
GRACE LOST

BOOK ONE OF THE GRACE SERIES

M. Lauryl Lewis
© September 2012 / Larson Falls Publishing & M. Lauryl Lewis

Cover image © 2015 Schwartze

Smashwords Edition

Cover design by Christian Bentulan

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Books by M. Lauryl Lewis

Horror:

The Grace Series

Grace Lost (book 1)

Tainted Grace (book 2)

Dark Grace (book 3)

Fallen Grace (book 4)

Praying for Grace (book 5)

New Adult Romance:

The Sun Trilogy

This Side of the Sun (book 1)

For news and updates from the author:

www.zombieauthor.com

www.facebook.com/MLaurylLewis

@MLaurylLewis.com 

# PROLOGUE

The fine blue mist was impossible to see falling from the night sky. It coated everything in its path: houses, cars, toys left in yards by children, the ground. By sunrise, it would be impossible to detect. The veil of toxic substance was thin, but it was enough to do the harm for which it was intended. Anyone unlucky enough to be outside at the time of contamination would die. The airplanes that flew that night would be some of the last to ever fly.

The darkness of night would give way to morning light, as it always had. People would awake in search of a lazy weekend breakfast. Mothers would begin preparing children for a day of play. Dogs would whine to go outside. The dead would rise. God's Grace would be lost.

# CHAPTER 1

The sun was rising over the Cascades, painting the horizon in hues of pink and orange. As a child, my father had always told me that a morning this color hints of a storm to come. With the heat of late summer leftover from the day before, and the sound of birds welcoming the new one, I refused to believe the perfection of such a day might be ruined. My lifelong friend, Adam Boggs, was home from college for the summer and we had agreed to spend time with each other. We had grown up together, our parents being close friends and neighbors. Boggs was three years my senior and used to watch over me like a big brother. When he left our home town of Silvana to go to school across the state I had felt utterly lost and alone. We wrote to each other for months until his letters slowed and eventually stopped. He had been painfully absent during the worst event of my life, the unexpected deaths of my sister and our parents, as well as my last two years of high school.

He had written to me earlier in the month letting me know he would be in town and wanted to see me. I had mixed emotions, but agreed to spend a weekend with him. My life was fairly boring so I didn't have an excuse to stay away. I had graduated from high school just two years before and was still living off what my parents had left me in their will. I didn't have a job, but spent much of my time volunteering with kids on the local Indian Reservation. My father was from a nearby American Indian tribe and had given much of his heart to the children there. Continuing his cause helped me to cope with the emptiness in my life.

Boggs and I now sat on the porch of an old cabin in the woods, long ago abandoned. It was a place we had spent many hours talking and playing cards. The small one-room cottage had been void of furniture and full of dust when we first happened upon it as children. At some point in our teenage years, we had added an old two-seat wicker sofa and a folding table and chairs. We had spent hours here sharing our hopes and dreams and making up stories about who had once lived there. Every summer we'd spend at least one night a week at the cabin, building a fire in the old stone fireplace and roasting marshmallows or hotdogs. Sleeping on the cold wooden floor was miserable, and we always managed to wake in time to watch the sun rise. It had been a sanctuary when life had been harsh. It seemed fitting now that it be a place of healing for our friendship.

The wood bench we sat upon was familiar, smoothed with age and bleached by the sun. We hadn't engaged in more than small talk the night before. Instead we had sat around the old fireplace drinking beer, our grown-up version of s'mores.

"It's good to be back here, Zoe. I've missed this more than I can say."

I smiled softly at him. "Me too, Boggs. I'm not sure it will ever feel the same as it used to, though. Remember when we were kids?"

My once best friend looked at me with his pale blue eyes. His shaggy hair was dark brown, almost black, and always had two or three loose curls out of place. I used to brush them aside without giving it a second thought, but now that felt wrong. I must have pouted a bit, because he sighed and stood up.

"Zoe, we're not kids anymore. Life's complicated." He took a deep breath and shoved his hands into the large pocket on the front of his black hoodie. I drew my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them. At five-foot-two I'm not big, but I was feeling even smaller at the moment. "There's stuff that's happened. Things are just...different...now," he continued.

"Stuff you can't tell me about? We used to be best friends, Boggs. What did I do to make you so distant?" I was still hugging my legs, and had the start of tears welling in my eyes. Boggs came back to the bench, hands still in his hoodie, and sat down beside me. He took a deep breath, took a hand out of his pocket and placed it around my own. His hand was rough and warm, and much larger than mine. His touch reminded me of the closeness we used to share and sadness filled my heart.

"You didn't do anything, Zoe."

"Then what?" I used my sleeve to dab at my eyes.

Boggs looked down at his lap, and seemed thoughtful for several moments. "Last year at college I met someone. Her name was Susan. Is Susan. She's the friend of a friend and I was drinking one night." He stopped talking, let go of my hand, and stood again. Facing away from me, he continued. "She got pregnant, Zo." He took a deep breath and hung his head.

I sat quietly waiting for him to continue. I wasn't sure what to say.

He stuffed his hands back into his sweatshirt pocket. I could tell he was crying. I stood and walked to him, and laced my hands around his arm. He looked at me briefly, sniffling. "She told me about it a week after she had an abortion. I didn't love her. I didn't even really know her." He looked at me, this time meeting my brown eyes with his blue. My hair and skin were pale like my mom's, but I had my dad's dark eyes. "It messed me up pretty bad, Zoe. There's no going back to being kids. Being carefree. I haven't told anyone about this. It's too hard to talk about. And I never wanted you to be disappointed in me."

I wrapped my arms around him and whispered near his ear "I'm sorry, Boggs." I could feel his tears on my neck. He smelled like the woods and the fire we had built last night. He had always talked about wanting kids one day. Boggs was a sensitive guy despite his rugged looks. We stood there for several moments in an embrace between friends. A breeze picked up and we both smelled it at the same time. The offensive and unmistakable stench of death. We looked at each other curiously, and the moment was interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping. Our heads both turned in unison toward old Mr. Anderson, the owner of Silvana Farm and Feed. Mr. Anderson had been in a fatal car accident four days prior and was due to be buried over the coming weekend. It was the biggest news in our small hometown, the accident being caused by drunken teenagers who fled the scene and were caught the next day. He was the shade of gray only death can clasp in its icy grip, his brown twill funeral suit falling forward from its false backside. He seemed to be looking in our general direction with clouded, unblinking eyes as his body swayed unnaturally. His left arm hung limply at his side. He had congealed blood dripping from his slack jaw and with each shambling step an inhuman moan escaped from his chest. In his right hand he held what looked like medium length blonde hair laden with bits of earth, leaves and blood. He was at the tree line that surrounded the cabin and moving toward the porch upon which we stood.

I felt goose bumps spread along my arms and up my neck while Boggs instinctively tightened an arm around my waist. "Mr. Anderson?" I called in a disbelieving and hushed tone, not yet fully realizing that the impossible was before us. Boggs took his arm from my waist and gripped my hand, starting to pull me inside the dilapidated cabin. "Mr. Ander..." My voice broke off.

"Shhhh, Zoe," whispered Boggs. "Don't make a sound!"

The dead man reacted to Boggs' voice with a terrifying scream. I was pulled the rest of the way into the little cabin. Once we were both inside, Boggs closed the door and leaned against it, looking tousled and panicked. We looked at each other, wide-eyed. We could hear Mr. Anderson's clumsy footfalls approaching the cabin as he walked through the tall dried grasses and weeds that were long ago a manicured lawn. His awkward screams had turned to moans of desperation.

"Boggs?" I whispered. "That was Mr. Anderson, right?" I asked, still not fully understanding the gravity of the situation. I could hear Boggs taking shallow breaths, as well as the sounds of the dead man approaching. "Is this some kind of joke? He's dead," I whispered.

Boggs leaned close to me, holding my shoulders in his strong but trembling hands. "I know Zoe. I'm not sure what's going on but we need to get the fuck out of here," he said very quietly. He looked at me for some sign of understanding and I nodded quickly. The insulting smell of death invaded the room in which we stood, stinging our noses. "Grab your backpack and let's go out the back," he urged. Again I nodded.

Mr. Anderson was on the porch now. We could hear the sound of his feet dragging across the creaky old boards as he got closer to the entry. Knowing there was no lock on the old weathered door, Boggs dragged the wicker sofa over and blocked the entryway. The noise seemed to agitate the old man, who began scratching and thumping against the door. The light-weight sofa was no match, and the door began to open inward. "Now, Zoe! Out the back window," shouted Boggs as he began to drag me by my shirt sleeve. One of the only windows in the cabin faced west. Glass panes were long since broken and curtains hung in tatters. Boggs took my pack and tossed it outside, sneaking his head out to glance around. "Go, now, and run for the woods. I'll be right behind you!" As I sat on the sill and swung my legs out in one fluid motion, I felt Boggs push hard on my back in encouragement as I dropped the few feet to the ground and rolled to the side. My hip ached from the impact, but I ignored the pain and forced myself to stand. I grabbed my pack as Boggs landed beside me, and began to run. I could hear Mr. Anderson's moans begin to fade and focused on the rhythmic sound of our feet running through the forest.

Out of breath and my side aching, I slowed once we were deep into the woods. I knew Boggs was running slower than he could the whole time, making sure to stay at my side. Coming to a stop to catch my breath, I reached down to touch my shoes and stretch. After a pause, I looked up at my friend and swallowed hard. "Sorry." I tried to slow my breathing so I could speak. "I had to stop."

He nodded his head, not fighting for air as hard as I was, and answered "It's ok. We have to keep moving, though."

I nodded in agreement.

"Home's only about a mile or so south of here. I think we should try for it. I'm not sure if he's following us, but we better get moving. My place will be closer than yours. I left my cell phone at home since there's no reception out here anyway. Let's just get there and call for help."

I trusted Boggs and nodded again. "Your place then," I said, looking him in the eyes.

"Think you can run it, kid?" His old annoying nickname for me. Right now I took comfort in it.

"Faster than you, Boggs," I joked in a strained voice. Neither of us smiled, but instead just looked at one another in a moment of understanding.

"Give me your pack? I'll carry it."

I handed the backpack to my friend, and we set out with a renewed sense of urgency to reach safety.

Ferns, vine maples, and huckleberry bushes blurred by us as we ran. I could hear my pulse in my ears and did my best to keep my composure. Fight or flight came to mind and I knew now was the time to flee. Eventually, we came to a lazy creek. We slowed as we approached the water, and looked at each other as we smelled death once again. It seemed stronger here, and we both had troubled looks on our faces. "Boggs?" I said quietly. He put his finger to his mouth. Things around us seemed unusually silent. I realized even the nearby Interstate was quiet. All we could hear now was our own breathing and the gently flowing water of the stream.

Boggs held his hand out signaling me to stay still as he crept forward toward a large fallen tree. He eventually motioned for me to join him. I obeyed, crawling on all fours to crouch beside him behind the log. The ground here was wet, the moss forming a soggy blanket. We watched the back side of the neighborhood with which we were both familiar. There were only eleven homes in all, including both of ours. His was closest, backing up to the greenbelt where we now hid. We saw no movement, nothing suspicious. I felt Boggs' warm breath on my cheek as he whispered to me. He still smelled faintly of the beer we drank last night.

"We need to stay quiet, Zo."

"I know."

"Let me walk ahead of you. I'm going to head to our backyard and we can go in through the sliding door. My folks never lock it."

I felt him squeeze my hand, which I had been unaware he'd been holding. We stood slowly and Boggs straddled the fallen log, then turned back to help me over. Being a bit shorter, I had to sit on the massive old growth tree, swing my legs over, and slide down till my feet touched the ground.

As I landed on the soft forest floor, we heard a loud high pitched scream full of pain and agony. I felt a type of chill in my stomach which I had never felt before and the hairs on my arms stood on end. My feet didn't want to move forward. I sensed danger in the direction we needed to go. Still holding my hand in his, Boggs forcefully pulled me forward. My hip complained again, and I winced. Boggs pulled me back to the floor of the woods, where we huddled together so he could talk to me.

"Zo, what's wrong?"

"I landed on my hip. I'm sure it's nothing, Boggs. Really."

"Do you want me to carry you?"

"No way. Seriously, I'm fine. Let's just get inside. Please?"

He studied my face for a moment, and then nodded in agreement. He stood and held a hand out for me.

We ran through the shallow creek that separated the forest from the nearby homes. Our surroundings blurred as our pace quickened, our target now in sight and coming closer. The screams cut off as quickly as they had begun.

The freshly painted back porch of Boggs' parent's house was only strides away, but it seemed to take forever and a day to reach. Catching my own disheveled reflection in the glass of the patio door, I startled and began to scream. Boggs quickly clasped one of his hands over my mouth. He protectively put his other arm around me, holding me tight. I tried to slow my breathing, willing the heart pounding within my chest to slow.

In the distance we heard a loud explosion, moments later feeling the impact as a subtle pressure change in the air. I closed my eyes, holding back the tears that fought to escape. Boggs released his hand from my mouth, reaching back to open the door. My ears now ringing, I barely heard the slider open. Still holding me tightly against his body, Boggs pulled me inside and quickly closed the door behind us. Loosening his grip on me, he slid the lock on the door into place and pulled the curtains closed. We were in his parent's basement, which was cool and dark being set partially below ground level. My mouth was dry and my heart continued to beat wildly against my chest. We heard the squeal of tires outside followed by glass breaking and metal crunching loudly. The house shook with another explosion, this time much closer. A new set of screams began. I walked to the couch that sat under a small window that was situated halfway up the wall at ground level and looked out at the front yard. I had never been this full of fear. I knelt on the cushions of the faded brown and orange floral sofa and dared to look out to the front street. The shrubs were well established, blocking our view. Boggs knelt beside me in the same fashion. For the first time since entering the house one of us spoke.

"Do you think we're safe here?" I asked, my voice strained.

"No," was all Boggs said while he looked out toward the street. After a long pause, he finally turned to me. "I can't see anything Zo, but I think we need to leave and find somewhere safe. My Explorer's in the garage. I think we should pack what we can and leave."

"Where will we go?" I asked, still speaking in a whisper. My body was trembling.

He shook his head back and forth, a bead of sweat dripping down his temple. "I don't know. Let's just start by seeing if we can get any news on the TV."

I nodded. He crept down from the couch and crawled to the corner where the television sat on the floor. It was an old set, the kind that doesn't have a remote control. Boggs turned a knob and we waited. Nothing happened.

"One of those explosions must have been a transformer," I mumbled, now biting on my thumbnail.

"Yeah, probably."

I was on the verge of spilling tears. Boggs came over and sat beside me on the tattered sofa. He looked me in the eyes, holding my head in his hands to make sure I was fully paying attention.

"We have to keep it together, Zoe. Ok?"

I nodded.

"We need to go upstairs, get water, food, clothes, cash, blankets. Like we're going to be gone for a few days. Can you help me with that?"

I nodded again, still fighting the tears.

"Ok, let's go. Stay away from the windows." He stood up, and held a hand out to me.

I took his hand and stood.

"Jesus, Zoe. You're bleeding." He was looking down at my pants. He knelt down to inspect where blood from my hip had stained my jeans.

"It'll be fine," I said, sniffling. I didn't want him to know just how much it was starting to hurt.

"We'll need to look at it upstairs. No arguing."

He walked to the far end of the room, toward the stairway, and I followed. We climbed the steps, Boggs in front. The landing that divided the staircase half-way up squeaked as we reached it, causing us to pause. Now directly in front of the main door to the house, we heard unearthly moans coming from outside. As Boggs stepped closer to the door to check the deadbolt, I took a step back.

"Boggs, your parents are still in Arizona, right?" I whispered.

"Yeah, why?"

"I thought I heard something upstairs."

Boggs took his place in front of me again, hushing his own voice now. "Stay here, Zoe."

Before I could argue, he let go of my hand and was halfway up the last set of steps. I felt my stomach drop, the bitter taste of bile rising in my throat. Sick with fear, I threw up on the next step down from the landing. I used the bottom of my t-shirt to wipe my mouth. I listened for some sign from Boggs, but only heard the horrible moaning coming from outside. I dared to look through the small pane of glass in the door that allowed for peeking at visitors. In the street I could see the car that had crashed, turned on its side with smoke coming from under the hood. It was down about half a block, halfway in the yard of an elderly couple that had lived there since before I could remember. The Robinson's house sat across the street, next to my own. There was a woman lying face down on the lawn. She was wearing little white shorts, now stained red with blood, and a green and white flowered bikini top. By her flaming red hair I knew it was Nicole Park, the middle aged woman who had moved in last year. I could tell she was dead by her deeply pale skin and the massive amounts of blood surrounding her. Her left arm was missing, the stump sporting torn muscle and ligaments. The neighborhood ended in a cul-de-sac, which was only partly in my line of sight. I could see several figures kneeling around something. They moved in unnatural ways. Not far from them I could see a bicycle lying on the ground, its rear wheel still spinning, and a pair of legs that were not attached to a torso. There was so much blood. I must have been in shock, because I reacted by giggling. No one in their right mind would giggle at such a horrific sight.

"Zoe?" called Boggs. "You ok?"

I held my hand over my mouth, trying to stifle the chuckling that I knew had no appropriateness right now. My laughs turned to sobs, still muffled by my own hand.

"Zoe, shhhh. There's no one upstairs. I checked everywhere." He walked down the steps two at a time and joined me on the landing. He took my free hand in his and guided me up the stairs. In the back waistband of his jeans was his dad's Kahr .45 caliber pistol. I had always hated that his family kept guns. Now, though, I found the sight of the firearm comforting.

Once in the living room, Boggs walked to an end table and picked up his cell phone. I watched as he punched a few buttons and listened. "No service, Zo. Let's grab what we can and get out of here."

"I'm not sure I can do this, Boggs. This can't be real." I could hear hysteria building in my own voice.

He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed. "We'll do this together, Zoe. Just hold it together for me?" He kissed me on the forehead.

"There are more of them out there," I said in a strained voice. "I saw them, out front."

He nodded, and then kissed my forehead again. "Let's get to the kitchen and look at your leg."

We walked to the kitchen together. The room was lit by a picture window that overlooked the greenbelt from which we had just come. I stood looking out that window, watching tree leaves dancing from a light breeze.

"Zoe, take your jeans off." At any other time I'd make a joke. Instead, I unbuttoned, unzipped, and slid them off without saying a word as Boggs walked to the pantry.

"My mom keeps a first aid kit in here. Let's be sure to take it with us." He walked toward the sink. "Can you hop up here so I can look it over and clean it, Zo?"

"Yeah, I think so." I walked to the sink and put my hands on the counter behind me, and hoisted myself up, wincing from the pain.

"It's hurting pretty bad?" asked Boggs.

"Not too bad," I lied.

He bent down to look at the wound on my hip more closely. "It's not big but it looks deep."

"Great."

"Have you had a tetanus shot?"

"Yeah, last year when I stepped on a nail."

He opened a little flat square package and removed a small alcohol wipe. "Hold still Zoe, it might sting." He used the cold wipe to clean the wound, causing me to hold my breath and make fists.

Boggs sighed. "Sorry, Zo. I know that hurt. It looks like a puncture. I'm just going to put some Neosporin and a band aid on it, ok?"

I nodded, but remained silent. I knew if I tried to talk I'd start crying.

Once I was slathered in antibiotic ointment and patched up with a band aid, Boggs helped me down and I sat at the kitchen table while he looked for empty boxes. It didn't take him long to come back from the garage with two sturdy shipping boxes. He busied himself filling them with cans from his mother's pantry.

"Mrs. Park is dead. She's lying on the Robinson's lawn." My voice was lacking in emotion, which must have been what caused Boggs to stop and look at me.

"I have a feeling a lot of people are dead, Zoe. Let's stay focused till we get out of here, ok?"

"'Kay." I returned to looking out at the greenbelt.

"Zoe." Boggs' voice calling my name was faint. I ignored it and kept looking out the window. "Zoe Kate." I looked at him. "Go in the drawer under the microwave and grab the can opener? Please?"

In answer, I walked to the bank of kitchen drawers and quickly found the small hand appliance. I walked it over to the box where Boggs was busy packing supplies and dropped it in.

"Are there any peaches?" I asked. It seemed like a mindless question.

"Yes."

We worked together until two boxes were filled with canned goods and boxes of crackers and cereal. Silently, Boggs left the room while I searched the cabinets for any hidden treasures. I found a bag of brown sugar and tucked it into an empty spot between green beans and canned pork. I wondered to myself if anyone really eats canned pork. Boggs reentered the kitchen, holding a large blue and white Coleman ice chest that was familiar to me from camping trips our families had taken together in years past. For the first time, it made me think about my own parents. I felt guilty for feeling grateful they had died three years ago. They wouldn't have to face the horrors we were now witnessing.

I looked at Boggs to break my train of thought. "Do you want me to fill the cooler?" I asked him.

He nodded yes in reply. "While you do that I'm going to the garage to get the rig ready. If you need me, if anything happens, I'm just down the hall." He picked up one of the boxes of food and carried it with him. I opened the freezer first, and picked through what I thought might benefit us the most. I tossed in four packages of frozen bratwurst, and all the ice that was in the bin. I figured we could eat the brats cold since they were precooked. I left the popsicles and ice cream, already melting, behind. Boggs must have been eating well while his folks were out of town because pickings were slim. The refrigerator wasn't much better, but I found a tub of margarine, nine eggs, some Swiss cheese slices, a head of lettuce, three onions, and cranberry juice. There was a twelve-pack of Coors Light tucked into the bottom crisper drawer, and I topped the cooler off with eight and secured the lid. I set three more on the counter and popped the tab on the last remaining can. I drank from it, only stopping once to breathe. The feel of the cold beverage in my stomach made it grumble loudly in protest from not eating. I decided to get the mint chocolate chip out, and a spoon. I sat at the kitchen table, spooning the melting treat into my mouth. Boggs walked back in and cracked a small smile.

"I have gear packed. Sleeping bags and a two man tent. We can add the cooler and rest of the food last. Can I have some?" He gestured toward the ice cream.

"Yeah, it's melting. Grab a spoon."

Boggs took the spoon out of my hand, something that was like him to do. He grinned and shoved a scoop of green into his mouth. "Thanks."

Usually I'd smack his arm and smile, but not today. We finished the partial container of ice cream in silence, taking turns with the spoon. I set the empty carton and the spoon in the sink. Boggs had popped open his own beer and was nursing it. Things had quieted a bit outside, but we still heard the occasional moan and growl. I sighed a bit louder than I meant to, and walked back to the window.

"Where will we go?" I asked.

"I think we should head south. Then take Highway 2 east toward the mountains. I guess it depends on what we can find out about what the hell is happening."

"I guess we should head out then, huh?" I said, trying to sound brave. The thought of leaving the house was scaring the daylights out of me. I turned back from the window to face the inevitable. "What else do we need?"

"We need to fill some bottles with water. I'll do that. Can you run upstairs and grab some towels and toilet paper?" He looked at me a bit quizzically, not sure if it seemed prudent or not.

"Good idea."

"I haven't pulled the shades up there. Keep away from the windows, ok?"

"Kay."

"And Zoe..."

I looked back at him. "Hmm?"

"Hurry? I want to get out of here."

"I will."

I redid my messy ponytail, and quickly ascended the last short staircase in the tri-level home. Once at the top, I made my way down a short hallway toward the bathroom that sat at the back of the house. It had a small window covered in a sheer beige lace curtain. It wasn't very large, so searching didn't take long. I opened the small under-the-sink cabinet and scavenged seven rolls of generic brand toilet paper. I hadn't thought about how to carry it all, so I left the rolls of soft paper on the floor by the door and walked across the hall to Boggs' bedroom. I thought it was silly that in his twenties he still slept in a twin-sized bed with glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. I walked to the bed and took his pillow in my hands. I slipped the case off to use as a sack for what I had pillaged. Thinking twice, I took the pillow with me as well. On his desk sat a 5x7 photo of his parents and him when he graduated from high school. The sun was shining in the picture, and his parents both had grins full of pride at their only child getting his diploma. I slipped it, frame and all, into the empty pillow case and returned to the hallway to gather the toilet paper. I tucked the rolls into the make-shift sack, and arranged the frame between the quilted squares for protection. I knew deep down I wouldn't have a chance to return to the comfort of my own home. There would be no photos for me, nothing but the faded memories in my mind.

Feeling as if I was intruding, I continued down the hall to Mr. and Mrs. Boggs' bedroom. I was only looking for one more pillow, but they all sat on the bed under a large window that overlooked the street. I dared risk going for it, dropping to my knees. I crawled the few feet to the king sized bed covered in down and satin. Boggs had always said his mother was unnecessarily extravagant. I took a smallish pillow from a pile of about ten, and dared to peek outside through the window. The car fire down the street had begun to fade. I glanced toward the Robinson's house and saw that Nicole Park had moved. She was no longer lying in the grass, but was now sitting next to a fire hydrant. One of her legs was bent at an unnatural angle and underneath her. In her remaining hand she held part of a cat. It laid limp, blood dripping from what remained of its carcass. She chewed sloppily, the bloody mess splattering. I turned away, beer and ice cream fighting to see the light of day once again.

Still clinging to the pillow, I crawled along the floor until I was safely out of sight and in the hallway. I returned to the bathroom and rifled through the medicine cabinet. I added acetaminophen and ibuprofen to the pillow case, as well as a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. I studied my own image in the mirror, barely recognizing myself. My hair was snarled, my face dirty, and I looked afraid.

I used my hair tie to close the pillow case and made one last trip to Boggs' room, where I found a pair of running shorts and slipped them on. I cinched the waist with the built in tie common to such shorts, and walked back downstairs to join Boggs.

When I walked into the kitchen, Boggs was studying an atlas. He looked up.

"Nice shorts, Zoe."

"Hope you don't mind," was all I said as I set the stuffed pillow case and both pillows on the table next to the first aid kit.

"I'll throw those in the car. And no, I don't mind." He got up and carried the load to the garage. While he was gone I used the kitchen sink to wet a hand towel, and wiped my face and arms. I braided my dirty hair behind my head, and tied it with a rubber band from a collection that Mrs. Boggs kept in a small drawer below the microwave.

Boggs returned from his task in the garage. "It's all packed."

We sat together at the kitchen table drinking the Coors I had left on the counter. We hunched over the atlas, mapping a route. The plan was to head south, using smaller roads to shadow the Interstate. If Highway 2 was clear, we'd follow it east toward the foothills. I had never been good with using maps, and Boggs was well aware of that from past road trips we had ventured on. I would drive while he navigated, even before I was old enough to legally sit behind the wheel. He plotted the course with a black Sharpie pen, and then downed the last gulp of his beer. As he set the empty can on the table we heard the loud shattering of glass breaking somewhere below us. Instinctively we both stood, and my wooden kitchen chair fell over with a thud.

"Get to the garage, Zoe, NOW!" yelled Boggs as he grabbed the atlas from the table.

I was frozen in place from fear, and he gave me a shove toward the cold concrete room that housed our mode of escape. The sound of the dead grew louder, moans rising from the basement. The accompanying stench filled the house, causing us to move faster to the waiting vehicle. Boggs directly behind me, I stumbled on the carpet that was fraying at the threshold to the garage. We tumbled to the concrete floor in a heap, the sound of danger close behind. The guttural moans were terrifying. Boggs was on his feet before I could gain my own footing, so he grabbed me by the arm and hoisted me upright. Boggs had readied his handgun as I ran for the closest car door, the passenger side, and slid in. I could see in the side mirror that the first of the creatures had reached the door from inside the house. The sound of the Kahr expelling a bullet was deafening, and the corpse was launched backward into three more of the creatures. I covered my ears with my hands and screamed. I felt a whoosh of air as Boggs scrambled into the driver's seat, and felt the car shake from his weight. I kept my ears covered and my eyes shut, trying to crawl into an internal black hole.

The engine roared to life as the creatures slammed into the rear of the car in pursuit of us. I felt the SUV lurch forward and closed my eyes tighter as I felt the impact of metal against metal when Boggs drove into the large aluminum door his parents had installed only a couple of years back. We were nearly blinded by sunlight, our eyes having become accustomed to the darkness inside the house.

# CHAPTER 2

"Zoe, take the gun." My hands were still over my ears. Boggs was hurriedly driving down the gentle slope of the driveway, and became irritated. He smacked my left shoulder and yelled. "God damn it, Zoe! Take the gun!"

I looked at him, in shock by both his tone with me and from the unreal events of the morning. He reached over and set the gun in my lap, and I placed my left hand over it. Tears were streaming down my face. Boggs slammed his fist against the steering wheel with a sound of frustration deep in his throat.

Turning to the right, away from the earlier car crash, Boggs headed down the road while I sat useless. I was trying to hold in my sobs before I lost all control. I wiped my eyes with an old tissue that was shoved between the center console and the driver's seat. Boggs slammed his fist into the steering wheel again, causing fresh tears on my part. I wasn't familiar with this side of him and it scared me.

"Zo, don't cry. I just need to think. I need to get you out of here safely."

I reached forward to turn the radio on, but was met with a broken knob.

"The damn radio's broken," said Boggs in a frustrated tone. "Only the CD player works. Fuck. We need to know what the hell is going on. Damn it." He beat the steering wheel with his fist again.

I dabbed at my tears some more, and turned away from him to look out the window as we drove. We had cleared our small neighborhood and were headed south along a roadway that served a handful of farms. The road was oddly absent of vehicles, and our path was clear. To the east was a hay field that had recently been harvested. Rolled bales covered in white plastic dotted the hillside. We continued to drive in silence, the shock of events causing me to tune out Boggs as he mumbled under his breath.

Not wanting to face him, I kept watching the countryside pass by. A large pasture came to view. A Black Angus calf lay in the distance while the rest of the herd was in a far corner. I could see four human figures crouched over the animal's body, ripping into its hide with bare and bloodied hands. They were cramming chunks of flesh into their mouths and feasting while the dying calf flailed in pain and protest.

I looked away and wiped my runny nose with a bare arm, leaving a trail of slime and tears. In a monotonous tone and now looking out the windshield I spoke to Boggs. "They eat animals."

"I saw."

"I need to pee."

"Me too. I'll stop soon, but we'll need to hurry. We'll need to watch out for each other. And you need to know how to shoot that pistol, Zo."

I nodded, and picked it up.

"Ok, Zoe. First rule. Never point it at someone unless you intend to shoot them. Second rule. Never squeeze the trigger unless you mean to shoot. Third rule. Don't be afraid of it." He looked at me. "Got it?"

I nodded.

"You'll do best if you hold it with both hands. Keep steady, aim by looking down the sight. Take a deep breath, exhale halfway, and then hold your breath while you fire. Once you're sure your aim is steady, that's when you squeeze the trigger. Don't hesitate, just squeeze. And keep your eyes open. If you close your eyes your aim will be off." I was already overwhelmed. "There's ammo in the clip and I'll teach you how to get a bullet into the chamber later on. It's going to kick when you fire, but you'll get used to it. Go ahead and just hold it up and aim in front of the car to get used to the sight. Just don't actually shoot yet."

I held the pistol in my right hand, lifted it toward the windshield, and held my left hand to my right wrist for support. It felt heavy. Nothing about it felt right.

"Now close one eye and look down the sight on top. Aim at that lone fir tree in the field to your right."

I did as instructed.

"Try to keep your arms steady."

I took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly trying to steady my arms. It wasn't easy in a moving car. The sight bounced no matter what I did.

"Boggs."

"Hmm?"

"We've been driving for over an hour. I really need to pee."

"Ok. I'm stopping. When I do, you go first. I'll hold the gun and cover you."

The car slowed and came to a stop in the middle of the highway. There wasn't much to speak of in sight. Boggs put his right hand on my left arm, catching my attention.

"Once I unlock the doors, get out. Don't wander from the car. Just squat and pee here, ok?"

"Just don't watch," I said.

He pushed the unlock button, and I opened my door and stepped out. The breeze had turned to strong wind gusts, and the heat of the asphalt hit me like the thermal from a just opened oven door. I untied my shorts and pulled them down to my ankles and followed with my panties. I squatted there with my door still open. It took several long moments before my bladder would release itself. It took longer for the stream to finish, my body finally setting free the coffee, ice cream, and beer from the morning. I stood and pulled my pants back up. I looked over to Boggs to tell him I was done, and caught him looking at me. Typical man.

"Your turn, Boggs," I said without enthusiasm. The muscles in my body were beginning to feel the stress from the day along with the confines of the Explorer. My hip was starting to throb.

Boggs set the handgun on top of the car and gently pushed it to within my reach. He faced away from the car while doing his business. I scanned the horizon watching for danger. It looked like any normal day in the Pacific Northwest. Dark clouds were rolling in from the south and there was an electric charge to the air.

"There's a storm coming, Boggs," I said while looking up at the sky.

"Looks like a big one," he replied. "We should get moving. Nothing here feels right and the tank's low. There's a gas station a mile or so up the highway. I used to stop there on my way to the university."

Boggs picked up the Kahr and got back into the driver's seat. I joined him, and locked the doors. The engine was still running, and the car lurched forward when put into drive. The next three quarters of a mile were uneventful as we drove in silence. The mountains loomed in the distance to the east, their jagged tops hidden by the gray cloud cover. We saw human figures dotting the land from time to time, all walking or crawling in awkward and unnatural motions. The highway veered to the east and the ARCO station came into view. There was an old condemned farmhouse in the backdrop of the newer convenience store. Its green paint was fading and peeling. The windows were boarded in graffiti covered plywood. Blackberry bushes had laid claim to the backside of the old house, seemingly trying to pull it into the earth. Boggs pulled the car to a slow stop in front of a pump marked "4" and shut the engine off.

"Zo, I'm going to try the gas pump. I need you to watch my back, and if I have to go inside I want you to lock yourself in the car."

"No way, Boggs," I said adamantly.

Boggs shushed me. "No arguments, Zoe. Just watch the parking lot." He unlocked the doors and stepped out, grabbing the wallet out of his back pocket. I got out of the car and stood on the running board to get a better view. I looked over to see my friend sliding twenty dollar bills through the self-pay center next to the pump. He waited for a few seconds then stepped back to the car. He gave me a "thumbs up," put the nozzle into the gas tank, and set the latch for automatic filling. He walked over to me and leaned his back against the passenger door.

"I think I should go inside, Zo. See if they have a TV or radio. Heck, see if there's anyone in there. We're lucky the power's on and the pumps are working."

"I want to come with, Boggs." He looked at me and shook his head in a gesture of 'no.' Before he could say the word, though, I spoke up. "Listen!" I raised my voice as much as I dared. "It's always safer in numbers. In the movies the people who die are always the ones who split up." He looked at me in disbelief that I had said something so ridiculous.

"Ok, Zoe. But we're in and out in five minutes or less. No screwing around. If there's any of those things inside we shoot to kill and leave. And stay behind me."

"Agreed."

"I'm going to drive around to the front window and we can start by just looking in. I want the car close by so we can get out fast."

"'Kay. Fair enough."

The sound of the gas pump clicking signaled the tank was full. Boggs walked around and put the pump handle back on its hook, screwed the cap back on the tank, and we both got back into the car. It roared to life and we crept forward to peek into the large glass windows of the convenience store. Not seeing any movement, Boggs parked in front of the double doors marked "enter" and "exit." He shut the motor off and we looked at each other. "You ready?" he asked.

"Yeah. Let's do it."

"Five minutes or less," he reminded me.

"Five or less," I echoed and took a deep breath.

Boggs took the gun and went first. I followed close behind. I randomly wondered if the Slushy machine was working.

We both peered in through the slightly darkened windows, shading our faces with our hands to avoid the glare from the glass. The lights within flickered a few times, but nothing else seemed amiss aside from the lack of people milling about.

As Boggs opened the door we heard the traditional _ding! ding!_ that such stores are known for. It caused us to pause, afraid of what might be around to react to our announced arrival. The lights continued to flicker at irregular intervals. Behind the counter, mounted to the ceiling, was a silenced TV with vertical rainbow stripes. After a quick walk through the store to make sure the aisles were clear, Boggs slid behind the forbidden pony wall that was meant to keep customers away from the cash register and cigarettes. I gazed around the store waiting for monsters to come out of nooks and crannies while Boggs rifled through drawers searching for useful things. He pocketed something, but I wasn't able to see what it was. I figured if it was important he'd let me know. He pointed a black remote control at the TV to change channels.

"Anything?" I whispered.

He motioned me over.

"There's no sound on the damn thing but there's a message on channel four."

I joined him behind the counter and peered up at the small screen. The background was red, and in white lettering there was a scrolling message that didn't make much sense.

Code status fifteen. Northwest/Northeast. Protocols seven and thirty. Full containment measures.

"That's it?" I asked.

Boggs sighed and crossed his arms. "Let's grab a few things and get out of here. I want to put distance between us and civilization."

We walked the aisles, grabbing random items. I was always a sucker for Doritos and figured a bag would be ok. Of all the things we could have used, I grabbed a sack of chips, a can of bean dip, and shoved four packs of M&M's into my pockets. Boggs headed back to the counter for a plastic sack and filled it with aspirin, matches, bandages, and a small sack of BBQ briquettes. He looked at my junk food and rolled his eyes.

"Classy, Zo, classy."

Before he could hassle me anymore, a loud THUD came from the front window, causing me to drop my preservative-laced feast. Boggs dropped his plastic sack and reached for the Kahr. The beast that was flinging himself against the windows looked like he was in his late teens and had greasy brown hair and piercings in his lower lip, left eyebrow, and nose. His left cheek hung loosely from his face and he still had a tourniquet around his right arm with a needle dangling precariously. His pants were bloodied and chunks of flesh were missing from his bare chest, leaving gaping blackened craters that still oozed. A large ragged wound ran the length of his left side and around to his abdomen where loops of bowel hung in a soupy, bloody mess. I swallowed the vomit that tried to force its way up my throat and backed farther into the store while Boggs took a protective stance in front of me. The druggie was closer to the Explorer now, having moved toward the doors. A second and third corpse emerged from around the corner to join their mutilated and very much dead friend. The woman looked older and was naked except for old tennis shoes that had no laces. Her right thigh was eaten away to the bone and her lower jaw was missing. Her swollen and bloodied tongue hung stiffly from where her mouth should be. Bringing up the rear was a short man who was equally wide as tall. He wore a bowtie that was hidden almost in full by his triple chin and his suit jacket looked like it must have once been beige, but was now covered in dirt and blood. His chest was bare, a sickly shade of blue-gray. His boxers were around his ankles causing him to shuffle slowly on his bare feet. Around his right forearm was a belt cinched tight, his arm ending in a bloody stump at the wrist. His genitals had been eaten away and bite marks ran the length of his inner thighs.

"Zoe, stay back!" Boggs shouted as he aimed his Kahr at the naked woman who was now pressing into the doors, causing them to open.

We heard the telltale _ding! ding!_ again. The bell announcing new customers was joined with unholy moans and followed by the sound of a gunshot from outside. The fat man fell, the back of his head blown off and now splattered on the window to our left. The mass of skull, brain, and hair seemed to be suspended, and then slowly made a trail of black ooze as gravity caused it to slide down the glass until it finally dropped out of sight.

Another gunshot momentarily deafened me, this time coming from Boggs' gun. The naked woman was hit in her bare shoulder and fell to the ground, landing in a contorted manner on her side. She twisted her fallen body and stood again. She began to walk away from the store seemingly interested in something new. A fourth figure emerged, holding a shotgun aimed at the woman. The sky had darkened and rain began to fall heavily as the sky flashed white. The sound of the shotgun firing was echoed by that of thunder as the woman's body dropped once again, now minus the top of her head. She didn't get up this time around.

"Boggs!" I screamed. The teenager was inside the store now and moving toward us. His snarls and moans were met by thunder, and his stench mingled with that of fresh rain meeting oil on the long-dry summer pavement.

Boggs lifted the handgun and looked down the sight. Another thunderous gunshot and the teenager stood still, no longer advancing. There was a black hole in the middle of his forehead. His body slumped to the mat that was meant to catch debris from shoes. He was finally at rest.

We watched as the man with the shotgun moved toward us. His weapon was lifted toward the sky as a sign of intent to do no harm, and it was clear by his speed and agility that he was human. One of us.

He was in his late thirties or early forties, I'd guess, and dressed in jeans and a button up shirt. On his hands were fingerless black gloves, and he was topped by a black felt cowboy hat.

"Zoe, put your hands up so he knows we're not a threat."

I did as instructed, following the stance Boggs took. The cowboy came to the door, his hands also outstretched in a human gesture.

Boggs called out to him through the door that still stood propped open by the fallen teen. "We're human. There are two of us. Don't shoot!"

The cowboy returned the greeting. "I'm coming in."

He crossed the threshold to the store, stepping over the body of the dead teenager. His shotgun held in his left hand, he extended his right toward Boggs. "Name's Gus." The cowboy smiled, and lightning struck in the distance. "Nice to meet you."

Boggs took his hand, shook it once, and replied with a curt "Boggs. Adam Boggs."

The cowboy tipped his hat to me. "Ma'am."

I was shivering, and not quite able to find my voice. Boggs answered for me. "This is Zoe."

The cowboy looked from me to Boggs.

"We're together," added my friend.

I looked at Boggs, not quite understanding why he'd added that. He returned my quizzical look with one that suggested I be quiet and step closer to him. I did both. The cowboy named Gus licked his lips and the new aroma of distrust mixed with that of rotten flesh and fresh rain. He turned and slowly walked to the counter and leaned against it, his gun still lowered.

The cowboy broke the awkward silence first. "Is it just the two of you?"

"Yes," replied Boggs, whose arm I now clung to. "How about you, Gus? Are you alone?" Boggs still held his pistol, now aimed downward toward the floor.

"I had picked up a migrant worker on my way north, but those damn things had bit him at some point. I had to shoot him when he died and came back. So yes, now it's just me." He paused for a thoughtful moment. "I saw your SUV parked out front. I was hoping to hot wire it since my truck broke down. But then I saw those bastards trying to get in here. I figured someone alive was around." He shrugged his shoulders and sucked snot up his nose.

I felt Boggs' stance relax just a bit. "Thanks for helping out with those two." He tipped his head toward the bodies outside.

The cowboy smiled in reply. "I hate to trouble you two, but I could sure use a ride."

Boggs relaxed a bit more and put his hand over mine as I squeezed his arm. I was trying to let him know I didn't trust the man.

"Our rig isn't big and it's packed full. We can rearrange a few things and put one of the back passenger seats up." I squeezed Boggs' arm a little harder when he said this. "Zoe, grab your chips? Let's make this quick."

Gus held his hand back out to Boggs, some sort of masculine form of agreement mixed with thanks. "Mind if I grab a few things before we load up?" Without waiting for an answer, the man jumped the counter and grabbed as many cartons of cigarettes and cans of chew as he could fit into a plastic sack.

Boggs looked at me and whispered. "It's okay, Zo. Strength in numbers. Just like in the movies." He winked at me.

I nodded at him, let go of his arm, and picked up my chips and bean dip.

The man came back around from behind the counter. "Ready."

Boggs spoke to both me and the cowboy. "We need to rearrange the stuff in the rig. Zoe, Gus and I are going to go out and move some stuff around. I want you to stay inside. You have a couple minutes to grab anything else you need. Keep it small. It's going to be cramped."

"'Kay. But I don't like it," I answered.

I watched them walk outside. Feeling suddenly very alone, my body shuddered. I grabbed my own empty plastic sacks from the counter and loaded one with Cherry Coke one-liters and bottles of apple juice. I put my Doritos and bean dip in the other. I walked with the sacks toward the back of the store where they sold a stock of souvenirs and picked out a white t-shirt that said "Seattle" on the front with a cheesy drawing of the Space Needle. The only size they had was an extra-large, but I took it anyway.

"Zoe. Come on. It's time," said Boggs, indicating that he and Gus were ready.

I walked toward the door, stopping at the body that lay in my path. Boggs encouraged me with a soft voice. "C'mon, just step over." He held his hand out in an offer to take my bags, then held the other out for me to grab for support. I clung to the t-shirt in one hand, and with the other held his hand tightly while I stepped over the once-junkie-now-dead young man. Boggs put his free hand on my back and led me to the passenger side of the Explorer. "Zoe, I want you to sit in back. Gus has his own gun, so I want you to hold mine." Gus was several feet away smoking a cigarette and watching for more of the undead. Boggs lowered his voice. "Remember what I told you about it. I'm sure this guy will be fine, but I'll feel better if you're behind him with the gun."

I nodded and slid into the cramped back seat. The smallish SUV was packed with what we thought might be useful: sleeping bags, pillows, a two-man tent, bottled water, food, candles, a lighter, and the toilet paper that surrounded the photo I had hidden. Back in his garage Boggs had laid the back seats flat for more stowage, so with my seat now upright the sacks from the store threatened to fall on me. The Kahr sat on my lap.

My shirt smelled like vomit from my episode on the stairs before we left home, so I pulled it over my head exposing my pale blue bra for only a moment. Just as fast, I pulled the new t-shirt over my head. Gus was beside the car now, smiling at me. He winked. My face reddened. The cowboy got into the front passenger seat at the same time Boggs slid into the driver's position. He took off his felt cowboy hat and set it between the two front seats.

"We just filled the tank," said Boggs. "We're headed east toward the mountains, hoping to cross the valley via Highway 2."

Gus nodded. "To head that way we'd have to go south first." He tucked a pinch of snuff into the inside of his lower lip and thought for a moment. "Everett's overrun. I barely got out." He pointed to the south. "See that smoke? It's the prison. A helicopter went down right on top of it. Roads are blocked once you cross the river just after Marysville. There are wrecks everywhere, and these bastards are eating on people left and right." He shook his head solemnly.

"Any ideas on where to head?" asked Boggs.

"I'd suggest heading north, away from the populated areas," said Gus. "I have a survivalist uncle just outside of Bellingham. We can see about staying up there a while."

"Zoe, you okay with that?" asked Boggs, looking back at me. I shrugged, not really feeling qualified to decide our fate.

"Does she talk?" asked the cowboy.

"Too much," joked my friend. I rolled my eyes when I knew he was looking at me in the rearview mirror. I rolled my window the rest of the way down and dropped my old t-shirt to the ground, where it landed in a heap. The rain was still falling hard. The car lurched forward as we began our trek north.

