“I don’t like not seeing zombies,” said Briana. “Sounds bad, but it makes me wonder where they’re hiding.”
“They could be plotting against us.”
She snorted. “A bit short on the brain cells for that.” She began to pull on her hair. “Weird though.”
“Enjoy it while it lasts sweetie. You know how our luck seems to go.”
“Oh, joy.” She gave me a smile. “This is a nice place, very pretty. I can picture us living in a little cottage, frilly drapes, a white picket fence, a ten foot stone wall encircling it all with barbed wire on top.”
“Maybe a mine field outside,” I suggested.
“Nah, that would just keep us up all night, and we’d probably blow up some poor coyote on accident. Then I’d feel bad.”
“Can’t have that,” I agreed.
Briana was correct in that it was a nice place, very picturesque. However, it would get cold soon, and there’d likely be lots of snow. Probably be even prettier then.
“Hey guys,” crackled Lizzy’s voice over the radio.
“What is it?” asked Briana, lifting the device from her lap.
“A pair of houses, left side, a bit ahead. I saw them through the trees.”
I hadn’t noticed but slowed, keeping a look out. It wasn’t until I reached the driveway servicing both that I spotted them.
“What do you think?”
Briana shrugged. “We need to take a look. Maybe they have some bottled water.”
Water was our biggest concern. There was no shortage of streams and creeks in the area, but I didn’t like using these. There was no telling if they were clean or contaminated. I, for one, did not want a horrible case of the runs or stomach cramps. Boiling water worked as a means of purification, but we’d only been able to do that a few times due to time constraints. Granted, once we settled down we’d be able to do it regularly. Still, it was a pain.
“Are we going to check it out?” asked Mary. She’d come bounding out of the Grand Cherokee the moment Lizzy stopped with only a cursory glance to make sure the area was clear.
“Unless anyone objects,” I said. No one did. “Lizzy, ready to do a sweep?”
“I’m coming this time,” said Mary.
“No, you are not,” declared Lois. “You stay put and let Jacob and Lizzy do it.”
“But…”
“I said no.”
Lois wasn’t all that talkative, the polar opposite of her younger sister who never shut up, but when she did say something, she tended to mean it.
“You can stand watch with Briana and Lois,” I suggested.
“What about us?” asked Timothy. They’d gotten out of their new truck, well after everyone else.
“Stay here and keep watch, all directions. Briana will explain it to you.”
With Lizzy beside me, we called out for zombies. Nothing happened, so we stepped through the open front door. There was a lot of debris in the living room. Leaves had blown in, and some sort of animals, possibly raccoons, had been there. There was crap on the floor as well. The room itself was simple with only minimal furniture, but there were some photos on the mantle above the fireplace. Most showed a man and woman, both wearing uniforms.
“Park rangers lived here,” said Lizzy, “looks like anyway.”
“Maybe we’ll find some weapons or camping gear we can use.”
We moved to examine the other rooms. Lizzy went first, as was her habit. I’d previously pointed out that since she was so short I could shoot over her head, making this the optimal system. She’d threatened to kill me if I ever tried that, after directing an impressive series of curses my way for making the suggestion in the first place. The woman did not like to be teased about her height, so, of course, I did so anytime the opportunity presented itself.
“Nothing,” she said, satisfied.
“Kitchen was a mess.”
Something had gotten into the pantry and ripped apart several cereal boxes. There was no trace of the cereal. Several jars had also been smashed. Their contents were scattered about, currently serving as platforms for fungus growth. There was also the beginning of mold on the walls. It didn’t look particularly bad, but the environment was taking its toll. It wouldn’t be long before any structure made with drywall was uninhabitable, meaning pretty much every house in the United States.
“Still plenty of food for us to take,” she said.
“A few days worth for the church people.”
She shook her head. “Not a chance. We found it. We eat it. They want to sit and do nothing, let the lazy fuckers starve.”
“Just making an observation Lizzy, and I agree with you, completely and absolutely.”
We went outside and rejoined the others.
“House is clear. All other doors were closed and locked.” I shut the front door as well, out of habit. “Let’s check the other one.”
“Are you real people?” called a voice from above.
More than a little startled, I turned toward the sound. A second story window had been opened. There was a face peeking out, wearing dark sunglasses.
“We’re real,” answered Mary. “Are you real too? I’m going to guess you’re not a zombie since you’re talking to us.”
“They’re zombies?”
“What? You didn’t know?”
“Do you need help?” I asked.
She hesitated. “Yes, please.”
“Door’s locked,” said Briana.
“Can you… What’s your name?”
“Miranda.”
“Okay Miranda, I’m Jacob. Anyway, can you unlock the door for us.”
“It’ll take me a moment to get there, so bear with me. I’m blind.” Her final statement was uttered quietly, almost apologetically.
The woman vanished, and we all looked at each other in surprise. I hadn’t expected to find any blind people alive, especially not living alone as Miranda appeared to be. Our new, less than ideal world was harsh and violent, especially for those unable to function normally.
