by Boye, Kody
Immediately, his foot caught and he began to slide forward.
Shit.
“Steve!” he hissed, pushing his weight back to slow his descent.
“I’m right here,” Steve said, peering down at the balconies. “You go first.”
“Why me?”
“Just do it!”
Dakota jumped and landed on the balcony below with little more than a grunt. Steve, however, wasn’t so lucky. His momentum lost by the sound of the apartment door caving in, he landed on the railing and would’ve went over had Dakota not lunged forward and grabbed his shirt.
“Thanks,” Steve breathed. “That’s twice you saved my ass.”
“You can thank me later,” Dakota whispered, pulling Steve deeper onto the balcony.
“Where’d they go?” one of the men cried.
“Fuck them!” another responded.
Steve reached for the glass door that separated them from the inside of the third-floor apartment.
Dakota swallowed a lump in his throat.
Come on.
The door slid aside under the force of Steve’s hand.
They stepped into the apartment without so much as a gasp.
“That was close,” Steve sighed.
A zombie stepped out of a nearby room. Steve raised his gun.
“No,” Dakota said. He grabbed a statue of Atlas bearing the world on his shoulders from a nearby shelf and slammed it into the creature’s face. Caught off-guard, the zombie stumbled into the wall, leaving its head perfectly open for a second, then third hit. Its skull cracked under the pressure and shards of bone cascaded from its face like rain from freshly-formed clouds when Dakota delivered a second hit into its nose. Not a sound was made throughout the entire ordeal until the zombie fell to the floor, now permanently dead.
“Shit,” Steve said. “You’re a badass, Dakota.”
“I try,” Dakota replied. He slammed the statue into the zombie’s skull one last time, then let it fall to the floor. “What now?”
“We wait,” Steve said. “It’ll be dark soon.”
“You think they’ll try looking for us?”
“I doubt it. For all they know, we’re already long gone.”
After the sun set and their fear escalated to a screaming pitch, they fled the apartment building and made their way down a long stretch of road. Guns drawn, a single flashlight aimed in front of their feet, they made their way around long-dead cars and the occasional piece of debris. Though quiet and without a sound, the night offered no solace for Dakota’s troubled mind.
“Where do we head from here?” Dakota asked, grimacing as he heard something rustle in the tree overhead.
“No clue,” Steve sighed. He straightened his posture and ran a hand through his hair, grimacing as his fingers crested the curve of his skull.
“Something wrong?”
“I’ve got a headache. That’s all.”
“You want some Tylenol?”
“Not now. Maybe later, after we figure out where we’re going.”
“Let’s think logically,” Dakota said, resting his gun against his thigh. “What’s on this street?”
“I dunno. Houses, a school, maybe a church.”
“A church?”
“One of those universal ‘Love in Christ’ ones.”
“You think it’s worth trying there?”
“Maybe, but not unless we absolutely have to. I don’t like the idea of going into a church that probably had tons of people in it right before…you know.”
Yeah, Dakota thought. I know.
Televangelists had flooded the airwaves after the CDC announced the true happenings in New York. God, they said, was punishing them for everything they’d done wrong. For the people they killed, for the wars they fought, for the babies that didn’t get to live and the abomination of sin. He’d punished them by opening the doors to Hell, the good men said, and letting all the dead run free. People were easily persuaded when told they were being punished by God. It didn’t matter that the government had confirmed that a virus was bringing the dead back to life; by that time, most of the west coast had fallen and people were scrambling for any sense of faith they could hold on to. Mass suicides swept the nation and the churches filled to bursting. Baptisms rose, confessionals stopped running, and priests were summoned to the front lines, only to be shown that God wouldn’t protect them in their time of need.
People knew it was over when the Pope rose up and took a bite out of one of his priests.
When it finally did end, people were hardly even aware of it.
“Dakota?” Steve asked. “Thinkin’ about something?”
