Winter's Salvation

by Deyo, Jason

  **********

  Breakfast turned into a late lunch and a search through two other houses not far from their new home, looking for tampons and other women toiletries. Naomi didn’t find exactly what she needed, but was able to find some things, she felt she could not do without. On the way back to the house carrying paper towels, toilet paper and body wash, Drew realized by the setting sun, that night would soon be on them and he had to find a valve to attach to the end of the hose. Getting the opportunity to clear a house like Eric used to, made him forget all about finding the valve.

  As soon as they walked through the front door Drew stopped Sam. “So you ready to go?”

  Sam was looking forward to going back, but not for a valve. She wanted to go and see that undead ghoul. “Yeah sure lets go.”

  Naomi over heard their conversation and turned to them. “Where are you going?”

  “We got to find a valve to put on the end of the hose.” Drew said excitedly. “I’ll take the pistol, so we’ll be alright.”

  Sam nodded her head in agreement and smiled. “I’ll take the bat.”

  Drew was walking fast and Sam was traveling right along with him. “I’ll clear that overhang with all the heavy machinery and then we’ll start looking for what we need.”

  “I’m going to the stable.” Sam refused having her own agenda.

  “We got to find the valve before it gets dark.” Drew could not believe what he was hearing. He believed she wanted to find this just as much as he did, but this was obviously not the case. He had to complete this mission, this one valve was completing something that he could take pride in. Finishing this hose would mean just taking a short couple steps out of the front door to get water. This mission was important to him. This was his portion of contributing to his new family.

  “Drew, I have to kill that girl.”

  “What if I just go in there and shoot her?” He said aiming the pistol

  “No I’ll do it. I really want to do it.”

  “Will you be ok by yourself? She’s probably still frozen.”

  Sam really didn’t want him in the stable when she was in there with her. She didn’t want Drew to see her anymore. The girl was pretty and Sam believed the ghoul was prettier than she was. “Yeah she’s probably frozen anyway like you said. I’m going to go in there and bash the back of her skull.”

  They came to the overhang that stored the tractors and other heavy equipment to their right, while they walked the main path from the house. The stable was directly in front of them and the sun was to their backs casting long shadows before them. Drew stopped, “I’m going to be right in here. If you need anything just holler and I’ll be right there.”

  “I got to go in through the back. I locked the front doors and left through the back ones, remember.”

  “I can walk you there.”

  “I’ll be fine.” She responded and started walking finishing their conversation.

  Sam walked slow listening to the birds and other sounds that surrounded the farm. The singing of birds chirping in the distance was more now than in the morning and the wind picked up as the day went by, but something was different. The sound of grass cracking from the morning frost was missing. As the sun rose and beat on the farm the temperatures had increased enough to melt the small puddles of water and dry up the moist earth.

  Sam began to think, maybe she wasn’t going to be lying under that blanket and as she walked up the front window, she stood on her toes to look into the front windows on the door. She leaned the bat on the door and cupped her hands to block the sun, so she could see into the stable. The blanket was balled up in the middle of the aisle between the stalls.

  She began to walk around the stable and opened the double back doors. Sun shined through the front windows and the smell of old manure and death was strong. The cold morning air had masked and hid the smells, but the smell of rot now assaulted her nostrils. She stood in the back entrance and waited for her to come, but nothing moved. She stepped in a few cautious uneasy steps and raised the bat over her shoulder. “Hey bitch.” She wanted to say it a lot louder, but it came out as barely a whisper.

  A few deeper steps and she looked at the dead boy in the blue overalls, imagining it raising up and reaching out for her. As she watched the boy, movement from the stall directly in front of her made her jump back and hit her back against a pillar on the opposite side of the stable. A silhouette was moving toward her and as it crossed the barrier of the stall and hands emerged from the darkness and grew into arms.

