by Poe, S. B.
“Good morning.” The man said.
“Good morning.” She said as her eyes darted around. She took a step backwards.
“What you got there missy?”
“Stuff. For my brother. He’s sick.”
“Sick? What happened to him? He get bit or something?”
“Why do you want to know? Are you with Devin? Part of his group?” She asked.
“Don't know any Devin.” He said.
“Who are you?”
“Just a guy. My people call me Tucker.”
“Your people?”
“You from behind that barricade down the road?” He said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
“Look I get the feeling you don’t trust me. Don’t you trust me?” He said. “I told you my name. What’s yours?”
“None of your business.” She looked around. “Why are you here?”
“Well I was cruising down the interstate yesterday and got off the exit out there at the logjam just as this big old yellow school bus and a couple of trucks came cruising through. I followed it a little ways and since you’re not from there, you wouldn’t know, of course, but they got this neat little hidden entrance. Behind a funeral home. Ain’t that something? Staying alive by hiding behind the dead.” Tucker said.
“Yeah, that’s something. Well nice meeting you. You should probably just leave now.” She said and started to turn. He jumped off the bike and started walking towards her. She stopped.
“Hold on just a second now. You still haven’t told me your name.” He kept walking towards her.
She brushed her hair behind her ear and gave a half smile.
“Emma Grace.” She slowly backed towards the door.
“Well Emma Grace, what did you say was wrong with your brother?”
“He’s just sick. That’s all.”
“Well, if you come with me, my people will make sure he gets taken care of.”
“No thanks.” She said as she ducked back through the door.
Tucker ran after her. He paused briefly as he ran into the darkness as his eyes tried to adjust from the sunlight. His head swam just a little as his eyes searched for something to focus on. He blinked and saw her face but nothing made sense to him. There was a sea of eaters between him and her. And she was smiling. His eyes grew wide and he pulled out the pistol from his hip. He fired once and the room lit up. Emma Grace dove to the floor to avoid getting shot. She could see the asshole’s face every time the room lit up with gunfire. Finally no more shots rang out. She stood as the mass of goners piled on top of him, pulling his intestines and organs out through the holes they had torn with their teeth. She looked down at his face.
“I told you to leave. Should have listened.” She stepped over his feet and walked out the door.
Raj opened the bedroom door and glanced around the room.
“About damn time.” Cody said.
“Excuse me.” Raj replied.
“My sister said she was going to get you to bring me something for the pain.” Cody said. “That was a while ago and I’m hurting, so like I said, about damn time.”
“Sorry but I haven’t seen your sister. And I don’t have anything for the pain.” Raj said.
“If you haven’t seen my sister and you ain’t got nothing for my pain, why are you here?”
“Well I was coming to check and see if you were still alive.” Raj said.
“Well I am.”
“Well then my work is done.”
“Wait, what about the pain?”
“You seem like a tough guy. You can handle it. Probably.” Raj said as he ducked back out the door and walked into the office down the hall; Tilly, Vernon and Devin were waiting for him
“How’s he doing?” Vernon asked.
“Has he ever acted like an asshole before?”
“All the time.” Vernon said.
“Then he’s almost back to normal.” Raj said.
“That’s good.” Vernon chuckled. “Is he hurting?”
“A little but he said his sister was supposed to come get some pain meds from me. I haven’t seen her. And we haven’t’ gone to get the meds yet.” Raj said.
“I haven’t seen her either.” Vernon said.
“I saw her a few hours ago, she said she had to go take care of Cody.” Devin asked.
“You don’t think she went by herself do you?” Vernon asked.
“Where?” Tilly spoke up.
“Out there, to the clinic.” Vernon said.
The squeal of the spring on the front door sang out and they stepped into the hallway. Emma Grace stood in the entrance.
“What?” She asked as they all looked at her standing in the doorway.
“Did you go somewhere?” Vernon asked.
“Just to get these.” She brought the backpack off her shoulder and sat it on the table by the door. She unzipped it and pulled out a couple of bottles. Raj walked over and looked in the bag.
“Is this what he needs?” She asked.
“Yes, any of these will do.” Raj said as he held the bottles up, reading the labels.
