It was cozy though. And safe. Neither the incessant rain nor the zombies could reach them. Zee had been right about the zombies following her. He’d shown her the bodies, and it frightened her to think how close she’d come to dying at their hands. Fighting two at once was a daunting prospect.
Still, what she might face on the morrow could be far worse. Would be far worse, for sure. There were a lot more infected people in town than out here. With this in mind, she fingered the golf club at her side, wondering if she stood a chance at all.
Zee seemed to guess at her thoughts, and asked, “Are you worried about tomorrow?”
“Yes,” Laura said. “I’m scared.”
“You should be. The dead are many. Too many for someone like you to fight,” he said.
“Thanks,” she said, shooting him a dry look.
“They’re stupid, though,” he continued. “If you use your brains, maybe you’ll survive.”
“I know.”
“Their brains are their weak point. It’s what kills them.” Zee sat back after putting his empty cup aside. “The aliens are different. Their weak point is their kidneys.”
“Kidneys?” she asked, resisting the urge to snort. “How do you know that?”
“I’ve seen it in my dreams. God told me.” Zee’s face was serene as he imparted this bit of information, his belief in his visions absolute.
“I guess their blood’s green too?” Laura scoffed. “The aliens, I mean.”
“No, it’s blue,” he replied. “You can laugh all you want. I was right about the zombies, wasn’t I?”
Laura sighed and gave in. “I suppose.”
Silence fell, broken only by the crackle of their tiny fire until Zee said, “You can stay here if you want. You don’t have to leave tomorrow.”
Laura’s eyes flew to his. “What?”
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind. You seem nice, and it gets lonely sometimes. It’s not the best way to live perhaps, but it’s better than what’s out there.”
“Thanks, but I can’t. I have to find my family.” Laura scratched at a spot of mud on her pants. “They’re all I have.”
“I had a family once. They’re all gone now.” Zee’s craggy face sagged. “My grandmother was the last to go. She died in her sleep at eighty-nine last year.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s better that way. She could never have survived this.”
“How long have you been out here?” Laura asked as curiosity stirred. Zee seemed old, but it could be the lifestyle he’d led so far that made him seem aged.
“Twenty years or so. I ran away from home at fifteen.”
“Fifteen?” Laura asked, aghast. “So that makes you around…”
“Thirty-six,” he said. “I know I don’t look it, but this life can take it out of you.”
“Then why do it? Why run away?”
“I couldn’t stand being laughed at anymore and disbelieved by everyone. Especially by my family. I saw what I saw and still do.”
“I’m sorry.”
Zee sighed. “It’s hard.”
“What is?”
“Being crazy. Seeing things.”
Laura was silent for a while. Whatever Zee might be, he was kind. Too good for this world, probably. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re crazy.”
“You don’t?”
“No. A little weird, yes, but not crazy.”
He laughed. “Thanks. Now get some sleep. You have a long day ahead of you.”
Laura nodded and turned over on her other side. She lay curled up inside her jacket, huddled into a little ball as she waited for sleep to come. All the while she wondered if everyone she loved was already dead. If she was on a fool’s errand, as her mother would say.
The thought of losing them hurt more than she could bear. It was hard to believe that only that morning, everything had been fine. She’d squabbled with Stan over some silly little thing and rolled her eyes when her mother told her to be careful while she was alone.
Now she’d give anything to see them again, hug them, fight with them, anything. She squeezed her eyes shut as bitter tears leaked from the corners. Please be alive. Mom, Dad, Stan. I need you, guys. I can’t do this alone.
***
The next morning she woke before dawn. Sunlight filtered in through the cracks in the walls, and already the temperature was up, promising a hot summer’s day to come.
With a yawn and a stretch, Laura sat upright. Zee’s spot was empty, the coffee can filled with cold ashes. A cup of water and a candy bar waited beside it, and she ate quickly, grateful for his foresight.
After washing her hands and face from a jug, she tied up her hair and got ready to leave. She packed up her things, careful to leave him all the food she had except for a single bottle of water. He deserved it after everything he’d done for her.
She found him outside, burying the two zombies he’d killed the day before. It was a surprising act of kindness and respect, but exactly the type of thing he’d do.
She watched in silence as he filled in the graves and said a prayer before he turned to her. “Ready to go?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Good. Let’s go.”
With brisk steps, he led the way through the woods, following a well-worn path. She was thankful for the easy route. Beating through the bushes was not fun at all.