# CHAPTER 3

No one spoke for a good mile or two, the tension in the car being intense.

Boggs finally broke the silence. "Gus, we haven't been able to get any news. What the hell is going on out there?"

Gus cleared his throat before answering. "The news came on late last night. Like fucking H.G. Wells." He spit into a paper cup. "The dead rising and eating the living." He shook his head. "No one knows exactly, just that reports came in from Europe, Australia, here, and Central America first. No obvious pattern. Just like in the fucking movies. The news stopped broadcasting early this morning." Several more minutes of silence passed before he continued. "You probably noticed you have to get them in the head or they just keep coming after you."

"Yeah," Boggs answered simply.

"Just like in the goddamn movies," Gus said quietly.

"We've seen them eating animals," I said. "Cats, cows."

"They seem to eat anything they can kill," said Gus. "Back in town a group of them was eating on a dog carcass. I even saw one of 'em chewing on a rat. Not to mention all the people..." his voice trailed off.

After a long moment of silence he spoke again. "Just before everything went off-air there were reports about containment. The government authorizing lethal force. None of it made much sense, but that's when I decided to get the hell out of Dodge. The hitch hiker I picked up said he heard rumors of a terrorist attack. His cousin at Fort Lewis had called and said there had been reports of an unknown agent being dropped from the air, but his cell went dead. He never heard back."

The first town we came upon was small and boasted old homes from mining days. Many of them were vacant and boarded up. We saw a scraggly mutt running down a side street, headed away from us. Aside from the dog, the town was relatively still. We coasted through, always watching for danger. Several nearly identical scenes passed us as miles were added to the SUV. The types of houses changed, as did the landscape, but they seemed to all tell the same story of abandonment.

It was in one of the larger towns that we noticed the first activity. It was vague at first, a shadow out of place here, a streak of movement behind a glass store front there.

"I think we might have company," said Gus calmly. I thought he must have strong character to be able to keep his cool.

"Think we should change our route?" asked Boggs, just as matter-of-factly.

"Nah. I think we should just keep straight, get through the town. Nothing's coming after us in the open," answered Gus.

"Not yet," I mumbled from the back seat. My gut was screaming danger and I wanted to be far away from this place. "I don't like it here."

"Me either," said Gus.

The road veered to the right and as we passed a drug store, the door opened. A woman ran out and into the street, waving her arms to get our attention. Her long black hair was a mess, and her face was streaked with dirt. Our windows were rolled down for fresh air, and we could hear her screaming for help.

"Roll up your windows!" barked Boggs.

"We have to help her!" I cried out in response.

From around a corner several of the creatures appeared in pursuit of the woman. They weren't as slow as the ones we had encounter thus far, and were gaining on her. Most of them wore bloodied clothing. I watched as the woman looked back, her face full of fear. She ran toward our car as Boggs slowed.

"We can't risk it," shouted Gus. "They're too close!"

As he finished his thought, the first of the creatures made contact with the woman. It grabbed her arm and bit down as she ran, causing her to scream shrilly in pain.

I started crying. "We have to help her..."

"No darlin,' it's too late," said Gus softly. "She's been bit. Boggs, we need to get the hell out of here, step on it man!" His calm demeanor was cracking.

More of the creatures were emerging from the shadows, frenzied over fresh meat. Their moans were deafening. The woman twisted away from the creature that had begun to feast on her, and continued to run toward our vehicle. Boggs increased our speed, but she managed to reach us and slammed against my door. I saw her wide, pleading eyes as she came face to face with me, only the window separating us. Blood from the bite on her arm stained the glass. Her face was panicked when she realized we weren't going to be the saviors she had hoped for. I looked back and watched her figure become smaller as we drove away. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I clenched my eyes shut as the creatures reached her in the distance. I couldn't bear to watch her being slaughtered. We drove in silence, aside from my occasional sobs.

After a couple of hours of blessedly uneventful driving, Gus instructed Boggs to turn right onto a seemingly random road that was overgrown with rhododendrons, ferns, and weeds.

"My uncle Chuck has a place set up out here. He likes to be off the grid, hidden. He's a crazy old fucker but an honest guy. Trustworthy, if he trusts you." Gus came across as a crude man.

Boggs turned off the main highway and the Explorer bounced with the ruts in the old weathered road. Puddles had accumulated from the storm that had rolled in, and our tire spray hit the bushes that lined the narrow road. Thunder sounded in the distance and a murder of crows flew noisily overhead. I've always hated crows.

After several minutes and many winding turns on the little road, a small windowless stone structure came into view with an old single wide mobile home off to the right.

"We're here," said Gus. "I should go announce our arrival."

Boggs looked back at me, then to Gus. "I should come with you, just in case..."

"In case what?" I asked with my voice full of alarm.

The cowboy answered for him. "In case my uncle isn't human anymore, darlin'." He opened his door and spit onto the ground before standing up. He adjusted his belt and put his hat back on. "Stay behind me, Adam."

Boggs interrupted him. "Boggs. People just call me Boggs."

The cowboy tipped his hat in answer. "Boggs then. Stay behind me a few feet?"

"Yeah sure," he answered. "Zoe, hand me the gun?"

I handed him the pistol. He took it and got out of the SUV, shutting his door quietly. I opened my door to get out and Gus used a hand to stop my door. "Zoe, you should stay here."

"No," I whined, not wanting to be separated from either of them.

"No arguing, Zo. You're staying here," said Boggs. "You should get up front. Keep the engine running. Be ready to drive." He looked at Gus for confirmation.

"He's right, Zoe. Anything bothers you out here just honk and if we don't come running, drive off. Find somewhere to hide."

I was upset, but knew arguing would be pointless. "Hurry back?" I asked, directed at Boggs, with a concerned and slightly pleading look on my face.

"You bet, kid." He winked at me.

Gus and Boggs walked toward the shabby looking trailer. Boggs held the Kahr in his right hand, at his side. Gus kept his shotgun strapped over his left shoulder. I climbed between the front seats to take my position behind the wheel and watched as they approached the front door of the trailer. Boggs stopped several feet shy of the door while Gus walked to it and rapped with his knuckles. Several minutes passed before Gus looked back to Boggs and signaled him to move behind him. The rain was pouring heavily now and the wind was blowing hard. I saw Gus put his ear to the door and listen for several seconds. When he seemed satisfied, he turned to Boggs and gave him an exaggerated shrug. They spoke briefly, their words too far away for me to hear. The windshield was becoming a blur of water and plant debris from the storm, so I turned the wipers on low in an attempt to keep my companions in sight.

Boggs stepped back a few more feet, centered himself in front of the door, and raised his weapon. Gus turned the knob slowly, cracked the door, and stood back as it swung inward. He scrambled back to join Boggs and readied his shotgun. It took all of my willpower to stay in my seat when all I wanted to do was get out and yell for them to get back in the car. I watched them both retch and cover their mouths as they stepped farther away from the open doorway. Moments later the smell hit me though the open car window. I was tired of being offended by the smell of rot and decay. I got out of the Explorer, the engine still idling, and stood behind the open door.

The creature that emerged from the doorway was different than what we'd seen so far. The old man was skeletal, his skin mummified. Long yellowed hair fell from his scalp, which was falling away from his skull. His lips were drawn back making his browned teeth occupy more of his face than they should. His eyes had long ago shriveled, leaving dark holes in their place. He stumbled forward, following the living by some unknown sense of desperation that must have substituted for sight.

Gus didn't hesitate. He raised his shotgun and felled his uncle with a single shot. The decayed old man was thrown backward, his head now unrecognizable from the spray of pellets. He lay on the rain-soaked ground, his skeletal right arm halfway submerged in a deep mud puddle. Gus lowered his shotgun and looked to the car, then to Boggs. "That was Chuck. Looks like he's been gone a long time."

Boggs was still aiming his .45 at the trailer. "Sounds like he wasn't alone."

"Boggs?" I called. "What is it?"

Without taking his eyes off the trailer, he called back to me. "I hear one of them in there, Zo. Stay back! And for Christ's sake get back in the car!"

Gus walked back over to Boggs and readied his shotgun. He held a hand up, signaling me to stay put. I shivered as the cold rain soaked through my summer outfit. I wiped at my face with the back of my hand, wishing that I also had a gun. The three of us stood watching the open door, waiting for horror to emerge. I saw Gus nod to Boggs, and watched as my best friend stepped into the dark trailer, his Kahr outstretched in anticipation of an attack. Gus entered behind him, his shotgun at the ready.

I waited for what seemed an eternity, not knowing if I'd ever see Boggs or our new companion again. The thought of being alone was almost as unbearable as falling victim to one of these unthinkably evil creatures. The noise of the storm became distant and was replaced by that of my own breathing and heartbeat. Time seemed suspended until the sound of a shot rang in the distance. I knew by the sound it was the handgun. "Boggs!" I screamed. "Boggs!" I was crying now, running toward the door of the trailer. I entered, the darkness blinding me momentarily. Suddenly muscular arms were around me and I fought back hard, hitting and kicking. "Boggs!" I yelled, now pleading for help.

"I've got her!" called out a voice that I recognized only faintly. The arms tightened around me and my body fought harder, my foot landing on a shin followed by cursing.

"Boggs!" My voice was now shaking from fear.

"Shhhh, darlin,' calm down! It's Gus. Boggs is fine." Gus tightened his grip on me.

I heard footfalls coming from the other end of the trailer and finally heard Boggs' voice join us. "Shhhh, Zo. It's ok. Shhhh." His arms took over and I was in his embrace, his hands smoothing my hair. I started sobbing quietly as my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting.

"What was the shot? Are you ok?" I asked, pleading for answers.

"Yeah, Zo, yeah. Gus' uncle had a woman here. She was handcuffed to the bed...she had turned. She's gone now. It's ok. She can't hurt us now."

Gus broke our reunion. "I think we should get out of this place. They've both been dead a while. Nothing in here is going to be salvageable."

He was right. The stench of the dead had leached into every nook and cranny.

"The cement building might be a good bet. We can stay dry there, and get some sleep," suggested the cowboy. "Start fresh tomorrow," he added.

Boggs loosened his grip on me and gently guided me to the door of the trailer, back out into the rain. "Zoe, go with Gus. I'm just going to back the Explorer up to the building. I want an easy out if we need to leave in a hurry. Gus, sound ok?"

We both gave our approval and Gus put an arm around me, guiding me to the small building that first greeted us on our drive in. It was made from cinder blocks and concrete and partly covered in moss. There were a couple of brick-sized openings beside the unusually short and narrow door. The metal roof was patched with a blue tarp, held down with sand bags.

"Do you think it's safe?" I asked quietly.

"I'm willing to bet so, Zoe." Gus walked to the side of the small building, lifted a rock, and produced a key. "Uncle Chuck used it for growing pot, so kept it locked. It's pretty basic. No windows. Just a mattress and essential supplies inside, at least the last time I was here. I'm going to unlock it, and check it out, so I want you to wait off to the side, ok?"

"Ok," I answered as I stepped aside and out of the way. I hugged myself, the wind now turning cold from the nearby mountain tops. I found the older man growing on me slightly, despite his foul mouth and bad habits.

The sound of the Explorer backing up signaled Boggs' return from his short drive. The engine turned off and he got out and came to stand beside me, his pistol again in hand and readied.

Gus put the key into the lock and turned it. The door opened inward. Aside from a musty odor, nothing emerged to greet us. Gus entered and gave the all-clear. Boggs took my hand in his and entered just ahead of me.

"Go ahead and lock the door, Zoe," said Gus. "It'll be dark in here till I light a candle."

I shut the small door and turned the deadbolt. The room was filled with darkness, but a small amount of light leaked in from the small openings beside the door. A glow followed a short time later when Gus lit a candle. I knew I imagined it, but the little building already felt warmer from the candle light.

In the far corner was a small wood stove, long since rusted from age. It was the type that had two old fashioned round plates on top for heating pots and pans. It had an old copper kettle for water sitting on top. A pipe went almost to the ceiling before exiting out the back wall. There was an old sheep skin lying in front of the fireplace with two bean bags nearby. It was clearly meant to be a place to relax. Not far from the fireplace was an old shelf that held a couple of shoeboxes. The bottom shelf had a bottle of tequila, three-quarters full, a single shot glass, a cheap lighter, and a clay pipe. A small wooden table was situated under the shelf and held a variety of dusty candles. Against the front wall was an old dingy full size mattress. The far side of the room was dedicated to horticulture. Raised boxes full of soil were carefully laid out, with grow lights hanging from the ceiling above. Wires were wound around the rafters and dangled off to the side, gathered near the floor and taped together as they led to a single power source. The plants that had once flourished had long ago dried up and fallen to join the soil from which they had grown. Jugs of water sat on the far ends of each of the four planters. I watched as Gus plugged the grow lights in. They didn't turn on.

Gus lit a couple more of the candles with the lighter from the shelf, took his cowboy hat off, and laid it on the ground next to the wood stove to dry. "Zoe, do you think you can try to start a fire in the wood stove, darlin'? It's going to get cold at this elevation tonight and we should try to get our clothes dried out."

"Yeah, sure. I can try."

"Good girl. There's some newspapers and kindling under the little table, and I'll try to find some bigger pieces of dry wood from the pile outside. Boggs, you want to get a few things from the car and bring them in?"

"Yeah. We have a couple of sleeping bags and some food. Do you think the water in the jugs is ok?" Boggs motioned toward the half of the room meant for gardening.

Gus thought a moment, and then spoke. "I think so, but we better boil it first just to be safe. We can use the kettle on the stove."

Boggs left the little building we'd be calling home for the night and walked to the car. Gus left a moment later. I was left in the damp room by myself, and started working on lighting a fire. I crumpled some old pages of newspaper from under the table. The kindling was brittle, lighting without much effort. The little fire was about to die down to useless embers when Gus finally returned, his arms full of pieces of firewood that looked relatively dry. The little stove would only hold two or three wedges of wood at a time. Boggs entered soon after, balancing a cardboard box in one arm and a couple of the bags from the ARCO dangled from his other hand.

"I think all we have left are the sleeping bags and pillows. The rest can stay in the car."

"I'll grab them," said Gus. He left for the car and Boggs helped load the woodstove.

"He seems ok, Zoe. Gus I mean." Boggs looked at me. "The sun's going to set in about an hour. I think we should try to rest here tonight and figure out a plan for tomorrow."

"Yeah, sounds ok," I mumbled. I was feeling tired from everything we had been through in one day.

"I'm going to need to help Gus drag his uncle's body away, or the stink's going to get in here. We'll do that while you get settled in. Take your wet clothes off and lay them out by the fire. You can stay in one of the sleeping bags and try to sleep till they're dry. I want you to keep the door locked though, ok? We'll use the key to get back in."

Gus came back in with the sleeping bags and pillows, and a roll of toilet paper. Boggs relayed the plan to him, and the two headed out. Since Gus took the toilet paper with him, I figured nature called.

"Lock the door, Zoe," reminded Boggs.

I did as instructed then watched through one of the small rectangular openings next to the door as the two men walked toward the fallen corpse. As they each took a leg and began to drag, his upper body fell away, lightening their load. His insides were dry, creating a fine powder. I saw Boggs cough. Gus walked into the trailer, holding his shirt over his nose, and emerged with a bed sheet that was covered in dark brown stains that I presumed was old blood. He laid it out flat on the muddy ground and the two men started piling on pieces of Chuck. When they were done they hauled the bundle off into the woods. I lost sight of them and turned toward the fireplace. I took my shoes and socks off, and stripped out of my wet t-shirt and shorts, down to my matching powder blue bra and panties. I laid my clothes out near the fire, next to Gus' hat. I added one more wedge of wood to the fire and rolled out one of the sleeping bags, laying it on the old mattress. I set out the ARCO feast of Doritos and bean dip and Cherry Cokes for when Boggs and Gus returned. Exhaustion overcame me while I waited. I slid into the flannel-lined sleeping bag and lay my head on the pillow from Boggs' bedroom. It smelled like him, which I found comforting. I fell asleep and dreamt of things that don't belong in even the worst of nightmares.

I woke disoriented and it took me a moment to realize where I was. My body ached, especially my hip. I sat up and looked at the two men who were set aglow by the soft orange light from the woodstove. Boggs tossed my now-dry t-shirt to me, causing me to blush realizing I was still in just my bra. Gus had politely averted his eyes this time.

"Thanks," I mumbled. "What time is it?"

Gus looked at his watch. "Two o'clock in the morning. Just a bit after. Sleep well?"

I didn't answer, still trying to orient myself. The air in the little building felt warmer and not as damp as earlier. I held the t-shirt in a clump to my chest, and climbed under the covers while I slipped it over my head and arms.

I crept out from under the thick sleeping bag, the large shirt coming nearly to my knees. The guys were playing a game with a deck of cards they had found.

"Mind if I sit and watch?" I asked. I had a strong desire to be next to the warm fire and the two men.

"C'mon over, Zo. We saved you some chips," Boggs said. He sounded tired.

I sat cross-legged on the sheep skin between the two of them, facing the fire. Gus handed me an unopened Cherry Coke, and I took it thankfully. My stomach growled fiercely and my mouth was dry. My teeth had sweaters growing on them. I twisted the cap and drank eagerly from the plastic bottle.

"Thanks, Gus." I set the bottle down in front of me and reached for the half-empty bag of Doritos. I ate several and took another long pull from the Coke before speaking again. "Sorry about your uncle."

"Thanks, Zoe. Me too," answered Gus solemnly. "Looks like he'd been dead for a while. Last I talked to him was maybe...six months ago?"

Boggs leaned back against the bean bag he had claimed. I tried not to look at his bare chest as light from the woodstove flickered across his skin. He reached down and brought the bottle of tequila that had been on the shelf to his lips. It was clearly not as full as it had been when we first arrived.

"Boggs...c'mon. You don't need that crap," I snipped. Boggs knew I wasn't fond of hard alcohol or drugs, both being the reasons for the deaths of my sister and our parents. I also knew he held his own recent sorrow linked to indulging.

He sighed. "Tonight, Zoe, I think I do."

Gus looked at me softly. "Zoe, Boggs told me about your folks. I'm really sorry about what happened to them. Tonight, though, I think we all just need a break after the hell we've seen today. We'll be responsible about it. Ok, darlin'?"

I wiped a tear away from my eye and nodded. I actually understood. When I was a junior in high school, my older sister overdosed on cocaine. My parents had rushed to get to the hospital. A drunk driver had crashed into their car on the way. My mom and dad had died instantly. My sister, Ruthie, had died while they were on their way. I was left alone to grieve the loss of all three of them. My best friend was away at college, and had only called once. I didn't want to rehash those memories right now. Between those memories and the horrific events of the day, I could use a drink myself.

"Yeah. Ok." I said and reached my hand out for the bottle. Boggs handed it to me and watched me drink. The light amber liquid burned my throat, but I drank heavily wanting to numb the pain.

Gus' hand gently took the bottle from me. "Ok, darlin' that's enough. Gotta keep our wits about us."

"Gus, you're not from around here are you?" I asked.

"Why do you ask?" he replied.

"You talk funny," I said without much enthusiasm.

Gus stretched, and then answered. "I moved out here a couple years ago. I'm from South Carolina. Long story, different life."

It was pretty clear that Gus didn't want to talk about his past in any detail. I didn't push for any more information.

I heard Boggs strike a match and watched as he held it to the clay pipe that Uncle Chuck had kindly left behind. A puff of smoke went up in the air and just as quickly disappeared as he took a drag, filling his lungs. He closed his eyes and laid his head back against the bean bag, holding his breath as long as he could. He finally let the sickly sweet smoke escape. The room filled with the scent of skunk that pot can mimic, which mingled with the smell of decay that still clung to our skin and noses. Boggs passed the pipe to Gus, who followed the ritual then handed it to me. Boggs lay back again and was watching me in a way I had never seen him do before. Gus watched me and when he noticed me just staring at the pipe, clueless, he reached into one of the shoeboxes and produced a pinch of dried weed.

"Hold it to your mouth and I'll light it. Just breathe it in and hold it until you can't anymore." I did as instructed. The smoke began to fill my lungs, and they protested loudly in a fit of hacking. Boggs sat up.

"Jesus, you guys. Gus, she's never done it before."

Gus chuckled like a school girl. "Yeah, I could tell."

Between coughing fits I asked, "Can I try again?"

"No, you cannot," asserted Boggs. He took the pipe from my hand and relit it for himself. After his toke, he relaxed into the bean bag again.

Gus took the pipe from the other man. "Here, Zoe. Just breathe in when I blow it at you," he instructed. He lit it, sucked the smoke into his mouth and blew it at my face. I inhaled it more easily this way, and held it in my lungs as my brain numbed and the world around me spun refreshingly slow. He set the pipe aside to rest on the shelf while the three of us laid back to enjoy the warmth of the fire. I nestled in next to Boggs, my arm against his bare chest, enjoying the warmth from his body as much as I enjoyed the heat from the fire. My head was starting to spin from the alcohol and for the first time in a long time I felt semi-content.

"You're hot, Zoe," mumbled Boggs.

"Uh, thanks?" I said sleepily.

"No, I mean you feel like you're feverish," he clarified.

Gus crawled over to us and I felt his cool hand touch my forehead. I slept after that.

# CHAPTER 4

When I woke, the fire had died, leaving the stone room cold and damp. The beginnings of morning light filtered in through the two small openings beside the door. My bare legs shivered and my head ached. My throat was scratchy and my eyes dry. I lifted my head from Boggs' chest, where it must have settled as I slept. Boggs rolled away from me, forcing me to sit. The room spun.

"Morning," chirped Gus. "Hope you don't mind I grabbed some cans from the car and have breakfast ready."

Food. The thought of it made my stomach roll in protest and I groaned. I had to empty my bladder something awful and what was left in my stomach from the night before threatened to make an unwelcome reappearance. I got up and stumbled toward the door.

Gus caught me before I could reach my goal. "Hold on there, darlin'. No going out without one of us." He looked toward Boggs. "You need fresh air, Boggs? Or do you want me to go?"

"No, it's ok. I'll go with. Zoe, come on." Boggs stood and walked toward me.

I held my hand over my mouth, showing urgency. I ran the rest of the way to the door, unlocked it, and stepped outside. The mountain air held a chill and was heavy with moisture. Thick fog surrounded us, making the wooded area seem haunted.

"Zoe, keep close." He said quietly. "Stay in sight, ok?"

"Yeah. No problem there." I leaned over and threw up violently until it turned to dry heaves.

Boggs came up behind me. He put his hands on my shoulders and lowered his deep voice even more. "Zoe, you peed yourself."

I turned toward him and looked up at his face. He felt my forehead with the back of his hand, then felt my cheek in the same manner. "You're burning up, Zo. Let's get you back inside."

My legs and panties were soaked in urine. I hadn't been able to hold it in while my stomach wretched to be free of whatever poisons it held. Vomit splattered my bare feet and legs, mixing with the mess. Boggs called out to Gus as the woods spun around me.

My best friend pulled my t-shirt over my head and used it to wipe my legs. He pulled my panties down and helped me step out of them. I was too sick to care if anyone saw me naked. Gus joined us outside. The thick fog surrounding us seemed to seep into my head. I closed my eyes and felt like I was falling.

I heard only fragments of what Boggs said to Gus. He sounded panicked.

"Threw up...looks bloody...pissed herself...not sure..."

I was too weak to open my eyes. I felt someone wrap a towel around me and then cradle me in their arms. I heard myself moan softly, and then the dry heaving began again.

Gus' voice was mixed in at odd intervals "she looks bad" and "what if she's turning into..." and "one of us needs to stand watch." I heard Boggs mention my hip. I realized my leg was throbbing angrily. As I drifted into a deep sleep I prayed for the pain to stop.

There were moments filled with a burning fire in my leg, others of ice cold that chilled me to my core. Every time I opened my eyes I saw one of my companions sitting beside me, often holding a wet cloth to my forehead or forcing drops of water into my mouth. The water began to taste bitter and I fought to spit it out. I became enraged when both the men held me down and forced me to swallow. I was too weak to fight back. Nightmares blended with reality.

My moments of alertness seemed to grow longer, and each time one of the men was still at my side. My constant hot-cold fluxes ebbed and I started to become aware of time again. Boggs' large hand was on my forehead and he smiled down at me.

"Welcome back, kid."

I tried to speak but my throat was dry. Boggs helped me sit up part way and handed me a bottle of water. I swallowed gingerly, then more deeply, craving the liquid.

"What happened?" I whispered.

Boggs looked serious, and thoughtful. "You got sick the morning after we got here. We were scared to death it might be this zombie crap." Zombie. Someone had finally said it. "You were burning up with fever and hallucinating. Gus helped me get you inside, and we've been forcing crushed antibiotics down you for two days."

"Antibiotics? Where'd you get them? And where's Gus?"

"He'll be back soon. He's out in the Explorer gathering more firewood. We found antibiotics and pain pills in Chuck's trailer. It turns out our hitchhiker's an old Army nurse. We got lucky. Your hip got infected, Zoe, badly. He had to lance it." Boggs' eyes were welling with tears.

"Boggs? What's wrong?"

He sniffled and hung his head. "I was so afraid, Zoe. Afraid of losing you. Having to hold you down while he cut you like that..."

I used my elbow to sit up a bit more. My hip stung. "C'mon Boggs, you can't get rid of me that easy."

He tried to smile. "I'm glad."

"Thanks for taking care of me, Adam." I hadn't called him by his first name in a long time. He scooted closer to me and held my hand.

"You're all I have left, Zo." He squeezed my hand in his and I fell asleep again.

When I woke, Gus had returned. He had come back with a carload of split wood and some supplies. The small woodstove had a cast iron Dutch oven and a skillet on top and the smell of baked beans and frying bacon pleasantly filled the air.

"Morning, Glory," said Gus.

"Hey," I said weakly. "What's all this?" I asked, slowly sitting up.

"Breakfast," answered Boggs. "Gus here was kind enough to scavenge a house nearby."

"By yourself?" I addressed Gus, my tone full of concern.

He winked at me. "Don't sweat it. I'm fine. No harm done. Now let's take a look at you."

He came over and knelt next to me and felt my pulse. "Much better, darlin'." He touched my forehead and nodded. "Good, fever's down. But I want you to keep taking the pills, ok?" He handed me a large capsule, half yellow and half brown. It smelled funny.

"What is it?" I looked at it skeptically.

Boggs answered. "Just the antibiotic, Zo."

I put it in my mouth, trusting Boggs fully. He handed me a bottle of water and I swallowed the pill. Gus brought a plastic bowl full of beans and weenies over to me. "Try to eat something, and then we'll help you get cleaned up. I brought one of those camping showers back, and a change of clothes."

I took the bowl and spoon and ate hungrily. I hadn't realized canned beans and Vienna Sausages could taste so good.

"If that stays down ok, we'll try some bacon," said Gus.

"Where'd you get bacon?"

"The house I came across still had electric. Found it in the freezer," said Gus.

I noticed they were both clean shaven and wearing new clothes. "Are we going there?" I asked with my mouth full. "To the house?"

"No, darlin'. The house is gone," said Gus.

"What do you mean?" I asked, not understanding.

"When I went back for a second load it was overrun with those creatures," he continued.

"Zoe, Gus lit it on fire. There were just too many of them and it was too close to our little shack here. We had to leave you here for about an hour to take care of the problem."

"They're gone though, right?" I asked.

"You bet darlin'," answered Gus. "All gone."

I nodded, and shoved another spoonful of beans into my mouth. "Ok."

"Slow down, Zoe. It's been two days since you ate," said Boggs as he took the bowl away from me. "I'll take you outside to get cleaned up."

"Gus, can you finish cooking the bacon?" asked Boggs.

Gus nodded. "Yeah sure. Leave the door open so I can keep an ear out, ok?"

"You bet," said Boggs as he helped me to stand, my legs weak. We walked together to the narrow door and he led me out into the still gloomy weather. In the Pacific Northwest gray days can linger. It wasn't raining now, but the many trees that overhung continued to drip water and the sky was overcast. Boggs left the door open and we walked around the corner of the building, where the guys had fashioned a hanging curtain meant for privacy while camping. A small hand-held shower was attached to a water pump that was fed by a portable propane line. Boggs helped me to a lawn chair that sat next to the contraption then primed the line and hit the auto-ignite switch.

"Wait here just a sec, Zoe. I'm just going to grab a towel."

I sat in the chair patiently, enjoying the fresh air. I watched the old trailer, wondering what had happened to cause the dwellers inside to die their first deaths. Boggs returned quickly, a fluffy white towel in hand. He hung it on a nail and held his hand out for me. I took it and slowly stood.

"Zoe, I can come in and help if you want?" he offered. I must have worn a look of shock. "You're so weak. I just thought..."

"I'm sure I'll be fine, Boggs. Just stay close?"

"Always." He kissed my forehead and turned around.

Someone had dressed me in a men's button-up shirt. I struggled with the first button, my arms weaker than I had realized. He heard me sigh in frustration and turned to face me, trying to hide an 'I told you so' smile.

"Fine," I said in frustration.

He took a step toward me and gently unfastened the top button. He reached the second, starting to bare my chest. He leaned in and whispered near my neck. "It's ok, Zoe, I've seen you before. Just let me help you, ok?" His breathing was becoming heavy and instinctively I knew this was difficult for him. His voice held a degree of longing that had never been between us before. "When I thought I might lose you, Zo, I realized I'd rather die myself." I could feel his lips brushing my neck, and I backed away just enough for him to perceive my discomfort. He hesitated, only briefly, and his lips brushed my neck again as his fingers were now working on a button near my waist. "I can't lose you, Zoe Kate," he whispered between breaths. The buttons all free, he slid the long sleeved shirt down my shoulders and let it fall to the ground. I was naked beneath and could feel his body close.

"Boggs," I breathed, intending for him to stop. His lips found my earlobe and his hands reached behind me, pulling my body to his. My heart now pounding, I tried again to speak but his mouth found mine and hushed me as he tasted me deeply. His passion flowed through me and my already weak muscles gave in to his strong embrace. He held me against him, his hands searching me wildly and finding my bare bottom while he pressed himself against me, his desire obvious by the hardness I could feel through his pants.

The moment of unexpected passion was interrupted by the sound of Gus clearing his throat. "I don't mean to interrupt you two young lovebirds, but Zoe's in no shape to exercise right now." Boggs continued to hold me to him, his body hiding mine protectively from Gus' view. "Get cleaned up, Zoe, and you two get back inside. I need to check on that hip of yours."

Gus had lingered a few moments longer than necessary, but made his point. Boggs kept his grip on me, and placed his forehead against mine. No more words were spoken. Instead, Boggs lifted me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he carried me into the makeshift shower. He set me down on my feet and turned me to face away from him. He gently sprayed me with the warm water while I stood in front of him. The warmth from the water and his hands soothed my tense muscles. He gently shampooed my hair, rinsed it clean and washed it a second time. He used his fingers to comb conditioner through the tangles, and then gently caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. His arms encircled me, a bar of soap in his hand. He started at my belly button and used his hands to lather up to my bare breasts, where he used his thumbs and forefingers to gently pinch my erect nipples while he sucked wildly at my neck. His caress felt wrong, yet safe at the same time. Although I had known him my entire life, this touch was so new. His hands found my waist, and then moved down to my most private of parts. He studied my body with his hands, as if trying to memorize each detail. I felt a craving stir deep within my body, and found it difficult to catch my breath. The gentle caressing turned to frantic groping with his hands, almost as if he wanted to devour me. I heard him moan into my neck, almost growling. I desperately tried to turn my body toward him, craving what I had never before experienced, but his strong arms held me in place.

"Not yet, Zoe, I want the time to be right," he said in his deep voice. "You have no idea how much I want to make love to you, but I want it to be right. For both of us."

He lightened his touch, and rinsed my body off with the hand held shower. Eventually I couldn't feel his hands on me anymore. I closed my eyes and while his touch was absent, I waited for my heart and breathing to slow. I felt a towel placed upon my shoulders, followed by his hands as he turned me to face him. I tightly held the edges of the towel in front of me, trying to stay covered and warm.

I kept my gaze on my bare feet and the rubber mat that had been placed on the ground. He placed his hands on my shoulders as he spoke softly. "Zoe, look at me."

I slowly brought my eyes up to meet his, excitement and fear dancing in my stomach unlike anything I had known before. He leaned down slowly and kissed me lightly on the lips. Without backing away more than an inch or two, he spoke gently "I can't ever lose you, Zo. You're so important to me." He bent down and lifted me again. Cradling me in his arms, he carried me back into the little stone shack.

Gus looked up and smiled. "It's about time! I was about to eat all the bacon myself." He laughed, and walked to the door and locked it as Boggs set me back down on the bed. Gus had been busy, hauling the old tattered mattress out and replacing it with an air mattress he had pillaged. He had kindly put fresh sheets and a quilt on the saggy bed while I showered. I made sure my towel was wrapped around me tight. Boggs went to the corner and changed his now wet clothes, opting for a dry pair of sweats and a t-shirt. Gus had brought back an assortment of comfortable dry clothes, as well as three fold-out nylon camping chairs, all in matching red.

Boggs came back and settled down next to me, causing the air bed to plump up as he plopped. He began drying my hair with a smaller hand towel. He pulled a white cotton nightgown over my head. I smiled in thanks as he helped me rid myself of both damp towels. He brushed my blonde hair, being careful of leftover tangles. Gus joined us, kneeling on the floor next to the air bed.

"Zoe is it ok if I look at your wound?" he asked.

I nodded and pulled my night gown up so he could inspect my hip. "It's stinging a bit," I said.

"It probably will for a couple days. I can give you another pain pill if you want," offered Gus.

"Maybe just half of one?" I suggested.

"I'll get it," said Boggs. He stood and walked to the little shelf to get the pill.

Gus peeled the old dressing off, the task made easier by the dampness from the shower. I winced.

"It looks a little less red, that's good. We'll try to do two dressing changes a day for a few days," said Gus thoughtfully. "I suspect it'll clear up just fine, but you'll need to stay on the antibiotic."

Boggs returned with half of a pain pill, a bottle of water, and a piece of bacon. "Thanks, Boggs. You too, Gus." I yawned.

The activity from the morning had left me tired, and full of thought. I sipped on water and ate half a piece of bacon, then was ready to sleep.

Boggs tucked me in between the crisp new linens on the mattress and kissed me on the cheek, letting it linger. I closed my eyes and let my aching body relax, my mind refusing to shut itself off and surrender to sleep. Near the fire, the men talked of plans to relocate soon. Our stone home was small and would not last indefinitely. There was talk of finding other survivors. There was talk of the coming cold season and how it would hit us soon in the mountains. Before long the pain pill started working and I fell into a fitful sleep. My dreams were filled with the living dead and of Boggs walking away from me, leaving me alone in the world.

When I woke next, the fire had died and the room was cold. Gus and Boggs both slept in the camp chairs. I crept from my bed and tiptoed around them, intent on lighting the fire. The wind howled outside, whipping against the sides of our little abode. I could hear the camp shower knocking against the metal roof. As I crumpled some newspaper to rekindle the flames in the stove, a tree crashed in the distance. Faintly at first, a new sound mingled with the storm. As I struck a match, the moans became clear. Ice traveled up my spine. The match fell from my hand, lighting the newspaper by chance. A howl not matching any beast that belonged in the woods was followed by a scream.

Gus was closest to me, so I shook his shoulder. "Gus! Gus!" I whispered as loudly as I dared.

The cowboy startled awake, instantly alert. He stood and grabbed his shotgun. Boggs stirred awake from the commotion. The wind lulled and the screams grew closer.

"They sound human. The screams. They sound human." There was urgency in my voice.

Moans from the dead intertwined with the wind. There was a loud thump against the door followed by the pounding of fists.

"Help me! Please, help me!" pleaded a woman's shaky and terrified voice. The knob shook with her attempts to enter. "Please, God, let me in!" she begged. Her pleading changed to sobbing as the moaning drew near.

I started to rush to the door, but Gus held me back, twisting my arm painfully. I cried out and Boggs cocked his arm back, landing a blow on Gus' cheek. Gus stumbled backward, releasing my arm. I took the opportunity to rush to the door and unlock it. I couldn't bear to let another person perish if we could help them. The door gave way and a young woman fell inward. The dead were close behind, excited by the new discovery of more food.

"Boggs!" I screamed. The girl lay flat on her back with her legs still outside, making it impossible to shut the door. He and Gus both ran to her. They each grabbed an arm and dragged her inside. I slammed the door as the first of the creatures reached the shack. I struggled with the lock as the monsters pushed back against me. A decaying hand forced its way between the jamb and the door and the howls of the dead grew riotous. The men both rushed to my aid, throwing their weight against the door. Gus brought the butt of his shotgun down on the hand, severing shredded tendons and ligaments until it fell free from the arm. The door slammed shut with the sudden release, and I twisted the deadbolt to the locked position.

The girl cried hysterically. Her face was a mess of mud, rain, tears, and a splattering of blood and freckles. She had short messy red hair and wasn't much taller than myself. I thought she couldn't have been older than eighteen. I went to her and wrapped my arms around her shaking body, for her comfort as well as my own. We sat there facing the door together, watching as dust and cob webs fell from the rafters as the horrors outside beat against the building attempting to gain entry. Gus had positioned his shotgun in one of the small holes and fired. The hellish moans of the rotting corpses got louder. Boggs took a stand at the other opening in the wall, firing his pistol blindly into the night. Shot after shot rang out until finally the moans and screams of the creatures ceased. Everyone fought to catch their breath as the rain fell steadily, beating against the roof. The girl clutched at my arms, her sobs increasing as she moaned in emotional agony.

"They got Joey...they got Joey...oh God they got Joey!" she repeated again and again.

"Shhhhhhh" I whispered as I tried to calm her. My white nightgown was now soaked and dirtied from the stranger, but I felt a need to cling to her as she clung to me. "You're safe now. Shhhhhhh." I held her tight. Not knowing what to do, I looked at Boggs and Gus. The smell of death was once again upon us.

Gus set his shotgun down, and then bent over to rest his hands on his knees as his adrenaline rush subsided. Boggs ran his hand through his sweat-soaked hair, looking mad as a hatter.

"Zoe, you have to step away from her," said Gus sternly as he picked his shotgun back up from the floor.

My sense of danger increased as I realized she might be infected.

I nodded and stood. Looking down at the girl's saddened face, I whispered to her. "It'll be ok." I looked into her green eyes and saw deep sadness that mirrored recent tragedy. I felt Boggs place his hands on my arm and guide me away from her.

Gus brought his shotgun up and aimed it at the terrified girl. My heart was breaking. Something about this girl tugged at my spirit and I wanted to be at her side. I watched Gus' expression and realized he was in emotional turmoil himself.

"Gus," I said sharply. He didn't take his eyes off of her.

"Zoe, we can't take the chance darlin'. We just can't. Especially not with the blood."

"Please, don't shoot me," pleaded the girl. "I swear it's not my blood. I swear." She was having trouble catching her breath.

I knelt down in front of her and looked her in the eyes. "I believe you," I said in the kindest voice I could muster. I was still weak, and the room swayed slightly. I prayed the men wouldn't notice. Not now.

"Boggs," I pleaded. "At least let me look her over. For the love of God," I pleaded. "Gus, I'll keep my distance. Just let me look her over."

Gus cleared his throat and spoke. "She'll have to get undressed. You'll have to look at every inch of her, Zoe."

Boggs added his own voice to the conversation. "Zoe, I can't leave you alone with her."

"Just let me hold up a towel, ok? She's scared to death and the last thing she needs is you guys looking at her."

I heard Boggs sigh deeply, almost angrily. I kept my sight on the girl, who still sat on the floor with tears streaming from her eyes. I heard Boggs' footfalls, and shortly after he handed me the towel I had used earlier.

"Can you tell me your name?" I asked the girl.

The girl focused on my face. "Emmeline. Emmeline Martin." She sniffled, her pale green eyes reddened from crying. "Emilie." She wiped a wet sleeve across her cheek, smearing the mess that was already there.

"Emilie, I'm Zoe. Can you get out of your wet clothes? I'll hold the towel up, so no one else will see anything."

She looked at both Boggs and Gus. "We just have to make sure you haven't been bit. Please?"

I stared at both men with a look of disapproval. This felt so cruel.

Emilie broke the awkward silence. "On my left calf, I got scratched running through the woods. It's not from one of those things. I swear it." She was obviously terrified that her life was about to end.

"That's ok Emilie. Thanks for letting me know." I stood up, and offered my hand. She accepted it reluctantly, and I helped her struggle to her feet. I opened the towel up and held it between us, blocking her from the view of the men. Emilie slipped her jeans and shoes off first, and turned around so I could see the long scratch that crossed the back of her left leg. It looked angry. "Ok, Emilie, it looks good so far." She pulled her sweatshirt over her head and turned around again. Her arms were crossed over her chest.

"Zoe, you have to look everywhere. Arms, under her bra and underwear," said Gus.

Emilie looked helpless, embarrassed, and violated, but she did what it took to show me she was free of bites.

"I hope you're satisfied," I said to both men. I walked to the girl and wrapped her in the towel, then helped her to the corner of the room with the woodstove. "Emilie, I'll bring you some clean clothes and a washcloth." She nodded but remained quiet.

"Emilie, can Gus look at your leg?" I signaled toward him with my head. "He was a nurse in the Army, and should clean it for you." She nodded in agreement, though hesitantly. "I promise he's a good guy. He's not as bad as he's acting. And Boggs is my best friend. He's ok too. I promise."

While Gus used some cold rain water we kept in a bucket and a wash cloth to wipe away dried blood from her leg, he announced the wound was shallow and should heal if kept clean. I helped the girl clean her face and arms and afterward she slipped into a new pair of pants and a t-shirt from the stock Gus had looted.

"You hungry Emilie?" asked Boggs.

She nodded, and was handed a bowl of cold beans.

"Sorry it's not hot," said Boggs.

She ate hungrily and with her mouth full said "it's ok."

"I'm really sorry about all that Emilie," said Gus. "We had to be careful, and I'm sorry we scared you."

I was handed another antibiotic pill, and washed it down with water from my earlier supper. I walked to a dark corner and traded my soiled night gown for sweat pants and a pull-over long sleeved shirt.

Boggs suggested we all try to rest, and talk more in the morning.

"Emilie, you can have my bed," I said. I scooted over to one of the two bean bags and rested against it on my right side, facing away from Gus and toward Emilie. She crawled under the covers. Boggs closed the door to the woodstove to darken the room and make the fire last.

Gus lay back as far as he could in one of the camping chairs and closed his eyes. "No one go outside till morning, and not alone." No one answered him. "We'll pack up and move out. Find something more secure. Leave the dead bastards where they lay."

Emilie was breathing slowly and evenly, signaling she was already asleep. Boggs crawled over and nestled in behind me, also resting on the bean bag. He seemed hesitant to touch me, and I longed for the comfort of his hand on mine. He mirrored my body with his and I could feel his breath on my neck.

"Zoe, please don't be mad at me about earlier," he whispered. "Please...I just needed to be close to you. To know you were really alive and here with me. I can't explain it well. Please, don't hate me for crossing a line. You're my best friend, Zo, and I love you in so many ways."

I responded by reaching back and finding his hand. I pulled his arm around me. He rested his head between my shoulder and my neck, tightening his grip on me as if he feared I'd fade into the night.

"I'm not mad, Boggs. I just didn't know you felt like that about me. And I know it wasn't the right time. I'm not sure what to think, or feel."

He whispered one last thing. "Thank you for the picture of my parents." I fell asleep in his embrace, as confused about life as I now was about death.

# CHAPTER 5

The sound of Emilie crying woke me. I tried to sit up, but Boggs' arm still weighed me down. My body was stiff and my feet were cold. It took me a few moments to orient myself and recall the events from the middle of the night.

"Emilie?" I called out softly.

The two men were beginning to stir. I wriggled free of Boggs and crawled toward the girl, who was gasping for breath. "My brother, Joey," she sobbed. "I tried to save him, to keep him from running ahead of me, but he fell. There was nothing I could do. He was so young and so small for his age. His screams..." she trailed off, tears consuming her again. "They tore him apart while he screamed!" she moaned.

I wrapped my arms around her and stroked her hair in an attempt to soothe her. "Shhhh, Shhhh." She rested her head against my shoulder and clung to me, shaking. I looked to Boggs, who was now awake. He and Gus both watched me hold the girl, who seemed much younger all of a sudden. None of us said anything for a long time. Her tears eventually ebbed and her breathing evened.

"They were so fast. He just couldn't run anymore," she whispered. "His screams were so loud. He begged for me to help him." Emilie took a deep, shuddering breath. I looked at Gus, who now knelt across from me, not knowing what to do for her.

Gus knee-walked across the mattress, causing us to bounce, and settled on the other side of the girl. "Emilie, I'm so sorry about your brother. There's nothing else you could have done," he said in a soft tone. She looked at him and wiped tears from her eyes.

"He was my responsibility."

Gus took her hand in both of his. "You did all you could. You have to believe that."

In that moment, my heart softened toward Gus. I watched them look at each other, and knew that Emilie and Gus had just connected on a critical level. I looked over to Boggs, who was focused on me. He reached out and stroked my hair. His touch was comforting.

The little room we were now calling 'home' was crowded and smelled bad, a combination of our own lack of hygiene and the rotting bodies that lay outside. We began discussing options. Leaving was a first choice for all. With four of us now, it was decided we'd pack only the supplies that were most necessary. We ventured outside once the sun had fully risen, moving bodies aside to make a clear path to the SUV. It was nauseating and harrowing work, but we all did our share. The rain had stopped and the overcast gray sky had been replaced with sporadic fluffy white clouds. Extra ammo, medicine, clothing, blankets, bottles of water, and boxes of food went into the rear of the Explorer. We left the tent behind, knowing it would offer no protection from things that go bump in the night. Emilie and I managed to tuck rolls of toilet paper under the seats, trying to utilize every square inch of space the vehicle had to offer. I noticed a couple of shoe boxes were nestled between the front seats. I kept quiet about it. Firewood was carefully rolled into a quilt and tied down to the top of the car, using the roof rack as a frame. None of us saw any signs of little Joey, which was for the best. We didn't need Emilie falling apart right now. There would hopefully be time to mourn later.

