Savannah's Only Zombie (Book 2): A New Darkness

by Josh Vasquez

  CJ tried his best to convince his father that there was nothing he could have done different, it all happened so fast.

  God bless that boy.

  Chris immediately felt guilty for not spending more time with CJ. It wasn’t as if he was trying to avoid his son, it was just that he needed to get things in order here at the cabin. With Mom looking after Amy and pregnant Laura, and Pops taking care of stuff around the house, it pretty much left Chris in charge of tending to the outside. They had to get fences up. They had to keep what zombies they could out. CJ had already killed three and not far from the house. The thought that there could be more lurking around within the perimeter was just one more thing that Chris needed to add to his ever-growing list. He needed to check the property and make sure it was clear. He was not going to lose any more family members to the dead. He promised himself that.

  Opie, their Boston Terrier, came into the room and jumped up onto the bed. He trotted over to Amy’s back and nestled in for a nap. Opie had been Hailey’s dog and since her death, he had been extremely loyal to Amy. Maybe it was because she looked like an older version of his owner, or maybe because he simply missed Hailey as well.

  Chris gave Opie a rub on his tiny head.

  “You’re a good dog Opie,” he said.

  Chris took his hand and put it on Amy’s shoulder.

  “I’m going to go jump in the shower hun.”

  Nothing.

  He stood up and gathered up some clean clothes. He made his way to the door and stopped to look back at his wife.

  Come back to me soon. I don’t know if I can make it without both of my girls.

  ***

  Josh and Jeremy returned not too long after Chris got out of the shower. Everyone was ecstatic about the generator. They found a good, open spot for it in the yard and hooked it up immediately. Everything else, on the other hand, was ruined. The rain had soaked into the power tools, causing most of them to short out. The only things that survived the storm were the gas-powered saw and the extension cords.

  “The trip wasn’t a complete wash I guess,” Josh said after inspecting the damage.

  “Lame…” replied Jeremy, obviously not impressed with Josh’s pun.

  “Joshua,” Laura said, sharing Jeremy’s feelings.

  Josh just smiled.

  “C’mon, let’s gather everybody up inside. We have things to talk about,” he said.

  ***

  Once everyone, minus Amy, was in the living room, Josh stood up to talk.

  “Okay everybody, let’s get started. For starters, thanks to Chris, Lexx, and Tori for working on the fence today. You guys knocked out what you could, with what we had, and that’s awesome. We were hoping to bring back more tools today, but the rain kind of put a damper on that parade, which brings me to our first order of business.

  We needs tools and lumber.

  Of course, we could use some of the trees, but I feel like that would be adding a lot of noise that we don’t just have to resort to yet. Plus, if a tree falls in the forest, does a zombie hear it? I don’t know and I don’t really want to find out.”

  Laura rolls her eyes at her husband. He ignores her.

  “There’s a small hardware store and lumber yard in one of the nearby towns. I doubt that it would be raided. Monday, if he’s up to it again, Jeremy and myself will make a visit to the store and see what we can scrape up. If for some reason the owners are still there, we’ll try to barter with them.”

  “Yeah, I’m game,” Jeremy added.

  “Good,” Josh said. “I think it’ll be safer to hit the smaller towns around us. Maybe one day we’ll brave a trip to Statesboro, but right now it’s probably better to stay away from the more populated areas.”

  “Wait,” Tori said. “Did you say Monday? Why Monday and not tomorrow?”

  Josh smiled.

  “Well, that brings me to my next order of business. Tomorrow is Sunday and it’s the first Sunday we’ve all been together since, well, since everything started. I think it would be good for us to have a little worship service, as a family. Of course, you three are welcome, but don’t feel pressured to come. But for us, with our loss of Hailey, I think it would be good to spend a little time in worship.”

  Everyone in the family nodded silently. Last Sunday had been different. Josh was still not home yet. Hailey’s death was still heavy on everyone’s hearts. But this Sunday would be different. There was much to give thanks for. They were far better off than much of the world around them.

