hooting and hollering. Emily wanted to tell him to keep it down, that they didn’t need to be attracting any Z’s, but she just grinned. Now they had a place to stay and not one, but two running vehicles.
“See you at home, boys,” Butter yelled and drove on down the road. Emily and Neil closed the back door and stared at the dead woman for a minute.
“We should do something,” Emily said.
“Like what? Can’t exactly have a funeral service here.”
“I know, but, I mean…” She hesitated. “We can’t just leave her here.”
Neil rolled his eyes, then placed his hands on her shoulders. Emily looked up at him. He was so much taller than her.
“Em, I know this sucks, but we aren’t moving that body.”
“But Robert moved the ones at the other house,” She started to protest.
“Robert was clearing out a house, love,” Neil said. “We aren’t. We don’t have time to properly bury every Infected we find and even if we did, I wouldn’t try it now. It’s midmorning, it’s starting to get hot, and I don’t want her blood splashing around on me. I don’t want to get infected and I know you don’t either.”
He was right, but she didn’t exactly want to admit that. And why was this one different? Emily had left Melanie and ran right on home without looking back.
Was this some sort of desire for redemption?
She turned and went back to the car. She sat down in the passenger seat and closed the door. It felt like she was alone in the car forever before Neil finally came and joined her. He sat down, but didn’t start the car right away. Instead, he reached over and grabbed her hand. He held it for awhile.
“I know this is hard,” he said. Somehow, it was enough. They sat like that for awhile, then finally went back to their house.
She couldn’t bring herself to think of it as “home” just yet, but she knew there would be a time when she undoubtedly thought of the little house that way.
Home.
What did that even mean anymore?
Chapter 12
Emily and Neil arrived back at the house in time to see Robert putting down two Infected. The Z’s were young, probably in their mid-twenties. Emily didn’t recognize them. They were slow and wobbly as they hesitantly made their way toward Robert. He himself did not hesitate.
He killed them quickly.
“What the hell?” Neil jumped out of the car and walked toward Robert, who was standing at the side of the house.
“No idea, boss,” Robert said. “The fuckers just wandered out of the trees.” He motioned toward the densely wooded area that lined the sides and back of the house.
“What’s back there?” Emily asked. “Where would they have come from?”
Neil and Robert exchanged looks and Emily was instantly on alert.
“What? What did I say?” She asked.
“You asked what was back there,” Neil said, checking his gun. “And I honestly don’t know. Get Butter. Tell him we’re checking out the woods.”
She ran into the house to find Butter and tell him.
“Fuck,” he said. “I wondered what all the shouting was about.” He finished a can of beer and left it on the counter. Emily wasn’t sure where he’d found it, but she didn’t ask. They all had their secrets.
“Cody and I can take care of these two,” Kari appeared and pointed at the dead Infected lying in the grass. “You guys go on ahead.” She pressed a .380 into Emily’s hands and Emily rolled her eyes.
“A .380? What am I going to kill with this? A mouse? Come on.” She showed Kari her old standby, her .38 special, and headed out to see what the boys had found.
Emily stepped into the woods and immediately felt like she was someplace new. The forest was darker than it was by the house and quieter. She could still hear Kari and Cody talking as they cleaned up the corpses, but the woods held a certain air of silence.
Of solitude.
She could see Neil up ahead of her and followed close behind, careful to make enough noise that he could hear her, but not
“See you at home, boys,” Butter yelled and drove on down the road. Emily and Neil closed the back door and stared at the dead woman for a minute.
“We should do something,” Emily said.
“Like what? Can’t exactly have a funeral service here.”
“I know, but, I mean…” She hesitated. “We can’t just leave her here.”
Neil rolled his eyes, then placed his hands on her shoulders. Emily looked up at him. He was so much taller than her.
“Em, I know this sucks, but we aren’t moving that body.”
“But Robert moved the ones at the other house,” She started to protest.
“Robert was clearing out a house, love,” Neil said. “We aren’t. We don’t have time to properly bury every Infected we find and even if we did, I wouldn’t try it now. It’s midmorning, it’s starting to get hot, and I don’t want her blood splashing around on me. I don’t want to get infected and I know you don’t either.”
He was right, but she didn’t exactly want to admit that. And why was this one different? Emily had left Melanie and ran right on home without looking back.
Was this some sort of desire for redemption?
She turned and went back to the car. She sat down in the passenger seat and closed the door. It felt like she was alone in the car forever before Neil finally came and joined her. He sat down, but didn’t start the car right away. Instead, he reached over and grabbed her hand. He held it for awhile.
“I know this is hard,” he said. Somehow, it was enough. They sat like that for awhile, then finally went back to their house.
She couldn’t bring herself to think of it as “home” just yet, but she knew there would be a time when she undoubtedly thought of the little house that way.
Home.
What did that even mean anymore?
Chapter 12
Emily and Neil arrived back at the house in time to see Robert putting down two Infected. The Z’s were young, probably in their mid-twenties. Emily didn’t recognize them. They were slow and wobbly as they hesitantly made their way toward Robert. He himself did not hesitate.
He killed them quickly.
“What the hell?” Neil jumped out of the car and walked toward Robert, who was standing at the side of the house.
“No idea, boss,” Robert said. “The fuckers just wandered out of the trees.” He motioned toward the densely wooded area that lined the sides and back of the house.
“What’s back there?” Emily asked. “Where would they have come from?”
Neil and Robert exchanged looks and Emily was instantly on alert.
“What? What did I say?” She asked.
“You asked what was back there,” Neil said, checking his gun. “And I honestly don’t know. Get Butter. Tell him we’re checking out the woods.”
She ran into the house to find Butter and tell him.
“Fuck,” he said. “I wondered what all the shouting was about.” He finished a can of beer and left it on the counter. Emily wasn’t sure where he’d found it, but she didn’t ask. They all had their secrets.
“Cody and I can take care of these two,” Kari appeared and pointed at the dead Infected lying in the grass. “You guys go on ahead.” She pressed a .380 into Emily’s hands and Emily rolled her eyes.
“A .380? What am I going to kill with this? A mouse? Come on.” She showed Kari her old standby, her .38 special, and headed out to see what the boys had found.
Emily stepped into the woods and immediately felt like she was someplace new. The forest was darker than it was by the house and quieter. She could still hear Kari and Cody talking as they cleaned up the corpses, but the woods held a certain air of silence.
Of solitude.
She could see Neil up ahead of her and followed close behind, careful to make enough noise that he could hear her, but not
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