Love at the End of the World

by Christiana Miller

  “I don’t agree. I just want to go to my sister’s in Queensland. She said there’s no sickness there. My daughter is coming tomorrow.” Mrs. Murdock scrambled to her feet. “You can leave me out of your planning.”

  “But Mrs. Murdock, we can’t enclose the area without—”

  The older woman clomped off as Elaine watched, mystified by her behavior. She shadowed her to the gate and caught sight of a number of bandages applied to Mrs. Murdock’s neck. “Mrs. Murdock, what happened?”

  The woman turned, and Elaine noted the greenish tinge in her skin. She thought over Ramon’s words. Temperature, increased respiration and heart rate. As Elaine stared at her, she noticed the woman was breathing more rapidly than normal.

  “Were you bitten or scratched?” Elaine’s voice sounded husky.

  The older woman simply sniffed at her, then turned and continued through the gate, slamming it after her.

  Elaine fastened the latch and returned to the others who were listening to Ramon. “Mrs. Murdock was either scratched or bitten.”

  A chorus of sympathy filled the air and washed over Elaine who wanted to cry.

  Liam crouched beside her. “I’m sorry, Elaine. Truly sorry this is how things are happening.”

  She sighed. “I know.”

  The meeting continued, and the rest of the neighbors agreed to the plan. Mr. Forter offered his utility and trailer while Mrs. Garmin said she had a friend with two roosters. She and her birds hadn’t been able to find a new home in the suburbs before the outbreak but would be welcomed into their new community. “We can set up a second pen and some brooding areas. Eggs and food to eat.”

  Elaine tugged out the list of jobs she’d thought could be allocated, and by four o’clock it was planned that the next day they’d start with the garden center, finding seedlings, pots, soil, and seeds to begin their plantings. The men even promised to look out for a couple of greenhouses. She would work with the ladies and draw up a list of what was urgent for the garden, and once the men had those in hand, they’d begin looking at tinned and dry goods, storage options, and start dividing everything up while the men worked on the fencing.

  Within a couple of days, they’d be set. If everything went to plan.

  * * * *

  The garden center was quiet, and Liam thought that was fairly unnerving. Forter and Mickey Evans had joined himself, Ramon, and Elaine, dragging carts, ready to fill. Her list seemed fairly extensive, and the scent of fertilizers and chemicals tickled his nose.

  “We need corn, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, and herbs, among others. Mrs. Garmin also said we need bee-attracting flowers. I’m not much of a gardener, but let’s see about some rosemary, lavender, and stuff like that. Also, if we can find some chamomile? I like tea when I’m stressed, and I think I’m going to be a fair bit of that.” She led the charge, heading to the seedlings and crowing when she found what she wanted. Whole trays of everything went into her cart, then she trotted off to some larger trees and started grabbing them.

  “What are you doing?” He watched as she picked up four identical trees, then grabbed four more of a different variety.

  “We’ll need fruit too. Mr. Evans, could you grab me a few dozen large pots, then we can move them into the greenhouse as necessary.”

  Watching Elaine in action was like following a general, she called out requests and the men scurried to fulfill her desires. She found a roll of shade cloth and ordered it into the trailer along with three greenhouses, a pergola, two barbeques, and a dozen gas bottles.

  She scooped up seeds by the handful and added tools, oils, and pesticides. “We don’t know when we’ll get another chance. So, if we’re going to need it, best to grab it now.”

  Finally satisfied, they secured their load and climbed into the vehicle. It was eerie on the quiet roads, and the lack of people kept Liam on his guard. At the house, he told them to deposit everything in the backyard.

  She climbed out. “I’ll get the women, and we’ll hit the grocery store.”

  He frowned. “Wait for back up.”

  Mickey Evans followed Elaine and sighed as if he’d realized the women were ready to get to work now. “I’ll go with them. As long as we stay together and move quickly, it should be all right.”

  Liam wasn’t comfortable with that but agreed. The sooner they had what they needed, the sooner they could hunker down again. “Take a car. Back up to the shop.”

