“Duh,” Eric said. “We know that.” At Carter’s glare, he added, “I just don’t know what we’re supposed to do.”
Carter stalked across the small space. “Move,” he said to Reed, who sat in one of the desk chairs.
Reed moved without a word.
Carter turned the wooden chair on its side, studying it. The legs were made of six pieces of wood that formed a square base.
“What are you doing?” Lila asked.
“Making weapons,” Carter replied.
He brought his foot down on the chair. It took a few tries, but he managed to snap it off from the base. Propping the base on the edge of the bed, he used his foot to snap it into six separate pieces. Then he took a pocketknife from his jeans and set it against the end of a chair leg.
The noise he made from breaking the chair set off Jake and Chris. One of them keened outside the door, nails grating along the door.
We all watched Carter in silence, transfixed on the sure movements of his hands, and he began to whittle the end into a sharp point.
We all jumped when my phone rang. This only increased Jake and Chris’s agitation.
I hurried into the closet, muffling my voice in the hanging clothes.
“Mom! Are you guys—?”
“Jenna, where have you been?” My mother’s annoyed voice carried over the line. “I’ve been trying to get in touch with you since you called earlier. Rachel said you were hysterical.”
Annoyance pricked at me, but I did my best to ignore it. Arguing with my mom never got me anywhere. “I’ve had my phone with me the whole time, but it hasn’t rung,” I tried to explain. “Everyone’s cell service has become intermittent since all this ... stuff started.”
“The authorities just sent out a non-mandatory evacuation notice,” Mom replied.
“What does that mean?”
“It means they’re suggesting we evacuate, but it’s not mandatory. I talked with your sisters and we decided we’re going to go up to the cabin for a few days. The weather is supposed to be clear, so we can lie out on the deck. It’ll give us a chance to work on our base tans before summer comes.”
Only my mother would consider the state of her base tan at a time like this. Ever since my dad left her for a younger woman, she spends more and more time obsessing over the way she looks. I wouldn’t care so much if that obsession didn’t carry over to my sisters and me. She’s always cared more about my clothes than my grades.
All this went through my head, but all I said was, “That’s a good idea. You guys should go up there and relax for a few days.”
“Why don’t you and that hairy boyfriend of yours come and join us?”
This sentence both irritated and pleased me. It irritated me that she’d never once called Carter by his first name, but it pleased me to hear annoyance and disapproval in her voice. Her disapproval of Carter was just further confirmation that I’d managed to land a good one. The guys my mother wanted me to date in high school were all rich, good-looking, grade-A assholes.
“We’ll try, Mom,” I said, even though I knew there’s no way in hell we’d make it to the cabin even if I wanted to go there.
“Damn it, my battery is running out,” Mom said. “Can we Skype before I lose all reception? We all want to see you with our own eyes and make sure you’re okay. Rachel did say you were hysterical.”
I didn’t really want to Skype with her. There is never a Skype conversation that transpires without some sort of negative comment about me. The color of my hair, the shirt I’m wearing, the condition of my skin—my mother misses nothing, especially an opportunity to point out areas of improvement.
Still, who knew when I’d get a chance to see her again? Her cell phone wasn’t the only one running low on battery. There was no telling how long cell phones would work considering the downward spiral of things.
“Yeah, okay.” I leaned out of the closet, giving Carter a questioning look. He stopped his whittling and joined me in the closet. There wasn’t much light, but there was enough for the phone camera to register our faces.
“We’re going to try and Skype with my mom,” I said. “She and my sisters are going to our family’s cabin in Big Bear. I told her we might try to join them.”
Carter nodded, understanding what I wasn’t saying. That Mom didn’t know how bad things were in Arcata and that he wasn’t supposed to tell her. Carter got my fucked-up relationship with my mother.
My hands moved of their own accord, mussing up his beard to make him look bedraggled. Carter disentangled my hand from his beard, frowning at me.
