Dead Friends Series (Book 2): Dead Friends Running

by Carlisle, Natalie

  “I’m fine,” he said, swiping his hand across his eye to smear away the blood.

  I smacked his hand away. “Your hands are filthy, stop.” And I wasn’t just saying that, they really were coated in dirt and dried blood.

  Now he was the one rolling his eyes. I ignored it though. Quickly wiping my hands across my shirt to ensure they were makeshift clean, I pushed his sticky hair back, into a matted comb over. I finally saw where the blood was coming from.

  It wasn’t bad actually. I didn’t think he was going to need stitches, but it was a nasty cut. The width was maybe an inch, inch and a half. It was between his brow and his hairline, almost directly above the mid-corner of his right eye. The skin was raised into a swollen lump around it, but with the dried and new blood I couldn’t tell how bruised his skin was.

  I didn’t like that the cut kept reopening though. He needed a bandage and a thorough clean out. Despite the unsanitary action, I held my own hand onto it, to apply pressure.

  “I have a first aid kit in my bag,” Margeaux offered. “It’s up on the road, but I can go get it.”

  “No it’s fine, you two have done enough for me,” Jason replied before I could. “The ambulance will be here shortly. It’s just a little blood.”

  I turned my head toward her. She seemed unsure.

  “That’s because it was my fault,” Zac chimed in, his voice full of guilt. “If I had Anubis on the leash, this wouldn’t have happened. I will do whatever I can to make up for it.”

  Ah, Mr. Sensitive was back. Here we go again.

  “I can’t express how sorry I am, how irresponsible I was. How—” This time I mentally rolled my eyes.

  “Hey man, look, it was an accident. Accidents happen.” Jason’s voice was full of reasoning. “And if anyone is at fault, it’s my own stupidity that caused it. Mouth is right. I didn’t have my eyes on the road, if I did, I would have been able to stop in time.”

  Zac looked like he wanted to object, him and his— I swear—glistening eyes again, but he didn’t. “Why weren’t you looking at the road anyway?” Guess curiosity trumped guilt.

  Jason exhaled, and I felt his breath blow onto my arm. “Honestly, I was trying to call her.” His hand tapped my side. “I was trying to find reception to tell her to turn around and not come to Pennsylvania.”

  “Great,” I grumbled, feeling really guilty now. “So it is my fault.”

  His arms went around me, instantly hugging me again. It made my hand drop away from his forehead. “No. Stop. In fact, I’m actually happy you’re here… I’ve missed you.”

  I sighed. I missed him too, but that didn’t change anything. “So you’re happy I almost killed you?”

  He shook his head, letting go. “Just an ‘I missed you too’ would have been nice right then.”

  “If you really think I didn’t miss you, then either you really bumped your head hard or you’re an idiot. And I used to think you were pretty smart.”

  I pressed my palm against his forehead again, perhaps a little too roughly.

  “Ow.” Jason’s green brown eyes glared at me.

  Oops.

  “I always thought he was an idiot, personally,” Missy chimed in, her tone sarcastic.

  “Stop,” I said, glancing over my shoulder at her before apologizing to Jason.

  The two of them, I swear. A smirk might have hit my lips though. I tried to refrain for Jason’s sake.

  “So wait,” Zac cut in, questioning. I was thankful for an interruption. “You aren’t from around here then?”

  “No,” Missy responded immediately. “We live in New Jersey…you know, in civilization.” There was an ounce of detest in her voice. She hated this area.

  “I take it you are not a nature lover, huh?” Margeaux stared at her, her tone somewhat judgmental.

  Missy crossed her arms, narrowing her blue eyes, clearly showing she picked up on the understated attitude. “There’s a big difference between enjoying nature and living in the sticks. You couldn’t pay me to live here.”

  “Well, I lived here,” Jason interjected. “Almost my whole life, and no offense, but I don’t know who you two are. I pretty much know everyone in town. So either you just moved here, or you aren’t from around here either.”