  “Are you serious?”

  Lexx’s question sounded harsh against the backdrop of silence.

  “Yes, yes I am,” Josh answered.

  This time it was Lexx who rolled his eyes.

  “Well, you can count me out.”

  “Lexx…” Tori said quietly.

  “No, it’s okay Tori,” Josh interrupted. “That’s fine Lexx. Like I said, don’t feel like you have to participate. I just wanted to know that you aren’t excluded either.”

  Lexx nodded.

  “I probably won’t come either, but thank you for inviting us,” Tori said, adding extra emphasis to the word, “us.”

  Josh nodded. He wasn’t sure what Lexx’s deal with church was, but he was sure he’ll get an earful sooner or later. Before he could stop them, his eyes wandered over to Jeremy. After their talk in the truck, he hoped the boy would at least consider it.

  “I’ll think about it,” Jeremy said.

  Josh nodded again and smiled.

  “That’s fine. But regardless, tomorrow we rest. We’ll pick up work on Monday. Anybody else have anything to add?”

  Nobody said anything.

  “Okay then. Let’s get something to eat and turn in for the night.”

  ***

  Jeremy found himself laying on the couch, staring at the ceiling. It was just him and CJ in the living room, everyone else retired off to bed. He was exhausted. A day of rest actually sounded just like what the doctor ordered. Yeah, they had a lot of work to do, but it would be nice not to do anything for a day. He was not sure how he would pass the time yet. Josh had a few books here at the cabin, maybe he would spend the day reading one of those. He could go for a run. For fun, not for his life. Plus, it would be good to keep his cardio up, just in case he does have to run for his life.

  There was always the church service too.

  Church service? Not like they’re really going to a church.

  He thought about going, but wasn’t sure about it yet. Maybe he would just give the family their space.

  “You should come tomorrow.”

  Jeremy jumped a little at the sound of CJ’s voice.

  “Holy crap man. I thought you were asleep.”

  “Sorry,” the boy said.

  “It’s okay. Why do you say that?”

  “What else are you going to do?”

  Had CJ been reading his mind?

  “I don’t know. It’s been a while since I’ve been to church.”

  CJ sat up on the air mattress and stared at Jeremy.

  “We’re just doing it in the backyard. You got a problem with backyards?”

  Jeremy tried not to laugh.

  “No. I’m cool with backyards. I’ll think about it okay?” He said.

  CJ nodded and laid back down. Jeremy tried to think of the last time he went to church. Easter? It was one of the few exceptions he made for his mother. Easter and Christmas, the two big ones, those he would give her. Every now and then, he would go with her if she were particularly persistent. She never forced him; it was always his decision. She just always made him feel guilty. Not by anything she said, but by the look of disappointment in her eyes afterwards. He wanted to go for her; he just could not buy into it like she did.

  She was faithful. There every Sunday, sometimes throughout the week. Wednesday night Bible studies, women’s group, church socials, she went to all of them. If one thing could be said about his mother, she was sincerely devoted to her faith.

  J
eremy just didn’t understand it. Some parts he liked. He could get behind “do unto others as you would yourself.” Or “judge not lest ye be judged.” Those made sense. But eternal judgment in Hell just because you didn’t want Jesus to be your friend? Jeremy remembered going to children’s camp years ago and at the end of every week, they would do the same skit. The pimple faced camp counselors would dress up in black trash-bags and they would turn out all the lights. Then the “demons” would come in and take away “sinners” to the “lake of fire.” It was so over dramatic. But Jeremy bought in for a while. He went down the aisle afterwards and prayed the sinner’s prayer. He got dunked in the lake and then again back home, just so his parents could see.

  Parents.

  Plural.

