Daisy and the Dead

by Bale, Sarah

I peeked inside and saw my notebook and photos were still intact. I pulled the items out to show Sir, though I had a feeling he’d already looked through it.

  “These are my parents.”

  “Is that your sister?”

  “No, it’s my cousin. She passed away.”

  Flipping the notebook open I made a dash on my makeshift calendar so I wouldn’t lose track of dates.

  “What day do you have?”

  “Tuesday, September twentieth.”

  He nodded. “That’s what we have, too.”

  “You’ve been keeping track?”

  “Yeah. It’s important.”

  He was the first person I’d met in three years that knew the importance of keeping time. I went on my tiptoes and kissed him.

  “Thank you.”

  He kissed me back. “No problem.”

  The next two weeks went by much the same. We woke up, fucked, he walked me to the kitchen, I worked all day with Aunt B and Juan and learned about the hospital and the people who lived there; at six, Sir and I ate dinner together, then we’d got back to the room and fuck some more. Sometimes it was slow and sweet and sometimes I had bruises in places I didn’t know could bruise.

  It was strange settling into a routine so easily. A lot of that ease was because I felt safe with Sir. I hadn’t seen a zombie since entering the gates and it was kind of nice. It was also dangerous to my heart. Before I met Sir I had one goal in mind, now his dark eyes made me want something else.

  Sir kept his hand on my back as we walked to the cafeteria. His neck bore three scratches from our morning romp and I reached up, caressing him.

  “I might not be back in time for dinner,” he said suddenly.

  “Are you meeting with some of your men?”

  “Yeah. There’s been some grumbling coming from one of the camps and I need to squash it.”

  “Well, I can bring some food back to the room, if you’d like.”

  He shook his head. “Don’t bother.”

  I waited for him to kiss my knuckles, as he did each morning, but he let my hand fall and walked through the double doors. Frowning, I went to the kitchen where Aunt B waited for me.

  “Boss didn’t want to take anything with him?”

  “No. He seemed to be in a hurry.”

  In a hurry to get away from me…

  Sighing, I put on my apron and joined Aunt B. We worked in silence and I tried not to let my thoughts run away. Dread made my stomach ache.

  Finally, I asked, “How long does he usually keep a woman?”

  Aunt B looked up. “Boss? It depends.”

  “What’s the average?”

  She hesitated and my stomach dropped. Well, fuck. That wasn’t a good sign.

  “You should probably ask him. I wouldn’t want to overstep.”

  “Aunt B, please. I just…” I paused. “He was different this morning.”

  “Ah.”

  Yeah. My face felt flush as I waited for her to answer.

  “As I said, it depends. The longest was Marianne and that lasted a month.”

  A month. She had to be joking. The somber look on her face let me know she wasn’t.

  “The others… a few weeks.”

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuckety. Fuck.

  “But don’t overreact. He has a lot on his mind right now. I’m sure that’s it.”

  I appreciated what she was trying to do, but it wasn’t helping. He was tiring of me! What was I going to do?

  Standing, I said, “I’d better help Juan. He’ll shave the meat too thin again if I don’t.”

  She gave me a sympathetic smile as I went to find Juan. He stood at the meat slicer, waiting for me.

  “There’s my girl. Ready to help me make some magic?”

  He stepped aside so I could run the slicer. My mood lightened immediately and I reached for a hunk of meat, putting it on the metal plate. I pushed the handle that moved the plate, but nothing happened.

  “Crap. It’s stuck again, Juan.”

  Juan came behind me and peered over my shoulder. “That damn blacksmith probably didn’t sharpen the blade right. Last time he left a chip and it wouldn’t work. Here, let me try.”

  He reached around me and pushed the handle to no avail. I helped him and the blade groaned as it scraped against the metal plate.

  Grinning up at Juan I said, “We did it!”

  “Well… isn’t this fucking cozy.”

  12

  Turning, I found Sir standing there with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Juan took a huge step away from me. I couldn’t blame him. Not when Sir looked like he was about to murder one - or both - of us.