  “We live about fifty miles from here actually,” Zac answered. “We are only in the area for the weekend. Figured we’d check out some new hiking trails. We are training for a long stint on the Appalachian trail this fall.” He paused. “But I’m starting to think coming here was a bad idea.”

  “Maybe a few months ago,” Missy mumbled.

  “What?”

  “I was just saying it would have been a bad idea a few months ago.”

  Zac’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just meant because of the whole accident today. What happened a few months ago?”

  It dawned on me in that instant that Zac and Margeaux somehow didn’t know anything about the virus outbreak. It now made sense as to why they’d be hiking through this particular mountain. Because cure or no cure, I couldn’t imagine how anyone would ever choose to hike these trails again after all that.

  We never got a chance to tell them though, because just then we heard the police and ambulance sirens coming up the road.

  7

  Jason was sitting in the back of the ambulance. The doors were open, and an EMT was putting a bandage on his forehead. He had refused going to the hospital, insisting he was alright. The woman didn’t look too convinced, but Jason was of age to make his own decisions.

  While he had been getting his blood pressure and pulse checked, we gave our statements to the state troopers. There were two of them, Trooper Howell and Trooper Kinner. Zac, Margeaux and Anubis left shortly afterwards, apologizing to Jason one more time before going.

  I was relieved when they left. I didn’t want to retell the whole virus memory. Just thinking of it made me think of Spencer back in the hospital, dying. And why we were standing here on the mountain road in the first place.

  It also made me think of the people that were hit on this road, the guy I hit, and the guy Jacob ran over in the middle of the night. Dean something.

  It was actually his friend, too, or what was left of his friend. The guy that was hunched in the center of the road was more a monster than a human being. He was eating the arm of someone, like it was a turkey leg.

  I stared at the back of Trooper Howell, fully aware that the person Dean was eating was probably from the same police force.

  The vivid image in my mind made my stomach churn all over again.

  I really wanted to ask, but I didn’t dare. I wanted them to have no recognition of us being here during that time.

  Plus, if I was going to pry at all, it was going to be about Trooper Brien Wesson. I really wanted to know how he was making out. If we had gone to the hospital, I may have even checked to see if he was admitted in that particular one.

  But again, I didn’t feel like putting myself willingly in the spotlight.

  “Well, that just about does it,” the redhead said, stepping away from Jason and placing something into her bag. “Are you sure nothing else hurts?”

  I was able to have a clear shot of Jason now. He looked silly with the large bandage on his face, but my heart lurched all the same. I hated that he was hurt.

  “Nope, just my head and my back a little,” he replied, peering up at her.

  “I still think you should get some x-rays, just to be certain it isn’t anything more serious.”

  The woman—whose name I never caught—was attractive. Her red hair was more strawberry than blonde and was pulled back into a straight ponytail. She wore round, thin-framed glasses. She had to be at least three and a half inches taller than me. She was also fair-skinned, but surprisingly not nearly as freckly as Jason or Zac.

  “I promise if I start feeling worse, I will go to the hospital,” Jason compromised. “But honestly, I feel fine, just a little stiff.�
�

  “Okay, Mr. Ollie.”

  “Jason,” he corrected. “Mr. Ollie sounds too much like you’re talking to my father.”

  “Sorry. Jason. And where is your father? Should we call him? Or perhaps your mother?”

  I saw the pain that crept into Jason’s eyes before he lowered his head, looking at the ground. “Uh… no. No I don’t live with them anymore.”

  I couldn’t help but wonder why he didn’t tell her they weren’t alive. I guess he probably didn’t want her to feel sorry for him.

  If she thought it was suspicious or that he should still call them anyway, she didn’t say it. She just jotted something down on her clipboard, dropped it to her side when she was finished and said, “Okay.”

  She assisted Jason on hopping to the ground. He only made a face when he straightened out. He thanked her and they exchanged a few more words. Then she tossed a few things into the ambulance and shut the doors.

