It was a tearful good-bye as they loaded up the Suburban and shared hugs with the people they had shared their lives with for a short period of time. It was most difficult for the kids in telling Cassie bye, and vice versa. They wished each other luck, and Cassie encouraged the kids to continue with their sports if they could, and that she was proud of them. Silently she hoped for their survival. She hoped they could live out whatever days remained for them in peace. She decided to believe they would, to keep them in her memory as they were right now.
They headed south, stopping after an hour to locate some fuel and food. The area was crawling with creatures, and they opened fire as they moved through the parking areas to get in the stores and siphon gas from the parked cars in the lots.
“God, there’s so many of them,” Cassie fumed, shooting at the closest ones.
“Here, come on,” Matt called from the entry of a convenient store.
Cassie and Trey ran into the store, and Matt turned the lock on the door. They looked around quickly. There were some peanuts and potato chips left, and the store was empty of any lurking creatures. They grabbed up the chips and peanuts. The creatures were piling up at the door, banging on the glass.
“I don’t think we’re getting out that way,” Trey mumbled.
“We have enough time to eat,” Matt replied.
They sat in the floor, eating the chips and peanuts and drinking the coke that had still remained in the cooler, although they were now hot. The creatures continued banging on the glass. They finished eating their food and looked over at the desperate creatures banging on the glass doors and windows. Trey got up after a moment and searched for another exit. Finding one in the back, he called to Cassie and Matt. They hurried back to him and looked at the solid door. Matt pressed his ear against the door, listening for any sign that creatures may be on the other side.
“It’s our best chance, I suppose,” Matt replied.
He pushed on the horizontal door handle and slowly pushed the door open, peeking out. Not seeing any creatures, he pushed the door open more and stepped out. Trey and Cassie followed close behind. They hurried to the edge of the building and peeked around.
“They’re just around the next corner,” Matt whispered. “We’ll make a run to the next building.”
They ran to the next building. They looked back to see if the creatures had noticed. They were still banging on the front of the store. The three moved along to the far edge and moved up the side of the building to the front corner. There was no way to make it to the Suburban without being attacked. They stood, feeling quite panicked with the situation. There had to be around thirty creatures piled against the front of the building. Some were starting to back off and wander around.
“They must be losing our smell,” Trey whispered. “They’re going to start coming this way. We have to distract them.”
Trey went toward the back of the building. Three metal trash cans sat against the wall. His heart pounding, Trey grabbed the lid off the closest one and started banging it against the can. He then threw the lid toward the other building, then rattled the trash can. He then tossed the trash can as hard as he could, and looked back up the side for a sign from Matt and Cassie. Matt gave him a thumbs up. Trey grabbed the second trash can, rattling it before throwing it. It hit the first can, making a loud clanging noise. He proceeded to do the same with the third trash can. As he tossed the last can, he saw four creatures appear in the wide alleyway just a few several feet from him. He jumped back around the corner and moved quickly back to Matt and Cassie.
“Can we go?” Trey asked in a whisper.
“Only a few of them went,” Matt whispered back.
“There’s still a whole bunch up here,” Cassie added.
They could hear the cans clatter, and a few more creatures started down the alley between the two buildings. There were still close to two dozen creatures in the front, and they were really starting to panic. Cassie could feel her chest tighten from the anxiety, and her eyes pleaded at Matt for an idea on what to do.
“I’ll run to the Suburban. You two keep cover right here. I’ll pull the truck up here and you two jump in,” Matt instructed after a moment of searching for ideas in his head.
Cassie and Trey nodded, and Matt took off running straight ahead. The creatures took notice and turned in Matt’s direction as he bolted across the parking area, then cut left to jump into the Suburban. The creatures were getting closer. Matt started up the truck and pulled over to Cassie and Trey, hitting a few creatures in the process. Cassie and Trey jumped in, and Matt floored it just as more creatures caught up to them. Cassie watched in the side mirror as the creatures fell from the back of the truck, causing a few more to fall over them. She sighed and laid her head back against the seat, pulling out a cigarette.
