by Lee, S. G.
The flu. Emma didn’t like the sound of that. She asked a few questions about his wife; how high was her fever? Did she have any lacerations or marks on her body? Had any of the grandchildren been sick?
“I thought you said you weren’t from the hospital,” the man accused. “You’re sure asking lots of doctorly questions.”
Emma did her best to reassure him that she had not been sent from any hospital and told him that she was only a curious high school student out on a bike ride for a school project. It seemed too risky to say they were fleeing from a zombie invasion so it seemed better to lie. With trepidation, she asked if they could stay in his barn until the storm passed, but he refused. She dreaded telling the others that she had failed. Just then, a dreadful groaning came from inside the house. Emma cringed, wishing she had brought her rifle along. The old man turned and disappeared into his home. Accepting defeat, Emma turned away to join the others.
“Hey now,” a gruff voice called after her. “Where are you running off to?”
Sprinting back to the porch, Emma crossed her fingers and hoped for good news. Sheepishly, the old man apologized for being so dour. He introduced himself as Carl Jacobson and explained that his dear wife, Iris, had been good enough to remind him of his manners.
“I’m afraid we don’t have enough room for you kids to stay in the house,” Carl said. “But at least I can give you a hot meal. While you folks get settled into the barn, I’ll get the food ready.”
“That’s very kind of you but we don’t want to be any trouble. We just appreciate having a roof over our heads.”
“Now, now, it’s no trouble at all,” argued Carl. “The ladies from church made us a whole mess of food when Iris got sick. We’ll never eat it all and it would be a sin to let it go to waste.”
Emma cheerfully agreed and ran back to tell the others. The boys quickly forgot their frustration over Emma wandering off yet again the moment they heard ‘hot meal.’
“It’s kind of a relief to know we have permission to stay here,” Evan admitted.
The loft provided more protection than they’d expected. Once everyone was up, they could easily retract the ladder to prevent further access. They’d hauled their belongings up to the hayloft just as the rain began to fall. Ignoring the precipitation, Emma volunteered to go back for the food. As she ran across the yard, her stomach grumbled in anticipation. Carl had bagged up a huge container of homemade chicken and dumplings, green beans, dinner rolls, and an entire apple pie. When Emma insisted that it was too much, Carl brought her into the kitchen to show her how much was still left over.
“My wife started a committee at our church. They provide food to members in need. Whether you’re sick, recovering from surgery, if you just gave birth, or you’re down on your luck, my wife and her friends provide hearty, nutritious meals to help out. For the past thirty years, my wife had been cooking for this community and they were more than anxious to give back.”
The Jacobsons’ kitchen counter was laden with pies, cookies, and homemade breads. In the refrigerator, they had casseroles, stews, soups, and roasts. The good Christian women of their congregation had lovingly prepared all of it. Carl admitted that since his wife became ill, his appetite had diminished and poor Iris could barely swallow. Emma couldn’t help but ask if Iris would have been better off at the hospital. Carl sighed deeply and shook his head.
“She made me promise. Iris knows she’s dying and she wants to spend her last days at home. She said she’s made her peace with God and she’s ready for Him to take her. She wants to stay here and she wants to be buried under our sweetheart tree when the time comes.”
Carl picked up a tarnished silver frame and handed it to Emma. It was their wedding picture. Carl and Iris Jacobson had been married almost sixty years and had known each other since childhood. Reminiscing, he told Emma that the farm had been his father’s, and his grandfather’s before him. When he was fifteen, Carl knew Iris would one day be his bride. At seventeen, he carved a heart with their initials in the huge oak tree behind the house.
“Our first kiss was under that tree and once I had carved in our initials in it, she called it our sweetheart tree. We said our wedding vows in that same spot. We’ve always planned to be buried side by side under that tree.”
Carl’s eyes grew weepy and he shooed Emma off to go eat before the food got cold. As she splashed through the soggy yard, Carl called out to her.
“In the morning, you kids come on down for a good country breakfast. You’ll need some fuel in your bellies before you leave!”