  “I’ll go one better, Liam. We’re taking three. Mine, Emily’s, and Mrs. Garmin’s SUV, and depending on how much we collect, we can make several trips. We’ll be in and out before anyone notices.”

  Liam frowned, worrying about the women, as he and the others drove off, heading to the hardware store. The fencing was easy to find and they loaded quickly. He also suggested more tools, hammers, nails and screws, quickset concrete, and a jackhammer among other items. The men looked at him as if he were mad, but they hurried to collect everything, and by the time they’d pulled into the B-and-B’s yard he was exhausted.

  “Ramon, can you go see if—”

  Shouts and bangs echoed. A shot cracked in the air, and he was out of his seat, running.

  Because they’d returned via the back end of the property, they hadn’t seen the crowd gathering at the store across the road. Twenty or more zombies and the women, screaming. He shot forward, legs pumping as fury and fear coalesced inside him. Elaine. Where is Elaine?

  * * * *

  The zombies had come up on them quickly, taking the small group by surprise as they loaded slow cookers, two bread machines, what felt like a ton of ten-kilo bags of bread mix, and slabs of flour into the vehicle. Mr. Evans had blocked the way with the SUV, but the shambling zombies were determined, arms swinging, teeth bared, nails sharp and ready to rake unsuspecting humans. And there was Emily in the middle of the throng, eyes blank, skin rotting while the stench threatened to overcome Elaine.

  Mr. Evans fired again and another zombie went down. The women behind Elaine cowered. She heard yells as the zombies turned like a slow sea. Clambering onto the back of her sedan, she noted with horror that Liam and Ramon were there, joined by Mr. Forter, his double-barreled shotgun primed and pointed.

  Elaine watched as Liam focused, face and eyes flat. His expression was hard, betraying no inner turmoil as his finger squeezed the trigger. He shot one dead center in the forehead, and it dropped and stayed down, unlike the one Mickey Evans had hit in the leg. It pulled itself toward them, fingers scrabbling on the concrete, seeking purchase. It reached out toward Mrs. Garmin, its eyes shining with a hungry gleam.

  “Mrs. Garmin!” Elaine yanked the older woman back.

  Without conscious thought, Elaine swung the tire iron in her hand and hit the zombie in the head, smashing with a crunch that turned her stomach. It moaned a single, long dirge, and she smashed it again. The sound stopped as did the actions, and she stared at what she’d done then glanced at Mrs. Garmin, whose shocked gaze had settled on Elaine.

  She looked back to the men who were clearing the last few zombies, Emily nowhere to be seen, and sighed. “We should get the rest of the stuff on our list.”

  It felt odd to be standing there, surrounded by bits of what was once a person, and demanding that they finish their shopping, but if they were to survive, this was the only way.

  Her own trolley stood empty, and she grabbed it and turned back to find coffee, tea, sugar, sweeteners, and other items on her list. No one spoke now; the happy chatter that had surrounded her had dissipated. With a single-minded attitude, Elaine scooped up all the underwear, toilet paper, and masses of toiletries. Pharmaceuticals and pain relievers were tipped in by the box along with packs of batteries. They might not get another chance like this, and she’d take every opportunity.

  Every plastic container, bin, and cleaning equipment went into their vehicles. As one filled they shuffled the vehicles around, drove back to the houses, unloaded, then returned. There may be other survivors, but their main task was to prepare thei
r community for a long war against whatever had started this.

  Finally satisfied they’d fulfilled their wishlists, she clambered into the back of the SUV, then they made their way back to the houses.

  Silently, Elaine trudged inside, surprised to find a heavy metal door had been erected at her house and Liam waiting with a steaming coffee on the kitchen bench for her.

  “Want to talk?” He grabbed her close and gave her a bone-crushing hug that in her mind spoke volumes before releasing her.

  “No,” she said. He probably thought she was rude, but that wasn’t it.

  “What’s in that?” he asked, gesturing to the rucksack that hung low in her hand.

  She tugged the bag closer, feeling foolish. “Nothing. I’m going to shower.”

