Seasons of Z (Book 2): Dead Spring

by Riva, Aline

  “Don't think like that, River. Think about the future - we do have a future, life won't be like this forever. Some day you can go back to Belwick Village and -”

  “The village is gone, it can never be the same!”

  She sounded tearful. He kept her hands in his grasp.

  “No, River – the community is gone, but once the zombies are gone, that can be rebuilt. And the place will still need a doctor. And you're right, it won't be the same, but maybe Sage and Poppy will move back and Poppy will go to her old school again. Joy might go back to being a police woman, I don't know if it's true that small villages gossip about people, if it is, we know Mickey's a wanted man so he'll have to come and go quietly if they are still seeing each other. The locals will probably call him shifty Mickey or that suspicious stranger with the withered hand...”

  She started to laugh.

  “You are so right about how people gossiped in that village!”

  Chris smiled as he leaned closer, his lips brushing her cheek as he spoke softly to her.

  “And they'll have a nickname for me, I already know what it is... blind Chris, the doctor's husband.”

  He heard her take in a breath. He smiled as she gripped his hands tighter.

  “Did you just -”

  “Yes, I asked you to marry me. Not now, when this is all over, when normal life returns, what ever that will be like... Yes, River. I want to marry you.”

  She reached for him, running her fingers through his hair as their

  lips met and they shared a kiss.

  “I accept!”

  “I love you,” he stated as he smiled.

  “I love you too!” she said as she wrapped her arms around him, as they embraced with thoughts of a better tomorrow. Then the moment was shattered, as up the other end of the hall, Poppy screamed.

  Sage woke up with a jolt, on top of her bed and still dressed from the night before. She heard her sister scream again, looked to the bed on the other side of the room, saw it was empty and jumped up, ran to the door and wrenched it open. Poppy was standing there in the hallway, her hand gripping at the net curtain as she pulled it back, and her face was ashen, her eyes wide.

  “Look!” she said as her voice trembled.

  She dropped the net and stepped back breathing hard as Sage ran to the window and looked out in alarm.

  “Shit...no!” she whispered as down below, past the driveway, a horde of zombies were crushing against the gate, making bolts strain as wood creaked under the pressure.

  River had grabbed her clothing and thrown it on and as she dashed from her room, to join them, Chris hurried after her.

  “What's happened?” he yelled.

  “Zombies... everywhere, fucking everywhere!” River said in despair as she looked out to see the gate about the break under the strain of the undead that crushed against it as faces rotted and peeling looked up at the window and snarled as hunger burned in their eyes.

  Joy was the last to hurry out of her room, she took a look out the window then ran back to the bedroom, tugged the curtain aside and stared in horror at the sight before her: Chris had been right. Death had been all around them... Out in the field, three quarters of the scarecrows were absent from their stakes. The rest hung limp and now partially eaten as rotting flesh from dead bodies shone under the morning sun.

  “We're surrounded!” she called back, and as the others hurried in and she held the curtain back, River gave a gasp of horror as Sage looked on with wide eyes at the sight of the creatures milling about at the back and side of the house. The field was almost empty now...

  “Chris,” River said as he joined her and she clutched his hand, “You were right... those were not scarecrows, we were surrounded by death... there are partially eaten corpses tied to the stakes in the field... a quarter of the stakes. The rest were zombies, Rosemary's people must have cut them loose last night!”

  “We're trapped!” Joy said, “What are we going to do? Most of the guns and ammo are in the lorry...That gate is going to cave in, we won't be able to get past them! And what about Mickey? We're trapped here, and he's still at the house with those lunatics!”

  Joy was panicking. It was rare to see her so afraid, but with the farm surrounded and Mickey still in danger, she could feel her self control about to snap. A bit like that barred gate at the front of the house as the horde pushed against it and reached through with dead hands that snatched at thin air as the zombies roared and snarled and salivated.

  “Maybe not...” Sage murmured, taking a slow breath as she tried to stay calm. It seemed like an impossible situation, but there had to be a solution... Then an idea came to mind.

