The Phoenix Curse (Book 3): After

by D. R. Johnson

  "Let's hurry." I grumbled at Ali.

  "This was your idea. Lead the way." She gestured for me to move. I started off at a jog with Ali at my heels. Memory led me straight to the dumpster. It was smaller than the one Stephanie had hid in yesterday, and its wheels had seen better days, but it was something. Ali didn't look impressed, her attention captured by the dusty cars scattered through the parking garage. She was absorbed in her scrutiny.

  I snapped my fingers in front of her face to get her attention and received a glare in response. She muttered almost under her breath, "I can get one of these to start, I know it."

  "Maybe I should take dead-brain cook-off duty, and you try to find us a truck." I offered. She looked at me skeptically.

  "And what about Stephanie? We can't leave her alone for that long." Ali stated flatly, and I cringed. "Don't know if you noticed, but we're starting to attract those other freaks back over to us. I killed a couple more this morning that got a bit too curious."

  "What's more important? If you can get a car running, we can haul all those bodies off in an afternoon." I ignored her question. I knew Stephanie wouldn't be comfortable being alone for that long, but I would be right around the corner.

  "It would take days to find all the parts and convert an engine. Those bodies don't have that long." Ali sighed and moved to the dumpster to give it a good shove. The sound of scraping metal against metal jolted my ears and crawled down my spine, but abruptly, something snapped and the wheels rolled free of the obstruction. I set myself on one side and Ali took the other. We began a noisy, clattering journey across the plaza.

  The dumpster got stuck more than once before we made it back, but eventually we had it lined up against the wall of the building, ready to load up. Ali looked around, wrinkled her nose and sighed. "Stay with her. I'll take care of this for now, and look for some more bins."

  "Let me know if you need my help."

  "Don't worry." She smirked. "It'll be your turn soon enough. I'm not doing this all by myself."

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  An hour or so later, I noticed Ali making another trip to the parking garage. She only waved at me through the window as she passed, so I assumed she was looking for another dumpster. Ten minutes after that and I could see her battling to get one out into the plaza. Stephanie was beside me, watching as well, and she huffed. "Go help her."

  I gave Stephanie an appreciative look, and it was easier to leave this time. At least I would stay in her view.

  As I trotted up to Ali, I saw how miserable she looked. She didn't even bother to make eye contact, but remained focused on getting the dumpster to its destination.

  "The birds and flies are already at them." She said as I joined her to help push the bin along. "We really do need to get this done as soon as possible. It's not going to take long for them to start stinking."

  "They already stink."

  "Stinking worse." She grumbled, too tired to appreciate my attempt at humor.

  I said. "You should take a break after this. I can take over."

  Ali winked at me playfully, regaining some of her energy and making me regret my offer. "This is a new level of gross. Don't say I didn't warn you."

  That pulled a groan from me. It was a job I was reluctant to do, but I couldn't let Ali do it all by herself. We pushed in silence, all our effort going into getting the bin across the plaza. Once we had it alongside the others, I looked around. There were still too many bodies.

  I could easily see where Ali had been working, but I didn't think she had made it halfway through them. I stared, feeling overwhelmed as my doubts grew. My voice was flat. "We're going to need more dumpsters."

  Ali pointed at a small group of freaks that were headed our way. "Might as well lead them in first."

  My stomach dropped. I had killed so many yesterday out of necessity, but it was a gruesome thing I never wanted to do again. I was unable to tear my eyes away from their scrawny, pasty bodies as they drew nearer, and Ali watched me intently. She elbowed me gently, pulling my attention to her, and said, "Go find another dumpster. I'll catch up."

  Blinking in surprise, I stared at her blankly. She arched an eyebrow at me expectantly and repeated herself. "Go."

  I jogged a few paces away, feeling ashamed I couldn't help her, and then relief that I wouldn't have to, followed by another wave of shame for feeling relieved. Ali began to whistle behind me, a trick to draw the dead-brains closer, but my guilt kept me facing forward. My cheeks burned.

