Wake the Dead

by Vanucci, Gary F.

  A short time later, running a hand gently along his face, she nodded in satisfaction and leaned in, kissing him deeply. She pushed him away playfully and twisted the showerhead, the water erupting from the spout and splashing the glass door as she kissed him again, removing her panties and stepping in, leaving him wanting more.

  “You joining me?” she asked him, wiping the steamed glass of the shower door and smiling at him. That was followed by the sounds of her moaning sensually, melting within that wall of steam. Alex was more than eager to join her, anticipating the warm caress of both the water and Selina’s touch, longing only for that combination of sensations that would bring him to heights of ecstasy that until now, he’d no longer believed possible.

  “It’s got a pulsating shower head,” she said teasingly, smiling at him.

  He hurriedly removed his tee shirt and dropped his pants, tossing his shoes aside, carefully stepping into the shower stall with her.

  She grabbed his face and kissed him intensely, her tongue probing his mouth. Then she worked his already stiffening erection and put her leg up on the ledge and opened herself up for him, staring intensely into his eyes.

  The heat from the water caressed his skin, washing over him, opening the pores, and soothing him, goose bumps cascading up and down his arms. That superficial heat, however, was nothing compared to the warmth offered by Selina’s own body. He kissed her harder as he entered her, the warm cascade of the water combined with the heat from her most sensitive of areas. Alex fell completely under the hypnotic spell of that combination. His thrusts matched the rhythm of the beads of water pulsating against his skin, and he gave in to the utter euphoria of the moment.

  The sensation of hot water against his skin was intoxicating. Selina moaned in ecstasy as they continued their rhythmic lovemaking. It seemed to go on forever, each of them lost in the sensations as if they were dreaming, until they climaxed, one right after the other.

  The two of them, leaned upon one another for support, their bodies completely drained afterward. Alex felt the warmth of the water fading, and stepped out of the shower stall, Selina following behind him. They continued their erotic session, toweling each other off slowly and carefully. They held each other’s gaze as they pulled on their fresh clothes and came together again, kissing softly at first, then each one deepening that kiss alternately.

  “That was quite possibly the best sex I’ve ever had,” Selina finally admitted, breaking that kiss and then pecking at him repeatedly, tucking him inside of his jeans and carefully zipping him up.

  “You’ll get no argument from me,” he decided, unwilling to compare this with any past sessions and instead remaining focused on her.

  Before Alex knew what was happening, he was dressed and the two of them were making their way out of the castle and into the outer courtyard toward the chapel, Alex holding a lantern to illuminate their way. He’d recalled some of the others talking to them, but had completely zoned them out, savoring everything that had just happened. Alex was so overwhelmed by the entire session, and the comfort offered him by the hot shower and the incredible intimacy, that he only now came down from that incomparable high.

  “Are you okay, Alex?” Selina asked him with a teasing smile again.

  “Never better,” he said, smiling back at her. It was warm outside still, even at night. She outpaced him, keeping a few steps ahead of him, and Alex could see that Selina’s shorts stopped mid-thigh, revealing a good portion of her shapely thighs and legs and shook his head.

  “Not only are you amazingly beautiful on the inside, but you are a very sexy woman,” Alex said as if this were fact and not opinion.

  “Well thanks, Alex. I think there may be hope for you yet.” She stopped in front of the gate and Shadow came over, sniffing and growling at them both.

  “What’s that all about?” Selina asked. Alex thought for a moment and rubbed the smooth flesh on his chin, remembering something about their sense of smell.

  “I think he liked me better when I hadn’t cleaned myself in weeks,” Alex said with a dry grin, “seems I can’t please both of you.”

  “Are you guys feeling better?” Nick called from behind them and the pair waited for him to join them.

  But before either one of them could answer, Hannah rushed out of the castle, calling after Nick, sobbing hysterically and out of breath. “He didn’t make it, Nick!” He threw his arm around Hannah to console her, his face twisted in a mask of anger and sorrow.

  They have lost two of theirs in the span of two days, Alex thought sorrowfully, saying nothing and allowing these two their space.

  “It’s not fair,” she sobbed inconsolably. “I really think that humidifier could have done the trick.”

  Liz, Kelly, Alexis, and Phil emerged from the foyer and joined them in the courtyard, offering their condolences to Nick and Hannah. This went on for a long time.”

  “Hey, I’m sorry,” Alex said to Hannah, who nodded her head in acceptance.

  “S’ okay,” she sobbed. “He just stopped breathing! He had pneumonia and we didn’t have the proper supplies to treat him!” she added, hugging Nick even tighter now.

  Liz suddenly stepped in, looking to Alex. “He needed to be in a hospital. And Tom was more than Hannah’s fiancé. He was Nick’s brother, too.”

  “Nick, you better come,” Bryan called from the threshold of the castle, pulling everyone from their collective embraces. Nick walked dejectedly toward him, Bryan handing him a gun, and then he disappeared within the massive structure, seeming to Alex as if the castle swallowed him whole. Bryan and the others watched after Nick somberly as he rounded a corner.

  “He’s gone.”

  The group made their way back into the castle one at a time, leaving behind Selina and Alex.

