Undead Rising PDF

Chapter 5 Sam could smell the urine from Kat’s previous deposit. Their mom and the girls were sleeping, all huddled together. Sam couldn’t get her mind to unplug. She knew that their mom wasn’t telling them everything that she thought or saw earlier in the day. Sam needed to find out for herself what was going on. She decided to investigate and try to find Edie as well. Sam scooted along the wall to the front corner of her mom’s classroom adjacent the hallway. Climbing the studs up to the metal rafters wasn’t as difficult as she imagined it would be.

52 When she found a suitable beam, she wrapped her legs around it and started the slow process of traveling toward the cafeteria. As long as her navigational skills didn’t fail her, She would have a first hand look at what was really going on. The rafters gave no indication of exactly where Sam was. she figured she was heading in the right direction because she followed the same beam that paralleled the hallway. Slowly but surely she came to a stopping point where the ceiling met up with the cafeteria. The cafeteria opened up to a large overhead skylight and didn’t possess the same beam configuration as the classrooms. Sam cautiously lifted a tile to see what she could below. When the tile edged upward a small amount of dust free-flowed to the ground. She was certain someone would notice and she replaced the tile while holding her breath. After what seemed to be an eternity she assumed that no one had noticed since she didn’t hear any unusual movement in her vicinity. Sam peered through the opening that she created by lifting the tile again. On the stage directly to the right of her position was a group of teachers. Some were keeping vigil and whispering among themselves, others were attempting to sleep in uncomfortable positions. Most of the students had given up their fight to remain awake and were sleeping in huddles together mirroring their usual cliques. At this point she doubted it mattered who was popular and who wasn’t. The kitchen no longer resembled a kitchen, it looked like a scene from CNN presenting the US military in some desert nation. There was so much camouflaged equipment, the kitchen appliances were obscured. Although the electricity was running as usual, spotlights and generator equipment stood at attention waiting to be called to service. The nurse’s

53 office was just as bustling and overtaken by military men in full fatigues, donning gas masks. Sam surveyed the crowd for Edie, but she was not among the restless and exhausted crowd of faces locked in the cafeteria. Sam couldn't get a good view of the library from her position, but her mom had told them that they had made it into some type of hospital or emergency treatment center. Sam just knew that Edie must be there and that was where she needed to be. Military personnel guarded all the exits to the building and the doors leading into the library. The only way to get there was a climb across an exposed beam connecting the cafeteria to the library across the hallway. Both hallways had been blockaded by the library shelves. Even though Sam had made swift progress across the ceiling rafters, contemplating a jaunt across a plank that was visible to anyone and everyone below proposed a new set of challenges and uncertainties. Seeing if Edie was OK was her number one priority and if that meant risking her life, then that’s what she would have to do. Sam could see the wide rafter from the tile that she repositioned, but it was fairly far from where she was perched. It wouldn’t be an impossible task if not for the fact that she could not allow anyone to see the transition. She maneuvered herself into a sitting position with her feet slightly dangling from the rafter. With a swift movement she turned her body on the rafter and held on with her hands until her toe barely touched the top of the beam. She didn’t have the luxury of visualizing if anyone had seen her movements. The next movement was a bit of luck mixed with years of gymnastics as she let go of the rafter and crouched on the plank. Catching her breath was a mere convenience at this point, she still had to reposition herself in

54 a lying position so she could slowly inch her way across to the library. When she reached the library, the scene was worse than she had anticipated. She peeped under a ceiling tile and saw Amy, possibly the most popular girl in school, strapped to a hospital bed waning in a particularly unattractive ashen color. Although she appeared to be near death, her violent thrashing against her bed restraints assumed otherwise. Sam could have sworn that she was looking directly at her but made no indication of any clear conscious acknowledgement of her presence. She was fixated on breaking free, using more force than Sam would have thought was humanly possible. Even though she was securely fastened to the bed, it wouldn’t have surprised Sam if she managed to break free, given the sheer force she was exerting. “Sam! Sam!” Sam heard the distinct whisper of Edie close to her position. Sam could barely make out her form crouched on a metal rafter just feet away from her. As she scooted closer to her, she would have sworn that the years Edie accompanied her to gymnastics class had actually paid off. “Sam! We’ve been up here for hours!” She motioned to Bobbi and another friend of ours that was steering toward Edie in their above ground hideout. “How did you get up here?” Sam asked, amazed. “Well, when Mrs. Valdez made the announcement Bobbi had just come back from the bathroom and said that the Army was all over the school, so we ducked out in the bathroom and climbed up through the ceiling. Where have you been all this time? I couldn’t see you in the cafeteria so I figured you guys booked it out of the school.”

55 “Mom took us out of class before anything even started and hid us in the storage room in her classroom. We cut a hole in the wall and hid between the walls. Didn’t even think about hiding up here, but Kat would have probably fallen through. Anyway, we cut a hole through the back wall where we are going to escape later tonight. We have to get back soon before mom notices me missing.” “But how did you get from there to here?” Edie pointed to the cafeteria. “Across the beam.” \"And no one saw you?\" \"No, there aren't any guards over on this side of the atrium.\" \"We?” Edie interrupted, “ we aren't going across that beam.\" Edie pointed at the partition with emphasis. \"You’re like a pro up here already, it will be a piece of cake.\" \"I can't do it Sam\" \"Yes you can, watch me.\" Before Sam had time for Edie to change her mind and back out, Sam was reversing her journey across the hallway. She wanted to impress Edie enough for her to forget the danger involved. Bobbi was brave enough to follow suit as soon as Sam made it across. He slightly wobbled on the way down to the beam, but recovered quickly and scooted along almost effortlessly.

56 Edie hesitated and looked to Sam for reassurance as she first dangled one leg and then the other. Luckily her legs were as long as Sam's so when she swiveled to reach the plank, her toes touched before she had a chance to regret her decision to make the crossing. She wasn't as agile on the crouch- to lying maneuver, but managed to make the transition without too much strain. Her travel across the beam was fettered by wearied looks in Sam's direction. Sam kept waving her arms, encouraging her. When she reached the other side, Bobbi reached down through the opening and grabbed her hand helping her make it through and get adjusted on the ceiling rafter. Next came David. Sam was a bit concerned that his short stature would make reaching the beam difficult, but he did not stop to contemplate any technical difficulties he might face. As he was hanging from the rafter, his feet could not reach the beam. He would have to make a jump to get onto the beam. There was no time to think about his next move so he just dropped from the ceiling. His right leg caught the beam but his left leg fell to the side and he was barely able to grab the sides with his hands. He remained in an unnatural pose while trying to bring his left leg up onto the beam. His shoe wasn't tied and fell to the ground causing a loud \"plop\" which turned the heads of everyone that was still awake and aroused the ones that were asleep. \"It's one of them!\" a military man shouted and Sam quickly transitioned the ceiling tile in place where they could only see through a minuscule slit. \"Get him!\" Soon, a blanket of military green stood with weapons raised under David. He looked in the direction of his friends that had made the trek across, but his unmistakable path to nowhere was already written in stone. Through all the commotion he lost his grip and fell to the ground. No one saw him make any movement

57 when the gun barrel of one of the soldiers was used to forcefully roll him over. Edie started to whimper and Sam was sure someone would hear them even over the gasps and screams from the students and teachers in the cafeteria. Sam motioned with her arms to get out of there and they headed back towards her mom's classroom. When they were relatively far enough away from the deadly scene, Edie motioned for Sam to slow down. \"Do you think he's ok?\" Sam knew that the possibility of David surviving the fall in the manner that he landed was next to impossible, but she knew Edie's state was more fragile than the truth. \"I'm sure he'll be ok, he'll slip away and get back up in the ceiling.\" Sam reassured. \"Yeah, one time me and David were riding four wheelers and he flew over the handlebars. He just stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants.\" Bobbi inserted. \"Shh!\" Sam quieted the group. Her senses had become greatly enhanced since all the turmoil erupted.\" I hear someone,\" before the words rippled out, the sound of combat boots headed in the direction of her mom's classroom clearly sounded. \"We have to hurry!\" Olivia awoke to the sound of rumbling in the wall. Aunt Lizzy slowly regained consciousness as they now realized

