BURN THE DEAD: Prologue pt.1

Day Zero1

December 21st, 1:16am. 2

The ear Splitting blare of the tornado sirens echoed through out the city, waking up any residents who may have been sound asleep. An ambulance speeds down a suburban street, it's lights flashing and it's own sirens wailing as it made its way to its destination. Somewhere off in the distance, a church bell rings, nearly drowned out by the constant scream of the high pitched wailing that saturated the city. 3

The tornado sirens die down, and there is a large crackle, followed by a short series of beeps. 4

"This is the emergency broadcast system. This is not a test." The muffled voice proclaims as it fills the streets. 5

"I repeat, this is not a test. Please, remain calm, lock your doors and stay inside your homes. this is not a test."6

Residents walk into their living rooms, wearing their bathrobes or simply just climb out of bed with whatever they have on. They turn on their televisions to see an unfamiliar white screen with the bold lettering: 7

Please stand by for a message from the emergency broadcast system. 8

People change the channel only to discover the stand-by message broadcasting over every cable, satellite and local channel. 9

Finally, the stand by message is replaced by an older gentleman sitting at a news desk. there is a picture of a downtown skyline behind him. The man's face is pale and ghostly, his gray hair, a sweaty mop. He holds a small stack of papers in his hand, and is looking away from the camera. 10

"Are we on?" The man asks. 11

"We're on." A voice says from somewhere off camera. 12

"My name is Wesley King, I am a producer here at channel 4 news. There are only a few of us left and I'm not sure how much time we have before we lose our signal, this will be our final broadcast." 13

The man loosens his tie, as if it were choking him and quickly clears his throat.14

"At approximately 12:07 this morning, the first incident of people behaving irrationally and seemingly out of control was reported here at channel 4 news. What was once believed as an isolated incident of rioting and unlawfulness quickly escalated when authorities where dispatched to the scene. What I'm about to show you may seem like it couldn't possibly be real, and I admit that I didn't believe it my self at first. But I swear on my life that this is absolutely real."15

The screen changes over to what appears to be a video shot from a camera phone. The picture is somewhat shaky but comes in very clear, countless of viewers watched, unable to look away and hoping for answers.16

"This footage was captured by a bystander outside a major metropolitan hospital, somewhere along the east coast of the united states." Wesley King told the viewers as the footage began.17

Several squad cars pull up to the emergency room entrance with lights flashing, they quickly stepped out of their cars, wearing bulletproof vests, some carried 9mm hand guns while others had taken the time to grab their shot guns. One officer, came over the loud speaker from foremost squad car. 18

"Attention, this is the police, we have the area surrounded. step outside with your hands up and surrender, or we will open fire!"19

The screen paused.20

"The police were called in to the scene when a report of a fatally wounded man attacked several hospital employees. Early reports clam that the man had been pronounced dead on arrival, just minutes earlier. This next part WILL disturb you."21

The footage continues, and the camera pans over to show several S.W.A.T. members firing tear gas through the hospital windows. The emergency room doors slide open and thick smoke quickly begin to pour out into the air. The camera phone mic begins to pick up faint screams from inside the hospital. The police tense up as they hear the screams, not knowing what to expect. Then people began to frantically come running out of the hospital, some are wearing hospital gowns, some are nurses and doctors, but all are in a hysterical panic and they attempt to get away from whatever horror lies inside. The weak and injured topple over and fall to the ground, while the able bodied stampede over them.22

"Remain clam, the situation is under control, everyone get down on the ground with their hands over their heads. I repeat, get down on the ground with your hands over your heads." The voice says over the load speaker.23

Few follow the police instruction as they continue to rampage through the street. Several are tackled to the ground by waiting police officers, and are quickly handcuffed. But the panic is too far spread, even those who had been restrained continue to fight and try to get way. 24

The first team of S.W.A.T. begin to enter the building, wearing gas masks and flak jackets, they have their automatic weapons at the ready as they disappear into the thick smoke. Gunfire quickly erupts inside the hospital. The bystander filming the scene zooms in toward the entrance of the emergency room.25

Muffled screams come from inside the hospital, and more people continue to run out, most of which are quickly detained by the police.26

