Hell Bound (Book 2): A World Apart (9 page)

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world. The master calls a butterfly.  -Richard Bach-

Chelsea and Mike happily pass out pizza.

“Chelsea did you make the pizza? Ugg too much salt,” Emily says bitterly but eats it anyways.

“Then starve Emily.” Chelsea snaps back.

Emily rolls her eyes and says no more as she keeps eating her food. Once we are done eating Kat and I help Julia and Chelsea take the dirty plates to the kitchen. We wash dishes exchanging each other’s stories of the apocalypse. Not sure how long we stayed in the kitchen, but the dishes are clean and neatly put away.

“What happen to you, baby?” Mike yells calling for Chelsea.

“Coming baby.” She says rolling her eyes as she walks back out to the sitting area.

We follow behind her laughing, I sit with Mathew and Athena and enjoy the company of our new friends. Athena whimpers breaking me out of my conversation with Julia and Chelsea. I rub her stomach again. It still seems normal, which is a good thing, maybe just a bruised rib.

“Is there an animal store in here?” I ask Julie.

“Yeah there is, follow me.” I follow next to her while the others stay back.

“So any kids?” She questions, making small talk.

“Yes, we have two boys, they are safe at the safe zone at Fort Detrick, Maryland. They were able to make it out with other survivors.”

“Thank god! But still it has to hurt to be so far away from your children. How did you get separated anyways?”

“Well, my husband and I decided to go on a three day vacation leaving our boys behind with my parents. As soon as the apocalypse hit we drove back and found them gone.”

“Oh geez, that sucks,” Julia says patting my shoulder motherly.

“Are you and Johnny married?” I ask.

“Goodness no. He was already here when I came here and we quickly became close friends,” she says giggling.

“Oh, he seems so fatherly towards your daughter. And very loving to you.” I add hoping I'm not overstepping. She has such a bubbly personality I instantly like her.

“Yeah, he does. I’m glad too. My daughter needs a man’s loving.”

“Where’s her father...If you don’t mind me asking?”

“No sweetie ask away. I'm an open book. He left me when I was seven months pregnant for his secretary,” She says bitterly.

“Oh god I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay I’m happier without him. He cheated on me a lot during our marriage. I should have left before I got pregnant. But oh well my daughter is worth it.” She says brushing it off like it was nothing.

“Here we are,” Julia says opening the door to the animal store. We walk in and I go towards the aspirin section.

“What are we looking for?” Julie says, bending down looking at the different types of bottles.

“Aspirin,” I say running my finger along the bottle names.

“Can’t we use regular aspirin?”

“Nope, it would kill Athena.”

“Oh man didn’t know that. How do you know so much about this sort of thing?”

“Well before I became a nurse, I worked as Veterinarian Assistant to work my way through college.”

“Oh cool. Do you like animals?”

“I use to. Up until I started working with them every day for four years.” I laugh.

“Is that where you met your husband?”

“Nope, I was in a Starbucks when I met Mathew. He had already finished college and started his career in the Army.”

“Oh sucker for a man in uniform, huh!” Julia says lifting her eyebrows up and down giggling.

“Something like that. Found it!” I say laughing. Walking back to the sitting area, laughter echoes the hall.

Reaching the group that is still talking and laughing on the coach. I sit next to Athena, who is wagging her tail at Julie’s daughter Maggie. I crumble two aspirins up and mix it into some wet dog food for her. Athena licks the bowl clean. I sit back on the couch relaxing next to Mathew. I haven't felt this safe in what seems like forever. My eyes start to feel heavy, dozing off I fall asleep on Mathews shoulder.

“Baby wake up.”

“Hmmm”

“Wake up baby.”

“Okay, Okay I’m up. What’s wrong?”

“We are having a meeting,” Mathew says, leaning over giving me a kiss.

Pulling him closer to my body I deepen the kiss. He slowly pushes me away, breathing heavily. His eyes gleam with love and affection. Lifting his hand off the couch, he rubs my cheek softly. Closing my eyes, I lean nto his ruff manly hands.

“None of that now. Maybe later in private.” He gestures to the group walking around.

Sticking out my bottom lip, pouting.  “Okay.”

“Anybody in the mood for coffee?” Chelsea says as she sticks out a cup of coffee in front of mine and Mathew’s faces.

Snatching it out of her hand, I smell the scent of freshly brewed coffee. The rich aroma of folders coffee. A little piece of heaven in a cup. Sipping it slowly so I don’t burn my lips. The flavor tastes so rich and smooth down my throat.

“Okay, meeting everyone. Everyone needs to come sit in the seating area,” Mike says calling everyone over.

Each of us walk to the seating area, taking our cups of coffee with us.

“Alright, we each know Mathew's group is going to the safe zone at Fort Detrick, Maryland. Everyone who wants to go just say so.”

