“I understand. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Do you want to take a lunch break?”
He nodded and the five of us had lunch in a church across from the park. Sitting on the wooden pews, we ate our meal in silence. Once finished, we checked the office for first aid kits and left the house of God. The sun was high overhead and we circled back to the blue house.
Returning from the trip near evening, we found the community sitting in the living room or waiting with the cars. Our belongings were ready for transport when we walked in the door.
“Eager to go guys?” Troy teased at the sight.
With nervous grins, the group nodded or chuckled.
Daemon glanced at the crossbowman before rising to greet the stranger in the room.
“Hi, I’m Daemon and this is Cal. We were asleep when you were here before.”
Cal joined his protégé and offered his hand to our host.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Liam. We appreciate you and your grandmother leading us here and allowing us to stay here for the day.”
“Not a problem. We haven’t seen any other living people in person for nearly a year; it will be nice to have the company. It’s just not the same over the internet. Are you all ready to go to the house? I’m not sure we have enough room, but we can always add traps around this one and the one next door for everyone to live here.”
I think I heard necks crack as we did double takes and eyes widened.
“Did you say you talk to people online?” I asked with air I’d forgotten to breath.
“Yeah, my Pops set us up with a satellite receiver like the cable companies use so we could maintain service if they lost power. Why?”
I sat on the thick cream carpet and let his words sink in.
“Liam, who do you talk to online? Where are the other survivors?”
He looked at me like I’d just asked him if the sky was blue.
“The people outside of the quarantine zone. No one inside seems to have a connection. Mostly, I video chat with people in Canada and the UK, but sometimes I load a language translator and talk to people in other places.”
My world went tilty and exploded for a second.
We’re in a fucking quarantine. The world abandoned us in the shithole. This can’t be real.
“Squirrel, are you okay? You look like you might puke. Why is everyone so quiet?” Liam said as he watched our community absorb the news he’d just dropped on us like an atomic bomb.
Cal was the first to reclaim the ability to speak.
“Well, it makes sense. Epidemic like this, you just contain and clean up after it dies out. Very prudent. Also horribly inconvenient for those of us trapped inside the net, but prudent nonetheless.”
He breathed deeply and looked concerned before continuing.
“Liam, we were unaware that there were other survivors in the world, so this has been a bit of a shock to us. Could you please excuse us for a moment? Perhaps you’d like to freshen up or help yourself to some food in the kitchen.”
“Oh. Wow, sorry guys; I really thought you knew. Yeah, I’ll just go chill in the other room for five or ten minutes and look through what we gathered today.”
The adolescent hustled out of the room with his shoulders hunched and his face scarlet.
“Squirrel, we have a major problem. Did anyone tell the lad about Daemon and myself?”
I shook the stupor off.
“No. I thought it might be best to ease him and his grandmother into that after we’d had a proper chance to meet. Why is that the problem? We just found out the rest of the world locked us up in a zombie playground and they are out there going about their regular days playing on the fucking computer and not dodging cannibal rapists.”
Most of the assembly sat in silence. Randolph stood.
“I think I’ll take the kids out of here.”
“Wait.” Cal blocked him. “We need everyone to make sure not to say anything about vampires; including the children. Daemon and I need all of you to help us hide our kind’s existence.”
Ellen stood up and hugged Cal.
“We won’t tell you drink blood Uncle Cal. Promise.”
Bobbi and Michael both agreed and went to follow Randolph away from the grown up talk. Jordy nodded but remained seated.
“Me too. I won’t say anything if you don’t want.”
“Fine, no one will say anything about Undead people. Ellen’s Mom and me are gonna get the kids in the other room with Liam; someone fill us in on why later. C’mon Jordy.”
The boy remained seated.
“No, I’m old enough to stay. I’ve been through adult stuff, it’s time I got treated like one; you aren’t my parent.”
“He can stay.” I realized the voice was mine. “The kid is almost Liam’s age and he’s right. He may not be old enough for some of the responsibilities, but I think he understands and does enough to sit in on meetings.”
“Your call. Alright you three, let’s go play a game with the new boy.”
The five exited and we sat to hear out the Roman.
