She plucked one of the apples from the bowl and took a big bite. The taste reminded her of many nights when she was little. Her dad would read her stories before bed while she ate apple slices dipped in peanut butter. She cast a dismal look at the apple. She would have to savor them while they were still good. Who knew when she would get to have them again.
The dog looked up at her glumly as she chewed her piece of apple.
“I guess you’re probably hungry.” Liv cast about the kitchen. She had no idea where his owners kept his food. She hadn’t seen any big bags of dog food so far. After a few useless moments of standing around, Liv pulled open the fridge and examined the tubs of food. In one, she found a large hunk of meatloaf.
“Here, buddy. I guess you get an extra special breakfast today.” She set the open Tupperware container down in front of the dog. The poor animal didn’t dig in like she’d expected. He just looked back at her with big brown eyes.
“It’s alright,” she coaxed, gesturing to the container again. “Go ahead.” Reluctantly, the dog lowered its head to the container and took a tentative lick of the meat. Within a few seconds, he began chomping his way into the delicacy.
In one of the cabinets, Liv found a coffeemaker and a small plastic container of ground coffee. Based on the dust accumulated on the coffeemaker, both probably hadn’t been touched in weeks, maybe even months. With a shrug, Liv set up the simple device and started brewing a small batch of coffee.
The divine aroma of the brewing beans filled the air, and Liv smiled as she took in a deep breath. Liv took her time sipping the tan-colored liquid from the biggest mug she could find. The coffee wasn’t great, but she intended to savor every bit of it.
Liv put down her coffee as she saw a small, blocky fixture on the kitchen counter. Slowly, she reached over and picked the small cordless phone up from the dusty charging stand. She mashed down the call button and lifted the phone to her ear.
A dial tone.
The phone lines were still up. Liv quickly dialed Colin’s cell number. While she didn’t have many memorized, it was one of the few she knew by heart.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
The voicemail picked up and Liv gritted her teeth in frustration.
“Colin, please pick up.” Of course, he wouldn’t hear the message until later. At least, she hoped he was still around to hear it later. “We had to leave the other house. Things got…bad.” She relayed the new address to him and fell silent for a long moment. “Where are you? Elli was asking about you this morning.” Tears choked her words. “We need you. Please hurry up and find us.” She took a deep breath and steadied herself. “I don’t have my cell phone anymore. It got left behind. Try calling this number back and I’ll answer if I can. I love you, Colin.”
Liv quickly hung up, taking a few more deep breaths. As the tears subsided, she dialed her parents’ home number.
Ring. Ring.
“Hello,” a familiar deep male voice answered. Liv’s heart leapt at the sound of her father’s voice.
“Dad!” She gasped. “I’m so—”
“We’re sorry,” an automated female voice cut in. “All circuits are busy. Please try your call again later.”
“Dad! Dad!” Liv shouted but the only answer was a repeat of the automated message.
With a growl, Liv punched the “end call” button and hit redial.
“We’re sorry. All circuits are busy. Please try your call again later.” Again, Liv hung up and redialed. Nothing answered. Not her father. No ringing. Not even the aggravating automated voice.
“God damn it!” Liv shrieked, slamming the phone repeatedly against the counter.
The plastic outer case fractured and the phone fell to pieces in her hand.
Oh no. Liv dropped to the floor, scrambling to gather the pieces. But it was too late. She had no idea how they fit together.
Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. She had shattered her only connection with the outside world in a stupid fit of rage.
A quiet muffled sob broke Liv from her panic. Elli stood just outside the kitchen, her eyes locked on Liv. Her chin quivered as tears ran down her cheeks.
“Oh, baby.” Liv rushed to Elli and snatched the child into her arms. “I’m so sorry. So so sorry.” Elli broke into a full sob as Liv cradled her close. She was frightened. The world was frightening and now her own mother had frightened her.
Liv swayed back and forth, clutching Elli close and crying with her.
Day 2
8:02 am
After breakfast, Liv searched the living room for any blood that the woman might have left behind on her way to the stairs. The drops were splashed across a decorative rug on the living room floor and the tile in the entryway by the staircase, and a trail ran up the stairs.
The rug could be rolled up. The tile could be bleached. Everything else looked untouched.
Liv made short work of the blood. She set Elli down to play as she turned the coffee table on its side and moved it in front of the staircase. She had no problem moving it, but Elli wouldn’t be able to get around it to climb the stairs, so it would have to replace the normal child gate.
She looked around the room and pondered the supplies they would need to help them on their journey. There were many things she wanted to take, but she could only carry so much. They would need food, water, bleach, or something similar to sanitize and sterilize whatever they needed, some basic medical supplies, at least one change of clothes, and a weapon or two.
Liv rubbed the back of her neck gingerly. A wave of anxiety washed over her. There was too much to do. Too many things they needed. How could they ever get through it with just what she alone could carry without being too burdened to fight or run?
Liv took a deep breath and slowly blew it out through her lips.
If she fell apart, they wouldn’t make it anywhere. She decided to start by looking for a new bag. The diaper bag she carried had been a baby shower gift from Jorden. It was adorable but that alone could not beat out its lack of practicality. The top didn’t close, which wasn’t a big problem when toting Elli’s things around but it would never be able to secure the things they needed to survive. She needed to find something more functional.