We shut the door to the stone shack behind us, leaving it unlocked in case other survivors came across it in need of refuge. Emilie and I slid into the back seats, allowing the men the roomier front. The four of us left, not looking back. For me, it meant leaving behind new memories, not all of them bad. For Emilie, it meant leaving behind her brother, or what had been her brother. The CD player was the only working part of the radio unit, and accompanied us back out to the highway quietly playing Adele. Gus and Boggs talked about where to head next. The discussion always seemed to lean toward the northeast, which would be farther from populated areas and higher into the mountains. Boggs had already started out northbound and followed the curves of the isolated highway.

Emilie had spent the hours in the car by quietly staring out the window. She hadn't spoken since we left. The mood inside the SUV was somber. Without warning, Emilie spoke, startling me.

"My ass is sore from sitting." That's all she said. Nothing more, nothing less.

I turned and looked at her. She looked back at me, her face showing no hint of emotion. I laughed, hard. She stared back at me like I was crazy. Finally, she wrinkled her freckled nose and laughed back. I heard Gus chuckle and before long the four of us were uncontrollable.

Boggs slowed to a stop, trying to keep control of the vehicle. We sat in the SUV, laughing until tears fell from our eyes. I don't think any of us knew what was funny, and as soon as the laughing had nearly died one of us would begin again. It felt good to let loose, if only momentarily forgetting about death, tragedy, and the need to constantly run in fear.

The episode finally over, Gus stepped out of the car and stretched. He left his door open and walked to the edge of the road, overlooking a valley. Watching him enjoy the view, he could almost pass for just another traveler on a normal day enjoying a normal vantage point. I realized he was relieving himself and looked away. Boggs joined Gus at the overlook, and I looked at Emilie and wondered what stories she had to tell. I hoped in time I'd find out.

Gus came back to the SUV and leaned in the back window. He had a bruise on his face from Boggs punching him the night before. It oddly suited him. "It looks clear all around. Not a dead bastard in sight. You girls should get out and stretch, and take care of needs before we get back on the road." He winked at Emilie before he walked to the back of the car and opened the rear door. "I'll grab some snacks for a quick lunch while you girls go do girlie time. I'll keep an eye out."

"C'mon Emilie, let's go get some fresh air," I said. The girl slid out her door and walked to the edge of the road that met the mountainside. She was obviously in need of some privacy, so I called to her. "It's ok Em, Boggs will look away and I'll make sure Gus behaves." She looked back as I was joining Gus at the tailgate.

"Thanks," she called before she squatted and took care of personal business.

I sat down on the back bumper next to Gus. He looked at me sideways as he took a drink of water.

"I'm sorry I hurt your arm last night," he said after he swallowed.

I shrugged. "It's ok. I know you were just keeping me safe. Sorry Boggs punched you."

He made a funny noise with his throat. "It's fine. If someone touched my girl I'd clock them too."

Boggs and Emilie met us at the tailgate. Gus stood and spoke. "Emilie, will you join me at the overlook?"

Emilie looked at me, almost as if she wanted permission. I smiled softly, and she nodded to Gus. He held his hand out, and she sheepishly took it. They walked together until they reached the metal barrier at the side of the road.

Boggs sat next to me at the back of the car. There was an awkward pause between us before he spoke. "Are we ok, Zoe?"

I looked at him thoughtfully, dreading this talk. I looked over to where Gus and Emilie stood and sighed, figuring Boggs had arranged this time alone with me. Gus was busy instructing the young red-head on how to hold Boggs' handgun. I popped a couple cocoa puffs into my mouth and crunched on them, then looked down at my lap.

Boggs sighed heavily. "Zo, speak to me? I can't bear not talking like usual." We had said very little to each other since the day before. He tucked my hair behind my ear, gently sliding the back of his hand down my cheek before taking my hand in both of his.

I looked up at him and shook my head. "Boggs, I'm not sure what to say, or how to act." I spoke quietly. "I've always thought of you as a big brother. I'm not like you. I've never even..."

He squeezed my hand before bringing it to his lips, where he let it linger for a moment.

"I've never even had a boyfriend, or been kissed till yesterday, or...or..." I fell short on words as my cheeks reddened.

He shushed me by placing his hand on my chin and leaned in, offering me a proper kiss. His lips were warm, and he smelled familiar. He kept his lips next to mine, waiting for me to respond. My arms had come up in fear, and to keep him from coming too close. I soon found my body relaxing and he sensed it, deepening the kiss. He parted my lips with his tongue and put his arms around me to embrace me more closely. His beard stubble scratched my chin, but I found the sensation exciting and something stirred deep inside of me.

The kiss broke with the sound of a gunshot, causing us to both flinch. He kept his mouth near, whispering to soothe me. "It's ok. Gus is just showing Emilie how to shoot." He leaned back far enough to look into my eyes. I looked back, still unsure of how to act in the situation. It was new to me, and I had no idea how intimacy of this sort works. "I don't want to do anything to hurt you, Zoe, so if you need me to back off I will." He took my hand again and I squeezed back. I nodded my head, nearly imperceptibly, and he wrapped his arms around me, this time just an embrace between friends.

I whispered to him "give me time, Adam. Life is spinning out of control right now." I felt him tense slightly.

"What's up with the 'Adam' crap?" he asked, trying to make me laugh. He kissed my cheek.

Emilie fired several more rounds, the sounds echoing in the valley below. We heard her shout out "got that bastard!" Boggs stood and offered his hand to me. I took it and sprang up. He kept hold of me and we walked hand-in-hand to the vantage point to join our companions.

"What's going on, Gus?" asked Boggs.

Gus turned and winked at me. "Emilie here just shot a rock!" He snickered and smacked the girl lightly on the shoulder. "Turns out she's a fair shot."

The girl smiled genuinely for the first time since she came into our lives. "My dad used to take me out on the weekends. He'd let me practice but it was always with a small rifle, not a handgun. And it's been years."

Boggs put an arm around my shoulders. The sun was working its way west, no longer high above our heads. "We should figure out where we're heading before dark," I said.

"Where are we, anyway?" asked Emilie.

"Almost to the top of the pass," answered Boggs. The North Cascades Pass was still open this time of year but with weather at the summit being unpredictable, there were few travelers. At some point the men had decided it might be our safest route to avoid people, both living and dead. "We need to start thinking about shelter for the night. We shouldn't be on the road in the dark. Any suggestions?"

Emilie cleared her throat. "When I was little our family used to stay at a little rental cabin on Lake Arrow. We always went in September because they closed for the season the end of the month and rates were cheaper. It's really secluded. Maybe it's still there?"

Gus looked thoughtful. "On this highway, Emilie? Do you think you can find it?"

Emilie nodded her head. "I can try. It's been a long time, though. I know the turn off is on the left, after going down the other side of the pass. Just before a little town called Twisp."

Gus smiled. "That's a good start. How about I drive, and you sit up front with me for a while? Tell me if something looks familiar?"

"Sure. Ok," she said.

We piled back into the SUV and started east again. The sun was behind us as we drove. The ascent to the peak was fairly quiet. Boggs had let his head fall against the window and dozed beside me. An elevation marker that read 5477 announced we were at the summit, and ready to descend. Gus cleared his throat, getting the attention of both me and Emilie.

"Okay ladies, we need to start by watching for a source of gasoline. The needle's getting close to a quarter tank and I don't like it being that low. Zoe, do you mind waking up Boggs?"

I shook Boggs' shoulder, causing him to stretch and lift his head, leaving a small trail of drool running from the corner of his mouth to his shoulder.

"Hmm?" he seemed dazed.

"Time to gas up, buddy" said Gus from the driver's seat.

"Ok," yawned Boggs.

"Emilie, does any of this look familiar?" asked Gus. He sounded worried. I peeked over the seat and looked at the gas gauge. It was closer to an eighth of a tank, not a quarter like he had said.

She shook her head. "I'm just not sure."

"That's ok. Just holler if you recognize anything," said Gus as he smiled at her softly. "Back to the gas situation. We'll need to take whatever we come across first. A gas station will be useless if the power's out, so more likely another vehicle we can siphon."

I scooted closer to Boggs and whispered in his ear. "I don't think Gus wants Em to know, but it looks like the tank is almost at empty." He squeezed my shoulder and nodded, and then kissed the top of my head.

We continued to head downhill, following the curves of the highway until finally the road started to level out. Emilie pointed at something far off. "I think I see something up there." Her voice was flat and still full of despair.

The object she pointed to in the distance slowly came into view as we got closer. It was an old Ford flatbed with a blown out tire and peeling blue paint. Gus let the Explorer coast to a stop, leaving several yards between the two vehicles. He left the engine idling. There was nothing significant around, just a few large boulders and a couple of pine trees with thicker woods not too terribly far in the distance. It looked relatively safe, but by now we all knew looks can be deceiving. Emilie started to open her door, but Gus pulled her back quickly.

"Hold on, girl. Something feels off. Let me and Bogsie Boy check it out first." Gus looked back to Boggs for confirmation.

They both got out of the car, and without needing to be asked I climbed over the center console and the shoeboxes of pot to get into the driver's seat. Emilie and I sat impatiently as the men split up, firearms at the ready, and walked toward the old truck and the boulders.

I kept my voice low, suddenly nervous about being without a gun. "Emilie, something's wrong. Watch the back of the car, ok?" I turned and she had already started to position herself for a better view of what lay behind us.

"Zoe, just keep telling me what's going on." She said.

"'Kay." I said then watched as Gus stealthily scoped out the boulders, making sure nothing was hiding in their shadows. "Gus is looking behind the boulders."

"Nothing back here," Emilie added, a hint of excitement in her voice.

Boggs was standing near the cab of the old pickup. He had the Kahr pointed to the ground and stepped to the passenger window to look inside. Gus was approaching from the other side. I saw it before either of them, and without thinking screamed inside the car the same time a hand reached out from under the old flatbed and grabbed Boggs' ankle. I opened the car door and tripped in my hurry to get out, falling forward onto the weathered pavement. I heard the gun fire, and saw Boggs falling onto his back. The commotion of my exit had caused his aim to be off, missing the target that was attached to his leg.

In the time it took Gus to move into position and aim his shotgun, the creature had used Boggs' leg to pull itself out from under the truck and it was preparing to feast on his shin. It was missing its entire lower half, and sickly darkened blood spread along the roadway as it progressed forward. Boggs kicked at its head with his free foot, his boot striking it in the nose. It widened its clouded eyes and emitted a shrill sound, appearing enraged. Thick bloody discharge flowed down its chin from its nose. Terrified, I fought to gain my footing and started to run toward Boggs and the monster attacking him.

Emilie exited the SUV and quickly came to my side. She clutched my arm and held me back. I could feel her body trembling. Gus raised his shot gun, and just as the creature with the now flattened face opened its mouth and prepared to sink its teeth into Boggs' leg, we heard the shot ring out. His aim was true, removing the head of the dead man.

Boggs continued to lie on the roadway, the creature's hands still clutching his leg. Everything was quiet aside from his gasping for air, and Emilie's quiet sobs beside me. I looked from Boggs back to Gus, who still had his shotgun raised. My eyes widened realizing Gus was aiming at my best friend.

"Boggs," said Gus in a level, strong voice. "Stand up, brother."

Boggs looked back at the cowboy, seemingly lost for words. He kicked at the headless torso to rid his leg of it, and slowly stood. He carefully raised his hands above his head.

"Gus?" I cried out. "What are you doing?"

Emilie clutched at my arm more tightly. "He thinks Boggs was bit," she whispered with sadness.

"Gus!" I shouted. "We saw it all, nothing happened! Gus! Stop!"

Gus kept his aim on Boggs, ignoring me. He focused on the man in front of him, who was still trying to catch his breath and now had his hands on top of his head.

"Gus, man, I wasn't bit. I swear," said Boggs calmly. How he could be calm at the moment was beyond me.

"Boggs, you know how it works. Slowly reach down and pull your pant legs up."

Boggs took his hands from his head and held them out to his sides, then reached for his left pant leg. He pulled it up to his knee. "See? He didn't get me, man."

"Other leg," instructed Gus.

"No problem, Gus." Boggs repeated the task with his right leg, showing his skin was intact. "Satisfied?" he asked the man holding the gun. I thought Boggs was being far too nice to Gus under the circumstances.

"I'll feel better if you take your shirt off," said Gus.

Boggs began to pull his shirt over his head. The sound of the shotgun firing brought me to my knees. Caught up in his shirt, Boggs fell to the ground.

"Girls!" yelled Gus. "Get back in the car, now!"

I watched Gus run toward Boggs, who had freed his head of the t-shirt and worked at standing again. Emilie pulled on my arm, urging me back into the vehicle. I looked back to see Gus pulling Boggs upward. That's when I saw them, quickly approaching from the tree line in the distance. There were too many to count. Some were badly damaged and others looked like they were people just out for a walk. I knew better. The way they moved was a dead give-away.

"Zoe, we have to get in the car," cried Emilie, her voice full of stress as she continued to urge me on.

"Boggs!" I shouted.

Gus and Boggs were running toward us, closing the space between the two vehicles. The army of dead was approaching rapidly. There was no time to discuss what to do. Emilie and I rushed to the vehicle, opening all four doors in anticipation of the men joining us. My heart was racing as adrenaline and fear ran through my veins.

I jumped into the driver's seat and put the vehicle into drive, my foot on the brake. Emilie had taken the seat beside me and slammed her door shut. Boggs and Gus both entered through the rear passenger door.

"Shit, Zoe, go!" yelled Boggs. Only moments before, I had thought he was dead. I stepped on the gas, and the SUV lurched forward, causing the remaining open doors to slam shut.

"Lock your doors!" shouted Gus. I was trying to slow my breathing, and focusing on the road. The hoard of walking dead was approaching from my side of the car, and almost upon us. I heard the door locks all click in unison and was glad someone had the good sense to hit the button. "Right, Zoe, right!" instructed Gus, sensing the group of creatures was about to spread across the road in front of us. I swerved, grazing the corpse in the lead with the left front fender. The impact made my stomach drop.

"It's ok, Zoe," said Boggs briskly. "Remember they aren't alive. Not really, anyway."

"I thought you were dead, Boggs," I said on the verge of tears. "Gus shot you!"

Gus sighed from the back seat. "Sorry about that everyone. One of the first rules of gun safety is to never shoot a target with someone else in range."

I had no clue what Gus was talking about.

"Didn't you guys see it?" asked Emilie.

"See what?" I asked.

"Gus shot one of them, not far behind Boggs. It was a creepy one. It was just standing there, almost like it was just watching us. It came out from behind one of the trees. Right Gus?" She sounded a little excited.

I looked in the rear view mirror and saw that the dead that followed were still running our way, but falling back as we put distance between us and them. Boggs had laid his head back and closed his eyes. Gus was focusing on my gaze in the mirror.

"Zoe, I'm really sorry I scared you," he said. "I swear the one I shot was trying to distract us from seeing the rest of them approaching." Gus sounded shaken.

Boggs spoke, his eyes still closed. "What about the one under the truck? Did any of you think that was odd?"

"Boggs, that's a stupid question," I snapped. "Half a dead guy trying to eat you is a bit more than just 'odd.'" I was at my breaking point for the day.

"No, I mean there was no odor. He didn't smell like he'd been dead long. And where were his legs?" Boggs opened his eyes to look at me in the mirror. "It's almost like he was put there as a trap. Like they killed him and ate his fucking lower half and left the rest to distract us."

"You think the zombies set a trap?" asked Emilie. "Aren't zombies supposed to be dumb?"

"According to the books and movies, I guess so," said Boggs. "We need to figure out our next move, and soon."

"Can someone else drive?" I asked. "I'm not feeling well." I looked in the rear view mirror again.

"Sure, Zoe, I'll take over for a spell," offered Gus. "Don't pull over though, just stop in the middle of the road. We'll make the switch real quick."

"'Kay," I replied as I brought the car to a stop and put it in park.

Gus and I both opened our doors to trade seats and made our exits quickly. As I crouched to get into the back seat I looked over at Boggs, who held his arm out indicating it was ok for me to slide close, which I did. He wrapped his arm around me and I nestled in next to him, so thankful that he was still alive. I stayed like that while Gus began to drive. I noticed he and Emilie held hands, and was glad they were both with us. The swaying of the Explorer lulled me into a fitful sleep.

# CHAPTER 6

I felt Boggs' fingers running through my hair. I tried to lift my head, but the bumps in the road made me feel sick to my stomach. I gave up, kept my eyes closed, and let my head rest on his lap. My nightmare came back to me suddenly and I opened my eyes wide. "Boggs!" I tried to call out but my mouth was dry and speaking was difficult. I had dreamt of him being shot in the head, and of not being able to reach him.

"Shhhhhhh, I'm here Zoe. I'm here." Boggs smoothed my hair back from my forehead after I sat up. The SUV hit another rut and my stomach churned. Car sickness had always been an issue for me.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked hoarsely.

Emilie passed a half-full bottle of water back to me. As I opened the lid she answered. "Only about twenty minutes."

I sipped at the stale water.

"Bad dream?" asked Gus.

"Yeah, you could say so," was all I said.

I handed the water bottle to Boggs, and rubbed my eyes. I could sense tension in the car. "What's going on?" I asked quietly.

Gus sighed and Boggs looked at his hands, but neither of them spoke. It was Emilie who answered my question. "The gas light's on."

"We were just talking about siphoning the next vehicle we come across," said Boggs. "Or using it."

"We haven't seen many," I said, stating the obvious. "What if we run out of gas? Then what?" I could tell my own voice carried a trace of panic. No one answered. "Boggs? Then what?"

Boggs refused to look at me.

"Gus?" I said, hoping he'd give me answers. "What if we run out of gas?"

"Try not to panic, Zoe," said the man driving.

"Screw that!" I barked. "What if we run out of gas? What if those creatures come after us? We only have two guns!"

"It's all we'd need, darlin'." Gus said after a long pause of silence.

Emilie sat quietly in front of us, her head hanging. I could tell she was fighting tears. I ran Gus' words through my head, slowly understanding that he meant that our guns were enough to end our own lives if needed. I glanced at Boggs, who still refused to look at me. Instead, he wrapped his arm around me, kissed the top of my head, and held me close.

"There!" shouted Emilie. "That's the turn off!" She was pointing off to the left, and at first I didn't see it.

"That tiny road?" asked Gus. "You sure, Em?" He sounded doubtful.

"Yes! See the mailbox that looks like a frog? We always used to make fun of it!" She looked back at me and Boggs. Her face was lit with exhilaration, but I could tell by her eyes that she had been crying.

I sat up and Boggs loosened his arm. Gus turned off of the highway and onto the small graveled road.

"Emilie, how far up do you think the cabin is?" asked Gus.

"Not far. A mile at the most?"

"Ok kids, we need to be prepared to walk it. Or run it," said Gus. "We're driving on fumes. If we don't make it, we get out and lock the car, and leave everything behind but the guns. Understand?"

We all responded with silence, and Gus continued. "If we make it to the cabin, we need to be prepared for a fight. Either with the living or the dead. Boggs, you bring up the rear, girls you stay between me and him."

"You got it, Boss," said Boggs. His voice held an edge of fear.

"If we come across other survivors in the cabin, let me do the talking. If I sense a problem, I'll talk about 'big blue' and if I do, you girls drop to the floor. Boggs, keep your pistol ready. I have experience in combat, and assume you don't. I'll need you to keep your head about you, and not hesitate. Can I count on you?"

The way Gus was talking scared me, but I was also glad to be with someone willing to take charge. I felt almost safe with him guiding us and Boggs at my side.

When Boggs didn't answer, Gus repeated himself. "Boggs. Can I count on you?"

"Without a doubt." It was at that moment that the SUV sputtered and came to a gradual stop.

"Ok, this is it. As close as we can get. Emily, darlin,' I sure hope you were right about the turn-off."

"I'm right," she said matter-of-factly.

"Ok. Before we get out, listen and listen well. No noise. Close the doors quietly, but make sure they close. We can't risk the battery draining from left-on interior lights. Hold the handles open and use your hip, then release the handle. I'll lock the doors. Once we're all out and the doors are shut, get into the formation we talked about and move forward. I'll set the pace. If I run, you run. Understood?"

I nodded while Emilie and Boggs both said "yes" in hushed voices. I looked at Boggs, and squeezed his hand.

"Ok, on the count of three, get out. One – two – three."

On Gus' count, we all opened our doors and stepped out. We did as instructed, holding the door handles open while using our bodies to soften their closure. I heard the automatic locks engage, and looked around. The area was heavily wooded and showing signs of approaching autumn. The sun was well on its way to setting and there was a chill to the air. The only thing I found odd was the silence surrounding us. It hadn't been long ago that we had noticed such stillness: a lack of wildlife, birds, or cars. The similarity to that first day when we ran from old Mr. Anderson sent shivers up my spine. I wanted to tell Gus, but didn't dare speak. Boggs ushered me ahead of him, and I noticed his right hand held the pistol. Ahead of me was Emilie, who had her arms wrapped around herself defensively. Gus took the lead. He had his shotgun loosely aimed ahead, ready for attack from any direction.

We picked up our pace to a healthy walk. I was beginning to tire and my hip was starting to throb. After several minutes, Gus slowed and turned to us, holding a finger to his lips. We all stopped to look when he crouched and pointed. I couldn't help but smile when I saw a weathered two-story log cabin, knowing it might be a harbor of safety.

Gus whispered to us, "Let's start by skirting the cabin to look in the windows. It should give us an idea of what, or who, is inside. Stay down, and stay together." He gave us all the "understood?" look, and I gave a thumbs-up signal. Boggs and Emilie copied my gesture.

We stayed crouched and closed the expanse to the cabin, using the natural growth of the forest to conceal ourselves. It hurt my hip to do so, but it was a small price to pay for potential safety. We followed Gus to a back window. It was too high for any of us to reach alone, so Gus gave Emilie a boost upward. It took her several seconds to study the inside, and then she slid down into Gus' arms. She looked like she belonged there despite their obvious age difference.

"It's dark inside," she whispered as he set her down on her feet. "No signs of anyone living. No movement. I see the kitchen."

Gus nodded to her. "Good job, darlin'." He signaled for us to creep around the corner to the other side. Boggs led the way. There was a larger window here, down lower, so Gus himself peered in. He copied my thumbs-up sign in approval.

Daylight was beginning to fade, so we hustled and moved around to the front door. Gus signaled for us to stand back, which we did. He walked up the three small porch steps and side-stepped to the door, which was solid wood but had two narrow panes of glass that ran vertically on either side. Staying off to one side, he peeked in through the closer of the two windows and watched for a long moment. Satisfied, he motioned us forward. As we approached he tested the knob, finding it locked as we expected.

"I can't see any signs of life inside," he whispered. "Looks like the furniture's all covered. That's a good sign it's vacant. Boggs, we need to get inside. I have to check out the top floor, though. Stay here with the girls while I climb up?"

Boggs nodded. "Sure."

"Assuming it looks ok, I'll check for an open window since the first floor is locked up tight. If I find one I'll go in and clear the structure from the top down, then let you all in the front door. If there's trouble before I get back, climb to the roof."

"What if there's not?" asked Emilie.

"Not what?" asked Gus.

"An open window," she huffed. "How will we get in if you don't find an open window?"

Gus stared at her for a minute then winked at her. "I can break in, don't worry."

Gus walked to the edge of the covered porch and skillfully scaled a post, using an uncared for flower pot as a step. I looked at the withered, brittle plants and dry cracked soil and was hopeful it was another sign of abandonment of the building. I looked back to Gus, who was already pulling himself up onto the porch roof. We briefly heard his steps above us.

The three of us waited there together, on edge and cold. Emilie looked pale in the fading evening light and Boggs had circles under his eyes. It seemed like an eternity before the front door opened.

"Welcome home," whispered Gus.

Emilie smiled and hugged the man as she entered. "Are you sure it's safe?" she whispered back at him.

"Yup. Come on in." He opened the door wide and Boggs and I eagerly crossed the threshold.

Boggs closed the door softly behind us, and then locked it. The inside of the cabin was dark aside from the fading light filtering in through windows.

"It's too dark out to secure windows tonight," said Gus, finally speaking above a whisper. "I think we should lay low on the top floor for tonight, stay quiet, and regroup with securing the place in the morning. There's a small attic. I think we should hunker down in there."

I looked around the room and wondered about the covered furniture. "Looks like it hasn't been used in a while," I said. "Gus, what all's upstairs?"

"Three bedrooms, a bathroom. A closet and a hallway. A small attic. That's about it."

Emilie had her arms wrapped around herself again. She walked into the kitchen and started looking through cabinets. "Look!" she cried out softly. "There's stuff left!"

We walked into the kitchen as a group and looked though the cabinets. There wasn't much to choose from, but we were grateful to have found anything.

We each grabbed a couple of things from the shelves then walked to the stairway together and climbed. It was even darker on the second floor.

"Walk to the end of the hall. Just set what you grabbed off to the side and I'll pull the ladder down," said Gus. "We'll light a candle once we're up there."

"You cleared the attic, right?" asked Boggs.

"Of course," said Gus as he pulled on a rope hanging from the ceiling. A ladder unfolded with several squeaks. "I'll try to oil that tomorrow," he said while rubbing his chin with one hand. "Ladies, go ahead and climb up. Stay low though 'cause the ceiling's short."

Gus handed Emilie a lighter from his jeans pocket and she and I climbed up into the little room.

"Give us just a minute to bring some candles up," said Gus.

Emilie and I scooted back on our butts until our legs were all the way up, and not long after Boggs scaled the ladder and handed us a pillar candle.

"Thanks Boggs," I whispered.

"No problem," he replied. "Gus found a whole drawer full. He said to go ahead and light it so he can check from outside to see if any light is visible."

"'Kay."

Emilie ignited the lighter on her third attempt, and used it to light the dusty candle. The cramped attic was set aglow.

"I'm going with Gus. You two stay put," said Boggs, to my dismay.

"Boggs?" I called.

"Hmm?"

"Just...be safe."

"We will."

Emilie and I sat there facing each other, both looking worried.

"Zoe, can I ask you something?" she asked quietly.

I looked up. "Sure."

"How old do you think Gus is?" She blushed slightly. "He's been in the Army. Do you think he's really old?"

I figured she must be asking because she was smitten with him. He was a pretty good looking guy, after all.

"Em? Why do you ask?" I teased her. Her cheeks reddened more. "I think he's older than you," I said. Maybe in his thirties?" I shrugged again. "You can ask him."

"Noooooo, he might get the wrong idea!" She looked horrified at the thought. I stifled a chuckle, for the moment almost forgetting my fear. It felt good.

"So this is where your family spent vacations?" I asked Emilie.

"Every summer till I was twelve. After that my folks divorced, and the good times ended. Joey had just been born. My mom got so depressed that I pretty much raised him myself." Tears filled her eyes. "I wish he could be here with us."

The sadness emanating from her was heartbreaking. I leaned forward and hugged her. "Me too." We jumped when Boggs and Gus returned to the ladder.

"Joey and I were camping for the weekend," she said, her breath catching between words. "We were out in the woods on a stupid camping trip. I should have told him no..."

"Shhhh, Em, none of us knew something this screwed up would happen. It's not your fault."

The men carried the food and some knives from the kitchen up the ladder, interrupting her recall of events leading to her brother's death. Emilie and I used the candle light to check for dates and seals as a distraction. Before long the men also carried up some blankets and pillows.

"Looks comfy," said Emilie. She was looking tired.

"Find anything useful food-wise?" asked Gus.

"All the dates are good except for a can of baked beans," I answered. "So we have three cans of soda, a bag of beef jerky, a jar of Nutella, a tube of Pringles, a bag of dehydrated apricots, and two cans of peas."

"Yum," joked Boggs.

"The attic looks light-tight," said Gus. "We should stay up here for the night, so before I pull the ladder up if you need to use the facilities now's the time."

"I do," moaned Emilie.

"I'll go with you," said Gus.

"Em, you want me to go instead?" I asked, thinking she might be more comfortable with me at her side.

She shook her head no. "That's ok. I'll let Gus wait outside."

"You two can go next," said Gus politely. "We'll hurry."

Gus climbed down the ladder first, followed by Emilie.

Boggs and I were left alone. I turned to face him and found that he was sitting closer than I expected. He put his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. "I'm sorry you got so scared today, Zo," he whispered. He moved his hands lovingly to the sides of my face, placed his forehead against mine, and breathed deeply.

"I thought you were dead, Boggs," I whispered.

He wrapped his arms around me and held me until Gus and Emilie returned.

Boggs and I climbed down the ladder, and worked our way through the dark to the bathroom at the other end of the hall. Boggs offered to wait outside, but I insisted he come with me. I wasn't ready to be out of his sight again. He politely turned his back while I used the toilet, and I did the same for him.

After we were done, we walked hand in hand back to the ladder. We climbed up into the room, and I saw that Gus and Emilie had laid out the blankets and pillows in the only space that permitted.

"Welcome back," said Gus. "If everyone's ready let's pull up the ladder and settle in for the night."

"Sounds good," said Emilie just before yawning.

Gus crouched down and pulled the folding ladder up. He left the rope handle dangling below.

"Shouldn't we pull the string up?" asked Emilie.

"No, I don't think so," said Gus. "It'd be a sign to someone that we're up here. Instead we'll hold it shut from our side." He set to doing just that, wedging a wooden spoon from the kitchen between one of the rungs of the ladder and the wood frame of the hatch.

"Let's eat a quick snack then try for sleep. Zoe, you need another pill, darlin.'" Gus reached into his jeans pocket and fished out the small bottle of pills.

"You brought them with," I smiled. "Thanks Gus!"

"Of course I brought your pills. I don't want to clean up anymore puke," he said with a smile to tease me.

Boggs popped the tab on a soda and handed it to me. I used it to wash down my pill, and then took a piece of beef jerky from the bag that was being passed around. Without saying anything, we all knew to ration our meager supplies. If my friends were like me, they weren't particularly hungry and instead craved sleep. We all shared the can of pop, and set our goods from the kitchen and the two firearms off to one side. Gus thoughtfully tucked the bottle of antibiotics back into his pocket.

The four of us settled in on the floor. With not much more space than the footprint of a large closet, the attic didn't allow for us to spread out. We all slept beside each other. The two men protectively took places sandwiching me and Emilie. The floor was hard, the two quilts we lay upon not offering much in the way of comfort. Boggs had thought to bring a king sized thermal blanket from one of the bedrooms, which we all shared as a cover.

"Night, all," whispered Gus as he blew out the candle.

I felt Emilie turn away from me so that she was facing Gus.

Boggs whispered to me. "I'm cold."

I rolled over to face him. "Me too."

We held each other for warmth. His fingers gently tracing circles on my arm sent me off to sleep.

I woke with a start. My eyes were open but everything was black. I could hear breathing, but for a moment had no idea where I was or who was with me.

"Zoe," moaned Boggs sleepily. "What's wrong?"

My heart had started pounding, but his voice brought me back to the here and now. "Nothing," I whispered. "I just woke up a little confused."

Emilie stirred beside me. "You ok Zoe?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Gus' lighter flickered on, illuminating the room in a dull glow. I had a hand over my chest and looked around. Nothing seemed amiss.

"Zoe?" asked Gus. "You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah," I answered. "I just woke up and wasn't sure where I was."

Boggs was sitting up beside me now. "What time is it?" he asked no one in particular.

"Seven," answered Gus after checking his watch. "We should get moving, check the place out in the light and secure it." He lit the candle.

Emilie sat up and stretched. Her red hair was messy from sleep. "Something stinks," she said.

"Probably the four of us is all," said Gus. "I don't smell death today. Let's hope it stays that way."

Boggs yawned. "Gus, I think we should leave the girls up here while you and I recheck things downstairs. Make sure nothing got in overnight."

"I agree. Emilie, Zoe, we'll just peek around and let you know when it's safe." Gus reached for the spoon holding the hatch shut, and dislodged it. "Boggs, do you mind readying your pistol?"

"Sure thing." Boggs reached over and armed himself with the pistol, then positioned himself in such a way as to have the best view once the ladder was lowered.

The ladder descended with a squeal when Gus lowered it. Boggs kept the pistol aimed downward into the hallway. Nothing stirred, so he climbed down. I saw him crouch and he kept the gun aimed toward the stairs leading away from the second floor while Gus descended to join him.

"Zoe," whispered Emilie. "I need to use the bathroom."

"Me too Em, but we better wait."

She and I waited for several minutes. We flinched in tandem when we heard a crash from somewhere in the cabin.

"What do you think that was?" whispered Emilie, alarm. She clutched at my arm.

"I'm not sure, Em. Probably one of the guys knocked something over."

We listened for several seconds, glad to not hear anything else unexpected.

"Zoe, I really need to use the bathroom. I'm going to climb down to pee and come right back. The guys won't even know."

"Emilie. I think it's a bad idea," I said.

She was already halfway down the ladder. Not wanting to be alone, I climbed down after her.

We crept down the short hallway together, treading lightly to avoid making any noise. Daylight was creeping in from under the curtains in the three bedrooms, and the bathroom had a small window with privacy glass. It helped us to see, but the rooms were still dim.

"Emilie, I'm going to check out the bedrooms while you use the bathroom," I said as quietly as I could.

"Just don't go far, ok?" she replied.

Emilie walked into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar. I stepped across the hall, entering a bedroom. Lack of a closet and the presence of an armoire, along with half the ceiling sloping from the pitch of the roof, suggested the building might be old. There was a small vanity along the far wall and an intricate cedar chest at the foot of a queen sized bed. A dark brown leather chair sat near the door. One wall was covered in a green and gold floral print wallpaper. I found the room charming. The bed sat on a wrought iron frame with intricate patterns on the headboard. I decided that I wanted to claim the room for myself.

Boggs snuck up behind me, wrapping his arms around me. Startled, I jumped. "It's ok, it's just me. Is this the room you want?" he asked me softly.

His hands were clasped around me, and I reached up to gently hold his arms. "Yes," I said simply.

"Can I share it with you?"

I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat and after a pause answered quietly. "Yes." I closed my eyes as he turned me to face him.

"Zoe?" he whispered.

"Hmm?"

"You stink."

I opened my eyes.

"So do you, Boggs."

Emilie interrupted the moment by clearing her throat. We both looked to the doorway of the room, still holding each other. The redhead stood there with Gus behind her. "The rooms are all different from when I was here last. Someone redecorated. You guys taking this one?"

"Yeah, if you don't mind?" I said.

"Sure. I think I'll take the one on the other side of the hall." She grinned and side stepped down the hall, and disappeared into another room.

Her mention of you guys had made my face warm.

"Ok, Zoe, I'm not trying to be harsh but you girls need to pay attention the next time we say to stay put," said Gus in a serious tone. "If something had gotten in the house and we missed it, we couldn't have kept you two safe."

Boggs added to the conversation. "He's right Zo. Let us do what we can to keep you two out of trouble, ok?"

I looked up at Boggs and nodded. "Sorry."

He ruffled my hair. "Gus and I need to gather some supplies to board up the windows. It means going outside. The cabin is clear, so it's fine for you girls to head downstairs."

Gus interrupted. "I'll go have a talk with Emilie." He headed toward the room where Emilie had gone.

"It'd be helpful if you and Emilie could keep watch of sorts from the porch while Gus and I go out to the shed."

"No problem, but do we get a gun?"

"Yes, you get a gun, Zoe," said Boggs with a roll of his eyes, teasing me. "Let's go downstairs."

We walked into the hall together, and saw Gus standing at the doorway to one of the other bedrooms, scolding Emilie about leaving the attic.

Boggs led me downstairs. The first floor was much brighter than the one we had just left. Gus and Emilie joined us only moments later.

"Ok, some safety tips. Stay away from the windows. I think it's best to stay as quiet as we can. There's a lot to do today so let's head into the kitchen and scrounge some food," Gus was getting good at directing. I admired that.

We ate cold green beans, canned tuna fish, and peanuts. We washed it all down with grape flavored Capri Sun pouches. Gus made sure I took another pill. The guys went over the plans to raid the shed. They would keep the shotgun with them and we would keep the Kahr on the porch with us.

We walked out the front door as a group. We said very little, and listened intently. A few birds twittered, the sky was blue, and a slight breeze blew. The air smelled clean. Emilie and I watched as Gus and Boggs walked the short distance to the shed. Since she had more shooting experience than I did, we decided she would hold the pistol. We sat on the steps together, watching and listening intently. I could tell it was going to be a long day.

# CHAPTER 7

It had been a tense and lengthy day as anticipated. The stress from being on edge had exhausted us all. The men had found supplies in the shed: nails, a hammer, even plywood pieces of various sizes. It had taken them the good part of the morning to bring out what they thought would be the most useful. The birds were singing today, which we took to be a good sign of safe surroundings. The men dared to drive nails into window frames to hold the plywood in place. After each nail was hammered in, we would all stop and listen for any signs of danger. The small window above the kitchen sink was eventually secured with the top of a coffee table and Boggs helped rig it to open easily from the inside. It would be a means of escape if needed, but also serve as an entry with the help of a hidden latch. We used the metal bed frame from the third bedroom to secure the front door from the inside. The headboard helped reinforce the plywood covering the picture window in the small living room. It took a bit of effort, but we broke the box springs down and used its one-by-two planks to build spears. Emilie and I had been tasked with that chore and learned how to use a hand saw to cut sharp points. We all agreed to keep the spears on the second floor as a means of defense should the entry level be overrun.

It was early afternoon when we took our first real break. The guys nailed the last metal bar across the front door, sealing us in. Boggs and Gus were both sweaty, but wearing big grins.

"Should we tell them?" Gus addressed Boggs.

"Might as well," Boggs chuckled.

"What's going on?" asked Emilie.

"Go into the kitchen," instructed Boggs. "Turn on the sink."

"Why?" I asked.

Emilie had already started toward the basin under the modified kitchen window, and got there first. She turned the right hand faucet knob and watched water fall.

"Ok?" she said questioningly. Like me, she must have wondered what the big deal was.

"Emilie, try the hot water darlin,'" said Gus with a chuckle.

Emilie turned the knob on the left, and after several long moments steam accompanied the stream of water. "Are you serious?" she asked. "How on earth...?"

"We noticed a propane tank behind the shed. And yesterday when I was on the roof I saw there's a series of solar panels. We connected everything, so we have limited power and water now. Solar charges the batteries, which are in the shed, and the propane fuels the hot water tank, oven and stove, refrigerator, and fireplace."

"How long will it last?" I asked, being practical.

Gus shrugged. "The propane reads nearly full and it's a big tank. Hopefully two seasons, if we use it sparingly. The solar panels will function unless they get damaged, but the batteries may need replacing at some point. Whoever owns the cabin was pretty creative. Looks like the appliances all run on the propane and the solar was meant as a backup power source. I'd say we're damned lucky to have found this place. We have you to credit for that, Em."

"Can we use the shower?" asked Emilie. She was making a puppy-dog-sad-face.

"Sure," said both the men at the same time.

"Just leave us some hot water, ok?" said Gus with a wink.

She nodded eagerly, and then ran up the stairs and into the bathroom. I could hear the water running down the drain pipes and was jealous that she got to go first. Gus, Boggs, and I used the time to take inventory of the main floor and uncover the furniture. Before we were finished I heard the water upstairs turn off. Boggs suggested I go take my turn, to which I enthusiastically agreed.

The bathroom was filled with steam and smelled like shampoo and soap from Emilie's shower. It was heavenly. I kicked off my shoes, and stripped out of my dirty clothes. I was glad the mirror was steamed-over, not wanting to see how horrible I must look. The bathroom's best feature was a huge claw-foot bathtub. I entertained the idea of soaking in it, but thought the guys might appreciate it if I left some hot water in the tank. I turned the faucet on and stepped into the separate shower stall. The hot water was blissful. I felt tension melt and layers of grime began to strip away. The world around me faded as I massaged a handful of pomegranate scented shampoo into my hair.

A knock on the door brought me back to the dismal world we now lived in.

"C'mon Zoe, save some hot water for us!" barked Gus. I must have been relaxing for longer than I had realized.

I sighed, rinsed my hair, and turned off the water. I growled loud enough to let everyone know I was not happy about ending my shower. I heard chuckling from the hallway.

I looked down at my hip, which was aching again. It looked bruised and swollen. I found a towel under the sink and wrapped it around myself. I wrapped another around my hair. I looked at my filthy clothes and decided to toss them into the bathtub, not having a better plan for them. They landed on top of Emilie's filthy clothes. Great minds think alike. I opened the door and stepped into the hall, where Gus was leaning up against the wall waiting.

"Holy cow! She shines up nice!" he said and laughed.

"Gee thanks, Gussie," I said. "Hey, do you mind looking at my hip for me? It looks a little funny."

"Sure, Zoe. It's brighter in the bathroom. Let's head in there." He held a hand out to signal me to go ahead of him.

I walked back into the bathroom with him trailing behind. He left the door open behind him like a gentleman. "Ok, let's take a look-see."

I stood with my hip facing the only window in the room and lifted my towel up enough for Gus to look at the wound.

"Hmm," he muttered. "We might need to change antibiotics, Zoe. It looks a bit off. Is it hurting?"

"A little," I admitted. "It gets achy."

"The color is kind of funny. It's almost green, just a faint shade right around the wound."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"Let me wash my hands, hold on." He walked to the sink and scrubbed his hands. He spoke while he lathered. "It might be a resistant bacteria. It's just hard to say."

As the cowboy dried his hands, Emilie came to the door. She was glowing from her shower and smelled good. Her hair was drying and she looked like a little pixie. She had found a cute yellow sundress with little flowers on it and had put it on. Gus looked up at her. "Aren't you just adorable all clean?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Emilie, could you do us a favor?" asked Gus.

Emilie nodded.

"Look through the drawers in here and see if you can find anything like peroxide or rubbing alcohol, or antibiotic ointment? Heck, bottles of pills too."

"Sure. Is everything ok?" she wore a look of concern on her face.

"Yeah, Zoe's hip is just looking a bit angry. We need to clean it up and maybe start some new antibiotics."

Emilie started rummaging through cabinets and drawers. She managed to find a bottle of Hibiclens, which Gus said would be good for washing the wound, and a tube of Neosporin. Gus said her prize finding was a bottle of Percocet, which he told us was a strong pain medication.

Since I had just showered, Gus said we'd hold off on using the Hibiclens till I bathed again and instead he dabbed Neosporin on the wound. The Percocet, he said, we'd set aside for emergencies. I thanked them both for their help then stepped out of the bathroom, leaving them behind.

I walked into the bedroom I had claimed, and shut the door behind me. A single candle was lit and sitting on the vanity. Someone had laid a big flannel shirt on the bed for me. It made me smile knowing I wasn't stuck with just a towel all night. I wondered if it had come from the armoire, then realized it didn't much matter. I took the towel off of my hair and let it drop to the floor, followed by the one wrapped around my body. I stood there naked in the candle light, my back to the door. I startled from the crackling of jeans against leather from the corner of the room behind me, and turned in dread. I grabbed the shirt and clung to it, trying to cover myself.

"Boggs!" I shouted. My heart was beating fast.

He obviously felt bad for startling me. "I'm sorry, Zo. I didn't mean to scare you." He frowned and walked closer to me. I was shaking, both from fright and from the chill of standing naked in a cold dark room, and fought to regain control of myself. "Can I help with that?" He put his hands on the shirt. He had a look of desire on his face. "Please?" he asked longingly.

I swallowed hard. His blue eyes danced in the candlelight and his face was holding onto a trace of sadness and a lot of fatigue. I looked up at him, but didn't answer. His five o'clock shadow was longer than usual and made his features look only more rugged and masculine in the glow. He took the shirt from me, my fingers letting go without much resistance. I stood there feeling overwhelmingly vulnerable as he looked down at my body, then back to my face. "You're so beautiful, Zoe."

He stepped forward and I took a step back, still shaking. Wanting to feel his body next to mine, but terrified of the same, I whispered back to him. "No, Boggs." I saw the pain of rejection on his face. I held a hand up, and put my palm against his chest. "Not yet...I just need some time." He sighed and looked at his feet, but didn't back away. "Besides, you stink, remember?" I was still whispering and now my stomach was in a knot. His silence was the loudest thing in the room. My hand still touching him, feeling his heartbeat, I rested my forehead on his chest. He reached behind me, and I felt the flannel shirt drape over my shoulders. My face still against him, I mumbled. "I'm sorry Boggs."

I knew he was miserable. "It's ok, Zoe. A cold shower will do me good." He sighed and left the room sulking.

I buttoned the oversized shirt, and rolled the sleeves up. I heard the shower running again, so walked downstairs. I found Emilie sitting on one of the two loveseats in the living room. There was a fire going, and she had four mugs of hot cocoa on the coffee table.

"Zoe!" She seemed excited to see me. "Come grab some cocoa! It's hot. Gus said to not use any electric except the stove & oven to make the solar batteries last longer, but the candles and fire work fine. Kind of cozy, huh?"

I sat kiddy corner to her on the other loveseat, and pulled an afghan from the back of the couch over my legs since all I had on was the shirt. Though not large on top, I had always been self-conscious when not wearing a bra, so was glad for the baggy shirt. "It's making me sleepy. I know it's still afternoon but it's so dark in here."

"Gus said you were really sick too, just before I joined you all. That can't help."

"She was, very sick," Gus said as he reached the bottom of the stairs. His face was clean shaven and he looked like a different person. I giggled because he was wearing a women's light blue t-shirt that fell short on him and was too tight. It had daffodils decorating the front. He wore a pair of gray boxer briefs that did nothing to hide his manhood. Emilie choked on her cocoa. He came over toward us, turned a circle, and said "what?"

"Sexy" snorted Emilie. Gus grinned and plopped on the couch next to her, the t-shirt riding up and exposing flesh. I could tell he worked out regularly. It was hard to look away, but I didn't want to be caught staring.

"You like it huh?" Gus asked, waggling his eyebrows at her. She blushed deeply.

I recalled her question about his age and decided to find out for her. "Cool it you two. Gus you're an old man and Emilie you're practically a kid." They both looked at me, in slight disbelief that I'd called out their flirting.

"I'll have you know I'm only sixty-three," said Gus, laughing. "Old man my butt." Emilie smacked his arm.

"How old are you really Gus?" asked Emilie. He leaned over to her and whispered in her ear, making her laugh harder. "See, Zoe, he's not too old." I rolled my eyes and sipped my cocoa. I spit it back into the mug, not expecting what I tasted.

