Walkers (Book 1): The Beginning (14 page)

 Sarah’s brows went up into her hairline then she glanced at me.
    "You have given up all right to civilized behavior after that display earlier.  You have actually given up the right to do pretty much anything around here, including living."
    "That bitch..."
    "...is my sister and I love her dearly."  I started to pace.  She'd finally pissed me off.  She shrank back against the headboard.  Good, she was finally scared of me.
    "That blouse was a gift from our mother on a shopping trip they took before our parents went on a second honeymoon to Italy.  They died in a plane crash on the return trip.  Now that is the last explanation you’re getting from me.  You're useless.  A boil on a society that is fighting tooth and nail just to exist.  When I see something like you, I usually kill it".  Her eyes were getting bigger and bigger.  
    "Anyway, I think in your case, Sissy, or whatever your name is, it's time for you to find another place to..." waving my hands wildly, "...whatever. We saved your life, bitch, we can take it away".
    "Wait.  You can't do that.  You can't make me leave, the guys won't let you."  She was so sure of herself, what a shame.
    "Do you see them here defending your honor, poor as it is?"
    "They..."
    "Shut.  Up."  She did.
    "Hard times call for hard measures so this is what IS going to happen.  You will be given one week to kiss enough ass to convince everyone and I do mean everyone, of your sincere intentions to become a productive member of this lodge.  If, at the end of that week, one person has doubts, you will be returned to the road house in the clothes you have on your back and one week’s provisions.  There's a militia group about 50 miles west of here that are short on women and would LOVE to have you around."  I stood up and turned towards the door then turned back.  
    "Oh yea, if you decide to leave now, I'm sure one of the "guys" will be more than happy to take you back to the roadhouse cause they've had enough of your crap too.  But be very sure of this...I will not tolerate one more moment of your bullshit."  By now I had both hands on the bed and was leaning forward halfway across it.  I had made eye contact because I wanted to be sure she understood every word I said. "I was all for putting a bullet in your brain and feeding you to the hogs.  The consensus was, it wasn't civilized.  But push me, please, push me and no one on this planet will be able to stop me.  Clean up this mess you made and before I forget, we start fixing supper around five, be there ready to help, or be ready to leave."
    Sarah said Sissy sat on that bed with her mouth hanging open and a glazed look in her eyes. I didn't care, I felt like I'd been pushed into it and wasn't happy with anyone right then.  I went up to Lacy's room and started to knock when I heard the unmistakable sounds of lovemaking. Doing a quick turn-about, I went to my room instead, shutting the world out.  I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling and soon fell sleep.
    Two hours later I was in the kitchen with my head stuck in the fridge.  I don't know what I was looking for but was sure I would know it when I found it.  Grabbing a piece of Sarah’s homemade bread, I put a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter on it and sat at the table with a glass of water.  Mason popped into my head, 
How ya doin, short stuff?
      
