by Jez Strider
With a smile, I swam toward the shore. She followed. We lived by the sun. I had no need to explain it was time to go. After helping her out of the water, I pulled her body close to mine and indulged in one more kiss.
I’d decided kissing was acceptable and safe for our relationship. It made taking the next steps even harder to resist, though. I wasn’t even sure what our relationship was. Were we boyfriend and girlfriend? Were we dating? Could you date someone you were hiding from vampires in a barn with? I had no clue.
I hadn’t approached the topic of leaving again until the day I found someone scavenging the house for food. My need to leave had mostly waned since the day with Darcy at the waterfall. Carefully, I stepped into the kitchen with my shotgun aimed at the intruder.
“Freeze.” I stated calmly, but with real threat in my voice.
The man backed away from the cabinets and faced me. He was older than me, scraggly, and thin. His teeth were black and rotten. Meth teeth. I wondered if I had looked that bad when I stumbled onto the farm. Aside from the jacked up mouth, of course.
“Don’t shoot. I was just lookin’ for somethin’ to eat. I’m headed west toward a safe house I heard of.” He told me.
I wouldn’t have believed him if Darcy hadn’t spoke of a refuge as well. “How did you hear about a safe place?”
“Radio broadcast during the day about a month ago. I only heard it once and it’s been quiet since.”
The farm had a radio, but the batteries had run dry long before I arrived. “If I give you food, can I go with you?”
He was nodding quickly. “Yep. Yeah! Sure.”
“Wait here and don’t move.” I backed slowly out of the house and ran toward the barn. Darcy had been packing a small lunch for us to take to the falls. She looked up, startled, when I burst through the door.
“What is it?” She asked before I had a chance to speak.
I doubted it would go over well, but I told her about the man and the radio broadcast. Surprisingly, she handed me a sack of food to give to him. “Feed him and tell him to leave.”
“I don’t think we can do that. He might give away our location to others if we let him go. Besides, what if that place is real?”
“Who cares if it’s real? We’ve been safe here. I think the vampires forgot about you.”
My gut was telling me not to stay, but how to explain it? “What if your parents are there or someone has seen them? Trust me. I think we need to go. It’s just this feeling, Darcy.”
She ran her fingertips over the plastic bracelet I had pieced together for her before returning her gaze to me and frowning. “I do trust you. Promise me we’ll be okay?”
It wasn’t something I could truly do, but I said it anyway. “I promise.” Then, I hugged her and kissed her forehead to seal the deal. “Stay here.”
I returned to where I had parted with the stranger. In one hand, I held the shotgun and in the other the sack of aging veges. “Move back.” He did as I said and I set the food on the table before backing up.
The man grabbed a handful of carrot pieces out of the bag and shoved it into his mouth ravenously. Either he was so hungry he lost all manners or he never had any. I was guessing the latter. When the plate was cleaned, he grinned up at me with orange particles sticking in his teeth. “Got any more?”
“Not much. We will share what we have with you on the trip.”
“We?” He asked.
“My….” I hesitated because I wasn’t sure what to officially call her. “My girlfriend and I. You stay away from her. Got it?”
“Got it, bud. Loud and clear.”
“Good. We will leave in the morning. You can stay in the house if you wish to risk it or find somewhere else. Don’t come near the barn.” I started backing out of the kitchen once more. Turning my back on a stranger would be stupid.
He spoke up. “Name’s Jim. I seen a flyer a bloodsucker put up a few weeks ago. They lookin’ for a boy ‘bout your age. Say he blinded one of ‘em and they offerin’ a reward.”
I rolled my eyes. “I doubt any kid is going to blind a vampire. Besides, who would be fool enough to trust one? The reward is probably being drained.”
“Yeah. Hate dem fuckers.”
“See you in the morning. And please watch your language around my girl.” I figured Jim was observing me head back to the barn so I walked confidently in long strides. Showing fear was not an option.