The entry closet seemed like a good place to start. It was an easy storage place for small totes someone might need.
In the closest hung an assortment of men’s and women’s coats. Shoes were piled in the bottom. A shelf up top contained scarves, hats, and gloves. Everything one would need for a typical Missouri winter, but no bags.
As Liv was about to close the closet door, a jacket caught her eye. A waist-length, brown leather jacket. She pulled on the sleeve to test the material. Leather was strong and durable. Perhaps the tough leather of the jacket would protect her, at least long enough for her to react if she got bitten. It would be god-awful hot in the middle of June, but the protection would be worth the sweat.
Elli toddled over, hands up as she demanded the clothing. Liv smiled and tossed the jacket over her head. Elli held it up to inspect it. She had always liked to show off clothes. Whenever she got new clothes she would run around and demand everyone’s attention. When her demands were meet with oohs and ahs she would smile and run to find someone else to show her new treasure to.
Before she closed the closet door, Liv pulled down a black-and-white cotton scarf and threw it on the floor as well. Maybe it would be useful.
She moved on to the master bedroom. The dog followed her, its tail wagging lazily from side to side. Liv knelt down next to the shaggy beast and rubbed underneath its chin. The dog responded by stretching its neck, its eyes closing happily to narrow slits.
The creature had to have a name. Carefully she parted the fluffy golden fur around its neck and tugged gently at the collar until she found the tag.
“Papoose?” she asked the dog with a giggle. “Really?”
Papoose just thumped his tail against the floor in response.
“Well, alright I guess.” Liv
stood up. “But I’m going to call you Pappy. Does anyone call you that?”
Pappy stared back at her blankly.
“Guess not.” Liv shrugged as she turned back to the room.
The closet there was a large walk-in with built-in organizational units that were an elegant patchwork of drawers, shelves, and bars. All across the top, lined up in a neat row, were various colors and sizes of purses.
Liv retrieved a chair from the dining room and brought it back to the closest. On top of the stool, she took a closer look at the treasure trove. Many of the purses were too small to be useful. Others were large enough to carry a decent amount of stuff but didn’t fully close across the top or had shoulder straps too short to carry them easily once they were packed to the brim.
Eventually, Liv found a large blue purse with floral print that zipped across the top. The style wasn’t her favorite, but style was the least of her concerns. As she inspected the purse, she noticed another one that had been hidden behind it. It was a large over-the-shoulder satchel with many pockets and partitions meant so one could easily organize their office or school supplies. Either bag would do. It would just depend on how well she could squeeze her stuff into each.
Liv snatched it off the shelf and turned her attention to the wardrobe. Most of the clothes were dressier than what she had in her own closet, mostly casual dress clothes. By the look of the wardrobe, the person who lived here must have worked in an office, or someplace with a similar form of dress. There were, however, plenty of everyday clothes as well. Short-sleeved shirts, tank tops, shorts, and capris dominated the attire. Even though it was hot outside, she needed clothes that covered more. The less skin exposed, the better.
Three green plastic tubs sat in the corner. Liv pulled the top off of one to find it full of sweaters. She pulled the bin down and began digging through it. As she quickly rifled through the bin, she only found more sweaters mixed in with a few light jackets. The second bin was full of pants. Most of the jeans were a little too big to fit her.
Just as she was about to give up, a pair at the bottom of the bin caught her eye. The jeans had been flattened down by the weight of the other clothes and the creases were more pronounced, as though the pair hadn’t been taken out in years. They were a size too big but they would work. The final bin held long-sleeved shirts. Liv tried a few on before settling on the two that fit her best. They were still a little loose and made her feel a bit frumpy, but they fit well enough.
After snagging a few pairs of socks from one of the drawers, Liv made her way back into the living room. Pappy jumped up from the pile of laundry he had chosen to lay on and dutifully followed Liv. She was getting the feeling she was in charge of a second shadow now.
She deposited her findings on the couch, knowing full well that Elli would pull them down and drag them everywhere anyway.
Her attention turned towards the kitchen. They would never survive without food. First, she opened all the cabinet doors. This allowed her to survey at once all that the kitchen had to offer.
Pappy’s nails clicked across the tiles. Liv turned to find herself staring directly into a pair a big, pleading brown eyes.
“You can’t possibly be hungry again,” Liv said flatly.
Pappy licked his chops in response.
“Alright. Alright.” Liv threw up her hands and turned to the fridge again. Another clear, plastic container held chunks of baked potatoes. Liv placed the open container in front of Pappy. Instead of waiting, the dog enthusiastically dove into the bowl, nose first.
Elli came pattering into the kitchen. She launched herself at a cabinet containing a bunch of plastic containers and began to feverishly pull them out.
Liv picked up one that was small enough to be easy to carry and large enough to be useful. The container could be used to eat out of or to store something, if necessary. If her meal got interrupted, she could save the food for later instead of throwing away an open, half-eaten can. Liv found the accompanying lid and placed them on the counter.
