Revenants

by Lee Elisabeth

  “Why do you always apologize for him? He’s a grown man.”

  “Yeah, but I know he won’t do it, so…”

  “So, let it hang there, then. It’s not your apology to own,” she says in a way that lets me know she’s done talking about it.

  Kelli, who had been listening to the exchange, finally speaks up. “So, where’re you from, Chloe?”

  “Everly.”

  Hearing that I’m a local seems to put her at ease. She smiles. “Everly is nice. I had some friends who lived there.”

  “Oh yeah? What street?”

  “Orca Avenue...I think that’s what it was called, anyway.”

  I smile. “You’re probably thinking about Orson Avenue. Named after Orson Welles. Not Orca.”

  She blushes. “Yeah...that sounds more right.”

  “I know that street, though. Nice people,” I lie. It’s not a great part of town, and most of its residents are less than savory folks, but I don’t mention any of this to Kelli, because what purpose would it serve?

  “Where did you work?” she asks.

  I swat a mosquito off my arm. “I was a bank teller. Nothing glamorous. Did you have a part-time job, or play any sports?” I ask, trying to think of something to keep the conversation going.

  Her face lights up. “I was a cheerleader at Upper Canon High School.”

  “Really? That’s cool. I was a cheerleader, too, when I was in high school. Feels like forever ago, now.”

  Kelli sighs. “Everything feels like forever ago. It’s depressing.”

  “Oh, I don’t know, Kelli,” Meredith says. “I think there’s something beautiful about being able to look behind us and reflect on what and where we used to be. To realize we weren’t infallible.”

  Kelli wrinkles her nose. “What’s beautiful about that?”

  Meredith smiles, but it looks sad. Pensive, even. “Because sometimes when you look in the rearview mirror, you discover a second chance. Maybe a choice you didn’t notice before, because you were so certain you were right.” She looks at Kelli. “What would you do with a second chance?”

  “Make better choices?”

  Meredith nods. “We hope so, anyway.”

  “What's in your rearview, Meredith?” I ask, intrigued.

  “Regret,” she says, then motions for me to keep walking.

  * * *

  Daniel

  I keep reminding myself to walk slower. Paul gets winded easily; I’m almost certain he used to smoke, although right now he’s chewing on a wad of tobacco from a can we found in an abandoned car earlier today.

  “You okay, man?” I ask.

  His face is red, and his breathing is labored, but he manages a smile. “Oh yea, brother. Fit as a fiddle.”

  “Do you need to stop soon? Rest a while?”

  He coughs, and I instinctively look around to make sure nothing stirs in response to the loud noise. Everything seems amplified in the woods. Every noise seems large, like it’s waving its arms in the air, screaming, “Over here! Over here!” Luckily, nothing seems interested in us at the moment.

  “Sorry, brother. Been battlin’ that cough for near on six months now,” Paul says.

  “Ever go to the doctor?”

  “Nah, man. Ain’t got no insurance.” He pounds his fist against his chest. “Was treatin’ it with some of that mountain fire, but…”

  “Did you take a flu shot this year? Or the pneumonia vaccine?” Meredith asks, cutting him off.

  Paul shakes his head. “Nah...like I said, never had no insurance.”

  “Do you think it could be pneumonia...or the flu?” I ask.

  She shrugs. “I’ve read online that each of those things can linger for awhile. I don’t know about six months, though. Seems a little long.”

  “It’s probably all those cancer sticks,” Kelli says.

  She’s smiling, but there's a contradictory line of worry etched onto her face. She knows her father is sick. Paul starts to argue with her, but before he can, another wave of hacking interrupts him. His face, already flushed, turns an angry purple.

  “Let’s start looking for a place to stop for the night,” I say, after the last echo of his cough fades into the trees.

  “We need to look for a house wit’ a basement. Or one of those dorm things.” He spits a stream of tobacco onto the ground. “You know, one of them things college kids live in.”

  I glance at Paul. “And where would we find a college dormitory out here in the middle of nowhere?”

  He shrugs. “Well, def’nly a house wit’ a basement, then.”

