Dead Aware (Novella): Dead Aware [Vagrant Youth]

by Merry, Eleanor

  Both girls smiled before they carefully made their way through the remaining crash, traversing the last of the bridge in blissful peace.

  ✽✽✽

  The skies cleared up and the bright moon lit their way easily enough. The alabaster skin of the infected seemed to glow in the moonlight, making them easy to see, so the trio managed to avoid any further run-ins. They were only a few kilometers away from the bay as the night began to break. It was still only about four in the morning, and Abby was glad that they would, in fact, make it there by daybreak. What they found when they got there was another story but one that wasn’t worth worrying about now.

  Half an hour later, they were looking down on the bay. Tall metal gates circled the area but had been left open. No infected were in sight and there seemed to be fewer bodies than other areas. The cool breeze coming off the ocean took a small edge off of the constant scent of putrefaction. Abby kept them all in place for several minutes while she surveyed the area, paying attention to the boats that she could see. One in particular stood out immediately as being a likely candidate for what she had in mind. Ideally, she wanted a sailboat with a motor. Something big enough to have sleeping space onboard but not so big it would be difficult to navigate. She needed it in good repair and with at least some supplies onboard.

  Turning to Ike and Tara, she pointed out the one she was looking at, which was close to the end of the row. Staying close they moved out into the open, Tara leading them forward with Abby almost walking backwards to cover their rear. A few seagulls cried out in the distance, and the waves lapping against the side of the boats were the only sounds they could hear. It didn’t take them long to reach the boat, and Abby immediately starting looking everything over.

  “Well,” she finally stated, satisfied with what she was seeing, “I think this should be good. Enough space to sleep and store some stuff, and it seems in great condition.” Abby looked around and noticed the dock shed in the distance. “You guys wait here, I am going to go check that out and see if maybe there are some keys around. Would be nice to have that engine if we need it, and I don’t want to hot wire and ruin it.”

  Tara and Ike stayed by the boat, sitting as they watched the sky brighten with the coming morning. Abby smiled as she walked away, pleased to see them all feeling more relaxed now that they had reached the first part of their destination. They needed supplies, but there was an abundance of islands and other places off the British Columbia coast where they could find things. If not, Abby knew how to fish too. They were a resourceful group, and she was confident that once they got moving and away from the city they would be fine.

  She was practically whistling to herself as she approached the shed, so pleased about how tonight had turned out. Abby didn’t hear the faint moan behind her as she approached the door, until a voice rang out behind her, “Cassie, no!” Abby shot around as she fumbled to raise the gun. Directly behind her was an infected girl, probably a few years younger than herself, with her arms raised towards Abby. Jumping back, she got the gun raised and frantically looked around to see where the male voice had come from.

  An older infected man stepped out. With his hands visible, he moved towards the infected girl, Cassie, and brought her around behind him, keeping his eyes on Abby the entire time. A few more heads popped around the corner but quickly shot back when they saw Abby holding the gun. The older man, however, watched her critically as Cassie made some small whimpers in his arms.

  “We won’t hurt you,” the man told her, “my name is Guy. This is Cassie.” Abby did not lower the gun, but her brows knit together as she listened. Guess Ike isn’t the only one after all.

  “We aren’t the first you seen talk, huh?” Guy asked her with a small smile on his face.

  “No,” Abby quickly retorted, “what makes you think that?”

  “Well, you haven’t shot us for one.”

  “Doesn’t mean I won’t!”

  Guy cleared his throat. “We won’t bother ya if ya let us on our way.” He ushered Cassie around the corner but stopped at the sound of feet pounding behind him. Tara and Ike came rushing up after Abby had taken too long, both with their respective weapons raised as they flanked Abby.

  “It’s okay, guys, I got this,” Abby assured them, keeping her eyes on Guy. “He ain’t gonna hurt me.”

  Guy didn’t seem to be listening to Abby’s words, his sights squarely set on Ike, who seemed to squirm slightly under the man’s steady gaze. Sensing Ike’s discomfort, Abby addressed Guy once more, effectively taking the attention off of Ike, “Guess you were right.” Guy gave her a small smirk which quickly grew into a full bellied laugh.

  “I like your spunk, girl,” he told her, still smiling. Abby found herself lowering the gun slightly, somehow not feeling unsafe in the infected man’s presence. At hearing Guy’s laugh, Cassie popped her head around the corner again and caught sight of Ike. Letting off a tiny squeal she shuffled over to him, not touching him but grinning brightly at him. Ike looked to Abby, obviously uncomfortable at the girl’s reaction. Abby giggled.

  “Looks like she’s got a crush on you Ike,” Tara teased.

  The tension in the air lightened.

  “There are more of us,” Guy told Abby, “we all not hurt ya. Can I tell them it’s safe to come out?” The unspoken question of whether she would hurt them hung in the air. Lowering the gun the rest of the way but keeping it in her hand, she nodded to him. He turned the corner, and she could faintly hear his voice whispering. A moment later, a group of over ten infected came around the corner.