  “They've been kept tied out there so long they're weak from hunger, desperate,” Sage said, “It doesn't mean they'll be any slower if they chased us, because they're starving – but it does explain why they were quiet and still while they were out in the field tied to the stakes. They are hungry! So we just need to distract them away from the gate, just long enough to get the guns and the ammo unloaded, then we can shoot the shit out of them!”

  Joy had started to get a grip once more as she watched the creatures strain the gate and so far, it stayed intact.

  “We have a handful of guns here in the house but it's not nearly enough to hold them back. We have the shotgun and the rifle and I have a handgun... Sage,” Joy looked at her, now her mind was made up as resolve set determined in her gaze, “Cover me with the rifle if the gate caves in. I'm going for the lorry.”

  “Maybe we should just sit tight,” River suggested, “The doors and windows are locked and -”

  “And they know we are here, they can smell us!” Sage reminded her, “They won't go away, River!”

  Chris stepped closer, taking River's hand as he realised she was shaking. Last night had been bad enough, and now, this...

  “They won't get in,” he told her, “And if they did, we have guns, we have enough ammo to fight a few off.”

  Sage was still thinking about her plan. She had just realised there was a massive hole in it – if they did burst through the gate, it would be a hell of a fight to fend them off - all for a place they planned to leave anyway...

  “I have a better idea.”

  She turned from the window and looked to the others.

  “Joy, grab the keys to the lorry. Get the back open, back it up to the house and we'll all climb in if they get through. If the gate's still holding, we can grab the van and the car too.”

  “And then I'll do what, drive at the gate and plough through them?” Joy asked.

  “Yes,” Sage told her, “and then we can follow – if we have time to get to the other vehicles.”

  The others looked back at her, still uncertain. There were a lot of zombies out there and only a barred gate between them and the house.

  “I preferred the first idea,” River said, “Try and shoot them all, while the rest of us stay inside.”

  “And if the gate caves in, we're over run,” Sage reminded her, “And we're leaving this place soon anyway.”

  “As soon as we get Mickey out,” Joy added.

  The small group exchanged a glance.

  “We go with Plan B,” said Joy.

  “You grab the keys, and I'll distract them,” Sage told her, then she looked to the others.

  “River, get your keys.”

  “And my medical bag,” she replied, “I'm taking the essentials that I can carry.”

  “Hurry, we don't have much time!” Joy reminded her as River dashed off to her room.

  Sage turned to Poppy.

  “You have to stay with Chris and River,” she told her, “If I can run for the car, you can come with me - if the zombies don't get in. If they do get in, you wait here in the house until the lorry is right up against the front door and then everyone gets in the back.”

  “What about you?” Poppy asked as she looked up at her anxiously.

  “I'm going to the corner of the front garden and I'm going to stand on
the brick wall so they see me, it will draw them away from the gate,” she told her, “Don't worry, once they come running, I'm running for the car, but I'm keeping Joy covered with the gun until everyone gets out safely.”

  Then as River returned and put her hands on Poppy's shoulders, she looked to Sage.

  “I'll keep her safe,” she promised.

  Joy had briefly left the room. She retuned with her weapon in her hand, paused to check it, then she gave a nod to Sage.

  “Let's go before that gate caves in,” she said, and then she led the way down the stairs and towards the front door as Sage followed with a rifle in her hand.

  For Mickey, the morning had taken a long while to come around as he stayed awake, ready with his plan. He and Alex had talked it over, they were ready to try for this. Now the loose brick was back in place and all they could do was wait as they sat in their cells, looking through the barred doors, waiting for Rosemary to return. Their wait was soon over. The door opened and a guard entered and stood by the door as Rosemary made her way down to the cells, and she stopped by Mickey's door first, looking in as she regarded him coldly as he stood there in the cell looking back at her with no hint of anger or defiance remaining in his gaze. Today she wore no cloak, instead, a long black gown and a string of black beads that hung low, almost to her broad waist.

