It's Complicated: A Zombie Romance Novel

Caught

The outside air was warm again my skin, but I felt cold all over. I quickened my pace to the car nearly splashing my bubble tea all over me.

Brian opened the car door.

"You first, girly," he said, waving me into the back seat. I stuck out my tongue and climbed in. I couldn't let him get away with calling me a girl, could I? He slammed the seat back in retaliation.

"Your turn, my lady," he said to Lee Ann. I rolled my eyes. Lee Ann shot me a look. Good. We were both on the same page. Brian closed the door softly before getting in on his side. His gentleman act wore on my nerves. If it were just me, he'd have left me to close it. I took a long drag on what remained of the bubble tea I'd picked up on break.

"Just stay calm," I told myself. Brothers, they can make the so obvious even more evident sometimes. The radio came alive to a pop song. This was going too far.

"Ok, who stole your car?" I asked over the roar of the engine.

"No one," Brian said as he backed out of the parking lot. "I just felt like Pop over Rock tonight."

"I think I'm going to be sick," I said. It wasn't just the bubble tea talking. At the same time, Lee Ann said, "This rocks!"

It wasn't long before we were on 405.

"This is my jam!" Lee Ann said. Some song about two girls kissing and liking it. The engine gave a clancking noise. 

"Someone wise once told me not to listen to pop song lyrics; they make your brain hurt," I shouted from the back seat.

Lee Ann turned the radio up even louder. I crossed my arms sulking. Talk about being the third wheel in the car. Brian only had eyes for Lee Ann and the road. All I could hear was the booming bass music. Why had I agreed to come?

Trees moved slowly by. That was 405. Stop and go even at night. The traffic had lulled me to near sleep. Our sudden increase in speed shook me awake. Brian had finally exited the freeway.

"Is this it?" Lee Ann asked. Brian nodded as he pulled into an empty lot somewhere south of the I-90. I could hear the traffic from the bridge through my open window. That meant we were in Renton. I hadn't been asleep as long as I thought.

"Ooh, Mae, see the building there?" Lee Ann pointed to what appeared to be an over decorated warehouse.

"Yeah, so?" I asked.

"That's the Training Center."

"Go Hawks," I said out of habit. We both broke out in giggles.

"Wonderful, Lee Ann, now I can't stop laughing," I said in-between bouts of laughter. She gave me the head tilt.

"So why are we here, Brian?" I asked once I got nervous laughter out of my system. The glare from the sun hurt my eyes as I tried to figure out where 'here' was. Only in summer did the sun last this late. It was sitting on the edge of the water splashing us in a red-gold light. Ours wasn't the only car in on the lot. My eyes focused on a 1969 Corvette Convertible next to a BMW and a Mini Cooper did up to look post-apocalyptical.

Who were these people? I thought at the same time Lee Ann asked, "What kind of party is this?"

"You'll see," Brian said, waving at a guy getting out of a BMW. It was parked next to a DeLorean. Had we somehow been transported to Geek-Ville without my knowing it? I reluctantly stepped for the safety of Brian's back seat.

Three people with large black bags stood under a tent I could only see now standing up. They faced a dentist-like chair. It was vintage in style, with rusting metal parts at the base. It looked out of place in the tall dry grass. The dark green cushion seemed mostly intact, aside from a few tears at the seams. The half-light of the setting sun painted the scene red. I shivered.

"What do they got in those bags?" I asked Lee Ann, "Bodies?" We both broke out into another round of nervous laughter. Work had taken it out of us. Usually, we'd be relaxing in front of her TV watching Doctor Who by now.

"They sure are big enough," Lee Ann replied when she could catch her breath. Brian waved us over towards the chair.

"Lee Ann, Mae, this is Rashad."

"So, Lee Ann, you're up next," said Rashad.

"Up for what?"

"Becoming," Rashad said as his hands did this mystical shuddering.

"Creep me out," I whispered to Lee Ann. She hugged my shoulder.

"You freak way too easy," she informed me. Like I didn't already know. Hadn't I nearly busted my nose just last week watching Who? I'd tried to bury my face in my lap only to have my nose collide with my knee.

"That's why I never made it through Shawn of the Dead." I retorted.

"That's right. You can't even get through an episode of Make Up without covering your eyes." Lee Ann shot back. Make Up was our fall back if Who was on a break. Lee Ann loved the artistry of the costuming. I liked the fact that it was a useful art form. People got a job at the end of the show. Reality TV couldn't always say that.

Lee Ann sat down in the funky chair.

"So I won't be doing you next then, will I?" Rashad said, looking me over with a critical eye. I didn't want his hands anywhere near me.

"I'd like to remain human, thanks," I said.

"Suit yourself." He started in on the left side of her face. What had Brian brought her in here for? To have her teeth cleaned? I glanced around to discover the truth.

A leg stuck out from the bags they'd carried in. Part of it was visible in the light; the bag hid the rest.

Were these actual body bags? I wondered. My curious, impulsive mind bent down and picked it up, not thinking about what it should be attached to.

As I lifted the leg into the light my brain registered the mistake. I looked directly at the bloody nub of a severed limb. My mind registered the truth in pieces. Somewhere a person was missing the bottom half of their thigh all the way to their toes. I screamed.

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