Julianne got up from the table. She needed fresh air. Outside, she shaded her face from the sun with her hands and looked around. Henri was puttering around in the yard as usual. As small in stature as his wife was big, he twitched with nervous energy.
Julianne stepped off the porch and walked with no idea of where she wanted to go or why. She needed to move and clear her head. As she was coming up to the fence, a sudden noise startled her. It came from beyond the fence, but trees and shrubs obscured her view.
With her heart in her throat, Julianne stood immobile as she tried to decide what to do. Then she heard it again. Wet, tearing sounds punctuated by snarls and growls. She knew those snarls. Remembered them clear as day.
No!
Everything inside her screamed to run back to the house, but she had to know if those things were inside the fence. Lives depended on it.
Creeping forward on rigid limbs, Julianne tried to get closer without making a sound. A bead of sweat ran down the side of her face and a fly buzzed around her face, but she didn't dare shoo it away.
It was well into November if she guessed correctly and so far it had been a hot and dry summer. Barely a drop of rain had fallen to relieve them of the stifling heat or to nourish the dry earth. The grass and leaves were brown and parched, crackling with the slightest movement so she had to be extra careful when she moved. She spotted a gap in the brush. It allowed her a clear view to the front.
Just beyond the fence, two infected crouched in the grass. They were decayed to the point where it was difficult to know what they once were. The stench was overwhelming, hanging in the air until she could almost taste the rot.
They were feeding on something and she prayed it was an animal. Revulsion filled her, and Julianne retreated the same way she came. Once she was certain enough distance separated them, she jogged back to the house at a rapid pace, heart pounding.
“Henri,” she whispered. “There's infected on the other side of the fence.”
He straightened up, dead serious. “How far away?”
“Right over there,” she pointed. “Not far.”
“Well, I don't think they can get through the fence. We should be fine,” he chewed on his lip and seemed to think it over. “Let's stick close to the house and keep quiet, just to be safe.”
“All right.”
Julianne wasn't so sure. Who knew what those things were capable of? Yet, Henri had a point. The fence was high and strong.
Morgan checked it yesterday.
“Warn the others, would you?”
Julianne nodded and rushed inside. After telling Joanna and Hannelie, she scrounged around until she found a cricket bat and laid it down next to Meghan's bed.
I'm not leaving her side with those things around.
At least, Meghan's room had small windows, situated too high up for an infected to climb through.
Meghan smiled when she walked in before breaking into another fit of coughing. Julianne tipped her onto her side and rubbed her back whilst holding a tissue in front of her mouth.
After a while, Meghan subsided and fell back onto her pillow. She was hot to the touch and Julianne didn't like the glassy look in her eyes. Taking a wet cloth, she pressed it to Meghan's forehead, wishing she could do more.
An hour after dark, Julianne stared at Meghan in the light of a flickering candle.
Am I going to lose her? Have I lost Morgan already?
The sound of a car penetrated her depressed thoughts.
Wild hope filled her and she shot to her feet, racing to the kitchen door where she was joined by the others. Two sets of headlights shone in the night, blinding her. Julianne wavered. Had Morgan found other survivors? Or had strangers come to their door?
A door slammed shut and footsteps crunched around a large truck. Then a figure appeared silhouetted in the light.
“Hey, Mom, it's me.”
“Morgan?”
With a cry of relief, Julianne rushed forward, clutching her daughter to her breast. Joy filled her heart as she crushed Morgan against her, sending up a silent prayer of thanks to heaven.
Another prayer was answered when Max stepped into the light. With a gasp, Julianne released of Morgan and rushed forward.
“Max!”
Max swept her up into his embrace, laughing with abandon as she sobbed with happiness. “It's okay, Mom. It's just me.”
“But how? Where have you been?”
“It's a long story,” he grinned, setting her back on her feet.
Little Princess was going ballistic, her body quivering with excitement. Julianne scooped her up, soothing her with a calming hand. Remembering Morgan's original purpose, Julianne gripped her by the arm.
