by Evans, Mike
The soft voice of a woman came on air. “Please know this is not a test. This warning may very well save your life or the life of someone you know. Yesterday, at approximately 1200 hours, the CDC received reports of several infected individuals from a hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. The names of these individuals have not been released. Our current understanding is that the city has been taken over by the increasingly growing number of infected citizens. Early estimates are that approximately 85% of the Midwest has been affected by this unidentified disease.
“Reports from the Des Moines hospital advised that they only know of two ways which the disease can be spread. The first is through contact with contaminated blood. The second known method of transmission is through a bite wound from one of the infected. If you come across someone who appears to be infected, keep your distance; do not attempt to approach or help them. Bleeding from the eyes as well as a bite mark on the arm are indicators that an individual is likely infected. They have bouts of comas, heavy breathing, and appear not to recognize even close friends and family.
“Stay indoors if you have supplies. Again, do not attempt to help the infected. The spread of the infection has been the heaviest in the following states: Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, and Arkansas. The number of impacted areas is expected to increase as the infection spreads via evacuees who are unknowingly carriers of the pathogen. The military is doing everything in their power to maintain borders, but they are failing.
“Be aware of the following symptoms: bleeding from the eyes, missing skin from the arms, heavy breathing, confusion, and short-term comas. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please stay away from others, as this is highly contagious. If you or anybody you know is experiencing any of these symptoms, contact state or federal agencies immediately, and do not attempt to travel. The CDC is doing everything in its power to find the source of the infection, contain it, and develop a cure.
“The CDC will report any additional information as it is received.”
Greg reached up, turned the radio off, and rested against the tree. Kristy said, “So do you feel any better now?”
Greg shook his head. “No. I think I feel even more isolated now, if that is even a possibility. I mean, think about it. They just said they want to find a cure. They also said they don’t know shit about it other than the symptoms. How can they cure something that they don’t know anything about it yet?”
Kristy said, “But maybe someone in Iowa has some answers for them. Maybe they’ll get it to the CDC.”
“Yeah, but how? The Army is closing off roadways, and we won’t be able to get anywhere. I’m sure the skies are closed and an F-16 is probably up there ready to blow upf someone who tries to make a flight out.”
“So you’re saying that you don’t want to even try and get out of here? You just want to give up and stay here until someone comes and tries to save us?”
“What I’m saying is that maybe there isn’t much else we can do. They said that they want to know about the disease, meaning they don’t know shit yet. Unfortunately, they probably aren’t going to find anyone who does if only 15% of the population doesn’t get infected. Even better chance that the person who made it is either already Turned or dead.”
“Geez, you think if I went and got a puppy you could shoot it for me, Mr. Positive?”
“I’m just saying the chances that we can do anything about this are slim to none and it might be best to just hold tight up here until the news can get us some more information.”
“Did I hear it right? That they’re looking for a cure?”
Greg sighed as he nodded his head. “Well, it did just happened yesterday. They are asking people publicly to help look for answers.”
“Where would we even start to look for the cure or for any information?”
Greg laughed. “I don’t think that they were talking about teenagers helping. They were talking about adults, like police, medics, doctors, or anyone who might have been around the original outbreak… if they are still alive, of course.”
“It sounds like they need to send some people in to Des Moines, but if almost 8 out of every 10 people you see are going to hunt you down and try to eat you, what are the chances anyone would come out alive?”
Greg lay back on the blanket and stared up at the blue sky, wishing they could do something to help and feeling even more trapped in the hills because of it. “Those odds suck.”
“I wonder how much longer they are going to be gone. Do you think that they got his medicine?”
Greg rolled on a shoulder nodding his head. “Yeah, Shaun’s not a quitter; he won’t come back without it. If he says he can do something, he is going to do it. I’m surprised they aren’t back yet.”
“Yeah, I figured it’d be pretty quick in and out and back. What do we do if they stay gone much longer?”
“Well, considering they took the only vehicle, I’d say we do some walking. Maybe we can get to the highway and take one of the vehicles that were abandoned.”
“Do you really think that is safe?”
“Hell no, but if I was out there and needed help, they’d do the same for me.”
“So the four of you are pretty close then.”
Greg laughed sitting back up as he thought about the last year. “Yeah, you know, they probably are about the closest group of friends I’ve ever had. We all kind of met during detention.”
“Oh, so you are all trouble makers then.”
Greg winked and gave a troublemakers smile at her. “I’m the only degenerate out of the group. I’m just a bad influence on the rest of them.”
“Funny, I kind of thought Ellie and Shaun might be the troublemakers out of the group. I heard that story about her kicking that kid in the balls a while back, and Shaun got in trouble for fighting during the middle of the school day.”
Greg laughed, remembering how nervous Shaun was in detention that day and how worried he was about his dad coming to the school to pick him up. “They’re all right. He was sticking up for Ellie. That’s the day we all got to know each other.”
“Wow. He must really like Ellie if he took on those guys for her.”
“Yep, they’re pretty close.”
“Close like dating, or like friends?”
