The Feral Children [A Zombie Road Tale] Box Set | Books 1-3

by Simpson, David A.

  Confusion ran through the children and Swan knocked an arrow as Harper ushered the triplets away. They had to be ready if Murray was wrong, if it was the infection. They would have to put him down quick. They waited, weapons at the ready and fear in their hearts but after several tense minutes, Teddy remained where he lay. It wasn’t the virus and they all felt relief. They couldn’t imagine having their companions turn on them.

  Gordon tried to look as shocked and upset as the other children. It wasn’t hard, he was good at pretending and he actually was surprised. The giraffe was supposed to be the one lying dead on the ground. It was a useless animal and she spent entirely too much time with it. Besides, if Harper had a broken heart then he would have been there to offer comfort. His plan hadn’t worked as expected but that was okay, maybe it was better this way. Without their beast of burden to drag logs for them, they would have to work that much harder and longer to get wood. Something they wouldn’t have to do if they left this place and went somewhere civilized.

  The Dangerous Plants of the Midwest book hidden in his room had given him the idea. It had been one of the thousands in the Piedmont House library and he’d secreted it away when he’d been thinking about poisoning Cody. There was nothing deadly enough that he could find to get rid of Mr. High and Mighty but there were other ways to get rid of someone. Better ways. Make everyone think he was incompetent and then take his kingdom away.

  He’d mixed a double handful of chokecherry leaves with the fresh alfalfa he left in Bert’s feed trough. Highly toxic to animals and growing wild in the woods of the park it was easy enough to make it look like an accident. The stupid buffalo must have followed him and the smell of alfalfa last night when he went by his pen. They didn’t bother locking the grazing animals in anymore, they let them wander freely although most of them went back to their homes every night.

  When Harper called for him, they saw Bert peek his head up down by the river. He ignored her and went back to foraging, looking for anything still green or tender that grew along the shore. At least he was okay and they were starting to think Murray was right. Teddy must have eaten or drank something. Maybe he got into some rat poison or antifreeze somehow.

  Cody stood there, saddened and shocked by the unexplainable death. He felt guilt over the fact that he’d once considered eating Teddy before they discovered that Putnam was deserted. Otis sniffed at the buffalo’s snout and chuffed, backing away. He wondered what disturbed his big friend. Teddy was an old animal, but this didn’t seem like death from old age. This was something different.

  “We need to double check all the sheds and the garage.” Cody said. “Make sure they’re still locked up. Maybe he got poisoned from one of them. Do you think he would eat weed killer? Is it sweet to the taste maybe?”

  “Never tried it.” Murray said “but I wouldn’t think so.”

  They all stood and stared, wondering what to do next. They couldn’t just leave him lay there. Swan squatted by the deceased animal, the wolves taking position on either side of her as she caressed the shaggy head and hummed a melody that only she knew the words to. She asked for the Earth to reclaim him and for his spirit to move on, unburdened and at peace. Cody pondered the situation. Teddy was gone, there was no bringing him back. The meat would go a long way to feeding the carnivores, but Otis had already sensed something wrong, something tainted so they had to get rid of the carcass. They had no way to move him, he was simply too big and heavy. He groaned inwardly at the thought of digging a hole big and deep enough for him.

  When she finished her ceremony, she stood with the rest of them for a few moments in silent farewell. He had been a gentle giant who had been an immense help and had worked tirelessly for hours on end dragging logs for them.

  Harper wiped tears from her eyes and led the triplets away.

  “Come on, guys.” she said. “Let’s check the outbuildings then we’ll gather eggs for breakfast.”

  Swan leaned over, spoke softly to Donny and he nodded his agreement.

  “We’ll take care of Teddy.” she said. “I’ve already committed him back to Mother Earth. He may be contaminated, we can’t risk our animals catching whatever it is.”

  Cody turned to the others. “Let’s check everything, make sure the sheds are secure and make sure none of the others are sick.”