Darcy was waiting impatiently for me. “Well, was he nice? When do we leave?”
I frowned. “He’s weird. I think he might be a product of inbreeding, but he spoke of the same place you did. Now would be a good time to tell me what you know.”
She walked over to an old horse feed bag and reached her hand down to the bottom. Then, she returned and handed me a folded piece of paper. “These are directions, but they start from within Nashville so I have no idea how to get there from here.”
The directions were by way of landmarks and clues, not specific roads or cities. It was like reading a treasure map. “It’s suicide to go near the cities even in the daylight. Looters fight for the goods left behind.”
“I’m sure. So it’s not much help.”
I folded the paper and climbed the ladder to put it in my backpack. “We will take it anyway. Let’s get some rest. We’re going to have to get everything ready quickly in the morning so we can cover ground during the day.”
She curled up against me in our usual spot. “Read to me a little. It helps me sleep.”
“Of course.” I picked up one of the books I had read countless times over recent months. “I told that stranger you were my girlfriend. Is that okay?”
“Am I?”
“Well, I’d like to think so, but that is why I was asking you. We never needed to get into specifics before now.” A piece of straw that I was using as a bookmark fell out of the book and I slipped it between my lips to chew on.
“Oh, okay. Then, yes I am.”
“Good.” I said before picking up where we left off in the story. The words were so familiar I could have probably recited the story from memory. It helped distract me from the anxiety I was feeling about leaving. Once again, I was about to be homeless.
The hour was early when we were startled awake by a loud pounding on the barn door. Darcy huddled against me in fear. I was shaken as well. We had been alone for so long. Besides, I had told the stranger to stay away from the barn.
“It’s okay. Look, its morning.” I pointed to the slivers of sunlight coming through the small window.
“Right. I was just dreaming. We lost each other, Preston. I’m starting to have a bad feeling about all this.” She began gathering up items to prepare for our journey, avoiding my eyes.
I opened my mouth to comfort her before being interrupted by another loud knock on the barn door. “We’ll be there in second.”
“Daylight’s burnin’, kid. I ain’t waitin’ all day even if you got grub.” He gave the door a kick. Darcy and I both jumped slightly.
When I was sure he was gone, I bent down and hefted my backpack over my shoulder. “Stay close to me at all times. I’ll keep you safe.” Darcy gave a nearly imperceptible nod, but didn’t look at me. I reached out and lifted her chin so she would look into my eyes. “We won’t lose each other.”
“I….” Her voice trailed off and I saw the flush of her cheeks. She didn’t have to say anything. Maybe it was because of our dire situation that our feelings were magnified, but I was pretty sure we felt the same way about each other. “I love you.” She said.
Just as I was about to respond, the barn door swung open and I frowned.
“Let’s hit the road!” Jim called out loudly.
“Ready.” I said before giving Darcy a soft smile. Hopefully, she understood my caution. In the presence of Jim, I didn’t want to give away any emotions or signs of weakness. Trust was a hard thing to earn even before the world went to shit.
Jim had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot on the ground.
I climbed down first and then Darcy followed. Our new travelling companion had an odd, hungry expression on his face. This time, I didn’t think it was because he wanted breakfast.
A loud whistle sounded through the barn. “Hi, pretty girl.” Jim said taking a few steps forward with an extended hand. Immediately, I placed myself between him and Darcy.
“Keep your distance. We help you, you help us. End of story.” I said through clenched teeth.
“I’ll get what food we can carry together.” Darcy said softly before hugging the right side of the barn and skirting around Jim.
He started laughing and I tightened my grip on the shotgun I had carried down with me from the loft. “Yeah, I don’t blame ya, boy. I’d be protective of a looker like that.” An urge to blow out what little brains Jim had surfaced and when I saw him lick his lips, I almost did.
