| Children Fiction posted April 28, 2020 | Chapters: |
...17 18 -19- 20... 
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Yep, it's a middle-grade zombie adventure.
A chapter in the book The Great Zombie Escape
I Go By Third - part 2
by DeboraDyess
| Background When zombies appear at Camp Atoll, four campers band together to escape to the helipad across the island. Not sure help will be there, the group feels there is no other chance to escape. They face zom |
The zombie looked at Randall, snapping its teeth. It smiled.
Randall cocked his skateboard over his shoulder and, like the athlete he swore he wasn't, swung with all his might just as the golf club gave way. He connected with a blow that cracked the board, sending half of it a half dozen feet from the chopper.
The zombie stumbled backwardâ, howling.
The soldier reached out, grabbed Anna with one hand and Randall with the other. He pulled them into the helicopter, dropping Randall in the center of the craft and helping Anna scramble for footing.
The zombie darted to its feet and lurched forward, crashing to the ground where Anna had been only a millisecond before. It reached for her as the helicopter took off, snagging her shoe.
Anna felt the monster pull at her, felt her balance shift to drop her back to the ground. She held on to the soldier's hands as tightly as she could but felt her sweaty fingers sliding. Marco dropped the destroyed club and grabbed her arms. Her shoe came off as Marco threw his weight backward into the helicopter and pulled her all the way in.
The zombie pounced for her again. Randall threw his backpack out of the chopper's open door. It caught the creeper in the crushed chest and knocked it down to earth.
The helicopter lifted into the air.
Isabel and Randall joined their friends on the chopper floor, flopping down next to them, wordlessly staring up at the interior of the helicopter. Randall touched Marco's shoulder, careful not to bump anything that might hurt him. Isabel lay her head on Anna's stomach.
“Can anybody tell us what happened down there? I mean, there were zombies everywhere...” Marco didn't move from his place on the floor or look directly at the soldiers. He was cradling his head, his voice tense and so soft that his words were barely audible over the helicopter's blades.
“Our families...” Anna was almost too scared to ask but had to know.
“I don't know, miss. I was told the outbreak appears to be limited to this island. "All we know is that we're supposed to fly in and out to fetch as many of you out as we can..”
Her family was safe. "Thank God," she whispered.
Isabel reached out and squeezed her hand. "They're all okay."
The airman pulled four waters and a first aid kit out of a storage area. He handed the waters out to the kids and helped Marco sit up. After the boy had taken a big gulp of the cool water, the older man pulled a small penlight out of the kit. “Look at me,” he ordered Marco. He leaned toward the boy and flashed the light in and out of his eyes. "On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the worst pain you've ever felt in your life, what's your pain level?"
"You're kidding, right?"
Marco didn't sound nearly as tough as Anna figured he wanted to. She said, "I'm betting a ten."
Marco grunted. "Yeah. except for the time that bridge fell on me."
Anna and the airman both smiled at that.
“Is one of you Randall Timmons?” The pilot glanced back as he yelled the question. He looked straight at Randall.
The boy raised a hand. “That’s me.” He adjusted his glasses.
“I'll need the rest of your names."
Marco ignored him. "Where are we going?"
"First, to a base where you'll be debriefed and examined --"
"To make sure we're not zombies," Issy said.
“-- and then we'll get you home as soon as possible."
“Look!” Isabel pointed downward. "Oh, my gosh! Look at them!"
From their height, they could see the entire clearing. Another group, this time three boys, a girl, and a grown woman, were waving at the helicopter, screaming and crying.
“Go back!” Marco said, pushing the penlight away from his face. “We can’t leave them!”
“Another chopper is less than one minute out,” the pilot said, loud enough for them to hear over the blades.
“They don’t have a minute!” Anna stared down as the zombies moved from the clearing toward the campers. Their speed was frightening.
“Do something!” Randall cried.
“We have to help them.” Anna looked at the airman. “Please!”
The pilot nodded. He steered the helicopter down and toward the creepers. The monsters jumped toward the craft, trying to grab the landing gear.
“Don’t let them get us,” Issy whispered. She grabbed Anna’s hand. "Please, please don't let them get us!"
The pilot maneuvered the chopper slowly to one side of the field. The three zombies who had threatened earlier followed, snapping and moaning. Two other creepers left the tree line to join them.
A second chopper appeared and landed at the helipad. The group on the ground ran to it, diving aboard.
Both pilots lifted up, leaving the brain-suckers moaning in a cloud of wind and dust. They steered the helicopters south and flew toward the mainland.
“Good-bye, Camp Atoll,” Randall said.
They heard the pilot speaking into the radio. “We have four more survivors,” he said, “including one Mr. Randall Timmons.”
Randall inched forward and tugged at his arm. The pilot looked back at him.
“I just wanted to let you know; I go by Third, now,” Randall said.
"You know that's a goofy nickname, don't you, Randall?" Anna smiled.
"It's kind of stupid," Issy agreed.
"You're not allowed to say 'stupid'," Ana, Marco, and Randall all said together.
Isabel started to laugh. The others joined in.