  Selina threw her arms around him and kissed him again, looking deep into his eyes. “You never know if we’ll even be here tomorrow,” she reiterated, driving home her earlier point.

  As if putting an exclamation point on that idea, a gunshot rang out into the courtyard. They both knew that Nick had been the one chosen to end Tom’s suffering.

  That night the two of them slept beside one another, Shadow lying right beside them, as they tried in vain to find comfort in each other.

  It was many hours before Selina fell asleep in Alex’s arms. He, however, found no comfort or rest until several more hours passed, as he could not shed the unwanted presence of despair. It seemed to be omnipresent in this hellish world. The only thing that gave him comfort and hope in that very moment was the presence of the remarkable woman in his arms.

  But, even with this beautiful, kind, intelligent woman gracing his company, he knew only one constant about this cruel world in which they lived.

  Death is only just around the corner.

  ***

  The next morning, Alex opened his eyes and found himself staring back into glistening pools of jade, again taking note of the faintest splash of amber just around her pupils.

  “Glad to see you are finally awake,” Selina said, throwing the thin blanket off her and rolling away. She stood and stretched, holding something in her hand and Alex leaned up on his elbows, watching her intently.

  “Who is this photo? It fell out of your pocket last night,” Selina asked with interest. Alex swallowed hard, and sighed, not wanting to discuss this with her right now and hopeful that she would not push him.

  “It is…or rather was…my wife,” Alex admitted pitifully, looking to her for her reaction, though if she had been upset or saddened by it, she did not let on.

  “I figured it was someone important,” was all that she said as she pulled on her jeans. “You wanna talk about it. Or her?”

  “Not really. I don’t think it will do either one of us any good,” Alex decided, still resting on the hard floor “At least not now.”

  “Something bad then? All right. Just know if you want to talk about it, I am here for you, Alex.”

  “And I appreciate that. No off
ense, but I don’t want to trudge all of that up again.”

  “It’s fine. We all had lives and loved ones before the world went to hell, right? Anyway, put a pin in that and know that it is something we should talk about in the future, okay?”

  “Yep. One of many things I would like to share with you. Just not today,” Alex said as he stood and yawned.

  The wolf yawned seemingly in response and Alex peeked around her to see Shadow still lying down in the middle of the floor on the cool stone in the shade. The heat of the sun beating down upon the roof was already threatening to turn the inside of the chapel into something of a sweat box.

  He stood and retrieved his pack, then a can of tuna fish, opened it with a can opener and poured half the can out for Shadow, who lapped it up voraciously.

  He held out the can for Selina who shook her head. He shrugged and poured the rest of it out for the wolf. He then found his canteen and filled the tuna can up again with water, placing it on the floor in front of Shadow.

  Selina sat beside him, her hands wrapped about her legs, her chin resting on her knees. “Yesterday was something I will never forget,” she mentioned, looking up at him.

  “Yeah, it was quite a mixture of pain and pleasure.” 2qAlex stood and looked from her to Shadow and back again. “Everything is so unpredictable.”

  Before she could answer, there was a knock on the door to the chapel. Alex stood and, with knife in hand, answered the door.

  “Morning,” said Nick, dressed in full riot gear, a vicious axe in one hand and his helmet in the other. He also had a rifle slung over his back.

  “Morning yourself,” Alex said, waving him inside.

  “If you are going to stick around, we should probably scrounge you up some furniture for this place,” he said, as if he were seeing the empty space for the first time.

  “Nick, are you all right?” Selina asked him with genuine concern evident in her voice.

  “Not really. But, we do what must be done when called upon here,” he said, matter-of-factly. “Liz and Hannah took it the worst.”

  “It must have been hard on you, too,” Selina followed, not allowing the subject to be dismissed so easily. “I know we don’t really know each other, but if you need an ear to listen….”

  “I thank you, kind lady. But, I already have the best network of friends a guy could ask for.”

  “So, what’s the plan?” Alex asked, finding his shirt and beginning to strap on his gear.

  “We are going to do some traveling today to hunt down some supplies at a local hardware store,” Nick explained. “We’re gonna need to use that van of yours if it can haul some lumber.” Alex nodded his consent. “I’m going to bring Liz and Bryan, along with the two of you.”

  “And Shadow,” Alex said. Nick said nothing and looked at the wolf as he drank from the tuna can.

  “I don’t want him running off like he did before, so if you can control him, that’s fine. If not, I’d rather he—”

  “He’ll be fine,” Alex said, nodding his understanding as he shouldered his quiver. He held up the pistol, cleared the round in the chamber, and tucked it inside his belt.

  “Last night we figured on the supplies we’ll need. We just need to go get ‘em now. And I’d also like to round up Ben’s body, bring it back here and give both him and Tom the proper funerals they deserve. So there’s that, there ya’ go.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Alex added, following Nick out into the courtyard. Bryan came along a few minutes later, accompanied by Liz, chatting and smiling. Alex hoped that the pair were sharing fond memories of those they’d lost only yesterday.

  Selina led Shadow outside and closed the chapel door. Her sword, the one that had belonged to Tom, was in a scabbard around her waist and she removed it reverently, stared at the blade and began to perform a kata. Alex remembered her mentioning last night, as they were falling asleep, that she wanted to perform a routine she had learned years ago, as homage to their fallen friend.