There weren’t too many areas that didn’t have houses or stores within sight as they continued south. They stopped only when they needed to for gas, food, cigarettes, or to relieve themselves. They hadn’t located any more ammo in a while and were nearly out. They tried to conserve it by using the knives whenever possible. The days seemed to run together as they drove, mile after mile of endless asphalt, with no solution in sight. They kept to their plan to head to Florida and travel along the coast. The pit stops slowed them down, as they would have to fight off the creatures. They also had to stick to back roads, and all they had for assistance was a compass. They hadn’t yet located a local road map for the area. The interstates were just potential death traps, so staying on the twisty little roads was their only hope for safe traveling.
“Wake up,” Matt was saying gently. “Look at this house I found.”
Cassie opened her eyes. Somehow she had managed to sleep all night as Matt drove. He was stopped at the end of a long dirt driveway that led up to a large white and very antique plantation house. A handmade sign of two wooden poles and a white sheet pulled tightly between stood before them at the start of the driveway. Painted with red lettering, the sign read, ‘Welcome Survivors’.
“Should we check it out?” Matt asked, wary of accepting help by this point.
Cassie shrugged. “I guess it can’t hurt. Even if we can just stay for a few days’ rest.”
Matt nodded and pulled on down the driveway. He left Cassie and Trey in the truck while he went to knock on the door. A piece of paper taped by the door instructed visitors to ring the doorbell. This struck Matt oddly, as doorbells typically require electricity to function. Regardless, he pushed the doorbell. He could hear it chiming from inside, and a few moments later, a man appeared at the door.
“Welcome young man!” the scraggly-looking man greeted.
He looked to be in his late 40s, maybe early 50s. He was on the shorter side with a thick build, and a combination of his wild gray hair and wide piercing brown eyes made him look similar to a mad scientist. Matt gave a slight smile and introduced himself. A brief time later, all three of them were being led into a drawing room.
“I’m Harvey Bivens,” the crazy-looking man replied. “This plantation has been in my family for over two hundred years. Since the outbreak, I fixed up the old outhouse and worked on hooking up these generators. Luckily, this house hasn’t had too many modern updates. It’s been real important to my family to preserve the house in its original state as much as possible. Telephone lines, electricity, and plumbing were added near a hundred years ago. Not much I can do about the telephone, but the generators work pretty good for lights. There’s also plenty of kerosene lamps and heaters, and the water pump that replaced the well in 1923 still functions very well. Large fireplaces set up for cooking make it a bit easier to get warm water.”
Harvey Bivens took them on a tour of the plantation house. He showed them the property as well. It was surrounded by a barbed-wire fence, so the only opening was the driveway. Aside from the rebuilt outhouse, there was an overgrown greenhouse, a barn in desperate need of repairs, an old windmill, a large shed, and a one-room building that looked ready to col
lapse. He showed them the pump and the old root cellar, which he had also put back in use. He brought them into the kitchen after the tour. They could smell food cooking. A little bony woman who looked about as crazy as Harvey Bivens was tending to the food.
“Welcome!” she greeted happily. Her gray and white hair was just as scraggly and wild as his was. Her voice was raspy and somewhat high-pitched. Her teeth looked quite yellow and crooked. Her eyes were so pale of blue that she appeared to have no pupils. Harvey introduced her as Greta Bivens, his wife. “Have a seat there. Breakfast is just about ready.”
She served some type of steak, eggs, and rolls, as well as a homemade gravy and blackberry jam.
“Where’s your chickens?” Trey asked, looking at the scrambled eggs on his plate.
“Inside the barn,” Harvey answered, as though he didn’t mind being asked. “We got a chicken coop that I put up in the loft. I don’t want my chickens getting eaten.”
“What about the steaks?” Trey inquired. “Are they from cows? I didn’t see any out there.”
