by J. Thorn
I helped Page get fresh clothes on as well, then we packed up our wet clothes in saved plastic bags from the last gas station. These were necessities on the road and few and far between. My mom used to save all her grocery bags before the infection in an effort to Reuse, Recycle, Renew or whatever that global warming crap was. Now I was carrying on the same tradition but for entirely different reasons.
Global warming could very well be eating the ozone layer and melting polar ice caps, but that was no longer my key concern. In fact, at this point maybe a real end of the world scenario might solve a few of my problems- mainly the whole Zombie thing.
Once we were finally ready, wet hair drying in the slightly more aggressive breeze and fingers deliciously wrinkled from all the time we spent in the water, we headed back to the highway and turned south.
Peru seemed forever away- and not just in that whiney “are we there yet” way. It literally seemed a lifetime away from wandering around the Bible belt of America. Since we’d lost our transportation, the majority of our guns and practically all of our food, I didn’t know what chance we had against the elemental cruelties of this world, but we were trying. And we made it this far.
“We should probably find a place to stay for the night,” Hendrix spoke up once we were huddled into our closed in traveling formation.
It was probably only one or two in the afternoon, but finding sleeping arrangements had been difficult the last several nights. And we hadn’t truly felt safe since we were forced to leave the department store at the beginning of this crazy journey.
Our shoes made quiet padding sounds as we walked the smooth pavement down a four lane highway. Abandoned cars littered the ditches, either crashed or out of gas. A random suit case or article of clothing also scattered along our path. Occasionally we would stop to pick through it, but mostly we wanted to keep walking, needing to find a place to bunker down into for the night.
This part of the country seemed utterly abandoned. While Haley and I journeyed down to this part of the south there had been several times when long stretches would pass without coming into any kind of contact with humanity. It made me wonder where they all went. It wasn’t like a plague had broken out and decimated the population- well other than the whole Zombie thing.
But entire cities seemed deserted, entire counties evacuated. How much of the population would have had to turn or be killed in order to make state capitals into ghost towns? I felt nauseous at the thought- that was a lot of people dead or turned.
“It’s kind of quiet, yeah?” Nelson asked in a whisper- taking the thought right out of my head.
“It has been since Gary’s settlement of universal soldiers,” Hendrix remarked angrily. “What did he do with all the people?”
“You honestly think this is Gary?” I whispered, almost afraid to say his name out loud in case it magically made him appear.
We left his camp of bizarro over a week ago and still our one night stay at his B & B haunted me. I thought about all the people that tried to come this way and ran into his “trap” or “initiation,” all those cars pushed to the sides of that stretch of highway- all the families that died at the hands of those super- Zombies. What kind of man watched other human beings die just because he was weeding out the weaklings from his army of hillbillies? I didn’t even want to know that answer.
“It’s hard to say,” Vaughan finally responded. “But something cleared the humans out of this area. I haven’t seen a single soul since we left the Hummer.”
We fell silent again after that observation. In the last several days we survived the elements, the occasional Zombie and somehow found a relatively safe place to crash for the night. But after the lightness of the afternoon spent playing in the creek, the atmosphere around us felt heavy, oppressive even.
The sky started to darken overhead, adding to the ominous feeling surrounding us. When a crackle of lightning flashed in the distance, I was more convinced than ever that things were about to go from bad to worse. Call it women’s intuition, but I was already afraid of the night ahead of us.
Hendrix and Vaughan shared a concerned look and I realized I wasn’t the only one feeling the bad vibes.
The puffy white clouds that had helped heat the day turned gray and heavy. The sun slipped behind one and didn’t reappear. The temperature dropped considerably and I felt it in every wet tendril of hair.
I looked down at Page just as she shivered roughly. “Pull out your hat, kiddo.” I laid a hand on the back of her wet head. “It will keep you warm.”
She obeyed without questioning or slowing us down- she was such a good kid. And Haley and I followed suit by pulling the hoods on our sweatshirts up. The boys were mostly good now, since even though they didn’t have exactly short hair, it was still short enough to dry quickly.
“Blow dryer and straightener,” Haley declared, breaking up our intense silence.
“Fluffy towels,” I countered.
“New socks,” Page added.
“Good one,” Haley snorted. “But I have new socks for you. Remind me when we stop tonight, you can have them.”
“Really?” Page squealed.
“I think that makes you our very first winner,” I grinned down at her.
“Sweet!”
“Is that a game?” Nelson asked while pulling his gun up higher.
“No.” Haley said at the same time Page exclaimed, “Yes!”
“I want to play,” Nelson demanded. He didn’t sound in the game playing mood…. But then again, it might have just been a distraction attempt.
“You’ll have to play later,” Hendrix growled out. “We need to find shelter. Now.”
A big fat rain drop landed on my forehead just at the moment. And then another on my shoulder. A crack of thunder and burst of lightning joined the now open skies and we bolted into action.
We were surrounded by Arkansas farmland, big cotton trees and nothing else. Not even a fence to break up the side of the road from somebody’s property.
