by Crist, J. D.
Chapter 8
Emily woke the following day in the quiet house, shocked to find that she was still herself. When she began to stir, the mountain of a puppy laying on her jumped to the floor and began stretching. Emily peeled herself up from the couch and sat for a few moments reminding herself that this was not a dream. Marley had finished his morning stretch and began prancing in front of her, signaling that he needed to go outside. Emily forced herself to stand and go to open the back door. She watched as the pup ran through the yard sniffing everything in the new environment. After a little bit, he was finally done and walked back up to her. Emily and Marley headed back inside, and Emily set to work to find them something to eat. She found bacon and eggs in the fridge and set to work with cooking.
Emily didn't know if this particular meal was considered "healthy" for Marley or not, but it was what they had. She placed a bowl on the floor with his fresh breakfast and another with water. Marley did not hesitate and jumped right into the food. He probably felt like he was eating like a king. Emily ate her breakfast slowly, trying to enjoy it as much as she could. The power would surely be going out soon, and meals like this would be a thing of the past. When they finished, Emily cleaned up the dishes and washed them in the sink. As she finished, she could hear that Marley was already napping in the living room.
Emily walked back to the living room and pulled a fresh set of clothes out of her duffle bag. After looking at them for a few minutes, she slid them back in. She decided to go wash up but put back on the same clothes. Surely in the coming days, fresh clothes would become a thing of the past. She needed to stretch them out as long as she could. Emily made her way to the bathroom, making sure to leave the door open if Marley came looking for her. Once inside, she found the first aid supplies under the sink and began to remove her bandage. Once the bandage was removed, she began to examine the bite. There was no doubt about it. She was healing and still showed no signs that she was infected. Emily wiped off the bite and put another bandage on it. She then ran a brush through her hair and put it back up in a ponytail.
Once she was satisfied, she headed back to the living room and peeked out the window. A few zombies were walking on the street, but none of them appeared to be aware that she was in there. She closed the blinds back and walked back to the couch. She spent most of the day sitting there. She cooked her and Marley lunch and dinner before laying down to try to sleep again. Emily had no clue what she was supposed to do next. Staying here seemed to be the best plan. However, as she laid in the dark, she heard true silence spread through the house. The sound of the central air was gone, and the refrigerator was no longer running. The power was finally gone along with Emily's Hope that maybe things would return to normal. As Emily tried to force herself to sleep, she thought about the bite on her neck and the fact that she had not changed. Emily decided that if she was still herself in the morning, she would find her family. There was no point in staying here alone if there was nothing wrong with her.
Emily did not rest much through the night and was still herself as the sun began to rise. Marley had moved to the floor during the night as it became sweltering in the house. Emily did not want to risk opening the windows, though. She did not know if the zombies could smell them or if just the sounds of them breathing would be enough to draw them in. Either way, she decided that it was not worth the risk when they had already been so lucky. She let Marley in the backyard, and sensing the danger; he was swift this morning. Once he was back inside, Emily dug through the cabinets and found him a couple of spam cans to eat and ate a bowl of dry cereal herself.
While she ate, she began to pull anything out that she thought would travel well. She found the reusable shopping bags and began to fill them with all of her finds. Once she was done, she carried all of the bags to the garage. She opened the back of the SUV and loaded all of the bags. Looking around the garage, she found three cases of water that she also packed. She then headed back inside, took the first aid supplies from the bathroom, and stuffed them into the duffle bag. She looked around the house to ensure nothing else could help her or that her family may need. Once she was sure there was nothing helpful left, she led Marley back to the garage. She opened the driver's side door and watched as Marley gladly hopped inside. She then followed and was glad to see that the older woman had left the keys in the ignition, as usual, as she reached up to the visor and clicked the garage door opener. She felt a wave of confusion wash over her as the door remained still.
After only a few moments, she finally remembered and could not help but laugh at herself. "The door won't open like that with the power off, pup." Marley began bouncing in the passenger seat, excited about the car ride. In his bouncing, he knocked over Emily's purse, which had been on the center counsel. Emily watched as the contents spilled out over the floorboard. She laughed to herself and set to picking them up and putting them back in the purse. She had no idea why she felt the need to carry it still. It's not like she would need her credit cards anytime soon. She slid her wallet back in along with a handful of mints, lipstick and lastly, she reached for her cell phone. As she picked it up, she noticed that she had received a voicemail. Without thinking, she unlocked the phone and clicked to call her voicemail. The familiar Derickot voice came on, and Emily entered her passkey. The robotic voice told her she had four new voicemails. As Emily listened, she felt her heart drop into her stomach.
"Hey Em, it's Joe. This is stupid, but part of me was hoping you would answer. Maybe your battery is dead or something. I just can't believe that you could die that way. I feel like a piece of shit for leaving you like that but dad screamed, we had to get the kids out of there. I wanted to let you know we did like you wanted. We were able to find Veronica, and she is with us. Chad is, well, being an asshole, but that's not any big change. Everyone else is fine, and we have made it to the cabin. It seems safe here, so if you manage to get this, come here as quickly as possible. I love you, Em."