58 that Sam was missing. Olivia almost forgot about all the terrifying events that had happened to them, but maybe they just wanted to forget. \"Mom!\" Olivia heard a loud whisper that sounded like Sam, but the shuffling indicated more than one person. \"Mom! We have to go now!\" Sam bounded down the crawlspace with Edie and Bobbi in tow. Before Lizzy had time to react, Sam punched out the wall that they had worked on leading to the gym. She guided Edie and Bobbi through and motioned for Lizzy next. Olivia's legs were tired from being cramped up in the small interior, but fear pumped adrenaline through her and the thought of needing a walker was erased from her mind.Olivia put one steady foot in front of the other and she was keeping pace with Sam as they crossed the concrete flooring of the incomplete gym. The walls were partially constructed, except for the doors and windows. The roof had not been replaced yet and they had an unobstructed view of the night sky filled with twinkling stars. Looking at the sky could make you forget what was happening in the world, if only they could stop for a moment to enjoy them. Aunt Lizzy halted the group from traveling past the security of the building, \"we need to look before we leap,\" she cautioned. \"It's all good mom.\" Sam informed, \"I can't hear any movement except on the main entrance and backside of the school, no one has been on this side of the building, there aren’t any tracks in the mud. We should have a clear shot to the little convenience store across the street.\"

59 \"How can you be so sure?\" Katarina examined. \"Just trust me, c'mon\" There was no time to contemplate whether or not her calculations were right. I made it across the muddy parking lot before anyone else. I looked back at the group struggling through the muck. Edie was farthest behind the pack and fell into the mud face first. Sam doubled back to help Edie up. Edie struggled to her feet and let out a yelp of pain. Sam didn't wait to assess the situation as she slung her over her shoulder and took off in Olivia's direction. Aunt Lizzy and Kat had already made their way to her. \"Man, Olive, you booked it over here!\" Katarina was awestruck. \"I just felt adrenaline in my legs and they took off, was I really that fast?\" \"Yeah, you could have won the 200 meter at that rate.\" Aunt Lizzy added. \"Sam, are you going to be able to carry her like that all the way home?\" Sam gently lowered Edie onto her undamaged limb. \"Yea, she's not heavy at all.\" \"Ok, but if you need me to help just say something. It looks like we still have a few hours of darkness, hopefully we can get home without anyone stopping us.\"

60 \"Should we get some food from the store?\" Kat pointed to the well-lit interior of the high schools’ favorite before school hangout. Kids loaded up on tacos, donuts and coffee before a grueling day of forced education. \"It's not safe in there,\" Sam explained, \"I hear someone in there and they sound sick or something.\" \"What's up with your supersonic hearing?\" Kat teased. \"I have no idea, but it's pretty cool huh?\" Sam grinned. Olivia was the first to venture away from the cover of the convenience store dumpster. They had caught their breath and reformed the group. Sam volunteered to carry Edie as far as she could and Kat tried to keep pace with Olivia, but she easily flitted ahead of the group. \"Hey, slow down Olivia!\" Sam called to her. Olivia halted in her tracks and waited for the sweaty and winded group to catch up. She had not exerted an ounce of effort even though they had traveled several blocks at a brisk pace. She felt that she was actually holding back and would have liked to have the opportunity to stretch her legs. When she ran, her sense of sound faded away but her vision became sharper and focused on the end result. If Olivia saw where she was headed her eyes only saw that and everything around her blurred. She wanted to see how fast she could actually run with her new found ability. She ignored the pleas from Sam to slow down and practically teleported to the next house. Time seemingly stopped for the brief moment it took to travel from one house to the next.

61 \"Olivia!\" Aunt Lizzy cautioned, \"wait for us!\" The group reached Olivia's position at a much slower pace than she had traveled. Sam was the only one in the group that didn't look extremely exhausted, Kat and Aunt Lizzy dropped to the grass catching their breath. \"I have no idea what has gotten into you, but you just flew from there to here, I've never seen anything like it!\" Aunt Lizzy breathlessly described. \"I feel like I could go faster than that too!\" Olivia was more than excited about her running capacity. \"Just don't overdo it.\" Aunt Lizzy placed her hands on Oliva's shoulder, \"you have to save your strength for whatever is ahead.\" \"But I'm not even tired!\" Olivia knew Aunt Lizzy was just looking out for her, but she didn't know how to tell her that this was an incredible experience Olivia was feeling despite the gloomy circumstances that lead to her discovery of it. Katarina detested physical education. She was not an outdoor kind of person. Sweat disgusted her. And now her best shopping buddy in the whole world, Olivia, transformed into an Olympic grade athlete. \"Great, just great, my new life involved all the activities that I sucked at and mocha latte frappuccino isn't visible in my future\" She mumbled. Her obsessively straightened locks frizzled into a mass of damp, wavy rats' nests. She didn't have access to a mirror, but assuredly her makeup resembled that of a raccoon face. Glamour magazine never had any articles on how to look amazing while surviving the apocalypse. The streets and neighborhoods were completely deserted 56

62 which wasn't unusual in the middle of the night, but the overwhelming feeling of danger could not be ignored. Every crack, crevice, and blade of grass that they trampled upon seemed to be telling them to turn back. Olivia still didn’t feel exerted even though they had been on the move for hours. Sam kept telling the group that she heard people in their houses and was sure that someone was following them. Katarina couldn't hear anything except the deafening silence, there weren't even any dogs barking like usual, it was as if they felt the danger too. Cars were neatly stowed in their driveways. Katarina could imagine that all was well out there, but in her heart she knew otherwise. They were close to Aunt Lizzy's house as the horizon began to show signs of a new dawn. Olivia tried to remember the last time she had stayed up all night with Kat, but couldn't. They always made plans to stay up all night watching scary movies and eating junk food, but inevitably they fell asleep before the wee hours of the morning. Fatigue was apparent on Aunt Lizzy, Kat, Edie and Bobbi. It was taking them much longer to recover in between houses among the route they took to get home. Kat kept falling behind the pack. Edie was still lugged over Sam's shoulder. Sam was tired, but her focus was getting home. She wanted to see her baby brother and make sure he was safe. From there Sam hadn't thought of where they would be headed or what they would need to accomplish next. She wanted to check on their dad, but the group would need to recover for awhile first. The light from the rising sun revealed home just a couple of blocks away. Sam forgot about feeling tired and found the renewed energy to sprint towards home. She still didn't have the speed of Olivia, but she was close behind her blur. Their

63 stepdad's oversized blazer was parked in the driveway giving them hope that he and baby James were safely inside. Sam waited in front of the garage for everyone to catch up. \"Do you hear anything?\" Lizzy asked with anticipation. “ I don't hear the baby, but maybe he's asleep. I think I hear James but he sounds like he has a cold.\" \"Are you sure it's James?\" Katarina questioned. \"Who else would it be?\" Sam shook her head at her dumb sister. \"Well, I don't know, things are not exactly normal you know.\" \"You’re not normal.\" \"Girls, really? Do you have to do this now?\" Lizzy asked exasperated. \"Let's get inside and you can bicker all you want.\" Lizzy punched the code into the garage door, but nothing happened. None of the houses in our neighborhood had any exterior lights on and Sam could not hear any mechanical noises, leading her to believe that there was no electricity. She still heard people slowly moving in their homes, but no one seemed as active as our group of straggled travelers. She knew she heard something rustling aimlessly in their house but she couldn't determine who it was or exactly what their motive was. Sam had her keys in her backpack still and fervently dug through the tangle of supplies and necessities that weighed the pack down. \"Found ‘em!\" Sam raised the keys in triumph. They entered through the back of the garage and through the kitchen.

