Run For Your Life

Greetings earthlings,

Is anybody sick of zombie stories? Whenever I read one I come away feeling queer.
Well, disregarding that, I did write a short zombie story. The reason I didn't post it until now is I lost the file, and...well...a friend of mine had to send me the missing material, which took a while *cough* *choke* *wheeze*.

So, here it is. If you find it cheesy, try putting it in the microwave.

Keid was a normal teen. Right? He’d went to high school, ran on his school track team, played his share of Xbox, practiced the guitar, was a black belt in karate. Just a normal teen.

Well, until a month ago, he had been. Now he was going crazy.

He ran down the hall of the hospital, backpack bouncing on his shoulders, combat boots thumping on the floor. He heard a plaintive cry and hesitated. Surely…?

Nope. A white-coated doctor appeared in a doorway and lunged at him. Keid spun out of the way, drawing and slashing with his sword as he did so. The doctor’s head separated from his shoulders and plonked onto the floor, rolling away. Blood and pus oozed out of his head as his torso slowly collapsed to the ground.

Keid hadn’t seen any of it. He was already moving again, running, darting down a flight of stairs. Here and there he saw some nurses lounging around desks, but he was too fast for them as they gave chase.

The exit came in view. He pounded towards it. Suddenly, a middle-aged man appeared in the doorway, blocking the path.

Keid didn’t hesitate, turning his sprint into a flying kick, connecting solidly with the man’s jaw and laying him out on the paved concrete outside...KO.

He ran to the black Jeep waiting outside and flung himself in the driver’s side, turning the key and stomping on the gas as soon as the engine kicked in. The Jeep screeched as it accelerated, smoke coming from the tires and the smell of burnt rubber filling the air as the car raced down the road. Other adults and teens filtered out of the buildings nearby, staring after the car resentfully.

Keid didn’t stop until he reached his bunker, a refueling station for planes coming and going to and from the airport.

There wasn’t any staff. They had been claimed long ago. When it had all began.

Keid didn’t know how or where it had started. All he knew was that in June, some disease…some plague had come to California. And everyone had gone bonkers.

The first to go were the adults. They started itching horribly, to the point that some had red rashes all over their bodies, their hair becoming ragged and filled with sores. People who had been perfectly healthy had all of a sudden developed a kind of…arthritis, or something. They walked with their back slumped. They began oozing a clear, sickly-sweet smelling liquid out of their pores.

And they had a craving for human flesh.

Then the teens went. Or most of them. Keid himself was 17, and he suspected there were others like him, holding out against the plague.

But worst of all, those under 10 years of age never got sick. They were left alone, to get torn to pieces and devoured by the…monsters the others had become.

The zombie apocalypse. Keid almost laughed. He’d read books, shot targets, and played video games with zombies in them.

He’d never thought it would be real. Much less happen to him.

But he couldn’t think of anything else to call the creatures that once were adult and adolescent humans.

Zombies. The zombies are coming.

He pulled into the small hangar that served as his shelter. There was a Cessna 172 Skyhawk in it, an acrobatic little plane, one he could fly. That was his backup escape plan, in case things went stringy. Hopefully, things never would. All in all, though, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to stay in California. Maybe fly to Hawaii. He’d modified the Skyhawk, and it was able to just make it. From there, he’d go to Japan. And so on. If the disease was only in America – and he doubted that, but maybe he could find other teens like himself. Or kids.

He was almost ready to make the trip – the run to the hospital was only to get some drugs and pharmaceutical equipment. He was a trained medic, and knew how to administer IVs. He also had enough supplies to make it to Hawaii, restock, and move on. Tomorrow, he would refuel the Skyhawk, give it a maintenance check, and then leave.

He walked to his bunk, pulled off his combat boots, and lay back on the covers. He pressed the button that would engage the proximity sensors and laid back. Then he sat up and pulled his boots back on.

Must always be ready.

The wail of the sensors was the first thing Keid heard. He sat up, clearing the webs from his brain and grabbing his backpack and wakizashi. Where were they? He glanced from side to side. Ah. They were coming in the side door on the right, four teens and two adults. They must have figured out how to drive all the way from town. Well, you had to give the zombies credit; when they got hungry enough, their ingenuity increased. Not that they had much in the first place.

He sprinted for the Cessna, keeping an eye on the small party. They broke into a shambling run upon seeing him. He reached the Cessna…and froze.

One of them was Karla. His sister. And that boy…that was John! His best mate! Keid gritted his teeth. Why them?

His hesitation had cost him – the zombies were almost two-thirds of the way to the plane. Keid sprang back into action, jumping into the plane and starting the engine. No time for pre-flight checks; he needed to move, fast!

The engine coughed and started, the propeller on the front beginning to spin. The zombies were almost there. Keid taxied toward the hangar opening, facing the zombies head-on. They split, one teen and one adult going each direction, the remaining two continuing to advance.

Keid’s gray-green eyes hardened. The two coming at him were Karla and John. The disease had them, had made slobbering brutes of them both.

Time to set them free.

He accelerated, smashing right into them. The propeller instantly made mincemeat of both. As he emerged into open air, one of the more athletic zombies grabbed onto his tail. Oh well, Keid thought. The taxiway will have to do.

He opened up the throttle, the burst of energy pushing Keid back into his seat. As he zoomed down the taxiway, he saw the teen zombie still clinging to his tail. Fine. As Keid lifted off, he threw the plane into a full spin, then a loop-de-loop. That was just too much for the zombie and he fell, splattering on the concrete far below.

Keid switched on his GPS and calibrated his course to Hawaii. He activated the autopilot and leaned back. Time for a little nap. He had at least 16 hours to get to Hawaii, plenty of time for a snooze.

