by Max Lockwood
“Take it to your room. If things get bad, you have to protect yourself. Do you understand?”
She nodded again, her throat feeling tight.
“Good. Now, get out of here.”
Melissa retreated to the basement where she unlocked the gun safe and grabbed ammunition for the antique revolver. She loaded three bullets into the chamber and set it on her bedside table with a shaky hand. Then, she let several tears fall onto her pillow as she tried to come to terms with what her brother already seemed to know. Death was unfair, and it did not discriminate.
Just as Samuel had predicted, his short life would soon come to an end. As the virus progressed, he screamed at her every time she tried to bring him medicine or food. He refused her help because despite their differences over the years, Samuel loved his sister and didn’t want her to suffer the same fate as he did.
Bobby Dean tried to make jokes about his injury, but even he had a hard time finding the right words to say. He wore an unnatural smile, tight around the mouth with eyes that disagreed with the sentiment. Alec sat with his head buried in his hands, gutted over the other man’s affliction. The two had clashing personalities, but it was hard not to become fond of Bobby Dean, especially after sharing a home with him for so long. He wasn’t particularly helpful and was downright reckless at times, but at least he kept things interesting.
Elaina stared blankly at his oozing arm, unable to conjure up any sign of emotions. She felt completely numb. It wasn’t that she had become too desensitized to care, but the shock completely overwhelmed her brain. There was no cure, especially with Dr. Martinez dead, and there was no way to help him. She felt utterly hopeless.
Bethany, still shaky from the massacre, slid around to the other side of the doorway. She had not known Bobby Dean for long and felt as though she was intruding while the others were mourning. Under the guise of security, she quietly cried to herself, releasing emotions she had held in for too long.
“So,” Bobby Dean said, looking at the others. “What’s your plan?”
Alec shrugged. Elaina bit her lip so hard that she left an indentation in the skin.
“You’ve got to get moving,” Bobby Dean said calmly. “Go back to the house. Go anywhere but here. Go east. Hell, steal a plane and find a private island.” He chuckled.
“I’ll stay with you,” Melissa said, clutching his hand. “I don’t want you to be alone.”
“I’m not going to be alone,” he said. “The second you pack up and leave, I’ll make sure everything is taken care of.”
He got to his feet and walked out of the room. Melissa started to follow him, but he gently shoved her back into the room.
“I’ll be right back,” he said as he walked down the hallway.
Alec laid a hand on Melissa’s shoulders. “You can’t stay with him. It’s too dangerous.”
“I don’t want him to suffer alone,” she whimpered. “Can you imagine how lonely and terrifying that would feel?”
Alec gritted his teeth. “I know, but you can’t risk your life like that. You’ve come too far. Besides, think about what he wants. I really don’t think he wants you to be a victim.”
Melissa turned to Elaina. “Is there anything you can do for him? Even if it doesn’t completely kill the virus, do you have anything to slow it down until you have a cure?”
Elaina shook her head. “I wish I did. I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to think of something useful. But the serum I made doesn’t work. That’s been proven in the lab. Even if I had the means of producing a prototype, there’s not a very good chance it would work, especially before . . .”
She trailed off, looking at the floor. She didn’t know nearly enough about gene therapy to even begin to work on a cure.
Bobby Dean returned with a semi-automatic rifle in his hand and a stony expression on his face.
“Come on,” Melissa said, her hands dropping to her knees. “Don’t do this. Please, Bobby Dean.”
Alec put his hand on Elaina’s shoulder, exchanging a glance with her. She nodded and walked toward Bethany.
“We’re going to see if we can round up some supplies before we go,” Alec said stoically. “It’ll give you two a little time to talk. We’ll be back soon.”
Alec, Elaina, and Bethany climbed over bodies to get back into the hallway, leaving Melissa and Bobby Dean alone.
“I don’t want you to go,” Melissa sobbed. Fat tears rolled down her face. Bobby Dean wiped them with his finger.
