No Man's Land

by Jacqueline Druga

  “Last I looked, I didn’t see any. Let’s go before they come.”

  “I’m ready. Let me run and pee and steal that toilet paper so we have it for the road.”

  “You do that.”

  She started to leave the kitchen and paused. “You look better today.”

  “Thanks, I feel better.”

  Hannah darted off and I gathered the remaining items, placing and securing them in the wagon. Edward was on the chair and I put him in the carrier and then moved the wagon near the door. I dreaded pulling it down the four steps.

  “Hannah, you alright?”

  “Yeah, I’m just getting something,” she replied, then I heard her feet slamming against the floor as she ran my way. “Ready. I was getting some stuff.”

  I noticed how much fatter that Barbie backpack was as she slung it over her shoulder. “What the heck? How many rolls of toilet paper did you take?”

  “I took stuff, that’s all.”

  I shook my head and opened the door. When I did, Hannah giggled.

  “Well, ain’t that just true love,” she said.

  Sarcastic as her comment was, I knew what she meant.

  Leah had found us. I don’t know if she knew, or stopped because of the Curt and friend buffet in the yard. But she dropped a severed arm and tilted her head when she saw us.

  I waited a moment, thinking Leah was going to attack, but she didn’t. So with Hannah’s help, we lowered the wagon to the ground and we were on our way.

  It was a good day for walking. The weather cooperated. It wasn’t too hot or too cold, in fact it was perfect. There were a lot of hills and slopes to climb, I wondered how Hannah talked so much and didn’t lose her breath.

  For the first twenty minutes she wouldn’t shut up about how Curt was a twitcher and how I just left him there.

  My attitude was, “oh well,” because after thinking about it all night, I was out of sympathetic feelings.

  Leah followed. She lagged behind farther and farther until we stopped for a break and then she caught up.

  “I want to do about ten miles today,” I said. “Maybe more before we stop for the night. Somewhere around Windsor Falls, I want to start looking for a place to stay.”

  Hannah didn’t reply.

  “Are you listening to me?” I glanced over to her and saw she kept looking back at Leah. “Are you worried she’s gonna attack?”

  “No, she’s good for a while. She ate on Curt. I’m just… she keeps coming. Keeps following like a puppy dog. So sad. Or like Torina.”

  “Okay, I’ll bite. Who is Torina?”

  “When I was in the second grade, there was a new girl named Torina. She didn’t speak English very well. It was odd because not many people in West Virginia don’t speak English. I was nice to her and she kept following me and following me.”

  “Until you stopped and played with her?”

  “No. I couldn’t. I didn’t understand her. How was I supposed to be friends if I didn’t understand a word she said? Anyhow, you think she knows?”

  “Torina?”

  “No, silly, Leah,” Hannah said. “You think she knows you?”

  “I think it’s possible. I mean, if a piece of the brain is functioning enough to move the body, maybe a tiny piece remembers. Or at least I like to think she remembers me instead of looking at me like a McDonald’s menu.”

  “If you think she remembers you, then that it isn’t right what you’re doing.”

  “You mean not putting her down?” I asked.

  “No, letting her walk around like that. Calvin, she’s naked from the waist down.”

  “I know she’s naked from the waist down, she died after giving birth.”

  “It’s your wife. Don’t you care that people see her like that?”

  I stopped for a second. “Are you serious?”

  “I mean, what would she say if she knew you let her walk around all exposed? I know I’d be mad. I feel bad for her.”

  Shaking my head, I walked again. “Hannah, what do you want me to do?”

  “Put some clothes on her.”

  I laughed. “Yeah, right away. I’ll just stop, walk up to her, ask her to sit down while I put a pair of pants on her.”

  “Now’s the time. She just had Curt so she’ll be calm. She won’t try to bite you.”

