by Poe, S. B.
“I don’t know when the last time I laughed like that was.” Lori said.
“Me neither.” Jennifer said. Lori brushed the hair back out of her eyes and readjusted her ponytail.
“But you know something?” Lori tilted her head and looked at her.
“What’s that?” Jennifer asked.
“I don’t know when it was but I know it was with you.” Lori said.
“How do you know that?” Jennifer chuckled a little but caught Lori’s sudden look of seriousness.
“Because I never laugh like that with anyone but you.” Lori said, surprised by the lump in her throat.
“Yeah, me neither.” Jennifer smiled.
“What happened? With us?” Lori asked.
“It wasn’t me.” Jennifer said.
“I didn’t do anything.” Lori said.
“Yeah, you did.”
“Yeah? What did I do?” Lori asked.
“You left.” Jennifer said.
“I didn’t leave. I’m right here.”
“But you did leave.”
“I went to find my parents. My dead parents.”
“I know. And I hate I wasn’t there for you. But you didn’t ask me to go.”
“But I came back.”
“Just forget it.”
“You brought it up. You said I left. I did. But I came back.” Lori said.
“But not really. You came back and it was like you, Josh, Jahda and Devin. Y’all just became this new thing.”
“Is that what this is about?”
“What this?”
“This whole day. You coming with us.” Lori said. “Are you jealous?”
“Jealous? Oh Jesus you really don’t understand. Or maybe I don’t.” Jennifer said. “Trust me, I’m not jealous.”
“Then why come? I’m sorry if me and Josh bother you.”
“You don’t bother me, you really don’t understand.” Jennifer began to feel a lump of her own in her throat.
“Well why don’t you explain it to me.”
“Why don’t you go to hell?” Jennifer said.
She turned and walked towards the gate. As she put her hand on the latch, she felt Lori touch her arm. She spun around. Lori could see the tears in her eyes.
“What is wrong?” Lori demanded.
“I’m an idiot. I can’t believe you think I came out here today because you thought I was jealous.” Jennifer said. “And just because you’re here now doesn’t mean you didn’t leave. You act like I’m different now. Like I haven’t been dealing with the same dead assholes you have. Do you even know what I had to do when Amanda killed herself? Have you ever been close enough when you killed one that you have to wash the blood off to make sure none of it’s yours? You weren’t there. But I had hoped that maybe if I came with you today there would be a moment, just one that made you realize I’m still here. Maybe this is the closest we’ll get to it. Right now. And you think I came out here because I’m jealous? Screw you.”
“I can’t talk to you when you’re this way.” Lori said.
“When I’m this way?” Jennifer felt the tear slide down her cheek. “I wish I had never come today.”
“Why did you?”
“Oh my god Lori. I thought I wanted to come today because I really missed hanging out with my best friend, you bitch.” Jennifer turned and swung the gate open.
The deadun fell on her before she even registered it was there. She felt its teeth sink into her shoulder and an involuntary scream tore from her mouth. The thing looked over Jennifer’s shoulder and for a brief moment Lori thought of a vampire movie before she slammed her knife into the things eye socket. She shoved the thing off of Jennifer and drove it all the way to the ground, plunging her knife in its head several times as she did. She didn’t realize she was screaming until she stopped to draw a breath. She turned as Jennifer plopped down on her butt behind her. Their eyes met as Jennifer held up a bloody hand. They both followed her hand back to the blooming spot of red just below her collarbone.
Tilly held the binoculars up and tapped Raj’s shoulder.
“Something’s wrong. Open the gate.” Tilly said.
“What’s wrong?” Raj asked as he scrambled down the ladder.
“I don’t know but they’re running. And it looks like Josh is helping Jennifer. Oh shit Raj, I can see blood. Open the gate.” Tilly grabbed the walkie off the seat of the chair. “Kate? You there?”
“Charlie back?” Kate’s voice came through the speaker.