“No, no, don’t say that,” he said. “You haven’t known me for long. You’ll forget me in no time.”
“I don’t think that’s true,” she said. “You were my first for a lot of things. I’ve never had such a close relationship with anyone before you.”
He smirked. “My biggest regret is that we never found the time to use those condoms I went through so much trouble to get. Promise me you’ll use them with some other lucky bastard.”
She smacked him on his good arm and he laughed, tears welling up in his eyes. “You’re such an ass.”
“Until the very end,” he replied, draping his arm over her shoulder. They leaned in closer to each other, their faces inches apart before Bobby Dean quickly pulled back.
“We can’t do that,” he said sadly. “I don’t want you to get sick.”
“Right,” she said glumly. “Can I still have a hug?”
“Of course,” he said, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“I want to apologize for not sticking up for you yesterday,” Bobby Dean said. “You were right not to trust her. I don’t know what got into me.”
“I have a good idea,” she mumbled.
“You’re probably right.” He sighed. “I’ve never made a very good boyfriend.”
“You were okay.” She smiled. “Besides, that fight wasn’t all your fault. I got jealous. Bethany’s very pretty and I was no better than Ariel.”
“You’re much better than Ariel.” He laughed. “You would never give me a reason to lock you in a trunk. You are a smart, tough girl. I don’t think a lot of people appreciate you as much as you deserve to be appreciated. Maybe it’s because other people can’t see through your thick shell. I know that you’re a sweetheart and a real softy.”
He pinched her cheek and she playfully pushed him away.
“Okay, enough of the flattery,” she said.
“No, I think you need to hear it. I’m not very good at saying the right things. I say stupid stuff all the time—you know that. But I don’t think I ever expressed to you how special you are to me. I guess I thought things weren’t serious enough or that we would have more time. You’ve helped make this dumpster fire of a world worth it.”
“I don’t know if I can keep going without you.”
“Nonsense.”
“I mean it. Alec has Elaina. Bethany doesn’t care about anyone but herself. I’m all alone.”
“There will be others. They might not be as handsome as me, but there will be others. You’ll figure out that you could always do better than me when it comes to men. Consider this a blessing.”
“Come on.”
“I mean it. Look, I’m not that upset. I mean, it sucks that this happened, but it’s not the end of the world. I mean, it is for me, but you’ll carry on. I’m not scared of dying. To be honest, it’s remarkable that I’ve made it this long. You’re going to be okay. I promise.”
Alec, Elaina, and Bethany returned with stolen items in their arms. Alec was wearing a backpack and had a rifle in his hand. Elaina’s arms were filled with different file folders and stacks of documents. Bethany was still holding the machete, letting it dangle from her fingertips as if it were a venomous snake.
“Bad news,” Alec said to Melissa. “All of the tires on the military vehicles have been slashed.
“I hid the motorcycle here,” she replied, “but it’s not enough for all of us.”
“That’s fine,” he replied. “We were thinking about heading back to the farmhouse anyway.
We can regroup and make new plans then.”
She nodded. “Did you find anything good?” she asked.
“A few weapons, some information left by the head researcher, and a bit of medical equipment,” Elaina said.
“And if it’s okay with you all,” Bethany said, “I’d like to leave this here.”
She set the bloody knife on the ground and wiped her hand on her shirt.
“That’s probably for the best,” Alec replied. “So, are you ready to go, Melissa?”
She looked at Bobby Dean, who nodded for her. He proceeded to pull Elaina into a one-armed hug.
“Go find the cure,” he said into her ear.
“I’ll try,” she replied softly.
“Alec, it was nice knowing you,” he said, giving him a hearty handshake.
“Likewise,” he said after clearing his throat.
Bobby Dean started to reach for Bethany but quickly brought his hand back to his side. She stood in the corner with her head down, looking uncomfortable.
“What about Samantha?” Melissa asked. “I don’t think we should untie her because she’s clearly a danger to society, but—“
“Don’t worry,” Bobby Dean said, waving his hand. “I’ll take care of her.”
