no communications, so we don’t know what’s going on anywhere, and we still need a place to stay.”
“Yeah, square one,” Murphy agreed.
“What about your sister?”
Murphy’s smile slipped off of his face. “She wasn’t at the house, but that was a thin hope , anyway. Now with the whole neighborhood burned down, my only chance of finding her, if she’s still alive, is to get lucky and run into her. There’s no point in searching.”
I said, “Yeah, I’m really sorry about that, Murphy, but I think you’re right.”
With the pistol put together, Murphy started slipping nine millimeter rounds into a magazine.
I changed the subject. “I think Mandi is immune.”
“Maybe.”
“She’s been down there with all of those infected for days. She would have caught it if she wasn’t.”
“Sure. I don’t know anything about any of that. You’re the college boy, Zed, so whatever you think.”
“She’s immune, then. That’s goody-gumdrops for her, but also bad. I mean, you and I can walk around among the infected as long as they aren’t too hungry, but not Mandi. She’s lunch unless she stays hidden.”
“Yeah, but the uninfected won’t shoot her, like they will us.”
“Do you really think they’re all that way? It could be that those soldiers that killed Jerome were just …I don’t know, overzealous.”
“Zed, I’ll tell you what I think. I think you’re a little bit naïve about people’s intentions.”
I shook my head. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
“I think that is the problem, Zed. You want to believe that this is all going to blow over, and the ones of us who are left are going to sing ‘Kumbaya,’ and then go make babies and live happily ever after, or something.”
Yes, that is what I think! I shrugged. Murphy’s summary of my hopes made them seem ridiculous.
“Zed, that’s not going to happen. Every time they see our white skin and our dilated eyes, they’re going to see the monsters that killed their brothers, or their mothers, or their sisters, or their sons. They’re going to see us as disease carriers. The uninfected hate us. They’re all afraid of us. They’ll kill us if they can.”
I shook my head, “No, Murphy, the longer we last, the more unlikely it is that anybody we come across will be immune. They won’t need to fear us.”
“Zed, that’s exactly the kind of suburban white-boy bullshit I’m talking about when I say you’re naïve.”
“ What? ”
“You don’t know anything about fear and hate. Fear and hate aren’t rational emotions, and they damn sure don’t depend on the existence of valid reasons. People hate because they’re afraid. People are afraid because they don’t understand. People don’t understand what we are, Zed. They don’t want to understand what we are, because they already have a belief that we’re monsters. Once people get beliefs into their heads, it’s fucking hard to change their minds, no matter how many facts come knocking on the door. As far as the world is concerned, you and I aren’t people anymore, Zed. We’re big-eyed white monsters, because we look like all the other big-eyed white monsters. White is the new black, man. How does it feel to be an oppressed minority, Zed?”
“I don’t have big eyes, Murphy.”
“Heh, heh, heh. You don’t believe me now, Zed, but you will. Give it time.”
“Mandi isn’t afraid of us,” I argued.
“Not that you know.”
“Amber –”
Murphy butted in, “…is one of the people who kicked us out of the dorm, Zed.”
Chapter 18
It was well after noon when Murphy pushed the bunker door open. Sunshine poured in, and I squinted behind my sunglasses. With my M-4 at the ready, I climbed into the blowing smoke. Surprisingly, it wasn’t nearly as hot as I’d expected.
“An August cold front.” Murphy grinned widely.
“It’s still got to be in the low nineties,” I countered, as Mandi came up between us.
“What’s the thing with
“Yeah, square one,” Murphy agreed.
“What about your sister?”
Murphy’s smile slipped off of his face. “She wasn’t at the house, but that was a thin hope , anyway. Now with the whole neighborhood burned down, my only chance of finding her, if she’s still alive, is to get lucky and run into her. There’s no point in searching.”
I said, “Yeah, I’m really sorry about that, Murphy, but I think you’re right.”
With the pistol put together, Murphy started slipping nine millimeter rounds into a magazine.
I changed the subject. “I think Mandi is immune.”
“Maybe.”
“She’s been down there with all of those infected for days. She would have caught it if she wasn’t.”
“Sure. I don’t know anything about any of that. You’re the college boy, Zed, so whatever you think.”
“She’s immune, then. That’s goody-gumdrops for her, but also bad. I mean, you and I can walk around among the infected as long as they aren’t too hungry, but not Mandi. She’s lunch unless she stays hidden.”
“Yeah, but the uninfected won’t shoot her, like they will us.”
“Do you really think they’re all that way? It could be that those soldiers that killed Jerome were just …I don’t know, overzealous.”
“Zed, I’ll tell you what I think. I think you’re a little bit naïve about people’s intentions.”
I shook my head. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
“I think that is the problem, Zed. You want to believe that this is all going to blow over, and the ones of us who are left are going to sing ‘Kumbaya,’ and then go make babies and live happily ever after, or something.”
Yes, that is what I think! I shrugged. Murphy’s summary of my hopes made them seem ridiculous.
“Zed, that’s not going to happen. Every time they see our white skin and our dilated eyes, they’re going to see the monsters that killed their brothers, or their mothers, or their sisters, or their sons. They’re going to see us as disease carriers. The uninfected hate us. They’re all afraid of us. They’ll kill us if they can.”
I shook my head, “No, Murphy, the longer we last, the more unlikely it is that anybody we come across will be immune. They won’t need to fear us.”
“Zed, that’s exactly the kind of suburban white-boy bullshit I’m talking about when I say you’re naïve.”
“ What? ”
“You don’t know anything about fear and hate. Fear and hate aren’t rational emotions, and they damn sure don’t depend on the existence of valid reasons. People hate because they’re afraid. People are afraid because they don’t understand. People don’t understand what we are, Zed. They don’t want to understand what we are, because they already have a belief that we’re monsters. Once people get beliefs into their heads, it’s fucking hard to change their minds, no matter how many facts come knocking on the door. As far as the world is concerned, you and I aren’t people anymore, Zed. We’re big-eyed white monsters, because we look like all the other big-eyed white monsters. White is the new black, man. How does it feel to be an oppressed minority, Zed?”
“I don’t have big eyes, Murphy.”
“Heh, heh, heh. You don’t believe me now, Zed, but you will. Give it time.”
“Mandi isn’t afraid of us,” I argued.
“Not that you know.”
“Amber –”
Murphy butted in, “…is one of the people who kicked us out of the dorm, Zed.”
Chapter 18
It was well after noon when Murphy pushed the bunker door open. Sunshine poured in, and I squinted behind my sunglasses. With my M-4 at the ready, I climbed into the blowing smoke. Surprisingly, it wasn’t nearly as hot as I’d expected.
“An August cold front.” Murphy grinned widely.
“It’s still got to be in the low nineties,” I countered, as Mandi came up between us.
“What’s the thing with
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