Short story. It is months beyond the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. A father and his two young children are trying to make it through the wintry back woods of Oregon state to somewhere, anywhere safe.
They have been without food for far too long now and are weak from evading the walking dead they call PUDS. Between the cold, lack of proper shelter, and their fear, life is wearing them down. On top of all this, it feels like they are being followed, but it has become hard to tell if it is a normal, an afterlife creature, or...
They met up with a man who had a strange hat. He acted nice and even gave them some of the spice he had, to make what little food they may find taste better. Sometimes it's the little things in life that make the day worth living. He tells them a rumor of a safe encampment.
But there is something strange about this man that makes the father uneasy. Something about the man is familiar, and if the father could just remember what it is...
Uneasy, they move on without him.
Is it this man who is following them? Are they even being followed? Can they survive the deadly afterlifes who wander about everywhere?
Also included is a second short-short story that had not been published until now, called "The Regent's Daughter" - or "An Eye for an Eye", which won a tiny online award between authors.
Excerpt
Vic returned to his internal entertainment. Once they realized they were living for real what the world had experienced millions of times through TV and films, Vic had started calling them the obvious, “zombies”. But that was such a gruesome title and just wasn't useful. They did after all have Char to worry about. So Jake had them come up with something else. And “P.U.D.S.” it was. These “PUDS” gathered together like in a herd. That evoked thoughts of “herd theory”. So they thought of calling them cows or cattle, but there was just something disrespectful in that. Even more so than calling them, PUDS. But it seemed like the best option.
Vic assumed his Dad had a reason for that. For them, PUDS stood for, “Poor Unfortunate Dangerous Suckers.” Vic figured his Dad decided on that for a name because it made them seem foolish, and yet didn’t ignore how dangerous they were. Vic could handle the horror of their situation. But Char wasn’t quite so tough yet and needed a way to make light of their situation, delusional though as she may be. Still, PUDS made her smile. So PUDS it was.
Char also needed to remember how deadly they could be. Which really, none of them needed any reminding about. Vic figured his Dad was a bit paranoid at times, but then you’re not paranoid if they're really are out to getcha. Right? So— PUDS. Except Vic thought it was such a stupid name that he called them “walkers” whenever out of range of Char, or merely in his own thoughts. Mostly because it reminded him of his favorite TV show. A show that as it turned out, taught him a lot about living in this kind of world.
“Stop!” Quietly, Jake hissed the word behind him. He dropped, throwing up his fist indicating for them to stop. Be wary. They had been approaching the crest of a hill. Carefully, he looked over the hilltop at something on the other side. He turned, looking rather perplexed at his kids. He fought his urge to grimace and shook his head.
“Can’t go that way.”
Vic went to argue but stopped himself for more reasons than he could count. He watched Jake backing up toward them, still carefully watching the top of the hill. Vic’s curiosity was strongly nagging at him. Slowly and quietly Jake started down a different rabbit trail beckoning for them to follow him.
For some reason they weren’t seeing many deer trails. Probably because of winter. It was because of that, because Vic was scanning the area for other trails, that he hadn’t noticed Char moving up to the top of the ridge. Or when she looked over at what was beyond. At what Dad had seen. And that was when Vic finally noticed her. He saw her peering over the top, watched as her body went rigid, frozen. Vic hissed at his Dad to stop but Jake didn’t hear.
“Dad!” Vic took three long steps, snatched Char at the waste and pulled her toward him. But he stole a look over the hill top. What he saw stunned him too yet he continued to pull her away from the insane sight. Still, he couldn’t stop from staring. Now he too was stiff as he tried almost absentmindedly to push her downhill behind him and toward their father.
Suddenly, there was a noise and Vic was yanked completely off his feet backward, literally flying through the air, going—somewhere.
