by White, A. L.
Lori searched their faces, looking for a sign until she locked eyes with Virginia. It was hard enough reading Virginia on a good day, let alone today after what had been shown here. Would she come around like Zeus did? Would it make a difference that the lads were now somewhat OK with her? If need be, Lori could leave the group for their well-being. Leaving her little sister like this would be harder to do.
“What are you now then?” Virginia asked in a daze.
Lori shook her head as tears began to flow down over the grey, luminescent skin. “I really don’t know, Virginia.” Raising her head to look away from Virginia she added. “I really could use Doc right about now.” Virginia walked over to Lori and hugged her in a way that she had never done before. Not even before the end of times had Virginia ever shown this much emotion. Lori could feel her heartbeat against her chest and the wetness from Virginia’s tears against her skin. There wasn’t the scent of fear, which helped.
“We can leave the group and see if we can find answers.” Virginia stated.
“I will go with you guys.” Charlie said, looking around.
“I have done pretty good following you, Lori. You promise not to eat me, and I am in.” Jermaine stated with a hearty chuckle. Everyone looked back at Tressa waiting for her thoughts. “I got no place else to be.” Tressa added to the rest of the voices.
“Well then, I think I am going to see if there is any food left in the kitchen that a so-so chef can fix up for dinner.” Jermaine said as he headed into the kitchen. Just before he left the room he turned to Lori and asked. “You do still eat the same food we eat, right?”
“Well, if I remember from the trip to Rivers Crossing correctly, I am not one hundred percent sure that we can call what you cook food”
“Jealousy of my abilities will not place you on my good side, missy.” Jermaine replied laughing again.
Chapter 14
Megan had taken her shirt off before she entered the corral with the others. They had made fun of her initially but as she was used the snow to clean the cows blood off of her face and chest, many of them could see why she had. Megan didn’t want to walk around with dried blood all over her. Her shirt was still clean, and she had washed away any remnants of the meal from her body. The Man in Black was talking to another small group. They seemed to hang on his every word like he was prophet sent to lead them to the promised land. It hadn’t been too long ago that she listened in the same manner. The way he had of talking to the group yet making each one feel like he was just talking to them alone…She wondered what he did for a living before the apocalypse. Probably some kind of used car salesman or con man. She thought to her own amusement. That was when it had hit her like a slap in the face. This wasn’t where she wanted to be and his plans for the future didn’t sit well the more she thought about it.
Megan looked around her and saw the town of Clarksville just down the road. He had told her that she could go in any direction she wanted and live any life she wanted. That was what Megan was going to do. Megan walked passed the little group and she could hear the Man in Black speaking. “Hundreds, if not thousands, just like me and just like you, will be coming here tomorrow. That town just a little way up the road will be our first home. A safe place for the new people of the world.”
His voice trailed off with each step away from the zombies and the “new people” she took. No one tried to stop her from leaving like she thought they would. Megan could feel their eyes on her until she put enough distance between them to dull the sensation.
Once she came to the edge of town the first thing she saw was a few cars parked in the middle of the street. She checked each for keys and decided that whoever had left the cars must have taken the keys along with them. An odd thing to do, but probably a habit. The first building she took a good look into had been a diner or restaurant. The door was locked so Megan looked for anything in the cars that could help her pry the door open. Finding nothing in the first car besides a coat that would fit her, she moved onto the second car, or lead car, she thought to herself. There she found a crowbar that she held out in front of her like it was a winning lottery ticket. Smiling from ear to ear, she headed around the front to the diner door. Just in front of the minivan, her left foot got snagged on something buried beneath the snow. Backing up and using the crowbar to poke and prod at the snow, she was sure that something was down there. Dropping to her knees, she used her free hand to brush the snow back until a pair of frozen eyes were looking back at her. She jumped back and thought about it for a minute. The people from the cars didn’t just leave the area, they were helped on their way to a new place off the earth.
Climbing up from the ground, Megan shrugged off the body in the snow and continued onto the diner door. She felt bad for them but what could she do for them now? She wondered briefly but the answer was absolutely nothing.
At first, she thought to use the crowbar to pry the door open. After several attempts to do just that her idea switched to smashing the lower glass of the door.
