'Til Death Do Us Part (19 page)

“
Oh boy
,
”
I said as I did a curb check bouncing the front pas
senger side wheel off of a curb.
I had been so busying studying John
’
s expressions
,
and then I had been distracted by a particularly interes
ting smudge on the small mirror—
it looked to be a cross of a young Elvis with a touch of Jamie Lee Curtis thrown in there. Can
’
t explain it, it
’
s just what I
saw at the time. I nearly rear-ended
Johnson
’
s propane truck
—
I knew the name from the f
oot high lettering on the rear—
but pulled the wheel far enough to avoid that fun little disaster in the making.

“
Where we going?
”
John asked.

“
Out of the city first
,
then we
’
ll decide. I don
’
t think where I want
to go is the same place as you,
”
I said
,
thinking that he was going to want to hook up with his
Stephanie
. I hoped that wouldn
’
t be the case. First off
,
because I
’
d lose my ride
. A
nd second, I kind of liked the crazy bastard even if he did dose my ass without me knowing. Setting him loose in this world was the same as signing his death certificate
,
and I didn
’
t think I
’
d be able to do that with a clear con
science
.

If I
had just pointed the damn van n
orth and gone towards home I most likely would have caught up to Gary, BT
,
and the bitch. There
were
a couple of plusses to our detour and some minuses.

Tomas and Eliza

“
This reminds me of
North
ern France during World War One,
”
Eliza said as the city burned around them. She had a faraway look in her eye as if lost in nostalgia.

“
I had been following you
,
Eliza
,
you were in California around that time.
”

“
Do not presume
,
brother
,
to think that I did not realize you were slinking around. I
let
you know where I was
,
but I would roam the world just to walk among the damned.
Almost as an angel of mercy,
”
s
he mused.
“
I
put vast numbers of their like
out of their misery.
”

“
They should h
ave nominated you for sainthood,
”
Tomas said as they strolled down the street, zombies streaming past them heading to wherever they thought they could find a meal.

Eliza stopped for a moment.
“
T
hat sounded very Michael Talbot-
like, maybe you have more of him in you then you realize.
”

“
I wish,
”
w
as Tomas
’
reply.

“
Tomas
,
I grow weary
of your fondness for the humans.
You
ar
e no more human than this thing,
”
Eliza said as she grabbed the nearest zombie
,
picked him up
, and thrust it head
first into the pavement. Its head
ruptured
from the impact. Tomas turned away.

“
You care for nothing
,
Eliza.
”

“
That
,
Tomas
, is an untruth.
I care very deeply for myself and quite possibly a small amount for you. I have not yet decided on that matter.
”

“
I just wanted us to be back together.
”

“
Back in that hell hole you called home?
”
s
he spat.
“
I don
’
t know what fondness you remember about that cesspool in time
,
but I harbor no such feelings. Father selling me to pay for food may have been the best thing that ever happened in my life. I got away from him, and I was given the chance to live as an immortal. Humanity will pay for all that they have bestowed upon me.
”

“
You
’
re delusional
,
sister, these people y
o
u hunt down have
done nothing to you.
”

“
I did not create this plague.
”

“
Yes
,
but you are taking advantage of it.
”

“
Isn
’
t that the
‘
human
’
thing to do?
”
She smiled.

“
You know what I meant.
”
Tomas stopped
. H
e heard a
noise
off in the distance that sounded out of the ordinary with the cries for
help and
small explosions that happened from time to time.

“
Some
one is making an escape attempt,
”
Eliza said as she heard the same sound. The car was heading away from their present location.
“
It is of little matter,
”
Eliza
continued
as the sound faded away.
“
The world grows smaller
,
and its inhabitants fewer still, we will cross paths eventually, and if it is any of Talbot
’
s hardy followers…
we will meet sooner rather than later.
It does rather smell like our childhood home though
,
doesn
’
t it?
”
Eliza asked
,
turning her head up to catch a smell of the smoke.

“
And after we destroy the Talbot
s…
what then
,
Eliza?
”

Eliza stopped mid stride.
“
You said
‘
we
’
,
brother. When
we
destroy the Talbots. I think I might have felt a surge of pride for you. Of course
,
this could still be some sort of ploy on your part, but just too hear the words issued from your mouth gave me a moment of pause.
”

Tomas smiled wanly.

“
Well perhaps
,
brother
,
we will celebrate and go on holiday. Visit the pyramids of Giza or the Coliseum in Rome.
”

“
Do you know how to pilot a boat or a plane
,
Eliza? These humans you are so hell bent on destroying were the true rulers of the planet
.
Y
ou were merely a walking nightmare that stole their dreams.
”

“
Who is in charge now?
”
s
he screamed.
“
While they try to save their pathetic little lives
,
hiding from everything that goes bump in the day or night, I walk openly in the city streets afraid of nothing or nobody!
”

“
Yes
,
you are Lord of all you survey.
”

“
Careful
,
brother, I don
’
t really
need
you. I find great solace
within myself. You are merely at times a distraction.
”

Tomas
’
face fell.

Another wicked grin came over Eliza
’
s face.
“
Tomas
,
what don
’
t you understand?
You
once knew me for
twelve brief years. I am mid-
way through my
sixth
century on this world, I
’
ve changed. I
’
m not that frightened little girl that father did those vile things to, I am that nightmare you speak of and I have gained a foothold in the waking world. I will not be swayed from my decision to rule the pathetic survivors and to use them as I see fit. I am having fun at this point, the humans will adap
t…
they always do. They br
eed like the livestock they are.
Those
we do not kill today will huddle in the dark and fornicate
,
making more of their kind. If the Great Black Plague and two World Wars could not curb their existence
,
than neither will this new plague or myself.
”

“
I curse father for what he
did
to you and now I curse him for what he didn
’
t do.
”

“
And what exactly is that
,
Tomas?
”

“
He should have killed you. In retrospect
,
that probably would have been the best thing, and you and I would be long dead and buried, together again in the afterlife.
”

“
T
here you go again with your God.
Have
you not learned he cares not for his woe begotten children? Look around you, is that not proof enough?
”
s
he asked as she turned completely around in the middle of the road with her arms outstretched.

BT,
G
ary
&
M
rs.
D
eneaux