About a Woman, a Zombie Chronicles Novel

by Mark Clodi

  Bob agreed to have Jake ride in the front truck with him, he put Seth into one of the buses with Ken to make room and the caravan set out back to Mark's Motorcycles.

  When they arrived back at highway 7 Jake demonstrated his ability to get the zombies out of their way, the horde, which had spread out long the exit ramp by this time, parted from the vehicles like the Red Sea before Moses. After seeing his power demonstrated Bob positively warmed up to Jake, and the others started feeling like they had gotten a good bargain for the help he would be giving them too.

  At the motorcycle shop, they picked up three off road bikes suitable for the fourteen year olds to ride, one was a spare. All of the bikes were fairly light weight and did not boast a lot of power. Steve said they would not go too fast either, perhaps eighty miles an hour at top speed. Seth demonstrated his ability to ride by taking his chosen motorcycle for a spin, which led to Becka having to show the group that she could ride too. She promptly crashed her chosen motorcycle into the side of an abandoned car. Dora thought Becka had killed herself, but the girl just rolled away from the bike and got up with a flushed red face. While a couple of the men ran to her aid, she stepped back over to the bike and jerked it up off the ground. By the time the men got to her she had it started again and was ready to ride, this time she didn't run into anything.

  "So you think she really could ride a motorcycle?" Jake said softly from behind Dora.

  "Yeah, she was just nervous, maybe a little rusty too. Did you see how she got it up and started it on her own? I couldn't have done that, I think she did something with her feet too, brakes or something?"

  "Shifting with one foot, the back brake with the right foot." Jake said.

  "Still feeling like you got a bad deal?"

  "Ask me in three days."

  Chapter 35

  The caravan arrived back before sunset, stopping only to drop Jake off just out of sight in an abandoned house before getting pulling into Doraville. Dora and Jake thought it might be best to break the news of the deal to the town without him being present, in case there were some serious objections. Dora promised to return the buses if the council would not agree to the deal. Once inside the gates Dora immediately called a council meeting, where Mary railed at her for the head wound. Seth was also in the 'clinic' during the meeting and Mary disinfected his wound and wrapped it up again.

  "Alright Seth you are good enough, go on, just rest tonight, no guard duty." Mary said.

  "Can't I stay?"

  "No." said Dora firmly, "I need you to talk to the other juniors and see if anyone else has spoken to Willy. We need to get in touch with him, so you go find out who saw him last and get back to me after the meeting. And keep your mouth shut about what happened today, okay?"

  "Yeah, yeah, you told me already!" grumbled the boy.

  Dora and Steve had spoken to the other people who had helped get the buses when they dropped Jake off. They told them to stay quiet until the town meeting later that evening.

  Paige had a huge pot of stew heating up on an electric heating element on the granite counter and most of the council members had a bowl in front of them. Mary helped herself to dinner and frowned when she saw Dora didn't have a bowl. She put the bowl she had down in front of the other woman and said, "Eat.", then went and got another for herself.

  The other council members watched the interaction, but didn't say anything. Dora grudgingly spooned a little into her mouth, then nibbled on some crackers they had taken in one of their food raids a while back. Everyone from the council was there Mary, Alex, Leon, Paige, Steve and Freddie. They all knew something had happened on the trip to get the buses and were wondering what had caused Dora to appear so animated.

  "So," started Leon, "You agreed to this?" He was the first to speak after Dora filled them in on the details of the deal she wanted to make.

  "Well everyone there did yes." said Steve.

  "He is worth it. He can keep the shamblers off our backs and might be able to help with any of the super zombies we run into, what is wrong with the deal?" asked Dora.

  "It's because he is one of them. He isn't on our side." said Alex, "I know I am not giving him Peter's blood, no way." Mary nodded approvingly.

  "No one has to, I will pay him off month by month if I need to, but I want him. Steve and I saw first-hand what he can do. It's not even for the buses, we know we could get those somewhere else if we had to."

