End of the Line (Book 2): Stuck in the Middle

by Lara Frater

  He took me up some stairs on the opposite side of the dormitory. We went through two swinging doors and into what I can only imagine was the priest’s rectory.

  I followed Vic up some stairs to a hallway with many doors. He opened one at the end of the hallway. Vic’s room was rather grand for a priest. It had a large king-size bed, an oak dresser and writing desk. On the desk was a dusty macbook pro, seventeen inches. No longer manufactured even before this all happened.

  As if he read my mind again, he explained. “It belonged to the assistant headmaster. He died here. I was perfectly willing to move a bed or two in here for the boys, but they didn’t want to sleep where he died. They loved him. He was a good bridge between the headmaster who was very strict. Miss Jones has his room. He also died there. She didn’t mind. Father Donnelly didn’t really like the room, thought it was grandiose. When he got the job he bought no new furniture, just used what the previous assistant headmaster left. He didn’t even get a new mattress. I gave them both last rites, as well as two other priests, nine teachers and maybe 100 boys. I wanted them to go to heaven. I gave some to their corpses. One I had to hack off his head--” his voice trailed off.

  “Father Vic.”

  “I wish everyone would stop calling me father—“

  “I’m sorry, it sticks.”

  “Yeah, like glue,” he said, giving out a nervous giggle.

  “I have six people who would like to stay. An elderly woman, a young Catholic couple and the three children they took in. I think they were all strangers before and became a family unit. Is that okay?”

  “I’m a priest, I’m supposed to trust everyone. Do you trust them Jim?”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I only met them two days ago. So far except for Brian, they seem okay.”

  “I can’t judge a group by one man, so yes, let them stay here and when you’re settled you can send for us—“ he paused. “I’m glad you trust me Jim. We haven’t even known each other for a day. I could be an ax murderer, a kiddie toucher, a cult—“

  These kids looked too happy to for Vic to be any of that.

  “Listen,” I said. “We have to get society back on track with good people. We’re going to have to look for them and that means we’re going to come across bad ones too.”

  I didn’t even know then how bad it was going to get.

  Chapter 12

  The eight of us remaining squeezed into two cars. Dave agreed to leave the other car since we didn’t need it and Father Vic might in an emergency.

  With Harry’s death, only Gwen volunteered to take out a zombie and even she chickened out when we came up against a young one. For the most part, Manny, Dave and I took care of it. After a while of no one volunteering, I figured hunting was over and we should get to Harbor as soon as possible.

  I rode with Dave. Manny drove the other car. Harry’s death had silenced everyone. I wondered if I should’ve egged him on when he panicked. I wanted him to survive. I looked at Dave but I knew he wasn’t the talkative type. I wished Gwen was in the car or I could talk to Tanya. I heard her voice in my head. ‘Ain’t your fault.’

  I didn’t talk while Dave drove. Instead I focused on the scenery. The road was filled with potholes while nature moved in. The ride was bumpy but tolerable as long as Dave kept it at 30 or less which he did. At least we were close to the bridge that took us to Greenport.

  It was still overcast and it rained but not hard. It was one of those grey days where if Cam and I weren’t working, we lounge in bed, me reading the Times, him reading the journal, snuggling, having sex or watching a movie. He liked action flicks, I liked indies. We both loved Run Lola Run and Sunshine.

  “Do you need me to drive?” I asked, Dave when he drove around a scary pothole that looked more like a giant sinkhole. It was larger than most of the lane and Dave drove on the sidewalk to get around.

  “Please, you don’t have to do everything. I’m a big boy I know how to drive.”

  Then he slammed on the brakes. I was wearing my seat beat so I only whacked into the console. Not even hard enough to leave a bruise.

  “What the fuck,” said a voice behind me. We were sharing the car with Rose and Paul who I now knew more about. Rose had been a stay at home mom who lost both children and her husband. Paul, a thirty something banker from Bellmore wasn’t married and called himself a ladies man. It was Paul who cursed.

