Only The Dead Don't Die Read Online Free PDF Page B

visit. She should drive to Pinole tomorrow and take her sister to lunch before her classes started next week.
    With renewed conviction, Scarlett scrambled to the garage and absentmindedly tapped the garage door button. Nothing happened. “Duh, power’s out,” she mocked, flicking the side of her head with her fingers. Now that’s just flippin’ great! She had no idea how to open the garage door. Of course, there’s a way to open the door manually in the event of a power outage; Kevin had opened the door before, but she hadn’t paid any attention.
    She ran back into the dark garage with a flashlight and examined the garage door contraption. “How the . . . what’s this?” She tugged on the cord. “Viola.” Light flooded into the garage as she manually opened the door. She did it, and she didn’t even have to call Kevin and ask for help. There I go again. Forget him, besides I don’t have a phone; therefore, I can’t call him—you dingbat.
    Determined to get back to the real world, to fight back the dark cloud of depression that had settled in her head like a dreary, early morning fog, she sped off in her cute, red KIA Forte Koup, a car a teacher’s salary could afford. Turning out of the complex, she instantly felt a renewed zest for life, an empowerment of sorts—the confidence and courage to live her life without a man.
    “No traffic, not a single car,” she muttered, an uneasiness began to creep in again until she turned on Washington Boulevard, a main thoroughfare. That’s more like it. Scarlett never thought she’d be so happy to see traffic. Both directions of the intersection were stuck in a massive quagmire as the traffic signal ahead flashed red, reminding her that the power was out; she automatically took her foot off the gas, in no hurry to become part of the gridlock. When she finally did catch up to the traffic jam, she preoccupied herself with positive thoughts: her new students and fellow teachers, the first week’s lessons and . . . did she dare say it? A life without Kevin. Stop thinking about him!
    She sipped at the water bottle and noticed the traffic hadn’t moved. Usually, cars or rather their impatient drivers inched forward every few seconds or so. And, even stranger, a glance in the review mirror revealed no vehicles had pulled up behind her. She loathed those annoying tailgaters that bullied her to inch forward as close to the bumper in front of her allowed, leaving only inches between bumpers.
    No longer self-absorbed with her own selfish thoughts, she examined the intersection and noticed that several vehicles ahead of her weren’t facing the right direction. “Now what?” she muttered under her breath. Vehicles were facing all sorts of directions. Upon closer inspection, the scene appeared rather odd, for many of the vehicles’ doors were open. That’s when she noticed that all the cars appeared to be driverless. She didn’t see a single person. She assumed everyone was checking out the scene of the accident. Hmm, did the accident just happen? She hadn’t heard any sirens yet.
    Should she back up and try a different route? Curiosity won, she stepped out of the car, hesitated a moment, then walked towards the intersection, not so much to find the actual accident, but to see where everyone had gone.
    Besides the smell of smoke, a putrid odor lingered in the hot afternoon air, strong enough to make her gag as she wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Jeez Louise,” She pulled her blouse over her nose and continued walking between the driverless vehicles.
    She paused a few seconds before passing a Toyota Camry, all four doors and the hood and trunk were open. She stepped over a purse and started to retrieve it when she noticed several suitcases on the pavement ahead. All kinds of items were scattered about the street. She saw a laptop, a cell phone, a doll, and several plastic bags of groceries. It was like the drivers decided to have some sort of impromptu yard sale in the