Broken Dreams

by Rissa Blakeley

  Henry shook his head. “Sorry, love. I won’t let that happen.” I sighed. Always trying to be the hero. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to prove his manliness, or if he was just barking mad. I decided to go with the latter.

  “Whatever. I was just trying to help you out. You are obviously in no shape to fight.” I rolled my eyes. They would end up in a permanent roll if I kept it up.

  “I understand that, and appreciate your efforts.” His words were short and precise. He spoke more to be polite than anything else. The entire group was looking back and forth between us, like they were waiting for the train wreck to obliterate one another.

  Sophie clapped her hands together. “So it’s settled. Henry, Elaina, and Nick inside. Claire and I’ll be outside. Let’s do this, bitches.”

  Even though I was still upset with Henry, we used our usual entering routine. He counted to three, I pulled open the door, and he entered first. We went up and down the aisles separately, and I found nothing.

  Nadda. Zero. Fucking zilch.

  Absolutely nothing. Literally. All of the store’s stock looked to have been cleared out. There were random empty boxes lying around. There wasn’t even a single stick of gum left. Of course, since I didn’t see any gum, I was now craving it.

  I began to salivate while I was daydreaming of that minty fresh flavor in my mouth. I closed my eyes, and I could almost feel myself chewing it.

  “Elaina!” I heard Nick yell. I jumped, and my eyes popped open.

  “What?!”

  “Nine o’clock! Nine o’clock!” I whipped my head around to my left, and there was an undead woman about five feet from me. How the hell did I miss that? I panicked. I didn’t even have my Sig out and ready.

  “Shit! Shit! Shit!” I looked to my right and, lucky for me, I was in the aisle that ended at the wall. I screamed like the sissy girl that I was, and ran down toward the wall. Thinking fast, I pulled the shelving unit over and it crashed to the floor, taking the undead woman down with it.

  I could hear her still growling and struggling, trying to get out from underneath the twisted pile of metal. I looked around, and saw the side door was open. She must have wandered in from there. I heard another moan, and then I saw Nick lying on the floor.

  “Oh, my god! Nick!” I screamed as I ran toward him. He was reaching up for me when I got to him. I could see the life fading from his eyes. I collapsed down next to him, trying to figure out what had happened. Then I saw it. He had a nasty bite wound on his arm. Blood was oozing out, and forming a small pool on the grimy floor.

  “Nick, no! No! Please…stay with me.” I looked for something to cover his arm with. He reached his bloody hands to my face, brushing his knuckle against my cheek.

  “Elai-na-na…” he garbled. “Sh-sh-oot m-me.”

  “No! No, no! Nick, it’s going to be okay. I’ll help you.” I looked around for Henry, but I didn’t see him. “Henry! Henry! Help me! Someone, please…” I sobbed as I yelled for help. I heard the front door open with haste.

  “Elaina!” Claire yelled. “Where are you?!”

  “Toward the back! Oh, Nick, don’t you dare die on me. Do you hear me? You stay with me!” I held my hand over the gaping bite mark on his arm, applying pressure, trying to slow down the bleeding. I heard Claire running down the main aisle.

  “Nick!” Claire slid down next to us in the ever growing pool of blood. She took his hand, and he weakly smiled at her. His eyes closed, and his breathing was staggered.

  “My Claire…s-s-so…beau…tiful,” he whispered. Claire cried on his chest.

  “Damn it! Where’s Henry? He can help!”

  “No, Hen-ry…,” Nick managed to stutter out, then the life faded from his face.

  “It’s too late. It’s too late, Elaina!” Claire said, while she sobbed on his chest.

  “No! Henry can help. Where is he?”

  “It’s too late!” she screamed at me.

  “Hold on. Nick, please! I am going to find Henry.”

  Claire grabbed my arm just as I tried standing up. She pulled me back down to meet her face. “Listen to me! It’s. Too. Late.”

  “No! No, it’s not!”

  “He’s dead! He’s fucking dead! Look at him!” She was screaming at me through her tears, trying to reach me.

  I couldn’t look at him. In my heart, I knew that he was gone, but I didn’t want to accept it. I couldn’t accept it. I refused to accept it. Claire looked around the store.

  “What happened in here?”

