Allison let out a cry of triumph and began to run toward the rowboat. I followed behind, keeping a wary eye out for an ambush. My paranoia was unfounded. Soon we were loaded up and I was rowing toward the paddleboat. I could see figures on the deck. Sarah and Trevor were near the bridge, waving at us. Allison waved back, her mouth wide with a smile.
When I was close enough to the rear deck of the paddleboat, Trevor threw a line toward us. In a few minutes, Allison scrambled up the side using the iron rungs attached to the hull. Once the oars were put away, I went aboard. While Allison disappeared inside, I helped Trevor winch the rowboat up the deck and then stowed it away. Only then did we start to talk.
“I see you got the boat off the sandbar,” I commented.
“It was a tough job,” he said quietly, his eyes not meeting mine. He was hiding something.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked.
He looked at me for a second as if trying to gauge my reaction beforehand. He finally said, “It’s Joel. He didn’t make it through the night.”
“I see,” I managed to say, feeling empty inside. All that danger at the city had been for nothing. The sun seemed to grow colder and I wondered if this journey of mine to New Orleans was fruitless. So far it seems to have brought nothing but misery for all involved.
“Don’t take it too hard,” Trevor said. “You did everything you could for him.”
“But it still wasn’t enough. If only those damn vampires hadn’t kept us trapped then I could have saved his life.”
“You don’t know that. He could have died during the operation or any time afterward. There are no certainties in life, especially now.”
“You’re probably right,” I said just to be agreeable. I didn’t feel like talking anymore.
But the old sailor couldn’t let me go. He said, “I was able to rock the boat free by having the passengers move to the back deck. It took a while but I was able to do it without too much trouble. But by the time I caught up to you, I saw the rowboat was already pulled up at the docks. I took the opportunity to fill up the tanks with some diesel I found there. I also sent out some of the passengers to collect food and blankets. There wasn’t much food but it will last us a few more days. And then when night came I went out to the middle of the river and had everyone turn off the lights. I never saw any of those blasted creatures, but I sure did hear them. Something got them all riled up. Was that you?”
“That was us alright. We headed to the hospital but the vampires had taken it to use as a lair. We had to fight our way back to the street, and hole up in the attic of a house, but we still managed to get some medical supplies.”
“Well that’s something. We might need those ourselves.”
“It’s not much of a consolation.”
“It’s still better than nothing.”
I felt sick to my stomach as I brushed past Trevor and entered the interior of the lower decks. There I saw Sarah sitting with Allison. Both of them were crying. A wrapped sheet, covering the corpse of Joel, was resting nearby on the floor. I went over and lifted the sheet so I could look at the man, feeling self-conscious at my lack of tears. I had grown to like him, even though his first introduction had not been good. But he had learned to be a better man by helping those in need. I thought about my previous idea of giving up the quest to reach New Orleans, but with Joel’s death I realized it was more important than ever. He should not have died in vain.
I grabbed a chair and dragged it over so I could sit next to Allison. She looked at me, her eyes heavy with tears.
“I feel like such a fool,” she tried to explain. “I mean I wanted nothing more than to get away from him.” She swept a hand toward Joel. “I thought he was a creep. But he ended up being an okay guy. I suppose I feel guilty for never telling him that he was a good person.”
“It’s okay, Allison,” Sarah piped in.
I grabbed Allison’s hand and gave it a gently squeeze. “I think I understand. I’m feeling the same way. Perhaps it is because we’ve all lost too many people so far. The death of Joel is just one more, but he wasn’t killed by some disease, but by the hand of an enemy. It makes his passing seem so real, so direct, that it just wasn’t the hand of fate.”
“What are we going to do with him?” Allison asked.
“I’ll have Trevor anchor the boat somewhere. We’ll go ashore and bury him.”