Melissa raised an eyebrow but didn’t press the matter any further. Samantha had seemed to take a break from her constant babbling. If it weren’t for the occasional random mutterings, Melissa would have completely forgotten she was under the sink.
“You guys really should go now,” Bobby Dean said, looking concerned. “I have no idea how long it’s going to take for the virus to do its thing.”
“Okay,” Elaina said. She wanted to say goodbye one last time, but she couldn’t make the words come out.
“Take care of Melissa,” he said, pointing at Alec and Elaina.
“Of course,” Alec said with a final nod.
Melissa whispered something in Bobby Dean’s ear before dropping his hand. As she walked out of the room, she hesitated. But before she could turn around and look back at Bobby Dean, Alec put a warm hand on her shoulder. She had to keep going.
Melissa tried not to look at the faces of the fallen as they trekked down the stairs, stepping over mutilated bodies as they went.
“I’m so sorry, Melissa,” Alec said as they stepped out into the early light of the morning. “I know you two were close.”
“Thanks.” She sighed. “This never gets any easier, does it?”
“Nope,” he replied. “You’d think it would, but I’m starting to think that it gets harder.”
At least she wasn’t alone in that sentiment. Elaina gave a sympathetic nod but didn’t say anything. She looked pale, causing the purple bags that appeared under her eyes when she was short on sleep to stand out.
As they walked, they agreed that they would at least try to eat and drink something, even if they weren’t in the mood for it. Whenever the future was uncertain, Elaina felt it was necessary to prepare the body for times of hardship. She also requested that everyone bathe and put on fresh clothes just in case any pathogens happened to latch onto the exteriors of their bodies. Then, they would sleep for as long as possible before sitting down to discuss their next move. They had put off talking strategy for far too long, letting themselves grow comfortable on the farm.
The dew on the grass soaked through Melissa’s sneakers, causing her worn-out socks to slide down the back of her heel. She let the scratchy polyester rub against her Achilles’ tendon, chafing her skin with every step. As uncomfortable as it was, she didn’t bother to fix the problem but let it continue to irritate her. Comfort felt like a luxury she didn’t deserve.
When they were nearly to the old motorcycle, two gunshots rang out in quick succession. Alec and Elaina grabbed onto each of Melissa’s arms, holding her steady as if she had been shot herself.
“I’m fine,” she croaked. “Honestly, I’m okay.”
Alec and Elaina reluctantly dropped her arms, letting her take the lead. Melissa picked up the pace a little, just enough that the others might not catch her as she allowed the tears to stream down her cheeks.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Upon returning to the carefully hidden motorcycle, the remaining four struggled to come up with the most practical way to get back to the farm. Much like the logic puzzle with the farmer’s boat, the feed, the chicken, and the dog, they tried to figure out the best way to transport four people down the highway. Alec, the usual driver, was impaired, making a competent motorcyclist a necessity for these trips. As much as Alec protested, the girls were fairly sure that having a one-armed, drugged-up driver wasn’t the safest option. Bethany offered to make trips back and forth, as she had some experience with these bikes. Melissa was also competent in her riding abilities, but she did not trust Bethany alone on the bike. She didn’t want to say so, but she was afraid that Bethany would run off and leave the others in the dirt.
Another unsaid issue was that no one wanted Melissa and Bethany to be alone together. Between the bad blood exchanged before they were captured by the militia and their current mental states, everyone knew it was best to keep the two separate.
The best solution they came up with was to let Melissa take Alec back first so that he wouldn’t have to walk. During this trip, the others would continue walking to cut down on the length of each trip. Then, Elaina would go next. Then, Bethany would go last so that she would have to spend the least amount of time with Melissa.
The first trip back to the house went without a hitch. Alec sat behind Melissa and held onto her with one hand. When they got back to they house, Alec nearly fell off the bike. Melissa suspected he was feeling carsick from her wild driving, but he was too polite to say so.