  “I don’t know.” I started to cry again, and I rested my head on Nick’s chest.

  “You didn’t see what happened?”

  “No, not really. We went down the aisles separately. I didn’t even have my Sig out. I was in that aisle.” I pointed at the shelving unit that was in a twisted pile on the floor. I continued to sob. “This is entirely my fault!”

  “Elaina…no, it’s not your fault.” Claire was trying to reassure me through her tears. “We have to…you know, since he was bit.”

  “No! Leave him be!”

  “He’s going to turn! We have to! I’d rather it be us than someone else!” What was left of my heart felt like it was ripped out and trampled by a herd of elephants.

  I was angry that she would even suggest shooting Nick. I closed my eyes, picturing Nick and I as kids. He was my only family member left, that I knew of, and he was gone. My stomach churned when I opened my eyes. The pool of blood was growing around Nick’s lifeless body.

  “Elaina, please leave, and I’ll give him a true death.” She pulled me up.

  “No. Let me say goodbye.” Claire let go of my arm, and I knelt back down. I took his limp cold hand. “I love you, Nick. I promise I will find Mom. I promise you. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you. I’m so sorry.” I kissed him on the forehead, as my sobs choked out from my throat.

  Claire put her hand on my shoulder. I stood up, my clothes wet with Nick’s blood. She looked directly into my eyes. She had tears running down her face. I nodded at her, and headed toward the front entrance.

  Just as I reached for the handle, I heard a muffled yell. I stopped in my tracks. “Claire, did you hear that?”

  “Yes. Shh…” We heard it again. The muffled yell was coming from the back of the store. I ran toward the sound. “Elaina, I have to take care of Nick before it’s too late. Leave, and then we can send Sophie in to check it out.”

  “I have to find out who or what that is. It might be Henry!”

  “It’s probably undeads in the back room somewhere. Get out of here!” I crept closer to the back door, completely disregarding Claire, who was still yelling at me to leave.

  There was a restroom and an employee breakroom door. I listened at both, barely breathing.

  Nick’s death was looming over me like a heavy weight. I was trying to put him out of my mind when I heard the muffled yell again. I thought it sounded like Henry, but I wasn’t one hundred percent certain.

  Without a doubt, the noises were coming from the breakroom. I looked back at Claire, and waved her to the door. She shook her head. I waved at her again with a little more aggression. She let out a reluctant sigh, and came to me after she kissed Nick on the forehead.

  I held up my hand, showing her three fingers, then two, and then one. I pulled open the door and was met with the end of a shotgun to my forehead. Claire screamed.

  “One more step an’ I will blow your fuckin’ brains out.”

  I estimated that the badass gunslinger was around fourteen. I could see over his shoulder, which made it obvious that he hadn’t gone through puberty yet. Henry was tied up on the floor, blood all over his chin and shirt.

  The only thing I could think of was how the hell did this scrawny punk ass kid get Henry down? Both Claire and I held our hands up. “Let’s have a chat about this first,” I said.

  “There ain’t nothin’ to talk about!” Who did the punk ass kid think he was, hollering at me like that?

  “Have you ever heard
that elementary poem ‘Don’t Say Ain’t’?” It probably wasn’t the best time for me to throw out some proper Elaina attitude.

  “Shut up! I’ll do it! Maybe I’ll shoot him firs’, and make you watch him die!”

  “Whoa there, cowboy. Let’s calm down and chat about this,” Claire said, always the practical one. I thought about kicking the little punk ass kid in his little boy tomatoes, ripping the gun out of his hands, and turning the table on him. But if Claire or I had reached for our Sigs, I had a feeling that our foreheads would have been peppered with pellets.

  “Wha’s to chat about?” His skinny little lip curled up into a snarl.

  “This, you fucking idiot!” I yelled.

  Claire kicked me in the calf. “Shut it, Elaina!”

  Henry was scream mumbling in the back on the floor. He had a scarf tied around his head like a gag. He was yanking his arms, trying to free himself from a rope that hogtied his hands and legs behind his back. “Let’s just calm down and talk about this. Maybe we can work out some sort of deal.”