  It didn't take me long to find another dumpster, and I pushed it to the edge of the plaza before turning back to find more. These two might not be enough, but it would get us closer to finishing this mess. By the time I had the last dumpster rolling toward the exit, Ali was already there waiting on me. I pretended not to notice the fresh blood splatters on her shirt.

  Once we had the rest of the dumpsters lined up and ready for the dead-brains, I turned to Ali. "Why don't you go get some rest?"

  "You sure you got this?" The concerned look she gave me brought back the shame. I nodded firmly. I couldn't let her lose any more confidence in me than she already had.

  "Come get me if you need to." She said, turning to go. "If we can get these bins filled, we'll be in a good position come tonight."

  "I'll get it done." The conviction I wanted to convey didn't quite make it in my voice. As I looked at the mass of blood and flesh in front of me, I faltered. Ali paused behind me before walking away, leaving me to the worst chore I'd ever faced. When I heard the café door close, I groaned loudly.

  How did she do this? How am I going to do this?

  "You have to do this." I said out loud. If I didn't, Ali would have to do it all by herself, and she wouldn't complain. She would carry this weight and never say a word, but I couldn't allow that to happen anymore. Ali had carried us, carried me, since before Seth died, and now it was my turn to help her. I pulled off my t-shirt and tied it around my head as a make-shift mask. Swallowing down the disgust, I stepped into the blood and gore of dead bodies to get to work.

  Most of the dead-brains weren't well fed, so they were easy to lift, at least the ones that hadn't been too badly wounded. My stomach roiled at first and I couldn't ignore the goo that would drip, or pour, from the bodies no matter how hard I tried. The squishing sounds the bodies made didn't help, and I gagged until the rice I had for breakfast joined the bodies in a dumpster.

  "I'm never going to get used to this." I muttered, replacing my t-shirt mask, even though it didn't seem to be helping.

  One by one, I pulled the bodies and stacked them in the dumpsters. There was no way to avoid the blood and fluids that oozed out over my hands and arms, and I cringed when I noticed the bandage across my chest had grown damp with more than just sweat. I ripped it off quickly and tossed it away. As I poked at the wound, I was relieved to see it was more than scabbed over. It was replaced with new, pink skin.

  I looked back to the bodies that littered the ground, and my sigh produced a hot wash of air that was pushed back against my face by the cloth wrapped around my head. This was turning out to be worse than I imagined.

  And I had another dumpster to fill.

  Without hesitation, I pushed through it, growing weary mentally rather than physically. What I thought had all been a blur during the battle was coming back to me as I uncovered a face I recognized, a shirt I remembered hacking into, even a watch that was still hanging on a bony wrist. The visions were forcing their way into the forefront of my mind, and it was impossible to push them away.

  I worked until the dumpsters were full before I focused on my progress. Pulling off the t-shirt, I wiped the sweat from my face and sighed with relief. I could see the bloodstained pavement instead of a mass of bodies, and I was sure we would be able to finish during the night.

  I retreated to the cafe, feeling completely drained. Ali's eyes met mine as I walked in, and I saw sympathy and sadness there. She said, "There's water and a change of clothes in the restroom for you."

>   "Thanks." I barely got the word out as I staggered to the back.

  Exhausted as I was, it took an effort to peel the clothes from my body and toss them away. The window let in enough light to see by, but cleaning up was a slow process. The dusty old towels and water bottles made me wish for a good old fashioned shower. At least the rose smelling soap left in the dispenser offered some old world comfort.

  I scrubbed, scoured, and drained the water in the sink four times before I even started to feel clean. That was when the harrowing work I had done finally got to me. I slumped over the sink for a few moments before my knees finally gave way and I slid to the floor. It wasn't for lack of strength in my body. It was from lack of will.

  I wept.

  The episode didn't last long. The release of tears seemed to lessen something inside me, and it felt like I had deflated. So much had happened over the past week, and it all seemed to come crashing down at once. I struggled with the roiling emotions, knowing I wasn't doing myself any good, but I was barely able to stop myself from being overwhelmed. It all weighed on me, and my list of failures was growing.