  Thankful for the opportunity to be anywhere else as Swan and Donny began their grisly task, the children hustled off. They’d seen enough death already in their short time on Earth and hoped they wouldn’t find more.

  31

  Trial and Error

  “Cody is going to be so mad.” Clara whispered and tears sprung up in in her eyes.

  The chicken coop resembled a slaughterhouse. At least half of the hens were dead. Butchered and mostly eaten, reduced to a few piles of feathers. Harper had sent them ahead to gather the eggs while she checked the garage and storage sheds. The gate had been standing wide open to the petting zoo area and the foxes were doing what foxes do. They chased them out but the damage was done. They surveyed the carnage and didn’t have any idea what to do.

  “I’m scared.” Landon said, on the verge of breaking down. “Cody told us we had the most important job in the zoo, and everyone was counting on us. I know we latched the gate last night. I know we did. I gave it a shake like he showed us to make sure.”

  “He did, I saw him.” Caleb said nodding in agreement with his cousin. It didn’t matter if he did or not, he was gonna back up Landon regardless.

  “We should hide, Cody might kill us like he did those monsters. Or let Otis eat us.” Landon said wide eyed, his youthful imagination getting the best of him.

  Terrified at the prospect of being eaten by the bear, they were making plans to run away when Harper came up behind them and gasped.

  “What happened guys? How did the foxes get in to the hens?” Cody asked.

  The tribe was seated at the big table and there was a definite shortage of eggs when the twins brought the breakfast platter out.

  “You won’t hurt them will you Cody?” Clara asked, her hands twisting and turning her napkin. “You won’t kill our foxes?”

  She couldn’t meet his eyes or anyone else’s. All three hung their heads in shame and fear, not sure what the punishment would be. She stared at her nervous hands and sniffled.

  “That’s your biggest concern, your pets?” Cody asked sternly and looked around at the others. Some had small smiles of pride and nodded their approval.

  “Yessir.” she whispered. “Please don’t hurt them.”

  Cody let them shift around uncomfortably for moment and kept a frown on his face as they snuck peeks up at him. The chickens were a loss but he didn’t blame the foxes, they were doing what foxes do. They could probably get more chickens, there had to be some still alive at the nearby farms. Like the others, he was touched about their concern for them. They didn’t care if they got punished, they cared about their animals.

  Gordon stood off to the side waiting for Cody to scream at the kids. To explode and really tear them a new one. He’d left the gate open last night when he snagged the armload of Alfalfa. He hadn’t planned on the foxes doing the damage they did but that was just an added bonus. More dead animals. Another failing of Mr. High and Mighty.

  “Nobody is going to hurt your pets.” Cody finally said. “We would never do that. But who left the gate open? Did you forget with all the excitement of the birthday party?”

  Relieved, all three children tried to speak at once. They swore it wasn’t their fault. They’d been careful. Followed the rules. Locked the gate. Double checked it and gave it a shake. It wasn’t their fault.

  Cody listened to their voices running together making excuses and tried to think of a suitable punishment. He believed them, that they thought the gate was closed, but he also believed they must have been in a hurry to get ready for the party and had made a simple mistake. He decided the loss of the chickens would be enough of a reprimand. Every time they ate breakfast, th
ey would see the results of their carelessness. They would see there weren’t enough eggs for everyone, let alone any for the wolf cubs. He let them make their excuses and shed their tears for a few moments and was getting ready to tell them it was over, just don’t let it happen again when they caught him by surprise.

  “Please don’t let Otis eat us!” blurted out Caleb, real fear in his voice.

  Cody looked confused for an instant, then laughed. He crouched down and pulled them all into a hug.

  “Don’t be silly.” he said. “Otis won’t eat you. He loves children. But from now on, I want all three of you to check the gate when you leave. I want a triple check, you understand?”

  They nodded, assured him they’d really, really, really make sure it never happened again.

