by Thomas Baker
"What about the church? Had you gone to this church before the Outbreak?"
"Oh yes. My mother was super involved in the Covenant of Saints.Bible study group leader, church organizer, whatever was asked of her. She was a real Sunday Saint."
"So Albright knew your mother well?" Hannah was trying to make it seem like she was not prying.
"No, Albright wasn't here until after the Outbreak. Our old pastor, Reverend Foster, died during the first zombie attack. Along with my mother. It comforts me to think they arrived in Heaven together."
Alice stopped to change utensils and forked some carrots. "This honey glaze is wonderful."
Hannah thought Alice's cheery disposition while talking about the death of her mother was a little chilling but she pressed on.
"I'm surprised the Outbreak reached out here. You are kinda in the middle of nowhere. No offense."
"If you're from a big city, you would thinkthat. We are not far from I-70 though, and we are the county seat. Near us is the regional hospital, the county jail, and of courseHoly Covenant University." She took another bite and swallowed before continuing. "I heard reports about what was going on before it got to us, since it started at both the coasts. It swept inland like a wildfire, surrounding us on all sides. Even though we had a little time to prepare compared to places like New York or Los Angeles, it didn't help us that much. By the time the zombies got here, they outnumbered us what seemed like a hundred to one. Those of us that survived only did so by hiding in places like the church basement, where the zombies weren't able to break into. What a miracle I would be one of thepeople to make it."
"It can seem that way. Though to be honest at timesI wonder," Hannah said, brushing her fingers through her hair. Here came her big question. She tried to sound casual. "How did Albright get involved with the church? Do you like him?" She almost slipped out the question do you trust him but it felt like a step too far.
"He's been our savior since the disaster. I waited for days in the basement with twenty other people, until we had no choice but to go up. What I saw then." Alice visibly shivered and crossed herself. "I still have a hard time accepting it. So many dead bodies. Mutilated. One had to be pushed out of the way as Charlie opened the door. They covered the floor, they covered the pews. And the blood."
Alice looked down at her food. "Sorry. I should stop there. You've seen it." She gave Hannah a weak smile.
Hannah put her spoon down. She didn't have much appetite before; she had come mostly to talk to Alice. Now she found it had evaporated. "It's fine. You're right. I've been there. Then what?"
"We all just wandered the town. I bet looked like survivors after a war or a tornado had destroyed our city. In shock you know. At the time, I didn't know who had destroyed all the zombies. We didn't see but one or two those first days."
Alice took a pause and a deep breath before continuing.
"I found my mom's body. It was lying out in the street. I guess she was on her way here but didn't make it. Later on, Albright had her and all the other people that could be identified buried. The dead zombies were burned."
"So he showed up after the Outbreak?" Hannah leaned forward, elbows on the table.
"I guess. I don't think I met him until the third or fourth day after the first attack was over. I was back at my Mother's house. I guess now I can say in a state of depression. I just sat there staring at the walls when I wasn't sleeping. A knock on my door made me jump clear out of my skin. I opened it and Albright was standing there. He told me how he was combing the town for survivors and there was a place for me up at the church, where they were all gathering. Said it would be safer up there for me. His arrival was a sign from God that there was a reason to carry on. To help others."
"So everyone left alive is now living up here?"
"There were a few who said no and left. Why they chose not to join, I can't understand. Then there is Sheriff Randall, who wanted to stay in town. It's worked out real well, actually. The only other person I can think of who doesn't seem to like living here is Jay. I feel sorry for him. He's such a lost soul. If he would accept God's love and word, he would feel so much better."
"It's lucky that one survivor is a nurse," Hannah commented.
"Oh, Linda is not from Gateway City. She came into town a few months ago. Reverend Albright persuaded her to come into the church and stay."
This very much intrigued Hannah.
"Is he a master of persuasion?" Hannah tried making it sound like a joke.
