Survival Paranoia (Survival series) (4 page)

Their first night was spent in the back of the station wagon. They’d gotten a mere thirty miles away, nowhere near either of their homes, before pulling into a development. They’d scouted nearby homes and found one that had only one person in it… or rather, what
used
to be a person. Jeff took it out with a knife he’d snatched from the butcher block on the island in the kitchen of the house. Then they’d lifted the garage door manually, as it seemed the electricity was out here as well. Working together, they’d pushed the station wagon inside so the sound of the engine didn’t draw more attention. They didn’t speak that night, but had crawled between the seats and stretched out in the back. Lorna used her pile of clothes as a pillow, while Jeff laid his head on the pillow she’d snatched up on her way out of his trailer. He’d held it the whole ride like a talisman, the only comfort object he had to tether him to the world he’d once taken for granted.

He fell asleep quickly as though to escape what the last few days had brought. Lorna, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed at the dull grey interior of the station wagon and burned with a low resentment. Things hadn’t been easy for her, either, but she wasn’t burying her head in the sand and hoping to forget. She
didn’t want to carry him along. She wanted him to man up. Jeff had always been the one convinced the apocalypse would come, and he’d eventually swayed her with conspiracy theories and articles on the blogs he followed with an almost religious fervor. Eventually she’d realized it was plausible, but she’d doubted the day would come in her lifetime. Now he was right, and instead of handling it with aplomb, he’d chosen instead to hide like a child who prays the big, bad thing will go away.

She didn’t have that luxury, and it ate at her. She’d lost things, too. She’d lost her family,
and had had to kill her brother. Not that Jeff knew that, or had even asked. Lorna had learned a lot from Jeff. She’d learned about BOBs and the importance of being prepared. She’d learned how to wield a blade, and he’d helped her build her stamina so she’d stand a better chance of survival when the time came. Yet now he was nearly catatonic with the changes around him, and she was forced to shoulder the load.

Lorna wasn’t a loner, and she hated the thought of going on her own after everything went to Hell, but she was nearly sorry she’d gone looking for Jeff. She needed help. She didn’t intend to have to carry him along, nagging him like a mother to eat and tend to his needs. And yet… and yet, that seemed to be her lot in this new life. It was bitter as ashes. She didn’t need a man to lead her, and she damn well didn’t want to follow along, d
umb as a sheep and just as mute. She
did
want a partner, though. She wanted to share the responsibility, not bow under the weight of all of it. And here he slept, undisturbed, while she lay awake and seethed, so tired she couldn’t even summon the energy to close her eyes.

Jeff stirred, and he shot one hand out as though warding someone off. He didn’t speak, but whimpers escaped him as he battled his internal demons. Grudgingly, a pang of sympathy struck Lorna.
Obviously his dad had turned first, and he had likely bitten Mrs. Masters. It was achingly clear who had severed the poor woman’s head from her body. Jeff had a right to his nightmares, just as she did. She couldn’t allow her own grief and anger to strike out at him and drive him away. Whether he remained her boyfriend or not, whether their relationship was a lifelong one or just the temporary coupling of teenagers, was moot. What mattered was sticking together for survival. For another pair of hands, and another set of eyes. While they would likely survive on their own, it didn’t mean that they had to.

Decision made, Lorna felt more secure. She rolled onto her side and rubbed one hand gently, soothingly, up and down Jeff’s arm. He moaned once before settling back into sleep and going silent. She kept the movement up and found it was a balm to her own nerves as well as his, and used it to clear her mind and allow her to think rationally. Idly, it crossed her mind that it was like petting a cat or dog, and she stupidly wished she’d had a pet to bring with her for comfort. Then she winced, knowing an animal likely
wouldn’t fare well in this new world. She was almost grateful that her mother found animals to be a disgusting and dirty waste of money. She couldn’t handle losing anyone else.

