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

by LaRue, Coushatta

  Abby felt her heartbeat speed up however it turned away and started to wander towards another car. It flopped around that car until it fell onto the road and then rolled around for a while. Abby watched it like someone watching a wounded animal trying to find food. She felt bad for the pitiful thing. She put her hand over her wound and softly touched it. It was sore and felt swollen. She thought about how she would become one of the things outside, and the thought of taking her own life flashed before her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  She looked into her backpack and saw she only had two sports drinks left and a bottle of water. She drank some of the water and took three ibuprofen. She had no appetite at all, but her stomach was growling and twisting in knots from hunger. The thought of eating made her want to vomit; nevertheless she grabbed one of the energy bars and opened it. The smell made her gag, and she turned her face from it. She took in a long painful deep breath and felt something inside her ache. When she opened her eyes, she took a bite of the chocolate and peanut butter bar and forced herself to chew.

  When she was almost finished, Abby started to gag and had to swallow bile in her throat. She closed her eyes and felt hot tears on her cheeks. It hurt to swallow. It even hurt to chew, but the burn in her stomach hurt the worst. When she was finished, her stomach still growled; though she was not going to try and eat more. She felt sick already and frightened. She looked outside at the undead which was still on the ground trying to get back up. She feared she was losing her appetite because she was turning. That had to be it, and it made her feel sick. She rubbed tears away and sniffled.

  Abby looked around and smacked her lips. She decided her plan was to find somewhere to barricade herself in, so she could medicate herself until she died and turned. It was pointless, but she could not kill herself in case she would live. The thought made her feel stupid. She knew what being bitten meant. She turned the car on, and the undead outside rolled on its side and stared at the car as if it was the first time it had seen it. Abby drove around the undead and watched it as she drove past. She watched it disappear in her rearview mirror and let out a sigh of relief.

  It had been said that the undead would eventually die from starvation over time. She had seen it firsthand herself with the group she had been with. However unlike humans, it took the undead weeks to months to die of starvation. And as long as they infected others it was an endless cycle. Unless there was a real cure it would never stop. She moved around stopped or wrecked cars until she got to long gaps of nothing in the highway. The next town was supposed to be a larger town than the one before, and that worried Abby. Larger towns meant more people which meant more chance of large hoards. However, it also meant more places to hide. That was what Abby wanted. A nice, secluded, quiet place to die.

  Chapter Seven

  The outskirts of the city was burned and ruined with wrecked cars and bodies scattered around. It was not a new sight for Abby however the sight always made her stomach turn. She could see some buildings had been burned and turned to rumble while others still stood. She stopped the car right out of the town’s entrance and stared at the road. She could drive in and find a nice place and take it. It would be easier and faster but not smart. The undead would hear the car echoing through the streets; and if anyone was alive, they would hear it too. She did not want to attract any attention.

  Reluctantly, Abby turned the car off and took in a deep breath before grabbing her backpack and hockey stick. She got out of the car, and a cold breeze hit her in the face. It felt nice on her hot skin. She felt faint; and even though the painkillers had kicked in, her leg was throbbing badly and her broken finger was aching with every movement. She ignored the swimming in her head and started to walk. The sun was high in the sky covered by white clouds. There were no birds here, and Abby could not hear or see any signs of movement from anything. She knew that did not mean nothing was out there.

  Every second outside was a danger. Though she realized quickly it did not matter since she was headed for death. However, the thought of being murdered or eaten alive was such a horrible thing. On the streets, things were a mess. Cars were wrecked, trash was everywhere, and rotting bodies lay on the roads. Abby wondered if they had been undead or normal humans who were murdered. She looked away from a small girl’s body and grimaced when Tomas’s face popped into her mind. She hurried around a corner, scraping her hockey stick on the sidewalk, and groaning from the pain that was traveling through her.

