“You’re on, neighbor.” He opened the door to his house and walked in first, calling his wife by her first name while holding it open for me to step inside.
I heard her respond. “I’m in here!” I followed Larry, who was moving toward the sound of her voice. We wound up in an extra bedroom. There was a queen-size bed in the center with three baskets of clothes on top. Vera stood next to the bed with an ironing board, pressing one of Larry’s blue button-down, long-sleeved shirts. The TV against the wall played an old episode of Sons of Anarchy, but I got the feeling Vera just had it on for background noise.
She had been a pretty woman once—I’d always known that. They’d moved across the street from us about ten years earlier when their youngest son was a senior in high school, but it wasn’t until about five years later that we’d really started talking. I didn’t have much time to get to know the people around me. I’d always been too busy. One day, though, the post office had dropped off a package at my house that clearly belonged across the street. Delivering it to them encouraged us to actually talk to one another, and we’d been friendly ever since—Larry more than Vera. She’d struck me as a naturally quiet woman who kept to herself. But she’d been no doubt a lovely woman in her day. Today, though, she seemed content with fading into the background. Her light brown hair was fading with each passing day as strands of white took over the growth much like weeds can overtake a garden. The lines on her face furrowed a little deeper each passing year, but they didn’t jump out at me. She had freckles that made the lines less noticeable, and her brown eyes were as sharp as ever.
She acted like she was going to ask Larry a question until she noticed me. “Nina. How are you?”
I lied. “I’m okay.” I wasn’t sure what else to say, because it was up to Larry to tell her what was on his mind.
“Honey, the place is going to hell in a hand basket out there. Some lunatic—a biter—just wrecked his truck into Nina’s fence and she can’t get out of her driveway. Surprised you didn’t hear it. Anyway, she’s desperate to get to her aunt’s house, and I volunteered to take her there.”
“When will you be back?”
“I thought you might come with us.”
“I can’t. I have all this shit to do.”
Larry took a deep breath. “Just for a while. And Nina’s wanting to take us out for dinner when we get back.”
I saw Vera’s expression soften then, and she turned the dial on the iron to shut it off. “Where we goin’?”
“Chipeta Springs.”
“Oh. I’ve never been there. I’ve heard it’s pretty.”
If I hadn’t been so nervous, I would have added that it was exceptionally pretty about a month earlier in the year, when the leaves were turning. Now all we’d see would be the evergreens doing their usual act of keeping the mountainsides awash in color. But I nodded to be polite. Larry said, “Let’s go then.” As we walked back down the stairs, he turned his head a little. “I need to gas up the truck anyway, so this’ll be a good excuse.”
“I can pay for your gas.”
“You can give me a little cash if you want, but we won’t be using that much to go to your aunt’s house.”
“I don’t mind.”
He ignored me and instead said to his wife, “You’ll want to grab a heavy jacket or your coat. It’s okay right now but it’ll be getting colder later.” Thus far, aside from a chilly snap in September, the fall had been milder than usual, and I myself hadn’t worn a coat much yet, but I knew better when going to higher elevations. Chipeta Springs—and my aunt’s house, which was even higher up—was bound to be much colder, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find residual snow on the ground there, left over from the last storm.
Larry walked out first and I followed. We waited for Vera on their porch, and we both heard the scream at the same time.
I turned my head to the sound, across the street, two doors down from my house. I saw Mr. Clark, a guy who was retired, chasing a dog across the lawn of the Joneses, a young couple with two children. “Get away from him, you creep!” Mama Jones yelled at Mr. Clark. She was hanging outside her door, flailing a broom, trying and failing to coax her little dog inside.
Larry was able to tell more what was going on before I could fully assess the situation. “Mr. Clark!” he yelled, and Clark turned, wearing the same giveaway pale expression I’d been seeing on the television constantly.
“Muffy!” Mrs. Jones called once more, and the little Pomeranian puppy ran inside.
Mr. Clark was shuffling our way now, though, and he was quickly joined by two young men who appeared to be in their twenties. They weren’t from our neighborhood, though. I didn’t recognize them at all, but I could see their faces, and I knew they were just as infected as Clark was.
I heard Larry mutter, “Shit.” Then he turned to the door. “Goddammit, Vera. Get the fuck out here now!”
She had her hand on the doorknob and was outside in seconds. “What the hell, La—?” She cut herself off when she saw the three men making their way across the street and towards us—much faster than I would have expected the infected to move.
They didn’t act sick at all.
Larry pointed his key fob at the truck and the lights flashed as I heard the locks pop open. Vera caught up to us as I was opening the passenger side door. I jumped in the back and she got in the front while Larry got in the driver’s side. The three men got to his door just as he slammed it closed, and Vera closed hers a few seconds later.
I could feel my heart beat against my eardrums as my veins forced blood through my body. I didn’t even realize I was breathing heavily until we were on the street. Before that, though, Larry stuck his key in the ignition, cursing as he fumbled to get the truck started. The three men were pawing at his window. Mr. Clark, a guy who was usually grumpy but harmless, had drool dripping from one of the corners of his mouth, but his face had a grayish hue. Something else I noticed was that, unlike the undead we’d grown used to seeing in movies, these guys looked pissed.
