by Gill, Bonnie
I burst out laughing and roll down the window. "Hey, you guys need help?"
Joey and Vinny turn to us.
"Yeah," Joey says.
"I wasn't talking to you," I say.
Dean cracks a smile that's worth gold. Goliath starts barking.
We get out of the truck holding our hands up so we don't spook the kids.
Joey has on black silk boxers, and Vinny has white ones with red hearts on them. I grin at the guys. They both flip me off while keeping their hands in the air.
"Why are your pants down?" I ask.
"I didn't want them to reach for a weapon. I have to protect my sister," the teenager says.
"What's your name?" I ask the boy holding the gun. He couldn't be more than fourteen or fifteen.
"Stop right there. Don't come any closer," he says. He's pointing the pistol at us and then at the guys.
"I'm Tiffany," the little girl says.
"Hi, Tiffany. My name is Raven, and this is Dean. Those two over there are Joey and Vinny. How old are you?" I ask her. Where are their parents? Both kids are filthy, and their hair is so greasy you could fry tater tots on their heads.
"They're inside. We had to lock them in the bedroom. They're sick," she says.
"Quiet. Don't talk to them," the boy says to the little girl.
"We won't hurt you. Are you hungry? We have some food and water. We're in a house a few blocks over. Someone stole all the food we had in the truck." I inch closer to them.
They both look down, but the teenager snaps his gaze back to Joey and Vinny. These kids must be who took our supplies. I zero in on the pistol the kid is holding and recognize the sight. It's one of mine. "I see you found our weapons too." It breaks my heart to think this is the world these kids will have to live in from now on.
"Can you get him to put down the gun?" Vinny asks.
I turn to Tiffany, "What's your brother's name?"
"Don't tell her," he says.
"It's Jeffery. He's fifteen," she says. I notice she has jewels glued onto her dirty gym shoes.
"Those are some pretty shoes. Did you add the diamonds on them?"
"Yes." She points her toe and pivots her foot so I can see the sides.
"Wow. You did a great job. I like the purple ones." I step closer to her and bend to touch the gems.
"Raven, get the gun from him," Vinny says with a pleading expression pasted on his face.
"Jeffery, can we talk without you pointing your gun at my friends?" I ask.
"No. They're mad now." His hand is shaking. The Glock 43 weighs only eighteen ounces, but it doesn't take much to put a strain on your arm while holding it straight out in front of you.
"If I make them promise not to be mad, will you put down the gun?" I ask him.
"I don't trust them," he says.
Vinny shows his teeth, "You little..."
"Vinny, stop it. You have to promise, or we're going to leave." I point my finger at him.
Jeffery's eyes bug wide. Apparently, he doesn't want us to go either.
"Don't leave, Raven." Tiffany hugs legs. Her arms are like clamps. She's strong for a little kid.
Dean is chuckling off to the side.
"I promise," Joey says. He bumps Vinny with his hip.
"Ow. I promise, too," Vinny says.
"See, no one is going to hurt you. Please put the gun down." I use my gentle tone.
"All right." He drops his arm but still clings to the Glock by his side.
Vinny and Joey drop their arms.
"I'll let you hold on to that if you promise not to shoot us," I say.
"I don't need your permission," he says through clenched teeth.
"It's my pistol. See the light purple nail polish on the sight?" I ask him.
"Why is it on there?" he asks while looking down at it.
"It’s so I can see the sight at night. Most people use orange or yellow, but I like purple." I turn to Tiffany and wink at her.
Goliath barks in the truck.
"Is that your puppy?" Tiffany asks.
"I guess so. We just saved him. He was all alone at the animal hospital," I say.
Dean clears his throat. "This is all really cute and all, but we need to get back and check on everyone. We should leave first thing in the morning. Otherwise we risk getting stuck in the horde."
"We have to go. Would you like to come with us?" I ask.
"Yes," Tiffany says.
"No," Jeffery says.
Dean rolls his eyes.
"Look, we're nice people. We're not going to hurt you. We can drop you off at the safe zone if you don't want to go to Wisconsin with us. You can leave a note in case anyone comes looking for you."
