Finding Chloe

Written for Thursday Threads:

Finding Chloe

By Lisa McCourt Hollar

 

Covered in the blood and gore of the dead, Jason walked down the street, matching the halting strides of those around him.  He fought back the bile that rose in his throat as the stench assaulted his nostrils. All around him mindless souls wandered, brushing up against his ragged coat, their dead fingers grazing against his. He did nothing to call their attention to the fact that he was still alive.

Chloe was out here somewhere. The image of his little girl was embedded in his mind. She had seen her mother from the window and ran out the door, calling to her. He’d tried to stop her, but his feet were too slow. The shock of seeing  Zoe had been too much, his legs had turned to jell-o.  And then the realization that his daughter was running towards a monster.

Chloe knew her mistake when she was just within reach of the creature. No longer her mother, the thing had reached for the five year old, hungry, needing to feed. Chloe, agile, had ducked the zombies grasp and ran.

Struggling against the urge to call out for her, Jason swiped at the intestines he’d painstakingly wrapped around his neck.  The sky looked like rain; if the storm broke before he found her, the scent of the dead would be washed off.

He thought she would be here; her grandparent’s home… before they’d become some zombie’s dinner. A whimper by his feet. Jason bent, looking under the porch.

“Chloe.”

 

Word Count: 149