64 Everything was nearly in its place, everything looked absolutely normal. Sam felt like crawling into her bed and sleeping away the nightmare that had unfolded. She set Edie down on the window seat bench in the kitchen with Kat and Bobbi and told them to wait until she scouted the house before leaving the relative safety of the kitchen. Her first instinct was to grab her bow and arrow for protection. She headed down the back hallway to her bedroom and retrieved her weapon. It felt good holding the one thing she knew she could use to protect her family. She didn't waste time gathering more supplies, hopefully they wound have time for that later. Sam heard a bloodcurdling scream from Kat in the vicinity of the living room. Her stomach felt like it dropped, her hearing sense overtook all other senses. She heard a low growl and shuffling movement along with the continuous screams of Kat with their mother yelling at her to go back to the kitchen. Sam heard the lamp overturn and someone fell into the television. Sam jolted down the stairway as fast as humanly possible. The sight in front of her eyes in the living room was more chilling than she anticipated. She picked up her mom from where she had fallen into the television set. Kat stood in a shocked motionless gaze. Sam pushed Kat and their mom behind her and took aim quickly pointing her arrow at the once human form that resembled James. Dust particles hovered in the air all around her. The eyes that met hers were not compassionate, they lacked any acknowledgement of a former life. Grayness masked the once olive tone of her stepfather’s skin. Blood stained the torso of James in a pattern that indicated a bullet wound. A

65 bullet through the chest like that would spell out certain death, but James was not dead. He was alive, but he was not the James they once knew. He didn’t speak a single word, instead he grunted and growled in a low, husky tone that had no resemblance of human language. His hands were rigid and held in an upright position as if to grab anything in his path. Sam studied the inevitable target that she knew she had to desecrate. Time had frozen for her as the objects around her continued their movements in slow motion. She wanted some kind of sign from James that this was a bad joke or he was just sick and in pain, but the sign never came. Her arm was already extended in the position meant for a stolid release of the arrow. With one quick motion the release was complete and James was thrown back into a state of evident motionlessness.

Chapter 6 Silence invaded the room. Sam had never killed a living thing in her life, let alone a person. She knew it was a necessity; he would have killed their mom and maybe all of them if she'd let him live. Sam never really liked her stepfather, but killing him was not something she had ever

67 even fantasized about. Sam's arms were shaking erratically and she lowered the bow to the carpet. \"Sam!\" Her mother broke the silence, \"why did you do that? I was trying to ask him where baby James was!\" She took Sam by the shoulders and shook her back to state of consciousness. \"Mom, he didn't know who or what we were, I don't think he would have given you an answer.\" Sam snapped back at her shrugging her hands off her shoulders. \"Maybe he was just sick and couldn’t talk, you didn't have to kill him!\" Lizzy started breaking down into heavy sobs. \"Mom, he wasn't even human anymore, he threw you into the TV!\" Sam was tired of having to justify her actions. She knew it had to be done. She picked up her bow and headed to the kitchen, passing a tearful Kat along the way. She didn't even like the guy, what was she all sad about it. Sam mused. Besides, they didn't have the luxury of time to be sad, they needed to find baby James. Sam headed down the hall to baby James room. His crib stood empty and still but Sam heard breathing somewhere in the room giving her false hope. Upon further inspection under the dresser was the panicked face of their beloved Piper holding baby James Ernie doll gently in her mouth. \"Come here girl, here Piper.\" Olivia was too scared to leave Edie and Bobbi in the kitchen alone. She knew by the voices that Kat, Aunt Lizzy, and Sam were ok, but the events that unfolded in the living room were

68 beyond her scope of reasoning. The changes that were taking place in the world as they once knew it weren't properly registering in her brain. The garage door flew open and a shadowy figure slid through it. Sam raised her bow in the doorway of the kitchen taking aim at the unwelcomed object. \"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!\" A familiar voice panicked, \"Chillax! I heard the commotion and came to see if you all needed help!\" \"You're lucky your head is still attached!\" Sam chastised as she lowered her weapon when she recognized that the shadowy figure was Quinn, one of their friends from school. \" I've been following you since you left school.\" \"Why didn't you say something before now?\" Sam wondered. \"I wanted to make sure you guys weren't infected. The whole damn world is turning into zombies!\" \" What are you talking about?\" Sam questioned as Kat and Lizzy filtered into the kitchen. \"Well, yesterday I stayed home from school to go to the doctor for my finger that I sprained at football practice, but

69 when we got to the doctor there were so many people waiting, mom just decided to take me home and give me one of her pain pills. I turned on the TV and there was nothing but news people talking about a virus that literally turns you into a zombie.\" \"Are you kidding me?\" Sam interjected. \"But Sam that makes sense, kind of. I mean our school was overrun by the CDC.\" Kat added. \"Yeah, and remember what Amy looked like in the library?\" Bobbi included. \"Ok, so is there a cure or something?\" Sam asked. \"Well, from what I saw on TV, once you get it that's it. They showed Corpus and it was like a war zone. I guess everyone here took the advice of the news and stayed in their houses, except my mom, she left to go get my brother at school and never came back. I couldn’t get her on the phone so I went to the school to find her but it was all surrounded by the army or CDC I guess, so I waited by the gym until you guys came out.\" \"What exactly is it?\" Lizzy pushed for information. \"It's some kind of virus, you know like the flu , except you die and turn into a flesh eating zombie.\" \" How do you get it?\" Lizzy continued. \"The news said you can get through a bite or scratch, some thought you could catch it from bodily fluids of an infected live person just before they die.\"

70 \"This is really bad, really bad.\" Lizzy shook her head and took a seat next to Edie. \"The news people said that healthy people were being taken on boats in Corpus.\" \"Then that's where we should go\" Edie piped in. \"How are we gonna get there? Mom's car is still at the school\" Kat reminded. \"We can take James' blazer\" Sam explained. \"We just can’t take too many supplies.\" \"Ok, but I think we need to rest and wait until dark to travel, for one thing the blazer overheats, and I think our chances of not running into anyone will be better at night.\" Lizzy continued. Sam and Lizzie continued to strategize, but Olivia's mind wandered off to her own world of disbelief. Although her physical abilities had drastically improved, mentally she was still a freshman in high school, not ready to take on the world. She liked not having to worry about the future because she knew that no matter what she chose to do she would be ok. Her mom's money had a way of putting her at ease, but all of mom's money couldn't get them out of the future that was developing in front of them now. She guessed she never appreciated what she had. She wasn't sure if she would trade being able to walk for going back to the life she had before, but at this point she thought it would be a fair trade. Kat knew this was the end of the world because mom used

71 her favorite leopard print throw to cover James with. Kat didn't know how to feel about James being killed. Of course she was upset, but she was so worried about themselves that taking time to mourn her stepfather just didn't seem to be a priority. She didn't really like him, she didn't hate him either, but she liked the way things were before he came along. She figured she was more worried about the impact on baby James and mom than anything else. Mom seemed out of place, like nothing registered yet. She couldn't feel sorry for herself when she knew how bad mom was hurting. Kat couldn't get the strength to leave the position she was planted in watching for any movement from James under the blanket. She had never witnessed something as morbid as this. Olivia finally came and got Kat from the living room and took her into the kitchen where she was greeted by exuberant wet kisses from Piper. The tired group needed to rest and she was no exception. Sam wanted everyone to rest while she watched over everyone. Mom thought she needed as much rest as anyone, but Sam wouldn't listen. Sam was busy gathering supplies and making weapons out of tools from the garage. Bobbi and Quinn had already crashed out in Sam's room. Mom and Sam had moved James to the laundry room and Olivia, Edie, and Kat were left in the kitchen. Sam told Edie she would help her get a shower (since they miraculously still had running water) but that had been almost 20 minutes ago. Piper begged for her bowl to be filled again, almost as if she knew they were going on a journey soon. Kat knew that waiting for Sam would mean waiting too long for Edie so she decided, with the help of Olivia, they could take care of her. \"How bad does it hurt still?\" Kat asked observing the ice pack on her ankle.

