Twenty Two

Maylee looked quickly up and down the street. "Come on," she said. "Let's go."

She ran to the open garage, Dalton behind her. The car sat inside, the running lights casting the garage in a dim glow.

"Wait," said Dalton, stopping behind her.

Maylee stopped and turned. "What?"

Dalton was staring at the garage. "I thought I heard something in there."

Maylee turned back to look. She saw nothing. The running lights switched off and the garage fell back into darkness. She listened. She still heard moans, far away but getting closer, but nothing coming from the garage.

"It's fine," said Maylee, gripping her bat. "Come on." She raised up the keys and clicked the unlock button again.

The running lights came back on.

Something lunged at them from under the car.

They both screamed and jumped back. Maylee dropped the keys and raised her bat with both hands.

A small and very startled mouse blinked at her and ran down the street.

Maylee watched it go for a moment, then let out her breath and lowered the bat. "Dammit."

"They had mice, too," said Dalton, also watching the mouse.

"Probably had the same landlord," said Maylee. Her heart was pounding. She reached down to the pavement and recovered the keys. "Now hurry up and get in the car."

Maylee ran into the garage and grabbed the driver's side door handle. She pulled open the door. She cast a look in the back seat, just in case. Nothing. She tossed the bat back there and climbed into the driver's seat. Dalton climbed in the passenger seat. They both shut their doors.

"Okay," said Maylee.

"You sure you can drive?" said Dalton.

"Sure I can do it better than you," said Maylee. She tried putting a key in the ignition. It didn't fit. She sighed and tried another one. It didn't fit either.

"You need the key that starts the car," said Dalton.

"Be quiet, Dalton," said Maylee. Finally she found a key that fit.

She was about to turn it when a corpse stumbled into view.

They both gasped.

The corpse was wandering down the street, passing in front of the open garage door.

"Be quiet," whispered Maylee, staring at the corpse. "It hasn't heard us."

She heard movement from Dalton's seat and looked. He was pulling the bat from the back seat.

"Leave that alone," Maylee whispered. "Just keep quiet and let the thing walk past."

"I want it just in case," whispered Dalton, clutching the bat and staring out the window. The corpse was halfway across the open garage door.

"It's mine, anyway," whispered Maylee, grabbing the bat. "Give it to me."

Dalton pulled back. "No," he whispered.

"Dammit, Dalton," Maylee whispered. They tugged the bat back and forth. Maylee pulled hard. Dalton scowled at her and pulled back. Maylee shifted in her seat and her elbow hit the car horn.

The horn blared out of the garage onto the street.

"Shit," said Maylee, letting go of the bat.

The corpse grunted and looked their direction. Two other corpses came around the corner. All three began to move toward the car.

"Double shit," said Maylee, grabbing the keys and turning.

"Hurry!" said Dalton.

The car came to life. The corpses were close to the garage now. Maylee tried to put her foot on the gas, then discovered the seat was too far back.

"Shit," she said, reaching down for the seat lever. She could hear the corpses groaning now.

She pulled the seat up further and straightened back up. The corpses were in the garage.

"Hurry, Maylee!" yelled Dalton.

Maylee pulled down the gear shift and slammed on the gas.

The car rocketed backward and slammed into the garage wall. Maylee and Dalton were thrown back in their seats.

"Ow!" yelled Dalton.

"Dammit!" said Maylee, fumbling with the gear shift.

The corpses were closing in on the car.

Maylee moved the shifter into drive and gave the car gas. The wheels spun but the car didn't move.

"Why aren't we moving?" said Dalton, staring at the corpses and clutching the bat tightly.

"We're stuck on something!" said Maylee, pushing harder on the gas. The wheels spun and she smelled smoke. The corpses reached the car. They grabbed at the hood and groaned.

"Crap!" yelled Dalton.

Maylee screamed and slammed all her weight on the gas. The tires screeched but the car stayed put.

"Dammit!" yelled Maylee, slamming her weight down in the seat. The car bounced. She heard something behind the car clatter and the tires engaged. The car shot forward, knocking the corpses aside.

The car bounced onto the street and kept going. Maylee and Dalton screamed as the car raced across the street and into a mailbox on the other side. The mailbox flew across the yard and smashed against the wall of the house behind it.

Maylee finally took her foot off the gas. She was panting. She looked in the rearview mirror. The corpses were strewn in the street, beaten up but still moving. One of them was almost to its feet.

"Damn, Maylee," said Dalton. "You sure you drive better than me?"

"Yes," said Maylee. She put the car in reverse and backed into the street. The car bounced as it hit the pavement. She spun backward until the car was facing the right way. "Now put on your seat belt."

"Seriously?" Dalton raised his eyebrows at her.

"Dammit, Dalton, just put on the shitting seat belt right shitting now!" Maylee yelled, sounding a little like Mom when Mom was really, really mad.

Dalton glared at her and clicked his seat belt into place.

"Thank you," said Maylee, then put on her own seat belt. "Now we can go."

She put the car into drive and drove.