  Up the stairs she went, two at a time. If he’d seen what she’d grabbed, she’d just die. She stashed the bag loaded with condoms, lubricant, and even pregnancy tests in her wardrobe and stripped off, stepping into the shower stall. As she washed she considered the items in the bag. Who knew if and when they’d be needed, but it had seemed sensible when she’d scooped them up. Now she just felt foolish.

  When she returned downstairs, Ramon was looking through the piles of antihistamines, codeine, and cough medicines she’d snatched. She noted Liam wasn’t around. “Where’s Liam?”

  “He was needed in the garden to move something.”

  “Oh.” There didn’t seem to be anything else for her to add, so she looked at Ramon, hoping for some kind of direction on what to do next.

  “You did good. We should hit a pharmacy next. Grab some basic drugs, antibiotics, etcetera. Mrs. Garmin has a guest suite at her place, and she’s going to let me set it up as a surgery. She used to be a nurse, so that’s an assist, and there’s a big fridge freezer for the drugs and things. We can reinforce it easily with the metal bars and security screening, and it’s in the back area, so not able to be seen from the front.”

  Elaine nodded.

  “Look, I know I haven’t been exactly nice to you,” Ramon said. “Liam is all I have, and until now, I planned to go home, but there’s no benefit in it. I found Mrs. Murdock, or what’s left of the woman she’d been. She’s turned into a zombie, and Mickey and Mr. Forter are out there now dealing with her. I couldn’t. The same way I couldn’t have done what you did today at the store. But you saved lives. You reacted to protect. You’re stronger than me like that. We need to pull together and respect each other. And you earned that today.”

  She wasn’t sure she quite liked the fact that she had to earn his respect, but the way she felt about his brother meant that if she wanted to form a relationship with Liam—and that seemed increasingly likely if the hug he’d given her on her return from the shop was an indicator—then they had to find a way to agree and work together.

  “Great. Do you know when the men are planning to start putting up the fencing?” she asked.

  He smiled at her, moved to the curtains, and pulled them aside. The men worked side by side digging holes and laying out the concrete mix.

  She watched them work for a moment or two. “Quick workers.”

  “Sure are. And Mrs. Frederick’s son and daughter-in-law and their two kids arrived earlier. Her sister and husband and their three are due soon as well. Carrie—Mrs. Frederick’s daughter-in-law—is a teacher and Sarna, her sister, is a police officer. Jeff, the husband, is a builder. We’ve got a great little community going on here. With Mr. Forter and Mickey Evans, we should be okay for security. What we are missing though is some basic medical equipment. A heart monitor, pressure cuffs, etcetera. I can’t go grab them from the hospital because others will need them.”

  Now Elaine smiled. “I know where you can get that from. I’m guessing you’ll also need sterile procedure packs, oxygen and masks. Cleansers and—”

  He looked at her stunned. “Where?”

  “The place I used to work. We could go there tomorrow. I need to help the women set up the storage of dry goods first.”

  He rubbed his hands together, and she couldn’t help but grin.

  “There’s also some basic lab-work equipment. Make a list of what you want. It’ll make it easier.” With that said, she retreated to where the others waited, outside in the backyard amid mountains of boxes. “Right, let’s clear out the garages, lay down the rodent repellant, and get to work.”

  It was a long, hot day, but by the time the sun dipped down she was pleased with what they’d achieved. Every garage had been stocked and catalogued so it would be easy to find what was needed. The two older women had created a cooking list and a roster for everyone, to make their provisions go further.

  The barbeques were set up in the B-and-B’s yard while they watered the seedlings that had looked droopy and unloved when delivered. The tables they’d dragged into the garden were set up. The children, subdued by the changes, settled into the middle as the meats they’d found in the storage freezers cooked, scenting the air.

  “We need to get rid of the bodies.” Ramon spoke quietly.

  Liam nodded. “Already on it, brother. Jeff has a bobcat. Brought it with him on a trailer. He’s already had it out, dug out a burial pit, and we’ve collected as many bodies as we could find and covered them.”

  It was incongruous to be sitting down to a meal while discussing disposing of human remains. But things were changing and their attitudes had to as well. Otherwise they’d pay the price. Sicken and die.

