And This Too: A Modern Fable (11 page)

"nnnnUuuuUUUUuuuUUUUugh."

People that Jamie used to know were now perusing her like prey. People she'd partied with, toked with, cried to and even lied to, were now limping, walking, crawling and even nearly jogging to catch her. She should have stayed inside and died from the airborne fecal particles. At least then she wouldn't be scared out of her mind with tears running down her face and blood trickling down her knee. But they already knew where she was going, they were all following her. She rushed to close the doors and put up the plywood. As she curled up on her bed and held her Bible to her chest, she began to pray for salvation. Then she realized that she had left her toilet outside and had no idea when she would be able to get it back again.

Jumping to the doors she tore the plywood to the side and ripped the door open. It was easy enough to grab the bucket, but they were only a handful of feet away. Jamie's heart was racing so fast that it hurt. She slammed the door shut and returned the plywood. It was the first time she was able to breathe properly in days. Safe. She had barely made it, but she was safe.

"Please, dear God, please reassure me that this too shall pass."

That's when the banging began. The sound of decaying palms against metal echoed through the small shelter. The moans of the undead were an unwelcomed intrusion upon Jamie's peace. She curled up in the corner of her bed, pulling the sleeping bag up over her shivering body. A severe nausea settled in her now empty stomach. If you listened carefully, you could hear the Lord's Prayer being whispered over and over to drown out the horrible, hungry cries of the relentless ghouls that society had created.

******

Trevor drove as Tsgumi stared out the window, pretending to be on the lookout for zombies. The highway was littered with cars and festering bodies. The whole ordeal made Tsgumi's stomach churn. Neither she nor Trevor had ever been fighters. They were lucky to be alive. Tsgumi remembered that day only two weeks ago when the airports closed. According to the announcement, you would have to be tested, re-tested and tested again before the TSA let you leave the country. She never thought that she'd see the day when the whole country was quarantined. Now, only a few days after the widespread panic in Oregon, everything was completely different. Families and phone lines were dead; classes were cancelled; and people who didn't know better were flocking to big cities where the infection would only spread faster.

Trevor put a consoling hand on Tsgumi's thigh, reading the concern in her demeanor. "Everything's going to be okay, Tsu-tsu. I promise."

Just then a limber ghoul dashed out in front of the car, waving its arms wildly as it ran. Trevor's eyes widened as Tsgumi's golden skin paled. Instinctively, Trevor accelerated to sixty or seventy miles an hour and drove straight into the reanimated body. The corpse hit the windshield, slid up the glass, and then flew off onto the road like a wild animal.

"I promise, Tsu-tsu, we're only a couple of hours away and I know that Harley is going to be where it's safe. Everything will be okay."

Tsgumi swallowed her fear and her rising nausea. She desperately hoped that she could put as much faith in her sister as Trevor wanted to.

*****

Washington D.C.

"Alright you scum," President Abernathy spat at the scientist who started the whole ordeal, "how do we fix this?"

Dr. Melbourne hung his head, "I...I don't know, sir."

"Don't 'I-don't-know-sir', me! There has to be a way! I want to be the first president who doesn't let this country down."

Linda smiled to herself. Bill was an upstanding man. If they lived through this maybe she'd tell him how she felt, maybe.

"We need a plan..." Melbourne started, "need t-to know where the most infected areas are a-and eradicate the infestations." He paused for a moment before adding, "But, I don't think it's possible on a national level."

Abernathy bit his lip and glanced at Linda. "If we can figure all this shit out, we could have task forces go find and eliminate the disease."

"Bill, that's a fantastic idea!"

"Maybe we could figure out a way to reverse the illness." Melbourne chirped hopefully.

Abernathy’s face fell and paled slightly. "No, we have already done enough to fuck things up. I can't imagine what would happen if we tried to cure this. Those...things...out there are dead for Christ's sake. We're being held hostage by corpses!"

"Bill..." Linda warned, "Calm down."

The President ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, "I just, don't know what to do at this point. I'm officially overwhelmed."

"We need to gather all of the military and armed forces and start by cleaning up D.C. It'll take baby steps to undo this fucking mess, and I'll bet there are already people trying to help."

*****

Somewhere in New York

             
Burning them had never been an option. They didn't drown.  All  that was left to do was blow the fuckers up.

             
Rex had made several types of bombs before the plague began. The internet had told him how, and he was very successful at blowing up memorabilia that his cheating ex-wife had left behind. Now, holed up in his attic bunker with plenty of supplies--ammo and spare bits to use as shrapnel--Rex was carrying out his final days blowing shit up.

             
He lit the fuse on one of his bombs and tossed it into the writhing sea of zombies below him. Cowering in a corner away from the window, Rex couldn't help but giggle at the explosion. He didn't really care how many reanimated sickies died; he was just having fun. Rex ran back to the window, picked up another hand crafted explosive and lit it, practically dancing with excitement as it fell to the ground.