“Did you get the medicine? Meghan's not doing well at all and I'm worried sick.”
“I got it, along with food and other things. Sorry it took so long to get back but we couldn't risk luring infected here,” Morgan explained. “Go ahead. We'll bring the stuff inside.”
Behind Max, two more figures appeared from a second vehicle and were introduced as Logan and Angie. They were armed and moved with a certain wariness that foretold of previous brushes with death.
Hannelie seemed to burst out of her skin at the thought of having guests while Henri watched her rush about with dry amusement.
He winked at Julianne, “Go to your little one. We'll take care of the rest.”
Feeling that everything was in hand once again, Julianne took herself and Princess back to Meghan's room.
“Hey, guess what, sweetie? Morgan's back.”
Meghan's eyes brightened. “She is?”
“She brought you medicine. Now you'll feel much better soon.” She smoothed a blond curl away from Meghan's forehead. “But I've got an even bigger surprise for you. Max is here too.”
“Really?” Meghan struggled upright in the bed. “I want to see him.”
“Now, now. Relax,” Julianne soothed. “He'll be here any moment.”
A minute later, Morgan walked in with a bag full of medicine, followed by Max carrying a teddy bear.
“Max!” Meghan squealed, launching herself at him despite her illness.
Max laughed, swinging her up into the air as she giggled. Julianne got a lump in her throat. My family. The reunion didn’t last long before Meghan broke into a fit of coughing. Max set her down on the bed, bringing Julianne back to the present.
Julianne scratched in the medicine bag and came up with antibiotics, cough syrup, something for pain and fever, and a nasal spray. With the expertise learned through years of motherhood, she dosed Meghan with each, then wiped off her hot, sticky body with wet wipes. Laying her back in bed, she rubbed vapor rub on her chest and placed a cold compress on her forehead.
“There we go, sweetie. Go to sleep now and when you wake up, you'll feel much better.” She covered Meghan with a thin sheet and sat back. “I'll be right beside you.”
Meghan smiled and reached for her new teddy. “Can Max and Morgan stay too?”
“Of course they can. We'll all stay.”
Meghan smiled with content, one hand on the teddy and the other on Princess who lay next to her, watching the family gathered around her bed. Morgan fiddled with a small battery operated fan Elise had given her, getting it going in the corner. It wasn't much but relieved the stifling heat in the cramped room.
For a while, everything felt right in the world. Weeks of grief and worry seemed to fall off Julianne's shoulders, and she relaxed for the first time in days.
A gentle knock on the door announced Hannelie with a glass of juice and a sandwich for Meghan. “I thought she might try to eat something.”
“Thank you, Hannelie. I don't know what we'd do without you.”
“Don't thank me. This is courtesy of your son.” Hannelie flashed Max a grateful smile. “Thanks to him and a lady called Elise, we'll be dining like royalty tonight.”
Julianne shot Max a questioning look as Hannelie left, retreating to her kitchen and guests.
“I'll
tell you everything once Meghan is asleep,” Max said. “Let's just talk about...better things for now.”
“Agreed,” Julianne replied. For the next half hour, they chatted about anything and everything except zombies. Meghan's eyes drooped as the medicine kicked in and after a while, she fell asleep.
By tacit agreement, the adults snuck out of the room, joining the others in the kitchen where they discovered everyone relaxed around the table. Julianne sat down and accepted a mug of sweet coffee. She took a sip and savored the aroma.
It's been a while.
Hannelie distributed plates and everyone dug in. The first bite transported Julianne to heaven. The bread was fresh, topped with ham, pickles, and cheese. She could even detect real butter and mustard.
“Oh my God. This is the best sandwich I've ever had,” she mumbled around a bite. “Who baked the bread?”
“Elise did. She’s our resident cook slash house mother,” Max laughed.
The rest agreed. With nods and murmured gratitude, the food disappeared. Swallowing the last bite with a big swig of coffee, Julianne sighed and picked at the crumbs on her plate wondering when she'd get to have a meal like that again.
