Journal of the Undead (Book 1): Littleville Uprising (10 page)

***

She urged her car faster as she sped toward Evan’s house. Matt rolled the window down and let the cool air wash over his face, praying his stomach would stop churning. For a moment, they sat in the driveway, Emma steeling her nerves and Matt waiting for the spinning to stop. Dragging her twin by the arm, Emma took a deep breath and knocked on the front door. Kate stared blankly at the twins, baffled by their appearance.

“Emma, I thought I made it clear … Evan is grounded.”

“May we please speak with the major?”

“I don’t think that’s a great idea, but …”

Shrugging, Kate went to see if Frank could spare a few minutes for their guests. As she led them to the major’s office, Emma felt her resolve waning. She feared her mind would go blank.

Major Stone listened as Emma pleaded her case. He decided it was to everyone’s benefit that Emma wanted to be a doctor. The streets would never be safe if she planned to become a criminal defense lawyer; her vehement plea to exonerate Evan had proven that much. Frank particularly enjoyed the part where she claimed it would have been ‘dishonorable’ for Evan to leave her there surrounded by ‘sloppy drunks with questionable character.’ By the time Emma was finished, she’d made Evan out to be a saint.

“Was there something you wanted to add, Matthew?” Major Stone probed.

Matt’s face took on a greenish tint as he shook his head no. He was afraid if he opened his mouth he’d vomit all over the major’s desk.

“Emma, you presented a thorough case and I’d a like a few minutes to deliberate your petition. Would you please wait outside? I’d like a word with your brother, in private.”

Emma threw Matt a sympathetic look as she took her leave. Exiting the office, she nearly ran right into Evan.

“Emma? What are you doing here?”

“We came to talk to your dad and explain what happened. It was Matt’s fault you were late. You shouldn’t be grounded because he’s an idiot!”

Emma had expected Evan to be pleased, but it was quite the opposite.

“Oh God! You have to leave. Look, I know you think you’re helping but you’re not. Just get Matt and get outta here.”

“He’s talking with your dad right now. Don’t worry, I told him everything; how you stayed to protect me from the drunks, how you carried Matt down the stairs, how you helped me pull my car out of the trees … everything.”

“Emma, it wasn’t a tree,” Evan’s voice poorly masked his irritation. “I can’t believe you did this. Just … go home.”

Emma looked dejected as he escorted her outside. She was left standing in the driveway wondering what went wrong as Evan trudged back to the garage. Just then, Matt and Frank came through the door.

“Evan!” Frank motioned for him to come over.

Evan groaned, assuming he was in serious trouble. He couldn’t imagine what Emma was thinking when she’d hatched her little plan.

“
One
week. You did break curfew but it seems there were extenuating circumstances. This will not happen again. I don’t care if you’re dragging nuns from a burning building; I will
not
be lenient next time. Is that clear?” Frank’s commanding tone left no room for questions, “And as for you, young lady, don’t think you can waltz over here anytime you want and get Evan out of trouble. If you try this again, his punishment will be doubled. Now, go on home.”

Kate stood in the doorway, grinning. Emma seemed to have both men in the Stone family wrapped around her finger. Evan’s jaw dropped. His dad had never rescinded a disciplinary action before. He’d thought he’d be grounded until graduation because of Emma’s interference.

“Emma, you are amazing! I can’t thank you enough.”

Emma’s hypnotic smile drew him in and his lips gently pressed against hers.

“Evan,” Kate called. “Don’t press your luck. You have a garage to clean so you’d better get back to work.”

As Evan hurried back to the garage, Kate walked Emma and Matt to their car.

“A week is pretty harsh, isn’t it?”

Kate smiled at Emma’s remark. “Originally, it was six. One week for every minute he was late.”

