End of the Line

by Frater, Lara

  “You think this is a good idea?”

  “No,” I said, I was in Dave’s room that belonged to the older boy. The walls covered with muscle cars and big breasted girls. “It’s a terrible idea, but she insists on going, with or without help.”

  “We have to convince her otherwise,” Dave got up and paced the room. “Jim, she’ll listen to you. Talk her out of it.”

  “She’s not listening to anyone but grief.”

  “Then you aren’t trying hard enough.”

  “Come on,” Tanya said. “That ain’t true.”

  “Look at how she’s acting since she found her daughter’s body. If we don’t let her go, she’s going to kill herself or worse.”

  “You’re a shrink now?”

  I tried hard not to roll my eyes. “You weren’t in the truck with her. Instead of swallowing a bunch of pills, she wants to die riding off in the sunset.”

  “And you’re going to help her? You might as well shoot her,” he grumbled.

  “That isn’t true and you know it. I want to give her a fighting chance by making sure she knows how to drive.”

  “I can’t be a part of this.”

  “Then don’t and stay out of it.”

  Dave looked mad. He wanted things his own way but he wouldn’t take command.

  “When we get back to CostKing, I’ll let Rachel know what you did.”

  “Rachel understands that she leads Costking but she’s not our mother. She made me leader of this expedition for a reason.”

  “Does she know you’re Tanya’s bitch?”

  “Dave, you’re a fucking ass,” Tanya said.

  “I’m no one’s bitch,” I said, trying to keep calm. Dave was a dick, I got it and he was trying to get a rise out of me.

  Dave turned to Tanya. “You wanna get rid of Ashley?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You don’t like her, because she voted against letting you in.”

  “I didn’t hold that against her or even that cracker Eli.”

  Dave looked at me. “Rachel put you in charge, not her.”

  “Or you.”

  That seemed to shut him up for the moment.

  The truth was I don’t think I could have handled this trip without Tanya. She had no faith in her abilities as a leader but she easily took charge and made hard decisions. It’s amazing what an apocalypse could do for people. Make them more than they are.

  I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d go to the garage to see the selection of cars. I ran into Dot as I headed to the basement. Or should I say I smelled the cigarettes before I ran into her. She wore a silk robe at least three sizes too big. “Like it?” she asked showing it off. “Found it in the bathroom.”

  “So you’re going to stay here?”

  “Shit yes. This house has food and it’s huge.”

  “Be cold in the winter.”

  “I’ll use the fireplace or better yet, I’ll head down south when that happens. Gotta be some cars here.”

  “I thought you couldn’t drive.”

  “I can, just don’t like doing it or can’t afford to.”

  “We’re taking one.”

  “You don’t like the truck, anymore? Don’t blame you. Hot as fucking Satan’s balls in there.”

  “Ashley is driving to California. The car is for her.”

  “She is? Well righteous bitch is right on the money. Heard the west coast wasn’t hit that hard.”

  “Bet the west coast is saying the same thing about us.”

  “Hey, you know, California don’t sound so bad. SoCal is warm year round.

  Maybe not a lot of zombs. Maybe they got heatstroke.”

  I laughed. Then I thought of an idea that might help Ashley.

  “Maybe you can both go?”

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  Dot had survival skills, which was something that Ashley would need and she could drive.

  “When she leaving?”

  “I’m not sure. I planned to teach her to drive tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, maybe, let me think about it. Let’s go see what kind of cars these rich fucks have.”

  “I’m checking now,” I said. The door to the basement was at the edge of the kitchen. I had a lantern and so did Dot.

  The pitch black of the basement and the dead silence gave it an eerie presence. In a zombie movie, it would be infested, but the basement smelled of must and mildew, not of decaying bodies. My lantern showed it to be a large sized rec room complete with a bar and an air hockey table.

  “Maybe we should do this in the morning,” I said.