  “You look like you've been thinking about your situation...” the horrible smile was back, “You've realised it's better this way, I think?”

  Mickey nodded.

  “It's better for me to embrace the new world,” he told her, “There's nothing out there for me, and here, I admit the ways are new and I have a lot to learn, but it makes perfect sense...” a crafty smile came to his face as he shifted closer to the bars, making sure he dragged his leg a little heavier as he clutched the bars strongly with his good hand as the other barely grasped them, to be sure she noticed how weak this cripple was, “And to be honest, it's not often I get the chance to … lay with a woman. I mean, look at me!” he laughed nervously, then feigned hurt as it reflected in his eyes.

  “In the old days, women looked at me in disgust! They turned me away because I'm crippled! But here I could have many women! But I've decided, I know who I want, Rosemary. I know who I want to impregnate...I want her. I want Anita.”

  As he made that statement, he looked right into her eyes, the same way he had looked into the eyes of the cops when ever he had been pulled in for questioning in the old days. And as she smiled again, a spark of triumph showed plain in her deluded gaze.

  “I think you would be perfect for Anita,” she relied, “She needs a man who is... hungry for physical love.”

  He laughed as he spoke again.

  “I'll certainly show her what she's been missing!”

  “And when your work is done, you can join me,” Rosemary said, “I have a soft spot for you, Mickey.”

  He forced a smile.

  “I can't wait! But first, let me spend some time with Anita. I want to share her cell. When can I join you in the circle, by the way? I sense this is something that I should do sooner rather than later – all the best people get to join the circle, don't they...”

  “Yes they do,” she agreed, and as her eyes sparkled excitedly, his stomach churned. She was looking at him like he was a piece of meat, one that she couldn't wait to taste for herself...

  “Anita is delusional,” Rosemary reminded him, “This ridiculous notion that she is a man!”

  As she laughed, he laughed too.

  “She just needs my cock,” he confided, dropping his voice to a whisper, “Many times, I hope!”

  As she laughed again, so did he. The evil he saw in her eyes turned his stomach right over, but the plan was working so far, and he wanted to get out of this alive as much as Alex did...

  “May I be with her today?” he asked, feigning excitement as he let his weak hand drop into his other as he gripped it keenly and his eyes shone with enthusiasm.

  “I think she should meet you in person right away,” Rosemary agreed, and she slid the bolts back and opened up the door.

  Mickey resisted the urge to put up a fight and make a run for it, there was a guard at the end of the corridor and he was holding a machine gun, and besides, they were in this together now. If he got out, so did Alex... He followed Rosemary to the cell next door, keeping his eyes to the ground, he was yet to see his cell mate face to face, and he was focused on keeping up the act for Rosemary as she leaned in uncomfortably close and whispered in his ear:

  “She has never been with a man. She is a virgin.”

  He looked at her with eyes shining with glee.

  “You're giving me a virgin? I always wanted to go with a virgin, thank you!”

  Rosemary reached out and ran her hand down his cheek. He inwardly shivered with disgust, keeping a smile on his face as he remembered how much he wanted to get out of here, and live.

  “If you take her now, you can both join me in the circle tonight,” she told him softly, “But be sure to break her in properly, show her what she's been missing, show her what it's like to be with a real man!”

  “Yes, I will!” Mickey said darkly.

  She reached for the door, then drew her hand back. He felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach as he saw doubt in her eyes.

  “What about the other woman at the farm house? You don't miss her?”

  Mickey thought lightning fast.

  “She's too old to bear children - and she's not a virgin!” he exclaimed.

  Rosemary laughed softly, all suspicion gone from her eyes as she unbolted the cell and opened up the door.

  “This is Anita,” she said, then she looked to the occupant, who stood there looking back nervously, “This is Mickey,” she added, “He's going to show you what you've been missing all these years, you silly little girl!”