Greg put out a hand waving it side to side. “I don’t know. It’s hard to gauge with them. They tried starting something, but it was over just as fast as it had started. Kind of sucked. They’d been so close to dating for a while, and then when they tried, the next day Ellie found out about her mom getting diagnosed with cancer. That was the end of that.”
Kristy nodded her head, not sure what to say. She started breaking a twig apart into pieces. Greg patted her on the back. “It’s all right. She’s gone now, anyway.”
“From the cancer?”
“From those things. She didn’t have much time left. She was losing her fight. Shaun’s dad was trying to cure her, but he just didn’t have enough time.”
Kristy sat up a little more straight. “What do you mean that he was trying to cure her?”
“Yeah, he was like a chemist or something. He worked at E&T.”
Kristy hung her head for a moment, thinking. Then she looked at Greg and asked, “Do you think it’s possible that he was the one responsible?”
“For what?”
“For everything.”
“Why would you think it was him?”
“He went to Des Moines and then the outbreak hit, right?”
“I doubt it. I’m sure that Shaun would know if he did or didn’t come up with the cure.”
“Well, I think…”
Crack, crack.
Greg held up a hand and whispered, “Be quiet. What the hell was that?”
“It’s probably just a squirrel or a deer.”
“Yeah, or maybe it’s just a zombie that wants to eat us.”
Greg got to his feet, gripping his rifle with both hands and aiming it toward the noise. The crunch and crack
ling of twigs and branches underfoot were getting louder and closer with each step. Greg’s heart was pounding in his chest. Kristy joined Greg, painting herself on his back. Greg hated himself for saying it aloud, but he said, “As much as I like this, I need you to back up a foot or two. If I need to fire this thing, you’ll not want to be directly behind me with the kick of the rifle.”
She hadn't realized how close she was to Greg, and her cheeks turned red. “Oh, sorry about that. I didn’t mean to, um, well...”
Greg said, “No worries, but we need to be quiet.”
Greg watched, looking down the hill, waiting to see what it was—if it was friendly or not. He was aiming where he looked, and when he saw three figures moving at a good pace through the woods, he realized that they had returned. He let out a deep breath, glad to see them and to know the horrible thoughts he kept having had not happened to them. Ellie saw them and yelled, “Hey! We’re back!”
She saw the rifle and said, “Geez could I have just one more gun pointed in my direction today?”
Greg cupped his hands, yelling down the hill, “I thought you guys were, well, you know… one of those things. I almost took the three of you out.”
Shaun looked up the hill towards them. “Do we look that bad?”
Greg slung the rifle on his shoulder and shook his head. He hollered back with a smile, “No, just you, Shaun.”
Kristy folded the blanket, handed it to Greg, and she carried the radio. They walked down the hill, meeting up with the three. Kristy asked, “So, how was it down there?”
Shaun answered her, “Town’s not looking so hot.”
Ellie said, “Yeah and the van broke down and we were trapped in a hardware store and we had to steal a truck and a guy was going to shoot the two of us but they—”
Greg broke in. “Wait, wait wait wait wait, slow down. Now, what are you talking about? Who tried to shoot you? Why did you go to a hardware store?”
Tina said, “So, we got the drugs for Patrick and headed through the center of town to see what was happening; those things are everywhere. We were going to leave and head back and just as we were ready to head out, the damn van died.”
Greg said, “So it’s gone, like, forever.”
Ellie looked at Shaun, smiling. “Well, if it wasn’t dead forever, it is now after Shaun blew the damn thing up.”
“Holy shit, Shaun! You pyro. You blew up the van? Why?”
“You know, at the time it seemed like a really good way to get rid of some of those things, but then once it went up in a ball of fire, the reality set in that they come to noise pretty quick. We had to hide out in Bynum’s Hardware Store.”
“Did they lose interest in you?”
Ellie cut in. “Hardly; those things were insane. They busted in and we made a break for the roof and then jumped across all of the buildings until we were able to get down on the opposite side. We broke into the car dealership and almost got shot by the owner, and then Shaun stepped in and took the gun away from the guy. Oh, and Shaun used an axe to split the owner of Bynum’s Hardware’s head open. He was trying to eat us though, in Shaun’s defense.”
“Look at you, Billie Badass.” Greg smirked at him, punching him lightly on the shoulder.
Kristy laughed at this and said, “I thought you were the degenerate of the group.”
Greg shrugged. “Yeah, I thought I was, but apparently these three are trying to give me a run for my money.”
Shaun asked, “How are things going here? Is Patrick doing all right?”
Kristy said, “Yeah, he was looking a little better. We got a little stir-crazy in the house, but Greg and I went through and made a list of the supplies that we picked up from Andy yesterday. Then we hiked up the hill and wanted to see if there is any news from the outside.”
Ellie just stared for a moment, pointing at Greg. “Wait, Greg was productive on purpose?”
Greg shook his head no and said, “Well, actually, I fully blame it on Kristy here.”
Tina saw the blanket and the radio. “What else were you two doing?”
Greg said, “Trying to see if the world is still alive and kicking further than this hillside.”
Ellie said, “Well, is it?”
