by Frater, Lara
It was alone. It probably smelled something-- us. I didn’t know much about the virus. Just that our flesh was their bread and a good head shot was the only way to stop them. I didn’t know how it worked and I tried not to think about it.
I heard the sound of someone coming down the stairs and I saw a light. It was Tanya.
“Tanya,” I whispered. “Lights off.”
She got the message immediately. The flashlight went off. She joined me staying out of sight of the window.
“How many?” she whispered, as she tried to peer out.
“One. I think it can smell us, not sure where we are. I’m hoping it will move on.”
“I can kill it.”
“I don’t want to risk bringing more here.”
Tanya took my hand. “Come on, I need you to be look out.”
“What?”
“Gonna kill it, don’t need a gun.”
“Are you nuts?”
“No, just don’t want one lurking about. This one looks all messed up. Come on, it will take five minutes. You shine a light on it and I’ll whack it good.”
She sounded crazy but she was right. One less zombie in the world. So why was my heart beating faster.
I followed Tanya to the door and she opened it. Dave didn’t wake and still snored loudly. We walked to the sidewalk where Mr. Zombie was sniffing around.
“Light him up,” Tanya said.
I shone the flashlight on him. We watched together in silence. He didn’t react to it because his eyes were gone, as was his mouth. Most of his body was burnt almost to bone. Bits of meat hung here and there.
I shivered when I looked into those dead sockets and swallowed so I wouldn’t puke.
Tanya pulled her crowbar from her bag and moved forward. The guy finally reacted and it was unexpected. He leaped in Tanya’s direction, but being blind, he missed her and she swung around and slammed the crowbar against his head. He collapsed like a sack of potatoes.
He wasn’t dead and he began moaning. Tanya hit him three or four times before he finally stopped moving.
She took water from her bottle and cleaned off the weapon, then went inside without saying a word and right back to the loveseat.
“Them’s the easy ones, the ones all messed up. It’s the ones intact or fresh you gotta worry about. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I’m here to relieve you.” She seemed unemotional when she said it, like just killing that zombie meant nothing to her.
“It’s only 12 and Jake supposed to do it.”
“Jake’s with Annemarie, both look comfy. I can’t sleep, so here I am.”
“You don’t mind Jake is with her?”
“Why should I? I ain’t marrying him. As long as she doesn’t go psycho on me, I occasionally fuck him, cause I need to.” She paused. “I’ll fuck you if you want.”
“You’re not my type.”
“I know, but ain’t a lot of gay men out there. You must be lonely.”
“For sex—“ then I added “From other gay men. For companionship, no.”
“Did you have someone?”
“Yes, Cameron.”
“You miss him?”
“More than you can believe.”
“I can believe,” she said. She didn’t say anything further. She leaned back into the cushions of the love seat.
“He should have stayed home that day.”
She shrugged her shoulders.
“Did you have anyone before?”
“Nah, just selfish me.” She looked away.
“Tanya, I don’t think you’re selfish.”
“Not as much now, before I was.”
I didn’t know if I should press further. She rebuffed me in the past. I didn’t think this time was going to be different.
“I won’t think any less if you tell me.”
“I’m your worst nightmare Jim, your worst. See a guy like you on the street, I’ll be jacking your iPhone.”
“You can have anything of mine now, if you want, except this ring.” I aimed the flashlight at the gold band on my left ring finger.
“I don’t want your ring or anything now. I dealt drugs, I ran with a rough crowd, didn’t pass high school. I got preggers when I was 16, didn’t know the father.”
She looked at me for shock value but I didn’t say anything.
“I had the kid and gave her to my loony mother to raise. Loved that little girl, but not more than myself. I mean when I was pregnant, I tried not to drink or smoke weed. Once she came, I was back doing it all. Saw her once in a while but that’s it. Thought she be better off with my mom, anyways.”
She paused. I didn’t say anything.
“I didn’t know something was going on. It’s funny I didn’t watch TV, though I had a big one I stole. I didn’t hear about the outbreak, just my friend Tyrell attacked me and I wacked him with a chain five times and he didn’t fall. I fucking broke his legs and he was still coming after me. I broke my leg once; that shit hurts. I knew something was up—“ she stopped again.
“I went home, got on a bus, surprised it was running. Decided to go to my mom instead of the apartment I shared with other junkies. And it was beginning to become chaos—then there was an explosion. A plane had fucking crashed, right near Roosevelt field. That’s when the bus driver went apeshit, told everyone to get the fuck off. I walked. Passed zombies killin’ people. I had to fight off some myself and I ran.”
She paused and sniffled a bit. This was a woman that never cried.
“I got to the building where my mom lived. Used to be a nice place but got sold for section 8 housing. They got security cause of the crime. No one was there. The door to the building was opening and anyone could get in or out.”
She stopped again. She didn’t say anything for a long time. For a moment I thought she wasn’t going to say anything more then she started.
“I ran up to the apartment. Elevator broke again, but it was always broke. Had to run up to the fifth floor, not an easy feat for a person who didn’t stay in shape, smoked weed and smack. When I made it up to my mother’s floor, there were bodies on the floor. Neighbors, strangers, some dead, probably of the flu, but some had been attacked something fierce—“ she stopped. She looked distressed.