He was awakened by a beeping. He looked at his GPS. 50 miles to destination. Had he really slept that long? He looked out his windshield. It was late afternoon, the sun beginning to set on the horizon, casting long lines of brilliant yellow to shade the sea and clouds…and there it was.

The mountain range rose high in the air, the distinctive outline of the Hawaiian islands curving through the sea below.

Keid pulled on his headset, tapping into the control tower at Honolulu Airport.

“This is Skyhawk 4 calling tower, Skyhawk 4 calling tower. Request permission to land, over.”

He waited for a moment. Static. Then…

“Skyhawk 4, your flight is not logged. What is your destination?” A deep, accented male voice sounded over the static.

“Emergency landing, Honolulu Airport. Low on fuel, request permission to restock. Over.”

“This isn’t the time or place. We are on lockdown. You must divert…over.”

Keid frowned. It had sounded like everything was alright… “Tower, what’s your problem? You give me fuel or I crash and burn, or drown.”

The deep voice sounded again. “Look, you’re not gonna believe me, but the Islands are polluted, some kind of…”

“…ravenous disease turning them into flesh eating monsters?” Keid finished, his heart sinking.

Silence. Then “Yeah. How do you know?”

“I came from California. Same thing over there. Probably over the whole U.S.”

“Look, I’m trapped in the tower. If you can get me and my bud out of here, then we’ll help you.”

Keid hesitated. It would be risky. But he was low on fuel and needed to land anyway. So…

“Yeah, incoming. Will be there.”

He directed the plane towards the landing strip. He could see a few figures milling about the airport, then the tower looming high above it all.

He shuddered. This was an airport. There was bound to be tons of the monsters here. He landed, then taxied over to one of the docks. Time to party.

He turned off the engine – normally he’d keep it running, but that would just waste fuel. He jumped out of the cockpit and cast a quick glance around; good, no one near him. He grabbed his sword and pistol and sprinted towards the docking sleeve. Up the stairs, into the airport.

He had been to the control tower in California a few times, so he had a general idea of where the entrance was. He ran down the concourse, past the food court, to the baggage claim. He climbed up one of the belts, got outside, and…

There it was. He slowed to a walk as he approached it. Everything looked fine, until…

A maintenance man lurched out from behind a stack of crates, slobbering as he reached for him. Keid kicked him in the stomach, buying enough time to draw his pistol and shoot him. He smelled a sickly sweet odor and spun around, seeing two more zombies stumbling towards him.

Two bullets between the eyes had them on the floor. Keid turned and dashed for the door to the tower, going through the gaping hole and running up the stairs. By the time he got to the top, he was panting. He stopped for a moment, leaning against the door, and then fell.

The door opened in front of him and he lost his balance, hitting the floor inside.

“A kid?” said a familiar voice.

Keid looked up and saw a tall, brawny man probably in his late thirties, sun-burnt face grim and hardened. Behind him was a man of similar stature and countenance. He got up, brushing himself off.

“Keid.” He said, sticking out a hand.

“Berth.” Said the man in front of him, grasping Keid’s hand. “Larry.” He gestured over his shoulder to the man behind him. He pulled Keid in and shut the door, locking it.

“How in tarnation did you manage to get here from California? And on that bird?” Larry said, pointing out the window to where the Skyhawk could be seen far below.

“I…modified it.” Keid said, grunting as he walked to the window.

“I’ll say! To make it from California! You must be a pretty good pilot, kid.”

Keid shrugged. Looking down on his plane, he thought he saw…

He spun around. “Do you have binos here?”

“Of course,” Berth said, holding out a pair. Keid grabbed them and zoomed in on his plane. Then he laughed.

“What?” said Larry.

Keid just pointed, laughing. Larry grabbed the binos and looked out at the plane. “Well I’ll be –“

He chortled. “The things are refueling the plane! Guess they’re just bored, or…something.”

Berth snorted. “Whatever. Let’s get out of here. Kid, you’ve gotta take us with you.”

Keid hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. You have any provisions? Because I only have enough for me.”

Larry gestured to a rucksack.

“Let’s go.” The two men each pulled out shotguns and machetes, Larry grabbing the rucksack.

They went down the stairs and navigated their way through the airport. When they got to the docking port where Keid had left his plane, they stopped. Keid looked around. Something wasn’t right. There should’ve been more zombies.

Then all of a sudden, there were. They swarmed out from the surrounding concourses, appearing out of nowhere to reach for the trio.

“Go, go go!” Berth yelled as he blasted away at the crowd. “Get outta here! I’ll hold them off!”

Larry and Keid stopped. Larry gritted his teeth.

“I say we respect his final wish.” Keid said, turning and sprinting down the sleeve.

“You go, kid! I won’t leave Berth by hisself! Go!” Larry turned and began slam-firing at the seething mass as fast as he could pump.

Keid darted down the dock stairs onto the concrete and ran at his plane. The few zombies still around it shambled to block his way.

In seconds, they were on the ground, with slash wounds and bullet holes lacing their torsos. Keid holstered his smoking pistol and threw his wakizashi into the passenger seat, starting the engine. He glanced at the fuel gauge, gratified to see it was now full. As he came to the runway, he saw the mass of zombies emerge from the airport. They were too far away to get to him, but they came nonetheless.

Keid soared off into the darkening horizon, aiming his nose for Japan…and heck knows what.

Twenty hours later, he was low on fuel again. His GPS told him he was close. He should be seeing it on the horizon any minute now.

He brought the plane up to its maximum altitude and waited. Three minutes later, a dark line appeared on the horizon. Keid sat back and breathed a sigh of relief. He had about an hour of fuel left. That should be just enough.

An hour later, his fuel meter beeped. EMPTY.

Keid glanced at it and turned his attention back to flying. He was almost to Tokyo. He had ten minutes of reserve fuel left. This would be close.

As the capital came into view, he felt his plane shudder. The propeller stuttered and slowed, and the roar of the engine quit. He was now a hunk of airborne metal.