It took several minutes for her to reach the door and open it. Once she did, she stepped outside, one hand on the wall, and took a deep breath.
“I haven’t been outdoors since it started. It’s kinda rank in there.”
“God, yes,” gasped Briana, as she stepped up to the door. “Is there something dead inside?”
Miranda looked as if she was ready to cry. “I had no running water, and the toilet wasn’t working.”
“Poor thing,” said Susan. She moved forward. “Why don’t you let me help you get cleaned up?”
The young woman nodded gratefully. “If you could. I’m normally able to do things myself, but this is my aunt’s house. She works here. I was visiting and didn’t really know where everything was. And she said to stay inside, so I did. Then the power turned off, along with the air conditioning.”
“There were power outages everywhere, most in the first day,” said Lizzy. “Whole damn world is like this. Also, they are zombies, just like in the movies and books, that will try to eat you if they can.”
“They only take a few bites,” corrected Mary. “They’re hungry most of the time, but they get full real quick. It’s pretty weird.”
“We can explain it all later,” I interrupted. If I didn’t cut this short now, we were likely to accomplish nothing except confuse and frighten her further. “Briana, why don’t you help Susan take her to the other house. The bathroom there looked to be good. Miranda, do you mind if I check out your aunt’s house to be certain everything is clear and to take any supplies we may need?”
“Go ahead,” she said. “There’s not much food or water left, that I could find.”
It suddenly occurred to me how gaunt and dehydrated she looked. I should have noticed sooner. I should have seen that immediately.
“Mary, grab some water bottles and food for her too, will ya?”
She darted off, happy to be of use. I think she would rather be fighting zombies, but this was the ne
xt best thing. Plus, Lois wouldn’t complain.
“An axe,” exclaimed Lizzy.
She pulled the rusty thing from a wood pile and brandished it menacingly. Lois began to laugh.
“What’s so funny?” asked Cherie.
It took a moment, but I began to chuckle as well.
“Come on,” said Lizzy. “You have to get it.”
“I do not,” replied Cherie, frustration coloring her voice.
“Think Lizzie Borden,” said Lois.
She had enough knowledge of history to crack a smile.
* * *
Due to the discovery of Miranda and the need to spend time identifying and dealing with her particular needs, we decided to remain there for the night. Her aunt’s house was truly filthy, so we slept in the ranger’s home. A very detailed search was completed, and all the food was gathered and split between the cars as normal, with Susan and Timothy getting extra since they had none to begin with. We also found some guns and ammunition under a bed – I mean, really, there are better places to store such things – including a proper, high quality hunting rifle. That was worthy of celebration. I could now bring down deer and other large animals instead of just shooting rabbits. I was rapidly turning into quite the hunter.
Susan was particularly pleased at the amount of food we’d recovered. They had been going without at the church camp due to their dwindling supplies, but among us she could expect to eat far better. She also commented that they could have found this place if they’d only thought to look, along with saving Miranda before she’d gotten so close to starving to death.
Poor Miranda. Looking at her, it was clear she’d had a really bad time of it, so to help out we collected all her personal stuff from her aunt’s house. Briana and Mary washed her clothes and created a toiletries bag for her with toothbrushes, soap, and so on. Miranda was grateful and sort of clingy. She enjoyed having people around and often started talking anytime we fell silent. I’m guessing she didn’t want to be alone any longer, or even to have the sense of being alone. Understandable.
We also shared our knowledge of zombies with her, specifically the dangers they posed. There was no way she could survive on her own, and I wasn’t about to dump her with the church group, so she would be coming with us. For her part, Miranda seemed more than happy to tag along, and Cherie said she could ride with her, explaining that she’d been getting tired of having no one to talk to during our often extended drives.
At the time, I took Cherie at her word – being alone in a car for hours on end is boring – but now, long after this occurred, I think she was helping Miranda in order to craft a personal image of how kind and generous she was. That, and to have Miranda as a steadfast ally. Cherie always thought ahead, far more than I.
Lizzy and I tried to come up with a way for Miranda to defend herself, but there was nothing. If the zombies moaned or groaned, she could at least swing a bat at the sound, yet they were silent. The best strategy we could conceive was to just keep her out of harm’s way to begin with. It was far from optimal.
As to the house, we had no intention of staying past the night, although we might stop back again at some point. There was the mold issue, which the others agreed couldn’t be overlooked for long. Plus, without heat, the winter cold would likely wreck the place in short order. Still, while we were there, we took some precautions. There was a tool shed, and we found several loose boards. We nailed these over the windows. There wasn’t enough to cover them completely, and the lack of light from doing so would be a pain in the ass, but we could put up enough to keep any zombie from scrambling through. It would serve.
The early part of the evening was spent with people taking turns washing. There was a pond nearby, and while the water was anything but crystal clear, it served well enough to soap up. Sponge baths had become, and remain, the most common method of getting clean. How I miss a large tub, full of hot water, maybe some bubbles and a rubber duck floating about.
