by W. A. R.
Amber slowed to a stop and released the steering wheel, lowering her head in consideration. Things were quiet and she knew that he was waiting for some sort of response from her, anything. The silence grew deafening, and Amber could fell her pulse beat out its steady rhythm against her neck. Drawing a deep breath, she turned to him.
“So, she may possibly be mentally unstable?” Amber asked, feeling a tinge of regret at having to ask. But she knew she had to. She had no choice. George looked away from her, staring at the road ahead of them, where he knew Regina was waiting just a little over a mile away.
“Yes. It is a possibility.” He replied, solemnly, no longer crying yet the evidence that he had was still on his face. He had realized the weighted seriousness of the question and that if she were in fact mentally unstable, things would definitely change.
“But you don’t know for sure.” She said, more of a statement than a question. George shook his head and shrugged, sighing. Amber studied him, figuring him to be stronger than he gave himself credit for. His entire world had come crumbling down in the wake of the potential end of humanity and he still understood the moral difference between right and wrong. Amber pressed on the gas, and eased forward a little. He jerked his head to her, watching her shrug. “We don’t know what happened. Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t. If she isn’t, I know a safe place for you guys, and you won’t be alone. I have a very tight knit group, and you would be welcomed, after initial consideration of course. But if she is, I can’t take her or you because you may risk getting her and bringing her there. And quite frankly, it is a risk that we cannot take. Do you understand me?” she asked him for good measure. He eyed her carefully, his green eyes reflecting the admiration and appreciation he held for her. Slowly, he nodded.
“I understand. And about everything that happened at the store…” he began but Amber waved a hand dismissively, cutting him off.
“I understand too.” She smiled warmly at him before accelerating. “Should we park elsewhere and walk up or just pull to the house?
George sat a little straighter as they neared the farm. “Just go to the house. Whether she is crazy or not, I can’t stay here.” He said, his eyes scanning the property as Amber turned right into a driveway. She eased in there slowly, and then stopped, seeing buzzards fly away from a body tied to the fence post. She suddenly felt sick and slapped a hand over her mouth to prevent it. George turned his soft green eyes to her and sighed. “I am sorry you have to bear witness to this.” He said softly, placing a hand on the door handle. Amber swallowed the bile that rose in her throat and reached out to grip his forearm, stopping him. He glanced at her hand, then at her. She vigorously shook her head.
“You aren’t going in there alone.” She said softly before reaching into the backseat and grabbing both her pistol and his shotgun and she handed them to George. He eyed her curiously. “Put these under your seat. If she is unstable, she shouldn’t be around these. There are a few bags of other tools and stuff but…” she turned around in her seat and shifted everything, the bags of tools, weapons, and food, to the floorboard behind the driver’s seat, Zeus watching her from the backseat above where she had placed the tools. “Now then; Zeus won’t let her mess with any of that without her losing at least a finger.” George nodded and did as Amber said, and Zeus crouched down in the seat while Amber turned around and handed George a claw hammer. She nodded at him. “Let’s go.”
They opened the doors and easily stepped out. Amber leaned into the car, where Zeus once again sat, alert.
“Stay, Zeus.” she ordered and he sat as still as a statue, watching as they closed the doors lightly and began heading for the house. Amber saw George avoiding his right and stepped across his path, ultimately swapping places with him so he would not have to handle seeing Bobby’s corpse up close and personal. The door to the house eased open, creaking on the hinges. They froze in the yard in front of the house while the door opened wider, a dim silhouette standing behind it. The sound made Amber’s skin crawl. Everything seemed to slow down as Amber’s heart began to race. She glanced at George and Regina stepped out into the midday light.
Amber and George both gasped at the sight of her. Her dark brown hair was frizzed, and covered in dry dirt. Her face was ashen and her brown eyes held something dangerous in their depths. She wore a long dress, one side torn off of her shoulder, the bottom half shredded. Dirt and blood covered it. Her arms, feet, and face were covered in dried blood. She smiled at them, her smile slowly fading as the silence grew on. Amber and George exchanged knowing glances before turning their attention back to Regina.
“George! I’ve been waiting for you. Where have you been?” she asked, looking from George to Amber. Amber swallowed thickly as George stepped slowly towards her. His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion, but Amber could feel the anger emanating from him. It should have worried her, but it didn’t. She knew that he would handle the situation as calmly as possible.
“What have you done to Bobby? To yourself?” he asked her, motioning towards the corpse tied to the post. Amber squinted up against the sun and saw three buzzards circling overhead. George stood at the foot of the steps, and Regina at the top. She tilted her head to the side slightly, curiously, as if confused by what he was saying. She then turned to where George had motioned to and sighed sadly before turning back to him. Her eyes held something new; something along the lines of contempt. Amber watched George take a slight step back and realized that he had seen it as well.
