The Town of Last Haven: A Zombie Novel

Part 14

Opal ran with Julia and Luke all the way back to his house. And the second the three came in through the front door, everyone was on them--not in the malevolent way.

Julia was greeted with a hug from Natalie, Opal was greeted with a tight embrace from Clarise, and Luke was greeted tearfully by his mother.

"I feared you weren't coming back!" Luke's mom sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Don't run away like that again!" She blew her nose with a tissue, then led them deeper into the house. The house was quite lovely, with a feeling of home around you when you stepped inside. Luke's mother led the lot into the living room, seating them down and asking if they wanted food or water.

"Water, thank you, Mrs. Wallace." Julia took a bottle of iced water and drank it down, then put the ice to her head. With all the running she'd done this morning alone, she was almost too lightheaded to stand. Mrs. Wallace was right by Julia's side, but was nearly shoved out of the way by Opal and Clarise. Opal nudged Julia with her wet nose until she was sated with petting, and Clarise asked Julia what happened.

"I want to know how you lot got away from the dead," Julia said, quite out of breath.

"The zombies ran right passed us, then we bolted for Luke's house. Quite simple, really." Clarise grinned from sounding like a very formal Natalie, now embracing Julia harder. "What happened to you two? Tell me we're safe."

"We're safer," said Julia, Luke, and Mrs. Wallace.

"Good!" Clarise breathed an elongated sigh through her small nose.

"Where is your father?" Mrs. Wallace asked her son.

"Last I saw him..." Luke paled. "He and I were in the car. Dad told me to go save my girl. He--" Luke put his head between his knees as he sat on the sofa; he was trying not to vomit up all he'd eaten earlier.

"Is he--" Mrs. Wallace was choking up.

Luke threw up his hands. "He told me to save Julia, so that's what I did." Tears were in Luke's eyes, and he choked on air. He was wheezing now, not even from allergies, and Natalie patted him on the back with an understanding look in her eyes.

"You listened to your dad... I think that made him proud?" Natalie was asking that more than she was telling that. "You didn't see him, so he could still be alive, right?"

Luke nodded.

"Focus on that." Natalie offered a kind smile, but she looked to Julia with pain of her own.

"How are your brothers? Are they alive too?" Trent asked Luke. Luke had two older brothers, both of them in college. Luke wasn't really close with either of them--not like Julia was close with her sisters and brothers--and he felt distant from them since day one of everything.

"I don't know about that," said Luke and Mrs. Wallace.

Mrs. Wallace sniffled, blinking back tears. "They haven't called home, let me know they're safe. I don't think anyone is safe here." She sniffled again, and Natalie got up to offer another hug to Mrs. Wallace.

"We're safe now, so think of that. The last thing we need is more panic." Julia was forcing herself to remain calm.

Mrs. Wallace took in a shaky breath, then seemed calm enough to speak. "We have food in the fridge, running water, the works. Make yourselves at home for the time being." Julia glanced to the doors and windows, then Mrs. Wallace continued. "All the doors and windows are locked, so the dead can't get in. My husband--God rest his soul--made this place safe for us. You're safe--we're all safe." She turned from them, then went into the kitchen.

Julia, Luke, and Austin looked outside--there were fewer zombies beyond the walls. "Perhaps Donald Trump had a point with the wall thing now?" Austin smirked. 

"We don't talk politics in this house," said Mrs. Wallace from the other room. "And that happened, what? Twenty-five years ago, his presidency?" 

Austin apologized, then came away from the windows, pulling the curtains closed--none of the dead could see in then.

"I could use a shower," Julia sighed.

"Me, too." Luke looked to Julia, then to her brothers. They had I'll-kill-you looks on their faces, so Luke thought it best not to make a sex joke. "Feel free to wash up--do whatever. I'm telling you, we're safe."

"For now," said Natalie, her arms crossed over her chest. "Julia, I'll take a shower after you. Make it quick." Julia nodded, then left.

Luke was left alone in the living room with Julia's sisters and brothers. He felt his heart rise to his throat, bile stinging, and he cleared his throat before saying, "I won't hurt your sister. I know you don't believe me, but I'm telling the truth." Luke once loved Julia's family as much as she did--as if Julia's family were his own.

They were, in a way, but that picture of perfectly framed glass had shattered with Luke's betrayal.

Another story for another day, thought Luke to himself as he moved to the fireplace to rearrange the burning Wallace with the iron poker. He sighed, breathing in the campy scent, thinking about the night he and Julia had snuck out to go to a camping party on the edge of town. Their friends were there, good food was served, and Luke thought about the tent. He spent the night in the tent with Julia. It was wrong, his mother would have told him, but he and Julia were young. They made stupid mistakes, of course.

And Luke wondered if he'd ever have another night with Julia the way they did back then...

What if? That was what Luke kept thinking in his mind. What if?

What if this was all a bad dream?

What if Julia Brown forgave him fully?

What if Julia Brown wanted him back--kissing her like they did that night?

All was up to Julia now...