"You lushes!" I said. They both laughed and high fived each other. The cocoa was laced with something much stronger than marshmallows. Boggs came down the stairs next, his lower half wrapped in a red terry cloth towel. His chest was still wet and the drops of water caught in the firelight. Something stirred inside me and I sipped at the alco-cocoa. Boggs' chest was a great distraction from Gus' abs. I hadn't realized that Boggs had a tattoo of an intricate cross on his right pectoral.

"What's so funny?" Boggs asked and helped himself to the seat next to me. He took my free hand in his and squeezed, letting me know that we were okay.

"The Drunken Cowboy here claims he's sixty-three and the redhead likes spiked cocoa," I said and took a large drink myself. "I guess age is funny when you're drunk?" I giggled.

"Looks like she's not the only one," Boggs teased. "Nice outfit Gus."

"At least I have clothes, Bogsie." Gus looked at Emilie. "Should I tell them?"

Emilie shook her head no.

"Tell us what?" I asked.

"Nothin'," he said.

Emilie started laughing in a girlish fit, and fought to catch her breath as we all stared. Boggs grabbed a corner of the afghan and pulled it over himself, threatening to expose my legs and possibly more depending on where my shirt was situated. I tugged back on it, so he lay down and rested his head in my lap, looking up at the ceiling.

"He's thirty eight, by the way," whispered Emilie.

Gus nudged her. "You weren't supposed to tell, Miss twenty-something."

I swallowed my cocoa, starting to feel warm inside from the liquor. I absently ran my fingers through Boggs' clean-but-damp curls. The topic changed to what we had all done in our adult lives. My story was the least interesting. Having only experienced briefly working in a coffee shop since graduating high school, there wasn't much to say. Boggs mentioned his time away at college, skipping the part about his fling and its devastating consequences, and his major in computer engineering. Emilie had been raising her little brother, so like me she had skipped college, but had enjoyed a job during the daytime with special needs kids at an equestrian therapy camp. Gus had already finished nursing school before he joined the Army, and had enlisted in hopes of going to medical school on the GI Bill. He left after his first tour and fell in love with a married woman. He let it drop before offering any more information. So, we decided Emilie could teach us to ride horses we didn't have, Gus could take care of us if we get sick, I could make coffee, and Boggs was just SOL.

It felt good, having a semi-normal conversation while the world around us was falling apart. I eventually made Boggs return upstairs to find something decent to wear and he had come back in just a pair of shorts. Soon we were all sitting on the floor around the coffee table. Boggs had found a few decks of cards and Gus shuffled them in preparation for teaching us all how to play 'Shanghai.'

Emilie took our empty cocoa mugs to the kitchen. She returned with plastic tumblers full of bottled juice that tasted oddly like Vodka, although she denied any tampering, and a box of blueberry Pop Tarts. We sat playing cards, drinking, and snacking for a long while.

I yawned, the alcohol making me sleepy. One by one my companions joined me in displaying fatigue. Gus stopped shuffling, and set the cards in the center of the table. "I think we're all tired. We should head upstairs, try to get some sleep. We can regroup in the morning. Sound ok?"

Boggs yawned in exaggeration. "Sounds good, Buddy."

Emilie chimed in. "Should we have a code word? Like if one of us wakes up and one of those things is trying to get in? Should we yell a word that means wake the eff up?"

Gus stood, held his hand out to help her up, and chuckled. "Darlin'. If you wake up and one of those things is near, you should yell wake the fuck up!" She smacked him playfully. They were obviously hitting it off.

"We should turn the fireplace off, and blow out the candles," said Boggs. "Why don't you guys head upstairs and I'll double check window security? Zoe, can you put a candle at the top of the stairs so I can see?"

I nodded, followed by another yawn. I was still feeling weak, and was ready to sleep for a long stretch. Gus followed Emilie up the stairs and they both went into the same room. The door clicked shut and I heard Emilie giggle.

"You should head up Zoe. I'll be there in a minute."

"Kay. I'll do the candle. Boggs?" I paused and he looked at me. "Please hurry?"

He kissed my cheek. "Ok." I watched him walk toward the front door. I climbed the stairs while the firelight still illuminated the room, and fetched the candle that was still aglow in our bedroom. The first floor of the house went black when Boggs shut the propane fireplace off, causing my heartbeat to speed. I stood at the top of the stairs holding the candle and watched Boggs walk up toward me. He looked almost frightening as the flame from the candle I held flickered across his face and chest. He met me at the top of the stairs and took the candle from my hands.

"Boggs?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"When did you get a tattoo?"

"At college. Do you like it?"

"Actually, yeah."

He smiled at me. "Zoe, go ahead and climb into bed and I'll blow out the candle."

"I'm scared, Boggs. What if they get in and we don't hear?" Even I could hear the fear in my own voice.

We walked into the bedroom and Boggs set the candle down on the vanity and stepped closer to me. "Zo, I'll keep you safe. If you want, I'll stay awake while you sleep. I can sit up in the chair in the corner, or lay with you. You name it." He took my hands in his.

"Just stay near. You can't stay awake, Boggs. You have circles under your eyes that have circles of their own."

He straightened his arms out, still holding my hands, and kissed my forehead. "I promise I'll sleep with an ear open, if I sleep."

I nodded. "Kay."

"Lay down, the candle's going out."

Boggs had turned the covers down when he had come back to get dressed, so I climbed into bed and scooted to the far side with my back to the middle of the bed. I was too exhausted to care that I had probably just mooned the man who thought he was falling in love with me. The room went dark and I closed my eyes. I felt Boggs' weight added to the mattress and the bed creaked. He pulled the covers up over me, and the heaviness of them was comforting.

"Boggs?" I whispered.

"Hmm?" he vocalized, sleepily.

"My feet are so cold."

He scooted closer, and I could sense him above me, looking down in the dark. "Do you want me to warm you up?" he asked sleepily.

"Can you just hold me?"

I shifted my weight to my other side, facing him. He put an arm around me and held me close. I rested my head on his bare chest and listened to his heartbeat. "Boggs?" I whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think we'll make it through this?"

Boggs took a deep breath before answering. "If I have any say in it, Zoe Kate, we'll make it through. One day at a time."

# CHAPTER 8

When I woke, the cabin was quiet and I was alone in the bedroom. I was afraid to call out for anyone so instead quietly got out of bed and walked to the hallway. I listened and heard Boggs and Emilie talking softly from downstairs. I walked to the bathroom where I found some toothpaste and used my finger to scrub my teeth. For the first time in many days, I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes seemed different. If it's true that the eyes are the window to the soul, then my soul had been forever changed since the dead had risen. My face looked thinner than usual. I was pale. I wasn't very impressed with myself. I stepped to the claw foot tub I had admired the day before and saw that the dirty clothes were gone. I turned the old fashioned faucet on. It was the type that spewed cold and hot water separately, forming two streams of water. I had only seen a faucet like it once before, at a very old hotel in the San Juan Islands of Puget Sound. While the bath drew, I stepped back to the mirror and took my oversized flannel shirt off. I stared at myself in the silvered glass, wondering how I looked compared to other women. I had always thought my shoulders were too wide, my breasts too small, and my feet too large. My skin had always been pale, my hair an unremarkable medium blonde, and my features overall rather boring. For the briefest of moments I wondered what I'd look like if I was one of them. I shook the image of a living-dead-Zoe out of my mind as quickly as possible. I wrapped my hair around itself near the top of my head and secured it loosely with a hair band I had kept around my wrist.

Done critiquing myself, I stepped to the bathtub and tested the water with my hand. It was hot, almost too much so, but I stepped in and lowered myself below the water line. It burned my hip, and I imagined that the pain of the hot water could only help the wound to heal. I realized I had forgotten to grab the Hibiclens that Gus had suggested I use to wash my hip.

There was a light knock on the door. "Zoe?" called Emilie. "Can I come in?"

"Sure, Em," I called back. "It's unlocked."

Emilie opened the door halfway and crept in. She was holding my undergarments that I had left in the bathtub. "I hand washed these. Hope you don't mind?"

I smiled. "Not at all, you're awesome. Thanks."

"I washed everything and set it all by the fire to dry, but the heavier stuff's still damp," she said followed by a soft smile.

"Oh, hey, can you hand me that cleaner Gus wants me to use? It's next to the sink."

She turned and picked up the little blue bottle and handed it to me. "Want me to look at your hip?" she asked.

I turned on my side just a bit, raising the wound on my hip just out of the water. "Think it looks any better?" I asked.

"Hmm, there's a worm coming out of it," she said then started laughing.

"Very funny," I said with a snicker.

"Seriously, there's no worm and it looks a little less swollen," she said. "I'll grab a wash cloth and let you do the scrubbing. I don't want to hurt you." She walked to a cabinet located behind the door and found a faded pink rag, which she tossed to me. "Just holler if you need anything else, ok?" she said before leaving the room.

I poured some of the red soap from the bottle onto the washcloth and gently scrubbed my hip, wincing from the pain. I found a bottle of bubble bath on the floor behind the tub and added some to the water. I enjoyed the floral scent that surrounded me. After several minutes of soaking, I stepped out and wrapped myself in a towel. I found a brush in a drawer and decided to not care who else had used it. I detangled my hair and wove it into a braid that wrapped around my left shoulder, resting on my chest. Once I was dry, I shimmied into my clean blue panties and bra and dabbed some Neosporin on my hip. Like Emilie had said, it wasn't as swollen and seemed to be healing except for some faint green streaks spreading outward. I'd need to remember to ask Gus about that. I went to put my flannel shirt back on over my underwear, but it was gone. Funny, Emilie I thought to myself. I opened the bathroom door and peeked out. Seeing the coast was clear, I tiptoed across the hall to my room and walked in, shutting the door quickly. I sensed someone watching me and turned to see Boggs lying on the bed, his head propped on the pillows. He had his hands behind his head and a large grin on his face.

"I've always loved you in blue," he said, still smiling.

I felt my cheeks warm, and stood there awkwardly. "Thanks," I whispered.

His smile faded and his gaze became intense as he watched me turn to walk toward the armoire in search of clothes. "You look like Heaven itself," he whispered. I could feel him drinking me in with his eyes. I heard him shift his weight on the bed as I walked to the large cabinet. I opened the doors and looked at the various items hanging within. Listening to his footsteps approach, I was too distracted to focus on choosing something to wear. I concentrated on just breathing. I could sense him close behind me. "You smell like Heaven," he breathed softly against the skin of my bare back. He used his arms to pull me around to face him, and kissed me deeply. "You taste like Heaven," he mumbled as he moved his mouth to my neck and brushed his lips lightly against my skin, savoring me. He pulled me close, and I allowed my body to relax, not resisting this time. He moved his mouth back to my lips and kissed me with passion I had never known before. I wrapped my arms around him and found myself trying to explore his body through his clothes. He broke our embrace and lifted his shirt over his head, then lifted me into his arms and carried me to the bed. He set me down on the mattress and gently lowered himself on top of me. My breathing quickened and I used both of my palms to explore his bare chest, tracing the lines of his tattoo. I felt his hips pressing against me longingly and my body responded in kind, causing him to groan loudly. He moved to my ear, his tongue tracing its outline. The room disappeared along with the rest of the world, and all that was left was me and the man I had known all of my life. He latched onto my neck with his mouth, tasting my skin with his tongue. He moved his mouth to my earlobe again and his hands were suddenly on my back fighting with the hooks of my bra strap. He whispered softly into my ear, "are you sure you want this?" His hands paused while he waited for my reply. I nodded against his cheek, and he slipped my bra down my arms. My fear was leaving me as our bodies took over. My nipples were erect as he cupped my breasts in his large hands, taking me in with all of his senses. I hadn't realized a tear had fallen down my cheek until he wiped it away with his thumb.

"I can stop, Zo," he said with tenderness in his voice.

"I'm just scared...I've never done this before...." I whispered. "Don't stop, Boggs," I said, almost begging.

"As long as I live, I promise I won't hurt you." He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me deeply again. With a free hand he sought out my panties. He slid his hand underneath, still kissing me. He caressed me gently, twisting his fingers through my pubic hair teasingly. I found myself responding by opening my legs to him, wanting more. It caused him to moan quietly and search deeper with his fingers. I felt a brief twinge as his fingers entered me and gasped quietly, pulling my hips away slightly. My reaction seemed to excite Boggs even more and his fingers searched for me almost frantically. I bit my lip while he pulled my panties down over my knees and finally my feet. He kissed my left ankle, then my knee, and smelled my inner thigh until he got to the place he craved the most. He kissed me gently there, and spoke quietly against me. "Don't be scared, Zoe." I felt his tongue enter me, searching wildly. I brought my hips up, inviting him to continue pleasuring me. As his tongue searched deeper and his mouth sucked wildly, I moved my hands to the top of his head and gently grabbed his hair. My breathing quickened and I pleasantly felt myself losing control.

He moved up toward me, mirroring my body with his own. He unzipped his jeans with one hand while holding his weight with the other. He met my eyes with his own, then leaned down and kissed me hard. He whispered softly into my ear. "Are you sure you want me to do this?"

I nodded and whispered back, "yes."

I spread my legs and felt him press into me. His erection was sliding between my legs, searching for entry. My breathing was heavy, and my hips searching longingly for him in return. His manliness was hot as it finally found its target and entered me deeply. He started gently by thrusting in short strokes.

I put my hands on his biceps and squeezed firmly.

His voice was breathy. "Does that feel ok?" He grunted lightly after he said it.

I gripped his arms harder and answered quietly. "More than ok." My hips continue to thrust against him in eagerness.

He looked at me tenderly and I met his eyes in return. He started making love to me with long, deep thrusts. My grip on his arms tightened more, which seemed to drive him wild. He never took his eyes off of me. The headboard began thumping against the wall as our demonstration of love and passion escalated. Boggs finally closed his eyes as he let out a long intense moan and I felt a flush of warmth mix with my own rippling pleasure where our bodies were joined.

As Boggs collapsed onto me, I fought to catch my breath. He rolled off and we lay next to each other until we regained ourselves. He stroked my hair, and kissed me lovingly. "I love you," he whispered.

We joined the others downstairs at the kitchen table where they had set out a breakfast of dry cereal. I sat down, now wearing a pair of baggy sweat pants and a t-shirt I had found in the armoire.

Emilie had just shoved a handful of cereal into her mouth and spoke when she was almost done chewing. "You guys sounded like you had fun!" Gus nudged her with his arm, making her choke slightly.

I blushed and Boggs grinned, making my cheeks redden even more. Gus was kind enough to change the topic, while Emilie worked to contain her smile.

"We need to board up the outside of the windows today," said Gus.

"Why?" I asked.

Gus took a deep breath. "We need to worry about two things now. The dead and the living. If survivors come by and see we're boarded up on the inside it'd be a dead giveaway. Pardon the pun. If it's boarded up on the outside it'll look more like a vacant building. At least it might buy us some time."

Emilie looked at him quizzically. "But don't we want to help survivors?"

Boggs answered. "Not everyone is going to be looking for help. Some will be looking to take from us, or to hurt us."

"I suggest we board up the exterior main floor windows today, but just leave the upstairs drapes pulled shut. That way we can use the upper windows if needed. Extra light, defense, or escape," Gus advised. "We should assume that anyone and everyone that might happen upon us is an enemy until we know otherwise. We need to stock up on supplies within the next few days. Infrastructure is likely already collapsing. We aren't sure just how widespread this is, so we should assume it's everywhere and that this is just how things are now." We all listened intently to the ex-military man. "Eventually roads will become impassable, we'll be out of fuel for the cabin, and even food and supplies we might scavenge will be harder to come by. We also need to work at getting the car closer to the house."

"Shouldn't we just leave the car?" asked Emilie.

Gus shook his head. "We should never leave anything if we can help it. It's full of supplies but can also be torn down and used for tools."

Boggs spoke up. "So what's first?"

Gus looked thoughtful. "Today we secure the place better, and scout out the surrounding area. Today or tomorrow we work at getting the SUV closer, or at least getting our supplies from inside it. Eventually we'll add more security here at the cabin. A safe room of sorts."

I was bringing a spoonful of Cheerios to my mouth when I heard a shrill scream. I froze, dropping the spoon to the table with a clatter. My three companions looked at me. I didn't understand why they were just looking at me instead of reacting to the scream from outside.

"Zoe? What's wrong?" Boggs asked with concern in his voice.

I looked at him, my eyes wide, but didn't speak.

"Zoe, what is it? You're trembling," said Emilie as she stood from her seat.

The hairs on my arms and neck were standing on end. I heard the scream again. No one else seemed to hear it. "We have to get to the attic," I said as I stood from my seat at the table, knocking my chair over. My heart was racing, and my palms were sweaty.

"Zoe?" asked Gus sternly. "What's wrong, darlin'?"

"Don't you hear her?" I asked. My voice was full of panic.

"Hear who, Zoe?" asked Boggs, now standing beside me.

By the time I heard the scream for the third time, I realized it was within my own head. I covered my ears with my hands, willing it to stop. "God, no," I moaned. "It's one of them. I can hear it in my head...the screaming."

Gus was on my other side by now, and took my face in his hands. "Zoe." His voice was full of authority. "Look at me, Zoe." He looked into my eyes, studying me. "There's no screaming."

My breathing had quickened, and I was shaking. "Listen to me, please," I begged. "We have to get to the attic." Tears were starting to fall down my cheeks. I turned to face Boggs.

"Zoe, Honey, what's wrong?" asked Boggs. "Gus? Is her fever back?" I heard Boggs asking the questions but it was overpowered by a fourth scream in my head.

"No, she doesn't feel hot," replied Gus.

"Shhhh!" Interrupted Emilie sharply. "Listen!"

Gus had his hands on my shoulders, and everyone stopped to listen.

"Do you hear it?" asked the redhead. "It's faint, but I can hear it."

"Yeah," said Gus as he looked back at me. His face held an expression of unease as he studied me. "I do. Boggs, grab your gun. Now." He didn't break his focus on me until he was done speaking.

Within moments Gus and Boggs both had their firearms readied. Boggs walked to the boarded up kitchen window, which he had cleverly fashioned so a small corner could be turned back for easy viewing of the grounds around the cabin. Gus went to the front door, which also had a small opening for surveillance.

"I don't see anything on my side," said Boggs.

"Me either," answered Gus.

Emilie was standing beside me, holding my right hand in both of hers. The scream came once again, inhuman and ear-piercing. This time it wasn't only inside my head. I felt Emilie's hands tighten on mine and knew she had heard it too.

"I see it," said Gus flatly. "Coming out of the trees behind the shed."

"That's out of my view," said Boggs.

"It's slow. Really slow. I only see one." Gus paused, and we all waited for him to continue. "I suggest we go out and take care of it."

"Are you crazy?" squealed Emilie. "Why? When we can shoot it from here?" Her voice had lowered to a strained whisper.

Gus answered her. "It's moving so slowly I think we can walk right up to it, Emilie. If we can kill it without the noise of the guns, even better."

"No," I whispered, almost inaudibly.

"Zoe?" Boggs had moved from the kitchen window and was walking toward me. "What do you mean 'no'?"

I blinked and looked at him. "No. You can't go out. It's a trap."

"Zoe, what the fuck are you talking about?" Gus sounded annoyed with me.

"I don't know exactly. Don't get angry with me!" I was getting irritated, along with confused, by what was going on in my head. My hip was throbbing and I felt sick to my stomach.

"Zo, just tell us what's going on." Boggs was in front of me, looking me in the eyes. "No one is angry."

"There's not just one. She's just the bait."

Gus left his position at the front door and was behind Boggs now, looking down at me. "How do you know it's a 'she'? Zoe?"

"The creature you saw, the slow one. She's bait. There's two more circling out back, waiting for us to come out. They're very different than the slow one you saw. I don't know how I know. I just do." I started crying softly

Gus and Boggs looked at each other. Emilie took a step back from me and whispered "shit."

"We need to listen to her," was all Boggs said.

Gus looked thoughtful for several long moments. My head spun with fragments of thoughts that were not my own. Thoughts that didn't make sense. I knew how badly the creatures outside wanted us. How badly they craved our flesh. I fought to keep vomit from coming up my throat.

"All they want to do is eat us," I moaned. Boggs wrapped his arms around me. "I can feel how much they want to tear us apart and eat our flesh."

"Zoe. I have no idea what's going on, but I need you to tell me where they are. And are you sure there's only two others?" Gus looked ready to fight.

I nodded. "There's the two behind the cabin. In the woods, I think. They're different than the one you saw. They sent her out to draw us out." I looked up at Gus. "They know we're in here."

He looked down, deep in thought. "Since they've set a trap we need to play along. I'm headed out front to be bait of our own."

"No, Gus, you can't!" cried Emilie. "Absolutely not!"

Gus looked at Emilie. "We have no choice, darlin'. I can kill the slow one with a spear. It'll draw the other two out, and I'll need you and Boggs ready at the upstairs windows. You'll need to shoot the two Zoe's talking about."

"Fuck, Gus," said Boggs. "I think it'd be better if I come out with you and Emilie can shoot from upstairs."

"I disagree, Brother. We need to make sure one of us stays with the girls. I don't want them left alone, just in case this goes bad."

Boggs hung his head. "Yeah, ok. Emilie, I'll need you to come upstairs with me before Gus heads out. Zoe, are you listening?" asked Boggs.

I looked up, my vision blurred from tears. "Yes."

"Can you watch from our bedroom window, let me and Emilie know what's going on out front while we're positioned as snipers in the back two bedrooms?"

"Yeah, ok."

"Head upstairs and pull down the ladder to the attic. Use it if the creatures breach the cabin," said Gus. "And put a couple spears up there, in the attic, just in case you get stuck up there."

The dead woman out front wailed again. It echoed in my head.

"They're somehow telling her to make a lot of noise," I said. "We have to hurry. They suspect something's up." The realization that some of the creatures were capable of thought and communication terrified me.

"Ok, go. Now," instructed Gus. "Emilie, you take whichever of the fuckers is closest and Boggs you aim for the farthest," he called back as we began ascending the stairs to the second floor.

Boggs pulled the attic ladder down and scrambled up with four of the homemade spears. Without speaking, we all went to different bedrooms as planned and got into position. I watched the front of the property. The slow female zombie was standing beside the shed, swaying jerkily. Her mouth opened from time to time and I could hear her moans and whimpers within my head. I could somehow sense that she was hungry, more so than she had ever been while alive. It was saddening and sickening at the same time. I was aware that Gus was approaching her before he was in my own line of sight, somehow seeing through her eyes.

"He's outside," I said loud enough for Boggs and Emilie to hear. "He's approaching her." I could sense the excitement of the other two zombies that were behind the house. "The other two know he's there. They'll be coming out of the woods soon."

Gus approached the sluggish zombie, who was now also walking toward him with a shuffling but purposeful gait. She was close enough now that I could see braces that she wore on her legs. Her flesh was in an advanced state of decay with areas of exposed bone where the braces had rubbed. Gus held the spear in one hand, and had used his free arm to cover his nose and mouth. The zombie raised her skeletal arms in anticipation of grabbing onto a meal. Gus raised his free arm and brought the spear down hard, lodging it into the creature's head. It crumpled to the ground in a heap. Gus used his booted foot to put pressure against the creature's neck and jaw while he pulled the spear from its head.

"They're coming," I said simply. "They want Gus."

I heard Boggs mumble from the other room, but was unable to make out what he said. The desire swimming in my own mind, yet not belonging to me, was maddening. It made concentrating difficult.

I heard the Kahr fire, and Emilie said excitedly, "got it!"

The shotgun rang out next, followed by Boggs yelling. "Fucking A, I missed! Oh God no! It's headed around front!"

I already knew the last remaining creature was running toward our friend out front. I had known seconds before Boggs had announced it. I watched helplessly from my perch in the upper window as a streak ran across the yard toward the cowboy. I put my palms on the cool glass of the window, unsuccessfully willing time to slow. When the zombie collided with him, Gus landed hard on his back on the ground. The spear was knocked from his grip. The speed with which the creature had run was astonishing. Gus fought for ground by holding the monster away from him for as long as he could. The zombie's snapping jaws threatened to consume him.

I hadn't heard Boggs run up behind me. My mind was filled with the absolute desire emanating from the creature. The next shotgun blast was deafening. The glass from the window shattered, and splinters landed across my face. Once I was able to open my eyes, I looked out the now broken window and saw the creature draped over Gus' body. The cowboy hefted it off of himself and quickly rolled away. I heard Emilie run down the stairs, followed by Boggs. My mind was clearer now, but held a remnant of foreign thought. I sensed pain, and above that pain the constant hunger and desire for flesh. I realized that not all of the creatures were gone. One was laying in misery both from a wound, as well as an unrelenting desire to consume. Sensing the excitement of the creature as Boggs and Emilie ran into the yard to help Gus, I forced myself onto my feet and ran down the stairs to warn them.

By the time I climbed through the window above the kitchen and rounded the corner of the cabin, I saw Gus on his hands and knees vomiting violently. The smell from the zombies was nauseating, to say the least. Emilie was at Gus' side, trying to console him.

"Get back!" I yelled. "Boggs! It's not dead!"

Gus and Emilie both looked up at me, eyes wide. Gus had vomit dripping from his chin and splattered on his shirt. He realized what I meant before Emilie did, and used his arms to shove her away from him. Boggs was closest to them, and had already aimed the shotgun at the fallen zombie.

"Get down!" yelled Boggs shrilly.

As Gus dropped to the ground, I could see the fallen zombie had already perching for another attack. Boggs' shot from our bedroom window hadn't been lethal. Another blast from the shotgun sounded and the head of the zombie was fatally thrown backward, separated from the rest of its decomposed body.

Silence followed, aside from the ringing in my ears. My head was finally free of foreign thoughts and desires.

Boggs kept his shotgun raised, and then spoke. "Emilie, you need to stand up and walk toward Zoe."

The redhead looked down at Gus, who was kneeling. "Do it, Em," said Gus.

"No," said Emilie.

Gus nodded his head at her. "You have to, Em. We all know the routine."

Emilie looked at me. I held an arm out toward her, encouraging her to come to me, which she did hesitantly.

Gus stood, appearing slightly out of breath from the struggle he had just been through with the corpse. He held his arms out to his sides. "Zoe, can you take Emilie inside please?" asked Gus.

I took Emilie's hand in mine and stepped toward the side of the cabin. I could feel her shaking. "No, Gus, we're all in this together," I said. Her eyes were locked on Gus.

"Fair enough," he answered. "Boggs, I'm pretty sure I didn't get bit. I'm taking my shirt off." He had thankfully traded his too-small women's t-shirt for a button-up flannel that morning. He unbuttoned it, and slid it down his arms. Crumpling it up, he used it to wipe his chin and mouth. He pulled his sleeveless undershirt off next. His breathing had slowed and he did a slow three hundred and sixty degree turn. It was difficult to ignore his six-pack abs while watching for any signs of bites. "See anything?" he asked.

"So far so good," answered Boggs, who had lowered the shotgun slightly.

Gus undid his belt and opened the fly of his jeans, then slid them down. I looked down at my feet, embarrassed.

"All clear," announced Boggs.

After a couple of minutes, Emilie whispered to me. "You can look now."

Gus walked over to us, and wrapped his arms around Emilie. "It's ok," he whispered to soothe her. "It's going to be ok." He looked over at me, unsmiling but not unkind. I knew he had many questions. I knew I had no answers.

# CHAPTER 9

We had all climbed back into the cabin through the kitchen window entry. My head and hip both ached. I had a numb feeling inside. Boggs had suggested I sit down in the living room with him. Emilie and Gus offered to bring in some sodas. I was exhausted, so laid down on one of the two loveseats and curled into a fetal position. I closed my eyes. I felt the afghan drape over me.

"Thanks, Boggs," I whispered.

"Zoe, we're gonna have to talk about what happened."

"I know." I kept my voice low.

Before I knew what he was doing, Boggs lifted me into his arms and held me, then sat down, still cradling me. He kissed me on the forehead. "It'll be ok, Zo," he said with tenderness in his voice.

I wrapped my arms around him and lay my head on his chest, and then kicked off my shoes. The sound of his heart beating was soothing. "I love how you smell, Boggs," I whispered. I closed my eyes again as he stroked my hair.

Before long Emilie and Gus both walked into the room. Gus cleared his throat. I opened my eyes, but kept close to Boggs. If I could have melted into him I would have.

Emilie set two cans of soda on the table and sat down on the other small couch. Gus stood in front of us with his hands on his hips. He was wearing his jeans and boots, minus his shirt from earlier. He no longer looked upset, but instead looked very concerned.

"Ok, Zoe, what was that?" he asked. "We need to understand what happened with you."

I sat upright a bit, and clung to Boggs' hand. "I don't know," I said while biting my lip.

Gus sat next to Emilie and took a deep breath.

"Has anything like that ever happened to you before?" he asked.

"No. Never. I swear." I fought tears again. "And I hope it never happens again."

"Can you explain what happened, Zo?" asked Boggs. He squeezed my hand.

I sniffled. "I heard her screaming in my head. I didn't understand how the rest of you couldn't hear her." I looked at Boggs for any trace of understanding on his face before continuing. "Before long there were fragments of thoughts in my head. Not words, just impressions of some sort. I wish I could explain it." I looked down at my lap.

"Zoe? Was anything else going on at the same time?" asked Gus. Emilie sat listening, unusually quiet.

"My hip started hurting, and my head got achy. I felt sick to my stomach. I could feel how badly they craved our flesh. I could feel their hunger."

I looked over at Gus. He was clearly deep in thought.

"Zoe, how did you hurt your hip? Boggs has already told me, but I want more details," said the man sitting beside Emilie.

I looked at Boggs. "It was the morning we first ran. I fell out the window when we were trying to get away from Mr. Anderson. I didn't know it was cut at first, not till we got to Boggs' house."

"And you cleaned it, right Boggs?" asked Gus. "With rubbing alcohol?"

"Yeah, from a first aid kit. One of those little wipes."

"Do you know what you fell on, exactly?" pressed Gus.

"No," I said. "All I was focused on was running."

"Boggs? Do you recall what was on the ground where she fell?"

"Nothing unusual, just dirt and weeds."

"Ok," continued Gus. "Zoe I don't mean to get personal but can you take your pants off? I think I should look more closely at your hip, darlin'. I also need to get those glass slivers out of your cheek."

I nodded, then stood and slipped my sweatpants off. At this point I was too exhausted to care if I stood in front of everyone in my panties. "I used that red soap today," I said. "It's not as swollen, huh?"

Gus knee-walked over to look at it, and made a noise of agreement similar to a grunt. "It actually looks like the wound's scabbed over and almost healed, but these faint green lines are unusual." He looked up at me. "I don't want to bullshit anyone," he said calmly. "It's not normal. I have a theory and it's damned scary."

I felt Boggs' hands on my waist, pulling me back onto his lap. "Go ahead Gus."

Gus sighed and stood up, and then sat on the coffee table in front of me. He pulled tweezers out of his pocket and picked at my cheek gently.

"Gus? What's going on?" asked Emilie. "You're scaring me."

He leaned forward, laced his hands together, and thought for a moment before speaking. "Whatever has caused this whole mess," he paused. "A virus, a chemical agent, a bacterium. Fuck if I know what's done it, but my hunch is your wound was contaminated, Zoe." As his words set in, I could feel hot tears streaming down my face. "Try not to get upset, Zoe," said the man sitting across from me. "You're obviously alive and not one of them."

Boggs was holding me with both arms. No one else was speaking. "But what if I turn into one?" I asked, choking on my own words.

"Well," said Gus. "If something happens and you turn into one, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

I looked at Boggs suddenly, fear traveling up my spine. "Oh, God," I mumbled. I looked back to Gus. "Could I have given it to Boggs?"

Gus looked at me very seriously. "I'm not sure, Zoe. I'm just not sure how it all works. I'm not even sure if I'm right."

I looked at Boggs, who was staring at me. "Don't worry about me, Zo." He kissed my forehead again and held me close. "Let's just worry about you right now."

Emilie spoke next. "C'mon, Zoe. Try to cheer up. We're all in this together, remember?"

I nodded and wiped tears away from my face. "I remember. I just don't want to hurt anyone."

"Boggs, I'd like to get the windows boarded up, the sooner the better. You ready?" Gus asked. "Emilie can stay inside with Zoe."

Boggs stood up, squeezed my shoulder, and nodded. "Let's do it, man." He tugged on my braid then leaned down and kissed my cheek, whispering delicately into my ear. "You going to be ok?"

I nodded. I had no reason to believe I'd be alright, and no one else knew just how horrifying my experience had been. "I hope so."

Gus stood to join Boggs and tousled Emilie's red hair playfully, which was already disheveled. "Can you get Zoe settled, Em?"

"Absolutely." She smiled up at him and he winked back at her.

"After we're done we'll need to drag all the bodies to a pile and burn them," said Gus. We'll wait till dusk so the smoke's not so obvious."

The two men climbed out through the kitchen window. Gus poked his head back in and hollered, "let us know if there are any issues." Either he was referring to my new found zombie-radar or warning Emilie that I may turn into a killer monster at any moment.

"Zoe, do you want to go upstairs and lay down?" Emilie asked me.

I shook my head no. "I think it'll be better if I stay busy."

Emilie hugged me gently. "Let's look through the kitchen and organize things?"

"Ok."

We spent the next couple of hours pulling everything out of the cabinets. We worked quietly, listening to the various sounds the men were making on the outside of the cabin. We had lit several candles since the only light came from the upstairs hallway. The main electric in the house was unfortunately not connected to the battery array like we had thought, and I wondered when I would stop trying to flip light switches. Old habits die hard, they say.

"Should we keep an inventory?" asked Emilie. "I mean write it all down?"

"Good idea," I answered.

We sat on the kitchen counter together surveying the cans and boxes we had brought out from cabinets and set on the dining table. We made a list of each item, and were trying to decide how many days' worth of food we had if we stuck to two meals a day. We made small talk, keeping conversation light. The sound of periodic hammering kept us on our toes, reminding us that danger might present itself at any moment. Emilie's stomach started making loud noises, signaling the day was passing.

"Should we make something to eat?" I asked. "The guys are probably getting hungry."

"Sure," said Emilie, hopping up from the counter. "How about chili? I saw enough ingredients to throw some together."

I nodded. "Good idea. We can add the tortilla chips you found."

"Do you think Gus likes Italian?" Emilie looked thoughtful.

"I think Gus likes redheads," I said.

She ignored my razzing and looked hopeful, "do you really think so?"

I smiled. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

"He's thirty eight. Since probably almost everyone on earth is dead, do you think it's okay if I'm only twenty-four?"

I slid down from the counter and walked to where she sat. "Emilie, I think right now anything goes. I think we all just need to do what we can to be happy." The girl hugged me, and I knew then that we were as good as sisters. I looked at her thoughtfully. "Twenty-four? You sure?"

She nodded.

"You look sixteen."

She blushed at my words. "People always think I'm younger than I am." She smiled softly.

I sighed, realizing that I was the baby of the group at just twenty. "Let's get the chili heating then organize all this stuff in the cabinets?"

She nodded in agreement. "Once the table's clear we can eat."

The smell of chili filled the little cabin from top to bottom. We had thrown two cans of kidney beans, a can of French Onion soup, a can of corn, black beans, dehydrated onion bits, and stewed tomatoes into a pot. We used a single can of chicken, saving two more for another day. A pinch of chili powder completed the thrown-together recipe.

The light that came from upstairs was dimming as the sun was lowering in the sky. We had found some not so elegant paper bowls and clear plastic flatware. Combined with folded paper towels and three votive candles in the center of the table, it was as fancy as we could make it. We were ready to end the evening enjoying warm food and each other's company. Emilie lit the candles while I went to the propane fireplace and hit the ignite button. The main floor was awash in an amber-orange glow.

Gus and Boggs came in through the front door, looking curious.

"What's this?" asked Gus, with a bead of sweat dripping from under his felt cowboy hat. He was looking at the little table, humbly arranged with paper and plastic products.

"Dinner!" said Emilie proudly. "We figured you guys would be hungry."

"Good idea, darlin," he said.

She beamed from the praise.

"Nice tool belt, Boggs," I razzed. He had a plastic grocery sack duct-taped around his waist, filled with nails that poked through at all odd angles. He smiled at me.

Emilie was busy stirring the chili on the stovetop, and started barking orders. "You two get upstairs and wash up, and hurry."

"Yes, ma'am," said Gus. He tilted his hat to her and she turned toward the stove to switch it off. He smacked her rear end playfully and she jumped.

"Get. Now," she snapped. I had fun watching her make jokes. It was a pleasant change after witnessing her go through the incredible grief of losing her little brother in such a horrific way.

"You too," I said to Boggs.

They both climbed the stairs and we heard water running. The last of the upstairs light disappeared as one of them closed the drapes in the bedrooms.

I sat quietly in one of the two empty chairs. Emilie joined me and we waited for the men to return.

"Zoe?"

I looked up at Emilie. "Hmm?"

"You ok?"

"Yeah. Just a little freaked out."

"It'll be ok."

"I hope so, Em." I sighed softly. "I hope so."

"You hungry?"

"A little. I hope the guys hurry up."

On cue, the men finally came back downstairs. They had both taken the time to shower and change clothes.

"Sorry that took so long," said Boggs. "We figure it's too dark for the corpse-fire tonight, so we'll regroup at dawn. Don't want to risk anyone seeing the flames."

"Yuck," said Emilie while wrinkling her nose. "We're about to eat."

"Speaking of which," said Gus. "Is it ready?"

"As a matter of fact, it is," said Emilie with a smile. "Sit down and I'll bring it over." She seemed eager to please and walked to the stovetop with a spring in her step.

"Sorry it's not much," I said as both men took seats on either side of me. "Em and I sorted everything in the kitchen and made a log. We figure if we keep it down to one or two small meals a day we have enough for about a week."

"Good work, girls," said Gus. "We'll see what we can do about adding to our supplies in the next few days."

Emilie came back to the table holding the pot of chili, and skillfully scooped it into the four bowls. I was glad to see her give the men larger portions.

"Try crumbling the chips into it," I suggested.

"You sound tired, Zo," mentioned Boggs. "You ok?"

I nodded. "It's just been a long day."

Emilie asked the men if they minded if we say grace. No one argued against it. She held her hands out to both of the men and looked over at me. We all held hands around the table.

"Gus?' asked Emilie.

"Huh?" he replied.

"Will you say grace, please?"

He returned her stare with that of a scared little boy. "Sure." He bowed his head and did his best.

"God, thank you for the good meal. Thank you for keeping us safe these past days. Watch over those we love and those we've lost. Watch over our new family. Amen."

"Amen," I whispered.

Boggs squeezed my hand.

I looked up as Gus started eating his chili. Boggs followed suit, using a tortilla chip as a scoop instead of his spoon. I wished I had more of an appetite, but the ordeal I had been through had left a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak.

I took a deep breath and said quietly, "I'm sorry about earlier." I felt Boggs' hand on my knee and looked up at him, tears welling in my eyes again. He leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"We're just all glad everyone's ok. Eat, Zoe, ok?" Gus said gently. "Even if you don't feel like it, you need to eat."

I nodded and took a bite of the warm chili. Emilie walked to the refrigerator and produced a bottle of vodka she must have slipped inside to chill earlier. "Maybe this'll help," she said with a little smile and sat back down. "Zoe, we're family now. The four of us, we're all we have. Let us be there for you." She reached across the table for me. I took her hand in mine, and felt grounded. We continued eating in relative silence.

Once we were all full, Emilie and I piled the paper plates and set them aside for burning the next day. The plastic flatware went into the sink and we set it to soak. We put the lid on the chili pot and set it inside the refrigerator to have the next day. The vodka was still untouched, and Gus carried it to the living room. Boggs followed with the remaining tortilla chips. Emilie and I soon joined them. I walked over to sit next to Boggs and he pulled me down onto his lap, and held me there. This room and these people were starting to feel comfortable and familiar.

The fire flickered, creating interesting patterns around the room. Emilie had put her feet up on Gus' lap, where he took her socks off and rubbed her left foot. Boggs asked me quietly if I wanted to go to bed. I shook my head no. He reached toward the coffee table, careful to not let me fall off of his lap, and grabbed the bottle of vodka. He offered it to me and I shook my head no, still feeling out of sorts. Emilie, sitting kiddy corner to us, reached out for the bottle and took a swig. Gus took it from her, causing some of the clear, cool liquid to spill on her lap. She nudged the cowboy with her foot. He laughed and drank deeply from the bottle, then handed it back to Boggs. Gus switched to massaging Em's right foot.

The cowboy spoke as Boggs drank. "We should talk about plans for tomorrow. We need to clean up the bodies at dawn before the stink becomes unbearable, and we need to think about securing some more weapons. Ladies, did you find anything useful here today?"

Emilie snickered. "Yeah. The vodka." She giggled. He winked at her. I decided it was time to speak up myself.

"Do you want to lock me in the attic tonight?" I kept my eyes on my own lap. No one answered so I looked up. They were all staring at me like I had a horn growing from my forehead.

Finally Gus spoke. "No, Zoe. You're alive and breathing, darlin'. You're not getting locked in the attic."

Boggs kissed my forehead. "You're staying with me, kid." He put the mouth of the vodka bottle to my lips and whispered very softly, "drink some, Zo. You need it."

I let him tip it up and took a small sip. Afterward, I nestled against his chest, closed my eyes and let him cradle me. The room began to warm from the fire and my nerves began to settle. Boggs softly stroked my back with his hand. I heard Emilie talking very quietly to Gus. "Let's wait till morning to make plans? I think we all need some sleep."

Gus yawned and mumbled "you're full of good ideas tonight, Red." I heard him stand and set the glass bottle on the table. "You coming?" he asked her. Two sets of footfalls climbed the stairs. One bedroom door shut.

"Boggs?" I asked softly.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry this is all happening."

"I know, Zoe." He twisted underneath me, which signaled me to shift off of him.

"I feel really weird," I admitted.

"Well, you are blonde," he teased, trying to cheer me up. "You're important to all of us. Most especially to me." He laced his fingers through mine and changed the topic. "Are you ok after this morning? I didn't hurt you?"

I must have blushed because the room got hotter.

"Zoe, it's just me. Don't be embarrassed." He squeezed my hand. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." His thoughts were scattered as the alcohol more fully took its grip on him. He leaned forward, kissing me with passion. He tasted like liquor. My heart fluttered and the room spun. His mouth still on mine, he mumbled against me. "I love you so much, Zoe."

He continued to kiss me, his tongue searching frantically for mine. I didn't try to speak, not wanting the kiss to be interrupted. I found my hands searching for his jeans, and clumsily undid the button at the top. His kiss intensified and his hands interrupted mine to finish with his zipper. I pulled his t-shirt up over his head and he returned the favor by pulling my sweatpants down, the job made easier with them being loose. I lay back on the small sofa and looked at him in wonder.

Out of breath, he half moaned. "God, Zoe, you drive me wild." He tugged my panties down and put my outer leg over his shoulder and kissed my private area, his tongue entering me warmly. I arched my back, the sensation being full of pleasure and causing my loins to tingle in anticipation of more to come. He took as much of me into his mouth as he could, his arms running up my shirt. I groaned in response, which made him suck harder on my sensitive parts. I cried out in pleasure, lost in the moment. Boggs climbed off of me and lifted me off the couch. He climbed the stairs cradling me in his arms. Once at the top of the steps I shifted and wrapped my bare legs around him. We bumped into the hallway wall together causing a thump. Neither of us seemed to care.

He carried me across the threshold to our room and sat on the bed with me still in his arms, and we kissed each other with passion. I could feel his erection pushing against me, and responded by wrapping my legs around him more tightly as he pulled my shirt off of me. He lifted me up onto him and adjusted me until he found his way inside me. The pain this time was less than that morning, but I still found myself gasping at the initial twinge. He began thrusting deeply and I responded eagerly. I clung to him, my nails digging into the skin of his back. We were both fighting to breathe, lost in the new pleasure we had found from each other's bodies. He took one of my breasts into his mouth and tenderly sucked. His teeth lightly bit my nipple, sending ripples of pleasure down my body. I dug my nails into his back again, causing him to thrust even deeper, probing my insides with his erect penis. In a wave of ecstasy we reached a crescendo together, falling backwards onto the bed, where we held each other tightly.

Just before we fell asleep, I whispered to him. "Boggs?"

"Yeah Zoe?" He asked sleepily.

"Our clothes are downstairs."

"Yeah they are."

"Shouldn't we get them?"

"Why?"

"What if Gus and Emilie see them? They'll know..."

Boggs chuckled.

"What's so funny?" I asked quietly.

"Zoe, I'm sure they just heard us."

I didn't say another word, horrified. We clung to each other, our bodies intertwined on top of the covers.

I listened to Boggs' breathing until it became slow and even, indicating he was asleep. I gently placed my hand on his chest and felt it rise and fall. "Life," I whispered to no one in particular. 

# CHAPTER 10

I woke feeling cold, stiff, and tired. I could hear Boggs breathing next to me. We were both still naked. The small candle on the vanity had long since burnt itself out and the room was completely dark. I felt silly doing so, but I felt my wrist to make sure I had a pulse. Convinced I was still alive, I rolled out of bed and stood. I felt my way along the edge of the mattress to the headboard, and reached up in search of the drapes covering the small window. My hand met plywood where the window should be, and I remembered that the glass had been shattered when Boggs had shot through it to save Gus from the zombie in the yard.

"Zoe?" Boggs mumbled from the bed. "What's wrong?" I heard him stretch.

"I woke up cold," I said softly.

"Come back to bed?" he whispered. "Please?" I heard him shuffle in the bed.

"It's so dark in here," I said.

"C'mon, Zo, come warm up."

I felt my way back along the bed. Boggs had pulled the covers down for me. I climbed in and snuggled up next to him, enjoying his warmth. He pulled the covers over us both.

"Boggs?" I asked in the quiet of the room.

"Hmm?" he said sleepily.

"Have you thought about trying to find your parents?" I felt him tense. We hadn't talked about people dear to us yet. "Sorry Boggs, I didn't mean to upset you."

He breathed deeply and I felt his body start to relax. "It's ok, Zoe. I guess we have to talk about stuff like that sooner or later." He ran his fingers through my hair. "I can only hope they're ok, but I know chances are slim. Maybe one day we can look for them, but Arizona might as well be the far side of the moon right now."