“We want to go,” Mike speaks up for him and Chelsea.

“We decided to go as well,” Johnny says. Maggie and Julia nod their heads in agreement.

“I’m staying,” Kat says, looking down not meeting my eye.

“What?” I question surprised at her answer.

“And Devlin?” Mike asks not letting Kat answer me.

“Not sure he went to bed after I cleaned his cut. I’ll go check on him and ask him.” I answer back.

I look at Kat, who still won’t look at me but stares down at her coffee cup. I stand up and start walking back to the store he should be in. Not wanting to just walk in and disturb him I decide to knock. Knocking several times, but getting no answer. I knock harder and harder until I’m practically banging on the window.

The glass door swings open making me jump back or else the door would have hit me. Devlin looks even sicker than he did in the short period of time that I left him to go get some sleep. He holds the arm that was scratched protectively by his side.

“Sorry I didn’t hear anyone knocking,” Devlin says forcefully. As if it hurts to even talk.

“I'm sorry I woke you. How are you feeling? I wanted to come check on you and ask if you are leaving with us tomorrow.” I ask staring at his tired face. He's hunched over which is weird because he didn't hunch before. His skin color looks greenish and he has an odd odor.

“Devlin, could I look at your arm, please?”

“Yeah, sure, but can we do it sitting down. I don’t think I can stand any longer,” He says practically falling down as he wobbles away to the closest seat.

I sit on my knees in front of him. Unwrapping the bandage that is around his arm. I get a small whiff of a foul odor coming from his cut. Devlin's arm looks worse than it did when we first got here. Puss oozes out of the stitches I gave him. A green line has appeared on his arm. Traveling from the scratch all the way up his arm and down his arm. I gentle turn his arm from left to right, he whimpers as I investigate.

“Sorry.”

“No, problem.”

“It’s infected. I need to clean it and give you antibiotics.” I say, standing up.

“Okay,” He whispers and turns over facing away from me. Walking out of the store I jog back into the seating area to retrieve the first aid kit.

“How is he?” Mike questions, looking up at me from the couch.

“His arm is infected from the scratch.”

“What we need to kill him!” Emily says screaming.

“Calm down Emily. We don’t know if he's turning into a zombie or just sick from the scratch,” Mike says talking over Emily bitching.

“Sam how bad is it?” Johnny asks.

“Bad a green line is running up and down his arm.”

“Can you do anything?” Johnny asks.

“Maybe, keep it clean and give him antibiotics.”

“Okay. We will keep him locked inside the room. You don’t go in there alone just in case he turns into one of them,” Mike says running his hands through his hair.

“Okay, but I have to go clean his arm and give him the pills.”

“I’ll go with her,” Mathew says standing up. I smile at Mathew and walk silently next to him back to Devlin’s room.

~~So the darkness shall be the light and the stillness the dancing. T.S. Elliot ~~

Mathew opens the door to Delvin’s makeshift room. Devlin is still in the same position that I left him at a couple minutes ago. He is passed out facing against the wall.

“Devlin....Devlin... are you awake?”

“Yes, I am now,” he says turning over to face us slowly. Looking as if every movement he makes hurts him.

“I’m going to clean your cut and give you some antibiotics because your arm is infected.” He nods his head and leans back against the seat.

He closes his eyes and puts his arm out for me to clean. I put on some rubber gloves and soak a couple cotton balls in rubbing alcohol. I dab the cotton balls on the scratch several times.

More puss oozes out of the stitches as I gently dab the cotton balls on the scratch. Throwing the used cotton balls in a plastic baggy so I can throw it away when we leave the room

I grab a clean bandage and wrap it around his arm again. Standing up I open the bottle of antibiotics and a bottled water and hold it out to Devlin. He slowly takes them out of my hand and swallows the pill. He chugs down the water, spitting out most of it.

“Okay, get some sleep, I’ll be back in a couple hours to clean your arm again.”

Devlin doesn’t make a noise just sits there as if he didn’t hear me. Mathew tugs on my arm and pulls me outside of Devlin’s room.

“He doesn’t look so good.”

“No, he doesn’t. There’s nothing else I can do for him.” Mathew grabs my hand and walks me back to the seating area throwing the plastic bag in the trash before sitting down.

“Well, since Devlin is taken care of, let’s talk about getting you guys another vehicle,” Bob says, chewing on a toothpick.

“We also need to get you guys more supplies. You have a long journey ahead of you, and you need some decent weapons to defend yourself,” Greg says chewing on a chunk of chewing tobacco. Swishing it around inside the corners of his mouth.

“Okay, let’s go now that way we can be back by nightfall,” Mathew says.

“Bob, Johnny, Mike and I will go with you. Leaving Greg here with the ladies. Mathew looks at me silently asking if that's okay. I nod my head back. He stands up, taking me with him.

