by A. L. White
“Are we sure this will hold all of us?” Jermaine asked.
“I guess we will find out if we get down faster than we came up.” Charlie replied joking with him.
“We need to work on your sense of humor, that’s what we need to do.” Jermaine said as he started to move where Virginia and Charlie were standing. “Maybe the dogs could wait over there so we are spreading the weight out a little. Or better yet, send them downstairs.”
Virginia handed Charlie the binoculars from the truck and pointed towards town. “You might want to have a look before you think about leaving today.”
Charlie took them and focused in on the town. “Damn! There are people all over the place.” Charlie said handing them to Jermaine.
“Not just people, have a look over by the old, beat up truck in the back yard.” Jermaine replied.
Charlie looked where Jermaine was point and he could just make out something moving around. “The one with no tires?”
“Yes, that’s the one. Now pan toward the right from there.” Jermaine replied.
Charlie eased his way from the truck over to the right of it. “What the hell?” He eased over toward the parts of the main street that he could see through the houses. “Here, look straight up that third street from the left of the truck.” Charlie said as he handed the binoculars back to Jermaine.
Following Charlie’s directions, he moved to the left and then slowly up the street until he could see Main Street. Lowering the binoculars to his chest Jermaine was silent for a few seconds as he tried to gather his thought. “It can’t be.” It was all he could come up with as he looked from Virginia to Charlie waiting for some idea they might have had with what was happening out there.
No one said a word until Charlie broke the silence. “I think this will change our plans a little. We should talk about this with the others.”
“What is that over there?” Virginia asked pointing at the street in front of the farm.
Jermaine zoomed in on the figure walking up the middle of the road with the binoculars. “Looks like a woman. Maybe from the town?”
“Great!” Charlie raced down the stairs, pushing past Jermaine so fast that it knocked him off of balance. The lads caught up to Charlie first at the bottom of the stairs, followed by Jermaine.
Trying to catch his breath he asked, “What was that all about?”
Charlie pointed over at the door. “I wanted to make sure the big door was closed. We don’t know what we’re dealing with out there yet.” Moving over to the RV, Charlie banged on the side several times and shouted. “Anyone awake in there yet?”
“How could anyone still be asleep with you and Jermaine running up and down those metal stairs?” Lori answered from inside as she opened the door.
“Just a lone person coming down the street?” Lori asked.
“As far as we can tell.” Jermaine replied.
“Virginia, I think the lads could use a little exercise.” Lori said to everyone’s surprise.
Charlie shook his head and blocked the way in front of Virginia. “I think Jermaine or I, maybe both of us should go check her out.”
“Then they would know we have two large guys in here who could put up a fight. If they see Virginia coming down the street it might keep the tension to a minimum.” Lori said.
“Until they get to know her and the dogs...they will be wishing that Charlie and I came out to meet them then.” Jermaine said laughing.
Placing her hand on the back of Virginia’s shoulder, Lori led her to the large doors and started unlocking them. “Just take it nice and slow, Virginia. If she looks like me…try not to show any fear or aggression. I can smell that and so will she.” Lori stated.
Chapter 18
Sliding the door open let the sun wash across Virginia’s face, blinding her for a few seconds. Looking back into the shadows, she could feel the others standing there watching her every move. As she started to drag the door closed Lori said, “Leave it open so we can see you from here.”
Virginia smiled into the emptiness and turned to catch up with the dogs. As was the custom, Zeus stayed close by right in front of Virginia while Perseus charged ahead. He didn’t go as far as he would have in the past. Something changed in Perseus the day they found Todd and Tressa by the river. It was warmer than it had been for a while and Virginia liked the feel of it. Her feet sloshed through the melting snow and the sounds of falling water off of the old house and barn were pleasant to listen to. At the street she turned left with the dogs and prepared to confront the stranger. Picking up the pace a little Virginia cradled the crossbow against her chest with an arrow loaded and ready to fire. Zeus was studying the figure walking toward them looking for signs of danger. At twenty feet from the stranger Virginia stopped and looked her over. Gray, coarse skin peaked out from the hoody as the person stopped, facing Virginia. “I haven’t seen too many dogs these days.”