“Floor is yours Cal. We won’t say anything, but I’d like to know why it’s so damned important after what we just learned.”
Assuming a soldier’s posture, he explained.
“If they chat with the rest of the world, anything we tell them could become known by the entire population outside this area. If the remainder of the world is intact, then the laws of our kind are as well. The most important of which is preventing our existence from being known. It is essential to the survival of our people that we remain a secret. Otherwise, things can become strained between both of our species.”
“What does that matter if we’re here and the other vamps are out there?” Chase snapped. His fist was clenched so tightly, his knuckles were white and a vein protruded in his neck. “If we’re stuck here, waiting to die – which would starve you two out as well – why should we care what happens beyond the boundary?”
“Because, if we comply, I may be able to signal others of our kind to assist us in leaving this quarantine. Also, I do have others I care about and I would not like to cause them immense suffering or execution. The added potential for an interspecies war is a factor as well, and should be of concern to you.”
Chase leapt to his feet, fury jumping off of him like bolts of electricity.
“I’ll keep the secret either way, but if you think you can get us out of here, do it. I don’t want to sit here waiting to die and praying my wife and baby make it through labor when they could deliver in a hospital instead.
I shouldn’t have had to be stuck in this cesspool of decay, watching people I cared about die and never knowing what happened to my family. I shouldn’t have needed to hack off my arm. Do what you have to, but now that I know about the quarantine, I’m getting my wife and myself the hell out of here.”
He waved his stump as frustration poured out with his tears. Sunny hugged him and they cried together.
“We’ll get out. It’s okay, honey. It’ll be okay.” She repeated as she rubbed his back in wide circles. Others in the group broke down into tears as we all reflected on our losses. The meaninglessness of it all was unbearable.
“Caelinus and I will do whatever we can. We aren’t going anywhere without you guys. As soon as we find out where the safe zone is, we can all work our way to it.”
I clasped Daemon’s hand.
“It’s agreed: no one knows anything about vampires. We’ll split the group into day and night with a few doing an in-between shift, so these two don’t stick out. From now on the donations schedule isn’t written down. Keep the donations private and hide any marks. If we can’t get help from the vampiric society outside the infected zone, we move to meet them at wherever the border is. The Pact is a secret we keep for the rest of our lives, and one we’ll need to maintain until we’re out of the quarantine.”
Our fate chosen, we composed ourselves and called the others from the room. Troy c
omforted Seth in the other room while he explained things to Randolph and Ellen’s mother.
Seth took the news worse than Chase; he couldn’t get over the fact that he’d been starved into eating a woman because of some unknown quarantine line. He refused to go with us. Instead, Seth marched out to the car and picked up his pistol. Troy pursued him and lunged for the gun.
Several of us watched horror-stricken as he put the barrel against his temple and sprayed his brains over the driveway. The blast sounded louder than any I’d ever heard and I could see the wraith of smoke that followed the pink spray of his blood. Troy reached his friend too late to do anything but topple into a heap beside the corpse.
The younger kids were kept from the gruesome view. Jordy stood pale and sniffling as he choked back his dinner; his posture straightened as he walked inside the house. Liam stood in a puddle of his own pigeon-laced bile while he stared at the body from the porch steps.
“What happened? Why would he do that?” He asked no one in particular as he heaved and wept.
No one answered him at first. Troy wailed and cussed over Seth’s warm remains. Someone went inside and returned with the military shovels and started the hole three feet from the body. No one spoke except Troy and he only spoke to the spirit of his companion. I did my best not to listen to the grief in his voice as I accepted one of the spades and dug. I found my voice in the din of hard earth being moved and bawling.
“Liam, please go home tonight. We need the night to mourn our friend and wrap our heads around everything. I’m sorry. Please tell your Gammy we appreciate the hospitality you two have offered and we’ll be happy to come over tomorrow evening.”
The sickened boy wiped his mouth and left at a run. We buried Seth by starlight. Each person took a turn standing at the unmarked grave and saying his or her goodbye. Some mumbled prayers, some cursed him, and others just stood in lamentation.
