“Where’s Sandra, anyway?” I glanced around the room searching for her sister. They hadn’t left each other’s sides since we got here.
“She went upstairs for a walk. Wanted to change into new clothes or something.” Scarlet sounded dejected, her voice low and cracking.
“She looks much better already.”
Scarlet nodded. “I thought once I had my sister, I’d get over Kev’s death. But I’m not. I miss him. And I can’t help but feel like more death is coming.”
I flinched. “Why do you say that?” I sat back on my heels as I stared at her.
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling.” She shrugged her shoulders, not realizing how deeply her words affected me. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, but I knew more death was coming, too. She had no idea who raped her, but I did. And the fact that she could feel the future looming around us made my nerves skyrocket.
“Can you watch Marcus? I’m going to go find Jim and Gabe.” They still weren’t back, and I prayed her words didn’t have to do with them. They should’ve been here by now. I had to find them before they got hurt.
“No problem,” she said as I left the room. I found Gavin and Marcus in the kitchen, rummaging through cabinets and bags. I could’ve told them that I already went through it, but I decided that it would keep them busy, so I shut my mouth.
“I’m going to find Jim and Gabe. You guys good to make dinner?” I asked as I hung in the doorway.
“Need me to come with you?” Gavin asked as he stacked our cans on the kitchen table. It made me uneasy not to have them ready to go. If we needed to leave the house, we’d have to spend time getting the cans. But we’d secured the house. It was just my paranoia running wild.
“All set. Marcus, you know the menu, right?”
“I remember!” He glanced up and beamed at me. I smiled at him and went out the back door. My pack was just at the bottom of the stairs. I flipped on the flashlight as I grabbed my gun from the bag and tucked it in the waistband of my sweats.
As I walked around the side of the house and towards the street, I noticed things I hadn’t before. Like how the world felt more peaceful, when it was purely the opposite. Maybe it was the owls hooting, or the faint crickets in the background. Of course, just as I thought it, a moan broke the tranquility, and I shone my flashlight right into the face of a male eater, clawing to get through our log barricade.
“Not today, buddy.” I pulled out my knife and brought it right through his soft skull. The knife sliced through like a moldy banana. His head felt softer than others, more decayed. If it was true, that’d be great for us—easier to kill.
He fell down just like the logs. I waited for him to reanimate or something, but when he didn’t I hopped over the waist-high logs and sticks and branches.
Thick air fluttered deep into my lungs, filling me. It was strangely warm for the end of September. I had the sinking feeling that a storm was rolling in and going to knock us all around. Luckily, we had the house to protect us and a nice warm fire.
I knew Jim and Gabe had gone to the left so I went that way as well. Every house sat in pitch blackness and seemed to grow in size as I made my way down the road. They all had large wraparound porches, and the paint outside seemed to get lighter and more colorful, too.
When I got to the end of the street, I hit water. I thought it was just a large field or something since it appeared like the world just went on forever. I picked up a rock from the edge of the road and threw it. I couldn’t see how far it went, but I heard it skip at least six times.
I could either go left or right since the road forked. I tried to think of which way Jim would go, but honestly, it was a fifty-fifty chance I’d find them. I went with my gut and took a left.
The stars and the moon cast a white glow on the pavement. I flicked off my flashlight since I could see enough with the bright night alone. I kept my steps quiet so I could listen for any sounds.
The hair on the back of my neck prickled as I stopped at another street. I didn’t recognize where I had walked. It was too quiet for my liking, the noises from the animals before vanishing. I pulled my knife up towards my chest and held it outward.
I had to go back to Sandra’s house. A twig snapped, and my head darted towards the noise. I spun around, my eyes searching. But I didn’t see anything.
An eater shuffled beside me. I put some distance between us and walked alongside her. She groaned and all of a sudden, broke into a jog. I was so stunned by her rapid movement and quick pace that she knocked me to the side. I scrambled, pushing onto my knees as she lunged towards me, falling face first onto the pavement.