“You must have a ton of questions,” Max said.
“Of course. Where have you been these past weeks? What have you been doing?”
Everyone gave their attention to Max. He cleared his throat and began at the beginning—the day he met Logan. The minutes passed as he told their story and Julianne's amazement grew.
“You've got electricity?” she asked. “That explains the bread. This Elise, she baked it?”
“Yup. She manages the kitchen. The ham, pickles, and cheese, it's all frozen or preserved.”
“I see. Well, thank her for me, please. For all of us. That was the best meal I've had in days.”
“You can thank her yourself, Mom. You are coming back with me, aren't you?” Max asked.
“I suppose so, yes. Is it safe?”
“As safe as it's possible to be. We've got a strong fence, barricades in the streets and guards twenty-four hours of the day.”
“Have you been attacked yet?” Henri asked.
“We have. Lone infected and small groups find us from time to time,” Max replied.
“But there's so many of those things in town. Why haven't they attacked you in mass yet?” Morgan asked with a puzzled frown.
With a shrug, Max said, “I'm guessing it's because they don't know we're there. We keep quiet and lie low. That's not to say a horde won't find us eventually.”
“Could you fight off a horde?” Henri asked.
“We could but we'd need more firepower for that.”
“You don't have enough guns and ammunition?” Henri asked, his bushy eyebrows drawing into a frown.
“We've got some. Mostly what Max took from the army and personal stock we found in houses. The riot police had little, just rubber bullets and stun grenades which won't work on zombies,” Logan explained.
“Then why stay so close to town? Why not move to a place like this, for instance?” Henri asked.
“It's an idea. We need a permanent water source. We're operating on bottled water for now which won't last. The fuel for the generators won't last either. We need a more permanent solution to our problems.”
“Solar power. That's what you need. And a farm where you can raise your own food,” Henri interjected.
“We'd need to find a place that fits the bill then move all our people over. It'll be dangerous,” Logan warned.
“I'd say your most pressing problem right now is finding more guns and ammunition,” Henri said.
“I agree. In the meantime, you should all join us,” Max offered.
“Thank you for the offer, but Hannelie and I will stay. This is our home. I'll be sorry to see the rest of you go, though. Especially the little one.”
“We'll miss you too, Henri. You and Hannelie have been so kind to us,” Julianne said.
“Well, the offer stands. You can join us anytime you want. We'll leave you some food and water when we go,” Max said.
“Oh, I'm going to miss you all so much, my dears!” Hannelie cried, struggling to hold back her tears. “But enough of that. Let's get you settled in for the night,” she declared. “I should have enough spare bedding.” As ever, her cure for any distress was to keep busy.
That night, Julianne struggled to fall asleep. The silence seemed deafening after the lively bustle of before. Even Meghan slept peacefully due to all the medicine. Her mind raced with possibilities. If Max had survived, couldn't Lilian still be alive? It was possible.
Her mind spun in circles. Was it safe to move so close to town even with everything Max and the others had done to safeguard it? Was she making a mistake? Meghan's life depended on this decision.
Around midnight, fatigue overcame her, and she drifted off to sleep.
The sound of glass breaking snapped her eyes open. She struggled upright, disoriented.
“John,” she cried. “What's happening?”
Julianne realized she was calling to a ghost as reality flooded back. Meghan came awake more slowly next to her, mewling as she clutched her teddy bear.
Princess was going crazy, scratching at the door and barking herself hoarse. A loud scream cut through the dark and jolted Julianne out of her stupor.
That sounds like Hannelie!
Julianne vaulted out of bed, scooping Meghan into her arms and rushed towards the small walk-in closet.
“Sweetie, you must listen and do as I say,” she whispered, holding Meghan's face and staring into her confused eyes. “I need you to be as quiet as a mouse, okay? I'm going out but I'll be right back.”
Meghan's face scrunched up and tears flowed down her cheeks.
“Shh, baby, don't cry. Quiet as a mouse. Understand?”
