State of Emergency

by Hallberg, Mary

  “The water?” Pierce said. “Like the drinking water?”

  “Apparently it’s the unfiltered tap water,” Dallas said. “Which most people don’t drink, but the animals do. That’s probably what happened to Tatum — she was drinking water from the cemetery. And I bet she infected the crew members too.”

  “Well that makes sense, right? The chemicals contaminated the water underground, and that’s where the virus came from. Since all the graves in New Orleans are above ground, the zombies wouldn’t rise up like they do in old movies.”

  “I guess so.” Dallas flipped back to the local station, but they had already moved on to another story. This one was about some big football game happening in Starkville that day.

  A few feet behind them, Talia sat up. “Is that the TV?” she mumbled.

  “The national news stations are reporting on it now,” Dallas responded. “I’m telling you guys, this is only going to get worse. It’s probably going to be awhile before there’s widespread panic, but we still need to go and stock up on as much stuff as possible. Water, non perishable food, even a change of clothes if you want. And we need to fill up the gas tank.”

  “When do you want to leave?” Pierce asked. “Because I kind of wanted to take a shower first.”

  “Take a shower? Are you kidding? You’re covering yourself with this water that’s killing people.”

  “I’m not going to drink it,” he said. “I’ll be fine.”

  Dallas grunted. “I swear to God, Pierce, if you accidentally drink any of that water, I’m running you over. If anyone needs to brush their teeth, I have a bottle of water you can use. Now, can one of you find us a grocery store?”

  Pierce only stayed in the bathroom for ten minutes, but Talia spent the duration of his shower leaning against the bed, wriggling furiously. Dallas attempted to wake Ashleigh and Sam, only succeeding after half a dozen tries.

  Pierce finally came out wrapped in a towel and Talia grinned like a little schoolgirl. Dallas didn’t question him, but eyed him suspiciously as he headed for the closet. He seemed okay, but they might not be able to tell for several more hours.

  There wasn’t much water left in Dallas’s bottle, but they did the best they could in brushing their teeth. They would have to get more when they stocked up on everything else. Unfortunately, that was going to be easier said than done.

  Pierce’s GPS showed a grocery store a mile away. After checking out of the motel, they piled back into the SUV, but only drove half a mile before Dallas saw a line that stretched from a parking lot to the grocery store ahead. Several police officers stood at various points in the line, glaring at anyone who so much as raised their voices.

  “What the hell is this?” Talia said. “Dallas, I thought you said people wouldn’t be panicking for awhile.”

  “I don’t know what this is,” she said through gritted teeth. Though she did notice an unusual amount of people wearing purple and yellow jerseys.

  “Look guys,” Ashleigh said. “All the LSU jerseys. These people aren’t running from zombies. They’re going to a football game.”

  “Should we go somewhere else?” Sam whispered. “Who knows when we’ll get in.”

  “Nah, I think we should try our chances here,” Dallas said. “All the other grocery stores are probably just as crazy.”

  So they claimed a spot in line, standing so close to the edge of the sidewalk they were nearly in the ditch. Dallas stepped carefully to avoid a wad of gum and a cluster of dirty leaves.

  “So Dallas,” Pierce said, “Just how much do you know about this stuff?”

  “Not much. I watch a lot of zombie movies, but that’s about it.”

  “Well, I haven’t seen many zombie movies,” Ashleigh said. “Have they been right so far? Do they usually start out like this?”

  “Um…not really.”

  “They don’t usually show the panic at the beginning,” Pierce said. “They usually start with the first zombie attack, then they skip ahead to when the virus has taken over. They never show it actually happening.”

  “Wonder why.” Ashleigh chewed on her bottom lip. “Isn’t that kind of like having a slasher movie that starts with the killer’s first victim, then fast forwards to his tenth or something?”

  “I keep telling you guys, I have no idea what this is going to be like,” Dallas insisted. “I mean...I’m pretty sure I saw a zombie...but what if I was wrong? What if I’m leading you guys all the way out here for nothing?”

  “Then we’ll have a great story to tell when our teachers ask why we missed class.”

  “And you’ll have a great excuse for why you didn’t come into work Monday,” Ashleigh said. “I’m sure they get that all the time. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t show up for my shift yesterday, but I thought I had to fight off zombies!”

  They got in after nearly forty-five minutes, but there wasn’t much of a selection. Most of the shelves were empty, and only a few had anything other than bottled water, juice, or perishable foods. Nevertheless, Dallas was shoved to the side more than once — and even directly into the shelves — by people grabbing items, mostly chips and dip. Louisiana residents could be a rowdy bunch, but the people in Mississippi were almost as bad. When a heavyset man in his late twenties shoved her out of the way for the last package of Doritos, she decided to hold her tongue. She wasn’t one to believe in things like karma, but life did often have a way of turning things around on a person.

  After twenty minutes with nothing but a pack of bottled water and a bruise acquired while grabbing it, Talia suggested that they give in. The lines for the checkout were even longer than the ones to get in the store. Nobody noticed as Dallas slipped a few water bottles out of the package and into her bag. If karma did exist, she decided, it might come after her first.