72 65 \"I think it's swollen now.\"She grimaced and removed the ice, revealing a purple, swollen mass where her ankle should be. \"I'm sorry\" Kat squeezed her eyes shut as she touched the painful protrusion. She opened her eyes as the purple coloring slowly faded away. Kat noticed Olivia's mouth drop open and Edie's pained expression lifted into that of relief. Within seconds her ankle retreated to its normal size and color and she moved it with ease. She was off the bench standing on her newly healed leg, \"OMG! What did you do?\" \" I don’t know\" Kat shook her head in disbelief, \"Really, I have no idea what just happened\" Kat paused, \"Mom! Sam! Come here quick!\" Mom ran back to the kitchen upon hearing Kat's elated beckoning. She couldn't imagine what could make Kat call out like that. When mom reached the threshold of the kitchen she was struck by the sight of Edie standing effortlessly on both legs. \"Aunt Lizzy, Kat just healed Edie\" Olivia illuminated. \"Healed?” Mom was dumbfounded, \"what do you mean?\" \"She put her hands on Edie's ankle and it healed right in front of our eyes.\" Sam smacked her lips in derision, \"Kat, we don't have time for games. Edie sit down before you make it worse.\" Sam shook her head.

73 \"For real Sam, look!\" Edie lifted up her ankle to Sam’s eye view and verified that no false reports had been made. Just as Sam looked to accept the facts, strong thunderclouds clapped in the distance sending Piper into Kat’s open arms. When the excitement of Kat’s new found ability died down, the younger girls and Edie headed to the bathroom to wash up and get some rest. Sam maintained her vigil in the living room where she could keep an eye on most of the areas of the house. Mom needed time to say goodbye to James. She went unnoticed to the laundry room. She couldn't lift the blanket to see him. How can someone lose their husband and child in one day? If it weren't for the fact that she was the only adult left in the group of survivors she would want to be where he was right now. She imagined his world was better than the one they've been left behind in. Even though they didn't find any trace of baby James, it was impossible to hold out much hope that he was ok. Mom wanted to believe that someone rescued him and took him to one of the safe ships in Corpus, but was that really possible? Her thoughts were broken by the torrential downpour and what sounded like someone pounding on the front door. Mom ran to join Sam in the living room. The other girls must have already been asleep because there was no movement in the vicinity of the bedrooms. Sam held her finger to her mouth to silence anything that mom may have wanted to say. She had a secure vantage point out of the corner of the picture window. \"It looks like a family with a little girl.\" She whispered. The man pounded on the door again. Sam motioned her mom

74 to the window to take a look. They were soaking wet and the little girl was crying. Mom wanted to run out and grab the little girl and make everything all better. She knew that nothing could make their situation better, and it was much worse than she even imagined. \"Do you see them?\" Sam whispered motioning to the horde of people that looked like James had looked just before he was killed. They were closing in on the family making the little girl cry harder. The man began pleading for someone to open the door and let them in. He said that they weren’t infected, but that wasn’t the problem with their request. The problem was that if Sam opened the door, the undead mass would see that people were inside and would try to get in. At this point the house was dark and everyone else was asleep, The undead would have no reason to try to get in. Sam and mom's heart went out to the family, but they had to protect the people inside before someone they didn't know, even if that meant their lives were in imminent danger. Sam wished for a solution, she wanted to help. She wondered what would happen if they were in the same situation. Would someone open the door and help them if they were stranded in a rainstorm with a horde of undead on their trail? The pounding and pleading grew louder as the horde grew larger and tracked closer. \"We have to help them!\" Lizzy looked to Sam knowing that helping them was not possible. \"We can't risk it.\" Sam solidified the decision to remain neutral. \"Send the little girl around to the back, run from the house and create a diversion! I'm sorry, that's all we can do!\" Sam made the decision to help in some way even if it meant the little girls’ parents might meet their demise.

75 Sam bolted to the kitchen door, but mom couldn't move from the scene unfolding out the picture window. In a desperate attempt to save their daughter, the young couple ran towards the horde screaming and flailing their arms. When they reached the edge of the pack of restless undead they stopped and looked back at the house. Lizzy wanted to open the door to save them, but her own survival would be threatened. So she watched in horror. The couple joined hands knowing what their fate entailed. If they turned toward the house they may risk the horde finding their daughter, they couldn't make it through the grouping of tightly huddled angry undead, they stood and faced their fate head on, holding hands, sealed with a final kiss. Lightning flashed through the sky exposing the massive horde clearly. There were at least fifty of them forming a ring around the object of their hunger. There was no chance for escape. The smell of live humans sent the horde into frenzy when they reached the entwined couple. They easily toppled the couple to the ground where dozens of undead groped through each other in search of blood and flesh. Sam returned to her mother's side with the small girl cupped in her arms. Her little wet mass of blonde ringlets were nestled into Sam's shoulder. She didn't witness the scene out in the roadway, Sam didn't need her mother to tell her what had happened, she saw the large mass of undead bodies writhing and fighting over what was left of the little girls’ parents. Lizzy felt ashamed that she couldn't help them. Would she be that brave in the same situation? Lizzy remained perched inconspicuously near the window while Sam moved to the comfort of the couch. She rocked the little girl and whispered,” what’s your name?\"

76 Bright blue eyes peeked out from under the swath of soaked hair, \"Kirsten.\" she answered in a barely audible voice. \"Hi Kirsten, I'm Samantha, Sam for short.\" Sam beamed at her new friend. Mom had never seen Sam so affectionate towards another human being, let alone a child. She didn't want to put the little girl down. \"How old are you Kirsten?\" \"This many.\" she proudly held up four fingers. The emotional scene was almost enough to forget the ugliness of what had happened. Almost. Their lives were not free from danger, the undead dispersed after finishing their meal. Most traveled aimlessly up and down the abandoned roadway, others seemed to sense the presence of humans within the house and mulled the lawn capriciously close to Lizzy’s lookout. Lizzy moved away from the window and advised Sam in a low whisper,” I don't think we're safe here anymore. There are about a dozen of them on the front lawn. They keep looking at the house but I don't think they really know anything. \" \"We better let everyone know to be quiet, we’ll have to leave soon.\" \"You need to get some rest Sam.\" Mom pleaded with her knowing that she wouldn’t stop until exhaustion took over. \"I'm fine, why don’t you get some sleep and when Quinn gets up I'll take a nap before we head out tonight.\" Lizzy knew arguing with Sam was useless, her little prodigy

77 had fallen asleep in her arms. No doubt she had been through hell and back with her parents and now she had no one to call family, except the group a stragglers.Lizzy didn't need to offer Sam an answer and nestled into the chair while sleep gradually took over. Olivia awoke refreshed, but memories of the past day flooded her mind turning her mood into apprehension of the days ahead. Kat and Edie were still sleeping fitfully on Kat's purple satin bedding. Bobbi was tracking down the hallway carrying empty milk jugs of water. Aunt Lizzy was asleep in her favorite chair. As Olivia reached Sam, Bobbi came up to her and put his finger over his mouth while motioning her to come to the window, but she stopped abruptly when she saw a little girl, not much older than James nestled in Sam's arms. She was peacefully sleeping in an old T-shirt of Sam's. When Olivia peered out of the window she was shocked to see at least a dozen creatures that looked dead but were very much alive, seeming to be searching for something. They walked in circles, moaning and grunting, occasionally bumping into one another which brought on squabbles amongst themselves. Olivia looked at Bobbi for some kind of reassurance that they were safe. Bobbi pulled her away from the window and whispered, \"They don't know we're in here.\" Olivia shook her head in acknowledgement, but the sight of that many dangerous creatures did not put her into a sense of wellbeing. “I have a plan to get us out of here.” Olivia offered.

