Apocalyptic Beginnings Box Set

by M. D. Massey

  I hoped he and Claire were becoming an item. She had carried a torch for him for ages. Even though she loved Marc, Nick was always in the back of her mind. I thought she would be good for him. Maybe even get him to settle down and do something with his life.

  Henry stared out the windows, like a dog waiting for his owner to come home. I had a feeling he was working out travel plans, ready to move on. He wanted to get to Gunther but also, he wanted us out of the impending winter weather.

  “Snow will be rolling in soon. We need to figure this out.” And there it was. He sat next to me, rubbing his eyes.

  “There’s a little wood stacked out in the garage. I saw it when I was looking for something to tie Kellan up.” Just hearing Nick say his name made me shiver all over.

  “Just a little?” The worry was written on Henry’s face, his brows lowering.

  “Yeah. Probably a week’s worth if we had a fire 24/7.”

  Henry stood with more ease than I had seen since his brutal beating. “Well, let’s go cut down a couple trees.” He rolled his neck back and forth.

  “Henry, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Are you hurting?”

  “I’m fine,” he snapped. I knew he needed a fix. He forgot that I knew the signs, and “Angry Henry” was about to break through. I would give him a vial, but I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t ask. He had to know I would do anything for him, like I knew he would do anything for me.

  It was brisk and still early. According to the tacky bird-themed thermometer my mom had on the window to the front porch, the needle hovered around the mid-forties. The ground was covered in yellow, amber, and red leaves. It was actually quite stunning. Henry and Nick both grabbed a couple of Dad’s old flannel shirts, then went outside to gather wood.

  As soon as Nick closed the door behind him, he looked at Henry. “Why didn’t you tell her you were in need?”

  “I don’t want her to think she has to provide for me every time.” He sounded gruff, angry.

  “There’s no one else around.”

  “I know. Just let me deal with it. If it gets too bad…”

  “I understand. I really don’t want to take any from her…or anyone else, for that matter,” Nick mumbled. Henry stared at him, frustration and guilt building. They continued to the back yard.

  “I don’t know what else to do for you. I apologized a dozen times. There’s no way I can make it right, but I do regret what I did.”

  “I know. But, to be honest, I don’t think I will ever forgive you for this.” He pointed at his arm.

  Henry dropped his gaze. “I understand. Again, I apologize. I hope you never get as crazed as I was at that moment because there is no way to control yourself.”

  They stopped abruptly when they saw Kellan’s rotting corpse lying on the ground, still bound to the dining room chair. “Do you think we should bury him?” asked Nick. He stood over him, his hands on his hips.

  “Bastard doesn’t deserve a proper burial,” Henry growled.

  “I agree, but what if one of the girls comes across it?”

  “Hmm… How about a tarp? I don’t think I’m up to burying and chopping wood today,” Henry said, rubbing the back of his neck.

  “More than likely, there’s a tarp somewhere in the shed.” He took off in that direction.

  Nick rummaged through the shed and found a tarp, a chainsaw, a long-handled axe, and a splitting wedge. They covered Kellan and weighted the edges of the tarp down with landscaping bricks from his mother’s flower beds.

  Afterward, they spotted a dead tree toward the back of the property that looked good for firewood. In silence, they walked over to it. Nick didn’t have much to say to Henry, and Henry wasn’t sure what to even say to Nick. An awkward situation.

  After they cut down the tree, they decided to drag sections of it toward the house and cut it into smaller pieces there. They got halfway back to the house, dragging the larger portion of the tree, when they heard a high-pitched scream. They looked at one another.

  “Was that Elaina?”

  “I think so.”

  They dropped the trunk. Henry broke out into a full sprint, axe in hand. He grimaced the whole way since his ribs were still out of sorts. Nick followed right behind him. Henry ran past the back of the house. “Elaina! Elaina!”

  I walked out of the house to meet Henry and Nick because I wanted to help them stack the wood. I jogged down the front porch steps, not paying attention to my surroundings. Then I heard the familiar sound…the signature grumbling, snarling sound an undead makes.

