by Eden Darry
The tide was in, leaving barely three feet of beach. “We’ll have to wade through it. Cut around back, to the Pig,” Wendy said.
The freezing water took Lane’s breath away. But this was better than being eaten alive. The water came up to her knees, and pretty soon her teeth were chattering.
“How are you doing, Wendy?” Lane asked.
“Fine. My head’s stopped bleeding,” Wendy answered.
Lane looked back at Wendy, who was doing her best to stay upright with her bag held above her head.
“Wendy, why don’t you lose the bag? It’ll make life easier,” Lane said.
“No, I can’t. It has my purse and keys in it,” Wendy replied.
Lane opened her mouth to point out Wendy probably wouldn’t be needing either for a while. She changed her mind. Maybe hanging on to the bag was helping Wendy hold on to something normal. God knew Lane was struggling to process the situation herself.
And how was Meg coping? Had she made it to Joanne’s? No, she couldn’t think about it. Meg would be fine. She was probably already in the Squealing Pig waiting for them. The thought of anything else made Lane want to throw up.
“Hey, you guys zombies?”
Lane looked up at the sound of the voice. They’d made it to the alley by the hardware store, Lands End Marine Supply, and a woman was now standing at the top of the alley.
The woman wielded a rifle slung over one shoulder and a baseball bat in each hand.
“No. We aren’t,” Lane said.
“That’s what I figured. You aren’t missing any body parts. Wendy, that you?” The woman looked past Lane to Wendy, who was squeezing water out of the top of her tights.
“Hi, Teensy. It’s good to see you,” Wendy said, barely glancing up.
Teensy? One thing this woman mountain was not was teensy, Lane thought.
“Who’s this?” Teensy asked, pointing a bat at Lane.
“That’s Lane. My bag is wet. How did my bag get so wet?” Wendy asked.
“Just you two?” Teensy asked.
“And Meg. She’s meeting us at the Squealing Pig,” Lane said.
Teensy frowned. “You left her by herself?”
“Not exactly. It’s a long story.” Lane started walking up the alley again. “We should get inside. I’ll tell you there.”
“I guess I could use a beer.” Teensy slung a bat over each shoulder and led them up the alley.
Lane shrugged and followed her. A beer sounded good to her as well.
“You coming, Wendy?” Lane asked.
“I need a new bag.”
Wendy’s obsession was starting to worry Lane. Maybe she’d really hit her head hard and lost her mind.
“We can deal with that later,” Lane said.
“No, now. I’ll drop into Marine Supply real quick,” Wendy said.
“Wendy, for fuck’s sake.” Lane threw up her hands.
“Hey, don’t speak to Wendy like that,” Teensy said. “She wants a new bag—we can make a quick trip. Besides, you two are soaked. You should change into some dry clothes.”
Lane couldn’t deny Teensy’s logic. “Fine, but I don’t think we should be long. Those zombies seem to like staying up on the main road.”
“I just need a new bag is all. And some dry clothes,” Wendy said.
“Wendy wants a bag, so a bag she shall have. Those zombies show up, I’ll pop their heads like grapefruits. The big one shows up, though, and we run,” Teensy said.
“Fine. Let’s get Wendy a new bag. Then after, once we get to the Squealing Pig, Wendy can tell us what’s going on here.”
Lane saw Wendy’s head come up sharply. “I don’t know any more than you do.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” Lane said. “You seemed to know quite a bit at the library.”
Wendy shook her head. “That was common sense. That other…man was huge. Anybody with any sense would have known to run away.”
Again, Lane couldn’t deny the logic, but something was bothering her. She couldn’t explain it, but she just had a feeling Wendy knew more than she was saying. The fact she was denying it left Lane with even more questions. Once they were in the Squealing Pig, she and Meg would discuss what to do. If Meg made it. If they made it.
“You coming?” Teensy asked Lane.
“Yeah, sorry. I’m coming,” Lane said and followed the other two up to Lands End Marine Supply.
