“Don't you dare,” I said, squeezing his T-shirt out.
“I wasn't going to say anything.”
“Yeah right, you always have some dirty comment to say to me.”
He laughed and walked into the bedroom, and came back with my toothbrush and toothpaste. Lane
did have his own last month, but Lane being Lane had managed to lose his toothbrush, and now he
was back to sharing mine. After he was finished he went back into the bedroom and reappeared
wearing a T-shirt, holding a clean vest out to me. I pulled it on, then hung our clothes over the
shower curtain rail to drip dry. I squeezed out some toothpaste and started brushing my teeth. Lane
was still hovering by the door.
“You don't want kids?”
“You were listening?” I said, with a mouthful of spit and toothpaste. I spat into the sink and looked
at him in the bathroom mirror.
“Yes, I was listening.” He crossed his arms.
“I'm nineteen, Lane, living in a world full of zombies, my main priority is keeping us alive, we don't
need to complicate the situation.”
“What about in the future?”
“What about the future?”
“Will you ever want kids?”
“I don't know. I've already told you how I feel about it. Ask me again in ten years... if I'm still here.
Why are we even having this conversation? Are you pregnant?” I joked, before splashing water on
my face.
“You can't even be bothered to tell people I'm your girlfriend, but you want to discuss having kids
with me?”
“I just want you to be honest about the way you feel about me.”
“You're important to me.” I said.
“Important?”
“Lane, I'm tired, you're tired, I don't want to get into a fight before bed.”
I dried my face, edged passed him and climbed into bed. Lane crossed the room and dug around in
his bag, pulling out the duct tape.
“You really need some new shoes.” I said, watching him patch the inside of his hi-tops.
“I like these.” he said.
“Yes, but you get soggy feet from all the holes. I've gone through seven pairs of shoes since I left
home.”
“Since you left home?” Lane queried me.
We never talked about
home
.
I turned onto my side, facing away from him. He blew out the candle and crawled into bed behind
me. A few minutes later I felt him gently tugging on my hair.
“What's wrong? You've been different today. Is it because we gave Thom and Crystal a lift?”
“No.” I replied.
“Is this because I smoked pot?”
“No. Where did he even get pot from?”
“They found it inside a house they took shelter in.”
I didn't respond and he pinged the hem of my panties.
“Oww!” I said, moving away.
“Alley, I know you, I know there's something else bothering you. What is it?” he asked, moving
closer, stroking my arm.
“I just can't believe you never told me you have a brother.” I said, rolling onto my back to see him,
it was dark, but I could still see his outline.
“That's what's upset you?”
“I just don't get why you didn't mention it before.”
“Does it matter? You keep things from me.”
“What things?”
“You never did tell me what happened to you, before I found you. I don't even know where you
were staying when it all went manic.”
“Why do you want to know?”
“Probably for the same reason you want to know stuff about me, because I know deep down you
care about me, even if you pretend you don't.”
“What's your brother's name?” I asked.
“His name is Nick, he would be twenty-nine now. He was always the smart one... the amazing Dr.
Walker. We still had contact with him before everything went down.”
“That's not true, you're really smart when it comes to Math and working things out, maybe not so
much at killing zombies and surviving the apocalypse.”
“Well, Nick was way smarter, the golden child, I was always a disappointment to my parents.”
“Not to me,” I said, rubbing my fingers over his stubbly jaw.
“Your turn.” he said.
“My turn for what?”
“I told you about my brother and I already told you what happened to my parents, but you've never
told me what happened to you and your parents before.”
It took me a few moments to work up enough courage to tell him.
“I stayed in our hometown.”
“You didn't leave?”
“No, where would I go? I had no other family anywhere. My mom and dad were all I had. My mom
was pregnant at the time...”
“What happened?”
“It wasn't too bad at the start when the virus first started spreading, we just stocked up with food
and stayed indoors watching the reports on TV. But then we lost the TV and radio broadcasting, and
didn't know what was happening in the rest of world, we only knew what was happening in our
street. More and more zombies started popping up, and my dad turned our house into what he liked
to call
The House Of Horrors
, he set up traps and things like that, and the three of us lived in the
basement. ”
“And?”
I chewed on my lip and quickly rubbed a tear away that was trying to escape.
“What happened to your parents, Alex?”
“There's not really much to tell, we managed to survive for five months like that... and then our luck
ran out. I was asleep when it happened, my dad and I used to take turns sleeping in shifts. I woke up
in the night to a lot of noise coming from upstairs, dad was gone, I suppose he thought he could
handle it on his own. But it wasn't just one or two zombies, five got inside in one go, and our ammo
was running really low at this point. I remember hearing shots, then dad screaming, then my mom
screaming because dad was screaming. I grabbed a gun and went up to help him, against my mom's
wishes. I told her to stay.... she never listens....”
