“I’ll sit with you,” Jaime added to me.
As much as I wanted to be alone to lick my wounds, I was glad for the company.
“Thanks.”
The rest of the group settled by a cluster of trees, their backs to the trees. Not too long, and I heard the light breathing of sleep.
Jaime spoke quietly, slowly, “Hale knew the risk. I should have checked the truck.”
I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or to himself. I didn't want to think about our mistake. How could I have not seen he was killing himself inside too? He needed to be forgiven. The moonlight shone on his face, making the strong lines of his face pained. His lips were in a tight line. How could I give him forgiveness when I didn't know how to forgive myself?
I was so new to human interaction. Placing my hand on his crossed legs, I said, “It’s not your fault. We couldn't have known there was a zombie under the truck.”
His eyes glistened in the moonlight, the pain still on his face regardless of my words. A deep breath, and my hand touched his cheek. Always warm. Still on high alert with my ears, I took his lips with mine. A soft, innocent kiss. I had wanted this for so long since the gas station—even longer, the strip mall. He relaxed, joining the kiss. His tongue licking my lips, I opened for him. This was all so new, my stomach fluttered, his taste sweet. We kissed, taking what we needed from the other.
Pulling back a tad, he whispered my name, “Violet.”
I didn't want this to stop. If only for a moment we could be a boy and a girl. I kissed him harder, faster. He took this, and pulled me into his lap. The sensation of his strength melted me. I knew from that moment I couldn't resist the pull I had for him. My legs dangled over his crossed leg. My hands found his chest, I wanted to touch his skin. I hesitated at his shirt hem. His hands found mine, pushing them under his shirt, rock-hard abs! Tenderly, I explored. I had never touched another human being like this. It was fascinating! My exploration brought my hands to his nipple. Such a tiny little thing, I rubbed it, and he moaned. His hands found the end of my shirt, rubbing along the edge. I wasn't an expert at any of this, but I knew the hard point poking my backside was his erection. It excited me that I could make him like this. I wanted to be a reckless teenage girl for once in my life. I wanted to forget the world, forget my insecurities, forget we were living in a zombie outbreak, and just be with Jaime, but my mind still listened for anything out in the woods. All quiet. His hand moved beneath my shirt, not moving up. He made little circles with his thumb.
When his thumb moved up, I freaked out, grabbing his hand to stop him. Our lips broke contact.
“Jaime, I—” How did I tell him I had never kissed a boy let alone have a boy in my pants?
“It’s okay, I know.”
“You know?” I said, shocked.
“Yes, I know you haven't been with a boy.”
My mind latched onto his words. How did he know I was a virgin? Was I a conquest?
“How do you know?” Anger fueled my words.
“Violet, it’s not like that. Didn't you ever notice me? I have liked you since the eighth grade. You always kept to yourself, in a book or studying. At first, it was a curiosity why you were so quiet. I thought you were shy, this beautiful girl—but the more I watched you, the more I learned. You were smart. I saw you got A’s on everything. In English you wrote this poem, it was sad, and beautiful. Do you remember it? A Complacent Animal.”
I remembered the poem well. I wrote it about myself. Trapped in a life I hated, yet doing nothing, never moving.
“A deer, a brown deer, a normal deer,
The deer wanders the forest,
The forest it has always known,
Each day the same thing,
Searching for food,
Searching for a soft patch of grass to bed down,
Searching for its place in the forest,
The other deer stare,
The other deer shy away,
The deer’s family turns away,
The deer is okay alone,
The deer has always been alone,
The deer never changes,
The deer is never moving,
The deer is always the same.”
Jaime recited my poem.
How had he seen so much, and I had been so oblivious? My anger diminished. I moved to my seat, his hand finding mine.
