Fragile Wings

It was rough out there. Yeah the zombies were nasty and scary but we adapted, got better figured out the way to stop them from eating you alive was a blow to their head, anything to damage their brain. We also learned you couldn’t trust people. My poor mother learned that one the hard way. We had acquired a car, learned to siphon gas and were driving away, trying to find greener pastures. At this point we knew the government wasn’t sending aid, that we were on our own until things settled. We accepted it, silently and just kept going forward. We stopped a few times, scavenging, checking things out, and pushing other cars out of the way. We had stopped for the night, both of us so very tired. I took a sip of water, handing it to my Mom and then lowering the passenger seat in the crossover we picked. This one came with a slightly dangerous luxury, a moon roof. I currently had the cover slid back, the glass was still there, but nothing else and I stared at the stars overhead, looking expressively bright and twinkling, more than they had a right to be during this time. I watched this until I fell into slumber. I woke up with my bladder telling me I needed to go, I looked at my Mom who was sleeping, if badly, but still sleeping. I quietly got out of the car and headed behind a van. Done with the job I stared out into the forest that surrounded us on both sides, the sky was a frosty pink as morning approached. I started to head back to our car when I heard a rather loud, obnoxious engine. My heart was hammering through my chest and I ducked. In hindsight I wished I had ran to our car, woken her up, yelled at her to go, then maybe, just maybe things would have been better. But inside I crouched, looking through the tinted windows of the van as the truck approached. It stopped and two men got out, they started combing through the other cars, eventually they came upon ours, I saw a big, bearded one look through the glass and he smiled. A meaty fist came up and pounded on the window. My Mother was jarred awake, terror recognizable in her eyes. The first thing she did was look into the passenger seat, when she saw empty space I think I saw relief in her eyes. I started praying for her.

“Find something Devin?”

“Yeah Bo, I got a real pretty one here, and she’s breathing.”

Bo came up to join his partner, he was as round as Devin and in the back of my mind I wondered how they managed to stay so rotund during this, I myself already had looser fitting clothing. The pair leered at my Mom and my heart leapt into my throat. Please just take our supplies and leave. I repeated it over and over, but as they forced my Mom out of the car and stared at her, I knew they were going to take more.

~*~

I really don’t know how long they went on, it seemed forever as I listened to her cries, her pleas in the beginning. After they hit her a few times she stopped. All the while I hid, like a coward. I was crying as quietly as I could, my fist stuffed into my mouth as they brutalized my mother. I was scared and angry, but I also felt weak. My mind was conjuring up things to do to them, vile, sick things, I so badly wanted something sharp to remove them from their favorite body part as they thanked my Mom for being, “a most accommodating and gracious host”, I prayed for a group of zombs to come and eat them alive as they laughed, walking back to their truck. I waited until they sped past , a little dot on the road to run from cover. My Mom was seated against the car, her pants up, dirty face expressionless.

“Mom?”

She looked at me, blinked. I cried out and hugged her, she was like a dummy beneath me.

“I’m so sorry…. I should’ve…should've..”

“Im okay. Honestly what could you of done? They probably would’ve just kidnapped you, or..”

She left out but I knew she was going to say do you like they did me.

She got up and hugged me back.

“I’m glad you stayed hidden. Let’s forget this and keep moving.”

I nodded and we slammed the doors shut, she turned the engine over and the car started moving. From the rear view I could see a few zombies had come out to investigate.

~*~

“We need to be able to protect ourselves.”

My Mother’s eyes never left the road, searching, scanning.

“Maybe a gun, at the most a knife, something.”

Still she said nothing, but in my mind I resolved to look for something like that the next time we stopped.

~*~

We entered into a small town, the sign reading, ‘Welcome to Kinsdale!’, it was one of those towns you just passed through while on a road trip. On the main road was the town gas station, a few marts and then town buildings. My Mom slowed the car down and parked it in a spot that had easy access out if we needed it. She handed me a bag and we both took to our roles, she finding fuel and I finding whatever supplies there were to be had. We were quiet and so far I hadn’t seen, or smelt a dead person. I quickly searched a pickup truck, finding nothing. Now a days there usually wasn’t anything to find, as people before us had the same idea, yet we always managed to find something that kept us going. After searching the surrounding, nearby areas I waited back by the car. My Mom came over, a grim smile on her face as she swooshed the red gas can. She emptied it into the tank.

“I really didn’t find anything, but we need food, and water. We should go a little deeper.”

I advised, my Mother inhaled deeply then nodded her head. We set off together, walking side by side, but ultimately silent. After a while we stumbled upon a store that looked mostly untouched, it was hidden and yet to be not looted was very rare. We entered inside, quietly, listening for any noise that a zombie was around. When we felt satisfied we began searching. It seemed to be a second hand shop, I found a nice pair of sturdy, lace up boots, new pants a soft shirt and sweater. I put the new items on, saving my jeans but tossing the grimy, holed spaghetti strap I had been sporting. My Mom had also done the same thing. We continued searching and she found jerky, a family size bag of chips and a gallon of water. I felt like we were being pampered at a high end hotel. I continued looking about when I came upon a dagger. It was small, but had a wicked blade; it was sharp as I pulled it from its leather sheath. The handle though was delicate and carved and quite beautiful. I hid it in my pants and kept looking, scoring a wind up flashlight, toe nail clippers and string. My Mom was smiling as he held up her loot. We headed back towards the car, in higher spirits.
Once back I heard a grumble from the heavens above and with childlike awe watched as fat drops of rain began to fall from the sky. I was so happy, and then I heard my Mom calling my name.