"The word of God is powerful," Alice replied, finishing offher carrots. "Albright was able to convince her she should join the church. She stayed with Sheriff Randall down in town for a few days. Reverend Albright had her stay in the dorms for a few days more. After she proved her faith, she came up here to join us. I am so grateful God put her in our path. She has been so helpful and is such a sweet person herself. A wonderful addition to our flock."
Hannah's eyes widened.Here was someone from the outside like her. She would have to try totalk to Linda alone, next chance she got.
"I should get back to it, is there anything else you would like to know hon?" Alice said, rising.
"What about the people hanging from the tree? Were you here for that right?"
"Ah yes. What a tragedy. It is so sad. By the grace of God they survived only to let sin into their hearts. They attacked us. The ones out there now are not the first group who has tried either. Reverend Albright's last resort is violence, just like God. And just like God, his retribution is swift and terrible."
It was another dull day in the jail. JT laid on his bunk, staring up at the ceiling. His head pounded from thinking about a way out of this mess. His mood was sour. All that thinking did him no good. It was nothing but a cycle of circling thoughts. It always turned into more of a pity party than any concrete plans about what to do. He hated his tendency to brood. He was tired of thinking of where it all went wrong.
From across the room drifted the sounds of Tyrone singing.
"I'm too hot. Hot damn. Called a police and a fireman.
I'm too hot. Hot damn. Make a dragon wanna retire man."
Instead of cheering him up, it put him in even more of a foul mood. He is acting so cheery. How come? Maybe instead of singing he could help me think of a way to get out of here.
The door banged open. JT sat up. The Sheriff was hauling in a man who thrashed in his cuffs like he was possessed.
"Hurry upand get him in there Randall," came the voice of Charlie from the other room.
"Cool your jets slick," Randall said.
JT didn't know if he was talking to Charlie, the new prisoner, or both.
Randall opened up the door to Tyrone's cell. Tyrone's singing cut off mid-sentence.
"I don't want that crazy man in here with me, you damn pig." Tyrone protested.
"Don't put me in here. It hurts. Take me to Linda. It hurts." The man struggled like an animal.
"Don't tell me how to do my job," Randall said, growling out the words. "I'll take the cuffs off you when you calm down Ken."
Randall shoved the prisoner through the opening and slammed the door. He was locking the cell when the prisoner charged the door. His head bounced off the bars with no hesitation startling Randall. The keys dropped from his hands and skidded across the concrete floor.
"Holy shit!" Randall backed up, mouth open.
JT was at the bars of his cell, his hands gripped tightly around them.
"Randall," JT was screaming. "What have you done? You locked a zombie in there with him!"
No sooner had Randall closed the door did his new prisoner, Ken, turned.
Ken charged the door again. A long gash marked his forehead from his run in with the metal bars. No blood ran out. When Ken looked up, his eyes were dead.
"Oh no, oh no, oh hell no," JT could hear Jelly moan. It was distant, like the man was talking through water.
The Ken zombie stumbled around, his hands still clasped behind him. Tyrone shrank back in t
he corner, his face a mask of fear. His hands were raised out before him, like he was warding off the devil.Like the sign for stop would keep the zombie from attacking. The thing charged. A gnashing, biting, mindless machine. Tyrone snapped into a roll, dodging at the last second. The thing slammed into the concrete wall and turned around without hesitation. Its nose was now noticeably crooked and a few teeth were snapped and jagged.
"Fuck sake's Randall. Stop taking a doughnut break and get the keys!" JT was shouting. Hysteria making his voice rise.
JT was standing mere feet away and was utterly powerless. He shook at the bars, enraged at feeling helpless. Another dodge by Tyrone. This time the Ken zombie was close to snapping a piece of Tyrone off in its jaws. JT had to think terror was making Tyrone sloppy. He knew the kid could move like a cheetah.
Randall still stood there, dumbfounded. Did his brain take a vacation? The one thing Tyrone had going for him was at least the zombie wasn't a Runner.
"Sheriff Randall, get me out of here!" Tyrone pleaded his voice breaking and trembling.