  “What’s the matter, fag, chicken?” she said and made some clucking sounds.

  “Stop calling me fag. After a while it’s not funny.”

  “Sorry, miss, didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. Gay men are more sensitive I guess. Thought you still had balls?”

  That didn’t even dignify a response. Instead, I walked down the stairs, careful to keep the light on and listening but all I could hear was Dot’s wheezing breath. Was this the woman I wanted to send with Ashley? She’s probably trade her for a pack of smokes.

  “What’s the hold up?” she said.

  “I don’t want to break my neck.”

  “You should take some fucking, risks, let me go first.” I let her slide past me. Let her break her neck, I didn’t care.

  Of course she didn’t. She trumped down the stairs loudly. I followed her flashlight with my own until I reached the bottom. I tried three doors before I found one that was locked from the inside. I listened at the door and heard nothing. I unlocked it, and then turned the knob. The door led to more darkness. I flashed my light.

  Even the garage was bigger than my apartment. I thought Cam and I had it good but we had nothing like this.

  “Nice,” Dot said, flashing her light around the room. I located three cars: A convertible, an SUV and thank god, a Prius. Now we needed keys and hope that the SUV or Prius would start.

  “I’m thinking convertible on my trip to the coast.”

  “I’m thinking impractical. I would like Ashley to have a chance.”

  “And what about me?”

  “You can do what you want.”

  “Oh, I get it. You want me to leave. That’s why you’re pushing me to California.” Christ, she was an idiot.

  “No, Dot, actually I’m secretly in love with you, and I have to push you away as it might affect my gayity.”

  She laughed. “You’re weird.”

  “Go to California if you want to, but if you do, keep an eye on Ashley. You’re a survivor, I’m not sure she is as much.”

  “Why didn’t you say so in the first place? If I go out to Cal, I will totally look after your girl. We would look nice with the top down.”

  “If you like zombies in the back seat.”

  Dot laughed.

  “We have to see about keys and if these cars can start.”

  “Why don’t you get your girlfriend to hot wire it?”

  She meant Tanya. “What are you going to do if she does, never turn it off? A key is better.”

  “She could teach me, I never learned how—“

  “Hold up,” I said, and was glad she was silent. I thought I heard something.

  “What?”

  “Quiet.” Then I heard it. A whumping sound followed by a dragging one. Someone walking and dragging their foot.

  “Oh shit, it’s a zomb,” she said then coughed.

  My heart started racing. “I need to get upstairs. If we’re quiet, it might pass.”

  “No way am I going upstairs. No windows down here. Let that sucker get through steel.”

  I thought that the garage was made of concrete, but I wasn’t going to argue. I left and headed up the stairs, Dot didn’t follow.

  When I got to the top, I heard it moan. I tiptoed up the stairs and went straight to the master bedroom. I opened it without knocking. Aisha was sleeping in the bed with Chinakitty snuggled next to her. Tanya l
aid on the floor by the slightly ajar balcony door. I shone my light on her. She was wearing t-shirt and shorts.

  “Tanya,” I whispered. “Zombie outside.”

  She was up immediately with no noise. She turned her light on.

  “Where?”

  “In front, I think, near the garage.”

  “Just one?”

  “As far as I could hear.”

  Tanya went into her bag and grabbed her handgun. The balcony faced the front. She opened the door all the way. The cool air hit me and I followed her out on the balcony, hoping that it was in good shape and wouldn’t collapse.

  Tanya used her flashlight to illuminate the outside. All I could see was trees.

  “Don’t see it, where’d it go?”

  “Near the garage.”

  She pointed the light that way but nothing was there. Was I going crazy?

  “You sure you saw it?”

  “I didn’t see it,” I said. “I heard the sound of something with one leg walking.”

  “I don’t see nothing.”

  “Dot heard it too.”

  “Well I trust you, but her—“

  The dragging sound interrupted her. I heard thunk, then a drag. We listened to the sound for few seconds.

