Benton: A Zombie Novel: Volume One (9 page)

“Carrie, get to bed!” Linda is standing at the door, holding a flashlight too.

Carrie gives me a hug and then runs out the room. “Is there anything you need?” Linda asks.

“No, I’m fine. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Goodnight.” Linda walks away. I’m not sure why, but Linda doesn’t seem to like me much.

* * *

I can’t believe I’ve slept through the night. I didn’t dream about zombies. I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night soaked in sweat. I slept more than I’ve slept in a long time.

I climb out of bed, wearing the pink nightgown, and go to the bathroom. The Finns have a composting toilet, perfect for the situation we’re in. They seem prepared for the way the U.S. has become.

I stare into the bathroom mirror. My face looks worse, but I know the bruises are healing.

I smooth my hair back, and then, with bottled water, I wipe my face and brush my teeth.

Then I go into the kitchen. Linda, dressed for the day, is making coffee with a portable coffee maker. She turns to look at me. “Good morning. Would you like a cup?”

I smile. “Yes.” It’s been a long time since I’ve had a hot cup of coffee.

I take a seat. Linda is smiling a little. I’ve never seen her smile.

“I’m happy you’re up, because I wanted to chat with you for a bit,” says Linda.

“Okay.”

Linda looks around the room. “Joe and I have been in this house for twenty years. I never want to leave it.”

I take a sip of my coffee. “It’s a nice house. Seems really comfortable.”

“It’s not big, but I’ve made it into a comfortable home for me and my family.”

“How long have you and Joe been married?”

“Eighteen years. I thought I would lose him the first time he had to fight off a zombie, but he’s been able to protect himself, and us.”

“I always wanted to get married, but I don’t know if that will ever happen for me. The world is crazy right now. I just want to stay alive. That’s all I can think about.”

“Yes, the world has changed. But what you have to understand about Joe and me is that we are happy. Despite this, we are happy, and I will do everything in my power to protect our happiness, because things weren’t always good between Joe and me.”

“No?”

“No. Before the zombies, Joe had girlfriends and he was addicted to porn.”

I look away. I don’t need to hear about Joe’s porn addiction.

“I’m sorry if I’m embarrassing you, but now that we don’t have Internet and there are zombies everywhere, Joe has had to change his ways.” Linda puts down her cup. “You’re a very pretty girl, Jennifer. You’re just the sort of girl Joe is attracted to.”

“Oh, Linda, don’t worry about me. I would never do anything.”

“Yes, I know you would never do anything. But, I can’t say the same thing about Joe. Please do whatever you can to find your friends.”

“Yes, I plan on it.”

“Because I don’t want you back here, and if you do come back, I’m going to make it very difficult for you here.”

I look at Linda, shocked at what I’m hearing. “I’m sorry you feel this way about me, but I would never do anything.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but zombies are the best thing that could have happened to my relationship with Joe. I have the marriage and family I want. It’s been hard on Carrie, but she’ll survive.”

I place my coffee cup on the counter and force a smile. “Okay, well, thanks for letting me know and thanks for the coffee. I’m going to get dressed now.” I walk out of the kitchen.

Joe is standing in the hallway. “Good morning. Are you ready to find your folks soon?”

“Yes,” I say to Joe. “More than ready.”

* * *

I’ve changed back into my clothes and I’m ready to go. Linda gives Joe a hug. “Be careful out there,” she says to him.

“I will. Don’t worry.”

“I wish you didn’t have to do this. But I realize there’s no other way. We need to get this girl back to her friends.” Linda looks at me. “Jennifer, it was nice meeting you. Now, I’ve got some things to do before Carrie wakes up.”

“It was nice meeting you too, and please tell Carrie I said goodbye. She’s such a sweet little girl.”

Linda smiles and then she leaves the room. I’ve thought about what she told me in the kitchen. There’s no way I’m coming back here.

23.

THE ZOMBIES JOE SHOT when I arrived here are no longer lying in front of his house. Joe says he buries any zombies he kills on his property. He says every zombie was a human and humans deserve respectable resting places.

Joe owns a red pick-up truck, splattered with dirt. He is tall with thick dark hair and a dark mustache. Even though I figure he’s a lot older than I am, he’s handsome for his age, and he has a kind smile. Although what Linda told me shocked me, I can understand why she wants to protect her household. I can see why women would be attracted to Joe and I can see how he can get women attracted to him.