  Not only was she practical, Claire was diplomatic, unlike me, who would rather smartass my way out of shit. I couldn’t believe she wanted to make a deal with the prepubescent punk ass kid. Then I noticed the offer of a deal got his attention.

  “What kind of deal?”

  “We may have something you would want. Food or drink?” The punk ass kid licked his dry, overly-chapped lips. He was hungry, for sure. His shirt was barely hanging on him, his collarbones were protruding, and his face was sunken in.

  “You will trade for tha’ crazy fucker?” He nodded his head back toward Henry, astonished. I wasn’t sure who this kid thought he was, but I was the only one who could call Henry crazy and get away with it.

  “Watch your mouth, you hairy-palmed little boy! Don’t you dare speak poorly of him!”

  “Screw you! Do you have any idea wha’ he did? Huh? Do you?” Claire and I looked at each other.

  “Looking for undeads and supplies?” I cautiously chose my words. The punk ass kid started laughing. It took me by surprise. I wasn’t so sure what was funny about the situation.

  “You have no clue, do you?” Henry started yelling as much as he could through his gag. The little twerp continued to laugh.

  “Uh, yeah I do. We stopped here to check for supplies.” I felt my fourteen-year-old self coming out.

  “Look around! There ain’t no supplies. I’m all out!”

  “Exactly. That’s why we will work a trade with you. We have some supplies.”

  “That doesn’t change what he was doin’!” Henry continued yelling through the gag. I couldn’t make out what he was trying to say.

  “Alright, Captain Know-It-All, you tell us exactly what he was doin’.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest. It’s my signature “I don’t give a fuck what you say because I know I’m right” move.

  “He killed that dude out there. That other one that was wit’ you!” I stopped for a moment. I was taken aback. That dude was my blood. Thoughts of Nick’s death crept back in.

  “What? No, he didn’t! That dude was killed by that undead out there! And that dude is my brother! Show some respect, you pissant!” He laughed again. It was such an evil laugh. There was something seriously wrong with him.

  He got inches from my face and yelled, “Wrong!” I didn’t back down. He had no idea who he was fucking with.

  “How am I wrong? Please, tell me how I’m wrong!” I was ready to fuck his face up.

  “I saw him go behind him after he yelled to you, covered his mouth wit’ his hand, and put a gun to his head.” He was batshit crazy. There was no way that Henry would have done something like that! The kid could sense that I was doubting his story. “It’s true! Then he bit right down on his arm and was suckin’ on it like a vampire!”

  “I’m throwing out the bullshit flag on that one! Nick was bit by the undead that’s under that shelving unit! You’re just making up shit! And, FYI, vampires are not real!” My heart and mind was racing, trying to figure out how to get Henry free.

  “I ain’t fuckin’ lyin’! He used the undead, or whatever you call it, as a diversion. I saw him do it! And how do you know vamps ain’t real? Zombies are so why not vamps?” I could see Claire looking over at Henry, examining him.

  “You really are mental aren’t you? Hello! It’s fucking daylight, you asshat! Everyone knows that vampires don’t come out in the daylight! They fry, or get all sparkly.” Okay, so I was being a little facetious. There were times that I couldn’t help myself. It was in my nature.

  “For the last time, I ain’t lyin’! And there’s vamps, too? Wha’ the hell’s goin’ on?”

  I shook my head, thinking how stupid this little twerp was. “Okay, okay. Let’s just say this little fabricated story is true for a moment…” I leaned in even closer to him. “Why would he do something like that?”

  “I have no clue! Maybe he’s some sort of freak crossbreed or something.” His words trailed off as he looked between Henry and Nick.

  “A freak crossbreed? Because that exists.” I busted out the eye roll again.

  “You are really startin’ to piss me off, lady! I’ll shoot your ass! I saw it with my own two eyes!”

  “Well, maybe you need to find yourself a pair of glasses!” Claire pushed me aside a little bit. She was going to try to diffuse the volatile situation. Good fucking luck because I was ready to kick his ass.

  “Listen,” Claire said. “If he did what you said, then we will take care of it. Just let us trade him for some goods. You can come out to our trucks…”

  His eyes nearly popped out of their sunken sockets. “Trucks? Like more than one?” He looked amazed at our good fortune.