“You went by yourself?” Vernon asked.
“Well, it didn’t look like anyone else was going to go, so yeah.” Emma Grace said.
“Any problems?” Devin asked.
“Nope, none at all.” Emma Grace smiled and walked past them into the kitchen.
10
The Hard Part
Ham looked up at the glass on the table. It was still full. She rose off the couch and drank a little of the red liquid. The sweetness from the night before tasted watered down and stale. Jahda had been sitting in the chair across from her most of the day. She smiled at her as she raised the glass to her lips.
“How you doing honey?” Jahda asked.
“Okay.” She put her head back down on the arm of the couch. Jahda sat beside her and stroked her hair.
A knock came to the door. Jahda stood and glanced down the hallway. She could see the outlines through the linen drapery that hung loosely over the door. Bridger and Evelyn stood on the porch. She opened the door.
“Hey.” Bridger said.
“Hey.” Jahda said.
“How’s she doing?” Evelyn asked. Jahda stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her.
“She’s trying. I can’t imagine what’s going on in her head right now. I don’t know if I want to know. I am having a hard time processing it myself. Martin? Dottie?”
“Has she said anything?” Bridger asked.
“Not much.” She said.
“Listen, if there is anything you or she needs, just ask. We will make it happen.” Bridger said.
“Thank, right now I think she just needs time.” Jahda said as she turned and went back inside the house, leaving Bridger and Evelyn standing on the porch. They walked down the walk and went to the house next door. Kate sat in the rocking chair as they came up to the porch.
“Did you see her?” Kate asked.
“No. Jahda’s with her. She’ll let us know if they need anything.” Evelyn said as she sat down on the step.
“Are you still sure you want to do this?” Bridger asked.
“What’s that?” Kate asked in return.
“The funeral thing. Burying them.”
“I think so. Dottie asked us to. Charlie and Scott are over at the church now with a few others. They are getting things ready.”
“You mean digging graves.” Bridger said.
“Yes, I do. Does that bother you?” Kate asked.
“Nope.”
“We need to do this. It’s time.” Kate said. “Now if y’all will excuse me, I am going to walk over to the church and see if they need any help. Sunset. That’s when I asked everyone to gather.”
She stood and brushed her hands down the back of her pants. She reached over and patted Bridger on the arm and as she passed by she squeezed Evelyn’s shoulder. They watched as she walked down the road.
“What does
that mean?” Evelyn asked. “It’s time.”
“It’s because of all the others. Janice, Clyde, Jeremy, Ray, Chris and Amanda, all the ones we have lost. But especially because of JW.” Bridger said.
“I don’t understand.” Evelyn said.
“JW was the one who started it. It made sense in the beginning to burn the dead. Pretty much standard procedure to keep disease from spreading, but even early on he and I knew that it wasn’t really necessary. This doesn’t spread from the dead dead, just the living dead. But he wanted me to do it when he went. Burn his body. JW asked me to do that for her.” He nodded towards Kate. “He knew that we were just starting to face this new world and he didn’t want her to hang around his grave waiting to die. He knew we would eventually have to move on and he wanted to make sure we could.”
“She knew that too?” Evelyn asked as she watched Kate walk further down the street.
“He either told her or more likely she figured it out herself.”
“And now?”
“Now, I think she’s tired of moving on. I think she’s ready to make a stand. I think she’s right. I think it’s time.” He said.
“I do too.” She said as she stood and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
Charlie slung the shovel full of dirt over his shoulder and leaned against the handle. Scott pulled the rag out of his back pocket and wiped his forehead.
“So just one?” Scott asked.
“That’s what Kate said.” Charlie said.
“Waste of effort if you ask me.” Violet said.
“Why’s that?” Charlie turned to her as she sat on the tailgate of the truck.
“Because he was an asshole.” Violet said.
“He was their father.” Charlie said.
“Don’t make him less of an asshole.” She replied.
“Well, it’s ready.” Scott said. He took the half-step up out of the last hole and they stood back admiring the work. Three new graves stood open at the side of the graveyard by the church.
“Which one is he?” Charlie asked as they walked towards the dead lying on the ground.