However, in the distance sat a dilapidated barn, half caved in on one side, but with a roof. It probably wouldn’t protect us very much from the pounding rain and there would be no blockading doors or windows against other threats, but right now that was the best we could do.
Vaughan picked up our pace until we were running through muddy fields and sharp remains of dead cotton crops. I jogged behind Page, catching her when she tripped until Hendrix lunged down and flung her on his back. She held on with tiny arms around his neck but shot me a wide smile over her shoulder.
The rain was now falling in heavy drops that pelted our skin and splashed the ground around us. By the time we reached the abandoned barn, the sky was almost black with storm and the lightning and thunder were practically constant.
The door frame was slanted severely sideways- really the whole barn was slanted sideways. This was a structure that had long been abandoned, even before there were Zombies. The wood was stripped and rotted, the roof hardly held together. This was shelter from the storm, but barely.
Vaughan kicked in the door, without splintering it to pieces somehow and then Nelson pushed his way in first, past debris and the tangles of cobwebs.
It was so dirty inside, untouched by humanity and Zombies alike. But it was dry- dry-ish. We filed in through the crooked entryway and then huddled together amongst the broken debris.
Nelson and Vaughan immediately forced the door back into place and then we were encased in near darkness. There was one window, somehow with glass still intact but so coated in dust and dirt that the dim light seeping through hardly broke up the darkness at all. Out of the depths of someone’s pack a battery operated camping lantern appeared and turned on. Collectively we stepped closer to the light and stood silent in the soft glow of light for a few moments.
Thunder boomed above us, rattling the shingled roof and what was left of the glass in the filthy window. Lightning flashed and crackled outside, lighting up our faces in an eerie glow. And the wind t
hat was light and airy only hours ago now howled and groaned as it whipped around our delicate structure.
“This will be a fun night,” Nelson laughed humorlessly.
And as if in response to his words a loud, unearthly moan sounded in the distance.
Chapter Two
The high keening sounded again and we all took one more step toward each other. Poor Page was sandwiched in the middle of all of us as we formed a protective circle around her. I clutched Haley’s hand and pulled her against my side.
That sound- whatever it was- was not human. Wild animal? Possibly. Zombie? Probably.
But I’d never heard one sound like that before- ever. Sure, their low groaning and moaning was practically constant. But that was more low-budget, terribly gone wrong porn than whatever was screeching over the hillside.
“Put the lantern out,” Vaughan ordered King, who immediately obeyed.
We were doused in near darkness as soon as the light went out, which caused us to take another small step into each other. I felt a strong hand on my lower back and had to assume it was Hendrix. I wanted to feel annoyed at the protective gesture, but his touch was comforting in this black place of uncertainty we’d found ourselves in. I leaned into his body, craving the warmth and strength that rolled off him in comforting waves.
The sound pierced the already noisy night air and seemed to bleed into every space inside our barn. Ungodly, horrifying and threatening- those were the words I would use to describe it. It was high pitched at the same time deep and growling, loud at the same time restrained. I didn’t understand what it could belong to, or why it was standing out in the pelting rain just screaming.
“Let’s talk about it,” Nelson demanded. His voice was a whisper, but I cringed at the breakup of silence between us. “Yes, that’s scary, but it’s not like we aren’t prepared for a fight. And yes, it’s raining, but that doesn’t mean our guns won’t work.”
Vaughan spoke up next, eager to retain authority, but in a helpful way, in a way that made us feel protected and safe. In the silence our control seemed to be slipping from us as we spiraled into the unknown. But now, with Vaughan and Nelson reminding us of their leadership, I felt like anything was possible- even survival.
“Nelson’s right, we’re capable and armed. Whatever is out there will meet a fight- a damn good fight. Plus, we aren’t exactly out in the elements. We found shelter, we have food, and we even got a bath today. We will be fine,” he commanded firmly.
And I believed him.
I didn’t have a choice but to believe him.
“Now, let’s sit down, have some dinner and take inventory of what we have,” Vaughan seemed to blow out a steady breath and then sat down. In the hazy light from the one rattling window, I chose a spot to settle into too. The ground was gritty with years of dirt and unuse. I couldn’t even think about the creepy crawly things I was positive lurked in every nook and cranny, probably skulking over my pants and shoes and-
“Come here,” Hendrix ordered- the second time he’d said that to me today. “What’s wrong?”
I allowed him to find my hand in the dark and pull me next to him. I hadn’t noticed my panicked, sharp intakes of breath or the slippery slide to hysteria I’d started on.
“Are you scared,” he whispered against my ear.
Our shoulders pressed into each other and his hand stayed wrapped around mine. I felt calmer here, more in control. I let a stuttering breath escape before I tried to answer.
“This place kind of freaks me out,” I whispered back, careful not to let me voice carry.
“Zombies?” His breath tickled my ear and his lips floated over my skin. I forgot all about my mild case of arachnophobia and let the excitement sparking inside me distract from the real danger I was currently surrounded by.
“Um, bugs,” I admitted.
Hendrix let out a surprised chuckle, his chest rumbling against me. “Geez, Reagan, you’re such a girl.”