I get inside Joe’s truck. “Fasten your seat belt, please,” says Joe.

“Sure,” I say. “Thank you, again, for doing this for me. I’m worried sick about my friends.”

“The store you and that fella were headed to is one I’ve been to before.” Joe grips the steering wheel. “We can drive to it and then maybe you’ll remember how to get to your friends.”

“Sounds good.” I look down at the handgun inside the holster on Joe’s waist. “My rifle was in the van when Gary took off with it. I don’t know if I’ll ever see it again. My dad gave it to me.”

“Maybe you will see it again. In the meantime, there’s a gun in the glove compartment. It’s loaded. It’s there if we need it.”

“Thanks.”

“How did you get hooked up with this Gary in the first place?”

“I met him and a bunch of other people back in Illinois. They were living in a garage. The funny thing is, Gary is the one who saved me from a zombie. He shot it.”

Joe looks at me. “Well, he attacked you pretty good, but you’ll heal soon enough.”

“Yeah, thank goodness.” By my feet is an old straw that looks like it came from a fast food restaurant. It’s a reminder of my old life and of the things I may never see again.

“Look out!” says Joe. On the road in front of us is a large crowd of zombies. There is no room for the truck to pass.

I reach for the gun in the glove compartment. “Oh my God, this doesn’t look good.”

Joe picks up speed as we approach the zombies. He hits one and it falls to the ground. Then another zombie jumps on the truck. Joe swerves the truck, and the zombie falls off. In the process, he hits another zombie, but we make our way out.

I sit stunned in my seat. “God, I hope we don’t run into more.”

“You just never know.”

I take a few deep breaths to calm myself and shake my head on how fucked up the world is. I didn’t think everything would go to hell during my lifetime.

* * *

Heading toward us is a blue car. It’s one of the few cars I’ve seen on the road here. The car passes me and the guy inside the car looks at me. To my surprise, it’s Mark.

“Joe, stop the truck!”

Mark stops the car he’s driving. I run out of the truck as Mark runs toward me. As soon as our bodies meet, we hug each other tight. Then we kiss each other hard on the lips.

“You’re safe. Thank God, you’re safe,” says Mark.

“You’re okay.” Tears roll down my face.

Joe walks up to us, smiling. “So this must be your boyfriend?”

“Yes, oh my God, Joe. This is my Mark.”

“It’s nice to meet you, sir.” Mark offers his hand. “Thank you for helping Jen.” 

“We ran into a bit of a zombie snag, but we survived it,” says Joe. “You folks will be okay, then?”

“Yes, Joe. Thank you so, so much.”

“No problem! I’m going to take a different route home. Don’t want to face that crowd of zombies again.”

“Good idea,” I say. I give Joe a hug.

“You stay away from Gary,” says Joe.

“She’ll never have to worry about that guy again,” says Mark.

“Good. All right. Take care.” Joe gets back in his truck and drives off.

Mark and I walk back to the car. While we’re walking, we’re holding onto each other tightly. Mark looks at my face. “What in the hell did he do to you?”

We get inside the car. I cry hard, grabbing Mark.

Then Mark pulls me from him and looks at me. “What did he do to you, Jen? Tell me?”

“He knocked me out, and then, after I woke up, I saw he had tied my hands behind my back and put duct tape on my mouth.”

“Jesus Christ!”

“Mark, at least he didn’t rape me or something. You said I don’t have to worry about him anymore . . . did you kill him?”

“No, I didn’t kill him. I wanted to kill him, but I didn’t. Katie and Bill told me you went to the store. So I waited for you to return. But Gary was the only one who came back. He told us zombies attacked you and you were dead.”

Mark holds me tight again. “I didn’t believe his story for one second, though. I’ve always been able to read Gary. He twitches his eye when he lies. I raced out right after he claimed you were dead.”

“I managed to get the van’s door open and I ran out. Gary didn’t come for me. He just left me in the woods. I guess given the monster he is, that’s a good thing. But if it wasn’t for Joe and his family, I don’t know what would have happened to me. Where did you find this car?”

“It was parked in the back of the house. It had gas in it too. I found the keys hanging up in the kitchen.”

