“I guess so.” I stared up at the gray carpeted roof of the jeep, counting in my head to get through the pain. I pressed my lips together hard enough that it hurt. My entire head felt like it was in a vice, being closed in by the second. I needed a distraction. My body felt numb from the neck down, the pain so visceral it was more than just a feeling.
“You scared the shit out of me.” Jim sighed and brushed the hair from my forehead.
“Thought you’d gotten rid of me, huh?” I joked, faking a smile as my forehead wrinkled with pain. “Ow!” I yelped as he poked my head. I clutched the leather seat with my hands, digging my fingers into it.
“Something like that,” he mumbled as his calloused fingers rubbed my forehead, petting me like a dog.
“You can’t lose me that easily,” I said like a promise.
“Good to know.” He chuckled from behind me. I wished I could see his face. See a real smile. It would suit him to be less intense.
“Am I going to be okay?” I laced my fingers together over my stomach as I played with the fabric of my shirt. His hand stilled, stopping its inspection of me, and I let out a sigh. I took in long breaths to calm my rapid heart.
“Yes. I promised you, didn’t I?”
“Normally, you want to point it towards someone’s middle,” Kev said. He demonstrated with Scarlet. His fingers lightly held onto her upper arm as he jabbed an imaginary knife towards her belly button. A wide smile graced her face.
“With these infected things, you can’t do that. They only die when they’re hit in the head. You’re both at a disadvantage,” Kev said, shaking his head. “Here.”
He positioned himself behind Scarlet and lifted her elbow. She gasped as his hands roamed down her arms, her cheeks igniting in red that matched her hair. He touched her like he knew her body. He acted comfortable with her curves. Kev held one of Scarlet’s wrists in his large hand as he showed her the correct motion to kill an eater.
I wasn’t allowed to actually practice, Jim’s orders, so while those two flirted, I decided to walk back to the Jeep and relax. All of the doors to the Jeep were open, airing it out from the stuffy air last night.
The four of us had fallen into a routine while living in the Jeep. Today marked day two of staying on the highway. While the Jeep wasn’t the best to fit four adults—most of the time we had to lay on top of each other, limbs mixing up—it worked.
Today also marked the first day I didn’t wake up with a splitting headache. I knew that because I felt better, Jim would want to start moving again—same with Scarlet.
I hopped into the back seat, my little corner of the car, and waited for Jim to get back from looting nearby cars. My palms moistened as I practiced my I’m ready to move on speech.
My stomach gurgled, bubbles making my belly ache. I reached over the back of the seat into a cardboard box we kept in the trunk. I couldn’t look since my head angled against the felt ceiling. I felt around the corners of the box, but it was painfully empty. We were out of food. I hoped Jim would return with something to eat today. But if the past day was any indication, I knew he wouldn’t.
I picked up the worn paperback novel that Jim found yesterday in a car. The front cover had a near naked man holding his parts in a red blanket. I smiled as I pried it open, the dull, yellow pages reeking of must. I began on page one and by the time I was on twenty-three, I’d already read a poorly constructed sex scene. There were way too many sappy lines, throbbing members, and quivering body parts.
“His thumb brushed her plump bottom lip. She bit the pad of it, her privates clenching with desire,” Jim read over my shoulder. I clutched the book to my chest, my face burning with heat, and glanced at him outside my door. He chuckled as I threw the book on the ground and sat up. He squeezed into the back seat with me, the side of his body pressing against mine.
“Please, tell me you found food.” I leaned against his side, resting my head on his broad shoulder. Things had become strange between us since I hit my head, like he was afraid to touch me, afraid I’d break.
“I didn’t.” He turned to the window past me. “We’re going to have to leave first thing in the morning. Do you think you’ll be okay?” he asked while looking down at me. He put his arm across the back of the seat, dangerously hanging near my exposed shoulder. The air was heavy today so I wore only my undershirt.