It had been a narrow escape. While Jeff stood, dull-eyed and blank, she lunged forward with her new best friend, the crowbar, and waded into the fray. Most of the undead seemed sluggish, but a few thinner ones, ones that were likely health nuts before they died, moved almost as quickly as she did. Those she dispatched first, one quick blow to the head before spinning on the others. She didn’t have the leverage with her weapon to kill them with one blow, but she
was
able to slow them down enough to kill them… eventually. The slower ones, those who were crippled or overweight, were left for last. She was drenched in sweat and gore before she’d finished, but she was satisfied with the ache in her muscles. She survived… she was no victim.

That was when her patience waned. She picked up her gear and t
he damned pillow from the porch. Funny, she didn’t even remember dropping the damned things. Furiously, she’d guided Jeff to the passenger seat of the wagon. He went docilely, seemingly content to let her lead uncontested for the time being. Climbing behind the wheel, wishing he could be trusted to drive, she turned the engine over and gunned it. She took off before the nearby creatures could make their way after them and block the wagon from traveling.

Lorna
needed rest, and gratefully allowed her eyes to shut. Snuggling closer to Jeff, she pulled a shirt over her shoulders in place of a blanket. Then she finally joined him in sleep.

The next two weeks were Hell, and April was definitely bringing the expected showers. They’d crossed into Maryland briefly, and Lorna had spared a wistful glance as they passed Salisbury Mall. She knew there were a ton of supplies available, but she also figured the mall would be packed. It usually was, as there was always a sale to be had, but this time the crowd would be pretty freaking hungry. No, it wasn’t worth the risk… but she wished it was.

They wandered aim
lessly in a pretty general area. They crossed into Salisbury, crossed back into Delaware, and then finally drove back along Route 13. It was the same sight everywhere… empty stores, looted areas, and undead things staggering through the street. Once they thought the saw an older woman in a sporting goods store, but when they turned back, there was no one there. They shrugged it off and kept driving. Lorna wanted desperately to scavenge inside that particular store, but didn’t think it was worth the risk since it was surrounded by zombies.

Jeff had come out of his shell as the days went by, but he was still an echo of the young man he’d once been. He didn’t smile very often, and he didn’t talk nearly as much as he used to. Then again, there wasn’t much to say anymore. They’d discussed the days leading up to when she found him, and beyond that there
was nothing new to add. But it was a start, and she was hopeful he would get better with time. Time, they had plenty of.

Lorna chafed at
their way of life. They had already switched from the pretty reliable station wagon to a gaudy SUV. The wagon had run out of gas, and the stations they’d visited were lacking power. They’d briefly considered siphoning fuel from nearby vehicles into the wagon, but decided that the area was too thick with zombies to waste the time. It was safer and smarter to just abandon the old in favor of something new. Lord knows there were plenty of vehicles to choose from, and most still had the keys in the ignition. There were also quite a few with dead batteries from when their owners just walked off, leaving the vehicle running, but those could be ignored for the time being. If push came to shove, they could always make small repairs later on since Jeff worked as a mechanic on weekends, but for now they were fine hopping from vehicle to vehicle. It wouldn’t always be practical. They had to find ones large enough for all their gear, as well as waste time moving everything, but it was still a quicker solution than siphoning fuel.

Their first fight was inevitable. Jeff was nearly his old self again, and he preferred being in charge rather than sharing the duties. Lorna, however, was no follower, which is how they found themselves arguing in furious whispers in a convenience store in
Seaford. They still had all their supplies except for the water and protein bars they’d consumed that first day. Lorna went on runs on her own until Jeff was more reliable, after that he’d joined her. They’d discussed this as well, and it felt like ages ago. It was smarter to eat perishables first, such as any meat still in date in locations that had power. They also stocked up on crackers and chips, and any fresh fruit and vegetables they could find. Their water purification tablets and the protein bars were to be hoarded until they needed them.