  She took a hard swing at the emerging hands and made contact with the left one. The swing felt good making solid contact with her target. The sound of a crack coming from the ghoul’s wrist filled her with confidence. She slowly walked from the shadow and she was revealed as if the darkness was a thick blanket slowly rolling off her smooth features of a young face.

  Sam wanted to hit her, but could not. It was moving slowly, as if she were not completely thawed. Something inside of Sam could not make her kill it, but that didn’t keep the ghoul from coming at her. One clawed hand grabbed at her and a mangled hand attempted to. The blunt end of the bat was outstretched and pressed against the girl’s forehead. Sam pressed hard on the bat pushing the undead back, making it stumble to the side and she repositioned herself, so that her back was to the open door.

  The ghoul’s face didn’t change. No expression, but just a drive to reach her shined in her blue eyes. It continued to take slow steady steps toward her. The bat was raised and placed on her face. She bumped it slightly against its cute nose. The ghouls head was pushed back, but it kept moving forward. She bumped her a little harder, rocking her head back a little more. Sam had to step back from her approaching and she tripped, forcing her to spin around to regain her balance.

  She did not fall, but had to move quickly to maintain her balance. The bat went back up and she struck her hard with the blunt end, this time ripping her cheek reveling black blood that leaked from a loose piece of skin. Now she was no longer a cute girl. Now she was no longer this adorable unfortunate little girl. Now she was just an undead zombie and Sam began to feel as if she really could do this. With the sun behind the ghoul, it turned into a dark silhouette moving toward her. She pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head, so she could see the creature better.

  The bat swung hard into the hip of the girl making her fall flat to the ground. It began to crawl on her hands and knees and Sam swung down on the top of her head right at the base of the neck. The creature’s head snapped down and smashed into the earth. The ghoul began to press itself up and it looked up at Sam. A golf swing to it’s face snapped her head around knocking it off its kneeled base.

  Sam stood over her. She wasn’t pretty anymore and now she could kill it. As it began to roll Sam raised the bat and came down onto the back of its head a second time. This time it lay still with its face flat in the dirt. Sam took the bottom of her shoe and kicked her head do the side so she could look at her one last time. Black smears of blood leaked from her wounds and dirt and pieces of straw from the aisle stuck to her skin.

  “Who’s pretty now?” Sam said and raised the bat to smash her one last time. The bat sunk deep into her face and Sam was forced to look away after she felt something splash onto her face and into her left eye. She dropped the bat and rubbed her eye with the back of her hand. Dark black fluid smeared on her hand and she could feel her eyelashes sticking together as she batted her eyes.

  Oh my god. She thought to herself, What did I do?

  “You sure are taking a long time.” Drew said as he walked to the open door.

  They’ll kill me. I know they’ll kill me. I’ll be just like this girl and Drew will want nothing more than to kill me. “Give me a second.” She said as she stood up and turned her back to him. She rubbed her face with the inside of her fleece inner liner of her coat. Black thick blood smeared the inside of her jacket. She rubbed vigorously until her face began to burn.

  “Are you ok?” D
rew began to walk toward her.

  Sam acted as if she laughed, “I killed her. We should get them out of here before they start to really stink.”

  Drew stopped, sensing something was wrong. “It’s going to get dark soon. It could probably wait till the morning.”

  Sam looked to the windows and the sun was no longer shining through. Drew was right and as long as she doesn’t look directly at him he may not notice the blood on her face. She walked by him quickly not saying a word.

  Drew quickly followed behind her. “Sam,” He called to her, but she never turned. “Sam what’s wrong with you.”

  Sam wasn’t feeling sick, but she wanted to be left alone. She thought back on her mothers and her conversation when Naomi had noticed her coming into cycle. Her mother had told her that she may start to experience cramping and that is what she told Drew. “I’m not feeling good. I have cramps real bad.”

  “Oh you have women issues then?” Drew left it at that. Rod had always grabbed him and would take him to the beach or the mall, when Julie got her period, so that is what he related this to. He would just leave her alone.

