Breaking Down

by Marie Lanza

  Andy entered and shut the door behind him.

  It was a small area, once a work shed, with shelving covering the walls and some tools still hanging, left by their former owner.

  “Outside is clear,” Andy paused. “For now.”

  “I think this is good enough for tonight.” Emma said, dropping her bag where she stood.

  Andy did the same, leaned against the door and slid down to sit.

  “I hate this.” Tracy complained.

  “It’s secure Trace. What else do you want?” Mike snapped at Tracy.

  “I don’t know.” Tracy dropped her backpack and sat down. “A comfortable bed. Clean sheets? A place with running water.”

  Emma found Tracy to be somewhat of a complainer. Everything that came out of her mouth was something dramatic. It was hard to believe that she had been on the run for so long. “Don’t we all…” Shawn smiled at the thought of past pleasures.

  “We should have never left the motel,” Tracy whined.

  “Because that place was holding up real nice!” Mike snapped.

  Emma shot a glance at Andy who was already watching her. They gave each other a quick smile.

  “Do you have a direction you’re heading?” Andy asked, quickly changing the subject.

  Emma began to make herself as comfortable as possible. She laid her shoulder bag down for a head rest and kept her backpack threaded around one arm. She wasn’t up for much sharing with this group. Tracy never shut up with complaints and her brother seemed ok with her constant nagging.

  Emma gathered they had survived by locking themselves in a motel. The rest of their survival must have been pure luck. Emma was privately ashamed that she had found herself in such a dire predicament that this motley group had to save her. Though she was thankful, she wasn’t quite ready to be so open in her appreciation.

  “We planned to continue north,” Mike answered. “Heard there are still pockets of survivors.”

  Emma’s interest was captured.

  “I’ve heard those rumors.” Andy gestured to Emma, “Emma here’s heard them too. She believes in the rumors more than I do.”

  Emma rose up on her elbow to join the conversation. “The cold regions. I hear those things out there don’t like the cold.”

  “But just rumors. No one has actually seen one of these safe places.” Shawn sounded skeptical.

  “What else is there to believe in?” Emma asked him directly.

  Shawn just shook his head.

  Emma lay back down. She was tired.

  The rest of the group didn’t talk much more. Everyone was feeling the nagging pain of exhaustion and soon, light breathing filled the area as they each fell asleep.

  Emma wanted to sleep but it wouldn’t come to her in full form, only hovering over her like a light blanket. Her thoughts controlled her mind in an overwhelming fashion. She kept thinking of their next move, and what was ahead of them. She wondered if they already traveled past one of the rumored Colonies of survivors. The odds were against them ever finding one of these rumored safe places. Then, her mind went to thoughts of Ryan. Those private thoughts she never shared of her husband and how much missed him. She continued to hold on to his last words to her, the most important, ‘Survive.’

  These types of nights seemed to last forever, and despite her exhaustion, she desperately wanted dawn to arrive. Daylight was a blessing. It made it safer to move around, and more importantly, it meant you survived to see another day.

  Emma lifted herself up and saw Andy was awake. “Morning. Did you sleep?”

  “Not really. You?” He asked as he got to his feet.

  “It sure didn’t feel like it,” Emma said.

  Mike, Tracy and Shawn began to stir. Mike was awake first. “Morning.” He looked at his friends who were still waking up.

  Emma and Andy only nodded.

  Andy cracked the door open and peeked outside. He opened it a little wider and stuck his head out.

  “Looks like we lost that group trailing us.” Andy shut the door.

  Emma was on her feet. When Andy turned to her, she tossed him a meal bar, “Let’s get going then.”

  Tracy and Shawn were awake. Shawn began immediately gathering the bags he was carrying while Tracy mostly moaned to herself in discomfort.

  Shawn handed Tracy what looked like a meal bar then gave another one to Mike.

  “Eat and run,” Mike said as he unwrapped his breakfast.

