“It’s true, we were both there. We stayed for hours. She didn’t turn, she hasn’t turned. Ros and Rad both know it only takes about two hours, three at most, and it’s been about twelve since she ate it. She’s not going to turn. She is immune.”
Rad leans back, his hands on top of his head.
“This is fuckin’ crazy.”
“So, what does this mean then? Are we going with her? Are we gonna go to Oasis?” Hawaii interjects.
“I don’t know. I-” -Rosaline heaves, a puff of hot air rushing forth- “I thought about this a lot on the way back.”
“And?”
“And, I can’t shake the thought of what if she’s telling the truth. She isn’t lying about being immune. What if there really is a city full of people out there? People that are all immune and trying to bring a stable way of life back? What if this place is real, and we can all be immune too. I, just-”
She sighs again, her lips pulling to one side. Sweetie interlocks her arm with her partners, her hand rubbing her companion’s knee. Their eyes meet, the Latina gently nods, understanding resting in her gaze.
“Mikey deserves to live without fear. It’s a real chance for him to be a kid, to grow up in a better environment than I did. To not have to face the things I did. To not have to become the person I did.”
Her eyes wander to Sweetie.
“I don’t think I can pass up on that. It could be a chance for a real life for him, for me and you, for us to be safe and together, to-to be a real family.”
Sweetie leans in and kisses her lovers cheek.
“I’m not leavin’ Ros, if she goes Imma go with her. I’ve never had this, never felt this, for someone. I can’t give that up. Oasis could be the start of something new for us, for all of us, but for me and Ros to have a real life together. To grow old together.”
“I’m not staying here without my sister.” Outlaw says.
“You wasn’t gonna have a choice chacho! I’m not leavin’ you either, so if I go, you go.”
“Yeah, I just said that.”
Sweetie lightly pushes her brother’s shoulder, sticking her tongue out at him. Rad leans forward, his head swaying from side to side.
“If my boy is going” -he holds out his balled up fist, Outlaw taps it with his own- “you know I’m gonna go with him.”
“So, that’s it then? It's settled? We're going to Oasis?” Hawaii replies.
Zee holds her hand out, her partner embraces it, her eyes twinkle, her lips curve into her singular joyous smile. She radiates the effervescent glow she’s known for.
“Yeah, we are.”
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Loud, continuous thuds crash against the door. Each strike with more conviction and determination than the last. Karo has shoved his, and Daisy’s, backpacks in the corner of the far wall, out of the way. His gun stays in his holster, only to be withdrawn when the need is dire. His crowbar is held chest level, as though he were at bat awaiting a fastball.
Daisy holds her crowbar with both hands, firm, and a bit off to her side, like a swordsman. This metallic instrument is all that stands between her and death. This rigid, cold, tool of survival, one that was Jack’s previously, and one she now grips with all her being.
Every thirty or forty seconds the Adapted calls out to them from behind the door.
“I know you’re in there, do you need help?”
Always the same line. Always filled with malicious intent. This monster is adapted, but not as much as the ones who took Jack’s life. The disease is a peculiar marvel, it seems to evolve each infected individual at different rates and with varying success. For a moment Karo ponders the why of this anomaly. It is fascinating, wholly terrifying, yet still fascinating.
The noise breaks, long enough for Daisy to hear her own heart beating furiously in her chest. When it resumes again, only a few seconds later, the thuds are more spread out and focused. The two infected are no longer throwing their hands and arms recklessly at the door. No, that method was getting them nowhere. Now one of them is flinging its entire body against the door, concentrated on the side with the handle.
“Shit, that’s not good.” Daisy says, through panted breaths.
“No, no it’s not. At this rate that door is not going to hold for long.”
Her eyes cut to him, her head staying pointed at the source of their concern. He continues.
“When that door gives out they’ll be on top of us in no time. This room is small, and that’s not to our advantage. Do your best to stay to the left side of the room, and I’ll stay to right. We do that and we can swing away until they stop moving, and not have to worry about hitting each other.”
Daisy’s gesture of agreeance is delivered with haste. Karo’s head tilts to Daisy, his eyes zero in on hers.
“Don’t hold anything back. Give into your fear, your anger, your sadness, and fight like hell.”
“You better fucking believe it.”
“Get low, they’ll rush forward, use the upward angle and their momentum to your advantage. Come up fast and with as much force as possible to land the hardest first shot that you can.”
“Got it.” she replies, as she bends her knees and lowers herself.
“Don’t worry about me, don’t pay any attention to me, don’t even glance over. Stay focused on that thing trying to kill you. Don’t stop until it’s not moving.”
“I don’t intend to.”
Daisy’s expression is an unfinished one, of a continued thought that more words were to follow, but the sudden splintering of the door frame, and the infected toppling over to the floor, interrupts her.
“STEADY!” Karo yells over the horrifying racket.
The larger infected, the not yet and perhaps never to be Adapted, tumbles to the floor. Its entry is followed swiftly by the leaner, less filthy, speech capable monster. Though this shorter one is clearly more crafty, it is still driven by the desire to extinguish life, and as such it does not stride into the room. Far from it, this devious creature bolts over its downed comrade, arms out, mouth agape, and gunning for Karo.