  “Can you see anything?”

  She shone her light around and finally it came into focus. It was a zombie and lame. It walked with his right foot and dragged what remained of his left foot. This one wore a tattered Armani suit. He did not look like the father of the family.

  “Looks like the neighbor’s come to visit.”

  I didn’t share in the joke, my heart raced too much to laugh. “Any more?”

  “Not that I can see.”

  “Should we risk it?”

  “Your call, Jim.”

  Fucking great. If we killed it, others might come but if we had to stay here for a day or two, we didn’t want it around. I looked at it. It began moving to the door and moaning. This one was more animated than the one near Aisha’s house and his jaw was intact.

  “Take it out,” I said. Tanya shined the flashlight right at it. I swear it looked up and stared straight at us. A gunshot and the top of the man’s head disappeared.

  He kept coming. The top of his skull was gone and I could see greyish brain matter on his forehead but he still moved.

  “Fuck,” Tanya said. “That was a good shot!” She shot at him again. This one hit the mangled left leg in the knee. He fell but began to drag himself to the house.

  “Shit—shit—“ He headed to the door and out of sight. She took another shot and missed. I wished Princess was here. This wouldn’t be a problem. Tanya had wasted too many bullets. I knew she didn’t have a lot.

  “We have to get him at the door.”

  That meant opening it up and leaving us vulnerable.

  “Go warn the others!” Tanya said. “Tell them to stay in their rooms. You too, Jim.” She went to her bag and pulled out her crowbar.

  I heard it banging on the outside door. Tanya ran down the stairs. I ran down the hall hit doors and yelled. “Zombie outside! Stay in your room!”

  I ran back to Tanya’s room where Aisha was waking up. “Aisha, stay here, don’t open the door.” Aisha didn’t respond, instead she held Chinakitty closer.

  I ran to the balcony. I couldn’t see Tanya because the balcony was over the door.

  “Fuck,” I said. “Tanya!”

  “Mother fucker,” said a voice from below but I couldn’t see her

  “Tanya!” concerned filled my voice.

  “I’m good,” she yelled back. “Used a crowbar to take out super zombie.” I heard the door slam shut. I left the room, locking the balcony and headed down the stairs. Dave didn’t heed my advice and he was leaving the room with a crowbar.

  “What the fuck is going on?”

  “Tanya got it.” I decided not to chastise him for not listening to me.

  “Jesus,” he said. He rushed down the stairs. We found Tanya in the hallway. She looked sweaty but not scared. The crowbar was covered in blood and brain matter. She tossed it to the floor.

  “You fucking idiot,”

  “What?” she said shocked and angry.

  “You could have brought all of them on us.”

  “He was the only one, you dick.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Cause, I ain’t fucking blind.”

  Jake, wearing only pants and Annemarie, wearing a long t-shirt, came down the stairs.

  “What happened?”

  “Tanya took care of it.”

  “Took care of it,” Dave said. “She brought it to us. How many shots did I hear?

  “She didn’t,” I said. “My decision to take it out.”

  “Then you’re both idiots.”

  “So what should have we done? Invited him for tea then let him eat us because we didn’t have any milk?”

  Dave looked pissed. This was funny because he didn’t care about the zombie we killed outside of Aisha’s house.

  “People are dead for doing stupid things,” he said “And that was stupid.”

  “Dave,” I said. “Shut the fuck up.”

  “You fucking faggot.”

  “Don’t talk to him like that,” Tanya said. I was surprised but glad she defended me. “I’m sick of you questioning Jim and me. Everything we do, we do it wrong. We’d be lost without Jim.” “Lost?” he said, his face reddening. “He doesn’t do anything. Morale? Organization? We don’t need that shit. We need leaders. We need a secure location and protection.” It hurt when he said that, even Dave. I thought I did my best to keep people occupied and kept their minds off the nightmare outside.

