Empty World

by Zach Bohannon

  “Only been in Jackson a day. We plan on spending a week or so here, scavenging the area for supplies. Once we’re done, we’ll move on again.”

  “What are you looking for? Like, at what point will you stop?”

  “Once we find a place to settle that meets our needs,” Keon said.

  “I don’t know how far you’ve traveled or where you come from, but it’s hard to find a place that isn’t already occupied or hasn’t been trashed by the Demons,” Paul said. “We’d like to find somewhere a little off the beaten path. Somewhere where it’ll be harder for bandits to find us, and easy to block off from Demons. And with nearly two dozen folks in our group, it’s not exactly easy to impede on an already settled area.”

  Shell thought about Yazoo City and her house. The place was probably overrun by the gang now. They’d likely be handling the dead bodies and planning their next move. She felt it was unlikely they’d come after her, Dylan, and the boy. Dylan had killed several in their group, but they now had a sustainable place to live. It’d be stupid for them to leave what they now had there for some revenge trip.

  “What about you? What were you guys doing out there?” Paul asked.

  “Our story isn’t much different than yours. The three of us crossed paths not too long ago, and we’re just out trying to survive like you.”

  “Well, we’re glad to have you around until your friend recovers,” Paul said. “We won’t ask you to share your things, but we’d appreciate the same courtesy.”

  “No, it’s fine,” Shell said. “We don’t have a lot of food left over, but sharing is the least we can do for helping us out on the highway and for your wife helping Dylan out now. Even if Keon here did shoot him.” She smiled at him.

  Keon grinned back. Then he scratched his head and looked away.

  “We appreciate that,” Paul said. “With that, I think it’s about time we get inside. We don’t need to be out here at night. Come on in and we’ll show you your room.”

  19

  Paul walked over to the staircase and stopped.

  “There’s still a couple of rooms left with decent beds in them,” Keon said to Shell.

  “This place still has the beds in it?” Shell asked.

  Paul nodded. “Keon can show you to a room.”

  “Actually,” Keon said to Paul. “I was hoping to have a word with you.”

  “That’s not a problem,” Shell said. “I wanna go check on Dylan anyways. You guys take your time.”

  Keon waited for her to get down the hall before he shut the door behind her.

  “What’s up?” Paul asked.

  “I just wanna make sure we’re on the same page with everything.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I left out a detail when I was telling you about what happened. That Dylan guy, he’s one bad dude.”

  “You didn’t shoot him on purpose, did you?”

  “No, no. That’s not what I mean. Though it might be a good thing that I did if they turn out not to be as trustworthy as I’m hoping. What I mean is that I haven’t seen anyone fight like him. He was tearing through those Demons like it was nothing. And all with only one arm.”

  “That’s interesting.”

  “It wasn’t just him, either. The woman—she’s one hell of a shot with that bow.”

  “They could be really useful if we can convince them to hang around with our group.”

  “And if we can trust them.”

  “Are you doubting that we can?”

  Keon scratched his neck. “She seems humble and legit. The kid, he hasn’t said shit. But I don’t know about Dylan yet. He doesn’t entirely trust us—that much I can tell you, for sure.”

  Paul put his hand on Keon’s shoulder. “Well, just be patient and have faith. Let’s not jump to any conclusions.”

  “I’m not. I just want to be cautious.”

  “You know we will. Now go ahead and show Shell to her room.”

  Shell smiled as Keon and Paul walked out of the room. She stood at the corner of the hall, leaning against the wall. The boy stood at her side.

  “Oh, hey,” Keon said.

  “How’s he doing?” Paul asked, referring to Dylan.

  “He’s fine. They told me he’s sleeping, so I decided not to bother him. But don’t worry, I didn’t hear anything you guys said.”

  “It’s all good,” Paul said, smiling.

  “Yeah, it’s not like we were talking about you,” Keon said.

  He looked away and exhaled. Shell knew he was lying, and that was okay. They were all still feeling each other out. The men were smart to be cautious, just like she was.

