Beware the Night

by Sonny Collins

  “We can shoot them. I found a rifle in the closet of my cabin.” George was serious.

  Nancy tried to calm him. “Even if all three of us had guns, we could not stop a bunch of zombies. They are already dead.”

  “There has to be some way to kill them. We can chop off their heads like in the movies.”

  “Do you really want to get that up close and personal with one of those things?” Tom asked.

  “He’s right, George. We need to have a back-up plan in case those monsters do start coming in our direction,” Nancy said. “We didn’t say we were leaving right now. You could be right too and those zombies never find us, but just in case they do, we need to have a plan ready for escaping them.”

  “I don’t know,” George stuttered as he began backing up. “If we leave here it could mean we’d be outside after dark with no place to hide.”

  Nancy saw the fear in his eyes. She knew the only place he felt safe at night was in his cabin. That was the reason he wouldn’t even visit with her or Tom after dark. George suddenly turned and started walking back to his place.

  “Aren’t you going with us?” Tom hollered after him. There was only silence.

  Nancy grabbed Tom’s arm. “Let him go. He needs to cool off and think about what we are saying.”

  “Doesn’t he realize I just want to keep all of us safe?” Tom asked, turning back to Nancy.

  “I know. So let’s you and me go look at that road.”

  She did hope George would see reason. His attitude had been bothering her a lot lately. As much as she liked him, she still felt a bit leery of him as well. And even though Tom had made no advances, there had been a sparkle in his eyes whenever hers met his. Was she just hoping for something that wasn’t there?

  ***

  The two of them were starting to tick him off, George thought to himself as he watched Nancy and Tom laughing at some inane joke. They had suddenly become inseparable since their little hike up the mountain. He watched them from the cover of some trees as they walked down along the shoreline of the lake. Although he didn’t like the idea of spying on them, he couldn’t help but feel that they might be conspiring against him, and therefore his deed was justified.

  George knelt down behind some shrubs as Tom glanced in his direction. He wasn’t certain, but felt he might have been spotted. It was time to make a quick decision. He stood up and walked down toward them.

  “I thought I saw you,” Tom smiled.

  “Yeah, I was just out looking for some berrys. Found a few up near the creek. Not enough to bother with yet. And they were still kind of sour,” George explained.

  “Maybe when they get ripe I can make us a pie,” Nancy suggested with a grin. “Then maybe you won’t be such a stranger. We haven’t seen much of you this past week. What have you been doing?”

  George nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other before answering. “Well, I’m sure you’ve noticed I go out in the canoe to fish every morning. Then I’ve been doing a little hiking up the mountain.”

  Tom gave Nancy a shrewd glance. “And we know you are always back at your cabin before dark.”

  In George’s mind, Tom was mocking him for being afraid of the night. He decided not to let the older guy get to him. “You know how it is. Like you mentioned before, no one wants to get too close to a zombie.”

  “So you do listen to me,” Tom grinned.

  “Only when you have something worth saying.”

  Nancy must have been very perceptive, because she jumped in quickly. “Now let’s not get into a verbal joust between you fella’s.” She turned to George. “You need to quit being such a loner. Please say you will join us for lunch?”

  George had missed her cooking. “Sure.” He then glanced back at Tom. “I was just kidding. Truce.”

  Tom gave him a playful pat on the shoulder. “We have nothing to fight about, kid. Besides, there is something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you.”

  Could it be the fact that he was stealing Nancy away from him, George wondered. He knew to keep that tidbit to himself as he slowly smiled. “Of course.”

  They all three began walking back to Nancy’s cabin as Tom began explaining his theory that the further west they went, the better their chances of finding more survivors. He believed that the strange plague cloud that had stormed across the nation lost strength as it moved over the mountains and out to sea. His consensus was that not as many people had become infected with the deadly virus as it diminished.

  “Do you have anything to back this up?” George inquired.

  “I’m glad you asked that,” Tom replied. “Over the last two evenings, Nancy and I have been fiddling around with the radio in her cabin. Last night we heard talking. It was very weak, but it was out there on the air-waves. And we both clearly heard the announcer telling any survivors to come to Sacramento, California because there was a large colony of them there.”

  George was truly a bit stunned. “Why were you in Nancy’s cabin last night?”

  “You’re not listening to us,” Nancy broke in. “There is a large group of survivors out west. We should be figuring a way to join them.”

  It still wasn’t registering to George. All he could think about was the fact that Tom had probably spent the night with Nancy. They had more than likely even been sleeping together. He could feel the blood pumping through his veins as he clenched his fist tightly.

  “Kid, are you okay?” Tom asked.

  “If you call me ‘kid’ one more time, I swear I’m going to hit you.”

  Tom backed off. “No one is trying to piss you off, George. What has you so riled up?”

  Nancy pulled Tom further away from George. “I think it’s us.” She looked away. “It is my choice who I choose to be with.” She glanced back at George. “And the way you are acting right now is why I could have never even thought of a relationship with you other than being friends. And I’m not even so sure about that at times.”

