by S. B. Poe
Tilly stood along with the others. The dark was giving way to the morning and the world around them began to reveal its long night. They could hear the muffled cries coming from the fog that hung low to the ground, shrouding the last few feet of their view. Occasionally an arm would shoot skyward through the haze. As the sun began to peak an orange ray over the horizon the veil of fog began to lift until it retreated into a thick band hanging over the creek. She glanced over to the roof of the Alamo as Evelyn and Martin stood and walked to the edge.
“My God.” He said.
“They’re everywhere.” Evelyn said. She turned and looked over at the others on top of the saloon. They all had the same look on their faces.
The ground between the fence and the trees was littered with the impaled and the entangled. Through the trees to the north they could still see more moving. The crowd was still coming out of the woods in spots. Tilly watched as one stepped over another that had fallen. Its next step was awkwardly placed and she watched as it fell forward. It didn’t stick its arms out like she expected, it just fell. As it tried to get up another one fell across it. Deeper into the limbs and stumps were more struggling to untangle themselves. Several were impaled, some more severely than others but most all still moving. She scanned to the spot where the dirt road wound into the trees. The dead were crossing the road in spots but very few were turning down towards them. The ones that did didn’t stay on it all the way to the fence. She could see several that were a lot closer to the compound than most of the ones coming out of the woods, entangled along the edge of the road.
As the sun crept a little higher in the sky they watched. There was nothing else they could do. The dead moved in the space between the trees on the horizon. The little opening where the road cut through the trees began to vomit out of the dead. The path of least resistance was slowly forcing more and more of them closer and closer.
“We can’t let them get to the gate.” Scott said as he raised his rifle.
Tilly turned and grabbed the barrel before he could shoulder it.
“Stop.” She glared at him. “They don’t know we are here. Look. If they get in we can deal with them but if you shoot then they’ll know and every other fucking one out there will know.”
“So we do what?” He asked as he lowered the gun.
“The only thing we can do. Wait.”
Tilly turned and put the binoculars to her eyes; the others kept watching the growing crowd of deaduns stumbling down the road. Ten minutes passed before the first one got to the gate. Tilly scanned the horizon. The movement between the trees began to wane. She turned her attention to the gate. There were now four or five stopped against it and there movement was causing the pole to squeak. She glanced up the road and caught the head movement of a few of the dead. They heard the sound. She glanced farther up the road and didn’t see the same movement. Maybe it didn’t carry too far. She glanced back at the gate. A few more began to arrive.
“We need to wait a little longer. The gate will hold. We need to let the rest of what’s out there get farther away.”
“And then what?”
“Well,” She said as she put the binoculars back to her eyes. “If the gate holds and the crowd keeps moving away, we can breathe again.”
They waited another half hour, until the sounds of the screams faded into the distance. The dead nearby still cried out in frustration but Tilly had marked just about all the different voices. Big bald guy screeched the loudest, burnt chick the longest and naked guy the creepiest. The others moaned and growled as they struggled against the branches and limbs. The sound of the crowd was gone. She scanned the woods but she hadn’t seen any more than the occasional straggler in the last ten minutes. Finally she turned around to Raj, Kate and Scott.
“Let’s go down.” She said, she gave a short whistle and Evelyn looked over.
“They’re going down.” She said to Ham and Martin.
“Is it over this time?”
“No, there are still a lot of them at the gate.”
“So why are we going down.” Ham asked.
“You’re not. You’re going to stay here. We have to go down there and try to clear the ones against the gate.” Martin said.
“Why can’t I go?” Ham asked.
“Just stay here please.” Martin said. She knew when he said please he was really saying please don’t ask any more questions. She nodded.
“Be careful Opa.” She sat back down and dangled her legs over the edge.
“You too.” He said as he started down the ladder behind Evelyn.
He reached the bottom as the others gathered on the road between the two buildings. The gate sat a couple of hundred feet away at the bottom of the short slope.
“Maybe they’ll just all wander off into the trees.” Dottie said from under the porch.
“Maybe.” Tilly said as she stepped a few feet down the road.
“Opa Opa look.” Came a muffled cry from above. They all looked up at Ham.
“Look over there.” She said and pointed.
They all stepped around the back of the saloon and got to where they could see through the fence towards the creek. Someone was trying to come through the pushover from the water wheel. The face wasn’t clear but they could all see the axe head on the long spear swinging at the dead.
9
A Faint Reflection
“Why did you do that?” Jahda asked as she and Devin stepped back out onto the porch. The bloodstains were black under the night sky. The few wet spots looked like dirty oil.
“It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Devin said. “Maybe it will keep it from spreading.”
“Maybe, but hacking his arm off was pretty extreme.”
“I just reacted.”
“Well, you stopped the bleeding enough for now but we have to get Raj to him or him to Raj.” She said.
“I don’t think we can move him.”
