The Amour series (Book 2): The Ashes of Amour

by Coushatta LaRue

  come through. Nothing was there. She let out a pitiful laugh and rubbed her sweaty forehead. Her stomach was in knots as she looked forward again.

  The Undead sat and stood around groaning softly as they glanced up slowly at the light that disturbed their peace. As Abby carefully walked around the corpses and Undead, she tried not to look at their dead faces. She would never tell Evan but they always gave her nightmares. Sleep was always hard after a day out

  around a bloated old woman as she came very close to a small Undead child. It made a loud groan as she walked by it. It reached out for her; and when it grabbed her jeans, she froze.

  It stared at her with white hollow eyes. Its face was ghostly pale with yellow streaks lining its cheeks. It had no hair left, and its

  its jaw, and Abby saw it had no more teeth. She could not even tell if it had been a girl or boy. She felt sick and backed away from it when she hit something. She turned and was face to face with a large Undead. She gasped and covered her mouth with tears in her eyes. It lunged forward at her; but when its body hit her, it stumbled backwards confused. Abby felt a hot tear roll down her cheek.

  It held onto her for a second as it tried to stabilize itself. Abby shoved it away, and it fell backwards, over a corpse, and smashed into the wall behind it. Abby stepped back feeling her heart race. The other Undead in the hallway became livelier at the sound and looked up. Abby paused for what seemed like forever until the Undead around her went back to mindlessly moaning and chewing on the rotting corpses. She let out a long breath and rubbed more sweat from her face. She was so frightened.

  She shook away her fear and forced a smile under her mask. She had to do this. This place had medical supplies that Haven needed. She forced herself to walk forward and kept her light on the door ahead of her as she stepped over the bodies under her. She listened and could hear the heavy breathing of the Undead around her. If she listened hard enough, she could hear a bird singing outside the boarded up windows. She stopped as she grew closer to the door and held her breath for a second. The smell in the room was awful, and she did everything she could to not throw up.

  She knew exactly what she was going to do when she got out of here. She was going to take a long hot shower. She walked to the door and reached for the handle as she took in a long breath. No one had been in this room for over a year. She had no idea what

  alive would be behind the door, even though she knew that was impossible. The hordes of Undead that were in this side of the hospital killed everyone who tried to come this way. She turned

  shot through the room and down the hallway. Abby shut her eyes and felt her body shake.

  She could hear the Undead around her shifting to their feet, and even worse she could hear many feet walking towards her in the room. For a minute, she saw herself being ripped apart slowly and being eaten. She shook and cried as the Undead brushed past her to see what had made the loud sound. Some came from

  hopelessly searching, the Undead settled down around her. She opened her eyes as a young dead man wobbled by her to enter the dark room. She rubbed the tears from her chin and gritted her teeth.

  have them hold her and kiss the fear away. She swallowed hard and stepped into the room. It was very cold. Abby shivered and felt goosebumps grow on her skin. She rubbed her arms and then pulled down her long sleeves she had pulled upwards earlier that day. She shined her light around the room, and her eyes widened as she saw the large group of Undead around her. Some were spread out wandering around clawing at the empty air while others stayed in small groups just standing. Those scared her the most. She shined the light around the supply room at the tables and counters and saw nothing but a mess.

  Her heart skipped a beat at the thought of wasting her time, coming here for nothing. Then she saw something in the corner of the room. It was a door. She walked towards it with a rush of adrenalin. When she got to it, she waited before opening it

  legs. Abby squinted her eyes in disgust and tried not to look. She ignored the heavy breathing and moans around her and the hands grabbing for her neck. The door opened easily enough, and she was surprised at the large amount of supplies inside. She gasped happily and stepped forward, reaching for a bottle of clear liquid. Then she hit something under her and was not able to stop herself from falling.

  She screamed as she grabbed the counter knocking bottles

  to sit up. She imagined the Undead surrounding her and reaching pushed her back to the counter behind her. She heard the loud movement in the room outside coming towards her. She then shined the light on what she hit and frowned at the dead body with a single gunshot wound to his head. Abby looked down sadly and wondered who the man had been and what he had gone through.

