by Volante, KT
The kids only had the clothes they wore. I had some shorts and T-shirts they could wear while I washed their clothes.
* * *
“Supper’s ready.”
The kids charged the table. The two men walked in behind the kids. I served supper.
We ate mostly in silence, being too emotionally and physically tired from the day’s events to say much.
“I think the electricity will go out sooner or later,” I finally said. “Once the fresh food is gone, it will be canned food. I think we’re okay with food for at least one week, and I hope this will be over by then.
“I have flashlights and candles. Let’s use the flashlights sparingly to save the batteries.
“I cooked. Who is cleaning up?” I looked at the men.
Harrison volunteered.
“Kids, let’s go upstairs. I want to wash your cloths. I have T-shirts and shorts you can wear. We should have done this earlier.”
The kids loved my T-shirts and shorts. After I had everyone’s clothes in the washer, Lucy helped me look for candles, matches, flashlights, and batteries. Like most flashlights, they held dead batteries, but we found a supply of fresh ones.
* * *
We went back to the television. Most of the national broadcasting stations were off the air. I did find a British news station. The announcer looked tired and scared. His hair was uncombed and he wore no makeup.
“A virus, definitely not the flu, ripped through the world within the last few days. It starts out with regular flu-like symptoms—body aches, fevers, and chills. The fever rises until it burns out the brain. Then madness and violence take over until the person dies. But they are not really dead; they reanimate. They move as if they are alive, but without a mind or soul. This virus has flipped our world. Many people are now calling this ‘The Flip.’ I pray we live long enough to see it flip back. This will be our last live broadcast. We will keep this on a loop for as long as we can. May God have pity on our souls.”
No one could say a word. The broadcast continued, but we were too stunned to comprehend any more. This wasn’t temporary. I turned the television off. We all looked at each other as our stunned silence filled the room. The kids drifted off to sleep, and slowly, so did I.
I was woken by someone nudging my shoulder.
“Jeff and I already stood watch,” said Harrison. “It’s your turn. Wake us all in three hours.” Harrison turned and walked away.
* * *
The next day, the electricity went out. I had a battery-operated radio, but it was also silent. We stayed in the house. We felt so isolated and in the dark about The Flip.
We had hoped it would be short-lived, but now we realized just how wrong we had been. At supper on the sixth day, I announced, “Our supplies are getting low. Tomorrow, we need to go out for supplies and clothes for the kids.”
Chapter Three
Jeremiah cried, “Don’t go! Please don’t go!”
“Harrison is staying with you,” I reassured him. “Jeff and I will be back before supper. We have to get food. We’ll be fine, and you’ll be fine.”
I smiled to reassure him. Lucy and Kevin said nothing. They just looked scared. I gave them all hugs.
A few minutes later, as Jeff and I drove off, I saw Jeremiah in the window, crying. Not how I wanted to remember him.
Jeff drove slowly down the roads, looking for other survivors. All we saw were the infected. Most of them walked slowly. Some turned toward us, but Jeff sped up the car before they could get to us.
I directed Jeff to a chain grocery store. The parking lot was full of cars. We looked at each other.
“Do you think they’re inside—the infected?” Jeff asked.
“Hell, yes! Too many cars are parked here. They have to be in there. Do you want to try it?” I asked.
“No, too many of them, and not enough of us. What else is around?”
“There’s a smaller grocery store in town, but it’s in the middle of downtown.”
“Let’s try,” he said.
I gave him directions, but as we expected, those things were on the main streets. We stayed on the side streets. I pointed to an alley where the grocery store’s loading docks were.
Jeff parked the car as close to the door as possible. We didn’t want to walk more than we had to. Since the infected hadn’t turned the doorknob at home, we didn’t think they could open a car door. So I wasn’t worried they would get into the car.
We entered the store’s back door slowly. I grabbed two carts and passed one to Jeff.
“We’ll split up so we can get what we need and get out as fast as we can,” I said.
Without electricity, the freezers and refrigerators smelled of rotting food that turned my stomach. Note to self: Next time we go into a food store, wear a mask. It was dark; only the daylight through the windows provided light. I heard noises and stopped; I knew Jeff was on the other side of the store. I didn’t hear gunfire, or shouts; maybe it was just mice?
I looked up to see a man in front of me. His gun aimed at my chest. I raised my gun.
Neither of us talked or moved.
“I’m just getting supplies; then I’m out of here. Don’t mean you any harm,” he said as he backed up slowly. He was a tough-looking man, someone who had been a badass before The Flip. Then he went into the pharmacy section. He kept an eye on me, and I kept an eye on him.
“Just need some medicine for a sick kid.”
I stepped back. “You have an infected kid?”
“No! No, she fell; scraped up her leg pretty badly. I think it’s infected. No, not the virus infection; the leg is infected.”
“Does she have a fever?”
“I said it isn’t the virus! Her leg is infected,” he said, pissed.
“People get fevers from leg infections also,” I added.
“Right. I just need medicine for her; then I’ll go.”
I drew a deep breath. “Where is she?”
He looked at me in a non-trusting way. I didn’t blame him. I sighed and holstered my gun.