  “Why?”

  His cracked lips spread into a wide grin. “Room, man! Somewhere we can stretch out. Start a new life.”

  “I’m not planning on taking up residence anywhere, Paul. We already told you ...Chloe and I are traveling on to Asheville as soon as we can.”

  Paul thinks for a minute, then says, “Well, then let’s find me a house wit’ a basement, and you and yours can stay there long as ya need to.”

  I take a drink of water from my canteen. It’s nearly empty. We need to find shelter soon, basement or not. We can’t keep walking in the heat of the day without water. We might as well lay down in the road and wait for the Revs to come if we do that. Plus, there is the small matter of Paul’s worrisome cough. It’s loud and conspicuous, and it sounds just as deadly as the steadily rising heat. I’m worried about his ability to keep walking.

  Paul is looking at me, waiting for an answer.

  “Tell you what, Paul. If you find us a house with a basement in the next half hour, I’ll let you have first pick of the bedrooms.”

  He smiles. “Brother, you got yourself a deal.”

  * * *

  Chloe

  “Where’s your mom, Kelli?”

  Kelli’s step falters a bit, but she quickly regains her composure. “Mama died a few years back. Cancer.” She takes a deep breath and lets it out. “I’m kinda glad, though. At least she didn’t have to see any of this.”

  I hand her my bottle of water. “Here.” After she takes it from me I say, “I’m sorry, Kelli. I didn’t mean to make you sad.”

  She takes a drink, then wipes her mouth with the hem of her shirt. “It’s okay. What about yours?”

  “I’m not sure. I got my mom on the phone right after it happened...only once, though...before the phones went out altogether.” I sigh. “The line disconnected before I could ask her where she was. I’m hoping she and my dad went to an emergency shelter. Or the hospital.”

  “Is that why you want to go to Asheville so bad? To find them?”

  I try to swallow, but my throat has gone dry...from thirst or fear, I’m not entirely sure. “That’s the plan.”

  “Well, I hope you find them,” she says, smiling.

  Meredith kicks a rock. Its hollow sound echoes softly around us, then ends abruptly, making me wonder if I heard anything at all, or if it was just my imagination. “I heard some people talking about those shelters...early on, during the traffic jam,” she says, glancing at me.

  “Oh yeah? What were they saying?” I ask.

  “What you said…..that they were taking the wounded there. Urging others to make their way to the nearest one, if they could.”

  I nod. “I think I’ll start looking for them there. Once we get to Asheville, that is.”

  “Well, I hope you don’t get yourself killed in the process.”

  I roll my eyes. “Um ...thanks?”

  “I’m sorry, Chloe, but think about that plan for a minute.”

  “What about it?”

  “They were taking the wounded to the shelters, right?”

  I nod.

  “And, most likely, a majority of the wounded had either been bitten or scratched. Right?”

  “Probably. So?”

  “So, what happens after someone dies from a bite? Then multiply that by, I don’t know,” she shrugs, “a hundred wounded people. Or more. Maybe a thousand. In a few short hours you’ve got an army
of dead things running through the shelters.”

  I stop walking as the truth of what she just said washes over me. A lump forms in my throat. “I hadn’t thought of that,” I whisper.

  Meredith places a hand on my shoulder. “Chloe, I don’t mean to hurt you, but I don’t think the shelters are safe. If you’re parents went there, they’re probably dead.”

  “It’s okay, Meredith. You’ve got a point.”

  She takes her hand away. “But you’re still going to Asheville,” she states matter of factly.

  I wipe a tear from my cheek. “Of course. They’re my parents. I have to try to find them.”

  She stares at me in disbelief. “Even if it kills you?”

  I nod. “Yes. Even if.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Daniel

  Two hours later we’re standing in front of a brick, ranch-style house ...with a walk-out basement.

  Paul is grinning from ear to ear. I just laugh, not believing we actually came across this jewel in the middle of nowhere. Most houses we walk past have either been vandalized since the attacks or were in disrepair before the world surrendered its treasures to the Revs.