Chapter Twenty-One
The hours passed in peace. Maybe we had lost the zombies. Jaime had fallen asleep a while ago. Sleep would be far away for me, even if I had the opportunity to sleep. My mind pondered Jaime. Thinking back, I had seen him, a moment’s look, or a smile. I had always turned away. I didn't want to be seen. I didn't want to explain the bruises or be stuck in that town. I wanted out. There he was, though, in my memories. He hadn't let my hand go as he fell asleep; he would jerk once in a while, and his hand would tighten the hold. I know it is vain and adolescent of me, but he was so freaking cute.
A snap out in the woods distracted my gaze from his face. It had been quiet all night. The moon lowering on the horizon, soon the sun would come up. Another snap. I shook Jaime awake, planting a hand on his lips to stop him from speaking. He came alert in an instant. His eyes worried, I motioned to the woods, and made the gesture of a break with my hands. He nodded. More snaps came. That was no animal. The moans were clear. The zombies had found us. We hurried up to the group. Brandi was awake already waking the others and keeping them quiet.
Connor gave us away with a whine, “Mom! I don't wanna get up!”
That one sentence brought the moans to a high pitch. They knew we were there, and now knew our exact location.
“Move!” I spoke firmly.
Julia picked up Connor, and we all ran. We ran as one. I took up the lead while Jaime was in the back. When we started out in the forest, we walked, trying to be as quiet as possible. Now, we ran for our lives. Branches crunched, I slashed as best I could to push the branches out of the way for the others. Each tree branch that hit me was a reminder of how stupid I had been. I let my emotions flow freely. I allowed myself to feel. To feel for Jaime. If I had not been such a stupid teenage girl admiring Jaime's looks, I would have noticed the zombies closing in. I should have known better. If I learned one thing from my step-father, it was to never let your guard down. So as another branch cut my arm, I steeled myself to any further emotions. These people relied on me to keep them safe. I could do safe. I had been doing it all my life since my mother married my step-father. The mask I built up snapped back into place. No more being an idiot. For God’s sake, I had the IQ of a genius, and I was acting like a simpleton.
I listened to the zombies’ noises. It was strange. The groans seemed to come from behind us, but just there. I heard something moving in front of us. Could we have spooked an animal or were the zombies leading us into a trap? Did we have time to stop and gather information? It was so hard to hear over the noise the group was making with their feet and heavy breathing. Another crunch in the direction we were heading made me come to a halt. I raised my hand to halt the group.
“What are you doing?” Roth whispered with fear.
“Quiet,” I said.
“You got to be kidding me. I am not standing here while the zombies catch up to us,” Roth said as he pushed to the front.
As he was about to pass me, I reached out grabbing his arm. A zombie pushed toward us from in front of us. Roth came to a stop, staring at the zombie. The fat lady zombie from the strip mall! How? How was she alive? Or rather how was she not dead? I shot her! She caught sight of us, and let out a blood curling screech.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I knew in my mind the zombies were learning. This zombie had found us. Behind us, the screeches became frantic. How had I not heard it before? They were communicating somehow. She was telling the other zombies she had found us, and the trap worked. The smile on her drooling mouth sent shivers up my spine.
“Back to back. Julia, get in the middle with Connor,” I ordered. “We f
ight for our lives!”
We weren't the best, but we closed ranks around Julia, and she picked up Connor, holding him tight. Tiffany crushed to Julia’s back to watch the opposite way. Julia and Tiffany didn’t have any weapons, and they would call out if we needed help. I saw we were becoming a unit. Brandi, Roth, Jaime, and I pulled our guns out.
The fat lady charged as the hoard of zombies following us broke through the trees. She was mine! I sent a thanks out to that bastard step-father, and aimed for her head. She saw my movements and swerved to the side. I had anticipated the movement because of the slightest twitch of her white eyes to the left. I shot into the space she moved, hitting her in the eye. She dropped like a bag of bricks with a gushing sound. Shots rang out around me, and I turned to help. Roth was trying, but he missed quite a lot. He hit one in the knee, making the zombie limp. I hit the same zombie in the other kneecap, shattering it.
“Leave the one with no legs alive!” I shouted.
I wanted to examine it while he couldn't go anywhere with his legs wounded.