  The group ranged in age, gender and ethnicity. The only commonality was their pale skin and eyes. Ike’s focus from Cassie was broken as he looked at the group in front of him, and Abby thought she could see the hint of tears welling up in his eyes.

  “You all l-like me,” he whispered. Cassie put her hand forward and rubbed his arm gently, coo-ing slightly.

  “That’s enough, Cassie,” Guy told her firmly. She blushed and walked back over to him.

  “Hello,” Guy addressed Ike this time, “I’m Guy. Yes, we got the virus and got up again. Some of us talk; some of us don’t, like Cassie here. All of us aren’t like the other ones though, like you.”

  Abby considered this a moment, “Where did you all come from?”

  “Many of us started far east from here. Took train, get to coast. More joined along way. All of us too dumb for healthies, too smart for zombie.” He gave Abby a wry smile, “Much like your friend here, I think.”

  Abby thought about Guy’s words and searched her feelings.

  For years now, she had let her instinct guide her on the street, and it rarely let her down. Deep down, she didn’t feel fear of Guy and his friends. She had seen Ike go through his transition, the troubles he had. Despite the desire for meat, for protein, he had been able to overcome those basic urges. How ironic that she should need to listen to her basic instincts to survive, while the infected fought to deny them. She looked to Ike, who was still vaguely uncomfortable at Cassie’s attentions but seemed more animated than he had since he had woken. Making a decision, she extended her hand, “I’m Abby. This is Ike and Tara.”

  Guy gave her a bright grin in return, as did many of the others behind him. “It is nice to meet you, Abby.”

  Chapter 14

  It didn’t take long after this for the collective group to decide to find a better place to talk. The world was no longer a safe place in the open, whether infected or not. There were many warehouses near the docks, and they found an abandoned one where everyone settled in. Tara had befriended one of the women of the group who called herself Sam. Tara and Sam both had a no nonsense attitude about them that came across despite the physical differences. They had obviously found kindred spirits in one another and spent much of the afternoon talking.

  Ike was chuckling at Cassie’s advances and Abby wondered if now that he was infected, it would change anything to do with his sexual preference. Then her mind started wandering down a t
rain of thought of ‘zombie sex,’ and she shuttered slightly before quickly bringing her attention back to Guy.

  Guy noticed the slight flush to her cheeks and looked over towards Ike and Cassie before giving her a small, sad smile. He dropped his voice lower so no one else could hear, “Cassie’s mother die very soon,” he shook his head at the wrong word, “no, not soon, not long ago. She had a friend before, a crush like Ike, but he leave. Think she lonely now. Nice to see her happy again.” Abby smiled at him in return, appreciating his care over his little group. It reminded her of how she felt about her own little group of misfits… Her heart sank as she thought of the rest of their group. Only three left.

  Guy sensed the shift in her and slowly, giving her time to move away, put his hand on her shoulder. Tears filled Abby’s eyes at the display of understanding. She grasped his hand and together, they watched their two small worlds collide.

  ✽✽✽

  The rest of the day was filled with both tears and laughter. A unanimous decision to just stay put for now, despite their respective plans to leave. Abby shared the stories of Olive, Josh and Benny with everyone. Ike tensed at the mention of Joshua, knowing how he met his end, but several others in the group shared similar stories. By the afternoon, Abby could sense lightness in Ike she hadn’t seen since before he died, which made her both sad and happy at the same time. She knew Ike would never be the same kid she knew before, but she was grateful that enough of the Ike she remembered was there to build new memories with.

  When food was shared amongst the group, Tara choked back a laugh as she saw them handing out tins of cat food. Abby had hushed her but not before Sam could ask what was funny. The infected had been shocked to learn their food of choice was not, in fact, made of cats but FOR cats. They all laughed, though, and Tara admitted it was a smart thought, considering the amount of protein the tins contained and how much easier they would be to obtain than other protein sources. She also admitted to having eaten worse things during her first days on the street.

  The day went by faster than Abby anticipated and soon, night began to fall. They settled into their own places, all with a deeper understanding of one another. Cassie curled up to Ike and while he admitted privately to Abby that he didn’t feel ‘that way’ about the girl, he did appreciate the comfort. Though Cassie couldn’t speak, the well of sadness in her was obvious, and he was pleased to be able to give her some solace.

  The warehouse they had chosen was sufficiently secure, and Abby felt comfortable enough to let Guy’s people stand guard over them through the night. She couldn’t remember sleeping so well.

  The next morning, Abby woke up at dawn, as she always had. Most of the group was still fast asleep except for a few guards, including another man named Kenny who she had met the night before. Kenny was an imposing figure, tall with tattoos and piercings that seemed to shine against his pale infected skin. The trio, however, knew that appearances could be deceiving and were quickly captivated by his warm demeanor. Abby nodded as she passed him, wanting to speak to Guy before the others woke.

  “Morning,” he said simply as she approached.