  I looked ahead and saw why Dave had stopped. We had a choice of two roads that both had bridges to get us to Greenport. They ran parallel but were separated by a large pond. We choose the Main Road because it was closer.

  Now it was under water. The bridge was gone, the road was gone. The bay south of us and the pond north of us had become one of the same.

  “At least we have another way around,” I said.

  Dave looked at me, annoyed. He never liked my optimism.

  “This was a little pond and a bay that washed this bridge away. The North Road borders the Sound. And we have to go back 10 miles.”

  I looked at my map. I didn’t know the East End of Long Island as well as I knew my own neighborhood and Manhattan.

  “That road is bigger and further from the sound. There’s a chance it might not be flooded.”

  The other road was only partially flooded and the bridge was still there. Bits and pieces of road stuck up. The biggest issue was the sound which had flooded the left side of the road and occasionally a large amount of water would lap over the right side where we were crossing. On the right side there was a smaller body of water that had flooded completely. I saw the top floors and roofs of submerged houses. It didn’t help that it was still raining and a wind blustered through the trees.

  “Maybe we should walk it.”

  “No,” Dave said. “Water ain’t deep. I think we should try. I don’t want to walk all the way to Greenport, do you?”

  I relayed the information to Manny over the radio. We went first. Dave looked nervous.

  “Don’t worry, Dave,” I said. “I’m not lying when I say you’re an amazing driver. You got us home on a flat tire and saved me.”

  He didn’t respond. Possibly because I embarrassed him. Instead he put the car into gear and moved it forward.

  “Everyone put their seatbelts on,” I told Rose and Paul. I turned around and not only were the belts on, but they were holding on to them and each other tightly. I said nothing.

  The SUV parted the waters and the engine didn’t sound like it was struggling.

  I took deep breaths. The water seemed to be getting deeper but Dave kept moving.

  “This ain’t good,” Dave said. He slowed but didn’t stop. “Open the door, Jim,” I did as he told. “How deep is the water?”

  I looked down, the seatbelt keeping me secure in the car. I could see the road clearly through the brownish water.

  “Maybe two inches.”

  “Keep the door open. If it gets deeper than four, you let me know. If it gets deeper than 6 and we ain’t halfway across, we go back.”

  “Okay.”

  I watched the road though the water. I didn’t look up to see how far we had gone. I knew we were going slow. I worried about the other car. The SUV was high off the ground where the sedan wasn’t. If we weren’t already crossing, I would have abandoned the other car. The brownish water grew deeper but I could still see the road.

  “I think we’re at four.”

  “That’s okay,” he said, his voice sounded on edge. “We’re almost to midpoint. I can see the road on the other side.” I trusted what he said and didn’t look up, but the water got deeper. I had trouble seeing the bottom.

  “Jim,” said a voice over the radio. It wasn’t Manny but Gwen. “Jim, stop, we stalled and Manny can’t get the car started and we’re being pushed off the road.”

  “Fuck,” I said. I looked up. We were close to the end of the road.

  “What should they do?” Dave looked at me annoyed for not knowing the obvious answer.

  “Tell them to g
et the hell out of the car and walk to us. I don’t want to stand here for a long time, or our engine could stall.”

  “Gwen, leave the car and come to ours, quickly.”

  “Oh shit—“ she said, then the radio went dead. I looked behind us. They were maybe 10 feet away. The doors opened and all four stepped out. The water here was about 6 inches and seemed to be deeper where they were. It was passed the bottom of the door.

  I could see Manny behind us. He was with Gwen, an elderly lady named Millie and Felicia. Felicia and Gwen were ahead, with Gwen holding on to her hand. Both of them had packs. Manny was helping Millie who seemed to have a lot of trouble moving through the water. Manny had a pack but Millie didn’t.

  The water was getting deeper and darker. I could barely see the road through the brown water and it was almost to the bottom of the door. The water came up to Manny’s shins.

  “I think the tide is coming in,” Dave said.

  “Great.”

