Feeding Frenzy

Chapter 37

 Johnson made them stop walking and settle into houses before the sun set. He had told the group that they were an hour away from Toronto. The faint sound of a screech could be heard in the distance.

Evey searched the house for candles to eliminate the smell of decaying flesh. Joey sat on the couch with a pout. He had not smiled since Ford told him that Josie was gone. He cried and threw a tantrum, not wanting to leave the house. Evey had to calm him down before they could walk toward the city. They could not afford to have his wailing attract any Infected.

Ford kept an eye on Joey when Evey entered the kitchen to find food. She searched through the cupboards and found a can of soup. Evey looked into the backyard to see there was no fire pit. It was going to be another cold meal, but there were no complaints.

It was difficult for Evey to get Joey into bed without Josie. She read the picture book multiple times to him. She sat on the edge of the bed and stayed with him until he fell asleep. She crept out of the room once his eyes were closed, and his breathing turned deep and rhythmic.

Evey went out onto the porch. The night air was chill, and she tightened her sweater around her body. Ford was sitting on the porch steps with a gun. He looked over his shoulder when he heard the door. Evey smiled and sat next to him.

"Joey okay?" he asked.

Evey shrugged. "As good as he could be."

They had been walking all day, and Evey had to come to terms with the fact that she would never see Josie again. There was still a pang in her chest when she thought about the little girl, but she no longer pictured her terrible death.

"We did what was right," Ford said.

"I know," she said. "It still hurts."

"Of course, it will."

Evey sighed and ran her fingers through her curls.

"We're almost there," she said. "Tomorrow, we will be in Toronto."

"It may kill us," he said. "Let's hope this dark thing works."

"Do you think it is a dumb idea? I mean, we don't have much proof that it will work. It's just a theory that we have."

"What other plan do we have?"

Evey bit down on her lip. They were not all going to survive. It was obvious that some of them would die. She hoped they would all make it to the city, but that was an impossible dream. They were going to walk into a city full of Infected with a theory.

Ford brushed a piece of Evey's hair behind her ear. She held onto her breath as she turned to look at him. His lips were pressed into a small smile.

A smile?

She could not recall the last time Ford looked remotely happy. They were walking toward their potential deaths; for once, he was not grumpy. It made no sense to Evey. She could not help but giggle and shake her head.

"What?" he asked.

"You're smiling," she said. "It's new."

"I've smiled around you," he said. "You just never see it."

"Really?"

Ford nodded. Evey leaned her head down so it was on Ford's shoulder. He let out a deep breath and rested his cheek against the top of her head. Silence passed between them as they stared at the quiet street.

A light flashed across the street three times. Evey straightened, wondering if Johnson saw them. Did he know what was going on? Had Ford mentioned anything?