***

On the ride home, Emma and Matt realized how easy they had it. Compared to the major, their dad was a marshmallow. As soon as they pulled into the driveway Matt bolted from the car and into the house. Pale as a ghost, he splashed cold water on his face trying to quell the storm in his stomach. Emma gave him two large bottles of Gatorade, a couple of aspirin, and sent him straight to bed. Watching the clock, Emma wished, not just the day, but the entire week would hurry up and end.

Beginning of October

Ten days after Officer Scott Raines was named interim chief, a grand total of three officers were still healthy enough to come to work. Their boss occasionally called in but he was deteriorating rapidly. The station had been so chaotic that Raines hadn’t had the chance to check on his partner. They last spoke on the rookie’s first day of sick leave.

Raines’ wife, Carla, had been kind enough to take a container of her famous chicken soup and a bulk-sized package of Nyquil over to Kepler’s apartment, but that was over a week ago. She’d said the kid looked pretty bad off but he’d insisted it would pass in a few days.

Guilt nagged at Interim Chief Raines; it had been far too long since he’d seen his partner. He was supposed to be looking out for the rookie. Finding a few spare minutes, he decided to drive to Kepler’s apartment. Raines had barely made it out of the parking lot before a call came in.

“What now?” he sighed.

Since there was no one else available, Raines confirmed he was on the way. With lights flashing and the siren blaring, he raced to the latest calamity.

A typically quiet residential area was bustling with activity. The flu had spread so rapidly that the Board of Education decided to close school until the threat had passed. As Raines entered the development, a group of school children romping in a nearby yard shrieked. At first glance, it appeared the kids were playing and enjoying their impromptu vacation. As he pulled the cruiser closer, he spotted the blood and reevaluated the situation. The flashing lights frightened some of the children so they ran.

“Freeze!”

Unlike hardened criminals, most of the children actually obeyed. The only exception was a pair of youngsters who had an older boy pinned down. Raines stepped in to pull the bloodied kids apart and, by lifting them by the scruffs of their necks, he was able to catch a glimpse of the boy underneath.

As a seasoned professional, he had been confident he had seen it all, but the fury unleashed by such small children surprised him. The preteen sobbing on the ground looked like he had been skinned alive.

The two kids in his arms thrashed and squirmed, still trying to reach their victim. News reports about bath salt abusers had flooded the airwaves and Raines had personally apprehended a few, but young children weren’t typically drug addicts. It was beyond his scope of reasoning that they were literally eating someone alive.

“Okay, I want you kids to get your parents and bring them here, right now!” His official police business voice sent the children scurrying. After placing the two attackers in the backseat of his cruiser, Officer Raines called for ambulances which—considering the circumstances—arrived quickly.

The EMTs loaded the victim and his parents into one ambulance. The bloody attackers were restrained and strapped to litters before being loaded into another ambulance. As expected, many of the parents insisted on having their lawyers present before their children were questioned. He mandated a time for the youths, guardians, and lawyers to come to the station to give statements. Once all had been dealt with, Raines left the scene hoping he’d actually get to check on his partner this time.

***

Managing to arrive at his partner’s home with no new calls to respond to, he knocked on Kepler’s door and waited for a response. When none came, he knocked again, louder. Raines pressed his ear against the door and listened closely. Thinking he heard a crash inside the apartment, he forced his way inside. The air inside Kepler’s dank apartment was stagnant and a putrid stench assaulted his senses.

“Hey, Kepler! You okay, kid?”

Blinking, he tried to adapt his eyes to the darkness caused by the light-blocking shades throughout the apartment. A wheezing groan accompanied by the sound of shuffling feet came from the bedroom and Raines assumed the rookie was coming out to greet him. In the dark, he could barely see the outline of his partner staggering toward him. Kepler tripped over the cord to his laptop, scattering dirty dishes and used tissues as he landed face down on the coffee table. Officer Raines clicked on the lamp then reached out to help his friend. What reached back was definitely not his partner.