He trimmed the flaps and aimed for one of the main streets. The plane lowered, smashing through a couple street lights and power lines (fortunately off) and hitting the pavement. The landing carriage collapsed almost instantly, and the shriek of metal drowned out all other noise. Keid felt the bottom of the plane get warm under his feet. With a grimace, he noted he was heading into Old Town Tokyo. The ancient-looking buildings flashed by him as he approached a sudden curve. His plane skidded and smashed into one of the old buildings, going right through it and sliding to a stop in what seemed like a town square.

Keid hurriedly unbuckled and grabbed his equipment, kicking the door. It was stuck. He looked around, then grabbed the sheath of his wakizashi and smashed through the already-fractured windshield. He pushed his backpack through and crawled out, wincing as some broken glass scraped his legs. As he emerged from the twisted frame, he saw zombies emerging from the surrounding buildings, shambling towards him. His first thought was; Asian zombies look funny.

He dropped to the ground, looking around. He needed to get into one of the buildings; he’d stand a better chance there. He picked one that looked rather thin with two levels. As he ran towards it, he noticed more zombies coming out from the buildings and filtering through the spaces between the buildings. Whoa. This was like Zombie-Haven. He ran at the zombies blocking his path.

His first few shots took down the good-looking ones, then his clip ran out. He shoved his pistol back into his holster and drew his sword. He slashed off the arm of one, then used his running momentum to plant his foot on one zombie’s head and spring off it, front-flipping into a chop that cut one zombie in compete halves. He absorbed his fall with a shoulder-roll and came up into a kick, smashing a teen in the ribs. He followed the kick through, planting the zombie on the ground and stabbing him through the heart. He was almost to the building. He crouched and spun, his sword flashing out to cut a zombie in half at the waist. He back-flipped onto the elevated stairs of the building. Zombies were surrounding him. Too many of them. He spun, cutting, slashing, kicking, knowing this was the end.

When he was sure he couldn't hold them anymore, he heard a shrill cry to his right. Suddenly all the zombies on that side of him melted away, and the space filled with a flashing sword. He glanced over and there was a girl, her katana cutting swathes through the advancing horde. She yelled something in Japanese and pointed over her shoulder at the building. He nodded and briefly intensified his attack, gaining enough reprieve to turn and run at the building. When he reached the door, he turned around as a chattering noise burst through the air.

The girl had a submachine gun, and she was mowing down the zombies as she backed up towards him. Keid rammed a new clip into his pistol and added to the hail of lead. The zombies wavered, giving the girl time to run up the stairs and through the door. Keid followed, and the door slammed shut behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief and turned toward the girl.

She was definitely beautiful, her lithe form showing through the ninja-type suit she wore. A mask obscured the lower half of her face, her black hair cascading down onto her shoulders and contrasting greatly with her pale face. Her almond-shaped eyes stared at Keid through their dark lenses, hard and scrutinizing.

“Um, thanks.” Was all Keid could think of to say.

She didn’t respond. Keid saw a sudden blur and then he was on the ground, his chest on fire. He looked up to see a boot coming down on his face. He grabbed it and directed it over and to the right. He heard a thud.

Quickly rolling over, he came to his feet. The girl was already up, somehow, and came at him, launching a combination of punches and kicks, moving her position, trying to down him. Keid responded, flowing smoothly from one form to the next, counterattacking in turn. He slipped in a palm strike that caught the girl on the shoulder. She responded with a lightning kick that caught him in the chest, again. He backflipped, ignoring the pain. The girl was already there when he landed, attacking so ferociously that Keid was hard pressed to defend himself. He backpedaled furiously, trying to gain a reprieve – then stumbled.

Instantly the girl was on him, her katana at his throat. He stared her square in the eye. This is an interesting and embarrassing way to die, Keid thought. I just escape a horde of zombies and now get beaten by a girl who saved me. He stared her in the eye. I will go like a man.

The girl stared back, then nodded. Her katana left his throat and returned to its sheath.

“Well done.” The voice was rich, melodic, tinted with a bit of amusement and respect.

Keid warily sat up on the steps he had stumbled against. “What a way to welcome me.”

“You had to be proven. The creatures cannot move that fast.”

“You didn’t see me out there fighting them?”

“I did. It could have been a trap.”

“The creatures can’t move that fast.” Keid mimicked her tone.

The girl nodded again. Then her slim brows descended. “You speak Japanese?”

Keid shook his head. “No. Who taught you English?”

She shook her head. “I am not speaking English, and neither are you.”

Keid looked at her in astonishment. “But I am…and so are you.”

She shook her head again. “I hear my native language.”

Keid’s cocked his head to the side. “And I hear mine.”

Now they were both confused. Keid thought about it, shrugged. “What is this place?”

“It is a gathering house for those religious people called…Christians.”

Now Keid recognized it. Him and her had fought down the aisle and he had stumbled against the stairs leading to the podium. It was really old-timey – wooden pews, double arched doors, an old piano. There was also a second floor, large windows looking out onto the street.

“Why don’t the zombies come in here?”

She tilted her head. “Zombies?”

“Those…creatures.”

She shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Keid nodded, ruminating. He looked back up at the girl. She reached up and unpinned her mask. Her face looked like a geisha’s, Keid thought, but without the makeup. And tougher.

She smiled at his scrutiny. “You entered rather spectacularly. You can fly very well to have survived that landing.”

Keid grinned. “Well, I was out of fuel, so I had to make do.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Where did you come from?”

“Hawaii.”

Her other eyebrow lifted. “In that hunk of junk? I probably couldn’t fly the length of the island with that!”

“You can fly?”

“No.”

Keid grinned again. “Then don’t tell me I couldn’t make it. Plus, I modified it a little.”