“Not yet. You need to get to the gate. There’s been an accident.” Tilly said.
“An accident. What happened?” Kate asked.
“I don’t know yet. Just get here. And bring Raj’s bag.” Tilly thumbed the walkie and climbed down the ladder. The gate swung open.
“What happened?” Raj asked. He lifted Jennifer’s chin and looked at her eyes. They were tired but clear and her breathing was what he would expect considering their rapid movement to the gate.
“Bit. She got bit. On the shoulder.” Lori said. She was holding back tears as she spoke.
“Okay.” Raj looked at Jennifer. “Jennifer? You there?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Just a little shook.” She said.
“Can you walk?”
“How far?” She smiled.
“Just up to the house.” Raj said.
“Yeah, I can make it.” Jennifer said.
“I’ll help.” Josh said.
The sound of running footsteps echoed down the street and they looked up to see Bridger, Evelyn and Kate running in their direction.
“What happened?” Bridger asked as he got beside them.
“Jennifer’s been bit.” Raj said. Bridger looked at her as Raj spoke.
“Here.” Bridger lifted her into his arms. “Where do you want her?”
“My house. Around back.” Raj said.
“Take this.” Kate handed him his bag.
“Let’s go.” Raj said. He and Bridger took off at a trot. Evelyn, Lori and Josh followed close behind.
Kate watched them disappear around the corner and turned her attention back to Jahda and Ham.
“Before you start, it was Josh’s idea.” Jahda said. “It was an accident.”
“Later. But right now Charlie’s not here. He needs to know.” Kate said.
“He’s still out there with her?” Jahda asked.
“Yeah, haven’t heard a peep.” Tilly said.
“I’ll go find him.” Jahda said.
“It’s too dangerous to wander around out there looking.” Kate said.
“Maybe, but he should know.” Jahda said.
“I’ll go too.” Ham offered.
“No, you stay here. Tilly will need help on the gate since Raj had to leave.” Jahda said.
“But…” Ham started but Jahda’s eyes answered her.
“Come on, you can touch my belly.” Tilly held out her hand.
“Ew, why would I want to touch your belly?” Ham took her hand and they headed back to the ladder.
“Be careful.” Kate said.
“I’ll be right back.” Jahda worked the latched and stepped through. She waited until she heard Kate work the lock shut and then headed down the street towards the gas station with the red awning.
Dark
Charlie listened to the sound on the other side of the door. Bumps echoed through the wall and he could hear the shuffling of feet. He had not heard any voices.
“Maybe not.” He said.
“Something is in there.” Naomi said as she listened next to him. “Open it up.”
“You sure?” Charlie asked.
“They won’t hurt you Charlie.” She said. “Open it up.”
He worked the handle and it gave way as he turned. The door swung inward and the light filled the hallway. The thing standing at the far end of the hall put its hand up and shielded its eyes when the sunlight fell on it.
“nooooooo.” A weak moaning sound emanated from the thing.
C
harlie and Naomi stepped across the threshold and closed the door behind them. The hall went dark again. Their eyes adjusted to the filtered light coming through the cracks in the curtains from the kitchen behind the thing.
“Ramey?” Charlie asked softly. “Is that you?”
The thing stepped forward a few steps and tilted its head. A pale eye stared from behind the matted strands of hair hanging from its head.
“Who are you?” The thing spoke.
“Charlie. I live behind the barricade.”
“You came before, with the others. You’re the odd one.”
“You remember.” Charlie said.
“All I have left.”
“All you have left?” He asked.
“Memories.” The thing shuffled towards a wooden chair and sat. It was the only furniture in the living room. “Another odd one? The girl. You mentioned a girl. Last time.” Ramey’s head lifted as he remembered.
“I did. But this isn’t her. This is Naomi.” Charlie said.
“Nice to meet you, Ramey.”
“She comes from a group. A different group.” Charlie said.