*****

              Tsgumi was sleeping against the window when Trevor made it across the border. He wanted to get out and stretch his cramping legs, but he didn't feel safe in the unsecure area. Instead, he kept driving and stared out the window. A low fog was rolling in; and in the landscape surrounding the interstate, unstable shadows were seen ambling towards a presumed source of food. The sight sent a shiver down Trevor's spine. They were so close to safety, yet in the middle of a proverbial minefield. The figures were wobbling in various directions, and only one or two of them were headed towards the highway. Not a single one was moaning.  The car must have covered the scent of living creatures, Trevor thought, or the fog is confusing them.

             
He once again swallowed the pressure in his throat that made him feel nauseous, and prayed that they could make it to the haven in one piece.

*****

              A low fog was creeping along the forest floor. Harley sighed and kicked at the ground.

             
"We need a fence," she murmured, looking at all the dense, looming trees. "You're almost useless, trees!" Harley grumbled, "Especially when we have nothing to cut you with." Harley looked over at the decaying farm and rotting barn. "Hey!" she called to whoever could hear, "We've got to tear those down to ramp up our security."

             
Christian snuck up behind Harley and slid his arms around her waist. Harley smiled and looked up at the young man.

             
"You give me hope," she whispered.

             
Christian beamed and bent over her, giving Harley the kiss she'd wanted since he saved her.

             
The scene made Kurt want to do some target practice, but that would be a waste of ammo, so instead he began cleaning his guns.

             
"Why do you do that?" Allie interrogated, sitting down on the dirt, next to Kurt.

             
"Clears my mind when I'm in a bad mood and keeps me sane," the boy grunted.

             
Allie looked over at Christian and Harley who were formulating the best way to dismantle the buildings and create a fence. "Opportunities don't stick around forever Kurtis."

             
"Don't call me that."

             
"You've got to realize that you made your decisions, and she's made hers."

             
"What the hell are you talking about?"

             
Allie pointed to Harley and Christian venturing hand-in-hand into the farmhouse. "How people change over time."

             
Kurt almost dropped the handgun he was holding. "Don't talk to me like you know what's in my head Aunt Allie."

             
Allie grimaced. "Everyone deserves to be happy Kurt, don't let her happiness interfere with yours."

             
As Allie walked away, Kurt growled at the ground. He didn't know what happy was anymore, and felt like he never would again.

*****

              The woods were quiet.  It sent shivers down Trevor's spine. Tsgumi was still sleeping comfortably against the window. The rhythmic in-out of her breathing almost calmed Trevor down. He had to pay close attention to his surroundings; it had been a long time since he had visited the bus. As he drove, Trevor silently cursed himself for not practicing the drive. It had always been the plan to “bug out” to the bus, but Trevor always assumed he would never have to. When they reached a fork in the road, instinct kicked in and Trevor began driving more confidently, judging where he was by how far he had driven.

"This shouldn't be too hard," he thought to himself, "every time we've come out here I've either been driving or riding shot gun." A few twists and turns and all of the sudden, Trevor felt lost. He swallowed his worry before mumbling to himself, "It shouldn't be too far from here."

Tsgumi gently woke up and looked at her surroundings, "It's always been so beautiful out here."

"Yeah."

"Are we almost there?"

"I'm not sure anymore."

"Maybe we should turn around."

*****

              Harley was the first one to hear the change in the woods. Since they had started establishing New Haven, their surroundings had been almost completely silent, now there was a strange rumble vibrating through the trees.

             
"Do you hear that?" Harley inquired, as she dropped the plank of wood she was trying to drive into the ground.

             
"What?"

             
Harley put her index finger to her lips and pointed the direction that the sound was coming from. Christian listened for a moment and heard the distinct churn of rocks under rubber.

             
"Someone's coming," he whispered.

             
Harley's heart began to sputter. "There's only one car that would venture this far out here during this kind of crisis."

             
Christian looked at Harley curiously.

             
"It's gotta be Trevor and Tsgumi."

             
Christian grimaced, "Harles, you don't want to get your hopes up, it might be someone else."

             
"No, it's gotta be them, and if it's not, who knows, maybe the strangers in the car will have something to contribute. We can't turn away a lost soul in the woods. They must be like-minded if they're escaping here."

             
Christian sighed, "We've got to be careful, angel."

             
"Hey!" Kurt called, "Someone's coming! What should we do?"

             
Harley shook her head as Christian chuckled a little.

             
"Can you see them?" Martin asked.

             
Kurt peered down the road and frantically nodded his head.

"What kind of car?" Martin continued.

"I dunno," Kurt said nervously, "It's red and tiny and looks old."

Harley leapt with joy, "They drive a red Prelude, Christian; it’s got to be them!"

