flirted with them. I chopped vegetables and listened.
“ It’s a pleasure to see new faces, especially such pretty ones. Where are you ladies from?” Fes asked.
“ I was working in a club in Las Vegas when the zombies hit,” Ashleigh said. “We met Jake and Maureen on the road in a town called Echo Springs.”
“ But we started out in Red Lodge, Montana,” Maureen continued. “When the zombies attacked, Jake and I drove up into the mountains. We thought maybe we’d be safe in the wilderness until things got back to normal. So we camped in Yellowstone for a while, but when the weather started to get colder we realized we couldn’t keep hiding out there. The day we saw zombies attacking a buffalo we knew it was time to move on.”
“ A buffalo? Seriously?” Fes said. “Damn. I’ve seen them eat small wild game or dogs but trying to bring down a buffalo. That’s desperate.”
“ They weren’t very successful.” Maureen laughed as he put a lid on the pot of soup and turned down the gas. “The thing tossed its head and sent ’em flying. Then it charged and trampled some of them underfoot.”
The mental image brought back too many memories for me to join in the laughter. No matter how many zombies I killed, I could never forget they’d been real people once. Maybe it was easier when the undead were strangers, but most of the ones I’d faced were folks I knew.
“ It seems pretty quiet around here. Not too many undead.” Ashleigh took a hunk of cheese from the mini-fridge and began to cut it.
“ No,” Fes agreed. “After we fought off the attack and built the wall, it’s been mostly clean-up. We come across a couple here or there, mostly locals, although lately we’re seeing more strangers.”
“ It must be hard to kill people you know,” Ashleigh echoed what I’d been thinking. “I don’t know if I could do it.”
“ If they’re coming at you, you can take down just about anyone.” I sliced through a stalk of celery that was a little limp and lifeless but still edible.
Fes pushed off the counter and finally began making himself useful, taking beers from the cooler he’d brought and popping the tops. “But we’re not killing anybody because they’re already dead. That’s what you have to remember to keep yourself sane.” He handed the bottles of barely cool beer to the two women. “Have either of you had the vaccine?”
Ashleigh shook her head. “We haven’t been near any distribution centers. Daylon’s convinced it’s not safe, but I think we would’ve found out by now if the vaccine is flawed like the A7 cure was.”
“’ Flawed’ that’s a kind word for it.” I didn’t mean to sound so bitter, but the near destruction of the world because of rushed testing pissed me off a little bit. Frustration led to a case of the “if onlys” which I usually tried to avoid. If only the scientists had waited a little longer, checked the results a little more carefully, they would have known the blood of subjects treated with the anti-A7 drug had mutated. If only a better system of checks and balances had been in place. If only the government hadn’t gotten involved and pushed the drug through, making it available at hospitals nationwide. If only those who initially recovered from A7 hadn’t relapsed, died and turned into flesh-eating monsters who in turn infected others. If only no one from Durbinville had returned home from the hospital with their blood already changing. If only I hadn’t had to cut off the heads of my undead mother before she ate me.
“ If onlys” could drive you crazy if you let them.
Daylon and Jake returned from the neighboring houses and soon there was a party going on my kitchen with feasting on lukewarm beer and slightly stale chips. Fes entertained everyone with stories of his football glory days. Then the talk turned to great games in NFL history which pretty much excluded me from the
“ It’s a pleasure to see new faces, especially such pretty ones. Where are you ladies from?” Fes asked.
“ I was working in a club in Las Vegas when the zombies hit,” Ashleigh said. “We met Jake and Maureen on the road in a town called Echo Springs.”
“ But we started out in Red Lodge, Montana,” Maureen continued. “When the zombies attacked, Jake and I drove up into the mountains. We thought maybe we’d be safe in the wilderness until things got back to normal. So we camped in Yellowstone for a while, but when the weather started to get colder we realized we couldn’t keep hiding out there. The day we saw zombies attacking a buffalo we knew it was time to move on.”
“ A buffalo? Seriously?” Fes said. “Damn. I’ve seen them eat small wild game or dogs but trying to bring down a buffalo. That’s desperate.”
“ They weren’t very successful.” Maureen laughed as he put a lid on the pot of soup and turned down the gas. “The thing tossed its head and sent ’em flying. Then it charged and trampled some of them underfoot.”
The mental image brought back too many memories for me to join in the laughter. No matter how many zombies I killed, I could never forget they’d been real people once. Maybe it was easier when the undead were strangers, but most of the ones I’d faced were folks I knew.
“ It seems pretty quiet around here. Not too many undead.” Ashleigh took a hunk of cheese from the mini-fridge and began to cut it.
“ No,” Fes agreed. “After we fought off the attack and built the wall, it’s been mostly clean-up. We come across a couple here or there, mostly locals, although lately we’re seeing more strangers.”
“ It must be hard to kill people you know,” Ashleigh echoed what I’d been thinking. “I don’t know if I could do it.”
“ If they’re coming at you, you can take down just about anyone.” I sliced through a stalk of celery that was a little limp and lifeless but still edible.
Fes pushed off the counter and finally began making himself useful, taking beers from the cooler he’d brought and popping the tops. “But we’re not killing anybody because they’re already dead. That’s what you have to remember to keep yourself sane.” He handed the bottles of barely cool beer to the two women. “Have either of you had the vaccine?”
Ashleigh shook her head. “We haven’t been near any distribution centers. Daylon’s convinced it’s not safe, but I think we would’ve found out by now if the vaccine is flawed like the A7 cure was.”
“’ Flawed’ that’s a kind word for it.” I didn’t mean to sound so bitter, but the near destruction of the world because of rushed testing pissed me off a little bit. Frustration led to a case of the “if onlys” which I usually tried to avoid. If only the scientists had waited a little longer, checked the results a little more carefully, they would have known the blood of subjects treated with the anti-A7 drug had mutated. If only a better system of checks and balances had been in place. If only the government hadn’t gotten involved and pushed the drug through, making it available at hospitals nationwide. If only those who initially recovered from A7 hadn’t relapsed, died and turned into flesh-eating monsters who in turn infected others. If only no one from Durbinville had returned home from the hospital with their blood already changing. If only I hadn’t had to cut off the heads of my undead mother before she ate me.
“ If onlys” could drive you crazy if you let them.
Daylon and Jake returned from the neighboring houses and soon there was a party going on my kitchen with feasting on lukewarm beer and slightly stale chips. Fes entertained everyone with stories of his football glory days. Then the talk turned to great games in NFL history which pretty much excluded me from the
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