  His dad was never into church either. But for different reasons. Being a fledgling plastic surgeon at the time, he and his occupation were not so welcome in the conservative church his mother attended. He was changing “what the good Lord intended.” Hypocrites, his dad used to say. One of the last times his dad attended, he pointed out to Jeremy all the women in the church who came to him for boob jobs and the few deacons who had hair plugs. His mother overheard and suggested to his father, that maybe he should stay home the next Sunday.

  It was not long after that they separated. Then a year later, divorced. The division between them had been growing for years; it didn’t take much to fracture it in the end.

  Jeremy didn’t know all the details, but he knew his father had been unfaithful. And in a way that his mother would want nothing from the man after the divorce. No alimony, no child support, nothing. For her it was a clean break.

  For Jeremy, it was conflicted. His father was a royal douche; this much was true. But the man was still his father. And he wasn’t always that way. He used to be a great dad. The kind who coached little league teams and treated to pizza afterwards. The kind that built a tree house in the backyard and slept in it the first night. The kind that would sneak up behind his mother and smother her in kisses.

  Jeremy’s eyes watered.

  His father could still be out there. Out in the middle of the ocean on his yacht. Surviving in bliss.

  All the while, his mother was dead and never coming back.

  Jeremy’s heart grew heavy and he wanted just to let the tears fall, but he held them back. He took a deep breath. He regained himself.

  His backpack caught his eye and he pulled it over to him by the couch. He opened it and removed his mother’s Bible. It and the picture of the two of them were the last things he had of her. He sat the book in his lap and stared at it. The cover was worn and the pages dog-eared. Faint whiffs of his mother’s perfume came off the pages as he flipped it open. He flipped the pages back and forth, front to back, back to front. He closed his eyes, stopped, and placed his finger on a page at random.

  Okay God. What do you got for me?

  He opened his eyes. His finger was planted in Acts 16. He skimmed over the verses, reading about the Apostle Paul and a woman named Lydia. It said, “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” She was converted and became a Christian. Jeremy’s eyes wander over to the margin, where scribbled in his mother’s handwriting is:

  “Lord, open Jeremy’s heart the way you opened Lydia’s. May he see you for who you are and come to know you.”

  The tears came rushing back and Jeremy’s gut twisted. Even gone from this earth and his mother still had a way to make him feel guilty.

  I guess I have to go now, don’t I?

  Chapter Eleven

  Jeremy woke up to find CJ staring at him.

  “What?” He asked, sitting up on the couch and rubbing sleep from his eyes.

  “I said, ‘Do you want any breakfast?’” the boy answered.

  He was holding a plate of pancakes out in Jeremy’s direction. Jeremy took the plate and mouthed, ‘thanks.’ There was a stack of three chocolate chips pancakes covered in maple syrup. They looked delicious.

  “Hey,” CJ said. “We’ll be starting in like a half an hour.”

  “Okay.”

  “You gonna be there?”

  He sure is persistent, Jeremy thought.

  “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

  CJ smiled.

  “Sweet.”

  And with that, he walked off.

  Jeremy looked down at his breakfast. He wondered how long their food supply would last. Josh said there would be a time for rationing off food, but it seemed that time was not here yet. A part of Jeremy told him to enjoy it, but another said he should not get too comfortable with the abundance of food. There weren’t grocery stores anymore. They couldn’t just pop in whenever they were out of maple syrup. Or pancake mix. Or milk. There couldn’t be too much milk left and Jeremy hadn’t seen any cows wandering around the place. Maybe they could “borrow” one from a nearby farm. If they could figure out how to milk it, maybe they would have fresh milk, cream, and even butter if they could figure that process as well.

  He took a bite. The still warm flavors of pancake, chocolate, and maple syrup flooded his taste buds and sent his brain the message to stop worrying and to send some more of what was on his fork.

  And so he did.

  ***

  Jeremy gave himself a quick glance in a mirror before he walked out onto the back porch. He changed into some cleaner clothes, but they were not anything special. He didn’t think to ask what he should wear. Did normal church rules apply here? And what kind of church did they attend before? Jeremy knew that not all churches had the same idea on what you should wear. His mother’s church was more relaxed than it used to be. When he and his father attended, men would either wear suits or at the very least a dress shirt and tie. Women were not to wear pants. But then that pastor left and the one who replaced him relaxed the dress code. His mother would still always wear some floral pattern dress.

