Plentiful Poison

by Lybeck, Kyle

  Now it was Caroline’s turn to laugh, remembering the incident when she was eight. She still had the dog back at home, missing its left eye after years of playing and practicing Kung Fu moves, in whatever may be left of their home now.

  “Or that one time you dropped your ice cream cone on the ground, he scooped it up for himself and gave you his. The best five-second rule he ever pulled.”

  Their embrace was softening at the heartwarming memories of Will. More stories were shared until Ben awoke from his nap, stretching and yawning.

  “What are you guys doing?”

  “Nothing, sweetheart. You hungry?”

  Nodding, Ben sat up, rubbing his stomach. Hopping off the bed and walking to the bathroom, Abby left the other bed to open the cans of food and warm them in the microwave. Pulling paper plates and plastic silverware from the cupboard, she began dividing on each plate the food to warm up.

  Minutes later they were gathering around the table, watching the sun set outside of their room along the horizon. Activity outside was continuing to be eerily calm, giving Abby confidence that they would be okay through the night.

  After their meal, they brought out a deck of cards to play Go Fish. Ben ended up winning the best of five hands, garnering him the last chocolate chip cookie of their stash.

  Cozying back up on the beds, Caroline turned the TV back on, watching reruns of more sitcoms before being the second to fade off into dreamland. Ben had already fallen asleep again, curled up with two pillows this time, snoring away.

  Turning the room light on low, Abby carefully took the controller from Caroline’s sleepily weak grip, pressing the off button.

  Watching the kids sleeping soundly for a few minutes was bringing a true smile and relief to her face for the first time in days. Climbing onto the other side of the bed Ben slept on, she went about laying on her side, pillow tucked under her head. Quickly, Abby awoke in another land. A land where she and Will were still together. The sun shone brighter than any day she had known. The food tasting sweeter than anything she had ever devoured. The land quickly disintegrating into a nightmare, awakening her for the first of many times throughout the night. Each time brought relief that both children still slept, yet disappointing in that she couldn’t follow suit.

  Abby laid her head back on the pillow, allowing the snoring of Ben to lull her back to sleep.

  Chapter 19

  Morning Prayer

  The sun was quietly glinting off windows of a neighboring building, reflecting their golden rays into the room of sleeping Baker’s.

  One by one they rose from their sleeping positions, stretching, yawning, and shielding their eyes from the bright morning glare. Caroline was the first to get out of bed, walking over to the curtains and pulling them partly shut to avoid further cornea damage.

  “What do we have for breakfast?” she asked, raising herself up on her toes, stretching towards the ceiling.

  “I’m so hungry!” Ben still lying in the bed, groaning into his pillow.

  “I think there’s some doughnuts and Pop-Tarts from home over by the microwave,” Abby said, pointing towards the counter.

  Jumping off the bed, Ben ran to find out as Caroline was slowly lowering herself from her stretch. Finding the box within one of the plastic shopping bags, he was opening it to retrieve a package of s’mores flavored Pop-Tarts before Caroline’s arms met her sides.

  Caroline then fell in line behind him, finding some powdered sugar cake doughnuts for herself.

  “Mom, you want some?”

  “Sure, I’ll take some of the Pop-Tarts.”

  Removing the remaining two-pack from the box, Caroline was bringing them over to her mom as Ben was eagerly starting his second. The three ate their sugary breakfast delights in silence, enjoying the peace and quiet.

  “So, I had a thought,” Abby spoke up after finishing her toaster pastries. “I think I saw a church near where we turned to go back under the highway coming into town yesterday. I kind of want to go there before we head out of town. Maybe it could give us some luck.”

  “Since when are you religious?” Caroline partly scoffing, taking another bite of doughnut.

  “Back before you kids were born, I actually went quite often. Over the years my faith has waned a little, and your dad and I never wanted to pressure either of you kids into religion. He was never really accepting of it anyways, so that made it a little easier too.”

