Bleak Devotion (3 page)

As she stared up, the attic window caught her eye. The window of horror. A rush of memories from when she had been in the window looking down assaulted her. The front yard burst with laughter then, her parents and little brother playing together until they had been slashed apart. Red obscured her vision.

A strangled cry pulled her back to the present. In case one of those monsters was around she had to keep herself together. She pushed aside the bad memories and let the feelings of love from her childhood home envelop her, little though it did to comfort old grief and new wounds. With a panicked glance around, she searched for a monster to come barreling at her. Nothing happened. She couldn't see anyone. With a sigh of relief, she stepped forward. On her way to the front door she chastised herself for losing control.

She knew what she had to do. At first, very few cars had been on the road. More littered the streets as of late. Her own, usually parked out front, had already been stolen, but her parents' car still sat in the garage. Or at least it had last time she checked. She depended on it still being there, though she didn't know how much gas it had left in its tank. She'd grab the extra gas can her dad kept filled for the lawn mower. Hopefully, there would be enough to get her far away from all the monsters. Once the gas ran out, there would be no refills.

Jessica hurried inside. The food was long gone. She and Cindy had come back a few times and gathered some of it up. The rest of it she assumed the monsters had stolen. Her personal items were still back at her college dorm, or at least that was where she left them. She went through the house picking up a few pictures of her family that she hadn't already grabbed and shoved them in between pages of a book for safe keeping. She jammed the book in the stuffed backpack and left it unzipped now that the bag was too full to close.

Remembering she hadn't picked up a can opener at the store, she headed for the kitchen. The white fridge door
hung open leaving the empty shelves for display. A few oak drawers also hung open, their contents rummaged through. Jessica forced a thick swallow and set to the task of finding a can opener. Even the simple utensils threatened her with memories. No point in lingering over them. Finding a simple silver can opener, she shoved it into one of her pockets.

She took one last look over the empty house and closed her eyes. The good memories would stay with her even if she never returned home. Besides, the house was defiled by the monsters that had killed her family and Cindy.

Several tears slipped down her cheeks. The salty liquid was foreign and odd, moistening her cheeks. She wiped them away and stopped the flow. Tears still weren't allowed. Maybe they would be later, but for now she had to escape the monster-infested city. Jessica grabbed the keys and headed for the garage.

Chapter 3

Jessica slammed the car door shut and kicked the tire. Around sunrise, she'd pulled over to the side of the road to sleep. After some rest, she'd eaten and then went to start the car. Nothing.

She supposed she should just be grateful it had gotten her this far. It was more than she expected. She had passed the Wyoming border a couple hours before she stopped. But gratitude was long lost. Such an awful time to break down. Outside, snow had just begun to descend.

She grumbled as she watched the asphalt darken with moisture. The snow was already sticking to the dirt and she could imagine herself slipping around in it. But maybe it was a blessing. The thick cloud cover would help to keep the frigid air from nipping off her fingers and toes. Only a gentle breeze caressed the snowflakes, not the harsh wind she had heard accompanied Wyoming.

Jessica opened the back door, pulled out the blanket she wrapped herself in last night and folded it in half. She wanted to take it with her, but the backpack would never fit an entire blanket along with all her other treasures. She wound it around her chest and placed the coat over it. Hopefully it would remain dry there. She grabbed the overloaded backpack and placed it on her shoulders. With the little food she had eaten and some readjustment, the bag just barely closed.

A wary look down the abandoned highway revealed no other vehicles. She was tempted to stay on the road, but she didn't want to be found by one of those monsters. The whole point of this venture was to escape.

There had been some cars on the way, mostly in and around big cities, but she had passed few since she crossed the Wyoming border. They drove recklessly and faster than her ninety mph. If one of them stopped and tried to talk to her, she wouldn't have lasted long.

With a sigh, she crossed the road. Gravel shifted under her feet until she stepped on the hard dirt. Bare trees soon closed in around her, bitter wind howling through them. Snow collected on the ground, forming a white blanket beneath her. Her footprints left a clear trail behind her, but the snow would soon cover them.

She was grateful the storm hadn't started while she slept. The way it was coming down she would have been trapped in the car, unable to push the doors open. There would be no one clearing the highway to find her and death would have come. At least that would be better than death by monsters. She shivered and searched for more pleasant thoughts.

Memories of her family and Cindy drifted and danced through her like the windblown snowflakes. She tried to stay away from memories of Cindy. The wound was still too fresh. Instead, Little James appeared the most, full of life, energy, and laughter. Until the last day of his life came to mind. His loss pierced her soul the hardest. She struggled to remember something happier and settled on the last time she watched James before moving away to college.

Jessica leaned over and planted a kiss on her tiny brother's forehead. He turned to her with his drooly smile and pointed a chubby finger at her.

“Ca! Ca!” James squealed.

Laughing, Jessica scooped him up in her arms and tickled his round belly. The resulting chuckles filled her heart with warmth. She tucked him in close to her and gave him a gentle squeeze. His tiny body wiggled in protest. With another quick peck on his forehead, Jessica placed him back on the beige carpet next to a pile of blocks. James' two little hands reached down and grabbed a block in each hand.
He pound the blocks together while shouting, “Ca! Ca!”

She grinned at him. Suddenly, the timer buzzed, sending Jessica scrambling. The familiar smell of baking cookies filled her nose. Her mouth watered. She stepped onto the cold-tiled kitchen and headed for the stove. Sunlight streamed in a large back window, filling the white room with happiness. A content sigh escaped her lips.

Jessica grabbed two hot pads and opened the oven. Oppressive heat rolled up at her. She stood back for a second letting it pass her by and then bent down to lift the golden cookies out of the oven. Closing the oven with one hand, she placed the cookie sheet on the stove top. She inspected the cookies thoroughly.