“Emily, Emily!”

I looked at her and she was motioning for me to help her, telling me to grab all the water bottles that were empty lying around in the car. I did as instructed and soon I watched her with respect and admiration as she put them on the roof of the car. I wanted to leap with joy but knew I couldn’t. Instead I just waited for them to fill up and I capped them off. I was tossing the last one into the back seat when I heard groaning, lots of it. Everywhere I looked there were zombies coming at us. It could of easily been hundreds, I felt paralyzed in my mind I figured this was it. Instead my Mom was pulling me into the car, I was mostly in when a zombie had a hold of me. I started shrieking, trying to pull away, it’s hideous face and blank eyes were on me, trying to get closer, it’s teeth iclicking as it bit air instead of flesh. My Mom was pulling on me and I managed to kick against it, it crumbled back and I slammed the door shut, my heart being the loudest thing in my ears, I was thrown into the seat as my Mom sped forward. In front of me zombies were either chucked under the car, to the side and sometimes over, I twisted in my seat and saw the huge mob, slowly surging forward, thankfully they just faded to a black mark and then vanished.

~*~

I woke up from the nap I had been taking, I sat in my seat, looked around when I had to brace myself against the dash as our car swerved. I looked over at my Mom and told her to stop, she did. I stared at her as the car went into park, she lowered her head on the wheel and it looked like she was sweating. I placed a hand on her back.

“Mom why don’t you rest, and I’ll drive.”

I was about to open the door when I heard a sob. Mom?”

She looked at me and panic rose in me. I watched with disbelief as she pulled up her sleeve and I stared at the puncture wound on her inner wrist. I shook my head.

“I was bit at the stop, I thought maybe I’d be fine, but I can feel it, whatever it is, some virus running through me. Em, I’m not going to make it.”

I started crying, I pulled her to me and she was sobbing into my hair.

“I’m so sorry honey I won’t be here to protect you, help you, comfort you. I’m sorry I’m leaving you.”

Here she was on the brink of dying and she was apologizing for it, my heart was breaking.

“You’ll be fine, You’re smart and strong. Keep going, things have to get better, one way or the other. Those things are rotting and eventually there will be more alive people than the zombies.”

I continued to hold her, we cried, told stories, eventually she stopped responding and I sucked back a huge sob. Her once beautiful, full of light eyes were now flat. I kissed her on the forehead and then pulled out the dagger. I knew I had to injure her brain, but it was so hard. I had the point poised towards the opening of her ear, I just needed to drive it in but all I could think about was my Mother, the woman who had given me bubble baths every night, combed and braided my hair. Taught me to read, tucked me in at night, talked to me about boys, made the best meatloaf and chocolate chip cookies. She couldn’t be gone, this couldn’t be happening. I bit my lip and thought of my grandmother, then with a cry I used the force I had and propelled the blade through.

~*~

After that I was so disoriented. For the most part I just wanted to give up, but then I thought of my Mother, I wasn’t going to let her death be in vain, I would continue on, I would make it through the other end of this damned hell. I knew I wanted to stay off the main road, and out of towns, even the small ones. A large group of walkers could be your worst nightmare. I took the first off road I found. When the car lost fuel I ditched it, I slept in places that had to be climbed to. I kept quiet and to myself. Until one day I head screaming, I went to investigate found a young guy being harassed by a bigger dude. I stayed away, watching as the guy took hit after hit, inside I felt bad but I wasn’t going to risk anything. But then I heard someone giving what sounded like a battle cry and watched as another young guy sprang forward, rock in hand. He connected it with the other guys head and he went down, not stirring again. The hero had creamy brown skin and was wearing a football jacket, I watched as he knelt down and helped the younger kid sit up.

“Are you okay?”

The boys face was bloodied, but he nodded.

“Jeez why was he beating on you?”

Wow, this guy didn’t even this kid, yet he risked himself to help. I watched as the kid pulled something out of his pocket. Food. The football player pushed the boys hand away as he offered it to him. I decided if the guy was going to help somebody he didn’t even know, then he couldn’t be bad. I stepped out but said nothing as the guy rose. He was tall, and muscular. He watched me with narrow eyes.

“Need something?”

He asked.

“That was brave and kind. I’m surprised people like you are still alive out here.”

He shrugged by way of response. I held out my hand, it seemed like the most natural thing to do in this situation.

“My name is..Jun.”

I said a bit hesitantly, still afraid, still uncertain. He took my hand.

“Leonus, Leo for short.”

I smiled at him.
~~~~~~~~~

After that the rest is kind of history. The kid we saved would eventually succumb to hypothermia and we would of course add others, eventually settling down in that cave, digging a bigger trench, fashioning a draw bridge. All to wait out the zombie storm.