As Brown and Trevor ran away from the carnage and the sounds of tearing flesh, Brown shouted at the teen, “Try your damn cell phone again!”

The dull glow lit Trevor’s face for a moment and Brown could see it was clenched in fear. “I’m trying 911, but it isn’t working.”

“Maybe this thing is more wide spread than we thought. I think we should just get out of here.” His boots made crunching noises as they passed over the pavement into the dirt lot where the eighteen wheels parked.

“Damn it, Nick has the keys to the rig!”

“Crap, Glen had the keys to the truck too.”

“You don’t have a set?” Trevor stopped moving as he spoke and as soon as the pair ceased running the sounds of pursuit could be heard. The freaks, maniacs, or whatever they were, moaned like lost souls as their feet slowly shuffled over the barren parking lot.

“I have a set, but it’s in my bag…” but Brown barely focused on his words, because his thoughts lingered on the horses. They should be safe in the trailer, but if something happens to Bucky or Sage, I could never forgive myself.

“Does that mean we have to go back there to get the keys?” the tone of Trevor’s voice let Brown know that this was about the last thing the youth wanted to do. “I mean there has to be someone around that could help us.”

“Maybe,” Brown said, while he still wondered over the safety of his horse. Looking back he saw that the two madmen from the road still approached them, while the two that feasted on Nick had already chosen to leave the man behind and take up the chase. What froze the blood in his veins was seeing Glen get onto his feet and lurch his way. He moaned like the others, appeared mindless like the others… But Glen had died. Then it hit him. Could Glen be dead… like the others?

When an eviscerated Nick pushed himself up and kept moving despite his guts spilling over the slick pavement, Brown had seen enough. “I don’t know what the hell is happening, but it’s killing people and we need-”

Trevor emptying the contents of his stomach over the dirt between his shoes interrupted him.

“Come on Trev we need…”

His voice trailed off as a small hatchback drove into the gas station.

They pulled up to the far pumps. Already some of the freaks had turned their attentions to the new car. “They can’t see what’s happening from where they parked,” Brown whispered.

His breath stuck in his lungs when he saw a young women exit the vehicle and get followed by small girl. “Mommy, can I use the bathroom first. I need to go so bad.”

Two of the stumblers still focused on the men, while the two that had killed Nick, as well as Glen and Nick turned their attentions to the mother and her child.

“We have to help them,” he said softly, but then cried out loudly, “Miss, miss, watch out!” She looked over at him, like he was a serial killer, as she clutched her child close to her. “I…ah.”

She started to rush her child to toward the locked doors of the gas station, but then the bloody men caught her attentions and she screamed.

Scanning the ground, Brown spied a battered two-by-four. “Trevor, get your shit together!” he yelled. “Grab a weapon. We need to save her.” Then, without looking back, he sprinted toward the girls. A low growl escaped from his lips as he ran.

To be continued next Saturday!

You can find out more about Brown and the Eternal Aftermath here!