“I was going to tell you…” I paused for dramatic effect, a wide smile on my face. “I don’t have a headache anymore. I’ll be good go to tomorrow.” I tried to look sincere with my smile, but knew I probably only came across as desperate. I wasn’t a hundred percent better—my neck sore, my ears sometimes rang. But I knew we had to get out of there. I constantly felt like we were being watched, like four little sitting ducks. I could swear I saw someone in the woods yesterday, but Scarlet convinced me it was in my head.
“Let me look at you before we lose the light.”
For a split second, I thought he just wanted to look at me. To see me. But he grabbed the back of my neck and pushed my head forward towards the center console between the two front seats. I groaned as my neck cracked and my hopes died.
His inspections were routine now. He had been checking out my head wound about five times a day, each less painful than before. Luckily, Jim found a small first aid kit in one of the cars up the road. It didn’t have any large bandages in it, nor did it have butterfly strips. Jim was hesitant to scavenge too far away, so we made do with what we had.
Using a sewing needle, thread, a Band-Aid, and some antiseptic wipes, he put two little stitches where I bled bad and cleaned my other cut near the back of my head. The only thing he gave me for pain were four Advil and some whiskey, so with every prick my entire body screamed. But so far, it had been healing well.
“It’s mostly scabbed,” Jim said as he let go of my hair. I sat back up and leaned against Jim again, resisting the urge to wrap my arms around his torso. I didn’t know if it was my wound or lack-of food, but my body was exhausted. My head spun as blood rushed in, making my vision spot. “Where are the other two?”
“Kev’s teaching Scarlet how to use a knife.”
“I thought you wanted to learn, too.” He cocked his head to the side. His forehead winkled in confusion.
“I did.” I paused and then bit the inside of my cheek. “I figured it’d be good to let them bond, you know? Become friends. Get to know each other. I couldn’t really do anything anyway.” I shrugged.
“That’s good. I mean, Scarlet lost her husband so maybe it’ll help her to have a friend. I knew Kev before the outbreak,” he revealed. I sat up straight, interested in anything Jim would tell me from before the disaster. It was like a scavenger hunt, trying to find clues to his past.
“How’d you know him?” I put my hand on Jim’s knee to stop it from bouncing up and down, and he stiffened for a second before jiggling again. He didn’t like when I touched him.
“He was John’s best friend and worked at the mill with me. He’s a good guy,” Jim reiterated, although I wasn’t convinced. I swear, over the past twenty-four hours, I’d heard he’s a good guy more than anything else.
If Kev was best friends with rapist John before the attack, then who knew what he was really like? Although my logic didn’t showcase Jim like that, so maybe I was being unfair. At the end of the day, I had to protect myself.
“Did he have a family?” I asked, wanting to know more.
“Yeah. A wife, two kids.”
“Are they dead?”
“You really love questions, huh?” Jim laughed under his breath, shaking his head. His hand fell onto my shoulder and squeezed. “Yeah, they died right after the attacks when the government bombed.”
“Do you remember what happened?”
He nodded. “I wish I could forget.”
His shoulders tightened beside me, but I laid my head against him. He stared out the front windshield like it showed a movie. I laced my fingers with his and held his hand.
“I was w
orkin’ when an explosion went off. We thought it was an earthquake, but I was outside so I figured I’d stay where I was until it ended. At the mill, we had a main lodge that held a lot of the admin offices.
“I went there first to make sure the girls were okay. They had the news on in the break room. I stopped and watched. I really wanted to see how big the earthquake was, you know? But then we saw what really happened.” His thumb rubbed circles on the back of my hand while he stared off, completely lost in his replay.
“Some of the footage was unreal. These little bombs were dropped across the whole country. Black fog covered the entire ground causing mayhem. Cars ran off the roads, buses crashed into each other. The footage showed some people collapsing immediately after inhaling it. They shook like they were having seizures, their bodies completely erratic. That’s why I made you wear the mask at first.” He dropped his head and cut his gaze from the front. His eyes softened as they found me, and he pulled me against him, a sad smile playing across his face.