  “No Phil today?” Alex asked curiously, flexing his wounded left hand and testing it on his bow, trying and succeeding in holding it steady.

  “I'm afraid not,” Nick said sympathetically. “His arm is not healing well.”

  “I was afraid of that,” Alex said. “I saw the infection spreading in his arm. He gonna be okay?”

  “Should be. Hannah’s looking after him now. She never gets a day off, eh, Bryan?” Nick asked. Bryan shook his head, lighting a cigarette, Liz sharpening the blade of her hand axe, neither of them responding.

  “No jokers today?” Selina asked, pointing to the gate.

  “That is odd,” Liz said, stowing the sharpening stone in her own pack and inspecting her handiwork.

  “Ready to let us out, Alexis?” Nick asked, calling up to the woman standing watch on the parapets.

  “Sure thing!” she called to them, leisurely making her way down the inner steps.

  “I wonder if she can manage this.” Liz asked rhetorically in a whisper as Alexis headed slowly toward them.

  “Has she done anything to upset you yet today, Liz?” Nick asked.

  “Not yet. Not today. Give her some time, though,” she said, smirking at Nick, and then looking back to Alexis, who was moving unusually slow. “She sure seems to take her time,” she mentioned, patting the hand axe into her open palm.

  “She can take all the time she needs,” Bryan mentioned with a lecherous grin, admiring the woman’s swagger.

  Alex heard Selina sneer disapprovingly, in addition, faint though it was. He caught her rolling her eyes. “She thinks she’s the queen bee,” she whispered to Alex. He shrugged uncaringly, testing his bow once more and ignoring the sarcastic comments.

  As Alexis finally got to their position and opened the latch to the gate, Nick led them out and into the grounds, Liz and Ben flanking him. Selina and Shadow followed them and Alex took up the rear keeping Shadow in sight at all times.

  They maneuvered the fairgrounds quite easily, not encountering a single zombie along the way and had the broken fencing in sight soon enough, taking a very direct route there.

  The group stopped one by one, gazing out at the open lot, remaining in silence as Alex finally stood beside them, Shadow sitting passively beside Selina.

  “What the…?!”

  What he saw astonished him.

  As far as the eye could see, dozens of the undead lay unmoving, motionless on the grass, in between and lying on top of the vehicles.

  Smiles erupted from their faces, slowly at first, one after the other, as they took in the magnificent sight.

  “Is it over?” Selina asked, hope emblazoned on her features, her emerald eyes sparkling under the sunlight and wide with excitement, like a child on Christmas day.

  Selina hugged Alex, and the others exchanged handshakes and hugged one another, too.

  “I think it just might be,” Nick answered, his voice full of hope.

  Alex saw movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Jerry, his wife Melissa, and their daughter, Kate, wandering into view, also taking in the sight and smiling.

  Alex waved to him, and he simply called back to them all, “we’re going home!” Alex smiled wide at that simple statement, his grin broadening wider with each second as he looked from one to another of them, holding Selina close. They collectively watched Jerry and his family as they climbed into a vehicle, started it up, and maneuvered the car out of the parking lot, waving the whole time.

  The zombie plague had ended.

  Or so it seemed.

  Gary F. Vanucci

  Gary Vanucci was born in Pennsylvania in 1968. He enjoys writing, reading, music, art, anything at all that promotes creativity and activities that push the mind beyond conventional thinking. He has spent time as an amateur singer/songwriter and has spent multiple decades creating role-playing scenarios and playing games amongst various genres. Years of reading graphic novels, comic books, fantasy/science fiction novels and the like has led him to discover his tr
ue passion—writing!

  His education includes a Bachelor’s of Science in the field of Information Technology and an Associates of Arts in the field of Graphic Design.

  "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." ~Aristotle.

  Bibliography

  Wothlondia Rising

  Beginnings Series

  Book 1

  Wothlondia Rising: The Anthology is a collection of prequels that launches the Beginnings series in the Realm of Ashenclaw. The events covered in this collection are intended to introduce you to these characters and give insight into their pasts, their motivations and the distinctive events that place them on their destined paths to become the heroes they were born to be, such as…

  A Rose in Bloom recounts the thrilling events of a young Rose Thorne, not yet a woman, who is trying to find her way in the city of Oakhaven. Orphaned and discarded, she finds refuge in a kind madam at a local brothel and eventually meets a man who is more than she bargains for….

  Strength of Faith is a tale that places a young acolyte of The Shimmering One, Garius Forge, on a path that tests his spirituality and also places him face to face with a demonic presence that has the power to alter the face of Wothlondia forever! Will his reverence and devotion to his deity be enough to overcome this horrible demon?

  Tears of Blood is the amazing recount of the attacks on the region of Stonehill by the ancient and malevolent undead that are known as Blood Rot Zombies! Saeunn and the barbarians of both Chansuk and Greymoors must find a way to stop the undead infestation before they spread their miasma all across the face of Wothlondia! It is a tale that will forever change the young barbarian woman in more ways than one…