  Gwen and Felicia got to our car. I got out. The cold water hit the bottom of my legs, saturating the bottom of my jeans. I felt a strong current pulling me to the side. Even though it wasn’t raining hard, the wind was strong enough that I felt it push the car.

  I held on to the door to keep my balance. I opened the back to the storage area. I figured Gwen, Felicia and Manny could go there and Millie could squeeze in the back with Paul and Rose. Gwen and Felicia didn’t ask questions, they climbed in. Gwen sat Indian style looking out.

  I held on to the door because the water pushed me, I watched Manny and Millie walk to us. Millie held on to him for dear life in one hand and held on to the car with the other. When she got to the edge of the car, something happened. She froze or something and the water hit her and she fell. Manny tried to lift her but he slipped as well. She lost his grip, and struggled as the water carried her towards the sound.

  “Millie!” he screamed as he got up. He dropped his pack on top of the car, and either bravely or stupidly ran after her. Millie waved her hands then she got pulled off the road and into the sound. I watched Manny jump into the water. I was about to go after them when I heard Dave’s voice.

  “Jim!” Dave yelled. He didn’t open the door because water was splashing against it. “Get into the car or we’ll all be swept away.” I got in and slammed the door because in this world we didn’t have rescue or anyone to help us. No cell phones to call 9-11. In this world we had to leave people behind; sacrificing the few to save the many.

  The SUV began moving again, spluttering and struggling through the raising water. Dave started going about 20 miles per hour. Water went splashing everywhere. I couldn’t see.

  “Do you see them?” I asked Paul who was on the driver’s side. I tried to keep my voice calm but it was shaky. Paul tried looking between the splashing.

  “I see Manny!” he suddenly yelled. I looked out the window but all I saw was water. “He’s in the water and swimming to shore. I don’t see Millie.”

  Dave drove without looking at anything but the flooded road ahead. He concentrated on pushing the SUV forward. The engine struggled, complained and shook but didn’t stall. I could feel the push of the water. The only thing helping was the two new passengers added extra weight. My heart thumped as I thought back to when we drove on the flat tire. I was never so sick in my life that I thought I would die. I survived the flu, the zombies, and a car accident only to die from being scratched by a dog.

  A massive bump pushed us all forward. I didn’t have my seatbelt on so I hit the dashboard. Not hard but enough for a bruise later. A moment later we were back on dry land. Dave hit the brakes, the car skidded a little from the water. He put the car into park but left the engine on.

  “Go look for them quick,” he said. “And be careful.”

  I opened my door, the car was dripping water. I ignored it and ran to the shore. Gwen came out from the back and followed me. There wasn’t a beach here but a lot of reeds. I could see Manny struggling, but swimming towards me. The wind caused waves that hit him. I didn’t see Millie. He was lucky he didn’t drown too.

  I walked into the wet reeds, feeling the water near my boots, the bottom of my jeans getting even more soaked. The smell of water so strong I could taste it. I heard Manny’s coughing before he reached me. His longish black hair plastered all over his face. I put my hand out and he grabbed it. It felt ice cold. I pulled him into a standing position.

  Manny spit up brackish water and kept coughing. He nearly fell against me. His teeth chattered between coughs. Icy cold water soaked my clothes. I took off his coat which was soaked then put mine around him.

  “Come on,’’ I said. Gwen and I tried to lead him to car.

  “I couldn’t save her—“ he said, his teeth chattering. “She disappeared under the water.”

  The bridge hadn’t been far from Greenport. The formerly beautiful fishing village had fallen into decay. We passed houses with peeling paint, collapsed or gutted by fire. It looked like at one time the village had been flooded.

  The third house we searched had no people and a fireplace. It smelled of mold but so did the previous two. Dave pulled into the driveway and let everyone out while Gwen and I waited at the doorway.

  Manny came out, he could walk without assistance but he held my coat close to him and didn’t stop shivering. When I let him in the house, he sat on a leather chair soaking it.

  There were pieces of wood near the fire place. Enough for one night. Gwen started a fire and then hung Manny’s jacket and mine on a chair it. Mine might dry but Manny’s was soaked.