Just fine, gut face, how are you?
     Just comin back from the fence line.  It's lookin good.  Want to go on a ride with me little girl.
   I grinned and worked the wad of peanut butter from the back of my throat with my tongue.  
Naw, it's almost time to start dinner, and I want to see what Sissy's going to do. Maybe later.
    Ok, I'll be in in a few minutes to see the show.  Looks like snow comin in, so want to put in some wood.
    I heard the snowmobile in the distance and watched as Flynn came in and dug around in the fridge for a few minutes.  He looked at what I had, shuddered and attacked the cupboards.  I looked at the clock, then out the window.  It was getting darker sooner and I hated that.
    "I've been watching a flock of turkeys in the next valley.  Been thinking about going hunting in a few days.  What with Thanksgiving coming on, thought it would be nice to have a big turkey in the oven."
    "Hmmmm, that sounds wonderful.  I know we have a ham we could eat that day but I was counting on a turkey."
    "That must be Mason coming back.  I wish he wouldn't go out alone like that but we're sort of safe right now so I guess it's alright".
    "In that case maybe you ought to take him hunting when you go out.  I'd feel better if you buddied up."
    He smiled at me and I just shook my head.  These guys misunderstood me on purpose just to see me blush.  Not today, I was still wound up and waiting for five o'clock to come was getting on my nerves.  I heard voices from the other room, and then a door shut, so I moved into the dining room.
    I nodded at Howard, then Flynn came in and Sarah with Mandy in tow who was followed by Bubba.  Mason came in the back door, took off his hat, coat and boots then fixed him a cup of coffee and sat with the rest of us.  Five o'clock came, then at two minutes after a door closed in the front of the house and a dressed Sissy walked slowly into the dining room.
    Randy and Lacy stood behind her as she slowly came the rest of the way into the room.  She looked at me with pure hatred, and then turned to the others.
    "I want to say that I'm sorry for what an ass I've been."  She waited for someone to jump in and contradict her.  When no one did, she sighed and continued.  "I was blaming you all for my problems, for the virus, oh, hell, for just about everything.  I was so miserable that I had to fend for myself and not knowing how and doing fairly bad at it that I took it out on all of you.  I'm going to try to do better.  Really.  Cause JD said she'd put a bullet in my brain and feed me to the hogs if I don't and I don't figure getting ate by hogs is any better than getting ate by walkers so, well anyway, I'm gonna try to do better and make my life easier and you all's life better in the process."
    Everyone was having problems keeping a straight face; Howard had to cough a few times.. Lacy and Randy didn't say anything; Lacy went to the kitchen so Sarah, me and Sissy followed.  She stood around, uncertain what to do, so I picked out several cans of food and set them on the counter, pointed to the manual can opener and supervised for several minutes.  I wondered if she would say anything about the electric can opener right in front of her but she was smart for once or maybe she just doesn't recognize one.
    Dinner was nice for once also. A nice,quiet good-for-the-digestion affair.

                                                       
CHAPTER 14

     Mason was right about snow coming in. It came down for two whole days and then it got cold. The highs in the single digits cold. The kind of cold where you can't tell the difference between and 0 and minus or plus ten degrees. It was just plain cold.  The 40 mile an hour winds didn't help but the wind in Montana was natural.  We tried to ignore it but the sound of it howling and the snow swirling and dancing outside the windows made the cozy fire just that much nicer.

     We had the big fireplace roaring, and Sissy was busy carrying in wood several times a day. Her idea not ours. Randy had scooped out a path to the livestock pens but other than that we hunkered down to wait for the warm snap that usually visited Montana in fall.

     Flynn disappeared two days before Thanksgiving and came in later with two glorious birds. Cleaning them turned into an interesting endeavor but we somehow managed to tuck the birds into the bottom of the fridge until they could go into the oven.

     We were all involved in keeping Mandy busy. Duke tried to play hide and seek with her but Bubba kept giving her location away. We planned treasure hunts, put on costumed teas that  Sarah and Sissy made themselves. Flynn charmed everyone when he put on a top hat he'd found and drank raspberry tea all day from a tiny cup. When he bowed to her and seated her at the table he had won her over forever. Sissy had written a play with Mandy as Pocahontas and Duke as John Smith but we had to wait till Thanksgiving Day to see it. We were actually looking forward to it.

    Sissy had turned into a different person but no one trusted it to last long. She'd improved in the kitchen and Sarah was busy teaching her to cook although she still burned the potatoes. I couldn't figure it out but the closest I could come was she was just not to attentive. Still she used a timer and everything. Who knows? She had been relegated to the position of baker which she seemed to enjoy so she planned the desserts for Thanksgiving.

     I think Lacy was holding out on approving of her, because she just hated the girl but I had a way to keep the good behavior coming long after the probation period. I really didn't blame Lacy at all but I couldn't condemn the girl to death because Lacy was jealous.

     Sissy avoided me like the plague. I think she might have been frightened of me, which was good. Mason enjoyed teasing her and I let him because I was still feeling mean from having to act mean. Know your enemy and all that. Don't get me wrong, I was nice to her but I didn't go out of my way to search her out. This is mostly due to the fact that I was the one to make her take a good long look at herself; she didn't like what she saw, so of course, it was my fault. Just human nature, so no fault there.

