by Max Lockwood
Alec waited until he had left the house and was several feet away from the door before filling Elaina in on the rest of the trip.
“There’s something about our trip into town that he didn’t mention to you,” Alec said quietly when Bobby Dean was surely out of earshot.
“What?” she asked, looking alarmed. “I knew you two shouldn’t have gone out there. Is he infected? Are you?”
“No, no, it’s nothing like that,” Alec said quickly. “After we got our groceries, he really wanted to go to the pharmacy. But he only wanted to go so he could get condoms.”
He raised his eyebrows and paused for dramatic effect. Elaina pursed her lips then let out a small, uncomfortable laugh.
“I thought you’d have a different reaction,” Alec said.
“Like what?” She giggled. “They seem like a really unlikely pair, but at least they’re taking the necessary precautions. I just hope they do it while I’m out of the house.”
“I thought you’d also be outraged by the fact that there’s got to be nearly a decade of an age gap between them. She’s technically still a teenager.”
“I guess, but it’s all perfectly legal. Besides, it’s the end of the world. Why shouldn’t they enjoy themselves?”
Alec looked at the ground. “So you’re saying I’m overreacting to all of this? I mean, I nearly got into a fight with him over it. He’s a older guy with more experience. I don’t want Melissa to get hurt if things end badly.”
“Well, I can tell you that Melissa will never do something she doesn’t want to do. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if she gave him orders to collect those particular items.”
Alec nodded. “Yeah, you’re probably right about that. I just can’t help but be concerned for her.”
Elaina draped her arms over his shoulders. “You’re not her dad, Alec. She can take care of herself. I get that Bobby Dean is a little strange, but he’s nice enough and he’s sweet to Melissa. Would you feel this way if it were Natalia and Will?”
“Probably,” he asserted to prove a point, but it wasn’t quite the same. “I just can’t put my finger on why it bothers me so much.”
Elaina dropped her hands by her sides, then continued to put cans away on their respective shelves. “Does it have anything to do with the fact that you believe that people like you should look out for the younger survivors?”
“Bobby Dean is nothing like me. When he found out I was a cop, he nearly had a conniption.”
“He’s about your age. I think you’re projecting yourself onto him. You’ve dealt with some serious on the job trauma in regard to young women. You’re terrified of hurting another girl.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about this,” Alec said, trying to shake the image of the young infected girl at the shopping mall out of his head.
“Okay,” Elaina said quietly, carefully sorting the canned goods. “But I thought that might be one theory that could explain why you’re having a hard time coming to grips with Melissa and Bobby Dean’s relationship.”
“You’re probably right,” he sighed. “Mind if we take a moratorium on the armchair psychologist stuff for a bit?”
“Sure,” she replied. “I just want you to remember that everything you’ve had to do along the way was necessary. As long as I’ve known you, you’ve only ever acted virtuously.”
“Thanks,” he said, giving her a kiss on the head. He took a deep breath and tried to exorcise all the bad thoughts swirling around in his head. After all, everything he had gone through had led him to Elaina. His past was filled with horrors, but at least he was able to play house with Elaina in the present. That made some of it worth it.
“Do you think they’re doing it right now?” Elaina asked, scrunching up her nose.
Her horrified reaction made Alec laugh, though he was trying hard not to find any entertainment from the situation. She was just so cute when she was bewildered.
“Probably.” He snickered. “At least they’re in the barn and not in here. Just the thought of how awkward it will be makes me cringe.”
“Why will it be awkward?” Elaina asked.
“Maybe it’s wrong of me to assume, but I don’t think she’s been around the block, so to speak. Nobody’s first time is like in the movies.”
“Oh,” she said, looking a little embarrassed. She put her full focus into stacking cans of green beans, one on top of the other.
As much as he and Elaina had been kissing and cuddling lately, he had forgotten how inexperienced she was in those sorts of things. Alec hadn’t necessarily slept around a lot, but he had some steady girlfriends with whom he’d learned the ropes. Because of this, he could empathize with Bobby Dean, if only a smidgen—he had experienced a long dry spell and knew how tough it was to keep his thoughts clean around a woman he was attracted to.
Alec’s dry spell would have to continue. Whether it was because of Elaina’s infected status or her apprehension to breach subjects she knew little about, he doubted he would get physical with Elaina any time soon.
That was okay, though. Her companionship was worth far too much to let something as insignificant as sex get in the way. But late at night, he still imagined a healthy world where Elaina would be open to taking their relationship to the next level. Unfortunately, those fantasies were filed in the same folder with dreams about being able to return to a normal life.
Chapter Four
“Melissa,” Bobby Dean called as he strutted outside. “Where are you, girl?”
A stern face popped out from the barn and Melissa ran toward Bobby Dean, throwing her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist in response.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going into town? I could have gone instead. I know it better than anyone here. You scared the crap out of me,” she panted. “It’s a bit of a rude awakening to go looking for you and hear that you’ve run off to town.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, kissing her cheek. “Alec said he wanted to go and I had nothing better to do. Besides, there wasn’t any food left. What did you expect us to do?”
