Alive

by Ashley Shannon

  “Did your mom name you after the constellation?”

  “I don’t know. I never asked.” Rion had asked, but she didn’t want to relay what her mother had said to her. The thought of her mother made her sad. Tears welled up in her eyes and began to fall uncontrollably.

  “Sorry,” She said, smiling through the tears. “I cry at diaper commercials and puppy dogs these days, it's not you.”

  Eli took a finger and wiped a tear away. It felt very cliche, but it needed to be done. Two more fell in that one’s place. He smiled too.

  “I’m sorry I brought up your mom.”

  Rion reached over and touched his hand. It wasn’t his fault that she was gone. If her momma looked anything like that high school secretary, it couldn’t have been easy for Eli either.

  “It’s okay. I’m just glad I know, you know? Like she’s not out there wandering somewhere and I’m here holding out hope that she’s gonna come back.”

  Eli nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Kimber hadn’t been able to get ahold of their mother all day. She had talked to her this morning but a lot could happen in a day. Watching Rion look fondly down at her sleeping sister, Eli decided not to bring up his mom. It was better to just let them have this moment. Who knew how many quiet moments any of them would get going forward.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  This time when they drove through the streets of their hometown, no one was on the road. Snow had begun to fall, floating down from an ink blue sky. The very first snow of the year, but the magnificence of it was lost on the six of them. Nolan and Emmy slept, while they made their way towards Dyers Road. The low maintenance road was the only one any of them could think of that might not be barricaded. Drew turned off the pavement highway onto Dyers Road to see no blocks in the way.

  “Looks like we’re in business,” Drew said to Kimber, who was sitting next to her in the passenger seat. When Kimber moved to the front so Rion could sit in the back with her sister, Drew was surprised. Maybe things weren’t as bad between them as she had thought. Before Kimber had changed seats, Drew thought things between them were completely lost. Now she wasn’t so sure.

  “Guess so,” Kimber said.

  “Well, at least now you’re talking to me.” Kimber turned and looked at the group in the back. Everyone was either fast asleep or on their way there. She couldn’t blame them, it had been a long day, but that left her and Drew the only ones awake. Struggling through small talk with her ex-girlfriend wasn’t exactly what Kimber wanted to do in that moment. Taking on a horde of zombies seemed like a more delightful way to spend her evening. Unfortunately for Kimber, there wasn’t a horde of the undead anywhere in sight.

  “I don’t really have a whole lot of options at the moment.” Drew took Kimber talking to her as a good sign, even though it came with a bit of attitude.

  The snow was falling fast now, in big soft snowflakes. The road was already quite muddy and the layer of snow that was covering it was making it hard to find traction. Drew wished the snow would have waited a few hours, no matter how pretty it was. She flicked on her brights to see if that would help, but it did the opposite. All she could see were snowflakes swirling through the endless black sky. Quickly, Drew turned them off and adjusted in her seat. She hadn’t been driving long and didn’t have much experience driving in snow. She tried to concentrate on the road, but the nagging feeling that she wanted to clear things up with Kimber distracted her.

  “Do you want to talk about last night?” Drew offered.

  “Do I want to talk about last night? What do you think Drew? Do you think the world is going to hell all around us and I’m sitting here worried about what happened last night?” Kimber’s response made Drew feel guilty because she was watching the world go to hell all around her too, but couldn’t help thinking about the night before. She didn’t know if this meant they were done and over or if they just had more important things to worry about right now.

  “I just wanted you to know that I didn’t mean to, you know, do that.” Great, now Kimber was going to think she was selfish, but Drew couldn’t help wanting to talk about it. It was burning a hole through her mind. That kiss was all she could think about. It consumed her, but not in a good way. A kiss was supposed to be memorable for all the right reasons. How it made your skin tingle and your toes curl. A good kiss could turn your entire day, week even, around. It could consume you for days. Drew’s kiss with Jo had consumed her, but only because it was threatening to destroy the most important thing in her life.

