Free Run: A Post Apocalyptic Thriller by Rich Restucci

in a huge arc, smacking the former postal worker in the temple. Then he began singing:  “Grab a fencepost, hold it tight,” he crushed the skull of an undead bicycle courier. “Whomp your partner with all your might; hit him in the shin, hit him in the head,” Billy smashed the back of a high schooler’s skull, “hit him again that critter ain't dead!”  The coup de grace was when he drove the pry end of the tire iron into the re-animating victim’s eye. The tire iron clanged to the street as Billy flung it away. He sauntered to the truck and climbed back in. 
    “What the hell just happened?” Dallas demanded. 
    “I just brought the total to twenty one?” Billy answered questioningly, his eyebrows raised. 
    “Why didn’t it come for you? It didn’t attack you!” 
    “Wasn’t interested?” Billy said. “I mean, did you see what they were eating? That chick must have been hot before they ripped into her. Like super-model hot, I bet she… 
    Dallas interrupted, “What the fuck are you talking about, they DIDN’T ATTACK YOU!” 
    “Easy Pittsburgh, I thought this truck was rated G for garbage. No swearing!” 
    A thump on the driver’s side of the truck made Dallas jump. He looked in the mirror and saw a small crowd of dead approaching. Dallas took his foot off of the clutch and brake, and the truck rumbled forward. 
    “We’re gonna need to have a chat on what happened out there,” Dallas said. 
    Billy just smiled and started singing under his breath. “Whirl, whirl, twist and twirl, jump around like a flying squir’l!” 
     

 
    9
     
     
    “Yeah, that’s what I’m telling you!” huffed a frustrated Earl. “I came to work last night like I always do. I had a couple of drinks like I always do. I cleaned up and then came out here to take a nap in the seats like I always do. I was gonna get up in about an hour and finish cleaning like I always do, and then you shot at me. That was new.” 
    The survivors were all flabbergasted. Rick sighed, “So you have no idea that the city is under siege by the living dead? 
    Earl smiled. His left eyebrow went up and his chin dropped. “Living dead? Like zombies? So I work at a second rate theater that plays nothing but horror flicks, and you’re telling me that there are zombies running around?” 
    “Actually, they kinda shamble,” Chris replied, “And they moan. But most importantly, they eat people.” 
    “Bullshi…I mean malarkey,” Earl said looking at Sam.  
    “You got a TV?” Anna asked him. 
    “Jeff has one in the projectionist’s booth,” he answered. “Upstairs.” 
    “That door was locked,” Paul informed him. 
    “I got a key, and I wanna see some news.” 
    “Hang on,” said Rick. “Is there any way into the theater other than those two exit doors down there,” he pointed to the bottom of the theater, “or the front door?” 
    “No, that’s it,” answered Earl. 
    “What’s upstairs?” Rick asked 
    “Balcony level, there’s no third floor, and the fourth floor is rented storage. The owner rents the space to people to store their stuff.” 
    The group made their way to the spiral stairs, and Earl started up with Rick in tow. He had a massive key ring with an astronomical number of keys attached to a retractable lanyard, which was in turn attached to his ancient, threadbare belt. He made it to the top of the stairs and tried the doorknob. “See, it ain’t even locked, you just gotta…” He turned the doorknob while shoving hard against the door with his shoulder. The door groaned open. “Pop it a little.” 
    Earl stepped inside and clicked the light on. Rick followed him in. The room was small, with only one tiny window covered with a dingy red curtain overlooking the street. In addition to the projector, there was a heavy metal desk with a chair and some shelves. B movie horror posters adorned the walls, and there was a 13 inch TV on the desk. The large drawer of the desk was open, and a