Emma promised they would and waved goodnight before ducking inside the barn. The worst of the downpour was over and the steady pitter-patter of the rain made soothing dinner music. They all dug in and hungrily savored each warm, comforting bite.
As they ate, Emma thought about what Carl had told her. He was only fifteen when he found the love of his life. She and Evan were both older than that. She couldn’t help but imagine that they too could share their lives. Till death do us part, Emma thought and wondered just how long that would be.
Trying to be cheerful, Kate pointed out the positives of sleeping in the loft. Primarily, it was one large room with a sectioned-off smaller area by the lone window. Unfortunately, the glass was missing which meant they would be chilly, but it was also a good lookout point. After the rain, the temperature had dropped drastically and their breath misted on each exhale, but Kate continued to speak words of encouragement. They used hay bales to block the wind and help keep them warm. Except for the one standing guard, they’d be sheltered from the chill, but with four people to split the watch, guard duty wouldn’t last too long. As usual, Matt volunteered for the first watch. Bundled in his sleeping bag, he propped himself up in front of the window.
“It’s too early,” Emma complained. “I’m never going to be able to fall asleep.”
Moments later Matt snorted derisively when he was being serenaded by snores. He took great delight in waking his sister a couple hours later to start her shift.
“It’s too early to sleep,” Matt mimicked as he curled up in a nest of hay.
***
Emma’s dreams kept her company as she vigilantly scanned the yard for intruders. She desperately wished she could forget but the images haunted her. Lately, all of her dreams ended with being ripped to shreds by zombies. She had again dreamt she was wearing a flowing white gown, but this time Matt escorted her down a path in the woods. Evan carved their initials into a tree and they kissed. Suddenly, the surrounding trees became zombies that clawed at their flesh. Evan whispered till death do us part as his torso was split in two. Try as she might, Emma could not stop thinking about death or her dream.
After a few quick preparations, Emma tiptoed over to Evan and gently tapped on his shoulder. Thinking it was time for his shift, Evan gathered up his sleeping bag and scuffled over to the window. When Emma cuddled up next to him, Evan was pleased to have company. To him, the first fifteen minutes of watch always seemed the worst so he was relieved to have someone to share it with and help him stay awake.
“You really should get some sleep,” Evan whispered. “We’re going to have a long day tomorrow.”
Emma smiled and kissed Evan softly on the lips. As her kiss became more demanding, Evan felt her pulling him closer. Before he knew it, Emma was straddling him as her tongue probed his mouth. As if they had a mind of their own, Evan’s hands went wandering. He froze when Emma unzipped her jacket. She had removed the shirt underneath and was unhooking the front clasp on her bra when Evan found his voice.
“Emma! What are you doing?”
“I don’t want to die a virgin, Evan, and I’m sure you don’t either,” Emma whispered into his ear while softly kissing his neck.
Cupping Emma’s face in his hands, Evan lifted her chin. He looked directly into her eyes.
“You’re not going to die, Emma, I promise. I will take care of you but this is crazy. My mom and your brother are less than twenty feet
away. I love you but this is … hey, wait, I’m not a virgin!”
“But you said you’d never been in love before,” Emma replied with more than a hint of accusation.
“And I was telling you the truth. I’ve never been in love before but I’ve dated other girls. Sometimes things can get out of control and that’s what I am trying to avoid right now!” Evan insisted. Emma started to pull away but he drew her close and kissed the top of her head. “C’mon now, talk to me. Don’t pull away.”
Turning her back to Evan, Emma looked at the floor. Like most girls, she struggled with her own self image and after years of hearing Jillian criticize her it was hard to shake the feeling that she didn’t measure up to other girls.
“Is it that you don’t want to be with me?”
“It’s not that! I’m just trying to keep you safe. You know as well as I do that in every horror movie ever made teenagers having sex equals death.”
“That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” she snapped. “This isn’t a movie. If you don’t want to do that with me, just say so. Just don’t insult me with some bullshit about movie rules.”
