moan. She suddenly sounded so young; almost child-like.
“So help me , you better be telling us the truth,” spat Gus. “I will not tolerate anyone putting the rest of us in danger.”
Agnes nodded and I glared at Gus again. I could sense from him that his anger stemmed from me being put in danger in particular. It was an emotion as strong as jealousy, or perhaps love. I knew he loved me in his own way but I hadn’t stopped to consider he might actually be in love with me. I frowned for a moment before looking away.
“We need to go,” I said. “Susan needs us.”
I took hold of Agnes’ uninjured hand and helped her up off the ground.
“Let me say good-bye?” she begged.
“No,” I said to her. “You don’t want to see him like he is now.”
“I can’t live without him. I’ve never been without him,” she moaned again.
“All we can do is live,” said Gus under his breath. “Let’s go.”
***
It had taken us another half-hour to skirt the swamp and get back to the neighborhood from which we had fled the night before. The sun was now high in the sky and birds were once again twittering. Gus tried to reach for my hand as we left the trees, but I pulled away. I had hated how he treated poor Agnes. Instead, I took Agnes’ hand. She wasn’t crying anymore but she also wasn’t speaking. She had a glazed-over look of deep grief and despair.
We decided to walk up the middle of the street, hoping we were close to the car that we had left behind. Going through back yards would have given us more cover but taken far longer. The street we were currently walking was lined with cherry blossom trees that were just forming new buds. I had always loved how they looked; like pink or white fluffs of snow suspended in a cloud. I idly wondered which color these were. Nothing looked familiar, and with my terrible sense of direction I trusted that Gus knew which way to go. Home after home passed by and my feet were beyond uncomfortable. I could see blood staining my socks and knew they’d be a sore sight once I peeled the socks off.
“There it is,” I said, breathless from our quick pace.
“I see it. Agnes, we’re almost there.”
She didn’t respond, but rather just followed as if in a trance.
Soon we were at the car. I was glad to see the pathetic little thing, knowing it was temporary shelter from the dead, a means back to the rest of the group, and a break for my poor feet. I opened the back door for Agnes, and held a hand on her back to encourage her to get in. Gus slid into the driver’s seat as I shut Agnes’ door behind her. He opened my door for me from the inside. I jumped in and slammed my door closed.
“Strap in,” said Gus through a clenched jaw.
I looked back at Agnes, who just sat there unmoving. The car started, hesitantly, and as Gus began backing out I sensed the dead in the distance.
“I know,” he grumbled.
“I’ll buckle her in.”
I climbed between the cramped front seats, wincing as my feet worked to propel me into the backseat.
I reached across Agnes and pulled her belt across her chest and lap, fastening it securely. I remained in the back seat for convenience sake, and strapped myself in as Gus sped down the street.
“Other way,” I instructed as the dead in my mind became stronger. We were headed toward evil.
“Can you tell which direction?” Gus asked me.
“No, not exactly. Just…ahead.”
“How many?”
“A lot.”
“Ok.”
Agnes reached over and took hold of my hand. I looked at her. She still faced forward and just started at the back of the seat in front of her. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Gus made a left hand turn, taking us down another residential street. The first of the dead appeared nearly a mile away in the driveway of the first two-story home that we came upon. The creature was more accurately a bit less than half of a creature. It lay on the uneven pavement of the driveway, near the garage door. It was so emaciated that there
“So help me , you better be telling us the truth,” spat Gus. “I will not tolerate anyone putting the rest of us in danger.”
Agnes nodded and I glared at Gus again. I could sense from him that his anger stemmed from me being put in danger in particular. It was an emotion as strong as jealousy, or perhaps love. I knew he loved me in his own way but I hadn’t stopped to consider he might actually be in love with me. I frowned for a moment before looking away.
“We need to go,” I said. “Susan needs us.”
I took hold of Agnes’ uninjured hand and helped her up off the ground.
“Let me say good-bye?” she begged.
“No,” I said to her. “You don’t want to see him like he is now.”
“I can’t live without him. I’ve never been without him,” she moaned again.
“All we can do is live,” said Gus under his breath. “Let’s go.”
***
It had taken us another half-hour to skirt the swamp and get back to the neighborhood from which we had fled the night before. The sun was now high in the sky and birds were once again twittering. Gus tried to reach for my hand as we left the trees, but I pulled away. I had hated how he treated poor Agnes. Instead, I took Agnes’ hand. She wasn’t crying anymore but she also wasn’t speaking. She had a glazed-over look of deep grief and despair.
We decided to walk up the middle of the street, hoping we were close to the car that we had left behind. Going through back yards would have given us more cover but taken far longer. The street we were currently walking was lined with cherry blossom trees that were just forming new buds. I had always loved how they looked; like pink or white fluffs of snow suspended in a cloud. I idly wondered which color these were. Nothing looked familiar, and with my terrible sense of direction I trusted that Gus knew which way to go. Home after home passed by and my feet were beyond uncomfortable. I could see blood staining my socks and knew they’d be a sore sight once I peeled the socks off.
“There it is,” I said, breathless from our quick pace.
“I see it. Agnes, we’re almost there.”
She didn’t respond, but rather just followed as if in a trance.
Soon we were at the car. I was glad to see the pathetic little thing, knowing it was temporary shelter from the dead, a means back to the rest of the group, and a break for my poor feet. I opened the back door for Agnes, and held a hand on her back to encourage her to get in. Gus slid into the driver’s seat as I shut Agnes’ door behind her. He opened my door for me from the inside. I jumped in and slammed my door closed.
“Strap in,” said Gus through a clenched jaw.
I looked back at Agnes, who just sat there unmoving. The car started, hesitantly, and as Gus began backing out I sensed the dead in the distance.
“I know,” he grumbled.
“I’ll buckle her in.”
I climbed between the cramped front seats, wincing as my feet worked to propel me into the backseat.
I reached across Agnes and pulled her belt across her chest and lap, fastening it securely. I remained in the back seat for convenience sake, and strapped myself in as Gus sped down the street.
“Other way,” I instructed as the dead in my mind became stronger. We were headed toward evil.
“Can you tell which direction?” Gus asked me.
“No, not exactly. Just…ahead.”
“How many?”
“A lot.”
“Ok.”
Agnes reached over and took hold of my hand. I looked at her. She still faced forward and just started at the back of the seat in front of her. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Gus made a left hand turn, taking us down another residential street. The first of the dead appeared nearly a mile away in the driveway of the first two-story home that we came upon. The creature was more accurately a bit less than half of a creature. It lay on the uneven pavement of the driveway, near the garage door. It was so emaciated that there
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