“The church,” he said. “I don’t even want to think about going in there, let alone actually do it.”
“No worries then. We’ll figure out something.”
Shaking his head, Steve tapped Dakota’s shoulder and continued forward, once again hunching his shoulders and aiming his flashlight toward the ground.
Dakota had little choice but to follow.
Their pursuit for shelter eventually led them to an abandoned front porch. Tired, nervous and unsure of their next destination, Dakota settled down with worry in his heart and doubt in his mind, content to have stopped, but afraid of what was to come.
It’ll be ok, he thought, shifting further back into the shadows. Nothing’s going to see us in the dark.
Though he couldn’t necessarily be sure, he consoled himself with the idea that zombies, like people, couldn’t see in the dark.
Dakota leaned back and set his head against the wall, tilting his face up to allow himself a view of the sky. Shrouded behind a veil of cloud, the moon winked at him with its pearly, opalescent eye, taunting him in his moment of doubt. It could easily move at any moment, throwing them to the wolves and the teeth they bore, but he didn’t think that would happen. No, the moon would allow them respite, if only for a moment.
“Steve?” he whispered, reaching for his friend.
A hand grasped around his wrist. Dakota jumped, but managed to withhold his cry of surprise.
“It’s just me,” Steve said.
“You think we should try to get in?” Dakota gasped, still recovering from his sudden scare.
“Maybe. I don’t know.”
“Why wouldn’t we?”
“I’m afraid of breaking the glass on the door. I don’t want to make any noise.”
“What’re we supposed to do then? Wait out here?”
“I already told you, Dakota, I’m not sure. We shot down the church idea, so we either break into a house or see if we can get into the school—which, to be honest, kind of freaks me out. All those kids…” Steve shivered and released his hold on Dakota’s hand to brush his forearms. “Creeps me out.”
“I get what you mean,” Dakota sighed, “but sitting here isn’t helping us any.”
“We haven’t seen any zombies, so I don’t see—”
“Wait.” Dakota held up a hand, concentrating on something he thought he’d just heard.
“What are you—”
“Did you hear that?”
“What?”
“That.” What sounded like footsteps echoed inside the house, as though someone had stepped out of a hall and was making their way toward the front door. “You hear that, or am I just imagining things?”
“I hear it,” Steve said, propping himself up on one knee.
“You think it’s a zombie?”
“I don’t know.” Dakota saw Steve fingering the safety on his pistol in the faint glimmer of moonlight that shined through the screens on the porch. He seemed tense, pressed into a situation where he might have to reveal their location in order to protect them. “Look through the window. See if you can see anything.”
“What if something sees us?”
“If there’re any zombies, we run. If there are people…” Steve shook his head. “No harm in looking.”
Unless there’s zombies, Dakota thought, but kept his silence. Leani
ng forward, he pressed his face to the glass and braced his hands around his eyes, squinting in the hopes that whatever was moving around inside would reveal itself. “I don’t--” he started, but a flicker of movement crossed the room before Dakota could blink.
The door opened.
Steve raised his gun.
A man stood in the threshold, arms raised and face skewed with surprise. “Hello.”
“Hello,” Steve said, raising an eyebrow. “Are you here alone?”
“No, my wife, she—”
“Are either of you bit?”
“No, we’re not. Do you gentlemen want to come inside?”
“We’d appreciate it,” Dakota said, waiting to see if Steve would make any further comment. When he didn’t, Dakota stepped forward and held his hand out for the man. “Hi. I’m Dakota Travis.”
“My name’s Gerald,” the man said, taking Dakota’s hand. “Please, come inside. This is no place to be out in the cold.”
“Where did you come from?” Gerald asked, setting a pot of warm coffee in front of them.
“The Domino Apartments,” Steve said, nodding his approval as he poured both himself and Dakota a cup of coffee. “We’d still be there if it weren’t for that gang.”
“Gang?”
“You know, the guys in the red truck.”