“I can help. Does she have any allergies to medicines? Is her leg red, any strikes, any pus?”
“What are you, a nurse?” he asked.
“Something like that,” I added.
Jeff heard us talking and ran to me.
“Lacey, you okay?”
“Yup. This guy has a kid with an infected leg. It may need antibiotics.”
“Hey, I just want medicine and I’m gone.”
“Shut up,” said Jeff. “We’re doctors; if she’s really sick, she’ll need more than iodine and Band-Aids.”
The man just stared at us. That’s our Jeff—he gets right to the heart of the matter.
Jeff went to the pharmacy section and found some medication. I took our carts outside and started to load the SUV. I noticed a few infected on the main street, but they didn’t see or hear me.
I went back to Jeff. He was carrying a bag of medical supplies.
“The kid and a woman—Brittany—are in the van,” he told me. “I’ll check the kid out. You stand watch.”
“No,” I said. “I’m getting more supplies. Let the woman stand watch.”
Jeff nodded. I came out of the store for a second time. I heard a child wail. Guess she needed more than Band-Aids. I had just finished loading the supplies when I looked up. I ran to the van and banged on it.
“LDs—lots of them. We have to go!”
“Where do you live? Do you have clean water?” Jeff asked the man.
“Here—we live in the van. We move when those things get too close.”
“Lacey, they can’t stay in the van. Can they come with us?”
“Let’s get out of here! Now! Follow me,” I said as I looked at the guy.
Once we were in the SUV, Jeff turned to me. “LDs?” he asked.
“My name for those things—LD: Living Dead.”
He shook his head. “As good a name as any, I guess.”
“We need to mak
e one more stop. There’s a large gas station on Interstate 5. Besides gas, I want to check out the convenience store for clothing. There wasn’t much at the grocery store, and the kids need clothing badly. Pull over and we can tell that guy.”
“His name is Sid.”
Jeff pulled up next to Sid and told him our plan.
Sid turned white. “Bad plan! Really bad plan. There have to be other places you can go.”
“If you know of any, we’ll go there, but we need clothes,” I said.
I heard the woman tell Sid not to go. There was panic in her voice. But we needed these supplies, and we needed them now.
“No, I don’t know of anywhere else,” said Sid in a quiet voice.
“Listen,” said Jeff. “Lacey and I will go in. You stay in the van.”
Sid nodded. We pulled into the gas station.
Despite what we had agreed upon, Sid got out of his van. He wore a flannel shirt with a sweat and blood-stained T-shirt under it. Sid was tall and slender. He had a bushy goatee. The woman looked tired. She stayed in the van with the child. I thought I saw tears run down her face.
* * *
The store was very small. The door hung off its hinges. We were not the first people who had been there. Jeff and I yelled at the doorway and waited. Nothing. So we went in. We grabbed all the clothing. We dumped the clothes in the SUV and went back in. There wasn’t much in the way of drinks and food, but what was left we took. Sid and Jeff used a hand siphon to get the gasoline. Once the tanks were full, we quickly left for home.
* * *
Harrison and the kids came outside when they saw the van.
“Who are they?” Harrison asked me as soon as I got out of the vehicle.
“Met them in the store. The kid hurt her leg; it’s infected. Jeff is treating it. LDs came toward us, so we left. We have some supplies and will need to do another run in a few days.”
“LDs?” he asked.
I smiled. Didn’t I just have this conversation? After I explained, Harrison just laughed. That is how those things got the name LDs.
* * *
Jeff dried his hands as he walked up to us.
“The kid, Alice, will be okay. Her leg is infected but should respond to the antibiotics. The guy is Sid. He met Alice, her mom Joy, and Brittany when this all started. Joy didn’t make it. They’ve been living in the van. Staying in parking lots, raiding gas station stores. None of them live around here. Alice will need at least a week of rest and antibiotics. We can watch them; if it works out, we should ask them to stay.”
“More people, more mouths to feed,” I said with a smile. “And to do the work, and keep everyone safe. I’m okay with it.”
I looked at Harrison.
“Lacey, you said it; safety in numbers. Our numbers may increase by three.”
“Agreed, as long as they are willing to help—no freeloaders. All agree?” I asked.
Both nodded.
* * *
After a little while, our group’s new members all came downstairs to join the rest of us. Sid and Brittany helped Alice to the sofa. Lucy was thrilled to have another girl to play with and immediately started talking to her.
“Brittany, would you help me get supper going?” I asked.
“Sure,” she replied. She patted Alice’s arm and followed me into the kitchen.
“Thank you. Thank you for everything. I thought she was going to die out there,” said Brittany in a soft voice once we were alone.
Her eyes showed the pain and confusion this crisis had created.
Brittany was tall and chubby. Maybe chubby wasn’t the right word; full-figured would be better. At one time, I could tell her blonde hair had been styled to perfection. Now, with a lack of water and a safe place to wash, she looked like the rest of us, in need of a long shower.
“How did the three of you meet?” I asked her as we made supper.