Chapter 7 Olivia knew that her new ability would serve some kind of purpose in their undead world. She could easily outrun the horde that mulled outside Aunt Lizzy's house. Then, she could create a distraction so that everyone could get into the Blazer and they could take off. She was fairly certain that Sam and Aunt Lizzy would be totally against the idea, so for now, it was going to be her secret. When the time came to leave, she would execute her plan and ask for forgiveness later. The sun was just beginning to set, but the undead masses did not seem to have any intention of leaving the vicinity. They had no objective as far as Olivia could tell, but she was sure that if a fresh human came along, their ambitions would significantly materialize. Sam told Kat and Olivia about the tragic ending of the little girl's parents. She remained asleep on the couch. Sam had not slept long before she was up checking supplies and making the game plan for their great escape. She had not taken into consideration that Olivia could be a useful strategy in her plan. Olivia was excited that she would get a chance to be an asset after years of requiring help to do almost everything. She knew that Sam would disagree with every idea she had in regards to helping out. Sam was a tough chick, for sure. Olivia was taken back when she woke up and saw her curled up on the couch with a strange little girl. Olivia observed her when she woke up; she was so careful not to wake the little

79 girl and made an extra effort to get a blanket from her room to cover her with. The little girl was already wearing one of her t-shirts; Sam said she came in soaking wet. Kat was excitedly waiting for the little girl to wake up so she could play with her and fix her unruly trusses, but Sam advised that they wouldn't have time to play. Always so serious, but Olivia guessed their world didn't give them much room for fun and games anymore. Sam reassessed the situation outside before waking her mom up. Aunt Lizzy startled awake and quickly filtered her way to the front window, taking in the fact that the sun was quickly setting and the undead were still heavily populated just outside. \"We need to leave soon.\" Sam instructed. \"I want to go check and see if dad is home.\" Aunt Lizzy didn't have the heart to say no or tell Sam that the odds of her father being unscathed were probably not very good, but her facial expression told the story. Going out of their way would certainly add to the danger level, but if Sam didn't get the chance to check on her father, Aunt Lizzy knew that Sam would never let it go. \"Can we eat something?\" Kat interrupted the interaction between Sam and Aunt Lizzy. \"Is that all you think about?\" Sam was visibly annoyed. \"We need to save what little we have.\" It was true that Aunt Lizzy had not had a chance to grocery shop in the last few days before the apocalypse and their supplies were low, but Olivia stepped into the exchange, \"Sam, I'm sure we will find supplies somewhere in Corpus. We're all pretty hungry and thirsty, I think we should eat and drink before we try to leave.\"

80 They scarfed the minuscule amount of food that Sam and Aunt Lizzy dished out. They maintained several bags of food, juice boxes and other supplies that they might need. Olivia was more than ready to move out in search of somewhere safer, but leaving the sanctity of Aunt Lizzy's house meant trekking into the unknown. Quinn had been searching the transistor radio from Aunt Lizzy's classroom for any updated information, but he informed the group that the same message from the emergency alert system repeated itself. Within minutes their group was ready for action. Sam and Aunt Lizzy planned on running to the Blazer first with as much stuff as they could carry. After they started the 20 year old metal beast, the rest of the group would follow. Quinn had the most important job, in Sam’s opinion, to carry Kirsten. Olivia knew it was a flawed plan because the undead would certainly move in on the group before they could get in the Blazer safely. Olivia planned to execute her mission as soon as Sam opened the garage door. The group was stealthily silent as they crept into the garage. They didn't want any noise to tip off the unwanted houseguests. Sam was an expert at getting the Blazer to start, sometimes even on the first try. Probably because her stepdad taught her to drive in it and told her that she couldn’t practice driving until she could get it started. Everyone hoped that this would be one of the lucky times it would start on the first try. Olivia could feel her accelerated heartbeat in her throat. Her chest seemed to tighten instantly as the time for action grew near. She could feel the sweat immediately begin to pool on her forehead as the adrenaline sent queasiness to her gut. Everyone huddled into a crouched position with Aunt Lizzy and Sam at the front of the pack.

81 Olivia worked her way to the front as well, waiting for her opportunity. The door slowly cracked open making the slightest sound which turned the head of a lone undead. Olivia pushed Sam out of the way and bolted through the door using her super speed to divert the onlooker. As she managed to turn in the direction of it, several others noticed her movement and followed her toward the adjacent house, well away from the projected path of Sam and Aunt Lizzy. Olivia hoped that her actions didn't cause Sam to change their game plan and it was confirmed when she heard the choking beast attempting to start. They would not have luck on their side, Sam reattempted to start the Blazer with the same choking and sputtering and finally the forced resignation of the motor. The noise was enough to attract the attention of the gathering group of undead that followed Olivia to the neighbor’s house. They turned their direction upon Sam's third attempt to bring the beast to life. With renewed vigor, the wanderers headed toward the sound of the truck as it finally came to life with one final turn of the ignition. Olivia knew they needed more time as she saw everyone heading for the Blazer from their hideout in the garage. Olivia yelled at the top of her lungs, \"Hey you smelly zombies look over here!\" She raced toward the horde waving her hands and screaming. It was enough to do the trick; they were following her again back to the neighbor’s house. She kicked in a back door and headed inside hoping she wouldn't be greeted by any undead lurking inside. The inside of the neighbor’s garage smelled like grease and gasoline, but showed no signs of life or undead life as they knew it. Olivia hadn't thought beyond luring them into the garage and hoped she could get the rolling door open fast enough to escape their wrath. The first undead entered the garage without hesitation, picking up speed when he saw her rapid movements around the perimeter. She would only wait

82 for the sound of the Blazer pulling out of Aunt Lizzy's driveway. More undead encroached her small blanket of free space before she heard the truck tires squeal on the driveway not far from her position inside. With a heave, she pulled the handle of the garage door where Sam and the wayward group of survivors showed signs of concern for her safety as an undead managed to grab her shirt before she could kick into a high speed sprint. Her newly acquired strength and speed was enough to break free from the clutched hand. She swiftly sailed toward the rolling truck as everyone encouraged her escape. The tailgate was down already, making her leap an easy feat. Quinn easily grabbed her arm and helped her in as they peeled away from the group of angry undead. Sam couldn't stop in order to chastise Olivia for her sheer stupidity. What the heck was she thinking, trying a stunt like that? Sam saw the undead in the side mirror and breathed a sigh of relief as they receded further and further away. Everyone else was giving Olivia high fives and telling her how brave she was, except Lizzy, she was too busy feeling the anxiety of the situation. \"That was so cool Olivia!\" Bobbi let the excitement take over. \"Don't go encouraging her; it was a stupid, thoughtless move that could have gotten all of us killed.\" Sam blurted out noting the hurt expression on Olivia's face. She didn't mean to hurt her feelings, she just didn’t want her to think she should be doing that kind of thing again. No one, except maybe Quinn, has the capabilities of fighting and protecting the group, so no one should even try. “You can’t always be the hero, Sam.” Kat put her arms around Olivia to comfort her.

83 Whatever. Sam didn't bother to add to the argument, she said what needed to be said and that was that. They drove through the deserted streets as the sun quickly made its way into the morning horizon. Sam expected to see a horde or two along the way, but apparently they had exclusively congregated on their block. Maybe they were the only non-infected humans left. Maybe they somehow knew they were there but didn't know how to get to them. Maybe their journey to the ships in Corpus was a waste of time. Maybe their dad was dead, or worse, he's one of them. As the houses scattered further apart, they reached the edge of town and chugged closer to Sam and Kat’s dads’ house. Sam was sure that if any undead were around they would hear the Blazer from a mile away, but there was no sign of anything alive or dead. It looked as if the residents simply parked their cars and floated away somewhere. There were no scenes of mass destruction like Quinn had described that he had seen on TV. Sam could see her dads’ pink house coming into view. He used to correct her all the time and swear that the color was earth tone, not pink, but Kat and Sam disagreed. She wasn't sure how she would feel if she found him dead. She knew she would want to break down and cry, but they wouldn't have time for that. She guessed she would just have to wait and see before she worried about what emotional highway she may or may not have to take. Sam pulled into the empty driveway. Her dad may not even be here since his old truck wasn't there. Their stepmother and her two brats probably weren’t there either because their car was missing from the driveway. Sam was the first out of the Blazer as she barely managed to get the gear into park and halted the overworked engine. She had a key to the house along with her other keys and entered the front door without hesitation.