“Neither do I. That’s why Bridger and I are going to get Raj. Now.”
“I’ll go too.” Devin volunteered.
“We’re taking Ed with us, just so we don’t get lost. But you need to stay with Josh and Lori.”
“Why?” Devin asked.
“Because you need to be here. Because she trusts you.” Jahda nodded towards the bedroom where Cody lay and Emma Grace sat vigil.
“Ok. Be careful. It’s always worse at night.”
“Yeah, but I don’t think we can wait.” Jahda said.
The screen door swung open and Bridger emerged from the house. Josh followed him out with the walkie in his hand. Vernon followed close behind.
“We’ll climb back out and take the truck. Leave this on and when we get in range we’ll sing out. You can let us in like last time.” Bridger said.
“When will you be back?”
“Hard to say. Not til morning at the earliest.”
“You think it will take that long?”
“I think it will take me that long or longer to convince Tilly to let Raj come back with us.” He smiled. “Look, it’s dark and I don’t know how long it will take. But we’ll be as fast as we can. All you need to do is listen for us.”
“What about Cody?” Vernon asked.
“What about him?”
“What do we do?”
“Keep that belt on his arm. And keep him tied to that bed.” Bridger said. “Let’s GO ED!” He yelled back into the house.
“Coming.” Ed shuffled out the door.
“We’ll keep him alive.” Vernon said as he turned and walked back inside. Josh turned to follow him. Bridger reached out and grabbed his arm, waiting for Vernon to go inside.
“And if you can’t keep him alive, make sure you keep him dead.” He said in a hushed voice.
“Yeah.” Josh said as he walked back in the house.
Bridger hopped down from the hood, turned around and reached up to grab the shotgun from Ed. He stepped down onto the ground and Bridger handed it back to him.
“Jos
h, we’re out. Heading to the truck now.” He said into the walkie.
“We’ll be listening for you.” Came the reply.
“Ok, let’s go.” He said to Jahda and Ed.
The truck meandered through the streets as Ed directed them back towards the crossroads. The found the trail through the woods and came to the panel truck. Bridger glanced at it as they went by and was pretty sure he saw the padlock still in place.
“Slow or fast?” Jahda asked.
“Slowish.” Bridger said. “Don’t outrun the headlights.”
“Ed let me know when I gotta turn.”
“Yeah, there’s only one and it’s about four miles ahead. The road just splits and you kinda lean to the right. After that it’s smooth sailing.” Ed said.
They rode into the darkness with the light of the dash glowing in their eyes. It had been just a few days since they came this way but it all looked different. Everything reflected in the headlights that could turn green had done so. The weeds exploded through the cracks in the asphalt and dandelion heads smiled up as they crushed them under the tires.
“You remember when you accused me of trying to butter you up? You thought I was hitting on you?”
“Yeah. Were you?”
“Do I need to be here for this conversation?” Ed asked as he sat back a little in the seat.
“No I wasn’t.” Bridger turned and gave Ed one raised eyebrow. “I want you to help me do something.”
“Here we go.” Jahda said. “What? Do you want me to say something to Evelyn for you?”
“Huh, what, Evelyn?”
“Yeah, I see you. You ain’t foolin no one.”
“Well for your information, Miss Collins and I are doing just fine without your help.” Bridger said. He turned to his left. “Shut up Ed.”
Ed paused with his mouth half opened.
“Aight. I guess you got a little game.” Jahda said.
“Good. Glad you think so but that’s not what this is about.”
“Then what is it about?” Jahda asked.
“We need to move everyone back to that town. And I need you to help me convince them of that.” Bridger said.
“I knew you were thinking about that.”
“No you didn’t.”
“Yeah, I did. Everyone was thinking that.” Jahda said. “I was thinking that. Ed was you thinking that?”
“Uh, no.”
“See.” Bridger said.
“Well I was thinking it. And I think it’s a bad idea.”
“What’s bad about it?”
“Well bad maybe isn’t the right word. Look, the idea itself isn’t bad. I mean shit; it's a town with basically no people. And a damn barricade. It’s not that part. I don’t know, maybe it’s just kind of feels like we’re taking advantage of what happened.”
“Did Josh ever tell you how we acquired the fully stocked compound that we have all called home these past few months?” Bridger asked.
“Yeah, he did.” She admitted.
“Then you know we ain’t exactly above taking advantage of other folks misfortune.” He said.
“It’s true. Y’all ain’t.” Ed said.
“Shut up Ed.” Jahda said. She turned to Bridger. “Still.”
“I am not going to let a perfectly good town go to waste.” Bridger said.
The trees beside the road gave way to the first of many pastures filled with dandelions and milkweed. The headlights swept across the expanse as the road dipped downward.
“Up here about another half mile, just lean right when the road splits.” Ed said as he sat up in his seat.
“What is that?” Jahda asked.
“Stop. Stop the truck.” Bridger said. “Kill the headlights.”
