"Outbreak Tablas: The Failure"

"Outbreak Tablas: The Failure"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr

He had considered himself lucky. Lucky to be alive. This electric post had saved his life. It has been 2 days since he found himself scrambling up the steel steps. 2 days since these things  , these slow undead , flesh eating things  had cornered him here with no hope of escape. His stomach was growling now. His muscles ached from holding on to the steel rungs that were now biting into the flesh of his palms and his thighs. He had slept up the electric post free from the undead's reach by hugging the concrete slabs tightly and tying his arms among the rungs.He continued to sit in a manner that would have looked comical to anyone still alive who could see it. He had to laugh at that thought just a little bit. Nobody in town would be alive. It was just him and Them now. A tear dropped from his eye. Hitting one of the creatures that was consistently trying to grab his leg. His Wife and daughter could be dead by now. He promised them that he would come back for them. He promised that he would bring help. He told them that it was better for him to go alone , that they would be safe in the basement of their house. All they need to do is to keep the door closed. He would come back for them. He promised. He kissed his little girl and she hugged him. 

"Please hurry back Papa ,I'm scared." He could still remember her saying.

He promised he would be back but the undead were everywhere.There was a mass of them wherever he turned. Neighbors and out of town Fiesta visitors all mingled to produce a mob that was out to get him. He had run and run and in the distance he saw the concrete electric post.He fought his way toward it and scrambled up the steel rungs just in time to get away from the creatures grabbing hands. He knew that there was no way for him to go back down now. The post was far away from any roof for him to jump. As far as he knew the power was still on. The zombies at his feet were a deep throng of outstretched arms , reaching out for him. Moaning for his flesh. He had to get out of here for his wife and daughter. There has to be away to save them. He just can't do nothing.

It was then that he saw them. At the far edges of the undead crowd. He saw the bright yellow dress that her daughter wore when she last saw her.The dress was now tinged with blackened blood coming from the huge gash on her young neck. His wife shambled along with her. He had failed them. He had promised them salvation. He had promised them safety. The 2 seem to have seen him as they continued their seemingly purposeless movements. They hungrily reached out for him. 

He looked at them one last time. And let go of the steel rungs.  

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Outbreak Tablas and Outbreak Manila will be a collection of short stories about people who were there when the zombie apocalypse finally came. I have a couple of them in the works. I hope you enjoyed reading them as I have enjoyed writing them. Thank you.