  “You didn’t mean to, like, you fell onto his face?” Kimber laughed in disbelief. “You must think I’m stupid if you think I’m going to believe that story, Drew.”

  “No, Kimber, you know what I mean. He kissed me. I didn’t ask him to. I didn’t want him to.”

  “But you didn’t pull away!” Kimber snapped back at her ex-girlfriend. “I was there the whole time Drew. I watched you tilt your head, the way you do when we kiss. You didn’t ask him and maybe you didn’t want him to kiss you, but you were leading him on. Why is it his fault if he took you up on what you were offering?”

  “I wasn’t offering anything, Kimber.”

  “It sure looked like you were to me.”

  “Kimber, I was just…” Drew let her words trail off. She didn’t have a reason or an explanation. Deep down, Drew didn’t know why she let Jo kiss her. In the moment, she hadn’t been thinking about the consequences or what would come of it, she was just thinking about what it would be like to kiss a boy. Her mind was in a haze from the alcohol and Kimber wasn’t at the forefront of her mind like she usually was. Instead, drunk Drew was thinking about what it would be like to kiss a boy. She had never kissed one. From a pretty young age, Drew had known that she liked girls, the thought of pressing her lips against a boy's lips, any boy, had never been something to cross her mind. Until that ill-fated moment, when her girlfriend was watching her make a huge, curiosity fueled mistake.

  “Just stop Drew. This is pointless. I don’t want to talk to you.”

  The two sat in silence for few minutes and Drew continued to drive. Drew understood why Kimber was mad. If the roles were reversed she would be livid. She just had to give her time and as much space as being in the same car could allow.

  Kimber brought her hand to her face and wiped a tear. Drew noticed she wasn’t wearing the infinity ring that she had gotten her for their one year anniversary. The sight of her hand without the ring spoke louder than anything Kimber had managed to say to her. Drew took it as a sign that they were truly over.

  “Should we wake the others up?” Drew asked, moving on from the topic of the night before. It was pointless to keep talking about it. Kimber wasn’t ever going to forgive her, and maybe it didn’t even matter, with the world ending and all that.

  “Why? How close are we to Dubuque?”

  “Pretty close.”

  The snow was falling must faster then. The road was slippery and Drew was having a hard time keeping the Tahoe going the way its was supposed to be going. The tires began sliding every time she touched the breaks, which was often. She couldn’t find traction at all and was now sliding more than she was driving.

  “Do you hear that?” Kimber asks, looking rapidly around the truck. Drew didn’t hear anything. She was focusing all her attention on not crashing her car.

  “It's a phone,” Kimber said, looking at Drew with an expression of hope on her face.

  Drew skidded to a stop, barely staying on the road. The Tahoe swerved from one side of the road to the other, but she managed to pull to a stop more towards the middle of the road than either side. The two girls whipped their heads around towards the backseat and listen intently. The ringing that Kimber heard was the unmistakable jingle of a phone.

  “Who has a phone?” Kimber yelled, waking up the four sleeping beauties in the backseat. Nolan appeared to still be asleep or ignoring the girls. “NOLAN!” Kimber shouts, “Do you have a phone?”

  Nolan shakes aw
ake, finally registering what was happening and puts his hand in his pocket. He looks at who is calling and quickly answered.

  “Hello?”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Nolan jolted awake when he finally realized what Kimber was yapping about. When Kimber started yelling about a phone he thought it was best to just ignore her. He didn’t want them to know he had been hiding a phone. But when he heard his iPhone actually ringing, he fumbled to find it.

  “Hello?” He says, holding the slim rectangle to his ear.

  “Nolan?”

  It was his girlfriend, Sada. Next to his dad, or maybe even before his dad, Sada was the only person Nolan truly cared about. They had been together a long time, well what could be considered long in high school relationship terms. He’d give his life for that girl, no matter what. Her voice in that moment was the best thing he has ever heard. It sounded like music after years of silence.