  “I hope you were discussing where me and the boy here can lay down and sleep,” she said, grinning and breaking the tension.

  Paul laughed and slapped Keon on the back. “He’s going to show you right now.” He then glanced at the boy. “Are you all right, buddy?”

  Shell wrapped her arm around the boy and pulled him close. “He’s not really much of a talker.”

  “That’s all right.”

  “Your wife is in the other room, by the way,” Shell said. “She wanted me to let you know whenever you came back out.”

  “Oh, all right, thanks. I’ll probably see you in the morning then.”

  Shell smiled again. “Sounds good.”

  Paul left for the other room. Keon raised his eyebrows.

  “All right, well, I’ll show you guys to your room then,” Keon said. “Need help with your bag or anything?”

  Shell adjusted the shoulder strap of her backpack and let out a small laugh. “No, I got it. Thanks.”

  “Right this way.”

  Holding a candle, Keon led them away. They rounded a corner and came to a staircase. Most of the steps were intact, but there were holes in a couple of them.

  “Watch your step,” Keon said.

  “You know, it’s almost like you work here or something. Showing me the way, offering to take my bags.”

  Keon laughed. “What? Can a guy not just be a gentleman?”

  “Well, of course. But your lines sound scripted or something.”

  “It’d be pretty nice to live that kind of life, huh? Have a job. Drive a car home to a house with working lights, air conditioning, a damn refrigerator.”

  “Plumbing,” Shell added.

  “Ha! Yeah, that would be heaven.”

  The walls on either side of the hallway had dozens of holes in them. Exposed wiring stuck out, running down to the floor like vines. Debris covered the ground, dust polluting the air as they stepped over it. Keon stopped in front of a closed room and opened the door.

  “Here you are, ma’am.”

  Shell and the boy entered the room. The condition wasn’t much different than that of the hallway. But it had two beds and a couch. That was all Shell cared for. She set her bag down on the sofa.

  “Please feel free to call the front desk if you need anything, including room service. Our complimentary breakfast starts at 7:00 a.m. in the bar.”

  Shell laughed. “Yeah, if only.”

  Keon grinned. “For real, though, we’ll bring you some food up.”

  “You know, I think we’re good. We ate a little earlier, and we don’t want to get into y’all’s supply.”

  “Don’t be silly. It’s no big deal.”

  “Seriously. We’re okay. Right?” Shell looked at the boy and he nodded.

  “Cool, cool,” Keon said. “Well, if you need anything for real, I’ll be down the hall in room 223. And make sure you keep the metal latch out on this door to keep it cracked. I don’t trust the locks on these doors with no power running to them. You might want to keep it open, anyway, so it doesn’t get too stuffy in here. Ain’t no one gonna bother y’all.”

  “Sounds good. Thank you, guys, for everything.”

  “It’s no problem.”

  Keon turned around, but Shell said his name again before he could disappear. He turned to face her.

  “Give Dylan s
ome time. He’ll come around and appreciate what you did for him.”

  Keon nodded, looking at the ground. He then looked up and smiled.

  “Goodnight, Shell.”

  He walked away, and Shell exhaled. The boy left her side and went to the bed. He laid on it, curling up into a ball.

  “That’s a great idea,” Shell said.

  20

  Propping himself up on his elbow, Paul ran his hand across Brooke’s forehead, gently swiping her bangs out of the way. She sighed, and it turned into a yawn as she opened her eyes.

  “Good morning, beautiful.”

  “Hey,” Brooke said, her voice faint.

  “I have to say that watching you sleep will never get old.”

  “You know how creepy that sounds, right?”

  Paul laughed. “You know what I mean. But I figured I’d wake you before I had to get going.”

  “I’m glad you did. This child is pushing against my bladder.”

  Brooke eased herself upright and managed to swing her legs over the side of the bed. She groaned and clutched her stomach.

