The Amour series (Book 1): The Embers of Amour

by LaRue, Coushatta

  She sat down and lay back on the sofa with her backpack in her arms. She watched him walk around the room, picking up toys. He was talking to her, but she could not make out what he was saying. She was not sure if it was because he was speaking gibberish or because she was falling asleep. She knew it was not smart to fall asleep in this house when those things were out there. However, she could not control herself anymore. As the boy stood in front of her naming off the names of his stuffed animals, sleep took Abby.

  Chapter five

  When Abby woke, the sun was shining through the blanket that covered the large bay window. Abby’s eyes adjusted slowly to the light; and when she could see straight, she was staring at a pile of books in the corner of the room. Her throat was dry, and her lips were hurting. Her body felt numb, but she had stopped sweating. She felt dirty, and her face felt very oily.

  Abby heard a bird singing outside again as she blinked. She grabbed the necklace around her neck and sighed. When she managed to sit up, she saw a bunch of old food molding around the room. She scowled at it and looked down at her lap. Her backpack was gone, and she panicked for a second, until she saw it on the floor next to her. It was open, and she grabbed it up quickly.

  Everything was inside of it except for the snack cakes. The sound of something moving in the room caught her attention, and she looked up. It was the boy, and his face was covered in chocolate, and he looked miserable. She lowered her eyes at him, and he frowned.

  “Sorry…” he mumbled with food in his teeth. Abby did not ask how much he ate or if his stomach hurt, because frankly she did not care if it did or not. She felt very annoyed and highly aggravated. So she kept quiet. She turned to look at the mess in front of her, at the clothes, toys, papers, and colors everywhere then at all the empty bowls, cups, and plates. And what looked like blood stains. She eyed the mess and felt disgusted and so angry. She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her forehead. She knew she should not be this upset or mad, but she wanted to scream. It had to be the infection making her feel this way.

  “It is okay…” Abby sputtered. She looked over at the boy and wondered what his name was and so she asked, “What is your name?” Her head was pounding, and her skin was crawling like ants.

  “I am Tomas.” He told her proudly, tapping his chest. He smiled at her and walked into the living room. He stood in front of her, and that was when she noticed just how skinny he really was. Abby could see his cheekbones and the bones in his arms. His dark eyes were hollow, and what she thought was thick hair was actually patches of bald spots on his head. He had many scrapes on his body and odd bumps that oozed. It made her feel afraid of him. He was sick with something. But, so was she.

  Abby looked down shamefully and took out her bottle of water and drank. She did not want to drink it all, but she was so thirsty and did. She put the bottle to the side of her, thinking the boy would not care if one more thing was added to his trash. She reached into her bag and pulled out an energy bar and ate it. The boy watched her the whole time, rocking on his feet, making her feel uncomfortable. When she was done, she pulled out the pads then looked at the boy, and he eyed her. When he saw the pads, he looked embarrassed and pointed towards the open doorway.

  “The bathroom is in there…” He told her. Abby looked at the open doorway and saw his mother in her mind.

  “Can you…” She was not sure what to say, however the boy seemed to understand, and he turned around.

  “I won’t look. Just like with mommy.” He said, hiding his eyes with his hands. Abby eyed him and then quickly pulled her pants down and changed her pad. The old one smelled strongly of urine. Abby was embarrassed and felt as if the boy could smell it too. She put her sweatpants back on feeling a lot of stiffness in her legs and arms. She looked at her bandage and saw it looked somewhat bloody. She would have to change it soon.

  “Okay… Tomas.” Abby said with a sore throat. He turned around smiling and stepped forward, cupping his hands together. She glanced at the window and remembered the hoard that had been outside; the people that had killed the woman. Abby knew she had to get out of this town even though it was perfect for supplies. She knew other groups would come. Ones who were worse than the ones last night.

