by A J Donovan
I stay sitting. I can’t believe I managed to do that. As I’m thinking about it, another realisation hits me. I pushed my power to do something new, something different than anything I’ve done before. What else am I capable of?
***
Chapter 10 - Rex
Kim
I wake up. That’s a surprise.
I don’t want to open my eyes but I think I can hear something. It sounds like breathing. I open my eyes. There’s something big and furry standing above me.
The animal is blocking the sun and all I can see is a dark silhouette, but I think it’s a dog. I hope it’s a dog. There are a lot of animals out there that could happily take a bite out of me.
I sit up and groan involuntarily. I shield my eyes from the blinding sun and look at the animal. It is a dog.
“Hello,” I say, smiling. “Where’s your owner?”
The dog just barks and wags his tail.
I reach out and lift up the tag on his collar. “Is this your name? Rex?”
The dog barks happily and presses his head against my arm until I start petting him.
I have no idea where I am. The silver lining is that the skies appear to be clear. Did the storm bring me somewhere? I don’t know how long I’ve been unconscious, but my injuries have healed themselves. I should be more surprised at that but it doesn’t rank very high on my list of strange experiences.
I keep petting the dog while I try to figure out where I am. There is nothing but dusty wastelands on three sides. On the fourth, I can make out some houses, I think. They’re far enough way that I can’t focus on them. The heat of the sun is adding to the problem. It looks like there is mist between me and those buildings but I know there’s not. It’s just desert heat.
I sigh. I hope I’m not stuck in a desert somewhere. I start walking because I have nothing else to do. Rex follows me. “I guess we’re friends now, yeah?”
He pants in response, looking up at me with bright eyes and his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth.
“Let’s get you some water, Rex. You look thirsty.”
He barks again.
The sun beats down on us and I can feel my skin burning. There are no clouds to block it out and my clothes do a terrible job of protecting me. I lost my jacket at some point between the storm and landing here, and the rest of my clothes are bloodied and torn from the infected. I almost laugh at myself for not choosing more practical clothes. Hindsight is a great thing, I suppose
At least I might get a tan.
It takes almost half an hour to reach the buildings. It’s a town. A town on the edge of a desert? I feel something that resembles hope. If there’s a town here, it might mean that I just happened to land in a barren area of an otherwise normal place. It might not be an actual desert.
It doesn’t matter. My throat feels like sandpaper and one of these buildings is sure to have water.
“Rex,” I say. The dog was sniffing something but he trots over to me with that goofy expression on his face. “Why were you wandering the desert?” I glance back at the direction we came from. “There’s nothing around for miles. You must have come from somewhere. Why did you decide to walk miles away into a wasteland?”
He looks at me with curious but uncomprehending eyes.
I smile. “I guess I’ll never know. I suppose it doesn’t matter. They say things happen for a reason. Maybe this is one of those things.”
He continues to watch me blankly.
“Good dog.”
Rex barks happily and starts wagging his tail violently.
I laugh but something moves in the corner of my eye and I freeze. There are two infected behind one of the houses on my right. I was hoping they didn’t see me but then they turn and start shuffling towards us. I don’t have any weapons but I remember that they don’t like the taste of my blood. They won’t kill me. On the other hand, I don’t particularly want them to sink their teeth into me.
And they might hurt Rex.
I don’t know if they like dogs or other animals but I’m not going to take that risk. I look around for a rock or something that I can use but then a thought occurs to me. I am a weapon. I don’t need a full storm right now but a gust of wind would be useful. Can I do that?
I flick my fingers towards them and a light breeze ruffles their clothes. I frown. It worked. Is it that easy? I concentrate and thrust out my hand. This time they are thrown off their feet.
I smile down at Rex.
“I guess I can do that now.”
Rex pants.
The two walkers find it difficult to get back up, either because they’re injured or because they lack the coordination required, but their obsession with me is so strong that they end up crawling. Their stiff movements are even more unsettling when they try to crawl and I frown. I need something that I can use to kill them. I can’t keep knocking them down forever.
I go into the house they were standing beside. The door is locked. I wonder if I can break it down. Rex wanders over to a plant pot on the porch next door. I take a deep breath and then try the same thing again. I throw out my hand and the door rattles violently in its frame. It doesn’t open.
Frustration furrows my brow and I try again, channelling that emotion and visualising the power coming from my hands. I throw them both towards the door and this time it is ripped from its hinges and it hurtles backwards into the house.
I smile.
The kitchen is still fully stocked and the fridge is still functioning. I chug the first bottle of water I can find. Rex follows me inside and wags his tail happily while I pour water into a bowl for him. I leave him to it while I explore the rest of the house.
I don’t find any more infected but I also don’t find any weapons. Even the kitchen supplies are limited to butter knives and a rolling pin. I find a bathroom and pause at the door. The house still has power. I could take a shower. There would be a mirror. I’m afraid to find out if I still look the same, after everything I’ve been through and everything I’ve done. Will I be able to see the guilt and shame and trauma on my face and in my eyes?