“They are out there, if you look.” Virginia replied.
“Are you alone out here?”
“I have my dogs.” Virginia replied, widening her stance in case she need to fire the arrow.
Throwing the hoody off her head, Meagan stepped forward until both Zeus and Perseus growled. “I don’t mean anyone here any harm. We have to get out of here, this place is no longer safe.”
“Seems pretty safe now.” Virginia replied.
“Ok, Ok. Let’s start over and see how it goes. My Name is Megan and I just left that town over there. You are?”
Virginia looked toward the town and could see people moving around. If she could see them then if anyone happened to look they would see her. “I am Virginia, let’s move up by the house and talk there. Wouldn’t want whatever has you so spooked to see us out here in the middle of the road.”
Megan shook her head in agreement and started to walk when Zeus growled again, rising up. “Zeus and Perseus, lets go.” Virginia commanded and Perseus took the lead with Zeus staying in between Megan and Virginia.
“You’re not afraid of me?” Megan asked leaning up against the house.
“Not really.” Virginia replied as the barn door slid further open and Lori and Walter came out. “I guess not, looks like you have met a few of us already” Megan said.
“Hi, my name is Lori and you have met my sister, Virginia.” Lori walked up, joining them.
“Now I know why you didn’t lose it when you saw me.” Megan said to Virginia. “As I told your sister here, my name is Megan and I just came from that town up the street. We need to get away from here as fast and far as we can.”
“We saw the people in town from one of the barn’s windows.” Lori replied
“I don’t think that you can see the real people from here but you can see people like you and I.” Megan replied.
“Real people?” Lori asked
“Why don’t we all go into the barn where we can sit down and talk where it is a little warmer.” Charlie offered as he came up. Megan sized him up and could tell he was human. “I could sure use a good cup of coffee, if you have it.” Megan replied
“Good idea, Charles,” Lori stated then added. “Why don’t you guys go ahead and Megan and I will be right along.”
Virginia and Charlie looked at each other, trying to figure out what Lori was up to then turned and started walking to the barn. Charlie waved his hands in front of him to let Jermaine know that all was good and they were coming in.
“Come inside, have a cup of coffee and get warmed up. Let’s hear what it is you have to say and then we will decide on what happens next.” Lori said to Megan.
“Like I told your sister, I don’t mean anyone here any harm. I saw the tire tracks and wanted to warn you is all.” Megan replied.
Moving in close to Megan, Lori let the beast lose for just an instant. Just long enough for a growl from deep within her to escape. Megan froze mid step and wanted to run as fast as she could. Never had she seen anyone do what Lori did; to change so quickly into and back out, like blinking her eyes.
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“You see, I know you will do no harm, Megan. What you need to remember is that if I don’t believe what you have to say is true or that you are setting us up in any way….well, it will no go well for you, you understand me?” Lori asked.
Megan shook her head yes and followed Lori into the barn. The smack of the doors closing behind her caused her body to tense and jump.
Charlie began showing Megan the way to the bunker when Lori stepped in front of him. “I think coffee would be good up here where we all have a bit more room to move around. You know how I like mine, Megan?”
“Black is fine, no sugar or cream.” Megan replied.
Confused at staying up in the barn, Charlie rolled his eyes. “Do you have a preference too, as long as I am playing waiter that is?”
Jermaine smiled at him and said, “I think I will come with you and get mine. You’re a little heavy on the sugar.”
Lori led Megan over to a work bench along the wall. From the looks of it she knew that Old Bob had no hand in building it. It looked sturdy enough to do paper work or read the morning paper, not much else. It didn’t have the finished feel that Bob embed into everything he made.
“I am only here to let you know what is going on in town.” Megan stated.
“And what is going on down in town?” Lori prodded Megan.