This time when the zombie charged him, Tyrone went low with a sweep kick. The move knocked Ken's legs out from under it. It went flat on its back. It laid there, with an almost human emotion of surprise, before it rocked back and forth like a flipped turtle. Tyrone jumped back up to his feet.
Randall was finally moving. He cast about like a hundred-year-old man. JT could hear him muttering. "Find the keys, where's the keys, find the keys."
"Fuck, man! They are right over by Jelly's door numb nuts!" JT pointed through the bars.
The zombie was over on its side. Rising to its feet. JT thought Tyrone only chance was now to stomp on its head, kick a hole in it, before it got up. Tyrone just stood there on his cot. He seemed paralyzed.
Randall's hands shook as he tried to get the right key into the hole. On his fourth try he succeeded. Ken zombie regained its feet, swaying like a drunk on Saturday. His back was to the Sheriff. All of its attention was on Tyrone. Randall reached in and grabbed the center of the handcuffs. He pulled hard, yanking the squirming thing out of the cell. When it was clear of the cell, Randall pulled his gun and put the barrel right against the zombie's temple.
The sound echoed harshly off the concrete walls. The zombie stopped as if someone had flipped a switch to off.
Randall slammed Tyrone's door back shut and locked it. He hunched over, his hands on his knees, taking whooping breaths. Looking over to dead Ken and then looking away. Tyrone jittered all around his cell, cursing under his breath. JT still stood at the bars, his arms aching from gripping them so tightly. He let go but didn't back away. He was about to go off on Randall when the man strode out of the room like he was on a mission.
"Charlie! Charlie!" JT could hear the Sheriff's outrage across the police station.
"Tyrone! You okay?" JT said.
Tyrone was still pacing in his cell like a caged tiger.
"Yeah, yeah," he said, speaking at a rapid pace. He stopped for a moment, patting himself all over. "It didn't touch me." He continued with his pacing.
Sheriff Randall walked back in. He looked at the zombie with a look of shock, anger, and disgust all over his face.
"What the hell was that Sheriff?" JT started in. He couldn't help it. "I would call it an attempted murder."
"That's idiotic!" Randall snapped back.
"Really? Come on Randall, don't kid yourself anymore. I'm damn sure you know how quickly people turn. You can't tell me that wasn't deliberate."
"Charlie showed up and said Albright wanted Ken locked up for the night. Said he was drunk and out of control." Sheriff Randall seemed to talk to himself more than to anyone else.
Tyrone stopped and came to his cell door. He opened his mouth then closed it several times, as if he had something to say but it wouldn't come out.
"Drunk my ass! Sheriff come on! Whatever persuasion or brainwashing the church has put on you, you gotta see through it now. They tried to kill Tyrone. And use one of your precious townspeople to do it."
Randall glared at JT. JT thought he could see in the Sheriff's eyes a kind of resignation light up. One that suggested JT could be right.
"The weird thing is, where'd they get a zombie to bite Ken?" Jelly interjected. "It had to be close. So Charlie had enough time to get Ken down here."
JT thought that was an interesting pointindeed.
"Look, Tyrone. All I can say now is I'm sorry about that. I'm relieved you weren't injured. I'll get this all cleaned up."
"That's what you said last time officer," Tyrone shot back. "Isn't it funny? This is the second time you failed to protect me from Charlie."
Randall didn't reply. He grabbed the zombie by the heel of his boots and pulled him out, leaving a trail of brain matter leading out the door. He was gone for several minutes and came back in with vinyl gloves on and a mop bucket.
"Sheriff." JT took the time Randallwas gone to count backwards from twenty, twice, while taking some deep breaths. He thought he sounded calm considering.
"Yes JT?" Randall looked at him. His response seemed to be the most authentic and real JT had seen out of him yet.
"You and I, can we please talk man to man in your office?"
Randall leaned on his mop handle. He seemed to be in deep contemplation as he looked JT up and down.
"I suppose it's time we talk."
With that, Randall pulled out the mop and dropped it on the floor with a plop.
Hannah knocked on the door, feeling her face warm up. Sweat popped out on her forehead. It seemed like time drew out into infinity as she waited for the door to open. She was about to turn around and walk away when it did.