  There wasn’t much conversation as they left the shelter, moved through the field and made it back to the road.

  The hours seemed to be endless as they walked the country road.

  As they approached a small town, a handful of Carriers showed up, shuffling down the road towards them. They were easy kills. Their bodies were just decomposing corpses that fell apart with the lightest touch. The lack of food in these more rural areas seemed to starve the bodies of the Carriers leaving it to eat its’ host, making the Carrier lose its full human form and leave walking skeletons.

  “We should go around.” Emma said to Andy.

  “Nah, we need the supplies. We go through.” Shawn said with arrogance, as he walked ahead of the group.

  “Emma’s right. It’s safer to go around. Screw the supplies.” Andy knew he didn’t have the energy to fight another hoard of Carriers like last night, and he was very aware a populated area guaranteed just that.

  “I need to rest and I’m starving,” Tracy said in her continuous whiny voice.

  Emma stopped, “This is where we say goodbye then.”

  Andy and the three stopped and turned to Emma.

  “It’s an unnecessary risk. We need the rest more than supplies,” Andy said.

  “And you don’t think we’ll find shelter in one of those buildings?” Tracy asked.

  “I’m sure you will. But only after you battle it out with the Carriers that are already there. And I’d rather take my chances going the long way.” Emma wasn’t interested in arguing, and she certainly didn’t care whether they followed her and Andy or went through the small town.

  “So that’s it?” Mike asked.

  “Yes.” Emma said plainly. “Thanks for last night. And good luck to you.”

  Emma left the road without looking back. In her mind there was no discussion.

  Andy was right behind her. She knew he would be.

  Not till after they made it past the tree line did Andy stop her. “Emma don’t you think we should have talked them in to coming with us?”

  “Why?”

  “Emma, the living need to stick together. You and me… we can’t take on the world alone.”

  “They’re a walking liability, Andy.” Emma stopped in her tracks, “That girl Tracy alone is a death trap. How they survived this long is a surprise in and of itself.” She began walking again.

  “A little harsh Emma. They saved our lives.”

  “We weren’t that close to death when they showed up. They just made it more convenient to get away.”

  Andy didn’t know how to respond. He knew Emma was stubborn, just from the short while they’ve known each other, but he also figured that was a big reason for her survival. Her character was the reason he was convinced to leave the safety of the shelter that had protected him for so many months. They walked in silence, staying within sight of the small town where a soft buzzing was audible from beyond the buildings. It was a sound they had grown to know all too well. Carriers.

  Emma and Andy moved stealth-like at a steady pace, keeping careful watch of their surroundings. They made their way through a thin forest of trees, staying just behind the tree line. Fortunately it wasn’t dense terrain, providing them the ability to have a good visual on their surroundings.

  Emma stopped.

  Andy did the same. He didn’t say a word. He stood in silence, scanning the surroundings, trying to determine what she had seen. “Do you see that?” She whispered and pointed away from the trees into the field slightly ahead of them.

  Andy q
uietly took a few steps forward.

  Just ahead, a handful of Carriers were standing eerily still.

  “Have you ever seen them do that?” Emma asked.

  Andy shook his head, “No. What do you think they’re doing?”

  “No idea.”

  The group stood unmoving, silent, with their backs turned away from the two. Just standing, almost in a sleep like state.

  “Whatever they’re doing, let’s not disturb them.”

  Emma and Andy gave wide berth to the group of Carriers, cautiously moving along the edge of trees with one eye ahead of them and another on the quiet forms in the field. They were almost past the group when Emma glanced over her shoulder and stumbled, falling heavily onto a pile of abandoned metal scraps.

  Andy stepped up behind her, swooping her up onto her feet with one arm under hers and whispering loudly, “Come on Emma, let’s go.”

  The two ran at full speed, anticipating the sound of the Carriers behind them. Andy watched as Emma glanced over her shoulder, eyes wide. He was not prepared for what she did next. She slowed from a run to a walk, and turned around with a questioning look in her eyes.

