Page 7 of Surviving Her

As River approached Campdale, the town looked strikingly different from the one she’d left only a day earlier. A scene of desolation replaced the quaint charm she remembered. She spotted an overturned car lying by a fuel station, its tires spinning uselessly. The contents of an abandoned backpack were scattered across the road, suggesting a hurried escape. What River thought would be a familiar route to safety now seemed threatening and alien. She forced herself to focus, pushing aside the creeping fears that threatened to overwhelm her.

Just then, a figure stumbled down the road, his clothes torn and his face smeared with grime. His breath came out in loud, ragged gasps. River’s wilderness training had taught her to handle frightened individuals, but this situation seemed totally different somehow.

“Hey there! Are you okay, buddy?” River asked, keeping her voice steady.

The man’s eyes darted around nervously. “Zombies…they’re everywhere, I’m telling you. They’re going to start attacking us. You need to get out of here, kiddo!”

River’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Zombies? You’re confused. Do you have a fever? What you’re saying is impossible. We’re not inThe Walking Dead. Are you hurt? Talk to me.”

The man’s words tumbled out in a frantic jumble. “I swear to you, they’re attacking people— biting, spreading this virus thing. You don’t understand! I saw a woman bite her own husband. They had a kid, and she attacked him. The baby fell to the ground and?—”

River’s skepticism was palpable. “Listen, sir. You sound like you’re really unwell. We’re talking about the flu. You get that, right? It’s just a bug. People are scared because they think it’s Covid all over again. That’s all this is. Now, I need to get to the hospital. My father is injured. Do you want to come with me?”

The man’s face twisted in fear, his voice rising in pitch. “Look around you, girl! Look at this place. This isn’t a coronavirus! They’re not human anymore. You need to turn back before it’s too late!”

River’s face hardened. Despite the man’s panicked warnings, she had to keep moving forward. “I’m sorry. I can’t turn back. I need to find help for my father. You can come with me or you can stay here, but I don’t have time for this.” She took a deep breath and pushed past him, the urgency of her mission outweighing this stranger’s warnings.

The town that had been her home for so long now felt unrecognizable. The streets were deserted, storefronts shattered, and an acrid smell of smoke filled the air. Bio Moon Café, where she and Jess had spent countless mornings sipping the organic teas Jess always insisted would keep them young, supple, and horny, was now dark and silent, its door hanging loosely on broken hinges.

Why would the door be hanging off? What the hell is going on here?

River’s heart ached with a mix of nostalgia and dread. This neighborhood was once her haven, but now it seemed ominous and hostile.

As River made her way farther into town and the first light of dawn penetrated the dark sky, she noticed a flurry of people in front of a convenience store.

Finally! Some life!

As she hurried toward the people, she realized that what she was seeing was a far cry from typical shoppers going about their daily business. This was a frenzy of panic buying. She stepped inside the store. Shelves were being stripped bare as people grabbed anything they could find—canned goods, bottled water, and even cleaning supplies. The store’s once-organized aisles were now a chaotic mess of overturned boxes and spilled products.

One woman frantically stuffed packages of ramen noodles into her cart while shouting at her children to “Hurry up and grab more!” A man pushed his way through the crowd, his cart overflowing with supplies. He looked back over his shoulder and yelled, “We’re running out of time!”

Running out of time for what?River felt a pang of anxiety as she spun on her heels and exited the store, her heart pounding as she navigated the turmoil of the now-bustling streets. The contrast from the eerie silence she’d experienced coming into Campdale from the northern forests was unbelievable. Just a short time ago, everything had been unsettlingly quiet. It had seemed as if the town was deserted, leaving her alone with her fears and doubts. But now the scene had transformed dramatically. As she ran a few blocks west toward the old bridge that led to the hospital and fire station, she saw a chaotic stream of people and vehicles converging on Route 92. The road waslined with cars stretching for what looked like miles, all moving southbound in a desperate exodus from the city. River’s unease grew with the realization that there was something significant unfolding that she hadn’t yet fully grasped.

This is like…a mass evacuation. What do they know that I don’t?

As River approached the hospital, she saw that the parking lot was clogged with abandoned cars, their doors flung open as if their owners had fled in haste. A crowd of desperate people surrounded the main entrance of the hospital. In their faces, River recognized raw, visceral fear—because she felt it, too.

Fuck me. What am I going to do?

River’s survival instincts kicked in as she assessed the scene. The absence of emergency services was glaring. Police officers and firefighters, who were supposed to be the ones everyone could count on to bring order and security, were nowhere to be seen.

So…this is it? We’re supposed to just fend for ourselves?

“Sorry, ma’am,” a young woman said as River tried pushing past her, “but the hospital is at capacity. They’re not accepting any new patients.”

River’s heart sank. “No, you don’t understand. Let me get past you. I need to speak to a doctor or paramedics…or someone in charge! My father is hurt, and he’s alone at our cabin. It’s in the middle of the goddamn forest! Miles away from here! I need help!”

The woman exchanged a tired glance with who River assumed was her brother, given how similar their facial features were. “I’m sorry, but we’re all in the same boat. You’ll just have to sit it out and wait like the rest of us.”

River’s frustration and anger started to boil over. “No! Someone has to help me! I don’t know what else to do. He hasn’tgot the goddamn flu, or whatever it is you’re all here for. His leg has been crushed, and he’s losing blood. They have to let me in!”

The young woman placed a hand on her arm. “Listen, we can only assume they’re doing everything they can. It’s total carnage in there.”

River’s desperation turned to panic. The thought of failing her father was unbearable. She tried to make her way through the waiting people, but they held her back. Tears blurred her vision as she stepped away from the entrance, the weight of helplessness pressing down on her shoulders. “This can’t be happening,” she whispered, her voice cracking under the strain.

Just as River was about to succumb to despair, she noticed an old friend just inside the glass doors of the main entrance. She shouted out as loud as she could, “SHEILA! SHEILAAAAAAA!”

Sheila, a nurse at the hospital who River had once harbored a high school crush on, caught River’s eye. They’d shared a fleeting kiss at prom but had lost touch in the years since. Their eyes locked in a brief, silent exchange. With a subtle, knowing gesture, Sheila beckoned River toward a side entrance.

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