The gray-green pallor of Kepler’s cold skin shrouded heavy-lidded, vacant eyes completely devoid of humanity. For the first time in his professional career, Officer Scott Raines was truly terrified. The monster that had once been his partner had a vice-like grip on his arm. In seconds, it had buried its teeth deep into Scott’s cheek and shredded the flesh from his skull. Shrieks of agony and pleas for mercy fell on compassionless ears. The cries continued until the victim’s tongue was torn from his mouth.

The only sounds remaining were slurping, chewing, and crunching.

***

As usual, Evan greeted Matt and Emma in the school’s parking lot on Monday morning. Walking hand-in-hand, Lincoln High’s newest couple was again met with whispers and stares. Emma rolled her eyes, wondering when they would finally get used to seeing her and Evan together. Oddly, it seemed like everywhere they went people were pointing and snickering. All through lunch Emma had the distinct impression that she and Evan were being scrutinized.

Before heading to class, she and Evan chatted with Matt in the lobby outside the cafeteria when Whitney and her usual entourage sauntered over to join them. Emma did little to mask her displeasure and Whitney viewed it as a green light to launch her attack.

In his intoxicated state, Matt had let it slip that he was the reason Emma and Evan were together. The partygoers heard the entire story; specifically how, in exchange for dating his sister, Matt had paid to get Evan’s car fixed. The entire locker room conversation, including the bets, had been relayed too. Still seething over Emma’s “insipid eyes” crack, Whitney was dying for a chance to get even and Matt had given her the ammunition for her chance. She and her pals made sure everyone knew that Matt had paid Evan to ask Emma out. Everyone except Emma, and that was about to change. Whitney’s sickeningly-sweet smile was plastered on her face but her eyes shone bright with malice.

“Well, I for one think you’re really brave, Emma. I mean, walking around as if it doesn’t bother you. I’d die of embarrassment but I guess we’re
very
different.” Whitney’s syrupy voice oozed fake kindness.

“As if what doesn’t bother me?”

“Wait, you don’t know? You mean no one’s told you?” Jessica piped in on cue.

“Told me what?” Emma asked as her eyes narrowed on the group.

“That the only reason Evan is with you is because Matt is paying him.” Whitney and Jessica bore triumphant smirks.

Emma was about to dismiss the entire thing as ridiculous until she noticed the combination of guilt and horror written all over Matt and Evan’s faces. Emma’s stomach churned and she gasped for air. Like sharks sensing blood in the water, the feeding frenzy began.

“I’m so sorry you had to hear it this way,” Whitney cooed, “but it’s true. Matt told us the whole story Saturday night.”

“Yeah, your brother thinks you’re such a loser that you’d never find a date on your own so he had all of his friends ask you out. When you shot them down, he had to pay Evan—a lot—to agree to ask you out.”

Jessica’s embellishments hit Emma like a ton of bricks and her eyes welled with tears. Still angry with Evan for stealing Emma, Tyler decided to share more.

“It’s true, Emma. Evan bet a bunch of us that he could get you to go out with him. He made two hundred dollars because you said yes. But just so you know, I asked you out because I like you, Em. Not for money.” Tyler was hoping his honesty would earn him points later.

“So Evan, would they have paid you more if she put out?” Whitney taunted.

Evan and Matt were dumbfounded. Matt didn’t remember telling anyone about his arrangement with Evan but, then again, he didn’t remember much from Saturday night.

The bell rang and teachers shooed their students off to class. Emma was still frozen, desperately wishing the floor would open up and swallow her. Evan reached over and touched her arm, but she jerked it away as if he were on fire.

“Emma, please, it’s not what you think.”

“Alright, everyone get to class!” the closest teacher commanded.

As the group started to disperse, Emma’s legs finally obeyed. She teetered down the hall and Evan started after her.

“Mr. Stone, your class is this way. Move it!” Mr. Turner called after him.

Evan had no choice but to turn around and head to his class. He was in enough trouble at home and Mr. Turner would call his parents.

