Come Morning Light

Consciousness began to stir the corners of Renee’s mind. She could feel her own body, laying stiff from soreness on something somewhat soft. Her fingers curled so that her nails scratched the fabric of what seemed to be a couch. Trying to open her eyes, a sharp stab of pain shot through the front of her head and bounced around in her skull. Grimacing in pain, she reached with a heavy arm to rub her temple. Faint voices reached her ears mostly male, but she could not decipher their words.
“Mff… Hm, mff?”
Concentrating harder Renee began to put the sounds together with consonants finally forming words, though at a whisper.
“ Miss? You awake?”
Trying once again, she opened one eyelid slowly making out the image of a man. He was dark skinned with a thin beard, a silver chain hung loosely around his neck catching the light with a slight glimmer. Pushing herself up on her elbows, Renee squinted at the pain and touched her fingertips to her temple.
“Ey, ey, ey, lay back down.”
The man reached over and touched her shoulder lightly, pushing her body back down onto the couch.
“What happened? Where am I?” Her voice was raspy and though she’d just been unconscious for who knows how long, she felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion come over her.
“Don’ know. Found you layin out there in some alley, left for dead. A few of my guys went out to look for supplies and so far you’re the only thing they’ve brought back.”
Memories played themselves back over in her head, the car, the man who lost his hand, the feeling of her skull colliding with the metal post.
“Some asshole knocked me out, took my car and supplies. Even after I saved him.”
“Sounds like someone knows how to show some gratitude.” The man scoffed. A small chuckle escaped Renee.
“That’s what I’m saying. So… you haven’t answered me. What is this place?”
“Just a place for survivors now.”
“How long was I out?”
“Less than a day, we found you this morning.”
Renee blinked in her surroundings for a moment, listening to the faint chatter in the background. She could feel the man’s eyes on her, waiting for her to ask more questions or maybe even to lose consciousness again. The pain in her head was beginning to decrease slightly and, drawing in a deep breath, attempted to sit upright again. He said nothing only breathed in deeply and moved from resting his arms on his knees to sitting up, watching her move.
All of Renee’s muscles were coiled up tight; she could feel the ever present soreness throughout her entire body. Only a week ago she was sitting on her own couch watching the television broadcasts cutting in and out of her favorite sitcoms while she munched on microwave popcorn in her small but tidy apartment. She’d never had to handle a weapon or slept in her car, never climbed a building and punched through a window to save a man’s life. Renee had never been attacked or…smelled a rotting corpse. Now that was all she could smell. Even in the somewhat sanitary conditions she’d happened to find herself in, with every breath she still could not rid herself of the stench of death.
“So uh…” The man began, finally breaking the silence and her train of thoughts. “I bet you’re hungry.”
Renee nodded at first and swallowed hard to ease the dryness of her throat.
“Yeah, I could use some food.”
Grabbing her gently he helped her rise to her feet, a friendly smirk tugging the corners of his mouth.
“Can you walk?” He asked stepping back.
“Yeah,” She said feeling her legs sturdy underneath herself “yeah I’m fine.”
“Ok, follow me.”
Renee was lead out of what appeared to be an office and through a short series of hallways. Flickering lights buzzed as she passed underneath them and a few other tall burley Hispanic men walked past her giving the man a short nod. They stopped in what appeared to be a cafeteria, long tables filled the room but hardly anyone else was seated. A few older men and women sat scattered around the room. Some eating quietly to themselves while a couple sat with younger people talking in hushed tones. No one was working behind the bar serving food or picking up trash. Clearly this was no government run facility. Just a place for survivors just as the man said.
She was seated in a chair that squeaked beneath her weight as she leaned her body against the table to rest her head in her hand, her loose hair falling in a tangled mess over one shoulder. Saying nothing else, her guide left her side and disappeared into a backroom to retrieve her meal. A headache still faintly pulsed through Renee’s skull, making her mind cloudy and her thoughts unclear. Her fingertips pressed against her temple, massaging it lightly. Out of the corner of her eye the man was returning with a Styrofoam plate and a bottle of water. At the mere sight of food her stomach began to churn and she realized she hadn’t eaten since the Georgia border.
“Here you go.” He said as he sat the plate down before her. She eyed the peanut butter sandwich and opened can of fruit cocktail that he’d balanced on the flimsy plate. “It’s not much, but it’s what we got.”
“Thank you.” She blinked in response and gazed up at the stranger before extending her hand. “I’m Renee by the way.”
“Guillermo.”
Suddenly the heavy drudging sound of men’s feet hitting the floor tickled their ears and they both shifted their gazes towards the entrance.
“G!”
About three Hispanic men ran through the entrance of the cafeteria, all out of breath, all sweating.
“Those assholes we ran into out in the alley, there ‘ere man.” One of them said motioning over their shoulder. “They got Miguel with ‘em.”
Guillermo casually looked down at Renee.
“Excuse me.” He said so coolly with no hint of fear or emotion unlike his men standing before him, all in a panic.
Renee watched them all leave, the men anxious to deal with what was waiting for them outside, and then turned her attention to her sandwich.

