Megan sat on the bed first, her head lowered, while Angie sat next to her being sure to keep a respectful distance. “Megan, what is it you’re not telling anyone?”
“I don’t want to say it,” she murmured.
“Megan, please. It might be important.”
Megan didn’t answer for a long time. Angie resisted the urge to ask more questions. They needed any information Megan had sooner rather than later, and there was no telling how much every little second counted. At the same time, though, Angie got the impression that pushing her would only get Megan to clam up permanently.
Finally, Megan murmured something under her breath. Angie politely asked her to speak up.
“I said have you ever wished that you just weren’t here anymore?”
Angie’s brow furrowed in puzzlement. It was an odd question to which Megan should have already known the answer. Everyone wanted to leave Mukwunaguk at some point. Even the lifers would occasionally talk about finding better prospects somewhere else.
Then Angie realized that “here” didn’t mean Mukwunaguk. Megan meant the world in general. Angie immediately believed she knew what Megan was going to say, and she desperately wanted to reach out and hug the girl, to tell her that everything would be okay. Given the current situation, though, that would obviously be a lie.
“Yes,” Angie answered truthfully. “I’ve been there.”
“I was there to kill myself,” Megan said. The words came out breathlessly, as though she had just been running a marathon and this was her final sprint as she crossed the finish line. She sat up a little straighter, looking as though she had just physically removed something from herself that had been pulling her down. “Or maybe I really wasn’t. I suppose I was there to not kill myself. Does that make any sense?”
Angie nodded. She wasn’t completely sure that she did get it. She knew, though, that the only thing that mattered was that the words were meaningful to Megan. They were something she could cling to, something she could use to pull herself back up.
“I had meds,” Megan continued. “I was either going to take them or drown myself. I took them. But…” Now she hesitated again, her brief show of confidence vanishing. “That woman said something to me after I was bit. She said she was glad I had chosen to die, because she could use me. She said I would have purpose in death that I never had in life.”
Megan stopped. Angie didn’t interject anything. This wasn’t exactly the kind of conundrum she’d ever prepared herself to face, trying to tell someone suicidal that the weird burning zombie woman didn’t really mean she was useless.
“I’ve been thinking,” Megan said. “Maybe that’s what made the difference. She was acting like I had chosen to die. But I’d chosen to live. I’d chosen to fight. Maybe that’s why I didn’t become the zombie I was supposed to. Because I’d simply made up my mind not to be.”
Megan looked at Angie as though for approval of her theory. Angie shrugged and said nothing. In truth, it kind of sounded like hooey to her, but who was to say it wasn’t correct? There were a lot of things about this night that had defied basic logic. Angie supposed that if Megan wasn’t right, that she hadn’t just survived by sheer force of will, then the actual answer might as well have been just as, if not more, ridiculous.
“That’s what I didn’t want to say in front of everybody else,” Megan said. “But there’s one more thing, something that woman said that I didn’t really understand. I just think maybe it’s important.”
“What was it?”
“I’m not sure I can remember it all. It’s kind of garbled in my head. I was pretty out of it by that point, remember. It was…it was strange, I guess. Like in the movies where a villain monologues about their plans even though it makes no sense to stop right there and do so. As though the only reason the villain is doing it is that they actually know the audience is there and needs to understand what’s going on. I think… I might not be remembering this right, but I think she even turned around and acted like she was speaking to a bunch of people.”
“And what did she say?” Angie asked.
“I think she said she was doing this for them. She might have called them the Legion. Or maybe the masses. Massive legion. Whatever. She said that if what she did here pleased them then she would only be the first. Her siblings would come.”
Now Angie was really starting to get confused. “I don’t think I understand.”
“She said that if they were pleased, there would be three more stories. That part I remember very clearly. She called what she was doing a story. She said she knew that what she was doing was risky, addressing them directly, but she thought the result would be worth it.”
“Are you sure that’s what she said?” Angie asked. “Because that doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
“I know it doesn’t, and no, I’m not sure. Like I said, I was pretty groggy. But I know what she said next. This I remember clearly. She said the names of her three siblings.”
Megan stopped. It was obvious she didn’t want to continue.
“And?” Angie gently prodded. “What were the names?”
Megan looked her directly in the eye. “War, Famine, and Death.”
Twelve
“Pestilence?” Boris asked. “You’re seriously saying that the woman responsible for this is one of the Four fucking Horsemen of the Apocalypse?”
“I don’t know what I’m saying,” Angie said. She’d left Megan upstairs to sleep on the bed while she came down to talk strategy with the others. She’d wanted to talk to Megan some more, and it seemed obvious to her that Megan wanted to say a few things herself that were on a more personal level. Angie had to admit that she was open to the idea of more between the two of them, but all thoughts of that would have to wait until later. For now, Megan was still not at one hundred percent and she needed her rest, especially if shit was going to hit the fan before the sun rose. And judging from what Sabrina, or rather Pestilence if that was who she really was, had said on the message, there would be at least one more major confrontation. The woman’s predictions hadn’t been one hundred percent accurate, but they were close enough that Angie knew they needed to prepare.