As Larry backed his truck out of the driveway, the three undead men followed along, grabbing at the door and window. For a few seconds, I thought sure one of them was going to get the door opened. I worried because Larry hadn’t locked it, but it wasn’t much longer that we were on our way.
Our town was in chaos. There were little pockets of skirmishes not unlike what we’d just escaped all through the residential areas we drove through. When we got to one of the busier roads, though, I saw that we hadn’t seen anything yet. There were people all over, vehicles parked in odd spots, and smoke coming from somewhere deeper in town.
As Larry continued driving, his pace slowing somewhat, I had to keep reminding myself that what I was seeing was real…because it was hard to wrap my mind around it all.
Chapter Ten
Past
“I Want You So Bad” – Heart
SPRINGTIME. THE FLOWERS bloom, the trees bud, and there’s a feeling of freshness, lightness, and happiness in the air. It’s a time for lovers, for mating, for making new connections.
I was filled with that feeling of hope and wonder one night when a group of my friends drove up to a place all we Winchester folk loved and often forgot about because we’d been born and raised here. It’s a place called Lookout Lane, and it lies in the hills above town. If you drive to the right spots, you can look down on all the city lights and marvel at the wonder of modern man—the beauty of human creation.
If you keep driving, you can find your car nestled in a little valley and admire the stars. That’s the spot where lovers go for a little alone time…and they hope and pray the cops aren’t patrolling up there that night. Well, high school students anyway—they’re the ones hoping for a little privacy.
Anyway, that night we went up there, and I hadn’t been there since I was a kid. I was blown away by the view, filled with awe. It was a spectacular sight, and I was standing next to Kevin on one side of me, Jeff and one of my girlfriends on the other
.
I don’t know why I expected things to be different then. It was either sheer stupidity or unending hopefulness…or the naïveté that I now know I was enshrouded in. I hoped that Kevin would decide I was his girl and grab my hand.
I’m not sure now why I didn’t think about doing it myself, about taking his hand in mine. How might my life have been different if I’d been bold and just told him how I felt? I would never know…
Chapter Eleven
Present
“Broken Again” – Another Animal
LARRY WAS MANEUVERING through the streets, heading for the main highway through town. “I’m gonna have to stop and get gas,” he said, reminding me that he’d mentioned it earlier. I hoped the gas station was less chaotic than what we were driving through. Maybe the military presence Larry had been fuming about would be a good thing.
It seemed like it was more than just a disease that had suddenly come over people. It was as though people were using it as an excuse to behave like animals. I saw the uninfected in the streets as well, and maybe they were trying to fend off biters. I wasn’t sure. All I knew at that point was that I was witnessing complete anarchy, and it was scary. I was grateful that we were leaving town, if only for a while.
I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and tried calling my aunt again, only to get another busy signal. Vera was muttering something in the front seat and Larry said, “Doin’ the best I can, babe. I suppose you wanna drive?”
“No.”
“Okay then.”
We were approaching the heart of town—it was a junction of sorts, where the highway intersected with the town’s Main Street, and Winchester seemed to spread out from that point. The highway went from east to west and we’d have to travel in the westbound lane to get to my aunt’s.
There was a big gas station on the corner of that intersection, and I figured that one would be Larry’s best bet, but there were others along the way. As we got closer, we had traffic signals we’d have to stop. At the first one, Larry slowed when the light turned red, but we were immediately swarmed by a mob. It happened so quickly that I didn’t know if the attackers were undead or living looters or both, but I felt my heart once more thudding in my chest. Larry cursed again and hit the gas, looking both ways but running the red light. “You fuckers want blood? You got it.” I know his intent was to drive his truck over anyone in his way, but I thought it was an adrenaline-fueled reaction to the disorder we were dealing with.
He drove faster, passing the speed limit in what I thought was an attempt to shake the people from our tail, but when I looked back, I realized that two were hanging on the side of the truck, trying to climb in. I still wasn’t able to tell if they were biters or not. Unlike the movies, it wasn’t easy to judge if these people were infected. It was easier to tell when they got up close. Larry yanked the wheel to the right and lost one and then slammed on the brakes to knock the other one off. I was impressed with the skill it took for him to maintain his cool and figure out what to do to keep us safe. I doubted I’d have a clear head if it were me at the wheel, because I certainly didn’t now as a passenger.
We approached another intersection that had a stoplight, just a few blocks away from the center of town. Larry slowed but wasn’t stopping for the red light, and then he gunned it once more as a mob approached from the right.
What we hadn’t seen was the man on the motorcycle being chased by the mob, and Larry slammed on the brakes to avoid colliding with him. The guy swerved but lost control of his bike, and it skidded across the street. It all happened in front of my eyes as though in slow motion, as if the universe was trying to mock me. Look at all the destruction, Nina. Take it all in and know there is nothing you can do. I was in no position to help; I was a mere observer, and my body was tense from head to toe, my teeth clenched in fear and apprehension as I watched the man on the motorcycle slide to what would likely be his ultimate demise.
