by Young, D. M.
Right now, he couldn’t think. His head was pounding, and he felt sick. Hung over again. He stared up at the stained ceiling of the trailer. One of the ceiling panels was sagging. The place was falling apart. Eventually, he’d have to do some repairs, but not today. Maybe the roaches and mice would just carry the whole place off in the meantime and save him the trouble of messing with it.
The air in the room was hot and humid even with the fan in the window. The bedroom window unit had died two weeks ago. The one in the living room had been out since last month. There was no money to replace either of them. Ray kicked the covers off and cursed.
He hated the summer. He hated the heat and the bugs. Damned mosquitoes were everywhere. You almost needed a transfusion after a day outside. He hated mowing, and there was no avoiding that around here unless you wanted a yard full of copperheads. He hated snakes, too, for that matter. Everything about summer sucked, and Arkansas summers lasted about three quarters of the year.
Beside him, Amber snored. He hadn’t seen her sleep in three days, but she was sure as hell asleep now. He vaguely remembered fighting with her last night, probably because she was out of money, and he wouldn’t give her any. She used to have other ways of feeding her habit, but those days were gone. Nobody wanted anything she had to offer anymore. These days, if she wanted the drugs, she had to have the money.
There was a time when she could turn some heads, back before the drugs got her. When they had gotten together a few years ago, she’d been a slim, attractive blonde with big boobs and loose morals. Then she’d gone off the rails with her partying. Ray wasn’t exactly a prude. He’d smoked a little. Even grown some for a while, purely for personal use, but he’d never gotten into the heavy stuff. He preferred alcohol.
Now, looking at her naked body lying there made him sick. She’d lost so much weight that he could see every bone, and her face and arms were covered in red sores. Her teeth were rotting. To top it off, she stank. Ray wondered how long it had been since she showered.
He should just kick her out and be done with it, but she knew some stuff about him that he didn’t want getting around town. Of course, there was a real possibility that she was too far gone to remember any of it. That was a chance he didn’t want to take, though, because she was sure as shit too far gone to know when to shut the fuck up.
Ray sat up and a wave of nausea washed over him. He sat on the edge of the bed until the worst of the dizziness passed then stood up and headed for the bathroom. He decided just to stay up. No point in trying to sleep. If it was this hot already, it would be unbearable in here by noon. He thought he would go have a beer or two on the porch before the worst of the day’s heat set in.
He threw on last night’s stained jeans and a dirty tee shirt and lit a cigarette. He stepped onto the back porch and propped the door open. Trailers just seemed to absorb heat. It was supposed to storm today. That might cool things off a little. Ray lowered his thin frame into the plastic lawn chair, propped his feet up on the deck railing and began drinking his breakfast.
* * *
Edward Dennis walked to the shed to get the hoe. The sky was clear, and the day was already warming up by the time he’d finished watering the garden. He’d noticed a few weeds popping up, and he wanted to get them taken care of before it got too hot outside. He pulled his glasses off and wiped his face with a handkerchief. Then he ran the rag over his thinning hair before stuffing it back in his pocket and opening the shed door.
He stood at the door for a moment letting his eyes adjust to the darkness inside. When the shed’s interior came into focus, he froze. Inside, a little girl and dog were curled up against the back wall. The girl’s blonde hair was pulled into a tangled ponytail. The knees of her pants were ripped and dirty.
The dog raised its head and whined. “Hey, there, pup. I’m not going to hurt you.”
He crept closer to the two, watching the dog’s body language carefully. The dog watched him just as closely, but he didn’t growl. Edward knelt in front of the girl and gently reached out to touch her shoulder. The girl’s eyes snapped open, and she let out a little cry.
“It’s OK,” Edward said, pulling his hand away. Now that she had raised her head, he recognized her. “Gracie, why are you out here in the shed? What happened?” he asked, eyeing her torn jeans.
The girl followed his gaze and then looked back at Edward. “I’ll tell you why I’m here, but can we please get in the house first?” she asked. “I’m scared, and I don’t want to be out here right now.”