“Over there, below the window. The one in the bathrobe.” Vernon said.
“How’d he end up out here in his bathrobe?” Scott said, as he stood ready to lift the ankles of the white haired corpse.
“Don’t know, don’t care.” Violet said.
Charlie and Scott lifted and carried him under the large oak tree that shaded the church. They laid him down beside Martin and Dottie. They moved the truck next to the pile still lying beside the fellowship hall and began loading the bodies.
“Where are we going to take them?” Scott asked.
“Downwind.” Charlie said.
The clouds drifted over the sun and the sky darkened. Bridger looked up. The day was coming to an end as he sat on the steps watching the others walk down the street. He saw Vernon and Violet come out of the big house and fall in behind Lori, Josh and Jennifer. Scott and Kate led the procession towards the church as they all made their way. He watched the door of the house beside him, waiting. No one came out. He walked over and knocked. Jahda opened it.
“It’s almost sunset.” He said.
“I know. I don’t think she’s ready.” She said.
“I understand. Let her know we’re here for her.” Bridger said.
“I will.” She closed the door.
He walked towards the road and Evelyn came out of the house as he passed back by. He waited for her to join him. He reached down and clasped her hand.
“Ham?” She asked. He just shook his head. They followed the others to the church.
Charlie and Scott had already buried the bodies and the fresh dirt stood out against the green grass surrounding it. Everyone stood silent. Vernon looked out over the crowd. No Emma Grace, no Cody. He shook his head and stepped forward. He stood at the foot of the graves.
“This was Cotton Smalls. He did the best he could with what he had.” Vernon said. He stepped back. Violet chuckled a little and squeezed Peter’s shoulder.
Kate stepped out in front of the others. The red dirt mounds were the color of blood in the fading afternoon sun. She turned around to face everyone. The faces that greeted her were familiar. The corner of her mouth smiled slightly as she looked at each of them.
“Martin and Dottie were part of this family. I’ll cherish how Dottie surprised me almost every day with her wit, attitude and honesty. Martin was the kind of friend everyone wants to have, his spirit was infectious and his smile warmed us all. We will miss them.” She looked out over the crowd and saw the two figures walking down the road towards them. She paused and everyone turned to see Jahda holding Ham’s hand as they came towards them. They stopped a few yards behind everyone and Jahda nodded to Kate. Kate started to speak again but her voice cracked and lip trembled just a little.
“This new world demands too much, it’s not fair. We all know it. We all want to close our eyes a wish it away but we can’t. We know that too.” Her voice softened just a little. “We have all lost so much now. But I want you to take one minute and look. Look to your left, look to your right. Look at the surrounding people. I remember Dottie telling Jennifer once that yesterday and tomorrow don’t matter if you aren’t here today. We’re still here. Dottie and Martin’s tomorrows are over now, but we will honor them by living and we will remember them.” She turned and faced the red dirt. “Goodbye dear friends.”
She turned back around and looked through the others at the little girl standing next to Jahda. Ham wiped the tears off her cheek and turned around. She and Jahda started walking back to the house. The others slowly walked by the graves. Ed had found some broken tombstones in the weeds behind the church and laid them at the heads of the graves and scratched the names Dottie and Martin on them. Tilly stood at the head of Dottie’s grave as Raj wrapped his arms around her. They all began walking towards the other end of town, towards the setting sun.
Music for The Forgotten Place
The Dirty River Boys
Brandi Carlisle
Jack White
Thieving Birds
Deer Tick
The Dead Tongues
Lee Dewyze
Carolina Story
Passenger
Townes Van Zandt
Rock Plaza Central
Ruth Monday
Buddy Miller
The Wailin Jennys
Ben Nichols
Lyle Lovette
Karen Elson
The White Stripes
The Band of Heathens
Karen Elson
Jackie Greene
The Crooked Still
Phillip Phillips
Jack Savoretti
Daniel Lanois
Ashley McBryde
Milky Chance
Jamie N Commons
Lincoln Durham
Coming Soon
Harvest of the Dead
Book 8
The Marionette Zombie Series
By
SB Poe
Visit
www.MarionetteZ.com
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