  An Undead fell through the door and onto the dead man in front of her. It growled and sunk its dead teeth into the corpse.

  of him. It growled in protest as more of the Undead tried to push through the small doorway. Abby realized that even if the Undead could not see her, they could easily stomp her to death. She moved forward to push them back when she spotted something in the hand of the dead man beside her. It was a crumpled up paper. She started to ignore it when something inside her pulled her towards it. She ripped it from the man’s hands causing some of the paper to tear and stay in his hand.

  She stood quickly; and with all her might, she threw herself into the mob at the doorway, causing them all to fall backwards. She landed on them and felt their cold dead skin under her warm palms. She sneered in disgust as they waved their hands at the empty air. The smell in the room was almost becoming too much to bear. She gagged as she stood up and began to cough. She tasted bile in the back of her throat. She hurried back to the small

  to pull. She pulled him into the middle of the room as the Undead surrounded her. She dropped the man’s legs and stumbled backwards as the Undead fell onto the corpse.

  the counter inside gasping for breath. She cried as she tried to calm her breathing. Her muscles ached as her bones shook. Even though she had become healthier since Haven, she still became hair and stood up straight as she stared at the black spot on the

  She eyed all of the supplies around her and knew it would take more than one trip to get it all. It made her frown. She did not want to be here any longer. She wanted to go home and just forget she had ever been here. She gazed out of the room, pretending the sickening, eating frenzy close by was not happening. She saw a gurney and hurried to it and rolled it towards the room. Then she went to the other side of the room to grab up old dusty white

  then tied it up and put it on the gurney. She did this with four other sheets. She would have to come back for the rest.

  She rubbed her neck and breathed. The coldness in the room was making her sleepy when she remembered the note she had ripped from the man’s hand. She had mindlessly placed it into her pocket. She pulled it out and studied it with narrowed eyes. She wrinkled her nose at it. All it had on it written in a rushed handwriting was; they lied to us. It was written over and over again with dark black ink. She shined the light onto the black spot that was once red blood and back at the paper and at the part that had been torn away. She turned back to the frenzy.

  She walked forward pulling the gurney behind her wanting to know what else was on the paper, if it was the same thing or

  dead body, she looked away with a twisting ache in her stomach. She placed both hands onto the gurney readying herself to wheel it out of the room and into the awful hallway when something strange caught her eye. She glanced over at a thin old man lying

  hair ball that would not come out. It lay on its stomach shaking and started to screech and drool badly. It clawed at the ground,

  body began to convulse violently. She watched for a good minute before it stopped and froze like a stone.

  She waited for it to move again as black blood dripped from its open mouth. Her heart was screaming at her to leave this place. That something was very wrong, and that she had to get out now, but she wanted to know what was
happening. She took small steps towards the old man then nudged its head with her boot. It did not move. She hit it harder and still nothing. Her eyes dilated when she realized it was actually dead. She went to reach down towards it when she heard more screeching and gasps for air. She twisted around shining the light on the group around the corpse and gasped.

  violently. They clawed at nothing as their white eyes rolled into the back of their heads. They hacked and coughed and black blood pooled around their thin lips. Abby watched in horror as

  heartbeat and the Undead groaning in the hallway outside the room. She was alone in the room with dozens of new corpses.

  killed these things, and she feared it could kill her too.

  She was about to leave the room when she thought of the paper in the dead man’s hand. She turned back towards the corpse and saw that it barely looked human now. Its face was gone and the skin that once was had been all pulled away to reveal gray bones. Abby hesitated to move now. She missed the sound of the Undead

  meant something alive could be around hiding, waiting, watching her. She leaned downward, breathing in short gasps as she

  open to get the small piece of paper from its palm.