"Next Message"
"I'm sorry, dear, I just wanted to hear your voice. Your brother and sister keep speaking as if you are on your way and your father will not talk about it. I can't believe these phones are still working. We are all set up here at the cabin, and I have even set up a place for you. If you get this, Emily, please be careful. If you are able, try to give us a call. I love you."
"Next Message"
"So, it's day two at the cabin, and things are already starting to get crazy. I know I said I would never say "I told you so" about your husband, but he is starting to push my buttons. I have kept my temper, though, because he always has that woman near him. I never saw him dote on you half as much as he is her. She seems.... well, a lot like him, so perhaps they are meant to be. You better be looking for a charger or something. I'll see you soon, sis."
"Next Message"
"Um, it's dad. I know you will never get this, but we are all choosing to believe that you are safe and we will see you again. I can't go on if I think otherwise. I know your mom and brother have called, but your sister does not have the strength. I just wanted you to know that I have not given up on you just in case these get through somehow. We are all here for you, Em, and we love you."
"End of messages"
Emily clicked to end the call and sat staring at the phone. It never rang the whole time, and according to the timestamps, all the messages were received just a few minutes ago. Emily quickly clicked through her phone and tapped on her dad's number. She waited for what seemed like forever for it to ring, but the phone never connected and hung up. Emily threw the phone back into her purse and then grabbed the steering wheel. After a few moments, she looked up, refusing to allow herself to cry, and then glanced in the rearview mirror. The closed garage door seemed to be laughing at her silently. Emily opened the truck door and walked to the back. She looked until she found the emergency string and pulled hard to unlock the door from the electronic opener. She then walked to the door, and using every bit of strength, she could muster, and she managed t
o open the door. Her arms were shaking from exhaustion by the time she was done.
Emily looked down the driveway and saw that she had drawn some unwanted attention. A few of the zombies had turned and were making their way up the driveway. Emily turned and ran back to the truck and jumped back in. She turned the key and smiled as the engine came to life. She turned to look behind her as she dropped the SUV into reverse and slammed the accelerator pedal. She watched as the zombies slammed into the back of the truck and disappeared. The sound of them hitting the back of the SUV sounded like magic. These fucking things were not going to keep her from her family any longer. Emily pressed the break as she hit the street and turned back forward.
"Time for us to go," Emily said to Marley as she put the SUV in drive and heard the tires squeal as she took off. The sound had drawn some more attention, but there was no way they could catch her. Emily was surprised to see that the roads were clear as she drove. It looked like most of the people had done what the television had said and stayed home. Emily could not help but wonder if there was still anyone left hiding inside, watching her as she drove away. Looking at the dead as she passed, she could not help but think that if there were any actual people left, it could not be many. There were too many dead on the street for there to be a whole lot of people left. Emily cranked up the AC and could tell that even Marley was grateful for the comfort. A quick look at the gas gauge, and Emily saw they had a full tank. There would be no need to stop before they got to the cabin.
Emily pressed down the gas pedal and was speeding through the streets of her neighborhood. She reached the highway in ten short minutes. There were a few cars here and there, but nothing that slowed her down. Emily quickly maneuvered through the abandoned vehicles and even the few zombies that shambled along the highway. Emily had the air conditioner turned up all the way, and soon both she and Marley were comfortable with the temperature once again. Marley was pawing at the window, though, and Emily felt herself laugh. She reached over to the window controls and rolled Marley's window down part of the way. The pup stuck his nose out of the window and began wagging his tail. Emily watched him out of the corner of her eye and felt like the world was ordinary at that one moment.
After about twenty minutes, Emily had finally reached her exit. She exited the highway and began working her way down the roads towards the cabin. Soon the streets turned to dirt, and Emily knew that she was getting close. Emily saw the cabin as she came over the hill. Out front, she saw her brother's car. She quickly pulled in next to it and parked the SUV. She had already opened the door before the engine had enough time to shut off. She ran towards the front door, eager to see her family. As she reached the door, she could not help but notice that everything was very quiet. She understood them not wanting to draw attention to themselves, but she should hear something this close.
Emily reached out and turned the handle on the door, and pushed the door open. As it slid open, she knew immediately that her family was no longer there. The living room was empty, and a glance to the left showed the same in the kitchen. Emily walked towards the kitchen table, where a few papers were strung out over it. Emily picked up the papers one at a time and could see that they were drawings, probably done by the children. Emily walked back towards the bedrooms and found each was empty. It looked much like it would in early winter when dad would be shutting it down for the season. A look through the kitchen cabinets showed that they would not be back wherever they had gone, as there was nothing left. Emily walked back to the living room and sat on the couch. She had remained calm through most of this and had not allowed her emotions to take over. However, sitting in an empty cabin, she felt her emotions taking over.