* * *
Meg regarded the little girl in front of her. She looked scared but not traumatized. She was dirty but didn’t have any injuries that Meg could see.
“You could have hurt yourself jumping from up there, Lois,” Meg said.
Lois shrugged. “Could have hurt myself being eaten by zombies too.”
The kid had a point. “What happened?” Meg asked.
“My mommy got real sick. She didn’t call a doctor like she promised. I got scared from all the groaning, so I hid in the attic,” Lois said.
“How did you get up there?”
“On there.” Lois pointed to a dresser against the wall. “I climbed up and then pushed the hatch open. It’s real easy. Want me to show you?”
“No, that’s okay. Lois, you need to come with me. I’m going to get you out of here,” Meg said and reached for the little girl’s hand.
“But there’s zombies out there. I’ve seen them. Can’t we stay here? In the attic?” Lois clutched Meg’s hand but wouldn’t move.
“I know, honey. But I promise I won’t let them get you. We can’t stay here. I have friends waiting for us,” Meg said and hoped she wouldn’t be proved a liar.
“What friends?” Lois asked, still not moving. She was pretty strong for a small kid.
“Well, you met one of them today. Her name is Lane. And there’s Wendy.”
“You’re all that’s left? There’s nobody else?” Lois asked.
“I’m sure there are others. Maybe they’re lying low, or maybe they got out of Provincetown already.” Meg prayed Lois wouldn’t bring up her mom. What would she say to her?
“It’s okay, I know about my mom,” Lois said as if reading her mind. She glanced down at her feet. “She’s one of them now, isn’t she?”
Meg pulled Lois into a hug. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m so sorry.”
She felt Lois’s small arms reach around her back. They had a little time, Meg guessed. She could give Lois a little time to grieve her mother.
Meg was all Lois had now. The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. The kid was totally reliant on Meg to get her out of this alive.
The truth was she couldn’t protect Lois, not really, not any more than she could protect herself. Her mind went to Lane, trapped in that car with Wendy. Was Lane a zombie now? Shuffling around Provincetown? Meg prayed not. Just thinking about it made things tear loose inside her. And now she had Lois to take care of. She couldn’t think about it. She had to believe Lane was waiting with Wendy in the Pig for her.
Meg crouched down in front of Lois. “Honey, we have to go now. Do you trust me?”
Lois looked right in her eyes and nodded. “Yes. I trust you.”
Meg could see she did. The way most little kids trusted adults to take care of them, completely and totally. And just like that, Meg knew that whatever happened, she would get Lois out of here. Or die trying.
Chapter Nine
Lane would never admit it, but the visit to Lands End Marine Supply was a good idea. Her jeans, shoes, and socks were soaked through. Plus, the jacket she had on was not at all warm. Lane put the new items in her bag. She didn’t feel comfortable changing in the middle of the shop. They were too exposed, and she wanted to be somewhere safe.
Being in Lands End Marine Supply with Wendy and Teensy while the world went to shit outside was an exercise in weird. The two of them were acting like they were on a little shopping trip. Teensy bowled straight in and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Any of you fucking nasty zombies are in here, I’m going to pop the yellow goo right out of your heads.”
“Teensy,” Lane hissed, “what are you doing?”
“Making sure those creepy shitheads know we’re here,” Teensy said and started eying up shovels near the entrance.
“And what if there’s loads of them? You’re going to fight them all off by yourself?”
“Sure. I was a marine for fifteen years. These assholes don’t bother me a bit.” Teensy smiled at Lane, and there was nothing friendly about it. “They’ve fucked up my town. I’d love a crack at a few more of them.”
“And what if they’re here with the chief zombie?” Lane asked.
Teensy frowned. “He’s a different story. We’d probably be best off running if he’s here. But if he was, he would’ve zapped us already.” Teensy held out one of her baseball bats and pointed it at Lane. “Pow.”
Lane grinned. “Pow?”
“Yeah. Pow. I’m not an idiot. My baseball bats aren’t going to do a damn thing against him. You ever seen anything like that before?” Teensy asked.