I felt like an idiot as soon as I realized I was subconsciously trying to rile up my mother. I didn’t need to do that right now.
I took a deep breath and hit the Skype button. When my mom and sisters filled the screen, I waved to them.
Waving back at me was a woman with large breast implants, BOTOX lips, and chemically induced blond hair. My mom had a lot of work done even before my dad—her cosmetic surgeon—left her for his yoga instructor.
On either side of my mom were my two sisters. Lisa, the older sister, fights her full figure with strict adherence to CrossFit and the Paleo diet. Rachel, my younger sister, thought every article of clothing designed for the torso needed to have a plunging neckline. Today, she was in a snug velour sweat suit that barely covered her breasts. I don’t know where she found this stuff, and I don’t know how she had time to worry about her cleavage with all the shit going down.
“Jenna, please tell me you’re going to let your hair grow back to its natural color when all this is over,” said my mom, frowning critically at me.
“And if you’re going to bring your lumberjack with you, please ask him to shave,” said Rachel.
“Hi, Rachel,” Carter said, ignoring the rude comment.
“Hi, Lumberjack,” she replied, not even bothering to grace him with a fake smile like she usually did.
“Be nice to my boyfriend,” I said, planting a full kiss on his lips. I feel like a jerk since that kiss was only for my family’s benefit, not mine and Carter’s.
“We’ll charge our phones while we’re driving, but there are reports of cell service being out all over the place,” said Lisa. “Get out of there as soon as you can and come to Big Bear.”
“I will.” I give them my best fake smile, my throat tight. I might not like my family very much, but I still love them. I want them to get to safety.
“Don’t let yourself go just because things might be rough for a while,” Mom said. “Keep up your skin care routine. And don’t forget to condition your hair.”
Tears sprang to my eyes, a mix of indignation and despair roiling inside me.
“I will, Mom. Travel safe.”
I let out a shuddering breath as the call was disconnected, unprepared for the sudden wave of emotion that hit me. This could be the last time I ever saw my mom and sisters.
When Carter put his arms around me, I buried my face in his shoulder. A few shuddering breaths left my body, but I managed to keep it together. I wiped my eyes dry on his shirt.
“I hope they make it,” I whispered.
“They will,” Carter said, voice strong and reassuring. “Things aren’t as bad in Southern California as they are here.”
I nodded, releasing him to return to his project. I buried all thoughts of my mom and sisters, forcing my attention back to our current situation: that of Chris and Jake pounding on the bedroom door.
It took us another few hours, but soon Carter had sharpened spears for all of us. By that time, the stuffy heat of the room had grown unbearable. I wiped sweat from my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt. As much as I didn’t want to confront Jake and Chris, I really, really wanted out of this room.
“Are we actually going to do this?” Eric asked as Carter passed out the homemade spears.
Bash in the heads of our former roommates? No one answered.
That’s when we smelled it. Smoke.
“Oh, shit,” Reed said.
The wall between this bedroom and the room next door—the one shared by Reed and Eric—was smoking. Grayish white wisps curl into the air. With it came the distinct smell of pot.
“Dude, what did you do with that joint you were smoking?” Eric asked Reed.
“The joint I was smoking?” Reed demanded, offended. “That was our joint, dude. Not just mine.”
“But you were smoking it last.”
“That doesn’t make it mine! Besides, that was hours ago. No way that joint could have started a fire now.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I snapped. “What matters is that something in your room caught fire.” No wonder it was so damn hot in here. I heft my makeshift spear. “We have to get out.”
The first black tendrils curl around the wall, bits of it crumbling away to reveal insulation. Carter shoved the dresser away from the door. Jake and Chris both keened and snarled, bodily throwing themselves at it.
“Jenna,” Carter said, “open the door on the count of three.”
I positioned myself beside the door that shook in its frame from the impact of those on the other side. Lila crouched behind me. She held her spear like a club, but from the look on her face, I wasn’t confident she’d use it.