Edward looked even more confused as he grabbed the corner of a cabinet and pulled himself to his feet. “You’re afraid of something in the shed?”
“No,” Gracie answered, “not in the shed. I’m afraid of what might be in the woods. Josh might be out there.”
As if on cue, something that sounded like a scream came faintly to their ears. Gracie’s head snapped up. Edward stood rigid, listening for any further sounds. His thick, greying eyebrows pulled together in a frown. After a moment, he held his hand out and helped Gracie to her feet.
Edward believed in trusting his instincts, and that philosophy had saved him more than a little trouble through the years. He was a soldier in his younger years, and he had seen battle. He knew what true fear looked like, and this little girl was terrified of something out there in those woods. His instincts were telling him to get inside and save the second guessing for later.
“Alright then, let’s get inside.” he said as he turned back towards the house.
Edward led Gracie to the back door and pushed it open. They stepped into the kitchen as Rose laid the last slice of bacon in the pan.
“Breakfast will be ready in just a minute,” she said without turning.
“Dear, we have visitors,” he said and Rose cast a curious glance over her shoulder. Upon seeing Gracie’s ragged condition, she turned to look fully at Edward.
Edward looked at the dog standing just outside the door waiting patiently for his invitation. “Come on in, boy,” Edward said, and Sammy stepped into the kitchen, sniffing the air.
Edward looked back at Rose and forced a smile. “I’ve got something I’ve got to do real quick. Gracie will be having breakfast with us this fine morning. Do you think you can get her something to drink?”
Rose still looked confused, but she smiled warmly at the girl. “I’m afraid we’re fresh out of orange juice, but I bet you’d like some apple juice.”
Gracie nodded absently as Edward locked the kitchen door and pulled the shades. Then he checked to be sure the other two exterior doors were locked, returned to the kitchen, and sat down at the table across from the child. She sat rigid, her hands clasped tightly together in her lap, as she stared blankly at the wall in front of her.
The Roberts family had lived just down the road for years now. They had built the house when their oldest, Josh, was just a baby. Rose had been friends with Sarah’s mom, until she passed from cancer last year, and Sarah still dropped by occasionally to chat. He knew that Gracie’s parents didn’t let their children run around in dirty, torn clothes.
“Breakfast will just be a few more minutes, but it’s worth the wait. My Rosie sure can whip up a fine breakfast. I’m sure she can find something for the pup to eat, too. Let’s sit and talk while she finishes up. Do you want to tell me why you were sleeping in my shed?”
Gracie opened her mouth and then closed it without speaking. After a moment she said, “I’m not sure where to start.”
Edward watched silently as Gracie looked down at the dog curled up at her feet. Sammy was focused on Rose and the bacon. When Gracie looked at him, he raised his head and met her eyes. She scratched his ears, and he sat up, wagged his tail, and leaned against her leg. Then he returned his attention to Rose and the bacon.
Edward placed his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Just tell us what you think we need to know, and we’ll ask you questions if we need to, OK? Do you want us to call your parents for you?”
&nbs
p; Gracie’s blue eyes filled with tears. Her face crumbled, and she dropped her head and sobbed. “You can’t call them. They’re dead,” she whispered. With that, she began to tell her story.
CHAPTER 5
It was Saturday morning. Gracie and Emma woke to the sound of their mother screaming. Gracie jumped out of bed raced to the door to see what was going on. Emma started crying immediately. Their mom yelled for them to stay in their rooms and lock the doors. Gracie slammed the door and locked it.
Josh burst through the adjoining bathroom and told them to come to his room until they knew what was going on. They followed him into his room and watched as he pulled a heavy chest in front of the door. Emma sat on the bed, shaking, as Gracie helped him push the dresser up against the chest, creating a sturdy barricade. They did the same in the girls’ room, locked the bathroom door on their side, and returned. He checked his phone, but it had died overnight. Josh pulled Emma onto his lap and tried to keep her as quiet as possible.
