Dead Living

by Glenn Bullion

  Sam nodded. “Okay. I’ll help whoever needs it.”

  “Oh, hey, Samantha. If you see Aaron, tell him he did a wonderful job with the library.”

  She was confused. “Library? You mean the junk room?”

  “It’s not a junk room anymore.”

  Sam had to see for herself. She cut across the cafeteria and passed the ten people eating breakfast to get to the library.

  She couldn’t believe it was the same place.

  Aaron had turned half the place into an actual working library. Tables, chairs, and bookshelves were scattered about. There were gaps from missing books and bookshelves that couldn’t be repaired, and some torn spots on the carpet, but it still looked great.

  The far end of the library, along the wall leading outside, Aaron had made into a living space.

  He had every window open, letting in the morning breeze. There was a couch under the windows with a chair adjacent to it. A beat-up coffee table sat in the middle, with a collection of books already on it. A box of candles sat on the floor.

  “Hey Sam,” Aaron called, his voice echoing slightly. He had come from the librarian’s office, where he was setting up his bedroom. He gestured around him. “What do you think?”

  Sam had no words. She didn’t think it was possible. People had used the library as a trash room for years. Richardson had thought it was sad, a place of public knowledge reduced to trash. But he had grabbed all the books he needed years ago, so he stopped caring.

  “This looks great, Aaron.”

  He walked up to her so they were close. “Now we won’t have to sleep together. I’m setting up a bed in the old office. It’ll be great in the winter months. Oh, there’s a grill right outside the emergency room door, but that’s just for me and you.”

  She missed the fact that he thought of them as a unit. She looked around at all the work he’d done, all the things he’d gathered. She couldn’t wrap her mind around it.

  “How did you do this?” she asked. “I mean, shit, I know that couch wasn’t in the storeroom. I would have taken it.”

  “Just non-stop work,” he said. “The couch and stuff, I took out of an old house near the end of the block.”

  “You pushed a couch down the street by yourself? Aaron, there’s still walkers out there.”

  “I was careful. Travis saw me when I got near the gate, and gave me a hand carrying it back here. That was just last night.”

  She shook her head. “You could have asked me for help.”

  “I would have. I couldn’t find you during the day, and I wasn’t gonna wake you up.”

  He saw her frown slightly. He didn’t have great social instincts, but he knew they were in the middle of something, maybe a fight.

  “Look, I’m sorry about sleeping at the Pit,” he said. “But I didn’t want to bother you, and to be honest, I’m used to sleeping near the undead. I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

  “Aaron, it’s just-” she paused, searching for words. She was ready to share something with him she’d never spoken about. “I’m not used to the whole friends thing. The last person that called himself my friend was before I found this place. We set up camp one night in an old restaurant, where they used to buy food. The walkers came, and he ran away without even turning around. I barely got out with my life.”

  “I won’t do that.”

  “I was also mad you didn’t sleep in my room,” she continued. Her blunt honesty was a reason she knew many people didn’t like her. “I offered my room, you should have taken it.”

  “Same goes for you. You ever want to sleep here, that couch is mighty comfortable. Heavy as shit though.”

  She laughed. They both walked to the couch and had a seat. Susan Lively, taking a break from the garden, walked in to borrow a book. Aaron gave her a polite wave as she left.

  “I do need your help on something. Tell me about Carrie.”

  “What?”

  “I’m on fence duty tonight. Carrie wants to do it with me. I’ve only talked to her a few times.”

  “They’ve got you on fence duty already? They either think you’re very reliable or they hate your guts.”

  “I kinda volunteered. Leroy was supposed to do it, but hasn’t been able to spend much time with his wife lately, so I said I’d take his place. Then Carrie ran up to me this morning and said she’d do it with me.”

  Sam was surprised. Not only was Aaron fitting in already, but he was meeting people and learning names. She didn’t know who Leroy was, or even that anyone in Lexington was actually married.

  “Everyone likes Carrie, especially the guys. She’s mentioned your name a few times.”

  Aaron fought with what he wanted to ask her. “Listen, Sam, people tell me you hate fence duty.”

  “People tell you right.” She smiled. “Why are you talking about me behind my back?”

  “Would you work it with me tonight? I told Richardson I’d do it alone, but he says it’s always gotta be pairs.”

  “You don’t want to work with Carrie?”

  “Not really. You’re the only one I trust.”

  Sam felt a little uncomfortable with all of this sharing. “Same goes for you, and I don’t say that lightly. I’m in.”

  That wasn’t what he expected to hear. Everyone Aaron had spoken to told him Sam was basically for hire. She’d do things she didn’t want to, but for a price.

  “Thank you,” he said, then remembered the bag next to the couch. He grabbed it and handed it to her. “Here. This is for you.”

  “What’s this?”

  “Some things I found last night while I was out. Thought you might like them.”

  She looked through the bag. There was a brush still in a sealed package, nail clippers, a bottle of shampoo, and a combat knife.

  “Wow,” she said. She wasn’t used to receiving things from anyone, unless it was a trade. “Thank you.”

  “The shampoo doesn’t do me any good,” he said, rubbing a hand across his bald head.