  Andy turned. The Carriers hadn’t moved from their vigil in the field.

  “I don’t understand” Andy panted, “why didn’t they follow us?”

  “I don’t know. And to be honest, I don’t care.” She flatly answered. “Maybe we just got lucky. Regardless, let’s just keep moving.”

  “You’re not the least bit worried about them?” Andy broke the silence.

  “Who….” It only took a moment for Emma to realize Andy was picking up where their conversation last left off, “No.”

  “Really?”

  “To be honest, again, no.” Emma said bluntly.

  “I think you’ve been on your own too long.” Andy said. “Even when I was alone I welcomed the living when we crossed paths.”

  “But funny how you didn’t leave that shelter of yours to go with them.”

  Andy thought about those words for a moment. “I wasn’t ready. Maybe. I don’t know.”

  “Or maybe you knew that most people are a liability.”

  “So what if we make it to one of these Colonies you talk about?” Andy asked, “You’ll have to be among people again.”

  Emma thought for a moment. She realized she had never really considered what it would be like to go back to a somewhat normal existence. “It’ll be different from being on the run all the time. I guess I figure the Colonies are under the protection of great walls blocking the Carriers. I won’t have to worry about somebody holding me back. But out here, it’s just easier to move on your own.”

  There was truth in her words. It was faster to move when you didn’t have to concern yourself with someone else.

  “Is that how you feel about me? I hold you back?” Andy couldn’t help wonder what would happen if one day his physical ability became too much of a burden for her.

  “Andy I asked you to come with me. Remember?”

  “Why did you want me to come with you, Emma? I’m slower than you. My knees could give out on me any day now; I’m old….” Andy trailed off.

  “Why are you getting into this with me?” Emma didn’t know if she should be annoyed or concerned.

  “I think you’ve been out here alone too long. You’ve lost your faith in anything alive!”

  Emma stopped in her tracks and faced Andy directly, “When you found me, I was being hunted by a group of living. Who knows what they wanted, or what they would have done if you hadn’t shown up.” Emma turned and continued walking, “So yeah, I’ve lost a little faith. Everything that’s happened has brought out the worst in most people.”

  “We don’t have to let this evil consume us. We still need to reach out to anyone we can.”

  “I tell ya what, the next living souls we meet, I’ll let you keep them.”

  Andy could hear the smile she was hiding and grinned at her sarcasm.

  It was then they heard footsteps racing through the trees. They stopped and listened, trying to determine from which direction the sound was coming. They were coming from behind them. It was too fast to be a Carrier. Then, they caught sight of a shadow of a person running through the trees. There were no Carriers in sight, but it was likely they weren’t far behind.

  “Mike!” Andy called out just above a whispering scream. He turned to Emma, “It’s Mike.”

  Mike turned to Andy’s call and made his way to them.

  It looked as though he rolled around in a pool of blood and dirt. His clothes and hair were disheveled and they could see the panic in his wide eyes.

  “Where are the others?” Emma asked.

  “They’re dead! Both of them! They’re dead!” Mike was sucking up all of the oxygen he could, desperately trying to catch his breath.

  Emma looked over his heaving shoulders and saw a large hoard of Carriers moving right for them.

  Emma grabbed Mike by his shoulders and pushed him down the road, “No time to rest Mike. Move!”

  * * *

  Emma, Andy and Mike came upon a small community with a general store, a few restaurants, gas station with attached store and the usual residential buildings. The Carriers that roamed the area looked uglier than ever. Their features were alien-like, sunken faces, wide open eyes with the gaping wounds covering their bodies.

  Emma led them down a narrow alley to the back of the gas station. There they found a window at ground level that opened into the basement of the convenience store. Emma kicked it in and kneeled to the ground to look in. She waited a minute for any surprises before sliding through the window and into the darkness. Andy followed after her.