Larry was all action, though. He slammed the truck into park and jumped out, running over to the guy. He was laying on the ground, but his bike had slid into a compact car parked on the side of the street. He was wearing a helmet, and I figured that would be his salvation. I asked Vera, “Should we get out and help?”
As she turned her head to look at me, I saw her eyes grow wide and she slowly shook her head and then pointed behind her with her thumb. I shifted my focus and saw that there were dozens more people in the mob than we’d first seen, and they were about a block away—but they were heading straight for us. I still considered getting out, but I saw Larry help the guy up. I felt overwhelming relief as I saw the man hold himself up on his own two feet. He appeared to be shaken up but okay.
Larry had a hand on the man’s back, trying to lead him to the truck, but the man turned. I could hear him over the engine. “My bike!”
“Leave the bike, man. It’s fucked up. The handlebars took a beating.”
The man ignored him and ran over to the motorcycle, first attempting to pull it out from the car. From where I sat, I couldn’t tell if it was wedged under the car or if it had impacted the side of the vehicle so hard that the two were virtually melded to each other. Larry shook his head and turned to help, and the two of them managed to extricate the bike from the car, but the crowd was getting closer. They had to hurry. I saw the man thank Larry and try to get on his bike, but that was when he noticed that Larry was right. His bike wasn’t drivable. I couldn’t hear them but it was evident what they’d planned. The two of them pushed the bike to the truck and hoisted it in the back, and by the time they got to Larry’s door, the mob was almost in touching distance. The man got in the back next to me but on the driver’s side, and Larry got in afterwards, barely closing the door before the mob descended on his truck.
“Jesus Christ. What the fuck’s going on?” Larry asked no one in particular, and we didn’t have answers. He threw the truck back into drive and revved the engine to move us forward. That time, I knew he’d hit a body or two, and I only prayed that they were infected, not stupid healthy people who’d gone a little nuts in the chaos. Larry muttered, “Still gotta get gas.”
The man in the backseat was pulling his helmet off and I realized we should probably introduce ourselves, but somehow this moment didn’t feel appropriate. We were still in danger, could die at any moment, and if we did, I was sure none of us would give a shit what each other’s names were.
Larry slammed on the brakes again and I looked over his shoulder. There were two police cars with their lights flashing, blocking the road. Two bodies lay on the side of the road, their shirts doused in red, and I wondered if those people had killed each other or if the cops had done it. One of the cops stood near the bodies, talking into his radio. The other stood on the other side, and he held a flashlight in his hand and waved us to the right. Larry nodded, saying nothing, and turned the truck. Once we were driving away, he said, “I’ll just turn up here.” We were only a block away from the highway and the gas station. It was but a minor detour—as long as there were no surprises.
I noticed smoke rising in the distance once more and wondered if, when we returned, our homes would still be standing, if our little town would ever be the same. Would the chaos be under control or would it be worse? Whatever the case, I was beginning to feel more and more relieved that we were leaving.
The stranger beside me set his helmet on his lap and I looked over at him while Larry turned the corner…but this man was no stranger. Sitting beside me was the one and only Kevin Savage.
Chapter Twelve
Past
“Tooth and Nail” – Dokken
I TRIED TO harden my heart. I was a sensitive girl, though, and it was hard to pretend I was okay. I became a better actress every day and I was sure it seemed like I had the whole future ahead of me. I did, of course, but my heart felt arrested.
I saw Kevin less and less as the school year wound down. Prom was particularly painful, because he went—with someone who’d broken up with her boyfriend j
ust the week before. I was so angry. She already had a boyfriend. Why was she stealing the boy who was supposed to be mine?
Every night, I lay in bed and thought about him. I didn’t wonder why things didn’t work; I just hoped that they would. I knew, in spite of the fact that my parents had me convinced that premarital sex was a sin, that I would give up my womanhood if Kevin only asked.
He didn’t, of course.
At my graduation, I spied him in the stands and wondered who he was there for—if it was for the senior class as a whole or for the girl he didn’t seem to be interested in after prom was over.
I knew he wasn’t there for me.
I was glad I was wearing sunglasses. No one would see that stupid tear on a day that was supposed to be one of the happiest of my life.
Chapter Thirteen
Present
“The End of Heartache” – Killswitch Engage
I BLINKED. WAS this really the man from my past, the man I’d once, decades ago, convinced myself I’d been deeply in love with, the man I’d thought I might want to spend my entire life with? Was this really him?
And, if so, what the hell should I even say at a moment like this?
The rest of the world had washed away, even though I was aware somewhere in the back of my mind that the truck was still moving. I must have been staring, because he looked over at me in that snug space. His green eyes were cool, but they confirmed my suspicions. This man was definitely Kevin Savage, just older.
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