  Elaine fiddled with her plate. “We also need to talk about how to cope with others who join us. We have you and your brother in the house next door, but I did wonder if maybe Ramon shouldn’t talk to Mrs. Garmin about moving into her house, since they’ll be working together. Then we just need to find somewhere for you.”

  His eyes glinted, and his smile warmed her all over. “I already have that in hand.”

  “Oh?”

  His hand grabbed hers under the table, and a fluttery sensation started in her belly and spread, heated and drugging.

  “Here. I plan to stay here in your home. With you.”

  For a moment she blinked, trying to deal with the confused array of feelings. In some ways it was too soon, yet it also felt right that he was here, sharing her house.

  “I, uh…” She bit her lip. “You haven’t asked,” she said, her voice echoing thick to her hearing.

  “May I? Stay here, I mean.”

  “Yes, there’s a spare room. I mean…” It was all she could think of for the moment.

  Dinner seemed to take forever as she watched those assembled chatter, settle, and become a family. They had to be, she realized, if they were going to get through this.

  She met Sarna and Jeff, Carrie and James, and the five children—Tracey, Mark, Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Nicola. They ranged in ages from five to eleven and would no doubt lighten the atmosphere considerably, but it would also place greater strain because they would need the highest level of protection. After all, they were the future of the human race.

  Liam cleared his throat. “Carrie said the rumpus room in the house they’ve moved into will make a good classroom, so that’s one less concern. She’s also suggested that they have a half-day of academic work and a half-day of on-the-job training. They can learn all the trades from horticulture and building, to washing, cooking, and administration.”

  Elaine sat back and laughed. “Thinking long term?”

  “Something like that. Now, we’re both off the washing up roster, and I’m tired and so are you.” He eased her up, bade goodnight to all, and steered her back to the house through the connecting gate.

  Once inside he checked the windows they’d reinforced with shutters and led her upstairs.

  Silence wrapped itself around her like a cocoon. Welcoming, beckoning, and full of promise. At her bedroom door, he stopped, leaned in, and kissed her gently as her lips gave beneath his touch. His hands burrowed under her light shirt to caress the skin of her back.

  “Ask me in, Elaine.”

  Sh
e heard the desire in his voice, felt the twin as she fumbled for the door behind her. “Come with me.”

  As if it were a switch, the burn of passion exploded, his lips roaming and seeking, finding the sensitive hollow where jaw met neck. A shiver of sensation washed over her. Heat pooled in her belly and between her legs, and her nipples tightened to sensitive points.

  Her fingers speared into his hair and latched on as he moved closer. Needing more than a kiss to dampen the rampant hunger. She starved for the touch of skin to skin.

  The emptiness clawed, and she tugged at his shirt. Desperate now to see him. To touch the hardness she’d felt the last time he’d held her close.

  “Shit!” He pulled away. “I don’t have any protection.”

  His words stopped her, left her reeling for a moment, then she grinned. “Not to worry. I do.”

  The hot burn that had suffused her earlier hit again as she reached for the backpack. As she unzipped it, boxes of condoms and bottles of lubricant dropped to the bed. At least she’d put the pregnancy test kits in another section.

  The thought fled when he cupped her breasts, moving behind her so she could feel his desire jutting at her buttocks. “You know, the first time I met you, in that shop, you were already looking after yourself. An amazingly strong woman, capable and caring. I don’t know exactly what this emotion I feel for you is, but it warms me, Elaine. I think about you, want to be sure you’re safe. I’ve got no intention of ignoring it. I rely on my instincts too often.” Then he kissed her jaw and she sighed her pleasure.

  Turning in his arms seemed so natural. Reaching for his shirt, she tugged it over his head so she could feast her eyes on the perfectly sculpted torso. His nipples, pale, flat discs unobscured by hair, had her quaking with a tide of desire. She had a thing for men with bare chests.

  Elaine felt the ripple in her nerves as his fingers shook, flicking one then another of her buttons through the holes. “Don’t want to rip this shirt.” The rasp of his words betrayed him further, and she laughed, tiny and throaty, and for an instant she wondered is this really me?