Melissa shrugged. She now understood why Bobby Dean and Ariel had argued so much. He was impulsive, stubborn, and childish much of the time, which infuriated well-composed, responsible Melissa. What Ariel refused to see was that Bobby Dean had a sweet side that made up for all of his bad behavior. She learned early on that if she acted reasonable, he would follow and make a real effort to stay on good terms with her. No one gave him enough credit, but Melissa found that when Bobby Dean was treated like an equal and not like a lawless hooligan, then he was rather lovely and had some good ideas.
“I’m just glad you’re safe,” Melissa said, pressing her face into his chest. “How was it?”
“Oh, the usual,” he replied casually. “We took a whole bunch of food, then narrowly escaped attack. All in all, it was just your average day.”
“There were Infected in town?” Melissa’s face fell. The little idyllic town from her childhood was not immune from the horrors of the rest of the country. It was silly to think that the kind grocery store employees who always gave Melissa and her brother a free piece of fruit or an extra donut on their visits would be safe from the virus. If anything, the tightly-knit community was hit hard because everyone gathered together to help each other.
“Not a lot of them,” Bobby Dean replied. “The town looked pretty empty. That should make return trips easier.”
“Why do you have to go back?” she asked, clutching onto him a little tighter.
“I don’t think we’ll have to any time soon,” he reassured her. “How long do you plan on staying here?”
Melissa thought for a moment. She certainly didn’t want to leave the house in the near future. It was unbelievably safe, since they were so secluded. As long as they could stay hidden, she wanted to spend her days taking care of the livestock and planting seeds.
But the more she thought about it, the fewer reasons she had for ever wanting to
leave. If society ever had a chance of recovering, everything would be different. If she could be self-sufficient, then she would be better off than virtually all survivors. She was the last-known descendant of her grandparents, so the farm technically belonged to her. Was there any reason to leave?
“As long as possible,” she answered.
“Then we’ll probably be back eventually. It’s not all bad. I got you enough sweets to last the average person a year. For you, it will probably last about a week.”
She playfully slapped his arm. “Thanks.”
Bobby Dean cleared his throat. “I, uh, also got something else we had discussed.”
He pulled a box of condoms out of his jacket pocket and gently shook it. Melissa’s face turned bright red and she dropped the bag of feed she was about to pour into the trough.
“If you’re not ready, we don’t have to—” Bobby Dean started.
“No,” she said, looking into his eyes. “I want to. I’m ready—at least, I think I’m ready. I’ve just never done this before. I’m a little nervous.”
Bobby Dean gently cupped her chin in his hand. “I don’t want to do this unless you really want to. But you have nothing to worry about. Do you trust me?”
Melissa nodded. “Of course.” Her eyes trailed back to the farmhouse, suddenly very conscious of the potential onlookers.
“Let’s go into the barn,” he said, taking Melissa’s hand. “Is that old mattress still up in the loft?”
“Yeah,” she replied, her stomach fluttering.
“Perfect.” He smiled. “It’s kind of romantic, don’t you think? I would get some candles to light, but Elaina would have my ass if she couldn’t do her reading at night.”
“Not to mention, it’s a huge fire hazard with all of this dry hay.” Melissa giggled.
Before they could make it up the wooden ladder, they started kissing. This led to more fondling and even the removal of a few items of clothing. When Melissa opened her eyes to suggest that they continue to the loft, she saw a figure walking down the road.
Melissa jumped, jamming her shirt back on over her head.
“What’s wrong?” Bobby Dean asked, disappointed that the action was ending abruptly.
“Do you see that?” she asked, pointing out the barn door. The small, gaunt figure continued walking steadily down the dirt road, occasionally turning its head toward the farm.
“Let me blast it away,” Bobby Dean said, going into protective mode. But before he could grab the rifle hanging on the wall, Melissa snatched it away and ran up to the loft for a better position.
She positioned the gun on the floor, pointing out the small window as she lay flat on her stomach. She turned off the safety and aimed, ready to fire if necessary. But as she watched her target, she realized that this person didn’t have the same mannerisms as the average Infected.
“Get the binoculars,” she ordered. “They’re by the saddles.”
Bobby Dean reluctantly got up and stomped down the stairs, only to return about thirty seconds later.
“Let me see,” she requested, but he was too busy looking through them.
“I’ll be damned,” he breathed.
“What?” she asked, reaching for the binoculars. She managed to wrench them out of his hand before holding them up to her eyes.
Sure enough, there was certainly something different about this individual. She was extremely skinny like the Infected, as if she had been wasting away from a lack of nourishment. But instead of the pale, almost greenish hue to her skin, this girl’s olive complexion was tanned. She walked slowly but looked focused, not dazed. Melissa also noticed that the girl with the long, dark hair was absolutely gorgeous, even in her weary state.
“I think you’re right, babe,” Bobby Dean said after a second turn with the binoculars. “I don’t think she’s infected at all.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” Melissa said cautiously. “For all we know, she’s infected but not obviously symptomatic. I don’t think we should shoot her, but I think we need to be cautious.”