Kristy nodded. “It’s still going, but the heads of the Center for Disease Control said that almost 85% of the surrounding population is infected with it. They said that anyone who looks infected should not be approached and that if we see any of them, we are to call any government agency. They said they would be helping to round up the infected until they are able to come up with a cure. Also, it’s in all the surrounding states. They know it started in the Des Moines area and need to know how.”
Shaun nodded. “So it sounds like maybe staying up here is probably a good idea. I would hate to be the group that has to try and catch those things and contain them.”
Tina said, “What should we do now?”
Everyone looked to Shaun, who shrugged and said, “Honestly, I’m clueless. I’m taking a nap and you can do whatever you want. I’m not a leader. I’m just the owner of the house.”
Greg said, “I think we’re going to have a lot of free time going forward.”
Shaun said over his shoulder, “I think we should start collecting firewood. I think free time is something we have when we sleep. When the winter comes, we are going to need every last piece we can get. There is no furnace; all we have is that giant stove oven in there.”
Ellie said, “So what you’re really saying is maybe you don’t need a nap?”
Shaun thought about the cold cabin in the winter and thought really hard about how little he wanted to freeze to death after surviving so much already. “Let’s eat, stow this stuff away, and get Patrick set up with his insulin, and then I say we start cutting down trees.”
Greg pointed to a giant oak tree and said, “Hey, how about that one? It’s giant; it would heat this place for the entire winter.
Shaun took it in and said, “How about we get that skinny one over there instead?”
Greg didn’t know anything about working smarter not harder yet. Shaun walked over to the skinny one and pointed out to Greg. “Greg, look at the trunk. Going all the way up, there are almost no branches on it. Also, it will fit right into the stove we have. “
Greg said, “Yeah, but the big one will too, once we cut it down, cut it into chunks, and break them in half, right?”
Shaun said, “Would you rather do one day’s work and get an entire tree or do four days’ work and get a little thicker of a tree?”
The girls already grew tired of watching this and went inside the house with all of the items. They handed off the insulin to Patrick and made a safe spot where they could keep it where nothing could fall and smash the precious vials, which were as good as gold to him. Patrick saw everything from his house and smiled saying, “I can’t believe you brought all this back for me.”
Mike saw the collection and said, “You guys are awesome! I can’t believe you got stuff from all our houses.”
Tina said, “Sorry; we didn’t get anywhere else.”
“Well, why didn’t you stop at my place? You had a key, didn’t you?”
Ellie said, “Had you been down there you might not be talking out your ass. We aren’t going back down for quite a while unless we have a good reason to do so.”
Mike said, “Well, maybe I need to go have a talk with Shaun about things.”
*****
Shaun and Greg were taking turns chopping when Mike came out of the cabin, looking around, and ready to pick a fight from the look on his face. Mike charged up to the two of them, pointing a finger in Shaun’s face. “What’s your problem, man? Is it just all about you, or what?”
Shaun just stared at him, in no mood to take any crap from someone he barely knew and could care less if was a part of the group. “Mike, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why don’t you go back to the cabin with the girls? Greg and I are trying to cut firewood to keep everyone, includin
g you, warm.”
Mike shoved Shaun, knocking him up against the tree. “I can chop firewood too ass. I just didn’t know what you two were doing out here.”
Greg said, “Mike, if you want to help, man, that’s cool, but you’re totally going about it the wrong way; there’s no reason to be an ass about it.”
Mike shoved Shaun again. “Every time I say something, Shaun’s here to tell me why I can’t help, or that he doesn’t trust me, or that I don’t know how to do anything. I am sick of it already.”
Shaun pushed off of the tree, rolling his shoulders. “It’s only been one day and I’m already sick of you Mike. Tell you what, you can go back inside, you can go down the hill, hell, you can go to town for all I care, but I just buried my dad and went through an entire day of hell again today, almost being killed multiple times. I can say pretty confidently the amount of shit I’m about to take from anyone else, especially you, is maxed out”
Mike turned around and spun back with a sloppily thrown right hook, which caught Shaun by surprise. He connected with Shaun’s jaw, snapping his head around and spinning Shaun.
Greg winced at the blow Shaun had taken and knew things were going to get ugly quick. Shaun wiped at his chin, where a fresh line of blood had traveled. Shaun used his tongue to go around where his lip was throbbing, feeling the warm blood, and knowing he’d had his lip split open.
Shaun sent cold stares at Mike and handed Greg his axe. Mike, being overly cocky, smiled and said, “Sure you don’t want to keep that? You might need it.”
Shaun raised his hands, saying nothing. Mike faked a left and then sent a right flying towards Shaun’s face. Shaun went to the side, catching Mike’s right arm with his left hand on his wrist and his right hand on the back of his shirt. He spun Mike in a forceful circle around and let go, sending him off balance and crashing hard into the ground. Mike pushed up off the ground and stared back at Shaun, ready to kill. He sprinted, head down toward Shaun. When Mike got to within a foot of him, Shaun crouched down a little, ducked to the side, and brought his foot up into Mike’s gut. Mike dropped to the ground, coughing and gasping for air. Shaun looked at Greg, who shrugged, and Shaun said, “I’m going for a walk to cool off. I can’t deal with this crap right now.”