I jumped backwards so she couldn’t reach me. She didn’t even try to catch herself as she tumbled forward. I heard the crack, and it made my stomach recoil. But it wasn’t like the blow to the face deterred her.
She crawled right back up to her knees and got into a standing position relatively fast. Shit. This eater was much faster than normal. The cool night and darkness must have fueled her. Her red eyes glared at me as her hands reached for me. She clawed at me, her movement like a fisher cat.
A stream of blood trickled down the middle of her face from her hairline to her chin. Her cheek had a gash that looked like it went straight to bone. My stomach twisted as blood poured out of her mouth, coating her jaw and chin in a thick, gooey mess.
I couldn’t leave her like this. She screamed and I couldn’t wait another second. I stepped towards her and stuck the knife into the back of her fractured head. Her hair was sinewy, matted with sweat and what looked like black blood. When she stopped moving, I pulled out the knife and walked away.
A warm breeze made shivers crawl up my spine. I broke into a jog to get back to the house. My stomach knotted thinking about where Jim and Gabe could be. But more so I just didn’t want to be out on the streets alone. Every intuition I had screamed at me to get the hell away.
I stopped dead in my tracks as a group of eaters meandered around the road Sandra lived on. They walked with their shoulders back, their steps strong. Instead of staying in the street, I turned into the woods and remained in their cover. I figured eventually they’d just go away, so I crouched down and watched them. I could wait them out here, slowly moving towards the house.
A group of four men came out from a house across the street. When they opened the front door, a bright yellow light cast a beam onto the road, drawing the attention of the eaters. The men laughed as they walked, all with different weapons out and ready to kill.
“Let’s hurry this. I’m hungry,” one of the men said.
A large man with a long-handled axe came out swinging. He wielded the axe like a samurai sword and chopped the head off two eaters clean. The men behind him laughed and clapped hands, hooting and hollering. They drew the attention of more eaters.
Within seconds they had taken down the entire herd of about a dozen or so. They shook their blades clean and retreated back to their house. The light broke through as a woman opened the door, with a wide grin on her face. Her presence made me uneasy. A man grabbed her around the waist and kissed her hard, making her dip backwards from the force.
They shut the door behind them, making the road pitch black. I waited, listening for movement or cheers or something. But it was dead quiet. I moved in the tree line and stared at the house the men went into it.
It was similar to Sandra’s, but double in size and stature. It sat on a good chunk of land with a smaller guest house attached by a canopy that matched the periwinkle color of the exterior.
The road was the only thing separating the house and the water behind me. It sat at the intersection of two roads on the corner, the windows large and covered. The front window next to the door showed a little crack of light, like whatever they used to cover it was coming undone.
All of a sudden I was grabbed from behind, a hand clamping over my mouth. I wriggled in the hard grasp, trying to break free. Then his voice was at my ear, telling me to be quiet.
&
nbsp; “It’s just me, Lana,” Jim said as he released me. Gabe appeared beside him, his finger to his mouth. I panted, my chest rising and falling fast.
“What the hell?” I whispered.
“What are you doing out here?” Jim ground out, his face shaking with fury.
“There are people in that house.” I pointed across the road.
“Why are you even out here?” Gabe asked as he crouched behind an oak tree. A visible sheen of sweat swept across his forehead, dripping onto the collar of his long-sleeved shirt. I knelt beside him.
“We’re having dinner. I came to find you, but when I didn’t, I turned around. A big herd of eaters was in the road so I was going to wait them out. But these four guys came out, killed them fast, then went inside.”
“Was it John?”
“I didn’t recognize any of the guys,” I told Jim as he stood behind Gabe and me, surveying the land.
“Did they see you?” Jim asked.
“No. I doubt they know we’re here, just like we didn’t know they were.”
“I hope you’re right.” His eyes looked down at me and averted, like he doubted himself. “Let’s get back to the house. Don’t say anything, okay?” I nodded, like usual, as we all began to move along the tree line.