"No one is coming," Jeffery says.
"I want to go," Tiffany says.
"Fine. But I'm keeping the gun," he says.
"Can we bring the supplies you took from us?" I ask.
"Yeah, they're in the garage."
Dean backs up the box truck to their garage, and everyone helps load. The chickens look okay in their crates. We'll have to give them fresh food and water when we get back to the house. I notice jewels glued onto their wooden legs.
"I decorated their legs. The chickens were sad because they only had a stick for a leg and no feet," Tiffany says.
"I bet they love it," I say.
We finish loading the truck, and Vinny and Joey take off first. I wish I had taken a picture of them with their pants down. Star and Daria would've loved it. Tiffany and Jeffery pack some of their things in a backpack and get into my truck. We all drive back to the house.
Goliath gives kisses to the kids on the way back to our group.
"He's cute. What's his name?" she asks.
"His tag says Goliath."
"That's a funny name." She hugs the little dog close to her.
The guys beat us back, and I pull into the driveway next to the box truck. The other vehicles are parked along the street. We get out and go into the house. "Is anyone home?" I call out.
Ben and Mrs. Garcia come into the kitchen.
"Who do we have here?" Mrs. Garcia asks with a bright smile.
"I'm Tiffany, and this is my brother Jeffery." She's still holding Goliath.
"We found them in a house on the next block, along with our missing supplies." I wink at Jeffery.
"Oh, good. I'm glad you kept them safe for us." Mrs. Garcia doesn’t miss a beat. "Is anyone hungry? I'm going to heat up some stew.”
"I am," Tiffany says.
Star and Daria join us, and we tell them what happened.
"How's Helga?" I ask.
"She's resting on the couch. I gave her some painkillers. She'll be fine," Star says.
Mrs. Garcia opens eleven cans of stew. I have forty-eight cans left. The food will go fast with so many people eating it. We'll need to raid some more houses or stores.
I pull out a box of saltine crackers, salt and pepper, and some juice boxes and lay them on the table. Next, I grab some bowls and utensils. "Tiffany, would you like to help me set the table?"
She jumps from her chair and holds out her hands. They're covered in dirt.
"Let's clean you up first," I say.
Mrs. Garcia points to a large pot of water heating on the gas stove. "They have an electric water heater. It's almost ready. Why don't you start the water in the tub? You can add this to it to warm it up."
"Good idea," I say.
"I don't like baths," Tiffany whines.
Star comes into the kitchen. "Can I have your bath? I love to feel clean."
Tiffany's eyes widen with wonder. "You do?"
"Yep. I found some bubble bath that smells like roses. If you're good, I'll share. Want to smell it?" Star grabs Tiffany’s hand, and they go into the bathroom.
"You can clean up after dinner. I have a feeling she'll be in there for a while," I say to Jeffery.
"Thank you." He's resting his chin on his hand and looks like he's about to fall over.
"You need a goo
d night of sleep. I bet it wasn't easy looking after your sister," Mrs. Garcia says.
He straightens. "I'm okay. It was hard toward the end. We ran out of food, and I went to a few of our neighbor's houses. Only a couple were empty. I didn't want to go inside the ones with gabbies. If I got hurt, no one would be there to protect my sister."
My heart breaks for this kid. It's rough enough trying to survive, but he also had to watch out for his little sister. He's a tough kid. "You've done a good job so far. I'm glad we found you."
"My dad came home sick from work. My mom was taking care of him. The last time she went into the bedroom to check on him, I heard screaming. I opened the door and saw my dad chewing on her neck. There was blood everywhere. When he looked up at me, I knew something was really wrong with him. I shut the door and called my friend. He said the sick were turning into zombies or gabbies and not to let them bite or scratch us." His eyes watered, but he held in the tears.
"Your friend is smart. Do you know if he's okay?"
"No. The last time I talked to him, he said he had been bitten by his neighbor. That's why I didn't want to go into the houses with gabbies."
"Good thinking."