Taking a moment, Renee split the bread down the middle diagonally, relishing in the memory of how she ate peanut butter sandwiches her whole life. In an overwhelming sensation of nostalgia she thought of her mom, standing in the kitchen listening to the local country station playing on the radio that sat on the counter in between the canisters and the paper towel holder. Her mom was always in the kitchen, cleaning fish, baking banana bread, packing lunches. Daniel always irritated her by sampling everything before it was done, but they always laughed about it.

Daniel…

Renee casually chewed the first half of the sandwich as she thought about her brother. More than her mom and dad, a hole was eating its way through her heart at the despair of losing him. If only she could know if he was even alive or dead. But with nothing to go on, her thoughts ran wild until they tired her out. Deciding not to think about it anymore, Renee sighed deeply and finished her food.
From what she could gather by the amount of elderly around her, this place used to be a nursing home. There had to be a recreation center somewhere and she was in desperate need of a distraction. After throwing away her trash Renee set out to explore the halls. Many of the ones who had been patients were still in their rooms, being taken care of by a few volunteers. But the majority was gathering in a common area. There were round tables set all over the room and a stage with a large cross towards the back. Her eyes scanned for something to do to occupy herself with. Finally she noticed a bookshelf to her left and decided to scan through the selections.
There were a few murder mysteries, a couple self help books, and “Gone with the Wind”. Choosing the latter she picked a seat at an empty table and began to read.

Renee didn’t know how long she’d sat there exactly but just as she was reaching chapter two she noticed someone standing in front of her. Lifting her eyes upward over the pages she gazed at a young Asian guy in a red baseball cap starring at her intently.
“'Gone with the Wind'… good choice.” Renee raised her eyebrow in amusement. “You read much?”
“Not lately, no.”
“Oh right,” He laughed awkwardly “with the apocalypse and all.”
“Yeah…” She answered lowering the book into her lap. “Did they find you too?”
“Uh…what?”
“Did they find you? You know, take you in to help you?”
“No, no, no. Definitely not.” Renee tilted her head to the side in confusion. “It’s a long story.”
“Ah,” she said tucking her hair behind her ear.
“I’m Glenn by the way.” He smiled taking one hand out of his pocket and extending it towards her. “And you are…?”
“Renee.”
“Nice name.”
His smile was warm and friendly, even more so than Guillermo’s, and definitely more than the man from the roof. Renee wondered as she shook his hand how many more introductions she’d go through within the next 24 hours.
Suddenly the sound of labored breath caught both of their attentions. Turning her gaze she noticed an elderly man sitting in a wheelchair grasping his chest for breath. Her eyes widened in a slight panic as a small group of people gathered around him. One of them was an elderly Hispanic lady in a night gown. She touched her hand over her heart and exclaimed “I must get Philippe!” Then she hurried her way down the hall.
“What’s going on?” Renee asked Glenn turning her eyes away from the man gasping for air.
“I don’t know,” He said shaking his head “looks like some kind of attack, maybe Asthma?”
“Are there doctors here?”
“From what I can tell just a few nurses.” Glenn eyed her curiously as she stared in concern. “How long have you been here?”
“Less than a day. You?”
“Same. It’s been rough, but the old people are nice.”
“Just the old people?” She asked raising an eyebrow.
“Like I said, I wasn’t taken in for help.”
Pursing her lips together Renee flipped through the corners of the book as she pondered Glenn’s meaning.
“Well,” He sighed shoving both hands in his pockets once again “I’ll uh…let you get back to your book.”
Renee said nothing else; instead she watched him make his way over to the small group and placed a hand on the man’s shoulders. He seemed quite at home with the people especially for only knowing any of them less than a day. Shrugging her thoughts away she casually tied her hair up in a ponytail to get it out of her way and continued reading.

Almost as soon as she reached the second chapter, a small group of men being led by the woman who had gone off to get Philippe made their way into the room. One Hispanic man she had seen earlier during the day was the first at the old man’s side with an inhaler and mumbled calm instructions. Another man was dressed in a Sheriff’s uniform and watched the scene with wide amused eyes. Finally he turned his attention towards Glenn.
“What the hell is this?” He asked quietly.
“Asthma attack.” Glenn responded. “Couldn’t get his breath all of a sudden…”
“Thought you were being eaten by dogs, man!” The third man, a burly black guy stated with a hint of irritation. Renee chuckled lightly to herself as everyone gazed at the three small Chihuahua’s seated comfortably in a leopard print dog bed. She covered her mouth with the side of her hand and surprised her volume. The dog in the middle barked nervously but did not move.
The sheriff shifted anxiously on his feet and then threw an agitated glance towards Guillermo, who Renee hadn’t even noticed until then.
“Can I have a word with you?” He asked in a low voice. Guillermo nodded and stepped away from the group slowly.
The two began speaking in hushed tones so that Renee could no longer hear what they were saying. Not even bothering to strain she sighed and closed the book and took comfort in the fact that she had read it before so it wouldn’t bother her to stop. Untangling her legs from underneath herself she hopped down off the stage and made her way over towards the bookshelf. Once she turned around she found herself nearly running into the final man. He wasn’t much taller than her but he seemed far more intimidating than the rest. His gaze was intense and left her unsure if she should say “sorry” for almost running into him, or if she should just stay silent. Choosing the latter Renee hastily walked around him and made her way towards Glenn.
These men were obviously in a group and there were possibly more people waiting for them. Hanging on to her hope for dear life she decided to ask, keeping in mind that someone somewhere had to know the answers to her questions and the more people she came in contact with, the better her odds.
“Glenn?”
“Yeah? What’s up?” He asked turning his full attention towards her.
Awkwardly she stuck her hands in her back pockets and rocked on her heels.
“So…are you a part of a group or something?”
“Um yeah, we have a camp outside the city why?”
“Do you think you have room for one more?”
“You mean, you want to come with us? Why?”
“I traveled a long way to find my family, even if they’re not with your group, maybe someone came from another or knows where they could be.” She explained.
Glenn lifted his hat and ran his fingers through his thick black hair as he exhaled a sigh.
“I’ll have to ask.” He responded with an unsure shrug. “You understand, right?”
“Of course.” She nodded. “I’ll just uh…be here.”
Glenn smiled kindly and watched her take a seat at one of the empty tables then followed his group of men and Guillermo as they disappeared down a hallway.