  The tow truck arrived shortly after the ambulance left, quickly hitched Jason’s demolished vehicle to it and lugged it back up onto the pavement. Jason had to sign some things before he was handed instructions on what he needed to do next, then the truck and Jason’s crushed truck were gone.

  I was also thirsty as hell. And hot. Sweat was dripping down my neck.

  After we got into my car, I asked Missy to open my bag that had fallen on the floor behind the driver’s seat and toss each of us a bottle of water. She took out some granola bars, too, and insisted I eat one. Jason agreed. They wanted to avoid me having any sugar issues.

  I felt fine, but they were probably right. So I opened the package and bit off a huge chunk before starting my car. Once I had some food in me, I realized how hungry I was and finished the whole thing in two more bites.

  Feeling better, we were on our way again. I was paranoid careful—even more so then before—driving the rest of the way down the mountain. I made sure to stay in my lane this time.

  It was a relief to have Jason navigating to Kyle and Buck’s trailer.

  “So you haven’t been there yet?” I asked, as Jason told me to turn right.

  “No, I was in the process of dropping Brandon, Frankie and Duke off at Meg and Germaine’s when I saw I had a voicemail from you. After I realized you were on your way here, I tried calling you back, but the service sucked. I knew if I was going to get a good connection I needed to get up over the mountain. I decided to call you first before you got too far. Then I was going to head to see Kyle.”

  Oh. There was that guilt again.

  “So why isn’t Duke with you?” Missy asked from the back seat, sounding completely guilt-free. “He’s usually always with you.”

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Jason shrug. “It’s too hot out. Wasn’t sure if the trailer’s air conditioning was working or not, figured it was best if he stayed with the twins.”

  “Well I’m glad he wasn’t in the truck with you.”

  “Yeah,” Jason agreed. “I am too.”

  I bit the inside of my cheek and continued to drive. I had to remind myself again that he told me not to feel responsible for the crash.

  Easier said than done.

  Just then, Jason picked up the empty icee cup in my cup holder and laughed. “Ah. So this is what spilled all over your shorts?”

  Damn it, I had forgotten about that stupid stain. Frustrated, I grumbled, “Yes.”

  He laughed harder, peering back out the windshield. “Okay, about two more minutes we’re there.”

  “Can I borrow your shorts then?” I groaned.

  “Oh relax,” he said, humored. “You look fine. It’s just a stain. If I know Kyle, he’s probably covered in beer stains anyway.”

  “Probably,” Missy chimed in, “I just hope he’s at least wearing pants this time.” She was being completely serious. “The first time we met him, he was only in his undergarments. It don’t want that visual again.”

  “Well considering he’s not expecting either one of you, my guess is he’s probably not.”

  Terrific. This day just keeps getting better and better.

  “Maybe I will just stay in the car until you inform him we are here then, since he only wears pants when company’s coming.”

  Jason laughed again. “I doubt that will make him get dressed. Plus…no offense, Mouth,” Jason quickly sobered. “But he’s got a lot of shit he’s dealing with right now with Buck dying and all. So who really gives two shits about his pants?”

  Suddenly I stopped caring about his boxers.

  8

  The gravel path was in pretty bad shape. I didn’t remember it being this bumpy last time. There were large divots in the layering of stones, where a heavy rainfall must have washed the rocks away.

  I tried maneuvering my tires from the worst of it, but it was uneven all over. Little cars like mine just weren’t meant for the country.

  The doublewide was just up ahead. I could see it. In the daylight it looked more rundown and weathered. Green grime coated the sides, and the roof was covered in broken branches and fallen, dry leaves.

  The unlit Christmas lights that were strung around the ripped awning hung crookedly and loose in a few areas, but I wasn’t sure that had changed much.

  The cinderblock fire pit still hung to the left, those same two stained fold-up chairs flanked it.

  Seeing those chairs now, a bittersweet memory came back to me—Buck sitting there under the night sky, smoking something illegal, holding a gun across his lap and calling out to Jason. It was the first time I ever saw him, and though he was cast in shadows I remembered him vividly.