  There were four of them clambering up the driveway and yard. After I expeditiously patted myself down, I realized I was unarmed. I didn’t even have a knife. I froze, thoroughly convinced this was the end of me. Elaina Leigh Cooper, the unwed, newly-crowned necrophiliac, shacking up with a half-dead, crossbreed freak. Then I did what every other scared girl does. I screamed like a banshee.

  Turning to run, I fell. My legs decided to fail me completely, not allowing me to get up. They were just useless limbs, kicking up leaves, unable to find the stability to stand.

  “Elaina! Elaina!” I heard Henry yelling as he came around the house. Then I felt hands grab me and drag me to the side. I looked up. Nick. When I looked back at Henry, I saw him wielding an axe, swinging it at the undeads.

  “Help him, Nick!”

  He ran into the house, coming back out with the wrought iron fireplace poker. Henry already had two down, but they weren’t true dead yet.

  “Crush their heads!” he yelled.

  Nick jammed the poker into the undead’s head and drove it right down through its brain, repeating this action several times until all four were true dead.

  The axe made a dull thud when Henry dropped it on the ground. He fell to his knees, trying to catch his breath. Finally, I was able to summon enough strength to run over to him. “Henry! Are you okay?”

  He held up his hand, taking a couple deep breaths, trying to gather himself. He stood straight and rolled his neck, rubbing his temples. “I’ll be fine. Just still a bit sore in the chest.”

  “Let’s just get inside before any more come staggering out of nowhere.”

  I put my arm around Henry’s waist and helped support him on the way into the house. Nick grabbed both the tools, put them by the door, and slammed it shut. Henry and I both spun around.

  “What the fuck, Elaina?” Nick yelled. “Don’t ever leave the house unarmed again! You could have gotten yourself killed!” Livid, he pulled at his hair and screamed at me like I was a child. “What the hell were you thinking?!”

  “I thought I would come out and help you guys stack the wood since both of you are in need of a fix and refuse to ask me for a vial!” Standing with my hands on my hips, I wasn’t going to allow him to yell at me for what happened.

  “You shouldn’t have fucking left the house in the first place!”

  “Go fuck yourself, Nick! I was trying to help you!”

  Nick mumbled something under his breath. Henry quietly watched the exchange until he became fed up. “All right! All right!” he roared. “Stop fighting like two women at a shoe sale, grabbing for the same pair! Christ!” He was pissed. Both he and Nick were getting moodier by the second.

  I stormed upstairs to the bathroom, grabbing the supplies needed to perform a draw. When I came back down, Henry was sitting in a chair, bent over, rubbing his neck and temples.

  “Here.” I shoved the needle and vials in his face. He looked up at me. Before he could say anything, I said, “I insist. Both of you are bitchy. Before long, you’ll have major PMS, and I’m out of Midol! I can’t deal with it anymore.”

  Reluctantly, Henry took the supplies and drew two vials from me. He handed one to Nick, and poured one back himself. Eyes closed, he sat back in the chair and enjoyed his short-lived mini high.

  I watched his face go from harsh angles to a softer look. His breathing went from rough to smooth. The stiffness left his bod
y. Henry was back.

  The wind picked up, howling around the house. We all went to the windows, looking up at the darkening sky. I was worried there was a storm rolling in. Henry glanced at Nick. “Let’s get back out there and get some of that wood done. We need to bring it inside.” Nick agreed. I ran my fingers through Henry’s hair, and he put his hand on my waist.

  “I’m worried,” I said.

  “I know. I am, as well. If a storm blows in—”

  “Please. Don’t say it.”

  He kissed my forehead. “Thank you,” he whispered.

  “Anytime. You just have to let me know.”

  He kissed me on the forehead again and pulled me into one of his strong hugs, then they walked out of the house to get the firewood.

  I watched through the window this time. They moved the true dead corpses behind the fence, out of sight. When they finished, they chopped the wood.