October 27th – Evening
We buried Joel and the woman who had died during our escape from Desmond. It was in a spot near the river bank. There was a low hill behind us, along with a thick grove of trees. It was a beautiful place far from any road and would only get prettier after winter came and passed. Allison and Sarah snuffled through the few words I said. Trevor, who had helped me transport the bodies and dig the holes, merely stood to the side while leaning on a shovel handle. When I was done, we made a quiet retreat back to the boat. The burial had eaten up a few hours of daylight but I felt better.
Once Trevor had started up the engines, I found a quiet corner on the lower deck and tried to catch up on some sleep. I never truly slipped away, but instead inhabited a nether region of reality and dreams. When I got up later, I really didn’t feel rested, but had enough strength to handle whatever life would throw at me next. I went to the upper deck, where I found the other passengers busily eating a stew for dinner. I grabbed a bowl of myself, dipping a large spoon into the very bottom of a large pot that had been taken from the kitchen. It was heated by an electric fryer powered by the boat generator.
The stew had a strange and salty taste. Picking through the gravy, I decided that several cans of soup had been thrown together. It wasn’t exactly bad, and it would provide nourishment. I choked the food down while studying the remaining survivors. They were looking more comfortable with our situation. At least they weren’t being shot at and the boat gave them safety from the vampires. I now had the job of being their protector, but I wondered what I would do with them when I reached New Orleans. I would have to find a spot before we reached the city; some place safe enough for them to stay while I went on ahead. It would also be better if Allison and Sarah stayed with them. There was no reason to risk any more lives.
After I was done eating, I put the bowl into a bin with some other dishes. I wasn’t sure who was doing the washing up but this group had taken upon themselves to divide the labor among themselves. As I left, I gave some friendly nods to the assembled eaters, and even got some in return. They were becoming more accepting of me.
Out on the deck I saw the sun was beginning to set. Night came on fast this time of year. I headed toward the bridge, where I found Trevor steering the ship. Sarah was sitting nearby, gazing out the window to watch the river.
“Hello,” I said as I shut the door behind me.
“Good evening, Tom,” Trevor said. He only giving me a glance since his concentration was on the water ahead. He looked tired.
“I can take over if you need to get some rest,” I suggested.
“Nah, it’s only another hour or so before we lose enough light to travel by. I’ll set anchor and get some sleep after that.”
“Okay, it’s your choice. I just don’t want you to get too tired. You’ve been pushing yourself pretty hard.”
He grunted in response. That was apparently the end of that.
I went and stood by Sarah. We both looked out the window, watching the sun fade way into a palette of orange and purple. The stars began to wink on. Mars was low on the horizon, just rising above the sweep of trees. Everything looked peaceful. Far up ahead I could just make out a long arch that spanned the width of the river. It was an extensive bridge, probably for the heavy highway traffic.
“You see that?” I asked Trevor since the last of the sunlight was fading away.
He nodded at me. “That’s the Stone Ridge Highway bridge. A few miles after that and we hit Cairo, which is located where the Ohio and Mississippi River meet.
That was good news. Trevor switched on the fo
rward lights and lowered his speed. The beam of light probed ahead, barely making a dent in the increasing inky darkness. I wanted to warn Trevor to stop the boat, but he seemed dead set on gaining a few more miles of distance before setting anchor. Maybe he wanted to make up for lost time, or put some distance between us and Joel’s burial spot. I didn’t ask, but instead tried to keep a lookout for any hazards.
It was a maybe twenty minutes later when the beam of the spotlight struck the pilings of the bridge, the vast expanse of concrete and metal above disappearing into the gloom.
“Bridge!” I warned Trevor.
He spun the wheel without comment and the prow of the boat edged away from the hazard. The boat began to slide under the bridge when I heard, in the distance, a high keening sound. The vampires were nearby. Blood began to rush in my ears. I was about to warn Trevor to stop when a heavy thud struck the deck behind us. That in itself was not a call for alarm, but the sound repeated itself, and then became a flurry of heavy noises that began to shake the ship like a landslide. The boat dipped and shuddered from the violence. Quickly slipping the shotgun off of my shoulder, I opened the door, and ran outside. In the darkness I could barely see. I could just make out a convoluted mass covering the top deck, with more shadowy figures falling from above. A couple of overhead lights blinked on – Trevor must have turned on the deck lights – and now I saw that the thick mass were pale white bodies littered along the expanse. The vampires had thrown themselves from on top of the bridge down to the boat below, sacrificing many so a few could get at us. My mind reeled in shock as I saw the remaining creatures – the vampires who survived the plummet, cushioned by those who went before – began to pull themselves free of the dead. There were over a dozen of them left alive, more than I could handle with just a shotgun.