"Wouldn't it be nice if we got better rules?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Zombie rules. In so many movies and books they either can't come out in daylight or are slow. Stuff like that."

I felt Boggs laugh silently before he spoke. "Yeah Zoe, better zombie rules would be awesome." He turned on his side and kissed me on my nose.

We heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah?" Boggs called out.

Gus answered. "You guys ready for the day? It's just starting to get light outside and we need to burn those bastards."

I groaned, not wanting to get out of the bed that was just starting to feel warm again.

"Be right there, Gus," called Boggs.

I heard Emilie giggling from the hallway.

Boggs kissed me on the forehead, then the neck, and then my bare breast. "I have to go help, Zo. Do you want to stay here?"

I shook my head no, and then realized it was too dark for him to see the gesture. "No, I want to be with all of you. I can help."

"Ok." He moved to my other breast, and sucked on it longingly. I felt desire stirring inside of me and wished Gus wasn't outside the door. I wished we didn't need to get up and go outside.

There was another knock on the door. "C'mon, up and at-em," said Gus. Boggs groaned against me, and then climbed out of bed. He stumbled to the vanity and I could hear him searching blindly though one of the drawers. After a moment his lighter cast the room in a dim glow and he lit a fresh candle. It wasn't much to see by, but I pulled the covers up to my neck and clutched them to my chest. I smiled, seeing that Boggs was physically excited and ready for the morning. I watched him dress in a pair of old jeans from the armoire. Whoever had lived here was bigger than him, so the jeans were baggy.

"Wearing someone else's underwear is kind of gross," he said.

"At least they're clean," I said. "At least you can hope they are."

"Ok, Zoe, get yourself up and dressed." He paused in thought. "That way I can undress you later." He grinned at me.

I smiled back at him.

"I'll meet you downstairs," he said.

"Ok."

He pulled a t-shirt on and left the room, closing the door behind him.

I stretched under the covers, dreading getting up and being cold again. It felt like winter was trying to arrive early. I found some pink tights in the armoire and slid them on over a pair of men's underpants. I still had my bra with me, so put that on next and then used another of the overly large button up shirts that I was becoming accustomed to. I finished the odd ensemble by pulling a pair of men's white socks on over the tights. They came nearly to my knees. I knew the outfit wasn't fashionable but hoped it would at least keep me warm. I blew the candle out and left the room, wondering why a pair of pink tights was in a men's wardrobe. Creepy.

I stopped by the bathroom to tend to morning business. It was lighter than the bedroom since there was a small un-boarded window and the sun was rising. I wasn't ready to look at my hip again, afraid of what I might find. The pain was less today and I hoped that was a good sign. I looked in the mirror and was glad I still looked like me, even if I thought I wasn't much to look at.

"Zoe?" I heard Emilie call up to me from downstairs.

I walked back into the hall. "I'm coming!"

I walked quickly down the stairs to join the others.

"Morning," said Emilie with a smile.

Boggs chuckled. "I like the outfit, Zo."

I curtseyed slightly and said, "Why, thank you."

The fireplace had been turned back on and the main level of the cabin was warmer than upstairs. Gus cleared his throat. "We need to get the bonfire going outside. I don't want to risk smoke being seeing all day long. We can do that then grab a snack for breakfast. Zoe, I hate to ask, but is your head clear this morning?"

I looked at him, not understanding.

"I mean, do you...you know...sense...anything?" he clarified.

My face grew warm. I shook my head 'no.'

"Ok. Then here's the plan. Boggs and I piled the bodies up in front of the house last night. The area's pretty open, so there shouldn't be too high a risk of the fire spreading. There's a bottle of camp stove fuel in the shed, so we'll use that to ignite it. We'll need to add some materials though to keep it burning. There's lots of scrap wood near the shed, but we'll need some paper too. I'll grab the trash from last night's supper. Y'all ready?"

"Yeah," said Boggs.

"Ok, let's not waste daylight," said Gus.

Boggs nodded. "Let's do it."

The two men climbed out the window in the kitchen first, followed by myself and Emilie. Being the second one out, Boggs had handed both firearms and the sack of trash out to Gus. Once outside, the stench from the corpses was unusually sickly sweet, making me gag. It wasn't the normal smell of death. I covered my mouth and nose with the sleeve of my shirt. I looked around and saw the others had done similarly. We walked toward the pile of dead bodies, but kept our distance. Gus left the group to go to the shed and after a couple of minutes emerged with a can of fuel. Boggs stepped toward the pile and tucked paper bowls and garbage into a crevice formed by two of the corpses. Gus walked up to the starter materials and splashed fuel on them, then circled the pile to douse the bodies themselves. Boggs walked to the pile of wood next to the shed and carried several pieces of odds and ends back with him.

"Ok, kids, step back," said Gus trying not to choke from the smell of the dead.

We all obliged, taking several steps backward. Gus took a pack of matches from his pocket, struck one, and flicked it at the pile. His aim was true, and the flame ignited the fuel and quickly traveled and lit the paper plates on fire. Smoke began to rise and before long the heat from the blaze caused us to back away even farther. Boggs wrapped an arm around me. The smell of burning flesh and hair soon caught my senses. It was too much to bear.

"I need to go in," I moaned.

"Probably best we all do," said Gus. "I'll come back out later to...uh...stoke them and add wood scraps."

I was on the verge of vomiting, so ran to the window and crawled back inside in hopes of escaping the smell. Emilie was soon behind me.

"God that was nasty," she proclaimed. "Zoe, you ok? You look pale."

I nodded. "I'm ok. The smell. It just made me feel sick."

"I guess none of us is used to burning human bodies," she sighed.

"Let's talk about something else?" I asked.

"Sure, ok," she said. "I slept with Gus last night."

My attention now grabbed, I looked up. She giggled, obviously getting the reaction she had hoped for out of me. "We didn't do anything," she added. "We just slept together to stay warm. He's actually quite a gentleman."

"He seems really protective of us all," I said, not really knowing what else to say.

"We were falling asleep and heard a loud thump in the hall."

I looked at her and she was grinning.

"Yeah...we heard that too." My face felt hot.

"C'mon, Zoe, let's go clean up the living room."

She walked ahead of me. I saw the clothes Boggs and I had shed and started picking them up. I was too embarrassed to look at Emilie.

"Hmm," she said. I heard her crunching on something in her mouth. "We left the chips out but they're still ok. Just a little stale."

She crumpled the bag closed and took it and the vodka bottle back to the kitchen. I took the opportunity to grab the rest of our loose clothes and ran up the stairs with them. I heard her giggling from downstairs.

I tossed the articles of clothing into a corner of our room and ran back downstairs. The guys had just climbed back in from outside and Gus was asking Emilie what was so funny.

"Nothing," she said.

"The fire's going nicely now," said Boggs. "We need to think about moving the car closer to the cabin."

Gus interrupted. "There's a bit of an incline from there to here, so it may be tricky since we'll be pushing it. I want it closer but for now we may need to just carry supplies back to the cabin. There's a wheelbarrow in the shed we can use. We should also take pillow cases to haul smaller stuff."

"Should we wait till it's lighter out?" asked Emilie. "The woods can stay pretty dark around here."

"I think that's a good idea, Red. I also want to wait till the fire's died down."

"I'm starving," said Boggs with a yawn. "Let's eat then regroup?"

We were all in agreement so decided on a breakfast of canned fruit, slightly stale tortilla chips, and water. We ate without talking much, although Gus did ask about my hip and I happily reported that the pain was better today.

After breakfast we went to the living room and sat down. The morning became a waiting game. Gus and Boggs went out once to make sure the bodies were burning evenly and to add wood to the fire. Emilie and I were getting bored, so got the decks of playing cards out and began building a house of cards. We made a fair team, working well together. We seemed to anticipate each other's actions well. I carefully got up to turn the fireplace off, knowing conservation was critical under the circumstances. Boggs and Gus had just come in from overseeing the bonfire and took seats, careful to not demolish our playing card project.

As I walked over to sit next to Boggs, we heard a familiar but unexpected noise. Tires crunched on the gravel out front as a car approached our cabin.

Gus and Boggs were the first to stand, taking their positions at the peep holes.

"Holy shit," said Boggs. "It's a big step van. Gus, come check it out."

The men traded places at the boarded-over front door.

"Emilie, Zoe, please head upstairs and get the spears?" Gus' question sounded more like a strong suggestion.

"What's going on? Can you see anyone?" I asked.

Gus answered. "The driver just got out. Male, young. Probably teens. Lots of tattoos. He looks Latino."

"Is he armed?" asked Boggs, being practical.

"Yeah, I see a rifle. Looks like a twenty-two. Girls. Now. Get the spears and bring them down," said Gus. Even under pressure he had a way of staying calm.

Emilie and I walked the stairs quickly. We had stored the extra spears we had made in the third bedroom, so fetched them and brought them downstairs.

"Where should we set them?" asked Emilie.

"We don't want to look hostile if they come in, so set them in the corner by the fireplace where they're not obvious," said Gus. "The kid is circling the bonfire, and a woman just got out of the vehicle. Oh shit," he sighed.

"What?" asked Boggs. "What is it?"

"She's pregnant."

"What do we do?" I asked. "We have to help them."

Gus looked thoughtful for a moment. "One of us needs to go out and say hello, I suppose. I'll go and once I feel it's safe I'll call the rest of you out. Better we meet them outside, I think."

"Take the pistol, ok?" said Boggs.

"Yeah, good idea."

The guys explained that the handgun would be easier to conceal, making Gus appear less hostile than the shotgun might.

The cowboy climbed out the kitchen window quietly. It was the only exit he could use and not be seen from the front of the cabin. Boggs stayed at the peep hole to monitor the situation.

"Boggs? What's happening?" I asked.

I looked over at Emilie, who was chewing on her fingernail.

We all heard Gus call out loud enough to announce his presence, although it was impossible to hear just what he had said from inside the cabin.

"Gus just walked out with his hands out. The two people from the van see him. The kid has the rifle out to his side. That's a good sign."

Emilie spoke softly. "I wish we could see." I could tell she was worried about Gus.

Boggs continued. "They're talking. The Latino kid has his arm around the pregnant woman. Things look ok so far. The kid just relaxed the rifle and Gus' arms are at his sides." I heard Boggs take a deep breath. "They're shaking hands. Gus just signaled for us to come out."

I took Emilie's hand in mine and walked with her to the window exit. Boggs insisted on going first, so climbed out ahead of us.

"Stay next to me, Emilie?" I asked.

"I promise, Zoe. I promise."

The four of us had grown to trust each other. Changing that dynamic was not something I desired right now. I felt selfish and silently told myself to improve my attitude.

The sun was much higher in the sky now. I judged it to be near noon. The pile of bodies was still burning, but getting smaller. The stench was less offensive now. I tried to not look at the corpses as they burned. Boggs was already exchanging handshakes with the new man and woman. I agreed with Gus, they did look young. Emilie and I approached, hand in hand, and were introduced to the young couple.

His name was Julio, and hers Louisa. She looked like she was about five or six months pregnant, but I've always been a bad judge of things like that. She had shoulder length wavy black hair and a small nose. She looked sweet. I thought to myself that I might be able to grow to like her. They told us they had two companions in the back of the step van.

Julio walked to the front passenger door of the rig and opened it. He called to the two people inside to let them know he was going to open the back. He motioned for us to step around, and I could tell Gus was instantly alarmed and set on edge.

"Don't mean to sound harsh, but we'll wait here," said Gus. I noticed he had his hand near his pants waist, where he had tucked the pistol.

"Sure, no problem," Julio said with a shrug. He stepped behind the van and unlatched the barn-style doors. They opened with a squeal. "Come on out ladies," he said. I watched as he held his arms up and helped a woman down over the bumper. She was bald and gaunt, and appeared to be in her fifties or sixties.

"This is Wanda," said Julio.

Wanda smiled at us. "Don't let my appearance scare you all," said the woman. "I'm not one of the dead, just on its door. I have breast cancer, so let's not let an elephant sit in the corner of the room. It is what it is." She smiled warmly.

I looked at Boggs, who put a hand on my shoulder.

"Nice to meet you, Wanda. I'm Gus...over there's Boggs, Zoe, and Emilie. Once we get inside we can talk some more."

"Nice fire you have here," she replied. "Oh and nice to meetcha."

I felt bad for the woman. She moved like she was in a lot of pain.

Julio held a hand up for their last companion and a woman stepped down. She was about my age, maybe a bit older, with long shiny dark brown hair and tan skin. She was tall and slender, and had a figure most women would envy and men would admire. She could easily have been a model and I was growing jealous. Once she had both feet on the ground, she looked up. Her gaze locked on Boggs. I felt his hand drop from my shoulder so I looked up at him. He was staring back at the woman. Before I realized what was happening, she had run to him and wrapped herself around him like she was embracing a long lost friend.

"Adam!" she said with a sense of relief in her voice. "Adam! Oh my God!"

My heart began to break as his arms reached up to hold her. "Susan?" He paused while she clung to him. "How?" He seemed in shock over her arrival.

I took a small step back, and Emilie had already moved to my side. She put a hand on my back to keep me from running. She interrupted the reunion by clearing her throat. "You guys know each other?" she asked, perplexed.

I felt my stomach drop and my skin got cold and prickly feeling. I wanted the beautiful woman to get back into the step van and drive away.

"Adam and I go way back," she answered. "I can't believe we found each other, what are the odds?" Even her voice was beautiful.

"We met in college," Boggs said after coughing lightly.

"It's like fate, Adam," she whispered. She stood to face us, and kept an arm around his waist.

Boggs stood there, looking somewhat uncomfortable. He took her arm away from his waist and held her hand in his. "Susan, these are my friends. Gus, Emilie, Zoe, this is Susan. The four of us have been together since Day One. Well, except for Emilie. She joined us several days into this mess."

"We should all go inside and talk," said Gus.

Susan nodded eagerly.

"Miss Louisa," said Gus. "We've been climbing in and out through the kitchen window. Will you be ok with that this time? I can't help but notice that you're expecting. We can rearrange things so we can use the front door later."

"Sure," said Louisa. "Julio can help me. We're just so glad to have found somewhere to stay. New friends are a bonus." She spoke with a faint Mexican accent.

"Emilie?" I whispered to her. "Can you take me inside please?" I was fighting back tears.

She and I quietly slipped inside ahead of the others.

It was hard to breathe. I couldn't keep the tears in any longer and they began to fall freely down my cheeks.

"Zoe, come on. Let's go upstairs and talk, ok?" suggested Emilie. I was suddenly even more grateful for her being in my life.

We walked up the stairs together. I could hear our guests climbing into the kitchen behind us. Emilie escorted me to my room and lit the candle on the vanity for light, then closed the door. I walked to the bed and lay down facing the headboard, leaving my legs hanging over the edge. I wiped at my tears, trying to stop their flow. As Emilie sat behind me, I felt her weight on the bed.

"Zoe? Who is she?" asked Em.

I swallowed hard. "It's a girl he had an affair with in college."

"He cheated on you?" she asked, in disbelief.

I rolled over onto my back to look at her. "No, we weren't together then. Just friends. We've only been more than friends since this zombie stuff happened."

"Really?" she asked, with a confused look on her face. "I assumed you've always been a couple. He's nuts about you, you know that right?"

"We've been friends my whole life. Since I was a baby. We used to do everything together. Then he went off to college and his fling with Susan messed him up. He got distant." I wasn't sure if I should mention Susan's abortion, so left that part out. I figured that was Boggs' private matter. "We were just seeing each other for the first time in months the weekend this all started."

Emilie sighed. "I'm not sure what to say, Zoe. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"But did you see her? She's gorgeous. And he introduced me as his 'friend,' Em." I sniffled.

"Zoe, have you seen yourself?" she asked. "She doesn't have anything over you. You're beautiful. Inside and out." She leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. "Trust me."

I wiped at my tears again.

"I'm going to slip downstairs and heat up some tea. Do you want to come with me or should I bring it up to you?"

"Can you bring it back?" I asked. "I think I just need some quiet time. Time to think."

"Sure, Zoe. I'll be back in ten minutes."

Emilie left the room, quietly shutting the door behind her. I turned back toward the headboard and kicked off my shoes. I clutched at a pillow and curled into a ball. After several minutes the door opened. I felt the bed depress behind me. I knew it wasn't Emilie because she was much lighter than whoever had just sat down.

"Zoe?" whispered Boggs. "We need to talk."

I didn't say anything. I closed my eyes, willing myself to disappear. It didn't work.

"Zoe, I never would have guessed she'd show up. You know it was a short relationship. It didn't mean anything. I love you, Zoe. Her being here doesn't change that." I felt his hand on my shoulder. "Please, Zoe, I'm begging you. Don't shut me out. I promise I'll talk to her, lay down some rules. I'll make sure she understands."

He leaned down and laid his head against mine. His hand moved to mine and he squeezed it lightly. "Come downstairs, Zo? Please?"

"I don't want to see her, Boggs. She was all over you and you told her I'm your 'friend.'"

"I'm sorry about that. I was shocked. I just didn't know what to say. Forgive me?"

I rolled into him. "I just can't bear the thought of losing you now, Boggs."

"You won't lose me, Zoe. No chance of it." He kissed my forehead. "C'mon, let's go get to know everyone."

"Yeah, just what I want. My new best girlfriend Susan," I mumbled sarcastically.

He stood and held a hand out for me. Reluctantly, I took it and stood. I left my shoes behind and walked downstairs with him. Once at the bottom of the steps, he took my hand in his and walked with me into the living room. Wanda and Louisa had taken seats on one of the loveseats. Susan was sitting on the other and smiled when she saw Boggs. Her smile faded a bit when she saw that our hands were joined. Emilie and Gus had brought the four chairs in from the kitchen table, and the two of them and Julio had settled onto three of them. Boggs unexpectedly lifted me off of my feet and sat in the last open chair, setting me on his lap. It left Susan sitting on the sofa by herself.

"Susan, this is Zoe. We've been friends for as long as I can remember. She knows about what happened with us at the university. We both know it was a mistake, all of it. Zoe and I are together, and I'd like to ask that you respect that."

I was shocked by his frankness. Shocked, but pleased. I looked over and saw Emilie hiding a smile. I dared to look at Susan, who was flushed and looked appalled.

"Uh, well, Zoe wasn't there when you were screwing my brains out," said Susan nastily. "Was she?"

I couldn't believe Boggs had been with such a nasty woman. I already despised her.

"Cool it," Boggs said. "No need to be rude, Susan."

The woman pretended to inspect her fingernails. "Whatever."

No one else spoke.

I looked at Boggs, who winked at me. I forced a small insincere smile at him. I still wanted to disappear. I looked over and saw that Wanda, the older woman, had fallen asleep. Or maybe she was smart and just pretending to be.

"Ok, kids," said Gus. "Let's move on to the important stuff."

Julio looked up and spoke. "Great. I guess our biggest question is will you all be ok with us staying here? It's all of us though," he added. "Louisa, Wanda, Susan, and I have been together now for a while. Looks like there's some tension here, but the four of us have to stay together. He looked at Louisa, who had a hand resting on her swollen belly, and smiled at her. He took Louisa's other hand is his. "I'll see to it that Susan behaves," he added.

Susan glared at Julio.

Gus sighed heavily. "We don't have much room, and not many supplies, but I think I can speak for my friends when we say we won't turn friendly survivors away. What you see is what you get. Three bedrooms upstairs, a small attic, one bathroom, and then the kitchen and living room down here. We have solar power and propane for the fireplace, oven, stove, and refrigerator."

"We'd be grateful for a corner, if you feel you can spare it," said Julio.

I took notice that Julio seemed mature beyond his age. His exterior looked rough, but he seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

"We can empty out the third bedroom upstairs," said Gus. He looked over at Emilie. "Em, you okay with me officially moving in with you?"

She took his hand in hers and smiled warmly. "Of course."

Julio spoke up. "That's very kind. We appreciate it. Wanda might do best down here, to avoid the stairs. We have a bed in the step van we can bring in if that's ok?"

"Absolutely," said Boggs. I had nestled in against him and was rather comfortable.

Susan looked up. "You said there's an attic?"

Gus nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Can I use it then?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Gus again. I got the impression he wasn't taking a liking to her either.

"We have things in the van we should bring in," said Julio. "Food, blankets, water, Wanda's bed."

"What about a bathroom for Wanda?" I asked. "The only one is all the way up the stairs."

Louisa spoke. "We have a commode in the van. I'll help her with using it." She had a very soft, sweet voice.

"Louisa, you take such good care of her," said Julio.

Louisa looked over at Wanda and covered her hand in her own as she slept. "She looks so tired. Every day she looks a little older. A little more frail. She reminds me of my Mama in some ways." Louisa smiled at Julio. "How could I not take care of her, J?" I saw tears welling in Louisa's brown eyes.

"You'll be such a good mom, Isa," he said sweetly.

I saw Susan roll her eyes.

"I do hope so," said Louisa with a sigh.

# CHAPTER 11

It had taken the rest of the day to rework the front door to allow for carrying in Wanda's twin bed and other supplies from the step van. Once the door was finished, Emilie and I had volunteered to do Wanda and Louisa's share of the work for the day, allowing them to rest in the living room. Susan, to my relief, made herself busy with organizing the attic. I had a fleeting desire to lock her up there.

Julio and Boggs carried the frame to the twin bed inside. It was just the simple metal type, but by using both men it kept them from the hassle of disassembling the whole thing. Gus carried the mattress and Emilie and I helped each other with the box springs. It was decided the bed would be placed next to the fire to help keep Wanda warm. Louisa and Julio would be using the third bedroom upstairs. Since the bed and frame in that room had been stripped down and used for boarding windows and making weapons, leaving just a full sized mattress on the floor, Emilie had suggested that she and Gus swap out their queen sized bed and frame. Gus was all for it, agreeing that he and Emilie would be fine sleeping on the mattress on the floor of their room. Susan would stay in the attic on a camp cot they had brought with them in the van.

Once Wanda's bed was set up, we made quick trips outside to bring the rest of the supplies in. We discovered that the newcomers had come across the Explorer on their way in and scavenged it. All of our supplies had been brought to us in an odd twist of fate, saving us the work. Julio and Gus had discussed emergency plans, and decided it would be wise to leave a box of dried goods and bottled water in the step van, as well as blankets. By the time we were finished bringing in the rest of the provisions, the bodies in the yard had burned down to blackened bone. The plan was to bury what remained the next day out of respect for who the creatures had once been when they were human. We went inside together, and secured the front door for the night. Louisa had put fresh sheets on Wanda's bed and had it ready for the woman to sleep for the night. Susan was sitting on one of the loveseats with her feet up, lazily reading a magazine she said she had found in the attic. Wanda was sitting at the kitchen table. She looked so tired. Louisa was busy in the kitchen making dinner. She had set the counter with paper plates and plastic forks and told us it would be buffet style since the table was too small to accommodate everyone. She had made spaghetti using noodles they had brought with them and jarred sauce that was in the cabin's kitchen. The smell made my mouth water and my stomach growl.

"I thought it'd be nice to have a hot dinner to celebrate new friends," said the Latina with a smile. "I hope no one minds?"

Julio answered. "Louisa, you're too sweet. You sit though and let me finish, chica." He walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek. "Please, let me help. Go, sit next to Wanda."

She nodded. "Ok." The pregnant girl walked to the table and sat down beside the frail older woman. Wanda took her hand and smiled at her. They had a very noticeable bond.

I walked over to Julio to see if I could help. "Need a hand?" I asked.

He smiled brightly at me. "Sure. You can look for a colander to drain the noodles."

I smiled back. "I know just where to find one." I walked to a cabinet and pulled the strainer out, and then set it in the sink.

"It'll be nice to not have to climb in and out over the sink anymore," Emilie said as she walked up behind me.

"Oh, I don't know," I said. "It was so much fun." I rolled my eyes, and then smiled and giggled.

"Finally, she has a sense of humor," said Boggs as he walked into the room.

"Ha ha," I said in reply.

The kitchen was growing crowded, but it felt good to be around other people.

Gus joined us. He walked up behind Emilie and wrapped his arms around her. They were growing very close, and I was glad they were happy.

"If y'all don't mind, I'd like to sit at the table with Louisa, Wanda, and Julio," said Gus. "We have some things to talk about."

Susan had walked to the threshold between the living room and the kitchen. She cleared her throat then interrupted. "Shouldn't we all be involved in conversations?"

Gus turned to her. "Not this one," he said.

"Why not?" she asked. I found her to be far too bold.

Gus crossed his arms over his chest. "It involves Wanda and Louisa, and their conditions," he answered simply.

"Fine. Is dinner ready?" she asked.

Julio turned away from the stove. "Yes, Susan, dinner is ready. Let me serve the ladies at the table then you can come in and dish up your own plate."

Susan walked back into the living room without saying anything else.

Gus sat at the table with the two women. He began talking to them about his background as a nurse in the Army. I relieved Julio at the stove, and whispered to him to go ahead and join the others at the table and I'd serve everyone. He kissed the back of my hand in thanks, and then situated himself in the fourth seat at the table. I turned off the stove and walked the boiling noodles to the sink, where I poured them into the strainer to drain. Emilie brought paper plates over one at a time while I scooped servings of noodles and sauce, and then she quietly took them to the table where she served Wanda first, and Louisa next. Boggs had left the kitchen, making me nervous that he was with Susan. Em served Julio next, I assumed because he was new to us, and then Gus. I listened half-heartedly as Gus talked about planning a scavenging trip to secure medication and medical supplies. Wanda was very matter of fact about her terminal condition. I admired her emotional strength, and wished she could stay with us for the long haul. Emilie and I dished up our own dinner and took it into the living room, where Susan still lazily took up an entire loveseat. Emilie and I sat on the other couch together, using our laps as table substitutes.

"You can go get some food, Susan," suggested Emilie.

"That's ok, I'll wait for Adam. He's taking a shower."

"Suit yourself," said my red headed friend. She added a noodle to her mouth and sucked it up between her lips.

Susan put her magazine down. "So, Zoe, Adam never mentioned you to me."

I looked up, finished chewing a bit of food, and swallowed. "No? He mentioned you to me," I said. I tried to keep my face void of emotion. I took another bite of my dinner to avoid talking.

I heard Boggs come down the stairs, and was glad he'd be interrupting. When he entered the room with a plate of steaming food, Susan swung her legs off the couch.

"You can sit here, Adam," she said with a smile.

Emilie stood up. "Here Boggs, you can sit next to Zoe. She's been waiting for you."

"Thanks Em," he said.

Boggs sat next to me, and I was glad. Susan got up and walked to the kitchen. Emilie was watching the woman walk away, and I could tell my friend was peeved.

"Rude," whispered Emilie.

"Emilie, after dinner I'll help Gus switch the beds around upstairs. That's sweet of you to give the better one to Louisa," said Boggs with his mouth full.

"It's the least we could do," she said. "Scoot over, Boggs? I don't want to sit next to her either."

"Sure Em, you and Zoe can share me." Boggs winked at her and scooted closer to me, so that he was centered on the small couch. Em sat down next to him, careful to not jostle our plates.

"Thanks," she mumbled after she put another bite into her mouth. "Man that was sweet of Louisa to make dinner."

"She seems really nice," I added. "Do you think Julio's the father?"

"Zoe!" Boggs nudged me. "It's none of our business."

"Sorry," I muttered.

Susan came back in with a plate of spaghetti and walked back to her seat. "So, Adam, how have you been?" she asked as if all was well with them.

"Well, let's see," he said before pausing. "I'm alive. Disturbed that the world is fucked. You?"

"Oh, the same I suppose," she said nonchalantly. "I've really missed you."

My appetite lost, I stood to take my plate back to the kitchen. Emilie stood to join me, and stayed close by my side.

As we left the room, she whispered to me. "Zoe, we really need to finish our food. Let's head upstairs and eat, ok?

I nodded and we climbed the stairs, half full plates in hand, and went into Gus and Emilie's room. To my delight, Boggs joined us about two minutes later.

"Hey ladies, mind if I join you?"

I smiled. "Tremendously," I joked.

"Let's eat then get these beds moved. Gus is having a pretty detailed medically-type talk down there. He might be a while."

It took us only a couple of minutes to finish our food. Afterward we were all full and exhausted. Emilie gathered up our dirty plates and forks and set them in the corner. Boggs lay down on the bed width-wise, arms over his head.

"What's wrong, Boggs?" asked Emilie. "Don't wanna go back to the living room?"

"Not in particular," he admitted.

I was already sitting on the bed, so flopped onto my side to lie alongside Boggs. Emilie followed suit on the other side of him.

"It's getting cold again," said Emilie.

We lay there quietly together for some time. The light filtering in through the window was almost gone, signaling sunset.

"I should light a candle," moaned Emilie.

"We need to get these beds moved," mumbled Boggs. He sounded like he was nearly asleep.

The door opened, and Gus walked in. "Cozy?" he asked.

"Hiding," said Emilie.

"I'd join you all but I'm afraid the bed would break," joked Gus.

Boggs sat up and stretched before speaking. "Ok, let's get this shit done. I'm beat." He stood, ready to work.

Gus sat on the bed next to Emilie. He tousled her hair, something I noticed he liked to do. "We should bring the other mattress in and lean it against a wall first to make room for the frame in the other room. Shouldn't take long. Thanks for helping, Boggs."

"No problem," he answered. "But are you sure you don't just want to switch rooms?"

"I'd like to stay closest to the stairs, to be honest," Gus said. "We can talk about it more tomorrow, but Wanda's in a bad way. I've given her a couple of the pain pills Em found in the bathroom, but she barely ate anything for dinner and she told me her urine production is way down. It sounds like her cancer's spread to her bones and she's in a lot of pain. I want to find a pharmacy, get her some morphine. I just hope we have time." Gus looked concerned for the older woman. "Louisa says she's twenty weeks pregnant. We'll need to get supplies in anticipation of the baby's birth. It's not my area of expertise, so we'll need books so I can learn." He sighed. "Ok, let's do this bad boy."

It took Gus and Boggs about twenty minutes to switch the beds around. Emilie and I wanted to stay busy so found clean linens and dressed both beds, especially wanting to thank Louisa for making dinner by doing something nice in return. I desperately wanted to shower but was too tired. Finally ready to sleep, Boggs and I left Gus and Em's room to walk to our own. Julio was busy helping Susan get the camp cot into the attic. We walked past them into our own room and shut the door quietly.

"Zoe, are you ok?" asked Boggs.

I nodded. "I'm ok, Boggs. It's just been a horribly long day. I stink like the burning bodies, my feet hurt, my head hurts, and I'm so tired."

He wrapped his arms around me tightly. Kissing the top of my head, he used his hands to rub my back. The room was pitch black, but I felt safe in his arms. "Do you want me to light a candle or should we just fumble into bed?" he asked.

"Fumble," I mumbled.

His hand found mine, and guided me to the bed. I reached my other hand out to find the covers and pulled them down. I climbed in and scooted over, and Boggs followed. We held each other and slept deeply.

I woke in the middle of the night, my bladder full. The cabin was still and quiet. Boggs and I had decided to keep a candle and lighter on the nightstand beside the bed, so I felt around the table surface until I was able to find them and produce a flame. I swung my legs over my side of the bed and carried the candle to the other side of the room. I opened the door and, out of habit, listened before crossing the hall to the bathroom. Once in the small room, I set the candle on the counter next to the toilet and pulled my pink tights down. I sat on the toilet and relieved myself, feeling better almost instantly. The ambient temperature had dropped considerably and I was getting chilled. I used toilet paper sparingly, flushed, and pulled my tights up. As I reached for the candle, I noticed the bottle of pain pills sitting at the edge of the candlelight. The lid was off, so I went to put it back on. The bottle was empty, and I knew it had been nearly full when we first found it. Of course I hoped that Susan had pocketed them so we'd have a reason to banish her from the house. I set the bottle back down, left the lid off, and crept back out to the hallway. Candle in hand, I walked the couple of steps to Gus and Emilie's room. I put my hand on the door knob and turned it quietly. I really didn't want to wake anyone I didn't have to, so closed the door softly behind me and tip toed to the side of the bed where Gus was asleep. I set the candle down on the bedside table and knelt down so I was closer to the mattress on the floor. "Gus," I whispered. He stirred but didn't wake, so I set my hand on his shoulder and shook lightly. "Gus."

His eyes shot open and he sat up, alarmed. "Zoe. What's wrong?"

Emilie stirred beside him but didn't wake.

"I'm not sure. I just used the restroom. That bottle of pain pills is empty."

"The Percocet?" he asked for clarification, a hint of concern already starting to show on his face.

"Yes. It's on the counter next to the toilet. The lid was off."

He sighed. "Ok, we'll bring it up at breakfast; see if anyone admits to it. I don't want to start accusing our new housemates."

"Ok. Sorry I woke you."

"It's ok, Zoe. You did good. Think you can get back to sleep?"

I nodded then gestured toward Emilie. "She's really into you, you know that right?" I whispered.

Gus looked down at the sleeping Emilie. "She's really amazing. I'm pretty into her too."

"Good night," I whispered as I stood and picked up the candle.

"Night," he mumbled as he settled back into the bed.

I walked to the door and opened it quietly. As I started to cross the threshold, I stopped, frozen in place. Inside my brain I felt a tiny spark that didn't belong there. It was faint, but obvious.

"Zoe?" whispered Gus, sitting back up.

I didn't answer at first. The tiny spark quickly grew into the beginnings of hunger, the unmistakable and overwhelming desire to eat human flesh. I took a step backward, away from the door. I could hear Gus climbing out of bed.

"Zoe? What is it?" he demanded quietly.

Without looking away from the hallway, I whispered back. "There's one inside the cabin."

I turned to look at Gus, my eyes wide. He was naked except for boxer shorts and already reaching for his shotgun.

"Do you know where?" he asked, not beating around the bush.

I stopped and focused. The desire inside my head was getting stronger. I wasn't sure how, but I felt it below us. "Downstairs," I whispered.

"Zoe, go wake up Boggs. Leave me with the candle. Just set it on the floor in the hall." He left the room and I stepped into the hall behind him.

I did as instructed, setting the candle in the hall off to one side. Gus stood at the top of the stairs, his shotgun raised and aimed down the stairs.

I hurried into my own bedroom and shook Boggs awake.

"Shhhh," I muttered. "Gus needs you. One of the creatures is downstairs. Inside."

Boggs was slower to rouse than Gus, but his head soon cleared and he got out of bed. He hadn't said anything. He removed his Kahr from the drawer of the night stand and walked to the doorway to join Gus in the hall. He and Gus didn't speak to each other, but instead used hand signals.

Gus proceeded down the stairs first, closely followed by Boggs. The fireplace had been left on to keep Wanda warm and cast a dim glow upon them once they reached the bottom. I hustled back into Gus and Emilie's room and climbed onto the mattress.

"Emilie, wake up. Now," I said in a harsh but quiet voice.

She sat up quickly. "What is it?" Her voice was filled with dread.

My head was starting to hurt, and my hip felt like it was on fire.

"Where's Gus?" she pressed.

"Downstairs," I replied.

"Zoe, what's going on?" She was watching me intently. The only light was coming from the candle in the hallway.

"There's one inside."

We looked at each other without speaking for a long moment that was finally interrupted by Gus' gun firing. We flinched in tandem. The next sound was Julio running out of the third bedroom, his footfalls full of alarm. Emilie and I rushed toward the door after him, wanting to warn him.

By the time we got to the top of the steps Julio was bounding down the stairs, shotgun in hand. "What is it?" he yelled.

Gus called back. "Julio, we need you. Girls, stay upstairs!"

"They killed it," I said as the desire in my head had died.

Emilie clung to my arm. Louisa was behind us now and the attic hatch opened, Susan popping her head down.

"What the fuck is going on down there?" asked Susan.

"Should we go up into the attic?" asked Emilie.

"No, it's ok now. It's dead."

"What's going on?" asked Louisa, near hysteria. "Julio!" she began yelling for her lover. "Julio!"

"Louisa, stay upstairs!" Julio yelled back.

Louisa stood there in panties and a t-shirt that fell short on her growing belly. Her arms were crossed protectively over the baby growing within her.

"Emilie, will you stay here with Louisa?" I asked. Emilie nodded.

I walked down the steps slowly, not wanting to see what waited below. Halfway down, I remembered Wanda. Terrified that she'd been attacked, I quickened my pace.

"Boggs?" I called with urgency. "Oh God, is Wanda ok?"

I rounded the corner to the living room.

"No darlin,' she's not." Gus answered for him. The cowboy was standing near the fireplace, looking a bit pale.

I looked for Boggs, who was standing over Wanda's body.

Julio had knelt on the floor, and cried softly over the frail woman's remains.

"What happened?" I asked. "Oh my God, what happened? Did it get her?" My voice was rising.

Blood and brain matter splattered the boarded-up window in the room. It looked even more disconcerting in the flickering light of the fire. I looked down and saw that Wanda's head was grossly damaged as a result of being shot.

"You shot her? Gus! Why? Where's the zombie?"

Boggs had stepped close to me and tried to calm me by holding onto my arms and looking me in the eyes. "Zo, stop. It was Wanda. She turned."

I stared back at him, not quite understanding. "What do you mean she turned?"

"Zoe, she took the Percocet. She overdosed," said Gus quietly. I looked back at the body and then her bed. There were a few large round white pills scattered on the floor. "My guess is the pain was just too much for her."

"Oh God," I moaned. "Are you all ok?" I asked. "No one got hurt?"

Boggs shook his head back and forth. "We're ok, I promise."

Julio finally spoke, still looking down at what was left of Wanda and was wiping away tears that I assumed he didn't want anyone to see. "Louisa's going to have a hell of a time with this," he muttered then stood. "Zoe, do you mind making sure she stays upstairs?"

"Sure Julio," I answered. "I'm really sorry about Wanda. She seemed like such a great lady."

He hung his head. "Gracias." He made the Catholic symbol of the Cross on his chest. "Gus, Boggs? Mind helping me take her outside? We can have a funeral tomorrow?"

"Of course, Julio," answered Boggs in a caring tone.

"Zoe, we'll clean up down here and be up later. We'll just set her body outside the front door till morning. Can you and Emilie stay with Louisa?" asked Gus.

"What should I tell her?" I asked.

"The truth," answered Gus. "That she died. You don't need to say more than that for now. Julio, sound ok?"

"Yes, please. I should be the one to explain to her," answered the young Latino. "I worry about the baby if she gets upset."

"Ok." I gave Boggs a quick hug and walked back upstairs.

Emilie and Susan were sitting in the third bedroom with Louisa, who was crying softly. I walked in and sat near Louisa on the bed. I gladly ignored Susan, whose eyes I could feel on my back.

"Where's Wanda?" Louisa asked me pathetically. Her big brown eyes were bloodshot. I suspected she already knew that Wanda wouldn't be joining us.

"She died, Louisa. I'm so sorry."

The girl's chin trembled, but she nodded in acknowledgement. "How?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Julio wants to be the one to talk to you about that. Ok?" I looked into her eyes and placed a hand over hers.

"Is he ok?"

"Yeah, everyone else is ok," I assured her. "They're just going to take care of a few things downstairs, and then they'll head up."

She nodded again. "She was really special, you know?"

Susan spoke. "She really liked you, Louisa."

It was one of the first nice things I'd heard Susan say since meeting her. I looked at her, trying to read her face. I was glad she didn't look back at me.

# CHAPTER 12

Morning came slowly. None of us slept after discovering that Wanda had died. We had all gone to our own rooms, allowing Julio and Louisa time to talk in private. I heard her sobbing on and off for hours. Sometimes she would cry out in Spanish. My heart ached for her. We had all lost so much already. It seemed so unfair to have to lose any more.

Boggs and I lay holding each other on the bed. We left one candle lit, in honor of Wanda.

"It must be close to dawn," I whispered.

"I think it'll be good when we're all up and busy again," he replied.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," I said.

"Can I join you?" he asked.

I nodded hesitantly.

"Let's hurry, before anyone else is up and needs the bathroom," suggested Boggs.

We stood and quietly walked to the bathroom. I set a lit candle on the counter. Boggs turned the water on in the large shower stall, which was made of stone tiles in hues of gray and pink and brown and had a swanky glass door that opened on hinges. Steam began to fill the room so I stripped out of my clothes, crossing my arms over my chest.

Boggs took his clothes off and walked to me. "Zoe?"

I looked up at him.

"You don't need to cover yourself in front of me. You're beautiful."

He took my hands in his and gently took my arms away from my chest. I didn't try to stop him. He looked down at me, smiling softly. I tried to relax, but wasn't used to my body being admired. My nipples were erect, evidence of the room being cold as well as my escalating sexual desires. He leaned down and kissed me sweetly, then picked me up and set me on the counter. I returned his kiss, and we began to explore each other's bodies with our hands. He traced my nipples with the lightest of touches, sending shivers through my body. I leaned forward, kissing his collarbone and slowly moved my mouth down to his chest. He leaned his head back as I began sucking his tattoo. My kissing grew stronger and I sucked on his chest deeply as my desire escalated.

He put a hand beneath my chin and I paused to look up at him. He whispered into my ear, "ready for the shower?"

Slightly out of breath, I nodded.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and he carried me, facing him, to the shower. Once under the warm spray of the water, he backed me up to the cold tile wall and began kissing me wildly. His body was pressing against me with desperation, his erection searching to find its way inside of me.

"I want to fuck you so hard, Zoe," he mumbled. "God I want to fuck you."

My body now craving his, and more excited than I had ever been before, I responded by grabbing at his back in an attempt to get closer to him. Sensing my desire, he lifted me up a few more inches and entered me deeply. I moaned loudly with pleasure. Until now, he'd been gentle when making love to me. This time he was showing rough desire. He began thrusting with new enthusiasm, crushing me against the wall. I grabbed hard at his back and my eyes rolled back from the pleasure of him being so deeply inside of me.

"Don't stop, Boggs," I moaned. "Oh God, please don't stop."

My pleading caused him to wrap his arms behind my back and pull me against him, thrusting faster. He ended with a loud groan, and I fought to keep from screaming with pleasure as my muscles shuddered around his hard penis. Out of breath, we both clung to each other as the water continued to wash over us.

"I love you," he whispered, kissing me sweetly on the lips. "I love you, Zoe."

"Boggs. I love you too." I put my head against his chest and started sobbing.

"Oh God, Zoe, did I hurt you?"

I shook my head no, and he held me close.

"What is it? Shhhh."

"Boggs, it was horrible. Wanda. I felt it, when she started her new life. And I felt when it ended." I clung to him, afraid to let go.

"Shhhh."

"What do I do with that, Boggs? How do I deal with that?"

"I'm not sure, Zo. I'm just not sure."

After several minutes my sobbing ebbed and he finally set me down on my own feet. We finished the shower by washing each other. He unbraided my hair and lathered it with shampoo. The water started to cool and we decided we better get out. After rinsing off, we wrapped ourselves in towels. Soon after, there was a rap on the door.

"Some of us need to pee," said Susan.

"Be right out," said Boggs.

"Oh, Adam, it's you," she said. "Ok, I'll wait. Unless you want me to come in and dry you off?" She sounded snarky, and pathetic.

"Absolutely not," he answered in a very serious tone.

"Fine, whatever," she replied, sounding annoyed.

Our eyes met and we smiled. Boggs opened the door and we both walked out into the hallway. Susan looked far from pleased. "All yours," he said to her coldly.

He took my hand in his and we walked back to our room.

"You sure I didn't hurt you?" Boggs asked again.

"No, it was great." I smiled genuinely. "Really great."

I walked to the armoire and started searching through the remaining clothes.

"Boggs? Do you know if we're spending much time outside today?"

"I don't think so, Zo. Gus, Julio, and I will go out and dig the grave for Wanda. We'll have the funeral as soon as we're done. I think that's about it for today."

"What about what's left in the burn pile?" I asked.

"We'll take care of that after we say good-byes to Wanda."

"All these clothes are too big for me," I sighed, changing the topic.

"Yeah, me too."

I pulled out a pair of men's boxers and slipped them on. My own panties were in need of laundering so I decided I'd wash them along with my bra and hope they dry by afternoon. I slipped a men's ribbed undershirt on, followed by another of the button-up flannel shirts that were becoming a staple for me.

"Maybe Em and I can do some laundry today."

I finished the outfit off with another pair of large white socks, pulling them up to just below my knees.

I turned around and looked at Boggs, who was sitting on the edge of the bed staring at me.

"Boggs? What's wrong?"

He blinked, and then answered. "I just never knew a woman could make men's clothes look so sexy."

"You're so weird."

I walked over to the vanity and sat, looking at myself in the mirror. My hair looked like a snarled mess, so I pulled a brush from the drawer and began working it through the tangles. Boggs busied himself with dressing in a fresh pair of jeans and a light blue t-shirt with a pub logo on the front. I enjoyed watching him get dressed by looking at his reflection in the mirror. I turned my focus back to my hair. I decided to leave it down to let it dry.

Boggs and I walked downstairs together. Louisa and Julio were sitting on one of the loveseats. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.

"Louisa, I'm so sorry about Wanda," I said genuinely.

"Thanks," she whispered. "But really, I'm glad she's not in pain anymore. She was in so much pain, you know, but tried to hide it. I was so lucky to know her, even if it was just for a short time."

Julio lifted Louisa's hand to his lips and kissed it.

Louisa tried to smile. "The baby. If it's a girl I want to name her Wanda. Wanda Maria Gonzales." She rubbed her free hand on her belly lovingly.

Julio smiled. "I love it, Isa. Wanda would be happy."

Boggs and I sat on the other sofa. I leaned against him, needing to be as close as I could.

"Louisa? If I make some pancakes will you eat?" I asked.

She smiled genuinely at me. "I'd love some. I'll come help you."

"You sure you feel up to it?" asked Julio.

She nodded. "I get sore if I sit too long." She stood up, and I could tell the task was just starting to get difficult for her.

We walked into the kitchen together. I fetched the box of pancake mix. Luckily it was the type that only requires that water be added. Louisa searched cabinets until she found a mixing bowl and measuring cup.

"I never found syrup when we inventoried, and there's no butter, but we have two jars of jam," I explained.

"Any peanut butter or powdered sugar?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes. Both," I said with a small smile.