  Over the next couple hours, I paced back and forth, watching the sun lower in the sky and the temperature dropping. I tried sitting and reading again.

  The distant rhythmic sounds of an axe stopped. I jumped out of the chair and ran to the front window, seeing Nick jogging up the front porch. He smiled as he came inside and headed to the family room. Then he opened the window and removed the screen so Henry could pass the wood into the house.

  “We’re going to stack the driest wood in here and put the rest in the garage. Hopefully, it’ll dry out faster in there. Can you grab a basket or a box? We need something to put kindling in.”

  “I’m on it,” I said happily, finally having something to do to keep my mind off of Sophie, Claire, and Thomas.

  I knew exactly what I was going to get. My mother had a large collection of baskets, all different shapes and sizes. I never understood why she kept buying them because she never used them. When I picked up the large empty basket from the living room, I whispered, “Thanks, Mom.” I ran back and passed it to Henry through the window.

  “That’s perfect, love.” His smile was warm, making me blush. Sometimes I felt like a teenager with a crush, not a woman in love with the most beautifully brilliant man who ever existed. Okay, that sounded pretty lame, but what could I say? I was ass over tits in love with him. He laughed at me, so I stuck my tongue out at him.

  The familiar crunching sound of tires on the driveway caught our attention. I stuck my head out the window and saw Sophie parking the truck. Henry dropped the basket. I grabbed Nick and we ran out the front door. Claire immediately leapt toward him, and Henry hugged Sophie.

  “Nick!” Claire squealed. She planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “Come. I have something for you.” She was so full of enthusiasm, she just about pulled his shoulder out of the socket. Thomas stood by the door of the truck.

  “Glad you made it back,” I said to him.

  “Me, too. There were a few moments when it was questionable, but we got loads of stuff.”

  “Great! Thank you, Thomas!” I hugged him, which startled him. His poor body felt so thin and frail, I was afraid I would crush him.

  “Let’s get this stuff unloaded before it gets really dark.” Henry walked to the back of the truck and opened the liftgate. He, Sophie, Thomas, and I began carrying the supplies into the house.

  “Close your eyes…,” Claire said softly to Nick. She lifted his hands to cover his eyes.

  “What are you doing?” He laughed.

  “Just do what you’re told.” She reached into the back seat and pulled out his guitar. She put the strap over her neck and shoulder. “Open up!”

  He dropped his hands. His jaw slacked, his eyes looking to have grown to the size of baseballs. He stood in shock, staring at Claire.

  “Well? What do you think?”

  “I…I…Claire…,” Nick whispered, his eyes filling with tears. Claire took off the guitar and set it back in the truck.

  “Nick…I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I thought you would be happy to have your guitar back.”

  It took him a minute to speak. “I can’t believe you would risk your life over a guitar. That wasn’t the best idea, Claire,” Nick scolded. She thought he would be happy about it. Hot tears burned her cold cheeks.

  “I just wanted to bring you a little happiness after all you’ve gone through.”

  “You could have gotten yourself and everyone with you killed!”

  “Don’t you think I know that?! I realized it was a mistake after we got there.” The situation with David Tasker popped into her head again. Chills ran down her spine. She looked down at her shoes.

  Nick knew what Claire had done was from her heart so he grabbed her shoulders. “Listen. This is the most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me. I can’t thank you enough. I’m just overwhelmed. The idea that you could have been killed over something for me…” He could barely croak out the words before the tears poured down his cheeks, collecting in the stubble on his face.

  Claire smiled at him. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He placed his forehead against hers, and she was drawn into his bright emerald green eyes. They were so much more mesmerizing than his original baby blues.

  “I just wanted to do something nice for you. I know how much you love that guitar, and I always loved listening to you play.”

  Nick kissed her. She smiled against his lips, then pulled away and grabbed the guitar again. He took it from her hands, ran his fingers over the strings, and smiled. To see him genuinely happy made Claire’s heart skip a beat.