Emily allowed the tears to fall and let her face fall into her hands. She sat as the sorrow and rage began to flow out of her. She could not see any end in sight and feared that she would probably live out the rest of her days crying on this old couch. As she sat, she felt something cold nudging at the back of her hands. Emily lifted her head slightly and found herself face to face with Marley. The look of concern in his eyes was undeniable, but Emily still could not find the strength to stop. Marley seemed to want her to feel better and believed that could not happen as long her face was wet with tears. He began licking at the tears on her face, and Emily started to laugh while trying to stop him.
She petted Marley on the head and forced herself to stand up. Her family is not here, but they must be somewhere. Zombies would not pack up everything before leaving the house. Emily looked through the kitchen drawers for any type of clues of where they may have gone next. She walked back outside with still no idea of where to begin looking for her family. Marley followed her out the door and began to go back to the SUV. Emily considered staying at the cabin but knew that there had to be a reason that her family left, and she did not want to find out what it was.
She knew that she could not stay here and decided to head back to the SUV. She walked past Joe's car and saw his lucky bandanna hanging from the rearview mirror. Emily opened the car door and pulled out the bandanna. She then walked to the SUV and hung it in her rearview mirror. Marley was already sitting in the passenger seat, ready to continue his car ride. Emily grabbed her cell phone and planned to listen to the voicemails from her family once again. However, after unlocking the screen, she discovered that she had a new voicemail. It must have come in while she was in the cabin. Emily called her voicemail and listened to the automated voice once again.
"You Have One New Message"
"Hey Em, I know I'm probably just talking to myself at this point, but it helps. The cabin is no longer safe, not going to get into it, but Chad decided to turn on the generator. Dad thinks the dead will clear out eventually, but we can't wait it out. We are heading out to find a place, but we have no idea where we are going. The only thing for sure is that we are staying in Missouri. We don't know anywhere else well enough to stand a chance. I miss you, Emily."
Emily clicked the phone off and hit the steering wheel. Why was she always missing these calls, her chance to find her family and not be alone anymore? Emily felt the hot tears run down her face as she tried to call Joe back, but yet again, the phone would not connect. She could not help but feel like the universe was trying to ensure she would die and do so alone. Emily heard something moving outside of the SUV and knew that she had to go. She was soon back out on the road with no idea where she was going. However, she had a sudden determination to keep going. Her family was going to stay in Missouri, it might take her forever, but she would search every square inch until she found them.
Chapter 9
Emily had been on the road for a few hours and realized that this was not going to be a short journey. She had no idea where her family was and only had the determination to find them. She would need to make the SUV more livable. She had decided not to drive at night. Her getting too tired and falling asleep at the wheel would be a ridiculous end after everything she had been through up to this point. Emily had seen a sign a few miles back for a visitor's center. She hoped that people would not have gone there, and maybe she could find a few supplies to help make things more comfortable.
It was only a few more minutes before Emily was pulling into the visitor's center. The parking lot was empty. Emily decided that was a good sign and grabbed her crowbar and slowly opened the car door. She carefully scanned the parking lot, looking for any signs of movement. There was nothing she could see, and she cautiously started to move forward. Behind her, she heard Marley jump out of the truck and walk beside her. Emily turned and shut the car door as quietly as possible behind Marley. She then started to make her way towards the visitor center. She reached the glass doors and could see that it was dark inside. She grabbed the cold metal handle of the door and pulled. To Emily's delight, the door slid silently open, and they were able to walk inside. The lobby area was quite large, and a wooden desk stood in the center. Behind the desk were several racks of souvenirs and maps. Emily saw a sign behind the racks indicating
that the restrooms were located back there; to the right was a sign indicating a restaurant was located there and to the left was a sign for a general store.
Emily turned to the left and headed into the general store. The store was filled with many things targeted at people on a road trip; everything was travel size. Emily looked through the shelves for something she thought would make things better for life in an SUV. She found dry shampoo, small bags of dog food, travel bowls, travel pillows and blankets, self-heating soups, and many different road snacks. Emily put all of the finds in travel bags and stacked them at the door to the center. She then went through clothing in the souvenirs. She wouldn't be winning any fashion contests, but at least she had a few more sets of clean clothes. Once she had gathered anything she thought could be helpful, she started the process of carrying it all to the SUV. It took several trips, but she got it all packed away in the back. She decided it would have to do for now, but she knew that she would have to organize it later but not while she still had daylight left and could drive.
Emily started up the SUV and left the parking lot, heading east down the road. The hours continued to pass by, and Emily's eyes kept searching along the road for any signs of her family. Deep down, she knew that the odds of finding them today were zero, but she didn't want to miss anything. Soon the sun was almost completely gone, and Emily could feel her eyes growing heavy. She spotted a clearing near the side of the road. Emily pulled the SUV into the clearing and reached down to turn off the engine. Her eyes were drawn to the gas gauge. She saw that she was down to a quarter of a tank. She would have to find a gas station tomorrow, but she would worry about that later. Emily turned off the engine and locked the doors.