84 As she raced through the living room, a flash of metal caught her eye from the hall bathroom. Sam froze in her tracks. \"Sam, is that you?\" Her dad coughed from the seclusion of the shadowy bathroom. \"Dad!\" Sam trilled and ran to greet him just as her mom and Kat cautiously entered through the front door. \"Daddy!\" Kat ran faster than she thought possible and jumped into his arms sending him stumbling back a few paces. \"Watch out! You don't have to kill him!\" Sam reprimanded. Sam was always possessive of their dad. She spent as much time as she could manage with her dad, preferably when the steps were gone. Lizzy had an awkward exchange with their dad, “the girls couldn't leave town without checking on you first.\" \"I'm so happy your alive!\" He looked at mom and pulled Kat in for a bear hug with Sam. \"I've been here since it started, I picked up Penelope and the kids but they left to go to her moms. I told them I had to wait here in case you came looking for me. I haven't heard from them since.\" Samantha scoffed involuntarily, but her dad didn't acknowledge it. The rest of the group had unloaded the Blazer already and reported that they were all clear, no undead in any direction from dads’ secluded homestead. Their dad had built the house near the outskirts of town, close enough, but far enough to keep people away. Their dad wasn't much of a people person, just like Sam. The one thing he did like to have a lot of was his guns and rifles. Kat didn't care much for

85 hunting, but her pink rifle might just come in handy these days. “I’ve got dinner in the oven and hot water in the bathrooms!\" Dad smiled in an unusually friendly way. He usually couldn't stand the sight of Lizzy and never cared for any of Kat or Sam’s friends, but Kat guessed the apocalypse changed his way of thinking. Too bad it didn't work for Sam. Kat could see that Lizzy and Olivia were uncomfortable with dad. Lizzy barely communicated with him, except for important matters concerning their kids. Kat wasn’t sure Olivia had ever even met him before, but she had seen his pictures in their rooms. The stress of the end of the world was taking a toll on both of their parents regardless of their forced reconciliation of sorts. Lizzy just looked tired and lost, but their dad looked pale and sickly even. Maybe he just needed to spend some time with people and he'd perk back up to his normal self, Kat thought. Kat’s mind wandered to the anticipation of a long, hot shower, even if she had to use Penelope’s body wash that was nowhere near as good as her Bath and Body Works collection. Kat actually tried to stuff it into her go-bag, but Olivia reminded her how utterly ridiculous it was to hang on to something like that when there were active zombies on the front lawn. So Kat only brought absolute essentials like her makeup kit (the small one), her lotion, and hair stuff, along with as many clothes that would fit without busting the zipper. It was a sucky lot of items, but it had to do. Kat hardly had anything at her dad’s house because she rarely stayed over there. Kat was the first to call dibs on the master bathroom. Honestly she thought she may have been the only one in the group with showering as a top priority, even though Quinn and Bobbi should add that to the top, for sure. Granted they

86 were possibly the hottest guys to be stuck with during a zombie apocalypse, but after days of sweating, even their hotness could not take away the stench. Olivia brought her small amount of essentials and waited in the bathroom with Kat. “So, Kat, your dad is cooking and everything, do you think we are gonna stay here for a while? Maybe till all this blows over?” Kat was already adjusting the water to the perfect temperature, “I wish we could, but I have a feeling Sam will have other plans, God forbid we take some time to eat and rest.” “She’s just looking out for us, Kat.” Olivia stood up for Sam. “OMG, this hot water feels so good on my grimy hair!” Kat proclaimed. “Yea, well don’t use it all, your dad has a whole houseful of people that need a shower, especially the guys.” “I know, right? For all their hotness, they sure do smell.” They giggled in unison. Kat took an exorbitant amount of time in the shower, but they enjoyed their camaraderie and laughing just like old times. It almost felt like the world had not stopped a couple of days ago, they acted like two high school girls on a weekend sleepover. After they both showered and recuperated a little bit they exited the bathroom to the scent of homemade lasagna in the oven. Kat’s dad went all out, nothing like the stories that Kat and Sam would talk about when they talked about their unsocial father.

were possibly the hottest guys to be stuck with during a zombie apocalypse, but after days of sweating, even their hotness could not take away the stench. Olivia brought her small amount of essentials and waited in the bathroom with Kat. “So, Kat, your dad is cooking and everything, do you think we are 87 gonna stay here for a while? Maybe till all this blows over?” Kat was already adjusting the water to the perfect temperature, “I wish we could, but I have a feeling Sam will have other plans, God forbid we take some time to eat and rest.” “She’s just looking out for us, Kat.” Olivia stood up for Sam. “OMG, this hot water feels so good on my grimy hair!” Kat proclaimed. “Yea, well don’t use it all, your dad has a whole houseful of people that need a shower, especially the guys.” “I know, right? For all their hotness, they sure do smell.” They giggled in unison. Kat took an exorbitant amount of time in the shower, but they enjoyed their camaraderie and laughing just like old times. It almost felt like the world had not stopped a couple of days ago, they acted like two high school girls on a weekend sleepover. After they both showered and recuperated a little bit they exited the bathroom to the scent of homemade lasagna in the oven. Kat’s dad went all out, nothing like the stories that Kat and Sam would talk about when they talked about their unsocial father. It was nice to see the television glowing, even if it was DVD’s and not live television. It was just another way of trying to forget what was happening outside. In here, they had TV, electricity and hot water, all the essentials that could easily help them bunker down for eternity. They ate dinner together and swapped stories about school and hunting and whatever else they could think of, but nothing related to the end of the world. Could Olivia have imagined the whole thing, was everything normal? One look at Aunt Lizzy’s face confirmed the underlying fear and anxiety that was prevalent in all of them. Olivia didn't want this afternoon to end. Sam cautiously kept her eyes fixed on the partially open front window while finding ample time to play with her new best friend. She wouldn’t let Kat have her way with her either, even when Kat insisted that Kirsten needed a little sprucing up. She treated Kirsten just like she treated Olivia when she first lost the use of her legs. She never let her try to do anything for herself; she took over as caregiver until Kat assumed the role a few months ago. It was almost as if Sam needed Kirsten to make her human again, to make her smile and have a sense of purpose. Aunt Lizzy and Sam senior managed to make civil conversation, but it was obvious that neither wanted to be in each other’s company. Sam senior looked wearier as the afternoon wore on and his cough worsened to the point that he took refuge on the overstuffed couch, watching the boys play a video game. No one bothered to clean up the mess from dinner, the reminders of jovial conversations and good food would just have to wait to be cleared away. Kat and Olivia flipped through the teen celebrity magazines that she had toted along with her. Overall, it was one of the best times they had in a long time, despite the circumstances that brought them here.