Randall cocked his skateboard over his shoulder and, like the athlete he swore he wasn't, swung with all his might just as the golf club gave way. He connected with a blow that cracked the board, sending half of it a half dozen feet from the chopper.
The zombie stumbled backwardâ, howling.
The soldier reached out, grabbed Anna with one hand and Randall with the other. He pulled them into the helicopter, dropping Randall in the center of the craft and helping Anna scramble for footing.
The zombie darted to its feet and lurched forward, crashing to the ground where Anna had been only a millisecond before. It reached for her as the helicopter took off, snagging her shoe.
Anna felt the monster pull at her, felt her balance shift to drop her back to the ground. She held on to the soldier's hands as tightly as she could but felt her sweaty fingers sliding. Marco dropped the destroyed club and grabbed her arms. Her shoe came off as Marco threw his weight backward into the helicopter and pulled her all the way in.
The zombie pounced for her again. Randall threw his backpack out of the chopper's open door. It caught the creeper in the crushed chest and knocked it down to earth.
The helicopter lifted into the air.
Isabel and Randall joined their friends on the chopper floor, flopping down next to them, wordlessly staring up at the interior of the helicopter. Randall touched Marco's shoulder, careful not to bump anything that might hurt him. Isabel lay her head on Anna's stomach.
“Can anybody tell us what happened down there? I mean, there were zombies everywhere...” Marco didn't move from his place on the floor or look directly at the soldiers. He was cradling his head, his voice tense and so soft that his words were barely audible over the helicopter's blades.
“Our families...” Anna was almost too scared to ask but had to know.
“I don't know, miss. I was told the outbreak appears to be limited to this island. "All we know is that we're supposed to fly in and out to fetch as many of you out as we can..”
Her family was safe. "Thank God," she whispered.
Isabel reached out and squeezed her hand. "They're all okay."
The airman pulled four waters and a first aid kit out of a storage area. He handed the waters out to the kids and helped Marco sit up. After the boy had taken a big gulp of the cool water, the older man pulled a small penlight out of the kit. “Look at me,” he ordered Marco. He leaned toward the boy and flashed the light in and out of his eyes. "On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the worst pain you've ever felt in your life, what's your pain level?"
"You're kidding, right?"
Marco didn't sound nearly as tough as Anna figured he wanted to. She said, "I'm betting a ten."
Marco grunted. "Yeah. except for the time that bridge fell on me."
Anna and the airman both smiled at that.
“Is one of you Randall Timmons?” The pilot glanced back as he yelled the question. He looked straight at Randall.
The boy raised a hand. “That’s me.” He adjusted his glasses.
“I'll need the rest of your names."
Marco ignored him. "Where are we going?"
"First, to a base where you'll be debriefed and examined --"
"To make sure we're not zombies," Issy said.
“-- and then we'll get you home as soon as possible."
“Look!” Isabel pointed downward. "Oh, my gosh! Look at them!"
From their height, they could see the entire clearing. Another group, this time three boys, a girl, and a grown woman, were waving at the helicopter, screaming and crying.
“Go back!” Marco said, pushing the penlight away from his face. “We can’t leave them!”
“Another chopper is less than one minute out,” the pilot said, loud enough for them to hear over the blades.
“They don’t have a minute!” Anna stared down as the zombies moved from the clearing toward the campers. Their speed was frightening.
“Do something!” Randall cried.
“We have to help them.” Anna looked at the airman. “Please!”
The pilot nodded. He steered the helicopter down and toward the creepers. The monsters jumped toward the craft, trying to grab the landing gear.
“Don’t let them get us,” Issy whispered. She grabbed Anna’s hand. "Please, please don't let them get us!"
The pilot maneuvered the chopper slowly to one side of the field. The three zombies who had threatened earlier followed, snapping and moaning. Two other creepers left the tree line to join them.
A second chopper appeared and landed at the helipad. The group on the ground ran to it, diving aboard.
Both pilots lifted up, leaving the brain-suckers moaning in a cloud of wind and dust. They steered the helicopters south and flew toward the mainland.
“Good-bye, Camp Atoll,” Randall said.
They heard the pilot speaking into the radio. “We have four more survivors,” he said, “including one Mr. Randall Timmons.”
Randall inched forward and tugged at his arm. The pilot looked back at him.
“I just wanted to let you know; I go by Third, now,” Randall said.
"You know that's a goofy nickname, don't you, Randall?" Anna smiled.
"It's kind of stupid," Issy agreed.
"You're not allowed to say 'stupid'," Ana, Marco, and Randall all said together.
Isabel started to laugh. The others joined in.
Okay, there it is. Not one of the kids fell prey to the evil undead. :)
Hope you enjoyed the adventure. I so appreciate all who read, whether from the beginning or the middle or end...wherever it caught your fancy. :)
I'm not a fan of this chapter title. Any ideas?
Blessings, Y'all.
Deb
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Hope you enjoyed the adventure. I so appreciate all who read, whether from the beginning or the middle or end...wherever it caught your fancy. :)
I'm not a fan of this chapter title. Any ideas?
Blessings, Y'all.
Deb
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