  As they walked into their house, Sam immediately ran upstairs to her room. Naomi and Eric were sitting at the dining room table talking when Sam ran past them. Naomi was getting up to go after her, when Drew explained she didn’t want to be messed with because she was getting cramps, but that did not stop her.

  Naomi knocked on the closed door and let herself in. Sam was already tucked under the new pink covers they found from one of the other houses, facing away from her. “Are you ok honey?”

  “I feel sick and just want to be left alone.” Sam pulled the covers up tighter around her face. She didn’t feel any different, but just wanted to hide and be left alone.

  “I’m so sorry honey. Tomorrow I’ll go into town and get you some medicine.” Naomi rubbed the blankets around her shoulder. “There’s medicine out there that will take away your cramps.” She leaned over and kissed the top of her head. Naomi noticed a strong iron smell coming from her and decided, before she wakes up She was going to make her a warm bath. “I’ll bring you up dinner when it’s done.” She got no reply from Sam, but the covers being pulled tighter around her.

  “She must be feeling real bad.” Naomi said to Eric, but Drew heard her. Drew and Eric were sitting at the table with a deck of cards. “So what happened down there?” She addressed the young boy.

  Drew didn’t want to get her in trouble, so she kept the girl a secret. “Nothing really. She started to complain about her cramps or something like that when I was hooking up the valve.”

  When dinner was ready, which consisted of pork and beans and beef stew, Naomi dropped it off and left it on the table next to the bed. Naomi sat on the edge of the bed, but Sam hollered something to her that she was not able to make out and then a very clear “Just leave me alone, Please.”

  Naomi and Eric lay in each other’s warmth and the concern for Sam weighed heavily on the mother. “I have to go out in the morning and get her what she needs.”

  “I am so sorry I haven’t been able to help out as much and go out more.”

  Naomi understood why he couldn’t. Every time he put pressure on his foot it would rip open. The infection appeared to be clearing up, but every time he would walk winces of pain shot across his face. “There’s nothing you can do right now anyway. Maybe Drew can pop the clutch in one of those old trucks back there and you could tag along for the ride, since you know where you’re going.”

  “Yeah we could do that.” He held her closer, “You know I am, so happy we found each other.”

  “I’m happy you saved us from my house.”

  “God it feels like it has been forever doesn’t it.”

  “Well it was a couple months ago. It’s not like it was just yesterday.” Naomi said and then laughed. “If it wasn’t for you and Drew, Sam and I would be dead by now.

  “You know you are the closest thing I have ever had to a relationship.” Eric said trying to swing her back into a romantic mood. “Some things just happen for a reason.”

  Naomi squinted her eyes, “You think all this happened, so fate would bring us together.”

  “Yes that is exactly what I mean.” Now Eric responded smartly. “The world went to shit, so we would meet.”

  Naomi just laughed and kissed him and then crawled on top of him, straddling his waist.

  **********

  Eric ripped his foot back open when he tried to take control over Naomi and roll on top of her. He was able to fall asleep, but only in brief increments. He knew his foot was bleeding, but didn’t want to crawl out from under the warm covers to put a new bandage on his wound. He tossed around the idea of getting up, but could not find the will to do it. Then something fell in the hallway causing him to jump.

  He reached under the covers and felt Naomi’s warm hip to insure she was still sleeping. Knowing someone else was out there gave him the motivation he needed to get out of bed. He hobbled out the bedroom door and closed it behind him. He began to make his way to the stairs which was in the middle of the main hallway on the second floor to go down into the kitchen. From a bedroom down the hall walked a silhouette of a slender figure. Eric immediately recognized it was Sam by the way her braids hung down like dark fingers waving freely in the shadows.

  Eric was happy to see her up and whispered very quietly, so he did not wake anyone else. “Hey, how you feeling?”

  The silhouette froze and quickly jolted her head toward him sending the braids jumping and twisting. Eric’s good feeling immediately left his body as the dark figure turned to him. Long dark shadowed fingers like sharp daggers stretched from her sides and then it took a step closer.