Christian bit his bottom lip anxiously.

*****

              Trevor's heart began to pound against his rib cage as he noticed someone a ways off in the road, trying to discern who was coming. As he grew closer, his breathing grew shallower.

             
"I wonder who that is," Tsgumi breathed.

             
"Someone who wants to help, I'm sure."

             
The figure began to wave and suddenly there were four more people standing next to him, flailing their arms and urging them to keep moving.

             
"Oh my god!" Tsgumi cried with a relieved smile.

Nine

             
The fence was gapped and crooked like a smile with character, but it was a fence nonetheless. Harley hoped that the fence would offer reassurance to those who needed sanctuary, and give them a little bit of warning in the event of an intruder. New Haven was already fairly well laid out. The tents were circled up, the cars were circled up, and there was a fence around that. The bus was a good makeshift medical ward, and Harley's stolen Escalade stored the bulk of the food supplies.

             
Trevor and Tsgumi had been busy trying to set up the HAM radio, and it was time to broadcast that they had been in the woods all day without trouble. They still needed to scout out the surrounding area for people, alive or undead, but it was exponentially safer in the woods than it was in any city anywhere.

             
"Harley, will you do the honors?"

             
"Sure thing, Deputy Thomsen."

             
"Call me Arnie; the title of 'Deputy' doesn't really apply anymore."

             
Harley smiled wide and nodded politely, "Okay Arnie."

             
Harley held the microphone to her mouth and took a deep breath. "Good afternoon survivors! My name is Harley Monroe, and I want to help you. My family and I have found sanctuary in the Sidewinder Woods; I call our camp New Haven. We have plenty of space, but not many supplies. I am not promising to feed or clothe you. I am promising some company and a safe place to bring your family. We have spent all day setting up New Haven, and have not yet encountered any undeads. If you think you can handle the treacherous journey, please let me know. New Haven is well hidden, and you will need guidance to find us. If not, I offer this message of hope: We are out here surviving, and the best thing you can do is surround yourself with people you trust. Don't forget to love one another, and remember that things are never as bad as they seem. Here at New Haven, we believe that this is only a temporary state, we're sure that the illness will die down soon."

             
Christian wrapped his arms around Harley's shoulders as she set the mic down and exhaled.

             
"We should turn on the radio you stole," Christian suggested, "Maybe someone somewhere has more hope for us."

*****

The White House, Washington D.C.

             
President Abernathy furrowed his brow and tapped his temple with his index finger as he stared at a blank sheet of paper. He needed an action plan.

             
Linda slunk into the room and gently put her hands on his shoulders. "You need sharp shooters, Bill," she whispered into his ear.

             
Her warm whisper sent tingles down his spine.

             
"You watch movies; you've played video games. You know there's only one way to eradicate these fiends: eliminate the brain."

             
Bill turned so he could just make out Linda's lips and nose. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

             
Linda's hands shot off of Bill's shoulders unexpectedly as she blushed and backed up a few steps.

             
"Linda...Are we ever going to address this?"

             
"I just did, the brain's where the virus settles."

             
"No Linda," Bill said sternly, "I mean are we ever going to address
us
."

             
Linda backed up a few more steps, and Bill stood up.

             
"I know we're just friends, Bill. You're my best friend, that's why we're running the country together."

             
"Linda," Bill said, reaching out and cupping her chin. "The world's a crazy place. I don't want to go through it alone. Look at me, my hair's graying--"

             
"Silvering," Linda corrected.

             
"And I've got more lines on my face than there are in a notebook."

             
"Bill, you're incredibly attractive, that's what got you the female vote."

             
Bill chuckled and brought Linda's face closer to his. "Linda, you know I love you."

             
Linda's eyes widened with hope, "What?"

             
"You're my best friend. We know each other better than anyone ever will.  It took a huge change in my life to realize that I don't want to live without you." Bill sighed boyishly.

             
"We need to talk about a strategy, a game plan to get the country back." Linda countered.

             
"Stop trying to avoid the subject."

             
Linda looked down at the floor, "I don't want to ruin what we have, Bill," she resisted.

             
"You want to keep pretending that there's no spark? Because when you touch me, Linda, I glow."

             
Linda's breath caught in her throat as Bill's hands slipped around to her back.

             
"When I'm around you, Linda," Bill whispered, trying not to let his voice quiver, "everything seems okay. Even during this living hell, everything seems okay."

             
Without speaking, Linda leaned in and gave Bill the kiss that she'd been dreaming about since they'd met.

             
When they broke apart, Linda exhaled, "So, a battle plan?"

             
Bill looked at her slyly, his spirit suddenly renewed, "Blow their damn brains out."

*****

              Harley awoke in Christian's arms. The tent was beginning to glow with the rising sun, and Harley felt at peace. Christian snored slightly, and Harley smiled. She suddenly realized what had woken her in the first place. Harley listened contently to the ever swelling sound of birds singing for the sun.

