“The last few weeks are hazy. It almost feels like a dream.” She shook her head and her brown eyes filled with tears. “I’ve experienced more than my fair share of loss, but this is different. This is more than the usual ache of losing someone. That’s still here—” Her free hand went to her chest. “—but there’s something else too. Something...”
“What?” I leaned closer.
“I can’t even describe it.” Mom let out a sigh, and when she looked my way her gaze moved over me from head to toe, making every hair on my body stand on end. “Where did you get a job?”
I pulled at my skirt and looked away. “Dragon’s Lair.”
“I don’t know that place. Is it a strip club?”
“No!” The word popped out with so much force that I was surprised it hadn’t knocked her over. “I’m just serving drinks between fights.”
“I’m sorry I haven’t helped.” Her fingers tightened around the glass in her hand. “How long has it been since I went to work?”
“I’m not sure.” I tugged harder on my skirt. “At least two weeks.”
“Hopefully, I still have a job I can go to.”
“You’re not disappointed in me?” I stole a glance her way, not brave enough to meet her gaze completely.
“About the job?” When I nodded, she put her free hand on my knee, the glass still in her other hand like she couldn’t seem to part with it. “No. Even before zombies took over the world I believed in doing whatever it took to survive. In fact, I was a stripper.”
I turned my whole body toward her. “What?”
“I was. After I left California.”
A laugh forced its way out of me. I couldn’t believe my mom had ever worked as a stripper. It seemed so far-fetched, thinking about who she was—or had been before Dad disappeared, anyway. Strong. Tough. Determined. I’d always thought that no matter what came her way, my mom would be able to bend the circumstances to fit her will with little to no effort. It had always seemed like that to me growing up, anyway.
Mom exhaled and stared back down at the glass in her hand. “I had the weirdest dream.”
“What was it?” I asked, only half paying attention to her. My mind was still too wrapped around the idea of her being a stripper, and I found myself wondering what else I didn’t know about my mom.
“Angus was here.”
I turned to face her again. That had my full attention. “He was?”
“It’s weird, because I haven’t dreamt about him in years. When he first died I did, of course. He’d been a major part of my life for so long that it almost felt like something was missing. But over the years the dreams became less and less frequent, and eventually they stopped altogether. And this was different. So vivid.”
I didn’t know why, but a buzzing had started in my stomach. Low and soft, but constant. “Did he say anything to you? In the dream, I mean?”
Mom’s mouth scrunched up and it caused a pang to shoot through me that only made the buzzing more insistent. Dad always did that when he was thinking. Puckered his lips. Damn. There wasn’t anything as painful as the ache of a lost loved one. Not even a zombie bite could rival it.
“Angus was older,” Mom finally said. “Thinner than he’d been the last time I saw him. And he had a beard. It was gray, and so was his hair. It’s weird. People don’t usually age in dreams, do they?”
She looked up, her eyes searching mine like she was begging for answers. Answers to what, I didn’t know. Maybe she just wanted some reassurance that she hadn’t lost it completely.
“I’m the last person to ask,” I said, putting my hand on top of hers.
“Yeah.” Mom nodded a few times. “He helped me sit up.” A smile curled up her lips and it almost made me burst into tears. I never thought I’d see her smile again. “He called me Blondie and told me to get my shit together. Angus always had a knack for getting under my skin, but he had a soft side too. It would come out at the most random moments, taking you by surprise.”
The sad smile on her face made my throat tighten. “Maybe it was just your subconscious trying to get you to snap out of it?”
“Yeah…”
Mom’s smile faded and she looked down at the glass in her hand. When she shook her head, she acted like she wasn’t sure. Which was crazy. Angus died years ago. There was no way he’d popped up here tonight. It had been a dream. Nothing else.
“Where did you get this water?” she asked after a few seconds.
“The bathroom.”
“I can’t remember…” Her voice trailed off. “Was there something wrong with the water? Did you tell me something was wrong?”
Years ago we couldn’t drink the water, but it had been awhile now. Five years at least. Back then, the government told us not to drink anything that we hadn’t boiled. Even from the faucets. People who had extra credits could buy pre-boiled water, but most couldn’t. Or chose not to. Mom and Dad never would buy it even though they made enough credits. The government fixed the problem by creating filters. You just screwed one onto the faucet and the water ran through it. It sure as hell made getting clean water easier. Mom must have still been confused.
“The water is okay now,” I said gently. “Remember?”
“Yeah…” Mom’s voice trailed off again, her eyes still focused on the glass.
I exhaled and my shoulders slumped, and it suddenly hit me how exhausted I was. But the thought of leaving Mom now that she was finally coherent caused an ache to move through me. Still, if I didn’t get some sleep, I’d be exhausted tomorrow.
“I need to get to bed,” I said through a yawn.
Mom blinked a couple times and shook her head. Her gaze moved to the bed and she finally put the glass down. “I’m tired too. I know I shouldn’t be, but I am.”
I swallowed, suddenly feeling like I was five years old all over again. Back then I’d gone through a phase where I was scared of the dark and the idea of going to sleep in my own bed had been terrifying. That’s how I felt right now, scared out of my mind at the idea of going into the other room and sleeping in the dark all by myself.