Karo springs from his crouched position and swings his crowbar with ferocious indignation. The crude steel weapon rattles Karo’s arms as it smashes into the jaw of the Adapted, fracturing and dislocating the body part, and sending teeth crunching together, breaking them into chiseled shards.
The Adapted stumbles back, tripping over the rising up bulkier infected. The reversed trajectory of the smaller attacker does little to alter the course of the larger monster hell bent on tasting flesh. With its fingers already stretched out and clawed, its eyes devoid of anything resembling redemption, and its head tilted down, its legs pump forward. Daisy readies herself, but it does not come after her.
Karo resets his posture, ready to swing again, but the large monster is on top of him before his full repositioning is achieved. Daisy swallows hard, her eyes widen. Of course these vile things aren’t going to come at them one on one, she’s farther from the door than Karo is.
Karo swings as quickly as he’s able to. His crowbar smacks into the abdomen of the infected, but he wasn’t fully prepared to attack again, and this infected absorbs the blow.
“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Daisy’s mind races. “Stay on the left side, stay on the left side. Karo has a gun, he’ll use it if he needs to. When the other one gets up it will come after me. I’m smaller and weaker, an easier target.”
The Adapted grabs ahold of the busted door frame, pulling itself to its feet. It wheezes, chunks of teeth flying forth from its mouth. It gurgles, snarls, and screeches, then lunges back at Karo.
“Shit! Shit!” she screams in her mind again. The larger one has Karo backing up. He’s holding the crowbar horizontally, a battle of wills being engaged upon it, but the other one is now coming for him too. “Fuck it!” blares in her mind.
She leaps from her position. Knowing the Adapted is just beyond her reach for a rising strike, she swings wide, losing at least half of the force she�
��s capable of, but her wild attack connects, rocking the head of the Adapted to the side, taking it off balance and causing it to smack into the wall.
Karo can feel the presence of the wall behind him, two, maybe three more shallow steps left. The disgusting hands of the infected are gripped around his crowbar, its head periodically lunges forward biting at him. His arms are stretched out as far as they can be, holding the would be murderer just out of biting range. If the intelligence of this creature were just a smidge higher it would’ve bit his hands already, but luckily for Karo it’s not.
Daisy is on top of the Adapted before it can push itself away from the wall its slumped against. Her crowbar careens into the morbid head once more, ricocheting it off the wall, a hole being left in the wood in the wake of her onslaught. She rears back again, swinging just as the monster is turning to face her. The crowbar bounces off its forehead, sliding upward and unbalancing Daisy. Something loose and wet on the floor tears apart under her weight causing her foot to slip, she hunches over and loses her range. The Adapted slashes its hand forward, her jacket swings just close enough, the monster latches onto it and pulls her in.
Karo grunts as his back comes flush with the wall. The diseased rears back then forcefully throws its head forward. Karo narrowly tilts to the side, the decaying skull slams into the wall, breaking apart wood and plaster. It dislodges and repeats the attack, in one fluid motion leaning back then lunging forward.
Karo tilts again, but the strain of keeping the crowbar level, and out front, slows him. The bald, flaky cranium clips the side of his forehead, twisting his neck sharply, shooting pain through his brain and down into his spine. His knees buckle, his elbows loosen, he lurches, and his vision tunnels.
Daisy jolts forward, a hand pulling her jacket abruptly, less than a moment later another hand upon the back of her upper arm. The second hand pushes her arm up, moving her crowbar high and into a useless position. She's pulled forward again, twisting her uncomfortably. Humid, foul breath blasts against her nostrils.
She coughs, nearly vomits, leans her head back as far as possible, hunches down, then jumps forward. Her shoulder collides against the chest of the Adapted, knocking it into the wall once more. Its grip does not loosen. She charges again, but hold remains firm. Another bashing with her shoulder, but the previous results remain.
His eyes flicker, his ears ring, he can feel himself sliding down the wall, but everything seems foreign. “You’re about to die!” his mind screams to him. His cognizance rushes back, a mad dash of self preservation. He locks his elbows, extending them fully, but is unable to push himself back up. The weight of the hulking infected is too much for his still dazed state. He slides down the rest of the way, quickly landing on his bottom. Saliva oozes from above him, landing on his pants and forearms. With one leg he frantically kicks at the knee of the crazed death craving brute.
Daisy throws herself back with all her might, knowing that if this beast lands on top of her this could be her last effort. Her arm is dislodged from the hold on her, but her momentum is fierce, and she stumbles backwards landing hard on her rump. She scrambles to her knees, but the Adapted does not miss its opportunity and it pounces upon her. The monster leaves its feet and soars across the gap between them. She heaves the crowbar, thumping against the shoulder of the Adapted. Her force slides the weapon upward, cracking the steel instrument on the skull of the wretch.
Her attack was just enough to alter the course of the flying beast. It turns in the air, landing awkwardly, the creature collides with her, but it does not land on top of her. She’s knocked back, but had anticipated the contact and rolls through up to her knees again. The Adapted shakes its body, wildly pivoting around to bring her into its view.