“You don’t have to go on,” I said, taking her hand. She didn’t pull away.
“Already started— I got to my mom’s apartment at the end of the hall. The door was shut but unlocked. I opened it and came face to face with my mother. She was one of them. She didn’t get it from the flu, she got bit marks. I killed her. She was a bitch and a rotten mother, but she was still mine. One of my neighbors was there, he had no bite marks— I killed him. Then I went to the bedroom.” Then she started crying real tears.
“There was my baby, my little girl, three years—dead—more than dead—ripped apart. My momma and the neighbor feasted on her. I don’t think she got the flu. If I was with her, she’d be alive,” She stopped when she began to cry. Thank god it didn’t wake up Dave. I tried hugging her, but she pulled away.
“I was a selfish momma and I couldn’t protect her. I couldn’t save my baby because I didn’t care enough for her and I’m still selfish now.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I started living because the world was dying-- cause she died.”
“Bet you aren’t the only one,” I said. “We all became survivors and sometimes that makes a person stronger.”
Tanya pulled back. “I don’t think it will ever be the same, but I’m never gonna go back to the life I had before. I owe it to her.”
Chapter 10
Jake woke me at 5. I had passed out on the love seat. Tanya wasn’t in the room. I felt exhausted both physically and emotionally. The good thing about CostKing was the abundance of free time, giving us ample time to nap.
“We’re grabbing food and heading out.”
I got up, yawned, and got dressed. I went to the kitchen where Annemarie had put out a bowl of three-bean salad. Dave sat at the table,
silently eating. There was also a basin full of slightly dirty water with a soap bar and towel next to it. I washed my face. I put on deodorant before, because I didn’t want to be too stinky. Of course regular bathing depended on rain. So far it was clear and sunny.
“Tanya said she killed one last night,” Dave said.
I needed coffee. Annemarie must have been a mind reader because she handed me a cup. Cold instant coffee with fake creamer I swilled it down. The sweetness of the creamer took the acid and old taste away. It was better than nothing.
“Just one.”
“Glad you killed that fucker.”
We were interrupted by Aisha and Tanya. Aisha was dressed in different clothes, jeans, a t-shirt that said Poker Face, and had a backpack with her. Tanya was holding a carrier that contained Chinakitty who occasionally let out an annoyed meow.
“I kept it light,” she said, “only my journal, a picture of my family, my two favorite books and some clothes.”
I knew she packed light for me.
She looked at the basement door. I could smell the cigarette smoke. “My mom would never let anyone smoke in the house.”
“I don’t think your mom would care, I think that all that matters now is you.”
“Do you think they made it to my aunt’s house? I love my mom and all but she wasn’t really a person who could survive without modern conveniences.”
“I was that same person, Aisha,” I said. “Couldn’t live without my phone and laptop. Now I don’t even miss it.” A lie, but I hoped it made her feel better.
“Bet your mom’s fine,” this came from Dave of all people.
“You think so?”
“Yeah. I mean the message is old, but she and your sis obviously survived the flu and the fire.”
The room smelled like cigarettes and I knew Dot had arrived.
“Morning bitches, little girl and Dave. What’s going on?”
“Grab food,” I said. “Get a move on.”
“Will do, Mr. Hitler,” she said and gave me a salute. I don’t bother responding.
“Where’s Ashley?” Dave asked.
“She’s gettin’ ready,” Tanya said.
“She needs to come down now,” Dave said, getting up. “We should all leave together. You killed one last night.”
“Just one and that motherfucker was blind.”
“We all leave together,” he said. I didn’t want to agree with Dave because he was being a dick this morning, but he was right.
“I’ll get Ashley,” I said. I headed up the stairs. The door for the bedroom was opened. Ashley was brushing her hair and using Aisha’s mother’s eye shadow and lipstick.
“Ashley, we have to go.”
“I know. Aisha said I could use her mother’s make up. I don’t know why I felt a need to put it on. I never did in the CostKing and there was tons of it.”
“You look beautiful.”
“You’re a good liar, Jim. I think I want to look pretty for my girl.”
“Sounds like a good idea.”
“I found some unopened lipsticks. You should take some for Princess.”
“I didn’t know you cared.”
“I don’t. I think it will make it easier for you to deal with her.”
“You okay, Ashley?”
She took a long pause. “What if I find her dead?”
“I can’t tell you that. We can only hope for the best.”
“That’s easy for you to say.”
“Why? Because I’m gay?”
“Well, I meant—“ she paused. “I figured you were single.”
“No, I had—have someone,” I wasn’t upset with her.
“I’m sorry, Jim—I mean you’re young.”
“Just because I’m young—“ I said and smiled to let Ashley off the hook. “And besides, I’m 31, hardly young.”
Ashley laughed. Her face lit up, I’m glad I got her my mind off her daughter.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Old habits die hard. This new world, we got to put our differences aside don’t we?”
“We should try.”
Ashley smiled. She got up and swung her bag over her back. “Let’s hit the road.”