I stand there for several minutes, trapped by indecision. Eventually, I realise I can smell myself. That decides it for me. I walk inside and force myself not to look at the mirror. I look everywhere else for hidden infected or other sources of danger, but there’s nothing. I’m alone.
I pull back the shower curtain quickly and prepare myself for something to jump out at me. I spent too many movie nights at home listening to Jake complain about stupid people in horror movies. Fortunately, there is nothing behind the curtain.
Rex pads into the bathroom and starts sniffing things. Comforted by his presence, I turn on the shower and step in. My hair is a tangled mess and I close my eyes so I don’t have to see what I’m pulling out of it. I love my hair but it’s not practical. Maybe I should cut it off.
I dry myself and pull my old clothes on. The bedroom might have clothes I can wear and I hate the feeling of the dirty, ripped clothing, but I can’t wear a towel. Anything or anyone could stumble into this house at any moment. I need to be ready to run. The next time I need to get into a locked house I should find another way to get in. The lack of a front door is a bit of a security problem.
I pull my shoes on just before a shape moves in the doorway. An undead woman rushes at me. Her mouth is hanging open and a spine chilling moan comes from it. I stand up and gather my focus to throw a blast of air at her but suddenly Rex jumps between us.
He bites her leg but she barely notices him. Her dead eyes are locked on me. She keeps moving but Rex gets tangled in her legs and she trips. I grab a hair brush and jump forward to bash her head in with the handle.
She sinks her teeth into Rex.
He yelps in pain and I yell and bring the handle down on her skulls. He is howling in agony and my heart clenches but I keep bringing the handle down on her head, again and again until she releases him. Her body goes limp.
“Rex!”
He whines and curls up
around himself, trying to protect against the now dead infected woman. Tears blur my vision but I wipe them away quickly and crouch down beside him. I want to reach out to comfort him but dog can get vicious when they’re in pain, even if they don’t mean to be. She tore apart his neck. He whimpers in pain and drags himself across the floor towards me. His snout burrows under my hands and he looks up at me with pure love in his eyes.
Something inside me snaps. It was probably the last piece of my sanity. I will do anything to save this dog. I met him less than an hour ago but he is so pure and full of love and life. He’s all I have left.
I reach up with one hand, knocking things off the counter as I search for what I need. I find it and smile down at Rex. I know if he was human he would see the madness in my eyes. I don’t care. I’ve been through too much to have it end like this again. I may not have known him for long but he’s the only thing I have left.
I lift the razor and drag it across my skin. Blood springs up in thick beads and then I cut again and more blood comes out. It flows fast and thick and I hold the cuts over Rex’s open wound. Crimson blood drips down. I give him a lot, probably too much, but I can’t stop myself.
I am fully aware of how crazy this is, but the reason for it makes sense. I healed from several broken bones and around a dozen bite wounds without any medical attention. I should be dead. Maybe I can pass on my healing ability to Rex. I don’t know if it will work but I know I have to try.
Rex grows quiet and still. I hold him close to me and speak soothing words to him until I fall asleep with him in my arms.
* * *
Chapter 11 - Visions
Jake
I wake with a yell.
My hand aches with a dull pain and I stare at my surroundings, looking for danger. My heart is pounding and it takes a few moments to calm down enough to realise I’m alone.
I look down at my hand. I must have lashed out when I woke up. It doesn’t look broken, but the metal door beside me has a deep dent in the framework. I’m surprised I didn’t do more damage to myself.
Kim.
I felt her pain, her despair, her grief. Something terrible happened.
Someone touches my shoulder and I almost jump out of my skin.
“My boy, you have had a terrible vision.” Betty smiles sadly down at me and puts her hand on my shoulder.
I leaned against her, desperate for some kind of comfort. “How did you know?”
“Let us speak in private.”
She steps away and waits for me to follow her. I stand up slowly on shaky legs. That dream - or vision - is worse than anything I’ve ever experienced before.
The darkness is almost comforting. I follow Betty and we step between vehicles and around people sleeping on the ground. Most of us sleep in the cars, ready to move at any time, but there isn’t space for everyone to lie down so some people sleep on the ground outside. It’s almost summer and the nights are warm enough to accommodate it. I don’t want to think about how we would have survived if the outbreak hit during winter.
One of the men standing guard sees us leaving. He starts to call out for Betty to stop but he sees me beside her and he nods, allowing us to go beyond the perimeter. I doubt he would have let Betty leave by herself, despite the fact that she’s more than capable of defending herself.
We walk for a few minutes before we find a small bench beside an overgrown grassy area. Betty sits down and motions for me to join her. A week ago I would have needed a light right now, but my night vision has improved drastically. From the way Betty is looking directly at me, I guess hers has too.
“I felt your panic, Jake.” Betty smiles gently at me. “I came to see if you needed comfort. I thought it was a nightmare at first. This group has many of them, though this was the first night I felt you.”
I say nothing. I know it wasn’t a nightmare and so does she.
“But once I got closer, I could tell it wasn’t just a dream. From what I could sense, it was similar to my own abilities, but far more powerful and acute. You were sensing something in the same why that I can sense infected humans or the emotions of others.”