Melissa was nervous. She didn’t know who this girl was or what her intentions were. As she came closer to the farmhouse, their window of time to act grew smaller.
“I think she’s looking for help,” Bobby Dean said. “By the looks of her, she hasn’t had a good meal in weeks. Should we go down and talk to her? We can keep the gun at hand, just in case things get weird.”
Melissa cringed. “I don’t know. Maybe she’ll walk by and head into town. Is it really our responsibility to pick up strays?”
Bobby Dean gave her a reproachful look. “How can you not feel bad for her? She’s probably cold from being out in the open and I know she’s starving. We have a ton of food now. Let’s just go see what her deal is.”
Melissa sighed, looking down at the box of condoms on the ground. Her special moment had been ruined and now she had to deal with intruders on her land.
“Fine,” she relented. “But if she’s healthy, we really can’t give her a place to stay. I don’t want this house to become a boarding house for strays.”
She knew she sounded coldhearted, but these things seemed to get out of control quickly. If she allowed one person into her home, she wouldn’t be able to say no to any others who may pop up along the way. Besides, the only reason she let the other three stay was because she had become fond of them over her travels. They were brought together by force, but she really did think of them all as friends.
Before Melissa could get another word out, Bobby Dean was halfway down the stairs. She hurried to catch up with him, her gun still tightly clutched in her hand.
The stranger was nearing the house, examining it like she was looking for something in particular. When she turned onto the driveway, Melissa’s heart beat faster. They would now have to deal with the situation.
Melissa swore under her breath. Alec and Elaina were inside and had no idea what was unraveling outside the house. Melissa charged in front of Bobby Dean, ready to protect her property from invasion.
“Hey,” Melissa called to the girl. “What do you want?”
The girl turned and frowned when she saw Melissa, gun in hand. She didn’t say anything but continued down the driveway.
“Hey,” Melissa called again, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. “I’m talking to you. Who are you?”
The girl tossed her head, letting her long hair float in the breeze. “I was told this was the place to be. I must be mistaken,” she said coolly.
Melissa’s heart skipped a beat. How was it possible that anyone knew about the little farm? She had never seen the girl in her life.
“Are you infected?” Bobby Dean asked.
“No,” she sighed. “I’m not infected.”
“You look a little sickly,” he said skeptically.
The girl looked down at her shrinking waistline. “I know. I haven’t had a good meal in about a month. I’ve been surviving on whatever I can find. Let me tell you, there are a lot of farms in Oklahoma. I’ve probably searched half of them. This was not an easy place to find.”
“Who are you?” Melissa questioned, the weight of the gun very prominent in her right hand. “How did you know about this place?”
“I was told that the last of the good people were headed to a farm in Oklahoma.” She smiled. “I know I shouldn’t make assumptions, but is this the place he was talking about? Word is, it’s a safe place. I’ve been looking for one of those for a long time. I usually prefer to travel alone, but a girl gets tired of running after a while.”
Bobby Dean nodded, entranced by the new visitor. “You should come inside and have something to eat. You can rest up for a little bit. The house is warm.”
“That would be amazing,” the girl said. “I’m pretty exhausted.”
Melissa glared at Bobby Dean, trying to make him feel the scorn she felt at that moment. She specifically told him that she didn’t want to take in strangers. It just felt like a major liability. Besides, she
was trying to make life feel as normal as possible. How could she live a normal life when strangers popped in to eat her food and sleep in her bed?
“Melissa, she’s in bad shape,” he scolded, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Is this how you would want to be treated in a time of need?”
“No.” Melissa sulked. She really did want to do the right thing, but she didn’t want to put a stranger’s needs above her own.
“Let her have a few meals and a bath and she’ll go on her way when she’s ready. Besides, you always say that there’s strength in numbers.”
“Okay,” Melissa said, loud enough for the girl to hear. “Let’s go inside . . . ?” She paused. Melissa didn’t even know the name of her houseguest.
“Bethany,” she said, holding out her slim hand to shake.
Melissa quickly shook her hand with a jerk, then Bobby Dean gave her a firm handshake. “I’m Melissa and that’s Bobby Dean. Let’s find you something to eat.”
Melissa sulked as they headed inside. She had a sneaking suspicion that Bobby Dean was only being nice because Bethany was pretty. He was ready to shoot her before he got a good look at her. Now, with a new guest, all progress she had made with Bobby Dean had been put on hold. With all of the excitement, the condoms in the loft would be long forgotten, she was sure of it.
“Thanks,” Bethany said, studying the two as they walked inside. She hoped that Will was being earnest when he told her to go to the farmhouse covered in sunflowers. So far, it was hard to tell if these people were really as good as he’d made them out to be.
Chapter Five
“Alec! Elaina!” Melissa called the second she opened the front door. She didn’t want to startle them when Bethany came through the door. “There’s someone here.”
“What do you mean?” Alec called back, darting to the door. He nearly skidded into Melissa as he prepared for an attack.
“Easy, man,” Bobby Dean said, holding his hands up. “She’s not infected. We saw her walking down the road. She needs a place to rest up for a little bit.”