Kitten Goes To War

The windows were shook by howling winds that sounded like a pack of wolves. A tiny farm house located in a lonely land, a beacon of light in a sea of darkness. Inside this house a woman is sweeping the kitchen floor.

Swoosh, swoosh; a broom being brushed against the floor.

Tap, tap; a woman’s foot hitting the floor. No rhythm to her tapping, but it helped her to release nervous energy. The wind died down replaced by an eerie calm.

Kitten clutched the broom tighter, her hands were sweaty and her heart raced. Kitten was playing waiting game and she paced the kitchen with no purpose. The lines of her brow were set deep and mouth shaped in a deep frown. Today had started out so well and then everything changed so quickly that the dust had not quite settled. Saturday morning came, Kitten and her husband worked fast to get them finished. The tractor broke down and Jacob went into town to get the part from the local hard ware store. It was a couple miles away and the day was still early. Jacob came back later without the part, but with friends and horrific news.

Kitten bent over and grabbed a wet sheet. The day was beautiful and the light breeze would help dry the laundry. She untangled the sheet and placed it on the line and added two more pins. She suddenly remembered the first time she had clothes to dry by herself. She always had her mother's help, but she was now a wife and had to do it by herself. The day did not start out windy, but it picked up later on. Kitten looked out the window to see the yard being covered in that day’s wash, Jacob running around the yard trying to catch the clothes and getting tangled in a large sheet. Kitten ran outside to help, but instead she started laughing so hard she fell over. The look on Jacob’s face! He was so mad and started yelling at her, but he started laughing too. The noise of the truck brought her back to the present. The way it was flying down the road she knew something was wrong.

Dust filled the air as the truck came to an abrupt stop. Jacob jumped out, along with Earl, Marvin, Clint and Tom. Kitten noticed that all the men were as pale as paper and covered in blood. Clint and Marvin were practically strangers to her, but she knew Earl and Tom. She had worked with them to coordinate dances and bingo tournaments at their church. we dances and bingo tournaments.

“What’s wrong Jacob?”

Jacob ran over and wrapped his arms around her. She could feel his warm, heavy breath and the rising and falling of his chest. Jacob released her and Kitten looked into his eyes and saw he was terrified. Jacob had never looked this scared in his entire life.

“Kitten, I have to tell you something.”

“What about?”

“There is a sickness going around, but it doesn’t make any sense. People are attacking one another and some of them are dead.”

“I don’t believe you! It can’t be true. It’s impossible!”

Marvin spoke up, “Kitten we have known each other for a long time. I saw it for myself and I barely believe it. Well, there was a call about a fatal accident on Route 3. I still volunteer for the fire department, but when I got there.” He stopped for a moment rubbing his eyes. “This was a head on collision two boys playing chicken. You remember Myrtle; it was her boy lying on the side of the road. His body was covered in blood from head to toe. He was missing an arm too, but we never found it and doubt anyone cares now. The other truck was on fire, I could see a body behind the steering wheel burning. Let me tell you missy the smell was horrible and before we could put out the fire all hell broke loose. The dead boy on the ground got up and sprinted towards us, not just me but the whole firefighting crew. He tackled Darren biting him in the throat and managed to rip out his trachea. It happened so fast that Darren didn't have time to scream. And the blood! I never knew a person could bleed that much.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, dead stay dead.”

“Kitten I need to finish this story and this is going to be the last time I tell it. Next thing you know, the burning body is getting out of the car. We were trying to help Darren and didn’t notice it right away. Along the road were looker loos getting a view of the accident. That burning man ran to one young lady, grabbed her and started biting her. They were in flames and the screams that came from her I never want to hear again in my whole life. That thing managed to rip out her guts and I swear part of her face was missing. We got the boy off of Darren, but it took an axe to his head and the damage was already done. The boy and girl were taken care of next and then Darren got up and tried to attack us. I know he was dead, but he got up all the same. We had to fix him too.”

“Kitten I was in the store when Marvin came in and told us what happened. We came back here to get ready.”

“Ready for what?”

Clint spoke for the first time, “For war missy. My sister called from Montana its happening over there too. It’s all over the country and spreading. The dead are walking and damn if there not hungry.”

Kitten was remembering all of this while sweeping the kitchen floor and then heard footsteps outside. She could see Minister Nelson walking towards the house his clothes covered in blood. He looked dead and hungry. Putting the broom down Kitten grabbed an axe and walked outside. This was war and Kitten was ready for a fight.