“Never in my life. But then, I’ve never seen a regular zombie before either,” Lane said.
“You make a good point. How do you think they got here? Experiment gone wrong?”
Lane had no idea, but she knew someone who probably did. She turned to the aisle where she’d last seen Wendy.
“Where did Wendy go?” Lane asked, realizing that Wendy had disappeared.
“Probably to get a new bag. That’s why we’re here. You should get some new pants and shoes. Don’t want to get sick.” Teensy grinned.
Lane couldn’t help but laugh. “God forbid I catch a cold. Meet you back here in five minutes?”
“Sure. Scream if you need us,” Teensy said.
Lane walked down the tightly packed aisles. There was a lot of stuff here. Tools, cleaning products, and dog food sat side by side with waders, hats, jeans, and boots. There were sweatshirts and fishing rods, key rings and camping chairs.
Lane found a pair of sturdy looking boots in her size and put them on. They weren’t exactly her style, but they were waterproof and dry. She found some jeans that didn’t look terrible and a soft, warm sweatshirt. She decided to pick up a bag herself, a claw hammer, and a mallet. She’d need to get close to use them as weapons, but currently she only had bare hands, so anything was an improvement on that.
Lane had figured out that popping their heads killed them—or whatever a zombie version of death was—so knives would be no good. And she wanted something she could wield easily enough. She wasn’t small but she wasn’t built like Teensy. She paused a moment, realizing she was deep in thought about picking out the best implement to kill someone with. What the fuck had happened to her life? She’d come to Provincetown to get Meg back, and now here she was, testing the weight of a mallet, trying to decide if it was heavy enough to smash through bone and brain matter.
And what about Meg? Was she safe? Did she reach Joanne’s apartment? Lane couldn’t contemplate the idea she hadn’t. But then, when it came to Meg there was a lot Lane wouldn’t contemplate. Had she been a fool to come here and try to win Meg back? Meg’s reaction said she was, but all the same, Lane couldn’t find it in herself to regret the decision. Especially in light of recent events. Lane didn’t consider herself a hero, but she knew she’d lay down her life for Meg in an instant.
And if she would do that, then maybe she wasn’t the coward she’d always thought she was. Maybe there was a lot more to her than she thought. She’d already fought for her own life several times to get here.
All she needed now was for Meg to be okay. Meg was a survivor. Even back in London Lane knew that. There was a toughness to Meg that she’d always admired. There was also a wall around Meg that Lane found pretty much impossible to break down. She wondered if maybe the two went hand in hand. If maybe Meg wasn’t able to have one without the other.
Once she was happy with the items she’d chosen, Lane went back to the front of the shop and waited for the others. She could hear them near the back. What was taking them so long? All Lane wanted to do was get to the Squealing Pig and see if Meg was there yet.
Part of her wanted to head straight over to Joanne’s house. But they’d agreed to meet in the Pig, and Lane had to believe Meg would be there.
They needed to make a plan. Surely it wouldn’t be long before people outside Provincetown realized something was wrong. They’d send in the army or something. All Lane and Meg had to do was wait it out. Lie low until the cavalry arrived. Leaving was too risky. They’d seen what the chief zombie could do to cars. And to the bus. Lane wondered who’d been on the bus. And whether any of them had survived. She hoped so but doubted it.
Behind her, a bell tinkled as the shop door opened. Lane turned, hoping it was Meg. It wasn’t. All she could think before she raised her hammer was that Teensy was going to be happy.
* * *
Meg led Lois along the beach. For some reason, the zombies didn’t seem to come down to the waterfront. They preferred the main streets. She guessed maybe because that’s where most people were. In all the movies she’d seen and books she’d read, she never heard about a zombie who was afraid of water.
Just as they were coming up the side of the Lands End hardware store, Lois stopped.
“What’s up, honey?” Meg asked.
“Can’t you hear that?” Lois looked towards the store with her eyes wide.