  “We need to go…” Abby said, lingering on each word. She felt guilty that she had chosen this house to come to, because she knew she could not take care of this kid or keep him safe. She could not even keep herself safe. She was pretty sure she was going to die any day now or sooner. However, the boy already looked half dead. She could give him some kind of hope or happiness before death came for them both.

  “Can mommy come?” He asked, twirling his fingers together. His tone was low and sad, and Abby knew that he knew she could not. Yet she could see the twinkle of hope in his little eyes.

  “I’m sorry she…can’t.” Abby answered.

  “But…” He stuttered then stopped and gave the roof an empty stare. The expression he had on his face made Abby’s heart sink. He knew the truth, but he did not want to believe it. He looked at the doorway and seemed to be thinking and then looked back at Abby. He pressed his little lips together, Abby watched the cracks in them shift and then he took in a deep breath.

  “Okay. We can come back for her later?” He asked flat toned. Abby tried not to make an expression, though he could see her answer in her eyes before she lied to him.

  “Yeah…” Her words sounded so far away from her.

  It felt as if they stared at each other for a long time before she sat up and touched her face. Her face felt sore just as her body did. She needed to find some shoes. Abby stared at her muddy socks then remembered how she fell from the roof and frowned. She placed her hand on her stomach and pulled back when she felt soreness. She knew she was bruised, and she only hoped she had not broken anything.

  “I need some shoes,” She stated. The boy looked at her feet and then at his and smiled as he said, “Me too! I will get some for us.” He took off into the hallway with a laugh. Abby grimaced. The boy looked half alive, and it was bugging her more than she wanted to admit. She had no idea what she was going to do or where she was going. The group she had been with had no real plan. They were just traveling trying to find somewhere safe to stay. She needed a real plan. She needed something to have hope in.

  Her vision was blurring in and out as her head started to hurt. The room turned white for a moment, and Abby’s lungs felt very heavy. She was not in pain, but she felt as if her heart was going to burst. She thought she was dead, until she felt a small hand touch her shoulder. The boy was standing in front of her, looking at her with large round eyes. Up close she could see the cracked skin on his cheeks and forehead.

  “Are you there?” He asked softly. She blinked and looked down at her hands checking to see if she really was there. Her hands looked so white, and the veins in them looked black. Her head shook, and she glanced up at him. He had stepped back and had some blue shoes on and held pink running shoes in his hands. He eyed her then the shoes before handing them to her.

  “Thank you…” Abby took off her dirty socks and tossed them aside. The boy did not seem to notice. She then put on the shoes and knew they would not fit. She stuffed her feet inside and ignored the tightness. She was grateful for them. She looked up at him and smiled. She had no idea how this boy was alive or how he had not turned wild or mad from this hell, but here he was helping her. It gave her hope inside. She grabbed her hockey stick and started to stand up when pain shot through her leg. She cried out and grabbed her wound and cried out again as her hand grabbed the open flesh. The boy stepped back, covering his ears. His face twisted in fear.

  Abby was hunched over, gasping for air. Her eyes made their way to the little boy, and she saw his terrified face. She felt bad for him. She swallowed the pain and decided to take more of her ibuprofen. She grabbed her backpack and took two. The boy watched from the doorway. She then opened one of the sports drinks and took a sip and put it back inside. She grabbed a handful of
almonds and forced herself to eat them. When she was done, she wobbled to the doorway with the boy and looked down at his ragged oversized clothes in disapproval.

  “You don’t have,” she paused trying to figure out how not to offend the boy, and then she said, “Your clothes seem big on you.”

  “This is daddy’s shirt! He gave it to me before they took him,” The boy grinned, grabbing his clothes and showing an expression of pride. Abby felt too guilty to say any more, so they walked down the hallway back into the kitchen where the front door was. The sun was shining through the sheets that covered two windows next to the front door, and behind them the sliding glass door was shining in more light. Abby kept staring at the front door. The trash that was around her was almost too much. The boy had been living in his own feces.

