by Dziekan, PJ
“I see you’ve been busy,” she said, walking further out onto the roof.
Ryan’s head popped up. “Hey, how are you feeling?” He stood from his crouching position and dusted off his hands. He walked towards her.
“I’m fine.” She waved at Bobby, who waved back. “Hi, Grant,” she called.
He squinted at her. “Sarah?” He dropped the rake and gingerly walked to where they stood. “It is you,” he said as he got closer. “Hello.”
“Sorry the glasses we found didn’t work.”
He shrugged. “There’s a pair out there somewhere.” He smiled.
“I’m sure there is. What are you doing there?”
“I pulled out the weeds. Now I’m raking the dirt. You don’t need to be able to see well to do that.” He scratched his chin, leaving a smear of dirt. “The plants you brought are still OK, well, some of them. We’re going to plant a couple gardens.”
“Yeah?” She turned to Ryan.
“I figure we can get two plots in on two sides of the building.” He pointed to where he wanted the gardens. “Set up a water tower over there; we just have to figure out the pipes. We’ll leave the last wall for the cable/pulley system and the bridge to the other building, if we need it.”
“That sounds good. Need some help?”
Ryan shook his head. “Missy and Elaine are on their way up. Annie just went to get them.”
“Missy and Elaine?” Sarah arched an eyebrow.
“Apparently they’re both great gardeners. They want to help.”
“Can they make it up here?”
“If they go slow, they’ll be fine.” The stairwell door opened. “There they are now.”
Sarah turned and saw Elaine, then behind her, Missy. “Hi, Sarah!” Missy said with a wave.
Just a little tightening in her abdomen this time. Maybe she was healing. “Hi, Missy, Elaine.”
“Hello, Sarah. I hear you brought us some plants.” Elaine stepped in front of Sarah. “I miss my garden.”
“I have a black thumb, so it’s all yours.”
A squeal from Missy made Sarah’s head whip around. “Are you OK?”
“He moved!” She exclaimed. “Oh my God, you have to feel this!!!” She reached for Sarah’s hand.
It felt like a physical blow to her chest. Maybe she wasn’t healed at all. Sarah snatched her hand away. “No, I’m – I’m dirty. Some other time.” She backed away from the young woman. “I need to see if Mick’s back.” She turned without another word and left the roof.
Once in the safety of the dim stairwell, she leaned against the wall, her eyes tightly shut. I have to get over this, she thought, breathing deep. I can’t let this affect me. Blowing out a breath and swallowing the lump in her throat, she moved slowly down the stairs.
As she reached the second-floor landing, she saw a figure coming up the stairs. She tensed, her hand resting on her gun. When she saw it was Ben, she let her hand drop. “Hi, Ben.”
His head lifted. “Sarah.”
“How are you?”
He shrugged. “Thought I’d see if they needed help upstairs.”
“I’m sure they can use you.”
He shrugged again. He looked down at his feet then raised his head. His gaze focused to the left of Sarah. “I – uh – I wanted to say thank you for taking me out. For trusting me at your back.”
“Of course.”
“I don’t like it, but I know I have to do it.”
“None of us like it, Ben. It’s just a necessary evil.”
“Yeah, well, thanks.”
She managed a small smile. “You’re welcome.” With a nod, he moved past her up the stairs.
April was alone in the living room, leafing through a book. “Where’s Michelle?” Sarah asked as she closed the door.
“She went to the other apartment to see if they needed a hand.” April threw the book on the table. “I can’t sit here for days, Sarah. I’m bored stiff and it’s only been a couple hours.”
Sarah grinned. “Bed rest sucks, doesn’t it?”
April laughed. “Bitch.”
“Just take it easy for a day or so, OK?” Sarah plopped down on the sofa.
“Like you should.”
“I’m not hurt.”
“Really?” April smirked. “How’s your back? How are you sleeping? What about Missy?”
Sarah closed her eyes. “Bitch,” she muttered.
