by Poe, S. B.
“Yeah, just took a hacksaw to that fence and wrapped a couple of grips on it. It could be better, more comfortable.”
“But not more effective.” Cameron glanced at the deadun.
“I guess.” Bridger said.
“Y’all should take a look at this.” Charlie said as he lifted the ladder off the deadun.
“What is it?” Evelyn asked as they gathered around the body.
“Look at this.” Charlie pointed.
A pointed stick stuck out from just below the deaduns neck. The hole was torn and oozing rot.
“They missed its head, I guess.” Charlie said.
Bridger knelt down beside the body. He looked at the stick coming out of its neck. The stick wasn’t just a stick, it was obviously hewn into a point. He reached out and grabbed it, twisting it in his hand. The deadun’s body slightly turned in the same direction. He grabbed the things shoulders and rolled it over. He ran his hand along its back and lifted the things ragged shirt. The other end of the stick, broken and splintered, stuck out just below the left rib.
“What does that mean?” Lori asked.
“Not sure. I don’t know for sure but I think this deadun has spent some time hanging on a pole.” Bridger said.
“Hanging?” Charlie asked.
“Impaled.” Bridger said. “I’ve seen it before. A little village in the middle of nowhere in the horn of Africa. We took out a small time warlord who had managed to cut off our network of local informants. When we took out his camp, he had three of them hanging in front of his hut. Some of his fighters we captured said he had two obsessions, young girls and Dracula.”
“Dracula?” Lori asked.
Not the one from the book. The real one. Vlad Tepes, Vlad the Impaler.” Bridger said. “It made an impression for sure.” There was a wet sucking sound as he pulled the stick out.
“So what do we do?” Josh asked.
“Do? There’s nothing to do.” Bridger said as he started back towards the road. “Except get back to work.”
“Shouldn’t we be a little concerned about this?” Evelyn asked as she fell in beside him.
“I don’t know. Not sure what to make of it. Maybe she jumped off of something and impaled herself.” Bridger said.
“But how did she get here?” Evelyn asked.
“Well since the dead walk, I assume she did too.” Bridger smiled. “It's just another crazy thing in a world full of them, let's get back to work.”
Everyone came up the little slope back to the roadway. The sun was still high in the sky but the heat of the summer had fallen away. They were all still a sweaty mess after the deadun encounter but everyone was in good spirits.
“So, keep going?” Bridger asked as he looked around the group. “Hit the next couple of miles, see what we see, and then head home?”
“We’ve only found the one panel.” Lori said. “Is it worth going?”
“We’ve only found one panel, so far.” Josh smiled at her. “I’m in.”
She punched him in the shoulder and smiled. “I’m in too.”
The group loaded up and drove around the abandoned vehicles. The sound of the engines rolled down the interstate, funneled by the natural shape of the land around it. The wind coming off the truck and SUV as they went by stirred trash and dirt into a small vortex trailing the vehicles. They drove on down the road.
Jahda sat on the porch waiting for Ham. The afternoon sun began to slide a little lower and she found herself rehashing the last several days. Ham had lain on the couch for the first few days, with the exception of the funeral. She had barely eaten but everyday since then, her and Jahda had walked down to the cemetery at sunset so she could be near him. It had become routine. They had talked some but Jahda wasn’t sure what to say. She thought about reaching out to Kate but Ham had seemed to want to just be alone, so Jahda had just made sure she knew she was going to be okay. Jahda laughed at that thought. It wasn’t a lie, but it was close. She just wanted to see her smile. “Ready?” Ham said as she came through the door.
“Sure.” Jahda said as she stood.
They walked to the cemetery. Jahda stopped by the big oak tree so Ham could have a private moment. She knew she spoke to him but she didn’t get close enough to hear what she said. She hadn’t asked her yet either. She thought about asking her today as she watched Ham stand over the red mound. The ground was soft from the previous days rain. The little seed had cracked just enough for the tiny green shoot to burst from the shell. The green stem breached the darkness and reached for the surface. As the first slanted rays of the afternoon sun touched the new leaf, Ham reached down and plucked the weed from the wet dirt. She tossed it aside and knelt next to the broken stones, producing the piece of chalk from her pocket. The rain had washed away some of the marks but she carefully traced the names again. Martin. Dottie. Cotton. She stood back and looked at her work and put the chalk back in her pocket. She wiped her hands on her pants and sat down crisscross at the foot of the grave.
“It’s been a week now Opa. I wish I could hear your voice, just once. I try and remember what it sounds like but it’s hard. I’m sorry. I wish you were here.” She said.
