Cautiously stepping over broken pots, a woman, clutching the hand of a little girl, who clutches the hand of a stuffed bear, emerge from the flower shop.
"Please, drop any weapons you may have."
The woman removes a knife obviously made to be in the kitchen, and the little girl pulls a multi-tool out of her tattered lilac skirt and they set them on the ground. It's apparent the two haven't had much to eat. Their cheeks are hollow and their eye's are dreary and empty. The little girl can barley keep hers open.
Winona emerges from the shop, holding a leather hiking bag and a little pink school bag. "Scout, please. Let's get some food in them before we start interrogating. Come, we'll get something in you."
***
Chloe had looked through the bags quite thoroughly, which didn't take long, considering that there was barley anything in them. A pair of socks, one can of peaches, a colouring book with a red and blue pencil crayon, and an old looking hoodie that read 'NYC INSTITUTE OF CULINARY EDUCATION, CLASS OF 2004'. It was apparent that these two weren't going to make it much longer.
Winona rejoins us and shares what she had learned. "They're alone," she began. "Claire, the mother, said she didn't know what to do. She said if they had left the shop, they'd be gambling on whether or not there'd be a place for them to rest and eat. They had one can of food left, and she couldn't risk losing Shelly."
As if planned, the two girls appear behind Winona. The mother, Claire, is a slender woman with short, blonde hair pulled tightly in a ponytail. She wears a grey sweat shirt and black jeans. Shelly hides behind her mothers leg. She has the same blonde hair as Claire's, but hers rests just above her shoulders. An army green jacket much too big encases her, and her purple skirt falls just below her knees. She still tightly hugs her teddy bear.
"So, you said there's no one else, just the two o' you?" Asks Scout.
"Yes. We haven't been with anyone since everything began. Tried to get to my mother's house but didn't make it, and we were force to hide in there-".
"I told you, mommy. I told you if we asked Rodger he'd bring us help. Thank you, Rodger." She kissed her bear on the snout and hugged it tighter.
"Well, you guys can stay with us for as long as you'd like. We were headed east when we stopped here for some flowers, for a... Remembrance. Once we're done we'll be on our way."
***
The mound of freshly placed dirt lay before us. With only three small gardening shovels, it took a while to dig a big enough hole.
The petunias lay at the head of the grave. Twenty four other flowers had been planted, spaced out evenly across the open space behind the flower shop. Winona has offered to give the service, being the one with the strongest faith.
"Here lay Venus. A kind, innocent soul whose mind had been tainted by the world. Please, allow her to enter your gates, and find beauty, for that is what she deserves.
"We also remember those, who's bodies we could not retrieve, and we pray for their salvation. We honour the memories they have given us. Retrieve their souls which may be trapped in a grotesque monster, and guide them towards happiness..."
Winona began to rhyme off all twenty four names. I don't know them all, but I recognize a few. Mark. Kate. Lizzie. Tim. Jason. Barkley. When the old Brit's name is mentioned, my hand drifts to the bullet hanging around my neck. the bullet that was supposed to be his.
Winona says the final name, Max.
"...he's not dead." Evan whispers from beside me. I don't think he meant for anyone to hear.
***
The starry night sky twinkles above us. I lay in the back of the pick up truck, cocooned under several blankets with Evan, Denise, Olivia, and Savannah. To ensure the blankets don't fly away, several large rocks hold it down. Evan turns to lay on his back.
"I can't sleep."
"Join the club, none of us can." Delilah huffs.
"Speak for yourself, I'm snug as a bug, definitely not cold at all." Denise smirks.
"I think it's normal we can't sleep. With everything that's happened, It'd be weird if you could." Savannah pitches.
"Man, I just hope we make it to someplace where I don't need to sleep in the back of a truck." Olivia tells us.
"Same here."
"... I hope, w-we make it someplace... w-where I don't need to kill my friends..." Delilah responds in a hushed tone.
The visions flash before my eyes, Jason falling, Venus' body crumpling to the ground.
"...same here."
ESTÁS LEYENDO
In The End: A Zombie Apocalypse
AcciónLukas always wished life would become a little more exciting. He wanted an adventure once in a while, rather than just school and sleep. Boy, did he get his wish. What started out as just another boring day of school ended up becoming the day the de...