  “Good. You need to clean up the mess, though. I know it’s gross, but it’s your mess. Dig a hole and bury them.”

  They hung their little heads, relieved at not being eaten by a bear, but still pretty sure they’d latched the gate. Grownups never believed anything a little kid said but it wasn’t so bad. Nobody seemed to be mad at them.

  Gordon silently cursed a blue streak as he waited to load up his plate. He’d expected Cody to lose it with the kids. At least scream at them some. Cause some friction, maybe some lingering hard feelings but it had turned into a hug fest. Hell, the kids were starting to believe that they’d been in a hurry and hadn’t closed it properly. Everybody took tiny little portions of the scrambled eggs but screw that. He was hungry. He took what he normally would and if they didn’t like it, they could kiss his ass.

  He thought about the chokecherry leaves as everyone wolfed down the meal. The ruckus with the buffalo and then the chickens had everyone running behind with their duties. He still had some hidden in a sack under his mattress. Nobody got mad about the dead buffalo. Nobody got mad about the dead chickens. Nobody was fighting and thinking they needed to leave or maybe get a new leader. If anything, the killings had brought them closer together. He needed a new plan and he thought he knew just the thing.

  If he couldn’t turn the others against Cody, he’d turn him against himself. Otis was the key. Cody would tear himself apart if something happened to the bear. In the aftermath, he could get rid of the other animals one at a time. There would be a new death every week until they finally gave up and abandoned this place. They’d never figure it out and after a few of the animals had passed on to the great hunting ground in the sky, they would be glad to leave. They’d be too afraid to stay. He smiled at the thought. Otis loved that nasty canned meat. He’d put the poisonous leaves inside of it, toss it to him then wait. Wait for the bear to die and Cody to fall to pieces. He felt confident, this was the answer that had eluded him and he wondered why he hadn’t thought of it sooner. He ate slowly, ignored the conversation around him and let the others finish and leave to go do their chores for the day. Mr. High and Mighty had him on perimeter duty and that suited him just fine. The bear would be in front of the fireplace hogging all the heat. All it did was sleep, sometimes for days at a time. Hibernation light is what the cripple called it. Whatever. He’d wake up if he smelled the Spam then he could spend the rest of the day checking the fences. No one could blame him for what was about to happen. By the time he’d finished eating he had the house to himself. He hid his grin as he swiped off his plate with his sleeve, set it in the clean pile and practiced his sad face.

  32

  Harper & Cody

  The November wind blowing out of the north ruffled Cody’s hair and tossed it around his face. It was getting long and hung down to his collar. Longer than he’d ever worn it. Like the others, he was starting to look a little wild. Not as much as the twins or Swan or even Vanessa but he was embracing the animal’s nature, becoming more like them. Harper had twisted a few small braids into his hair and adorned them with beads. A small ostrich plume was woven into one of them. It had been a gift from Vanessa. She’d told him it was what a chief should wear.

  Cody and Harper were checking the fish traps in the Mississippi since the twins were making a run outside the fences to look for more chickens. Their polar bears were as tame as horses, almost as fast and about a hundred times deadlier.

  They sat together on the bench overlooking the muddy water and Harper slid in close. She shivered a little from the northern winds and he slipped an arm around her for warmth. They wore their armor whenever they left the house and it made bundling up cumbersome. Winter coats didn’t fit over it very well and it was too restrictive if they strapped the pieces on over heavy jackets. Soon they would all be wearing capes like Swans, she had shown them how practical they were.

  “You didn’t seem too keen on the buffalo robe they said they were going to make.” she said.

  “I dunno, just seems weird, I guess.” Cody shrugged. “I grew up here, saw Teddy every day. Brushed him, fed him, and cleaned up behind him. It just seems wrong somehow.”

  “I think it would be ok. I think he’d be glad you had it.”