I fired two shots, killing one of them, while the other buckshot went wild. I had to warn the others. Reaching back with one hand, I managed to open the door behind me. I hastily stepped inside.
“Stay here,” I warned Trevor and Sarah. I could hear my own voice shaking. “The vampires are all over the ship. Lock the door after I leave.”
They only gave me open stares of horror.
“Trevor, stop the boat right now! Don’t go any further under the bridge. I’m afraid there will be more jumpers waiting for us on the other side.”
He nodded, pulled the throttle back and let the engines idle out of gear. There was a splash as the anchor dropped into the river. I gave Sarah a brave smile and then went back outside.
The vampires – the ones still moving – were gone. I heard screams coming from the deck below. I ran to the stairs, and went down to the second deck. I burst through the door and found a scene of chaos. Two corpses were at my feet, both of them old men, who had been torn apart by the attackers. The vampires were busy mauling the remaining passengers, who were screaming more than fighting. I couldn’t get a clear shot, not with the wide spread of the buckshot. Instead I took a few steps and smashed one of the creatures in the back of the head with the butt of the shotgun. The beast fell forward, the back of his head a bloody pulp.
One vampire came at me, its mouth wide open in a silent scream, the blackened teeth bared like a wild animal. It was a woman, or the remnant of one, dressed in a rag of dress. With outstretched hands that had long nails she leapt for my throat. I brought the barrel of the shotgun up just in time to connect with her body. I fired. The buckshot cratered her chest in an explosion of blood and bone. She collapsed to her knees, a swaying dying thing. The floor was getting slick with gore. I slipped and just caught myself from falling on my face.
I was on my knees. From my position I could see the survivors were quickly getting pared down. I saw Elizabeth on the ground, her dead eyes staring at nothing. A wounded man was next to her, desperately trying to defend against the four attackers on him. I didn’t have a chance to help him since a quick bite to the neck finished him off. My concern, however, for the other remaining survivors stopped once I heard a rifle shot from below. It had to be Allison.
I scrambled up, and retreated to the stairs, leaving the others to their fate. They would have to fight on their own until I got back. In hindsight it wasn’t a heroic move but Allison was more important to me than anyone else in the world. I had to save her. I rushed down to the next deck, mindful that there were only two shells left in the shotgun. Kicking through the lower deck doors, I managed to see Allison’s black hair through the legs of three vampires, who had her pushed into a far corner. She fired the rifle again, the bullet puncturing a hole through the chest of one of the creatures. It went down, turning on its side as it fell to the floor. A few strides later and I was able to grab one of the vampires by the collar and yank it away. It turned its attention on me, the claws raking across my arm as it tried to lunge for my neck.
I swung the butt of the shotgun up, aiming for the creature’s face. Or at least I tried to but it was too close. This was a big specimen, skinny from hunger but still built with wide shoulders and muscular arms. He had a black t-shirt and blue jeans on, both tattered and worn. Those pale eyes bored into mine as the big jaw took another snap at my neck. I pushed back, tripped and landed on my rear. The shotgun accidentally went off, or at least I don’t remember pulling the trigger, and the buckshot fired upward. The vampire’s head was torn away in a mist of dark blood, which splattered on the ceiling above. The creature died right there, and fell into a heap.