“Hell no!” Roth said, walking up to it and shooting the zombie in the head.
We were making a headway when a second screech came from behind us. Then what sounded like a herd of zombies with it groaned and screeched.
As the last one that was in our little clearing fell, I said, “We need to move!”
“Which way?” Brandi asked, looking around.
That was a good question. The fat lady had come from in front of us, there were zombies behind us. Did we take a chance of going to the left or right of us? I glanced both ways uncertainly. Looking to the way the fat lady had come, I thought I saw a glimpse of something shining. Staring hard into the morning dusk, I realized it was headlights.
“That’s a car!” I shouted joyfully, pointing to the way the fat lady had come.
“Go!” Jaime yelled.
We moved as a pack again. I couldn't help but be proud of these people. They were working together, even Roth. The closer we got to the lights, I could see that it was a road, and there was a car coming toward us! The renewed energy faded quickly as we made it to the road, and a group of zombies popped out of the woods a few feet from us. The car was still off in the distance, coming toward us. There was nothing else around us to hide in, just the road that was little more than dirt and trees. The zombies noticed us, and charged.
“Move!” I said, pushing the group away from the car and zombies.
Julia sobbed as I pushed her back to run. She was breaking. I wouldn't lose another person. Not sweet motherly Julia or her golden-head kid. Not asshole, Roth. Not my sister, whom I was just getting to know for what felt like the first time, and not Jaime, the boy I had feelings locked away for. Not even Tiffany. I turned, and began firing, taking out three. Turning and running, I reloaded, and turned again to hit five more. Only two went down, but I hit the other three. Glancing I saw the car was almost to us. I did the run, reload, and turn a few times when the car roared next to us.
“Get in!” yelled a man with a thick southern accent.
Shots rang out the other side of the truck. Looking up, I saw a red-headed woman in camo hanging out the passenger side window giving us cover to hop in the back of the truck bed. I stepped onto the wheel, pulling myself up, and helping the others in. When we were all in, the redhead climbed back in the window, and the truck jerked into motion, slamming us down. A zombie grabbed onto the tailgate. I was reaching for my gun when Julia lifted her leg kicking out.
“Get off, you assholes!” Her foot connected with the zombie’s forehead, knocking it to the road.
She leaned her head back. “Sorry for my language. They were pissing me off,” she said laughing.
The rest of us fell into laughter with her, lying there in a heap of limbs, happy we survived.
A few minutes went by and the redhead poked her head out the cab back window. “Well, hella there. Lucky, we happen to be comin’ along when we did. I'm Peggy Sue. This here is Buck. So whatcha all doing out in the middle of nowhere with all hell breaking loose?”
“I’m Julia. Thanks for picking us up,” Julia said to Peggy Sue, and extended her hand for a shake.
I just stared at Julia, and then I met eyes with Jaime. I sat up, removing myself from the distraction that was Jaime. I relayed the tale of how we ended up in the forest after Blackbird, and introduced the rest of the group.
“Where ya all headed?” Peggy Sue asked nonchalantly.
“My parents have a cabin up here that is pretty protected. You're welcome to join us,” Jaime said to her.
“That’s mighty nice of you, young man, but Buck here and I have a hunting cabin we are heading to. Do you know where your parents’ cabin is? We can drop y’all,” she said pulling a map through the window to pass to Jaime, who had sat up with the rest of the group.
Peggy pointed out where we were at the moment.
After a few minutes Jaime said, “It should be in this area.”
He referenced a portion of the map not too far from where Peggy Sue had said we were.
“That looks about like the Birch place. Is that your parents?” Peggy asked casually.
“Yes! That’s my parents,” Jaime’s eye lit up at the mention of his parents’ name.
A sigh of relief swept over me. I was tired of running.
“Well, right on. You hear that, Buck? This is the Birch kid. Well, any kid of theirs is a friend of ours. Your dad helped us get our cabin out here, and even came to help with repairs.” Peggy smiled at him.
“Really? I never knew that,” Jaime said sadly.