Megan looked into Lori’s eyes, trying to decide just how far she should go with the story. She was not one hundred percent sure that in the end, Lori wouldn't kill her anyway. “I met a man a while back that helped me understand what I am, what we are. I followed his directions until we came to this place, Clarksville.”
“What is it that you are?” Lori asked.
“I’m not completely sure how I should answer that. I suppose you could say that I, like you ,I am one of the ‘new people;’ a cross between human and the creatures.”
“So you were bitten?”
Meagan looked back her with a ‘no duh,’ look on her face.
“And these ‘new’ people you were with, what is their deal?” Lori said.
“I found out that their plan is to create a new world with people like us. The word I got was they would set up a town on one side of the river for us, and another one across the river for regular people.” Megan continued.
“Then we would all live together like one big happy family?” Lori asked.
“In a way, there would be a cost to the regular people to have safety, to be able to have a life.” Megan replied.
Lori thought for a minute until it dawned on her what Megan was talking about. “You were ok with this plan?” Lori asked.
“Yes…and no. I loved the idea of getting back to some kind of normal. To be honest, I was a little excited when I saw everyone in town, working to clean up and make it a real, live town again.” Megan replied. “Then I saw the people and I knew it was all or most of it was a lie.”
“Tell me about the people.” Lori demanded.
“The Man in Black, the one who found me, who was in charge, he had talked about cattle a lot. How people would be somewhat like cattle in the new world.” Megan cut her reply short, hoping Lori would put two and two together without her having to spell it all out.
“Where are the people? Are they settling in like the rest?” Lori asked.
Ashamed of what she was about to say and a little scared of Lori, Megan tried to change the subject when Charlie and Jermaine returned. “Thank you, I haven’t had a good cup of coffee in a long time.”
“Don’t go expecting it to be good, he made this pot.” Jermaine replied.
“People!” Lori demanded.
“They are all being kept in this old car lot; children in the showroom and all of the rest in the lot.” Megan blurted out.
“We will need to go have a look before we go to Rivers Crossing.” Jermaine looked at Charlie.
“Maybe on the way out of town we can drive through and act like we are looking for supplies.” Charlie replied.
“You can’t go there! You two will stick out like a sore thumb. I can smell you’re human— so they can too.” Megan said.
“What if we stay in the truck and make a slow pass?” Charlie asked.
“I think that would make you stick out even more.” Lori replied. “I will go into town and maybe take Walter with me.”
“I can go with you if you want and take you right to the people.” Megan offered.
Lori looked into Megan’s face for any hint that it was a trap. The smell of fear was heavy on the girl and Lori doubted that it was all fear of her.
Charlie took the last of his coffee and finished it. In truth he had to admit that Jermaine was right about his coffee. It left a lot to be desired in the world of good coffee. “So then Jermaine and I will just stick to our original plan?” Charlie asked.
“You can’t!” Megan stated. “If they see you leaving it will draw them here to us.”
“Then we will leave after dark, head off in the other direction and work our way back over to the highway.” Charlie replied.
“You guys don’t understand, and I don’t know how to tell you so that you will!” Megan yelled looking from face to face.
“Then try as best you can.” Lori said, reaching out placing her hand on top of Megan’s.
“There are other things, other creatures out there. Animals have been touched by the plague. The ones that I saw are huge, hideous looking creatures; kind of a cross between a bear, dog, and some kind of big cat. Then add in something out of a museum of prehistoric animals and you have exactly what it was that I saw.” Megan paused waiting for them to get the picture in their minds. “Then there is something like us but not like us.”
“Two-point-zeros.” Virginia said. “They are like zombies, only smarter and faster?”
“Yes! Yes, that is exactly what they seem to be like. Only, they do not like us, the Man in Black said they see us as humans.”
“If you take the truck one of the lads could ride with you. Run into any problems and you would have a little help.” Virginia added.
“Might make you stick out more.” Jermaine added.
“No, we follow the same route that Megan took to come here.” Lori replied. “You up for a walk, Walter?”