  “Everything all right?” Paul slid over to her side and put his hand on her shoulder.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I just need to pee and for this little person to move.”

  “Do you need any help?”

  “No, I got it.”

  Brooke stood and wobbled off to the bathroom. Paul watched her, wishing there was something he could do to make her feel more comfortable. He’d tried his best to be there for her, but the further along she’d moved into the pregnancy, the more independent Brooke had become. It wasn’t that she was being distant… it was just that she wanted his help less often. Paul knew his wife was strong and independent, and if this was how she wanted to handle her pregnancy, he’d respect that, and continue to be there for her if she needed him.

  By the time Brooke made it out of the bathroom, Paul had put on his jeans and shirt, and was throwing his backpack over his shoulder.

  “Do you really have to go?” Brooke asked.

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “But it’s just a hunt. Can’t Keon take Katrina or Caleb with him?”

  “Neither of them is the shot I am. Hell, look what Keon did to Dylan.”

  Leaning against the wall, Brooke bowed her head. She swiped her bangs away from her face and wouldn’t look up at Paul.

  “Hey.” Paul moved toward her, realizing see she was choking back tears. “What’s the matter?”

  Brooke looked through a window at the morning sun. “The last couple of days have gotten me worried. You know, with the newcomers getting caught up in a fight with Demons, and Keon and the others having to jump in to save them. All that, combined with the kid coming.” She looked at Paul with glassy eyes. “I want you to be around for the long haul.”

  Paul took both his wife’s hands. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “How can you say that? You don’t know what you’re going to run into out there. Hell, Dylan is already missing an arm. How do you think that happened?”

  “You’re jumping to a lot of assumptions.”

  “Are they really that much of a stretch?”

  Paul sighed. “Nothing’s going to happen to me out there. We’re very cautious when we hunt and when we scavenge. I trust Keon with my life, and he feels the same. We aren’t going to let anything happen to each other.”

  Brooke took her hands back and wiped her cheeks. She looked out the window again.

  “I’m tired of living like this. I’m tired of running.”

  Paul took Brooke’s hand again and led her to the bed. They sat together on the edge.

  “So am I, sweetie. Believe me. It’s why we’re doing all of this to begin with. This is what we have to do to survive right now. But I can promise you that we’re going to find somewhere to call home again soon, and we won’t have to do all this stuff. For now, you’ve just got to trust me and let me do what I need to do to help make that happen. The only thing I care about is finding a stable home for you, me, and the little peanut in there. Somewhere where we can live out the rest of our lives in peace. You got me?”

  Tears flooded her eyes as Brooke looked at her husband. Sniffling, she nodded.

  Paul wrapped his arm around her and she fell onto his shoulder. He ran his hand through her hair, kissing her on the top of the head.

  “I’ve gotta go now. But I promise I’ll be back, and I’ll be bringing with me a deer or something for us to cook up. Hopefully, venison is one of your cravings.”

  “Actually, if you could find some chocolate, that would be the best.”

  Paul laughed. He hadn’t seen a chocolate bar in at least fifteen years. He couldn’t even remember what the stuff tasted like.

  “Don’t count on it,” he said.

  Paul kissed his wife on the top of the head once more, and she looked up to give him one on the lips. He stood up and threw his backpack over his shoulder again.

  “I’ll see you in a bit. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Paul walked out of the room and saw Katrina standing down the hallway. He headed that way, toward the stairs.

  “Everything cool?” she asked.

  “Yeah, we’re good.”

  “All right. You and my brother be safe out there.”

  “We will. And do me a favor. Try to get Brooke out to get some fresh air in a little bit. She probably needs a few minutes on her own but see if you can maybe go for a walk with her or something, just around the building where we know it’s safe.”

  “Will do. Bring back something good to eat.”

  Paul smiled. “That’s the plan.” He walked down the stairs.

  He headed into the lobby where Keon was already waiting for him. Others were hanging around conversing with one another.