  Seth. Becky. Had I failed Ali when we got captured? Why did she cut her hair? I couldn't add Stephanie's name or the baby to that list. It had to end. I had to help Ali convince Meg to talk to us so we could move on, outrun Reed, and find a safe community for Stephanie to live in, like Sundown. Maybe once Ali got a truck running we could go back there.

  But Sundown already seemed like a lifetime away.

  I pulled on the pants that had been left out for me, hoping they weren't my last pair. As I buttoned them, my mind barely registered that they actually fit. Grabbing the clean shirt that had lain beside the pants, I staggered back out to the dining area where we'd set up camp.

  Stephanie sat with an old magazine at one of the tables and perked up when she saw me, but I avoided looking at her. Talking was beyond me at that moment. Instead, I aimed for my pallet and crashed down into the blankets, seeking the darkness that could consume me and fade the memories.

  "Hey, kid." The sound of the familiar voice opened my eyes. I was there again, standing on our porch that wasn't our porch. A smile crept on my face as I turned full circle, knowing Seth would be there.

  "Seth!" I tackled him in a bone crunching hug, and he laughed as he caught me. I was eager to forget the misery of the waking world, even if only for a little bit. "Can we go fishing again?"

  "Sure," He said with a smile, but his eyes remained sad. I froze, the fishing poles quickly forgotten.

  Seth sighed and laid his hand on my shoulder. "You never let it get to you before. Even when Mom died and Dad disappeared. But now..." I watched as he searched for the right words, and then he scrubbed a hand through his hair. "It's like your spirit's faltering."

  I drooped, not expecting that. His blue eyes shone brightly as he looked down at me, concern plainly etched on his face. I shook my head, not knowing what to say.

  Seth nodded as if in understanding and didn't press further.

  "How come I never dreamed about you before? Not like this at least. It was always just faded memories before. Now I can see you, I mean... really see you." I fumbled.

  He reached out, and gently tapped my temple with a finger. It took me a second to realize he was indicating my eyes. He cocked his head to the side and said, "A lot of things changed when you were bitten. You remember me better now."

  "I wish it was real." I sighed heavily. "I wish you didn't have to go."

  "Me too" He smiled and he gave me a comforting pat on the back. The silence stretched before I got the courage, even in a dream, to ask him my next question.

  "What happened that night?"

  Seth looked at me sharply before turning his gaze to the horizon. He stepped off the porch and motioned me to follow. Hopping down to walk alongside him, I knew we were going in the direction of the pond. He squinted down at me as he asked, "Ali never told you?"

  "No." I shook my head. "Ali never talks about it. Never talks about how she was bitten either."

  "Well," He started, turning his gaze back to the horizon. "I wanted to save her, but I didn't realize it wasn't the dead-brains that I needed to save her from."

  "Who was it? Did someone kill you?" Heat flushed my cheeks as I thought of the monsters, the real monsters, and the new possibilities of what could have happened that night assaulted my mind. Seth only chuckled bitterly before he continued.

  "She needs saved. I never got the chance, but maybe you can." I had stopped walking, and Seth was two strides ahead of me before he stopped to look back. Confusion was clearly written all over my face, and his eyes were drawn when he tried to smile, breaking any illusion of happiness. His words struck me.

  "She needs saved from herself."

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  "Uh, Ali." Stephanie's soft voice intruded into my troubled dreams, and I pulled the thin blanket over my head in an attempt to block her out. Maybe there was a chance I could get back to Seth to find out what he meant, but the shout from Ali that followed drove any notion of sleep away.

  "The hell is that?"

  I clambered to stand, my feet tripping in the blankets that I had thrown off in my haste. I looked around wildly, trying to spot the danger. "What? What is it?"

  "There." Stephanie was pointing, and Ali was already to the door. I finally freed myself from the clinging blanket and moved far enough to see what had grabbed their attention.