  That was also the same night Buck was bit by an infected mosquito, only we hadn’t known it at the time.

  “Park wherever,” Jason instructed, snapping me out of it. I hit the brakes, slowing to a stop right there, shutting the engine.

  Before Jason even had the car door open, Kyle came walking around the trailer, holding a beer in one hand and an axe in the other.

  For the record, he was dressed in pants, but his shirt was off and he was coated in sweat. And even from here I could see his eyes were red, but this time I didn’t suspect it was from illegal substances.

  No, by the forlorn expression on Kyle’s face, I could tell it was from tears.

  The poor guy was completely heartbroken.

  I felt my throat tighten, and I swallowed reflexively. Melissa and I shouldn’t be here. It didn’t feel right.

  “Give them a minute,” I said to Missy when Jason exited the car.

  The longer I sat behind the wheel, the more awkward I felt. I probably shouldn’t have been watching, but they were directly in front of my car so it was kind of hard not to be.

  First Jason and Kyle walked up to each other and exchanged some words. There was a brief second where Kyle glanced at us, but then he went right back to hanging his head. A few times he even shook his head to whatever Jason was saying and after about three minutes, Jason slowly took the axe away from him.

  I never saw him drink the beer though, only drop it. There he was standing one second, and in the next Kyle’s shoulders suddenly started convulsing from deep, gut-wrenching sobs, and the beer can slipped from his fingers, its contents spilling onto the ground where it fell.

  Kyle dropped to his knees shortly after, his face falling to into his palms.

  Jason placed his free hand on Kyle’s back but before he did, he peered over at us uncomfortably, and I didn’t miss the tears in his eyes too.

  And that’s when it hit me. For Jason, coming here was more than just finding out if Buck died from the virus despite the treatments he received. This was about him mourning the loss of person he cared about.

  To Jason, Buck was what Spencer was to Missy and me, and I hadn’t even considered that. I was just so damn set on finding out for Spencer, that I wasn’t even caring about what this all meant for Jason.

  How could I ever be so selfish?

  There was no doubt in my mind now, Melissa and I did not belong here. No
wonder Jason was calling me to tell me to stay in New Jersey.

  We had no right to be barging in on this time of loss.

  My hand lingered on the key in the ignition, as I contemplated leaving. Even Missy was for it, but as I continued to stare out the windshield at my silently crying boyfriend. I just couldn’t leave now. I had to stay on the off chance he needed my comfort. He was being there for Kyle, but no one was being there for him.

  So that would be my job.

  I just wasn’t leaving the car until he called for me.

  “I kind of have to pee,” Missy complained some time later. She was sitting in the middle of the backseat, leaning forward between both seats. “And I’m out of candy. And um—I feel really weird just sitting here watching two men cry.” I second all that, I couldn’t help but think.

  “Plus—” she continued, a few seconds after, “Your phone has another voicemail.

  That caught me off guard. “What?”

  “Your phone,” she said, holding it up. Her arm was reached forward, her fingers clasped around my phone case. “There’s another missed call.”

  I couldn’t believe she was fumbling around on my phone. “Give me that.” I snatched it from her, but she appeared unfazed. “Who called?”

  “Not sure,” she said, turning her body some so she was looking more at me, than the windshield. She had taken her hair out of her ponytail at some point, so it was waving down her shoulders now. “It’s not listed in your phone book, and I don’t recognize the number.”

  I tapped my fingers on the screen, scrolling down to my missed calls log. I didn’t recognize the number either.

  “I have no idea who that is,” I mumbled, trying to rack my brain for recognition.

  “Well whoever it is left a message, are you going to listen to it?”

  I bit my lip, debating. Finally I exited out of the call log, placing my phone back in the center console. “Nope.”

  “Would give us something to do….” Missy’s curiosity was quite clear.

  Mine wasn’t, at least not as much as hers. “It’s probably just another call from my parents, on some landline. No thanks.”