A twang echoed down the street with the first blow as the crowbar bounced off the glass. That was followed by several quicker twangs before the glass pane shattered from the blows. Looking back behind her she was certain had caught motion in her peripheral vision. She froze, trying to see if there would be more or if she could hear anything. A flash went past her, near the cars on the street. Holding the crowbar in front of her, she slid her feet toward the cars again. A knocking sound came from behind her and Megan whirled around just as a door on the mini-van closed. Backing up against the building she waited for whatever was out there to show itself. When they had decided that they were no longer playing with her, they came out into the open. Their skin was grey but not quite dead looking like the other zombies. Yet not quite like hers either when she took a closer look. They were smart enough to work her into a spot that there was not an easy escape from. Letting the change overcome her, Megan let out a roar meant to scare them off. The creatures roared back at her charging forward to take down their prey. Megan snapped at them like a rabid dog, holding them just far enough away to keep them from biting into her flesh. A long, lone howl caught their attention and they had left her as quick as they had shown up. Megan didn’t waste any time getting into the diner. Grabbing a table still covered with dirty dishes from the last meal, she pushed it onto its side and shoved it in front of the broken glass. An old cigarette machine stood guard next to the door. She pushed it against the tables pedestal base.
Sitting down at the bar Megan looked around the room, taking it all in. There wasn’t anything fancy behind the bar at all, an old mirror that reminded her of the one in her grandparent’s front room flanked by makeshift shelves with bottles of alcohol on them. The tables were vintage, nineteen-fifties era, she thought. Most of the pictures lining the walls were old, faded black and whites except for one. It had an older man and woman standing behind a large cake that said, “Happy Sixtieth Anniversary” in color. For a few seconds Megan felt the weight of her sorrow press against her heart. She could barely remember her mother’s face or that of her grandparents anymore. Moving down to one of the tables she laid her head down and fell asleep for a few minutes.
Chapter 15
After Dinner they sat quietly around the table. Even without counting what was happening to Lori and Walter, the day’s events left an emotional cloud above them. Doc had been like the father that no one had left since the sickness spread and Boo was that guy that could always be counted on when trouble came knocking. Even Virginia was beginning to think if Boo was with her there was nothing to be afraid of. The sudden realization that both were now gone weighed heavy on the mood in the room.
“Well, I am going to go up into the barn and double check the doors.” Jermaine announced as he rose from the table.
“I think I will come with you, if you don’t mind.” Charlie asked.
“Not at all. The more the merrier.” Jermaine replied smiling.
Following Jermaine up to
the barn, Charlie checked the large doors when they got to them. “Ok, you didn’t really come up here to check these two doors with me, did you?” Jermaine asked.
Charlie smiled then looked down at the floor. “I guess I wanted to get your thoughts on today.”
“If you’re asking me about Doc and Boo, I think it is a tragedy that will be hard for us to overcome. But that is what we have all been doing all along since this thing started, right? Overcoming tragedy at every turn of the road.” Jermaine replied.
“That is true, I was asking about…”
“You were asking me about Lori and if I think it is safe?” Jermaine finished for Charlie.
Charlie walked off toward the trucks and rummaged in the glove compartment box until he found a small bottle of whiskey. Offering it to Jermaine first he said, “Yea, I guess that was what I was really asking you.”
Jermaine waved off the whiskey. “I would like to but for some reason I think I need to keep my head clear tonight.”
“You think somethings going to happen?” Charlie asked.
“I sure hope not, Charlie. Did you see how she was changing right there in front of us, man? I am not too proud to tell you this, but I was scared. I was so scared I almost went in my pants, brother.”
“I felt the same, Jermaine. She looked like she could take us all out in short order.” Charlie replied, taking a long drink from the bottle. “What do you think we should do about it then?”
“What am I going to do about it? I am not doing anything at all until there is a reason to do something about it. As far as I can tell that is still our Lori. The same Lori that followed me into a large herd of zombies to get my wife out. When all hope was lost, she stayed there by my side until I decided to go. So, No Sir, I am not going to do anything until I know we need to do something!” Jermaine replied reaching for the bottle. “Besides, whether you know it or not, you aren’t going to do anything either. You’ve been making googley eyes at her for over a month now.”
Charlie jokingly grabbed his or more correctly Boo’s bottle back making a big show of it.
“Awe hell Charlie, if she wanted to do us any harm, I think she would have done it by now.” He patted Charlie on the back. “Certainly, going to make that relationship a little challenging though.”
The door opened from the lower level and Lori came up the stairs looking for them. “I thought you guys had enough time to talk about me without me around. The others probably need a little time to take about this too.”