  “Huh, I had no idea. I guess you do wear the cross necklace all the time,” Caroline said, pointing to the gold chain around Abby’s neck.

  Putting the cross between her left index finger and thumb, she was caressing it slightly and smiling, not really understanding why anymore.

  “Are you two okay with that then?”

  “Sure mom, whatever you think will help us. Right, Ben?”

  Ben was nodding and taking another bite of his Pop-Tart.

  “There’s also a little convenience store right down the street too, we can grab some snacks and drinks before we head too far out of town.”

  “Ice cold chocolate milk sounds delicious,” Ben said, licking his lips, wishing he already had some to drink.

  “Well, when you guys are ready, we can head out then. Also, let’s put those painter suits on just in case.” Abby said, starting to gather up her things back into her suitcase. Before long, she was stepping into one of the painter suits and zipping up the front. Finishing their breakfast, the kids did the same.

  Double checking the room to make sure they hadn’t left anything behind, the trio left their comfortable room behind them. Heading towards the elevators, the crinkling of the suits reverberating down the hallway around them.

  The shaky ride back down to the first floor over with, Abby took their room key back to the receptionist, fully checking them out. Signing the confirmation of payment and thanking the woman again, Abby was then heading towards the front doors. The kids each waved as well, wishing the woman a good day.

  Behind them the woman stood, watching them leave the entrance. As the sliding doors finished closing, she was already picking up her cell phone from behind the counter, pressing in her password to unlock the phone. In her contacts, she chose the most recent and began placing through a call.

  “Yeah, what?”

  “They just left.”

  “Shit yeah, it’s about time.” The man’s voice ending abruptly with the phone beeping in her ear, was signaling the end of the call. Placing the phone back behind the counter, the woman still watching the family as they were pulling the Honda out of the parking spot and heading towards the entrance leading back out to Vista Drive.

  Not one minute later, Abby was already stopping the car in the parking lot of the Maverik convenience store.

  “Mom, we could have just walked.”

  “Safer to have the car, honey,” she said to Caroline.

  Exiting the car and walking inside, they found the store lit up, but no cashier around running it. Ben ran to the back wall cooler where the milk was located. Caroline was already walking behind the counter, snagging two plastic bags to put items in.

  “Really?”

  “Mom, it’s not like anyone is here. They’re probably long gone by now,” she said handing one of the bags to Abby. Grabbing bags of cookies and chips off the shelves, placing them in her bag, she was already walking back behind the counter to take a few more bags. Walking to the back and handing one to her brother, she was pointing to the drinks behind the refrigerated doors.

  “Here, fill ‘er up with all the chocolate milk you want. We’ll get some more ice for the cooler so you can keep it cold.” Smiling, Ben took the bag and began to fill it with plastic bottles.

  “Find anything good, mom?”

  “Yeah, some canned stuff again. Should work well for a few dinners. Grabbed a travel sewing kit too, just for the heck of it. Gum, just because, and a few pens.”

  As Abby was finishing her sentence, the rumbling of vehicles could be heard, even through the c
losed pulsh doors up front. The kids tried to walk towards the front as she herself took a few steps.

  “No, stay back,” she said, holding out a hand as a barrier they should not cross.

  The kids were already hunkering against the back cooler wall, while Abby was reaching the front doors and looking out. On the opposite side of the parking lot from the Honda, two trucks sat, engines still rumbling. Squinting against the morning sunshine, she could make out individuals in all front seats, their faces covered with black masks or cloths, she couldn’t quite make out which.

  As she met their stares while she was continuing her own, an object flew from the back of the left truck, moments later impacting the door in front of her face. Jumping backwards into a rack of sunglasses, Abby stood, watching the red liquid streak down the door towards the ground.

  “What the hell,” she said to herself, scrambling to stand. Behind her both kids were screaming, but smartly remaining put.