  “Hannah…”

  “It don’t need to be pants. It can be a dress. Nothing fancy. Be easy to put on her. Toss it over her head. We can find one of those dresses like my grandma used to wear to cover her big boobs and belly. Big old flowery thing that floats in the wind and shows her legs. Anything. We’ll find something. But for goodness sakes, Calvin, cover up her womanhood.”

  I believe I actually snorted a laugh at that remark. “Womanhood? Okay, if we see one of those big old flowery things that float in the wind, I’ll put it on her.”

  “Do it before she’s hungry again.”

  “I can’t believe how much this is bothering you.”

  “It does,” she replied. “’Cause I’m a girl. Girls are private about those things. You don’t think about it because boys aren’t private. I mean they just whip it out to piss on a tree. No shame.”

  “Oh my God.”

  “And it’s sad, Calvin, it’s just really sad. Look at her.”

  “I did.”

  “She keeps on trudging. And every time I look, things keep fallin’ out of her lady parts…”

  “Jesus, Hannah.” I stopped and brought my hand to my face.

  “What? They do. What do you suppose it is?”

  “I don’t know and… can we… not talk about things falling out of her lady parts.”

  “Okay. I just thought you’d want to know.”

  “Thank you for that.”

  “Come to think about it. Pants wouldn’t be all that good. You wouldn’t want to be putting them on her when she releases…”

  “Hannah!” I barked her name. “Please. Just… talk about something else.”

  “Okay.” She went silent for a few seconds as we walked, then she started rambling on again about Curt.

  A part of me wondered if things did bother her and her lackadaisical manner of talking about them, was her own therapy.

  There was a lot about Hannah I still had to learn. One thing I was sure of, she liked to talk… a lot. Even though she made me cringe and drove me a little nuts at times, for the most part, I was glad she was taking the journey with me.

  18

  Triple M

  The shortest distance between two points was indeed a straight line, one that we could have taken. However, since cutting through trees and over farms was not an option with the wagon we stayed on the paved road.

  Avoiding the main highway, we took secondary roads that the map showed ran perpendicular to the highway. The black top was a lot easier on our feet. Eventually it would cross the interstate, however, we could pick it up again.

  There were more options for shelter plus we didn’t see another soul.

  People were as dangerous as the Vee.

  “You think people live in some of these places, still?” Hannah asked. “I mean, it’s way out here. No sick people. There were cows back there, did you see?’

  “I did. When you picked those apples.”

  “They were ripe. Falling from the tree. I had to. Didn’t want them to go to waste. Want one?” She held it up for me.

  “After being beat up, my teeth couldn’t bite into that.”

  “Want me to cut it for you? I have a knife. Sharp one, too.”

  “No, and why do you have a knife.”

  “Just in case.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me. I don’t know why I asked. Are you’re sure you’re only ten?”

  “You do that on purpose. You know I’m gonna be twelve.”

  “You just act and look older.”

  “I may look older. That’s because I’m the tallest kid in my grade, but you only think I act older because you don’t know kids too good.”
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  “That’s true. For what it’s worth, I think you’re very brave for all you’ve been through and doing it on your own.”

  “I’m not on my own.”

  “Before.”

  “I didn’t want to be alone. Just didn’t have a choice,” she said. “Why you being all nice to me?”

  “I’m making conversation and I’m always nice to you.”

  She snickered. “I can talk about Curt.”

  “No.”

  “I could talk about how we walked a hundred miles and you still ain’t got pants on Leah.”

  “We only walked ten. Start looking for a place.”

  “That’s why I asked that question about people still living in their houses. Maybe people are home and we can’t just go in their houses.”

  “Then we’ll walk.”

  “There’s a house up there.” She pointed.

  I looked. In the distance, back from the road was a yellow two-story house. I thought I spotted a fence but I wasn’t sure.

  “They have a stable. Maybe they have a horse,” Hannah said.

  “Are you going to tell me you ride, too?”

  “Don’t everyone.”

  “No, but that’s one thing I do know, I know horses.”

  “You ride?” she asked.

  “No, did I say I ride? I said I know them. From the track. I used to bet on them.”