She put her foot on the brake and the truck slowed to a stop. She twisted the light switch on the steering wheel stalk to off. The glow of the dash disappeared and for a moment their eyes had to adjust to the darkness. Just as their vision began to return the moon peaked from behind the clouds and lit the way ahead. They could see where the road divided below them and the arc of the curve. Bridger put the binoculars up and stared.
“What am I looking at? Bridger?” Jahda said.
“Here.” He handed her the binoculars.
“What? What is it?” Ed said.
“I saw something shimmering when we topped that last little hill. Something ahead in the road.” Bridger said.
“Is that?” Jahda started.
“Dead?” Bridger said. “Yes.”
“There’s hundreds of them.”
“Easy.”
“They’re following the other road.”
“Keep looking.” He said.
“What am I looking…wait?” She took the binoculars down and turned to him. “Is that a horse?”
“I think so.”
She put the binoculars back up to her eyes and looked again. She turned to Ed and handed them to him. She pointed to the head of the column of the dead. He followed the line to the front.
“Where’s it going?”
“Away from us.”
Bridger looked at the crowd of the dead. From a little over a quarter mile away he could see the whole thing swing and sway like a flock of birds, each one following the one in front of it. The road disappeared into the trees and he glimpsed the horse patiently plodding along the middle of the asphalt before it disappeared again into the darkness, staying just ahead of the column of dead.
“How far away are we from where we’re going?” Jahda asked. She remembered this spot from before and she was pretty sure she knew the answer.
“Not far.”
“And we’re going that way?” She said, pointing.
“The way that crowd just came from? Yeah.” Ed said.
She turned a looked over at Bridger. His eyes were closed and she didn’t know if he was pissed or praying. He took a deep breath.
“Wait.” Was all he said.
They waited until the tail end of the crowd moved into the darkness and then she started the truck. Bridger looked through the binoculars but he didn’t see any of the dead turn to the sound.
“Nice and easy. Keep the headlights off.”
The sky was already starting to turn a lighter shade of black and she could see the outline of the horizon as the sun climbed towards it from the other side of the world. She put it in gear and slowly rolled towards the curve as the crowd slowly moved away.
“We can’t stay out here.” Bridger said.
“I know. I will help you to convince them. We both will.”
“Yeah, I’m good with that.” Ed said. “That big ole mess of deaduns was plenty to convince me we need something other than a fence and a few stumps. Jesus.”
“Well, let’s hope there is still someone left to convince.” Bridger said.
They turned off the asphalt onto the muddy trail that cut into the timber. The sun was up just enough to turn the fog ghostly white. They slowly navigated the muddy path letting the fog lift away.
10
By the Side of the Road
Cameron could see the fence. He had found the water wheel as he stumbled along the creek and managed to wade across. The fog had been thickest over the water but when he finally made the other bank it began to clear. The first few steps into the fallen limbs had been hard. When he came across the first deadun it became harder. He tried to pick places that were easy to step through and worked slowly as used the halberd to poke and prod through the brush. When one of the dead reached out he would swing the axe down on its head. It was efficiently slow. He stopped to catch his breath before he came to the next batch of impaled dead. He glanced toward the fence and could see a shock of red hair move towards the gate.
Tilly stood at the edge of the saloon looking down the road. The deaduns were shoulder to shoulder across the muddy path lined up at the gate. She didn’t know how deep but the ones on the front were forced against it, making it bow in spots.
“We have to clear it.” She turned to
the others. “We have to get those things off the road or he’ll never make it.”
Tilly stepped from under the eave and moved towards the gate. The others followed her. The dead pressed against the chain link and it shook back and forth. Tilly stepped forward and drove her machete through the fence and into the eye of the closest deadun. Pop. Kate stepped up next and did the same with the end of a crowbar. Pop. The others followed using what they had to poke through the fence. Each pop was followed by another and as the bodies slumped away the next dead face appeared. The corpses piled against the bottom of the fence.
“Almost done.” Tilly said.
She pulled the blade from another eye and looked past the body as it fell. She could see a few more shuffling down the road. She moved along the fence to the post.
“We have to swing this open.”
Kate paused and looked over at Tilly as she knelt to pull the pin from the gate. She was covered in rot. Every part of her had some part of the dead on it. She looked down at her own self and realized she looked the same. As the last of the dead fell limp against the gate they all looked around. Each was covered in blood, gore, sweat and rot. But they were alive.
“We did it.” Scott said.
“Not yet.” Tilly raised her voice. “He’s still out there.” She pointed.
They all turned to look where she was pointing and their collective memory returned as they saw the axe head swing. Cameron was almost to the fence but he still had to get around to the gate. Tilly pried the pin out and tried to lift. It wouldn’t move. Raj grabbed on to help and they were able to clear it from the hole but it wouldn’t swing open. It was designed to only swing out and the dead kept it from moving.