Fight for Life: The Final Chapter

Fight for Life: The Final Chapter

T.J. Reed

            An air horn sounded the beginning of the games. The sound made Marshall and Lisa both jump. His heart beating so powerfully that Marshall was sure that it would pound through his chest and land in the center of the maze of death. He could hear his daughter crying in his ear piece.

“We will get through this baby.” Marshall tried to sound reassuring.

“Daddy, I’m scared.”

“So am I honey. But we are strong dear. We will get through this.”

“I can hear them dad. My feet won’t move.” Lisa said through trembling lips.

“One foot in front of the other baby. We will get through this. Do you have your shotgun shells?”

“Yes daddy. I already put them in.”

“Good girl.” Marshall smiled. He had shown her how to shoot before. Oddly she could do it while blindfolded. She was turning out to be a great warrior in training.

“OK, I’m ready daddy.”

“There is one headed your way baby. You need to walk straight and you will come to a wall and you will go right. Just keep walking and I will tell you when to turn.”

            The sound of the crazed fans was growing louder as the first zombie was closing in on Lisa. This zombie was a blonde female with one arm. Marshall was sure that in another life she was a beautiful woman but now she is hideous; plus she was intent on killing his daughter. Marshall watched as the blonde zombie moved parallel to Lisa, the crowd screaming in anticipation of what could happen. She seemed to sniff the air, seeking the position of her prey.

“Daddy where is it? I hear it.”

“Don’t worry baby, keeping walking straight ok.”

“OK daddy.”

            Lisa continued to shuffle her feet, fearful of actually taking a full step. The blindfold was tightly glued to her face not allowing even a peek of light to come through the corners. Lisa could hear the roar of the crowd, the snarl of the zombie who seemed to be right next to her, and the smell of rotting flesh. Marshall watched as Lisa shuffled forward, the zombie pacing her from the other side of the wall. The blonde zombie began pounding on the wall trying desperately to reach Lisa. Lisa was losing it.

“Daddy? Help me. I can’t do this!”

            Without warning Lisa turned towards the sound of the pounding fist and fired the shotgun through the wall. A fist sized hole opened in the plywood wall as well as a hole in the belly of the blonde zombie. The force of the shot sent the zombie flying against the opposite wall as Lisa did the same. The shotgun had more force than what she was used to. The crowd cheered. Black Beard cheered. Marshall screamed. Lisa quickly jumped to her feet and began blindly swinging her arms back and forth trying to find the wall.

“Daddy? Did I get it?!” Lisa asked.

“You hit it sis, but I think you just made it mad. You need to keep moving forward.”

            A bloated white hand shot through the opening the shotgun had made and snatched a handful of Lisa’s hair. Lisa screamed in pain and shock as the surprising strength of the one armed zombie tried to pull her through the hole. The crowd roared. They were getting their entertainment. Marshall began to yell into the microphone but Lisa could not hear him over the sound of her own screaming. The blonde zombie had mouthfuls of Lisa’s hair, trying hard to get its teeth to reach her skull as it was pressed hard to the hole.

“Oh God! Daddy help me!” Lisa screamed.

“Let me out of this cage! I am going to kill you!” Marshall began to scream again at Black Beard.

            The crowd began to chant, “Let him play! Let him play!”

Black Beard put his clenched fist under his chin as if he was in a mocking deep thought.

“Your wish is my command Sarge! But, with this twist in the game, I am going to allow five more walkers to enter the battlefield! Woooo this is getting good!” Black Beard began to laugh hysterically.

            The cage suddenly became detached from the ceiling and came crashing into the center of the arena. The force shattered the wooden chair Marshall was tied to and helped to free him from the ropes. The pain in his broken arm took the breath from his lungs and left him dazed for a few seconds. He had to find Lisa. He could hear her screaming in his ear piece as he tried to remember the way to her. Marshall began blindly running through the maze screaming for Lisa.

“Lisa! I’m coming! Where are you!?”

            She could not hear him. She was still screaming madly fighting for her life against the one armed zombie. Marshall rounded another corner and ran into two walkers, dropping all three of them to the ground in a mass of flailing limbs and gnashing teeth. A two foot piece of wood was lying next to Marshall. He picked it up with his good hand and furiously began smashing the face of an old man that was trying to bite him. He began slamming the piece of wood on the second face peeking from under the old man. When both of the zombies stopped moving, Marshall stood and began running through the maze again. When he came around the corner he could see Lisa, her head pushed against the wooden wall, her eyes pleading that her father save her from the evil on the other side.

            Marshall picked up the shotgun, placed the barrel against the wall and pulled the trigger. Lisa’s head came loose, minus some hair that was still gripped tightly in the teeth of the one armed zombie, and she quickly wrapped her arms around her daddy. Marshall could not fight back the tears. His daughter was beaten and tired. She was missing hair, covered in scratches, and that hideous blindfold was tightly secured to her face. The cloth of the blindfold was moist with tears and sweat.

