Gone Isn't Forever

Chapter 19

The Walking Dead

I found my way to the surface, my hand finally breaking through and I could feel the air rush over my skin and the particles of earth that crumbled away from it. I made a hole just big enough to poke my head through. I halfway expected to crawl out of my own grave in some creepy cemetery. But as soon as I gasped in oxygen, my lungs filled with air and I could breathe again. The sensation felt odd. Breathing. I had spent the last six months in hell and breathing wasn’t really a privilege there.

Finally I pulled my body out of the ground and panted, more like gasped as the tears fell to soak the ground with its salty substance and I was just barely holding myself up on all fours. Once I had regained my sanity and could decipher what was going on, I scanned the horizon seeing nothing but a road and an empty arena in the distance. This was exactly where Zacky had his demon minions knock me out and drag me to hell. I had resurfaced in the middle of nowhere Indiana. I searched my person for my phone, finding that Arin hadn’t been so kind as to return my phone to me once he let me go.

I got on my feet and looked around. There was a shady gas station forever away in the distance. I remembered passing it on the way to the show. It had been six months on earth, but it seemed like it was only yesterday that I was with all of my friends on the tour bus and passing that marathon. It looked like I would have to walk there to find a phone of some sort or some way to get ahold of someone. I figured Jo would probably be the best choice. Once I got back to everyone I would reveal Zacky’s and Arin’s evil plans to take over hell and dethrone Jimmy. I would need to let the King of Hell know his torturous land is in danger and that Arin was planning to force me to marry him. I didn’t want to be associated with Arin and his crazy antics whatsoever.

It took me a few hours to finally get to the gas station and as soon I walked in the cashier gave me a horrified look. Oh right. I was still covered in dirt, mud and grass. I must’ve looked like a zombie fresh from the grave. It kind of weirded me out, the thought. Was I technically a zombie? Had I died when Zacky’s minion knocked me out? I didn’t really know, but if I hadn’t, those hellhounds did a number on me enough times to constitute as dead.

“Oh my god, are you alright?!” The lady asked me coming around the counter to come to my aid if I needed it, but still keeping her distance. I didn’t really blame her. She probably thought I was going to charge her and claim her brains as mine. I tried to find my voice but all that came out was segmented noises.

“Yeh...art. Pho!” I paused for a moment. That was supposed to be ‘Yeah, I’m alright. Can I used your phone?’ her eyes widened and she approached me slowly.

“You look like you’ve been pushing up daisies and just got loose. Why don’t you go clean yourself up. The bathrooms right around the corner. Come back to talk to me after when you can speak coherent sentences.” she stated and I nodded, feeling defeated. I headed into the bathroom and finally I got the first glimpse at myself in six months. My eyes were bloodshot and there was something dark in them. My hair was matted and stiff with mud patches and leaves. My face was caked with dirt and mud and my entire body was covered in the same with grass and leaves strewn about in the mix. I was wearing the same still dressed in the same clothes I had the day I left earth but they were dirty like my body and musty smelling. God, I really was a zombie!

I ran the faucet and grabbed some paper towels, squirting soap on them and I washed my face and hands. There wasn’t much I could do about the rest of my situation. I had no extra clothes and I needed a shower desperately. I tried doing some vocal exercises that Jo had taught me and some that I had learned from choir and musicals of the past. With each excercise, my voice got a little better. When I was confident that I speak coherently again, I approached the counter again.

“Hi...sorry. I know this looks bad and I really can’t explain right now. But can I use your phone please?” I asked the girl and my voice was a little husky and didn’t sound quite like me yet. Correction, it sounded like me when I strep throat. The lady just nodded and handed me the phone and I took it from her, dialing Jo’s cell number. I hoped to god she hadn’t changed it. The phone rang once, twice, and three times before I heard Jo’s perky voice pick up.

“Hello?” she said into the phone and at that instant, I about lost it. All of the emotions and the torture I had endured boiled to the surface and I had finally escaped it. It was the first time hearing my best friend’s voice after six months in hell. My emotions were shot.

“J-Jo?” I rasped into the phone. What if she thought this was a prank or something. I didn’t sound like myself.

“Who is this?” Jo’s voice dropped to interrogation mode instantly and I sniffled. Hearing her voice was the single most blessed thing that had happened to me since I had been taken off that cross in the depths of hell.

“Jo...it-its me. It’s Me-Melinda!” I stuttered into the phone and the tears started flowing again.

“I don’t know who you think you are but my best friend has been missing for the last six months! If this is some sick twisted joke, I will find you and make your life hell!” she shouted into the phone. She thought I was bluffing.

“No! Jo, stop! Don’t hang up ple-please! I need you! It’s really me!” I tried to convince her, my voice cracking through the tears as panic set in. I didn’t have a plan B yet. If she didn’t believe me, I didn’t know what I was going to do.

“You’re a monster!” Jo’s voice broke and I could hear the sobs coming through the other end. Someone grabbed the phone and started cussing me out.

“Listen you sick son of a bitch, if you ever call this number again I will track you and call the police! Do I make myself clear?” Zacky’s voice came over the phone and I gritted my teeth, hanging up the phone as more tears fell. I didn’t know if Zacky even knew I was out. Arin had struck a deal with him, but he had to have anticipated that I would go after my friends and tell about their plans. What was the catch? Sure I had to marry Arin technically, but how did they plan to keep me quiet? Did they think that pure threat of returning to that god forsaken cross was going to be enough to shut me up? I was going to squeal at the first chance I got and Jo would know exactly who Zacky was and what he did to me!

“Is everything alright darlin’? Do need anything?” The clerk asked me and I looked over at her and wiped my eyes as I nodded.

“Yes! Could I get a ride into town? I really need to find a hotel so I can shower as you can see. I apologize for being such a burden and I know this is a little bizarre. I just, fell in the ditch while on a long bike ride and I hit my head. I was out for a while and I just woke up with my bike no where in sight. So I saw this gas station and...I was hoping someone would be kind enough to help me.” I said, more emotions squealing out towards the end. I hadn’t been shown any kindness in what seemed like a very long time.

The lady nodded and locked up the gas station, letting me take a few snacks for the road in case I was hungry. I wasn’t at the time, but pulled some jerky and funyuns along with some Gatorade for the ride and just took it with me. The lady introduced herself on the way to the nearest town. Her name was Helen and she gave me her number and a generous amount of money when she dropped me off at cheap motel whose vacancy sign lit up red and flickered as if it were about to blow out. I thanked her headed inside to rent a room for the night. The guy assigned me room 666. Of fucking course! He handed me the keys, bewildered at my appearance but he said nothing. I left the lobby and sought out my room.

I locked the door behind me and headed straight for the bathroom. I pulled off my old disgusting clothes and took the longest shower I had ever taken, which is saying something because before I visited hell, I would take 45 minutes to an hour shower. But I sat there under the jets in the tub, just staring at the wall with all of my demons until the water ran cold.