“Lucky for you,” I countered, nudging him with my elbow.
His voice lost any trace of humor, his body stringing tight with unspoken tension. I felt his lips brush across my neck and I shivered from the contact. In a low, promising voice he whispered, “Lucky for me.”
“Can I sit with you, Reagan?” Page asked in a tiny squeak. She stood over us, clutching her small backpack like a stuffed animal.
“Absolutely,” I rushed out, scooting away from Hendrix so she could squeeze in between us.
I wrapped my arm around Page’s petite shoulders and cuddled into her. She was shaking with fear or cold or both, and I hated that we had to sit in the dark for her sake. The rain picked up in intensity, pelting the roof and sliding down walls or holes where time and nature had taken over. The wind shook the already ramshackle building, chilling the air around us.
Haley moved next to me and settled in close. Her body heat, plus a mixture of Page and Hendrix helped stave off the worst of the bite in the air. All this closeness was almost comforting- except for the super storm outside and the Zombie opera taking place over the hill.
As if to accentuate my fears another loud howling resounded through the rain. This time the screeching sounded further away, but it was impossible to tell if that was the original shrieker or an answering call.
“We’ve got a screamer,” Nelson sighed, bringing out a chuckle from Vaughan and Hendrix.
I was ninety-nine percent sure that was a reference to something perverted.
“We should eat dinner before we lose the light completely,” I suggested.
“What is for dinner tonight?” Harrison sounded like he was dreading the answer.
Haley opened her pack and Nelson did as well. Somehow they’d been partnered as food service. They were in charge of scouting and storing. Not the hardest job in the world, but any time spent alone with Nelson freaked Haley out. Not that he wasn’t a nice guy, but she was in the same place as me- just because we were stuck together, didn’t mean we had to stick together.
Not that we had very many opportunities to talk about what was happening in Babes in Zombieland. The boys were always around, or we were holding watch while they did their boy things and vice versa. And in the very, very few moments when there were seconds to dish, Page always seemed to be nearby or involved in the conversation. We loved Page to death- literally- we just didn’t want to have to perform Miranda rights on her before mentioning her brothers. And since the child adored and worshipped every single one of them, our discussion of why we wanted to keep them at a distance at all costs probably wouldn’t go over very well with her.
Our deep discussions about boys thus far had been reduced to eye rolls and repressed laughter. In our old life these kinds of abrupt developments would have required all night eighties movie marathons, fingernail polish and our combined weight in chocolate. In our new and not at all improved life we stared at each other waiting for the evolutionary gene of mind reading to implant.
So far there was still a missing link….
I’m sure scientists everywhere were happy for that report.
“I’ve been saving these for a special occasion,” Haley warned us. “This is officially a special occasion.” I could hear the smile in her voice.
She passed out a square box with the top open and I reached in it to find…. cheese and crackers! And not just any, run of the mill cheap cardboard cracker and artificial cheese, the kind where the crackers were those sticks and you dip them into the delicious, neon cheese spread. I was actually surprised the cheese wasn’t glowing in the dark.
“I haven’t had one of these since I was a little kid!” I cheered. “This is the best dinner ever. Thanks Hales!”
“You’re welcome.” She nudged me with her shoulder.
“What is it?” Page asked as she took hers and passed the box along.
From the other direction came beef jerky and protein bars. We each carried our own water, but now that we were without a vehicle our water supply had dwindled immensely. Plus, it w
as hard to lug around bottles and bottles of water- they were heavy. Mostly we refilled in random places, there seemed to be enough abandoned gas stations and super markets that we could pick through the leftovers and find something to drink.
Although some places had suffered at the hands of looters, the majority of businesses, towns and neighborhoods had simply been abandoned. Like the people just disappeared, or had gotten an invitation to a Feeder Free town while I was conveniently left off the guest list.
“Page, for real?” Haley asked her. “This is like the greatest snack of all time. Of course, you’ve had this.”
“I’ve never even seen this before,” Page admitted. Through the fading light I watched her peel back the plastic slowly, only jostling the cracker sticks a little. Smart girl. You pulled those things back too fast and crackers flew everywhere- everybody knew that.
“It’s delicious,” I nudged her. “You’ll love it.”
“How have you never had one of these before, Page?” Haley sounded genuinely shocked. “You were the perfect age before the infection. I mean, this is like…. bliss. Like perfection. The only thing I’m missing now is a Capri Sun and Bubble Tape.”
“Are you speaking English?” Page asked with a fair amount of attitude.
I snorted a laugh, “Were your parents like hippies? What’s going on? Why the aversion to junk food?”
A weird silence settled over the group and I suddenly wanted to retract the entire last thirty seconds and everything I said. The Parkers’ history was still majority mystery. The most I had learned so far had been with Vaughan today in the river. But I’d never thought much of it, since neither Haley nor I had been exactly forthcoming with details of our previous life. It was an unfathomable existence at this point and we’d lost too many loved ones to want to dredge up those memories. Still, it wasn’t like it was a forbidden topic. We just avoided the pain the most we could.