“Anyway, it was fucked up. Our government started bombing major cities once people became infected to clear them out before it spread. But after the black fog dissipated, it was too late. We weren’t prepared for this shit. I didn’t see much else before they cut transmissions. They didn’t want people to freak. Clearly, that didn’t work.” He waved his hand towards the sea of cars and shook his head, as if erasing the images from the back of his mind.
“I feel so stupid for staying in my house.”
“I’m surprised you lasted as long as you did alone. Those first few days people went nuts. We had to lock all the mill doors. I lived on the property, so I was keepin’ an eye on it. People chopped the fucking door down and stole money.” He laughed to himself. “Like money means shit anymore.”
“How did you get connected with John?”
“He’s my brother. He came for me and told me he found an empty house and they had it protected from Infected. I said no at first. But then I changed my mind and found them.”
“What changed your mind?”
“I don’t know,” he said, pursing his lips. “Maybe some twisted loyalty. We were never even close, but he’s my blood. Maybe I just didn’t want to be alone. I don’t know, Lana.” He turned away from me, glancing out the side window. “Let’s go find the others. We’ll sleep now and leave at dawn.”
Jim got out of the car and minutes later came back with Scarlet and Kev. Since it was Kev’s car he got to sleep in the driver’s seat. Jim and I shared the back tonight, letting Scarlet rest. With Jim’s arm around my shoulders, it wasn’t long until I fell asleep with an empty stomach.
“Lana.” From the voice, I knew it was Jim. His hands clenched my shoulders, rubbing them down to my elbows. “Wake up, Lana.” From his clipped tone and shaky words, I knew something was wrong. I peeked my eyes open. I couldn’t see anything. Pure darkness surrounded me like a blanket. Something groaned loudly, moans and bangs bashing really close to my ears. I shot up in the back seat.
“It’s not fucking starting, man!” Kev yelled from the driver’s seat. Scarlet banged her fists against the passenger side window, tears streaking her flushed face. It was then that I saw them. The Eaters. How had I slept through this?
They completely surrounded the Jeep, chomping at the windows, walking around the sides. I glanced out the windshield where a whole hoard poured against the hood, some lying, others climbing onto it.
The car engine sputtered, almost starting but not quite catching. My heart leapt into my throat as I glanced around. I swallowed the boulder as my brain sorted through the situation. I reached onto the dirty floor and grabbed my handgun. I didn’t know what good it would do, but I needed a weapon to reassure myself.
“There aren’t as many near the back. We’re going to have to run for it,” Jim said as he climbed over the back of our seat. His rifle got him stuck between rows. The pointed part caught against the ceiling. I reached up and slipped it down his shoulder so he could get through. His body was just too big to fit through the narrow opening.
“Shit,” Kev muttered as he stopped trying to start the Jeep. He maneuvered around towards me, Scarlet still uncontrollable beside him. An eater banged against her window making her scream.
“Which way should we run?” Kev asked.
“Towards the sun, the same way as the cars face. The girls first. Come, Lana.” Jim reached towards me as Kev helped Scarlet navigate towards the back. Jim took my arms and pulled me over the seat head first. The headrest jabbed into my gut, but I ignored the pain. He positioned me against the back trunk door.
We waited as Kev helped Scarlet through. I fell to the side, my head hitting the glass window as something hit the car. Jim swore under his breath. A group of eaters piled on the right side. They hit again almost in unison, rocking the car a bit further. We didn’t have much time before they’d tip us.
“On three, I’m opening the door. You turn and you run, Lana. Do you understand?” I nodded as my eyes filled with tears. He stared at me and leaned forward. I thought he might kiss me, but with a snap, his face changed, hardened, and he turned away.
“One,” he said as I readied the gun in front of me.
“Two.” Jim pulled out his knife and put his other hand on the door handle.
“Three.” The door opened.
The eaters piled in, trying to get into the car. The door hit them as it opened and knocked them back a few steps. I took that as my opportunity to jump and run. I leapt from the back of the car and jogged around the left side where less eaters congregated.