Next she selected a spoon, fork, and steak knife and set them next to the container. On the countertop, above the silverware drawer, sat a block set of kitchen knives. Liv laid out each knife to inspect them carefully. The set must have been expensive and contained a wide selection. After she looked over the set several times, Liv chose a spear-point paring knife and a carving knife. The blades both came to a point and were slim enough to slide into an eye socket. The paring knife was short but it should be able to do the trick.
Liv shook her head as she laid the knives down with the silverware. In just a few short months, she would have started the clinical portion of the nursing program. Luckily for her, the prerequisites included a large array of science classes before one was even allowed to enter the program. Her classes had given her a better knowledge of human anatomy than most and that would come in handy. It wasn’t the way she had envisioned putting her education to use, but at least it would still be useful.
The world had changed so much in just twenty-four hours. Her future was mutating before her very eyes. And it was terrifying. Her life hadn’t been relaxing and stress-free. In fact, Liv made a point of keeping herself as busy as possible by constantly juggling multiple projects. But it had been a cakewalk compared to the brutality and violence that lay ahead.
Underneath the sink, she found a small bottle of bleach about the size of a spray bottle. Bleach was a great disinfectant that could clean just about anything and could even be used to disinfect drinking water.
As Liv continued to poke through the kitchen, she explored her food options. Any food she took with her couldn’t require refrigeration or need to be cooked. Cans were bulky and heavy so she’d want to keep those to a minimum. She also hoped not to need too much stuff, and cans would require a can opener. The food also needed to be appropriate for her and Elli. Elli didn’t have all of her molars yet, so hard foods were not an option.
Eventually, Liv settled on a box of soft granola bars, a sleeve of graham crackers, a jar of peanut butter, two cans of green beans, and two cans of soup, both with pull tabs. She would bring along the bananas, grapes, and apples that sat on the counter as well.
While it seemed like a lot, Liv was sure they would go through it quickly. Without a doubt, it would not be enough to last the entire trip but maybe a few days. Along the way, she could replenish the stores with what she found in other houses.
Grocery stores would provide more options, but they had to be avoided. If everything really was falling apart, then masses of people would flock to the stores to stock up on whatever they could get their hands on. The infected would follow, drawn in by the all-you-can-eat buffet of gathered humans.
Next on the list of must-haves were at least a few medical supplies. Their journey would be fraught with danger. The infected were the biggest threat, but there would be other dangers as well. She would not be using conventional roads or walkways for travel. Missteps or falls could lead to cuts and scrapes that would welcome infections from any number of bacteria.
While running through the chaos, it would be easy to get reckless and get injured. Without ambulances being only a phone call and a few minutes away, even a small assortment of medical supplies could mean the difference between life and death.
Liv went back to the master bedroom and flipped on the light to the ensuite. The mirror opened to reveal a medicine cabinet set into the wall. The first thing Liv set her eyes on was a large three hundred–count bottle of generic ibuprofen. A quick glance inside the bottle revealed it to be about half empty. However, it still provided more than enough to last her for longer than she would need. Next to the ibuprofen was a smaller bottle of non-drowsy antihistamines. Those would be of use if she was going to be tromping through brush and grass. Most of what was left in the filled medicine cabinet were beauty products.
The cabinet beneath the sink was cluttered with a hair dryer, a hair straightener, and countless bags that contained dozens of different accessories. Shoved in
the back was an unopened bottle of rubbing alcohol, along with a small tub of first-aid supplies. Inside the tub were variously sized bandages, some individual packets of burn ointment, and a small tube of Neosporin. Boxes of unused bar soap lay scattered among the mess. Liv placed one in the sink with the rest of her findings.
Next to the sink was a thin closest with shelves containing many colors and sizes of towels. Liv picked out two washcloths. A few hand towels would be useful for treating more extensive wounds and bleeding.
Liv gathered up her goods. Elli carried the towels, one draped half over her face, while Liv carried the medicines back to the kitchen.
She looked over all the stuff she had picked out so far and was amazed how much was strewn across the living room and kitchen. After she had looked over all her options, she would have to whittle down her pile. With a sigh, she headed for the garage.
Elli protested as Liv opened the garage door. Pappy, having licked the last crumbs from the bowl of potatoes, quickly ran to find out what the commotion was about. The screaming toddler wrapped her arms around the dog’s furry neck as Liv quickly pulled the door closed.
Liv’s shoulders tensed as she fumbled to find the light switch. Within seconds, she found it and flipped on the dim light. Her eyes darted back and forth quickly, expecting to find danger lurking in the darkened corners. However, the garage was just as she had left it last night, the body right where it had been. In a world where the dead rose once, the fear that they would rise up a second time hardly seemed irrational.
The smell of putrefaction permeated the garage. Liv pulled her shirt up over her nose, though it didn’t help much. Liv played a grim variation of hopscotch as she made her way through the patchwork of blood that marred the floor. Her destination was a large, red rolling toolbox against the wall.
She quickly pulled the drawers open and began scouring the contents for something that might be useful. In the third drawer down, she found a mass of screwdrivers. From them, Liv picked out two long-armed Phillips head screwdrivers.
Devour: Death & Decay Book 1 Page 7