  “Dave,” I said. “No one likes you.”

  “I’m not meant to be liked,” he retorted. “I’m meant to keep us safe.”

  “No—“ I said. “Rachel put me in charge. You want to be in charge, we can put it to a vote who should lead. Me or you. Do you want to find out? Because I don’t think you’ll like the results.”

  I knew Dave would stand down. I spoke to Rachel once about how to deal with him. I was tired of the gay jokes and general lack of respect. She told me he was a complainer, but not a leader. He preferred complaining to doing anything.

  “I want to keep people safe,” he said, his voice lower. “We have to be careful.”

  “Noted and if you listen outside, the zombies are not converging.”

  Dave calmed and that seemed to cool Tanya down, but if the three of us didn’t get along, someone might make a fatal mistake.

  “Everyone go to bed,” I said. “I’ll take watch.”

  No additional zombie attacks occurred in the night. I watched dawn from the balcony. It was chilly. I wrapped myself in a women’s robe because that was the only one I could find. I’m sure everyone would make fun of me, even the ones that liked me. From the left side of the balcony, I could see the North Shore. In the summer, Cam and I would go to the beach and occasional trips to Fire Island. At Fire Island, no one would look at us funny for kissing or Cam carrying me around in the water.

  I decided to search the house for keys. I started with the hallway by the door and searched the first large closet. I opened it to find lots of coats, including a fur. I removed it for Princess, hesitated, put it back, and then pulled it out again. The wife didn’t take it and for all we know she was dead or undead and wouldn’t need her coat. At the bottom of the closet were mesh containers with little draws. I opened it to find some nice handkerchiefs. I grabbed one for Princess.

  I heard someone coming down the stairs and it was Annemarie.

  “Nice,” she said looking at the fur.

  “For Princess.”

  “You are way too nice to her.”

  “I know, but the nicer I am to her, the more receptive she is to helping us.”

  “She’s only receptive to her dope.”

  “This might help her be more of a human.”

  “She has to be one first. Anything else in there?�
�� she said, changing the subject. “Not that I like taking stuff.”

  I searched through pockets, hoping for keys. “What are you looking for?”

  “The keys to the cars.”

  “What for? You going for a spin?”

  I realized that Annemarie, Jake and Aisha didn’t know about Ashley.

  “It’s for Ashley. She’s leaving.”

  “Leaving?” she said. “Going back to the CostKing?”

  “She’s going to California to find her son.”

  “Jim— She can’t.”

  “Before you start, I had a long discussion with her last night. Her mind is made up. We can’t stop her. We can’t physically restraint her.” Although the thought crossed my mind.

  “Jim—we can’t let her go. She’ll die out there.”

  “I’m going to give her some driving lessons. That’s why I need the keys to the car.”

  “This is madness.”

  I sigh in frustration. “I know, but I want to make sure I give her every tool to survive including trying to convince Dot to go with her.”

  “Great, the blind leading the blind. Dot would leave Ashley on the side of the road in a minute.”

  “There isn’t much else I can do, unless you’d like to go with her.”

  “Where should we look for keys?”

  Chapter 13

  Annemarie continued to search upstairs while I headed back to the garage. Even with the sun out, it was still dark and difficult to navigate. Now it stank of cigarettes. Dot was staying down here.

  “Dot?” I called out.

  I heard snoring. I followed the cigarette smell until my light discovered a pantry filled with food and bottles of booze. Dot passed out on the floor with several empties around her and a few candles burning. She had her own party and invited no one. She’s lucky she didn’t burn the house down. I made a note to survey the pantry later and blew out all but one candle.

  I decided to check the garage for keys. After all, maybe rich people thought their garages were secure. Maybe the house had an elaborate alarm system when it had power.

  The quiet and darkness of the garage spooked me. The only light came through the edge of the garage door. I knew the best way to see was to open the door. I didn’t know if there were more zombies out there.

  I decided to risk it.