Jim clasped his hand with mine, our fingers intertwining. I glanced up to see his face, but he didn’t give me anything, just stared straight ahead, not acknowledging our touching fingers. I would take it for what it was worth.
We ran, dodging the low limbs and maneuvering over roots and rocks. We made it to the house fast, the front clear with no eaters in sight. It was that weird, ominous quiet again. I hated it.
I never knew silence was actually a sound. It was low and cringe-worthy, goosebumps worthy—even more so than a gravely, evil voice. It held a sense of unknown. The silence vibrated in the air, making it heavy against my chest. Even the slightest movement and my nerves shot up. I could hear my heart pounding and feel it throbbing in my throat. I bit my lip to stop my emotions from bubbling over, the paranoia and nerves rendering me weak.
Jim helped me over the barricade, lifting me over the wood. I reached for Gabe on the other side. His fingers wrapped around my waist. My face heated as I walked past him. A faint murmuring floated in the air from the backyard to us. They were being too loud, attracting attention.
I found the group in the backyard, sitting around the patio, not eating yet. The mood had shifted from something quiet, more somber, to jovial. I walked towards the laughter with my face pinched together in confusion.
“Miss Lana!” Marcus jumped up from the table and ran to me. His arms wrapped around my waist as he tackled me backwards. Jim grabbed me from behind to hold us both up as I stumbled.
“What’s going on?” Jim asked, his voice hesitant and withdrawn.
“We got the booze!” Scarlet yelled over her shoulder. She raised a bottle of amber liquid and shook it, spilling a little over her own head. I was way too sober and hungry to deal with this.
I walked over to the table with Marcus clinging to my side. Four cans were scattered across the tables, forks poking in and around them. I guessed they already ate.
So much for waiting…I didn’t want to cause a fight so I held my tongue and grabbed the ringed pineapple slices. The can was lighter than it should’ve been. My blood boiled as I shoved the ring into my mouth.
“Oh, Gabe!” Scarlet squealed. Gabe leaned over the back of the chair and wrapped his arms around her neck. “I love Gabe,” she drawled as she tilted her head back. He kissed her cheek and pulled back. I widened my eyes at Gabe, trying to get him to stop playing along. She couldn’t have her heart broken again, even if she was drunk.
“Where’s the alcohol?” I glanced around the table. I had to catch up. I couldn’t sit back while everyone else let go. They ate my food. I needed to drink to curb my anger.
Gavin grabbed a bottle from the ground beside him and handed it across the table to me. I lifted it to my lips and took a quick sip of the whiskey. It wasn’t sweet as it burned a trail of fire down my throat. The bitterness stayed.
“Where’d you all go?” Sandra asked as she took a bite from the can of beans. Her fork had a mound of beans on it, more than I would take. I took another swig from the bottle and sat down.
“Checked some houses for food and supplies,” Gabe answered as he sunk into the seat between Sandra and Scarlet. He took a can of corn and kicked his feet up on the table, dirt dropping from his treads.
“Find anything?” Sandra asked.
“Not too much, but enough for a few more days. We’ll go again tomorrow,” Gabe said as he finger spooned some corn into his dirty mouth. I turned so I didn’t have to see it. I wanted some corn, and now it had been ruined for me.
“Are we staying here?” Scarlet slurred. Jim touched my shoulder, and I jerked away. I glanced back and saw him nod towards the chair. He pulled me back down on his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he cradled me against his chest.
“We have enough equipment to stay for the winter. We’ll need to get more food, but we can secure the house.” Gabe took a swig from the whiskey bottle and then chased it with the juice from the pineapple can. That was actually a good idea. I reached across the table and grabbed both, mimicking Gabe.
“Take it easy,” Jim whispered as he brushed my dark hair off my forehead.
“Do you know any places we can go if the house were to fall?” Gavin asked. He rested his head on the back of the chair, looking like he was about to doze off.
“My parents actually have a boat in the marina,” Sandra said. “If we had to I guess we could get on it. Although I don’t really know how to navigate. I can start it up and that’s about it. Scarlet’s even more useless.”