I let out a shaky breath before I continued.
“My dad had already been attacked and bitten but was still alive. I became distracted taking out the
last two zombies, at least, I thought it was the last two. Another two had wandered in and must have
seen mom and followed her downstairs. The basement door was open, and I'd left it shut, so unless
they figured out how to work doorknobs I guess mom must have come up to see what was going on
and got chased back downstairs.”
I rubbed my eyes and sucked in a breath.
“Then what?”
“Then my dad ordered me downstairs to see what was happening with my mother. I found her at the
bottom of the stairs, and the two zombies were feeding off her. I think she tripped, she was always
losing her footing on the stairs into the basement. I shot them, but it was too late, my mom was...
she was already gone. I went back upstairs and told my dad she was fine and then I sat with him
until he died.”
“I'm so sorry, Alex. I had no idea.”
“I buried them in the back garden the next day, and the day after that everything went back to the
way it was before, only I was alone. I stayed there for another three months, I raided other homes
and went back to mine every night, but I couldn't stay, the number of zombies was only growing
and I was running out of places to look for food.”
Lane leaned up on his elbow close to me.
“I packed up and started walking and I never looked back. I found a few places to stay on my
travels, but they never lasted long, as soon as the
safe
place was attacked people ran and I did the
same. That went on for eight months and then you found me.”
“We found each other.” Lane said, lying down next to me.
I rolled onto my side so I was facing him.
“You're my family now.” Lane said, stroking his thumb down my cheek.
We stayed that way for I don't know how long, in the dark, talking to one another and sharing happy
childhood memories, until we eventually fell asleep in each other's arms.
“You guys up yet?” Thom called.
I opened my eyes and rubbed the sleep from them.
“Lane? Alex?”
“Yeah, we're up,” I called back to get him to stop shouting and knocking.
I tried to roll onto my back but Lane was flush against me.
“Hellooo,” Lane said, looping his arm around my waist.
“I thought we were going to get a lay in? Five more minutes, then we'll get up.” I said, yawning,
closing my eyes again.
“No chance,” he said, moving my hair aside and kissing my neck.
A shiver coursed through me, one that took my breath away.
“Have you got five minutes for something else?” he asked, his hand finding its way under my vest
top.
“Maybe, but we can't be too loud, we have company, remember?”
Lane chuckled and was already slipping my panties down.
Approximately eleven minutes later, Lane and I were taking turns in the bathtub. The washing part
only took a few minutes, the water was cold and we cleaned ourselves down in record time. Then
Crystal came knocking on the door, wanting to know what we were having for breakfast.
Downstairs, we found them in the kitchen, they'd removed the barricades, and opened the drapes
and blinds to let the light in.
“Morning, all.” Thom greeted us.
“Morning,” Lane and I replied.
I hated morning people. People that said morning in the mornings. Like I needed to be reminded it
was morning. I would have preferred it if he'd greeted us with
“ready to survive another day.”
“Did you sleep well?” Lane asked them.
Why did he care? Was he genuinely interested or just being friendly? And why was I in such a bad
mood this morning?
Oh, yeah, because we ran into these two morons.
I wanted to get back on the road as soon as possible. I didn't like the idea of sticking around with
the town so nearby. I packed mine and Lane's stuff and he unlocked the van for Thom to load their
stuff back in.
We were back on the road in twenty minutes after everyone had used the bathroom. I had my usual
cookie and water breakfast on the go. I had to share it, though. In the van, I sat in-between Lane and
Thom, and Crystal stayed in the back with Ozma. Thom kept leaning behind me to talk to Crystal
which was annoying me no end. I found myself scooting closer to Lane.
An unexpected gas station appeared in front, I hadn't noticed a sign for it anywhere along the road.
Lane slowed the van down and rolled to a stop near a gas pump.
At first glances, all looked quiet.
“See any zombies?” Crystal yelled.
I'll rephrase that, all was quiet except Crystal's loud mouth.
“Hmm, no zombies,” Thom said.
“No, but there could be a posse round back.” I said.
I handed Lane his bat and picked up my golf club. Thom jumped out and slammed the door.
“Seriously!” I whispered so Crystal wouldn't hear me.
I scowled and looked at Lane, he could tell I was pissed with these two already. I nudged him out
the door and he quietly closed the door after me. Thom opened the back of the van, and Crystal
climbed out with Ozma in her arms.
“Um, no, I think you should leave her in the van.” I said.
I was surprised I needed to tell her this. It was common sense. We didn't know what was inside.
She frowned at me, then gave me a weird look that basically said: “this is my child I can do what I
want”. I tried a different approach and turned to Thom, hoping he could talk some sense into her.
“Maybe you should leave her in the van, babe.”
“But she'll get lonely,” Crystal said.