  Abby hurried to the front door not even caring if there was anything in the house to use. She grabbed the doorknob and looked back at Tomas. The bony child was following her closely with an old stuffed tiger animal in his hands. He looked very happy. Abby’s gut twisted into knots. She ignored the feeling to vomit and opened the door. A cold wet wind blew into the house and sent chills through Abby. She would need to find a jacket soon.

  The sun was shining through gray clouds, and the street was covered in tree limbs and trash from the houses. There were also a few bodies lying around. Abby did not stop to see if they were undead or people. She limped awkwardly with the hockey stick, while Tomas walked beside her. He was looking around with wonder in his eyes. It came to Abby that he probably had not been outside since this had started. He looked very small for his age and as if he would tear into pieces if the wind blew too hard. She kept glancing at him to make sure he was still there and not wandering off. He stayed very close to her, and Abby could not tell if he was scared or not. It made her more anxious.

  “We have to find a car. “She informed him. Abby looked over at him, and he was staring at her with a confused look, until he grinned and nodded. He started to look around eagerly. She wondered where the people had gone to and if they were any still around. She hoped they had left town, so she would not bump into them.

  They walked down the street in silence for thirty minutes going from a rich neighborhood and into the town. The town was small yet vibrant. It had many different small shops, and Abby could see a large marketplace down a long narrow road. She did not even think of going that way. It would be the first place people would go to. They walked past a gas station that had been broken into. and she could make out the shapes of rotting bodies on the ground. They saw many cars and Abby walked by them because the owners were still inside them rotting.

  It was very clear that these people had been slaughtered. The army trucks were parked on the sides of the streets. Gun shells were everywhere. Abby looked down at Tomas. He did not seem to notice the hell around him. He was too busy playing with his toy and mumbling to himself. He was an odd child, though Abby did not expect him to be normal in this kind of life. She did not expect anyone to be.

  They came to a small intersection where a wreck was. A lot of cars had their doors open, and they were empty. She thought about the cars near the school and how they were all empty with closed doors. She looked around at the dead quiet town and at the windows and doors of the buildings around her. She felt eyes on her from shadows she could not see. There were a lot of missing people who could be anywhere. She tried not to think about it or the aching in her left leg. She was feeling lightheaded again and nauseous. They walked to the middle of the intersection together, eyeing the cars around them.

  Abby walked around a large truck on its side. There was dry blood that had spilled from under it. On the other side of the truck was a red car. Two of its doors were open, and no one was inside. Abby walked towards the driver’s door and peered in. The keys were still inside. Abby let out a sigh of relief. She hoped it would start too.

  “Okay let’s give it a try.” She said, leaning into the car, reaching for the keys. A cold wind blew inside the car and up her shirt causing her to shiver and drop the keys. She stood back up and wrapped her free hand around her body and looked up at the sky. It seemed that the storm was not over yet. She knew they had to leave soon and find somewhere else to stay. Somewhere comfortable where she could heal her wounds and die peacefully. She thought of her bite wounds and looked at her leg. She still had not turned.

  “Tomas, we should go now. “Abby said, turning towards him. Tomas was standing like a statue, not moving behind her. His eyes had grown large, and his mouth was closed tight. His body was tensed and he was clutching his toy as if he were about to lose it. He was staring at something down the road, and Abby could hear it before she saw it. She looked up, her heart dropping into her stomach, hands turning into fist, and her mind spinning with fear. A hoard of what looked like hundreds of undead was coming their way. They growled and groaned and drug themselves slowly. Abby was not sure if they could see her or if they were just wandering around searching for food.

  Abby swallowed hard and looked around for somewhere to hide. There were many small shops and buildings to hide in. She turned towards a small convenience store and headed towards it. She quickly realized she did not hear Tomas behind her, so she looked back. He was still standing there frozen, staring at the hoard coming their way. Abby gritted her teeth and felt a wave of irritation wash over her. She knew she should not be mad at him. He was just a child; however, anger filled her like a flood.

