“I’m glad you understand that,” Jessica said. “And just for the record, I would’ve gone with you on this. These people have done so much for us, including save me and Gabriel’s lives by helping us get out of that prison.”
“How’s he doing?” Will asked in a lower tone.
Jessica shrugged. “About the same.”
“Awesome,” Will said sarcastically.
“He’ll be fine once we get out of here.”
“I think it’s just hard for me to understand how he’s feeling sometimes,” Will said.
“I understand.”
Will reached down and grabbed her hands, running the thumb of one of his hands across the top of it. After a moment, she jerked them away. Will raised an eyebrow.
“You all right?”
“Y-yeah,” she stammered. “I’m fine. Look, I’m gonna go and try to get some rest before dinner, all right?”
“Okay,” Will said, still confused about what he’d done to suddenly change her mood.
But before he could pry more, her back was to him and she was making her way around the crowd.
He caught a glimpse of Timothy approaching. The doctor had his hand outstretched and Will shook it.
“Great to see you, Will,” Timothy said.
“Yeah,” Will said. “I’m really sorry about the others.”
Timothy looked to the ground and nodded. He looked up and said, “You got a few minutes to come brief me on everything that happened? I want some more details.”
“Sure, do you mind if I—”
He turned around to see Holly, but she and both of the kids were already gone. Confused, he looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen. His only thought was that maybe she had assumed he would be busy for a while and gone into the house, though it wasn’t usually like Holly to walk away without at least saying something.
“You can come like that,” Timothy said. “You smell like hell, so we’ll sit out on my back patio.”
Will grinned. “All right.”
Charlie approached and Timothy gestured toward him.
“Come on,” Timothy said to Charlie. “I want you to come, too.”
Chapter 14
Jessica slammed the door behind her when she reached her room. Keeping on her clothes and even her shoes, she lay down on the bed and covered her face. Sniffling, she wiped the tears from her eyes.
Between the conversation she’d had with Holly earlier and the way Will had touched her outside, she was beyond confused. She was lost.
It tortured her that she couldn’t confess to Will how she felt. Telling him would only further the divide within their group. It would create a rift between her and Holly that she likely couldn’t heal. It wasn’t worth it. Not for Will, not for Gabriel, not for Jessica herself, and especially not for the children.
Someone knocked on the door and Jessica shot up. She wiped her eyes and tucked her knees to her chest, leaning against the headboard. She moved her hair from her face then, checking once more that her eyes were dry.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Gabriel poked his face in.
“Everything okay?”
Moving her hair again—her most common nervous tick—Jessica nodded. “Everything’s fine.”
Gabriel came all the way into the room, shutting the door behind him.
“I’m not so sure I believe you.”
Jessica chuckled once, and it quickly turned into her crying again.
Gabriel approached the bed and sat on the edge.
“I’m all right,” she said, wiping her eyes.
“You wanna tell me what’s going on?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think I can.”
“Come on, Jess. You know if you get it off your chest you’ll feel a lot better.”
“I’m not so sure with this.”
“All right,” Gabriel said. He scooted off the bed. “I’ll leave you alone.”
He was halfway across the room when Jessica blurted out what she’d never thought she’d say out loud with someone else in the room.
“I’m in love with Will.”
Gabriel stopped, slowly turning around.
Embarrassed, Jessica looked away from him. Again, she moved her hair from her face. She didn’t have to look into a mirror to know how red her face had become.
Gabriel stood by the window, arms crossed and looking at her.
“How long has that been going on?”
She shrugged. “A while. It started at the hospital after Mrs. Kessler died. I didn’t think much of it at first. I honestly thought it was just more of a sympathy thing. I mean, he’d just lost his mother. But the longer we’ve been together, the stronger it’s gotten.”
Jessica looked back up to Gabriel. He hadn’t said anything, and just continued to stand with his arms over his chest.
“It’s the reason I left with you and split away from them,” she said. “I couldn’t be around him and Holly anymore.”
“I’m guessing he doesn’t know,” Gabriel said.
Jessica scoffed. “You kidding me? Holly would claw my head off if I told him.”
“Does she know?”
Jessica looked down and didn’t respond.
“Shit,” Gabriel mumbled.
“I didn’t tell her,” Jessica said. “But she knows. Believe me, it’s not that hard for women to figure these things out.”
“Has she said anything to you about it?”
“A couple of times. Today, in fact.”
“What did she say?”
Jessica told Gabriel about her two encounters with Holly, both of which had ended with Holly threatening her.
When Jessica sighed, Gabriel said, “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Jessica said. After a pregnant pause, she added, “All day, I’ve wondered if we should’ve already left. Just you, me, and the kids.”
“We tried that before and look where it got us,” Gabriel said. “Will can be controlling and Holly can be a bitch, but we’ve all got a lot better chance of surviving if we stay together. Think about a professional football team. You think those guys all like each other? Hell no. There are guys in those locker rooms that despise one another. But they’re all focused on one common goal: to win.
