Revenants

by Lee Elisabeth

  Chloe moves closer and places a hand on Meredith’s back. "You're not a murderer, Meredith. There's no shame in that."

  Meredith looks at Chloe, then back at me. "You don’t understand. I put a bullet in his knee. Then, I waited for hours, listening to him cry out for help, until finally, a herd found him and ripped him to shreds." She starts weeping again. "I'm worse than a murderer."

  Erek walks over and gives her an awkward hug. "Don't ever say that again,” he says. He turns and spits. "You ask me, he got what he deserved." He looks at the rest of us. "Come on, we're almost there," he says, letting us know we need to keep moving, despite the bombshell Meredith just dropped on us.

  Meredith looks at me, wounded and uncertain. "So now you know. You must think I'm terrible."

  I shake my head. "No, Meredith. I think you're incredibly brave."

  She releases a long breath, seemingly satisfied by my answer. Finally, she nods and turns to head after the others. I don’t immediately follow. Meredith’s story was gut-wrenching...it affected me deeply...but, as much as my heart aches for her, I can't help but think of how she lied about a rape and murder the first time I met her.

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Chloe

  We enter the city limits of Lowell just as the setting sun throws a colorful blanket of purples, blues, and pinks over the sleepy little town. The first building we come to is an old-fashioned grocery store, advertising a range of products from home and health items to pet supplies.

  Erek motions for us to stop. "Wayne and I will clear the store. Whistle if y'all get company," he says.

  Meredith sits next to me on the stained and battered sidewalk. We're both tired. Emotionally and physically drained. Her cheeks are still stained from the tears she cried earlier. I can't even imagine what losing her daughter must have done to her. I was only two years old when my brother Ian passed away, so I don't remember much (or anything) about his illness...but I know his death took a toll on my parents. Mom still weeps for him. Or did, before the world ended. But, as much as Ian's battle with cancer affected our family, he wasn't murdered.

  I don't know how Meredith is functioning as well as she is.

  I look at her, and my heart breaks for her all over again. "I'm so sorry about your daughter, Meredith," I say. "I...I just wanted to tell you that. I know it doesn't help," I add softly.

  "Thanks."

  "I can't even imagine what..."

  "It's fine, Chloe," she says, cutting me off. "We've all lost someone. Talking won't bring them back."

  Okay.

  Smart enough to take her not-so-subtle hint, I stop talking about her daughter, and think about my own loved ones instead. Scott...the man I thought I wanted to marry. He's likely dead. If not, surely he would have found a way to get in touch with me. Wouldn't he have? I don't know where he was that day in May. He said he needed time alone that morning to plan something special for us that night, but he could have been lying. He could have been in the arms of Molly Latham, if you believe the rumor mill. I give a mental shrug at the same time my heart gives a tug. Does it even matter now?

  My parents? When I talked to Mom that first week, it sounded like she was surrounded by other people, but the cell reception was so bad there’s no way to be sure. And why didn't she try to call back after we got disconnected? The fact that I never heard back from her paints a grim picture, but not knowing is driving me insane. It's as if my mind refuses to give up, and my heart refuses to mourn, until I know for sure.

  But will I ever know for sure?

  Again, more unknowns, and few answers.

  I'm still lost in thought when Erek comes back to the door, saying, "We're all clear."

  The three of us still sitting outside slowly make our way into the darkened store. It takes a minute for my eyes to adjust to the store's dim light. Erek doesn't like for us to burn flashlights during the day, but if we stay here more than ten or fifteen minutes, we'll have no choice but to turn them on. Daylight is quickly fading.

  Erek hands me a large trash bag. "Come on. You're coming with me."

  "Where are we going?" I ask, following him deeper into the store.

  "To the back of the store. You're gonna hold the bag while I fill it."

  The mission seems pretty cut and dry, so I don't ask any more questions. We head to the aisles farthest from the front door. Once there, I dutifully hold the bag while Erek throws in items I assume are necessary for our continued survival.