“I’ve got you baby. We will be ok. I will get us out of here.”

            The crowd was deafening now. There cheers were giving new life to Marshall. He now knew what an ancient gladiator must have felt while combating another person in those medieval times. He helped Lisa to her feet and lifted the shotgun with his good hand.

“Hold on to my shirt dear. We will get out of this.”

            Marshall glanced up at Black Beard who was smiling wildly. What a show this young soldier was putting on.

“Bravo Sarge! You may make it after all. But correct me if I am wrong, only one round left huh?”

            Marshall smiled and raised the shotgun and fired in one motion. The slug flew from the angled barrel, travel the half second through the dank air, and impacted in the center of Black Beards chest. The life left immediately from his eyes as he toppled over the guard rail and into the maze. The crowd was no longer cheering. The screaming fans were now rushing for the exits trying to escape the arena. Marshall gripped the shotgun by the barrel, hoping to use it as a club against the other zombies that he knew was wondering the maze. The people continued their run from the chaos in the arena.

“What happened daddy? What did you shoot?” Lisa asked.

“He won’t bother us any more sis. I got him.”

“We are out of bullets aren’t we daddy?”

“Yes honey. We will be ok.”

            Marshall began to walk towards the area he knew Lisa had come from. It was a straight shot; he just hoped that he could get out that way. Gunfire erupted somewhere out of Marshall’s view.

“Who is shooting daddy?”

“I don’t know dear. Keep walking.”

            Marshall came to the starting point that he had first seen Lisa. The door was standing wide open. They seemed to have finally caught a break. There were many people making their way through the halls. Marshall and Lisa filed right in with the rest of the people running as if they were part of the crowd the whole time. Bullets began to rake back and forth across the halls. People screamed and began to fall in the hallways. Marshall grabbed Lisa tight to him. She went limp and crumpled to the ground. Marshall’s heart sunk.

            Lisa lay at his feet, a pool of blood slowly growing around her. Marshall picked her up with is good arm and began running again. Zombies had begun to mix with the crowd and were dragging people to the floors. More gunfire erupted, dropping more people, as well as zombies. A door finally came into Marshall’s view. He rushed outside and into the cool night air. He found a small flower bed, the flowers now a dry mess of color. Marshall laid his daughter on the dead, dry flowers.

“I got shot didn’t I daddy?” Lisa asked weakly.

“Yes dear, but you will be ok. We will be fine.” Marshall said trying not to sound scared.

“I am going home daddy.”
“Yeah, we will get home baby. We are going to get out of this place and live happily ever after, I promise.”

“No, you are staying here daddy. And, I am going home.”

Marshall was confused. She must be delirious from blood lose he thought to himself. He kept pressure on the small wound in her side. The bleeding seemed to be slowing but she had lost so much.

“We are going to be fine honey; we are going to be fine.”

“Daddy? Is it night time?” Lisa asked.

“Yes baby. The stars really are shining tonight. I will get that blindfold off you as soon as we can.”

“I hear wings.” Lisa whispered.

“What baby?”

“I hear wings. They tell me it is ok to go. I’m afraid daddy.”

“Baby, you are so strong. You don’t need to be afraid anymore. You go with them OK?” Marshall said as tears fell from his eyes onto Lisa’s face. The tears cut clean paths across the gore streaked on Marshall’s face.

“I love you daddy. I will see you soon ok?”

“Love you baby.”

Marshall pulled Lisa tightly to his chest and let all of his pain and loss out. She was no longer breathing but she was in a place where unicorns and princesses reigned supreme and monsters did not exist.

“Sir, there is one over there.” A soldier said standing next to Marshall.

“I’ve got him son. Finish with the cleanup of the area.”

A large man with officer rank on the collar of his camouflaged uniform knelt next to Marshall.

“We can bury her son. I am sorry for your loss.” The man placed his hand on Marshall’s shoulder.

“She was my daughter.”

“I am sorry son. We will take good care of her for you. You have a name soldier?”

Marshall looked up into the officers hard eyes.

“Sarge. Just call me Sarge.”

I hope everyone has enjoyed this story and sorry that it is a day late. Have had a busy couple of days. If you have been following this blog and my zombie survival stories you may have just figured out that Sarge is back. I have linked this string of stories with the Hunters and the Raiders stories. My plan now is to clean these all up and get them put together for my first book. Of course, there will be a lot more to add so that all of you that have been following won't be reading the exact same thing that you did the first time. I hope that you all continue to read the blog and thanks again for the support. Oh, and sorry I had to kill Lisa, but she had to be gone for the story to fit with the rest of the series haha.

T. J. Reed