  She suspected the interstate would be just as busy, and she was correct. They drove for less than an hour before they were caught in a never ending traffic jam. In their haste to leave, they hadn’t even thought to buy gas. From their spot a few cars down from the interstate exit, Dallas saw a gray building that had to be a convenience store, beckoning to her like one of its candy bars.

  “Oh geez,” Talia whined, “It’s freaking hot in here.”

  After about half an hour at a standstill, Pierce and Talia abandoned the front seats and sprawled out on the hood of the car. According to Dallas’s phone, it was seventy degrees. There were few clouds, and the weather was supposed to stay this way for several days. If only the atmosphere had matched.

  “This is exactly what I was trying to avoid,” Dallas said. “Now we’re stuck in the middle of all this.”

  “You did the best you could,” Sam assured her. “Hell, if we had stalled or if you had hesitated earlier, even for a second, we’d be even further back than we already are.”

  “Yeah, but who knows if we’ll even get out of here at all.”

  “We will,” Pierce said. “Have you ever heard of a traffic jam lasting more than a few hours?”

  “There’s this poem by Shel Silverstein,” Dallas said. “You remember him, right? He has this poem about a red light that just never turns green. Everyone waiting just gets out of their cars and stands there, waiting for the light to turn. But it never does, and they just stand there for months until the poem ends.” She looked around. “Kind of looks like that now, doesn’t it? Except there’s no red light.”

  He laughed, “Come on Dal, this isn’t some poem. Just be patient.”

  “Not good advice when there’s a zombie virus going around and you’re stuck in a big traffic jam.”

  “Yeah, I guess not. Sorry, bad choice of words. But Dallas...seriously, it’s going to be okay.”

  “How do you know that?”

  Pierce sighed. “I don’t. I guess I just have faith in...well, someone. Even if it’s not God, like you.”

  “I have faith too,” Dallas said. “Just not in the people everyone thinks will get us out of this m
ess.”

  “Who? The cops? They’ll probably break up this traffic jam soon.”

  “And then what? We keep going to Chattanooga, and we see more zombies? Who’s going to protect us from them?”

  “I don’t know…doesn’t the government usually step in during these kinds of things?”

  “Oh please. When has the government ever been of any help during a major disaster? Do you guys remember Katrina?”

  “You really want to talk politics now?” Pierce said. She didn’t respond.

  The car next to them was a black SUV crammed with people. The young man in the back passenger seat looked out at them. He had short blonde hair and was dressed in a graphic t-shirt, not unlike Sam’s. He looked a little older than them; perhaps early or even mid twenties. To Dallas’s surprise, he rolled down the window and motioned her over.

  “So do you think there are zombies on the coast?” he said.

  Dallas opened her mouth but wasn’t quite sure what to say. It was the first time she had heard anyone other than her group of friends refer to the creatures as zombies. “What?”

  “Yeah, I know it’s nuts, right? No way are there zombies. The news is saying it’s just some new virus.” He propped a muscular arm up and leaned closer to Dallas. “I think that’s bullshit. If it looks like a duck and walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...well then.” He smiled.

  “Um...yeah.” The young man was certainly attractive, and Dallas wasn’t used to attractive strangers attempting to start a conversation with her.

  He laughed. “Sorry…that’s a really bad pick up line. I kind of do think there might be zombies out there. But I really just wanted to get you over here so I could talk to you.” He nodded back toward the car, where Sam sat against the front tire, scowling. “I don’t think your boyfriend is too happy with me.”

  “He’s not my boyfriend,” Dallas said quickly.

  “Either way, you probably think I’m crazy.”

  “No.” Dallas shook her head. “I really don’t.”

  A blonde boy who looked about six years old started poking the young man on the arm. “Danny, play this game with me!” he said.

  Danny laughed again. “Sorry, duty calls. Maybe I’ll see you again...”

  “Dallas.”

  “Dallas.” He winked and turned his attention to the little boy. Dallas stepped away and sat back against the tire.

  “You should be careful about who you talk to,” Sam said, still looking ahead.

  Dallas shrugged. “I didn’t tell him anything. Besides, he called me over. Was I supposed to say no?”

  “Of course you were. He could have been looking for information, or wanting to follow us.”

  “Information about what? He’s just going to a football game. That’s all anyone out here is doing, except us. He just wanted to talk.” She didn’t mention that Danny had specifically talked to her about zombies, not football.

  “How many people do you guys think are out here?” Talia said. “Maybe a few hundred?”

  “At least that many,” Sam replied. “Scott Field holds fifty thousand, and it’ll be full. At least a fourth of those people are probably coming up from Baton Rouge.”

  Dallas shuddered. “Scary, isn’t it? There must be hundreds of people out here right now, and there are hundreds more who are going to stay behind and get infected.” It shouldn’t have shocked her. After all, twice that many people crammed into the Superdome every week for various sporting events or concerts. But the people in the Superdome could walk up a flight of stairs and buy a frozen lemonade or little fans to keep them cool in the eighty or ninety or even one hundred degree weather. And unless two major rivals were playing, their lives weren’t generally in danger.

