Journal of the Undead (Book 1): Littleville Uprising (23 page)

“Hey Emma, how did you get onto my balcony anyway?” he asked.

“I knotted the sheets and used them to climb down. So when I got back, I just climbed back up again. Then I jumped across to reach your window.”

“Oh my goodness!” Kate exclaimed. “I can’t believe you scaled down the wall on bed sheets. You could have broken your neck!”

“I was perfectly safe. I saw it on
Mythbusters
. Once they made a rope out of toilet paper and it held. And I’m a lot smaller than they are.”

“Yeah and how does that show start?” Matt asked. “
Don’t try this at home … EVER
!”

She looked at her brother and grinned sheepishly. Smiling, Kate crossed the room and gave Emma a hug.

“My goodness, Emma. I think we need to move the mattress from the guest room to the floor of my room. I’m not taking any more chances. I need to keep an eye on you.” Kate chuckled but the tone in her voice made it clear she meant business.

“Mom, you can’t exactly hold her captive.”

Kate frowned disapprovingly at Evan’s jest. Even though she had no legal claim to the Wexley children, with no guardians around Kate felt responsible for their safety. She was about to say so when Lucy came to the doorway.

“Lucy, I asked you to wait in my room.”

“But Daddy is on the phone and he wants to talk to you,” Lucy answered.

Kate crossed the room and clutched the phone. Almost breathlessly, she spoke into the receiver.

“Frank, sweetheart, is that you?”

She slipped down the hall to her bedroom and closed the door. An awkward silence hung in the air until Evan leaned over and whispered something to Matt.

“I’m going downstairs to get a drink,” Matt announced, looking thoroughly annoyed. “Lucy, do you want to come with me?”

Pleased to be included, Lucy happily agreed. Without thinking, Matt pulled the door closed as he left. Realizing his mistake, he abruptly pushed it wide open again before disappearing down the hall. Evan’s smirk melted into a comforting smile as he knelt down on the floor in front of Emma. Grabbing his iPod, Evan scrolled through his song list.

“Emma, I want to play a song for you. Just listen to the words, it’s everything I’ve wanted to say to you but I couldn’t get it right.”

Evan gently placed the earbuds in her ears and pressed play. Emma looked at Evan and he was mouthing the words of the song to her. For the first time since the uprising, Emma felt safe as Evan held her securely in his arms. Gently, she pressed her lips to his.

“Eww!” Lucy exclaimed before erupting into giggles.

She was standing at the doorway covering her eyes. Matt was relieved that the kiss had been interrupted. He tossed a can of soda to Evan as he ushered Lucy inside. Nearly tripping on Emma’s backpack, he bent down to pick it up.

“This feels pretty heavy. What else did you pick up while you were out?” Matt asked as he dumped its contents onto the bed. Emma lunged at the bag but Matt was too quick for her. Nested atop a pile of clothes and scattered papers, a makeup bag caught Matt’s eye.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Matt snarled. “People are being torn to shreds and eaten alive but you can’t be seen without your makeup on. Unbelievable!”

“It’s not makeup, Matt. Just leave it alone. It’s mine.”

“Well, let’s just see about that,” Matt said as he snatched it out of her hands.

She tried to grab it back but he held it out of her reach. Despite her appeals, he unzipped the pouch and reached inside.

“Ugh!” he exclaimed, flinging the bag onto the bed and causing an array of feminine hygiene products to spill out. “No wonder you’ve been so bitchy.”

“Idiot!” Emma fumed as she shoved Matt out of the way.

As she gathered her belongings, the boys backed away as if the sealed packages were explosive.

“I’m sure my mom probably has that stuff, Em.” Evan’s discomfort was clearly visible. Emma was saved any further embarrassment when Kate called out and insisted that they all come to her room.

“Okay, Frank, I’m going to put you on speaker phone now.” Kate pressed the button and held out the phone. Static crackled through the speaker as Frank addressed them.