I only studied my handiwork for a second before I remembered Allison’s plight. With weak knees, I managed to stand again. I saw that she was still on the ground, her back shoved into the corner, screaming while she used a fist to strike the remaining attacker’s head. The rifle, now useless, was at her side. The creature was determined to kill her, getting closer to that slim neck of hers. I was over there in a second and, with one hand, tried to drag the vampire off of her. It was clutching at her clothes with an iron grip and would not break free. My move was a mistake. I should have pounded the thing in the back of the head with the butt of the shotgun. Allison let out a bloodcurdling scream as the vampire bit her deeply on the side of the neck. The blood gushed out, looking so very red.
I could barely see; my vision blurred with swirling red anger. With all my strength I brought the butt of the shotgun down on the side of the creature’s skull, breaking the bite. And, as Allison pulled away, began striking over and over until the head was nothing but bloodied pulp. Only then did I stop, realizing that I was shaking with a flood of adrenaline.
Allison had pulled herself away, whimpering in pain as the blood continued to ooze out of the frightful wound. I let the shotgun fall on the floor and went to her, trying to stem the flow of blood. Her eyes were wide with shock, the flesh on her face turning pale. She was hurt badly.
“It’s okay,” I whispered into her ear as I tried to get her to sit upright. “I’m here.”
Through clenched teeth she managed to say: “It hurts, Tom. It hurts.”
“We’ll bandage you up, alright? Some antibiotics and a few days rest will have you right again.”
She nodded painfully. I couldn’t tell if she believed me or not. I didn’t know if I even believed my own words.
I pulled her to a chair, took her hand and put it on the wound. “Stay here,” I said. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’ve got to go help the others.”
Allison stared at me, trying to look brave.
I grabbed the shotgun and ran up to kill the remaining vampires. They were going to pay.
October 28th – Morning
The boat stayed underneath the bridge until daylight broke. Before the sun rose I had already killed the remaining vampires using my shotgun and a fire axe. The decks were a now a bloody mess of corpses, the floor smeared red with blood. None of the town survivors, except for Trevor, had lived through the night. Instead they had died at the hands of these infernal creatures; bodies torn apart and dismembered. Sarah and Trevor were still barricaded inside while Allison remained suffering i
n the lower deck. I had bandaged the wound up and given her a dose of painkillers and antibiotics. She was still awake but in no mood to talk.
When I was done with my primitive doctoring, I went back to the bridge. I knocked on the door and Trevor let me in. He looked exhausted. Sarah was curled up into a ball, asleep on the floor.
“We can move ahead now,” I said, looking out the window. The dawn light from behind extended the boat’s shadow along the length of the piling. The water shone like a thousand diamonds. I felt tired and unreal.
Trevor grunted, pulled up the anchor with the automatic winch, and started the diesels up. We gently idled out of the vampire’s trap. The boat cleared the bridge above with any further incident. When we had traveled a few hundred yards, I spoke.
“Stop here and drop anchor. You have to help me clear the dead off of the decks.”
Once again Trevor did not speak. Instead he steered the boat into the middle of the river and let the engines idle. The anchor went down with a splash and the craft drifted a few feet before being stopped by the taut line.
I leaned over and gently shook Sarah awake. She looked deathly pale with black smudges under her eyes.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” she said. “Are they gone?”
“Everything’s okay. I want you to go down and stay with Allison. She’s been hurt.”
That bit of news woke her up. Sarah nodded, got up, and staggered outside. I followed and watched as she went down the stairs. She looked scared. The mass of dead bodies piled up was horrific and there were even more horrors below. I hoped that it wouldn’t have too much of an effect on her. There was no time to consider the state of her emotions. She would have to soldier ahead and help where she could. It was a bad time to be a kid.
The bridge was behind us now. The details of the span were blotted out by the sun. I wondered how the vampires knew to congregate there and attack us. I had thought we were safe here on the boat. I was wrong. But why? I thought the creatures couldn’t think beyond their next meal. But somehow they knew to come here and try to take over the boat, even though it meant sacrificing many of their own. That spoke of some ability to communicate even though I had never heard the creatures use words. I thought back to how the vampires had hunted for me and Allison. Perhaps that strange bat-like cry gave some primitive direction to those monsters. I didn’t know.
The Dead Are Sleeping Page 17