I sat back against the truck side, watching the surrounding woods pass by. We saw no more zombies roaming. I found it odd. All the encounters we had with the zombies; they had been in groups. The area was isolated Peggy Sue had said, but could that mean no zombies were around? I also tried to not wonder why Jaime sounded disappointed when Peggy Sue mentioned his parents helping her and Buck.
Chapter Twenty-Three
We drove for a little over an hour, and then Buck pulled off the main road to a dirt road with a sign over the road saying, “The Birch Hideaway.” The road was bumpy, and about twenty minutes into the road, a large house came into view on top of a hill. Jaime had underplayed his parents’ “cabin.” The cabin was a mansion in the woods. At least three stories tall with a wraparound porch. The walls were made from logs, so I guessed you could consider it a cabin, but more like a lodge. He did not lie about the windows—each tall window had forest-green storm shutters set against the dark wood. River rock wrapped around the base of the cabin. A stone fireplace sat at the top, and smoke was churning out of it.
“Do you see that?” I said pointing.
“Smoke,” Brandi added.
I looked to Jaime as Peggy Sue leaned to the window. “Are your parents supposed to be up here, boy?”
Jaime’s face was a mix of excitement and worry. “No, they were in Europe on business when all this happened, and I tried to call them, but the phones are down.”
“Might be squatters trying to hide from all this, but be wary when we get up there,” Peggy Sue said.
As we drove closer, all of us became alert. We were not sure if whoever was at Jaime's parents’ cabin would be friendly and willing to share the safe haven.
Turning the bend that brought us to the driveway, Jaime spit out, “That’s my parents' SUV!”
Buck pulled up next to the SUV, and a tall man in a plaid sweater and khakis walked out the house.
“Dad!” Jaime jumped out the back of the pickup and ran to his dad.
“Jaime, what are you doing here?” his dad asked.
Still hugging his dad, Jaime looked up, and stared at his dad dumbfounded. The rest of the group got out of the truck. Buck and Peggy Sue joined us.
“Buck, Peggy Sue. Is everything okay? Why is my son with you?”
Buck had his rifle out and was looking at the surrounding area, just as I was.
“Hugh, dontcha know what ha
s happened out in the world?” Peggy asked Jaime's dad.
A beautiful blond strolled out of the house at that moment with a glass of chardonnay in her thin delicate hands. “Dear, is everything okay?”
This had to be Jaime's mother. She had the same eyes as Jaime. She stood about five nine, and her beauty was evident from far away.
“Mom!” Jaime explained, and ran to hug her too.
“Jaime, darling, how did you get here?”
We all stood there looking around, not sure what to do. Being out in the open kept me on high alert.
Buck must have thought the same thing too cause he grunted to Peggy Sue, and she told Jaime's dad, “Hugh, let’s talk inside, honey. These are not safe times to be outside.”
We all pushed toward the house, watching everywhere.
Once inside, Jaime went to a panel on the wall and started hitting buttons. Moments later, the shutters started to close automatically.
“Now, I think someone better start explaining. Who are all these people, Peggy? And why in God’s name are you closing the house up, son?” Hugh demanded lightly.
How do you tell someone that the zombie apocalypse has happened without them laughing in your face? I sat on a recliner in the corner to watch this conversation, but to also disappear for a few minutes. My sanity was not used to so much human interaction without fists. I noticed Brandi also chose a seat off to the back.
“Why the hell does everyone have a weapon in my house?” Hugh’s voice raised.
“Hugh and Annette, babies, there is no easy way to say this, but zombies are on the loose. We don't exactly know how. Everyone in town is chomping on each other,” Peggy Sue confessed.
“You have got to be kidding me. Buck, you believe this?” Hugh stepped toward Buck, who was standing in the entryway to the front door.
All eyes darted to Buck. He had said little since he told us to get in the truck back on the road.
“Mr. Birch, reckon she is telling the truth.”
“Buck, you’re a man of logic, and you are telling me there are zombies?” Hugh laughed.
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