  Sam tried to figure out how she had gotten so lucky with finding Aaron. Maybe she was due for a little luck.

  A voice cut into her thoughts.

  “Hey, Aaron!” Scott called from the doors. He spent most of his time at the forge, a great place in the winter time. “You mind if I borrow a book?”

  “Go ahead, just bring it back. Grab anything you like.”

  Sam laughed. “You’ve made a lot of friends already.”

  Aaron dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. “Nah. Just you. I’ve got some people I gotta talk to, then I’ll get some rest before tonight. Meet me back here at dusk?”

  Sam nodded.

  “Thanks, Sam. Really. I know fence duty isn’t fun.”

  “Anytime.”

  She meant it.

  * * *

  Aaron spent the rest of the day meeting and talking to people. Richardson was right in that most of the people were unhappy. Even those who smiled the most, Susan Lively, Larry, and Carrie, seemed genuinely happy, but they always followed up those smiles with a list of complaints or needs.

  Aaron wrote them all down.

  He carried around a notepad and pencil from the storeroom, similar to what Richardson always did. He made a list of some of the simple things Lexington needed.

  He received compliments on being the only young adult that could read and write, which he found sad.

  He sought out Carrie when the sun started to set. She wasn’t thrilled that Aaron had asked Sam to partner up with him for fence duty instead of her. He went back to the library and took his bow and quiver from the bedroom. Some clothes he’d taken from the storeroom were scattered across his mattress. He made a mental note to clean up tomorrow.

  He read on the couch until Sam stepped into the library. She looked nice with a white sleeveless shirt and curve-hugging shorts. Her favorite combat knife was strapped to her toned leg. She had another Beretta holstered around her waist. She gave Aaron a friendly nod, then laughed at his choice of
weaponry.

  “Aaron, we’ve got guns in the storeroom. There’s no need to walk around with a damn bow and arrow.”

  The two left the library together.

  “I hate guns.”

  She gave him a look. For the first time, she noticed he was about six inches taller than she was. “I know you said that in Baltimore, but are you really serious? You’ve never fired a gun?”

  “Just to kill my father.”

  She put a comforting hand on his shoulder, only for a moment.

  The cafeteria was a maze of tables, chairs, people, and candles. It was made to hold two hundred high school teenagers. With only sixty people, everyone had plenty of room to spread out and have their own space. Richardson entertained a group with his guitar, while Carrie entertained everyone else—or rather, the males—in a far corner. She danced on top of an old table while the men laughed and had a good time.

  “Aaron!” someone called. “Pull up a chair!”

  “Can’t tonight!” he shouted back. “Me and Sam got fence duty.”

  “Alright. I hope you don’t have to whip out your bow.”

  Aaron laughed, and Sam smiled. He kept bumping into chairs and tables on the way through the cafeteria. He could barely see in front of him. Sam had to grab his hand and lead the way.

  It was brighter outside, but not by much. He let her hand drop, his own still tingling from the touch. He liked it.

  “So we just walk around, keep an eye on things?”

  “Yeah. All night long.” She dragged out the last sentence.

  “Thanks for doing this with me.”

  “Sure.”

  They circled the fence for an hour. They both kept quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. The sounds of the night kept them company, the birds, crickets, rustling in the trees just beyond the fence. They passed a few other guard pairs, and gave them polite waves. Aaron noticed Sam walked a little closer than she did before.

  “Does Carrie always do that?” he asked. “Dance on the tables?”

  “Wish she was with you now?”

  “Nope.”

  “She’s not my favorite person, but the guys love her. She puts smiles on their faces. Everyone thinks she’s bubbly and beautiful.”

  “Oh, she’s very pretty.” He gave her a quick look up and down in the moonlight. “You’re prettier though.”

  She stopped along their path and leaned against the fence. “What?”

  “I’m not trying to make any romantic moves or anything. I’m just saying. You’re prettier than Carrie.”

  Sam knew men looked at her, but didn’t really care what they thought. For some reason, with Aaron, she was flattered. “Thank you.”

  Gratitude was getting easier for Sam.

  They took a rest after a while, and shared some water. They made a loop around the school, this time in the opposite direction to break up boredom.

  “Why am I prettier than Carrie?”

  “Because you don’t try,” he said. “Carrie puts a lot of thought and effort into how she looks, which seems a little silly to me. You put thought into how you’re gonna live and survive, and how to get that knife on your leg.”

  “So not trying to look pretty, makes me prettier? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I know, but it’s true.”

  Sam was quiet. Is Aaron actually flirting with me?

  She dismissed the thought right away.

  Aaron had to fight to keep alert. Sam was right, fence duty wasn’t easy. He suggested they take short naps while the other watched. Troy had wanted to do the same thing with Sam when they had fence duty, but she didn’t trust him at all.

  She trusted Aaron. She knew he would watch over her.

  When it was Aaron’s turn to nap, they moved to the other side of the school, near the edge of the garden by the fence. He lay down in the grass and put his hands under his head.

  “Remember, wake me up if something happens.”

  She laughed. “The only thing that will happen is boredom. Don’t worry.”