  “Sada! Are you okay? Where are you?” His words were rushed and he didn’t wait for her to answer the first question before asking another.

  Listening to Sada as she described where she was, Nolan notices Kimber turned around in the front seat, glaring at him. Her arms were holding on to the back of the seat so she could stay twisted around. The position didn’t look comfortable at all. Nolan flashed her a smile, poking the angry bear with a stick, just for the fun of it.

  “I can’t believe that ass had a phone this whole time.” Kimber turned forward and slouched back down in her seat.

  “Are you surprised?” asked Drew.

  “Nope, not at all.”

  He didn’t care if the two girls hated his guts, as long as they didn’t kick him out of the car and leave him on the side of the road, Nolan was fine. Sada was with her family in Dubuque. They were placed in a quarantine at the East high school.

  “Do you think you can make it here?” Sada asked, her voice wavering a bit.

  “Of course. I’ll be there.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise, Sada. Nothing can stop me.” Nolan was very sure that if he had to face any more of the infected he could very well be stopped, but he would do his best. Besides, Sada didn’t need to hear anything like that. She was scared and needed him and he was going to do everything within his power to get to her. If he didn’t make it, at least she had her family around her.

  “What is it like? Do they know anything?”

  “If they do, they aren’t telling us. They just keep telling us that we’re being held to make sure we aren’t infected. They keep calling Dyersville infected point A and apparently there is a point B and C. We’re not the only town that is going through this.”

  “Hopefully they can figure something out to fix this.” Even if the government killed all the infected and stopped people from catching it, they couldn’t fix what had happened. Half a college had been wiped out and who knows how much of Dyersville. Life as they had known it was changed forever. But as long as he had Sada, Nolan could make it through anything, even losing his old man.

  “I have to go. We’re trying to save battery. I’ll try and call you again, okay.”

  “Okay. We’re headed your way.”

  “I love you.” She sounded more like herself when she told him that.

  “Me too.”

  Kimber waited until they were off the phone before blowing up on him. Drew had turned the car off while Nolan was on the phone. She clicked the key forward once so the heat would still blow. Kimber was turned back around in her seat, looking ready to pounce at him.

  “You. Have. A. Phone?” She said, emphasizing each word as she spoke it.

  “Yeah.”

  “And you didn’t tell any of us.”

  Nolan dug in his jacket pocket until he came up with his smokes and a lighter. He lit up a cigarette and took a quick puff. He rolled down his window a small bit and flicked the ash out the crack.

  “Nobody asked.” In truth, he hadn’t offered the information because everyone would have been clamoring to use it. That would have caused the battery to die. After hearing from Sada, he knew he had made the right decision. Kimber was ranting and raving but Nolan didn’t have time for that. He cut her off.

  “Listen, Sada is at a quarantine at the East High School. She said they’re taking everyone in and checking them for infection. In a few days when everything is safe, they are going to let everyone go home. We should go there.”

  Eli at least looked like he was considering it. At least he wasn’t pestering Nolan about keeping his secret. More than likely, Eli would have done the same thing.

  “If the army is running it, then it is probably the safest place to be. We should go.” Eli spoke up, his voice even, his thoughts level headed.

  “Except our mother isn’t there!” Urgency was in Kimber’s voice. “We should try and get a hold of her.” She looked at her brother expectantly. Nolan prepared himself to be jumped. This Eli kid looked strong enough to put up a good fight, but with the two girls between them, he would be at a disadvantage. Instead of leaping towards the phone and wrestling it out of Nolan’s hand, Eli simply asked a question.

  “Nolan, can I use the phone?”

  “I don’t want everyone using it.” He rolled the idea over in his head. One call couldn’t hurt and he didn’t want to think about how Kimber would complain if he didn’t at least let them try. He handed over the phone and Eli dialed the number. The car was so silent that he could hear the line even though he wasn’t holding the phone. The dull beep of a busy signal was the only sound on the other end. Eli tried again but got the same tone. He handed the phone back to Nolan with a nod that he assumed meant thanks, man.