“Can I sleep with you?” I asked, almost embarrassed to say the words out loud. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“Of course.”
Mom held her arms out and I fell against her. When she pulled me close, I almost burst into tears.
“I’ve missed you,” I said against her chest, feeling younger than ever. “I’ve felt so alone.”
“I’m so sorry, Megan.” Her lips moved against the top of my head as she rubbed my back. “I’ll do better. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m going to fight this thing. I’ll be here for you. Tomorrow, I’ll go back to work and things will get better. You have my word.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to hold onto the promise. It was hard to believe, though, especially after everything that had happened.
The room was still dark when I opened my eyes, but the light breaking through the curtains told me it was almost time to get up. I wasn’t quite ready, so I twisted my body away from the window, hoping to block out the sun’s rays.
On the other side of the bed, Mom was still out cold. Her mouth hung open and her breathing was heavy. The glass sat on the bedside table, half full. She must have gotten up to get a drink in the middle of the night.
I didn’t want to disturb her just yet, so I made sure I was quiet when I slid out of bed. Mom moved, but just a little, and she didn’t make a sound. I’d try to wake her up in a bit. Hopefully, she’d go into work today.
I was in the middle of making breakfast—dry toast since that was all we had—when Mom stumbled out of the bedroom. Her eyes were half-closed and her movements sluggish, but hopefully it was nothing a little bit of caffeine wouldn’t take care of.
“Coffee?” I called as I turned to pour some into a mug for her.
“No.” The word was slurred, but it was her tone that made me freeze.
I put the carafe down and turned to face her, the trembling in my bo
dy growing with each passing second. “Mom? Are you going to work today?”
When she looked up, she was frowning. “Go to work?”
“Last night you said you were going to.”
“I can’t go to work!” Her eyes darted around the room, big and round and terrified. “I have to find your father. Axl is missing, and I know they’re lying to us. Just like they did with Angus.”
Even though I knew it was useless, I took a step closer to her. “Mom?”
Her gaze stopped on my face for only a second before her eyes were once again flying around the room. The way they bounced back and forth made me dizzy, and I couldn’t understand how she stayed upright.
She started pacing, pulling at her shirt while she talked to herself. “If they took him, that means he’s still alive. In the CDC. We have to get in there. But how? How do we break into the CDC when…”
Her words trailed off, too low and fast for me to catch them. Not that I wanted to. I’d heard all of this over and over again the last few weeks, but after last night, they were more devastating than ever before. Why she had snapped out of it for such a short time didn’t make sense, but it had foolishly given me hope.
The idea of drinking my coffee or eating the toast I’d made no longer sounded appealing, so I left the food on the counter and grabbed my knife before heading to the door. Hopefully, Mom would eat the toast if I left it where it was.
I had to pause when I stepped into the hall because my legs were shaking so much. I leaned my head against the closed door and squeezed my eyes shut, letting out a deep breath. Mom’s crazy rant rang in my ears, but I wasn’t sure if it was in my head or if I could actually hear her through the door.
“Megan?” I opened my eyes to find Charlie staring at me. “Where the hell have you been? I haven’t seen you since the other night at Dragon’s. You’re never home and…” She sank her teeth into her lower lip for a second before saying, “I was worried about you.”
The night we’d gone to Dragon’s with Jackson had only been a couple days ago, but at the moment it felt like years had passed. I couldn’t believe how silly the fear I’d felt that night seemed now. In the face of everything else, that struggle in the bathroom felt like nothing.
I pushed myself off the door. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.”
“Okay…” Charlie lifted her eyebrows expectantly. “I’m going to need a little bit more than that. I mean, you’ve been MIA for days.”
“I had to get another job.” I waved for her to follow as I headed down the hall. Above us, the lights flickered, sending shadows across Charlie’s face that made her already sharp features sharper. “I’ve been serving drinks at Dragon’s, actually.”
“What?” Her voice echoed through the hall and she looked around. “You can’t be serious. That place was a dump.” This time, her voice was lower.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m running out of options.”
I stopped in front of the elevator and pushed the button. The engine whined behind the door, the chains that pulled the elevator up rattling. One of these days, the thing was going to break for good.
“You’re right. I’m sorry,” she said, her voice low. “I’ve been a really shitty friend.
I glanced toward Charlie but didn’t turn away from the elevator. “No, you haven’t.”
“Yes, I have.”
The door opened and I stepped in. Charlie followed, and I turned to study her as the elevator made its way down. She looked pretty ashamed of herself, which was so not like her.
“What almost happened the other night had me really shaken, and it got even worse when I couldn’t find you for days afterward. I started thinking about everything you’ve gone through, and how selfish I’ve been. Mom’s been telling me for years that I’m spoiled and entitled, but I never listened. She was right. I mean, I have everything. Both my parents are alive and I have a nice place to live, plus extra credits whenever I need them. I’ve never lost anyone.” Charlie looked down. “Can you forgive me?”
“Charlie—” She lifted her head and I gave her a smile. “—I was never mad at you.”
