I totally hold him to it.
Dan comes to see me the most, and gives me updates on Maria and vice versa. We talk sometimes about mom and dad and know we can’t stay here forever. They are out there somewhere, and probably doing what we’re doing, wondering if we’ll ever see each other again. We don’t talk much about those we’ve lost, and I like it that way. I know we will have to eventually, but for right now it hurts too much.
Gabe mostly comes to see me at night, when we can be alone for a longer period of time. He tells me about how Randy has this awesome weapon collection, and I think back to the crossbow. I definitely can’t wait to get out of this bed, just to check them out. He tells me he met this guy Noah, who’s in the army. Apparently, his sister lives in this building but Gabe has never met her. Noah doesn’t talk about her much, and Gabe doesn’t push him. They do talk a lot about how the infection of the dead started though.
And believe it or not, it was the cold immunization shots.
Go figure right?
One night a couple days later, after finally getting that shower that was promised. I’m just finishing getting into a pair of silk jammies from Kelli, when there is a knock on the door. I have to walk over to it slowly, since I’m still a little unsteady on me feet. Gabe is on the other side, and I can’t hold back the smile as I open the door. In a fast approved tradition, we sit on the bed together and talk about things. But tonight’s topic hits a little close to home. He tells me that Noah has been talking about the places that people were evacuated to. He says that there is a good chance that’d we’d make it to them if we wanted to go searching for our families.
He finally tells Gabe that his sister is there, probably looking for him, like he is for her. He has a car and is planning on leaving, but would be willing to take some of us with him if we wanted to go. Hearing this is like music to my ears, to be able to find my mom and dad. I would give anything to be able to be held in my mother’s arms and to have her tell me everything is alright. And Gabe knows this, that’s why he’s telling me. He doesn’t really have any other reason to go off on a search mission. My heart swell at the thought of him caring so deeply for me, and I can feel tears in my eyes.
“
Hey, don’t cry Mags, please.” He leans over and wipes my tears before they fall down my cheeks with his fingertips.
“
It’s just; I want to find my parents so badly it hurts.” I say as I take his hand in mine and place our entwined hands between us on the bed.
“
I know that’s why I told Noah that we’d go with him. We leave the day after tomorrow.” He says with a smile.
I can’t hold back my own smile, but it falters. How can we just leave, after finally having a safe place to sleep and knowing the dead can’t get inside past the storm proof security doors? I feel terror trying to push its way up inside me, and I can’t hold back the shiver as I think back to everything that has already happen in such a short time.
Am I really prepared to sacrifice more, on something so uncertain?
Seeing my hesitation, Gabe leans into me so that our foreheads are touching.
“
I promise you Maggie, that I won’t let anything happen to you. And one way or another we will find your parents and anyone else. I won’t stop until we do. You have my word.” He whispers the last thing, and his face comes closer to mine.
Sighing, I know then that it’s worth it to take this chance.
If we don’t, then what do we have to live for? Feeling Gabe smile so close to my lips, I know he understands that I came to my decision. I raise my arms so that I can touch his hair, and I run my fingers through his long dark waves. He places his hands on either side of my cheeks and pulls me the final distance to his lips. Our lips touch so lightly at first, and then everything that we’ve waited for comes to light, and we both deepen it at the same time. Coming up for air, we are both out of breathe and shaking.
We lay down then, and being held in Gabe’s arms I fall asleep knowing there is hope for the future.
Chapter Thirty Three
I stare out into the horde of the dead before me and I try not to be afraid. Gabe is standing beside me, and he gives me courage. They shuffle about one another, waiting and forever searching. The illusion that they are weak, linger around them. But I know better. They thrive on the need to kill, to feed, and to infect. They almost come alive with it, making them quick on the hunt. Just one person out in the open, lures them in like fish to bait. Our flesh and blood call out to them and we suffer for it. One day I know I may succumb to it as well, and I try to make peace with that.
But I know one thing for sure. It won’t be today.
Today we live on, and we fight. See, we have something those things don’t have; perseverance. And the will to fight for what is ours.
All we have to do is stay alive.
It’s been a day and a half since Gabe and I talked about leaving the apartments to go in search of our families. Surprisingly, we’re not the only ones that wanted to accompany Noah. And I have to smile as I think back to the morning after; we could barely wait to talk to the others. We ran into Claire first, who was asleep on the couch and told her our plan. She was a little leery while listening, but like me she wants to find her parents. Now, I turn to her on my left and she reaches for my hand. I hang on to her. We both squeeze as if our lives depended on it and in a way…they kind of do.
Sam had come out of the bathroom right after talking to Claire, and he knew right away something was up. Claire all excited told him we’re leaving, and asked him to come. I can’t know for sure, but I swear his cheeks got a little pink before he went to his sleeping bag on the other side of the room. I lean over Claire and peer at Sam, and am glad he decided to come with us. He can be jumpy at times, but when it counts he comes through in the end.
All of us together went in search of Dan; he was sharing another room with Michael and Maria. She has been bed ridden like me, but she has more trouble moving around. Kelli managed to set her bone in the leg, but she has to be careful not to disturb it. They were already awake, but were quiet as we retold our plan. Dan got off the bed and stood in front of me, and told me to tell mom and dad that he loves them. I knew then that he wouldn’t be going. I should have known, with Maria and all. He goes up to Gabe next, and they do the awkward guy hug thing, but then he does the unthinkable.
He threatens Gabe to bring me back alive, and if he fails he’ll kill him.
This gets him an eye roll for sure. Brothers, they can be so emotional.
We spent as much time together the next day, and there were an awful lot of tears going around.