  “For a guy who likes math, you’re really funny.”

  “I did used to tell good jokes.”

  “Oh, tell me one.”

  “Okay, let me think.” I walked, trying my hardest to recollect a good joke she would understand. “Alright, I have one. Why did the…” I paused when I saw them. My voice dropped. “Expired Vee?”

  “I think something is missing there, Calvin. Why did the expired Vee, what?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “Expired Vee in the middle of the road.”

  “Why are there expired Vee in the middle of the road?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Um, because they couldn’t get to the other side?”

  “Huh?”

  “Your joke, is that the punchline? ’Cause Cal, it ain’t very funny. Might be too soon to tell Vee jokes.”

  “No. No. It’s not a joke. Up there.” I showed her. “Four of them.”

  “You think they’re them?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “How can you tell from this far?”

  “Their position.”

  It was hard to explain to her what I meant. When I was Hannah’s age, the house four doors down caught on fire. Four people lived in the house and I watched it, like everyone else, as it burned to the ground despite the best efforts of the fire department. When it was done and the flames put out, they sorted through the rubble and uncovered the bodies.

  Their arms and legs were bent up and inward as if the muscles retracted, hands slightly reaching, fingers bent. Their mouths wide open, probably from gasping for their last bit of air. Like the ash people in the photos from Pompeii. Burned, yet frozen in that pose.

  The man in the beer distributor had that pose. Even at a distance, I could see the four on the road did as well.

  Only they weren’t burnt.

  When I neared them, I examined each one visually, their skin had pruned and even outside, there were very few flies.

  “What happened to them?” Hannah asked.

  “They just dropped. Expired as I call it.”

  “None of them shot?”

  “Nope. Doesn’t look like it, and they weren’t bitten.”

  “So these are the ones that just caught it by the air.”

  I shook my head. “Can’t be sure. You know a bite or scratch isn’t the only way. You can get their spit in your eyes or mouth or, well, other ways.”

  “Sex.”

  “Hannah!”

  “I heard the news,” she said. “They told us not to have sex with an infected person. I don’t get why someone would want to do that. Wouldn’t they be afraid the Vee would take a bite out of them?”

  “I don’t think that’s what they meant. I think they meant having relations before the person turned but was infected.”

  “Maybe you’re right. Maybe expire is the best word for it. Maybe the ones that got it from the air are the most violent, but the ones that expire and end. Like this apple that fell from the tree. Pretty soon it would expire and shrivel up too.”

  “Wow, that’s pretty prolific and smart.”

  “Thanks.”

  “And that might be it. Hopefully.”

  “If they expire it could end.”

  “Yeah, it could.” I took another look at the three women and a man on the ground in the ash people position, then we moved around them and headed for the yellow house.

  The winding road created an optical illusion and the house didn’t sit that far back. About ten feet from the pavement was a short fence, more for decoration.

  “I don’t think this is keeping any of those things out,” Hannah said. “You suppose they thought it would?”

  “I don’t think that was its purpose.” I stared at the house.

  “Ain’t much protection from the Vee. They would just bump into it and fall right over. Can’t be more than three feet. Think someone is in there? I do, I hear chickens.”

  “Well, if they’re not, we’re having chicken for dinner.”

  Hannah laughed.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Like you’re gonna catch a chicken and kill it?”

  “I guess you have?”

  “Not me, those things are fast. Ever see the movie Rocky?”

  “Yes,” I smiled and grabbed the gate. “Let’s go find out.”

  “What about her?” Leah pointed back to Leah.

  “She’s still at a distance. Let’s go knock on the door.” I pulled the gate.

  The front door flung open. “Stop!” a woman hollered. “Don’t move. Don’t move an inch.”

  I raised my arms. “We don’t mean trouble. Please don’t shoot.”

  “I’m not going to shoot,” she said. “Just don’t step forward. I don’t want you to blow up. I booby trapped the whole front.”

  I looked to Hannah and carefully stepped back. “Booby trapped? What is it with you southern women?”