"Have you ever tried them that way?" she asked.

"Never. It's good?"

"Oh yes. You have no idea what you've been missing," said Louisa.

I let Louisa mix the batter while I set the powdered sugar, peanut butter, and jam on the table along with paper plates and the plastic forks that had dried from the day before. By the time I was done she had found a flat griddle for the stovetop and had it preheating. Not long after the first dollop of batter hit the griddle, the kitchen smelled heavenly.

"Boggs?" I called.

"Yup?"

"Can you go wake Em and Gus?"

"We're up," announced Emilie on cue. "What smells so good?"

"Pancakes!" I said cheerfully. "Come and get them!"

Six of us filled the kitchen and began spreading different combinations of toppings on the warm pancakes. Louisa insisted we all eat while she finished flipping.

"You're right, Louisa. The peanut butter's awesome with the powdered sugar," I said. My voice sounded garbled since the peanut butter was making my mouth stick together.

Our breakfast seemed sinful. Louisa told us that Wanda would have wanted us to all fill our stomachs and be happy about the life she had lived.

Susan finally walked into the kitchen, looking tired. She had bags under her eyes and her face was void of makeup. She looked a bit less like model material than she had the day before. It made me smile, and I felt the tiniest twinge of guilt for being happy about that.

"Is there any left?" she asked, and then yawned.

"Yes, Susan. Please. Come eat," said Louisa with her usual bright smile.

Susan walked to the stack of pancakes that had piled up beside the griddle and picked up two of them. She ignored the plates, walked to the table and spread jam on one, then sandwiched them together.

Once we all seemed to slow down with eating, Gus backed away from the table and stood.

"Ok, before we head out we need to talk about a few things. Do y'all mind coming out to the living room? It's not the most pleasant of topics so we might as well try to be comfortable while we talk."

Julio walked to Louisa's side and took her hand. We all moved into the living room. Gus and Boggs brought three of the kitchen chairs in with them.

Once we were all situated, Gus' body language signaled he was ready to speak. "We need to start making some major plans," he said. "There's seven of us now, and we'll be needing food, medicine, clothes, and some other basics. I've been going over a way to do that in my head, and as much as I hate to say it I think I need to head out with Boggs and Julio while you girls stay here."

"Gus," interrupted Boggs. "I don't want the girls left here alone."

Julio echoed the concern. "I agree."

Gus nodded. "I know, that's the part I'm not fond of. I think, though, that it's best they stay here. We can put it to a vote."

"I want to go where you go, J," said Louisa.

"I agree," I said. "Strength in numbers, remember?"

"Do the rest of you feel this way?" asked Gus.

Emilie was biting on a fingernail. "I hate to say it, Gus, but I agree too."

"Ok then," he responded. "I think we should go first thing tomorrow morning. The next topic is probably the least fun to discuss. We need to talk about Wanda." He sighed heavily. "I've seen someone turn into one of those fucking creatures after being bit, but Wanda died of other causes."

"What do you make of that, Gus?" asked Boggs.

Gus shook his head back and forth slowly. "I'm not really sure, but whatever has caused this might still be around. We know the dead rose initially, and they can infect the living. At least I've assumed they can infect the living. Now I'm not so sure. The guy I had picked up on Day One had been bit, and died. But did he turn because he died or because the bite infected him?" He paused for a moment before continuing. "I just don't know." He looked at me specifically before continuing. "Zoe, Louisa and Julio know about your hip wound and your brain somehow being linked to the creatures. I'm sorry to have talked about you in such a personal way without permission, but when it comes to the group I decided there shouldn't be secrets."

"What are you talking about?" asked Susan. "What brain link?"

Boggs looked at Susan for a moment then answered her. "The bodies we were burning when you all showed up. Zoe knew they were outside before the rest of us. She could...hear them...in her head."

Susan laughed. "That's ridiculous."

Gus picked up on explaining. "She injured her hip on Day One. She got really sick and the wound has healed with a strange green pattern around it. We think she was infected somehow."

"Uh," mumbled Susan. "Well maybe she shouldn't be in here with all of us?"

"Oh please, you bitch," snarled Emilie.

Gus looked at Em sideways, shocked by her tone. She's almost always the sweetest thing, so it was a bit out of character. He looked like he was stifling a chuckle. Gus spoke directly to Susan. "Zoe seems healthy. And she's family."

"It happened again, with Wanda," I said quietly. "I felt that a zombie was inside the cabin. I didn't know it was her until after she was really gone."

I could tell Louisa was fighting tears at the mention of Wanda's name. I felt so bad for her.

"Once she was really dead, there was a sense of peace," I added, embellishing what really happened in my own head to help Louisa cope. The girl smiled gratefully at me.

"What about the smell yesterday morning?" asked Emilie.

"What smell?" asked Julio.

Emilie continued. "The bodies before we burned them. They smelled...sweet?"

"I noticed it too," I said. "It was like rotten candy. What do you think it was?"

Susan rolled her eyes. "Why don't you call 1-800-whothefuckknows," she mumbled under her breath.

"Susan," said Julio sternly. "Stop it."

"Well, seriously, we'll never fucking know what all this shit is," she snapped back at him. "Besides what do you know? You're only eighteen."

I looked at Boggs. The tension in the room was uncomfortable.

"Ok, enough," said Gus, irritated. "As much as I hate to say it, Susan's probably right. But let's be civil. Today we need to dig a proper grave for Wanda. Tomorrow we need to head out for supplies. I also suggest we build a safe room here at the cabin."

"I second that," said Boggs.

"Boggs said you guys plan to dig this morning, so if no one minds I'd like to do some laundry in the kitchen so we can get stuff drying," I said.

Louisa raised her hand.

"What, Isa?" asked Julio.

"I'll help with the laundry," she said, again flashing her sweet smile. "I need to stay busy."

"Ok, this afternoon we should also get the step van ready for the trip tomorrow, and start thinking about where to head. I'd prefer to avoid large towns and cities," said Gus. "I know Twisp isn't far, so that'd be my vote. Winthrop is near enough too, and small. Julio, Louisa, we haven't talked yet about what you've seen out there. I'd appreciate your input."

Louisa covered her belly with her hands and hung her head, and Julio looked up after clasping his hands together.

"It's been ugly out there," said the younger man. "Louisa and I were visiting her grandmother for the weekend when all this shit went down. I was using the van to haul some furniture for her, and thank God Louisa was with me." He reached over and took her hand in his. "If she would have stayed behind..."

Louisa smiled lovingly at him. "I just wish we could have saved Nana Juanita."

Julio looked back at Gus then continued. "We saw the first ones when we had just started on the road back to Juanita's. It was a group of five. We knew right away something was wrong because they were all either bloody or falling apart. I told Louisa to lock her door and we kept driving. More and more of them were coming out to the street as we drove past. I thought it'd never stop, man. Then we saw a group of them..." his voice cracked as he tried to gain control of his emotions. "They were eating an old man. It was so horrible I sent Louisa to the back of the van so she wouldn't see."

I saw Louisa squeeze Julio's hand. She took over the conversation, allowing him time to compose himself. "I went to the back of the van. I was so scared but I knew Julio would take care of me and our baby. I sat on the twin bed we were hauling and tried to keep from crying."

Julio spoke again. "It was early morning. We just kept driving. About two or three miles later we saw the first road block. There were four cars that were stopped across the road. It was odd, though. They hadn't crashed. It was like they all stopped and the owners just wandered off. I pulled over and told Louisa to stay inside. I got out and walked to a ravine that was off the shoulder. That's when I found Susan."

At the mention of her name, Susan looked up.

"She had climbed a tree," explained Julio. "Those dead fucks were feasting on other people, right below her." He looked disgusted. "I couldn't leave here there, so used my piece to shoot the fuckers up."

"He went crazy," said Susan. "And he saved me," she added quietly. I thought I even saw a hint of gratitude on her face.

I looked at Boggs, who was engrossed with the story.

"What about Wanda?" I asked.

"She found us, actually," answered Julio. "She was driving the opposite direction. It just made sense to stop, so we both did. I could tell she was ill, and scared. But even more than that, she seemed mad that the world had been fucked over. We talked for about five minutes and she came with us."

"Did you drive through any more towns? Where have you been staying?" asked Boggs.

Julio looked over to Boggs before answering. "Yeah we drove through a couple towns. They were all pretty overrun. We'd drive by and the fuckers would come out of the buildings and chase us. We stopped outside the last town. There was a small neighborhood, so we drove through slowly. We didn't see any of the fucks so we stopped to siphon gas from two cars sitting in driveways. We broke into one of the houses to get supplies. We were low on food and water. Luckily no one was home, but we felt safer in the step van so used it as a rolling safe house of sorts. We've lived in it for days, taking turns driving and stopping on logging roads to sleep."

"We had someone else with us," whispered Susan. "A guy named John. He had been hiding in his attic and ran out when he saw us stopped. He was only with us a day."

"What happened to him?" asked Gus.

"He decided to go outside his first night with us while we were all asleep. We weren't sure why. It was his screams that woke us. We knew there wasn't anything we could do to save him, so we drove on," explained Julio.

"You know you made the right choice, right?" asked Gus. "You couldn't have saved him."

"Yes, I know. It was tough as shit to do, though, leaving someone behind," said Julio. "Anyway we saw the smoke from your bonfire when we were headed by on the highway. We figured it was worth looking into, so drove down and prayed for the best."

"So it sounds like we should avoid towns for now," said Boggs. "And do like you did. Hit up vacant houses."

"And hope they're vacant," said Gus. "Ok, let's get to work? There's a couple shovels in the shed, so we can take turns digging."

Everyone agreeing, the men went outside and we girls decided to do general housework and the laundry.

Louisa and I took turns scrubbing clothes and linens in the sink, and she was able to give me some great pointers since she had grown up doing laundry by hand. In talking to her, I discovered she was only seventeen, and Julio was eighteen. I was surprised because she came across as very mature. She told me their pregnancy was unplanned, but they had been thrilled when they found out. While they didn't wear rings, her parents had signed permission for them to marry and they had gone through a small ceremony only two months ago. Like Boggs and I, they had grown up as dear friends.

With Louisa's blessing, it had been decided that Susan would start using Wanda's twin bed and move down from the attic. After the episode with Wanda, Julio and Louisa would share their bedroom with Susan so no one would be left alone downstairs. We'd ask the men to help fashion a partition for more privacy later. Louisa had also suggested Julio drill a few small holes though the plywood in our bedroom window to allow for some fresh air and light. She explained that he was a carpenter, having grown up learning the trade from his father.

Emilie started rearranging furniture and dusting. The floor was growing dirty from daily use, and with no electricity vacuuming was out of the question. She swept for a long time before she was satisfied. Damp laundry now hung on makeshift clotheslines we had tied up near the fireplace. The twin bed had been moved upstairs to a corner of Julio and Louisa's room. We decided to take a much needed break so settled in the living room on the couches.

The men came in not long after, sweaty and grimy from grave digging.

"Wow," said Gus. "Looks great in here, ladies."

"Thanks!" said Emilie as she slowly got off the couch, looking like she was in pain.

"Em? What's wrong, darlin'?" asked Gus.

Emilie stretched gingerly. "I think I just strained my back. I'll be ok."

"I'll stretch it out for you later," he answered. "And be careful, darlin'." He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

Boggs cleared his throat. "We're ready outside. For whoever wants to say goodbye to Wanda."

All seven of us filed outside. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. Being out of the stuffy cabin was a relief. The air smelled clean, although it had the bite of winter to it. There was a large stain in the soil surrounding the porch.

"Try not to look," said Boggs. "It's just from her body being there overnight."

I looked over to Louisa, who had nestled against Julio. She was being very brave, especially for being so young.

We followed the men to a large oak tree at the edge of the clearing in front of the cabin, where they had already buried Wanda's body. The earth was mounded gently over her, and the guys had kindly picked a small bouquet of wild flowers that now lay on top. Julio stepped away from Louisa to stand at the head of the grave. I took the girls hand in my own to comfort her.

"I'd like to say a few words about our dear friend," said Julio. "I'm not good at speaking, but this woman deserves the best. She lived a good life from what she told us, and we were damn lucky to have known her. May she rest in peace, and may she watch over us all."

Louisa's hand gripped mine almost uncomfortably. I squeezed back.

We quietly returned to the cabin.

It was late afternoon by the time we finished discussing plans for the next day. We had loaded the van with supplies for the trip. We wanted to be sure to be prepared to be gone for more than the day in the event of any unexpected delays. We ate canned stew and leftover chili that night, and settled in for bed early. I fell asleep with a knot in my stomach.

# CHAPTER 13

We woke before dawn in preparation for the scavenging trip. There was very little conversation between any of us. Emilie and I heated water for tea, and set out bowls for dry cereal. The others leisurely joined us in the kitchen. Understandably, no one looked particularly excited about venturing back out into the world.

After breakfast, we all put on an extra layer of clothes and headed outside to get situated in the van. Julio had helped attach a bracket to the outside of the front door and Gus tied an extravagant knot using twine. He said it wouldn't keep anyone intelligent out, but we'd be able to see if it had been tampered with upon our return. It was a safeguard against reentering the cabin to find unwelcome intruders waiting. I had suggested the leather chair from our bedroom be moved down to the living room as an extra seat, and for the day it was located in the step van as a comfortable place for Louisa to sit. The van only had two seats, both situated in the cab. Julio took his place behind the wheel, with Gus occupying the passenger seat. Boggs was sitting on a bucket placed upside down between the other two men. Susan had claimed a wheel well for herself, so Emilie and I shared the other. We were able to keep in contact with the cab since it had an open walkway between the front and back of the vehicle.

Julio skillfully backed the step van around so it faced the long drive, and eventually we proceeded forward. Less than a mile up, we passed the abandoned Explorer. It looked just as we'd left it, except for being moved to the side of the rough drive and emptied of the supplies we had hauled.

"Julio, on our way back in let's tow the Explorer back to the cabin," said Gus.

"Sure thing," replied the young driver.

The van swayed, the ruts in the road being exaggerated by the nature of the large vehicle. I knew we were back on the main highway when the ride smoothed. I was glad, since my stomach was already reacting to the motion of the van. I hadn't thought to bring a vomit bag. I looked over and saw that Louisa was resting her head on the back of the leather easy chair, her eyes closed. She clutched a rosary in her hand and her lips were moving almost imperceptibly. I could tell she was praying, and was glad for it. I had a hunch we might need all the favors we could call in today.

"How's your hip feeling?" asked Emily quietly.

"A little better, I think."

"Good," she answered.

Susan was staring at me, and I did my best to ignore her. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of acknowledgement. I let my mind wander as the van swayed gently, thinking back to when I was about ten years old and Boggs and I spent the day exploring a small cave not far from where we lived. I had wanted to pretend we were cavemen, and he played along to please me. The day had ended with us smearing ourselves head to toe with mud from the riverbank to camouflage ourselves. My mom had been furious when I came home filthy. I loved that memory. It had been a great day. I found myself thinking that my mom would be happy knowing I was with Boggs now, with the whole mess going on around us. Deep in thought, I didn't hear Boggs talking to me at first.

"Zoe, you doing ok?"

I finally looked up. "Hmm?"

"You ok? You look a million miles away."

"Just thinking. I'm fine." I smiled for his benefit. In truth I was scared. Not just scared about our scavenging trip, but scared about the future. Boggs returned the smile then twisted around to face forward again.

We must have been driving for half an hour or so when the step van came to a slow stop.

"Looks like the road's blocked," announced Gus. "There's six wrecked cars that we can see. Everyone sit tight while we figure out what to do."

I felt the tiniest flutter of foreign activity in my brain. It was almost as light as mosquito wings beating against satin.

"Be careful. I can feel one of them," I said.

Gus nodded, understanding that I was aware of a zombie presence. "Thanks for the warning, Zoe."

"It's faint, Gus. I'm not sure if that means it's far away or what."

"Freaky," whispered Susan. "Can you seriously sense one?"

I nodded, not wanting to speak about it.

"What's it like?" pressed the woman sitting across from me on the other wheel well.

I contorted my face in thought. "Well, this time it's like a little tickle in my head. But the other two times I could feel their hunger. I saw images of what they were experiencing. It was horrible."

Susan was at a loss for words, to my relief.

Julio spoke to Louisa in Spanish. Boggs instructed the rest of us to stay in the van until they came back from inspecting the crash site. Louisa kindly told us that Julio had said the same to her. As the men left the van and slowly walked toward the wrecked vehicles, we girls crowded into the cab so we could observe. The first vehicle they came to was an old Toyota pickup. The canopy from the bed was across the road, broken into several pieces. We watched as Julio opened the driver's door and looked through the small cab. While he did so, Gus moved to the next vehicle, an old Ford station wagon with faux wood paneling running its length. He put his face close to the passenger window, and then backed away quickly as if alarmed. I saw him raise his shotgun and reach for the door handle. Emilie was holding her breath beside me and clung to my arm desperately.

An image flashed through my mind. I could see Gus' face, distorted by the reflection of light on glass. The tickle in my head grew and the desire for flesh filled me with sourness.

"It's in the car, looking at Gus," I whispered. "It wants to eat him so badly."

From the corner of my eye I saw Louisa make the sign of the Cross.

"He's opening the door," said Susan. There was dread in her voice. "He shouldn't open the door."

"It wants to get at him so bad but it can't get out," I moaned. "It can't get free of the seatbelt." What I saw next I'll not soon forget. I saw the barrel of a shotgun staring me in the face. I knew it was the creature's eyes seeing it and not truly my own, but the image was so clear inside of my head. There was a flash of light for the smallest fraction of a second as the shotgun discharged, and then the things that didn't belong in my head were gone.

Finally seeing just for myself again, I watched Gus close the car door with his booted foot and turn back toward the other men. He was splattered in congealed blood and decayed bits of flesh. Boggs had his Kahr gripped in both hands, aiming it down toward the asphalt but obviously ready to use it. He skirted the station wagon and moved to a traditional and beat-up Volkswagen Bug. He kept his arms slightly outstretched, gun still in hand, as he peered inside. The passenger door hung open, so he walked around to sort through the car. I saw him pull out a large purse and shoulder it. Julio had popped the hood of the Toyota truck and was messing around under the hood.

"I don't think there's any more creatures," I whispered.

"Should we go help them?" asked Louisa.

"I can go. Louisa, maybe you should stay here?" I suggested.

She nodded. "I'll just stretch then come back in."

I looked over to Susan and Emilie. Susan wore a look of dread, fright, and nausea all rolled into one.

"I can't go out there," she moaned softly.

"Em?" I called to my friend.

"I'll be right beside you," she answered.

Emilie and I walked to the wreck, taking each step slowly until we were sure all three men were aware of our presence. Gus looked like something the cat had dragged in, shaken, and pawed at over and over. There was a small stream running beside the highway, so Emilie took off her sweatshirt and got it wet, then handed it to the man. He took off his shirt, thanked her, and used the wet cloth to wipe his face and arms.

"Everything feels calm now that you shot it," I whispered to Gus.

"Thanks for the update, Zoe." He winked at me. I smiled back.

Boggs had just cleared the last three vehicles and motioned us over. We walked together, Emilie and I, till we were close enough to not have to raise our voices to speak.

"The last three cars are clear, girls. Do you want to search them for anything useful?" asked Boggs.

"Sure, Boggs," replied Emilie. "Glad to help."

"Be careful, just in case."

I nodded back to him silently. I was fatigued from my episode in the cab of the van, seeing through the zombie's eyes.

Emilie and I split up and walked to two separate cars to search them. She chose a Chevrolet Tracker, which was rather small, and I opted for the only two-seater in the mix, which was even smaller. It was a green MGB, an old roadster. The soft top was down, so looking through the inside was easy. There was an abandoned backpack behind the passenger seat and a case of beer behind the driver's seat. I unzipped the pack and searched the contents. It contained a large hunting knife, a t-shirt, a pair of socks, a pair of yoga pants, three sixteen ounce bottles of water, and a box of granola bars. Someone must have been in a huge hurry to leave the commodities behind. I zipped the pack closed and put it over my arms to settle on my back as it was meant to be worn. I grabbed the case of beer and set it on the hood. I walked back to the interior and looked through the glove box. A small pistol sat under loose papers. I wasn't a fan of guns but knew it was a revolver. I picked it up, took a chance on figuring out how to open the cylinder, and discovered it had six rounds left. I set it on top of the beer, and then moved to the driver's side in search of a trunk release. Not finding one, I walked around to the back and realized the little keyhole arm was a handle. I managed to open it, and then made sure the hold bar latched in place. There was a medium sized suitcase on wheels and two tote bags. They were all relatively light, so I hauled them to the front of the car. I thought it would be wise to sort through them later instead of here in the open where we were vulnerable.

I looked over to the station wagon, where the three men had congregated. They had gone back to the step van at some point and fetched the bucket Boggs had been using as a seat, and were siphoning gasoline into it. Julio had taken a hose off of the Toyota's engine to use as the siphon. Emilie stepped beside me.

"Find anything good?" she asked quietly.

"Definitely," I answered quickly.

"Not me. The stinking car was empty. I'll help carry your load over."

I nodded. "Should we search the last car first?" I asked.

"Sure."

We proceeded together to the farthest car from the wreck. It was so mangled we weren't sure of the make. The car was too contorted to even try to open the doors.

"Em, I'm not sure it's even safe to try to search it," I voiced my concern.

"Let's just circle it and do a visual then," she suggested.

We walked around the car, looking in through the cracked and broken windows. There was a briefcase on the floor board, but it would be a stretch to reach.

"Oh, God," I said.

Emilie looked up quickly, alarmed. "What is it?"

"A foot," I said. I wanted to vomit.

"Let's get the stuff back to the van, Zoe."

"Good idea."

We walked back to the stash of new supplies and I stuffed the small gun into the backpack. It took us two trips to take the bags and beer back to the step van. By then the men had fashioned a funnel out of a piece of flimsy cardboard they had found and rolled up. The five gallon bucket was nearly full of fuel. They emptied it into the gas tank, which took obvious effort.

Emilie went back inside the van to check on Susan and Louisa and to update them. I stayed outside, watching the men try to not spill precious fuel. After the bucket was empty, Julio and Gus went to another of the vehicles to siphon more gas. Boggs and I talked about the plan to clear the road by pushing the cars off to the side, or in some cases over the edge of the road. I told him about the briefcase we couldn't safely reach and the amputated foot within the car. He agreed that leaving the briefcase sounded like the best plan.

The other two guys came back over with three quarters of a bucket of gasoline and repeated the process of emptying it into the van's fuel tank. The sun was leaving its perch high above us and just starting to head toward the horizon in the west again. I wanted to head back to the cabin but knew we still had a lot of work to do.

"What's next?" I asked.

"We need to move enough cars to get through," answered Gus. "Then off to find supplies. I figure we might as well make use of the gas."

"Makes sense," I said. "You guys smell like gasoline."

"Yes we do, chica," said Julio with a grin. "The smell of hard working men!" He laughed, full of life. I admired that.

"Zoe, do you think you can drive the step van through slowly as we move the cars off the road?" asked Boggs. "It's not much different that driving a car, just bigger and top heavy."

"I'm sure I'll be ok," I said.

"Ok then. The key is still in the ignition. Start by pulling up behind the Tracker. It'll go first, over the edge."

"Ok," I said in acknowledgement.

Boggs continued. "After the Tracker, just slowly pull up to the convertible, then do the same thing until we get to the Bug. Once we have those three rolled out of the way, we'll all get back in and Gus will take over at the wheel. The last car is so damaged we'll need to push it over the edge with the van."

"Is that safe?" I asked. "Should the rest of us get out while he pushes it over?"

"It should be ok, Zoe," said Gus. "I'll take it slow. We'd use one of the other cars but they're all banged up. Flat tires, crunched fenders, axles might be toast."

"Ok," was all I said. I really just wanted to get it over with, move on with the day, and get back home.

"You ready?" asked Julio.

I nodded quickly. "Ready."

Boggs stepped closer to me and gave me a sincere hug, then kissed me briefly on the lips. "See you in a few minutes, Zo," he whispered.

"See you in a few," I replied.

I walked back to the step van and climbed into the driver's seat. I explained to the other three girls what was going on. They were busy looking through the bags and suitcase I had found in the MGB. It looked like clothes, mostly. I turned the key that had been left in the ignition, and the van roared to life. I disengaged the parking brake, which was a heavy lever off to the left by the floor board, and put the van in drive using the column gear shift. I slowly took my foot off of the brake and used the engine to pull us forward slowly instead of relying on the gas pedal. When I got a few feet from the Tracker, I stepped on the brake and waited while Julio got into the driver's seat of the wrecked car in order to steer toward the ravine below. Gus and Boggs both pushed on the rear end until it was at the edge. Julio got out and joined the other two men at the rear of the vehicle. They pushed, sending the car over the edge and out of the way. I had expected the resulting crash to be louder. I let the van creep forward, steering to the right a bit to avoid a piece of metal lying in the road. The men were waiting for me at the convertible. It was the most intact of all six vehicles, but had no keys and would offer little protection from the living dead, so trying to salvage it had seemed pointless. Julio again took the driver's seat to steer while Gus and Boggs pushed. They led it to the left shoulder. The Volkswagen went just as smoothly. I weaved the step van through the path they had created and stopped several feet away from the unidentifiable car.

Gus half ran to my side of the cab. I set the parking brake for him and left the engine idling in neutral. I half crouched and stepped between the two seats, and walked to the back of the van. Boggs joined me in the back, and Julio took the passenger seat. Louisa was comfortably situated in her easy chair, Susan and Emilie each seated on one of the wheel wells like before. Boggs' bucket seat was now about half full of siphoned gasoline and sitting back on the side of the road hidden behind a shrub. We left it there to pick up on the return trip, to avoid fumes inside the van. The hope was to use it for the Explorer. The men had all splashed gas on their shirts while filling the van's tank so we left those behind as well, leaving Gus bare from the waist up and Boggs and Julio both in t-shirts. I sat on the tuck bed against the side of the van next to where Emilie was situated. Boggs joined me on the floor.

"Ladies, it might be noisy while Gus pushes the car into the ravine. Try not to worry," said Boggs.

I felt the van lurch forward. It slowed, and the impact of van and car was a subtle shudder accompanied by the loud screeching of metal on metal. I could feel the van struggle just slightly pushing against the mass of twisted glass and steel that sat in the roadway. The van was large and heavy and eventually I felt the other car break free of us.

"We're clear," Gus called back to us.

I let the air escape my lungs, not realizing until then that I had been holding my breath. I looked at Boggs, and he wrapped an arm around me.

"It'll be ok, Zo."

"I hope so," I said.

"Unless a zombie eats you," taunted Susan cruelly.

I glared at her.

Emilie took the opportunity to interrupt. "The bags are full of clothes. Nothing fancy but we can probably use them."

"Oh, Boggs, I found a revolver in the glove box of the convertible." I had forgotten about the gun with everything else happening so quickly.

"Yeah?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"And a hunting knife. They're both in the backpack." I gestured toward the headache rack that separated us from the passenger seat, where the backpack was stashed.

"Cool," he said. "I'll take a look when we stop next."

We sat beside each other, resting, while Gus drove. It was hard to tell how much time passed.

"I see a building up on the right," said Julio finally.

"I see it," said Gus.

"Boggs called up to the other men. "What is it?"

"Hard to say," said Gus. "It's not huge. I'm going to stop the van here. Zoe, can you come up front?"

I looked at Boggs. He shrugged.

"Ok," I said as I stood. My left leg had fallen asleep, so I hobbled up to the cab.

"Zoe, I hate to ask but do you sense anything here?" asked Gus kindly.

I looked out the windshield at the small brick building not far away. Nothing buzzed, tickled, or tormented my brain. I shook my head. "Not so far.'

Gus looked thoughtful for a moment. I'm going to park in front, and then ask you again. Is that ok?"

I looked at him. "Sure. Anything I can do to help, Gus. I just want to get us all back home ok."

He smiled at me. "Good girl. Ok, mind standing here? Just hold onto the backs of our seats for stability while I park."

I gripped both seats, and the van lurched forward again. It took all of two minutes to pull off the highway and situate the van in front of the small building. We could see the sign now.

Edith's General Store

"Hot damn," said Julio. "It's a general store!"

"Ok, before everyone gets too excited let's just sit back and figure out our next move. Zoe, how does it feel here?" Gus questioned me.

I concentrated on my own mind. I still felt nothing unusual. "Nothing," I said.

Gus turned halfway around so he could look into the back of the van and talk to us all at once. "I think we should make this quick. In and out. Load up what we can and head back toward the cabin. Let's not get too dependent on Zoe's feelings. We need to assume anyone, or anything, can be in there. Boggs, Julio and I will go in and clear the building, and then all of us can go in and gather supplies. Everyone got it?"

We all either nodded or grunted or said "yes."

"Gus?" I said to get his attention.

"Yeah?"

"Just...be careful, ok?"

"We all will," he answered. "Ok, Julio, Boggs. Let's do this bad boy."

The three men made sure their firearms were readied and exited the van. I watched as they walked to the building, keeping away from windows until they could better assess the situation inside. I thought all three looked tense, understandably so. Emilie came to stand beside me. Neither of us seemed interested in actually leaving the back of the van to sit in the cab. I think instinct must have told us to stay out of view.

Julio reached his hand out to the door handle of the store and tried pulling on it. He lifted his hand from the handle and raised both arms in the air. I watched as he stepped back, and the door opened outward. A rough looking old man with greasy gray hair and a scraggly beard to match walked out, holding a sawed-off shotgun. While I couldn't hear his exact words, the man was talking in a raised voice that sounded threatening. I watched as Julio and the other two men from our group all slowly lower their guns to the ground, then stand and place their hands on their heads. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. The old man continued to yell at Julio, who was shaking his head back and forth. I had a hunch he was pleading with the man, and as calmly as I could I asked Susan to bring the backpack from the wrecked cars to me. I didn't take my eyes off our companions who were outside the store. Thankfully Susan had the good sense to not question me when I asked her to fetch the bag, and moments later I felt the pack being held out for my waiting hand. Julio was now down on his knees, his hands still clasped behind his head. I unzipped the pack blindly, still not averting my eyes from the scene in front of the store. I reached in, feeling for the revolver. I found the hunting knife first and handed it to Emilie.

"Zoe? What do we do?" asked Emilie. I could hear her voice trembling with fear.

"What is it?" asked Susan.

Neither of us answered, and I could sense her standing directly behind us.

"Oh fuck," she said. "Fuck, fuck, fuck..."

Louisa was still in the back, and I didn't want her seeing what was going on.

"Susan, go sit with Louisa, please?" begged Emilie. "Zoe, that's a semi-automatic shotgun. That's serious shit." How she knew this, I'm not sure.

At last my hand came into contact with the revolver, and I pulled it out of the pack. I quickly opened the cylinder even though I knew it held ammo. I shut it, hoping I did it correctly. Julio was starting to move his hands away from his head and the dirty old man seemed to agitate further. Boggs and Gus were as close to Julio as they dared, and by the looks on their faces I could tell they felt helpless. Any time one of them attempted to advance, the old man got louder and began waving his gun. Suddenly the old man fired the shotgun, and Julio tumbled backward onto the asphalt of the store parking lot. I felt my core go numb. Time slowed momentarily and nothing seemed real. I was brought back to real time when I heard Susan starting to sob.

"Be quiet!" I said sharply. "Stay quiet! He doesn't know we're in here!"

Susan continued to cry, but it sounded like she had covered her mouth with her hands.

I looked in time to see the old man pump the shot gun, chambering another round. The man was aiming the gun at Gus and Boggs, alternating waving it between the two of them. Julio lay in a pool of blood, half of his head and chest missing.

Without thinking it over, I climbed down from the passenger seat and landed on the parking lot surface as quietly as I could. I was glad the men had left the sliding door open. I clutched the revolver in my right hand and crouched down by the tire. I was out of sight of the old man as well as Gus and Boggs, and knew I had to keep it that way in order to stay hidden. I crawled to the front bumper, where I dared to peek. Gus and Boggs were both on their knees at this point, and I could hear Gus trying to reason with the man. I held the revolver up and ran through what Boggs had taught me in the car the day we had fled his house and left Silvana behind. Aim, breathe in, exhale part way, shoot. Make sure your aim is true. Use two hands. I gripped the revolver in my right hand, supported my wrist with my left, and steadied both on the bumper of the van. I looked down the sight and tried to track the old man. It was far from easy. Something felt wrong, and I had a hard time pinpointing it. Boggs had shown me how to chamber a round in his Kahr, but that was different than a revolver. I wracked my brain and realized that in the movies, cowboys always pull the hammer back before firing. I tried to slow my breathing, and pulled the hammer of the revolver back. It felt stiff and took a lot of effort. It made a small click and I prayed no one else had heard it. I noticed the man was aiming at Gus in particular and decided it was now or never.

"Breathe, Zoe," I whispered to myself.

I repositioned the gun in my hands and used the bumper to steady my aim again. I looked down the sight and attempted to track the old man's head. I could tell he was escalating by how intensely he held his weapon.

I breathed in, and as I exhaled I kept my hands as steady as I could and squeezed the trigger. The kick from the gun was greater than I had expected, knocking me onto my butt. My ears rang from the sound of the gun firing. Emilie was looking down at me within seconds, but I couldn't hear what she was saying. She helped me stand, and as my hearing started to return I was aware of Louisa screaming. I knew she had discovered that her husband was dead, and I felt sick. I was numb inside, a numb I had never experienced before.

"Zoe. Zoe, can you hear me?" asked Emilie.

I looked at her, not quite able to answer.

"Fuck, Zoe, you shot him in the head," I heard Susan's voice next to me. "Fucking A, girl. You shot that goddamn fucking bastard in the goddamn fucking head. Holy fuck!"

I looked at Emilie. "What happened?" I asked.

"I think she's in shock," said Susan.

I don't remember getting back into the step van. I was sitting on a blanket on the floor of the van's boxy back end. Louisa was sitting on her own blanket across the truck, sobbing and moaning in Spanish. The van was moving again. I could tell by the smoothness of the road that we were back on the highway. Boggs was beside me, stroking my hair. Emilie and Susan sat on either side of Louisa, trying to comfort her. I could tell from the lighting in the cab that the sun had started to set. More time had passed than I had been aware of.

"Where are we?" I asked Boggs.

"We're headed back to the cabin, Zo. You've been asleep for over an hour."

"Louisa. Is she ok?" As soon as I asked the question, I realized it was a stupid one.

Boggs shook his head back and forth. "Not really."

"Julio," I started crying. "Oh God, Boggs..."

"Shhhh," he tried to soothe me. "I know, I know."

"Boggs, did I kill that man?"

He nodded. "You also saved me and Gus, and probably Em, Susan and Louisa too. You did good, kiddo." He kissed my forehead tenderly and held me to his chest. "You did good."

I leaned against him, my heart breaking for Louisa. I wasn't sure how to cope with the fact that I had killed another human. I'd save that for another day. I cried myself back to sleep.

# CHAPTER 14

Gus, Boggs, and Emilie had been able to keep it together enough at the general store to stock up on supplies before we left while Susan, Louisa, and I had stayed in the van. The rear of the vehicle was now piled high with boxes of food and cases of water. Boggs had grabbed fishing poles and gear. Emilie had been smart enough to raid the feminine hygiene aisle, and had also grabbed cans of baby formula and diapers for Louisa and the baby. A lot of the store's supplies had been perishable and had long ago gone bad. Gus had recovered the sawed-off shotgun from the man I had killed. These days nothing could be wasted, not even weapons that had taken the life of a friend.

I sat in the back of the step van wrapped in a blanket, looking at the supplies without much interest. Louisa had fallen asleep on the floor of the van from exhaustion and her head was resting on Susan's lap. She continued to breathe unevenly in her sleep from her long bout of sobbing. Susan stayed seated to accommodate her sleeping friend, and gently stroked the newly widowed girl's hair. Emilie was riding up front with Gus and Boggs sat next to me, deep in thought.

Eventually we arrived back at the cabin. It was late and eerily dark outside. A wind was blowing in gusts, whipping at the tree branches violently. Leaves had built up around the porch in small piles. Gus parked facing the cabin so we could use the headlights from the step van to see, which cast creepy shadows around the cabin.

The mood in the van was grave. I wasn't sure I had the energy to stand and walk inside. Gus cut the engine and I heard Emilie get up and walk back to talk to us.

"We're here, guys," she said quietly. "Gus wants to get everyone inside quick, and we can bring supplies in afterward."

Boggs looked at me. "You ready, Zo?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Sue?" Boggs called to his old fling quietly.

She looked up and seemed unaware that we had even stopped. Her face had a look of blankness. "Hmm?" she replied.

"I'll come back for Louisa as soon as we get the door open. I'll need time to clear the way to the back doors so we can get her out. Can you sit there with her for a couple minutes?'

Susan nodded. "Yeah sure."

"Zoe, I hate to ask 'cause I know you're tired, but once you are inside can you go upstairs, light a candle and turn down Louisa's bed? I'll be right behind you with her," said Boggs. He looked up and addressed Susan next. "Emilie and Gus will make sure you get in safely."

Susan nodded in understanding.

Gus had already exited the van through the driver's door. Boggs took a moment to explain. "Gus is just checking out the rope knot he tied on the front door. He'll come back to let us know it's clear soon."

"Where's Em?" I asked in a whisper, realizing she wasn't near anymore.

"She's covering him with my pistol while he unties the knot," he answered.

"Ok," was all I said.

We sat and waited for several minutes before Gus returned to fetch me.

"Ok, Zoe, the cabin's all clear darlin'. Emilie lit a couple candles in the kitchen so go ahead and take one upstairs with you."

I nodded and then looked at Boggs.

"Go ahead and go up and I'll be right behind you with Louisa. Five minutes tops," Boggs reassured me.

"Ok," I said sleepily. "I'll get the bed ready."

I stood and kept the blanket wrapped around me. I made sure none of it dragged at my feet to avoid tripping. I climbed out through the cab and walked to the front door. Emilie was standing there with the Kahr. She looked pale and washed out from the headlights.

"It'll be ok, Zoe," she said quietly as I passed her. "We'll all be in soon. I promise."

I nodded silently then stepped across the threshold. The kitchen felt empty. Perhaps it was me that felt empty. I walked to the table and picked up one of the candles that Em had lit. I quietly walked to the stairs and climbed to the second floor. It was so quiet that I could hear the back doors of the step van opening when I reached the end of the hallway and prepared to enter Louisa and Julio's room. I walked in and stepped between Susan's twin bed and Louisa's queen. I set the candle on the bedside table and pulled the covers down to the foot of the bed. I absently fluffed the pillows. I wished there was more I could do to help, but how do you fix a life lost?

Within a minute or two Boggs appeared at the door to the bedroom with Louisa in his arms. She was awake now, but barely. I could see fresh tears on her cheeks. I had no words to comfort her. Boggs carried her to the bed and gently laid her down. Susan appeared next and walked to the other side of the bed. She reached across and pulled Louisa's shoes off of her feet for her. She kicked her own off, and then climbed into the bed with the pregnant girl. Boggs and I were standing on opposite sides of the bed, and both helped to pull the covers over them. Boggs leaned down and kissed Louisa on the forehead. He and I left the room without speaking, leaving the door open part way.

Once in the hallway, Boggs whispered to me. "Gus and Emilie just started bringing in the supplies from the van. I'm gonna go help them, then be back up. It shouldn't take long. Will you be ok?"

"I think so," I whispered back. "I'm just going to lie down if that's ok?"

He wrapped his strong arms around me. "Of course it's ok, Zo."

I watched him descend the stairs, then walked into our bedroom and fumbled for the candle and lighter that we kept in the nightstand drawer. I found them quickly, and lit the candle. I walked the flickering light to the vanity and set it down. The last thing I wanted was to be alone in the dark. I kept my clothes on, too tired to worry about changing for the night. I collapsed onto the bed and turned to face the candle on the vanity. I watched the flickering patterns it produced on the wall and tried to not think about anything. I closed my eyes and made a wish that when I open them next I would be back in my own home, and that none of this would have happened. I found myself unable to open my eyes when I tried. Not unable physically, but unable mentally, because I knew that if I opened them nothing would have changed.

I began to cry, softly at first. My tears continued and it became difficult to breathe. I wanted my mom to hold me in her arms and tell me everything would be ok. I wanted to curl up into a shrinking ball and disappear. I wanted Julio to be back with us. I wanted the man I had shot to never have existed.

Through my tears and sobbing, I heard a soft knock on our open bedroom door.

"Zoe, may I come in and talk to you darlin'?" asked Gus quietly.

I tried to answer, but found myself only able to exhale in a jagged pattern. Gus walked through the doorway and sat on the bed beside me. He placed a hand on my back and tried to soothe me.

"Zoe, I'm guessing the others don't know what it feels like to take another human life. I was in combat, so I do. There are no secret words of comfort, and to be honest everyone has to come to terms with it on their own. I just want you to know that you made the right decision, and that you saved lives today."

"It's not just that, Gus," I said between ragged breaths. "I saw Julio die. Louisa needs him, how could he die?"

"It's no one's fault but the old coot that pulled the trigger, Zoe."

"But if I would have thought to grab the gun sooner, maybe I could have saved him. Julio, I mean."

"Zoe, I want you to sit up."

I sniffled, and slowly pushed myself up to a sitting position beside the man I had grown to trust with my own life over the past several days.

"Listen to me, darlin.' It is not your fault Julio died. If you ask yourself the 'what if's' you'll go crazy. It sucks, losing him, and we all need to be there for Louisa now. You. Me. All of us."

I nodded, not knowing what to say.

He continued. "I took the liberty of going through Wanda's purse. I figured since she had terminal cancer she would probably have some meds with her. If I give you a pill will you take it? To help you sleep?"

"If I do, promise to listen for zombies tonight?" I asked through my tears.

He sighed softly and ruffled my hair, then placed his forehead against mine. "I promise," he said softly and very seriously.

"'Kay."

"I gave Louisa one too."

He handed me a small white pill, and I swallowed it without water.

"Climb under the covers, Zoe. I'll send Boggs up."

He leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. "It'll get easier. I promise. And if you need to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks, Gus," I said.

"Promise me you'll find me if you need to talk."

I nodded and then slid under the covers as instructed, and Gus tucked me in. My eyes felt heavy, and my heart heavier.

I woke sometime during the night and Boggs wasn't beside me. The candle had either burnt out or been blown out, leaving the room dark. I felt the bed beside me, even though I was sure Boggs wasn't there. I listened and heard the remaining two men in our group talking. Their voices came from somewhere downstairs. I heard the wind howling outside and rain hitting the metal flashing around the fireplace outlet. I was terribly cold.

I climbed out of bed and wrapped a blanket around myself. I crept to the bathroom using the light in the hallway that came from the fireplace downstairs. After drinking water from the faucet using my hands, I relieved my bladder and then washed my hands and face. I walked downstairs and found Gus, Emilie, and Boggs all sitting near the fire.

"Hey, Zoe," said Emilie. "You ok sweetie?"

"I woke up, I think from the storm."

Boggs patted the seat next to him. "Come sit?"

I walked to the loveseat and sat close beside him.

"You should still be out cold," said Gus.

"I've always hated storms," I admitted as I sat. "They freak me out."

As I spoke, thunder sounded in the distance, amplified by the echo effect of the mountains and valleys surrounding us. I must have jumped slightly because Boggs wrapped an arm around me reassuringly.

"Sorry I wasn't there when you woke up," said Boggs as he kissed the side of my head. "When I came up you were sound asleep."

"We were just talking about tomorrow," said Emilie, changing the topic. "We still have the bones from the fire to deal with."

I drew my feet up onto the couch and nestled in against Boggs even harder.

"What can we do for Louisa?" I asked quietly.

I felt Boggs sigh and he tightened his arm around me. I laid my head on his chest.

"Just be there for her," said Gus.

"Susan seems to really care about her. Maybe she's ok after all," I said, directly followed by a yawn.

Thunder sounded again, this time sounding closer. The wind continued to scream and rain beat against the front of the cabin. I was glad to be surrounded by friends and the warmth from the fire. I was glad to be home.

"Winter will be here before you know it," said Gus. "We need to prepare. The fireplace will help, but not enough. We should be watching for a wood stove to install, get wood cut, split, and curing, stock up on food. Snow will get deep here in the mountains. I'm hoping most of what we'll need we can scrounge up from abandoned homes. Gear for canning, warmer clothes and blankets. "

I tried to focus on Gus' voice instead of the storm.

"Canning gear?" asked Emilie. "Great for next summer, but why get it now?"

Gus looked at her. "We'll can fish and any meat we hunt this winter," he answered. "And who knows if we'll be able to drive the roads next summer. We always need to think ahead, and get what we can now."

"Makes sense," she said.

Boggs picked up the conversation. I could feel his chest moving as he spoke. "The step van is going to use more gas than the Explorer. It might be wise to do scouting trips in the SUV, even though it'll haul less per trip."

My thoughts briefly wandered to the man I had killed. I didn't want to think about what I had done, so forced myself to listen to the conversation around me.

"Agreed," said Gus. "I know even talking about going back out is fucking tough."

"It's getting cold out," said Emilie. "I don't think we have a choice. We have to."

"I should go with," I said with a lack of enthusiasm.

"Are you sure you're up to it?" asked Boggs.

"I can help." I looked up at Boggs. "You know I can help warn you. At least about the dead. Not so much the living." My vision got blurry from welling tears.

"It wasn't your fault, Zoe," said Emilie in a serious tone.

I wiped at my eyes with the back of my arm.

"When will we go?" I asked.

"After the sun's up," answered Gus. "I want to leave the other girls behind, though. Louisa needs to stay put, and try to keep calm."

"I should stay with her and Susan," said Emilie. "They both seem like they're pretty freaked. I honestly don't want to separate from the three of you but I know it's for the best."

I nodded, took a deep breath, and sat upright. "Ok."

The sound of the rain intensified as it turned to hail.

"Boggs?" I asked as quietly as I could.

"Yeah, Zo?"

"How many days has it been now?"

He sighed heavily. "I've lost count. A couple weeks?"

"Tomorrow's day eighteen," answered Gus. "I've been keeping track."

Emilie whistled softly. "Over two weeks? Already?" She snuggled up against Gus.