  He picks up a box filled with small white tablets. "What are those?" I ask.

  "Water purification tablets."

  "Okay."

  Suddenly, a deep and polluted despair picks me up and slams me down again, nearly knocking the breath out of me. Why are we doing this? I mean, what’s the point? Do we even want to survive? What are we trying to hang on to? Everything we know...and everyone we love...is either ruined or dead.

  Erek stops filling the bag and touches my arm. "Hey, you okay?"

  I don't respond. What's there to talk about? There's nothing left to say. We're on a mission with no purpose; one that will end with all of us dying, one at a time, until there's nothing left but a whisper of who we used to be. Erek is staring at me with those beautiful grey eyes of his, but I couldn't care less. I'm done; ready to tap out. He must sense it, because he takes a step closer.

  Suddenly, Meredith calls for him to come look at something she and Daniel found.

  Erek and I stand there a moment longer, staring into each other's eyes. I want to kiss him, but I also want to forget I ever met him, because these feelings are such a monumental waste of time. I feel the distance closing between us.

  "Erek, Chloe!"

  I jump, startled.

  He looks in the direction of Meredith's voice. "Hang on, will ya?"

  "Better go see what she needs," I tell him.

  "We're not finished," he says.

  I watch him round the corner and disappear from view. If I've learned anything in the past few months, it's that falling in love isn't a good idea in a world filled with Revs.

  * * *

  Daniel

  Meredith is asking Erek about some seed packets she found, and he's showing her which ones would be good to take. Some will have to be saved for spring, but others, like lettuce and greens, can be planted before winter hits. I'm not really listening to him...even though I should be...because I can't stop thinking about Meredith.

  I keep thinking about the things she said when we first met her. It seems like forever ago, but I haven't forgotten. The story she told...innocent people killed; a woman raped, then murdered. Her claim that someone died and turned into a Rev without having been bitten or scratched. The more I replay that first conversation, the more convinced I am the story about her infant daughter is just that....another story.

  Don't get me wrong...I believe there was a baby...and, I believe she died. But, I don't believe it happened the way Meredith said it did. She's already proven she's capable of lying to make herself appear less threatening. Is that what's happening here? Is this just another elaborate lie, designed to get us to lower our guard? After all, what's more vulnerable than an abused wife and grieving mother?

  But why? It doesn't make any sense. What is she hiding?

  Chloe walks up beside me. "You okay?"

  I nod, distracted. "Yeah, you?"

  She shrugs. "Just feeling a little glum, I guess."

  She doesn't have to elaborate. I know my sister well enough to know she's still thinking about Meredith's story, and feeling torn to pieces inside about it. I want to tell her not to worry...that the entire story might very well be fabricated...but I don't. I'm not going to say anything to anyone about my suspicions until I know for sure. One way or another I'll find out what really happened....if it's the last thing I do.

  And we're back to square one.

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Daniel

  The next day, we pick up where we left off, searching the town of Lowell for anything
else that might help us as we continue our journey onward. Wayne and I are pilfering through an old gas station. I doubt we'll find anything useful, though. It's one of those dingy, small service stations that probably only sold random snacks and motor oil before it quit selling anything, but our group's motto is might as well look, so that's what we're doing.

  Taking great risks for little reward.

  "Not much left in this old dump," I say, tossing an empty box of crackers aside.

  Wayne grunts. "Oh, I don't know. I found this," he says, holding up a pack of cigarettes.

  I laugh. "Just when I'd given given up all hope."

  He smiles and drops the cigarettes into his bag. "Hopefully Erek and the girls're having better luck in the daycare."

  I nod absently.

  "Why don't you trust her?" he asks.

  I turn around. "Who?"

  Wayne hops up on the front counter and pulls a can of dip out of his pocket. "You know who I'm talkin' about," he says, placing a pinch of tobacco in his mouth.