“Oh,” Gerald nodded. “Them.”
“You’ve seen them?” Dakota asked.
“Yes. They’ve been tearing through the streets here the past couple of nights. I can’t say I hate them, seeing as how they’ve been killing the corpses, but I can’t say I like them either.”
“How come?”
“They took someone hostage. I heard the guy yelling something about not having any food or money right before they pulled him out of the house. Used to be a neighbor. Not anymore.”
Steve sipped his coffee, brown eyes watching the older, greying man across from them. Dakota watched them for a brief moment, but was distracted by the sight of a woman ducking back into what appeared to be a bedroom. “Sir?” Dakota said. “Was that your wife?”
“That’s Elise all right.”
“Is something the matter?” Steve asked.
“She’s a bit…troubled, to be honest.”
“How so?”
“It’s not my place to say, Mr. Earnest, especially since it’s my wife’s business, but I’ll be honest, she’s a bit wrecked over the current circumstances. I’m surprised she’s out of her room, let alone taking the time to see whom I’ve let into the house.”
“We’re ok to stay here, though,” Dakota asked. “Right?”
“You’re both fine. I have no intentions of kicking either of you out, but you’re forewarned, she’s of the opinion that God’s taken it upon himself to punish us for what we’ve done.”
Judgment Day.
Dakota shivered. He picked up his coffee and sipped it, but knew his gesture was not unseen. Steve’s wandering eyes made that more than clear.
“Is there something I should be aware of?” Gerald frowned, leaning back in his seat.
“Nothing of particular worry,” Steve said, once again glancing at Dakota. “At least, I don’t think there is.”
“It’s nothing that would be mentioned for any reason whatsoever, at least not intentionally.”
“Neither of you are bit,” Gerald said. “Right?”
“No,” Steve said. “It’s nothing like that at all. I think Dakota’s more so referring to the fact that he’s—”
“Gay,” Dakota finished. As he’d expected, Gerald said nothing. However, unlike what he’d initially anticipated, the man didn’t show any overt shock either. “That’s not going to be a problem, is it?”
“Not unless you say something, no, I don’t believe so. Elise is fundamentalist, yes, but I don’t think she’d go out of her way to start something.”
“Can never trust that,” Steve mumbled. Dakota merely shrugged.
“Anyhow,” Gerald said, rising. “I trust you gentlemen must be hungry, given your circumstances. Would you like something to eat? I’ve just made Elise and I some popcorn, though I can’t guarantee it’ll taste very good.”
“Popcorn’s good,” Dakota said. “Right, Steve?”
“Definitely,” Steve agreed.
Smiling, Gerald nodded and left the room, disappearing into what Dakota assumed was the kitchen. When he was sure Gerald wouldn’t return within a short amount of time, Dakota leaned forward and offered Steve the worst glare he could muster. “What?” Steve asked.
“What the hell was that all about?”
“If the woman’s a nutter, it’s better he knows you’re gay than if he doesn’t. I was testing him out.”
“You know how people are in these parts,” Dakota growled. “Goddammit, Steve, if there was one stupid thing you could’ve done, it would be this.”
“Don’t start ratting on me. At least I got us somewhere safe.”
“You?”
“I was the one who decided to go down this street.”
“That doesn’t matter! And it doesn’t mean we’re safe eith—”
“Sorry for taking so long,” Gerald said, stepping into the room with the bowl of popcorn. “Here you go, gentlemen.”
“Thanks,” Dakota said. He took a handful of popcorn, stuck it into his mouth, then sighed. He chewed what was in his mouth before looking back at Steve.
Steve reached over to slap Dakota’s arm. “Hey, bud, it’s cool.”
Shrugging, Gerald set the bowl of popcorn before them and reseated himself. After leaning forward and taking a handful of popcorn for himself, he set his hands between his knees and watched both Dakota and Steve with unsure eyes. “Where do you plan on heading now that your apartment’s been taken over?”