"Hannah, what a pleasant surprise," Albright said, putting on his usual thousand-watt smile.
The door was only cracked open, but Albright drew it open wider. Alice passed behind Albright and out the door. She gave Hannah a smile as she passed. Hannah thought she looked happy. She took it as a good omen, given what she wanted to talk to Albright about. Maybe he could take some of this burden off of her, transfer it to God. Then she could be happy again, like Alice.
"May God's blessings be on you," Albright called after Alice, before turning his attentions back to Hannah.
"I'm sorry Hannah, but usually I like to have appointments made with me. Not to have people just showing up at my door. Things need to stay organized. Unless it's an emergency. As you saw I was already in a private meeting and it wouldn't be fair to interrupt other people, right?"
It was a gentle rebuke, but it was enough of one to cause Hannah to almost lose it. Her face contorted as she tried to hold in her tears. Albright must have seen it. He quickly softened and ushered her in without another word.
"Something is troubling you my child?" Albright said, putting his hand in the small of Hannah's back and guiding her in. "I have a few moments in my schedule. Sit."
His office gave off the feeling of overwhelming history. Everything was dark brown and wood tones. The left side of the room was dominated by two bookshelves, broken up by a large window, arched at the top. On the right side of the room was a three-person leather couch. In front of her were two large armchairs, sitting on maroon and brown rug. Beyond that was a rugged rectangle of a desk. It glowed a rich mahogany. Hannah guessed the room normally felt intimate and cozy but right now she felt nothing but stifled by it.
He sat her on the couch and turned one of the chairs. Subtle incense burned in the air, which was a nice break from the stink of too many people living in such a small space. The smell affected her. Calmed her nerves. She took several deep breaths, settling her hands in her lap.Before sitting down in the chair, he crossed back over to the door and checked the lock.
"Now my dear, I can tell something is bothering you. What is it?" Albright said, his smooth, pleasant voice attempting to calm her.
Hannah had thought earlier, as she was eating breakfast, she needed this. It seemed like a good idea. Now she was here, she was having difficulty starting. Words
stuck in her throat. She realized now talking about what happened would make it too real.
"Take your time," Albright said, crossing his leg. "It looks like it is something...uncomfortable to talk about."
She couldn't go through with it. Even here, in as safe a place as a church, with a man of God.
"It was a mistake," Hannah said, rising. "I'll be going now."
Albright rose too. He put a hand on her shoulder. He gently but firmly guided her back down to the couch.
"Come now Hannah. I can't help you if you don't tell me whatit is that's bothering you. You should know you can't keep it from God. He already knows what pains your soul. There is no hiding from Him. He has put me here, with you, to help. Trust in that if nothing else. Lay your burden at Christ's feet."
Deep down Hannah knew he was right. God did already know what was hurting her. The loss of her Mom, she was surely dead or a zombie by now. Ashley, what horrible things were done to her. What Harold had done to her. Her old life, gone forever. Taken away by monsters.
Taking a deep breath to keep from sobbing, Hannah plunged in.
"I lost my best friend. Recently. We met a crazy man. Insane. His name was Harold. We didn't know he was crazyat the time. We thought we would be safe. Instead, he killed her, turned her body into a trophy. JT tried to keep it from me but I overheard him tell..."
Her resolve broke, and the dam opened up inside. She was unable to speak for a while. She didn't even notice Albright move beside her. Suddenly he was holding her hand in his. She found her head on his shoulder, making his black shirt damp. When she finished, and the tears dried up, her head was pounding and her body felt limp. She was afraid if she tried standing, she would collapse. She tried to continue but stammered instead.
"Easy now, easy my dear," Albright said, patting her back. "Sounds traumatic. What a large blockage you have released from your spirit. We can take it slowly. Here let me get something for you."
Albright rose and went behind his desk to an alcove. His back was to her, Hannah couldn't make out what he was doing. He came back carrying two wine glasses filled with a crimson liquid.