The only time in my life I had experienced enough rage and hatred that I would have been capable of killing was when the vampire, Monserat, murdered my father. I wouldn’t have thought me capable of killing another human, but the leering looks of this much older man were pushing my buttons. Darcy was the only thing I had left in the world. Everything was going fine until Jim showed up. Now we had to leave whether we wanted to or not. Who knew if he had led friends to the area or would later? Our little sanctuary was compromised. I hated him for stepping foot into our little world. Curiosity about the state of the rest of society had been there, but I had wanted to leave on my own terms.
Our journey began after a meager breakfast. Darcy was in charge of rationing our meals, or lack thereof. I ate little. Part of the agreement was to feed Jim and I knew just how low the food supplies were. The longer he didn’t know the better.
The morning held a slight chill, but we were able to shed our jackets soon enough. It was shaping up to be a clear, hot day. Around noon, we came upon a fast moving creek. We had been walking nonstop for hours. It was the perfect place to take a short break.
“Refill your water bottles and gather dandelion leaves to eat. It will save us from using our food supplies.” I told them. “We should probably build a small fire to boil the water. Can you do that Jim?”
“I didn’t know I’d be eatin’ grass and doin’ woman’s work.” He shot me a glare then looked at Darcy. “You two gather the food and build the fire. I’m takin’ a nap.”
Darcy and I exchange glances. I opened my mouth to argue, but she shook her head at me and I held my tongue. “Gather up the leaves and I’ll take care of the water. Okay?” I asked her.
“Sure. The dandy leaves taste best in early spring.” She called out to Jim. He just grumbled as he reclined on the ground and tugged his tan hat down over his eyes.
The fire was easy. It didn’t take a huge one to boil water and Dar had taught me her best techniques at building fires. It was early in our trip, but it was a good idea to get hydrated and replenish our supplies when we had the option. We were still close enough to the farm to turn around and go home before dark. Part of me wanted to go back, but the need to know if the refuge was real was greater.
We ate in relative silence until Darcy tried to strike up a conversation with Jim. “So Jim, where are you from?”
“Don’t matter. The people there are either dead or possessed by vampers.”
“What do you mean ‘possessed?’” I had never heard about it. My family had left our home early in the takeover and had avoided formerly populated areas since.
He chewed on the last of the green dandelion leaves for a moment, before spitting it out onto the ground beside him. “Ya know, humans that do what the vampers want after being bitten. Some kind of weird voodoo or somethin’ like it.”
“Are you just messing with us?”
“Nah. Seen it myself. How do you think they keep electricity and water going? They don’t do it themselves. They make their human zombies do it.” He stood up. “Let’s go.”
Poor Darcy looked terrified, but the idea of the vampire thralls gave me a strange hope. It meant we weren’t as close to extinction as I had thought. The world was still turning and maybe the victims could be saved. How? No idea. I hoped to find out.
By the time the sun had begun to set, we had knocked out a good number of miles and came upon a small town that Jim had told us about. We were on the right track to hit our destination within the week. The town seemed to be abandoned. I lay down on a small hill a good distance away and used a set of binoculars to search the area.
“I don’t see anyone, but it is getting late so they could already be hunkered down in preparation for the night.” I said.
The little town appeared untouched by modern times. Stuck in maybe the fifties. It was merely a road lined with buildings on either side. There was one gas station, a diner, and an antique store that I could see. I doubted vampires would be interested in such an insignificant place, but they were sneaky, unpredictable, and thorough.
“We should go find a safe place to ride out the night and check out the town in the morning.” To me it was the best and safest tactic.
“Hell nah. Even if a vamper showed up it would probably only be one. There are three of us.” Jim said and started stalking off toward the town before we could stop him.
I reached down and took Darcy’s hand before following after him. When we reached the abandoned street, the horror of the vampire reign became apparent once more. A dead man was strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of road. I hadn’t been able to see him through the binoculars before because of my angle. Darcy cried out softly and buried her face against my chest. Even Jim seemed shaken. We stepped forward slowly. The person had been dead for a while. Bite marks were all over his body. My guess was that he bled to death. These were no tiny punctures, but massive gashes in his flesh.