Her eyes popped open seconds later when the door opened. Mick came in, Claire, Steven and Jack following. “Hey, babe,” he said when he saw her. “How are you feeling?”
She took in the blood spattered on his face, the gore encrusting his jacket sleeve. “What happened to you?” She leaped from the sofa, her pain forgotten.
“What? Nothing. It’s not mine, babe.” He smiled. “Got some more good stuff.” He shrugged his pack off his shoulders and set it on the floor. He crouched down and unzipped it. Without looking, he reached in and came out with a Hershey bar.
“Oh.” It had been so long since they had chocolate.
“Here.” He held it out to her.
She wasn’t aware that she had licked her lips but she could feel the saliva pooling in her mouth. Swallowing, she shook her head. “Save it for the kids.”
“I have a whole box, Sarah.”
Before he even finished speaking, she took the candy bar from his hand. “Thanks, Mick.”
He laughed as he stood back up. “There’s a convenience store about a block away. The front’s empty, but no one thought to break into the back room. There’s a ton of shit there. Can’t guarantee it isn’t stale.”
“Let’s go get it, then.”
“It can wait. Let’s eat something first.” He caught the light in her eyes. “Real food, butt. Candy later.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Sarah slipped out of bed without waking Mick, shivering slightly in the chill of the room. She sat on a chair and pulled on her boots before grabbing her belt with holster and knife and heading to the bathroom. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of their waste. They needed to come up with a solution and quick. She pulled her toothbrush from her pack and quickly brushed her teeth. Without dentistry, she was extra careful to take care of her teeth. They all were. She dampened a cloth with a bit of water and wiped her face. She ran the cloth under her arms, then quickly between her legs. She really needed a real bath.
When she finished, she stepped quietly out of the room. Mick was still sleeping, curled up on his side, the blanket bunched around his waist. She moved to the bed and pulled the covers up over his shoulders, resisting the urge to kiss his stubbled cheek. With a slight smile, she left the bedroom, the door closing silently behind her.
Dominic was asleep on the sofa, his leg brace leaning against the arm. She glanced at the room where April and Donna slept, the door still closed. She moved to the kitchen, hoping to get a quick cup of tea before everyone woke up. She had a few tea bags stashed in the bottom of her pack.
Bobby was in the kitchen, pouring water into a small pot sitting on their single propane burner. “Hi,” he said as he saw her coming in. A candle barely illuminated the room.
“Hey. What are you doing up?” Sarah leaned against the counter.
“Couldn’t sleep more than a few hours,” he said, starting the burner. “Too used to getting up for watch.”
She forgot to set a watch for the night before. “Shit,” she whispered.
“I don’t think we need watches anymore.” It was as if he could read her mind. “They seem like good people.”
Sarah sighed. “Maybe.”
Bobby laughed. “You have to trust someone some time.”
She smiled. “I guess you’re right.”
“Want some hot chocolate? I found a few packs in the back of a cupboard.”
“Oh, wow, sounds great!” She reached into a cupboard and found two mismatched mugs. “I haven’t had hot chocolate in ages.”
“Why are you up?’ Bobby asked as he emptie
d a packet of hot chocolate into each mug.
She shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep anymore. I wanted to check out the town.”
“Not by yourself.”
Sarah looked up at him. “Yeah, by myself.”
Bobby shook his head. “I’ll go with you. Mick would have my ass if something happened to you.” The water began to boil. He shut off the gas.
“You don’t think I can handle myself out there?” She challenged.
Bobby poured the hot water into the mugs. “I know you can handle yourself,” he said softly. “I saw you handle yourself at Sugar Creek. But we shouldn’t go out alone, right?” He handed her a steaming mug.
He missed her slight flinch when he mentioned Sugar Creek. Where they had rescued Ryan, Bobby and Donna. Where she was nearly raped and lost her baby. She curled her hands around the mug and brought it to her face, letting the steam warm her skin. “You’re right,” she finally answered. She took a sip of the hot liquid, smiling as the chocolate lingered on her tongue.