  She pointed to the empty interstate exit. “Do you guys think any of those stores are open? It would be nice to get some supplies in a place without a million people.”

  “Probably,” Sam said. “Don’t know why they wouldn’t be open on a Saturday.”

  “I don’t know guys,” Pierce said. “The traffic could start moving again. I don’t want to get left behind because we were poking around some gas station.”

  But for the next half hour, traffic didn’t budge. The temperature crept from seventy degrees to eighty-five. “Oh good,” Talia said, “I can work on my tan.” Ashleigh joined her on the roof of the car and they rolled up their tops, exposing two trimmed stomachs. Pierce wasn’t the only guy in the vicinity who gave them more than just a quick look. To Dallas’s relief, Sam only glanced at them briefly before turning back to her.

  “Are you doing okay?” he asked.

  She nodded, closing her eyes and leaning back against the head rest. “I’m fine. Just...anxious.” She would have joined Talia and Ashleigh on the roof, but didn’t care to move from her perfectly warm spot against the tire. And she liked sitting by Sam.

  The family in the car next to them — Danny’s family — was playing loud gospel music. Their front windows were cracked; she could hear the music clearly and closed her eyes. She found herself smiling and humming along to the familiar tune. Pierce had moved to the passenger seat of the car and sat silently. She knew he wouldn’t want to hear about God’s amazing grace or being washed in the blood of the lamb for much longer. After ten minutes, Talia complained that it was too hot and she and Ashleigh got back in the car. They turned the air conditioner on full blast.

  Dallas’s stomach growled, and she realized that, other than the cupcake the night before, she hadn’t eaten in almost twenty-four hours. She searched the car for any sort of food, even a pack of crackers, but there was nothing. They should have gotten those chips back at the grocery store. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Her stomach kept growling, and she finally lay down across the middle seat. The growling soon gave way to periodic but sharp hunger pains. Had she still been in New Orleans, they probably would have found a restaurant to eat at on the way home, even if it was just a fast food joint. Maybe Sam would have taken her on that promised coffee date later on. Just the thought of tasting a fast food burger or coffee shop pastry made her mouth water.

  After twenty more minutes, she reluctantly suggested they turn off the air conditioner. “You’re going to use up all of the gas if we keep running it,” she said. “I don’t want to have to push the car all the way down the exit ramp.”

  “Dallas,” Talia said, “I don’t think we’re going to move at all. I haven’t seen any cops or anyone out here telling us what we should do. And I don’t think there are any coming. I can’t just sit here, especially with the air off. It’s too hot.”

  “I think we should get out of here,” Sam said. “Go down that exit ramp. See if there’s anyone down there, at least someone who could point us to a different route.”

  “I second that,” Talia said. “I’m tired of sitting here doing nothing when there’s so much we could be doing.”

  Dallas shrugged. “Fine by me. What do you guys think?”

  “Sounds good,” Ashleigh said. “I’m getting bored too.”

  “I guess it’s fine,” Pierce said. “It’s not like we’re going anywhere fast.”

  They were met with more than a few stares as they crossed the interstate exit on foot. Dallas’s bag full of water bottles bounced on her back. “Why did the teenagers cross the road?” she muttered. “Because they were either the smartest people in the world or the dumbest.” The stares made her uncomfortable, but she would rather people stare for a minute and brush her off as some crazy person than ask questions.

  “I have to tell you something,” Sam said as they made their way down the ramp. The others were a few feet ahead, linking arms and laughing casually.

  “Please don’t tell me you got bitten. Or accidentally drank tap water.” She said it nonchalantly so he wouldn’t worry, but her heart was pounding.

  “No, nothing like that. I was wondering if Ali and David could join us. Ali sent me a text message last night asking where I was, and I t
old her everything. They’re my family, Dal. I have to at least try to help them.”

  “Of course they can come, Sam. Uncle Jack won’t mind.” She was glad not only that Sam was okay, but that his sister and brother-in-law would be joining them. She just hoped they could get out in time; the cars still weren’t budging, and she suspected Baton Rouge was even worse.

  The rest of the group was several yards ahead of them now, and they jogged to catch up. The gas station was further than it had appeared from the road — nearly half a mile away. “Oh thank God,” Talia said as they approached. “I hope they have food. I’m starving.”

  The store was just as quiet as the rest of the little town, and the parking lot was empty. There were a few other scattered stores several hundred yards down the road, and other than one or two cars, they were quiet too. There was a large wooden shed that looked like the fish fry places Dallas often saw along the road in small towns.

  They approached the front door of the gas station and Pierce pointed at the building. “It doesn’t even look like it’s open,” he said.

  “It’s open,” Dallas insisted. “There are lights on. Besides, most gas stations are open twenty-four hours.”

  “I don’t know...the place is completely deserted. Have you guys seen a single person since we got off the interstate?”

  “Pierce is right,” Ashleigh said. “This place is a freaking ghost town. You’d think there would be someone here.”