     Howard came in later that day shaking his head.

     "Know that ravine you found all the walkers in? Well, it’s full again but somewhere along the way, they froze, stiff. Damnest thing I ever saw, I'll tell ya that. Took a picture on this danged phone Duke made me carry but he'll have to take them off. I'll just put the snowmobile up."

     We all stood around waiting for the pictures to come up on the monitor. When they did all we could do is stare. They looked like, well, big mushroom heads planted in the snow. They all had a bluish tint to them, except for a couple which was just bumps in the snow but there were seven of them that I could see.

     "Well," I said, tilting my head to one side. Damnest thing I ever saw too.

     "Yea," Duke muttered peering closer at the screen like it would change anything.

     "Well," I said again. Me with an English degree and everything.

     Like we were all hooked to the same string, we leaned forward toward the monitors, then jumped like we'd been shot when Mandy screamed "Smurfs!!!" pointing at the monitor. "Look, mama, smurfs! Can I have one? Please. I always wanted one. They're famous you know?" Well, she was right about that. We all turned and looked at Sarah who looked around at us, her mouth hanging open. "Can I mom? Please". She was hopping up and down she was so excited, holding her hands in prayer mode, pleading with big Mandy eyes. Then Sarah seemed to wake up, grabbed Mandy by the hand and before dragging her from the room, turned back at Duke and said, "Fix this." Then she was gone but you could still Mandy begging until her voice faded away.

     We still stood there watching the door. Then we slowly turned and looked at Duke who wore the "deer in the headlight look." He looked at us then back at the monitor.
     "I'm screwed" he sighed, putting his head down on his folded arms.

     That’s all it took. I laughed until I cried. We were in various stages of hysteria. Mason was on the floor, Howard sat in a chair bent over his knees laughing himself silly. This went on for a few minutes, with Duke glaring at us which made it worse. I couldn't look at the monitor with the planted "smurfs", some budding, some blooming and some just breaking through the surface. Ok, enough of that.

     When everyone finally settled down, we once again stared at the monitor.

     "Well, for heaven’s sake, they can't be moved till it thaws a bit, then we can kill them."

     "Aren't they dead, I mean, they're frozen, so doesn't that mean, they're dead?' Sissy asked, clearly as puzzled as the rest of us.

     "They're probably just frozen. As soon as they thaw, they'll re-animate or whatever you call it and we'll have to kill them anyway. Might as well do it before they wake up. Or whatever you call it. Maybe next week. Any ideas? Anyone?"

     Some just shook their heads, others shrugged their shoulders.

      I looked once more at the garden of smurfs then left the room scratching my head and wandered into the dining room. I met Mandy as she ran past me crying, headed for Duke no doubt. She'd work on him till he yelled at her, then she'll grab Bubba and cry herself to sleep. Poor dog.

     Mandy bulled till Thanksgiving, then got excited cause she was 'gonna be a star in a play.' Everything was hush hush but she was hard to miss in her excitement. The lodge smelled like Thanksgiving with turkey and pies, while cinnamon hung thick in the air.

     Mason had checked the smurf garden and decided they could wait for a few days. It bothered me, but not too much could be done...it was just too cold and the snow too deep. It could wait, but I didn't have to like it. Maybe it had just been awhile since I'd killed anything and I was feeling it. Blood thirsty ole me.

     Lacy and I was setting the table when the alarm went off. Lacy dropped a glass and I nearly wet myself. Not sure what the noise was, I just stood there, trying to figure it out when Lacy said "Come on" and took off for DukesDen. As soon as she said that, I knew it was the security   alarm.  Everyone met in the great room.

     "Helicopter", Duke pointed, "from the north".

     We heard the rotors then, looked out and a military helicopter was hovering in the parking area.

     "Attention lodge" we jumped when the walkie Duke was holding went off. He juggled it a moment before holding it at arms length for all to hear.

     "Request permission to land". I nodded and motioned for Duke to respond. He shook his head and offered the walkie to me. Just then Mason took it, and said "Permission granted", then to us he said,  "They have bigger guns. They didn't have to ask." I agreed.