The Rot

Chapter 6

Miguel lowered his rifle and I held my hands out to my sides. "We don't want any problems, ma'am," Miguel told her.

"Okay?" The woman said to us in a timid fashion. "Then what do you want?"

"Was that you on the roof smoking?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Told you," I whispered to Miguel.

"Shut up," Miguel whispered back.

"So you guys came over here to see if I was smoking or not?" The mystery woman asked the two of us.

"No, not at all. We were looking for more survivors actually," I replied.

"Look, Ma'am. I really don't like standing around out here with all of the dead things outside," Miguel said. "We were just checking things out, that's all. We'll leave you alone."

The woman didn't answer us. Miguel and I turned around and prepared to walk away when she asked, "Do you guys want to come in?"

"Uh, yeah," I replied, turning back around. "What do you think, Miguel?"

"Sure, why the hell not?" Miguel responded. "Are you the only one in there?" Miguel asked our mystery woman.

"I am," She answered.

I tried to hide my excitement. I can't even remember the last time a woman invited me back to her place. Wish it was under better circumstances, but I won't complain. Miguel and I hopped over the gate and walked into the woman's house.

She was a smoker alright. I could smell the smoke as soon as I walked inside the home. The main floor of the house wasn't barricaded in any way at all; the front door wasn't blocked by anything and the windows weren't covered.

The woman saw Miguel and I staring at the empty soup cans that sat atop her kitchen table. "Sorry about the mess."

"Not a problem. I'm a bachelor, I'm used to seeing stuff like this," I replied.

"I've seen worse, Ma'am," Miguel told her.

"So why are you guys here?" The mystery woman asked the two of us.

"My friend over here saw you on the roof, smoking," Miguel responded.

"Yeah, you guys told me that already."

"That's pretty much it. I saw you smoking, and wanted to be sure there was another survivor around, I guess," I told her. "Shit, where are my manners? I'm Reid Abrams and this is my former landlord and spirit animal, Miguel Jimenez."

Miguel frowned at me, "A 'spirit animal?' the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Lots."

The woman tried not to smile, but she did and she even giggled. She stuck out her right hand for Miguel and I to shake. "I'm Cynthia. Cynthia Abbot. You guys can call me Cyn if you'd like."

"Okay, Cyn," Miguel told her. "You look a little familiar."

"Miguel, stop trying to hit on her," I said.

Miguel slapped my left arm, "I wasn't, jerkoff."

"I moved into the upstairs about three months ago," said Cynthia.

"Yeah, I thought so."

"So do either of you know what's going on?" Cyn asked us.

"All I know is that the dead or the recently dead have started to come back to 'life' if you will. And they're feasting on the living," I answered.