"Yup," he mumbled with a hint of sadness. "That long. I'd like to have enough supplies stocked up for winter within a week," he continued. "We'll drive the step van to the Explorer and start by getting it back here. We'll take the gas in the bucket to the Explorer, add it, and siphon the next car we come across once we're on the road."

"Are we going all the way back to the wreck?" I asked. "It seems so far."

"We'll head the other way," said Boggs. "But if we go more than ten miles without seeing a source for gas we'll need to turn around."

"How about siphoning from the step van from the get-go?" asked Emilie.

"Good idea, Red," said Gus. "I just don't want to waste any by transferring back and forth. And I want the step van drivable in case you girls need it while we're gone."

"Sounds good," she said.

"Em, I'm hoping we're back before dark. If we're not, just stay inside and keep the door shut and locked. I had hoped to build a safe room before we leave, but we need to get underway. I want to leave you with my shotgun and Susan with Julio's. I'll go over both with you girls before we leave," added Gus.

"What about you guys?" she asked.

I sat listening while Gus continued. "Boggs will keep the Kahr. I'll take the sawed-off shotgun from the old guy with me. I don't want to leave it here with Louisa. It seems like bad karma." He looked over at me. "Zoe, I want you to bring the revolver you found."

The thought of touching the small gun again made my stomach turn, but good sense made me rise to the occasion. "No problem," I said, being as strong as I could..

"Good girl," whispered Boggs as he took my hand in his.

"Once the weather clears we need to venture to Lake Arrow, see about catching some fish," said Gus.

Em moaned gently. "Fresh food would be so good."

I turned toward the stairs when I heard the subtle squeaking of someone walking down from the second story.

"Susan. How's Louisa?" asked Gus.

"She's still sleeping. She's been tossing and turning a lot, crying out. I'm not sure what else to do for her."

Susan looked tired. She sat on the arm of the couch where Boggs and I were situated and the men filled her in on plans. None of us were thrilled with the prospect of separating. The day promised to be emotionally trying.

I woke alone on the loveseat. My back was stiff from not being able to stretch on the cramped sofa. I could hear the others talking in the kitchen, and to my delight I smelled coffee. I stood and stretched, and followed the aroma to the group at the table.

"Morning, Zo," said Boggs.

"Morning," I said back to him. "Where'd the coffee come from?"

"They brought it back with us last night," answered Susan. "Grab a cup and come sit down. I was just headed up to check on Louisa."

"Thanks," I said.

I took her seat and let Boggs serve me a cup of coffee from a French press we had found a few days back in our cabin's own kitchen.

"There's no creamer but we have a can of condensed milk. Want some?" asked Em.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, sure."

She scooped a spoonful of the thick creamy substance into my mug and stirred it for me. I gratefully took the cup from her and sipped. It was wonderfully warm, strong, sweet, and soothing.

"I never knew you had to spoon condensed milk," I said absently. The milk was thick like caramel.

Gus pushed his chair back and stood. "I'm heading up to check on Louisa and Susan. I'll probably give her another of Wanda's sedatives, and then we should head out. Em, I'll want to go over the guns with you and Susan."

"Ok," she said between sips of her own coffee.

Gus and Boggs spent time with both Susan and Emilie showing them the basics of the firearms that were being left with them. The girls both took the instructions seriously, making the lessons go more quickly than they might have otherwise. Louisa had woken for a brief period, but cried herself back to sleep. Gus left the sedatives with Susan with specific instructions should Louisa need any while we were gone. He encouraged both girls to work at getting fluids into Louisa, and mentioned that food would be a bonus if they could get her to eat. Gus said his good-bye to Emilie, and I could tell by their long embrace that they both knew it might be the last time they touched. It made me suddenly glad to be going with the men, knowing that if Boggs or I were to die today, at least we'd be together.

I quickly hugged Emilie once she and Gus had finished, and could tell she was fighting hard to hold in tears. Boggs hugged Susan briefly using just one arm, and I noticed him whisper something to her. Under the circumstances, I chose to not read into it.

"Ok, let's get going," said Gus. "Susan, Emilie, we'll drive the step van to the Explorer and get it up and running. We'll drive both back here and position the van for you girls. It'll be a mode of escape incase anything happens."

"Where would we go?" asked Susan.

Gus sighed. "Honestly, I'm not sure. Just get to safety. You'll have about a third of a tank of gas. We'd find you. Somehow. If you have to leave, build a fire just before dusk every night. We'll watch for smoke. And if it comes down to it, try not to run the tank dry because you might have to move again."

"We'll put a bundle of kindling and a lighter in the back of the van. Supplies for a few days, too. I doubt you'll need them but I'd rather have you prepared," added Boggs. "We'll leave the keys in the glove box."

It took another ten minutes to ready the van. Susan went back upstairs when she heard Louisa crying again. Emilie shut the door behind us, and we heard the intricate lock system Gus had created with Julio's help engage. Boggs, Gus, and I climbed into the cab and the men encouraged me to take the driver's seat. They explained that they both wanted me to be more familiar with the rig. I drove us down the rugged driveway to where the Explorer waited. I focused on my own mind, and didn't sense anything amiss. Boggs fetched the bucket that held about two gallons or so of gasoline and he and Gus walked with it to the SUV. They used a medium sized funnel they had found inside the shed to pour the fuel into the gas tank, preventing spillage. I stayed in the cab of the van, my revolver sitting beside me on the wide dashboard. I was glad to be inside, since the storm from the night before had left everything wet. I watched as they put the bucket, a hose, and the funnel into the back of the car for our trip. Boggs got into the SUV and cranked the ignition a few times before it started up. He pulled the SUV back to the middle of the road, and inched forward. Gus opened the driver's door to the van and instructed me to scoot over to the passenger side so he could back the rig up toward the cabin. There wasn't an area large enough to turn the van around.

"Gus?" I asked as he drove backward.

"Yeah, darlin'?" he answered.

"We should leave the girls with siphoning supplies."

"That we should. Think you can scrounge the glove box for a pen and paper and write down instructions?"

"Yeah, sure."

"There's a hose in the shed I'll cut down and I'll find a container and some sort of funnel for them."

I looked through the glove box and found a receipt from a hardware store, and an old ball point pen. It took a few tries until the ink would flow. I wrote out a brief note and simple instructions that Gus relayed to me. He had me asterisk the last step, which was to not siphon from large trucks because they might contain diesel, which would ruin the engine.

Now back at the cabin, Gus backed the van up so it ran alongside the front porch. He explained that it would put the driver's door in easy reach should the girls need to flee in a hurry.

"Go ahead and switch over to the Explorer, Zoe," Gus instructed me. "I'll grab a couple things from the shed for the girls and be right over.

"Ok," I said as I climbed down from the van.

"Don't forget your pistol, Zoe," he reminded me.

I reached my hand out and he handed it to me. "Thanks. I'm pretty foggy from whatever you gave me last night."

I walked to the Explorer, revolver in hand, and opened the door behind Boggs. I climbed into the vehicle, glad to be out of the damp and cold.

"What's Gus doing?" asked Boggs.

"He's grabbing siphoning gear for the van, for the girls," I answered.

"Good idea," he said.

"I wrote out instructions for them. I just hope they don't need to leave for any reason."

"We'll try to not be gone long," he said.

Gus was back from the shed within minutes. I watched out the back of the Explorer as he hauled a small bucket, a section of garden hose, and a homemade funnel to the van. He fumbled in the cab for several seconds before climbing down and joining us in the SUV.

"Did you put the keys in the glove box?" asked Boggs.

"You bet," answered Gus.

Boggs had turned the heater on before following us back to the cabin and the Explorer was just starting to warm inside. We went through a final checklist, and then proceeded back down the drive to the highway. Once we reached the main road, we drove back the way we had originally come so many days ago, knowing that we hadn't enough fuel to make it as far as the crash site we had siphoned from the day before. Gus and Boggs both agreed it would be wisest to stay quiet for the drive, allowing me to focus on any intrusions into my mind. I watched the trees pass as we drove. Leaves had changed colors and many had fallen since we had driven this way last.

"I see snow on that peak," I said softly.

"Me too," said Gus. "Winter's coming early. I can feel it."

"How's the gas, Boggs?" I asked.

"We have maybe five miles till we have to turn around, Zo."

After a while Gus spotted a blue minivan off on the side of the road, nose-end in a ditch. We stopped and all three of us got out, careful to stay alert. The passenger doors on the van were open and the inside was covered in blood. The ditch was filled with water from the storm that had blown through during the night. Tears came to my eyes when I saw a child's teddy bear, stained with blood, floating in the murky water by the front tire. I felt my breathing quicken when I realized the water was dark with blood.

Boggs walked up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "We have to keep it together, Zoe," he whispered. "There's nothing we can do for them." I knew he was referencing the people who had been in the minivan.

I nodded my head silently, wiping away the tears. Rain started to fall again, as if crying in my place. Not wanting to, but needing to, I stepped closer to the open slider door of the vehicle and looked inside more closely. The interior was light gray, or rather had been. It was mostly blood-stained now. The bench seats in the middle and back had been slashed and ripped. The windows were streaked with blood. When I took notice of a tiny red handprint on the window next to me, I covered my mouth with my left hand and turned away. I had to bite on my own fist to keep quiet. I was filled not only with great sadness, but also with rage.

# CHAPTER 15

Gus and Boggs had siphoned almost ten gallons of gasoline from the minivan in the ditch. I had been sent back to the Explorer to keep watch while they worked, but I knew it was the men showing mercy by getting me away from the scene of obvious death and carnage.

We all sat in the shelter of the SUV now, continuing on the highway. None of us recalled seeing anything significant in the way of buildings between the cabin and the town where we had watched the woman being attacked and eaten so many days ago. Going back there seemed like a poor choice, so we decided to take a turn-off we had ignored when first driving through.

The rain continued to come down heavily, and was beginning to look like it was mixed with snow. I fleetingly thought about how it would make a good tomato-soup-and-crackers day. Tomato soup turned to blood in my mind and my thoughts turned to the child from the minivan, and what had happened to him or her.

"There's one close," I said from the back seat, my voice lacking in feeling. I didn't have the emotional strength to panic at the moment.

"Zoe? You sure?" asked Boggs.

"Yeah, positive. It sees our car driving by. It's running after us. God it wants to eat us..."

"I'd speed up," said Gus to Boggs. "No point taking risks."

"We can't come back this way," I said as Boggs pressed his foot down on the gas pedal.

"Talk to us, Zoe," said Gus calmly but with tension in his voice.

"Oh God," I moaned. "There's so many of them."

"Zoe?" Gus' voice was stern now.

"Hundreds, Gus. There's so many I can't see right. Boggs, hurry..." I started crying softly. The intrusions inside my head were too much to bear. The desire for raw flesh and still-pumping blood, and the multiple images flashing one after another were making me nauseous. "They're planning to set an ambush."

"Zoe, where?" barked Gus. 'Talk to me!"

"Behind us. We have to go, and fast! They're growing in numbers, organizing, ambushing this stretch of the road."

"Zoe do you see any ahead of us?" asked Gus, not skirting the issue at all.

"No. Just behind. They're the same ones who attacked the minivan, and all the people from the wreck yesterday. They ripped them all apart." Tears were falling down my cheeks now. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Zoe, I can't stop," said Boggs. "Not till I know it's safe."

"Try to take some deep breaths, Zoe," said Gus as he climbed over the center console to join me in the back seat.

"They were enraged," I whispered as he sat down next to me. "Angry that they didn't get us. They were so focused on eating the people from the van they missed us..." my voice broke off.

Gus tried to sooth me, holding me in his arms. "Ok, we're getting farther away Zoe. Can you still feel them?"

I shook my head no. "No, they're gone. Gus." I looked him in the eyes to get his full attention. "They're using one of us. A human. As bait. I saw it in their thoughts. They keep one of us alive and make them walk the road till someone driving by stops to help."

"Shit," said Boggs from the driver's seat. "You sure Zoe?"

I sniffled, my nose starting to run from crying. "I'm positive. And the family from the minivan. They took them into the woods. God, they tore them apart while they were still alive."

"Try not to think about it," Gus tried to soothe me.

We drove for several miles in silence, Gus continuing to hold me. My ears popped as we descended in elevation. The rain was still falling, but not as heavily. I tried to focus on the many native plants as we passed them by, trying to keep my thoughts from returning to the bits and pieces of foreign images of horror that had flashed through my mind. I longed to be back in the cabin with Emilie, Louisa, and even Susan. I was growing tired, as I had noticed happens when the zombies fill my head, so leaned against Gus and closed my eyes. He held me as a father might hold a frightened child.

Gus shook me awake. I had fallen asleep against him.

"Zoe, wake up darlin'. We need to get out soon."

The car was still in motion, but going slowly.

"Zo, hun, do you sense anything here?" asked Boggs from the front seat.

"Where are we?" I asked, slightly disoriented from sleep.

"We turned off the highway a few miles back. You've been asleep for about an hour. We saw a sign for a bed and breakfast coming up soon."

"Why did you let me sleep? What if they came after us?" my voice was rising with concern.

"You have to sleep, Zo," said Boggs. "Nothing bad happened, it's ok."

"Zoe, darlin' do you feel anything here?" asked Gus trying to get my focus back on track.

"No. Nothing."

"Good girl," said Gus. "We should be coming across this place anytime. We'll be more careful this time. Go in together. Stay together. Come out together," said Gus.

I saw Boggs glance at us in the rear view mirror. "Zo, keep your revolver in hand. If you need to put it down, shove it in a pocket."

I nodded, knowing he could see me in the mirror.

Boggs picked up speed a bit and after a couple of minutes we saw a sign off on the right marking the bed and breakfast.

"The Winthrop Inn, charming," said Gus. "Let's just hope we're welcomed."

Boggs pulled off the highway and brought the SUV to a slow creep, eventually parking in front of the bed and breakfast. The inn looked old. The outside was white-washed with dark blue trim. A short wrought iron fence surrounded the grounds and building except for the drive. I focused again, but sensed none of the living dead near.

"Look at the front door," I said. "There's a sign in the window."

"Good eye, Zoe," praised Gus.

Boggs turned the key to shut off the motor. We all got out and closed our car doors. Gus held the sawed-off shotgun off to one side, holding both arms out, and walked to the front door. "Hold your weapons out like I am, and follow me," he called back to me and Boggs. "It'll show we're not hostile."

Boggs and I did as instructed. The rain had stopped falling, but the wind was picking up again. The sky was dark gray and held the promise of more precipitation to come.

Once we had all gathered on the modest sized porch, Gus blindly handed his gun to Boggs. I noticed he kept his eyes on the door and whatever might wait within. "I'm going to knock," he whispered. "Whatever happens try to keep your cool."

This was perhaps the first time since meeting him that I noticed that Gus seemed genuinely nervous. He knocked on the door. No one answered. I stepped forward, situating myself beside Gus. I pointed to the sign that was taped inside the door.

Closed for the Season, please come again.

"Maybe there's no one here?" I whispered.

Boggs stepped up behind me. "Let us go in first, Zo."

I tried the knob, ignoring Boggs. It was locked, of course. Gus motioned me back. Boggs took me by the arm and encouraged me to stand back with him. Gus raised the butt of the shotgun and used it to knock out one of the small panes of glass near the door knob. The glass shattering broke the intense silence that had built around us, causing my heart to speed. The silence returned, and time seemed to slow. Rain began to fall again, breaking the stillness. Gus used his elbow to knock out the remaining shards of glass and then reached in to unlock the door.

"I'm not staying out here alone," I whispered as Gus turned the knob and pushed the heavy front door inward.

"Ok," whispered Boggs back to me. "Stay alert, and stay near me."

We walked into the foyer of the house. The floors were a dark hardwood with intricate area rugs placed strategically. A small podium held a guest book. I noted that the last entry had been about three weeks prior. A Dr. and Mrs. Duffey. Victorian style furniture adorned the room with book cases taking up the entire far wall. The large front window had burgundy curtains gathered on either side with sheer white panels covering the panes of glass. A large stone hearth took up the far corner of the room. We stood there for several moments acclimating to the lack of lighting and listening for anything that might signal danger. Gus signaled for us to follow him. He walked to a large arched opening to the kitchen and Boggs and I followed him through. The counter tops were dark granite with quaint baskets spread about. The theme seemed to be "country" with a chicken and cow motif. It was strikingly different than the foyer. Hues of green and yellow made the large room feel bright and energetic. An old fashioned distressed kitchen table was meant to seat a crowd of ten by the chair count. Pleasantly there were no signs of people, living or dead.

We left the kitchen and climbed a narrow staircase to inspect the upper floor. One of the treads squeaked when Gus stepped on it. We all stopped and listened. We heard nothing but the rain falling against the building. Gus motioned for us to continue, which we did. The second floor boasted the bedrooms and two bathrooms, likely shared by all guests. We searched them all quickly to make sure no dangers were about. The bedrooms each had their own theme, and I wished that Emilie could see how beautiful they were.

"Ok kids, let's pack up what we can and get back on the road," said Gus quietly.

"This place gives me the creeps," said Boggs.

"Not me. I wish we could stay," I whispered.

"No, Zoe, we need to get back to the others," said Gus.

"I know," I said.

"Let's start loading the Explorer up," said Boggs.

We set to work stripping the guest room beds of blankets and searching for any other winter items that may come in handy. I found a small box of emergency supplies in the foyer closet: flashlights, candles, solar blankets, and a small bottle of bleach. I carried it to the front door where the blankets had been piled. We had decided to set everything aside and carry it all out once we were ready to leave. Pillaging the kitchen took the longest. We found flats of canned goods in the pantry and set them all out on the large dining table. One of the kitchen drawers had several large, sharp knives which were set alongside the canned food. Boggs found bags of dried goods on a top pantry shelf, all unopened. We now had several bags of rice, beans, and pasta to take home to the cabin. Gus took the large container of salt that was in the back of a cabinet, along with the salt and pepper shakers located near the stove. He explained that salt would be key in preservation of food later on. While I knew it was a luxury, I helped myself to a handful of books from the library in the foyer. Among them was a guide to native vegetation, a dictionary, a newer cookbook with old fashioned recipes, and several works of fiction.

Our pile of goods by the front door had grown, so we decided to pack it into the SUV before the sky darkened further. We were all anxious to get home to the rest of our little family. We reviewed the plan for carrying things out to the car. I would go out without carrying anything and open the hatch on the back of the vehicle, and Boggs and Gus would be directly behind me with their arms full of items to pack into the SUV. We would leave the rear open and return for another load, this time all of us carrying what we could. Once the rig was full, we'd shut the hatch and return to the inn to study the map we now kept in the glove box, looking for an alternate route back to the cabin.

The work went by quickly, and without untoward events. The Explorer was full, leaving only room for the three of us to sit. The day was coming to a close and outside the rain continued to fall steadily. The three of us went inside, shutting the door behind us. The weather was intruding through the hole in the front door that had resulted from our breaking in. I used a small toss pillow from the plush sofa in the foyer, and shoved it into the hole. It wasn't a perfect fix but would help. We decided to sit in the entry room with Victorian style furniture to study the map. It would also allow us to keep an eye out front.

Gus spread the map on the floor and we all sat around it. I watched while the two men mapped out the best route, knowing map reading was not my specialty by any stretch of the imagination. They discovered a series of turn-offs that led back to Lake Arrow, and a winding stretch of road that hugged the lake on the side opposite the cabin. The only catch would be a half mile hike to the cabin, but it was unavoidable. The only alternative was to drive back through the group of dead who were ambushing the living on the roadway. Since the ambush clearly stretched both sides of the highway that reached the cabin, as evidenced from the minivan and the crash site closer to the general store, we were all in agreement that we'd need to return home partly on foot. Remaining at the cabin long term would be a subject we'd discuss later. The hope was that the zombies would move on in search of food once travelers on the highway became more and more infrequent. From the images and thoughts I had glimpsed so far, I didn't think they were aware of our presence at the cabin.

Gus impressively folded the map back into a rectangle. He looked up at both of us. "I hate to say it, but I think we need to hunker down here tonight. It's getting late and I don't want to be on the road after dark. Especially when it comes to walking to the cabin once we run out of road."

Boggs sighed. "I was thinking the same thing. Should we drive the explorer around back?"

I nodded. "I think so. They watch for changes. If they see the SUV and it wasn't here before I think they'll attack."

Gus looked deep in thought. "Zoe, do you know how else they find people?"

"Sound. Smell. They can smell blood. It's just fleeting feelings I pick up on, though. They watch for movement, too. Changes."

Gus nodded. "Ok. Let's move the Explorer around back and stay put for tonight."

"We should camp out in one of the upstairs rooms," suggested Boggs. "Zoe, I'll go out with Gus and move the car. We'll bring a couple candles back with us. Go ahead upstairs."

"Ok," I said. "Hurry though? I get the impression they like to hunt at night."

"Great," mumbled Gus.

I watched Boggs and Gus walk out through the front door. I watched while they started the car and drove it around to the back of the building. I wasn't sure if the paved drive extended all the way around but figured they'd do what it took to conceal the vehicle. My breath caught in my chest when I noticed a figure walking up the highway. I knew it was human by the way it walked and the lack of intruding thoughts or images in my mind. It was an old man. He was hunched over and looked like he was in pain. He held his hip as he walked, as an arthritic man might. He was soaked from the rain and as he came closer I could see that his hands were bloodied. His pants were tattered and his shirt was torn in several places. My heart ached for him and while I wanted to open the door and call out to him, instinct told me to stay out of sight and remain quiet. I was sure that this man was sent out as bait and that close behind would be creatures that belonged in Hell. I hoped beyond all hope that Gus and Boggs had seen the man and were thinking as I was, and hiding until danger passed. The old man turned and looked at the door to the Inn when he passed. His eyes met mine through the glass panes of the door, but he continued walking. The look upon his face was pleading, and warning at the same time. I could tell he was tired and weary. As he turned away from me, a second figure flitted in and out of the tree line in the distance. My mind was filled with unearthly desires to kill and consume. I knew I was linked to only one of the creatures. I knew its job was to follow the old man and let the others know if anything took the bait. The lone zombie was so incredibly hungry. Memories filled my head in snippets, images of biting the old man to keep him compliant and to stave off the unending hunger. He was not only their bait, but also their living snack. The creature following him was also responsible for keeping the dumb zombies from killing the old man. It was at that moment that I realized there were two very different kinds of creatures out there, explaining why the ambush at the cabin had involved the slow zombie out front and the faster ones that had planned the attack. I knew the old man and his undead keeper would soon be joined by the others. I quietly removed the toss pillow from the opening in the front door and raised my revolver. I pulled the hammer back and steadied myself, now knowing how much power would be in the kick of the gun. I aimed at the single walking dead, and shot it in the head. As it fell, I watched the old man. He turned toward me, and looked at me with pleading eyes. He fell to his knees, raised his gnawed-on hands to a praying position, and closed his eyes. He hung his head. I raised the revolver again, pulled the hammer, and squeezed the trigger. I fell to my knees in the entry way, not caring to see the old man lying dead in the street.

I heard glass shatter in the rear of the inn. There were no more foreign thoughts in my head, so I knew it must be Boggs and Gus entering from the back door that was off the kitchen.

"Zoe!" yelled Boggs. "Zoe!"

I had eventually sat on my butt and was hugging my knees, my eyes clenched shut. I felt Boggs lift me to my feet. He held me to him.

"What happened?" he asked, alarm prevalent in his voice.

"We have to get upstairs. There's more on their way," I moaned.

"Boggs, go ahead and take her up. I'll grab the supplies I set down and be right behind you." Gus had rushed in with Boggs in response to the gunfire.

"Zoe, come on. Let's go upstairs," said Boggs.

"You don't have to tell me twice," I whispered. "Gus, hurry."

"I'll be right behind you guys. I just set things in the kitchen. I don't need to go back outside."

Boggs and I hustled up the stairs while Gus risked going back to the kitchen for the supplies that he had brought in from the car. We reached the landing at the top of the steps when I sensed more of the creatures.

"Oh God, Boggs, they're close," I whispered as quietly as I could. "Gus..."

"I'm here, darlin'," he said. "Get into the far room. Quick."

I did as instructed, treading lightly but quickly. The desire for human flesh grew within my mind as Boggs and Gus entered the bedroom behind me, closing the door softly. Without speaking, I watched them work as a team. They lifted a large solid wood dresser and carried it to the bedroom door, where they set it down as quietly as possible. The room was carpeted, which helped buffer the noise.

"They know," I said. The men looked at me quizzically.

"They we're here?" whispered Boggs.

I shook my head no. "That I killed them." I could see the fallen zombie and the old man lying dead on the road, through the eyes of the creatures that now searched for us.

Gus held his finger to his lips, urging me to be quiet. We could hear the moans of the dead out front. One of them screamed, sounding enraged. I knew it was indeed just that, furious to find one of its own killed, and furious that its human pet was lost. I could sense confusion amongst the group. The three of us stood huddled together. I was afraid to even breathe too loudly. The creatures were looking around now. I could see through their eyes still, a blur of too many images. Pictures of the Inn, the grounds, the woods, the highway, and flashes of their recent kills. I wanted to scream in anger. I felt the arms of my companions encircle me, and realized I was trembling. I could tell by his smell that I was facing Gus, who was pressing the side of my face gently into his chest. I could hear Boggs 'shushing' into my ear very softly.

The next sense in my head was of one of the creatures sniffing at the air. It wasn't an image so much as the smell of the air outside, which included the foul stench of death. Thunder sounded again as a new storm rolled in. They were fearful of it. How beasts capable of killing and ripping apart living creatures with their bare hands could be afraid of thunder was beyond me. Their thoughts, memories, and horrifying desires began to fade from my mind. All but one fled into the surrounding woods, and from its thoughts I knew it would be nearby, waiting. The creature climbed in elevation, its signature inside my head fading to a dim ember. If I tried, I could tell myself it was gone. I knew, though, that it was left behind to watch the area. To watch for us.

I slowed my breathing, and challenged my body to relax. I was exhausted, and needed to get off my feet. The room had darkened both from the storm brewing and from the passing of time. I lifted my head from Gus' chest and looked up at him. "They've all gone, except for one," I whispered.

He nodded in acknowledgement.

I twisted around to look at Boggs. "We have to be quiet. It's waiting for us to come out, to slip up somehow."

Boggs looked at Gus. "No lights."

Gus nodded once.

"Should I close the curtain?" asked Boggs quietly.

"No," I said quickly. "Stay away from the window. It's watching."

"Let's settle in," whispered Gus.

The three of us walked together to the bed, careful to stay well away from the window.

"You're shivering, Zo," whispered Boggs.

"There were extra blankets in the bottom dresser drawer when I looked earlier," I said, careful to keep my voice down. "We should lie down and try to get warm."

"You guys lay down. I'll grab a blanket," offered Gus.

Boggs sat on the bed and scooted over toward the far side. I climbed in and we lay down together. Gus had opened the dresser drawer quietly. He removed a thin blanket that was kept inside, likely as a spare for guests on chilly nights. I noticed he left the drawer open, not wanting to risk any extra noise. The cowboy walked to the bed and started to cover us with the blanket. I scooted over farther. "Gus, lay down with us. We need to stay warm."

He nodded, but looked uncomfortable. After pondering it, he sat on the bed and lay on his back. "Cover up," I whispered. "It's getting cold."

Boggs turned onto his side to face me, and then spoke just loudly enough for me and Gus to both hear. "Zoe, what happened? We heard two shots."

"I'm not sure I can talk about it yet, Boggs," I said with a sigh. Reluctantly, I tried to explain. "There was an old man. He was being shadowed by one of the monsters. I knew there was only one of the creatures, but more were coming soon. I shot the zombie, and then the old man looked at me. He pleaded." I could feel a tear running down my cheek. "They were eating on him while he was alive, forcing him to be a living snack, and using him to coax other people out of hiding. He was in so much pain. I could see it in his eyes."

"Fuck," said Gus. "Zoe, you did the right thing." Gus understood what I had done without me having to say it. I was glad, because I don't think I could have found the words.

"Their hunger, it never ends. They're searching for food, but they also need another person to use as bait now. Promise me you won't let them do that to me?"

"Shhhh, Zo, don't talk like that," said Boggs. "That's not going to happen.'

"Just promise me," I replied.

I felt Gus take hold of my hand under the blanket. He squeezed, which I took as his promise to me. I knew if the time came, Boggs wouldn't be able to pull the trigger to end it for me, but I knew Gus would. I squeezed back.

# CHAPTER 16

It was well past dark. A nearly full moon was the only light in our hiding place, casting long shadows about the room. From their breathing patterns, I could tell that Gus and Boggs were both also awake. The tiny spark of unwelcome desire remained in my head, reminding me that there was still a creature out there waiting for something to hunt.

"The girls must be worried about us," I whispered.

"I'm sure they are," said Gus quietly. "But there's nothing we can do."

"Try not to worry, Zo. Emilie has a good head on her shoulders. She'll hold the fort down," said Boggs.

I turned to face Boggs, and cuddled close.

"You cold?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I whispered. "Very. And I can't stand the feeling in my head," I added.

"Try to sleep, Zo. We'll take care of you," said my best friend and lover. He put an arm around me and Gus crept closer, doing the same. The men apparently had no qualms about protecting me together, or about sharing a bed to stay warm.

I tried to focus on breathing evenly and deeply. I tried to ignore the unwelcome bits in my head. As hard as I tried to sleep, it would not come. The men must have thought I had succumbed to fatigue. They began whispering after several long minutes, as if I weren't listening.

"Gus, Buddy?"

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favor?"

"Name it."

"Promise me that if anything happens to me, you'll take care of her?"

"It goes without saying, Boggs."

"You know I'd do the same for Emilie."

"I know man. Thanks for saying so."

"I can still hear you guys," I whispered.

I felt Boggs sigh beside me. He shifted his weight to his back, causing me to roll onto my hip. I had become used to it aching when zombies were near, but the sudden movement caused it to sting more than usual. I winced.

"What's wrong?" asked Boggs, concerned.

"My hip. It's just hurting."

"I'll look at it once it's light out," said Gus quietly.

"Ok," I whispered back to him. "Thanks."

I rolled onto my other side to relieve the pain, facing Gus. Boggs nestled his face in against my neck.

"Speaking of Emilie," I whispered to Gus. "You know she's in love with you, right?"

"I think the feeling's mutual," he chuckled under his breath.

"She's worried about the age difference."

"Ah, it's not so bad. Plus I don't think there's many people who will give us shit about it," he replied.

"I suppose not."

"Zo, is the creature still out there?" asked Boggs. I felt his hand slide up my shirt, caressing my side.

"Yeah. I think it's sleeping."

"They sleep?" asked Gus.

"It's kind of like it's zoned out. I can't see anything, but I feel it in my head. I'm guessing its eyes are closed," I whispered.

"Should we try to make a run for it?" asked Boggs.

"No," was all I said. I took comfort in Boggs' warm hand resting against my bare skin.

The three of us lay like that for a long while without speaking. I thought Boggs might be asleep at one point. I could see enough in the moonlight that I knew Gus was staring at the ceiling.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I said to the cowboy.

"Just trying to map out in my head how we'll get out of this," he answered.

"Do you think we will?" I paused. "Get out of this?"

"I sure hope so, Zoe. Try to get some sleep. I'll stay awake. We'll need you awake and alert on the drive out of here."

I nodded. "Ok."

I closed my eyes. If I slept, it was lightly.

Sunlight filtered in through the bedroom window. The rain and wind had stopped sometime overnight. Boggs snored softly in my ear, his arm still resting on my side. Gus was still awake and staring at the ceiling. My mind seemed to be my own again with all traces of the lone zombie gone. I felt groggy, though, my throat was dry, and my bladder full. I sat up, which was a struggle. My muscles had grown stiff during the night.

Boggs woke up when I moved, and Gus looked at me.

"Morning," they said in tandem.

"It's gone. We should go," I said, no longer whispering. "Now."

"You sure?" asked Gus, his face showing concern.

"I'm sure. Let's get out of here before they come back."

Boggs sat beside me and tucked my hair behind my ear. "Ok, Zo."

Gus stood, looking tired, sore, and stiff. Boggs and I followed suit, standing as well.

"Zoe, if you sense anything at any point just signal us. Let's hurry to the Explorer," suggested Gus.

The men took a moment to move the heavy dresser that blocked the bedroom door. I held my breath while Boggs opened the door. Even though my mind was void of intrusions, I was still fearful of what might be waiting. Gus walked into the hallway and I followed. Boggs brought up the rear. The hallway floor was hardwood and shiny. It creaked as I stepped onto an intricate runner rug. I paused for just a moment, but Gus encouraged me on.

"I need to use the bathroom," I mumbled.

"We all should," said Boggs.

Gus nodded. "Zoe, you go first."

I stepped into one of the large bathrooms and walked to the toilet, which was rather extravagant with paws molded on the bottom for decoration.. I hurried with my business and tried to focus on my mind to be aware of any unwelcomed intrusions, afraid the zombies would attack at any moment. My hip still ached and I was feeling crampy. I didn't need either distraction and right now I didn't want any reminders of how being a woman is supposed to be a special and lovely thing. I sighed and stood, pulled up my pants, and walked to the mirror. I had circles under my eyes. I tried the tap, but no water flowed. I went back to the hall and Gus went to take care of his needs next.

Before long we had all relieved ourselves and headed back to the main floor. The toss pillow had fallen out of the broken window in the door, and the floor was wet from rain that had blown in. The air smelled sickly sweet and foul, reminding me of the morning we had burned the zombie bodies in front of our cabin.

"Do you smell it?" I asked. I crept to the front door and peeked outside. The dead zombie was still there, a soggy lump in the middle of the road. The old man whose life I had ended was gone, and left in his place was a pile of bloody shredded clothes. I felt sick to my stomach, imagining they had eaten what was left of him. Even in death they had found a way to violate him.

"Let's get out of here," whispered Boggs.

"We'll go out the back door. It's closest to the Explorer," said Gus in reply.

"Do you have the keys?" asked Boggs.

Gus reached into his front jeans pocket and pulled the key ring out. "Right here."

Boggs took hold of my elbow and guided me through the bright kitchen to the broken back door. We paused before walking outside, to double check my 'radar.' I studied the inside of my head while the guys opened the door. I gave the all-clear, and we stepped into the sunlight together. It hurt my eyes.

"The car's just around the corner," whispered Boggs.

I met his eyes with my own, and could tell he was afraid. I'm sure we all were. We walked along the back of the inn, and rounded the corner to where they had parked the SUV the day before. We stopped short. The SUV sat facing away from us. Sitting on the gravel, also facing away, was a small child. She was hugging her knees and rocking herself back and forth. I started to step toward her, but Gus held his arm up to stop me. I looked at him, studying his face. He was watching the child, his eyes narrowed. I looked at Boggs. Surely he'd want to help a child? Boggs met my eyes with his, and pointed to his head with a questioning look on his face. I shook my head 'no,' assuming he wanted to know if I sensed one of the dead creatures in our midst. I looked back to the child, who still hadn't reacted to our approach. She had dark pigtails and wore a blue and white checkered dress. I guessed she was about four or five years old. I looked back to Gus, who was slowly lowering his arm.

"Call to her," he said softly to me.

"Why me?" I asked in a whisper.

"A female voice," was all he said in reply.

I nodded.

"Sweetheart?" I called out. "Can you hear me? We can help you, honey."

She didn't answer, but rather picked up speed in her rocking.

I could tell Gus was suspicious, and Boggs was holding onto my elbow.

"Sweetie?" I tried again.

Gus had taken hold of his shotgun with both hands, and Boggs copied him with his own gun. I looked at them both, unsure what to do. Gus used two fingers to make a 'walking' symbol and we proceeded forward, slowly. Once we were only a couple of yards away, the little girl twisted around to face us. She had looked beautiful from behind. What faced us now made me lean forward and vomit violently. The front of her dress was soaked in blood. Her face was missing. All that remained was a raw, bloodied hole where her eyes and nose and mouth should be. The outline of her jawbone and sinuses were bright pink. A few small white teeth stuck out at odd angles.

"Oh God," I moaned. "Oh God..."

"Boggs, turn Zoe away," ordered Gus. Boggs hesitated. "Turn her away NOW!" He raised his sawed off-shotgun, walked to one side, and aimed at the mutilated child.

Boggs held me close and forced me to look away. It didn't take much for me to submit. I jumped when I heard the shotgun fire. I proceeded to sob into Boggs' chest. "No," I cried. "God no!"

"Later, Zoe," said Gus. "We'll mourn later."

"No, they're coming..." My head was filled with hundreds of rapidly changing fragments of unwanted zombie thoughts, sights, and memories.

"Get in the car!" shouted Gus.

Boggs lifted me off my feet and ran with me in his arms the rest of the way toward the Explorer. I kept my eyes closed as he slid into the car with me. The vehicle door slammed behind me. The ignition roared to life.

I opened my eyes. "They're close. They see us, they see the car! Fuck, Gus, go!" I yelled, near hysteria.

Boggs and I were in the rear seat together. I looked out the back window of the SUV. The little girl's small body lay crumpled in the gravel, in a pool of dark red blood. Zombies were pouring out of the woods toward us. I could sense that they were livid over the girl being killed, but also excited by the meal she was about to provide. They had been looking for her for days. Several of them piled on her still warm corpse and began to rip her small body apart. The attention of most swung to us and the escaping car and pursuit became their new mission. The Explorer lurched forward forcefully, and the tires spat gravel out behind us. I was thrown against the back of the rear seat. Gus turned to the left sharply, trying to skirt the drive to get around the wrought iron fence that encompassed the rest of the property. The motion threw me against Boggs. I felt the vehicle swerve to the right and our ride smoothed momentarily. I sat up, straightening myself.

"Get your seatbelts on," said Gus loudly. His voice held authority. I heard the 'click' as his buckle engaged.

Boggs reached across me, grabbed my belt, and buckled me in. I looked at him with wide eyes before looking forward. There were two pale men standing in the road wearing military uniforms. I had no doubt that they were both dead. I looked at them and saw through their eyes as they looked back at us. Gus started to slow the vehicle.

"Gus, no!" I yelled. "They're dead!"

Gus stepped on the gas, not hesitating, picking up enough speed to knock the corpses over as he ran into them with the front passenger fender and bumper. The impact jolted us, making me glad for the seatbelts. The car swerved, but Gus managed to keep control and straighten out. The path in front of us was now clear. I looked out the back window again. The hoard of zombies was fading in the distance, as was the dizzying fog they had created in my mind.

"We forgot the map," said Boggs, breaking the silence.

"It's ok. I've got the route in my head still," replied Gus.

"That little girl..." I moaned. "What the hell was that?"

"Zoe, I had no choice. I couldn't let her live like that," said Gus.

I tried to slow my breathing. I was becoming light headed.

"I know, Gus, I know," I said between breaths. "What's happened? What have we done to have lost all of God's Grace? What have we done to deserve this?" I was having trouble keeping control of my own sanity and my voice was cracking. "What did that little girl do to deserve...that?"

"Boggs, get her to lean forward and take some deep breaths."

Boggs put his hand on my back to encourage me to lean forward. I did, and tears fell freely. I felt sick to my stomach again. Try as I might, I couldn't get rid of the image of the little girl's missing face out of my head.

It felt like several miles passed before I was able to think clearly again. Gus spoke from the front seat. "We should be at the first turn off soon. Boggs, I need Zoe to focus."

"Zo, can you sit up, Sweetheart?" asked Boggs sweetly.

I lifted my head and leaned back. I wiped my face with the backs of my hands. "I want to go home, Boggs," I moaned.

"I know baby, we're trying to get back."

"No, I want to go home," I said more softly.

"I know, but you know we can't."

I nodded. "I just hate this all. I hate this so much."

"I need you to focus for us, ok?" said Boggs.

I nodded. "There's no zombies here. I feel so sick. Those two in uniform, they wanted us to think they were living people."

"I know, Zo, I know," soothed Boggs.

Gus turned onto to a smaller roadway. It was dotted with the occasional pothole, making for a rougher ride.

"About two more miles and we'll turn off again," announced Gus.

We continued on. The car was filled with an odd sort of tension. We were all tired and overall weary. The next turn evolved into many curves and a rise in elevation. After about an hour, Gus turned off onto the road that hugged Lake Arrow. I looked across the lake, wondering just where the cabin was. The water was a brilliant blue in the sunlight. My stomach was in knots, both from the curves in the road as well as knowing that soon we'd be without the protection of the Explorer.

"Ok, kids, this is it," said Gus. "We'll need to follow the shoreline and if I'm right, the cabin will be back in the woods right about..." He pointed to a large boulder on the shoreline across the lake. "There."

"Let's do it," said Boggs.

"We have maybe two hours of good daylight left," said Gus. We'll need to keep a steady pace. Zoe, anything lurking about in the woods?"

"No. Nothing I can sense."

"Ok, then, let's go. We can come back for the supplies later. I just want to get back for now," said Gus.

We got out of the car and looked around to get our bearings. I heard a bird twittering above, which I knew was a good sign. The road had ended with concrete barriers that prevented people from going off-road. We walked toward the shore, which meant traversing down a steep hill. The ground was still rain-soaked, which made the way slippery. I opted to scoot down the steepest section on my butt. The day was quickly turning to evening and a chill was creeping in from the lake. In the distance a mist had formed over the water. We marched on, the path made difficult by rocks of all sizes and underbrush that threatened to grab our ankles and trip us. The trees were thickening around us, causing the sunlight to be heavily filtered. I walked between Gus and Boggs with my arms defensively wrapped around myself.

It took us at least two hours to reach the boulder that Gus had identified as a marker. It was larger in person than it had seemed from across the lake. It was covered in moss on one side and sat partly in the water. The sun was almost set and we didn't know how far the cabin was from the water's edge.

"We need to pick up our pace," whispered Gus. "Last thing I want is to be stuck out here after dark."

"You won't hear me disagree," I mumbled.

"Ok, then. Onward we go," said Boggs.

We began our trek away from the edge of the lake. The way became even more treacherous with overgrown bushes as we reentered the woods.

"Over there," I said. "It looks like a trail."

The three of us walked to an area that looked like it may have once been a path. It was already filling in with vines and plants, but we hoped it would lead us home. We all knew it may just be a pathway used by the animals of the forest. We followed it in the general direction that the cabin should be situated.

"It seems like we should have been there by now," I said.

"Maybe," said Gus. "Maybe not." He sounded grumpy.

We continued on for about five more minutes before the trees opened up to a familiar clearing. I smiled and was so glad to see the familiar cabin and the old white step van sitting out front. It looked just as we had left it. Almost. Something was off, but it was hard to pinpoint.

"Stop," I whispered as Gus was about to leave the tree line.

He looked back at me like I was crazy. "What is it, Zo?"

"Something's different. I'm not sure what. Give me a second." I sounded grouchy myself. I looked around the cabin. I studied the step van that was off to the side, the portion of the shed that was in view, the boarded up windows.

"The bones," said Boggs. "The bones are gone. We never buried them."

Gus used his thumb and forefinger to stroke his chin in thought. "Huh," he said with curiosity in his voice. "Zoe? Any company?"

I studied my mind. "No."

"Ok, let's just proceed with extra caution. I want to get home," said Gus.

We left the woods and walked toward the cabin. It looked tranquil. Nothing aside from the absent bones seemed out of place until we heard a loud scream. It clearly came from within the cabin and sounded like someone was in utter agony. We stopped in our tracks, and I looked at Gus. He began walking quickly toward the building where we hoped to find our friends safe and sound. The scream broke the silence of the clearing again, this time longer and drawn out.

"Oh God," said Gus as he broke out into a run. Boggs and I sprinted behind him to the front porch. We found the door boarded as we had left it, locked from the inside. Gus began pounding on the door and shouted out.

"Emilie! Emilie it's us! Let us in!"

"Gus! What is it?" I asked loudly.

He continued pounding, ignoring my question. "Emilie! Susan! Open the door!"

I stepped close to Boggs and clung to his arm.

Gus finally looked at us. "It sounds like Louisa." He raised his fist to pound on the boarded up door again, when we heard the lock disengaging. The outer layer of the rigged door opened outward toward us, exposing a scared and wide eyed Emilie.

She rushed forward and clung to Gus. "Oh, God. We thought you weren't coming back!" She began crying.

Gus held her back from himself to study her. "Emilie what's going on?" Louisa screamed out again. Gus looked toward the stairs.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"Upstairs. Gus, her water broke. She's in horrible pain." Emilie was wiping at her tears.

"How long ago?" he asked as he stepped into the cabin.

"About eight hours now," she said. "She didn't have pain until about an hour ago."

"Take me to her," said Gus. "Boggs, lock up?" Gus handed his shotgun to Boggs and quickly followed Emilie up the stairs.

"Boggs, I should go with, see if I can help."

"Zoe, isn't it too early for the baby to come and make it?" asked Boggs.

"I think so," I said. I knew very little about pregnancy and birth.

"Go," he said. "Let me know if I can help?"

I nodded, and rushed up the stairs.

I heard Louisa scream again, and reluctantly followed the sound to her room. She was lying on the bed, naked from the waist down. There was blood pooled on the mattress between her legs. Susan sat beside her, holding her hand. She held a cool washcloth to the girl's forehead with her free hand. Susan looked at me, tears in her eyes. I walked to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. As much as I disliked her, she looked like she needed human touch and kindness.

"Need a break?" I whispered to her.

She nodded. I slipped my hand between hers and Louisa's and gripped the young girls hand with my own. Susan stood and I took her place on the bed. "Boggs is downstairs," I said to Susan. Crazy as it may seem, I figured they might take advantage of the alone time and talk. I figured that might be a good thing.

Louisa gripped at my hand, hard. Her nails dug into my palm as she writhed in agony once again. It was so difficult to watch. Once the pain ebbed, Gus spoke softly to her.

"Louisa, it's Gus. I'm here, darlin.'"

She opened her eyes, and looked at him. She was panting and had sweat on her face and chest.

"Louisa, I know it hurts. I need you tell me exactly how many weeks you are."

She nodded. "Twenty-two now." A tear rolled down her cheek. "It's too early, he can't come yet. The baby can't come yet."

"I know darlin,'" said Gus in a soothing tone.

"Emilie, when her water broke what color was it?"

Emilie sat on the bed opposite me, and took Louisa's other hand in her own. "It was a little bloody, and then clear," she answered.