Daisy is already one step away by the time it has aligned with her. She thrusts the crowbar forward like a spear. The curved chisel stabs into the rotting face, cracking its cheekbone. Daisy reels back, focuses on her aim, thrusts once more, and catches the scrambling monster in the eye socket. She digs in, pushing all of her weight into her attack, until she feels the resistance wane, then shoves forcefully once more. The scrambling halts, its appendages fall limp, and its struggle ends.
Karo kicks the diseased kneecap again, finally buckling it, bringing his attacker to one knee. He pulls his legs in close, then throws them forward, kicking the infected square in the chest and knocking it back. The brute flings back, but its hand catches the floor, and it does not fall prone. Thankfully the opening is enough to allow Karo to shoot up to a standing position.
As the hulking infected rises back to its feet, a vicious force bashes into the back of its head. It whips around to the see the short, angry woman already winding back for another swing. The infected raises its arms up, but is once again violently stuck from behind. Before it can react Daisy smashes the crowbar against its cranium again, another hit from Karo upends the monsters balance, and it falls to its hands and knees.
Karo and Daisy swing away, one after the other, zeroed in on the skull of their attacker. There's no way to know how many strikes were dished out, they certainly weren't counting, but they do not cease fire until the skull of the morose creature is smooshed and scattered on the floor.
She blows the hair out of her face, then takes a knee, panting heavily.
"You're lucky I was here."
The battle worn man's brow furrows, his upper lip pulls to one side.
"Technically, I killed both of them." she says with a grin.
He huffs, his eyes close, his brow raises.
"I'll take that as a thank you. You're welcome."
"After what we just went though."
"What can I say, humor is my coping mechanism."
"You know, sometimes, you can be so-"
He stops himself, gritting his teeth.
"Funny?"
"Grating."
Her head bobs, her lower lip curls.
"Accurate, harsh, but accurate."
"Let's get the hell out of here."
"Roger that."
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
After their deliberation The Family invited KP to join them around the fire. The group sat and conversed until deep into the night. KP told The Family of Oasis, largely repeating the details she had previously told Rosaline and Zee. The Family talked of their pasts, explained their self given names, and how they had been able to maintain a stable life on the farm these past couple years.
KP didn’t mince words when she assured them that the few infected that had wondered onto the property a month earlier were likely only the beginning to a new wave of migration. A migration of death spreading out into the country and hillsides, cities and towns having already been depleted of their heart pumping resources.
She is all but certain that more and more infected, and Adapted, would find their way to the farm, and their mostly idyllic life would cease to be--at least in the way they have been experiencing it. She’s witnessed this happen many times before, to many places that started out just as their farm had.
Though none of them fully trusted KP, with Rosaline and Rad holding the most skepticism of her, they saw no reason to continue to stay on the farm any longer. Since they’ve decided to go to Oasis, they established they would awake at dawn, gather the few things they wanted to bring, and promptly set off to their destination.
KP informed them that their travel would take about twelve days, with the high probability of a few added days due to obstacles they would surely encounter. Even though she’s been Guiding for fifteen years these journeys are never easy. That was two days ago, and The Family is now progressing through Georgia.
“How far have you traveled?” Hawaii inquires, his pace picked up to join KP at the head of the group.
“You mean how far out have I gone?”
He bobs in head.
“I’m positive that I’ve been to Utah, saw the welcome sign. Pretty sure I’ve been to Idaho and Arizona too, though it’s possible those three occasions were all in Utah. Do y
ou know where that is?”
“Not really.”
“It’s far out west, almost to California, which rests on the coastline of the United States, along with Oregon and Washington.”
“Yeah, I know that.”
“What about you?”
“Um, well, the community we’re all from was in Indiana. We went south when we left, but hit some bad spots so we turned east. We knew the coastline to the east was closer than the west, and we thought getting around there could be a good idea. At least we’d be near a constant source of water.”
“The oceans are dangerous, coastlines are filled with the dead, and infected don’t seem to want to leave those areas, for some reason.”
His head bobs again as his fingers scratch his scruffy neck.
“Yeah, we knew that. Some in the community had been to the coastlines, said they were bad news, but the water is what we were most attracted to.”
“Ocean water is also dangerous, hard to know how much of it is contaminated, given oil rigs and other structures not having been maintained for so long.”
“We figured that too, well Zee did, but we didn’t really know what else to do. We thought maybe we could get a boat, sail to Europe or Africa, maybe it’s better there. No one really seems to know if it is or not.”
“As far as I’m aware, they still don’t know. There’s been no communication with any other countries since the outbreak. All phonelines were pretty much useless after twenty four hours, almost all other technology before the first week was up. No news reports, radio reports, or public broadcasts of any kind were sent out to inform the public on what to do, or where to go. I’ve been told it was complete chaos, everyone for themselves, and we can see how that turned out. If anyone did know what to do, or if it’s safe overseas, they’re long dead by now, and they didn’t tell enough people for it to get around.”
KP’s gaze studies the young man’s face. She estimates the conversation may be a bit out of his element, given his awkward expression.
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