“What are we looking for out there?” He asked, sipping the weak chocolate.
Sarah shrugged. “Whatever. I’d like to see the lay of the land. See how big the town is. See the river. See what supplies might be around.” She laughed shortly. “See what the name of this place is.” She took another drink, relishing the warmth.
“Thornville,” he said. “Not a big town at all, even smaller since they expanded the highway.”
“I keep forgetting this is your territory. You’ll be a good source of info.”
“This is the limit of my knowledge. I never travelled much past this place.” Bobby finished his cocoa.
“Still, you know more than the rest of us.” She looked out the small window. “Sun’s just about up. Want to head out?” She finished her drink and put the mug in the sink.
“Yeah, I just need to grab my pack.” He put his mug in the sink next to hers.
“I’ll leave a note for the rest of them. Can you grab me a pry bar?”
“Sure.” He slipped into the living room. Sarah found an envelope on the counter and checked the drawers for a pen. She found a crayon. Laughing, she jotted a note: Checking out the town. Be back soon. Sarah and Bobby. She left it by the propane stove. She blew out the candle as she left.
Bobby met her at the front door, a tire iron in one hand and a pry bar in the other. He held the pry bar out to her and she smiled her thanks as she took it. They moved into the hall, closing the door quietly behind them. “What’s the plan?” Bobby asked.
“Let’s just see what’s out there.” She smiled in the dimly lit hall. “We’ll make it up as we go along.” She looped the cord of her flashlight around her wrist and started down the hall.
♦
Down in the lobby, Sarah peered out the window beside the door. “Looks clear but it’s not quite light out there. Make sure you have your flashlight.” Bobby flicked on his light as she quietly opened the door to the outside.
There were bodies scattered about, but she didn’t see any moving ones. They walked to the center of the street and stopped looking for movement, listening for sounds. There was nothing. They started down the empty street.
Sarah could see what Bobby meant. Many of the stores had been boarded up before the shit hit the fan but there were still a few that looked promising. A few antique shops, a hardware store that while looted, still looked like it might have some stuff available, an auto parts store. There was a consignment shop and a coffee shop. There should still be something they could use.
“Why aren’t there any around?” Bobby whispered as they passed a boarded-up children’s clothing store.
Sarah wondered the same thing. They hadn’t seen one creature since they left the apartment. “I don’t know,” she said softly. “But we need to keep our eyes open.”
But all they saw were bodies. They walked four blocks down, passing the convenience store that Mick had hit the day before, then a half a block further before they saw their first zombie. It was on the ground, facing away from them. Its legs had been damaged at some point so it pulled itself along by its hands, which were worn to the bone. It scented them and turned its head, gnashing its teeth. Strips of flesh were abraded from its face, one eye completely gone.
Sarah took a few steps until she was standing over the creature. She jabbed the pry bar down, the sharp end piercing the skull. She stood over the corpse, looking down the street in the direction the zombie was pulling itself. “We’ll find more down that way,” she said, shaking the gore from her tool.
They crept silently behind four creatures, ones with damaged legs that couldn’t move well. They took them out with their hand tools, the only sound the thunk as metal hit skull and the dropping of the bodies. They moved another block and took down two more. When they advanced another block, around a gradual curve, Sarah stopped, holding her arm out in front of Bobby.
About thirty yards ahead was a swarm of zombies, headed away from them. Sarah quit counting at sixty. She tugged on Bobby’s arm and they backed up until they were standing in the shadow of a school bus. “Well, now we know where they are,” she quipped.
“What was past them? Did you notice?” Bobby asked.
Sarah thought a moment. “A couple buildings. Houses.”
“Anything we need? I mean, is it stuff we can live without?”
“I didn’t see anything in particular. Why?”
“I think we can block the road, keep them out.”