“I’m going to pump some water,” Alec said wearily. “We’re going to need a lot if Elaina wants us all to bathe and wash our clothes. Hell, I could drink a bucket of water by myself by the time you get back.”
“Okay, Alec,” she said warily. He looked a little worse for wear and Melissa was a little concerned that he would be alone at the farm. “Just try to stay away from the fire. Elaina can help you start it when she gets here. Just pump the water.”
“It’s going to take me forever with one arm,” he said, looking a little loopy.
“That’s fine. Alec, I’ll be right back. Don’t do anything dangerous or Elaina will kill me.”
Melissa raced back to the motorcycle, hoping that Alec could keep it together until she could get Elaina to him. The numbing medication was wearing off and he appeared to be deliriously in pain.
At least the responsibility of transporting the other survivors back to her house kept her mind off Bobby Dean. Even though he’d put on a tough face in the end, Melissa wasn’t fooled. Bobby Dean was loud and wild, but he had a rare sensitive side that few people got to witness. In fact, if it weren’t for a few bottles of potent homemade liquor Melissa’s grandfather had stored in the cellar, she might not have ever seen this softer side of Bobby Dean.
After enjoying the lion’s share of the bootleg alcohol, Melissa practically had to carry him to the bedroom. Once she stripped off his boots and rolled him under the covers, he gave her a funny look.
“What?” she asked, crinkling her nose at him. He was always poking fun at her for the tiniest things and she figured that he was about to mock the way she shuddered every time she took a shot or joke about how much of a lightweight she was.
“Do you ever worry about being alone?” he asked.
She frowned. “Yeah, I guess. Like, I can’t stand going outside to the well by myself when it’s dark out. When I was traveling by myself, before I was captured by Bretton Vincent’s men, I thought I was going to lose my mind. I like having people around for backup. It makes it easier to sleep at night.”
“No, that’s not what I mean,” he slurred. “I’m talking about having a special person—like a life partner.”
“Oh,” she breathed. “I guess. I don’t really think too much about that
. I’m only nineteen. I figured I had a while before I would even think about that.”
He smiled. “You’re making me feel old.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to,” she said. “Is it something that you worry about?”
He nodded. “Yep,” he said in a drawn-out sigh. “In a few short years, I’m going to be thirty. I know this sounds stupid, but I’ve never been in love. I’ve never had anyone who’s loved me.”
“What about Ariel?” she offered.
“Nah, at our best, we were just fooling around. I’ve been with a few girls, but no one seems to stick. They say I’m too immature or something.”
Melissa suppressed a giggle. She didn’t disagree with those old girlfriends. One of his favorite pastimes was pulling practical jokes on people, much to the chagrin of the other housemates.
“Yeah, I think that’s what I really want—for someone special to love me,” he said before passing out.
As Melissa lay awake, listening to Bobby Dean snore, she wondered if she would ever have those feelings for him. She fluctuated between considering him a boyfriend and calling him a fling. Because her feelings for him were so out of character for Melissa, she usually just chalked it up to the general spirit surrounding the collapse of civilization. She didn’t want to be taken from the Earth with regrets.
In the morning, Bobby Dean swore up and down that he didn’t remember a thing after leaving the kitchen table. When Melissa hinted at the subject matter of their conversation, he laughed if off and attributed it to the decline of his alcohol tolerance while on the run. The subject was never broached again.
It wasn’t until she heard the gunshots that she fully understood what Bobby Dean meant that night. It hurt like hell to be alone.
Melissa was relieved to see that the other women had gained a lot of ground on foot, making her drive a few miles shorter. Elaina climbed on the back of the bike and asked Melissa how she was doing,”
“I’m fine,” she said flatly, “but Alec is seriously exhausted. When I got shot, it took a ton of effort to do the simplest tasks. You might want to make sure the wound is clean and not causing him too much pain. He probably needs to get to bed soon. Don’t wait for us to make food or wash up.”