We're scooping the stew into the bowls when Tiffany barrels into the kitchen. Her hair is wet, and she smells clean. She's also in clean clothes. "Guess what? There's a little girl's room upstairs. I found new clothes and a princess bed! " She plops down into the chair.
Goliath races into the kitchen after her. His fur is also wet. He shakes himself, and water droplets spray the room. I find two small bowls in a cabinet and give him some fresh water and food. He digs in.
We all sit down at the large table and eat our canned stew. It tastes delicious because I'm starving. The savory beef and vegetables fill my empty stomach. The kids each eat two large bowls and crackers.
Star leaves the kitchen with a bowl for Helga.
We finish up our stew, and bring our bowls to the sink. Two more large pots of water sit on the stove. One for Jeffery’s bath and another to wash the dishes. Jeffery heads to the bathroom, and Vinny follows, carrying the pot of hot water.
I dump the warm water into the sink and fill the other side with cold water. Mrs. Garcia wipes out the bowls with a rubber scraper into the garbage. Everyone else goes into the living room.
"They would've died if you hadn’t convinced them to come back with you," Mrs. Garcia says.
"Yeah, it's really amazing they survived this long. I wonder how many other kids are home all alone." I want to check each and every home now, but I know it's too dangerous.
"They seem like good kids. Are they coming with us to Wisconsin?" she asks.
I swirl a soapy rag inside a bowl and hand it to Mrs. Garcia to rinse. "If they decide to come, they're more than welcome. I'm going to let Jeffery decide."
"Good idea. You don't want him to feel forced into anything," she says.
We finish the dishes and head into the living room. Everyone is sitting on couches or chairs. Helga is sprawled out on the sofa, and Tiffany sits next to her. She points at the chicken foot hanging around Helga's neck. "You're the one who chopped off the chicken's feet."
Helga smiles a wicked grin. "They saved our lives." Her words come out slurred from the pain drugs.
"How?" Tiffany asks.
"I made protection amulets."
"Are you a witch?" Tiffany's eyes widen.
Helga nods and closes her eyes.
I turn on the emergency radio for any updates on the zombie horde. A male voice comes on. The following safe zones have not checked in. Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Rockford, Crystal Lake, and Itasca. Please stay clear of these areas. We’re afraid they’ve been compromised.
Dean shakes his head.
"What does that mean?" Tiffany asks.
"It means the safe zones are no longer there. Looks like we're going to go to Wisconsin," Jeffery says to his sister.
"Yay. I want to stay with Goliath and Star."
My sister hugs the little girl. "We're happy to have you."
The man on the radio continues. There's a horde of zombies at O’Hare International airport. Stay clear people. There are also hordes in the following Chicago areas, Oakland, Hyde Park, Gage Park, McKinley Park. He rattles off the names of dozens of areas in the city. He moves on to the suburbs next and says about twenty town names, including Grayslake. My mood drops.
"That's really close. We should leave now," Daria says.
"It'll take them a while to walk here. We need to fill up all the vehicles with fuel," I say.
"We can stop by the shop and get the hand pumps," Dean says. We had two hand crank pumps and an electric one. The electric one is worthless now.
"Okay. We can have everyone meet us at the gas station with the vehicles." I am not looking forward to cranking that pump for hours.
"I'll go," Ben says.
"Can I come?" Tiffany asks.
"You should stay and keep Goliath company. He's in a new home and might be afraid," I say.
"We can braid your hair tonight," Star says.
“Can I cut your hair?” Tiffany asks.
Star flinches but quickly composes herself. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Let’s go upstairs.” She leads Tiffany out the room.
Dean and I drive to the repair shop. Dean's quiet on the way there. He has to leave everything he’s worked toward, behind. Years of blood, sweat, and tears, down the drain. I see a lady zombie wearing a nightshirt that says ‘I Heart Sleep’. Oh, I totally agree with her. We pass a group of five more. They're moving faster than normal.
"They're speeding up," Dean says as he looks out the window.
"Wonderful.”