Neither of them spoke as they walked, and the hours flew by. Before she knew it, they’d reached the edge of the forest. A tarred road snaked past and across from them stood the shopping center Laura had been trying so hard to reach all this time. Now she faced it, she hesitated.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Zee asked. “There are so many of them. More even than I saw in my visions.”
He was right. The parking lot of the shopping center was filled with the undead. They wandered around aimlessly, their shuffling steps taking them nowhere in particular.
“I have to,” she said, though her heart quailed at the thought.
“You’ll die.”
“I might.”
“You will.”
A sudden rush of anger filled her, and she turned on him. “What do you expect me to do? Just sit back and let my family die? I can’t. I won’t!”
“They’re dead already.”
“You don’t know that.”
Zee stared at her until she broke down, her shoulders sagging with defeat. “I know it’s hopeless, Zee. I know they’re probably dead, and I know I’ll probably die too, but I have to take that chance. Don’t you understand?” She blinked away the tears in her eyes. “I have to know for sure.”
He placed a hand on her arm. “If it’s that important to you, I’ll help.”
Her head shot up. “You would?”
He nodded. “I’ll create a distraction. I’ll lure them away. It’ll give you a chance, at least.”
“How?”
He shrugged and offered her a rueful smile. “I’m a fast runner.”
She swallowed hard on the knot in her throat. “No, it’s too dangerous. What if they catch you?”
“They won’t. I know these woods like the back of my hands.”
Laura hesitated, torn between two worlds. That of her family, and that of her newfound friend. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Laura closed her eyes, gratitude filling her. “Thank you.”
“You can thank me once you’ve found your family.”
“I’ll rather thank you now.” Laura leaned forward and pulled him into her arms, squeezing him hard. “You’re a good man, Zee.”
He pulled away with an embarrassed cough, his cheeks flooded with crimson blood. “Okay, that’s enough. Be ready when I give the signal.”
“What signal?”
“You’ll know.” He turned to leave but paused. “Oh, and Laura. Good luck. I hope you find them.”
“Thanks,” she whispered as she watched him leave.
&nbs
p; Slow minutes passed while she waited. Minutes during which she wondered if she was doing the right thing. What if something happens to Zee? I’d never forgive myself.
It was too late to change her mind though. The next moment, Zee started howling and yelping like a dog. She spotted his scrawny figure down the road, waving his arms as he made a ruckus.
As one, the undead’s heads turned toward him. Hunger filled their eyes, and their aimless wandering made way for purposeful movements. Within seconds, they were all streaming toward him, a wave of dead flesh heading his way.
Laura waited on the edge of the road, watching as the shopping center’s parking lot emptied. With a final wave and cry, Zee disappeared into the brush and vanished from sight. Vanished from her life. It was the last she’d ever see of him.
“Goodbye, Zee. You’re a real hero.” With those words, Laura sprinted across the road and toward an unknown future. One that would end in tragedy, or triumph.
THE END
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You're a Survivor!
So we’ve reached the end of Laura’s Bane but not the end of the adventure. This is book 6 in the Death’s Children Series. Would you like to find out what happens next? Then check out Vera’s Vow, Book 7 in the Death’s Children Series and also the final installment! Available Here
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Vera's Vow
Book 7 of the Death’s Children Series, and also the final installment!
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For fans of the Zombie Apocalypse genre, Vera’s Vow will have you tearing through the pages as it takes you on an exciting journey through the end of the world as we know it.
Ballet shoes are not meant for running…
For Vera, not much exists outside of ballet. The graceful arch of the back, the long lines of the body, the soothing flow of the music…these are all that matters to her. Until the zombie apocalypse derails her plans for a brilliant future as a Prima Ballerina.
Caught up in the chaos during practice, she manages to evade the terror of the undead with another young ballerina in tow, but Vera soon realizes that escape is only the beginning. Surviving the end of humanity will take a lot more than just running. Can she find her inner survivor before it’s too late?
The seventh and also the last book in the Death’s Children Series offers a chilling look at the outbreak through the eyes of kids and teens.
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About the Author
South African writer and coffee addict, Baileigh Higgins, lives in the Free State with hubby and best friend Brendan and loves nothing more than lazing on the couch with pizza and a bad horror movie. Her unhealthy obsession with the end of the world has led to numerous books on the subject and a secret bunker only she knows the location of. Visit her website to sign up for updates, freebies, and more!
WEBSITE - www.baileighhiggins.com
Death's Children (Book 6): Laura's Bane Page 4