  “Wahahoo that was close, bitch!” A voice emanating from one of the trucks.

  Must have one of those megaphones under the hood or something, Abby thought.

  “Why don’t you get that sweet little ass out here so we can have some play time!”

  “Mom, what is going on?”

  “I don’t know yet, Caroline. But we need to think fast so we can get to the car and get the hell out of here.”

  From the small of her back, Abby’s fingers confirming that the 9mm was safely in the holster, touching the wood grip.

  “Come on out, we don’t bite!” Raucous laughter could be heard coming from the trucks, as the roaring engines were turned off.

  From the left truck, the passenger opened his door and stood up, leaning over the door with his left arm on the roof. Painted on the side, Abby could make out the familiar A of anarchist groups. A voice deep and raspy from years of too much smoking was then calling out.

  “We don’t want to turn you into one of those things we killed down in McCammon! I hear this blood is some nasty fucking shit. We’ve been damn careful with it though, I’ll say that much! But if you don’t come out and play nice, we may have to use some of it on you and just take the kids instead.”

  How the hell did he know about the kids?

  “That bitch,” Abby said softly, thinking back to the woman at the hotel. “That stupid, lowlife fucking bitch.” Rarely one for profanities, she was hoping the kids hadn’t heard. Looking back at them it seemed as if they hadn’t.

  Caroline had pulled her swords from the sheath she continued carrying on her back, holding them at the ready. Giving her mom a nod, Abby looked back out front. The man had stepped down and sat back in the truck. Motioning for the kids to join her near the front, Abby slowly crouching down.

  “Okay, Caroline you take the keys. I’m going to rush out first and take some shots at them while you guys run to the car. Get in and I’ll be right behind you. Put the key in the ignition for me, got it?”

  Caroline slid one of her swords back in the sheath, wrapping her right hand around the keys from her mom, left hand around the remaining sword. Handing her bags to Ben for him to bring left her that more mobile to fight if needed. The last thing she wanted was for the stop to be without purpose, especially for Ben’s milk. Nothing was going to be left behind from their haul.

  “And whatever you do, don’t touch the door on the other side.” The blood, turning darker against the glass, a reminder that they weren’t out of the woods by any means.

  “Okay, on three. One, two, three!”

  Rushing the door, Abby pushing it outwards, aiming the pistol at the men. Taking two shots at each truck, the kids ran to the Honda as instructed. Quickly following, pistol still in hand, Abby hurriedly opening her door as the kids were closing theirs and sat down.

  Turning the key, the engine came to life and Abby threw the car into drive. Behind them, the trucks had already roared to life and were gaining on them. The back windshield incurring a splat as a blood filled water balloon exploded, covering her rearview advantage of the trucks.

  “Mom what are we going to do!”

  “Quick, get on your phone and find us the quickest route to that church.”

  “Okay, okay. Where was it again?”

  “Over where we got off the highway.”

  Caroline’s fingers flew on the cell phone.

  “Got it! Keep going on East Center Street. That’ll turn into East Clark Street, then it will be just on the right a few streets down.”

  “Mom are those men going to get us?” Ben nervously asking from the back seat, cowering against the cooler next to him.

  “No honey, I’m going to make sure we’re safe in the church. They wouldn’t come after us there, at least I hope not.”

  Punching the gas as the road curved left, Abby strongly gripping the steering wheel to keep them on all four wheels. Ahead she could see the cross of the church, behind the trucks had lost a slight bit of ground in her side mirror. Screeching the tires upon entering the parking lot and slamming the car into park, she took out the keys, vacating along with the kids.

  Running to the front door, the trucks were pulling onto the street in front of the church and slamming on their own brakes. Closing the door quickly behind them, she found her and the kids to be safely inside, just as a balloon of blood was loudly splattering itself into the door.

  “Shit fuck!” A man’s voice screaming from one of the trucks.