  Both were immediately startled by Mike’s scream. He had a moment of laziness, wasn’t watching his back and let a Carrier sneak up on him. They were tumbling on the ground, Mike fighting for his life, the Carrier fighting for its next meal. Mike was on his back, holding the Carrier away as it snapped at him, biting for his face.

  Andy jumped back up to the window, but couldn’t get high enough to pull himself up to help.

  “Shit.” Emma began looking for something to stand on. She found a stool and put it next to Andy.

  Andy stood up on the stool and reached out the window with his knife stabbing at the Carrier. With his other hand he grasped Mike’s shirt at the shoulder and began pulling at him towards the window. The material ripped in his hands.

  Finally, Andy’s blade met the Carrier’s face and drove it through its flesh. Mike pushed the dead weight off of him with weakened strength. There was no movement from the Carrier. It laid there in its stench; its decomposing body bled out from the gaping wounds from past injuries.

  Both men were breathing heavily from the adrenaline pumping through their bodies. Andy reached for Mike and began pulling him through the window. Emma braced her hands against Andy’s body to help steady him as he was lowered through the window.

  Mike screamed again, grabbing his thigh as he fell through the window. A large shard of glass was protruding from his leg.

  They got him in the store and laid him on the ground. Mike was bleeding badly. Emma pulled her knife and cut his pants, using the material to bind the wound.

  “Stay with him. I’m gonna clear this place to make sure there’s no more surprises.” Emma got up and disappeared.

  “Fuck that was stupid. Shit!” Mike gripped his leg in hopes to dull the pain and stop the bleeding.

  “We all have moments forgetting to watch our backs.” Andy held his hands firmly on Mike’s leg as well.

  Blood rushed through their fingers, soaking through what was left of his pants.

  Emma returned, “Place is clear.” She tossed Andy some more cloth that she had gathered from the store.

  Mike was sitting up, still holding his leg.

  Andy gave it to Mike who bunched it up and pressed it firmly on the wound.

  Andy got up and began his own sweep of the place.

  Looking around, it appeared
the place hadn’t really been ransacked by survivors. Andy walked through the store and into the back where he found a back room that had been used as a storage closet and office area. He found more clean cloth and a jumpsuit he figured Mike could wear.

  Emma walked the aisles of the store, finding a bottle of pain killers, a bottle of water, some canned goods and a first aid kit that was already rummaged through. She then made her way to the door leading to the repair shop garage and peered through the window.

  The garage doors were wide open, allowing Carriers to mill about while waiting for their next meal. She was surprised that they weren’t waiting by the door after all the commotion. The garage was completely torn apart, drawers opened and emptied, tool cases turned over and the windows all shattered. It was safer to stay in the store for the night.

  When Andy walked back in the main area of the convenience store where Emma met him and tossed him the pain killers. “You should take some for your knees.”

  Andy glanced at the bottle, “Thanks.” He walked back over to Mike and gave him the bottle. “You’ll need these more than me.” Andy set aside the jumpsuit, “And let’s get you changed into this.”

  “I’m fine.” Mike frowned at his leg.

  “He’s right. You need to change out of those clothes – they are covered with infected blood.” Emma couldn’t keep her eyes off how much Mike’s leg was bleeding.

  The Carrier’s blood no doubt had mixed with Mike’s and the chances of him being sick were high.

  Mike nodded in agreement, and Andy helped him to his feet. Emma let Mike brace himself against her while Andy worked to get him in the new clothes.

  The three sat on the floor and let the hours slowly pass. Emma caught herself dozing off here and there. She was desperate for some sleep, but her body would not let her go without a continuous struggle trying to let herself relax.

  When she finally was able to nod off, it seemed her reflexes jolted her awake again and she noticed Andy was asleep. Emma then looked over to Mike who was also napping. She squinted in the darkness; his appearance was worrisome. Emma stood up and made her way over to where Mike was sleeping. He was sweating, his skin was pale and he had a light painful moan with every breath.