by Max Lockwood
“Well, I guess we have our orders,” she said. “See you back here in a few minutes. I trust you won’t get lost?”
Crystal grinned at Matthew, making his stomach feel funny.
“If it’s just down the street, I think we’ll be okay,” Sergio said.
“Yeah, you’ll be all right. See you soon.”
The men got into the car and drove silently to the park. Sergio’s lips were pursed the entire time. When he parked the car, he finally opened his mouth. But this time, his voice was calm.
“This place seems too good to be true. I understand why you might be enamored by the prestige of it all, but something is not right here. Am I the only one who feels it?”
Matthew and Carl looked at each other and shrugged.
“It’s weird that it’s completely untouched by zombies, but I guess that’s just because they’re rich and can afford to put up defenses,” Matthew said.
“I agree, but I’m going to reserve judgment until I’ve had my hot meal and a sleep in my own bed,” Carl added.
“That’s fine,” Sergio said, tearing into a protein bar. “All I ask is that you keep your eyes and ears open and we leave at the first sign of trouble.”
“Sure,” Carl said. “Let’s see if we can learn anything from these rich people.”
“We’ll stick together,” Matthew said. “We’re a team.”
“Okay, then,” Sergio said. “Let’s see how fancy this place really is.”
Matthew’s nerves buzzed with excitement. He knew that it was important to pick up a little intel while they stayed at the commune, but he just wanted to look around the massive homes and lounge freely in the gardens. He felt a little guilty about being somewhere so nice and safe while the others fought for their life in the office building, but they weren’t staying long. In twenty-four hours, they would be back in the high rise. The girls would be able to start working on a cure for the disease and the others could work on clearing out zombies from the more populous areas of town. It would all be justified in the end.
“You can’t tell me you aren’t excited at the prospect of having a good meal and a bed to sleep in,” Carl said, elbowing Sergio in the arm. “I feel like we’ve been eating MREs for days. You know how that blocks you up.”
“You leave me to worry about my bowel movements,” he replied, finally cracking a smile. “Yes, I wouldn’t mind some proper food—no offense, Matthew.”
“None taken,” he replied. “I wouldn’t call the experiments I do with canned products ‘proper food’. Do you think they’d let me help out in the kitchen?”
“I doubt it,” Carl said. “The mayor seemed pretty set on impressing the guests. You’ve earned a break anyway. Rest up before you have to get out onto the streets again.”
Matthew knew that he was referring to his mental health and took his words seriously. He knew that a rest in a private room, a wash, and a decent meal would do more for his health than a nap in a car.
The three walked back to the fountain, afraid to speak too loudly about their reservations. But they were willing to take whatever they were offered. After all, they were still the poor kids who lived off whatever they could find on the streets. Though they were in the most exquisite neighborhood they had ever seen, they couldn’t forget their meager roots.
13
The girls arrived at the fountain a minute after the men found their way back, talking quietly to each other. Crystal grinned as she approached the soldiers.
“Mayor Schilling must like you three,” she said. “I think she hooked you up with some pretty nice rooms.”
“Really?” Carl asked. “How nice?”
“Well,” Adele said, “I’m currently sleeping in an attic. It’s a nice attic—but it was clearly not meant for inhabitants. I overheard her telling the people who keep the rooms ready for newbies to make sure you guys have all the extras. I’m thinking snacks, drinks—I’ve even heard rumors that some people have DVD players in their rooms. I don’t like to use more energy than I need, so I just keep myself entertained with books.”
Carl raised his eyebrows. “I don’t know what we did to deserve this special treatment.”
“Me neither.” Adele giggled. “There are two rooms available for the three of you. I know it’s not ideal, but a lot of people here bunk up together. One room has two beds and the other room is smaller, so it just has the one queen mattress. Will that work?”
Carl looked at the other two and nodded. “Sergio and I can share. It’ll just be like the old days.”
“Are you sure?” Matthew asked. He knew it made sense for the two friends to share a room, but he still felt like he was getting too good of a deal.
“Not a problem,” Sergio said. “I really don’t mind sharing a room.”
“Cool,” Crystal said, strutting ahead of the pack. “Why don’t I show Matthew to his room and you take Carl and Sergio?” she asked Adele. “You guys will all be on the same floor of the house, just on different sides.”
“How big is this place?” Matthew asked, not able to wrap his mind around a floor of a person’s home that required two people to find them to their beds. He couldn’t even imagine something so grand. The houses were behemoths from the outside, but they still didn’t look like they could be large enough that they could each get their own bed, especially when others shared the houses.
“I think the owner of this home ran a pharmaceutical company,” Crystal said as she led the men toward the house. Of course, half of these owners are at their vacation homes in the mountains or in the Caribbean somewhere. As far as we know, they might not even know that their employees allowed us to turn their mansions into hostels.”
“Nicer than any hostel I’ve stayed in, that’s for sure,” Adele said.
They entered the grounds of the manor through the wrought-iron fence, closing the waist-high gate behind them. Carl gave Sergio a warning look when he trampled through flowers.