“Thank God. I’ve been feeling like such a bitch. But I’m going to be better from here on out. I’m not going to be so spacey and selfish.”
I laughed, and after the craziness of the morning, it was a nice feeling. “Okay.”
The elevator finally reached the first floor and the door groaned when it opened. Charlie and I headed out together, walking side by side in silence until we’d made it out of the apartment building.
The morning sun was bright and already hot, making me dread work. There had to be a cooler settlement in this country—and one that wasn’t so close to the Regulator. Maybe Luke had the right idea and we should all get the hell out of here while we could.
Speaking of Luke…
I glanced at Charlie out of the corner of my eyes. “Have you seen your brother lately?”
She looked the other way and shrugged. “You know him. Never around.”
I waited a couple beats, and wasn’t at all surprised when Charlie’s hazel eyes shot my way. Her cheeks were red and her lips pressed together, a telltale sign that she was lying.
“You know,” I said accusingly.
“Know what?”
“About the apprenticeship.”
Charlie turned to look at me, her eyes searching my face. “He told you?”
“He came into the bar the first night I was working and told me all about it. When did you find out?”
“Last night.” Charlie sighed. “I was home when he stopped in to get some things. I’ve noticed that his stuff has slowly started to disappear, and I kind of assumed he’d met someone.”
“That’s what your mom thinks too.”
“I know. I told Luke he needs to tell Mom and Dad, and he swears that he’s going to eventually, but I have no idea when. He’s planning on leaving really soon. As soon as he can register as a zombie slayer.” Charlie shook her head like she thought her brother was insane.
Zombie slayers were the only people who could go in and out of settlements regularly and still benefit from the government. Otherwise, citizens stayed inside the safety of the walls—unless they were out on a run or doing something for the maintenance crew. Most people who lived outside the sanctioned settlements were unregistered, which meant they weren’t entitled to help. Ever. No food, no medicine, and no vaccines. Nothing.
Zombie slayers got the best of both worlds, at least according to them. They could get help if they needed it, but they lived outside. They didn’t have to answer to the government as much. It was an approved way to live because the government said we needed people who were willing to spend their days hunting down and killing the dead. Of course, the lifespan of a zombie slayer was usually short. They had to check in at their designated settlement at least once a month, and if they didn’t they were presumed dead. When they checked in, they also had to report their kills for the month. It was how they earned credits. When they made a kill, they collected the ears of the dead as proof. It was chilling, but a harsh reminder of the reality we lived in.
I’d always thought it was a crazy way to live, but after everything that had happened over the last few days, I didn’t think so. Not anymore.
“There’s been a lot going on with me—” Charlie lifted her eyebrows but I waved her questions away before she could voice them. “I can’t get into it right now, but I promise I’ll tell you when things get better. Anyway, after all the shit I’ve learned over the last few days, I don’t think Luke is crazy.”
Charlie’s eyes got huge. “What are you saying?”
“Nothing. I’m just saying that it will be okay. Luke will be back at least once a month. You’ll see him.” And maybe, if I could work things out, we could join him out there. Although, I didn’t think Charlie was ready for that bomb just yet.
We lapsed into silence as we approached shantytown. The shacks were just coming alive, and
the sounds of children crying and mother’s urging them to get moving rang through the air, as well as the occasional cough and moan. Halfway through the town we passed the shrine where three people knelt, each one lost in their prayers. I watched them as we walked by, wondering what made them think this was the right god to pray to.
Almost as if she was reading my mind, Charlie nodded toward them. “It’s strange, right? I mean, we never talk about it, but we all know it’s nuts. Angus. Can you believe it?”
“They think he died saving the world.” I shrugged even though I agreed with her. It was nuts.
“Do they believe he’s going to come back one day and save them again?” Charlie pressed her lips together, her dark eyes on the people kneeling in front of the statue of my Uncle Angus. “They do realize it’s impossible to come back from the dead, right?”
“Is it? There are zombies walking the earth right this second.” I lifted an eyebrow at her and we both laughed nervously. “Anyway, this wouldn’t be the first religion that believed their deity lived as flesh and blood, died saving the human race, then came back.”
“True…” Charlie shot the people praying to Angus one last look, then walked faster. “It’s still weird.”
She wasn’t wrong.
We didn’t talk again until we’d reached the edge of the shantytown, and when Charlie looked my way, I knew her mind was on something other than the Angus worshipers or her brother. She had an excited gleam in her eye.
“Is Donaghy still fighting at Dragon’s?” she asked.
“Yup,” I said, smacking my lips together at the end of the word and refusing to meet her gaze. My heart pounded faster just thinking about him, and I as afraid she would see it in my eyes.
Hopefully, she didn’t notice the heat that had spread across my cheeks. Despite everything going wrong in my life, I was having a tough time forgetting the kiss Donaghy and I shared last night. It had been amazing. Thrilling. Like a very good dream. After what had happened with Colton, I never thought I’d find myself in this situation again. Even worse, I knew it was bound to lead to the same kind of heartache. Donaghy didn’t belong here, and he’d be leaving soon.
Twisted World Series Box Set | Books 1-3 & Novella Page 19