Then we settled on the bedrooms. There were three of them.
“Lois and I get one,” said Lizzy firmly. “We need alone time.”
Susan looked scandalized. The expressions on both their faces left no doubt as to what they intended to do. Mary didn’t blink an eye. She was used to it, and not the least bit self-conscious or concerned regarding her sister’s relationship.
“Since the two of you are married,” continued Lizzy, “I suppose you can take a room as well. After being in those flimsy little tents for so long you probably need some alone time too.”
“Don’t presume…” began Susan.
“I presume all the fucking time,” interrupted Lizzy, with a shit eating grin on her face.
“Honey,” said Timothy, “don’t argue when we’ve just been given a real bed to sleep in.”
That apparently made more sense to the woman because she dropped her complaints.
“Jacob and I get the master bedroom,” said Briana. “No discussions on the matter.”
Susan didn’t say anything, but she shot me a look that was something like contempt, though not nearly as bad as what Julie used to give. Then she shrugged her shoulders. She clearly thought the two of us were living in sin or engaged in improper behavior. Briana and I were definitely drawing closer together, and I wasn’t all that surprised when she claimed the bedroom. I had thought to offer it to Miranda since she’d been through a private, alone Hell, but she clearly didn’t want to be by herself and likely would have refused. Well, Miranda could share the living room with Mary and Cherie.
“Don’t worry about them,” laughed Mary. “They never make noise at night, aside from Jacob snoring. His plumbing may not even work.”
“I don’t…”
“Yes, you do,” confirmed Briana, “but not much and not that loud.”
“I… Never mind. Wait a second. What did you say about plumbing Mary?”
She giggled, then began to laugh when she realized I understood what she was implying. I should have caught on immediately, but it was late. I was tired.
Susan stared at us for a moment, Timothy as well, but they only said goodnight and vanished. Lois and Lizzy hung around long enough to make sure Mary didn’t need anything but not a second more. Both couples certainly wanted their private time. I was sure the moods tomorrow would be much improved. I also wondered how thin the walls were. Hmm, the thoughts that go through one’s head at times.
“I want your laptop to watch a movie with,” said Mary.
“I concur,” said Cherie. “Miranda, is watching... I mean…”
“I know what you mean,” she said. “That’s okay. I have no trouble making out what’s happening as long as I can hear the dialogue. Sometimes with action movies, I need a quick description.”
“You still owe me a laptop of my own,” added Mary. “Remember, you promised.”
“We’ll find a Best Buy or something and grab several of them. I’ll copy over what I have for you then. If we ever get a generator, we’ll set up some proper television sets and DVD players.” I paused. “Enjoy that sort of thing while you can. It’s likely no new ones will be manufactured for decades, if not longer, and those lying about will eventually break down. I’m foreseeing a long, long period without movies, music too.”
“Thanks for cheering me up,” said the teenager. She was still smiling. “Now hand it over, so I can watch while it’s still possible.”
I went outside to collect my laptop from the Jeep while Mary kept an eye out for zombies. There weren’t any. In fact, the forest was unusually quiet. This was a calm, peaceful place. Hopefully it would stay that way.
Going back inside, I bolted the door. The ladies had arranged themselves on the sofa in preparation for their entertainment, such as it was. They should be fine sleeping in the room. In addition to the couch, there were several easy chairs. Those went way back, and were definitely more comfortable than lying on the floor, not that anyone would consider doing so. We had picked up the animal droppings and most of the mess, but
the carpet was still disgusting.
“Night,” I said.
I received a chorus of goodnights as I left and headed to the master bedroom in the back of the house.
* * *
“Lock the door,” ordered Briana softly, the second I entered.
She had lit some candles. They didn’t give off much light, compared to the flashlights and lanterns we normally used, but it was enough to see by. A terrible waste of a limited resource however. I didn’t know any bee keepers. How would we get more? I’m joking. I wasn’t thinking any such thing. My attention was on Briana who was lying atop the bed wearing a lacy red bra and a matching pair of panties. She normally wore shorts and a tank top when sleeping. This was a major improvement.
“The door Jacob.”
I pulled my eyes away and pushed the button on the cheap little lock. It might keep a determined four year old out, though that was iffy.
“Everyone else settled?”
I nodded. “Watching a movie on my computer or in their rooms.”
“You know, Cherie’s probably going to look up your bank records or something.”
“Nah,” I replied. “Mary wouldn’t let her, and I moved and hid all my personal files the other day in case I did decide to let someone borrow it. My secrets are safe.”
She turned about, unhooking her bra and tossing it on the nightstand. Between her position and her quickly lying down, I didn’t actually get to see anything.
“Since that’s all good, you get to give me a back rub.”
“Don’t you owe me one?”
“Probably. I forget. Come on now. I have some lotion too. Couldn’t find any massage oil. Would have been nice.”
“True,” I agreed. Yes, I was staring again. Her skin was smooth, and while not flawless – face it, no one had flawless skin – it was close.
Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse (Book 1): Sanctuary Page 20