  "Who says I don't trust her?"

  "Come on, man. I ain't stupid."

  I pick a dusty bottle of motor oil off the shelf. "Could we use this for anything?"

  "Can always use oil," he answers.

  I drop it into the bag I'm carrying. "Do you think it's strange Meredith would volunteer to search a daycare? After just losing a child?"

  Wayne shrugs. "Maybe. Don't know much about women...or mothers...mine left when I was a youngin'."

  "Trust me, it's odd. Chloe and I had a brother who died when we were young. I remember it being months before Mom could even walk past his bedroom without breaking down. She was devastated."

  "Maybe she was the more sensitive type?" he suggests.

  I shake my head. "No, Mom and Dad are two of the most practical, logical people you'll ever meet. They're definitely not what I would classify as sensitive. Meredith reminds me of my mom, actually,” I say. “Well, except for the whole lying thing."

  "You think she really had a child?" he asks.

  I sigh. "Who knows? She's lied about so many things...I don't know what's a lie and what's the truth anymore."

  We grow quiet for a few minutes, mulling over the possibilities. Finally, I say, "Any good dog stories that might help me?"

  He hops off the counter. "Nah, but if I think of one, I'll let you know."

  He bends to pick his bag off the ground. When he rises, he says, "You know Dan...some things aren't meant to be understood. Or known. Maybe this is one of those things. But I would ask her about the gun."

  "The gun?" I ask.

  "Yeah, she wasn't armed until we met Erek." He slings the bag over his shoulder. "So, where's the gun she shot her husband with?"

  "I hadn't thought of that."

  He shrugs. "Might be nothing. Guess she could have lost it."

  Maybe. But Meredith doesn't strike me as the type who would lose something as essential as personal protection. Plus, she was miffed when she found out Chloe had a gun and never told her. I store it away in my mind for a future conversation. Right now, we need to find the others.

  * * *

  Chloe

  I can't stop staring at the wooden crib.

  More to the point, I can't stop thinking about the child who slept here while his or her parents were at work each day. I wonder if they were sleeping in this crib when it happened. Did their parents rush to the daycare to pick them up? Did they scramble to safety as a family? Or, did the child sit in this crib, alone and scared, screaming for someone to hold them? To help them?

  Did help ever come?

  I glance at Meredith. You would think it would be difficult for her to be around cribs and baby toys after losing her daughter in such a traumatic way. Yet, here she is...rifling through drawers and cabinets after volunteering for the task. Of course, it's possible it's just some strange coping mechanism. Mom always warned against judging someone's emotions or actions...or lack thereof...especially when it comes to grief, because everybody grieves differently. I learned that lesson firsthand; although I can't remember my brother, Ian, I do remember hearing my parents weep at night after they thought Daniel and I were asleep. But during the day, they seemed so normal and put together, I almost forgot there had been a death in the family. So, it doesn't concern me that Meredith doesn't wear her feelings on her sleeve. What bothers me is she seems completely unfazed by our surroundings.

  Just business as usual.

  I force myself to leave the crib and walk back to the lobby. Erek is standing behind the front counter.

  "Find anything useful?" he asks when he sees me.

  "Not really."

  Meredith enters the lobby from another room. "I found some instant rice and jars of baby food in the toddler room, but that's about it."

  "Are you okay?" I ask.

  "Sure. Why?"

  "Well...I guess because we're in a daycare, and..."

  She blushes and looks down at the bag in her hand. "Oh, right. It's....it's not easy. But we have to do what it takes to survive, right?"

  "I can't even imagine what being in here must be like for you."

  She nods. "I try not to dwell on it."

  I can almost hear my mom’s voice saying, everybody grieves differently, Chloe. I guess that’s true, but dang it’s weird.

  Erek takes one last look around the lobby. "Let's get back to the others. We ain't finding much else here."