  “The handle was stuck,” I explained.

  My heart pounded against my chest. I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet I was terrified.

  Sir called Aunt B over, never taking his eyes from me as he spoke.

  “How long are you planning on keeping her on kitchen duties, Bertha?”

  “She’s quite good-”

  “How. Long.”

  Aunt B’s face paled. “She reports for laundry duty tomorrow.”

  This was news to me. However, I wasn’t about to argue.

  “Good. Daisy, I believe the cook can handle the rest himself. Come on.”

  I took my apron off, trying to apologize to Juan with my eyes. He stared at the floor, never making contact with me. Sir walked ahead of me and I was reminded of the first day we’d met. We went past his room and my stomach sank. Well, this wasn’t good. Where in the heck were we going?

  We made our way outside and walked toward Sir’s black car. He opened the door for me and I climbed in. Was he going to take me and dump me somewhere? I opened my mouth to speak, but he silenced me with a single look.

  “I don’t want to fucking hear it.”

  My mouth snapped shut and I leaned against the door, putting as much distance as I could between us on the bench seat. He glared at me as we drove past the gates. The men waved as if they’d known he was leaving. When we were on the main road, Sir pressed the gas pedal and the car jerked forward as we took off.

  Thirty minutes later Sir pulled the car over and got out, waiting for me to follow. He led me through a wooded area. Anger rolled off his body in waves and I couldn’t help but shiver. Ahead, there was a small house surrounded by a barbwire fence. Wooden stakes were also propped against the fence, ensuring any zombies that got too close would impale themselves.

  Sir went through the gate and closed it after I’d followed him. He led me around the house to the backyard. My eyes took in the sight before me and I was speechless. We were standing before the most beautiful garden I’d ever seen in my life. Butterflies floated from flower to flower and birds chirped happily.

  I stepped past Sir so I could look around. I followed the stone stepping path deeper into the garden until I was surrounded by peace and heavenly scents. Sir followed me never saying a word.

  Finally, I asked, “Did you do this?”

  “I didn’t start it, but I’ve maintained it over the years.”

  I knew without asking that this was his hiding spot – a place he escaped to so he could get away from his duties at the hospital. I followed the path and sat on bench that overlooked a small pond. Sir sat next to me and we were both silent.

  “Daisy, our time is coming to an end.”

  My head snapped toward his. He stared ahead, not meeting my eyes. I hated how my heart ached in that moment.

  “Di-did I do something wrong?”

  He didn’t answer me and my eyes filled with tears.

  “I promise I can do better.”

  I didn’t even know what I was promising. I’d done everything to the best of my ability.

  “Sir, please tell me what I can do to make this right.”

  I was begging now, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t ready to be pushed away. What had changed? Had he found someone else? A broken sob left my lips and I brushed away a tear that escaped. He stood and looked at me, a mask of calmness on
his face.

  “I’m tired of you, Daisy. It’s that simple.”

  Our little haven was interrupted as a zombie snarled against the fence. It must have heard our voices and was now impaled on a stake. It was kind of symbolic, really. It had met its end as I was meeting mine.

  I stood, too. “What are you going to do with me?”

  “You’ll move in with the other women at the first of next week.”

  Four days. He was saying I had four days with him.

  “Until then I’ll be staying elsewhere.”

  My stupid heart crumbled. So, he had found someone else. That was the only explanation. It was why he’d been cold that morning.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and said, “If you’re through with me then let me go.”

  “Go? You have no camp. You have no family. Tell me, Daisy, where will you go?”

  “You don’t know that.” I said, shaking my head.

  “What?”

  I blinked back tears. “You don’t know that I don’t have family. They could still be alive.”

  He snorted. “Sadly, I can probably guess their fate. So, my answer to your request is no.”

  Anguish made my head ache, but at the same time I became angry. How dare he decide he was through with me, but not allow me my freedom!