“Those two can be really hard to deal with at times, but they’re great with the kids and they want to help me get to my family. I can’t fault them for that.”
“You’re right.”
Gabriel sighed. “I know this has to be hard for you. But you’ve got to try putting it all aside and just think about surviving. That’s our only goal now.”
“Just don’t bring this up to anyone else, all right?”
Gabriel drew a ‘X’ across his chest. “Cross my heart.”
Jessica smiled. “Thanks.”
“You going to dinner?” Gabriel asked her.
“Think I’ll pass on that. I’ll get some food from somewhere else. I think it’s honestly best that I sleep before I see Will or Holly again. What about you?”
“I’m hitting the sack early,” Gabriel said. “I already know the story Will is gonna tell anyway. Don’t really want to hear it again.”
Gabriel turned to check out the window for a moment before looking back at Jessica.
“So, you’re good?” he asked.
“I’m good.”
“All right.” Gabriel went to the door and then turned to face her again. “I’ll be right next door if you need me.” He opened the door, moving to leave.
“Hey, Gabe.”
He looked at her.
“Thanks,” Jessica said.
He smiled, and left the room.
Chapter 15
The dinner was setup in Timothy and Samantha’s front yard. Tiki torches illuminated the party and kept bugs away. Enough tables and chairs had been gathered from the homes to seat anyone in the community who wanted to come. And most people had showed up.
Of course, Will noticed the absence of both Gabriel and Jess
ica. He was still confused about the end of his conversation with Jessica earlier, and he hadn’t talked to Gabriel since their last argument. He assumed they’d all still be leaving together the following morning, but was still unsure about how all of that would unfold. But, for now, he hoped to put it aside and enjoy one last dinner with Timothy and the others.
He sat at a table with the people he was most familiar with. Holly and Charlie were there, and Timothy and Samantha sat with them as well, along with Steve and his wife. Karl was there, as well as Maureen, the woman who had allowed Dylan to have impromptu surgery performed on him the first time they’d been there. Dylan and Mary Beth sat at a table with the other kids, allowing them to spend one last time with some of the children they had befriended.
The meal itself was nothing special: more canned vegetables and meats. Timothy had briefly spoken of sending a small group out to hunt deer in the nearby woods, but quickly shied away from that idea—it was just too dangerous, and the group had suffered enough loss for one day.
Once everyone had their plates and had found a seat, Timothy stood up. He gathered everyone’s attention and the group went silent.
“I know many of you have started eating, and that’s totally fine. But I’d like to take a moment to bless this dinner. So everyone please bow your heads.”
Will bowed his head, keeping his eyes open. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind seemed to wander to the evil things he’d seen.
“…and bless this food in the nourishment of our bodies. Lord, our bodies are for your service. Amen.”
The crowd murmured ‘Amen’, and Timothy remained on his feet.
“I also would like to take just a minute to reflect on our lost friends with a brief moment of silence. We need to honor Franklin and Jen any way we can, and remember the sacrifice they made for the rest of us.”
Timothy bowed his head again and the community fell silent.
It felt like the first time in a long time that Will had been outside with nothing but the chirping crickets and croaking frogs making noise. He’d grown used to hearing the snarling of Empties or gunshots in the distance. But this night was peaceful. His thoughts drifted to both Franklin and Jen and he shook his head, knowing their untimely deaths could’ve been prevented.
“Thank you,” Timothy said after staying silent for somewhere around a minute. “Now, everyone enjoy your meal. Please hang around afterwards. We’ll be having a community meeting and announcement.”
Will dug into his plate, promising himself that he’d eat slowly for once. Since he was a kid, he’d always had the habit of scarfing down his food, but lately he’d been forcing himself to spend more time chewing. His mother had always told him it would make him feel less hungry, and that was more important now than ever since now he didn’t always know when, or how, the next meal would come.
“How is everything?” Samantha asked.
“Very good,” Charlie responded. “I could get used to this.”
“We’re really happy you’ve decided to stay with us, Charlie,” Timothy said. “You’re going to be such a welcome addition to our community.” Will noticed that Timothy peeked over at him after he said this.
“I appreciate you allowing me to stay,” Charlie said. “I really just want to lay down some roots somewhere, and I think you guys are building something really great here.”
“We think so, too,” Samantha said, smiling.
“So you guys’ll be leaving tomorrow morning, I suppose,” Timothy said to Will and Holly.
“That’s the plan,” Holly said.
“I still wish you’d consider staying,” Timothy said.
Samantha hit him on the arm. “Stop it.”
“What? I gotta try to make one last pitch, right?” He looked at Will and smiled.
“I really appreciate you guys offering us a home here,” Will said. “But I made a promise that I can’t break. With all the stuff that’s happened to me, I need to see this through with Gabriel. I need something good to happen.”
Holly put her hand on his back and rubbed it.
“Well, I’ll tell you exactly what I told you last time: if you change your mind, you’re always welcome back.”
“Thank you,” Will said, and then they ate the rest of their meal mostly in silence.