“Hear what?” Meg couldn’t hear a thing.
“There’s zombies in there.” Lois shivered and Meg pulled her close.
“We’ll be real quiet so they don’t hear us. Okay?” Meg ran her hand over Lois’s head. She felt her nod.
“How can you even hear them?” Meg whispered.
Lois shrugged. “My mommy says I have bat ears.”
Meg didn’t comment on Lois’s use of present tense. The kid had enough going on trying to process her town suddenly filling with zombies. Besides, she knew Joanne was gone. Meg didn’t need to remind her.
“Come on,” Meg whispered again.
They made it to the Squealing Pig. Meg still had her key, but she didn’t need it. When she pushed on the door, it swung open. She felt her heartbeat speed up.
Meg moved Lois behind her and stepped inside. She hefted the rock they always used to hold the door open. Just in case.
“Lois, can you hear anybody through there?” Meg pointed to the bar.
“No. At least, nobody shouting,” Lois said.
Meg inched forward, painfully aware she had nothing to defend either Lois or herself with.
She rounded the corner into the bar. Men’s and ladies’ rooms were to the left, and she spared them a quick glance. She doubted zombies would have the wherewithal to hide, but she’d found Celia in the storeroom back at the library. She guessed one could be back there. But first things first. She had to make sure the bar was clear.
“Lois, you wait here. If you see or hear anything, I want you to run to the beach.”
“Okay.”
Lois gripped the back of Meg’s jacket, and they shuffled forward. In the bar, something crashed to the ground. Then, the sound of a low groan.
* * *
Lane swung again and connected with the woman’s head. She tried hard to push the idea that this was a woman out of her head. Someone who’d once loved and laughed. Lane swung again, and the zombie went down.
Behind her, Teensy let out a war cry. Lane turned and watched her belt a zombie so hard her bat snapped. The woman was fucking mental, but thank God for her.
Wendy was probably cowering in a corner somewhere. But Lane didn’t blame her. She’d do the same if she could.
“Lane,” Teensy called, “heads-up.”
Lane turned around just in time to see a zombie lunging for her. She took a step backwards and tripped. She pinwheeled her arms in an effort to stay upright, and the hammer flew out of her hand.
It was no good. She fell. The zombie followed her down.
* * *
Meg shoved Lois back out into the short corrid
or. “Run.”
She didn’t look back to see if Lois had obeyed her. Instead, she went left into the kitchen. There would be something in there she could use to defend herself.
She pulled up short when she saw two zombies in there. They had their backs turned, and she was sure they didn’t know she was here.
Yet.
Meg went back out the way she’d come and saw Lois waiting by the door. “I told you to run.”
“I did. They’re out there too.”
“What?” Meg pushed past Lois and opened the door a crack.
Lois was right. She managed to push the door shut just as one zombie lunged at her. She slammed the deadbolt into place.
What were they going to do? They were effectively trapped. She had no idea how many zombies were in the bar. But even if there was just one, that still made it three against one.
Meg squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think. The doors out front would be locked. Not enough time to open them and get out. Unless…
She turned and crouched in front of Lois. “Honey, I need you to listen very carefully and do exactly as I say.”
Lois nodded and bit her lip.
“We’re going to make a run for it. You’ll need to stay real close to me. When I say so, I want you to run for the front door, unlock it, and take off. Just keep running, okay?”
Lois shook her head. “What about you?”
“Don’t you worry about me. I want you to run and hide and wait for the army or the cops or whoever the fuck comes.” Meg gripped Lois’s shoulders. “Promise me.”
“I don’t want to leave you,” Lois whispered.
“You have to. We’re in a bit of a bind here. I know your mom would want you to be okay. Wouldn’t she?”
Meg knew it was a bit of a low blow, but Meg needed Lois to do what she said. It was unlikely both of them were getting out of here alive, and Meg didn’t see any other way.
“Lois?”
“Okay. I promise.”
Meg pulled Lois into a hug and gathered the courage to do what she had to next.
* * *