  “This is insane,” Tom sputtered. “Are you telling me George has a crush on you?” He turned back to George. “Is that the problem?”

  “What do either of you care what I think. You’ve already made up your minds to run off together and leave me here alone.”

  Tom reached out to him. “That’s not true. I want us all to be friends. I’m sorry I didn’t notice how you felt about Nancy. I just assumed the two of you were more like brother and sister. I never meant to hurt you.”

  “Well guess what? You did.” He then stormed off to his cabin.

  ***

  “What are we going to do about George?” Nancy asked.

  Tom was sitting on the bed, thumbing through a book. He looked up and sort of grimaced. “What can we do? The kid has made up his mind that we are somehow the enemy. He hasn’t spoken to us in days. Maybe he just needs some more time to cool off.”

  “I feel so bad for him,” Nancy sighed, plopping down next to Tom. “But from the first time we met I felt there was something just a little off with him. I had really hoped to find a kindred spirit because of the fact that we both chose to come to the same place. Right from the start I knew he had come here to hide. George is not just afraid of the zombies, he’s afraid of the world.”

  “Some people prefer to be alone.”

  She leaned over and kissed him. “Luckily that does not apply to you or me. I’m not sure how I would have handled things if you hadn’t come along.”

  Tom pushed her hair back from her face. “You would probably be in bed with George right now.”

  Nancy gave him a playful slap. “Wash your mouth out with soap. He is way too weird for me. Even though I like the guy, he has a lot of growing up to do. And he would have to make more than a few changes to satisfy me. He really does need an attitude adjustment.”

  “Maybe I should go over there to his cabin and beat some sense into the guy,” Tom laughed.

  “That’s the thing. I don’t want to see him get hurt either. There is such a sadness abou
t him.”

  Tom stood up, pulling her to his side. “Then go over and invite him to join us for dinner. I promise to be on my best behavior and ignore any barbs he might throw my way.”

  “You really are a good person,” Nancy stated. She then headed out the door.

  “Tell him to bring us some of those berry’s he’s been picking the last few days,” Tom hollered after her.

  Nancy just smiled as she walked through the camp to George’s cabin. The sun was low on the horizon and she knew it was probably a waste asking him over. He never left his cabin after dark. But it was worth a try. And she could offer to let him spend the night at her place. There was a sofa bed in the living room. She suddenly found herself hopeful that George had gotten over his jealousy and they could all be friends. She honestly did like the guy.

  “What are you doing here?” George asked curtly as Nancy approached his cabin.

  “Me and Tom thought you might want to come over and have a meal with us,” Nancy replied.

  “Don’t know what gave you that idea,” George said as he came off his porch to meet her.

  “Come on, George. We are just trying to be neighborly. How long are you going to hold a grudge over some ridiculous fantasy you might have had about me? I never led you on about anything other than being friends.”

  George grabbed her arm tightly. “So now you are calling me ridiculous? What about the two of you shacked up together, acting like you care about me, when all you care about is getting some from each other.”

  “George, you’re hurting. Let go of my arm.” She twisted away from him. Then she saw something in his eyes she had not seen before. Sheer hate.

  “I’m not falling for that friendly act anymore. I know you and Tom wish I wasn’t here. The two of you want this place for yourself. Well, I can assure you that won’t happen. I’ve been setting up traps around my place in case the zombies ever come, but they can be used against anyone else who might try to get me to leave this place as well.”

  “You’re not thinking straight, George. You need to be around other people. You need to come stay with us before you totally lose it.”

  “I’m not going to lose anything.” There was something about the way George said it that sent shivers down Nancy’s spine. “Now go back to your boyfriend and enjoy your dinner.”

  “Please, George. Don’t be this way,” she pleaded.

  “And tell Tom it is better if he avoids me. I didn’t ask for a big brother and I sure don’t need him trying to give me advice. Now it’s getting dark, so go home.”

  Nancy almost ran the entire way back to her cabin. She saw Tom standing there on the porch as she rushed into his waiting arms. He stroked her hair and hugged her tightly as she found herself so thankful that he was there. He said nothing, giving her time to clear her thoughts before she spoke.

  “Can we leave tonight? George is worse than I thought. He has become totally delusional. He really needs some mental help.”

  “Maybe I can go talk to him,” Tom started.

  Nancy cut him off. “He really hates you. He sent a warning for you to keep away from him. I just think the best thing for us to do would be to leave.”

  “But right now?”

  “George is afraid of the dark. It’s the best time to make our escape. He would never come after us at night.”

  ***

  George heard the sound of a cycle starting up in the distance. He glanced out the window of his cabin just in time to see Tom and Nancy riding away on his bike. They’d stolen it right out from under him. He quickly grabbed the rifle and a flashlight, as well as the keys to the motor-boat he kept ready to go down at the docks. Throwing open the door, he found a note stuck to it. He took it in his hand and wadded it up, thrusting it into the front pocket of his jeans. There was no need for him to read it to know what it said - they were leaving him behind.