  Eric’s heart jumped up into his throat. He didn’t know what to do. His legs didn’t want to move and all he could think about was Naomi and Drew. Then the ghoul let out a long and ear piercing screech and ran toward him.

  Eric forced his legs into action. This was his little girl, but he knew there was no hope for her. As it took off toward him he immediately ran toward it. He wanted to get passed Drew’s bedroom, so he could escape without having to walk close to Sam and risk getting attacked.

  They met passed Drew’s door, but not passed the stairs. Eric crouched down low and pushed the frenzied ghoul up and off it’s feet driving it back to the other side of the second floor.

  “Get out of here!” Eric screamed, but he was not sure if they would be able to make out what he said over Sam’s screeching.

  She scratched at his arms and ripped at his face. Eric felt her dagger like claws tear into his cheeks and neck. He closed his eyes to protect them, as her fingers raked his face. “Get out!” He screamed again.

  He didn’t have to give them warning because Drew and Naomi were already watching him drive Sam’s body against the hallway walls. Drew turned to Naomi and saw her run back into her room. He ran to help Eric, but Sam’s arms and legs clawed, kicked and wrapped around Eric all at the same time like she was a wild animal that was backed into a corner.

  Drew didn’t know what to do. There was no way he could help without injuring Eric. Just then a shot fired and chunks of drywall and dust flew into the air next to Eric’s head.

  Naomi ran back into the bedroom to get the pistol and attempted to fire a shot at Sam, but could not find the strength and courage to pull the trigger on her daughter. Eric felt the debris hit him in the face and hollered again. “Get out! Get out of the house!”

  Drew looked to Naomi and then to the gun, as she dropped the pistol to the wood floor. A loud thud forced Drew’s attention back to Eric and Sam. The ghoul had kicked off the wall and forced Eric against the opposite side. The zombie let go of Eric and looked to the two at the opposite end of the hall. It began to run at them, but Eric reached for her and found a handful of braided hair and pulled her to the floor. He got to his feet and pressed her head to the ground, but with her immense strength and absent of sense of pain Eric knew he would not be
able to hold her for long. “Get Out!” He screamed again in the brief second Sam was not bellowing out the horrid screech they all have learned to fear.

  Naomi stood screaming, but not in fear, but for the loss of her daughter. She was not moving and Drew knew he was going to have to force her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the steps. As he started down the steps Naomi faltered her steps and fell to her butt the entire time screaming Sam’s name.

  She fought Drew’s hands from hers and tried to climb back up the stairs. “Sam no! Not my baby!” She cried.

  They were halfway down the stairs when Naomi started to regain her composure and Drew could no longer over power her in her hysteria. He didn’t know what to do, he was losing her to the stairs, as he was being dragged back up to the fight. He began to cry from panic. “Mom I can’t lose you.” He said crying, “Mom I can’t lose you too.” He felt his grip be pulled away and Naomi advance up the steps crawling. “No! Please no! Mom I can’t lose you!” Tears rolled from his eyes from fear knowing he was going to be alone, but then Naomi stopped.

  She turned to him seeing him kneeling on the steps begging for her to come back in shear helplessness. Naomi turned to him. Then she made her way down the stairs and grabbed him. They ran from the house with nothing, but what they were wearing. Neither one wore shoes and the cold from the snow bit at their toes, as they crushed the layer of ice under their feet. The wind blew hard throwing ice from the snow covered ground causing chills it to force it’s way into their clothing. They ran as fast as they could to the abandoned farm house and immediately rapped themselves with the old torn blankets that covered the old broken beds and anything else they could find to shake off the chill from the ice.

  The back bedroom window had a view of the house they just left and they could still hear Sam’s screeching from across the snow covered fields, over the strong wind and through the old house. The night was cold and the wind blew hard, but that was only a mild distraction to the sound of Sam screeching. Madness and chaos continued to encompass both Naomi and Drew.