"Fall back! God damn it, fall back!!" calls out a voice from inside the hospital. Several S.W.A.T. team members back out of the entrance, firing their weapons all the while. Several of the officers are injured and are dragged away by their comrades.27

Then, the scene erupts into total chaos as nearly a dozen men and women come charging out and overwhelm the retreating S.W.A.T. team. they jump on top of them and tackle them to the ground. One officer opens fire and unloads his gun as a women in hospital gown topples over him and begins to claw and tear away at his face. Even as the women's midsection is torn apart by point blank machine gun fire, she continues to claw at the downed officer. He's gun clicks as it empties and he uses the butt of the rifle to smash the women's face in. She goes sprawling to the ground and the horrified officer begins to crawl backwards in an effort to get away.28

Slowly the women begins to get up, her abdomen is nearly all gone, she hunches over to the side as her exposed spine cracks in half and her entrails fall out and on to the ground. The cameraman focus' on the gaping hole that clearly shows the other side as she begins to stumble forward.29

"My god!" The cameraman says as he shifts the camera to the woman's face. Her eyes were white and void of life, black veins bulged from her head, and her mouth was covered in fresh blood and was open wider then any person could have possible opened. Her body was mangled, her gown completely covered in red, there were several places where she had been bitten and large chucks of flesh were missing. Yet the crazed women continued on.30

As she advanced towards the police barricade, she was meet by a barrage of gun fire, half a dozen officers open fired on the relentless women, her body nearly exploded form the multiple exit wounds. But the women, though slower now, moved forward. It wasn't until one officer fired a rifle grenade that the women finally fell. She was struck squarely in the face and her head exploded on impact.31

The camera shifted once again towards the crowd of hysterical civilians and panicking cops. They were unable to tell which were hostile and which were simply in a panic. As dozens of people began to climb over the barricades, the police once again open fired.32

Those who were just trying to escape were gunned down as if they were among the hostile, they simply fell to the ground dead, while the crazed, blood hungry ones seemed unaffected by the polices frantic attempt to control the chaos.33

Then, the camera man focused on one of the innocent civilians who was struck down. He sat lifeless in a pool of his own blood. One of the mans arms had been blown off above the elbow, along with part of his face. But shortly after, even before he had bled out, he began to move again.34

His head lifted up, exposing the teeth that had only moments ago been covered by skin and muscle. His eyes had grown white and colorless like the others had, and he began to get back on his feet. Several others began to follow suit, and what had once been a dozen of the undead had turned into nearly twice that number in a matter of moments. 35

Seeing no hope for the situation, the law enforcement began to retreat. One officer approached the man who had been filming the whole scene.36

"Get the fuck out of here! If you value your life, run like hell."37

The man seemed to of listened as he began to run away in disbelief. He still held his phone, unknowingly filming his retreat as the camera captured the horror that was left behind. 38

Shortly after,the footage cut off.39

Once again Wesley King was Sitting at the news desk with the downtown skyline behind him. It was clear that even he, while trying to warn the public had been utterly shocked by the footage.40

"Up until fifteen minutes ago we continued to receive similar reports of people portraying erratic behavior, acts of cannibalism, and even the dead coming back to life to pray on strangers, friends and loved ones alike. These reports are coming in from all over the globe. We also have received reports that several major broadcasting companies have gone off air. I'm afraid that we must do the same as we all here at channel four fear for our lives. But I leave you with this." Wesley King loosened his collar and cleared his throat.41

"The dead walk the earth. This is not a hoax, do not go outside to find this out for yourself. You will only endanger your life and the lives of those around you. Lock your doors, board up your windows, and pray. But most important of all, burn your dead."42

Twelve hours later...43

Stephen Clay races his gray SUV through town, there are three passengers in the car with him. His friend Eddie is sitting the front passenger side, staring out the window and shaking his head, while Stephen's sister Carol sits in the back with her injured husband, Rob.44

The streets are littered with abandoned vehicles, several of which have been overturned and caught ablaze. Stephen speeds passed a strip-mall which is also engulfed in flames. People run rampart through downtown, some seem to be running from others. It resembles the scene of a riot, but no one is looting or breaking the windows of shops or walking away with new found goods. Stephen catches a crowd of people standing over a women. She reaches out for help as the mob tears her apart, biting into her flesh as if it were a rare cooked steak. No one stops to help the defenseless woman, not even Stephen who knows by now that the mob isn't really a mob at all, but the undead. Stephen speeds up, and nearly side swipes an overturned police cruiser.45