“I come from a group of odd ones. We are all like Charlie.” Naomi said. “Immune.”
“I see.” Ramey’s head lowered.
“I wanted to ask you some questions.” Naomi said.
“One condition.” Ramey said.
“We won’t come back.” Charlie said. “I promise.”
“Not that.” Ramey’s pale eye fell on Charlie. “When the questions are done, you have to end this thing I have become.”
“What?” Charlie asked.
“Please.” Ramey’s eye looked back towards the floor. “I’m so tired.”
“I don’t know.” Charlie said. “I’m not really comfortable…”
“I’ll do it.” Naomi said. “I understand. Both of you. I’ll help you cross over and rest Ramey. I can’t imagine what you are enduring. And Charlie, you’re lucky. Some immunes have become way too comfortable with all the death.”
“Ask your questions.” Ramey said.
“Let’s start at the beginning.” Naomi said.
Charlie listened, as Ramey got lost in his story. He had heard part of it before so stood to stretch his legs. He walked down the hallway and saw one of the doors cracked. He pushed it open. Tossed in the corner was a backpack and a pair of boots. He stepped inside. The other corner was piled with clothes. He stepped back out in the hallway. The kitchen still smelled too bad for him to want to investigate. He looked that way and saw something bright yellow. Curiosity overcame his nose and he ventured closer. As he crossed the threshold to the kitchen, he could see what drew his attention. A yellow sock. He shrugged and turned to leave. He saw a bone sticking out of the sink. A long bone. A really long bone. Not a dog bone. He stepped closer. Two long white bones stuck over the lip of the sink. He looked down into the basin. The bones were attached to a rotting foot. He stepped back and held his hand to his mouth.
“That’s why you have to kill me.” Ramey said from behind him. Charlie spun around.
“What did you do?”
“I didn’t kill him.” Ramey head lowered.
“How did he die?” Naomi asked as she followed Ramey into the room.
“Quickly and not by my hand.” Ramey said.
“And this?” Charlie said as he pointed to the sink.
“It was two weeks ago. I watched him die. I couldn’t have helped him. And I wouldn’t have even gone near him but he had a backpack. Maybe something I could use. There wasn’t but I remember the blood.” He remembered.
Ramey leaned his back against the wheel of the car. The same car every day. A late nineties Caprice. The sun was down. He liked just sitting out in the night air. It was one of the last things he wanted to remember. He heard the sound of footsteps running down the street. He lowered his head to shield his eyes. The man came by the car and ducked down. He looked at Ramey. He poked him in the shoulder. Ramey didn’t move.
“I guess you’re dead enough.” The man said between deep breaths.
The sound of several more footsteps came from the same way the man had come. Ramey heard them slow and stop on the other side of the car.
“Be really quite you ugly dead asshole.” The man whispered. He didn’t know what came over him but Ramey couldn’t help himself. He opened his eyes.
“Or what?” He whispered.
The man jumped back and yelled. He tripped over the curb and sprawled on his ass across the sidewalk. Ramey heard voices from the other side of the car.
“There he is.” A gravely voiced woman spoke.
“Grayson. Why you running boy?” An equally gravely voiced man said.
“Come on Little John. Don’t hurt me. You can have it back.” Grayson said as he began to take his backpack off.
“I’m not gonna hurt you. You have it?” The man asked.
“Sure right here in my backpack.” Grayson looked down and started to unzip his pack. The gunshot echoed down the street as Grayson’s head exploded. The body snapped back on the concrete.
“See, that didn’t hurt a bit. Get it.” He said.
The woman came around the car and dug into the backpack. She smiled and held up a pistol.
“Sneaky little shit. Always was.” The man said.
She dug through the pack a little more and produced a pillowcase with something stuffed inside. Something small but heavy from what Ramey could see as he squinted. He held as still as the dead. She raised the pillowcase above her head.
“Got it.”
“Good, the sooner we get back the better.” The man said. “Let’s go.”