It was her turn to grin. “Well, it’s not often I have an American drop into my lap during a…zombie infestation. I’ll show you around, but first, you need to fix yourself.”

Keid looked down at the rips in his outfit. Blood seeped through the small lacerations he’d gotten crawling out of the wrecked plane. He got up and followed the girl to a room just beyond the sanctuary. A bed was in one corner, a full-length mirror with a crack running through it leaning against the wall beside it. Keid walked over and looked at himself. A tall, athletic boy stared out at him. A black band encircled his head, the cloth tail hanging over his shoulder. His black ninja outfit was soiled with airplane fuel and had a few rips in it, his white undershirt showing under it. His combat boots were dirty with dried blood and some other things. He rubbed his chin, feeling a growth of stubble. He needed a shower desperately, he thought as he ran his hand through his dirty-blond hair.

“There’s a working shower over there.” He turned and saw the girl pointing to a curtained corner.

“Hallelujah.” Keid walked over and looked in. “Where can I wash my clothes?”

She gestured back out the door. “Apparently the leader of this group lived here, so it’s got working plumbing and all…there’s a washtub with some soap I pilfered.”

Keid set down his pack and pulled out his other set of clothes-old army fatigues. “See you in a bit.”

After he took his shower and washed his clothes, he went out to the sanctuary. He saw the girl on the second floor and went up to join her. She was staring out into the street. He looked out and saw the zombies milling around his plane. Some were standing close to the stairs leading up to the church entrance, but none came up.

“What deflects them?”

The girl shook her head. “I wish I knew. They hate this place, yet they throng around it. It is most strange.”

“By the way, my name’s Keid.”

“Anya.”

“Nice meeting you.”

“And you.”

They lapsed into silence again, looking out the window. Keid finally broke the silence.

“So what’s your story?”

Anya looked at him, then back out the window. “I am…or was, a member of the elite Shadow Guild, a group of ninjas who are selected from the poorest of children. One day, when I was returning from a mission, I was assaulted by a group of those…creatures. I managed to fight my way in here. They surrounded me. I cannot go anywhere…what supplies I have belonged to an old man who lived here, who died soon after I got here.”

“How did you get that gun?”

She shrugged. “There is an old weapons cache in the basement of the church, from the second World War.”

“What should we do, then?”

She shook her head slowly. “I don’t know…I hadn’t thought of what to do once my supplies run out.”

“Then we’re stuck here?”

She shrugged. “That is what it seems like.”

“Well, you might as well show me around.”

She nodded, turned and gestured. “Follow me.”

Anya strode down the stairs into the basement. Keid followed, noting how the walls turned from wood to concrete. She lit a couple candles, and the small chamber filled with a soft light. She walked to a double-door setup in the back of the place, and opened them. Keid gasped. The closet had two Thompson submachine guns, an Arisaka bolt-action rifle, and some varying pistols, 1911s and Japanese types, as well as belts of ammo. In the middle of the closet setup was a crest designed into the rock.

“What’s that?” Keid asked, pointing to the crest.

“That?” Anya gestured at the design. “You don’t know what it is?”

It looked familiar. Keid stared at it. “No.”

“It’s the Emperor’s crest-the sun.”

Ah. That’s what it was. Keid reached out a hand and stroked it.

All of a sudden, the crest split in half-and so did the closet. The halves swung back on hidden hinges and revealed a well-lit passage stretching on into the distance. Keid jerked back in shock.

“You knew about this!” he accused, turning to Anya.

“Did not.” True enough, Anya’s eyes were as wide as his own.

Keid turned back to the passage. “Where does it go?”

Anya shrugged. “Why ask me?”

Keid peered down the hallway. “I wonder why it’s so well-lit?”

Anya looked at the lights. “Solar-powered, probably.”

Keid looked back at her. “So? Let’s go spelunking.”

Five minutes later, they were tramping down the passage. Keid had his backpack, wakizashi, and pistol. Anya had a small side pack, with a Thompson on her back and one in her hands. Her katana was slung by her side and ammo belts crisscrossed her chest.

They tramped for about an hour or two, then the passageway ended in stairs. They cautiously advanced. The stairs curved round and round for what seemed like an eternity, then finally ended in an iron door, heavy, with a lock.

Keid sighed. “Now what?”

Anya didn’t answer, simply reached into her side pack. She pulled out a thin dagger and what looked like a thick wire. She inserted them into the lock and jiggled them around.

Click. The lock opened. Keid stared at her.

“Now I want to be a ninja.”

“Didn’t you already?” Anya replied, deadpan. She shoved the door open. It squeaked back on rusty hinges. They warily stepped through.

They emerged into a small room with another crest on the wall in front of them. Keid reached out and stroked it – again, the wall split and opened inwards. They emerged in a large room, two double doors at the end with two large windows flanking them. Colored mats were spread out on the floor, but everything seemed dusty, and unused. One small side door was on the wall to the left.

Anya stepped to the windows. She looked out and gasped.

“What?” Keid walked to the other window and looked out. He in turn emitted a sound of astonishment.

They were on a mountain. A big one. Greenery stretched out below them, a waterfall cascading down the mountain opposite.

“What is this place?”

Anya stepped back from the window. “A Buddhist temple. This must be the meditation room.”

Keid snorted. “From a church to a temple. That’s just wrong.”

Anya ignored him and opened the small side door. It led into an even bigger chamber, with a high ceiling and open-ended hall. Down one side, it opened into a beautiful garden. The other opened to a flight of stairs going down. Sliding doors lined the hall, and in the middle was a slightly sunken platform.

“Those must be the monk’s quarters.” Anya gestured to the doors.

“Let’s check them out.” Keid walked over to one door and slid it open. In the middle of the floor was a mat, obviously for sleeping and meditation. Off to one side was a closet. He opened it.

“Whoa.” Inside was a complete ninja suit, a katana and wakizashi hanging by it. “Ninja monks?”