  Lifting my head high I said, “I’ll find a way to leave.”

  His beautiful dark eyes narrowed. “I’d like to see you try.”

  “I will try. I’ll try over and over until I’m free.”

  “And you’ll die for it.”

  We were standing so close now that his chest pressed against mine.

  “I’d rather die than to suffer a life I don’t want.”

  Without him, there wasn’t a life for me there, so I meant what I said. I’d escape or die trying. We both breathed heavily as tension filled the air. His gaze landed on my lips and he cursed right before his mouth crashed against mine.

  The kiss was punishing and bruising on both our ends. Our tongues clashed together, battling and tormenting. But I couldn’t ignore the warmth in my stomach or the wetness between my legs. Sir pushed me backward and we both fell to the ground. He softened the blow to the ground by cupping my neck with his hand, but this only made me angry. As if he even cared!

  I shoved his chest and thrashed under him as he pinned me with his legs. He grabbed my hands and then held them above my head with one of his own. I wasn’t about to give up, though, and kneed him in his balls. He cursed and caught my mouth again. This time the kiss was hungry and a moan escaped me as he tasted and licked. We kissed until we were breathless and I begged for more.

  He let my hands go and cupped my breasts, squeezing and toying with them. There were too many clothes between us and I reached down to unzip his pants. He paused and shoved them down his legs and did the same with mine. He caught my nipple through my shirt and bra and sucked until I screamed. When he let go, he blew on the wet spot left behind. I urged him on, needing him to fulfill the ache that was consuming me.

  He positioned himself between my legs. When the tip of his cock brushed against my pussy lips I moaned. He entered me in one thrust and I cried out as my body took him in all the way. We ground and rocked against each other, both of us trying to outdo the other. My heartbeat was irregular and the sweet tightening in my body let me know how close I was.

  Leaning forward, I caught his nipple in my mouth and sucked. Hard. He cried out and his body jerked as he came inside of me. My body shattered, too, and I rode wave after delicious wave of pleasure. Sir kept thrusting until my pussy stopped milking his cock, allowing me the best orgasm I’d ever had.

  When my body came back from heaven, I smiled up at him, but the bliss I felt quickly began to melt into a pool of icy dread when I realized he was angry. He stood and pulled his pants up. He wasn’t going to change his mind. I could see it in his eyes.

  I stood and almost cried when I looked down. He’d fucked me in a patch of daisies. And now he was done with me, as the flowers were finished. How stupidly symbolic.

  Sir walked away from me and said over his shoulder, “Get dressed. You have a new chore to learn back at the hospital.”

  My heart broke as I dressed. I meant what I said – I’d find a way to escape.

  I picked up one of the crushed daisies and held it in my hand as I followed Sir from the garden. We passed three more impaled zombies on the way out and I let the flower fall from my fingers. Daisy and the dead -that’s what my life was now.

  13

  Laundry duty was the worst. Not only did we wash everything by hand, but we hung it outside to dry, too. And if the weather was bad then we had to use makeshift lines in the hallway. Not to mention the filthy items sent to us. Seriously, what in the fuck were these people doing with their clothes? Rolling around in shit?

  Aunt B was silent as she worked alongside me.

  “I’m sorry about this,” I said as I hung a shirt up.

  My body still ached from the rough sex in the garden. Ever since we’d got back to the hospital all I wanted to do was sleep. But Sir wouldn’t allow that, of course. He’d taken me straight to Aunt B and told her to show me the laundry duties. Then he’d disappeared and I hadn’t seen him the rest of the day or all night.

  Now I was down to three days before he got rid of me. The thought depressed me and made my stomach churn. Plus, I hadn’t had anything to eat all day.

  “Don’t be sorry. I should’ve kept you rotating, but I enjoy working in the kitchen and you were truly an asset.”

  “Was Juan okay?”

  She smiled. “He was shook up, but who can blame him?”

  “I feel so bad about it. There was no reason for Sir to act that way.”

  “Oh, I can think of a reason. Boss was jealous.”