  Abby pushed herself upwards making the world spin around her as she stumbled back to the gurney. She opened the piece of paper and laid the two by each other as her heart stopped. Her teeth chattered, and her mind spun. The world around her blurred as she read the paper with disbelief and excitement. She gazed with amazement at the dead around her, and her stomach dropped. She grabbed the sides of the gurney and forced herself to see it and read it.

  they lied to us

  they lied to us

  they lied to us

  it can be stopped

  there is a way to cleanse the world of the virus and its carriers they lied to us

  but I am scared

  I don’t want to die

  -Chapter eighteen

  Abby woke in a panic gasping for breath as she cried out. The

  of almost happiness, safety, a somewhat normal life inside Haven. It was cruel and wrong. She rubbed tears from her eyes and felt hands on her. She smacked them away and hit the wall of the van.

  “It is me Abby! It’s okay!” Evan said loudly, “It’s just me.”

  Abby gasped and lurched forward to hold him. They hugged and she opened her eyes to see Jessie sitting on her bed playing with Pooch. She had new clothes on and a large camo jacket on. That was when Abby realized she had new clothes. She was wearing green warmup pants and a matching warm up shirt that was too big for her. She could feel a cami under the sweatshirt. There was a camo jacket laying on her too.

  She looked at her hands and touched her face. She was clean. Evan handed her a water bottle. Abby drank deep. She was panting and sweating. Evan wiped the sweat away with a warm rag. She looked at him and his tired eyes. He looked a mess. His hair was unkempt, beard growing wildly, and his scars looked red. He was

  jacket on top.

  Evan handed her boots and she put them on.

  Evan rubbed his face and scratched his scars. “It was a trap. They knew we were here and set a trap with

  Jessie.”

  He looked back at Jessie and she smiled.

  “I looked for Kevin and found him. We were attacked by Husk

  and he pushed me through a window to save me.”

  He paused and his voice became low. He stared at his hands that looked dry.

  “I don’t know what happened after that.” Evan told her.

  Abby drank more from the bottle as she began to tie her shoes. Pooch walked up to her and licked her arms. Abby picked her up and hugged her. Then gave her a kiss. Abby looked at Evan who was sitting on her bed. The nurses and the doctor were gone.

  “Did they do anything to you?” She asked.

  “They gave me vitamins and I got a rag bath.”

  Breathing he rubbed his hands together.

  something up, “You should too.”

  He handed her a bag with a sandwich in it.

  Abby stared at it with awe. It looked like freshly made bread. “They make it at Haven.” Jessie smiled.

  Abby opened the bag and smelled it. It made her mouth water.

  She looked inside and saw meat. She gave Evan a long look. He stared at her then he understood.

  “It’s pork I swear,” He winked.

  She smiled nervously and bit into it. She ate it quickly as her stomach growled. The last bite hurt to go down and then her stomach threatened to puke it back up. She drank more water and refused to throw it back up.

  “Jessie says they are from Haven.” Abby said.

  “Yeah apparently they are some scouts or something. Military. They look for people to take back to the Havens. And they clean up bodies.” He explained, “They burn everything.”

  Abby felt knots in her belly. She touched her scars softly and She felt strong and for once okay. Her dream was still in the back

  Kevin had told them. It was just as the dream. Abby groaned and shook her head.

  asked.

  “They seriously just happened to be going this way when they

  stumbled upon us.” He answered.

  Abby stared at him and laughed.

  “Such great timing.” She mocked.

  Evan looked down sadly and nodded.

  Abby realized Kevin was not there and eyed Jessie. “Where is Kevin?” She asked in a hushed voice.

  Jessie looked up anyway.

  “I don’t know.” Evan replied frowning

  Abby looked down at her clothes and sighed.

  “Are we going to be okay?” She heard herself ask.

  Evan stared at her his large hazel eyes burning into hers. Abby

  the ashes with the snow.

  “I don’t know.” Evan said his voice cracking.

  Jessie crawled towards them and put a hand onto Abby’s

  shoulder.

  “We might be.” She said smiling.