Anya looked over his shoulder. “That’s not right.”

“That is so right.”

Anya rolled her eyes at him.

They left the room and walked down the hall. Two-thirds of the way down, they heard a thump.

Keid looked around. Where was it coming from? The noise sounded again. Off to their right. He nodded to Anya. She raised her Thompson, and he drew his wakizashi.

They walked to the door. The thump sounded again, and the door shuddered. Then-

“Hey! Let me outta here!”

Keid froze.

“Hey! Hey! Help!”

Keid opened the door. A figure shot past him and sprawled on the floor.

It was a boy, dressed in black jeans with a leather jacket and hood. He shook his head and looked up at Keid.

“I say, mate, did you have to open the blasted door as soon as I was almost done with it? That hurt worse than a kangaroo clouting me over the head!”

Australian. That accent was unmistakable. But –

“How did you get here?” Keid helped him up.

“Hold the reins mate, that’s my question.” The boy looked over his shoulder at Anya and held up his hands. “Whoa miss, hold the gun. I’m no zombie.”

The Thompson’s barrel didn’t waver. “First, what are you doing here?”

“Actually mate, I could ask the same.” He glanced at Keid. “What’s two ninjas like you doing Down Under?”

Keid laughed. “We aren’t Down Under here, pal. Take a look over there.” He pointed at the cliffside opening.

The boy’s eyes widened. “Whoa. Where is this?”

“You’re in Japan.”

“No way.” The boy turned to Keid. “I was back home just a minute ago.”

Keid shrugged. “Well, weirder things have happened.”

“You got that right, mate. Is this place infested too?”

Keid shook his head. “Not here…but we just got here from Tokyo. They’re all over there.”

“They’re all over back home, too. By the way, the moniker’s Zulu. Decided me old one was boring, so I changed it.”

“Keid.”

“It’s a pleasure, mate.” Zulu shook his hand. “What about miss Japan over there with the gun?”

“Anya.”

“Pleasure to meet you too, miss. Would you mind lowering the gun? I feel like I’m being x-rayed in a hospital gown.”

Anya lowered the Thompson.

“Well, seeing as we are stuck here, why don’t we make the best of our time?” Zulu stretched. “Show me where to go, mates.”

Keid took him to the first room they’d discovered.

“Sweet outfit.” Zulu looked in the closet. “Aw, I love these things!” He pulled out the wakizashi. “You do know I’m an expert dueler.”

Keid shook his head.

“Well, you do now! Want a match?”

“Later. Let’s take a look at that room you fell out of again.”

They walked back over to the room, Zulu belting on his newfound sword. Anya was nowhere in sight.

Keid peered in. It looked just like any other room, mat, closet, and all. Except…

Keid walked over to the wall in the back. He brushed his hand over the wall. There.

On the wall, under a layer of dust, was the Chrysanthemum of the Emperor.

“What’s that?”

“It’s the symbol of the Emperor of Japan.” Keid lowered his hand.

“Why would that bloke have an interest in this place? Isn’t this some kinda temple?”

“Buddhist, yes.”

“Huh.” Zulu walked back into the hall. “I say, I think I hear noises.”

Keid was instantly alert. “What kind?”

Zulu glanced at him. “Not zombies, if that’s what you’re thinkin’.”

At that moment, one of the doors burst open. Out emerged a blond girl, Anya following behind.

“Whoa, more to join the party.” Zulu looked queerly at the girl. “She looks European to me.”

“Dutch, actually.” Replied the girl.

Anya glanced at Keid. “I found her downstairs.”

“There’s a downstairs?”

Anya nodded. “Yes.”

Keid turned to the girl. “What’s your name?”

“Tasha.” She looked from Keid to Zulu, then back again. “Where am I?”

“Japan.”

Tasha rocked back on her heels. “Impossible. I was just in the Netherlands, hiking.”

“Hiking?”

She colored slightly, then hung her head a little. “Well…I was actually lost.”

“Has the disease reached there?”

Her head snapped up, her blue eyes narrowing. “Disease? What disease?”

Zulu looked at Keid, who returned the look. He shrugged. “She was lost, mate.”

Keid turned back to Tasha. “How long were you lost?”

“…three weeks.”

Anya’s eyebrows shot up. “And you survived on your own for three weeks?”

Tasha looked at her. “Yes. I am an apprentice naturalist.”

Keid shook his head. “This has got to be the weirdest day of my life. I meet a crazy ninja girl who saves my life, then attacks me…find out the zombies can’t follow me into a church, which actually has a secret passage to a Buddhist temple in the mountains…then all of a sudden two kids get teleported from two different nations here…and I can understand their language, and them me…I really am going crazy.”

Zulu looked at him. “You ain’t alone, mate. That makes two of us.”

“Three.” Tasha said.

“Four.” Anya sighed.

“Five.” Said a deep voice from behind them all.

They spun around. In the doorway of the room that Zulu had recently stumbled out of stood a tall, dark figure. He was dressed in a long dark green cloak, brown boots and a bow slung across his back. All in all, he looked like a Ranger from Lord of the Rings. He reached up and pushed his hood back.

“Where did you come from?” Keid challenged.

“This room.”

“What country?.”

“I live in Morocco.”

“Africa?” Zulu looked him over. “You sure don’t dress like it.”

“I live in the mountains.”

“Ah. The Atlas mountains.” Keid nodded. “What’s your name?”

“Quapo.”

They all introduced themselves.

“How did I get here?” Quapo asked, looking curiously around.

“As to that, old man, we’re all in the dark.” Zulu replied.

Quapo grinned, showing teeth shockingly white in contrast to his dark face. “If you call nineteen old, I’d hate to be eighty in your country.”

Keid grinned back. “Well, what was the last thing you remember before you ended up here?”