  “Yes, plural. You can come out to our trucks, and you can pick out some food and water. You’re obviously in need.”

  The kid looked back at Henry, then at Claire and me. “How do I know this ain’t some sort of trick?”

  “If there aren’t two black trucks out there, you can come back in and shoot him.”

  Henry didn’t agree with her deal, and neither did I. I grabbed her arm, and gave her my best “what the fuck” glare. “What? Are you out of your goddamned mind? You can’t just volunteer his life like that!”

  “He was going to shoot someone anyway, Elaina.” Claire spoke through her teeth, much like Henry would when he was royally pissed. I glanced over at Henry, and I looked at the blood on him. The sight concerned me, but I didn’t show it. I felt a little guilty, using his life as a bargaining chip.

  “Fine. Let’s go then.” I turned around and headed back out the door, not even worrying about the shotgun that he was holding. Henry was screaming in protest, while the prepubescent punk ass kid followed behind like a faithful dog. I swear that I could hear him salivating over the thought of food.

  Claire stopped for a moment when we got to Nick’s body, but then she caught back up to me. In the heat of the moment, we nearly forgot about what we needed to do. I felt so guilty that I had neglected my brother. My heart and stomach ached.

  Then I heard a garbled moaning. I realized Nick must have been turning. I stopped dead in my tracks. “Claire…” I whispered. I pulled out the Sig that I had tucked neatly away in the back of my pants. Now or never, I thought. Nick suddenly stumbled to a standing position and staggered to the end of the register counter, holding his arm.

  We stepped back a few paces. I blinked a few times, but still had my Sig trained on him. I kept saying to myself, That’s not Nick. Nick is dead. He sensed that we were there, and looked up. His eyes were bright emerald green…like Henry’s.

  “What. The. Fuck.” I have an epic way with words. He coughed and dragged the back of his hand over his lips.

  “E-lai-na…” Nick grumbled. I stared at him in disbelief.

  “Nick?” No response. “Nick? Are you in there?” He nodded, but grabbed his neck and cringed in pain. I was absolutely astonished.

  “Duuude…this is the most bullshitti
est thing I’ve ever seen!” Apparently, the kid had an epic way with words, as well. I was at a loss. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My brain was not computing what had just happened. And where the fuck was Sophie during all the absurdity?

  “Claire, what is going on? Have I gone batshit crazy or something? Am I dreaming this?”

  “If you have, then so have I,” she stammered.

  “Where’s Sophie?”

  “I have no idea. She said she would stand guard until I came back out.” I wanted to run over and hug Nick, but I was so confused and, quite frankly, I worried he was going to try to eat me.

  “I guess you could say that we are some sort of freak crossbreeds.” We all spun around.

  Chapter 16

  H

  enry walked toward me, Sophie at his side. I was confused as to how she came up from behind, but I realized she must have come in through the broken side door. I turned back around to Nick so I could try to decipher what was taking place right in front of me.

  I looked at Henry, then at Sophie, and then I spun around and looked at Nick. The same eyes. Oh, my god. They had the same motherfucking eyes! I started to back up, away from Henry. “Oh no. Fuck, no…” I stepped back further.

  “Elaina, please, let us explain.” I raised my Sig at Henry, and then at Sophie, and then I swiveled on my heels to Nick. I didn’t know what to do, or where to go, or who to shoot first. My mind was racing, my heart was pounding out of my chest. I began to feel a little lightheaded.

  “What the fuck is going on?” I swallowed hard. I was trying not to freak out, trying not to faint, and trying not to run all at the same time.

  “I was hoping to be able to tell you in due time, and I certainly hoped it wouldn’t happen like this.” He held out his hand and touched my Sig. Ballsy move, motherfucker. I could have pulled the damn trigger. “Give me the gun, love.” I held it with a firm grip. I stood there, shaking all over. “Please. I promise you no harm. Trust me.” I wasn’t ready to let go of it just yet.

  “You’re one of them, aren’t you?” Holy shit. He was an undead. Holy fucking shit. Henry and Sophie just stared at me. I looked at Nick again. He was leaning over the counter, rubbing his temples, much like Henry did. Claire had no words, either. The punk ass kid stood there with his mouth hanging wide open like he was goddamn fly trap.