  There was a strange scent in the air mixed with the smell of rotting bodies. Abby swore it smelt like someone cooking bad ground beef. The wind was making different sounds as it blew through the streets and threw the trash around. The silence was unbearable. She felt very paranoid and jumpy. Every little sound made her body tense and twist inside.

  She came to a stop when she found herself in front of a large silver building. It was once a financial advising place. She stared at the glass doors for a while as her eyes blurred in and out. Then Tomas stood next to her smiling and reaching up to her. Abby jolted to her side and started to gasp for air as she looked down at her side. Nothing was there. She was breathing deeply as she looked around. He was dead. She knew that. She felt crazy and as if she was running a fever. She felt hundreds of hands all over her back as she turned it towards the street. Her heart started to pound as her head spun with the thought of monsters suffocating her.

  Abby hurried inside the building being grateful that the door was unlocked. It was dark and warm inside the building. However, there was a moldy scent mixed with rot drifting through the dusty air. The inside of the building had been trashed. She was not sure if it had happened before the outbreak or after. And she really did not care which way. She just wanted to find somewhere to lie down and rest.

  Sweat dripped down into her eyes. She rubbed them and felt the stickiness of her face and frowned. When she found herself down a large white hallway, she saw herself in a large mirror. She looked so small and sickly. Her eyes had tiny little red marks all around them, and the darkness under them looked worse. The skin around her cheekbones was pulled back, and her lips had scars. The sight was almost unbearable. She felt disgusted in herself and ashamed. She looked at her necklace in the mirror and stared at it for a long moment. A flash of anger ran through her. She closed her eyes and felt hot tears roll down her cheeks. She was torn between wanting to disappear and wanting someone near. She grabbed her necklace.

  She wanted to toss it away and curse Aaron for leaving her. Damn him for doing what he did. He was supposed to love her, but he had abandoned her so easily. And for what? For some slut at work? Because admitting he had a few problems was just too much? What was it? She had no idea, and it stung. She gripped the necklace and started to breath heavily. She wanted to hurt something, wanted the rage to stop, and wanted to forget about Aaron’s beautiful smile. When she went to rip off the necklace, she heard something move behind her. Abby stopped and held her breath. She could hear it breathing behind her. Heavy, deep, low breathes. She could smell the rot and blood as if it were standing right next to her. Abby forced herself to turn and stared at the undead standing behind her.

  It was a young man, maybe around his late twenties. He was wearing a black suit that had been torn and ruined by blood and dirt. His shoes were gone, and his hair had fallen out. His face was sunken in, his eyes white as clouds, and he had a large gash from his neck to his forehead. Abby swallowed hard as it stared at her. She had no way to protect herself. She knew she could not run. She was weak and it made her feel even more horrible.

  “He won’t hurt you.” A voice said from beside Abby. Abby jumped and shot her eyes to her side. A woman around her age was standing there, with long brown hair, and a pale healthy face. She had dark brown eyes and many freckles on her face. She wore glasses and red butterfly earrings. Her red tank top and blue jeans were clean, and she looked nicely plump. She had a queer look on her face as she pulled some of her hair behind an ear. Abby heard the undead growl, and sh
e looked back at it. It sniffed the air and looked around as if it did not even see Abby. It shuffled a little and then started to walk away slowly and awkwardly. She watched it as it moved down a long narrow hallway, disappearing into the darkness. Abby took her hand from her necklace and breathed.

  “Why?” Abby muttered with a dry voce.

  “You know why…” The woman answered with an irritated tone. Abby looked at her oddly and tilted her head. She swore she had seen this woman before, but she did not know where from. Abby turned to her and eyed her clean clothes and skin. Abby was not sure what to say or do. She was not sure if she could trust the woman. Abby glanced back at the hallway the undead went down and then back at the woman. The woman was looking away now towards a lobby.