Resisting the urge to run, Emma walked briskly in the opposite direction. She did not, however, turn into her classroom. Instead, she continued walking down the hall, out the door, and through the parking lot. With tears streaming down her face, she took off running from the school’s property. She didn’t stop until she reached her front door. Once she reached the safety of her own bedroom, her knees buckled and she fell to the floor sobbing.

***

The instant the bell rang, Evan dashed out of his classroom to search for Emma. Having the same idea, Matt raced through the crowded halls hoping to spot her. Christy volunteered to check the girls’ bathrooms but Emma wasn’t there either. Risking dire consequences, Matt skipped football practice to search for Emma. He knew his coach would be furious and later he’d pay dearly, but for now he had to find his sister. Evan was torn; if he didn’t go straight home after school his parents would kill him, but Emma’s pain was breaking his heart.

Matt pushed him toward his car. “Just go home, Evan. I’ll fix it. I promise.”

***

Emma was curled up in a ball on the floor crying when she heard their car coming down the street. Hours had passed and school was over. Unable to face Matt, she locked her bedroom door. He had always been her rock; an anchor while adrift in a sea of cruel taunts by classmates and Jillian. When the other kids made fun of her, calling her a nerd or a geek, Matt had always defended her. He’d always been her best and oftentimes only friend, but now he had finally turned on her. Deep down, she’d always feared he would.

She opened her music library and cranked up the volume. She wouldn’t give Matt the satisfaction of hearing her sob like a little girl. She had determined that Matt and Whitney planned her humiliating scene together and, of course, Evan was in on the scheme. Still, she couldn’t decide who had betrayed her more, Matt or Evan.

“But he said he loved me,” Emma scoffed bitterly. “Yup, sounds just as pathetic when I say it.” She laughed hysterically while fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

As Matt got out of the car he was greeted with the angry, gravelly voice of the lead singer to one of one of Emma’s favorite bands growling about how much people suck. Matt drew in a sharp breath, realizing she had not chosen the censored version. Scanning the street, he breathed a sigh of relief. Most of the neighbors were still at work so there was no one to complain. He dashed upstairs and crashed into Emma’s door. Groaning, he rubbed his jarred shoulder.

“Since when do you lock your door? C’mon, Em, open up!”

The sound of his voice released a fresh wave of tears and Emma turned the music up even louder. She quickly generated a new playlist to speak for her. Matt hadn’t seen her cry since their mother’s death and Emma wasn’t about to let that change. She cued songs of rage and betrayal to mask her tearful agony.

Not willing to accept defeat, Matt went in search of paper and a pen. He scrawled
Emma, please open the door. We need to talk. It’s not what you think
on the page and shoved it under the door. Emma snatched up the paper and, without looking at it, tore it to shreds then stuffed it back through the gap.

“Emma, I know you can hear me. Open the door! Please, just listen to me.”

Emma cued her playlist to replay over and over—just in case he missed her meaning the first time.

***

Evan had rushed home. It was risky but he decided to beg his dad for permission to call Emma. He hoped, after explaining what happened at school, he’d get a brief reprieve just to set the record straight. Evan was desperate to mend their budding relationship as soon as possible.

The pained looked on Emma’s face still haunted him as he burst through the front door. Evan found his mother sitting in the kitchen; her eyes red and swollen as if she’d been crying.

“Evan, I’m going to need your help around here. Your father was deployed today,” she said curtly.

“What? Where?” he asked, shocked by the news. He couldn’t remember the last time his dad was actually deployed.

“I don’t know. They told him it was classified. He had an hour to pack and return to the base. They didn’t even give him time to say goodbye to you and Lucy.”

Evan gave his mom a hug then decided to take a gamble. He asked for permission to call Emma but only succeeded in angering his mother.

Before he could explain, she cut him off. “Not another word! Evan, you have chores to do. Go now or I’ll add those six weeks back on.”

Evan let out a heavy sigh and hoped Matt was having better luck than he was.