“Really?”
“We’d need this school bus, a truck or something big. We can block the road from side to side.”
“That would be great. A lot less of them to deal with.”
“Yeah, but there’s a problem.” Bobby scratched at his beard. “As soon as we get one vehicle started, they’ll hear it and turn around.”
“Shit, you’re right,” Sarah swore. “And how would we start them, anyway? I’m sure the keys aren’t in this bus.”
Bobby snorted. “That’s not a problem. Mick taught me how to hotwire a car.”
Sarah laughed quietly. “Of course he did.” She scanned the street and saw the truck they would need, a red box truck with “Bruce’s Moving Company” painted down the side. But should they do this alone?
“Fuck it,” she muttered. She turned to Bobby. “Get that truck started, then the bus. Take the bus and block the street right there.” She pointed to a section of road right where it started to curve, between a boarded-up bank on one side and a vacated storefront on the other. It was about twenty yards from where they spotted the horde. “As soon as you get it tight up against there, run and get the truck. I’ll deal with them.”
“You sure?” Bobby asked.
“It’s the only way, unless one of us walks back to get someone else. I think we can handle it.”
“Okay. You’re the boss.”
She let out a breath. “I’m not the boss.”
Bobby laughed as he jogged to the truck. “Yes, you are.”
Rolling her eyes, Sarah walked down the street. She stayed hidden behind a pickup, watching the zombies move further and further away. “Just keep going,” she whispered.
It was eerily quiet, only the sounds of scraping feet and the occasional bird call. At first, she had missed the everyday sounds of cars, the humming of power lines, the chatter of a bunch of people. But gradually, she got used to the silence. Even came to enjoy the solitude.
She turned her head to see Bobby in the truck. He grinned as he held his hand up, something clutched between his fingers. Keys. Could it be that easy?
Of course not. She heard the click of the engine signaling a dead battery. Her shoulders sagged. Now what?
Bobby rummaged behind the back seat, then got out of the truck. He held cables in his hand. With exaggerated motions, he pointed to the school bus then back to the truck and held up the cables. She nodded and turned her head back to watch the zombies.
They had stopped. Some of them were turning back. “Fuck,” she whispered
. They must have registered Bobby’s movements. She gripped the pry bar, wishing for her pipe. She heard a clanking noise from behind her. So did the zombies. More turned and they started shuffling back towards Sarah and Bobby.
“Alright,” she muttered to herself. “I can handle this.” She heard noises from behind her, metallic sounds. She quickly glanced back just to make sure it was Bobby. He was on the bus.
She looked back at the zombies. A few were closer. They must have been more recently turned as they tended to move faster the fresher they were. They were still far enough back not to be a problem but Bobby had better hurry.
She heard the hesitant sounds of a starter whining and sputtering. Her heart sank. They wouldn’t be able to do this. And they just rang the dinner bell for all of the creatures that had left town.
The engine caught with a huge roar. She grinned, risking a look at Bobby behind the wheel of the bus. He drove hesitantly towards the truck, driving over a curb and a body before he had the vehicles nose to nose. He jumped out of the bus, cables in hand.
The zombies were much closer, the four in the lead just ten yards away. The rest of the group lagged behind, but even they seemed to be picking up the pace. She put Bobby out of her mind. Either he did it or he didn’t. She had her own things to worry about.
She could hear their groans, the scratching of their feet on the asphalt. She could smell them, the stink of decay and rotting bodily fluids. She could see their faces, still surprisingly intact. Bodies, however, were a different story. A man with his arm hanging by a thread of meat. Another bigger older guy with a bloodied neck and shoulder. A young girl with bites in her multicolored tights, the blood splotches looking like a design. And a woman with nothing but a tiny bite on the inside of her wrist. If it wasn’t for the dead eyes and ashen skin, Sarah would have thought she was a member of Annie’s group. Maybe she was, she thought as she tightened her grip on the pry bar.