Angie had relayed most of Megan’s information to the others, leaving out the more personal issues Megan had been dealing with. They stood around her now, their eyes wide and looking frantic in the dim glow of their flashlights. Angie certainly couldn’t blame any of them for their disbelief. She herself was having a hard time with this. Somehow, pop culture had prepared her for the possibility of a zombie apocalypse, but not at the behest of one of the Four Horseman. And that wasn’t even the end of the weird details, if the theory developing in Angie’s mind was correct.
“So is this it?” Jasmine asked. “Is this really the end of the world?”
“Not exactly how I expected it,” Rudy said.
“I know,” Kevin said. “It’s like, ‘Come on, make up your mind. Pick a set of zombie rules and stick with it. Pick a post-apocalyptic theme and don’t stray.’”
“Kevin, honey, this is the real world,” Beth said. “Things are usually not as simple as all that.”
“Actually, based on what Megan said, I would almost think he’s on to something,” Boris said. “The zombies are slow sometimes and fast others. Sometimes they shamble, sometimes they dance. They infect others by a bite, like a plague, but they’re obviously magical in nature. And the fact that they only burst into flame when shot in the head, the only way we typically think to kill a zombie, it’s almost like…”
He waved his hand, unable to think of the right term. Angie had it for him.
“It’s like we’re being trolled,” she said. “Like everything about this situation has been specifically designed to screw with us. And if Megan is remembering any of Pestilence’s monologue correctly at all, then I think that’s exactly what’s happening.”
“So this Pestilence, uh, is that really what we’re going to call her from now on?” Rudy asked. Everyone else
shrugged. “This Pestilence is working for someone else. Who?”
“Megan said something about masses or a legion. So demons?” Boris asked. “That would keep with the Biblical aspects here.”
“Except even the Biblical aspects are all messed up,” Kevin said. “I spent my whole childhood in Sunday school, so I should know by now that this doesn’t look anything at all like what the Book of Revelation describes.”
“Whatever force is getting Pestilence to do this, he or she or it or them has to be powerful,” Angie said. “But it’s like they don’t have any direct influence over what’s going on. They can only observe. Almost like Pestilence is putting on a show for them.”
“So you’re saying they could be watching us right now as we have this conversation?” Jasmine asked.
“Could be,” Angie said.
They all stirred nervously. Angie felt the most bizarre urge to turn to the nearest wall, where a camera might have been if this were a movie, and wave cheekily to whatever obscene force might be observing her. But she wasn’t sure she was ready to accept this theory yet. Even with everything else that had been happening, that was just a step too far for her mind to take.
“So what are we going to do about it?” Boris asked.
“If this really is one of the Four Horsemen, and Pestilence really is doing this to please some other force, then there’s a very simple answer,” Angie said.
“And that would be?” Beth asked.
“Make sure this other force isn’t pleased.”
“Oh, is that all?” Kevin asked. “Displease some unknowable group of entities that are paying attention to our exploits right now. Doesn’t sound like that plan could go wrong at all.”
“Hell, it’s not even really a plan,” Beth said.
Kim made a hmpf noise. “And people say I’m the one that has weird delusions.”
“Look, it already seems to be happening,” Angie said. “It’s been happening all night. Pestilence thought she had everything planned out, but we’re not playing by her rules.”
“But how do we know we’re not?” Jasmine asked. “For all we know, us thinking we have some kind of advantage was exactly what she wanted. Whoever she’s trying to please, maybe they enjoy watching us think we can live when some twist later means that we all die. Isn’t that usually how it works in horror movies? The heroes think they won and then, bam, bloodbath?”
“Jasmine, Angie, you know I love you both,” Rudy said. “You’re the closest thing to family I have. But even in the current situation, your talk is starting to sound crazy. This isn’t a horror movie. We’re not going to find some secret way to defeat the villain that comes completely out of left field and doesn’t actually make sense to anyone who thinks about it for too long.”
Angie scratched her head and sheepishly looked away. “Um, actually…”
Rudy sighed. “Of course. That’s what I get for that.”
Boris laughed. “Why do I get the feeling this is going to be really rich?”
“I was thinking about some things Megan said. Um, things I’m not actually supposed to talk about with you guys.” Angie paused, wondering if there was any way she could get around this without discussing Megan’s suicidal plans. If she didn’t want the others to know then she had that right, but one particular detail had stuck out to her, one that had got her mind racing and making connections. Exactly like Rudy had said, it was absolutely ridiculous. Made no sense whatsoever. Yet the seeds had been planted in their story from the very beginning, and she would be stupid to ignore this one, vital coincidence.