“We need to get out of here.” I turned and guided Darcy away from the scene. “Don’t look again.” I whispered to her.
She listened, but I could feel her shaking and hear her sobbing. “They’re even worse than all the stories.”
“Let’s hole up in that antique shop. This body is just a warning. It’s been there a long time.” Jim said as he brushed by us and opened the door to the store. The bell above it jingled softly. He held the door open and I led Darcy inside. It was too late to change our minds and being out on the streets was out of the question.
When we were inside, I placed my hands on my girlfriend’s cheeks and rubbed away her tears with my thumbs. “I’m sorry we left. I should have never brought you out to see things like this. We will go home tomorrow.” She nodded quickly in agreement.
“No, you won’t.” Jim said and we both turned to look at him. “I’m sure I ain’t the only one who heard that broadcast. Other people will be stumbling across that farm. It’s one of the landmarks on the route. The big barn quilt makes it easy to find.”
“I don’t care. We’ll be fine.” I retorted.
Jim shook his head. “Ya ever seen bandits? Two kids ain’t gonna defeat a whole gang. They’re my people. I just scout ahead. They’re gonna love me when I give them that little doll of a girl, too.”
I grabbed my shotgun out of the makeshift sling on my back and aimed it at Jim in time to find him pointing a handgun at me. Despite my best effort, I couldn’t hold the gun steady. We both knew firing a gun would draw too much attention. Vampire’s slept in the ground all over the countryside and they would be waking up from their demented slumber as we spoke.
“You’re less of a prize. Of course, we got a few guys into that kind of thing.” He told me and snickered.
His threats didn’t seem empty and I was repulsed by his actions as much as I was by the vampires’. I didn’t have to urge Darcy to hide behind me. She was already there. I started backing up toward the stairs at the rear of the room.
“Stay down here, Jim.” Step by step I climbed the stairs backward. When we reached the top, we locked the old wooden door behind us. Frantically, I surveyed the room. A large dresser caught my eye and I handed Darcy the shot
gun while I pushed the furniture in front of the door.
“Sweet dreams, kiddies!” Jim yelled before falling eerily silent.
The shopkeepers must have lived above the store because the room was decorated with the necessities of a simple apartment. Lace end table covers, fringed lamp shades, and handmade quilts decorated the room. Unlike Darcy’s home, this room had not been destroyed. It was frozen in time like most of the town. I couldn’t understand why the vampires would leave the room intact.
Darcy was hugging her backpack tightly to her chest as if it were a long lost stuffed animal friend. Her tears hadn’t stopped since we had encountered the corpse in the center of the street. She was breathing heavily and sniffling loudly. All composure was gone and that meant trouble.
I leaned the gun against the wall and stood in front of her, gently placing my hands on her shoulders and rubbing in an attempt to soothe. “Be strong for me, Dar. I need you. We’ll get through this.” My voice was barely audible. In a strange place, it was risky to even whisper at night.
“We’re doomed, Preston. That…that guy’s goon squad is going to catch up with us if a vampire doesn’t mount us somewhere as a warning first.” She was frantic and I could see the sheer terror in her eyes.
“I won’t let anything happen to you. I swear.” It was the truth. I would have done anything to protect that girl. “We will travel with Jim until we reach a destination we recognize from the paper you gave me and then we’ll….”
There was a crash downstairs. I paused and we both gulped. For a long time we stood waiting for footsteps, for the shrieks of the murderous demons. The sounds of the night remained familiar. Hoots of barn owls. Chirps of crickets.
“We’ll what?” Her voice was so low that I wouldn’t have known what she had said if I hadn’t been watching the movement of her lips.
I guided her over to the bed and turned back the cover. It would be the first time she had the opportunity to sleep in a real bed in a long time and, for all I knew, the last chance. She listened when I pointed and climbed into the bed still clinging to her backpack. I pried it away from her grip and placed it on the floor.