"Slow down Stephen, your going to get us killed!" Stephen looks in the rear veiw mirror as his sister, Carrol attempts to dress up her husbands wounds.46

"We're running out of time Carrol, I'm not slowing down for anything. Hows Rob doing?"47

"Not so good, I can't stop the bleeding, it's like that thing took a chunk out of his arm. Damn it Steve, we need to go to a hospital. Downtown General Hospital is less then a mile away, we can make it!" Carrol pleaded.48

"Didn't you see the news cast, the hospitals are like butcher's shops now. If we stop for anything, especially to go to the hospital we're all dead! Do you understand me?"49

"What about Rob? He need's a doctor! He'll die if we don't get him help!"50

"I know Carrol, I'm not going to let him die. We're heading to Susan's outside the city limits, she's a nurse and she can help."51

"Outside the city limits?! Can we even make to the bridge?" Eddie asked from the passenger seat.52

"We have to, that's why I'm not going to stop for anything. As long as we keep moving, we'll make it."53

Then from Stephen's blind spot, a car broadside the SUV from the passenger side. The truck goes into a spin and the windows shatter and rain glass over the passengers. The airbags deploy and Stephen's head snaps back form the whiplash.54

Stephen wakes up in a moment of pure panic, the SUV had been completely immobilized, the windshield was totally shattered, the front hood mangled and twisted, and the front axle was torn off with the wheels rolling down the street.55

"Carrol are you OK?" Stephen says reaching back for his sister.56

"Yeah. Rob are you still with us?"57

For a moment Rob doesn't move. Stephen reaches inside his jacket to pull out his .45 and unlocks the safety.58

"Carrol." Rob says as he opens his eyes.59

"Oh thank god Robert! Hold on we're going to get you out of there!"60

"Carrol just leave me, I'll only slow you down and get everyone killed." Rob said barely above a whisper.61

"Shut and save your strength Rob, no ones leaving you behind. I'd never forgive myself I left you here to die. Besides I don't think your wife would appreciate it much if I did."62

Rob gave out a short laugh but quickly reeled as it clearly pained him. Eddie and Carol helped Rob from the backseat as Stephen check his weapon and made his way over to the car that had struck them. The driver was unconscious, and the passenger had been impaled by a stop sign. Knowing he didn't have much time, he ran over to the car.63

"Hey wake up!" Stephen slapped the driver in the face.64

The driver suddenly come to, and wasted no time going into a panic.65

"Holy shit what the hell just happened?" The driver said.66

"You had an accident, we need to get you out of there before your friend turns into one of them."67

The driver looks over to his passenger and quickly goes into a frenzy. He began to thrash around in his seat, uselessly tugging at his seat-belt.68

"HOLY SHIT GET ME THE FUCK OUTTA HERE MAN, GET ME THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!"69

"Calm down! I can cut you out of the seat-belt, but the engine is still running, I need you to shut the engine off."70

"Fuck that! Get me outta this bitch now!"71

Then, flames began to ignite from under the mangled hood of the car72

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Help me please!" The man said still strapped into the seat. But before Stephen could get him out the passenger woke. His eyes were pure white, and black veins quickly began to surface all over his body. The newly awakened undead began to reach forward but was still pinned down to the seat by the stop sign that had impaled him.73

Stephen managed to cut the seat belt loose, and the driver began to climb out through the busted window, paying no attention to the glass that was cutting into his hands. But just as the man got his head and arms out of the vehicle, the arms of the undead closed around his neck and the zombie bite directly into the mans face. The man gave out a bloodcurdling scream that was so intense, Stephen quickly backed away and fell to the pavement. The car completely ignited in flames as the man was pulled back into the burning inferno.74

"Steve, lets go! You said it your self. We stop for anything and we're dead!" Eddie screamed form the other side of the street.75

Stephen got to his feet and made his way over to his sister and her husband. Eddie ran to an empty police cruiser, busted out the window and removed the shotgun. He checked to make sure it was loaded and then joined his friends.76