  There was a loud thud and Aunt B and I both jumped. Turning, we found Marianne standing there with her hands on her hips. On the floor in front of her was a laundry basket full of clothes.

  “These need to be mended. By morning.”

  Without waiting for a reply she walked off. Rolling my eyes, I turned back to Aunt B.

  “What was that about?”

  “I’m sure it rubs her raw knowing Boss cares for you.”

  I found that hard to believe. Had he tolerated me for sex? Definitely. But now my time was up with him, though he obviously hadn’t told Aunt B.

  She patted my arm. “Better take that laundry back to your room and get started on it.”

  I was regretting being such a quick student, but I nodded and took the basket to Sir’s room. Sunlight came in the window near the ceiling, so I sat on the floor with my sewing kit by my side. Most of the items needed buttons sewn on or patches over holes.

  As I went through the basket I began to wonder if all the items had went to the laundry room in that state. Some of the tears looked precise, as if they’d been cut with scissors. Fucking Marianne had probably done it on purpose. Sighing, I threaded a needled and got started.

  I worked on the floor until my back ached and my stomach growled. Judging by the shadows hitting the wall it was past six o’clock. I stood and stretched. Sir hadn’t told me what to do about meals. If I waited too long then I’d miss dinner. My hunger decided for me and I left the room, going to the cafeteria.

  Aunt B was leaving as I walked through the door and she stopped me.

  “Better take your food back to the room. He’ll be furious if you’re not there.”

  I nodded and got in line, wondering if maybe she did know more than I thought.

  Juan was working the serving line and smiled at me. I waved at him at the same time the hairs on the back of my neck prickled. Glancing over my shoulder I saw Sir walking toward me with a scowl on his face. Great.

  People moved out of his way and he was at my side in no time.

  “I don’t remember telling you to come to the cafeteria.”

  “I-I was hungry.”

  “Is that so?”

  I nodded, my
heart pounding. He wrapped his fingers around my wrist and led me to the front of the line. Juan swallowed, his throat bobbing.

  “Give me a tray, Juan.”

  Juan dished up meatloaf and boiled potatoes and handed the tray to Sir. Sir held it in one hand and pulled me along with him to a table. He sat and pointed to the floor next to him.

  “Sit.”

  My face warmed. “Sir…”

  “I said sit.”

  I lowered to my knees and sat back on my haunches, placing my hands in my lap. Sir grunted and took a bite of his meatloaf. Conversation began to flow around us and no one paid me any attention at all. Seriously, how often had this happened for them to not stare?

  Sir continued eating and my stomach began to rumble in protest. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of asking for food, though. I did, however, imagine several different ways for him to die. Fork in the neck. Butter knife to the balls. I snickered to myself.

  “Care to share?”

  I glanced up. “Nope.”

  He cut his eyes at me and pulled me to my feet. “Finish this and then go back to my room.”

  There were literally two bites of potatoes and one bite of meatloaf left. Glaring, I took his fork and finished the food. I dropped the fork on the plate and left the cafeteria, my anger growing each second. I wasn’t naïve- he wasn’t going to bring me more food. In fact, he was probably going to lock the door once I was inside.

  I slammed the door shut and went to my bag. I’d sewn a secret pocked inside where I’d hidden an energy bar. Tearing off the wrapper, I ate it quickly. It was expired like most prepackaged items were, but it tasted like heaven. I dropped the wrapper inside of the dresser. Let him chew on that when he discovered it.

  Out of curiosity I tried the doorknob. As I’d guessed it was locked.

  “You must really be worried I’m going to run,” I murmured.

  He should be worried. Once I formed a plan I would be gone. And then I would continue on my original journey and try to get to my family in Texas. It was the only thing I had left to hold on to. And by god nothing was going to stop me.

  The next morning I woke and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. Sir never returned and I tried not to think about whom he’d spent the night with, but I couldn’t deny the sour mood I was in. I left the room and went to the lobby.