Hey Hackers! This is a little different from what I normally post on HN, so I hope you all give it a chance. I’ve been writing a post-apocalyptic zombie novel titled Remnants for many years. I’d like to start posting chapters here to get feedback and see what you all think about it.
Hopefully, one day I’ll get this published in full either with a publisher or on my own. Please let me know what you think in the comments below.
BILLY
Swarm
It’s cold. I wake up, shivering, hugging my knees tight against my chest. I feel the chill of my own arms in the palms of my hands. The sky is black with tiny holes of light piercing the dark tapestry. I stand up and in the distance, through the fields of tall grass and reeds, I see stars slowly coming toward me.
We had been on the road for a while. We could no longer leave our mark on the world, so the world left marks on us. Each step we took drove dirt and stone deep into our soles and the stench of the dead burned our nostrils like a brand onto cattle.
What do you think Billy? Leona said.
I kept my eyes forward, watching the horizon. About what?
Them. She pointed to one of the rotting Infected corpses that lay in the ditch to the right of us. You think they go to heaven when they turn? She looked up at the sky as we walked past the body. I wiped the sweat off my forehead. Well? she asked impatiently. What do you think?
I don’t.
There ain’t no heaven girl, a whiny voice called out from behind us. And there ain’t no hell neither. Just dirt and worms. We could barely see Malcolm’s eyes under the shadow of his cap. Leona looked up at him and then down at her feet.
No one asked you. I looked at him. He spat and stared back at me, and then slowed his pace down to follow a few feet behind us. Leona remained silent beside me. Don’t listen to him, I told her. He’s dumb and he’s weak. For a girl of only eleven years old she was forced by this world to grow up far too quickly. You hear me? I asked, as I turned my head to look down at her.
She wasn’t there.
Billy! I turned around and saw her. She had stopped a few feet behind me. She had her arm up, pointing at the road ahead. There was a figure in the distance running toward us, jerking its head sporadically. I motioned for her to get down and raised my rifle. Through the scope, I saw one man in ripped jeans and a dirty, torn flannel shirt. His eyes were wild, his teeth bared.
He was Infected.
Malcolm, Santana, and Frank, caught up to us, and Frank got on one knee beside me. What is it? He whispered.
Infected, I said. I had the man’s chest in my sights, and I pulled the bolt back to make sure I had one in the chamber. It’s just one. We’ll just wait for him to get here and take him out quietly. Wait— I lifted my head up off the scope and stood up. Even in the distance, I could see the numerous figures that had emerged from behind him.
What? Frank said.
We’ve got to get off the road, I called out behind me so the rest could hear, and started toward the edge of the forest.
It’s a swarm!
LEONA
Outbreak
Are you ready? Mom asked, as she handed me a bottle of water. The driver said we’re leaving in ten. I sat on a bench in front of the large passenger bus parked in front of the depot.
Thanks, I said quietly. I turned away from her, looking up at the sky. The sun hurt my eyes, but I was nervous, and I didn’t want Mom to see it on my face.
We don’t have to do this, you know, Mom said, putting her hand on my knee. If you’ve changed your mind, we can just go home or maybe we can visit grandma for a few days. She’d like that. Mom always knew how I was feeling no matter how hard I tried to hide it.
I’m fine ma, I forced a smile and stood up. Let’s go. We were two of the last passengers to get on and when we had spotted our seats near the back of the bus, I went ahead of her and took the window seat. Every time we drove out of the city for one of Mom’s work trips or to see grandma, I always spent hours staring out the window, looking up at the clouds or watching the trees zoom past us. That day, the bus never left, and when I looked out the window I didn’t see clouds or trees. Instead, I saw dark smoke coming from a car down the road and the flashing lights of a firetruck.
Mom look! I tugged on her arm.
What is it, sweetie? She turned to see what I had been pointing at. Almost everyone in the bus had leaned over to our side and were looking out the windows as well.
A passenger near the front of the bus called out, Do any of you hear that? We listened, and aside from sirens approaching, we heard a faint, unmistakable screech. They were guttural, inhuman screams.
Where is that coming from?
Then, we heard the front door swing open, and a bloody, snarling woman stood before us. Someone spoke, asking the woman if she needed help. One moment the woman stood still, and in the blink of an eye, she had her hands on another woman’s face, screaming and digging her thumbs into her eyes.
In an instant, it was pandemonium on the bus.
Passengers were scratched and bitten as they tried to pry the woman from the bleeding passenger. Leona, mom said in a calm voice. Pull the red handle on the window. We have to get out of here.
I didn’t hear her. I just froze and stood watching the blood seep from one of the passenger’s gouged eyes.
Mom moved me aside and pulled up on the red handle along the bottom of the frame. The window clicked out of the frame and she pushed it forward with her shoulder, letting it fall onto the road.
Come on, she said, lifting me up by my waist. Climb over. We can’t be stuck in here. I pulled myself up over the frame and Mom held me up by my hands, lowering me down.
It’s not a far drop, she said. I’m gonna let you go, OK?
She let go, and I landed hard onto the pavement. I scratched my knee on the landing and saw blood start to fill the gash, but in the chaos, I barely felt it. All right, step back.
I saw Mom’s hands grip the frame and suddenly her eyes widened and she was pulled back into the bus. Run Leona! She screamed.
Mom! I tried to jump up onto the window, but I couldn’t reach. I ran around to the front door, but when I got there, I froze, more scared than I had ever been in my life. A few passengers lay on the ground near the bus, holding wounds on their necks and arms, blood spilling out of their bodies. They groaned, not knowing what to do, thinking help was coming.
Hey! A man on the floor called out to me. Stay away from there! He yelled.
I ignored him and took a step forward, Mom?! I yelled. I started to climb the stairs, but before I could go further, someone grabbed me from behind and pushed me down a few feet away. I thought it had been the man that called out to me, but it wasn’t. This man had dark blonde hair, and green eyes. His hands were rough and dirty, and he shoved me down abruptly. Get out of here, girl, he said. Go find your parents.
My mom’s in there! I yelled. I tried to push him aside.
Stop, damnit! he said. Just wait here. He pulled a black gun from his waist and touched something on it that made it click. He stepped onto the bus slowly.
Whatever he saw made him stop dead in his tracks. Shit, he said. I’m sorry.
I heard a piercing scream and then two loud blasts, followed by the sound of a body slumping onto the floor.