  A low growl, followed by what sounds like a foot scraping against the tile, echoes through the otherwise quiet daycare. A second later, a badly decomposed Rev lumbers into the lobby, arms limp and mouth snapping open, then shut...then open again. I instinctively take a few steps back and ready myself for a fight, but Erek grabs my arm and pulls me outside, shutting the glass door firmly behind us.

  "What are you doing?" I ask. "We need to put that thing down before...."

  He puts a finger to his lips, motioning for me to be quiet. Once he has my attention, he points to the door leading into the daycare, where there are now several Revs pressed against the glass door, trying to get to us. I count at least ten, but there could be more I can't see. Too many for the three of us to engage safely.

  I remind myself how fortunate we are that they can't open doors the traditional way.

  "How did you know?" I ask in a whisper. "I only saw the one."

  "I pay attention, Princess. That simple," he says.

  He turns to leave.

  "Where are you going?"

  "To find Wayne and Daniel," he calls over his shoulder. "Unless you'd rather sit here until the glass breaks."

  "Maybe he's secretly in love with you," Meredith says once he's out of earshot.

  I roll my eyes. "Doubtful."

  I look back at the daycare. It won't be long before the Revs' weight shatters the glass. I start walking toward the gas station, motioning for Meredith to follow me. Erek is right...we need to get Wayne and Daniel and get out of here while we're all still alive.

  * * *

  Daniel

  "We need to leave. Now."

  The tone of Erek's voice lets me know nothing good is happening. My heart rate spikes slightly until I catch sight of Chloe and Meredith behind him.

  Wayne catches the trash bag Erek tosses at him. "This all y'all got?" he asks him.

  Erek throws a second bag over his shoulder. "We had visitors. The kind that don't breathe."

  The midday sun is high and hot, creating an eerie shadow on the pavement surrounding the gas station. It looks like a tombstone. Everything slows down. I can hear the steady beat of my heart in my ears. Thump. Thump. Thump. I motion for Chloe and Meredith to hurry. Thump. Thump. Thump. The sound of glass shattering fills the distance between us. Everything speeds up again as Revs begin pouring out of the daycare.

  "Chloe! Run!" I yell, urging her to hurry.

  She and Meredith run the rest of the way.

  "Can we make it back to the truck?" she asks, breathless from running.

  Erek
shakes his head. "Too far. Gonna have to fight or hide, but we need to decide quick!"

  The Revs are close enough to smell.

  "Get ready!" I yell over the rising volume of the Revs’ growls.

  The herd closes in on us. Meredith hits one in the head; blood splatters across her shirt and face. Wayne stabs two in quick succession, then turns to battle with a third. I see Chloe reaching for her gun.

  "No guns!" Erek yells, stabbing a Rev. "Too loud!"

  She nods and pulls her blade out instead, taking down one, then another, as they close in on her. From what I can tell, Erek has been able to take down three or four, but there are still more advancing on our small group. I briefly wonder if more Revs joined the first wave, until I kill two more and realize only six or seven remain. Chloe and Meredith take down a large male Rev, while Wayne and Erek and I deal with the others.

  Eventually they're all dead.

  Again.

  I bend over, placing my hands on my knees. After I catch my breath I look up at the others, and ask, "Anyone hurt?"

  I watch as they check for obvious injuries. One by one, they shake their heads.

  "What about you?" Erek asks me.

  I pat myself down, making sure to check my arms, which are the most vulnerable. I shake my head. "Nothing. I'm good."

  Erek nods. "Good. Let's get out of here."

  Chapter Sixty

  Chloe

  We manage to drive two miles without hitting a blocked road.

  Wonders will never cease.

  I wasn't a fan of leaving Lowell after the attack. I thought we made a rash decision out of fear. I tried to reason with everyone that it was an isolated attack, and we should either find a place to set up camp for the night, or double-back to the clearing, but I was outvoted. So we decided to continue heading west until we find suitable shelter. I was more than happy to let everyone know I wasn't thrilled about the decision.