  “Out of habit,” she would say.

  Jeremy decided what he had on would have to do. It wasn’t like he had much options. He walked outside and took breath of relief. Nobody was wearing anything fancy. He made his way down the back steps and walked over to where they were sitting. Several folding chairs were set up underneath the big oak tree. Laura sat on a blanket on the ground. Josh was standing next to her, his back to Jeremy. She motioned for Jeremy to come and sit on the ground by her. Josh turned and smiled when he saw it was Jeremy.

  “I’m glad you came,” he said. “You can sit here if you want.”

  “I think I’ll just stand.”

  Laura and Josh both nodded. Josh was holding an acoustic guitar.

  “Are we singing or something?” Jeremy asked.

  “Maybe a song or two.”

  Jeremy didn’t know the words to any Christian songs.

  “Don’t worry,” Josh added. “You don’t have to sing along.”

  Jeremy gave a nervous smile.

  What have I gotten myself into? He wondered.

  Before he could answer his question, Josh’s father-in-law stood and cleared his throat. The man had maybe spoken twenty words since Jeremy and the others arrived. He bowed his head; everyone else followed.

  “Heavenly Father, we thank you for today. A day to stop and rest and worship you. A day to remember your goodness. A day to remember your grace…”

  Jeremy watched on as the family prayed together. He had bowed his head out of respect, but found it hard to close his eyes. He looked around instead. The whole family seemed to be relaxed. Even Amy, who sat in one of the folding chairs, with Opie in her lap. CJ was sitting next to his aunt, every now and then, cracking open one eye. Jeremy laughed quietly to himself.

  Still keeping watch.

  CJ eventually made eye contact with Jeremy. Jeremy smiled and closed his eyes. Pops was still praying. Now asking, “vision in these dark and trying times.”

  That’s one way to put it, Jeremy thought.

  Dark and trying times.

  It was funny; none of them ever referred to it as the end. How many of t
he televangelists screamed of the End Times and the Apocalypse on the TV back home? They all said this was judgment and hell on earth. Of course, they quickly followed that with a “send your donations here”-spiel. But Josh’s family was different. None of them thought this was as bad it was gonna get. Even with the loss of Hailey, there seemed to be something pushing them forward. Something that said “everything is gonna be okay.”

  They had hope.

  “And Father,” Pops continued. “We thank you for the time we had with Hailey. Lord, we love her so much and we know that she is with you now. Take good care of her for us and we’ll see her again whenever you’re ready.”

  The sniffles began almost immediately. They started as small, quiet whimpers. But they quickly grew into sobs. Jeremy looked around to see tears streaming from all of their faces. Chris’s was most heart breaking. The tears rolled down his red cheeks, a wide smile across his face. It looked forced, the corners of his lips wanting to fall. Jeremy felt his own face twitch.

  How can they keep on going?

  His mother was gone. Gone to wherever their Hailey went. The first tear slid down his cheek.

  Here they are, trying to worship God, when their little girl was ripped away from them so violently. Where are you God? You seem so near to them, but whenever I call out to you, you’re silent? Why? My mother was a good woman and she loved you, for whatever reason! Yet you took her from me! You did this! Why don’t you stop all this!

  Pops ended his prayer, interrupting Jeremy’s interrogation. Chris stood and gave Pops a tight hug, before the older man returned to his seat. His wife gave his knee a tight squeeze. Chris wiped his eyes and cleared his throat.

  “I, um, I haven’t really anything to say. I tried to think of something, but I, I just can’t yet. So, I’m just going to read from the passage of scripture that’s been keeping me going these past couple weeks. It’s in Hebrews 12.”

  Chris paused, and took a breath before reading.

  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?