  I look at Paul and smile. “I guess you get first pick of the bedrooms.”

  “Tha’s right,” he says, in his thick Southern drawl. He reaches up and strokes his mustache. “Man, I can’t wait to sleep in a nice, comfy bed t’night.”

  “Let’s clear it first. You won’t be celebrating long if a Rev pops out of the closet and bites you on the rear end.”

  He laughs and claps me on the back. “You got tha’ right, brother.”

  Paul and I begin the task of making sure the house is safe while the women wait outside. Luckily, it’s empty. We’ve been fortunate, so far, when it comes to choosing houses without any unwanted occupants, living or dead. I keep wondering when our luck is going to run out.

  I walk to the front door. “You can come in now. It’s safe," I say, stepping back to make room for the ladies to enter the house.

  Chloe comes in first, followed closely by Kelli. Meredith brings up the rear. She looks around, and after a moment, says, “We should start letting Paul look for all our shelters.”

  “Not happy with what I’ve provided so far?” I ask, offended.

  She shrugs. “They’ve all had character…and possibly rodents...but I guess beggars can’t be choosers, can they?”

  “I’ll be glad to let you find our next place,” I say, icily.

  She looks at me, unshaken by my hostility. “If I did, I’d make sure it was something with separate living quarters.”

  I’m about to respond with something I’d probably regret later when Chloe interrupts. “Seriously, guys. Can we not do this right now?”

  Meredith looks at her, and says, “he started it” at the same exact time I say, “she started it.”

  Chloe lets out an exasperated sigh. “And that’s the problem. Right there.”

  “What is?” I ask.

  “You’re both just alike,” she says, and walks off.

  * * *

  Chloe

  The house is really nice. Most of the ones we’ve stayed in lately have either been small, or so nasty the Health Department (if it still existed, that is) could have easily come in and condemned them. But this one is clean, and it smells like fresh cut flowers...except when you get too close to the refrigerator. In fact, it’s so clean, it’s almost like the family that lived here was away on vacation when the end came. There’s no obvious signs of a hasty retreat; but there’s also no evidence of anyone having been here before or after the dead stopped staying dead.

  I turn around. Paul is standing behind me, waiting for my reaction.

  “Good job, Paul,” I say, smiling.

  He nods, pleased with himself, and even more pleased by my compliment. I continue past him, giving myself a quick tour of the place. The living room is large, and opens into a spacious dining room and kitchen combination. Beyond that, a long hallway leads to three large bedrooms and a bathroom. A master bedroom sits at the very end of the hall. It’s huge, nearly double the size of the other bedrooms, and it includes an ensuite. Very nice.

  “This’ns mine.”

  I jump, startled. I didn’t realize Paul had followed me into the bedroom.

  He laughs and plops down on the king-sized bed. “Winnin’ bets does have its perks.”

  I smile. “I suppose you’re right.”

  I take a moment to study Paul. His breathing is shallow and a wheezing sound accompanies every inhale and exhale. For a moment, I find myself wishing we had a doctor traveling with us; although, I don't know what they could do without medicine or tests.

  “Are you feeling okay, Paul?” I ask.

  He looks at me and winks. “Fit as a fiddle, miss. Don’t you worry about me.”

  He’s not telling the truth...I can see it in his eyes...but, I doubt arguing with him would do any good, so I turn and walk back down the hallway. A door I hadn’t noticed before is open, revealing a staircase leading down to the basement. Curious, I descend the steps, breathing in that familiar basement smell as I get closer to the bottom. The basement is just as nice as the upstairs. There’s a large recreation room, two additional bedrooms, and a spacious bathroom. A thick wooden door exits to a paved patio, and just beyond that is a large backyard.

  “Have you decided on a bedroom yet?”

  I look at Daniel. “When did you get down here?”

  “Just now. So, what’s the verdict?” he asks.

  I turn my attention back to the living space behind me. “I think I want to stay down here.”

  “Me too.”

  I allow myself a small smile. Home sweet home ...for however long it lasts.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chloe

  As it turns out, it doesn’t last long at all.