As people finished eating, they got up and went to other tables to talk to others. Small groups formed where residents stood in semi-private circles, drinking their water and talking.
“You about ready?” Timothy asked Will.
Will grabbed a napkin, wiped his mouth, and nodded.
Timothy stood up and raised his hands. “Can I get everyone’s attention again, please?”
People who were standing turned to face him, and those who were sitting looked up. Will felt his heartbeat quicken. He had never been a big fan of talking in front of people, and he was especially nervous about how everyone was going to react to what he had to say.
“Our friend Will here has brought some very important information to me, and we’ve both agreed that it would be best for him to share it with everyone.”
Will stood up. Even with it getting darker outside, he could see the concerned looks on everyone’s faces. His throat felt dry and he took a drink of water.
“Hello, everyone,” he said, clearing his throat. “There isn’t really an easy way to say this, so I just will.” He drew in a deep breath, observing the curious looks on everyone’s faces. “I know what’s causing people to turn into those monsters.”
There was a collective gasp. People began talking to each other, waving their hands. Soon, people were looking to Will again and shouting.
“Hey!”
Will turned as everyone went silent. It was Timothy who’d called out.
“I know this is hard to believe, but everyone just needs to listen,” he said.
“How does he know anything?” a man in the crowd asked.
Timothy nodded at Will, and said, “Show them.”
Will rolled up the sleeve of his plaid shirt. He stuck out his arm, holding it in the light of one of the tiki torches.
Another gasp waved through the crowd.
“He’s bit,” a woman said.
“When did that happen?” the same man who’d spoken moments earlier asked.
“I’ll tell you everything,” Will said.
And he did.
He told them about the Empty at the hospital and how the survivors there had been doing experiments on it, leaving out the part about David Ellis killing his mother. He talked about his fight at the farm with Ellis, and how the preacher had pulled the demon out of him. He even went so far as to tell them about visiting the church in Roanoke and how Father Bartman had confirmed it all.
Everyone stared at him in silence as he told the story. When he was done, a man raised his hand, and Will pointed to him.
“Pardon me, but it sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me,” the guy said. “Who’s to say you didn’t get that bite from something else before all this?”
Others in the crowd started to nod their heads and speak, sounding like a blur of noise.
“It’s all true.”
Will looked over to see the person who’d said it, garnering the attention of everyone in the crowd.
Jessica.
“How do you know?” the same man asked.
“Because I was there,” Jessica said. She walked in front of the table Will stood behind and stopped right in front of him, her back turned to him.
“I watched him get bit by one of the creatures. A monster who’d once been a person who killed his mother, by the way.”
Will bowed his head. He wasn’t upset she’d brought it up, but it made him think of the moment again.
“I’m not exactly one to believe in God or supernatural things, but I listened as that preacher spoke some kind of prayer or spell, and I watched a shapeless cloud leave Will’s body. He was dead, and then, suddenly, he sat up and was gasping for air.”
“I was
there, too,” Dylan said, standing up from the kid’s table. “She’s telling the truth.”
One of the other men who’d talked before spoke up again. “So let’s assume you’re telling us the truth. How do we stop it from happening?”
“We know that it’s a prayer spoken in some kind of tongue, and that not just any preacher can say the words to exorcise the demon.”
“Where is this preacher?” a woman in the crowd asked.
“He died right after he saved me,” Will said. “Whoever says the prayer sacrifices themselves in the process.”
A woman spoke up and said, “So even if we knew one of these preachers, we couldn’t save everyone?”
“This is ridiculous,” the man who’d spoken before said. “Timothy, you actually believe this?”
“Actually, Henry, I do.”
Henry laughed. “Then you’re just as crazy as the rest of ‘em.”
He turned around and left, and others followed.
“It’s all right,” Timothy said to Will. “Don’t worry about them.”
Will took a deep breath. “I know this is very strange for all of you to hear. But I can assure you that this is what’s happening. This isn’t a virus. There’s no cure. Those things walking out there aren’t undead. They’re possessed monsters, infested with demons who want to feed off the living and create more soldiers for their infernal army.”
A woman asked, “So there’s no way to stop them without a preacher or someone who knows all this stuff?”
“I’m afraid not,” Will said.
People talked amongst themselves again for a moment, but conversation faded when Will began to speak again.
“I’m really sorry that I don’t have more for you, but Timothy wanted everyone to know. You no longer have to worry that you’re carrying some sort of disease or can pass a virus.”
“But how do we stop it?” someone else asked.
“Don’t get bit,” Will said. “And if you do, you have pretty much one option: amputation.” He looked over to Dylan, who was still standing.
“He got bit, too?” a woman who’d spoken earlier asked.
“He did,” Will said. “When one of the creatures bites you, a demon passes into the body through the wound. At least that’s what we think happens. We cut off Dylan’s arm less than a minute after he was bit, and he never got infected. So if someone does get bit, that’s an option.”
Empty Bodies Box Set | Books 1-6 Page 94