Quapo squinted. “I was…walking along a cliff path when I saw a strange symbol on the rock wall next to me. I ran my hand over it, and the wall grated back to reveal a passage…I remember walking in, then getting hit on the head. Nothing else.”

Zulu grimace. “Actually, mate, that’s just about what happened to me, except I was in the outback. You know those underground houses we have back Down Under…? Well, I saw something on the wall of the bathroom. Brush, passageway, get hit on the head, kaboom! I’m here.” He gestured over Quapo’s shoulder. “Looked exactly like yonder symbol on the wall, that Chrysanthewhatever-it-was.”

“A Chrysanthemum?” Tasha looked excited. “That’s how I got here! I saw the thing on one really big, old tree…I touched it, and felt all dizzy for a minute. Then I was here.”

Keid closed his eyes and massaged his temples. “Why, I want to know, is this symbol everywhere we turn? What’s the significance?”

Everyone looked equally baffled.

Keid finally opened his eyes and sighed. “Anya, show us this…basement.”

Anya led them to one of the doors along the wall. She opened it and began to descend down some stairs. When they got to the bottom, there was nothing but a cave with solid rock surrounding them.

“Tasha appeared over there.” Anya gestured to the back of the cave.

Keid walked over, the rest following him. He peered at the rock. There, sure enough, was the symbol of the Emperor.

He reached out. As his fingers brushed the sign, it glowed brightly. There was a grating noise, and the wall moved aside.

They all peered inside. Along one side of the hidden chamber were five chests. On the opposite wall were five plaques. Natural light filtered in, giving a soft glow to illuminate a figure in the back. It was…

A ninja. Anya approached it slowly, then suddenly Keid heard her breath suck in sharply.

“It’s…dead.” Anya looked back. “A skeleton.”

Keid walked up and looked at it. Sure enough, the figure was a skeleton. It was in a crossed-leg meditative posture, its mask and clothes still clinging to the figure, though cracked and ragged.

“Whoa, get a look at this.” Zulu was standing in front of one of the plaques. “Someone knows me.”

Keid walked over and stared at the plaque. On the top, there was a name in all capitals.

JONES

“Your other name is Jones?” Keid said, looking at Zulu.

Zulu shrugged. “I did tell you I changed it.”

Tasha gasped. “Look! This one is to me!”

Keid walked over to the farthest plaque. Sure enough, there was his name. He skipped down to the writing.

Keid,

I know you must be wondering how I know you. Suffice it to say not through normal means. My name is

“Kenshi.” Breathed Anya, next to him.

“You know him?” Keid asked, surprised.

“He founded the Shadow Guild.” Her eyes moved over to the plaque next to his. It was to her.

Keid turned back to his plaque.

I am the fourth emperor of Japan. This chamber is for you and your friends. To drive out the plague, you must only survive. The creatures you face will die, if only left to their own devices.

But they will not stop hunting you. Do not underestimate them. All those on the Island are now coming after you – you must prepare for defense! You need only stave off the first wave, then you will be safe. All of Asia is on the move – but only those in Japan can reach you before becoming too weak.

This purge has been given to you to do. I am sorry about your family. You are the start of a new generation. The chest behind you contains powerful things-use them, and live.

Keid glanced involuntarily over at Anya. Her eyes were riveted on her plaque. He turned and walked over to his chest. He heaved the lid open and looked inside. Inside was a black ninja suit, a wakizashi sheath, and some shuriken (ninja throwing stars). Under the shuriken was a note.

They fly from your hand.

This clothing will protect you from their eyes.

He reached inside and picked up the shuriken. They felt surprisingly light. He looked at the suit. At least he had another change of clothes. He hefted the wakizashi sheath. Shrugging, he replaced his old one with it.

He straightened up and closed his chest, slinging the suit over his shoulder and clipping the shuriken onto his belt. Glancing over at Anya, he saw her rummaging around in her chest.

“What did you get?”

She looked up. Her face was streaked with tears.

“You okay?” Keid put his hand on her shoulder.

“Yes.” She shrugged his hand off and lifted a box out of the chest. Along with it were a pair of dark gloves.

“Hey, man, look what I got.” Zulu hefted a flamethrower. “With extra fuel! I love this guy.”

Tasha was holding two stilettos, slim and deadly. Quapo was nowhere in sight.

“Where’s Quapo?” Keid asked.

“He went to check the perimeter.” Zulu strapped on the flamethrower. “I assume this Kenshi hombre told everyone about the soon-to-come zombie attack?”

They all nodded.

At that moment, Quapo burst into the room.

“Movement on the horizon.”

They followed Quapo up to the roof. Tasha gasped.

“You can see for miles!”

It was true. To the west wwas the sea, sparkling between the peaks of the mountains, the sun high overhead. To the north and east lay mountains, stretching on into the distance, covered with trees and vegetation. But to the south...

Quapo pointed. In the distance, a roiling mass covered the horizon.

Keid blew out slowly. It was as if the horizon itself was moving towards them.

“Well.” He turned to the others. “We've got some work to do.”

Hours later, they finished. Traps laced the mountainside. They all gathered on the roof. As one, they turned to the south. The host was closer. A crashing sound filled the air, the sound of thousands of zombies crushing the vegetation. Keid took a deep breath.

“Guys,” he said, turning to them all. “It's been nice meeting you. I don't know how this was orchestrated, but we have someone from everywhere. America,” he pointed to himself, “Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa. We are all skilled in some form of combat. WE are, so far as we know, the only non-corrupted people. How we understand each other, how we ended up here, I don't care about. We're here. We are the next generation. And we must make it through this. Break a leg.”

Zulu nodded. “Mates, let's show those zombies who's boss.”

Tasha crossed and uncrossed her stilettos. “Talk to me about it when we win.”

Quapo said nothing. He shrugged his bow off his shoulders and strung it.