  As Mickey looked at Alex, he saw right away that Alex was anything but a girl. If he had not been told he was trans, he never would have known. He had short dark hair almost as dark as his eyes, his features were delicate, but leaned towards handsome. His shirt was open, showing a scar beneath one side of his flat chest. And he was toned, before the apocalypse, he must have worked out every day. Mickey was focused on the plan as their eyes met and Alex backed off towards the wall.

  “Don't fight me,” Mickey said in a low voice, “You're very pretty... and you're all mine, sweetheart...”

  Then he looked back at Rosemary.

  “I can't do this with others watching,” he confessed as he gave a shy smile, “I need some alone time with her.”

  “Take your time,” Rosemary said, and she was smiling as she closed the door and locked it, her gaze lingered through the bars as Mickey walked up to Alex and ran a hand down his face.

  “You are a sweet young girl,” Mickey whispered, “You'll be a woman by the time I'm done with you...”

  That did it. Rosemary turned away, walking off towards the doorway. They both froze, Mickey with his hand on his shoulder as they waited, heard Rosemary then the guard leave, then the door was closed heavily and locked behind them as finally, footfalls sounded as they went back up the staircase.

  Mickey took a deep breath as he stepped back from Alex.

  “So far so good. By the way, nice to meet you.”

  Alex laughed at the craziness of their situation.

  “Nice to meet you too, now we just have to let her think we've had sex.”

  Mickey paused for thought. He looked at Alex, standing there in an open shirt and leather trousers and motor cycle boots.

  “Keep the shirt on, and your underwear. Just take the trousers off.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  “Just do it, then I want you to hit me.”

  Alex unzipped his trousers and kicked off his boots, partly undressing as he stared at Mickey.

  “Why would I hit you?”

  “Just do it.”

  Alex made a fist and punched him as Mickey gave a yell and staggered back.
>
  “Not in the face!” he fumed, turning his head and indicating to the cut on the side of his head, “Just make me bleed again!”

  Alex was still clueless to his plan, but he hit him again, this time a little softer, but the blow sent an arc of pain shooting around his head as Mickey gave a hiss of pain. Blood ran down his face from the wound to his head that had just opened up all over again.

  “Perfect,” Mickey said, then he wiped the blood away, “Excuse me,” he added, and proceeded to wipe a red smear down his thigh as Alex looked at him in alarm.

  “What's that for?”

  “You're a virgin, I just took your virginity?”

  Now he got it.

  “You're a genius!” Alex said.

  Mickey laughed as he placed his hand against his aching head.

  “No, I'm a criminal, and I'm good at thinking fast in bad situations and lying to save my own skin,” he replied, “But in all the years of mixing with scum I can honestly say I've never met anyone like Rosemary!”

  “I know, she's a real piece of work.”

  The two men sat down in the cell side by side.

  “I wonder how long it will be until she comes back?” said Alex.

  “Let's hope it's not too long,” Mickey told him darkly, “Because we need to get out of this cell. Then I can kill that scumbag and you can burn this place! Give me the brick.”

  Alex reached for the loose brick, pulled it for the wall and handed it to him.

  “If we're going for the guns, why do you need a brick?” he asked.

  Mickey slipped the brick into this coat pocket and shrugged.

  “You never know when you might need to hit someone with a brick,” he replied.

  Alex laughed as he shook his head.

  “It might be your lucky brick?”

  “It could be,” Mickey agreed, then the two men sat there in the cell, falling silent as they waited for Rosemary to return and their real chance of escape to begin.

  Chapter 7

  The dead were snarling as they piled up against the gate, eyes set on the farmhouse and the living within. Joy dashed out as Sage followed, closing the door behind her. Joy ran across the driveway as the smell and the sounds of the zombies amplified. The lorry was up close to the gate, she was too close to the horde as they piled up against the bared gate, and wood began to creak as bolts strained. Joy tried to cut out the sight and sound of them as she ran closer and the smell of death hung heavy in the air, her focus on the lorry. She unlocked the back and opened it up as Sage ran to the corner where the wall met with the low boughs of an old tree and she reached up, grasped at a thick limb and found her footing on the wall.