  Abby smiled and laughed sadly as she shook her head. The van door swung open and the two nurses Ashley and Peggy

  stood there with coats on. They smiled at them and got into the van. The doctor stepped inside and sat at his desk and turned towards them.

  “Hello Abby. How are you feeling?” He asked her with a wide grin.

  “Fine.” She almost growled.

  “You must have had a bad dream. I am sorry.” He smiled.

  Abby looked away from him and at Jessie. Then back at the doctor. She did not like the sly grin on his face. Slowly looking back at Jessie Abby rubbed her lips together.

  “Did you have a bad dream?” Abby asked.

  Jessie frowned and looked away.

  Abby glared at the doctor.

  “My name is Doctor Gray.” Doctor Gray smile again showing yellow teeth, “I am sure you both feel real rested.”

  “Commander Ava wants to speak with all of you.” Ashley told them with a motherly voice.

  Jessie stood up and rushed out of the van. Evan followed and helped Abby to her feet. She took her jacket and put it on. Pooch still in her arms.

  The sun was blazing in the sky yet it was still cold. Snow was

  Abby tasted the ash in the air and sneered. Most of the men and women still had masks on. A few still went through supplies and loaded them into cars and trucks.

  Ava stood with the older man she was with that night. They were speaking on radios and looked intense. The older man nudged his head to Abby and Evan and Ava turned around. Ava put the radio up and shook Evan and Abby’s hands. Pooch growled at her and Ava smiled at her.

  Abby could see her age in the light. It was under her eyes and around her lips. However, she was a beautiful woman and her hair was out and hung around her shoulders. It was straighter than she thought. Ava was taller than Abby and looked down at her from her nose. Though there was no judgment in her eyes.

  “How do you feel?” She asked with kindness in her voice. Ava looked down at Jessie and gave her a soft smile
. Abby looked at the man next to her. He was much older than

  Ava. His hair was fully white and his face was full of wrinkles yet he still was handsome. He looked at her blankly then he reached his hand out. She took a moment before shaking it then Evan shook the man’s hand.

  “My name is Rodgers. Second in Command here.” He said with a rough voice.

  “Evan Cane.” Evan said as he shook his hand.

  “Your last name is Cane?” Abby asked eyeing him.

  “Oh,” Evan looked at her and then shrugged, “Yeah.”

  Abby shook her head and looked at Rodgers.

  “Are you okay?” Ava asked again a bit annoyed this time.

  Abby looked at her neck and stared at a necklace. There was a man’s wedding ring on it. Ava noticed and it seem to make her uncomfortable.

  “Are you okay or not Abby?” Ava asked louder.

  “Yeah.” Abby replied.

  Ava stared. Looking at the bruises on Abby’s neck and the cuts on her face. Abby could feel them healing slowly.

  “We found your friend.” Ava said almost uninterested.

  “Daddy? Where is he?” Jessie asked excited.

  Ava gave Jessie a long painful look. Abby’s gut twisted as she looked around. She did not see him anywhere. A cold wind blew and Abby chewed on her bottom lip.

  “Is he okay? Where is he?” Evan asked looking around.

  Abby looked into Rodgers old eyes and she saw the grim look to them. Abby stared at the snow under her boots then into Pooch’s little biddy black eyes. It seemed colder now. Snow began to fall from the sky and Abby found herself laughing grimly.

  Evan looked down at her and Abby rubbed tears from her eyes. The look Ava gave her told her the truth.

  “He is not okay.” Ava said slowly, “He is inside.”

  Ava looked down at Jessie with a fear in her mature eyes.

  Ava turned away and started to walk. Rodgers followed. Evan started and Jessie followed. Abby paused and stared around at the strangers. Some looked at her and nodded.

  “Abby?” She heard Evan ask from afar.

  Abby looked and saw Evan halfway in the clinic door entrance. Abby started walking and Evan kept going. Inside the clinic things were burned now. Corpses were crisp and smoking. Bullet holes riddled the walls. Rooms were stripped bare of anything useful. It almost made Abby feel sick.