Jim and Kev yelled from the car, but I blocked their voices out. I knew if I heard him upset, I’d run back and try to help. I had to put my safety first. I held my gun high in front of me and ran. Scarlet caught up to me fast, which made me feel like I wasn’t running fast enough. But my stomach already ached from lack of food, and I was still disoriented from being woken up.
“Shit!” I yelled as I ran straight over an eater’s body. I tripped and fell forward, scraping the palms of my hands and my knees on the pavement. They burned, blood immediately coating the cuts.
The eater grabbed my ankle, but I flipped over just as fast as him. I sat on my butt and pulled my knees up and away. The eater crawled towards me. I lifted the gun, aimed it at its mouth, and pulled the trigger. But he lunged towards me, dodging it by accident. I pressed my gun to his fractured forehead and shot.
“Get up, Lana. We’re not safe yet.” Scarlet reached for me and helped me stand. My hands throbbed, blood dripped down my wrists. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, making my heart speed up and my body fill with energy. My hands were in so much pain it was difficult to hold the gun up, but this was life or death.
Scarlet and I ran beside each other until the noises from the eaters faded to nothing. I grabbed her arm and slowed us down to a swift walk. My chest rose and fell in fast beats, and I breathed deeply, using our break to compose myself.
Jim and Kev still hadn’t caught up. I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from crying. It was all too much to handle. I wasn’t quite sure my brain knew how to process everything that happened to us over and over. The attacks were never-ending, the loss continual.
My entire body ached. I guessed my psyche chose that moment to completely fall apart. The pain in my head returned. With the faint blue from the morning sky, I saw my jeans completely tattered. Two big holes formed where my knees were outlined in blood. My body was wrecked.
“Lana, take a breath,” Scarlet said as she stopped in front of me. I dropped my head in my hands and focused on breathing, not crying. I had to relax myself because I didn’t want to let Jim see me like this. I had to be a tough girl, strong enough to keep around.
“This is so fucked up, you know?” I said through my contrived breaths. I shook my head and waved my arms as I stood. “I mean, fucking infected people attacking us and trying to eat us. This isn’t real.”
“It’s real,” Scarlet said with conviction. She wrapped her arm
s around my neck and tugged me against her. I remained still, trying to sort through all the conflicting thoughts running through my head.
“Let’s go,” I said and sniffed. I wiped my face with the underside of my dirty tee-shirt and lifted my gun back up. There was an eater a few yards down the highway shuffling alone. She was my prey. She held my answers.
Scarlet raised her gun as we walked towards her, but I stepped in front. I had to do this myself. I needed some fucking answers to why this was happening. If that eater saw me, really saw me, then I’d know there were possibilities. I’d believe in fixing society.
I jogged up to the eater and shoved it to the ground. It was a woman and for some reason, that made this feel worse. She groaned as her fingers grazed my calf, trying to bite a chunk out of me. I pulled my leg back, just barely out of her grasp.
I pressed my heel against her neck and pushed down. She didn’t look human anymore. With crimson eyes she stared up at me, but her eyes were blank, like she didn’t really see me, like I was just another piece of meat to an eater like her. I pressed harder, cutting off all air to her lungs, but she didn’t even react to the lack of oxygen.
I released my hold on her. She moved as fast as she could, which really wasn’t too fast. She rolled onto her side and shuffled until she sat up. She reached for me, falling forward. I stepped backwards, putting a few feet of distance between us. I wanted to see how long it would take her to get to me. She crawled, but with failing limbs and broken skin, she moved slower than I would ever let myself be.
“What are you doing?” Scarlet gasped from beside me. She stared at me in shock with a hand over her mouth. Her brown eyes went wide as her eyebrows pinched. She pressed against a car behind us, trying to back away from me like she was scared of me, not the eater.
“Don’t you wonder what makes them work?” I asked with a tilt of my head.
“Now isn’t the time,” Scarlet said.
“When is the time then?” I questioned back.
The Last Legacy (Season 1): Episodes 1-10 Page 14