“I do want you, Emma. Why are you so quick to believe that I don’t? I. Want. You. Okay? Just not like this. Not in some damp, smelly barn with you shivering in the cold and definitely not with Matt, my mom, and Lucy a few yards away. What I’m trying to say is that our first time should be special. I want us to be in a bed, with candlelight, and soft music playing.”
As if in response to Evan’s request for music, a chorus of moans rose up from the neighboring field. A pair of zombies wandered side by side under the silvery moonlight. Emma quickly yanked up the zipper on her jacket to cover her exposed skin and stood to look out at the creatures below. If the pair hadn’t been transformed into horrible, flesh-eating monsters it might have looked like they were taking a romantic stroll through a glistening, frosted field. She tried to avoid eye contact with her brother and Kate, who had also rushed to the window because of the noise. The debate began over whether to shoot the zombies or find a quieter way to dispose of them. No one wanted to alarm their host but they couldn’t ignore the creatures either. Before they could reach a decision, a large tractor fitted with a flail chopper rumbled through the field and made short work of the corpses.
“Maybe we should go see who that is,” Matt yawned. “What are they doing up at this hour anyway. I know farmers get up early but this is ridiculous.”
“No, we have no business going down there. Whoever they are is none of our business. We don’t need to advertise that we’re here. Now, we have a busy day ahead of us so I suggest that the rest of us should get some sleep,” Kate ordered.
The others went back to sleep while Evan stayed at his post. A dull ache spread in his groin and he knew it was going to be a long night. As much as he wanted to take advantage of Emma’s proposition he knew it wasn’t possible, at least not while they were still trying to get to the cabin. Frustrated, he decided that they were going to reach the cabin the next day no matter what. At first light, they would leave. There would be no breakfast with their host and no more taking it easy. Everyone needs to pick up the pace. Every minute that we aren’t at the cabin our lives are in danger. They’ve got to understand that.
By rights, they should have made it to the cabin in one day. Instead, they were freezing in a dirty old barn. Convince that his father would be disgusted by his lack of leadership, Evan began packing up their gear and carting their bicycles down the ladder. There wasn’t much more he could do until daylight so he waited, silently cursing everyone and everything around him.
***
As the sun rose and the others finally began to wake, Evan wasted no time lugging the rest of their things down the ladder. Confused by his haste, Emma asked why he was in such a rush.
“Did you forget we’re having breakfast with Mr. Jacobson?” Emma asked. “I doubt he’ll be up this early.”
“Emma, we don’t have time for that!” replied Evan in an exasperated tone. “We should have been at the cabin by now. At the rate we’re going we’ll be lucky to make it there by Thanksgiving.”
“Evan, I know you’re anxious to get moving but it would be incredibly rude to sneak off after the Jacobsons were kind enough to shelter and feed us,” Kate interjected after hearing Evan’s scheme. “You were raised better than that. You should lie down for awhile; you’re awfully cranky this morning.”
Fuming, Evan stalked to the other side of the loft and slumped into a corner. Emma longed to curl up next to him and go back to sleep but she resisted. Clearly, Evan was agitated and Emma thought it had something to do with her. Instead, she huddled between Matt and Lucy to try to keep warm.
When she woke again, Carl Jacobson was calling his guests to breakfast. Eagerly, Matt, Lucy, and Emma clambered down the ladder to join their host. Only after Kate glared at him did Evan slowly rise and reluctantly join them. Carl led them to the enclosed back porch where a long picnic table was set with six place settings. Apologizing for his wife’s absence, Carl explained that she was still feeling under the weather.
“I told her a week with the grandkids would be too much,” Carl complained as he began passing platters of crispy bacon, glazed ham steaks, and country sausage patties. “But she wanted to spend time with them before it was too late.”
Carl explained that Iris had been in remission for the past few years, but three weeks ago her doctor had told her the cancer was back. Since she had opted not to repeat radiation or chemotherapy, the doctors guessed she would probably have about six months. Noticing that the kids had stopped eating, Carl decided he had better lighten the mood.
“Not to worry,” Carl said, ruffling Lucy’s hair. “She’ll shake this flu. She just needs a little extra rest. Now, eat up before it gets cold.”