  I searched the house for clothes Manny could wear. I needed a change myself. I think only a woman lived here because I couldn’t find men’s clothes. I grabbed Manny some towels and a big blanket.

  “Sorry Manny, nothing is your size.” I handed him two towels and blanket.

  “That’s okay,” he said, his teeth chattering. “If you don’t mind me naked. I can dry them on the fireplace.”

  I didn’t mind.

  He looked down. “I can’t believe I lost my grip—”

  “Don’t blame yourself—“ Felicia said but her voice was still dull and emotionless.

  Manny stripped not caring if anyone saw him. I wanted to look but didn’t. Gwen hung his clothes near the fireplace. He placed the blanket around his body but the shivering got worse. He needed some real clothes.

  It wasn’t that dark and that would give us time to check other houses. Who knew if Manny’s clothes would be dry by tomorrow and who would want to wear clothes washed in seawater?

  “Gwen and I can check the other houses for clothes. How about it?”

  Manny didn’t respond. He looked tired and cold.

  “It’s no problem. I could do for a change myself.” The cuffs of my jeans were still soaked. I ignored that for now because they were hitting my boots not my skin.

  “If you promise to come back alive.”

  “We will.”

  “You want me to come?” Dave asked.

  I shook my head. “You stay here and keep an eye on the others. We won’t stray too far.” I took the gun from the pocket of my coat. “Here Manny.” I noticed that he didn’t have the sidearm anymore. I assume it was either in the pack he left on top of the car or lost in the water.

  “You keep it,” he said, shivering. “I keep losing them.” Then he laughed to try to break the tension.

  “I suck at shooting, better with a crowbar.” Manny took the gun, but with no clothes, he put it on a coffee table.

  “You should try Tanya first,” Dave suggested.

  I pulled the radio from my pack and turned it on. It crackled to life. I’ve been careful to keep it off when not in use.

  “Care bear to Papa Smurf come in?” The beep indicated it had transmitted, but when I released the talk button I heard nothing. Part of me panicked thinking they were all dead, but I knew I was out of range.

  “We need to get closer. I’ll try tomorrow at the marina.”

  Gwen put on
her jacket and pack. I did the same even though mine was still damp. We left the house, a two story Tudor with faded white paint and went right to the next one. It was still windy but the rain had died down.

  The next one also a Tudor, with chipped white paint, smelled horrific as soon as we opened the door.

  “Can we skip it please? I know we’ll probably have to use a house with bodies but it smells like a lot of people died here.”

  I was with her. I have seen my share of dead bodies, it doesn’t make any less nauseous.

  The next house was smaller but not as bad as the others. On the second floor we found three bedrooms. A dead woman was in a small bedroom, so we put a blanket over her and closed the door. We went into the master bedroom. The bed was made but dusty. Dead flowers decayed on the nightstand. I opened the drawer to find clothes for both Manny and me. Manny was only a few inches taller and had a similar build. I lucked out and found two unopened pairs of medium men’s underwear. Should fit us.

  “Do you like Manny,” Gwen asked. She was sorting through women’s clothing.

  “Why? Do you think he’s gay?” I hadn’t thought about it other than the fact he was good looking.

  “Maybe.”

  “Whether he is or not, I barely know him.”

  “Like you and Eric?”

  The boat had no secrets. I never told them that Grace shot Eric’s mother but they all seemed to know.

  “Eric and I are over once we get to Harbor.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  I smiled. “It’s okay. I gave up my baggage and he can’t or won’t.”

  “Sad,” she pulled a frilly dress out of the closet to change the subject. “Is it me?”

  Considering Gwen’s love for jeans and tee-shirts, it wasn’t. “Not even close.”

  We were interrupted by the sound of something walking outside. Judging by the shuffling footsteps, it was a zombie.

  “Damn,” she said. I looked at the window to spot it. I was surprised to see it was a young one. Gwen stood next to me peering out. The look of fear on her face hadn’t changed from the first time she saw one up close.