Reed, Eric, and Carter lined up on the other side, each brandishing their chair leg spears. I’d say they looked like warriors, except they were all too terrified to be mistaken for warriors.
Before I turned the doorknob, the door exploded inward. Jake’s stocky frame tumbled through, covered in dried blood from a bad bite to the neck.
There were several seconds when all of us had the opportunity to lay into him with our spears. He was down, caught in the tangle of wood. But we stood there in frozen shock, staring at the blind, snarling thing that had once been our jovial friend. Flames of fire licked a widening hole in the wall.
Then Chris burst through, tripping and falling over Jake. He reached out with a bloody hand and grabbed my ankle.
In a state of panicked fear, I grasped my spear like a baseball bat. Screaming, I swung it at Chris’s head. I struck him in the temple, but only hard enough to enrage him. As he turned toward me with a growl, my chest seized with fear.
Carter leaped forward, gripping his spear with both hands. He slammed it downward.
Warm blood sprayed out, soaking my pants. Chris collapsed and went still. His grasp on my ankle slackened. I scrambled backward, breathing with rapid panic.
Jake bucked, throwing off Chris and crawling free. He moved like an animal, charging on all fours straight at Reed.
This time, no one hesitated. Carter shattered the spell that rendered us motionless seconds before. All of us leaped at Jake with our spears. I drove mine through his back. I felt the bone of his spine crumple beneath the impact. The force traveled up both arms and rattled my teeth.
Eric shoved one through the base of his skull. Carter and Reed’s pierced his neck and head.
Jake went still. The room fell silent, our harsh breathing mingling with the crackling flames.
Carter was the first of us to recover. He sprinted out of the room, heading toward the kitchen to retrieve the fire extinguisher.
When we had the fire out, we conducted a quick search of the remaining three bedrooms in the small apartment. Two were empty, but inside the third one we found someone. Or what was left of him. Craig had been almost completely eaten, his rib cage bulging upward from the floor. Torn pieces of his flannel shirt lay scattered around the room.
I clung to Carter, letting shock spread quietly through my body. I had just helped kill someone. Two someones. Arguably, both had already been dead, but did that excuse the act? I wasn’t sure.
I SWALLOW HARD AS I watch Carter’s mom comfort Reed next to the pile of bodies we cleared out from the Creekside dorm. Our small group had killed many of them. Even Lila had pitched in. Most of them had been concentrated in front of our building. We had to use the Attack and Stack method to keep them from breaking through the front door and stampeding us.
Was what we did to clear the dorm and save ourselves any different from what Carter’s mom had done? Somehow it seems different, killing real people versus zombies.
I resolve not to judge her. She saved us. I’ll focus on that.
“We should get inside,” she says as she and Reed cross the parking lot and return to us. To my shock, I see she has the guns from the men tucked into the waistband of her stretch pants. She sees me looking but doesn’t attempt to explain. Instead, she leads us inside, limping on her bad ankle.
6
Ultra Brew
KATE
I search inside myself, trying to decide how I feel about the fact that I just murdered two men. Not zombies, but real, living people. I killed them in less time than it takes to drop a deuce.
I should feel bad, or dirty, or remorseful. At the very least, I should be worried about karma or an impending trip to hell.
But all I feel is relief. Relief that my son is alive, and those two scumbags are vulture food. If I was handed a do-over, I wouldn’t change a thing.
I realize this says a lot about me and the person I’ve become over the last two hundred miles, but I don’t have the energy to care. Carter is alive and safe. That’s all that matters.
Anger hangs over the small group as I lead them through the lounge area. The comfy sofas and plush chairs I remember from my visits are still here, except now the room is adorned with bloodstains in several places. The fluorescent lights sit dormant, casting everything in a dark half-light.
Someone is handy with a screwdriver. The vending machines have all been dismantled, the big Plexiglas windows stacked against the far wall. The junk food has been raided. I notice a few of the healthier snacks—nuts and dried fruit—still stacked inside.