  "I'll pay him. And help you pay for anyone who doesn't want to pay Dora." said Freddie.

  "Good, that makes three of us, so that is like fifty pints each at this point." said Dora.

  Steven nodded, "So Teflon Freddie, why will you pay? This is the kind of thing you normally get out of."

  "Well I didn't say I would pay with my own blood, but I will come up with something." Freddie laughed at their expressions, "Look around, we are in charge here, we are the leaders, we lead by setting the example. I knew when I joined the council that I would have to make sacrifices for the people. That is how government is supposed to work, a thankless job for the leaders. When push comes to shove, I'll do my part." he winked at Dora, who smiled back.

  "Okay, so that is three in favor for certain, Leon, Mary, Alex and Paige you have to decide where you stand, you could still kill this deal." said Steve.

  "I think we know enough to decide on it now." said Leon, "I just didn't want to make a decision too hastily."

  "I vote with Dora, she has made some fucked up decisions, none more questionable than this one, but in the past she was right." said Paige.

  Dora nodded once to Paige, "Eloquent, thanks."

  "Then that is it, you have four votes to our three." said Alex.

  "When have we ever let you off the hook that easy, every one weighs in, everyone votes." said Dora.

  "Hah," said Leon, "it's unanimous, of course. We have to provide a united front to the others. It sounds too good to be true, a zombie to lead us through the other zombies, but I'll pay the price. Alex? Mary?"

  "Unanimous. It needs to be. It's probably the last decision we'll make as a council, after this trip we can lay the mantle of governance at the Iowan's feet." said Mary, "Don't think for a second that I agree with feeding this monster, but if it means one more person gets through alive I'm willing."

  Alex nodded and said, "I'll go along with it too, despite my reservations. When are you going to tell the others Dora?"

  "The sooner the better. How about in twenty minutes before it gets too dark?"

  "I'll round everyone up, let's do it half at a time. Maybe Seth will get back with news on Willy by then too." said Paige.

  As everyone went about their business Dora approached Mary, "How are Peter and Mike doing?"

  "As well as we can expect. I am more worried about Seth. You have someone watching him? If he turns, well we don't need that right now do we?"

  Dora shook her head, "No, I don't have anyone watching him, but when he gets back with news on Willy you need to tell him to come back in the morning to eat breakfast here so you can change the bandages again. You should know if it is getting infected by then."

  "It has taken up to five days for the infection to show before, remember Kline?" Dora nodded, she remember the old man who was bite early on, the all thought he was going to make it, but he turned five days after a pretty terrible mauling during the height of the zombie tide, "Well, Seth barely got nipped, and the zombie didn't even make it through his cloths. I won't stop wondering about him until the scratches are fully healed, but I think he might be okay. Do you know how you are going to tell the people?"

  "Oh probably the brutal truth will be good enough. Are you going to be around for moral support?"

  "Yeah, just let me run a bowl of this over to Tim."

  "You need any help with that?"

  "From you? No. You are the last person he wants to see. He belly aches about you every time I see him. I only let him off his chain when I have someone else to cover me, so there is no danger of him pulling anythi
ng with me. Plus I am not even bringing the keys this time and I'll tell him that when I see him."

  "Fair enough, but if you're not back in five minutes I am charging over there with my gun out."

  Mary laughed, "Yeah that would be great. I am sure Steve would like nothing more than to bring Tim more fresh clothing. I'll be quick."

  Dora puttered around her kitchen for a few minutes, it finally dawned on her that she would be leaving it in a day or two. She sat down and had a thoughtful look on her face when Mary and Paige came back through the front door together.

  "What?" Paige asked.

  "I am going to miss this place."

  "Oh, yeah, it will be your turn now, to go through what the rest of us have had to deal with. I hadn't thought about that." said Paige.

  "It's funny, I think I've lived more in the past six weeks than I did the entire time I lived here before."