They could hear the sound of a struggle from downstairs. Someone raced up the stairs and down the hallway toward the master bedroom. Emma cried louder, and Josh clapped a hand over her mouth. There was another set of footsteps coming up the stairs now. They heard a loud banging. Someone was trying to get through a door, probably the master bedroom.
A few minutes later, they heard the sound of the door giving way, followed by a gunshot. They could hear their mother crying. They wanted to call out, but they were afraid someone else was in the house. After a few moments, the crying stopped. Josh searched his room for his phone charger, careful to move as quietly as possible, but it was nowhere to be found. He must have left it downstairs. Gracie had a phone, but her parents didn’t let her keep it in her room at night.
They could hear Sammy barking from the backyard. Inside the house, everything was quiet for a while. Josh wanted to go out and look, but Gracie begged him not to leave. Eventually, Sammy stopped barking. Minutes passed in silence before they heard a sound in the hallway. It sounded like someone had bumped into the table. Josh put his fingers to his lips. Emma curled up closer to him on the bed as someone walked down the hall, pausing for a moment near the door, and then walked on.
For a while, they heard nothing else, but, before Josh worked up the courage to investigate, they heard footsteps again. They stayed in his room all day, occasionally daring to discuss the situation in whispers. Nobody came for them. Emma cried, but she did it quietly. Sometime in the late afternoon, when all had been quiet for a long while, Josh decided it was safe to look around. Gracie and Emma were to lock themselves in the bathroom until he returned.
Gracie helped Josh move the dresser. Then she took Emma’s hand and led her to the bathroom as Josh moved the chest and opened the door. They heard his footsteps in the hallway, moving toward the landing. Suddenly, he stopped.
“Mom, are you OK?” he asked in a panicked voice.
Someone moaned. It was a low flat sound like nothing Gracie had ever heard before. A few seconds later, Josh screamed.
They could hear him running back down the hall and slamming the bedroom door. He was moving the chest back in front of the door, as something crashed against it. They heard other furniture being moved as the banging at the door continued. Finally, Josh knocked softly on the bathroom door. “Let me in,” he pleaded.
Gracie opened the door and looked at him. He was pale, and his eyes were wild with fright. There were swollen red streaks down his arm that looked like scratches. He sank down on the tiled floor and leaned his back against the vanity.
“What happened?” Gracie whispered
Josh held up a hand and shook his head. Tears were streaming down his face. He crossed his arms across his knees and buried his face in them. Emma leaned her face against Gracie’s arm, and Gracie placed her arm over Emma’s shoulder to comfort her. After a while, the noises at the door stopped, and all was quiet again.
Eventually, they returned to Josh’s room and huddled on his bed. It was around sunset when Emma suggested that they get the treat box from their room and eat something. Gracie had forgotten all about eating, but she realized that she was hungry, too. Josh brought the box back along with some pillows, some sleeping bags, and Emma’s favorite teddy bear. They filled disposable cups with water from the faucet, and had a makeshift dinner.
After two snack cakes and a candy bar, Emma was full and her eyes were getting heavy. Josh unrolled her sleeping bag and arranged some pillows on the floor. Once Emma was settled in, he zipped the sleeping bag up around her. Emma snuggled her teddy bear. Within minutes, she was asleep. For a while, the older two sat quietly in the room, lost in thought.
Finally, Gracie spoke, “Please tell me what happened. What did you see? Was it Mom out there?”
Josh shuddered, “There was blood on the floor, a trail of it down the hallway. I followed it to the stairs,” he said. “Mom was standing there, halfway down the stairs, and I called out to her. When she turned, I could see…” His voice broke, and he stopped to collect himself. “She was covered in blood. Part of her neck was torn up really bad. She looked at me, but she just had this blank stare. Then she started walking up the stairs toward me. I thought she was just hurt. I reached out to help her, but she grabbed me and dug her nails in. I think she tried to bite me, but I pulled away and ran. You know the rest.”