“When did you go looking for me? Were you out all night?”  

“Yeah. When it got dark, I parked the car on the side of the road, hid myself under this blanket in the back seat over there, and slept.”

“I didn’t die. Gary didn’t win. But Gary is with Bill and Katie. Do you think they’re safe?”

“All I wanted to do was find you, and that meant leaving everyone back at the house. But now, we need to get back. We’ll get Katie and Bill, and we’ll leave. Gary is on his own.”

“I’m scared. I’m scared to face him.”

“I’m here with you now, Jen. We’ll face the prick together.”

I’ve been trying to be brave through all this, but that’s with zombies. With a human, a sick human, I need Mark with me, even though I know he can’t protect me every time some mean guy tries to hurt me.

Mark looks me in the eyes, and once again, he kisses me on the lips. We push into each other, our tongues intertwined. I wish I could kiss Mark forever.

Then we hear a growl. A zombie is coming for us and its close. Mark’s window is open, and there’s no time to start the car.

As the zombie approaches the car, Mark shoots the zombie. He misses its head, but then he shoots several more times until he hits his target. The zombie falls to the ground and Mark starts the car. We pull off.

“I love you,” says Mark.

“I love you too.”

“We’re gonna get back to the house, grab Katie and Bill, and then get the hell out of here.”

“You’re sure you know the way back?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Mark looks at me. “Man, he hit you hard, didn’t he?”

“I’m okay. It’s healing.”

“I’m so fucking mad.”

I’m not used to Mark swearing, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this angry. The sky is cloudy. I watch the raindrops on the window. A zombie shuffles along the road, watching our car pass.

24.

WE MAKE IT BACK TO THE HOUSE and, when we do, two zombies are on the front lawn. Mark doesn’t miss a beat. He rushes out and shoots at both of them until they’re down.

I’m still in the car. “Jen, come on!”

Butterflies take over my stomach. It’s not zombies I’m afraid of, right now. It’s Gary. If he’s in the house, what can we expect from him?

* * *

Inside, Katie runs up to me and gives me a hug. “Jennifer, you’re alive!”

“Yes, Gary said you were dead,” says Bill.

I hug Katie back. “Well, Gary is wrong. Where is he?”

“Do you know what he did?” says Katie. “He took the van and went off with it. That was hours ago.”

“What?!” says Mark.

“Yeah, it occurred to me I didn’t see the van out front,” I say.

“He said you’ll never see him again,” says Katie. “He’s such an asshole. Let’s go find him and get our van back.”

“We can’t do that,” says Mark. “We don’t have enough gas to do that.”

“What do you suggest?” I ask.

“We should wait and see if Gary has a change of heart. If he’s not back by tomorrow, we leave in the car.”

“What happened to you out there, Jennifer?” asks Katie. “Your face looks horrible.”

“Gary knocked me out, tied me up, put duct tape over my mouth. I escaped before he could do anything else to me. A family rescued me and put me up for the night.”

Katie and Bill look shocked. “We should have gone with you, Jennifer,” says Bill. “Maybe Gary would not have tried anything if we had been with you.”

“Let’s not worry about it,” I say. “It could have gone worse. He could have tried to hurt everyone if we had all been in the van.”

“Was he going to rape you?” says Katie.

“I don’t know. But if that was his intention, I’m not surprised.”

* * *

It’s around five p.m. Mark and I arrived back at the house this morning at around ten a.m. During the time that Mark and I have been back at the house, Gary has not shown up. He’s probably gone for good.

The van has our supplies. Without it, we’re starting from scratch. Just as important, we have no extra gas for the car.

I look around for Mark. He’s standing in the home’s fenced-in backyard. The fence is high enough for zombies not to look in. I walk up to him and put my hand on his back.

“I don’t think that douche is gonna come back,” says Mark.

“Yeah, I know.” 

“I say we eat dinner and then get ready to head out in the morning.”

“Mark, how are we going to make it with just the car? What about the gas situation?”

Mark doesn’t say anything.

“I think we should think about staying here.”

“Forget it, Jen. I can’t . . . I can’t stay here.”

“I know your heart is set on Texas, but let’s be smart about this.”

“We’ll go as far as we can in the car. Then we’ll have to make it on foot.”