“I’m not useless!” Scarlet leaned towards her sister and slapped her arm. Her entire body sprawled across Gabe’s lap. He slapped her ass since it popped in the air. She yelped. The loudness of how everyone was being started to make my heart race, my nerves on edge.
“We’re still in danger. Can you not be so loud?” I asked, making sure I didn’t look at anyone in particular. The alcohol had the opposite effect I wanted. I started to become more irritable than normal. It shot straight to my head, my empty stomach not strong enough to absorb it.
“Can you not be a bitch?” Scarlet growled at me. She maneuvered over Gabe, sinking down into her seat with her shirt half up her stomach. A glimmer shot off her sparkling belly button ring. She looked like a fucking mess. Her eyes had the signature drunk droop to them, accompanied by the glassy blank stare.
“So, where’s this boat?” Jim asked, steering the conversation away. His hand rubbed lightly down my arm, making goosebumps spring up.
“Down about a mile or two at the marina. It’s a small boat. Only fits eight people. But they usually kept it full of gas. The key’s down there, so I’d have to make sure they left it in the office. I don’t have one here. My cousin owns the place.” Sandra reached forward and took a palmful of corn nuggets, popping a few in her mouth.
“You think you could show me tomorrow?” Jim asked.
“I’ll show you the boat, but not the key.”
“Why not?” This time it was Gabe who asked.
“If my sister and I have to get out of here, we need to use it.”
“Fair enough,” Jim said, nodding his head in understanding. “We should go south if we have the chance.”
“Where?” I asked. He squeezed me tighter as I clung to him.
“My family has a house down in Virginia. We could go there. It’s not far from the coast. I think I’d be able to navigate from one of the beaches I used to hang out at. It’s warmer,” Sandra explained.
“Let’s do it!” Scarlet muttered. It sounded more like, Lez do wit. A peaceful silence permeated the air, filling me with coolness.
“Do you guys have any more siblings?” Jim made small talk, being polite. I kissed just under his hair-covered jaw and settled in his arms, wanti
ng to hear about their past. But all I could hear was the constant thumping of his heart as my ear pressed against his chest.
“It’s just Scar and I.” We all cut a glance to her. Scarlet had completely passed out in her chair, her mouth hanging open to catch bugs. Marcus was in a similar position beside Jim and me, and if I had to guess, Gavin would be next to fall.
“What did you do?” Gabe asked. He switched his legs, putting his left over his right now on top of the table. More dirt fell onto the otherwise clean table.
“I was a mid-wife at the hospital just two towns up until seven months ago. It worked out great since my daughter was in elementary school. She died about a year ago of leukemia. Husband divorced me right after. Kind of just been finding myself the past few months.”
“That’s really rough,” I told her. I would never understand what it was like to lose someone to cancer. I didn’t have a family or children. The pain in her eyes spoke volumes.
“It’s strange, but it’s not so bad. I mean, I miss Samantha more and more every day. But I’m happy she doesn’t have to grow up in this. She never suffered. She was never fearful of these monsters.” Her words made me look at Marcus. I leaned over and brushed my hand across his forehead.
“I didn’t mean that in a bad way,” she said, backtracking as she looked at Marcus and me, with softened eyes.
“He’s not mine,” I explained. “We found his family a few days ago and let them travel with us. He had both parents and a sister. But the house we were staying in was overrun, and they died. He’s with us now.”
“That’s really awesome of you to take him on.” Sandra nodded as she put the beans down on the table. She wrapped the too-large jacket around her body and leaned back in her chair.
“We’re happy to have him. He’s a good kid. He didn’t deserve to be left or ignored. No kid does.” I didn’t know if it was the alcohol or my past creeping up on me, but I swallowed a lump in my throat and buried my head in Jim’s neck. It pained me to talk about Marcus and how his father all but left him. And it killed me inside that we still hadn’t told him the truth.
The Last Legacy (Season 1): Episodes 1-10 Page 35
