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and a high-pitched squeal, Devin and Erica ran the large pickup over the creatures in the street. Erica looked at Devin as he rolled over them like roadkill.
    “What? They were dead or as good as dead! People can save themselves. She could have gotten in the truck, but she froze!” Devin explained as he flicked his cigarette out the cracked window.
    “She was a little girl! How was she supposed to save herself?” Erica asked.
    “Here’s an idea…Run! She could have run! She could have said ‘Fuck this! I’m outta here! Away from the man who was on fire! She could have gotten in the truck with us. Any able-minded person would have realized these fuckers can’t speak English, much less speak, period. What do you do when someone says ‘run’ when something is chasing you? You realize something is chasing you, and you run!”
    “When did you become so cold?” Erica asked as she gave him a glare.
    “I…I’m just trying to survive. It is an instinct. Fight or flight. Have you taken any psychology classes or watched the Animal Planet?” Devin fired quickly after a pause.
    “Well yeah, why?”
    “When the smaller animal is being attacked by the bigger animal, what does it do? It either fights back, aka hitting them with the truck, or takes a flight, as in driving the truck away from them.”
    “Ha-ha-ha!” Erica exploded in laughter.
    Devin chuckled. “What’s so funny?”
    “I can’t believe you know what the Animal Planet is. You don’t seem like the ‘penguins and goats’ type.”
    “I’m not. I’m more of the ‘ocean and coral’ type,” he said with a smile.
    “What’s so cool about the ocean and coral?”
    “Two-thirds of this planet is covered with water. There is bound to be something interesting down there. Also, when I was in prison, I read a lot of news articles about how the governments of the world were taking inactive vehicles, like tanks and boats, and they sink them into the ocean to create artificial coral reefs to help grow the plant life in the ocean.” Devin’s adrenaline had returned.
    “Hmm, that’s pretty cool; Dad took us to the beach once,” Erica stated as she began to look out the window and quietly sob to herself over her recently deceased father.
    “I’m sorry about Robert. I liked him; he gave me a chance when other people wouldn’t.”
    “I wish the government would come and save us,” Erica said as she tried to keep herself from crying by changing the subject.
    As the vehicle rounded the corner to Devin’s house, Devin spoke. “Hold that thought. We’re almost there. Are you ready to jump?” Devin asked.
    “Yeah,” Erica said as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and took her seat belt off.
    “Here we go!” Devin said as he crushed a creature in a flannel nightgown in his driveway. “Quick! Carport door! Now!” Devin shouted as he turned the engine off and kicked the truck door open.
    Devin and Erica met at the front of the truck and held hands as they ran the thirty paces to the storm door on the carport. “Hurry up! They’re coming!” Erica shouted as Devin tried to get the keys out of his pocket. Devin fumbled for the keys. Then he tossed the set of keys to Erica as he drew Frank’s shotgun to his shoulder and fired both barrels into the oncoming horde of creatures. “Which key?” Erica shouted from over her shoulder.
    “The gold triangle!” Devin exclaimed as he reloaded the double barrel. As Devin propped the shotgun back to his aching shoulder, Erica let out a whimper. “Devin!” Devin turned around to see a couple of creatures making their way toward Erica from the side of the house. As Devin put his hand on Erica shoulder and rolled her out of the way, Devin fired both barrels, connecting the shotgun ammunition with the soft rotting flesh of the creatures. As Devin popped the barrels down to reload, the door opened, and a pair of hands reached around and grabbed Erica by the waist and dragged her into the house.