The convenience store wasn’t locked, and it was the first location they’d been able to stop that still had
power. Gas was the first task since the SUV was a V8 and used a lot of fuel. Jeff scavenged the bodies of the dead, rifling through pockets for credit cards they could use where power was still available. He tossed aside bank cards, as the cards would be rejected if there wasn’t enough money to cover the purchase. He also ignored cash, since it was as worthless as tissues or toilet paper now. It just wasn’t worth collecting
. It might never again be useful in our lifetimes
, Lorna thought with a pang. She covered him with her crowbar as he filled the tank, pocketing the six cards he’d managed to find.

Once inside, they went to the refrigerated section. They giggled like children at the stash of premade chicken salad, tuna wraps, and ham slices.
Lorna also picked up two cases of soda. They’d missed caffeine, and she felt they were due for a reward. Jeff found some sliced cheese that was still in date and added it to their growing cache, but left the rest with a wistful glance. They had no way to preserve it as they travelled, and there might be other survivors who would need supplies while they were still edible.

The argument came when Lorna headed to the narrow aisle containing personal items. Jeff immediately palmed the few remaining bottles of ibuprofen for Lorna, and aspirin for himself. She was allergic to aspirin, and he hated ibuprofen, so they needed separate items for aches and pains.
She was touched that he’d remembered… until he opened his mouth. She sat on the floor to better reach the items on the lowest shelf, trusting him to watch her back and warn her of impending danger. He looked over as she grabbed the eight boxes of tampons she could locate.

“What the Hell do you need those for?” he asked, rolling his eyes. “Isn’t the SUV crowded enough?”

Lorna ignored him, stuffing them into paper bags she’d found behind the counter. She spun on him as he attempted to snatch the bag from her, tossing her bangs out of her face with an impatient gesture he was familiar with. “First of all,” she began coldly, “it’s nearly time for my period, and I’d rather have supplies on hand.”

He cut her off. “You
have
two bags of pads. I saw them when I was changing my clothes this morning.”

“And I plan on tossing them out now that I have tampons,” she fired back. “I’m less likely to draw them with my smell this way.
And I can bury them if we’re not near a trash can. They’re a lot smaller than pads.” He turned away, an expression of disgust on his face that annoyed her. It was a fact of life, and it was time he grew up. “Furthermore,” she continued in that impatient tone, “tampons are useful.”

He snorted at that, hissing at her in an angry whisper.
She hated it when he got this way- so superior, so much smarter. So he thought, at least. “Is that so? And just how the fuck can they be ‘useful’ except to slow us down?”

“If I get pissed off and shoot you, I can use it to staunch the blood flow,” she said, rage turning her face red. “The military uses
them for that purpose, dumbass, not just as supplies for the female officers in their squads.” He said nothing to that, heading towards the door without looking at her. But she continued. “They can be used to purify drinking water if we run out of tablets or lose our supply. They can be tinder to start a fire, if need be.”

“Fire? Are you freaking kidding me, Lorna? Do we really intend to draw them to us with flames?” Jeff stuffed his haul into
the back of the SUV, popping one aluminum soda can in his anger. He swore, ripping open the case and tossing the leaking can outside. Since it was one of his sodas and not hers, she ignored it and continued.

“The plastic is water-resistant, by the way.
If we need to store anything small, we can use the packaging. I actually did research on my own, you know. I didn’t just rely on
you
to teach me,” she said. She was so angry that tears filled her eyes. She wiped them away, standing beside him stubbornly.

Jeff sighed and gestured to the back of the SUV. “Fine, what the fuck ever. Put them in, get in, and let’s get out of here before we have company.” He gestured to their left, where four zombies shambled their direction. They hadn’t been spotted, not yet, but it wouldn’t be long. Lorna tossed her supplies in, shut the hatch as quietly as possible, and went around to the passenger side to get in. She d
idn’t say a word. She’d won the argument, and beyond that, it didn’t really matter. But she’d remember this fight, and she had some thinking to do. Maybe it would be best if they went their separate ways once they found others.