  “We take care of ourselves,” Hannah replied.

  “Yeah you do.” I peered up when I heard the slam of the screen door. The woman stood there wearing a blue flowered housecoat. A rounder woman, with brass blonde hair that was kind of poofy. She was mature, maybe in her late fifties, early sixties.

  “Look, Calvin.” Hannah whispered. “She’s wearing one of those dresses. Ask her for one.”

  “Shh.”

  “She looks just like my grandma.”

  The woman moved her arm about. “Move to the edge of the fence by the tree. There will be another gate. I’ll walk you through the yard so you don’t hit a trip wire,” she said, stepping off the porch.

  I lifted my hand in a wave and we headed towards the tree.

  “Ma’am,” I said. “I hate to bother you. We didn’t know if the house was empty or not. We have our own supplies…”

  “I see that.” She nodded her head at the wagon. “That a baby?” she asked.

  “It is. My son.” I cringed when Edward made a little whimper. “We need to stop for the night and rest. We’ll be gone first light. We can even stay in your barn over there. He won’t make much noise.”

  “Oh, that won’t be necessary.” She opened the gate. “Come in.”

  “Thank you, we…” I stopped talking when Hannah, just walked up to the woman and wrapped her arms around her waist. She closed her eyes and smiled as she pressed her head against her. “Hannah.”

  “Oh, she is just like my grandma,” Hannah gushed. “So soft. I miss my grandma.”

  “Hannah, let the lady go.”

  “Just a few more seconds, Calvin.”

  “Hannah.”

  “Oh, pumpkin.” She retu
rned the embrace to Hannah. “Any time you need a hug, I will give you one. Okay?”

  Hannah nodded and stepped back. “I like your dress.”

  “Thank you. I don’t usually run around in one. I just hung the wash out back to…” She pointed to the street. “She with you?”

  I looked and sure enough, Leah drew close. I was surprised the woman wasn’t shocked or scared.

  “Yes, sort of. She tags along. She…. she is… was my wife.”

  Seemingly unfazed, the woman nodded, shut the gate and led us to her home.

  She introduced herself as Mama Mavis Martin, but we could call her Mama, or Mavis. Everyone always did. For as long as she could remember she was the town mother. Everyone ran to her. That made sense.

  It was a mad mixture of things all wrapped up in a surreal package. A picture-perfect small farm, booby trapped perimeters, a body double for Hannah’s grandmother, a kitchen that smelled of cinnamon, complete with a Vee husband named George whom she kept in the fenced in turnaround area by the stable. All of which was present by a woman rocking a house dress serving up apple pie as if we were the new neighbors coming to visit.

  The pie was amazing.

  Hannah loved it and dumped those apples she picked right on the table. “Take them if you can use them,” she said. “I won’t eat them all before they spoil.”

  “You sure?” she asked. “How about I make you something before you leave? Something you can take with you that won’t spoil too fast.”

  “Okay,” Hannah said excitedly.

  Mavis’ attention was drawn to me when Edward stated to fuss.

  “Have you been traveling with the baby long?” she asked.

  “Since he was born. That’s only been a couple days.”

  “I have a basinet upstairs in the small bedroom. You can put him down. Maybe that’s what he needs. Babies tend to get sore when handled too much. I bet his skin is especially tender. Why don’t you lay him down?”

  “That might be a good idea. Thank you.”

  “I can show you…”

  “No. I’ll go. I’ll find it. Be right back.”

  I left the kitchen. I think I needed to see the house, learn the woman. Who was she? Why was she being so nice? I wondered if it was all a set up for something bad, or she was insane?

  The bedroom with the bassinet was easy to find. It was at the top of the stairs to the right. I placed Edward in the basinet. He didn’t seem to like it much. He fussed and screamed, his little arms flailing about. His perfect little face, with tiny features, just looked so angry. Like he was pissed at the world. I wanted him to calm down. I needed a break and I was sure Hannah did too.