Free Only The Dead Don't Die by A.D. Popovich Page A

was Levi’s Stadium, the San Francisco 49ers brand new state-of-the-art stadium. According to the printout, the flu vaccine was free to everyone: NO PERSON WILL BE TURNED AWAY. ONLY ONE SUITCASE PER PERSON. ABSOLUTELY NO PETS.
    Stunned, Scarlett studied the paper, trying hard not to believe it, and yet, believing it. It hadn’t been just a local disaster. It was all of California! She couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe. She wanted to cry, but there were no tears. She felt lost in some sort of time warp. Apparently, the entire state of California had been evacuated without her, because of something as simple as the flu? How’s that even possible?
    Although, not everybody had managed to evacuate the state, people like herself and Miss Purlie and her hermit neighbor; they had stayed behind. Either by choice or not. So, logically, there should be other people who decided not to evacuate, for whatever reason.
    Scarlett grabbed a blanket from the bedroom and strategically placed herself on the sofa; from that position, she could view the stairway with the help of the flashlight. She sat on the sofa and found herself hoping that the family that lived here had made it to one of the shelters. And, Scarlett found herself imagining what hellish event had occurred during those few days she had been recovering (more from self-pity than the surgery). She had awakened from her bout of self-pity to an empty world. Was she the only person left?
    The next morning Scarlett did a complete inventory of all the possible useful items in the house: food, first aid supplies, and toiletries. Unfortunately, she only had enough food for a few days, maybe three if she rationed. She munched on a bowl of milkless maple granola and planned the day’s agenda. Her car was packed with food, but she wasn’t ready to go back out there—where the creepers lurked, waiting for her around every flippin’ corner.
    No, she definitely didn’t have the nerve to go outside. She decided to check the garage and laundry room, hoping to find more useful items. Scarlett ran down the stairs to check the garage and was surprised to find a cute blue and white Mini Cooper sitting there like a Hot Wheels toy. I always wanted one, she thought while admiring the car.
    She scanned the garage and noticed a mountain bike mounted to the wall, and what looked to be various parts of another mountain bike scattered about on the workbench and the garage’s cement floor. The shelves were lined with all sorts of sporting equipment and camping equipment. The Coleman camping stove caught her attention. That will definitely come in handy.
    “Oops.” She noticed the owners had apparently left a suitcase by the trunk of the Mini Cooper. “Must have been in a hurry,” she chuckled.
    “Grhrrrrrr . . .”
    Scarlett spun around at the sound. There, only a few feet in front of her stood the most bizarre creature she’d ever seen. It stood there swaying about. She froze, afraid to move. Afraid to do anything. It was wearing a yellow and black, polka dot dress with flashy rhinestone sandals. It —had been a woman.
    As the creature tottered towards her, Scarlett couldn’t help but notice the Betsey Johnson sunflower earrings dangling daintily from its ears. Didn’t her sister have a pair like that? What a ghastly paradox to see a monster in such fashionable attire. It was all she could do to keep from laughing: hysterically.
    It suddenly pounced. “AAAAH!” Scarlett screamed, dodging it. Oh, shit, the bat’s upstairs! It lunged forward again. Scarlett jumped back again, barely avoiding its impact. It seemed mad now, mad and hungry. It stood before her glaring and snarling with bloody saliva dripping from its two rows of gnarly teeth. For a moment, its bulging, obsidian-black eyes rolled to the back of its head. Its whole body shuddered as it howled.
    Scarlett decided to make a run for the door, but it must have sensed that. It lurched forward in a quick jerky movement, knocking