88 Kat had fallen into a deep sleep on the platform bed in the room Sam and her shared at their dad’s. Sam decided to keep watch alternating with Bobbi and Quinn, Olivia slept next to Kat. She was startled awake and completely unaware of her surroundings when she heard an unfamiliar groaning that sounded like someone in pain. She grabbed her pink rifle while still wiping the sleep out of her eyes. She entered the living room where Sam and Kirsten were fast asleep on the couch. Bobbi was supposed to be on watch, but he had fallen asleep, slumped over a chair near the window with a shotgun still in his hand. The groaning noises increased as Kat made her way down the hall towards her dad’s bedroom. His door was slightly ajar so she entered without having to knock for approval. What she saw standing beside the bed terrified her, she couldn't move, but her arms sprang into a shooting pose, knowing that her life was in imminent danger. Her father stared blankly at her in the darkened room, but his eyes were milky and she couldn't see the deep blue color that usually greeted her from them. His face was the color of burnt ashes, dull and pasty. Saliva dripped profusely from his rigidly open mouth. The grunting noises were coming from him and they grew more fervent with her presence in the room. \"Daddy? Are you ok?\" Kat mumbled, knowing the answer would never come. He reached for the barrel of her rifle with one hand while the other hand swept at her face in an attempt to tackle her. His movements became more violent with each quickened breathe Kat took. She stumbled back against the wall with no egress available. His intentions were clear; there were no options for her. Kill or be killed. He taught her that motto on one of their hunting trips, now she knew what

89 he meant. His weight was no match for her as she cowered to the ground. \"Daddy, please, no!\" She made one last attempt to reclaim the father that once belonged to the undead body hovering over her. \"Please!\" the flow of unrelenting tears obscured her vision; panic at the feel of her flesh tearing open from his grasp forced her to pull the trigger.

Chapter 8 Her father's body slumped over her. She pushed it away and dropped the smoking rifle. She remained against the wall on the floor and tucked her knees into her chest allowing the tears and gasps from the unrelenting sobs escape. She could hear the houseguests making their way to her. What had I done? I killed my dad! Why wouldn't he just stop? Sam was the first to arrive on scene, \"what the hell did you do!\" she blazed at her sister and ran to their lifeless father trying to revive him. Kat couldn't speak, the tears were too plentiful to allow any coherent sentences to form, instead all she could manage were a few broken words,\" I - he - zombie- scared.\" Kat had forgotten about the scratch that she incurred during the scuffle until she looked down at the dried blood on her arm where the scratch had disappeared already. Apparently, her healing worked on herself as well. \"You killed dad!\" Sam screamed as the rest of the household looked on in horror. Lizzy pushed her way through the crowded doorway and took Kat in her arms, Kat nestled in as close as she could, wishing she could tune out everything around her. \"It's ok baby, it's ok, shh...\" She rocked her.

91 “It's not ok! She killed him!” Sam screamed louder and involuntarily began dropping tears from her eyes. “Dad is dead! We could have kept him in the closet or the basement until we found a cure!\" \"Sam, this is hard on both of you, lay off Kat, ok?\" Mom pleaded. \"Just because you hated him doesn't make it ok!\" Sam dropped her father to the floor and sprinted out of the bedroom with Quinn in tow. Kat began sobbing harder and louder, knowing that her action was irreversible. Her dad was dead. She had expected it before they arrived here, she was even somewhat prepared for that. But when they got here and he was still alive she took for granted that he would be with them forever. She never imagined this would be how he would die. And her own sister killed him! Kat wasn't as close to dad as Sam was. She practically lived at her dads when Olivia wasn’t staying with them. Sam and her dad could spend an entire day together and not have to say a word to each other, most of the time they would watch TV while they were browsing away on their phones. She liked days like that when the steps were gone somewhere and it was just her and her dad. But now he's dead. To top it off, Sam couldn’t leave the confines of her dads’ house to find solitude because of the unknown lurking outside. She only had the reprieve of her bedroom to run to. Quinn waited in the doorway wanting to say something but not sure what or how to say it.

92 \"It's ok Quinn, you don't have to babysit, I'm not gonna get suicidal or anything.\" \"I just want to make sure you’re ok.\" He managed to mumble. \"None of this is ok, the whole stupid world has fallen to pieces and we're all that's left!\" Sam yelled much more fiercely than she intended, she knew he was just trying to be a friend. Untamed blonde ringlets peeked from behind Quinn's legs. Sam motioned for her to come to her. \"It’s ok Sammy, my daddy's dead too.\" She stated in a matter-of-fact way. She totted her way to Sam and put her wiry arms around Sam's sagging shoulders. \"Your daddy was scary though, when you was asleep I heard him crying, I went to check on him and he tried to bite me, but he just scratched me.\" She raised her puny arm in front of Sam to show her the deep, infected scratch on her forearm. \"I told him that was a no! no!, but he just kept trying to bite me so I ran back to you and that's when Kat musta heard him and went to him.\" She explained in high pitched innocence. Quinn looked to Sam in disbelief. Sam would not acknowledge what she said; instead Sam pulled her closer to her and let her own pent up tears avalanche under the cover of Kirsten's mass of unruly curls. Quinn stepped away from the doorway to leave Kirsten and Sam in each other’s comfort. Olivia couldn't fathom what Kat was feeling. Olivia had a dad but she wasn't as close as Sam and Kat were to theirs. Olivia knew Kat loved her dad, but often let the fact that she didn't like her step family get in the way. It was just easier to avoid it altogether than to have to spend too much time

93 around the other people that she didn't like. Olivia also knew she never would have done something as drastic as she had without provocation. She pieced together the fact that her dad turned into one of those undead that they saw at Aunt Lizzy's. Olivia didn't know where she could be the most help. Kat was snuggled in her mom’s arms, Sam and Kirsten had retreated to her room with Edie trying to help, and the boys were conferencing quietly at the dining table full of dirty dishes. Piper seemed restless, probably because she hadn't been allowed outside since the whole ordeal unfolded. Olivia reached for her to pat her head and headed to the living room to start surveillance again out the window. The fog had returned and created a creepy landscape that showed no signs of activity from this perspective. She thought she should feel safe, but after the violent death of Sam and Kat's dad, feeling safe didn't seem like an option anymore. \"Where's Kat?\" Sam appeared as though she had never cried. \"They're still in there.\" Olivia pointed to the bedroom. Sam headed that way with Kirsten and Olivia in tow. \"Kat, Kristen has a scrape, I need you to do whatever it is that you do and make it go away.\" Sam demanded rather than asking for Kat's help. Kat stopped sniffling long enough to look at Sam and nod her head. Olivia could see her mood instantly lighten because Sam still needed her. \"Don't think this gets you off the hook, I'm still mad at you.\" Sam added, but Kat knew that Sam was just venting. Kat and Aunt Lizzy left the bedroom and closed the door. Kirsten held up her arm to the inviting grip of Kat's healing

94 fingers. The scratch disappeared within seconds. Kirsten turned her arm back and forth several times examining the miracle, “thanks kitty Kat, my booboo is allll gone! Maybe you can fix your daddy too.\" They knew that wasn't possible but Kat looked to her mom for advice. \"I don't think it will work honey, but if you want to try.\" \"Maybe I should.\" Kat entered the bedroom and edged closer to her father. Olivia walked in behind her, standing close for moral support. She was frightened to actually take in the sight of her father. He didn’t look like her Uncle Jose had looked when he died, but she had seen him after they had fixed him up at the funeral parlor. She guessed this is what death really looked like, but she had to imagine that this looked much worse. His skin was already falling away from the bones of his face. Blood and ooze emanated from every fold of his skin. The color of his skin was not flesh colored, but rather greyish with a tint of green. Patches of hair were visibly barren on his once full head of hair. The joints of his extremities were disfigured and curled inward. Kat placed her hands on her father’s chest. Everyone held their breath in anticipation, Sam impatiently strummed her feet. His skin color took on more color than the putrid green that had taken over. Hope was visible on Sam’s face; she unfurled her clenched fists that hung at her sides. His skin showed more and more improvement, but the timing took much longer than it had for Edie and Kirsten. His joints unfurled their clenched positioning, relaxing at his sides. The color almost completely transformed him, but beyond the color and loosening of his limbs, there did not seem to be any hope for a miracle. Kat looked at her mom for encouragement. “Keep trying!” Sam insisted.