“We're only going to be five minutes, I think it would be safer for her. If we run into any zombies,
you may have to run, so it would be better if you weren't carrying her.” Lane said.
Lane telling her what to do seemed to do the trick. He did have that sort of authority vibe in his
deep voice.
Crystal put Ozma back inside the van and handed her a few toys and a cardboard book from her
bag. But Ozma wasn't interested in any of the toys, she was already pulling candles out from a box.
I didn't care what she messed up in the back, I just wanted to get inside the gas station and get out
again, without dawdling.
“I'm just going to check around back.” Lane said, with his hand on my back talking to me.
Thom closed the van doors and I watched Lane disappear around the back of the building. I hated it
when we split up. I always felt uneasy. Thom was at the windows jumping up and down trying to
see into the store.
Very inconspicuous.
I past Thom (who was still jumping around like an idiot) and opened the door. The bell dinged
above the door and I paused. Nothing inside the store moved. I walked in, holding the door open for
Crystal. I would have preferred Crystal to have waited in the van with Ozma as well. Ozma was
probably confused and scared, wondering why she'd been left on her own.
My boots crunched over broken glass, and blood spots were dotted all over the floor. Thom walked
in and straight away knocked over a stand of magazines, that went crashing to the floor. We both
glared at him.
“Sorry!” he whispered, standing the magazine rack back up, which seemed a pretty pointless thing
to do.
In and out.
I thought.
I left Thom and Crystal and crunched my way over to the counter, and lifted myself over, and was
pleased to find what I was looking for. Grocery bags.
I handed one to each of them and told them to find what they could.
I then hurried to the back of the store and searched the shelves. The place was a mess, most of the
food items were gone, but there were still a couple of things worth taking.
Band-Aids, toothpaste, batteries, dishwashing liquid, soap bars.
I met Crystal in the small baby section and grabbed two packs of baby wipes. Crystal was doing the
same, and Thom had a packet of diapers under his arm.
I spotted two tins of powdered milk.
“Good thing Ozma doesn't need any of that.” Crystal said before walking back out with Thom. I
found a couple of packets of jelly sweets, I wouldn't eat them, but I knew someone else would.
I met up with Crystal and Thom back at the van. Lane was still missing.
“Where's Lane?” I asked, offloading my bag into the back.
“Don't know, he hasn't come back.” Thom said, sitting beside Crystal on the edge of the van.
I looked back at the gas station. A wave on panic washed over me. Where was he? Why hadn't I
gone with him?
“Stay here,” I said, before jogging the same way I had last seen Lane heading.
I gripped the golf club tightly with clammy hands. I passed a disgusting dumpster that made me
want to gag, and in front I saw a large truck and another van, but no Lane.
I spun around, my heart drumming loudly in my ears.
“Lane...?” I called in the quietest voice I could.
The fire exit was open, had Lane gone in through the fire exit to find us?
I started walking toward the fire exit... when I heard shuffling on the ground behind me.
Lane slid in-between the two vehicles, he had a large jerry-can and tubes in one hand and his bat in
the other.
“I was looking for you,” I said relieved.
“I told you I was going to check around back.” He lifted the jerry-can up to show me.
“Got what I could. Did you find anything good inside?”
“A couple of things, no food, not unless you count jelly sweets.”
“I love jelly sweets.” Lane said, pointing his bat in the direction of the van.
We walked back around the side of the building but stopped dead in our tracks when we saw a
zombie face diving into the dumpster.
It hadn't seen us, it was too busy filling its face with something inedible. It was male, and only
wearing a hospital gown.
We gingerly crept behind it and Lane nudged me along with his bat. I speed walked back to the van,
not wanting to create any extra noise. The back of the van was closed, I assumed Thom and Crystal
were already inside. Lane wedged the jerry-can on the floor in the front of the van and I climbed in
once he'd moved. He hurried around to the driver's side and jumped in beside me. He started the van
and I turned around and opened the hatch.
“Lane,”
He pulled off and I grabbed his arm.
“Lane, stop! Thom and Crystal are gone.”
“What!” He braked hard, and I jolted forward, he quickly stuck his arm in front of me, saving me
from hitting the dash. Then he turned around to see for himself and looked through the hatch while I
searched out the windows.
“Where are they?” he asked annoyed.
“I don't know. Turn the engine off.”
Lane grumbled and killed the engine. Ozma was still in the back making random noise, gurgling
and babbling to herself.
“Crystal said she needed the toilet when we were inside.” I said, opening the door.
“Alex, no, wait,” He pulled me back and I closed the door again.
We both waited patiently, hoping garbage-shit-diving-zombie wouldn't bother us.
“I see them in the side mirror, they're just crossing the road, I guess they went to use the bathroom
and go sightseeing.” I said, tapping the dash impatiently.