They were quiet for a moment. Gracie thought about the sound of her mother pounding on the bedroom door. She didn’t understand. Before hearing Josh’s story, she thought there was an intruder in the house and that he might be holding their parents hostage, but where was her dad? Her mom had obviously been attacked and injured so why didn’t she just call the police? Why would she attack Josh?
Gracie was still trying to figure it out when Josh broke the silence. “Do you remember the scary movie I let you watch when Mom and Dad weren’t home? I think that’s what’s happening.”
She didn’t know what to say. At first, she wasn’t sure if he was serious, but she thought he was. He wouldn’t joke about something like that, not right now. Maybe he just wasn’t thinking clearly. She touched his hand, “Zombies aren’t real.”
“That’s what they always say in the movies, and it’s why they all get killed,” Josh responded. “I didn’t believe in them either, but that wound – that bite – on Mom’s neck. It was deep, and there was so much blood. It would have killed her, but she was walking around. She attacked me. I know it sounds crazy, but I think we have to start believing. I don’t want to go out while it’s dark, but we’ll have to find a way to leave this house tomorrow. We don’t know what’s outside the house, but we do know what’s in here with us. We can’t stay. We have no real food, and those doors won’t keep her out forever.”
After a few moments, Gracie spoke. “Josh, if you’re right about this, then who bit her? And where’s Dad?”
The look on his face said he’d already considered this. “I didn’t see Dad, but, if he was alive, he would have come for us already. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I think maybe we’re the only ones left,” he said.
That night, Josh let the girls sleep while he kept watch. The next morning, they heard their mother moving outside the door again, but she didn’t try to get in. She just kept walking back and forth down the hallway. Gracie knew they couldn’t stay here forever. The barricaded door could keep them safe from their mom, but that was only one worry. She and Josh discussed their options.
Josh looked out the back window and frowned. “We can’t get out this window. It’s too far down. We’ll have to go out the front window over the porch. You jump down first. Then I can help Emma get down to you.”
“Mom’s out there!” Gracie whispered.
“Yeah, but we can’t stay in this room. We don’t know how long it will be before someone comes looking for us. It’s only Sunday. Dad isn’t even expected back at work until tomorrow, and I doubt they’d call the police just because he didn’t show up for one day. Someone might come by and check
by Tuesday or Wednesday, but we can’t be sure. Besides, I doubt we have enough food to even make it through today. So, we’ll wait until she goes away again. Then we’ll make it as quick as possible. Maybe she won’t hear us.”
“And what if she does?” Gracie asked.
“Just get out the window. I’ll handle it.”
They waited all day for a chance, but their mother remained just outside the door, pacing. Finally, late in the evening, they heard her footsteps on the stairs. They waited to see if she would return. When she didn’t, Josh decided it was time. As night began to fall, they prepared to make their run for the window. If they could get outside, they might have a chance.
Josh knelt in front of Emma and placed his hands on her shoulders. “No matter what happens, you follow Gracie. Do you understand?”
Emma clutched her teddy bear and whispered, “Yes.”
They moved the barricade from in front of the door as quietly as possible. Josh looked under the door. He didn’t see his mom. They waited several more minutes to see if she had heard them, but she didn’t come. Finally, Josh unlocked the door and peeked out. Gracie grabbed Emma’s hand. The hallway was empty as Josh stepped out, and looked around. He motioned for Gracie and Emma to follow him.
They crept across the landing. Josh flipped the lock, threw the window open, and knocked the screen out. Footsteps on the stairs. Their mother was coming, but they might still have time to make it. Suddenly, Emma cried out. Josh turned to see his mother. She was halfway up the stairs now. Emma struggled, pulling her hand free from Gracie’s, and ran toward her mother, still holding her teddy bear. Josh reached for her. His hand brushed her shoulder, but she shrugged away.
Gracie turned to chase after her, but Josh yelled for her to get out. Before ducking out the window, she saw her mother embrace Emma. The teddy bear fell to the floor. Seconds later, Gracie was crouching on the edge of the porch. She heard Emma scream. A minute passed. Finally, Josh scrambled out the window. There was blood on his hand. He pushed the window shut behind him.