Walter smiled and shook his head yes at the thought of getting away from all the sweet smells that hung, tormenting him, in the barn.
“Ok then, it is decided, Walter, Megan and I will go see what is happening while the rest of you start getting ready to leave. Once we are back we will wait for night and then get as far away from here as we can.” Lori stated.
Chapter 19
Her fingers were beginning to sting and her feet no longer had any feelings in them at all. The nearest person to Zoe had given up all hope and seemed resigned to accepting his fate for what it was. She didn’t recognize his face so that meant that he probably wasn’t from Rivers Crossing. Earlier he had given away his coat and shoes to another person like Zoe that had been dragged out in the middle of the night from a sound sleep. In the first few hours after being herded off the bus into the lot, Zoe had tried to move around as much as possible in hopes of running into Doc and Tressa. Once the cold had settled into her bones she stayed in a spot that looked to her like everyone would eventually walk passed. Now no one was moving around to stay warm, including her. The edge of the lot seemed to offer more hope of escape while the center offered more warmth from all of the body heat. Zoe was somewhere in between there, slowly feeling her body begin to shut down. Her eyes were heavy and fighting off the urge to close them was growing harder when movement cause the crowd to shift like a wave. Screams pierced the air and then the wave surged back to where it had started, followed by silence.
“I have a knife,” said a voice dressed in a pair of shorts and a tattered old tank top. Zoe wondered if he had been dragged from bed like her or if he from a warmer place. In the end she knew it didn’t really matter very much. “That is good for you, Mister.” Zoe forced herself to reply.
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�I will give it to you if you will slit my throat for me.” He stated looking at her through dead eyes.
‘I don’t believe that I can raise my arms up.” Zoe replied.
“Do you want me to slit yours before I find someone to do mine?” he asked.
“No need, I don’t feel like I can hold out much longer.” Zoe replied. “I am going to join my nephews soon.”
The man suddenly fell silent as he thought about his wife and children. Try as he did he could no longer remember their faces. “It will be good to see family again.” He mumbled as he moved back into the crowd.
Zoe forced her legs toward a thicker part of the crowd, moving as near to the center of a group as she could. Feeling the warmth from the others around her, she closed her eyes letting their bodies keep her upright. It wasn’t too long before the crowd began moving again as people on the outside pushed to get into the center. Cries screamed out again from both sides of Zoe. She looked around, trying to see where they were coming from. Like a magnet being pulled to metal, she felt her legs begin to move forward against the flow. Squeezing where she could, pushing and shoving in other places, until they seemed to part for her. The muffled cries behind her grew faint as the ones in front grew more desperate. The further she moved the more desperate the flow was to get passed her. Hands that she could not see grabbed and moved her around them into the more unseen hands until she reached the outside of the crowd on the edge of the lot. Everything and everyone was covered in a blackish red substance that she knew had to be blood. Where was all this blood coming from? Zoe thought to herself as she tried to take everything in before her. People stood just outside of the lot looking in and pointing at the people inside. At least, she thought they were people. Worn down from the cold and exhaustion she couldn’t be completely sure if what she was seeing was really there. Their skin didn’t look normal to her. The urge to move closer grew inside of her because she needed to know. She moved passed a small woman trying desperately to wipe away the blood from someone Zoe assumed had been with her. Gray, different shades of gray wrinkled or cracked, colored skin. Their eyes varied from a black, lifeless, coal-like to the glassy fogged, gray color. A child that she thought she saw had fangs, moved up to the line that separated them from the lot and pointed at her excitedly. Bending down an adult whispered something into the child’s ear and pointed at the woman who had just minutes ago been trying to wash away someone’s remains from her hair. Then motioning toward a man holding some kind of beast, they pointed at the woman and the man nodded his head yes. Kneeling down, he pointed toward the woman so that the beast could see the one he wanted, stood back up and released the chain from the beast’s neck and said something that Zoe couldn’t make out. Slamming to the ground as the beast flew passed her, feeling started to come back in Zoe’s left leg.