  "Well emotions have run higher in the past month and a half than they did before. It will create a stronger memory, passion always seems to." said Mary.

  "I suppose you're right, doctor. Are the people ready Paige?"

  Paige nodded and gave Dora a hand up from the chair she was sitting in. "How's your stomach today?"

  "Fine really, I just eat smaller meals, more often and it seems to do the trick, it didn't stop me from kicking ass on our bus journey, that's for sure."

  "Now that you know what is happening you can deal with it better. I still don't think you should have gone; it was too much of a risk." said Mary.

  Dora waved her hand in a calming motion, "Water under the bridge sister, I am glad I went. Let's get this show on the road ladies." Together they stepped out to the waiting crowd of people.

  Chapter 36

  Tim pulled his chain deeper into the double sleeping bags he was cocooned in. No matter what he tried the chain always created a tunnel that seemed to funnel cold air deep into the bag from outside. He was still warm, but always had an uncomfortable cold spot to deal with.

  "Would a tent have been too much to ask?" he muttered angrily. He had his head tucked down into the bags and was wearing a thick woolen cap that kept the worst of the cold air at bay. When they got to Iowa and safety Tim was planning to unleash a whole world of hurt onto Dora and the other council members. Mary would get off scott-free, he knew that, she was a doctor, but he was equally certain the others would not be so lucky. They would pay alright; he would make sure of it. Deep down he didn't want to face the fact that he might be as big of a coward as the others said he was. He was just tired, that is all. He had faced zombies before, killed a few maybe. In his mind Tim thought of himself as having shell shock or combat fatigue, not as being afraid. He had put his sleeping bag up against one of the unfinished bits of flooring that was going to make up the great hall when it was finished. It acted as a bit of roof, in case it rained, and Tim felt better having something solid at his back while he slept.

  A gentle thump sounded on the plywood above him and he stiffened, listening closely. He could hear nothing more after the initial noise; it must have been a branch or a leaf from one of the many surrounding trees falling onto the plywood. He pushed his head out of the bag until he could look up at the edge of the plywood and see the stars, blazing coldly in the night. It was not all that cold yet, not really, he thought sleepily as he drifted off looking at the stars…abruptly his heart lurched into his throat, above him a small, dark head moved to block out the star light.

  "What are you doing out here?" came the quiet child-like voice.

  Tim said nothing, only tried to shrink into the beam blocking his way from going completely under the plywood flooring.

  "I can see you." said the voice softly.

  "Don't hurt me!" Tim finally gasped out.

  "I don't want to hurt you silly!" said the still dark blob above him, "I just want to talk."

  "I…I know who you are!"

  "I don't know you. What is your name?"

  "T-Tim."

  "Don't be afraid Tim, I am Andi, it's short for Andrea. Not a lot shorter, but it only uses an 'i' instead of an 'ea'. Why are you out here Tim, instead of in a house where it is all warm?"

  Tim lifted his handcuffed arm into the girl's sight, she studied the chain for a moment and shrank back. "Oh, you're a bad man. My mommy told me about bad men, they get handcuffs and have to wear orange clothes. Are you wearing orange clothes?"

  "N-no! I am not a bad man, they just don't like me."

  "Oh, like Tommy Sandburger! The other boys always push him down at the playground, he just wants to play with them, but they're mean to him for no reason. My mommy says just to be nice to him, because he doesn't have any friends. Do you have any friends, Tim?"

  "Not really, no."

  "Well I can be your friend, okay? Like Tommy." she leaned forward and put her face near his then took a long pull of air in through her nose, "You don't smell too good."

  "I, um, I am sorry."

  "Not like Tommy, he smelled like dootie, I think that is why no one liked him. You smell a little bad, more like my daddy on a summer day after he cut the grass. You should take a shower."

  "Andi, why are you here?"

  "Me? I just want to see what is going on. I miss people, mommies and daddies and barbeques. I come here to get close and see what people do. They do a lot of strange things together. I can watch people through walls if I try hard, my eyes are different since that night my mommy died. I saw you and wondered if you would talk to me."