“Sounds good, give us a moment?” Mathew asks as he walks away pulling me beside him.

“Baby, if I’m not back by nightfall. Go....go find our boys.”

“Can I go?” I question.

“No!” He practically screams at me.

“I want you to stay here where it’s safe. I’ll finish getting what we need faster if I know you’re safe here,” Mathew says softly.

“Okay, baby… Okay,” I say as I pull him into a hug. Squeezing him tight, not wanting to let him go.

“I love you, Sam.” He says as he leans his head against mine.

“I love you Mathew. Please come back to me.” He leans his face closer to mine, lifting my chin.

“Nothing will ever stop me from coming back to you and getting us safely to our children,” He says firmly. I nod my head and kiss him. He breaks the kiss a little too soon for my liking and walk us back to the group.

“I’m ready,” Mathew says.

“Waiting on you man,” Greg says swishing the black, nasty chewing tobacco around once more.

Mathew kisses me one last time and walks to the elevator, followed by the three other men. I blow Mathew a kiss as the elevator doors close. Leaving me staring at the metal doors.

“Come on girl let’s go pack some food for us and then go unload your vehicle. Mathew is a big boy and can take care of himself,” Chelsea says patting me on my shoulder.

Following Chelsea to the kitchen .Noticing Kat sitting on the floor in the seating area playing with the kids.

“I’ll meet you in there,” I say, waving Chelsea to go on without me. She nods and walks to the kitchen. Sitting down next to Kat on the floor I cross my legs.

“Kat can I talk to you?”

“Sure.”

“I think it’s a bad idea if you stay here with Jake and Emily.

She takes a deep breath, “I knew you would say that.”

“He is such a womanizer he will break your heart the first chance he gets. And it looks like that chance is with that slut Emily.”

“I know.... But I don’t want to do this

alone. I’m tired

of running and being afraid.”

“You’re not alone you have us. We're a family and family's stay together.”

Kat smiles as she looks at me with tears in her eyes, “Thank you.”

“Will you at least think about leaving with us?”

“Yes.” I pull her into a hug and kiss on her head.

I don’t want to leave her behind, but I will if I have to. I can’t make her change her mind. And we can’t stay here. Helping finish packing food and water neatly in plastic bins, Steve’s voice pops up on the radio.

‘Hello again, Well I was able to cut into the military frequencies again. They said that the safe zone is surprisingly so big that they are thinking of adding on to it. They also said that it’s surrounded by zombies. Something is attracting the zombie herds to the safe zone. It could be the noise, the smell of live bait. They are not sure. Also, I guess they are working on a cure! Can you believe that! A cure! Wow, this changes everything. They could save us all and maybe we can have our life back to the way they were before. Well, l got to go, one of the girls are sick and we can’t figure out why.”

“Wow freaken crazy! “I say out loud.

“Yeah, I know! A cure! How about we go on the roof and see if we can hear or see the men,” Julia says as she grabs some water bottles and snacks.

“Good idea,” I say feeling like I need to keep moving before I go crazy from waiting on Mathews to return.

“Are you coming, Chelsea?” Julia asks.

“No ill stay here with the kids.” I’m about to ask Kat if she wants to join us, but I don’t see her playing with the kids anymore and I don’t see Jake anywhere either. They must be together.

Walking up the long hallway of stairs until we reach the roof of the strip mall. Julia swings open the door and the very cloudy sky comes into view. The weather is a lot cooler than it was in Arizona. It looks like it’s going to rain.

Following Julia in the middle of the roof where there are several lounge chairs and a couple glass tables spread out. She sets the waters on the table and picks the seat on the other side of the table. I sit on the opposite side of the table and enjoy the cool weather.

“What did Kat say?”

“She will think about coming with us.”

“That Jake guy is a jerk. What does she see in him.”

“No clue, he is a nice guy just a horribleboyfriend.”

“Emily doesn’t help either. She flirts with anything that has a dick.”

“Oh my gosh, Julia,” I say laughing at her comment.

“Well, it’s true. That girl is such a slut. I want to slap her for it. Did you know she was all over Mike? Chelsea got so mad she flipped out and threaten Emily in front of everyone!”

“Oh wow a married man. I hate women like that.”

“Me too, Emily hasn’t flirted with Mike since. I think Chelsea scares her.”

“Well, hell she should be scared. You don’t mess with a married man. That’s screwed up.”

“Yup, I agree,” Julia says, bobbing her head up and down. The door swings open and Chelsea comes storming out, holding the portable radio.

“I hate Emily. That Bitch is a hoe.” Julia and I look at each other and start laughing.

“What did she do now?”

“Flirting with Jake in front of Kat and Kat's about to explode!”

“What’s Jake doing?” I ask curiously.

“Loving every second of it.”

“Well, if Kat's smart she will put up a fight or leave and say fuck Jake.”

“Yeah, I guess we'll see.”