  “This was really stupid, Claire,” Nick said, smiling. “Really fucking stupid.”

  “I know.”

  “Will you two love birds cut the shit and help us unload this beast?!”

  Smiling, but I was full of my usual attitude. Claire blushed. She hurried to the back of the truck and grabbed the next box of goods.

  Chapter 29

  About a week had passed, all the boxes and bags lined up in the entryway. Henry’s clothes were a community grab bag. We picked a couple things out here and there, but we didn’t want to unpack the supplies quite yet. Not until we figured out what our plans were.

  Henry and Nick sat at the dining room table, pouring over the maps, trying to pick a route to get down to Gunther in North Carolina. The winter weather had started coming in hard and fast, the temperatures dropping significantly over the past few days. Henry was desperate, worrying over the weather.

  “We can’t travel through Pennsylvania,” he said. “There’s no way. The highway has to be torn up. It always is. There has to be insane traffic congestion. I say we go through New Jersey.”

  “I say you’re stupid. What if a Nor’easter blows through and we get stuck somewhere? We can’t risk that!” Frustrated, Nick ground his teeth together. “The best way is through Pennsylvania,” he exclaimed, tapping the map.

  “But the highway will be congested!”

  “We need to stay inland, Henry!”

  “In case you have forgotten, it snows in Pennsylvania, too.”

  They sounded like kids bickering. I walked up to them and stood behind Henry. “Am I going to have to put you two in separate corners?” They both glowered at me. “Umm…okay. Well, I’ll just go back to my womanly duties then.”

  I headed back into the kitchen to help Claire fix everyone something to eat…which meant we popped open a few jars and opened another box of crackers. We pulled out a pouch of jerky from our stash, as well.

  “They are getting a little grumpy out there,” Claire said in a hushed tone.

  “Yeah. I think it’s time for another fix.” I rolled my eyes.

  “It’s Thomas’s turn.” Claire looked down at her arm, the bruising from her last draw still evident. Embarrassed, she tugged her sleeve back in place. I walked into the family room. Thomas was cozied up by the fireplace, thumbing through an old magazine.

  “Thomas, after you eat, the bitchy men out there need a dose.” I nodded my head toward the dining room. He got up and followed me out, finding a spot tha
t wasn’t too close to Henry or Nick. His thin body tensed, he feared what might happen if they couldn’t control themselves.

  They were still grumbling over which way we would go. “Henry! Listen to me. I’m telling you, the coast would be far too dangerous,” Nick insisted.

  “We’re traveling the coast. And that’s final!” Henry barked.

  “Listen—”

  Henry slammed his fist down on the table. “I said we are traveling the coast. If you don’t like that idea, you can stay here!” Henry stood so quickly, he knocked his chair over.

  “Henry…”

  He whipped his head around to me, his fists clenched at his sides. His eyes were graying, his jaw set, his breathing short and rapid. He hadn’t had a big dose of blood since the bag he split with Sophie and Nick.

  “Just calm down. Have a seat and eat this.” I set a jar of peaches and one of apple butter on the table. “You know what? Let me get you a drink.” I turned around. Claire stood in the doorway of the kitchen, her eyes wide. I whispered, “It’ll be okay, Claire. I’ll handle it.” I grabbed a couple glasses and the open bottle of whisky off the counter, then went back into the dining room and poured everyone, except Thomas, a drink. Seething, Henry still glared at Nick.

  I admit I was worried there would be some sort of altercation. His lip twitching, Henry was doing the best he could to push down his anger. I also knew he could kill Nick in a heartbeat, so I had to keep a close eye on the situation.

  “Henry! Sit your arse down!”

  We all looked toward the stairs. Sophie was coming down, carrying the supplies needed to perform a draw. Henry grabbed his chair and sat, grumbling the whole time.

  Sophie went to Thomas and hooked him up, Claire and I sitting next to our men. I was getting more and more used to blood being passed around the house like a two-dollar tramp.