“We’ll go through the back,” Adele said, shuffling the group toward the stairs. “Sometimes it’s easiest not to stop and talk to everyone along the way. I assume you’re all too tired for that.”
“Thanks.” Matthew sighed. He wanted to get a better feel for the community, but the longer he stayed inside the compound, the more energy that drained from him.
At the top of the stairs, Adele led Carl and Sergio to the first door to the right. Crystal continued briskly down the hall, causing Matthew to do a stutter-step to get around the others and keep up with his host. At the end of the corridor, lined by paintings framed in gilded frames, was Matthew’s private bedroom. Crystal opened the door and took a step back, gesturing for Matthew to enter.
When Matthew took a step into his quarters for the night, his face fell.
“What?” Crystal asked, raising a pale eyebrow. “I don’t know where you come from, but I thought you got a pretty sweet room.”
Matthew shook his head quickly. “No, it’s not like that at all. It’s just—it’s way too nice.”
He had expected a bedroom and wound up with a suite. A mid-sized bed would have been plenty, but Matthew was given a king-sized bed, a sitting area complete with couches that appeared to have never been used, and a balcony that overlooked the garden. When the gauzy curtains floated in the wind, the air smelled fresh, not stuffy and dank as it did in the rest of the city.
His stomach fell as he was transported to the honeymoon suite at the resort in Cancun where he had stayed not all that long ago. This time, he was all alone.
Matthew’s wife swore she didn’t need a special vacation, as the couple had just spent a good chunk of their savings on a house, but Matthew knew that she secretly looked at flight fare and flowing sundresses online. So, under the guise of “spending some time with an old friend” he took an under-the-table job as a security guard for a few late nights. When he surprised his wife with the reservation at the all-inclusive, she scolded him for spending so much money, then cried. She kept her emotions close to the cuf
f, so he knew he did well if he could get that big of a reaction from her.
Neither of them had ever stayed somewhere so fancy before. Matthew couldn’t believe that they had what basically equated to a small home all to their selves. On top of that, they could eat and drink whatever they wanted. At the end of the week, he was exhausted from the luxury and was ready to return to his modest lifestyle.
Before they left, she looked at her new husband and said that she never wanted to leave. He chuckled at this statement, assuming that they would have plenty of time left in their young lives to travel and create happy memories. Now, he wished they had never left—and regretted ever believing that they had more time.
“No, this is very nice. Thank you,” Matthew said softly, remembering that there was someone else in the room.
“What’s wrong?” Crystal frowned. “I know times are tough. Is there anything I can do to make things a little less terrible?”
“No, there’s nothing you can do for me. It’s not your fault,” he added, seeing her downcast expression. “Some things can never be made better. Is that wrong of me to think?”
Crystal gave Matthew a knowing look. “Your wife was killed, wasn’t she?”
Matthew felt like a bolt of lightning shot through his body. “How could you possibly know that?” he sputtered.
She pursed her lips. “For starters, you’re fidgeting with your left hand as if you’re twirling a wedding ring around your finger. I’m guessing you just recently took it off. Also, you’re sad about it, so it’s safe to say you’re not divorced.”
“This place reminds me of the resort we stayed at for our honeymoon,” Matthew admitted. “It feels weird to be here without her.”
“I get it,” Crystal said, taking a seat on the corner of the plush bed. “My fiancé was killed by zombies. He got me here and then he went back out into the world and got himself killed. I feel so damn guilty for being in this community while he’s dead. He was the one who knew people here. If it weren’t for him, I’d still be out there.”
“I’m sorry,” Matthew muttered.
“Me too.”
Matthew stood awkwardly in the doorway as Crystal sat on the bed, glancing at her right hand. She had moved her diamond engagement ring to the other side.
“I’m not from here,” she repeated. “My fiancé worked in finance in the city and we were looking for a house in the suburbs. His parents are pretty well-connected and told us to come stay with some friends until the outbreak blew over.”
“So he left the community?” Matthew asked, his voice trailing off.
“Briefly. He was a good guy. He wanted to help out as much as he could. He was working on keeping this place safe and free of zombies when he was attacked.”
Matthew winced.
Crystal got up from her seat and walked over to a cabinet. She pulled a door open and reached inside, pulling out a bottle and two small tumblers. Matthew heard the seal of a refrigerator open and wondered what other hidden luxuries were in this place.
“Do you drink whiskey?” she asked, dropping a few ice cubes into each glass.
“Yeah, sure,” he stammered. He accepted the drink and sat on the adjacent corner of the bed.
“Yes, my fiancé was a good man,” she said, talking a drink after returning to her seat. “It got him nowhere in the end. He had no means to fight these things. People like you and your friends are capable of killing zombies. My Finn wasn’t a fighter. He was strong from rock climbing and hiking and that sort of stuff, but he was no fighter. He got a bite and that was it. His bright and promising future—gone. My life with him—gone.”
Crystal took a long drink from her glass. She clutched the sides tightly to keep her hands from shaking.
“Was it—was it over quickly?” Matthew asked before he could stop the words from escaping his lips. He immediately regretted asking such a personal and painful question.