“Bobby was trying to protect me, and was bitten. A Biter had wondered onto the property. So I tied him there until he turned. You should have heard him….poor thing screamed so much, begging for help…I almost had to put him out of his misery before he turned. But then I thought, ‘how would that look at the PTA when I talk with other parents about their children?’ So, don’t you see? I saved us both some trouble.” Regina told them calmly, and Amber shook her head slightly. George looked at her, and sighed. Regina’s focus then turned to Amber. “Amber McDermott! Dear me, you look like such a mess. Are you injured? You are simply covered with…is that...blood? How is everyone?” she asked politely, and George slowly stepped up the stairs, gripping her arm. Regina glanced at him for a moment before turning back to Amber.
“Hey Regina. Everyone has been fine, just getting by. And I am sorry about my…appearance. Maybe you can come with us and we can find somewhere I can clean myself up at.” She said, holding her hand out for her. Regina smiled and looked at George, and upon seeing the look in his eyes, her grin vanished.
“George, honey…” she began, but was cut off by the sound of desperate groans. They looked into the field past the house and saw at least twenty Biters heading their direction. Amber turned back to George, shooting him a look that he immediately read into, and guided Regina roughly towards the car. Once they reached the car, George turned to see them, and how many, more coming from the trees along the fence line.
“Dammit Regina!’ he growled under his breath, opening the backdoor and guiding her in. Amber slid into the Driver’s seat and George, the passenger. Zeus growled, his stare intent on Regina, who just smiled, staring out of the window. “What in the hell did you do? Why are there so many here?” George asked her as Amber quickly threw the car into reverse, avoiding Biters that reached out for the car in the process. They were everywhere. Amber bit down on the panic that rose inside her and forced herself to remain calm. Panicking would not get her out of there. Once on the road, she threw it into drive, just as a Biter slammed his rotted hands and gore covered face against her window. She jumped in response, shrieking a little. She stared at him for a moment, feeling sick and frozen until the feel of George’s hand on knee brought her back to attention. He put pressure on her knee, which put pressure on the gas pedal and they sped forward.
“We have to get out of here! Focus!” he shouted, and with that, Amber gripped the steering wheel, swerving between Biters like an expert until they were in the clear. Once they were past
the swarm, George turned in his seat to Regina. Amber was still attempting to reign in her racing heart while Zeus calmly watched the interaction. “What in the hell was that?” he asked her. She turned to him slowly, so slowly it sent shiver up George’s spine.
“I had to do it George.” She said simply. Amber obsessed herself with the scenery, determined to find any Biters. That had been too close of a call, and they were headed back towards Thurston, where more Biters lied in wait. She felt a little embarrassed that she had almost lost it, and had it not been for George, they very well may have not made it out. At the same time, she was grateful for the assistance. Despite the outcome of the day, he was still calm, and Amber was thoroughly impressed by all of this. Amber decided they were going to just go through Thurston to the other end of Stateline; she figured they could find a somewhat safe place there.
“Had to do what?” he asked, his eyes flashing. Amber wasn’t sure if he would explain what he had seen to her, considering her instability; and his reigning in of his temper was impressive. He was handling such a monstrous situation relatively easy.
Regina looked up at him sadly. “We were fishing and one had gotten in through a weak spot in the fence. I would have died if it hadn’t been for Bobby. He killed it…he did…but he also killed himself by getting bit. So I took care of it. And after, I sat in the house…and waited…waited for you to come back. Earlier this morning, I realized you weren’t coming back, so I walked around the property myself, and shot any of those things that I came across.” Amber and George exchanged knowing looks. The Biters had heard the gunshots and came running for their chance at a good meal. George slid down into his seat, glancing out of the window as they hit Thurston. They had gotten there fairly quickly, and Amber glanced down at her speedometer, realizing just how fast she had been going. She eased off of the gas and began analyzing their surroundings. The thought hit her belatedly that they had not discussed the next move for her two companions. She pulled to a stop, seeing no Biters, and put the car in park. She turned around and reached for a blue bag. Regina watched her silently as George spoke up.
“What are you doing?” he asked her on a sigh as she fell back into her seat, bag in hand. She reached in and grabbed them each an apple and a bottle of water. After handing both George and Regina these things, she grabbed a bottle of water for herself and drank it sparingly. Everything was silent, the sun reflecting brightly on the hood of the car as the audible crunch of teeth on apples reverberated throughout the car. Amber closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, finding a little peace in the moment. They were all alive, they were nourished well enough, and there was no immediate danger befalling them. All three of them sat silently, simply appreciating the fact that they were alive. Amber swallowed one last sip of water, the coolness of it she felt all the way down. It was refreshing.
“Okay,” she began looking at the two of them. George rolled down the window and threw out his apple core, before wiping the sweet juice off of his hands and onto his jeans and turning his full attention to Amber. She glanced at Regina who sat quietly in her own little world, slowly chewing on her apple. She turned back to George. “Help me with something?” she asked him subtly, and he nodded, glancing at Regina. He then shook his head and opened his door, Amber following suit, and they made their way towards the back of the car and out of view and earshot of Regina. George placed his hands firmly on his hips and shifted his feet anxiously.