When I met Noah for the first time, I didn’t expect what I saw. I figured he’s being an older guy, since Gabe seemed to idolize him, but he’s only a year older than us. The resemblance to Matt made me nervous around him though, but Gabe assured me he was a decent guy. He told us that we would have to stock up on some supplies to take with us, since he didn’t know for sure how far we’d have to go. He mentioned that he knew of a couple possible places in Lewiston that people were being taken, but there were also backup places elsewhere. Here’s hoping they are at the first stop we make, but I know we’re not that lucky.
After talking and strategizing with Noah, we had to tell Randy and Kelli the plan. They weren’t very happy to see us go, but Kelli told me she’d take care of the others for us. I know I can hold her to it, I just hope she has enough patience for Dan. He can be a pain sometimes. Randy and Noah got started right away by getting the things we’d need. He loaned us a couple weapons and even gave us a ton of ammo. He told us that when we got back, that we have to return the guns. I hope we make it back to return them, but he seems pretty sure we will. Brady and Lauren helped pack up some bags of food and water for us and wished us luck.
Standing at the back door of the apartment building, I know we’re going to need all the luck we can get.
Between us and Noah’s car, is over thirty charred dead people. I grip the ax in my right hand, and shifting the pack of clothes over my shoulder, I try to be brave. Beside me, Claire has a bow in her arms, with a pack of arrows over her shoulders. We both have pretty awesome leg sheaths with knives in them. Sam has his fire poker still, but has a new gun in his belt. This took a lot of reminders for him to keep the safety on. He’s also holding a pack of food for us over his shoulder.
Next to me Gabe has the freshly loaded handgun and Michael’s rifle over his shoulder. In his other hand he’s holding two gallons of water. Beside him is Noah, who has another handgun and a shotgun over his shoulders. He has a gallon of fuel in his other hand. We are all just staring out the back door, and wondering how the hell we’re going to get to the car.
Noah steps toward the door then, and reaches for the handle. Before he turns it completely, he pauses and glances over his shoulder at us.
“
You guys ready for this?” He asks.
My mouth goes dry, but I swallow and try to be calm.
Claire gives my hand a squeeze, and I let her anchor me. I glance away from the door and find Gabe watching me, and he offers me a small smile. Not taking my eyes off his, I take a deep breath. I can see Sam raising the fire poker on the other side of Claire, and I know we’re as ready as we’re ever going to be.
Noah pushes the door open then, and the summer heat washes over us.
The dead turn at the sound and begin to make their way over to us.
“
Here we go.” I say, as I raise the ax in my arms and take a step out the door.
Chapter Thirty Four
“
So, what do you think we’ll find when we get there?” Sam asks from the front passenger seat, and not for the first time.
No one says anything, and I don’t want to have to repeat what Noah has been saying since we got into the car about twenty minutes ago. I know he’s just nervous and trying to concentrate on what he knows, but still, it’s starting to get to us.
“
I’m just not sure Sam. It really could be in any condition, and if where we came from is any sign.” Noah replies from the driver’s seat.
He doesn’t elaborate, and for good reason.
We can all use our imagination here, and I try not to think about it. I’m grateful for the next moment of silence before Sam asks again. Gabe sighs from beside me in the backseat, and I lean closer into him and try to clear my head. As I lay my head on his shoulder, glancing up around my long dark hair I stare at him.
He doesn’t know I’m watching, as he’s glaring out the window. I can see the strong lines of his jaw tightening and loosening in a quick pattern. Even though his head is turned I can still see how the sunlight coming through the window reflects off his light eyes, and it makes them shine. His hair is shorter now than it was a week ago; it was getting in his eyes, so he had me cut it for him. I can’t say I don’t miss it, but his eyes stand out more now. His face loosens suddenly, and I can see the smirk forming on his lips.
And I know I’ve been caught.
His arm that was around my shoulder pulls me closer and I hug him back before sitting back up.
Since he is still glaring out the window, I glance to my left and find that Claire is also watching out hers. I couldn’t help but notice that she has been very subdued since we got into the car. Not that I blame her, because I know what’s running through her mind. We haven’t even hit the main road yet, so we’re still surrounded by trees, and they are so empty that it’s unnerving. It’s such a bright summer morning, that it makes me think that everything is normal. And maybe nothing really happened at all, but as I ring my hands in my lap I can feel the dried blood on them and I know nothing is normal.
When we got in the car, we all placed our weapons and bags on the floorboards. But the closer we get to the city, I can’t help the urge to pick up the ax and grip it tightly. I can feel the muscles in my shoulders tense, and I have to take a deep breath to calm down. I remind myself that we’re relatively safe in the car, but I know it won’t last. It never does. As a headache forms behind my eyes, I think back to the last time I was sitting in the backseat of a car between Gabe and Claire. That was only a week or so ago, but it feels like a lifetime, and someone else’s life at that.
I so wish we were just going to a party and not into the city that is most likely filled with the dead.
“
We’re here.” Noah utters.
We all sit up, and take note of our new surroundings, and what I see makes me gasp in dismay. We’ve been following Minot Avenue for a while, and the dark houses disappear and are replaced by stores and businesses on either side of us. Noah has to slow us down to slow crawl, because there are abandoned vehicles lining the road now. Most of the parking lots of the stores are empty, but there is the occasional car with the doors wide open. I can see that the further we go, the dead start to multiply. They are in worse condition than the ones we were fighting last night. One in particular catches my eyes, and he’s a big guy and is missing an arm. But that isn’t what is creepy, it’s that half of his face is missing and most of his chest cavity is showing. As he stumbles between the others, I can see a trail of intestines following in his wake.
I tear my eyes away and try to ignore the way my stomach turns over.