on me as if mocking my despair.
I'd moved only a few feet away from the boat and forced myself to take another step. David had found the strength to sacrifice himself for our daughters and I needed to do the same. I wanted to do everything in my power to keep them safe, but I was too scared. I froze.
The dead girl stood in a predatory crouch and roared. Blood cascaded out of her mouth and splashed against the dock as she moved toward me. Her face was beaten, her body sliced, and there was nothing left of the woman she once was except the vague phantom of beauty now shrouded by horror. She would consume me.
The boat's motor sputtered to life.
My arms trembled as the bat shook beside me. The zombie girl's feet rumbled the dock beneath us as she charged. Every ounce of strength in my body dissipated to leave me helpless and vulnerable. I wanted to jump in the boat, but then nothing would stop the creature from jumping in behind me. The natural instinct of fight or flight demanded that I stay and fight to keep my girls safe, but my body revolted and refused to do anything but let me die. At least my death might save Kim and Annie. I closed my eyes and prepared for the inevitable end.
Billy grabbed the bat out of my hand and used it to attack the creature. He caught her beneath the chin. Momentum flipped her feet over her head as she collided with the side of the dock and then slid off. Her pretty blue eyeball plopped down beside me.
He threw the bat into the boat and then turned to me. He said something, but the boat's motor drowned out his words and fear had dazed me. Billy grabbed my waist and picked me up, over his shoulder, then jumped a foot over the water into the moving boat. We fell to the floor and I cracked my head against the wooden seat. The pain jolted me back to reality and I raced to the edge to see the last moments of my husband's life.
David's head was pressed against the dock as the creatures swarmed over him. They tore at his body, but I focused on his eyes, which stared back at me. In the last moment of his life, he saw us pull away from the dock, and he smiled at me.
He smiled at me.
The sorrow crushed me all at once and I collapsed under the weight of it. I buried my face in my hands and shook uncontrollably as we rumbled our way into the middle of Hailey Bay. I kept saying, "I love you, David. I love you so much. I'm so sorry. I love you so much."
Annie's tiny hand slid over my shoulder. I turned and saw she had stopped crying. Her curly red hair and freckled cheeks framed her bright, blue eyes as she looked at me in concern. Then she smiled and said, "It's okay, mommy."
I clasped my little angel and pulled her to me. I squeezed her against my chest as my body quaked in sorrow. Her thin arms wrapped around my neck and she kissed my cheek. I thanked her, genuinely, and kissed her over and over until she started to giggle.
Kim was still curled up in the corner and glared at me as she wept. She hadn't forgiven me for pushing her down. I put an arm out to welcome her into our embrace, but she refused. "Kim, please, I'm sorry I pushed you."
"You were going to leave us," she said. "Why would you leave us?"
I got up and went to sit beside her. "I was trying to protect you, honey. I would never leave you unless I had to."
Kim's tough exterior broke down. She wrapped her arms around me and pleaded, "Don't leave me again."
"I won't, sweetie. I promise." I ran my fingers through her hair and rested my cheek on the top of her head. Annie stood beside us and watched for a few moments before she turned her attention to the side of the boat. The edge was too high for her to climb so she stood on her tiptoes and peered at the dock as it drifted away.
"Annie, don't look at that. Come here." I pulled at the back of her shirt to drag her over to us. She smiled and plopped into my lap. I wrapped my right arm around Annie and my left around Kim as I drew them in for a tight hug. "I love you girls."
Annie rested
I'd moved only a few feet away from the boat and forced myself to take another step. David had found the strength to sacrifice himself for our daughters and I needed to do the same. I wanted to do everything in my power to keep them safe, but I was too scared. I froze.
The dead girl stood in a predatory crouch and roared. Blood cascaded out of her mouth and splashed against the dock as she moved toward me. Her face was beaten, her body sliced, and there was nothing left of the woman she once was except the vague phantom of beauty now shrouded by horror. She would consume me.
The boat's motor sputtered to life.
My arms trembled as the bat shook beside me. The zombie girl's feet rumbled the dock beneath us as she charged. Every ounce of strength in my body dissipated to leave me helpless and vulnerable. I wanted to jump in the boat, but then nothing would stop the creature from jumping in behind me. The natural instinct of fight or flight demanded that I stay and fight to keep my girls safe, but my body revolted and refused to do anything but let me die. At least my death might save Kim and Annie. I closed my eyes and prepared for the inevitable end.
Billy grabbed the bat out of my hand and used it to attack the creature. He caught her beneath the chin. Momentum flipped her feet over her head as she collided with the side of the dock and then slid off. Her pretty blue eyeball plopped down beside me.
He threw the bat into the boat and then turned to me. He said something, but the boat's motor drowned out his words and fear had dazed me. Billy grabbed my waist and picked me up, over his shoulder, then jumped a foot over the water into the moving boat. We fell to the floor and I cracked my head against the wooden seat. The pain jolted me back to reality and I raced to the edge to see the last moments of my husband's life.
David's head was pressed against the dock as the creatures swarmed over him. They tore at his body, but I focused on his eyes, which stared back at me. In the last moment of his life, he saw us pull away from the dock, and he smiled at me.
He smiled at me.
The sorrow crushed me all at once and I collapsed under the weight of it. I buried my face in my hands and shook uncontrollably as we rumbled our way into the middle of Hailey Bay. I kept saying, "I love you, David. I love you so much. I'm so sorry. I love you so much."
Annie's tiny hand slid over my shoulder. I turned and saw she had stopped crying. Her curly red hair and freckled cheeks framed her bright, blue eyes as she looked at me in concern. Then she smiled and said, "It's okay, mommy."
I clasped my little angel and pulled her to me. I squeezed her against my chest as my body quaked in sorrow. Her thin arms wrapped around my neck and she kissed my cheek. I thanked her, genuinely, and kissed her over and over until she started to giggle.
Kim was still curled up in the corner and glared at me as she wept. She hadn't forgiven me for pushing her down. I put an arm out to welcome her into our embrace, but she refused. "Kim, please, I'm sorry I pushed you."
"You were going to leave us," she said. "Why would you leave us?"
I got up and went to sit beside her. "I was trying to protect you, honey. I would never leave you unless I had to."
Kim's tough exterior broke down. She wrapped her arms around me and pleaded, "Don't leave me again."
"I won't, sweetie. I promise." I ran my fingers through her hair and rested my cheek on the top of her head. Annie stood beside us and watched for a few moments before she turned her attention to the side of the boat. The edge was too high for her to climb so she stood on her tiptoes and peered at the dock as it drifted away.
"Annie, don't look at that. Come here." I pulled at the back of her shirt to drag her over to us. She smiled and plopped into my lap. I wrapped my right arm around Annie and my left around Kim as I drew them in for a tight hug. "I love you girls."
Annie rested
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