  “I don’t think we have any choice but to go towards a place we know is safe, Kimber. Who knows what we will find in the neighborhood mom was working in. I think our best bet is the school.”

  “So we’re going then?” Nolan asked, happy that he might soon be seeing Sada.

  He looked from Drew to Eli, the two who seem to be taking a leadership role in the group. They both nodded. Rion and Kimber joined in. It was decided. Drew started the Tahoe again, and the group struggled through the early winter weather to what they hoped would be a safe place to wait out the end of the world.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Kimber turned back in her seat to face forward. Things felt settled now that they knew where they were going. But the thought of her mother was still hanging over her head. Kimber needed to find out if she was safe or at least try to contact her. Even knowing that Eli had just tried to reach her, she wouldn’t be satisfied until she tried herself, which meant she had to ask to use Nolan’s phone.

  “Nolan, can I use your phone.”

  Nolan looked at her, a look of disdain on his face. Kimber reached her hand out, batting her eyelashes a couple times. She wasn’t above using any of her charm and resources to get what she wanted. With her ex-girlfriend sitting in the seat next to her, she turned on her smile, trying to flirt to get what she wanted. Kimber didn’t really need to flirt to get Nolan to let her use the phone. Maybe she was doing it because Drew was sitting next to her. Her feelings were still hurt, and if Drew could flirt with a guy, she could too. It was a bitter move, but she wasn’t above being spiteful.

  Reluctantly, Nolan handed it over. Her fingers quickly dialed her mother’s number and held the phone to her ear. It didn’t ring. Instead, she was meant with the same busy signal her brother had heard. Kimber hung up and dialed again. Busy. She tried one more time, receiving another busy signal.

  With a heavy sigh, Kimber handed the phone back to Nolan.

  “I just kept getting a busy signal. Thanks anyway.”

  “The lines are probably jammed,” Drew said, trying to comfort her, ignoring the little bit of flirting she had tried with Nolan. “We’ll find her. I promise.”

  The word promise hung heavily in the air. Kimber knew Drew was trying to be nice, but her promises didn’t mean much to her anymore. Instead of picking another fight, Kimber let it go. She coul
dn’t keep taking her anger out on Drew. It wasn’t fair, even if she cheated on her.

  Nolan’s phone began to ring again, much to his surprise. Figuring it was Kimber’s mom calling them back, he dug it out of his pocket and looked at the number. It was Sada again. He mouthed Sada’s name to a concerned looking Kimber. She was hoping that it was her mother, and her expression fell when she realized it wasn’t her. Sinking back in her seat, the small hispanic girl pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Her shoulders slumped and her head dipped down to rest on her knees. It was hard not to be disappointed and think about the worst. Kimber willed herself to think of something else, anything else at all.

  “What is going on?” Nolan’s voice was raised, a look of disbelief on his face. Something was happening on the phone, but he wasn’t saying anything and Kimber couldn’t hear what was happening.

  “What is it?” She asks, but Nolan doesn’t answer.

  “Sada!”

  He throws the phone out of anger, but all Kimber could think was hopefully he didn’t break it.

  “What happened?”

  Nolan’s face was in his hands. His arms and began to shake and his face was completely white. Whatever happened on the phone wasn’t good. His back was moving up and down, as he tried to breathe.

  “There were shots fired in the background. Sada said someone turned. That’s how she said it to, they turned. Do you think these things really are zombies? It sounds just like a freaking movie. They’re trying to get to a new quarantine. Its at the hospital downtown.” His words were disjointed and rushed. Nolan was clearly hurting, but there was nothing they could do. Kimber wanted to turn to her brother and rub it in his face that she had been right, these things were totally zombies. There was nothing like the excellent feeling of holding the fact that she had been right over her brother’s head, but right now didn’t seem like the time. Nolan was really scared. They all were. Everyone they knew, everyone they cared about was in trouble. She felt small and helpless, unable to make Nolan or Eli or anyone feel better or safe.