  “Damn, there you are,” Keon said. “I’ve been waiting here at least fifteen minutes.”

  “Oh, stop with that shit,” Martin said from the other side of the room. “It’s maybe been five minutes.”

  “Yeah, well, it feels like a lot longer. Besides, you better be nice to me, Martin, or I might not share with you.”

  Martin flipped Keon off and he laughed.

  “Sorry, man. I was just spending a little time with Brooke before we left.”

  A grin extended across Keon’s face. “Oh, yeah. I know what you’re sayin’.”

  “Fuck you. Not like that. Let’s just go, all right?”

  “Cool, man,” Keon said, his smile fading. “Let’s go.”

  “Hey, wait up.”

  They both turned at the sound of the female voice. Shell stepped off the bottom stair and approached them. She held a bow in her hand and had a quiver of arrows over her shoulder.

  “What are you doing?” Paul asked.

  “I heard a rumor you two were going hunting this morning. The boy is upstairs playing with some of the other kids. The older lady—Amy I think is her name—is looking after them. So, I thought I’d tag along with you guys.”

  Paul smiled and shook his head. “You know, that’s really nice of you, but you don’t have to.”

  “I want to come. You guys have done a lot for us already, and I want to help out.”

  “I appreciate that, but Keon and I have done this a bunch. We can handle it ourselves.”

  Shell raised an eyebrow. “You don’t want me to come because you think I’ll be in the way.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “You didn’t have to.” Shell thought of all the times she’d been forced to stay home when Lewis and others had left Yazoo City to go hunt or search for supplies.

  Paul sighed. “It’s not that I think you’ll be in the way. I just don’t want to be responsible for someone else, especially someone I don’t know, while we go out to do this.”

  “And you won’t be. I can hold my own.”

  “I gotta say, Paul, that she’s right,” Keon said. “Girl is one hell of a shot with t
hat bow.”

  Jesus, Keon.

  “Besides,” Shell said, “an extra set of hands to carry the kill back won’t hurt, right?”

  Paul looked at Keon, who shrugged and nodded.

  “She’s right about that,” Martin said. “Just let her go.”

  Paul exhaled. “Well, let’s get going then.”

  21

  The King Edward sat at the edge of downtown, only a couple of blocks from the Amtrak station. And to the north, beyond the train tracks, the scenery quickly became more rural. It looked more like the landscape Shell was used to. They had walked about a mile, leaving the buildings behind and escaping into trees where they hoped to find animals roaming.

  So far, they had yet to come across any animals to hunt. But they’d also not come across any Deads, or as Paul and Keon called them, Demons. Dylan had called them Empties, and Shell didn’t know why. She thought she’d maybe ask him about that eventually.

  The previous day’s clouds had disappeared, leaving the sun with an open path to beat down onto the earth. Shell wiped the sweat from her brow, working to keep it out of her eyes.

  “You guys have only been here a couple of days, you said, right?” Shell asked.

  Paul nodded.

  “Have you guys seen many Demons?”

  “When we first got to the King Edward, yeah, we had to clear out a big pack of them,” Keon said. “Other than that, only the ones we encountered when we met y’all.”

  “The population has definitely dwindled,” Paul said. “Not just with Demons, either. Been a while since we’ve seen other people. So, it was a surprise that not only did we find you, but that y’all were nice. Well, so far, at least.” He smiled.

  Shell lowered her head, letting out a small laugh. She thought again of the gang who had overtaken her town, then looked up and tried to push the thoughts of them aside.

  “How far along is your wife?” Shell asked, changing the subject.

  Paul licked his lips and looked off into the distance. He hesitated to answer.

  “I’m sorry for asking. It’s none of my business.”

  “No, no, it’s okay.” Paul looked at Shell, trying to assure her with his smile that she hadn’t done anything wrong. “It’s just not exactly easy to keep track of, you know? But from her calculations, we should be at about thirty-six weeks. So, she could go into labor any day now.”