The woman walked back around the car without noticing Ramey at all. He didn’t move until long after their footsteps faded from his ears. He slowly crept over to where the dead Grayson lay. The backpack. Maybe there was something he could use. He knelt and started rummaging through the pockets. There was nothing useful, just food, clothes and a stuffed elephant wearing a football helmet. No gun. He looked at the body. He slid over and looked at the face. Or what was left of it. The bullet had hit just below the eye and shattered the bone under the eye socket. A pool of blood had already formed under his head. Ramey leaned closer. He could smell it. The smell of copper. The smell of salt. His teeth buried in the dead man’s throat. He took two hard vicious bites, ripping against the still warm flesh. He stopped. He looked around but the taste of the blood in his mouth drove his head back down. He gorged for thirty minutes, tearing and pulling until the body began to cool. Finally he sat back and patted his distended stomach. He smiled. Then the realization of what he had done hit. He expected revulsion followed by profuse vomiting. He felt neither. The blood and flesh in his stomach had made the pain not only go away, he actually felt good. As good as if he were still among the living. Really among the living. He shook off his misgivings and proceeded to look for an axe while the feeling of euphoria was still encouraging him.
“So I did this. It was like a drug.” Ramey nodded at the sink. “And like any addict I put as much of that in me as quickly as I could. I already didn’t care if I died. But I didn’t. I felt great. So great that when I finally had the strength to kill myself, I didn’t want to. It lasted about a day.”
“And now?” Charlie asked.
“And now, like any addict, I’d do anything to feel that way again. But I can’t kill someone. I couldn’t do it before this and if I do it now because of this, I might as well be one of the dead anyway.” Ramey said. “All I want you to do is treat me just like you would one of the dead. Because I’m afraid I’m already there with one exception. I have to watch myself become this and now I know there is nothing I can do to stop it. You have to help me.”
A loud knocking came from the other end of the hallway.
“Charlie. Are you in there?” Jahda’s voice. They walked to the other end of the hallway and opened the door. There were two deaduns lying in the street with fresh rot coming from holes in their heads.
“Kate needs you back now. It’s important.”
“I’m not done here.” Naomi said.
“Didn’t say she needed you. Don’t care what you do. Let’s go Charlie.”
“But.” Charlie said.
“Trust me Charlie we have to go.” Jahda said.
“Go ahead, I’ll finish things here.” Naomi said.
Charlie looked at her and then a moment of realization hit. He turned to Ramey and extended his hand.
“Well, it’s been interesting. Hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“Just a little peace. That’s all I want.” Ramey said.
“Don’t we all.” Charlie said. He turned and followed Jahda.
Naomi watched as they made their way down the street. She could see at least two more dead on the ground that weren’t there when she and Charlie came through.
“So, more questions?” Ramey asked.
“Let’s talk about who else was at the lake besides the soldiers.” Naomi said.
Hannah watched as Scott came out of the trailer. He caught her eye and started to join her.
“Now?” Scott asked.
“Now.” She said. “Look, things are a little tense. There are things happening, or could be happening, that don’t really have anything to do with you, mostly. Noah is really sorry about that.”
“He could just let me go. I go home, you forget about us, we forget about you and we all keep going down the road.” Scott said as they walked.
“Maybe that’s what he will do.” Hannah said.
“But you doubt it.” Scott added.
“Yeah, I doubt it.” Hannah said.
They walked through the narrow maze between the trailers. He hadn’t ventured far beyond his camper so he was still relatively lost. They came around the last trailer and he could see a few tables and chairs set up in the open area. Several people that Scott had only seen briefly while outside the coffin at the bridge were sitting at the tables eating. They all stopped and looked up when Scott and Hannah came between the trailers. Noah was seated at the farthest table. Scott saw him grab his staff to stand.
“Come, join us for a bite.” Noah motioned to the empty chair next to him.
“Not hungry.” Scott said.