Stephen looked at his friend who had never stolen anything in his life.77

"What? You going to arrest me now?"78

"Lets go."79

The small group of four made their way down the middle of the street were it was open, Carrol and Eddie held Rob up with his arms over their shoulders. Rob could barely manage a jog as they made their way through town, it was only the early afternoon.80

It took over half an hour for the four survivors to get out of the downtown area and into the more rural are of the city, but they hadn't encountered anyone, alive or undead since the scene of the car accident. The sky had grown cloudy, showing signs of incoming rain, but the group still slowly made their way through the empty street of a residential area.81

"Seems like everything's going down in the city." Eddie said82

"By now most people have locked them selves up inside their homes. I bet some are watching us now." Stephen said, still holding his handgun with the safety off.83

"I can't believe no one has come out here to try and help us." Carrol said.84

"Can you blame them though?" Rob began, clearly still in pain, with every word feeling like a knife in his lungs.85

"After all we're a bunch of strangers just walking down the middle of the street, when it seems like all hell has broken loose. Plus not to mention that Rob isn't exactly the healthiest looking guy right now." Eddie paused and gave Rob a sympathetic glance. "No hard feeling man, but you look like shit." Eddie finished.86

"Don't worry, I probably look better than how I feel. It's not too late to leave me you know."87

"Shut up Rob not another word about it. We still have time, as soon as we get to Susan's, she'll fix you right up."88

"Assuming we make it that far. Look." Eddie pointed ahead of them using his shotgun.89

up ahead, about a quarter a mile away was a roadblock near the bridge they were planning to cross. Several cars had been stopped, then abandoned, each parked side by side on the road just as if it were a normal checkpoint. Some of the cars were even still running.90

Stephen walked up to the closest car to see if they could use it. The car had been left in park and the key was still in the ignition but was parked bumper to bumper with the other cars around it.91

"Dammit." Stephen cursed under his breath.92

"Hey Steve!" Eddie called out.93

"What is it!" He called back as he turned around."94

"There's smoke up ahead!"95

Stephen turned around back towards the bridge and looked to the horizon. He could see a massive bellow of smoke coming from somewhere across the bridge.96

"I think our route is a little fucked man." Eddie said as he and Carrol carried Rob over to the roadblock.97

"Well it's not like we can go around or head back the other way." Carrol said.98

"You're right we need to keep going forward, no matter what."99

"You know that feeling people get in movies when something really bad is about to happen?" Eddie asked. Stephen turned with a look that said 'as if things weren't bad enough' on his face.100

"Let me guess." Rob managed to say.101

"Yeah I got it too, but we don't really have any other choice."102

"I know but still." Eddie pumped the shotgun, as if to reiterate his feeling. 103

After climbing over the police barricade, they cautiously made their way down the bridge. The air was beginning to smell misty and they knew it wold start raining any moment. Stephen hadn't decided if that would help them or just make things worse.104

Shortly after the police barricade they found the source of the bellowing smoke. Less than halfway down the bridge there had been some sort of car accident, several cars had collided and were piled up at the center of the bridge, nearly blocking their path.105

"You think someone got impatient and tried to breach the barricade?" Eddie asked.106

"Probably, but let's not stick around long enough to find out."107

"I think I can walk. Eddie you should be up there with Stephen." Rob said, seeming to have a little more energy than before. Now he was standing on his own with only his left arm braced over his wife's shoulder.108

"Are you sure, sweetheart? Your still bleeding a little."109

"I feel better now, really."110

It didn't take long to reach the half way point where the wreckage had been spotted. Stephen brought his gun up and stared down the sights as he approached the burning wreckage. As he got closer, the overpowering stench of burning flesh became more and more pungent. Stephen moved one step at a time, his police training had become instant this point in his life as he came into view of the bodies that were still burning inside. 111

"Jesus." Stephen murmured under his breath as he brought his free hand up in an attempt to mask the smell. Then he could hear someone quietly approaching. Instantly took over and he quickly turned to face the would-be assailant. 112

"Oh man it's me!" Eddie called out holding his shotgun in the air.113

"What the hell are you doing? I almost blew your head off!" 114

"Well, lucky for me I'm not a freaking zombie. Shit, my heart is racing." Eddie walked over to the car that was still burning with it's passengers inside, their corpses nothing more then skeletons covered in charred flesh.115