By the time we make it back to the dorm apartment on the second floor, the kids are ready to rip Reed a new asshole. Not that he doesn’t deserve it for putting them all at risk. I’d seen true remorse in him when he helped me dispose of the bodies, which infinitesimally alleviates some of my anger.
“You fucking asshole.” The boy named Eric, who has a fledgling potbelly, closes the apartment door. His voice is flat with rage. “What the fuck happened out there today?”
“I’ll tell you later,” Reed mumbles, heading toward the hall that leads to the bedrooms.
“No way.” Jenna blocks the entrance. “You brought home men who wanted to kill us. You owe us the truth. The full truth.”
I do my best to covertly study the tall girl with light brown hair who’s dating my son. I like the way she stands up to Reed even as I struggle not to be offended by her existence in Carter’s life.
“Later, I promise.” Reed tries to push past her, but Jenna stands firm. Another point in her favor.
“Don’t blow us off,” Carter says. “Those men chased us and shot at us, but not just because you stole their drugs. You need to come clean with us right fucking now.”
The severity in my son’s voice grabs my attention. Sweet, easygoing Carter doesn’t often lose his temper. Oddly, this sets me at ease. Hopefully, it means he isn’t waiting for a magical rescue by government officials like Lila and Johnny.
Reed slumps onto the sofa, looking like a kicked dog. He runs his hands through his poufy hair.
“Look, I come from a poor family in Oakland, all right? My dad is a truck driver. My mom took off when I was a little kid. The only way I could go to college was if I took out loans that would take me fifty years to pay back. I didn’t want to go into debt.” He rests his elbows on his knees, refusing to look at any of us. “One day, the guy I bought pot from said he knew a guy. If I agreed to sell stuff for this guy, I could make enough to pay for college.”
Reed continues to work his hands in his hair. Silence stretches. None of us offer comfort, even though his anguish is obvious.
When Reed speaks again, his voice is gruff. “The guy I work for is called Granjero. There’s always been a turf war in Arcata between Granjero and Mr. Rosari
o.”
“So, when most of the town was zombified, you decided it was okay to grab some of Mr. Rosario’s stuff?” Jenna demands.
“I didn’t figure anyone would ever know.” Reed shrugs as he rises, giving us all a defensive glare. “How was I supposed to know a few of Mr. Rosario’s guys were still around? Look, I fucked up, okay? I’m sorry. Now if you are all done glaring at me, I’m going to get high.”
“Not so fast.” I limp over to him. “Give me the drugs.” Reed may have thought no one noticed him retrieve the bags of acid from the ground, but I’d seen him scoop them up during the confusion.
Reed opens his mouth. Before he speaks, I hold up a hand. “Don’t try to bullshit me. I saw you take them. No one needs to be high on acid at a time like this.” Some might argue the end of the world is a perfect time to be on acid, but that’s not how I see it. “Now, Reed. Hand it over.” I might not be this young man’s mother, but if I talk like one, maybe he’ll comply. He did, after all, shed a few tears of shame outside when he helped me dispose of the bodies.
The sullen glare Reed gives me isn’t so different from the one Carter might give me. He slams the baggies of acid into my hand and slinks from the room. This time, Jenna doesn’t block his way. The quiet that follows Reed’s exit is thunderous.
“Kate,” Eric says, voice wavering in a brave attempt to dispel the tension, “you’re not by any chance covered in Lila’s weed balm, are you?”
“It’s athlete’s balm,” Lila says. She rises so easily to the bait, I get the impression that she and Eric go at each other on a regular basis. “And yes, she has some on her ankle. She’s helping me test my product.”
Eric snorts. “I’ll make you the best pot brownies you’ve ever had,” he says to me. “That will cure all your aches and pains.”
“She wants pain relief, Eric,” Lila says. “She doesn’t want to get stoned.” She hesitates, looking at me. “You don’t want to get stoned, do you?”
Dorm Life Page 5