The tears rolled down her cheeks and she wiped them away with back of her hand. A redbird flew down, almost hitting her head. It landed on the rock with Martin’s name on it. She watched it, afraid to move, afraid she would scare it away. It hopped down to the red clay and drove its face into the ground. It pulled up a small bug in its beak and flew away. She turned her head and watched as it disappeared over the church. When her eyes lowered she saw Jahda standing by the tree. She turned back to the grave.
“Jahda is good to me. You’d be proud of her too. I think we’re going to be okay. I just wish I could hear you say it.” Ham said. She stood and moved a little dirt with toe of her shoe. “Goodbye Opa, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
They walked back down the street towards the house. Ham paused at the house next door. The one her and Martin had settled on that first night. She hadn’t been back inside. She turned up the sidewalk.
“Where you going? It’s this one.” Jahda pointed to the house they were living in.
“I know. I just want to go inside for a second.” Ham went to the door and pushed it open. The air was stale. She stepped into the living room and saw a backpack lying on the floor. They hadn’t even chosen rooms yet. She walked over Martin’s backpack and leaned down. The bat was still in its sling. She thought about the night by the side of the road when Martin had taken it from Hector’s dead hand. She picked it up and slung it across her back. She opened the backpack and the smell hit her. The clothes inside still carried his scent. She went down to her knees and stuck her head halfway into the pack, like a horse eating from a feedbag. She inhaled deeply, savoring the smell and letting images of him flood her mind. The tears came down her cheeks. She was sobbing harshly when Jahda knelt down beside her.
“It’s…uh… him.” She said as she drew deep breaths through the tears. “I can smell him.”
“I know honey.”
“I miss him so much.” She lowered her head and the tears dripped to floor. “I can’t…”
“Can’t what honey.” Jahda asked as she stroked her hand up and down Ham’s back, trying to comfort her.
“I can’t forgive myself. I killed him.” Ham said.
“No you didn’t. You didn’t. You did what you had to do. What he would have wanted you to do.” Jahda said.
“He wouldn’t have wanted me to kill him.” Ham raised her voice.
“He would have wanted you to do whatever you had to do to stay alive.” Jahda said.
“Why? Why did it have to be me? Why did I have to be the one?” Ham sobbed harder.
“I don’t know, but you were. And he was the one that made you strong enough to do it.” Jahda said. “I’m sorry baby girl.”
Ham let the snot and tears fall to the floor. She slowly began to regain herself. Her chest heaved a few more times as she fought bac
k more tears. She reached down and picked the backpack up.
“You should leave it here.” Jahda said.
“No, it’s going with me. This is all I have left of him.” Ham said.
“No honey, you have everything he ever was, right here.” She put her hand on Ham’s heart. “He’ll always be right there.”
Ham looked down at Jahda’s hand. Tears dripped from her eyes onto the back of it. She wiped them off and held her hand.
“I’m so scared without him.” Ham said. “I feel lost.”
“I know honey. I’m always going to be here for you. You know that right?” Jahda said.
“When I was little and got scared at night, he would say the same thing.” Ham said. “But he’s not.”
“I’m sorry.” Jahda said.
“It’s okay Jahda. I know it’s just a lie grownups tell kids to make them feel better.” Ham said. She stood, slinging the backpack over her arm and adjusting the bat across her back. “But I'm not a little kid any more.”
Ham walked out of the house. Jahda saw her through the window to her left as she walked next door and watched her go inside. Jahda felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. She sat on the floor and cried for a long time before wiping her eyes and heading out the door.
Through the cracks
Kate walked across the street and up onto the porch of the big house. She admired the detail of the scrollwork around the eaves. The wooden porch was spacious and wrapped completely around the house. She knocked on the door. Devin answered.
“Hey Kate. What brings you by?” He asked.
“You staying here now?”
“Nah, well, some.” Devin shrugged. “That’s why you’re here?”
“No, sorry. It’s not really my business at all. No I came by to see how the young man was doing.”
“Well, Raj is back there with him now if you wanna go in.” Devin said.
“Do you think his sister would mind?” Kate asked.
“Nah, come on in.” Devin said as he pushed the screen door open wider.
Kate walked into the foyer and looked around. The house was full of dark wood and area rugs. She could smell furniture polish and smiled a little. If these folks had still been dusting the furniture until they got here, this place was safe enough, she thought.
“Which way?” She asked as she paused in the entrance.
“Oh, sorry. Come on.” Devin led her down the hallway and paused at the door. He knocked and swung it partially open.
Kate looked inside as the door cracked open and could see Cody standing beside the bed with his shirt off and bandages removed. The stump had some dark bruises but the stitching stood out against the pink skin.
“Can we come in?” Devin asked.
“Who is we?” Raj asked.
“Kate. Kate’s here. She wanted to see Cody.” Devin said.