Harvey eyed him with a hint of suspicion. “You’re a very inquisitive boy, huh?”
Trey reflected the suspicious look at Harvey. “I’m just curious as to what kind of meat I’m eating.”
“Well, we’ve done had to go through the cows,” Harvey returned after a brief silence. “This here is from a bear. You ever had bear young man?”
Trey shook his head no. Harvey seemed pleased that he hadn’t. “Good. First time for everything. Let me know how you like it.”
With great hesitation, Trey cut a piece off and put it in his mouth. It didn’t taste like any meat he had ever had before, and it was quite salty to him. His senses told him there was something not quite right about it. He spit it out and looked apologetically toward Harvey, then Greta.
“I’m sorry,” he replied. “I can’t eat it.”
“We haven’t had meat in quite a while,” Matt explained. “We got us a deer some time back that didn’t turn out so well. I think it might’ve ruined our taste for meat.”
“Oh, well, that’s quite alright,” Harvey accepted. “We’ll just wrap it up, and me and Greta can have it later.”
They ate the rest without complaint, and then Greta showed them to their room.
“So, have you had any other survivors come?” Cassie questioned before Greta left them at their room.
She smiled, showing her hideous rotting teeth. “Yes, we’ve had quite a few come and go since the times turned. All were just looking for a temporary stay to recoup and rest before continuing their journey.”
“Where were they headed?” Cassie asked.
“Well, a few were heading to the White House in Washington, D.C. Some were going to find family in various areas. Some just had it in their minds it was best to keep moving,” Greta informed.
Greta made peanut butter and blackberry jam sandwiches for lunch. She announced proudly how she made her own bread from scratch when Trey inquired about it. At dinner, Greta and Harvey had the meat that Matt, Cassie, and Trey had earlier rejected. There was no substitute for the meat, but Greta also made green beans, stuffing, and rolls. They ate enough to satisfy their hunger, and then went on to their room.
“We should go in the morning,” Cassie voiced when they had retreated to their room. “They seem a bit odd. I don’t like it here.”
“I think they’re pretty nice,” Matt replied. “Why don’t we just give it a few days? We need to take the time to rest anyway.”
“I don’t like it here, either,” Trey put in. “They give me the creeps.”
A short time later, there was a knock on the door. Matt answered it.
“I was checking to see if you three might want to take a washing,” Greta inquired.
“You mean a bath?” Matt clarified, to which Greta nodded. “Yeah, sure, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Not at all,” Greta returned. “Let me start warming up the water.”
They each enjoyed a nice, relaxing, warm bath before bed, and they slept as soundly as a mouse. They felt so rested when they awoke, they decided to give it a few more days. The man and his wife may have had a crazy look about them, but Matt thought it very kind of them to risk taking in any and all survivors. He thought it fair to overlook the couples’ oddities for a few days of rest, warm baths, and food that were being offered to them.
“I set out some rabbit traps young man,” Harvey informed over lunch on the third day. “Would you like to tag along with me to go check them? If I’ve caught as many as I hope I have, I could sure use a hand carrying them in.”
Trey looked uneasy with the request. “Well, I guess so. Can Matt come, too?”
“Well, actually, I have some odd and end jobs that I could use some help with. Matt, you seem to be in much better shape than me. I was hoping you could help me with some much needed repairs while I check the traps?” Harvey requested.
Thinking it a polite way to ask him to earn his keep, Matt accepted. Cassie offered to go with Harvey and Trey to check the traps, but Harvey insisted she stay behind with Greta to help with some mending and washing the curtains. Trey was quite disappointed that he’d have to go with the crazy old man alone. Once lunch was over, Cassie helped Greta clean up the kitchen, and Harvey took Matt to show him what all he’d like him to work on. Then he and Trey headed off into a wooded area. When they returned to the kitchen for dinner, Trey was not there. Harvey looked unconcerned.
“Where’s Trey?” Cassie asked.