Keid glanced at Anya. She looked back at him, the tips of her mouth quirking into a smile. Keid gave a quick salute and offered his hand. She took it.

“Don't beat me up when it's all over.” He said, grinning.

“What else will I have to do?” Anya replied, deadpan. Her hand fell back to her side. “I'll watch your back.”

“And I yours.”

They turned back to the south. The host was entering the cleft between the mountains, the horrible smell of rotting corpses carrying on the wind. Zulu turned and descended down the stairs. Five minutes. That was how long the fuse was. Keid looked eagerly towards the south. The host was now well within the valley.

Here it comes.

A huge rumble suddenly shook the ground. The zombie host hesitated. The mountainside then erupted, as if in slow motion. A gigantic portion of the mountainside blew outward, enormous chunks of dirt and rock flying high into the sky. The shock wave punched them like a battering ram. The earth then collapsed, burying masses of zombies under a pile of rubble.

The other zombies hesitated, then continued to advance, unfazed. Thousands had been buried in that tremendous explosion. Thousands more advanced. They reached the foot of the mountain and began to climb the steep slope. Another explosion rumbled through the air. Rocks dislodged from the mountain and bounded down, crushing dozens. The zombies shambled on, undaunted. As soon as they reached the lower levels, snaps and cracks began to resound through the air. Tasha's traps were now in action. Quapo drew an arrow and shot in one smooth movement.

The arrow was a glowing orange. It sliced through the air and exploded in the chest of a zombie below, a mini shock wave destroying several around.

“Nice.” Zulu emerged from the trapdoor in the rook. “Cool explosion, huh?”

Keid nodded. “Yet as much as it worked, there's still tons of them.”

Zulu shrugged. “The more the merrier.”

All of the but Quapo – who resumed his constant stream of arrows down the slope – descended to the hall. The host was almost at their level. Anya and Keid advanced to the edge of the steep slope, their submachine guns chattering, cutting swathes through the horde. The zombies didn't stop, however, many more advancing up the flanks. Some of them, catching shots in the arms, legs, and other extremities simply kept advancing.

Finally they were there. Keid and Anya tossed aside their guns. Tasha walked up, her two stilettos glittering in her hands. They flashed from her hands with deadly precision, piercing vital areas with ease, the knives returning to her hands after being thrown. Keid raised his eyebrows. Nice.

Anya stood next to him, her katana in her right hand and a wakizashi in her left. She wore the gloves she had gotten from her chest.

Keid unsheathed his wakizashi and froze.

Was the blade supposed to be glowing?

Because it was; a fiery white glow surrounded the edge, shining in the setting sun like white flame. A zombie close by brushed against the blade and instantly vaporized. He smiled. Nice.

To his left, Anya was now nothing but a whirlwind of steel, her twin blades scything through the horde like wheat. To his right, Tasha weaved in and out of the mass, her knives like a hailstorm of needles.

“Coo-ee!” Came a shout. Keid saw Zulu out of the corner of his eye, his flamethrower on full blast. He was laughing like a maniac.

“Toasty toasty, mates! Come and be served!”

Quapo's explosive arrows continued to stream overhead, like fireworks on the fourth of July. Slowly, however, the sheer numbers of the horde began to tell. Keid and his friends were forced back and up the stairs to the roof. Quapo, now out of arrows, joined them, wielding a queer sword with serrated edges in one hand and a broad-bladed dagger in the other.

Keid heard a muffled grunt over to his left and glanced that way. Anya was on a thin ledge, a pathway leading to the crest of the mountain. She was still fighting like mad, any zombie within reach of her twin blades suddenly turning into several pieces. Suddenly one rose behind her, grabbing her arms.

An involuntary yell forced its way out of Keid's lungs, and without thinking he impaled the attacking zombie with a shuriken. But it had done its damage. Anya, now off balance, toppled and began to fall.

“NO!”

Keid sprinted to the edge of the roof and jumped down after her. He streamlined his body, slicing through the air like a diver. He quickly caught up to Anya, still plummeting to the ground far below. He grabbed her arms and forced her above him as they fell, the sides of the rocky cliff flashing by them – then, blackness.

He slowly opened his eyes. He could feel a warmth flowing through his body, banishing the throbbing pain from his limbs and torso. When his vision cleared, he say Anya kneeling above him. Her gloved hands were on his shoulders, where Keid could feel the warmth coming from.

“Are you all right?” Anya stood up, looking down at him.

“I just fell down a bleeding cliff.” Keid muttered. “Of course I'm all right.” He sat up and looked up at her. “Nice gloves.”

She didn't answer. Her mouth twitched a few times, then she finally said, “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Keid looked around and spotted his wakizashi, miraculously only a few yards away. He walked over and retrieved it. “Call us even.”

“That must have taken some guts.” She smiled at him. “I owe you.”

“Friends watch each other's back.” He said. Looking back up the cliff, he could still see small bursts of orange, proof that at least Zulu was still alive and kicking. As if to emphasize his thought, several burnt and charred corpses thudded into the ground nearby.

“They could probably use some help.” Keid sighed. “Let's get moving.”

They sprinted to the mountain base. When they reached the bottom of the huge gravel slope, a realization suddenly struck Keid.

The zombies didn't extend into the valley anymore.

“We're...winning.” Keid muttered. He shook his head. “Yeah, I knew that.”

As they sprinted up the slope to join their friends, a group of zombies emerged from a copse of trees nearby. Keid smiled and put on a burst of speed. The two of them crashed into the small crowd, their blades like twin whirlwinds. The group of walking corpses disintegrated within minutes. Just as they finished, a huge rumble filled the air. Keid looked up and saw a massive avalanch of rock, earth, and rubble crashing down the mountain. He quickly ducked behind a large tree, Anya doing the same. When it passed, Keid tentatively peeked out from behind his shelter.