A smile tugged at her lips. “Finally.”

Grabbing a spatula, Jessica moved the cookies from the pan to a cooling rack. From the living room, James' babbling turned into a semi-coherent song. Jessica's smile grew. To think she hadn't wanted a little brother.

She eyed the cookies. Realizing her index fingernail was in between her teeth, she chastened herself and pulled it out. She paced the room, waiting for the cookies to cool. The mirror her mother had recently hung on the wall connecting with the living room caught her eye.

Her nose wrinkled at the reflection. Her hand automatically moved up in attempt to smooth down the frizz of dark brown hair. Her brown eyes frowned back at her when the action proved futile. She stuck her tongue out. A tug on the bottom of her jeans drew her gaze downward. James' green eyes stared back at her.

“
Ca.”
Jessica picked him up and let him snuggle against her chest, his little body warm and comforting.“Hey, buddy. Let's get you a cookie.”

“
Koo-kie! Koo-kie!” James wiggled in her arms and clapped his hands together.

Laughing, Jessica sauntered over to the rack of cookies. She grabbed one of the small ones she made just for James and placed it in his hands. “There you go, bud. Try not to get chocolate on my shirt.”
She grabbed one for herself and brought it to her mouth. As she took a bite of the cookie, a glob of salt and baking soda filled her mouth, choking her. Running over to the sink, she spat it out. James broke out crying when she snatched the cookie from his hand. Shifting him to sit on her hip, she turned on the water and thrust her open mouth under it. The cool water helped to clear the awful taste.

She stood back up and grimaced. “Sorry, James. Maybe someday I'll figure cooking out.”
James wrapped his arms around her as far as they would go. Jessica's frown shifted into a smile.

“
Thanks, bud. You know just how to make me feel better.”

“
Ca! Ca!” James’ finger pointed back toward the living room.

“
You got it, bud. Let's go build a tower for you to knock over.”

James snuggled closer as she grabbed the cooling rack of cookies and dumped them in the trash on her way to the living room.

Jessica's cheeks were icy where a few tears slipped out. It felt like more wanted to come, but she automatically shut off the valve. Letting her feelings show wasn't allowed. But feeling them couldn't be helped. No matter how hard she tried to rid herself of them, they always lurked under her shield right next to memories of her family. And now Cindy.

Cindy had the sweetest spirit. She always cheered Jessica up. The pang in her heart felt like nothing would soothe it. Why had these monsters taken her life? She had done nothing to deserve the horrid thing they had done to her. Neither had her parents or James or anyone else.

Jessica didn't even know if there were any humans left besides her. She doubted it. What had happened? Where had these monsters come from and why hadn't anyone done something about it? It seemed like something out of a horror film, only it was real. She was the last of her kind doomed to roam the planet lost and alone. Until she ran across one of the unfeeling monsters. Next time she saw one, she wouldn't hold back any feelings. There was no point.

The wet snow crunched beneath her feet. She agonized over each lift of her legs. Setting them on the ground in front of her shot a stabbing, icy pain through them. Her feet lost feeling, becoming immune to the throb. In her exhausted state, she hadn't kept track of how long ago it happened.
Breath from her panting hung heavy in the air, the white fog rolling in front of her. Frigid air burned her throat and lungs. Cupping her hand over her mouth, Jessica attempted to breathe in warmer air and bring some feeling back into her fingers.

First one foot and then another. She pushed onward, ever onward. Her limbs felt like an attachment to her body instead of part of it. Numb. Cold. Movement forward was as mundane as the lack of variation in the color and material of her untrodden path. Except her boots. Even in the dark the black and hot pink boots made a stark contrast against the snow.

Stopping, Jessica looked up to take in her surroundings for the first time in hours. The snow had stopped and clouds cleared, leaving the air crisp. Moonlight glittered against a snow-covered valley floor surrounded by white mountains on every side. She frowned at the lack of anything, but it was what she wanted. Maybe this would be a good place to settle, away from the horrid ripping creatures.

The thick, glittering snow cloaked every surface. A slight darkening on the far right of the valley was the only indication that any trees graced the valley. Her vision traced the uneven lines fringing the pure landscape until the outline changed. She gaped at the dark shape of some type of man-made structure.

Without a thought, Jessica stumbled forward. Hope sprang for the first time in months. Maybe she wouldn't have to try and make it in the freezing cold. She could live in an abandoned cabin. Her cheeks and nose stung as the freezing air whipped past her. The building seemed to grow as she raced toward it.

A few feet of snow blanketed the massive log cabin. It looked like a picture off of a Christmas card from long ago. Clear, thick icicles hung off the high roof. On the side farthest from her, a vehicle sat in the driveway. Its white color made its features indistinguishable against the snow. A thin winding line of smoke trailed out of a stout rectangle on the building that she could now make out as a chimney. A smoky smell mingled with the cutting air.

The sight of the car and smoke stopped her frantic movements forward. The sound of her heart rushed irregularly inside her ears. Who was in the cabin? She took a step back. Her eyes didn't leave the front door.

A crunch sounded behind her. She suppressed the shriek of fear that leapt in her chest. A slow swivel around revealed a short female. Its face was void of any feeling, but wrinkles lined her eyes and mouth. Her short brown hair hung down, uncurled and unadorned. A strong look of determination shone in the green eyes on her otherwise emotionless face.

Crunches from all sides sent Jessica's gaze shifting. Two males and several females circled around her. Close by the house another figure stood in the shadows watching. She glanced back at the neutral faces surrounding her. Trapped. Her carefully placed emotionless facade burst. She sank to the ground sobbing. The relief it brought surprised her. Knowing the show of emotion would bring death didn't stop her. If anything, she welcomed it.