One by one, we entered the house to push away the sorrow with busywork and planning. Troy insisted on being left alone. As the group split in half to take watch or sleep, I curled up next to Daemon. I needed someone to talk to. We spoke for hours about what the truth meant until I drifted off to sleep against his chest. The night was restless and I frequently stirred; each time I found Daemon’s powerful arms wrapping around me, protecting me from my nightmares.
CHAPTER 32 OCTOBER 28TH YEAR 2
The week passed in blur rampant with bewilderment and amusement. We followed Liam through nearly an acre of traps, spike pits, and sections of various fences arranged in labyrinthine style. Our deflated band of twenty-four abandoned souls trailed behind the adolescent guide in twos and threes. Every bunch was laden with belongings and supplies and carrying a dozen different conversations. Even Sindbad had been recruited into carrying medical supplies strapped to his back in two handbags.
The house is a Tudor with three large greenhouses in back, a large garage that’s used for storage since the protective measures prevent vehicle traffic, a massive satellite receiver, a dozen fruit trees, solar panels on the roofs as well as platforms, and plenty of space. As we came past the final picket white fence, a figure stood in the front door calling out to us.
“Liam, where are your manners? Bring those people up here and make a proper introduction; they’ll want set their belongings down and rest awhile before you start showing them around.”
“Yes, Gammy.” Liam quickly veered away from the orange tree and led us to the door. “Squirrel, this is my Gammy, Edith Hedburg. Gammy, this is the lady I told you about and her friends.”
His part done, the teen stood to the side. The overhead light flicked on, startling and blinding me for a moment. When my vision adjusted I looked at the elderly woman who was already giving me a hug and welcoming us to her home. She was my height – which is to say short – and made me think of Betty White; she looked like a typical sweet old lady, but her eyes and voice betrayed her energy and zest. I liked her instantly.
“Thank you for having us Mrs. Hedburg. We appreciate the hospitality and we’ll earn our keep while we’re here.”
She released me from her grip and stepped back grinning.
“It’s no trouble. I’m sorry to hear about what happened last night. Hopefully your friend will be the last to go that way. Please come in and get unpacked, I’m about to start on supper. I’ll be doing my video blog in an hour, and I’d love to introduce all of you to my fans.”
“Gammy’s a worldwide internet sensation. She talks about all sorts of random stuff.”
“Oh yes, if anyone would like to use one of the computers, we have a couple of laptops in the family room hooked up and charged. Feel free to make yourselves at home and catch up on current events; Liam says you’ve been in the dark since the outbreak began. Those damned contaminated Botox shots…”
“Yeah, who’d have thought injecting deadly toxins into your forehead could turn out badly.” I grumbled before realizing I was being rude. “I’m sorry about the outburst. I think we’ll get settled in and cleaned up a little. Some of us will help with dinner; we brought some food with us. Thank you again for your help.”
She smiled and took Cal by the arm.
“That’s alright. And you, handsome man, can keep me company while I show you around. You can even sleep in my room. I can think of dozens of ways for you to earn your keep.”
She winked at him while her grandson mocked puking before leading us on a brief tour of the rooms. At each stop bags were unloaded and weapons removed. Edith insisted we take the rest of the hour to wash the crust off of us, volunteering to lend the elder vampire a hand with the loofah until he blushed like an altar boy in Vegas. Everybody giggled, stretched, and rubbed their aches as we made it to the bathrooms to clean up.
The miracle of warm showers greeted several of us as we took two-minute turns washing the last year away. The young kids were bathed in a tub first, with poor Jordy hopping in after. Most of the adults shared. The vamps, Troy, Bubba, Vincent, and myself volunteered to take the final turns; even ice cold it was wonderful. Seeing everyone fresh and thoroughly clean by the glow of electric lights amazed me.
Even if we don’t get back to civilization, this wouldn’t be a bad way to live.
END BOOK 1 OF NOVA NOCTE SERIES
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Melissa Gibbo has been living and working in the Orlando area for nearly ten years. During this time she has worked at both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort. She has a large extended family, a loving wife, and three evil but loved cats. Melissa grew up in Columbus, Georgia and visits as often as possible.
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After The End Page 23