             
"Christian," Harley whispered, gently shaking the boy.

             
"Uuh?"

             
"Listen."

             
Half asleep, it took all of Christian's concentration to listen to whatever Harley was so excited about.

             
"Do you hear that?"

             
As it registered in Christian's brain, he began to sit up and actually listen. A smile crept across his face. "Birds," he inhaled.

             
The fact that there was still life in the woods gave Harley more hope than anyone could ever understand. The activity around them sounded normal, not choppy, unnatural or panicked.

             
"We could use them to tell if someone's coming," Christian yawned.

             
Harley nodded excitedly. "And we will have plenty to eat."

             
"Is there a source of water somewhere?"

             
Harley giggled, "I'll have to show you the river. It's beautiful and crystal clear. All we'll really have to do for filtration is boil and sanitize. The only thing that we're missing, really, is a shower."

             
Christian looked around the tent and replied, "We can make one. Probably have to shower in teams, but we could do it."

             
"How?"

             
"Boil water and put it in a gallon jug with holes in the top of it and then add cold water so you don't scald yourself."

             
"I never would have thought of that."

             
"I think I saw it in a movie somewhere or something."

             
Harley giggled again and kissed Christian's cheek. "We could never go back to civilization again, and I would be perfectly fine, as long as you were with me."

             
Christian radiated. "Shall we go make breakfast?"

*****

              "Mmm." Trevor said licking his lips. "Eggs and bacon."

             
"Thanks Christian," Allie said, stuffing a crispy piece of bacon into her mouth, "We wouldn't be eating this good if it weren't for you."

             
"Eventually we'll have to use the emergency food supplies,” Christian chewed, “but until then, we'll eat okay. I'd rather hunt than have to eat canned meat."

             
"Did anyone else notice the birds this morning?" Harley queried.

             
Fehny nodded. "It was the best alarm clock I could have asked for."

             
"There's just one thing," Kurt grimaced, "We still need to stand guard to watch for those things. Our tents won't keep them out."

             
"That's what the fence is for silly." Harley chirped. "The fence and the circle of cars surrounding the tents. Plus, we could hear them coming if they did. They're so loud, and the woods are full of things to get caught on and twigs to break."

             
"And the animals will tell us," Christian chimed in.

             
"What?" Kurt spat.

             
"If the forest goes still, we'll be able to know something's wrong."

             
"That's stupid."

             
Martin stood up, "What's your problem Kurt.  We're out here where we're finally safe enough to have a good night's sleep, and you're acting like it's the worst thing that has happened to you."

             
"Marty, calm down," Fehny whispered.

             
"It's true though, Mrs. Monroe,” Christian accused, “Kurt's been very pessimistic this entire time."

             
"Shut up! All of you!" Kurt howled.

             
Everyone looked at the boy, hoping he had something important to contribute.

             
"You don't know me," he growled at Christian. "None of you know me. So stop fucking pretending like you do." Sweat began beading on his furrowed brow. "It's been really nice of you to drag me along like this, but I have a feeling that I could do just fine without you."

             
"Kurtis, don't be stupid, we're your family." Allie said gently.

             
"Oh now I'm stupid, Aunt Allie? I'm stupid because I don't have all the answers like these two seem to? I'm stupid because I'd rather be out there fighting for my life than in here and miserable?"

             
"You have no reason to be miserable. We’re safe here," Trevor replied.

             
"But I
am
miserable. Because everything I know and love has been ripped away from me. The only thing keeping me sane in this mad house is cleaning my guns so I know that they work when I need them to."

             
The forest was suddenly quiet.

             
"It's been hard on all of us Kurt," Allie comforted. "But together we have the strength to do this. Between all of us, the burden is a little lighter. More people to stand guard and gather food, more people to filter water, cook, and help out. The whole ordeal caught us all off guard with the exception of one person. She's the reason why we're here. You ought to be more thankful for that."

             
"Out here," Fehny stated calmly, "we need to worry more about each other and less about what is out
there
."

             
The birds began to sing again as Kurt sat down, defeated by the simple wisdom.

             
"You don't have anything out there, Kurt." Allie whispered softly. "Your family is
here
."

             
"But I don't have anything left to live for, Aunt Allie," Kurt muttered as everyone else tried to carry on normal conversations. "She's over there, cuddled up against some guy she barely knows."

             
"Find something else to live for, then."

             
Kurt was barely able to conceal his surprise. Allie's advice wasn't something he really wanted, and the harshness of her words made him speechless.

*****

              Harley squealed with delight as the hot water trickled over her skin.

             
"Oh my gosh! Christian, thank you!"

             
Christian couldn't help but look at every inch of Harley as he replied, "For what?"

             
"A shower, this feels so good."

             
"We’re almost out of water, angel."