The fluffy blueberry pancakes looked too scrumptious to resist. Even Evan, who silently resented the delay, couldn’t help but load his plate a second time. Carl picked at his food and eyed his watch almost as often as Evan. Excusing himself, Carl disappeared to take Iris her breakfast and medicines. Kate and Emma began clearing the table and, to Evan’s dismay, planned on washing the dishes. His quietly voiced displeasure was met with icy glares; even Matt seemed surprised by his friend’s impatience.
From inside the house they heard a loud thud, followed by the crash of shattered glass. Without hesitation, Emma raced through the back door and into the Jacobsons’ home. The air was still thick with the rich smell of frying bacon and percolated coffee. Emma peered through the doorway into the living room and pulled the pistol from her pocket when she saw Iris Jacobson ripping shreds of flesh from her husband’s neck with her teeth. Ghastly screams of agony pierced the air as Emma steadied herself and fired two shots into the former Mrs. Jacobson’s head. Iris’s frail body fell with a thud and Emma rushed to Carl’s side. The gaping wound in his neck gushed blood in a pulsing spray. Feeling his strength fade, Carl took Emma’s hand and gave a feeble squeeze.
“Tree,” he croaked.
Emma nodded. She knew he wanted to be buried with his wife under their tree. She promised him that their final wish would be granted as she watched Carl Jacobson draw his last breath. Wordlessly, she fired one shot into his brain.
With a heavy heart, Emma rose and pulled a patchwork quilt from the couch. Not waiting for the others to help, Emma spread the quilt on the floor and rolled the bodies onto one half before covering them with the remaining fabric.
“Emma, what are you doing?” Evan demanded.
“It will be easier to drag the bodies out to the grave this way. Besides, Lucy doesn’t need to see this,” Emma replied tersely.
“What grave? Em, we don’t have time to dig graves,” Evan protested.
Emma stormed past him, ignoring the rebuke. Kate, Matt, and Lucy watched from the doorway. Matt slipped out the back door and followed his sister to the garage. Slinging a shovel over her shoulder, Emma trudged through the backyard and stopped under the towerin
g oak tree.
Without a word, Matt joined his sister and began digging. Even Lucy tried to help; she found a small garden shovel and scooped dirt with the tiny blade. Kate proceeded to clean up the kitchen and wash the dirty dishes while Evan protested that they were wasting time.
“We’d get done a lot faster if you’d quit complaining and help,” Kate replied.
Accepting that he was again outvoted, Evan sheepishly joined the others. Once the kitchen was cleaned, Kate found a shovel and pitched in. Although not the regulatory six feet, they dug deep enough for both bodies to be well interred. Sending Lucy back to the barn to gather their backpacks, Matt and Evan pulled the blanket-covered bodies across the yard. Before rolling the bodies into the hole, Emma interlocked the couple’s hands so that they would be forever joined. It took only minutes to fill the hole with dirt and pack it down. As the last shovelful of dirt was patted into place, Kate said a somber prayer.
“I couldn’t help but notice,” Matt said, wiping the sweat from his brow. “There’s an old pickup truck in the garage with a key in the ignition.” He flinched, anticipating a smack from Emma.
“Yeah, I noticed that too,” replied Emma. “Maybe we should borrow the truck. We’ve lost a lot of time and I think Carl would have wanted us to get to safety as quickly as possible.”
The boys were both pleased but also stunned. They had expected Emma to be outraged by the suggestion. Checking his watch, Evan calculated that there was still a small chance of making it to the cabin before nightfall.
While his mom and Lucy were taking one last bathroom break and Matt was loading bikes into the truck, Evan apologized to Emma for his behavior. He felt guilty for his lack of compassion but the prospect of a vehicle put him in a better mood. Their make-up kisses grew passionate, since they assumed they were alone.
When Matt returned, he found his sister and his best friend locked in each other’s arms. Though awkward, Matt chose to ignore their demonstrative affection until his sister’s hand slid dangerously close to Evan’s waistband.