  Aaron settled in and closed his eyes. She sat down next to him and mindlessly checked her Beretta.

  “Hey, Sam?”

  “What?”

  “Would you tell me a bedtime story?”

  “No.”

  He smiled. “My father and Aunt Denise would tell me stories before bed.”

  Sam tried to fight off memories of her childhood, but they flooded in. She had no memory of her parents at all. Her earliest memories were of digging food out of the trash. She killed her first walker when she was seven years old. While Aaron was listening to bedtime stories, Sam was surviving on the streets. She avoided walkers and worse, like humans with no conscience.

  Familiar emotions took over. Hate and anger.

  “I’m not your father or aunt.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. Go to sleep.”

  “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing. Look, I just don’t really want to hear about your family, alright?”

  “If you want, I’ll read you a bedtime story.”

  She managed a small laugh. “Oh, will you?”

  “Sure. I’ve been going through the library. There’s still plenty of great books there. I’ll read to you every night if you want.”

  “Reading is a waste of time, Aaron.”

  He sat up and they locked eyes. “No, it’s not. When people take over again, they’ll need to know how to read and write. We can’t let everything we’ve learned disappear.”

  “Take over again? Are you kidding? Aaron, walkers outnumber us. When we die, we become them. We’ll never take back over.”

  “You’re wrong. It won’t happen in our lifetime, but it will happen. And strong people like you need to know how to read and write.”

  She was pleased Aaron thought she was strong, but she knew he was being ridiculous.

  “You think reading and writing is more important than learning how to shoot a gun?” she asked as she ran a finger down his bow.

  He leaned on an elbow. “Did your gun save you in Baltimore?”

  “No, you did, but you didn’t exactly throw a book at them.”

  “Okay, tell me what’s important to you, for living in this world.”

  She sat with her legs crossed and looked at him. “Well, you have to have weapons training, and know how to find supplies. You have to look out for yourself first.”

  “You say that, but you came back for me in Baltimore.”

  She took a breath and pushed a strand of hair out of her face, to buy herself a second. “I only did that for myself. I couldn’t get here without you. I used you to get here.”

  Aaron said nothing. He considered that a moment, if it could be true. He searched her face. He couldn’t make out her expression, the moon was behind her.

  “I think you’re lying. I think you’re actually a good, caring person. And you’re afraid to admit it.”

  “I only care about one person besides me, and that’s you.”

  The words slipped out before she could take them back. She felt her face growing hot, and was thankful Aaron couldn’t see her clearly.

  “You know I’ll watch out for you too,” he said.

  They were having a moment, but were too inexperienced to realize it. There was some silence before Aaron picked up movement outside the fence out of the corner of his eye.

  They both saw it at the same time. It was dark, but they could barely make out the shape of a lone figure on the street, walking toward the school.

  Sam grabbed her Beretta, but Aaron put a hand on her shoulder. She noticed the same thing he did. The figure walked slowly, but the gait was steady.

  “It’s a person,” Aaron said.

  Sam had no intention of climbing the fence to check on whomever it was wandering the street. If it wasn’t a walker, she didn’t care.

  It was only when Aaron scaled the seven-foot fence did she change her mind.

  “Are you coming?” Aaron aske
d as he landed on his feet.

  She sighed and scaled the fence after him. He helped steady her by the shoulders as she landed.

  They both jogged down the street toward the figure. They could start to make out some details. He saw long hair and a female shape.

  He grabbed her when he got close enough. The girl couldn’t have been more than sixteen. He recognized her; he’d seen her earlier in the day helping to boil water. He didn’t know her name.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  It took her a moment to speak. “They’re all dead.”

  He turned to look at Sam, who was standing behind him with one hand on her Beretta and the other on his shoulder.

  “What’s your name?” he asked the girl.

  “Nikki.”

  “Nikki, tell me what happened.”

  “Some of us went out, like you’ve been doing. We wanted to see what we could find in the old houses, and, they’re all dead.”

  “Who is all dead?”

  “Bobby, Michelle, Ashley…all dead.”

  “You just can’t go out like me. I’m not like…are you hurt? Did you get bit?”

  “No. Bobby tried to bite me, but-” she trailed off.

  They heard a noise in front of them. Several walkers tumbled their way out of a house, not too far down the street. They tripped over each other, but finally managed to right themselves.

  The undead were coming their way.

  “That’s them!” Nikki cried, and tried to run.

  Aaron grabbed her firmly and held her in place. He dropped to one knee and pulled her down with him. Sam had the itch to move herself, but stayed behind both of them.

  “Nikki, before tonight, have you even seen a corpse?”

  “No.”

  “Where are your parents?”

  “Dead.”

  Aaron sighed. He knew the school was a great place, but he could see a few of its faults. The kids would grow up learning how to grow vegetables and survive with what they had, but not be able to read or write, or kill a walker.

  “Okay.” He gestured with his hand toward the mass of corpses headed their way. They moved slow and steady. They were still a distance away, but Sam was nervous. “I want you to count how many you see.”

  “I can’t!” she cried, and tried to pull away from Aaron again. He held her next to him.