  He ran quickly down to the dock and got the speed boat started. Through the trees he could see the cycle lights. George knew the road wound around and over a few hills before reaching the turn-off to the old logging road. He could easily be across the lake before they got half way there. He decided not to turn on the lights of the boat as he headed straight across the dark waters. No sense letting them know he was heading their way.

  As the boat approached the small group of houses and the store that made up the small community he and the others had been avoiding, he turned the boat and ran it straight for the shore. What he hadn’t counted on was the rocks beneath the water. The boat lurched to one side as it ripped open the hull. Luckily for George, it was only a few feet from the shore as it came to a screeching stop. But he did realize the wrecked boat would be useless to get back across the lake.

  He jumped into the shallow water and ran up onto the beach, looking around to get his bearings. He realized he was directly below the main road and the turn-off to the logging road. Swiftly climbing up the embankment, he reached the paved road in no time. There was still no sound of the cycle. He only glanced at the nearby buildings for a moment to see if there were any signs of the zombies. He saw and heard nothing. George started up the steep gravel road into the darkness of the forest.

  He felt much safer away from the buildings below. He ran at a steady pace, climbing higher and higher as the road curved and made its way up the mountain. Then he heard a distant hum. As it grew louder, he knew it was the cycle. They were coming. He swiftly got off the road and hid in some dark foliage. Waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

  As the cycle lights came around a bend, George aimed his rifle and pulled the trigger. The shot hit Tom squarely in the chest, causing him to jerk backwards, which in turn, caused the cycle to spin to one side, hitting a boulder. It truly seemed like it happened in slow motion as George watched the vehicle flip up into the air, sending both occupants flying off the road and down the ravine. There was suddenly sheer silence.

  George rushed over to where the machine had left the road. He could see the crumbled bodies about fifty feet below. Somehow the lights from the cycle had stayed on, shining like a beacon from the shattered vehicle. George made his way down. There was no need to check on Tom. George knew he was dead. But his intention had never been to harm Nancy.

  He saw the broken body and bent down beside her. Frantically checking for a pulse, there wasn’t one. By the bruise on her neck he knew it had probably been broken instantly when she crashed. George cradled the lifeless body in his arms, tears rolling down his face.

  “What have I done?” He cried out.

  For hours he sat there holding Nancy in his arms. Now he was truly alone. Some unknown reason caused him to recall the note he’d stuck in his pocket. He slowly pulled it out, straightening it to read. As he turned on the flashlight the first words to catch his attention were:We promise we’ll be back to get you. We are heading to California to see if there really are other survivors. We love you and will be back for you.

  There was more, but he saw no reason to read it. He tossed the note aside.

  George began to think long and hard. The realization came that because of him, two people who had cared for him were dead. He had killed them both in cold blood. No matter how he tried to justify it, George knew there was no excuse for his actions. It wasn’t zombies that had killed his friends - it was him. George realized he had become the source of their demise. He had become the monster.

  A hideous groan echoed from the road above. George turned off the flashlight, realizing the weak beam from the wrecked cycle was still shining through the trees. There was another moan. George froze in terror, too afraid to move. The howls of the dead suddenly rose all around him from the dark forest. The zombies had followed the light. But it no longer mattered to George. For he had already succumbed to the darkness within. As the cycle light went out, the night rushed in on his soul. George’s screams echoed across the lake.

  ***

  Sonny Collins is the author of several Teen & Y/A books. Having decided not to be boxed into any certain
genre, his books are varied, with something for everyone.

  The ZOMBIE BATS series follows a group of teens as they battle deadly creatures numerous times in their small town.

  SUMMER OF THE STRANGER is a western as seen through the eyes of a young man on the cusp of manhood.

  THE OCEAN ROAD is a fantasy that finds a group of teens being led by a wizard on a quest across a magical and dangerous land.

  COMANCHE GARDEN is the scary tale of four teens on a camping trip who get more than they bargained for when they take off into a forbidden area of wilderness.

  MOON STATION SEVEN is the story of two teens visiting their grandparents on the moon when disaster strikes.

  DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS is a collection of short stories which includes ‘Comanche Garden’ and ‘Moon Station Seven’, as well as many others, most with a twist of an ending.

  MOUSE TAILS is a Christian Christmas fable about two orphans lost in a blizzard who are taken in by an old man that tells them several stories concerning mice.

  There are also three books of poetry DISTANT DREAMS - ILLUMINATION - BENEATH A WESTERN SKY - and a play PLEASE TAKE A SEAT, as well as the one big novel that defies any genre.

  ANASAZI DREAMS:IN SEARCH OF COYOTE PEOPLE is the story of one man’s search for creatures that roam the night in the Four Corner’s region of the American southwest. His journey is traveled with an ancient Native American spirit and the ghost of his best friend in this supernatural adventure.