“What makes you think that we were up here talking about you?” Charlie asked looking over at Jermaine.
“Yea, that is something that you would think that we have nothing better to discuss than you. Humph.” Jermaine replied joking.
“It’s ok really.” Lori stated. “Believe me if I had someone I could talk to about it besides Walter I would be too.”
“Nothing was said bad out here, Lori. You have nothing to be worried about.” Charlie replied handing her the bottle. Lori declined. “I am not sure how the other would react to alcohol. Might not be a good thing you know.” Charlie and Jermaine nodded their heads in agreement.
“I think Walter and I should go check the house out.” Lori said.
“We can check it out in the morning, with the dogs.” Charlie replied.
“I think Walter and I should check it out tonight and then we should sleep in it.” Lori added.
“What do you mean sleep in it?” Charlie asked. “We should all stay in the barn and the bunker below.”
“I think for now we would all sleep better if we were out there, Charlie.” Lori said.
“Ok, I see what you’re driving at, Lori.” Jermaine said agreeing and then continued. “But I think Charlie and I would feel better with you in the barn. You can sleep in the RV and if it makes you feel better, we will lock the bunker door.”
Charlie shook his head no in a dramatic fashion to show his disagreement.
“Charlie, it is what Jermaine just said or in the old farmhouse. You decide what makes you feel better and I will do it.”
“I guess in the barn if we have to do it that way. I am not liking this one little bit though.” Charlie replied.
“Charlie, after my family died and then old Bob, all I had left in this world was Virginia and the lads. Then I met you when we got to Rivers Crossing and I fell in love with you. I can’t sleep in the bunker not knowing if I will change or what will cause me to change.” Lori said with tears running down her cheeks. Jermaine pushed Charlie forward and Lori wrapped her arms around him burying her head into his chest.
“I will sleep out here too then.” Charlie said into Loris hair as he kissed her head. Lori broke away. “No, you will stay in the bunker with the others, Charlie. Trust me, I am not even sure that Walter feels safe being out here, but I know that I feel it is better for you guys that he is.”
“OK, OK we will do it your way.” Charlie relented.
“I keep trying to tell him that life is easier if he would just learn to go along with what you want.” Jermaine said mocking Charlie. “Now that the sleeping arrangements have been agreed on, what are we planning for the next couple of days?”
“We need to keep following the map.” Charlie replied.
“Someone needs to go get Zoe and anyone else that wants to leave Rivers Crossing.” Lori said.
“How do you think they are going to react when they see you?”
“They’re not going to see me until they get back here.” Lori replied.
“You can’t possibly be talking about splitting up again?” Charlie was shaking his head again.
“We have the barn and the bunker, those of us that stay here will be safe until you get back.” Lori said.
Eyes darting to Jermaine and then back to Lori again and again, Charlie asked. “I am going by myself to get her and the others?”
“Of course not, Jermaine will go with you in the truck. I am sure one of the buses still run for the ride back.” Lori replied smiling.
“Why do I need to go?” Jermaine asked joking then answered for himself. “I know, my job is to keep your Charlie safe and lend a calmer perspective to the venture.”
Chapter 16
A barrage of knocks followed by brief silence and then a more intense barrage of knocks on the windowpane, woke Megan up. Through sleepy eyes she was shocked at the sight outside of the diner. People were walking up and down the street. A few were pushing the mini-van and car from the center of the road while others were digging up the frozen bodies. In the middle of it all, blocking her view of more, was the Man in Black. He had been the offending knocker that, with his annoying pounding, had dragged her from a beautiful dream back home with her family.
He pointed toward the door and rotated his hand in an unlocking motion until Megan nodded in understanding. She moved the cigarette machine out of the way, then dragged the table back to its original position. She paused before twisting the knob to unlock what was left of the glass door. Glass crunched beneath his boots as he entered and brushed passed Megan, picking up the crowbar from the bar where she had left it. In one fluid motion he lunged toward Megan and she felt the swoosh of the crowbar passing by her face. Just missing her head, it landed with a crash against the cigarette machine. “These things are as good as having gold nowadays” he said grabbing a pack. “You can take a few as your finder’s fee.” Roaring with laughter from his own wittiness, the man sat at the very table Megan had been sleeping at.
“I take it you have decided to stay?” he asked her.
She sat at the bar, swinging the barstool around so she could look at him. “I stayed here last night to get out of the cold.”