"Ok," he said. "Louisa. I want to be honest with you darlin.' If your water broke there's nothing we can do. It means the baby's coming."

Louisa took a shuddering breath in, and then nodded quietly. Her grip on my hand tightened again she struggled through the pain. This bout seemed worse than the one before.

"Gus," I whispered.

He looked over at me. I didn't want to say it out loud, so I motioned to Louisa's private area with my free hand. He looked and nodded. There was a lot more blood than when I had entered the room. I tried to not look too closely, knowing it would make me sick to my stomach. Gus must have read my face.

"Zoe, do you mind fetching a couple towels for me?" he asked quietly.

"Sure," I said. I let go of Louisa's hand and stood. I left the room quickly and walked to the bathroom, where I collected a couple of bath towels. I thought again and also collected hand towels and a few wash cloths.

I walked back into the room, set the towels alongside Louisa, and sat back down beside her. I didn't want to be in the room but felt the need to stay with my friend through her pain.

Louisa had just finished an agonizing episode and looked so tired. "I need to use the bathroom," she mumbled quietly.

"I think it's best you stay in bed now, darlin," said Gus.

"No," Louisa shook her head back and forth. "I need to go number two."

Gus sighed. "Louisa, you know I'm a nurse and birthing babies isn't at all my specialty, but I know when the baby's about to come it can feel like you need to go."

"No," cried Louisa. "He can't come! He can't."

"I know, darlin,' but he is. I'll help you the best I can."

Her next contraction came closer this time. The bed filled with fresh blood and amniotic fluid. The smell made me cringe.

"No," moaned Louisa. "No, sweet baby, not yet," she said quietly.

"Louisa do you feel like pushing?" asked Gus.

"No, no no," she moaned. "No I can't. I won't," she moaned as another pain ripped through her body. "No..."

Her contractions were on top of one another now. Her body took over somehow, even though her mind was unwilling to let go of her baby.

"Louisa," said Gus firmly. "You have to open your legs. Pull your thighs back darlin.'"

Emilie and I helped hold her legs up and back, not knowing what else to do. Louisa began moaning in Spanish as her abdomen tensed. A heavy gush of blood came out of her vagina, soaking both her legs and a towel that Gus had placed on the mattress by her bottom. My eyes widened as I saw a tiny foot hanging out from between her legs. I felt faint.

Gus sat close to Louisa's bottom, prepared to catch the baby who promised to come at any moment. He reached behind him and grabbed one of the bath towels I had brought in. Louisa's body tensed again, and a tiny little human slid from her body. My vision was blurry from tears, but I watched in amazement as Gus held the amazingly small baby in the faded green towel. It looked so fragile. It was limp and had skin that looked almost translucent. It was a deep shade of purple. A thin umbilical cord still connected baby to mother.

"It's a boy," said Gus quietly as he used the towel to wrap the newborn.

Louisa's body shuddered with her crying, which intensified once the baby's gender was announced.

"Louisa, do you want to hold him?" asked Gus.

She nodded, and Gus placed the little bundle on her chest. Emilie and I both let go of her hands so she could hold the wee babe. One of his little hands lay limp on her chest, sticking out from the towel. She touched his tiny fingers with the tips of her own, and then traced his tiny brow with her index finger. His eyes were closed.

"He's so tiny," she whispered. "He's so still," she said as fresh tears began to fall. She unwrapped his little body and stroked his tiny back with her palm. "Julio," she whispered. "Baby Julio I love you."

The new baby squeaked, the tiniest human cry I've ever heard. He gasped for air, and cried one more time. Gus hung his head. I looked at Emilie, hopeful, but she just shook her head back and forth slowly. I looked back to the baby, who was once again still and a deep shade of blue. Gus covered Louisa's hand and the infant with another towel, allowing her to stay in contact with him. Gus began using more of the towels to sop up blood that still escaped from Louisa.

"Louisa," he said. She didn't answer. "Isa."

Louisa's eyes flickered open.

"Isa, listen to me. You're bleeding. We need to get the placenta out, darlin.' I need you to push this time. It won't hurt baby Julio."

Louisa tried to push, but was too weak. Her usual glowing copper skin was pale. Gus wore a grave look on his face. He held the umbilical cord with the towel and applied gentle traction. A small clump of tissue slid out, attached to the umbilical cord, producing a sloppy suction-like sound. I cringed quietly. Following the lump of tissue was a large dark blood clot. I had seen enough, so looked away.

Gus sighed loudly. "You can relax her legs, girls."

"Don't we need to do something else?" I asked, sincerely not knowing.

Gus shook his head. "No darlin, they're both gone."

I looked at Emilie, not quite understanding. My red-headed friend had bloodshot eyes and looked pale.

"Gone?" I asked. "What do you mean gone?"

Emilie sniffled. "They're with Julio now," said Emilie, who choked on the words.

"Why?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.

Gus looked up. I think it was the first time I'd seen him really crying. "There was nothing I could do, Zoe. Louisa bled too much. The baby was too young to live. There's just no way I could have saved either of them. You both need to go downstairs," he added solemnly. "Zoe, leave your revolver with me?"

"Why?" I asked again.

Emilie stepped around the bed and came up beside me. "Go down with Boggs," she said softly. I'll be down soon. I need to stay here with Gus."

"You don't have to, Em," he said

"I want to," she said back. "I need to."

I knew in my heart what was going on, but was too numb to process it. I left my revolver with Gus and walked to the door. I turned to look back one last time.

"Zoe?" asked Gus. He sounded exhausted. "Shut the door behind you?"

I didn't answer, but stepped into the hall and quietly closed the door. The dim hallway spun around me. I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes, and breathed. Just breathed.

I started trembling and forced myself to walk down the hall, down the stairs, and into the living room where Boggs and Susan sat beside each other. Susan leaned against Boggs. They looked up at me. Boggs stood immediately, rushing to my side.

"Zoe? What's going on?" His voice was full of concern and fear.

I felt myself starting to fall, and Boggs caught me in his arms.

"Susan, help me..."

Susan stood and came to our side. She wrapped an arm around me and she and Boggs helped me to the loveseat. I slumped into it, frozen in sadness and from the surreal situation.

"The baby was born alive," I said. My voice sounded distant. "They're both gone now."

"Zoe?" Boggs asked. "Dead?"

"Yeah," I whispered. I looked down at Boggs, who knelt in front of me. The baby was too early. She named him Julio. Gus said Louisa bled too much." I started sobbing. "She got to hold him before she died, Boggs. He was so tiny."

Susan was sitting beside me, and she tenderly had an arm around me. How she could be holding me, her competition for Boggs, was beyond my understanding. How Louisa and her baby could be dead was beyond my understanding. How the dead could be walking the earth and devouring the living was beyond my understanding.

# CHAPTER 17

I was able to hear Emilie moan in anger above over my own sobbing. Immediately after she cried out, I heard the sound of my revolver firing overhead. I felt my stomach drop, my skin went ice cold, and Susan began sobbing beside me. The flicker of intrusive thought in my head had been mercifully brief. Boggs stood and walked up the stairs slowly, leaving me and Susan to comfort each other.

"What was that?" she asked me, her voice full of fear and disgust.

"Louisa woke up," was all I could choke out.

I knew the door upstairs opened because Emilie's crying got louder. I could hear Boggs' muffled talking, and I could hear when Gus broke down for the first time since I had met him. The sound of a grown man weeping is in itself a frightening and heart wrenching thing.

Gus' expression of grief got louder for a brief period while he walked through the hall. I heard his bedroom door close and knew he had shut himself in the room as a way to cope.

"I have to go to Boggs and Emilie," I whispered to Susan.

I stood, shakily.

"Don't leave me alone?" she begged. Her face was a mess of tears and grief.

I held a hand out to her, and she took it. She stood and we walked the stairs together.

"Susan, go into my room and wait? I'll be back soon."

She nodded and let herself into the room I shared with Boggs. I hesitantly walked to the room where mother and baby had died and entered. The many candles that Emilie and Susan had lit earlier in the day still flickered. Boggs was standing at the foot of the bed, looking at the mother who in death still clung to her baby.

"Where's Emilie?" I asked quietly.

He turned to me, his eyes threatening to spill tears of their own. "She's with Gus. They're a mess."

"I sent Susan to our room," I said.

Boggs nodded. "Louisa came back, Zoe. Gus had to..."

I interrupted to spare him from having to explain. "I heard. The baby?" I asked.

He shook his head. "It's just been still. I told Gus I'd watch for a while, though."

I noticed Boggs held my revolver in his right hand.

"Maybe it won't happen," I said, hopeful.

"Maybe not."

They say a watched pot never boils, but talking about it makes it happen. It was then that I heard that faint tiny cry again, and felt the dead baby invade my mind.

Boggs looked at me for confirmation.

I nodded once. "It's turned."

He sighed. "What should we do?"

"I think a gun is overkill, pardon the pun," I said through fresh tears.

"I'll do it, Zoe. I'll make it quick."

"Please hurry, Boggs? Send him to be with his mom and dad?"

He nodded. I left the room and went to sit with Susan. I got to our doorway. I never heard anything, but knew it was over when the spark in my mind died. I hoped I'd never come to learn how Boggs had gone about it.

I took a deep breath, and walked into our room. Susan was sitting on the bed, her back resting on our headboard.

She looked up at me, her face illuminated by the glow of a single candle.

"It's over," I said. "They're all together now. A family of three."

"Can I stay in here tonight?" asked the other woman through her tears.

I nodded. "Of course." I couldn't send her to be alone downstairs or expect her to return to her room where the corpses of our friend and her baby remained.

I walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. "Why don't you climb under the covers? Try to sleep."

She nodded. "Ok."

I tucked the woman in. "I need to use the bathroom for a little while, Susan. I'll be back in a while."

She nodded. "Zoe?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for being nice to me."

I smiled at her, but didn't put much effort into making it seem sincere.

I walked alone to the bathroom, where I intended to draw a hot bath and try to soak many layers of evil off of myself. I was filthy. I lit a large candle that we kept on the counter. I studied myself in the mirror. My clothes were mucky from our trek through the woods. I wasn't sure if the blood smeared on my arm was from Louisa, the faceless little girl in pigtails, or something I wasn't even aware of. Dirt was smeared on my face. I took my clothes off and piled them near the sink. I walked to the claw foot tub and started the water. Once it was warm, I put the stopper in the drain and climbed in. I sat upright and drew my legs up, curling into a ball. I cried openly, hoping the sound of the water running would drown out my sobs. I wanted to be alone. I ached from head to toe, inside and out. I was tired of living in a Hell on Earth and tired of losing friends. I was tired of being afraid day and night. The tub eventually filled and I shut the water off. I let myself slip under the water and hoped to soak my troubles away. I came up for air and let myself just lay there with my eyes closed.

I was only aware of the passage of time by the water cooling. I drained the bath and got out. Chilled, I wrapped in one of the last towels in the closet. The house was quiet. I tiptoed back across the hall to our room and slipped inside quietly. I could hear Boggs snoring softly and saw that he was lying on the bed beside Susan. He was on top of the covers, so I figured it was fine. I was too exhausted to worry about worrying.

I rummaged through the armoire and put on an undershirt and a new pair of men's boxers. With nowhere to lie down, I opted to move downstairs and sit by the fire. I crept back out of the room, careful to be quiet so as to not wake up Boggs or Susan.

Once back in the dark hall, I used my hand to guide my way, feeling the wall. As I passed Gus and Emilie's room I could hear them making love. It sounded almost violent, and I assumed it was their way of coping with their grief and recent separation. I could hear Emilie crying gently as Gus grunted and groaned. I didn't imagine he'd be the type to hurt the woman he loves, so I left well enough alone and let them be.

I treaded lightly on the stairs and walked to the living room. I took my time crossing to where the fireplace should be, avoiding bumping into furniture in the pitch black. I finally got to the fireplace, which I found with an outstretched hand. I fumbled for the ignite button and pressed it. There had always been a delay between hitting the button and the flames jumping to life. I waited, and was glad when the room was finally illuminated.

I wrapped myself in the afghan from one of the couches and walked to the kitchen. I didn't bother lighting a candle since the firelight from the other room reached well enough to see by. My stomach growled. I wasn't sure how long it had been since I'd eaten last. I opened a cabinet and looked inside without much enthusiasm. I found a jar of green olives and a bottle of flavored water and set them on the counter while I continued to rummage through a second cabinet. I settled on the last little foil pouch of Pop Tarts and carried the three items back to the living room where I set them on the small coffee table. I plopped on the couch and sipped at the water. Before long I was guzzling and it was gone.

I heard water running upstairs, and figured someone was showering. I used my teeth to open the foil pouch and nibbled on one of the two Pop Tarts inside. My stomach rolled in protest so I stopped halfway through and set it back down. I leaned back into the couch and wrapped the afghan tightly around myself. I closed my eyes and tried to think about nothing. Several minutes passed before I heard the stairs creaking. I turned to look and saw Gus, wrapped in a towel from the waist down, descending from the second story.

"Hey Zoe," he said in a flat tone. He sounded emotionally exhausted.

"Hey," I said back without lifting my head.

"Sorry if I upset you earlier," he said. "It was a little tough for me."

"I understand," I said quietly.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, motioning to the seat beside me.

"Nope, go ahead," I answered.

He sat beside me, careful to make sure his towel kept him covered.

"Can I finish your Pop Tart?" he asked.

I nodded.

He picked up the faux pastry and took a large bite. "Pretty bad stuff," he admitted.

"Where's Em?" I asked quietly.

"Asleep. This has all hit her pretty hard. Boggs?"

"Same," was all I said.

"Susan?" he asked.

"She's really upset. I had her get in our bed."

Gus nodded. "Thanks for taking care of her."

"She probably feels like she just lost her whole family," I said quietly. "Wanda, Julio, Louisa. I know how it feels."

Gus sighed. "I had forgotten about your folks and your sister," he said. "This must be really hard on you too, Zoe."

I nodded. "I'm glad though, in a way."

He looked at me sideways, pausing in chewing.

"I just mean glad that my family doesn't have to go through this hell."

He nodded. "I think that's probably a normal thought to have."

"I think the baby might have been tough on Susan too."

"Fucking tough on all of us," mumbled Gus.

"She had an abortion not long ago," I said. "I'm guessing it's reminding her of that. I know she chose to do it, but it still had to be hard."

"I didn't know," he said.

"Boggs told me. The day this all started. He was pretty crushed about it."

Gus choked slightly. "It was Boggs' baby?"

I nodded.

"Shit, I didn't realize he and Susan had been that close."

I sighed. "From what he told me they weren't. They got drunk. She told him about the pregnancy after she had aborted the baby."

"You must really hate her being here," he said.

"It is what it is, I guess. Can you open the olives for me?"

Gus just stared at me for a moment before he reached for the jar on the table. He twisted the lid and I heard the seal break. I reached for the jar and slumped back into the couch again. I popped one into my mouth while Gus wiped his hand on his towel.

"So much better than the Pop Tarts," I said.

Gus wrinkled his nose at me. "I've always hated the green ones."

"I think she might be ok. Susan I mean. I saw how she was with Louisa. Maybe she just puts up a tough front?"

"Maybe," he said softly. "You gonna eat the other Pop Tart?"

I shook my head no.

Gus reached for the other pastry and I took a sip of olive juice.

"Nasty, Zoe."

"What?" I asked.

"Don't drink the juice. You'll get sick." He took the jar away from me. "We should get some sleep."

"No room in our bed," I mumbled.

"She's in bed with him?" Gus asked, sounding shocked.

"She's in bed. He's on top of the bed."

"I'll go wake Susan and have her climb in bed with Emilie," he said.

"No, let them sleep."

"You sure?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Emilie too. I'll be ok down here on the couch."

"I'll stay with you," he said. "I need a joint, Zoe."

He stood and walked to the kitchen. I silently admired the muscles of his back. When he came back he had one of the shoeboxes that had been with us for so many days. He took out a thin paper that was nestled in the bottom and rolled weed into it.

"Do you mind?" he asked.

I shook my head no. "Go ahead."

He lit the end of the joint and took a drag. It smelled horrible. I watched as he exhaled slowly and saw his body relax. He held it out to me. I considered for a moment before taking it in my hand.

I took a drag myself. I held the smoke in my lungs until I began to cough. It wasn't as bad this time as it had been back at the little stone shack. The room seemed to slow, if a room can slow. I took a second drag, wanting to numb myself. Gus took the joint from my hand and smoked more himself. I felt relaxed, and hungry. Before long Gus and I were both snacking on the green olives. I watched lazily as he took a sip of the juice as I had done earlier. He made a sour face and set it back down.

"Nasty," he whispered.

I was feeling sleepy and yawned. Gus held an arm out to me and I leaned against him. He held me with his free arm. "Sleep, Zoe," he whispered.

I felt safe beside him. His warmth enveloped me as I fell asleep.

The sounds of the others woke me. Gus was still sitting beside me, asleep. The fireplace was still lit and I saw traces of daylight from the staircase. I sat up, groggy. Emilie was standing in front of us, about to cover us with a blanket from the other loveseat.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hey," I said back. "Where's Boggs?"

"He's in the kitchen with Susan," she whispered. "We're just about to make breakfast, but if you want to sleep more I can save you some."

I shook my head no. "I'll come and help."

"Looks like you guys had quite a night down here," she said. "I trust Gus was a gentleman?"

"Of course," I smiled. I was glad Em wasn't the jealous type. She easily could have assumed Gus and I had done something inappropriate.

I undraped Gus' arm from my shoulder and stood as quietly as I could. I set my afghan over him, and Em laid the other blanket she had on top. I walked with her to the kitchen.

"Morning, Zo," said Boggs with a soft smile. "Missed you last night." I smiled at him gently as he walked to me and kissed my forehead. "You smell like pot," he whispered into my ear.

"Morning," said Susan.

"Sleep well?" I asked.

"Not really," she said. "It's just hard with everything that's happened."

"Yeah," I said. "It sure is."

"Coffee should be ready," said Emilie. "Who all wants some?"

"Me," said Susan. "Please."

"Boggs?" asked Em.

He nodded.

"Zo?" Emilie asked me.

I shook my head no. "My stomach doesn't feel so hot."

"Probably from the olive juice," said Gus groggily as he joined us, still wrapped in his towel from the night before.

"Morning, handsome," said Emile with a genuine smile.

He walked to her and hugged her like he never wanted to let go. I wondered if Julio was embracing Louisa and their tiny baby right now. I hoped so. I hoped there really was an afterlife awaiting us. Gus finally let Emilie go and kissed her cheek.

"Can I have a cup too?" he asked her as he took the mug from her hand and sipped.

She nodded. "Sure."

As Emilie helped herself to a new cup of coffee, Boggs cleared his throat to speak.

"We need to bury them," he said. We all knew he meant mother and child.

"Do you think we can go back to get Julio?" asked Susan.

Gus shook his head while he swallowed a mouthful of his hot coffee.

Boggs spoke up. "There's a lot we need to talk about. We had to approach the cabin on foot from the other side of the lake."

"Why?" asked Emilie. "Where's the Explorer?"

"It's parked at the end of a road on the other side of the lake," answered Gus. "The highway that accesses the cabin's driveway is a death trap. We got to a bed and breakfast, but barely. The dead fuckers are out there attacking travelers as they pass by."

"It's what happened at the big wreck we all stopped at just before the general store," I added. "We came across a minivan. It was horrible." I cringed, remembering the massive amounts of blood inside the vehicle.

Boggs sat at the kitchen table with his coffee. I walked over and sat on his lap.

"They're ambushing by using humans as bait," said Boggs. "And trying to make some of their own look like us."

"We had to hunker down for the night, that's why it took us so long to get back," said the cowboy. "They left one waiting for us to slip up, hoping to find us. We had to wait for it to leave."

"Shit," said Susan.

"I killed one of them while we were there," I said in a lowered voice. "There were two humans too, who died." My eyes were starting to water at the memories.

"Who?" asked Emilie.

Gus spoke for me, to my relief. "It's probably best we not talk about it right now," he said. "Later, Em, ok?"

She nodded.

"Let's just say Julio won't still be there," I whispered.

"For the sake of not attracting their attention, we should bury Louisa and the baby instead of cremating them," advised Gus.

"Can we bury her with the baby in her arms?" I asked, my tears falling once again.

Boggs wrapped his arms around me protectively and held me to him. "Of course we can, Zo. Of course we can."

"We should all try to eat something," said Gus.

"I'm not hungry," I said.

"We all have to take care of ourselves, Zoe," said Emilie.

"Later, ok?" I said gently.

She nodded and Boggs kissed the top of my head.

"Why don't you girls head up to one of the bedrooms while Gus and I carry Louisa down," suggested Gus. "We'll take her out with us and let you all know when we're ready to say goodbye."

"No," I said. "Let us clean them up first?"

"Zo, sweetheart, you don't need to see either of them looking like they do. Please trust me?" Boggs looked at me with pleading eyes.

I nodded in acceptance. "Can you at least wrap the baby in something, and put him in Louisa's arms?"

"Sure, Zoe. Of course," Boggs replied lovingly. "Do you want to find something for wrapping the baby?"

"Yeah," I said as I stood. "I know just what to use." I ran upstairs into the bathroom and opened the linen closet next to the bathtub. I recalled seeing a sheer white pillow case inside at some point. I found it quickly and unfolded it. The open end was trimmed in lace. The baby was so small I knew it would be plenty big enough to swaddle him in.

I walked with the cloth back to the hall. I stopped, looking at the door to Louisa's room. I decided I owed her and the baby one last favor, so ignored Boggs' request and walked quietly to within reach of the doorknob. I placed my hand on it, took a deep breath, and turned the knob. The sickly sweet smell hit me. I opened my mouth to divert my breathing away from my nose, and closed the door behind me after I entered the room. The candles had been blown out and the only light in the room came from the edges of the window. I opened the curtains wide and the room was filled with natural light. The bed was still covered in blood and Louisa's form was hidden under a sheet. I crept to her side. I was afraid of what I would see when I lowered the cloth.

I gripped the pillow case in the crook of one arm and used my other hand to pull the sheet back. I hadn't been prepared for what I saw. Louisa laid there, an unnatural shade of gray. Faint green lines streaked her cheeks and neck. "My hip," I whispered. "Oh Louisa," I said under my breath. "I'm so sorry, sweet Louisa." Her forehead was marked by a dark hole where Gus had shot her. I dared to reach out and touch her hair. It was so soft, like silk. I smoothed it around her face, arranging it on her shoulders. I brought my hand to my mouth and covered it, not sure what else to do. Once I was able to compose myself enough, I pulled the sheet down past her chest. Her hands still held the tiny baby.

I placed one of my hands on hers to release her grip. She was so incredibly cold. I had never touched a dead person before. Not even my parents or my sister. I had refused to look at their bodies after they died. I took my hand away quickly, not expecting the chill that transferred from her skin to my own. I took a deep breath and tried again. Her hands came away easily. I laid the pillowcase out beside her, and picked the tiny body of the baby up using both of my hands. He couldn't have weighed more than a pound, and would have fit in one of my hands. I knew he was dead, but I still didn't want to break him. He was colder than Louisa had felt. His body still felt sticky from birth. His skin was so thin and purple, especially where he had rested upon his mother. I couldn't help but look at him, so frail and small. I turned his limp body over in my hands and realized that Boggs had crushed his head to end his life as a newly born living dead. "Noooooo," I moaned quietly. I fought to hold in tears. I took a shuddering breath and laid the infant on the white pillowcase. I wasn't sure how to swaddle a baby, but did my best to wrap the cloth around him. I used the lace edge to hide the top of his misshapen head. I laid him to rest in his mother's arms again. I didn't have the heart to cover them with the sheet. It was too final.

I left the room and hurried downstairs.

"Zoe?" asked Boggs when he saw me. "You ok?"

I shook my head no. "The baby's wrapped."

"Zo, I didn't want you going in," he sighed heavily.

I nodded. "I needed to, Boggs. Don't be mad at me."

"I could never be mad at you, Zoe Kate."

Gus and Boggs left the cabin to dig the grave. I had searched the area with my mind and promised to stay alert for danger while they worked. Needing fresh air, I sat on the porch and watched them dig. We left the front door open to air out the cabin. Gus had opened the window in the room that housed Louisa and baby Julio.

The men worked hard at grave digging. The ground was cold and hard, making progress slower than it might have been otherwise. I watched as a few snowflakes fell. I stood and walked to where the men worked, my arms crossed over my chest.

"It's snowing," I said. "Should we be thinking about getting the supplies from the Explorer?"

The men paused in their work. They were both sweating and had taken their shirts off. I tried not to admire them.

"We should indeed," said Gus. "We'll look at maybe going tomorrow. There's a raft in the shed, so as long as it inflates and stays that way I think crossing the lake will be the best option."

"Fastest, that's for sure," added Boggs as he looked down at the grave they were working on. "I think we're about ready here."

"I'll go gather the girls in the kitchen while you carry them out?" I looked at the men for confirmation.

"Thanks Zoe," said Gus. "That'd help a lot."

I kept my arms wrapped around myself and went back inside. Susan, Emilie, and I stayed in the kitchen drinking tea while the men buried Louisa and the baby. It took about an hour before they came in to get us.

We all gathered outside to say a final good-bye. The snow began falling heavily as we turned to go back into the cabin. It was almost as if Heaven itself were crying.

# CHAPTER 18

It was a long day after burying Louisa and her baby. We were determined to stay busy and did what we could to take our minds off of recent horrors and tragedies. Boggs and Gus carried in the leather chair that had been left in the step van and we rearranged the living room. Emilie and I volunteered to clean the third bedroom where the mess of both birth and death remained. We rearranged that room as well, hoping to make it different enough so that it might not remind Susan of the tragedies that had just occurred there. The mattress from Louisa's bed wasn't salvageable, so was carried outside and placed behind the shed along with the box springs and frame. We set the headboard from Louisa's bed against a wall and placed Susan's twin bed in front of it so that it resembled a daybed. We exchanged the night stand for one from the room I shared with Boggs. The window had been left open while we worked and the sickly sweet smell was finally gone. We finished our work sooner than we had expected, leaving the afternoon free.

Snow had fallen overnight and covered the cabin and woods in a thin white blanket. It was decided our trip across the lake would be best delayed until the snowfall had melted. The sun was shining, so we hoped that would be soon.

Susan seemed especially sad so Gus suggested we all spend time outside. Something about the sunlight giving us energy. I hadn't felt any zombie presences since the baby had turned, so we ventured out in front of the cabin. Gus had asked us girls to walk the perimeter of the cabin to make sure the boards over the windows hadn't come loose. He and Boggs were setting traps for small animals at the edge of the woods.

"I think Gus just wants to keep us busy," said Emilie as she tried to jiggle the board that covered the front living room window, checking its security.

"I think you're right," I said. "But I think he knows what he's doing. We need to stay active."

"I'm hungry," mumbled Susan.

"We'll make lunch soon," I said.

"I want a huge cheeseburger and fries," moaned Susan. "And a strawberry milkshake."

"Oh my God that sounds so good," moaned Emilie.

"Stop, you guys!" I groaned, teasing them. "I'm so sick of canned food."

"I think you're losing weight, Zoe," said Emilie. "You need to eat more."

"Nothing really tastes good," I said.

"Maybe Gus and Adam will catch something," said Susan.

"Mmm, a cow," said Em. "I'd love a cow!"

"We should plan out a garden for spring," I said.

"Zucchini," said Emilie with a smile.

Gus and Boggs joined us on the porch.

"What are you girls chattering about?" asked Gus as he kissed Em on the cheek.

"Food," mumbled Susan.

"We might give fishing a try today," said Boggs.

"Will we use the raft?" I asked.

"What raft?" asked Emilie and Susan at the same time as one another.

"There's an inflatable raft in the shed," answered Gus. "We're hoping to use it to cross the lake and fetch the supplies from the Explorer. We need to inspect it first, though. Make sure it holds air, camouflage it."

"Why camouflage?" asked Emilie.

"Bright orange is just too visible for my taste," answered Gus.

We all looked to the sky at the same time. It had been weeks since we had heard a helicopter, but the sound was unmistakable. I started to walk down the porch steps and shielded my eyes from the sun as the chopper came into view above the tree line. Someone pulled me back forcefully, causing my breath to catch in my chest.

"No, darlin," said Gus firmly.

He gently pushed me back against the cabin where the others joined me. The sound from the helicopter was deafening and I covered my ears in protest. Gus stood in front of us with his arms outstretched to make sure we all stayed back and out of sight. I had learned to trust him with my life, and trusted him now to know what he was doing. Slowly, Gus crept to the edge of the porch and peered up at the sky. The chopper sounded like it was flying away from us now. The quiet soon returned.

"It was military," said Gus.

"Why didn't we flag it down?" I asked. My system was flooded with adrenaline.

"I don't trust the government," said Gus. "I don't trust anyone now, except for the four of you."

"He's right," said Boggs. "That's the first sign of civilization we've seen and we don't know what other kinds of wackos and hellish creatures might be out there."

"Let's get inside," said Gus. "Take a break."

We made instant oatmeal for a late lunch and ate it in the living room. It was one of the first things I'd eaten in days that actually tasted good. We lit the fire and tried to relax. We decided to take turns talking about some of our favorite memories. I was surprised when Boggs described how our two families had gone to a U-cut Christmas tree farm when he was nine and I was six. I hadn't thought about that day in a long time. His dad had arranged for a company to come to their house while we were gone for the day to install a tree house. We had gotten so excited when we saw it for the first time.

"Talking about all this stuff makes me sad," I said. I was sitting beside Boggs and leaned into him.

"Maybe we should talk about the future instead?" suggested Emilie.

"That'll just be depressing," said Susan.

"Let's go catch some fish," I said and stood. "How many poles do we have?"

I held a hand out to Boggs, who reached up and took it in his. He stood slowly and looked at me like he wanted to ravage me.

"Three," he said with a smile.

"Why don't you two go on and catch us some dinner," said Gus. "Keep your guns ready and Zoe, keep your mind focused." He looked at me very seriously.

"Maybe we should all go?" I asked.

"No, go have some quality alone time. We'll get a frying pan ready and set the table," the cowboy answered. "Just stay quiet and out of sight incase Big Brother does another fly-over."

"Thanks, Gus," said Boggs as we walked by, giving the other man a light thump on the back. He still held my hand in his, and pulled me along with him. "C'mon, Zo, let's get the gear ready."

"Will you bait my hook?" I asked as we walked to the kitchen where he had organized the gear in a tall cabinet.

"If you hold my pole in your hand," he joked.

"Funny, Boggs." I swatted his arm playfully.

I went into one of the large kitchen drawers and fetched a Tupperware container in which to carry the smaller gear. There wasn't much to haul but I thought keeping it organized would be wise.

"Do we have bait?" I asked.

"Yeah, a jar of salmon eggs. If that doesn't work we'll dig up some worms or catch some bugs. Zoe, do you have your revolver?"

"Yeah, and it's even loaded," I answered.

"Don't talk to me about loaded guns, Zo. You have no idea how much I need you right now."

I felt my face flush.

"Ok, ready?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Grab a blanket and I'll carry the gear and poles." He paused. "Oh, a pillowcase too."

I looked at him funny. "Why?"

"To carry the bounty of fish home." He winked at me.

It was mid-afternoon when we began our walk through the woods to the lake's edge. We took the same short path we had used to return on foot from the Explorer after returning from the bed and breakfast. I was glad the lake was close. I didn't want to be too far from the cabin. Boggs picked out a flat sandy spot that was bordered by rocks large enough to sit upon. I spread one of the two blankets I had brought with out on top of the damp sand. The snow had melted this close to the water. Boggs sat beside me and began rigging the lines. He had brought all three poles, knowing it would increase our chances of catching something. He insisted that I watch him rig the first two and return demonstrate on the third. I agreed and studied carefully, knowing it was a skill that may help keep us all alive.

Once the bobbers were attached to the lines and the hooks were baited, we cast them out into the still water of Lake Arrow. Casting was one skill I had retained from outings as a child. Gray clouds were rolling in but the day was proving to be warmer than recent temperatures had reached.

"Think we'll catch anything?" I asked.

"I hope so. There should be trout, at least."

We sat quietly looking out at the lake. Boggs reached over and took my hand.

"It's been a rough couple of days, Zo. Are you doing ok?"

I sighed, still watching the lake. "I suppose so," I said quietly. "I suppose we all have to hang in there."

"Zoe, look at me."

I looked over. I studied the lines of his face, the way his dark hair always had a stray curl near his forehead. His beard stubble was growing. His bright blue eyes studied me in return. He held an arm out, and I scooted closer to him.

"We'll get through this, Zo."

It was at that moment I saw one of the three bobbers dunk under the surface of the water and bounce back wildly.

"Got one!" I whispered, not daring to yell.

Boggs jumped up and picked the pole up from where he had wedged it between some rocks. He gave the pole a flick backwards to set the hook and began reeling. I was standing beside him, waiting anxiously to see what would appear on the other end.

The fish finally broke the surface. It splashed about, struggling to dislodge itself from the barbed hook. I smiled when Boggs gently lifted it, still using the pole, and carefully moved it through the air to hang over the shore.

"Grab the pillowcase, Zo?"

I scuttled over to where the makeshift fish sack had been set, then walked up to the flailing trout and held the case open. I helped get it inside and Boggs set the pole down to come help dislodge the hook from its mouth. The fish continued to thrash about, so Boggs took the sack from me and twisted the top closed. He beat it against one of the larger rocks to end the misery of the poor fish.

"She's a beauty," said Boggs. The trout was close to a foot long.

"I hope we get more," I said with a smile on my face.

"You know, we might be luckier if we fish naked," said Boggs in a serious tone.

I looked at him for moment before I laughed.

"You're so full of it today," I said.

He groaned. "You have no idea. Give me ten minutes? Please?" He looked at me pleadingly.

"Out here?" I asked, shocked.

"Please?" He walked closer to me and held onto the sleeves of my shirt gently. He looked down, then slowly up to my face. "Pretty please?" He was doing his best to make pathetic puppy dog eyes at me.

"Boggs..."

He leaned in and kissed me with passion. His hands left my sleeves and ran up the inside of my shirt. The coldness of his fingers made me gasp. He backed away just enough to pull his shirt over his head. I stared at his bare chest and my breathing quickened. I pulled my own shirt off and allowed Boggs to reach behind me to unhook my bra. He leaned down and took one of my breasts into his mouth and sucked deeply, causing me to gasp.

"Boggs," I whispered. "That hurts."

He took more of my breast into his mouth and moaned, but continued with a gentler suction. His hands searched for my pants and tugged at them.

I reached down to lift his chin to me. He stood back up and moved his mouth to my neck. I moaned from the pleasure it caused. I brought my hands to his chest and studied his muscles with my palms. He pulled my pants down past my hips and I stepped out of them.

"Are you sure we should do this, here?" I whispered.

"Oh God, Zoe, I think we should do this everywhere," he said against my neck.

I fumbled for his belt buckle and hurriedly unfastened his fly.

"Can we try something new?" he whispered into my ear.

I nodded into his chest. "MmmHmm."

He knelt on the blanket we had laid out and pulled me down to him. He sat down and started to lie on his back, pulling me on top of him. I straddled his body and felt his hardness searching for me. He reached up to hold both of my breasts in his hands and looked at me lovingly. I situated myself on top of him so that I could slide onto of his erection. Once he was inside of me, I groaned a little louder than I had meant to. His was kneading my breasts with too much force so I placed my hands on his and guided them to my hips instead. I ground against him with new found eagerness and my body rippled with orgasmic pleasure sooner than I had meant for it to. Boggs followed suit, filling me with the physical sign of his love. I collapsed onto him and he held me tenderly.

"That was amazing, Zoe," he whispered into my ear. "You are amazing."

We stayed like that until we noticed it was growing dark outside.

"Zo?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's get this fish back to the others. It's getting dark."

"Ok," I said, lazily. I climbed off of him and found myself wishing we could stay. We both got dressed and went to reel in the last two lines. To our delight, one of the two had a smaller trout hooked. It didn't give much of a fight.

I was tasked with carrying back the two blankets and the case holding the fish. Boggs carried the poles and gear.

When we returned to the cabin, the other three had thrown together a Shepherd's Pie using instant mashed potatoes and canned vegetables. I was told it also had fresh meat from one of the traps. I didn't ask what kind, not wanting to know. It was baking in the oven and the cabin smelled delightful. Boggs took the two fish to the kitchen sink to clean them.

"Susan," called Boggs.

Susan came walking into the kitchen eagerly, which I didn't like. "Yes, Adam? What is it?"

"Come over to the sink please?"

I sat at the kitchen table and watched her saunter to Boggs' side. I stifled a giggle when I saw her facial expression as she looked at what he was doing.

"That is so gross," she said. "I don't want to see dead fish cut open!" She slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

I saw him laugh under his breath.

Gus had followed her into the room and was leaning against the wall, smirking. "You all need to learn how to clean fish, and anything else we catch. This is going to be how we stay alive," he said with authority.

"It's not so bad," said Emilie. "Susan, you can do it."

"Barf," is all Susan said in reply.

"Gus, can you take Zoe outside to fill a pan with snow?" asked Boggs. "I'll clean the fish and we can pack it on ice for the night since you all made supper already."

I stood, wincing from sore muscles.

"You ok?" asked Emilie.

I nodded. "Just sore."

Gus and I walked to the porch together. I was getting used to accompanying the others outside, knowing I was their zombie alarm system. He brought a nine-by-thirteen deep dish pan to use for snow. To my dismay white flakes were again falling from the sky.

"Guess this means another wait on going to the Explorer?" I mumbled.

Gus looked up at the sky. "Whatcha need so bad?"

"I was hoping for the books."

"You look pale, Zoe. You feeling ok?"

"Just tired."

"How's your hip?"

I yawned. "It's been feeling better the past few days. I noticed that...the green streaks..."

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Louisa had them on her face after she was finally gone. I mean after she had turned and you..." I didn't really want to say the words.

Gus sighed and put his hands on his hips. "I guess that lends credence to my theory on your hip, huh?"

"Yeah I guess so."

"Go ahead and sit on the steps and I'll fill the pan up for Boggs."

"I'm still scared I'll die in the night and turn into one of them," I said.

"Zoe, it's been almost a month now. I don't think that's going to happen, darlin.' Try not to worry so much."

"'Kay."

I watched as he set to work scooping snow into the pan.

"Gus?" I asked.

"Yup?"

"What kind of meat is in the oven?"

He laughed. "Rabbit."

"I guess that's not so bad," I said as I chewed on a thumbnail.

"Tastes just like chicken," he joked.

Within an hour the sun had set and the Shepherd's Pie was ready to eat. Gus had found a stool in the shed and had brought it in as a fifth seat, allowing us to all sit at the table at the same time. The trout was cleaned and on ice inside the fridge. Boggs had said that the ice would help keep the fish from drying out.

Emilie carried the hot casserole dish to the center of the table using two hot pads. Since she had thrown the recipe together, we all suggested she be served first. Gus was happy to pile the hot food onto her plate, and continued to do so around the table. As good as it smelled, as soon as the food hit my plate my stomach churned in protest and I felt vomit creeping up my throat. I covered my mouth with my hand and stood, knocking my chair over. I ran to the stairs and up to the bathroom. I wasn't able to make it all the way to the toilet, so vomited into the sink. The sight and smell of what came from my own stomach made me retch again. Tears streamed down my face from the strain of vomiting. I fumbled with a hand towel and washed my hands and face. The room was spinning and I sat on the floor near the toilet with my back against the wall.

After several minutes, there was a light knock on the still-open door. I looked up. Gus was standing there with a look of concern on his face.

"Zoe? You ok darlin'?" he asked quietly.

I shook my head no. "I feel really sick."

"Can I come in?" he asked.

I nodded. "Where's Boggs?"

"They're all downstairs eating."

The thought of the food made me dry heave.

"Slow down, Zoe," said Gus. He put a wash cloth under the tap, wrung it out, and placed it on my forehead. He folded a bath towel and set it on my lap. "Just in case you lose more cookies," he explained. "That's what my mom used to do for me when I was little. I used to get sick a lot."

"Do you really think the olive juice made me sick?" I asked.

"Nah," he said. "I was just kidding about that. You've eaten the same things the rest of us have, so I doubt it's food poisoning." He felt my forehead. "You don't feel like you have a fever, so I don't think the infection is back." He looked thoughtful for several moments. "Do you feel like you can go lay down for a while?"

I shook my head no. "Maybe a hot bath and some tea?"

"Ok. I'll have Em come up and help you. Just sit tight for a bit?"

I nodded. As he left the room, I situated myself over the toilet and threw up again. My stomach empty, it was just bile that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Afterward, I stood and rinsed my mouth using my hands to cup water from the sink faucet. I had started shaking, so sat back down. It took Emilie several minutes to join me in the bathroom. She carried a cup of steaming tea, set it on the counter, and sat across from me.

"Gus said you're feeling pretty pukey," she said quietly.

"I feel a little better now,"

"Zo, you're shaking. When did you eat last?"

"Lunch. The oatmeal just came back up."

"Gus said you want to take a bath."

"Yeah, I feel kinda gross."

"Want me to run the water for you?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Everyone's pretty worried about you, Zoe. Gus wants me to ask you some personal stuff."

I looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Well, he's worried that with the throwing up, not eating, and being tired it might be something we need to check into. He wants to know how long it's been since you had a period."

"No," I said quickly. "Nuh-uh, no way."

"Zoe?" Gus' voice interrupted from the hallway. "Sorry to be so personal but we need to know. We're just trying to help."

"God, no." I shook my head back and forth.

"Zoe, calm down," said Gus. "We'll get it figured out." He looked at Emilie. "Em, there's some stuff about myself I haven't told you yet. I want you to stay while I talk to Zoe, but I don't want you getting upset."

She looked at him in confusion. Their eyes locked before she spoke. "Ok, Gus. Ok."

Gus looked back at me. "Zoe, when I was just out of high school I got married. We were only eighteen. Thought we were in love. We had two kids together. Everything was great for a while until she started fooling around and left me for another guy. She took the kids with her. Anyway, she felt a lot like you've been feeling early on both times she was expecting. I might be wrong, but we need to know if it's a possibility here. Do you understand?" He studied me, his eyes soft and full of caring.

"Yes," I said.

"Have you had a period since this all happened?" he asked.

I knew he meant since the dead had risen and our world was turned upside down. I shook my head no. "I thought I was going to start back at the bed and breakfast, but never did."

Gus looked down, deep in thought. "We've been here for just over three weeks. Are you on the pill, or using birth control?"

I shook my head no.

Gus sighed in obvious disapproval.

I started crying. "Don't be mad at me." I sniffled.

"No one's mad," said Gus. "And if I get mad at anyone, it'll be at Boggs."

Gus stood, leaving me and Emilie alone in the bathroom.

"Wow," she said. I looked up at her. "I didn't know he had kids. Or had been married."

"Don't be too rough on him, Em. It might just be hard for him to talk about. You know he's in love with you now, and that's what should matter."

"I know," she said, followed by a heavy breath. "Back at the general store I raided the feminine aisle. I kinda took a little of everything. I think you should take a home pregnancy test, Zo."

"I don't want to know," I mumbled.

Emilie stood and rummage beneath the cabinet. "I stocked it all up here since most of it belongs in the bathroom. I should have mentioned there's condoms, KY, pads, tampons. I even grabbed yeast infection cream."

The mention of all the personal products had me beyond just embarrassed. "I just want to hide, Em."

"Too bad," she said as she stood with a small rectangular box in hand. "There's nowhere to go."

She walked to the claw foot tub and turned the faucet off. She handed me the box. I just stared at it. "Zoe, I'm going to give you some privacy. Pee on the stick. There's directions inside. Set it on the counter and take your bath. If you want I can come in later and sit with you, help you read it?"

"Ok."

She left me alone in the small room. I opened the box and took out the directions. I opened them, flattened them, and stared at them. After about five minutes I picked up the stick that was inside the box, wrapped in a separate foil package. I opened it, and spent another couple of minutes staring at it. I tried not to cry. I took my pants off, sat on the toilet, and held the end of the stick under myself. It took several seconds to force myself to relax enough to pee, but finally did and felt the stream hitting the end of the test. When I was done I put a piece of toilet paper on the counter and set the stick face up on top. I wiped myself, pulled my shirt over my head and flushed the toilet. I climbed into the warm bath. A couple more minutes passed.

"Hey, kid," Boggs said as he opened the door. "Can I come in?"

"Hey. I thought Em was coming back? And yes you can come in."

"Gus and Emilie told me what's going on. They both thought I should be the one who reads the pregnancy test with you. I'd like to be the one here with you, Zo, if that's ok?"

I drew my knees to my chest and laid my head down on them.

"Of course it's ok. I just don't know what to do, Boggs." I started crying again.

"Shhhh. Zoe. We'll get thought this. Either way, we'll get through this."

I barely nodded my head.

Boggs sat on the floor next to the bathtub. He ran a hand over my head. "Whatever happens, Zoe, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere. Emilie said if there's just one line it's negative. Two it's positive. You ready for me to look?"

"No."

"Zoe, we have to."

He reached over to grab the test lying on the counter and settled back in beside me with it in hand. He looked it over and studied it for several long moments.

I could sense him looking at me, but didn't have the courage to look back. I heard him sigh. "Zoe."

I ignored him.

"Zoe. At least look at me. Please."

I slid down in the bath, letting my head slide beneath the water. I held my breath as long as I could. It was quiet, and peaceful. My lungs started to burn in need of air, so I sat back up and covered my eyes with my hands.

"Zo." Boggs arms were around me, and I clung to him.

"I can't, Boggs. I can't do it. Not now, not in this horrible world."

"Shhhh. It's going to be ok. We'll get through this, together."

Boggs rocked me until my sobbing slowed. He helped me up and wrapped me in a towel. "Let's get some sleep, Zo."

He walked me across the hall to our room. I slipped under the covers, nude, and let him tuck me in.

"You'll stay with me?" I sounded near panic.

"Absolutely."

Boggs crawled in behind me, and wrapped a strong arm around me. He let his hand rest low on my abdomen like he might be able to somehow feel the baby that was growing within me.

"Will you tell them?" I asked him in a hushed whisper.

"I'm sure they'll go in and look at the test, Zoe. Just sleep. Tomorrow will be a new day, and we'll face it together."

~*~

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