“I don’t have much time so listen carefully. In two days, you’ll head out for the cabin. Get packed up and ready tomorrow so you can leave at first light. I’ll do everything I can to be there but if I’m not, you leave anyway. Do not wait! I’ll catch up. Evan, you remember how to get there, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. I’m counting on you to lead everyone there safely. It’s been a few years since your mom has been there. Matt, Emma, I’m glad you two are with us. I’m so sorry about your dad. He was a good man and I’ll miss him a great deal. He would have wanted you to be safe so I expect you
both
to join us. Besides, George and Louise will be happy to have Emma around to help.”

The twins exchanged matching looks of confusion. Emma had no idea why George and Louise, complete strangers, would be happy to have her around. She noticed the obvious emphasis Major Stone placed on both her and Matt joining them. It seemed obvious that Kate had told her husband about Emma’s earlier excursion. Major Stone gave a few quick orders followed by some words of encouragement before saying goodbye.

Evan noticed that Matt and Emma wore the exact same inquisitive expression as they waited patiently for an explanation. For the first time, they actually looked like twins.

Finding the leadership role easier than he had anticipated, Evan announced that in the morning he and Matt would go out for supplies.

“Cool. So, um, where are we going?”

“We should be able to get everything we need at Hanson’s Sporting Goods,” Evan replied. While making a mental list of necessary supplies, Evan looked at his friends.
They’re doing it again
, he thought, studying the twins’ matched expressions. This time they projected thinly veiled annoyance.

“Not for the supplies,” Matt snapped back in frustration. “Where are we
going
?”

With everything that had happened, Evan had forgotten that neither of them knew about the cabin. In truth, it was more like a compound than a cabin, but for as long as he could remember his family had called it ‘the cabin.’

“Oh, sorry. I forgot you two don’t know about the cabin.”

Staying up all night on self-imposed guard duty was taking its toll and Evan desperately wanted to go to sleep. He hoped the short answer would suffice for now. “Our family has property in West Virginia between Randolph and Pendleton counties.”

“Wow,” Matt mused, “that’s gonna be a long bike ride.”

“What are you talking about?” Emma asked. “That’s ridiculous! Why would we be riding bikes?”

“Didn’t you read the book? It’s the recommended mode of travel. No noise, no running out of gas, and it’s easy to maneuver around obstacles—not to mention the off road capabilities.”

“Well I’m sure ‘the book’ didn’t take into consideration that we’re traveling with a nine-year-old. Or that you
haven’t ridden a bike for more than a quarter mile since you got your driver’s license,” Emma scoffed. “And speaking of the book, it says that there should be at least three in a team for supply runs so I’m going with you tomorrow. But Walmart would be a better choice than the sporting goods store.”

“You can’t have it both ways, Emma,” Matt retorted. “Either you’re following the book or you’re not!”

Already sick of their bickering, Evan decided to interrupt. First, he emphatically rejected the idea of Emma joining them on the supply run. He and Matt could get in and out quicker by themselves. Worrying about Emma was a distraction he didn’t need. Evan had fully expected Emma to pitch a fit, demanding that she should go. When she smiled sweetly and feigned resignation Evan was too relieved to sense a trap.

“I understand. I still think you should reconsider and go to Walmart, even if it is without me.”

Evan’s curiosity was piqued so he asked why.

“As opposed to Hanson’s, Walmart has a pharmacy. The book says we should get first aid supplies and antibiotics. Do either of you know the generic or brand names of the most common antibiotics?”

Evan stammered then looked to Matt for answers. From his blank expression, Evan could tell Matt wouldn’t be any help.

“Since neither of you know what we need, I really should go too,” Emma smiled, knowing she had won.