“Well, I’m not sure,” Harvey answered.
“What do you mean? He went off with you!” Cassie shot back, raising her voice.
“Well, yes, he did go with me, and there wasn’t anything in the traps,” Harvey began. “I told him he could head back if he liked. I decided to rearrange the traps, and he said he would head on back and see if Matt needed any help.”
“I haven’t seen him,” Matt responded. “He never made it to me. We have to go find him.”
“Now, he’s probably just exploring the property,” Harvey suggested. “Let’s have some dinner, and then we’ll go call him in.”
“Are you crazy?” Cassie shouted angrily. “Trey doesn’t just go wandering around alone! What if he’s in trouble? What if a creature’s got him?”
“Come on, let’s go find him, Cassie,” Matt told her.
The two hurried on outside, calling for Trey as they walked the property. They checked the outhouse, the barn, the collapsing building, the shed, and walked the woods. They couldn’t find him anywhere. Harvey joined them shortly for the search, informing that Greta remained at the house in case he came back. They searched well into the night. There was no sign of him at all.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to call it a night,” Harvey replied.
“Call it a night?” Cassie shouted. “This is not a poker game! There’s no calling it a night! My brother is missing!”
“I’m sorry, Cassie, you’re right,” Harvey apologized. “I’m just really at a loss of where he could be. Cassie, why don’t you go see if he might have returned to the house, and Matt, let’s go check the root cellar. We didn’t check there.”
Cassie felt angry and unsure of this crazy old man’s plan. He seemed very unconcerned that Trey was with him last and now he was missing. Matt gave her a hug and told her to go check the house. He promised he would keep searching until he found him. Cassie nodded and headed for the house, while Matt and Harvey headed for the root cellar.
“Greta, did he come back yet?” Cassie asked as she came in.
“No,” Greta answered. “I checked around for him down here, but maybe he went upstairs.”
Cassie ran through the house at that point, calling his name. She went frantically from one room to the next, and then through all the rooms upstairs, almost in tears by this point. As she came back down and around the corner, she felt a pain strike her head, and all she could see was black. She immediately felt disoriented and fell to the ground. When she opened
her eyes again, Greta had a shotgun pointed at her face.
“What the fuck?” Cassie snapped. “What the hell are you doing, Greta?”
“Shut up,” Greta ordered. “Roll over onto your stomach and put your hands behind your back.”
Cassie could feel the tears in her eyes, the lump in her throat. “Greta, please, you don’t have to do this.”
“Roll over!” Greta shouted, her pale blue eyes glaring.
Tears ran down Cassie’s cheeks as she rolled over and placed her hands behind her back. She heard Harvey come in shortly, and Greta called to him. He straddled over Cassie and tied her hands with a rope, then placed duct tape over her mouth. He then pulled her up to her feet and led her outside. He was taking her to the root cellar. As he tried to take her down, she kicked him in the groin. He hit her in the face so hard, it knocked her off balance, and she fell into the cellar.
“You damn little bitch!” she heard Harvey call. The cover slammed.
It was too dark to see much of anything, and Cassie struggled to pull her arms under her feet to have them in front of her. She wasn’t sure she could do it. The rope was pretty tight on her wrists. As she worked on it, forcing it around her bottom, it loosened a little, and she was able to get her feet through as well. She ripped the tape from her mouth.
“Matt? Trey? Are you in here?” Cassie called.
She heard the mumbles in return, and she made her way toward the sound. She hadn’t been afraid of the dark since she was a child, but this dark, it frightened her. She used her hands, still tied together, to feel out in front of her as she moved her feet slowly. She was getting closer to the sounds. Her mind raced. It had to be Matt and Trey! It just had to be! But what if it wasn’t? What if it was a creature? What if Harvey had killed Matt and Trey, and now they were creatures, ready to eat her the moment she touched them? She squinted hard, trying her best to make out something in the pitch blackness, but it was to no avail.
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