  "I'll talk to you."

  "Good. Why don't you like me?"

  "You, are… You know what happened to you? That you died and came back?"

  The face bobbed around and Tim realized the girl was nodding to him. "Well we don't want to be like you, we want to stay the way we are."

  "You can't. Not all of you, we need you. Just a little of you, sometimes!" said the girl with some anxiety in her voice, "I am breaking the rules. Sam Waller says you don't talk with your food."

  Confused Tim said, "Sam Waller? Sargent Waller?"

  "That is the name he told you. Sam Waller dresses up to talk with the food so we do not have to. Sam Waller says 'do not play with your food Andi'. Sam Waller says 'eat to be strong'. When he is alone and thinks no one can hear him" Andi's voice became even softer and harder to hear, "Sam Waller says 'I will kill those two little bitches someday.' Only he didn't kill me or Mo, he got killed by the food man, Jeff."

  "How do you know Jeff's name?"

  "Jim Tiller says you always ask your food what it knows before you eat it. Jim Tiller didn't kill food man Jeff right away, he played with it first. Sam Waller wouldn't have liked that."

  "Oh God, poor Jeff!"

  "Sam Waller says 'the food is not poor, it lives a good life, we protect the food'!" the girl said sharply, "Sam Waller says to kill all the really slow, stupid zombies and keep the smart talking zombies away from the food. Sam Waller says our food will reproduce if we can protect it long enough, then we will always have food."

  "I am tired now, Andi. Don't you ever sleep?"

  "I pretend to sleep during the day. The others like that. Do you want me to leave you alone now?"

  "I would like to sleep, yes. If that's okay."

  "That is okay." The little girl pulled her head back over the plywood out of Tim's sight. He didn't hear her leave, but was too scared to climb out and look to see if she was actually gone. Twenty minutes must have gone by and he had just convinced himself that she was gone when her little head popped over the edge again, "You're not asleep."

  "No, I have a hard time sleeping with you up there."

  "Did you see me? I was behind the board. Can you see through the board like me?"

  "No, Andi, I cannot see through the board, I just didn't hear you leave."

  "Oh."

  "Why are you still here?"

  "Sam Waller says 'never leave food that sees you alive to tell other food about you.'"

  Tim felt his bladder let loose inside his sleeping bags as h
e babbled, "No, no, don't kill me! I can tell you things if you keep me alive! Please don't kill me!"

  "Sam Waller says not to talk to your food. Jim Tiller says to ask it questions before you eat it." said Andi leaning in closer to Tim's face and shrugging her tiny shoulders. She put one hand on the top of Tim's head and the other under the base of his chin and held him as effectively as if he were in a vice. Tim could not open his mouth and it felt like his teeth were going to break.

  "Ewww!" said Andi shoving Tim back and pulling away from him, "Now you smell like Tommy Sandburger! You made yellow and dootie in your bag!" She laughed at him quietly for a moment and then pressed a barely visible finger against her lips, warning him to silence. A moment later Tim heard a couple of people talking in the street out in front of the house, they were not being very quiet, but their voices barely carried to where he was at. For just a moment Tim considered screaming out for help, one look at the girl's pale face and he gave that idea up and cowered back into his sleeping bag.

  Chapter 37

  Dora woke up early the next day, anxious to get a head start on the projects that had to be finished in order to leave. After speaking with the community last night Dora found that almost everyone wanted to leave as soon as possible, which might even be today. The buses were fueled and ready, the cars, likewise were ready to go, the town had been using them on food raids for the past month and a half and all they required was topping up their fuel tanks.

  The pint of blood fee struck many as distasteful, but it came down to living or dying and everyone was pragmatic on that score. Dora had circulated a list to get everyone's names, Jake had wanted that, he said he would look them up individually after they were safe in Iowa, though he would be taking a couple of pints this morning as pre-payment too.