“Um sure. Okay.” Raj said. “You mind?” He turned to Cody.
“Nah, we’re done right?” Cody said.
“We are.” Raj said as he held out the shirt for Cody.
Cody slid his arm into the shirt and spun as Raj draped it across his other shoulder, guiding the stump into the sleeve. Emma Grace stood from the chair she sat in and started towards the door.
“I was hoping to have a chance to talk to both of you, together. If we can.” Kate said.
“Uh, sure. Let’s go into the office.” Emma Grace said as she slid by her through the door. Kate turned and followed her back down the hallway into the small office next to the kitchen. Kate stood at the entrance and looked at the room. A small couch, a few chairs against the wall and a large desk with a big leather chair behind it. She started towards the couch.
Cody walked in with Raj and Devin in tow. Devin and Emma Grace took the chairs and turned them around towards Kate before sitting down.
“I’ll be back tomorrow, make sure you keep it clean.” Raj said as he headed down the hallway.
“Sure, doc. No problem.” Cody said as he sat down behind the desk. He turned towards Kate.
“So what do you want to talk about?” He asked.
“First of all, how are you feeling?” Kate said.
“Fine. Still a little tender but mostly good.” He said, absentmindedly glancing at the dangling sleeve.
“That’s good.” Kate said. “I wanted to ask you about that tractor out by the church.”
“What about it?”
“Is it yours?” Kate asked.
“Yeah, why?” Cody was rummaging through the drawers of the desk and looked up. He found a safety pin in the back of the top drawer.
“You know what they brought back the other day, right?”
“I saw that contraption.” Cody smirked as he fumbled with the sleeve, trying to attach it to his shirt.
“Not that. The seeds.” Kate said.
“Yeah, I heard about that.”
“Can you help us?” Kate asked.
“With what?”
“Everything. Planting, growing food.” Kate said.
Cody couldn’t quite get the pin through the shirt and the sleeve with one hand so he stopped trying. He turned his head towards Kate.
“What if I say no?” Cody asked.
“Stop being a dick.” Emma Grace said. “Of course we’ll help. But there isn’t anything to do right now.”
“What do you mean?” Kate asked.
“You were outside the other night. You felt the air.” Emma Grace said.
“So?”
“So, it’s going to be fall soon. You don’t plant in the fall, not if you want to grow anything.” Cody chimed in.
“See, that’s the kind of help we need.” Kate said. “We all need to work together if we’re going to make this work.”
“Make what work? This? All of you? Not sure why it should matter to me.” Cody said.
“I said stop being a dick.” Emma Grace said.
“I’m not being a dick. These folks show up a week ago and all of a sudden we’re all in this together? Nah. I’m not in anything with you people. I appreciate the help the doctor gave me but I wouldn’t need him if that bastard over there hadn’t chopped my arm off.” He nodded at Devin
“You’d be a goner if I hadn’t.” Devin said.
“Maybe, maybe not. Emma Grace’s got bit. She’s seems fine. You seem to find her warmer than a corpse anyways.” Cody smirked.
“Blow it out your ass Cody.” Emma Grace stood and walked out. Devin followed her out the door.
“That’s my sister, always kind and considerate.” Cody said without looking up.
“Are you always this enjoyable to be around?” Kate asked. “I didn’t come here to start a fight.”
“Why did you come here?”
“I told you why, the tractor, the seeds.” Kate said.
“No, not today. Why did you come here at all? Nobody invited you, nobody needed you, nobody asked for you to be here. Your whole group just shows up and takes over our town. My town.” Cody said.
“We didn’t plan on it. But we’re here now. And that’s not changing. So you can either accept it or you can’t. But I am still going to ask for your help.”
“What’s the point in asking, you’ll just make me do it anyways. Isn’t that the way it works? You’re in charge now, so I guess we’ll do what you say.” Cody said.
“I don't want it to be that way. I am just trying to keep people alive. My husband died trying to keep these people safe and I am not going to stop doing it now. I want you to help. I want you to want too.”
“You’re husband died since this all started?” Cody asked.
“Yes. He lived long enough to get us all out of South Springs. He got bit trying to get back to the group when a horde came down on us.” Kate said, choking on her words.
“Sorry, I didn’t know.” Cody leaned back in the chair. “Look I’m a jerk, I know that. It’s in my blood. Losing my arm last week wasn’t part of my plan.”
“What was your plan?” Kate asked. “Before we g
ot here.”
“I can’t say I really had one beyond what you see. We got our barricades up, we got our food supply from the stores and homes outside the barricade early on and we existed. And ever since the goners showed up, existing is all that’s left.”
“What about living? What about making some sort of future?” Kate asked.