  “I know, I heard Swan. We are a part of everything, everything is a part of us”

  “Don’t forget Mother Earth provides.” Harper added, imitating Swans voice. “But seriously, it’s ok Cody. Teddy doesn’t need it anymore. I’m sure he’d be proud to know that after all the years you’ve taken care of him, he could return the favor. It will keep you warm and those monsters can’t bite through it. Besides that, it sets you apart as our leader.”

  Cody balked at the words. He didn’t consider himself a leader, not really. He didn’t want a throne to sit on or for anyone to call him your majesty or anything. He knew what needed to get done and let everybody know. They all had to work together to survive. He thought of himself as part of a team where everyone had input. Murray was much smarter than him and Donny had become a master hunter, providing fresh meat for everyone. Swan was always so confident, even if she was a little weird. Vanessa, the youngest of their core group, had a natural way with the small children. Any of them were just as suited, if not more than him, to lead.

  He snapped back to the moment, missing what Harper had just said. “Huh.”

  “I said, what do you think really happened to everyone? What made them turn into monsters?”

  “I don’t have a clue. Maybe it’s like Swan said and the earth just had enough of our pollution and destruction. Maybe it’s something that a scientist created in a lab and it got loose. Doesn’t really matter at this point. We’re safe in here. It’s secure and off the beaten path so we don’t get too many zombies wandering in. We have each other. Food is easy to come by. I do miss my PlayStation though.” he grinned.

  “Do you think there are more people out there somewhere?” she asked.

  “There has to be. We found Gordon and the little kids came from somewhere, so there’s gotta be pockets of people still alive.”

  “I miss the old world too,” she said “but if it had to end. I’m glad I’m here.”

  “With you.” she added, barely above a whisper.

  He looked at her. They’d just been talking, friend to friend and she was easy to talk to but the way her voice became soft caused something to click and shut his brain down. He was suddenly aware that his arm was around the most incredible girl he’d ever met. She stared into his eyes and all he could think about were her lips, so red and soft and slightly parted. He wondered how they would taste, how they would feel. His heart started slamming into his ribs and he couldn’t think of anything to say. She leaned a little closer and he could feel her warmth, saw the flush in her cheeks and moved a little closer himself. Her eyes were only inches away, their noses almost touching and he breathed in her scent. They stayed that way for a long time, too unsure to move any closer but knowing they didn’t want to move any farther apart.

  “Cody.” she breathed and, on her lips, it was an adoration.

  A confession.

  A declaration.

  He closed the short distance before he lost his nerve and his lips found hers. Soft
and gentle, unsure and hesitant. She rose to meet him, pushed against him brought a hand up to twine in his hair.

  Gentleness became more insistent. Uncertainty fell away and he pulled her close, armor against armor, and his tongue found hers. It was so easy, so natural. All the questions he had about kissing girls, what you did with your nose or did your teeth bash together and did it hurt if you pressed too hard were answered in an instant. None of those things mattered and it was the most wondrous feeling he’d ever had. He could kiss her for hours.

  For days.

  Forever.

  “Get a room, you two.” Gordon said and glared as he stomped by on his long journey around the fence line. “And put a condom on it, last thing we need is another mouth to feed.”

  They pulled apart quickly, plastic armor got entangled and they fumbled to loosen it. Both of their cheeks burned in embarrassment and they looked anywhere but at each other.

  Cody stood quickly, muttered something about checking the traps and practically ran for the river.

  Harper was mortified. It was the first time she’d kissed a boy, a real kiss not a birthday peck on the cheek and Gordon had to ruin it. She kind of understood why Swan didn’t like him now. He didn’t have to be so hateful. She resettled her armor and smoothed her hair. Well, at least she wasn’t cold anymore and a smile crept back across her lips. It had been nice. So nice. She would get him alone again and pick up right where they had left off. Maybe after the Thanksgiving meal, wasn’t there a tradition of kissing under mistletoe? Who said it had to be only at Christmas? She set off to find Murray, he would have a book with pictures of it and he’d know how to find some.

  33

  Busted