Crystal blinked rapidly and looked at the floor. “No,” she said softly. “The guy he was with managed to kill the zombie. He had a tiny bite on his hand,” she said, circling the webbing around her thumb. “It was infected and the disease was starting to take hold. I talked to him, but only through the fence. The guards knew he was sick and wouldn’t let him in to say goodbye.”
Matthew took a deep, quivering sigh. He hadn’t had time to say goodbye to his wife. He wondered if Crystal was as devastated as he was. He imagined that she had to be—there was no other option, really.
“Long story short, he took the brave way out,” she sniffed. “People always say that suicide is for selfish coward. I know for a fact that it isn’t always true.”
“He did the right thing,” Matthew interjected, trying to comfort the woman. “I think it takes a lot of strength to sacrifice oneself to save others. He knew that he would become dangerous if left alive. You should remember him that way.”
Crystal got up and refilled the glasses. Matthew was starting to feel sleepy, but he didn’t want to seem like he wasn’t listening or being supportive to Crystal.
“I don’t even know why I’m talking about this,” she said, looking a little embarrassed. “I know that Finn did the right thing and that it’s so freaking tragic that he’s dead and I’m living like nothing is wrong with the world.”
“You can’t blame yourself.”
“I don’t know if I do.” She sighed, waving her free hand, as if she were trying to waft that notion out of the air. “It just sucks, you know?”
Matthew chuckled. “That’s putting it lightly.”
Crystal smiled. “I’m sorry for making things really dark and depressing. You just wanted your own space to chill out for a while and I’m making it weird.”
“No,” he protested, though if he were being honest with himself, he wouldn’t mind having some alone time. “It’s good to talk about these things. I’m here to listen. I think we understand each other pretty well when it comes to these matters.”
“You mean the deaths of our partners?” she clarified. “Yeah, somehow, everyone around here managed to hold on to whoever it was they cared about. The divorcees like to drink cocktails and laugh about what their awful exes would be like as zombies. It’s pretty dark, but I guess you have to do whatever you can to cope.”
“I suppose so,” he said, swirling the alcohol around his glass. He didn’t particularly care for the taste, but he was finally starting to loosen up. He drained the rest, in hopes that it would calm the anxious feeling in his gut. “But I guess at some point, we have to move forward and move on. That’s what I’ve told myself, anyway.”
Matthew shrugged. “It hasn’t been that long since they’ve passed. I try to move forward as much as I can, but I can’t imagine anyone would expect me to get over it.”
“Everyone grieves at one’s own pace,” she said. “Feeling this way sucks and I’m trying to expedite the process. Finn and I had a lot of good times together. But if I could erase all memories of him, I might consider doing so. I hate the feeling of loss. It might be better to just forget all about it.”
Matthew shook his head. He had never disagreed about something so much. Even if he knew the outcome of their relationship, he would have done it over again. Rebecca was worth it. Maybe Crystal had a different kind of relationship with her former fiancé.
“Not me,” he responded. “Even though she’s gone, Rebecca was the best thing that could ever happen to me. It’s hard to just move on.”
Crystal set her empty glass on the entertainment center. “Do you know what? I think this conversation got way too deep, way too quickly. I’m going to go back to my room and take a nap before dinner. I’ll see you then, okay?”
“Sounds good,” Matthew said, feeling relieved. “I think I might try to get a little sleep as well.”
She started to close the door behind her but stopped when it reached halfway.
“I don’t want you to get the impression that I’m a cold and callous person. I also don’t want you to think bad things a
bout me after everything I’ve said. I usually don’t spill my guts to strangers. It’s been a weird couple of weeks.”
Matthew smiled reassuringly. “I understand, and it’s fine. I’ve seen people handle trauma much worse. I’m glad we met and that you guys brought us here. I’ll catch up with you tonight at dinner.”
“Okay.” She smiled before closing the door the rest of the way. Matthew flopped back on his bed and squeezed his eyes shut. That whole exchange with Crystal had left him feeling a little weird, but he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it was.
When he gathered the strength to get up, he started exploring the suite. He opened one door to find a walk-in closet. It was mostly empty, save for a few cocktail dresses hanging in the back and heavy blankets stacked on a shelf.
He opened the second door to reveal a pristine bathroom, complete with a steam shower and Jacuzzi tub. He turned a handle and was surprised to find that hot water came out of the faucet. It felt wrong to enjoy such luxury while the others in his party were stuck in an office building without any means to bathe, but he was also covered in blood and goo and expected to attend dinner with others in the evening. He plugged the tub and watched as steamy water filled the bleached porcelain.
While the tub filled, he returned to the cupboard where Crystal found the bottle and discovered that there was a well-stocked mini bar inside. He figured if Crystal could open an expensive bottle, he could help himself to a soda and a bag of mixed nuts. He brought the snacks back to the bathroom and placed them on the edge of the tub.
Once the water was near the top, he disrobed, tossing his filthy clothes into the corner of the room and submerged himself, instantly changing the color of the water. Repulsed by the smell, Matthew found what looked like a bar of soap and dropped it into the water, instantly fizzing into a warm, fruity scent. He knew the other guys would make fun of him for using women’s bath products, but he didn’t care. Any scent was better than his own.