“I didn’t turn,” Angie said, holding up her roughly bandaged hand. “Neither did Megan. Johnny did. Everyone else we’ve seen so far did. If I’m right there might even be a few more survivors out there, if they didn’t just get ripped apart or burned to a crisp.”
“Well, are you going to tell us or are you just pausing to make the moment more dramatic?” Kevin asked.
“Just give me a second, will you? So there’s obviously something Megan and I must have in common, yet different enough that she still looked for a while like she was going to turn while I didn’t at all. And there’s only one answer that I can think of. Right before Pestilence attacked her, Megan took some of these.”
Angie pulled out the pill bottle from where she had been keeping it in her pocket for – yes, she had to own up to it – dramatic effect. She’d slipped it away from Megan right as she was falling asleep. Angie knew Megan wouldn’t want anyone here knowing that she’d taken medication, especially not her mother, but there was no avoiding telling at least this much.
Kim audibly gasped, even sounded like she wanted to cry, as though the thought of her daughter on prescription drugs was the worst possible fate. Everyone else, however, looked at the bottle with utter confusion.
“What even is that?” Kevin asked.
“A pill bottle, dummy,” Beth said. “The orange color didn’t give it away?”
“Well duh, but what’s in it?”
“It’s a depression medication,” Angie said. “A very specific kind. And I take exactly the same one.”
“You’re serious?” Boris asked. “You think this is what kept you from turning into a zombie?”
“Megan took one for the first time right before she was attacked. It was in her but hadn’t had a chance to get through her whole system yet. Whereas I take it on a regular basis. That’s why I wasn’t affected at all.”
“Um, that’s very, uh…” Jasmine started. Boris finished the thought for her.
“Stupid. The word you’re looking for is stupid.”
“Uh, yeah,” Kevin said. “As far as weaknesses for evil zombies and ways to stop the apocalypse, that’s pretty lame.”
“Sounds to me like this is all just a plot by Big Pharma to poison us all,” Kim said. Despite the bizarre amount of hysteria and fear in her voice, everyone pretty much ignored her.
“Yes, it is kind of lame,” Angie said to Kevin. “And maybe that’s exactly why it’s going to work. For better or worse, it’s going to be what keeps us all from getting infected. And I bet that whatever or whoever is watching us is going to think it’s dumb as well. Like a cheat or a copout. And they’ll take it out on Pestilence. Any plans Pestilence has to get this all to spread will be stopped in its tracks.”
“You’re making an awful lot of assumptions,” Rudy said. “Most of this is just speculation. We have no idea if anything you’re saying would actually work.”
“No, we don’t,” Angie said. “But what else are we going to do? Here’s one thing I think we can all agree on: Pestilence isn’t done with us tonight. She said as much in her message. Even if she doesn’t have everything as well planned as she thinks she does, she seemed pretty convinced that at least one more thing was going to happen. So here’s our options: we can wait for dawn and do our best to fight off the horde if or when it comes. Or we can do the exact same thing but also each of you take a pill. Maybe it will work and maybe it won’t, but even if it doesn’t you have absolutely nothing to lose by giving it a shot.”
Boris glared at the bottle in her hand. “Any side effects?”
“It might make you a tad on the drowsy side. I suppose it’s possible one of you might have a horrible side effect, but I doubt you’ll feel anything with just one pill.”
“Will one pill even do anything?” Kevin asked.
Angie shrugged. “It seems to have worked for Megan.”
“If that’s really what saved her,” Beth said.
Angie shrugged again. It was very possible that she was missing something vital and the pills had nothing to do with their immunity. But if she was wrong, they would be no worse off than they already were. If she was right, she might just be saving a few lives here.
“So what, we all take one and whammo, we’re safe?” Kevin asked as Angie opened the childproof cap and dumped a number of the pills into her hand.
“You’re safe from being turned, theoretically,” Angie said. �
�Megan took one immediately before she was bitten and she looked for a while like she was going to turn, but didn’t. I’ve been on them for a long time and nothing happened to me at all. I guess that, if this works, the rest of you would be somewhere in between.” She picked one pill up and held it out, waiting for the first person to take it from her.
“Does anyone else think this is supposed to be a metaphor or something?” Boris asked. “Like someone or something wants a deeper meaning behind this moment?”
“If it is, it’s a dumb, obvious metaphor,” Beth said. She took the pill from Angie and immediately swallowed it, no preamble. “Blech. Chalky.”
“Usually you’re supposed to drink something with them,” Angie said. “But yeah. I’ve had to deal with that taste for years now.”
Kevin followed suit, and then Jasmine, Boris, and finally Rudy. Kim was the only one who didn’t take one. She had backed herself into a corner as though the pills would sprout legs and come after her, shaking her head emphatically every time someone swallowed one.
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