  “Why are you here?” The woman asked with a curious tone. Her eyes full of annoyance as she stood with her arms crossed. Abby was gritting her teeth and standing very still. She looked around the area and saw no one else and wondered if they were truly alone now. She wondered where the woman had come from. The woman looked back at her with narrowed eyes.

  “I need to rest,” Abby answered weakly. The woman raised an eyebrow and pressed her lips together.

  “Haven’t you been resting enough?” She asked, her lips curling upward. Abby felt uncomfortable but did not know why. Abby moved backwards and took in a deep breath. The pain in her leg was getting worse, and her vision was blurring. She needed to sit down. The woman rubbed her long fingers together and smacked her lips with a look of disappointment in her eyes.

  “I need to sit down,” Abby said. Her voice was very low, and she did not sound like herself. She felt as if she were outside of her body. The woman eyed her with a blank face and then looked away sadly. Abby assumed she did not like her reply. Abby followed the woman as she started towards the lobby. She was not sure why she was following her, but she did. She dragged behind, in case she was leading her into a trap. Though Abby knew she would not be able to run from anyone.

  The woman led her into a small hallway that had a few doors. She opened one and went in. Abby followed then paused when she realized it was a staircase. She hesitated at first and then walked in. The staircase seemed to go on forever above them, and Abby knew she would never be able to climb it. The woman looked back at her and winked, “Just a few flights up.”

  They started up the stairs, and it hurt Abby. Her stomach was churning, and she was now gasping for air. She felt a tightening in her chest and a burning in her blood. Her lips were so dry, and she had a nasty taste in her mouth. When she got to the next flight of stairs, she stopped and leaned on the wall. She could not walk any longer. She needed to stop. She needed to rest. The woman turned around and stared at her.

  “I can’t…” Abby gasped for air. Her words came out in squeaks. “I just can’t.”

  “You can’t or you don’t want to?” The woman asked with a sharp tone. Abby looked up at her with teary eyes and frowned. The woman was staring at her with lowered eyebrows. Something Abby had seen before from someone else, but she could not remember who. Abby looked down at her feet feeling embarrassed.

  “I’m so tired.” Abby replied.

  “We’re all tired, Abby. But that does not give us an excuse to give up.” The woman snapped at her as she turned around. Abby’s eyes shot up, and she opened her mouth then closed it. The woman sounded like someone familiar. Abby could see the person in the back of her mind, but they had a shadowy face. The woman walked to a door on the staircase and opened it. Abby followed her slowly, dragging her right foot, and wobbling.

  They entered a hallway then a large office area. It had been trashed too. The office was a huge mess. Computers were broken and chairs turned over. There was old food molded on the desks, and dead plants sat next to them. Abby could smell something strange but did not want to think of what it was.

  When they got to the end of the open office area, they entered a closed door and walked into a smaller office that had a large window. Abby closed the door behind them and locked it. Inside the office was somewhat clean except for a few things lying on the blue carpet. Abby walked over to the carpet where some blankets were laying and sat down without asking permission. The blankets were very old and dusty. They looked as if they had not been used in a long time. Abby sat back with a grunt and laid her hockey stick next to her and then opened her backpack. She grabbed her last water bottle and drank a little.

  “Why are you here?” The woman asked, leaning on the large black desk to the right of Abby. Abby licked her wet lips and gave the woman a frown.

  “I just need to find somewhere safe,” She answered as she took another sip of water. The woman smiled, but Abby could see the unkindness in her dark eyes.

  “From what?” The woman asked. The way the woman talked was as if she already knew what Abby would say, and that it annoyed her. Abby was not sure of this woman and did not feel safe. She looked around to see if there were any other signs of people, but she saw none. Abby took in a long deep breath and closed her eyes. She thought of her bite marks and put her hand over the wound and winced at the touch. When she opened her eyes, the woman was glaring at her unhappily then she smiled.

  “Is it really better this way?” The woman asked as she uncrossed her arms and placed them on the desk. She had a strange kindness in her voice.