"Man what a way to go. Until today I thought there would be nothing worse than being burned alive. Now I called the poor bastards lucky."116

"I don't see how anyone could be lucky, Eddie."117

"Yeah hell on earth, right?" Eddie added.118

Just as Eddie turned away from the car, a fiery mass seemingly came out of nowhere. Eddie turned to bring up the shotgun but by the time he got a shot off the the burning mass was already on top of him and he succeeded in nothing more then shooting at the pavement. Stephen was quick but Eddie was already on the ground with the undead on top of him, completely ablaze.119

Even though he was getting burn with every attempt to overcome his attacker. Using one hand to push back the zombie's face to keep from getting bitten, he reached for his shotgun with the other. But every moment the zombie was on top of him the more severe the burning would be. 120

Suddenly the zombie reared as Stephen fired three shots into its chest, the bullets went clean through it's soft rotten tissue and the zombie went sprawling to the ground. Eddie scrambled for his gun once more, just as the zombie was getting back to it's feet. Eddie, while still on his knees, brought the shotgun up and fired a single shot.121

The blast was nearly point blank, as it took off the zombies left arm at the shoulder. Even though it was minus an arm and still burning the zombie persisted.122

"Holy shit man! Do these things ever fucking die?" Eddie pump the shot and fired again, and Stephen followed suit. Each had fired and least three shots at the Zombie, but each shot was as useless as the last. 123

Then fire began to engulf the undead completely, and it fell to it's knees and in moments it was nothing but ash blowing in the wind. They had survived, the whole ordeal has only lasted half a minute but to the two friends, it seemed like an eternity.124

"I thought we were goners man!" Eddie said, with his heart racing faster than any man should ever experience.125

"We would of been, if it hadn't been on fire." Stephen claimed, his heart moving just as fast.126

"What?" Eddie asked puzzled.127

"I shot that damn thing six times, Eddie. How many shells did you get off?"128

"Three, I think. It all happened so fast."129

"Well, one should of been enough. I don't think our weapons are going to be much use against these things."130

"Fuck."131

"Stephen! Eddie!" Carrol cried out as her and Rob made their way over. Carrol only called Stephen by his birth name when she was angry or worried about him.132

"Stay back Carrol. It may not be safe yet." Eddie called out, but his sister was near hysteria and overcome with relief. 133

Rob urged her on as she ran up to him and embraced him.134

"I was worried when I heard gun shots. Thank heavens you're alright." She said after kissing her younger brother on the forehead.135

"Yeah, I'm OK."136

"Don't worry about me, just a few second degree burns over here." Eddie said sarcastically.137

"Oh, Eddie I'm so sorry are you ok?"138

"Yeah I'm OK, really. I'm just giving you a hard time. Steve just saved my life. I'm just venting."139

"We should keep moving." Rob added in.140

Then from the other side of the bridge where they had come in at, there was a loud crash the echoed through the air.141

"What the...?" Eddie said as everyone turned to the direction the sound had came from.142

Rob had the better view as he was still standing away from the burning wwreckage.143

"Guy's," Rob said, his voice weak and cracked.144

"We should start moving, like now." 145

Carrol and Stephen rushed over to Rob and together they started to make their way down the bridge. Just as they turned there was another crash, then they could hear them. 146

Eddie turned around to get a better look at what they were running from, even-though he had already had a good idea.147

"Oh, Man! There's so many of them!" Eddie said, staring at the large mob of undead that were beginning to pile over the top of the police barricades.148

Dozens upon dozens, of undead, running and screaming. It was the sound of anger and desperation. It was the crying sound of madness and hysteria. But above all, it was the call of the dead.
Their bodies were mangled and twisted. Those who had been killed had returned, the ones they killed got up and killed. With every one of them that died, the call of the dead become louder.149

Some had been dead for hours, their faces and bodies had nearly been ripped to shreds. Clothing dangled like rags, some only wore one shoe or no shoes at all. Undead woman had hair ripped out of their head, exposed their skulls underneath.150

It was a scene of horror and of a savage frenzy as they ran towards their prey. They moved without coordination, stumbling as they ran. Even when a few had fallen over, they crawled with unbelievable speed. The survivors ran for their lives, trying to get away from the undead and their undying hunger.