“No idea,” Steve said. “We’ve been holed up there since the beginning. Now that we don’t have it…”
“It’s like we’re lost,” Dakota finished. When Steve nodded, Dakota leaned back and closed his eyes. He sat there a moment, waiting to see if someone would reply. When no one did, he opened his eyes. “I guess the only thing we can do is wait and see what happens,” he said.
“All anyone can do nowadays,” Gerald agreed.
All anyone can do, Dakota thought, closing his eyes. All anyone can do.
Later, after the night began to wane and Dakota and Steve were just ready to go to bed, Elise joined them. Garbed in a nightgown and with her hair pulled back into a knot, she seated herself beside Gerald and set her hands in her lap, watching them with calm, almost-calculating eyes. At first, Dakota merely thought that she was interested in what they were doing, as they’d both gotten down to arrange their bedding. After a while though, he soon began to realize that her attention to them wasn’t purely casual and nonchalant.
“Hello,” Dakota said, hoping to break her unnerving gaze. He smoothed out the corner of a blanket and smiled, praying the added gesture would help.
“Hello,” the woman replied.
“Thank you for letting us stay in your house, ma’am,” Steve said. “It’s much appreciated.”
“There’s no need to thank me. I’m not the one who let you in.”
I’m not the one who let you in? Dakota thought. What the hell is that supposed to mean?
The thought racing in his mind, he shuddered, brushing his arms to fake what most would consider a chill. “Anyone else feel that?” he laughed. When no one replied, he bowed his head and looked at Steve, who offered him an ‘I know what you mean’ look.
“Would you like extra blankets?” Gerald asked, rising. “I can get you another if you like.”
“That’s all right,” Dakota said.
“Thank you, though,” Steve added. “We’ll be fine. It’s not like we’ll need more than one blanket.”
“That wouldn’t be expected,” Elise smiled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Dakota grimaced. He would have bit his lip were he not afraid of drawing blood.
&nb
sp; “It means exactly what it means,” the woman continued, a smile cresting her lips. “Sinners such as yourself have no need for modesty, not when you flaunt it so openly.”
“Sinning?” Steve asked. “What the hell are you talking about lady?”
“And the lord said, ‘Do unto others what would be done unto you,’” she laughed, raising her hands as she rose from her seat. “Do unto others? Do unto others? What shall be done unto us, you godforsaken heathen, when the world is wrought with queers such as you? What will happen when you have tainted all there is to taint and there are no men left to populate the world with the sons of Adam?”
“Elise,” Gerald warned, standing. “That’s enough.”
“Your forbidden desires and your lust of the flesh was what brought these creatures unto us!” the woman cried. “You did it! YOU did it!”
“We didn’t do anything!” Dakota cried.
“Oh, boy, you did. You know exactly what you’ve done.”
“Lady, I haven’t done anything! I’m still a virgin!”
“So says the boy who comes into our home with a man.”
“That is more than enough,” Gerald said, taking Elise by the arm. “I won’t have this, especially not after everything we’ve gone through.”
Elise stopped moving. Her muscles, tense from her husband’s initial touch, relaxed, while her lips curled in horror as though Gerald had delivered her last penance. It took a moment for the shock in her eyes and the horror from her face to clear, but when it did, what replaced it was so much worse than anything the dead could have summoned.
“So,” she said, after a moment’s hesitation. “You’ve sided with the heathens.”
“I never said that.”
“I always knew that was wrong with you, Gerald. I saw you.”
“Saw me what?”
“I saw you looking at other men.”
The hair on Dakota’s arms stood on end and the weight in his heart increased tenfold. A pendulum dropping upon his head, it sliced any calm rationale within his mind and let it fall into two pieces. At his side, Steve stood silent, though his hand strayed to the holster at his side. Please don’t, he thought, ready to lash out and tackle his friend to the ground at any moment.