  “Good morning,” she replied as she sat beside him by the window looking out over the docks. They sat in silence for a few moments, and Guy could sense that she was looking to say something to him.

  “We were leaving the city when we ran into you,” Abby finally admitted. “There is too much danger here for us, and for Ike.” Guy nodded and sensing this wasn’t all she wanted to tell him stayed silent.

  “I… I don’t know what to do anymore. I couldn’t keep them safe, any of them.” She began to sob lightly. “I couldn’t save them.” She broke down as Guy put his arms around her, letting her release the tension and strain that had been eating at her since the FIRE Virus came into their lives. After a few minutes her tears slowed, and she wiped her face, giving Guy a grateful look.

  Guy couldn’t remember much of his life before FIRE, before he was infected, but Abby reminded him of someone that he thought had given him great joy before. He doubted that he would ever remember more, but that feeling was enough.

  “Never keep everyone safe,” he told her, “but you can keep them strong.” Abby’s head shot up at his words, a fire in her eyes. There, he thought, that is the real Abby.

  “Guy,” she asked hesitantly, “would you… Would you take Ike with you?” She spat out the last words quickly as though wanting to expel them from her body. “He’s almost been killed so many times with us. It isn’t safe for him in this world.” She gestured around her. “I want to take care of him, but I can’t keep him safe. Maybe you can.” Abby’s eyes burned into his, pleading. For a few minutes he said nothing, considering her words.

  “Abby,” he finally responded, “I can’t make any promises—”

  “That’s okay! I understand I just…want him to be happy.”

  He cleared his throat in disapproval at her interruption, causing her dark cheeks to flush slightly. “I can’t make any promises, but if you want, I would try. He can come with us,” Just as she was about to interrupt him a second time, he raised his hand so he could finish. “I would try to keep you all safe. You and Tara and Ike.” Abby looked at him, shocked. He chuckled a bit at her reaction and held out his arm to hers.

  “Healthy, infected,” he said glancing down at himself and indicating the others like him with a sweeping gesture. “Brown skin, white… Does not matter. Family. Family matters.” Abby’s eyes welled up with tears once again. “Come with us. Join our family.”

  As the autumn sun rose over the ocean in front of them, Abby took Ike and Tara aside. When all was said and done, they were her family, and she would do whatever she could to take care of them and ensure their safety, but she wouldn’t force them to stay, not if it wasn’t what they wanted. Tara agreed before the words had even finished exiting Abby’s mouth, and Ike’s smile said it all. The three of them clung together, their tears blending together. Guy was right. It didn’t matter if they were infected or not, brown or white. Family, friendship, love: that was what mattered.

  If there was to be any hope in this new world, that was all they would need.

  Authors notes

  Thanks for reading Dead Aware: Vagrant Youth. If you enjoyed this, or even if not, please leave a review! Review’s, as well as speaking about our work, is the best way to support indie authors.

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  Huge thanks to all of my beta and ARC readers, my editors and amazing cover artist. This wouldn't have been possible without all of you!

  Dead Aware: Vagrant Youth is based in the Dead Aware world as can be read as a standalone, sequel or prequel to the Dead Aware series. To check out the other books in the Dead Aware world you can check out my Amazon page here

  The concept for Vagrant Youth came to me while walking to work one day. I work in downtown Vancouver and pass through many of the area’s Abby speaks about in the story. East Vancouver and parts of downtown have an abundance of homeless youth and unfortunately, many of them are there for similar reasons to Abby’s band of misfits. So many adults and children have stories much more complex than just addiction, which is what so many people seem to think is a commonality to all people living on the street. In my daily walks I have made many friends among such people, and it made me wonder. How would these kids and teens fare in my Dead Aware world? Honestly, I figured pretty well! They are resourceful, used to going with less to eat and overall are strong people. This is the character I wanted to portray

  I adore Abby as a character (who, by the way, is named after one of my first beta readers. You rock, Abby!) and even though I originally intended this to be just a standalone short story, it obviously turned into something more.

  You will get to meet Abby, Ike and Tara again in Dead Aware 2 and if you are c
urious about Guy and his crew, you can find out where they came from in Dead Aware 1 (A Zombie Journey) which you can pick up here

  I can’t wait to share more of the Dead Aware world with all of you. I am always looking for new ideas and characters so if you think of something you think should be in a future Dead Aware story then please let me know!

  About the Author

  Eleanor Merry was born and raised in beautiful Vancouver, BC and still lives there with her tiny human and her fiancé. The offspring of a fairy queen and an undead warlord, she was brought up with an appetite for terror and beauty.

  When she isn’t writing, she is a voracious reader with eclectic tastes which tends to lean towards horror and the twisted, however is known to indulge in dirty romances on the side. Her influences include authors such as Brian Keene, Mark Tufo, Richard Laymon and Tillie Cole. In all genres, nothing is off limits and she looks forward to sharing more of her own twisted and strange thoughts with the world.