Not long after, they returned. Renee had been resting her head on her folded arms, watching the world sideways. The sheriff was once again leading the way and was making a beeline towards her. Sitting up immediately she held his gaze as he stopped right in front of her.
“Glenn tells me you want to come with us.”
“I do.” She responded standing on her feet in front of him. “I’m looking for my family and I can’t get anywhere if I just stay here.”
“I understand.” He nodded placing his hands on his hips. “I’ve gone through a lot myself to find my wife and son.” Casting a glance over his shoulder towards his group, Renee could see him chewing it over and over in his mind. “What’s your name?”
“Renee.” She sighed, tired of saying it but forced a smile anyway.
“Rick.” He nodded placing his hat on top of his head. “That there is T-Dog.” Rick pointed to the black man. “Of course you know Glenn. And that’s Daryl.” Renee shifted her golden eyes towards the other three men, standing in a line all sizing her up, wondering if she was worth the extra supplies, the extra room. “Do you have any belongings here?”
“No.”
“Alright,” he nodded “come with us.”

Renee walked silently in the back of the group of men. Listening to their chatter as the sun began to make its way down over the buildings in the background.
“Admit it; you only came back to Atlanta for the hat.” Glenn joked to Rick who gave a small smile and casually glanced back at them.
“Don’t tell anybody.”
“You’ve given away half our guns and ammo.” The one named Daryl spoke up.
“Not nearly half.”
“For what?” Daryl continued. “For a bunch of old farts who are gonna die off momentarily anyhow? Seriously, how long do you think they got?”
“How long do any of us?” Rick responded.
Just then, the group stopped short, all eyes staring straight ahead in disbelief. Renee wasn’t sure what they were all looking at for a moment, all she could think about was if her mind was playing tricks on her or not. Straight in front of her, parked casually in the grass, was her car.
“Oh my god.” Glenn murmured.
“Where the hell’s our van?” Daryl asked shifting his feet.
“We left it right there,” Glenn stated still staring straight ahead, “who would take it?”
“Merle.” Rick answered. “But where’d that car come from?”
“That’s mine…” All eyes turned sharply to Renee. “I didn’t have much gas left he must have stopped to trade them out.”
Daryl finally shifted his gaze towards Rick.
“He’s gonna be taking some vengeance back to camp.”
Rick nodded solemnly.
“How much gas do you have left?”
“Maybe a little over a quarter. Not enough to really travel on.”
“That’s enough to get back to camp that’s for sure.” T-Dog replied. “Saves us havin’ to travel on foot.”
“Maybe my brother was kind enough to leave the keys.” Daryl responded as he began to saunter over to the little maroon Mazda.
Brother?
Biting her bottom lip in thought Renee began to put the pieces together. The man on the roof had been handcuffed. Her eyes found Rick, a sheriff. And he had a brother. Renee turned her gaze now to Daryl who was opening the back door of her car. A sinking feeling began to drop into her stomach and she wasn’t quite sure why.
“Your plates say Louisiana.” Rick stated running his hand over the top of her trunk. “That where you came from?”
“Yeah, me and my brother got separated while they were trying to evacuate our area.”
“So why’d you come here?” Glenn asked as he opened the other backseat door.
“Just my family. I don’t know where they took Daniel or even if he’s alive. Nothing had been on the news about evacuating this area so I hoped my aunt and uncle would still be at home. But when I got there, they’d left a note saying they’d left with friends and would try Atlanta or maybe the CDC…so here I am.”
“Found your keys.” Daryl cut in holding her ring of keys on his index finger.
He tossed it to her gently and slid into the car without another word. Taking a deep breath she got in and started the engine. Rick sat beside her and gave her a heartfelt smile.
“Just follow this main road, I’ll tell you when to turn.” Was his only instruction before they drove off. Leaving the desolate city behind them for the dead to consume.