  “Why have you come here?” A woman’s voice spoke from behind the family, each jumping and turning their heads fast enough to cause momentary blurred vision.

  Now in front of them, they were encountering a group of twenty women standing before them.

  “Please let us stay here, there’s men outside trying to infect us with rager blood.”

  “We don’t need any trouble from outsiders.” The lead woman said, then took a look towards Ben. “But you do have a young boy with you that needs protecting. Come with us, we’ll take you to a back room.”

  “Why would you help us just because of my son?”

  “Because we need men to procreate. If we’re ever going to get back to before this catastrophic event on our way of life, we will need to repopulate. By the looks of it, in a few years he’ll be old enough to help with that.” She said, waving her hand towards the young women around her.

  “Hold on, are you some sort of weird cult? What kind of church is this?”

  The woman laughed. “Not a cult, just forward thinkers.”

  “That’s a little too forward thinking for my liking, I appreciate your willingness to keep us safe, but I think we should be trying to find a way out of here,” Abby said, holding Ben close to her.

  “But we need him,” the woman sternly spoke, walking towards them. “This is going to work out a lot better for everyone if you just cooperate.”

  “Has everyone just gone mad?” Abby leaned forward, practically yelling at the woman. Before the woman could answer, she was turning around and running down the hallway with the kids. In the back was an emergency exit sign illuminated in its green glow. Slamming into the handle and pushing the door, they were instantly rushing out into the warmth.

  Running around the building, the Honda was now visible in their path.

  “Quick you guys, get in the car, let’s go.”

  As they were approaching the car, the trucks came around the other side of the building, abruptly stopping at the sight of them. The members of the trucks quickly vacating, faces wrapped all in black.

  “Launch those balloons,” the lead man said. From behind him, a burst was heard. Thumping then growling came from the back of the truck, a new rager born.

  Jumping from the truck bed, the man instantly launching himself at the other men, spraying them with blood that was dripping from his face and hands. The men were turning quickly, now a group of the undead set to face the living. Behind the family, the church members had gathered in their own group.

  As the ragers began rushing towards them, A
bby had already been in the process of raising the pistol and got off three well placed shots in no time. The men dropped to the ground safely away from them. To her horror, the church members had rushed forward behind her and threw her to the concrete away from them, causing her to lose the grip on the pistol, the women engulfing Ben in the middle of their group.

  “Protect him at all costs!”

  Removing her swords, Caroline began slashing the throats of ragers as they were rushing towards her, diving sideways as she did. The cuts unintentionally gave a spray that covered Ben’s protectors. Around him, the women were collapsing to the ground in violent convulsions.

  On either side of the group, Ben’s remaining family watching on in horror. At his feet, the 9mm lay. Picking it up, Abby intensely screaming at him to run. Caroline was screaming at him to use the pistol as their dad had shown him. In the middle of it all, a young boy was frozen in horror, urine flowing down his left leg to his sock.

  As the growling, blood covered women rose to standing, Ben then quickly snapping out of his catatonic state and raising the pistol with both hands. Pulling the trigger, the gun violently jumping from his hand, found itself rattling away from him on the concrete.

  Abby and Caroline watching on in horror. Each screaming his name as they fell to their knees. They could hear the last screams of Ben, but theirs for him fell silent among the growling of the new ragers, and the breaking of his own bones as they hungrily began ripping him to pieces.

  Part 3

  …But you can’t hide

  Chapter 20

  The Clutches of Hell

  “Mom, we have to go!” Caroline yelled, regaining her standing position.

  Abby continued kneeling, watching as the women ferociously tore her son to pieces. Chunks of his flesh now satiating them, as his blood was warmly flowing down their necks.

  Running to her mother, Caroline grabbed her arm and pulled.

  “Mom, goddammit, we have to get to the car!”

  Slowly, Abby raised her tear-filled eyes to meet Caroline’s. Turning back to the women, she still couldn’t believe what was occurring in front of her.