The entire horde was crushed. No zombies could be seen.

Keid laughed “We did it!” He sat down, elated. “We're done!” He looked over at Anya. “What's...” his gaze followed hers.

In the distance, a large mass could be seen on the sea. Thousands – no, millions of boats were rapidly approaching.

As quickly as it had come, his joy disappeared. “...Impossible...”

“Come on.” Anya turned and began sprinting up the slope. Keid followed her. They finally reached the hall, which was still miraculously standing.

“What kept you?” Asked Tasha, who was wiping her blades on a piece of cloth.

“I tripped.” Anya said.

Tasha looked from Keid to Anya, and back again. “Ah, hah.”

At that moment Zulu emerged from the hall, his face black from smoke. “The blokes never give up, do they?” He sighed, looking out at the massive horde now approaching. “I say, I'm out of dynamite. What a shame.”

They all sat down on the edge of the hall staring down at the valley, which was now hardly visible, the sun having set by now. The crunching and pounding of thousands of feet resounded off the mountains.

Zombies. The zombies are coming.

Fine. If you really want to know what happened and don’t like that for a suspenseful ending, here’s how it went.

Quapo joined them in the hall. Together, they stared down into the darkness, their eyes adjusting to the low light levels.

The crunching sounds got louder and louder. As the moon rose, they could see the whole mountainside moving up towards them like a mass of ants. The sickly sweet smell hit them like a wall.

Keid glanced over at Anya. Her eyes were darting to and fro, examining the horde.

He sighed and looked at his sword. The blade was glowing brightly in the darkness, as if eager for more action. There's plenty more to come.

The zombies advanced until they were almost upon the friends. Then, just yards away, the host halted.

“What’re they waiting for?” Zulu looked at them confusedly, fingering the hilt of his wakizashi.

Keid raised his eyebrow and pointed. “That.”

The hoard parted to admit a large man, who was striding towards them with confidence. As he halted, the moon crested the mountaintop, illuminating his features. He was handsome, but in a cruel, hard way; a sneer twisted his lips. Large muscles rippled under his shirt. He stared at them contemptuously.

“He’s hot.” Tasha stared at him with a grin.

“Yeah, just what we need. A zombie boss. He’s big strong, looks a tab smarter than the other blokes, and can successfully distract girls! We’re doomed.” Zulu groaned.

Tasha rolled her bright blue eyes. “You’re just jealous. Besides, I have no distractions about killing a deathly handsome guy if he’s trying to kill me.”

The boss reached behind his back and drew out a huge claymore. “You die now.”

“Ooh, he can talk into the bargain!” Zulu snorted. “Listen, mate, do you know what surrender means? I realize it's a bit of a long word.”

The boss said nothing, striding forward. Halfway into a step, two stilettoes seemed to grow out of his chest. He stopped for a second, a confused look on his face.

Tasha smoothly caught the hilts as her knives returned to her. “That was easy.”

The boss just laughed and kept coming.

Anya leapt to the attack. She wielded just her wakizashi, her katana having been lost on the fall down the mountain. The boss backhanded her as she came within reach, hurling her back into the hallway.

Tasha continued to throw her knives, piercing the boss in the throat, chest, and eye. The big man simply absorbed the hits and kept coming. Now it was Keid’s turned. He and Quapo leapt to attack, their swords flashing in unison. The boss deflected most of their strikes; the others, he merely took. Finally, he knocked Quapo back and pinned Keid under his huge blade.

“You die now,” he repeated, booming laughter coming out of his mouth.

It was abruptly cut off when a foot slammed into the space between his legs. A look crossed his face between pain and astonishment.

That was all Keid needed. He slapped the bigger man’s blade aside, stabbing in the same movement. His sword caught the man in the heart. White flames burst into life, crawling all over the boss’s torso.

The man howled, toppling to the side. Behind him stood Anya, who withdrew her foot.

“Guys.” Anya shook her head. “All the same.”

Keid grinned at her. “I object.” He flew past her, impaling a zombie who was reaching for Anya’s neck.

Anya smiled. “Acknowledged.” Then the rest of the friends crashed into the zombie front.

But now, something was different. The zombies weren’t as strong. They were wavering. Keid bared his teeth in a feral grin.

“Drive them! They’re wavering! Drive them!” They attacked even harder.

Keid was surrounded by literal halo of light, corpses vaporizing all around him. Tasha’s stilettos blurred, zombies seeming to suddenly crumple in front of her as if they were tired. Anya, of course, was back to snapping necks and smashing chests. Her hands jabbed for hidden pressure points, concussing some and bursting others’ brains. Zulu and Quapo were like a rotating pillar, covering each other’s backs, their swords jabbing and slashing.

Under their ferocious attack, the host began to go back. Suddenly, all the zombies stopped and stood stock-still. Slowly, they began to collapse. The whole horde simply crumpled, the corpses rolling down the steep slope to the valley below.

The friends watched, their chests heaving.

“We did it, guys.” Keid said, sitting down and hanging his head in exhaustion. “We won.”

The others nodded. Keid was exhausted. He let his forehead fall to touch the scree-covered slope. He couldn’t believe it - they were alive! Suddenly, he was up and laughing, the others laughing as well. He looked at Anya.

“We made it!” he yelled. Anya was laughing with him, hugging him and crying tears of relief.

They turned and let their laughter echo off the mountains.

 

 

Keid awoke to a bright sun, closing his eyes and grunting. He was sore all over. He got up and looked around. The others were sprawled on the ground beside him. He looked down the mountains.

There was no trace of all the zombie corpses. Nothing but a thin mist, drifting down the valley. He heaved a sigh. It was good to be alive. He glanced back at the others. They were in a heap on the scree, completely passed out.

He breathed slowly in, savoring the clear mountain air. Survive. That was the charge Kenshi had given.

And that’s what they would do.