24
We get up bright and early this morning. The sun is shining, and it's even warmer than yesterday. We still need to wear coats, but the chill isn't as bad. I pad down the stairs and into the kitchen.
Mrs. Garcia greets me with a bright smile on her face. "Good Morning, Raven. Are you ready for our next adventure?"
I want to share in her excitement, I really do, but it's just not there. We could run into so many dangers on the road. I don't know if they really understand. "I'm ready."
Dean pulls out a chair from the table. "I'm starved."
I help Mrs. Garcia bring the food to the table. The others file down the stairs.
This is the last day we'll be in Fox Lake. I used to feel safe here, but now I'm ready to get away from this little town.
"Good morning," Tiffany says. She has on her unicorn backpack. She sits next to Dean and smiles a big grin at him.
He shakes his head but gives her a big smile in return.
"Are you ready for a road trip?" I ask her.
"What does our new house look like?" she asks.
"I have no idea. Sebastian said it has eight bedrooms. So, there will be plenty of room for us," I say.
"The chickens can have their own rooms too," she says.
"We're going to build the chickens a house outside," Dean says.
"Can they stay in my room until it's done?" she asks.
"No. The chickens need their own space. They'll poop all over your things. They can also carry disease," Mrs. Garcia says as she sets a plate of pancakes on the table.
"If they're sick, why do we eat their eggs?" Tiffany asks.
"Ha, she's got you there," I say.
"Did we decide the driving order?" Daria asks.
"I put together a list. If you want to change it let me know," Dean says.
"What is it?" Star asks.
"I have you, Raven, Tiffany, and Jeffery in Raven's truck."
"Yay," Tiffany says.
"You can call me Jeff," Jeffery says.
"Okay. Then in the SUV, I have Joey, Ben, and Mrs. Garcia. Vinny and Daria, you can drive the box truck. I'll take Helga in my pickup," Dean says.
"I'm cool with that," Vinny says.
Everyone agrees on the driving accommodations.
"Okay, we leave in an hour.
Pack up your things, and get into the designated vehicles," Dean says.
We push our chairs back from the table. Mrs. Garcia starts to clear the dishes.
"You don't have to do that. We're leaving and will never come back here," Joey says.
"I know. It just doesn't seem right to leave our dirty dishes. What if someone needs this home for shelter?" she asks.
"She's right," I say.
"Suit yourself. It's not like there are no other houses around." He shrugs as he walks away.
"I know he has a point, but I just can't leave a mess. We were lucky to have found this wonderful home." Mrs. Garcia walks the dishes to the sink. She already has a pot of water warming on the stove. She turns to look at me. "This trip won't be easy, will it?"
"I have no idea. It might be super simple. If no one is on the roads, and there aren't any gabbies around, we could be there in four hours," I say.
"But you think we'll run into trouble," she says.
"I always expect the worst."
"You've saved us numerous times by doing that." She puts in the stopper and places the dishes in the sink.
I dump the warm water over them. "We can leave your kids a note at your house, if you'd like," I say.
"I'd like that." Tears roll down her cheeks. Oh, crap. I've made her cry.
"I'm sorry." I wrap my arms around her.
"I'm okay. I wish I knew if they were okay." She reaches over to the counter, grabs a tissue and blows her nose.
"We can ask Daria to check your email," I say.
"She has checked every day. There's still no word."
"Not everyone can get on the internet. I think Daria had to do some serious hacking. She said something about a satellite server."
Mrs. Garcia nods and starts washing the dishes. I hope I didn't make things worse. I'm not very good at comforting people.
We finish the dishes, and I run up the stairs, brush my teeth, and pack my bag. I make the beds and bring our backpacks downstairs.
Tiffany is jumping on the couch.
"Hey squirt, what's in your unicorn bag?" I ask her.
She takes a giant jump and lands on the floor. She holds up her hands like an Olympic gymnast who just accomplished a perfect dismount.
"Nice landing," I say.
"Thank you." She takes off her pack and dumps the contents on the floor. She has crayons, a coloring book, Barbies, a change of clothes, play makeup, and an extra pair of shoes.