Meghan nodded, sniffing. “I'm fetching your brother and sister, then I'll be right back. Don't move and don't make a sound.”
She crushed Meghan to her chest then closed the closet. Grabbing the cricket bat, she ran to the door. Several gunshots punctuated the night, making her jump. With her heart in her throat, she slipped out. Princess vanished, leaving her alone in the long dark hallway.
Faint moonlight streamed into the corridor through open doors ahead, but it was hard to see anything. Gulping, she raised the bat with shaking hands, her stomach coiled with fear. Frantic shouts and footsteps came from the main bedroom. She quickened her pace.
A figure lurched out of the darkness and Julianne stopped. Then the smell hit her nostrils. She swung the bat. It connected with a solid thunk and she jumped back as the zombie collapsed at her feet.
Julianne hit it several more times, panic taking over. When it stopped moving, she stepped over it, shuddering as her bare feet landed in a sticky puddle of blood.
Yuck.
Morgan burst out of a doorway and staggered, struggling with another infected. Before Julianne could even think to help, a shot rang out. It fell backward as the muzzle flashed in the dark. Breathing in ragged gasps, Morgan rose and swung the gun towards Julianne.
“Stop! It's me,” Julianne cried.
Morgan's shoulders slumped in relief. “Come on, Mom, we've got to help the others.”
They hurried onward and found Joanna hiding underneath her bed, scared out of her wits. With her in tow, they reached the main bedroom where they were confronted by the sight of Max, standing still with his gun hanging by his side.
On the bed, Henri sat with Hannelie clutched in his arms. There was blood everywhere. At least three infected were lying strewn about. Princess gnawed at the trouser leg of one before Julianne scooped her up.
“No, Princess.”
Then she turned to Henri.
He rocked back and forth, mouth working in unintelligible pleas. His eyes were glassy and distant. Hannelie was no longer there. Her eyes were sightless, rolled back into her head. Blood covered the front of her nightdress, seeping out of a bloody wound in her torn throat.<
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“What happened?” Julianne asked. This reminded her of John. Painful memories resurfaced to haunt her once more.
“A group of infected broke in through the windows. Hannelie was attacked, and I was too late to save her,” Max said. His voice was flat, his face bleak.
“Where's Logan and Angie?”
“They're outside, patrolling the area.”
There wasn't much more to say. Henri refused to let go of Hannelie and wouldn't speak to any of them. Even when Max warned that she would turn. They dragged out the bodies and mopped up the blood, grim silence hanging over the household. They all knew what would happen next.
Julianne put Meghan back to bed with Princess after giving her another round of medicine, then made coffee. None of them could sleep further that night. For Julianne, the warm, comforting house had turned into a nightmare. Without Hannelie, it would never be the same.
In the morning, Julianne dressed Meghan in clean pajamas. She looked better and her fever had dropped. Julianne was spooning more medicine out for her when a gunshot caused her to spill all over her shirt. She jumped up and reached for her bat, fearing the worst. Max walked in.
“It's okay, sweetie. Nothing to worry about. Just an accident,” he reassured Meghan but Julianne caught his meaningful glance and walked out with him.
“Hannelie?” she asked.
“Yes, she turned. Henri shot her.”
Although she had known it would happen, Julianne still felt stunned and bereft. “So what now?”
“We're loading up. I'd like to leave within the hour. Can you be ready?”
“Yes, I'm just finishing up.”
“See you outside then.” Max gave her shoulder a squeeze then walked out.
Plastering a fake smile on her face for the benefit of Meghan, Julianne went back inside the room and finished packing. She dressed in a soft forest green blouse, black pants, and ballet pumps then gathered up their stuff.
Time to go.
Joanna sat at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of tea. Always groomed, with hair and makeup done, she usually looked a great deal younger than her seventy-four years. Except for today. Today she looked her age as sadness cut grooves in her face, her normal sparkle snuffed out.
“They're waiting outside,” Joanna said, a quaver in her voice.
Last Another Day Page 10
