive and not in full rage mode. This one could barely lift its head much less move its body. Emma stared at this thing with its wide eyes curious if there was anything human left. Did it have any memory of being alive or was it just a flesh eating machine with no conscious.

  “What are you waiting for?” Jim called out in a whisper.

  Emma leaned over and jammed her knife into the Carriers forehead.