Another ability. The news is bittersweet.
“You were asleep when it happened. I assume you were related?”
I hesitate. “Yes. But it’s not past tense.”
Betty frowns. “I pity the soul who experienced your vision in real life and lives to tell the tale. Even the small amount I felt was traumatic, to say the least.”
“How did you know we were related?”
“I guessed. Psychic abilities have always been rumoured to be stronger between siblings and family members, especially twins. I believe it is easier to connect with someone that you have a strong emotional connection with. For most people, that means their family members.”
I nod. “My sister.”
“When you get to my age, you find that very few things make an impression on you. But you have, Jake. That’s why I made my presence known to you tonight, instead of calming your emotions while you slept.”
“You can do that?”
“Yes. I help guide people away from their nightmares and the darker emotions they experience and pull them towards warmer places.”
“I made an impression on you,” I said, almost smiling.
Betty’s laugh is gentle. “You remind me of my grandson. He is a good man, a soldier.” She pauses. “I think he is alive. I pray for him to be safe and I hope I would feel it if he passed away. I haven’t heard from him since the phone networks went down.”
“Have you tried sensing him?” I ask. “You could try doing what I did tonight.”
Betty smiles. “What you did tonight was leagues beyond what I am capable of, Jake.”
“Then I can do it. Or we can try to sense him together.”
She shakes her head. “Maybe. But not tonight. We are both tired and I won’t allow you to push yourself further than you have already done tonight.” She puts her hand on mine and squeezes. “It is kind of you to offer,” she says. “One of the reasons why you remind me of my Cole.”
I almost don’t say anything, but I can tell that Betty is waiting for me to speak. She always knows when people are keeping things bottled up.
“I don’t see myself as an especially kind person,” I say.
“You also don’t see how good a person you are.”
Betty looks into my eyes and it feels like she can see straight through me. Suddenly I feel exposed, out in the open, and I instinctively put up a wall against her. I don’t even know how I do it, but I do. My instincts know how to react so I don’t fight them.
She laughs. “Your powers are impressive. Do you even understand what you’re doing?”
“No, not really.”
Betty starts laughing again and stands up, walking off into the dark towards the camp. “I knew I liked you!” she calls over her shoulder.
I chuckle quietly to myself. A conversation with Betty is never boring.
I spend a few minutes sitting on that bench in the dark, listening to the sounds around me. Nocturnal creatures and hushed conversations between the few people still awake drift to my ears. It calms me. Eventually my heart rate returns to normal, almost.
I walk back to the car and lie down next to Leo. He’s the heaviest sleeper I know so there’s no need to keep quiet as I settle down next to him, but I do it anyway, just in case. I can’t fall asleep. A million thoughts about Kim keeps my mind from relaxing enough to drift off.
Despite whatever happened to her, at least I know she’s alive. That will have to be enough for now.
* * *
I need new clothes. Walker blood, my blood, and the general dirt that comes from living the way we’ve been living recently has turned my clothes into disgusting rags that need to be thrown out. I tried to wash them a few times but nothing will get walker blood out and the facilities at our disposal struggle the get anything else out without ruining the clothes.
The combination of feeli
ng disgusting because I have no clean clothes and the exhaustion from being up all night following my vision, I’m in a terrible mood for most of the day. Dominic glances over at me with pity every few minutes. I’ve been quite upbeat until today, he probably thinks I’ve finally accepted reality. It wouldn’t be surprising, considering the desolation we’re passing through. It’s hard to deny the truth at this point.
This area is barren. The buildings are silent, except for the biters. I am relieved we’re finally starting to reach more rural areas. Areas with lower populations have lower numbers of walkers. It’s too close to the suburbs to be considered a town in its own right, but I wouldn’t call it just a suburb either. I wrack my brain for the name. I think it was something like Barrow Hills.
Dominic grunts and I turn to him. He’s not a talker, so any amount of noise is surprising. He must have seen something.
He stands up, one hand on the metal crossbar and the other pointing towards something. I scan that direction and see it. A small shop is on the other side of this row of buildings. It’s located on the corner which is the only reason we can see it from here. I grin and Dominic returns the expression. It’s perfect.
We have gotten used to targeting these kinds of places. It’s the right balance between big and small. If it’s too big, we could be overwhelmed by corpses once we get inside, and too small, it’s not worth the effort. There are a lot of people riding with us and corner stores just don’t hold enough supplies for everyone, even if they’re still fully stocked. Every day we find fewer untouched stores. Soon, everything will be worth the effort because we will have no other choice.
Leo and Eliza have been in charge of management. So the sight of a suitable supplies source needs to go straight to them.
“Will you go tell Eliza and Leo?” I ask Dominic. He nods, and jumps off the Jeep. “I’m gonna go ahead and scout it out, take out any corpses lurking around.”
I head towards the shop. Eliza and Leo are a surprising combination, but they’ve become Reggie’s advisors, in a way. They manage the logistics and small day to day details of our group’s survival, while Reggie makes the big decisions and keeps everyone in line.