  “Better this way?” Abby asked shutting and opening her eyes with sleep. The woman nodded then said, “Hiding like this.”

  When Abby did not answer, the woman added, “Is this really what you want to do?” Abby took a glance at her and frowned. The woman was not making any sense. Abby shook her head and rubbed sweat from her face.

  “I can’t do anything else.” Abby answered confused. The woman let out a laugh then rubbed her face.

  “Can’t or won’t?” The woman asked with a voice that sounded so far away. Abby gritted her teeth and rubbed her forehead.

  “Please let me sleep.” Abby told her with a much stronger voice. When the woman did not say anything else, Abby lay down on the blankets and shut her eyes. She knew it was foolish to fall asleep with a stranger in the room, but she could barely speak anymore, and her body was hurting so badly. She could not think, and her breathing was shallow.

  Chapter eight

  Abby had a dreamless sleep for once and woke with the sun setting behind her. Shadows danced on the wall in front of her, and she felt numb. A cold sweat was rolling down her nose, and her broken pinky was throbbing. She could feel that her wound was wet and that she had urinated on herself again. She felt ashamed again and just wanted to close her eyes and wake somewhere else. Something moved beside her, and she looked over. It was the woman. She walked to the window and stared at the sunset expressionless.

  “Still tired?” The woman asked coldly. Abby sat up slowly, her head spinning for a second, and then she closed her eyes. When she opened them, the woman was looking at her with cold eyes. It was strange.

  “Thank you for letting me sleep here. I should go though.” Abby moved for her hockey stick, but the woman turned towards her and groaned.

  “I thought you didn’t want to be alone?” She growled at Abby. Abby looked up and frowned. She did not want to be alone. She wanted someone with her and wanted to be comforted. But she was very scared. She could turn at any moment, and she feared hurting someone. Abby reached into her bag and grabbed some painkillers and took them with a sip of water. The woman watched her closely.

  When Abby finished swallowing she said, “I don’t know.”

  “Yes you do. You’re just too much of a coward to say it.” The woman put her nose up and looked away from Abby. Abby narrowed her eyes and frowned. She wanted the woman to go away and leave her be. She had an awful headache and just wanted to sleep more.

  “I’m afraid of what is going to happen…” Abby heard herself say. Her voice cracked, and she wrapped her arms around herself. The pain in her leg was coming back, and she knew she needed to clean it. The woman knelt by the window as she stared
at the setting sun. The city looked so beautiful and still from this height. It made Abby smile for a moment.

  “And you’re not excited about what could?” The woman looked over then back at the sun and put her hand onto the glass. Abby tilted her head confused.

  “So many what ifs… why can’t one be good?” She asked. Abby was not sure if she were asking her or talking to herself so she kept quiet. “Don’t you want things to be better?” She asked looking back over at Abby.

  Abby studied the woman for a long time before replying, “I can’t do anything.” The woman’s face twisted, and she looked disgusted. Abby melted in sadness. She had no idea what she was supposed to say. She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep.

  “It won’t work because you don’t really want it too.” The woman told her with a strange sadness in her voice. The woman rubbed her round face and sighed with a laugh.

  Abby looked down at her dirty hands and felt very tense. Whispers from someone long ago filled her mind, buzzing around her head, causing her to feel anxious. The woman looked over at her with narrowed dark eyes and a sly smile. Abby suddenly felt very lightheaded and ill again. She swallowed hard putting her hands onto her legs. She held her left hand above her bite marks. She looked up at the woman who was now looking away from her with a gloomy expression.

  “Why are you here?” Abby asked looking over at the woman with a puzzled look. The woman snickered and then looked at her and winked. She then turned towards Abby and put her finger to her own lips and made a shushing sound. Abby tilted her head; and before she could question the woman’s actions, she disappeared right in front of her eyes. Abby stared with wide eyes and open mouth. She felt her heart drop into her stomach, and she could not breathe.