It was with misgivings that Kate allowed the three go on a supply run. Frank had insisted though. She, herself, had never hunted and was only a fair shot at paper targets. Evan, on the other hand, had been trained since he was a young boy. Lucy, as her husband had pointed out, desperately needed her mother during such a frightening time. Kate didn’t like the idea of letting any of them out of her sight, but Frank had given the green light so she agreed. After all, Evan and Matt had been studying the book. They knew more about the zombies than she did and she’d never stuck around to listen to George’s horror stories. Kate silently watched as her eldest child planned out the best route for their mission.

He’s so much like his father,
Kate thought wistfully.
He even looks older and it’s only been a few days since those monsters invaded.

Like most mothers, she did not relish the thought of her child looking older. She longed for the days when she could hold her little boy in her arms rather than look at him and see that her baby was almost a man.
No
, she decided,
he doesn’t look older. He looked exhausted
.

Kate interrupted their strategizing and insisted that all three of them get some rest. She was surprised when no one resisted.

Evan knew going into town would be dangerous and they needed to be prepared. It was highly doubtful that the twins had any real experience with guns so they needed a crash course in gun safety. After a much needed nap, they still had a few hours of daylight left for target practice. He lined up some empty soda cans across the picnic table and tacked a few bulls-eye targets up on the trees.

Even with suppressors, Evan was apprehensive. His uncle had told him many stories and he knew that zombies had excellent hearing. The noise was bound to bring some unwanted attention their way but there was no other choice. He had to be certain that both Matt and Emma could protect themselves.

After a stern lecture about maturity, responsibility, and safety, Kate resigned herself to watching from the kitchen window with Lucy. Evan was surprised at how quickly his pupils caught on. In just a short time, both Matt and Emma were able to shoot with moderate accuracy. Neither of them would ever be considered snipers, but Evan was confident that they would be able to target a zombie’s head.

When the sky grew dark, Kate called everyone inside. Dinner that evening was a somber affair. Lucy was pouting because she wasn’t allowed to go outside with the others and they were excluding her from their Walmart excursion. Weariness from Lucy’s incessant whining combined with apprehension about their upcoming journey left Kate uncharacteristically quiet. The rest were focused on the mission ahead of them. Since no one felt much like talking, they all agreed to an early bedtime.

Still on edge, the three teens rose early, showered, and dressed. Emma pulled her hair into a tight French braid and secured the end with bobby pins.
Nothing for them to grab onto, just like Evan said
. She tried to block out the mental image of Ms. Collins clutching handfuls of Whitney’s hair as she reeled in her prey.

With stomachs full of butterflies, there was simply no room for food so the trio skipped breakfast.

“Let’s go and get it over with,” Matt suggested. Emma and Evan agreed.

Evan pulled his mom’s bicycle out of the garage and gave it to Emma to ride, and the three mounted up. From the bedroom window, Kate watched as the bicyclists faded into the distance. With a heavy heart, she said a silent prayer for their safety.

No one said a word as they peddled down Pine Tree Court although their eyes constantly scanned the surrounding area for traces of the undead. As they drew closer to town, an eerie moaning seemed to hang in the air. The streets were empty but signs of looting were everywhere. The shops along Main Street, once charming and inviting, bore shattered windows and empty displays. Hanson’s Sporting Goods Store was a smoky shell. The surrounding stores had been gutted by fire and reduced to rubble. Scorched corpses were left in the street, strewn along the sidewalks heaped with the rubble and waste. Emma unconsciously picked up speed, seeking to distance herself from the desolation. Matt and Evan sped up too and soon the huge motion-sensor doors of the Walmart loomed ahead.

“There’s no guarantee of safety inside there,” Evan warned. “Those doors open for both the living and undead alike.”

Dismounting their bikes, all three had their backpacks securely fastened and rifles ready. There were no ‘greeters’ inside the doors, living or undead. Being careful to check each aisle, they made their way to the pharmacy. Evan had brought bolt cutters in case the gate was down and locked, but the pharmacy was wide open.

“There’s no one here,” Emma whispered. “You guys should go get the rest of the supplies while I clean out the pharmacy. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather get out of here as quickly as possible. It’s creepy in here!”