  The sun was going down and an orange glow lit the sky, but I could clearly see a basket sitting on the ground outside the café. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, but the basket was still there when I looked again. Ali seemed just as dumbstruck as I felt, and she stared at it through the window without opening the door.

  "How did it get here?" Ali said, turning her suspicious eyes to Stephanie.

  Stephanie was sitting in the long booth in the back, and judging by the blankets and makeshift pillow that lay beside her, she had been trying to sleep. She shrugged. "I heard something hit the window. When I looked, it was just there. I never saw anyone."

  I immediately frowned at Ali. "Where were you?"

  Ali shot a glare at me, not appreciating my accusation. She snapped back, "In the kitchen. I didn't want to listen to you snore."

  My frown deepened, but Ali was moving, pushing open the door to fetch the rather large basket. She dropped it on the nearest table and glared at it suspiciously. It was an average wicker basket but had a clean, yellow ribbon laced around the long handle that someone had to have put there recently. The contents were being held in by a white cloth that was tucked around the edges.

  Ali glanced at Stephanie as she cautiously joined us. "How did you not see who hit the window?"

  Stephanie's cheeks flushed a bright shade of red and she avoided meeting either of our eyes. "I couldn't sit up fast enough." Her hands rubbed over her belly and she added. "I got stuck."

  I shifted slightly and reached up to scratch an itch on my nose that wasn't really there. I used the movement to mask a growing smile and physically wiped it away before I dropped my hand again. One quick look at Ali to see her slightly widened eyes in her otherwise blank face told me she was trying to hide her own smile. She bit her lip as she cleared her throat, turning her attention back to the basket.

  "Well, let's see what we have here." Her fingers gently pulled at a corner of the cloth until it fell away. Inside sat a stuffed rabbit with light green fur that was soft to the touch. It had big ears, a big smile, and a small pink bow around its neck. Underneath it was a red container that looked quite Christmassy. It had the traditional house with Christmas lights on it, and Santa and his reindeer flying over.

  The three of us stared in silence, unable to make any sense of it. Occasionally glances shot between us, and I wondered what could possibly be in the container. Finally, Ali reached in to pull off the lid, and we all gasped in surprise.

  "Cookies?" Stephanie breathed in amazement.

  "How the hell did she make cookies?" Ali snappe
d.

  I shook my head in disbelief. "Why would she bring us cookies?"

  Ali squinted at the rabbit, then to Stephanie. "She didn't bring us cookies. She brought Stephanie cookies." She said as she picked up the stuffed rabbit and handed it to Stephanie. "And this is for the baby."

  Stephanie hesitated, slowly reaching for the rabbit. She cradled it gently in her hands when Ali let it go. "Why?"

  "I'll make sure to ask." Ali crossed her arms, her annoyance at Meg's elusiveness showing. "Right after I ask her how she made those cookies."

  "Do you think they're safe to eat?" Stephanie asked.

  "I don't see why not. I don't think she would go to the trouble to save us from the freaks yesterday just to kill us with cookies." Ali answered dryly.

  Stephanie shrugged before she reached for one, taking it gently between her fingers as if it was something delicate and treasured. "Hope you're right."

  Ali was right. The cookies were amazing, and it was hard to stop at just two, but I wanted to leave all I could for Stephanie. Ali seemed to be thinking the same thing and only took one with her as she slipped outside to scout the area before night fell.

  After Stephanie finished off the cookies, she started searching through drawers and quickly came back with a pen and pad of paper. She scrawled a short note in bubbly handwriting and then dropped it in the red container before looking at me.

  "Do you think you can drop this off at the hotel for me? Just leave it outside the door?" She asked with a slight smile. Shrugging, I took the basket, deciding it wouldn't hurt, and ran it over to the hotel. On the way back, I looked up and down the plaza for Ali, but caught no sign of her. As I walked back to the café, I tried to calculate how long she'd been gone. I was wondering when I should start worrying when she came through the door, carrying a large plastic bag that had a gaudy picture of a showgirl on it. The bag was filled to the brim, and Ali was grinning.