Chapter 32

   

I open my mouth in shock but manage not to gasp.  It hasn’t heard me, and since I didn’t move it hasn’t seen me either.  God, please don’t let Cassie wake up.
    My eyes flick to the front to see Cassie in the passenger seat facing me, her eyes wide open.  Without turning, I know from her expression that they are walking past my side of the car too.
    Dear God, we’re in the middle of a slow moving zombie parade.
    In horror I watch as more and more pass.  A man goes by with a huge flap of skin hanging from his face, exposing the muscle beneath.  After him is a woman in a flowered sundress, looking steadily forward, with a baby carrier strapped to her back.  It takes everything I have not to move, not to scream, as the baby in that backpack turns its head my way and grins, its cracked green eyes glowing and no other sign of the virus visible.  I can’t see how it died.  It turns its head in the other direction and they pass on, while my heart jumps in my chest like a panicked rabbit.
    God it would be so much easier if I could just close my eyes, but they might see it.  Under the blanket I clench my fists and I feel a bit better.
    A male zombie in a formerly white tank top walks into the side of the car, rocking it a bit, and I bite my tongue to keep from screaming.  His slack face turns to the car, his disinterested face that would grin as it tore my body apart.  I can feel his teeth on me, I can hear my screams fall on his deaf eears as he tears me apart.
    Oh God Oh God please get me out of this.  Please get us out of this.
    I blur my vision and try to just ignore everything.  I try not to think about the unfeeling death moving around us like a pride of lions, so close to their prey without even realizing it.
    Would the car be able to protect us?  Can their fingers fit through the small breach left by the open windows and use that leverage to break the windows?
    Are we like Twinkies just waiting to be opened?
    Oh God Oh God Oh God.
    Oh God what if they bunch up?  What if a mass of them try to pass us by?
    See I can’t even breathe deep and slow this panic down.  If I could just shut my eyes…  Okay I’ll try to just think of something calming, or happy.
    But oh God if I do that I won’t be ready to leap into action if they do attack.  Crap.  Okay, if this goes down, then I’ll scramble as fast as I can into the driver’s seat and get the car going.  It’s a small car but surely it could mow some of them down, enough to get free?
   Under the blanket I wriggle my hand into my jeans pocket.  Crap, it’s a tight fit and I can’t move around.  Slowly, slowly I manage to get my fingers into my pocket and pull out the keys. 
    Thank God.  Okay, I’m ready, I have a plan.  May my soul go to my family and loved ones if this doesn’t work out.

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