  The next morning, while cleaning spoiled food out of the refrigerator, Paul clutches his chest and drops to the floor, dead before he hits the ceramic tile. We suspect a heart attack, but since none of us are doctors, our only diagnostic tool is speculation.

  Kelli is inconsolable.

  I try to get her to leave the room, but she refuses to move from Paul’s side. Meredith sends Daniel to look for tools we can use to bury him. Fifteen minutes later, he returns with three shovels he found in an old shed out back, and we commence to digging. It’s obvious Meredith and I have no experience in digging holes, and Daniel is only marginally better, but two hours and several blisters later, we finally have a hole that looks deep enough.

  “Should we...you know, make sure he doesn’t get back up?” I ask.

  Daniel wipes the sweat from his brow, and squints into the sunlight. “We don’t even know that he will get back up. What happened to Meredith’s friend could have been some freaky coincidence,” he says, looking at Meredith.

  Meredith just shrugs. “Don’t ask me. I’ve only seen it happen once. Plus, I’m a liar, so there’s that…..you know, maybe I just made the whole thing up.”

  A look of irritation flashes in Daniel’s eyes. “I wasn’t going to say it, but since you did…..”

  I roll my eyes. “Not now, you two.”

  We stand there until the sound of Kelli’s grieving pulls us back to reality.

  “Well,” Daniel says, his mind made up, “we can’t stand around all day, talking about it. Let’s get this over with.”

  I look across the yard, through the open patio doors leading into the kitchen. I can see Kelli sitting on the cold tile, cradling Paul’s lifeless head in her lap. Her soft cries echo against the walls of the kitchen and make their way to me. It’s all so heartbreaking. I haven’t known Paul for long, but even so, it’s demoralizing to know that a member of our small group is dead. It’s even more troubling to me that I’m more worried than sad; after all, there’s a chance he could reanimate.

  Turning back to Meredith and Daniel, I ask, “So, we’re not going to make sure he stays down?”

  Daniel throw
s his hands up, frustrated. “I mean, do we even know how to do that?”

  Meredith leans on the handle of the shovel, resting while she can. “Let’s just get him in the hole, okay.”

  “But what if he wakes up?”

  “He's not going to.”

  Daniel raises an eyebrow. “How do you know? You said yourself you’ve only seen it happen once.”

  A pink blush spreads across Meredith’s pale skin. She clears her throat, and says, “I’m just guessing. He’s been dead nearly three hours. You would think he’d have already come back if he was going to.”

  Daniel looks at the house. “We won’t be able to stay here. If he does get back up, it could put us all in danger. We’ve survived this long by being cautious. We stop doing that now,” he shrugs, “we might as well dig our own graves beside Paul’s.”

  He has a point. We’ve done everything in our power to avoid running into Revs. Letting our guard down now could get us killed.

  I nod. “Okay. Let’s do this. If he wakes up, we’ll deal with it then.”

  That said, we walk to the house, and after a few minutes, we convince Kelli to hand over her father’s body. So far, so good. He’s still dead, and shows no sign of becoming a Rev. Daniel and I lower his body while Meredith stands inside the hole, guiding Paul into his final resting place. I jump into the hole to help Meredith maneuver his limbs into a respectable burial position, then we climb out so Daniel can begin shoveling dirt back into the hole.

  Meredith and I stare at Paul’s body. I blink my eyes, trying to keep tears from falling. Tears are so useless, but necessary...and human. Paul's death is another reminder of my own mortality; one day it will be my lifeless body being reclaimed by the ground.

  “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life,” Meredith whispers softly. Her words strike a nerve in me, and suddenly the tears I’ve fought so hard begin pouring down my face.

  Daniel gives her a curious look, then shovels the last few piles of dirt over Paul’s body. Afterward, we stand in silence and listen as Kelli delivers one of the strangest eulogies I’ve ever heard. Holding a handful of dirt in her hand, she closes her eyes and whispers, “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, you crazy old coot,” before tossing the dirt on top of the burial mound.