“Wait, what was that?” Lane asked.
“What was what?”
“I saw something in my side mirror, something just walked past the back of the van.”
“Of course it did. Nothing is ever simple.” I moaned.
I kept my eyes on the mirror, Thom and Crystal were strolling hand in hand with no weapon.
Another figure appeared in the mirror heading toward them, they started backing away and I threw
open the door.
“Alex!” Lane shouted.
“They've got no weapons.” I shouted back and took off toward them.
I heard the other door slam behind me, and within seconds, Lane had overtaken me and was in front
of me with his bat in his hand. I slowed down into a jog, Crystal and Thom were on the other side of
the road on the grassy verge as dumpster zombie shuffled toward them.
I heard a loud thud on the side of the van and looked over my shoulder to see a newbie running
straight at me, and it had brought its friends. I jumped out of the way and it ran past me, but stopped
when it realized I wasn't in front of it anymore.
I glanced at Lane and the others. He was taking care of the dumpster zombie while Thom and
Crystal huddled together at the side of the road.
The newbie turned its head around in a weird unnatural way. I backed away and looked over at the
other two it had brought along with it, they were both wearing hospital gowns. The newbie ran at
me and I swung the golf club, hitting it in the side of the head.
Clonk.
The end of the club smacked the zombie in the skull, it wobbled over, temporarily dazed. I just had
enough time to turn around and take a swing at the other one that was nearly upon me. Number
three was gone, but I didn't look for it, I hoped Lane would take care of it. I had my hands full with
these two.
I repeatedly whacked it on the head, this one was shorter which made it easier for me. After five hits
it backed off, just as the newbie screamed and ran at me. I ducked down and it stumbled over the
top of me and landed on the ground, I took another swing at its head, and it stayed down. Within
seconds, the other one lunged at me and I swung as hard as I could sending it sideways. The newbie
on the ground wouldn't stop screaming so I kicked it in the face, blood sprayed from its mouth as I
kicked it again and again, and stomped on its hands every time it tried to get up. I took another
swipe at the short one, blood dripped down its face, but it seemed relentless to give up. I really
wished I had the bat, using the golf club took twice as long. Better still, I wished I still had my chair
leg with attached kitchen utensils.
With the next hit, I heard a loud crack and the short zombie gurgled and fell over. The newbie was
still on the ground, and it was still very much alive. It became angry and clawed at my legs and
gnashed its teeth. I moved back and aimed at its skull, causing significant damage this time. When it
had stopped moving I turned my attention back to the other one that was dragging itself along the
ground, away from me, like it had forgotten how to use its legs, well, I had bashed its skull in
repeatedly. I let it go and searched for the others.
Thom had picked up a branch and was beating a zombie away, with Crystal hiding behind him. I
started to run toward them, but my eyes were still looking for Lane.
He was hand tackling a zombie to the ground.
I didn't think twice and ran toward Lane. His bat was discarded on the road a few feet away from
him. He had the zombie on the ground with his hands around its neck, choking the life out of it
while bashing its head against the ground, he had his hoodie on so I wasn't too worried about the
zombie grabbing at his arms. Another two were making their way over to him, but he hadn't noticed
them yet. I swapped weapons and swung the bat at the first, smashing it in the side of the face,
while it was still recovering from the impact I stomped my boot into the back of its leg and it went
down to its knees. I hit it in the back of the head and it fell onto its front. I could see Lane had
finished with his zombie and was going for the golf club so I left the zombie to Lane and prepared
for the next one that was coming at me, wearing another hospital gown.
What the hell?
It was a short overweight female, covered head to toe in dirt, bare muddy feet, smelled rotten, with
fresh blood dripping from its mouth, and it had a hospital tag around its wrist. It got confused as I
dashed around it in a circle, it tried to follow and wobbled, and I swung at the back of its head. It let
out a gurgle which sounded like it was choking on its own saliva. I gave it a shove with my boot in
its butt, it wobbled forward three steps, where Lane was waiting with the golf club. He swung the
golf club into its face, it fell to the ground in seconds, and Lane finished it off, and stood with the
golf club over his shoulder the way
real
golfers stood after they had just hit the ball.
“What's with all the hospital outfits?” Lane asked.
“I don't know.” I panted, rushing over to him.
I grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the zombies.
“Where are they?” I asked, jogging passed the dead zombie Lane had choked-bashed, and the other
one Thom had taken care of.
We both heard screams coming from the other side of the van. Lane took off sprinting and I ran as
fast as I could. The back of the van was wide open. Ozma was still inside screaming her little lungs
out. Lane got there before me, looked inside the van then left it and went around the side. I hurried
to the van, but only Ozma was inside, she was sitting in the corner, crying loudly, and holding a tin
of soup.