95 “I don’t think it’s doing anything more, Sam” Kat wanted Sam to allow her to quit working in him. “Don’t stop! You should have tried this sooner, if you had, dad might have come back!” “Sam, you don’t know that, maybe Kat’s gift doesn’t work on infected people.” Aunt Lizzy defended. “Don’t stop!” Sam dropped beside her sister and placed her hands over Kat’s. It was no use. Once the color had been restored and their dad returned to the way he normally looked, the magic was gone. Either they had waited too long or Aunt Lizzy was right. In any case, Sam would not let this be forgotten. After a few more minutes she huffed off in anger and Kat submissively allowed her hands to leave her father’s body. Aunt Lizzy was quick to take Kat in her arms and comfort her all over again. Olivia returned to the living room where the rest of the group had reformed. Sam didn't want to stay there another day. The thought of her father lying dead in his bedroom was enough for her to want to move on. Their plans shouldn't change just because people are dying, it should give them more incentive to find a safe haven. The only hope they had was the story Quinn had told them about the boats taking the uninfected. Sam knew that everyone would rather stay at her dad's’ house until their supplies ran out, but their supplies wouldn't last forever and eventually someone or something would find them. It was going to be up to Sam to get the plan rolling again. Quinn interrupted Sam's internal dialogue by waving his hands and cupping his ears. He still had the radio nearly implanted to his ear, hoping to hear something encouraging.

96 \"Hold on guys, there's someone different on here, she just said to stay tuned for information from the Department of Defense.\" Edie's sullen eyes came back to life. Kat finally stopped sniveling, and their mom had a look of relief that Sam hadn't seen since things were normal a few days ago. Sam thought it was the unknown that made everything worse. Now they had the knowledge that there were other survivors out there. They could hang on to their shred of faith that had been tattered to pieces. \"She is sayin to stay in your home if at all possible. Water supplies are safe to drink and should last until help arrives.\" he paused, \"the United States military will be going door to door to bring in any survivors for quarantine. Ships are continuing to transport uninfected people to the islands near Puerto Rico which are currently infection free. Estimates are in the thousands of survivors. Do not enter city limits. Cities and towns with large populations are rampant with infected persons.\" Quinn smiled at his rendition of the broadcast. Edie and Kat joined hands smiling and jumping up and down. Kirsten wanted Sam to pick her up to hug her. Lizzy appeared suspicious of the good news, but still looked somewhat relieved. Kat couldn’t contain her excitement, \"we're gonna be saved!\" \"I wonder when they'll get to us. Do you think they will find the house out here?\" Bobbi questioned. \"Hold up a minute guys,\" Sam hated bursting their bubble, but they needed to see the reality. “Do you really want to take your chances with the military? Bobbi, you and Edie both saw what happened with David, what if they think we're infected? What if we are infected, but we're somehow

97 immune? They'll kill us either way. We need to stick to our plan and get to those ships!\" \"You're such a buzz kill Sam!\" Kat and Edie dropped their interlocked arms. \"Yeah Sammy, a big giant buzzard killer.\" Kirsten piped in leading the group into spontaneous laughter. Even Sam couldn’t help herself from laughing after that. The blazer was loaded to the brim. Sam, Quinn, and Bobbi had taken the shell off the back to give them more room for supplies and people. Even with the additional headroom they were tightly packed. They decided to take a detour to the school and try to see what happened there. Sam was sure that their plans to leave would be even more necessary after seeing the school's aftermath. Sam decided they would park at the convenience store and hope that no one would hear the loud engine. They were traveling during the day which was against mom's better judgment, but Sam proclaimed that she couldn't stay in dad's house another minute. The Department of Defense broadcast had not given any further information, but the snippet they had listened to was enough to keep the hope alive. They rounded the corner where they could catch a glimpse of the school just past the convenience store. It didn't appear to be as bombarded with military equipment as it was when they made their escape a couple of days ago. There was a giant helicopter near the front entrance of the school, but less trucks and Humvees than anyone would have estimated.

98 \"Sam, try not to use the gas too much so they don't hear us coming.\" Mom advised. Sam slowed her steady movement down the barren street allowing the truck to chug to an idle rather than a deafening roar. She glided into the back alley and cut the engine. There was still no sign of anyone alive or undead on their path to the school. Once again, Olivia had a plan. A plan that Sam would never agree to. Olivia would have to implement it immediately. Before words of restraint could utter from Sam's lips, Olivia was sprinting at lightning speed toward the school. The fact that it was daytime did manage to inhibit her newly acquired fearlessness, but once she started there was no turning back. She stopped momentarily at the entrance to the unfinished gym to assess the state she had put Sam in. She presumed if steam could literally come from her ears it would have. She couldn't yell for Olivia to stop or come back for fear of discovery, so she had to wait impatiently with the rest of the group for Olivia's return. Quinn and Bobbi were issuing fist pumps in the air to Olivia, adding to the rage building in Sam. Olivia ran into the gym hoping to get some clue as to the happenings inside the school. The hole where they had exited from the walls had been hastily boarded up. Apparently someone had discovered their escape. The gym left no clues for Olivia to report to the group. She didn't want to return with nothing to share. She continued to the back exit of the gym. The door didn't have a window so she would have to trust her instinct as to whether it was safe to open it. She placed her shaking fingers on the bar to open the industrial door. \"Olivia!\" She heard same unmistakable voice in a loud whisper. “Stop, there's someone out there, I can hear them.\"

99 Olivia's fingers retreated from the door like she had touched a hot burner on the stove. \"I know your mad.\" Was all Olivia could manage to say. \"Next time you decide to run off without telling me first I'm gonna pull your hair straight out of your skull!\" Olivia couldn't help giggling, but she continued on to more serious matters, \"I think there's two of them, I hear something about the hourly perimeter check and how it sucks having to look at all the dead ones.\" \"That doesn't sound good Sam.\" This is not what Olivia was expecting. She had hoped that all their friends and teachers had been transported to the ships, but from what Sam just said, it didn't sound like that was the case. They waited for about ten minutes more when Sam decided that it was all clear. The sun had already waned behind the walls of the gym indicating that evening was approaching. Sam pushed the door open slowly while conducting surveillance on the open field for military personnel. Sam wedged her backpack in the door frame to keep it from locking them out, they squeezed out and along the wall into a shroud of bushes that lined the wall. Black tarps covered the library windows making it impossible to see in or out. They didn't need to see what was happening inside the school. The open field told the gruesome tale. A large bulldozer waited silently in front of deep open ditches where dozens of dead bodies were strewn. Olivia didn’t want to admit what she saw in front of her eyes. If Edie and Kat had seen this, they would have been brought to tears already. Olivia wanted to cry but she knew Sam would get mad at her even more than she already was. Olivia would hold strong for as long as possible given the scenery.

100 There was no time to contemplate emotions, military personnel still wearing gas masks and biohazard fatigues marched a group of students and teachers in formation toward the mass graves. They had their hands over their heads. Olivia recognized most of them, but they looked as if they had not slept in days. The girls were crying and pleading with the soldiers. The soldiers refused to look at the group. Mr. Mata was the leader of the group and tried to negotiate with the soldiers. From Sam and Olivia's position, they could hear the conversation play out. “Please, just think about this, I know you have to follow orders, but we haven’t gotten sick yet. We may be immune, we may not even be contagious. Please, these are just kids, at least give them a chance. You can lock us up if you want to, but please not this and not like this. We deserve to die in dignity.” The soldiers completely ignored Mr. Mata’s request and instructed the group to face the piles of bodies in the ditch. “May God save your souls, and ours.” The leader of the soldiers proclaimed before issuing the order, “On three\" The pause was deafening. \" One. Two. Three.” Shots from their machine guns rang out over the setting sun. One by one the bodies dropped to the ground and into the waiting graves. Olivia couldn’t stifle the raw emotions that were opened. Sam held her hand to my mouth in order to keep her quiet, but the sound that managed to escape was enough to prick the ears of a soldier. “Over there, by the gym!” Sam tugged at Olivia’s sleeve to pull her through the propped door as shots followed their footsteps. “Go! Go! Go!” They heard the soldiers behind them at the door, unable to open it.