I don’t know how long I slept. I pretty much got into the truck and passed out on the air mattress. I woke to a hard bump. Ashley, Jake, Dot and Aisha were playing cards in front of a light and Tanya was passed out next to me. “What time is it?” I asked.
“Nearly 9.”
“What’s going on?” I said. I looked at Jake, who was supposed to be upfront with Annemarie. We should have been at the next house by now.
“We hit some treacherous road,” he explained. He must have seen my confusion. “I asked Dave to take over. There was like a twenty car pile up on the Meadowbrook.”
The truck went slow, lots of bumps.
“Wow,” I said. “I must have been tired.”
“Both you and Tanya. She passed out right after you did.”
I looked over to her. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully. I hope that meant our talk helped.
“We thought about stopping at the mall,” Jake said, “but it was piled with cars and zombies and dude a fucking plane crashed into it. I guess too many people saw Dawn of the Dead and thought a mall would be a safe place.”
“Not much canned food in a mall,” I said.
Ashley seemed nervous, probably because we were approaching her daughter’s apartment. I got up and stretched my legs and took a long drink from the plastic bottle. I was thirsty and I had to pee. I went to the back of the truck where we kept the bucket to pee in. I tried to be discrete and no one said anything embarrassing even Dot who was nervously chewing on a cigarette. I was happy I didn’t need to take a crap. I placed the lid back on the pot. Although it still smelled, we were used to it. Even with the CostKing being big. It still stank of piss, shit and body odor.
I went to where they were playing cards.
“Can I get a deal in? What are we playing?”
“Poker,” Aisha said. “Ashley owes me 90,000 dollars.”
“I told her I have to get to an ATM.”
“You both owe me 200,000 dollars,” Jake said.
“It wasn’t my fault Dot wanted to up the stakes.”
“I’m the one in the hole for 500 grand,” Dot said, then coughed, a loud hacking one but I’m grateful she didn’t spit. After coughing, she went back to nibbling on the cigarette. We hit a bump and the entire truck shook.
“Shit,” Jake said.
“Sorry about that,” I heard a voice from the radio, Annemarie, “but it looks like the worst is over and we’re back on a road. Ashley, we’ll be at your daughter’s house in about 20 minutes.”
I don’t know if Ashley looked happy or sad. She had a blank look on her face. The heat in the truck had made her sweat and much of the makeup she put on this morning was gone.
“Copy that,” I said, into the CB.
“Let’s play one more round,” Aisha said.
“Total stakes,” I said. “Whoever wins gets 1 billion from everyone.”
“Wow,” Aisha said. “You play high stakes.”
“I’ll be willing to take out of state checks too.”
“No way,” Dot said. “You bitches will all be paying me in cash.”
Twenty minutes later, Dot was 4 billion richer and we were in front of Ashley’s daughter’s place in Plainview. Dave opened the back to let sun in. Fresh air entered the musty hot truck.
“Is it clear?” I asked.
“Seems to be,” he looked around. “The place is still standing.”
The sunlight woke Tanya up. She stretched and got up.
I jumped down and helped Ashley. Tanya came down and helped Aisha. Jake came on his own and Dave helped Dot.
Ashley stood in front of her daughter’s house. Except for some wear, it didn’t look touched.
“You want us to go first, Ashley?” I asked.
She shook her head. She went to the door with the rest of
us following. Tanya and Annemarie kept watch for zombies, but the neighborhood was silent except for birds.
“The door’s locked,” she said.
“I can open it,” Dave said.
She shook her head. Out of her pocket, she held a key ring.
“Glad I kept it,” she said, then unlocked the door. She had to push it hard but it opened.
She went in first and I followed. The house smelled musty. No one had been here in a while. I smelled something else faintly. A smell I didn’t like. A faint smell could mean one of them was inside, but I didn’t hear movement.
“Katie?” she called out.
I didn’t think Katie was here or had been here for a while.
“Katie?” Ashley called again. Her only response was silence and the sounds of birds outside.
She walked to the kitchen. It was empty, no signs of people or even a note.
“I’m sorry Ashley,” Dave said. “No one is here.”
Ashley looked dejected. I took her hand.
“Do you want us to check the rest of the house?” That smell wasn’t strong but it was here.
Ashley nodded. This time she didn’t lead the way. I think she was hoping for something like what Maddie or Aisha got.
Without saying anything, Tanya joined me as I headed up the stairs. When I got there, the smell hit me. A body was up here as well. I grabbed gloves from my pack and handed one set to Tanya.
“Do you think it’s one of them?” Tanya said. She put on the gloves and then pulled out her handgun from her back pocket. Zombies smelled faintly like the dead but I didn’t hear movement, only the terrible smell. Three bedrooms and an open bathroom greeted us. Only one bedroom door was open. We checked the open bedroom first. It had a twin bed. A dusty 13 inch white MacBook, our best seller, was on the desk. There was a note on top.
Dear Rusty,
If you are looking for me, I am attempting to make my way to my dad’s house in Oceanside. I hope to see you there. I love you very much.
Love Elaine.
“Must be one of the roommates?” Tanya said.
I wished Elaine had been nice enough to write where her roommates had gone.