“Alice’s mother Joy told me she and her husband were on vacation and going to have breakfast downtown. They were walking to the café when they saw people screaming and running away. At first they thought it was a riot, but then they saw them—those things. They turned to run also when Alice fell and got trampled. When those things got close, Alice’s father fought them off, giving Joy time to pick up Alice and get away. Joy never saw her husband again. I saw Joy struggling to carry Alice. I just helped her.
“I thought it was a riot also, but those things were so scary-looking. Definitely not normal. And fast! I didn’t think we were going to get away. People tripped and those things attacked. I guess that’s how we got away.” Hatred was in Brittany’s voice as she continued. “We were so tired. We stopped to catch our breath when Sid saw us. He saw that Alice was hurt. He got us into his van and drove away. We’ve stayed at truck stops. A few days later, Joy went into a store to get food. Next thing we heard was yelling. As she ran out of the store, she was attacked. Thank God Alice didn’t see it! Then more came out of the store. We drove off. Joy was dead and we didn’t want to join her. The three of us have been together ever since.”
Tears were in her eyes. I put my arm around her. Then I realized this was our new life. Living day to day in fear.
* * *
Our little group had grown by three. We went through our food at a faster rate. As a result, we needed to venture out more often.
“We’re low on supplies again,” I said. “We need to make a supply run. Harrison and I will go on this run. We’ll leave tomorrow morning. This time I want to venture farther—out to the more rural areas.”
“Why? Rural areas mean fewer and smaller stores—most likely all tapped out,” said Sid. “Stick to the bigger towns.”
“Bigger towns and cities mean more LDs,” I replied. “And with limited ammo, that’s dangerous. The amount of supplies isn’t worth the risk.”
“Okay, so if you go to the rural areas,” Sid argued, “you will need to be out longer, a few days at least. Doesn’t that make things just as dangerous? And you’ll probably find no more supplies than if you stayed closer to home. It’s a no-brainer. Rural areas aren’t worth it.” His words felt like a challenge.
I had quickly learned that Sid was someone you could trust to have your back, and he got things done. But he could also be a pain in the ass.
“Whomever goes, I need more notepads. Lots of them,” Jeff requested.
Sid looked at Jeff. “You writing your memoirs or something?”
“No, just something I’m working on. Something that may help us in the near future.”
Sid gave him a strange look. “Help us? How?”
“I’ve just been observing the LDs since this started. Maybe I can find a weakness we can use against them. I don’t know just yet. I just need more notebooks.”
“Okay, okay, no problem,” replied Sid, holding up his hands.
“I might be saying this out of turn,” said Brittany, looking down and biting her lip, “but maybe we need to think how to make the front of the house more secure. I mean, if they ganged up on us, would the front door and windows keep them out?”
“You live in this area,” said Sid, turning to me. “Does anything come to mind?”
I shook my head. “No.”
I got the telephone book and a few maps of the area and put them on the table. Ben had been into maps. He preferred maps to the Internet and had several great local ones.
A new wave of grief struck me. I became dizzy; only when the kids spoke did I come back to reality. The kids giggled. They thought the maps were wonderful. They looked for their homes and school. We looked for stores.
Chapter Four
The next day, Harrison and I set out in the van. Our plan was to hit as many stores as we could and to keep a lookout for a more suitable place to live. My house was large enough, but as Brittany said, we needed to be safer.
Harrison wanted to go to a hardware store first.
Outside of town was a small locally owned hardware store. It wasn’t far out of town, but we could on
ly get there through town. Harrison drove. I looked at the countryside with new eyes. I no longer looked at the beauty of the landscape—the reason Ben and I had moved here. I looked out for LDs, survivors, or supplies.
As we got closer to town, we saw more LDs. They were everywhere now. Old people, young people, wearing ripped, blood-stained clothes. Some moved faster than others. But all of them came after us. We drove on the sidewalk and over grassy areas to avoid the LDs. We finally got to the store and parked in the back alley. Quietly, we entered the store. As usual, it was dark inside. Slowly, we walked down the aisles. Harrison took a variety of items. Then we heard a noise. Was it someone else or was it LDs? At the end of the aisle stood two people—a woman and a young man—with their guns at the ready. We just stared at each other.
* * *
Maybe it was all the movement in the store or the noise, but whatever it was, the LDs saw us and started to press against the door. The doors were not locked and LDs poured in. All I heard was “Shit!” Panic came over me. I got my gun ready to shoot when Harrison came up behind me and pointed, “Office, upstairs! Let’s go!”
The others followed us. We ran to the stairs. The last person was the young guy. He knocked over everything he could to slow down the LDs. We reached the office and locked the door. We all had our guns out and drawn.
“We’re here for supplies,” I told the others. “We didn’t know you were here. We mean you no harm. I’m going to holster my gun.”
They watched me. Then all the guns returned to their holsters.
“Wait! Where’s Mother?” asked the young guy.
His mother, I thought. I didn’t see an older woman, but things happened pretty quickly down there. He walked to the window that overlooked the store.
“I don’t see her! Damn,” he said.
“Maybe she went outside?” said the woman.
“No, she wouldn’t; she couldn’t.” He dropped his head.