  She grabbed his arm and jerked him towards her. He looked shocked and confused as if he had forgotten she was there.

  “We have to go.” She whispered angrily. Her face twisted with fury. He looked at her with teary eyes that caused guilt to fill Abby’s gut. She yanked at him again, and he finally started to move. Abby had to drag him across the street towards the store with all her energy. If she had not been filled with adrenalin from fear, she would not have been able to drag him. Her hockey stick rubbed against her arm pit hard, and she knew she would have bruises. Her body was aching, and she was sleepy again, and her energy bar from earlier was wanting to come up.

  When they got to the store, Abby reached for the door. It was locked. She looked back at the hoard. It was moving much faster, and a few were looking at her. She felt hot tears roll down her cheeks. She used her hockey stick to break a hole in the glass to unlock the door. She opened the door and shoved the boy inside. He tripped and landed on his knees and let out a cry. She hurried inside and shut the door and backed up almost falling herself. It was dark and quiet inside, and the place looked completely bought out. She kept backing up towards the aisles when she saw Tomas still lying on the floor now, crying.

  Abby narrowed her eyes and angrily exhaled. She hurried to him awkwardly and reached down towards him. He pulled away from her, screaming loudly. She looked up and saw that the hoard was now at the wreck. Abby dropped her hockey stick and stepped on her left foot. Pain shot through her leg, and she winced but stood.

  “We have to hide.” She said trying to stay quiet. Anger had filled her voice, and Tomas could sense it. He was scared of the undead outside, but Abby could also see in his wounded eyes he was scared of her tone. It did not matter. He needed to stop screaming, because they would find them. She grabbed him up with both hands and dragged him towards the aisles. He kicked and screamed and then hit her bite wound. Abby went down, screaming, and hit the ground hard. The pain was unbearable, and she kept gasping for air. Tomas was still screaming, and now Abby was crying. She sat up and grabbed him by his arm and yanked him to her.

  Abby pulled them around an aisle and held him close. She could see a little bit of the door, and the undead were already there. Some were walking by ignoring the sounds, while a few were stopped trying to figure out where the sounds were coming from. It was only a matter of time before they found them. Tomas clawed at her and dug into her arms, trying to get away. She pressed her lips together, trying to ignore the pain in her body. Tears streamed down her face, but she kept quiet. The groaning and
growling was very loud now, and she could hear the undead moving along the glass walls of the small store. They were pressed so tightly on it that she could hear it cracking under their weight.

  She knew it must have been the whole town out there. They must be roaming the streets searching for food. They moved first to one area and then another, but something kept them from leaving the town. Tomas grabbed her hair and pulled a handful out. Abby yelled and wrapped her legs around his small body and her arms around his head. She boiled inside with anger as he screamed into her chest. He had to know she did not want to hurt him. That she was trying to save him. He had to, but he squirmed and dug at her trying to get away.

  “Please be quiet… please,” She begged him. She tightened her arms around him. She saw some of the undead standing in front of the store, looking in, “Please please.” She whispered over and over again.

  “They’ll find us…” Abby muttered through tears. She did not want to die, but something inside her was telling her that she did not want to live either. She had been bitten, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she would turn. For a second, she thought about letting Tomas go and letting them find them; so they would die. Then she felt guilt fill her and just wanted the world to stop for a moment. She thought of Aaron and his sweet smile and warm voice and focused on that.

  Tomas shoved at her and screamed, and she pulled him closer. She kept whispering, “Please stop’ as he fought against her. Abby’s lips trembled, and her body shook with pain as she begged him. She held on tighter and kept her eyes shut as he slashed at her. She heard the glass on the windows cracking more and the sound of growls getting louder. Tomas was digging his nails into her skin as he screamed. Finally when she felt all hope was lost and that the undead would find them, she heard bones snapping. She did not have to open her eyes to know what had happened. She could feel Tomas’ little body going limp in her arms. He was not breathing anymore.