“What do I do Amber? What in the hell am I supposed to do?” he asked kicking at the dirt and scattering rocks onto the pavement. Amber stared hard at him, her heart aching.
“Well,” she shrugged, “I guess that depends on what you want to do.” She replied, and he looked up at her.
“I don’t know what to do. She is…well, she isn’t all there. I love her, she is my wife, but…I honestly have no idea how to handle this, or how I am supposed to feel about how she acted. If we hadn’t have gotten there when we did today, she would have died…and she was okay with it.” He said softly. He rubbed a hand across his face in exasperation and sighed. “Is there another safe place that you know of? A place I could possibly have a chance to protect her and provide for her?” he asked. He seemed resigned and Amber vacantly kicked a rock, her mind and heart reaching their breaking point.
“There is a small house that belonged to my aunt. They were also big canners, and had a pond behind their house. You could boil the water and grow some food.” She offered, sacrificing one of her stops for provisions for their well-being. It was the least she could do. George nodded.
“I am sorry all of this happened today. I am sure it was the last thing you expected.” He said, and Amber looked up at him and crossed her arms across her chest.
“It was the last thing I expected, but I was just glad I found a familiar face that was still breathing. I am sorry about Bobby and Regina. This place I told you about, it should be okay. I can come check on you guys now and again. I am sorry I couldn’t take you to a better one.” She said softly, looking down the road at two Biters that were making their way towards them. George followed her gaze and he too watched as they drug their feet across the pavement, oblivious to everything else.
“You know, anyone else would have killed me. I thank you for that, and for everything else you have done today. I hope that everything goes well for you and your group, and that maybe one day we will run into one another again.” He said softly, holding his hand out to her. She looked at it, and then at him and shook it, smiling warmly.
“We will. And you saved me today too, so we will just call it even. And as for Regina…” she paused and let go of his hand, glancing at the back window of the car before staring him in the eye. “She will be ok. Just, stay with her.” George nodded, and they both began back towards the front of the car. Before climbing into the car, they both stood, doors open, and watched as the two Biters stumbled against one another, another one coming from the left to join them in their quest for food. Amber shook her head and climbed in, shut her door, and put the car in drive.
Three hours. That is how long it takes for the undead to make their way to the sound of a gunshot that was fired six miles out of town. You would not think that they could hear it, but in a world where silence is everywhere, and there is no background noise to cover anything else, it has to be a possibility. It started innocent enough. Amber and George made rounds to a few houses throughout Thurston, gathering items that George and Regina could use to survive on their own. This took up a few hours, judging by the clock on the radio that broadcasted nothing but static on every station. After these few hours, they were on their way to the opposite side of town, and then the outskirts of town, and finally they were out of town completely. The entire time Regina sat in the car, Zeus seemingly concerned with her person and showing an unusual amount of attention towards her. Throughout the day, Regina silently stared out of the window, she began humming. The melody was heart-achingly sad, but it only made Amber and George worry. Her humming grew louder and louder with each stop they made. But, she remained in the car, waiting patiently for their return, seemingly without a care in the world. It wasn’t until they were on the outskirts of town that she finally spoke again. Needless to say, the abrupt sound of her voice surprised both Amber and George.
“Where were you George? We waited on you.” She said, and her voice made Amber jump in surprise. Looking back at her, Amber saw that she continued to stare out of the window, almost as if she had said nothing at all. She shot George a look of concern, and he met her eyes with the same worried look. At every stop they made, Amber and George had discussed Regina. They were unsure of her mentality. Amber felt as if they were on the same page, and that comforted her. She trusted him…hell, he saved them when Amber had been paralyzed with fear. At the stops they made, they had been a surprisingly good team. Catching the concern that rested in his gentle green eyes, she nodded at him, urging him to keep her calm, at least until they reached their destination.
“Regina,…�
� George began on a sigh, running his hand through his dark hair. They passed a timber plant that had long since been of no use, even before the outbreak. The woods surrounded them after that, with no sign of previous life whatsoever around them. Amber was sure that her aunt’s place would be good for the two of them. She had informed George that she would be in to check on them often, and that if it ever reached a point where the self-destructive Regina came ‘round and her sanity returned, they would be welcome to join her back to her home. This seemed to be a satisfactory agreement for the both of them. Before George could finish what he was going to say, Regina cut him off.
“Do you want the truth George?” she asked him, and nervous apprehension pricked along the back of Amber’s neck. The tone of Regina’s voice was calm yet held undertones of maliciousness. Her stomach sank, and she knew that whatever happened next would not be good.
“Hey, why don’t we wait and discuss whatever this is whenever we stop somewhere?” Amber suggested, attempting to stall whatever blowout was going to happen. The sudden, ominous sound of a hammer clicking back on a gun made Amber grit her teeth and squeeze the steering wheel. George’s eyes widened in surprise, but neither of them moved. They didn’t have to. They knew that she still had the pistol that George had left her with, although they were unsure where she would have kept it. Amber swallowed thickly before she felt the wind blow against her hair, and in an instant, she knew that Regina had rolled down her window.