Last Dawn of a Horde

Chapter Ten: The Showdown ~6 Jules

~Jules~

    By noon, Sam, Stel and I were helping Mrs. Guns in her gardening.

    I was a little appalled when the old lady brought us to the back part of the house. It was behind the door next to the kitchen. I barely thought an area full of grown vegetables was possible, but it was awesome.

    I don’t even know why Mrs. Guns only wanted Sam and Stel to go with her, but I joined anyway. Maybe I just can’t last another day without Sam. The sun’s too high, but it was windy I can’t break a single sweat.

    Okay, maybe the other unplanned reason for joining the ladies was to avoid the other chores. Yeah, Principal Guns had let us choose a chore to do. With a big house like this, a day’s never enough to attend it yourself. John and James were assigned with Mr. Riggins to fix the satellites up on the roof. It was probably scorching hot up ahead, so I was thankful the job didn’t find itself to me. And the satellites were hopefully for cable and transmission—the principal still believes in the word rescue.

    Jimmy, Miguel, and Adrian were recognized by Principal Guns as ‘The Hulks’ and immediately after he convinced them to help him do the attic cleaning. He told them the attic hadn’t been cleaned since four years. And gladly I wasn’t asked to go.

    The girls, Camille, Patricia, Ella, Kat, and Lovely were asked to clean the rooms and change sheets. Principal Guns told us their house had four rooms, one of which was being occupied by him, his wife, and our teacher, Mr. Riggins. The principal said he’ll distribute us to four rooms, and the attic’s included. If I was to choose, I’ll go anywhere, as long as I’m with Sam. He didn’t say he’ll separate the girls and boys, right?

    Laundry work was assigned to Karen, Geno, Stella, Grace, and Prince. They were working on the front garden, and when I heard them laughing, I knew they were splashing with the bubbles. No rules means fun, isn’t it? But for you to know, I hate doing laundry.

    Jet, Stanley, and Gray were assigned to install some solar panels on the walls surrounding the house. It was a job I’ll never take, considering burly guys are needed to do the job. I wanted to ask badly how the principal got a hold of twenty-one expensive panels, but seeing how stressed he was since when we arrived, I kept the question to myself.   

    When Mrs. Guns got back from their storage shed, she came back with garden scissors, small shovels, garden gloves, and some plastic-packed vegetable seeds.

    We started on the area closest to the wall, and the soil was tilled, a sign this vegetable area was frequently used. This time, every patch was empty, and my gut twisted when I remembered how much Amelia Guns had prepared us last night.

    I was to break the other patches, and the ladies were either watering the newly planted seeds, or removing the weeds. After a while I realized I badly want to escape all these work.

    “Hey,” Sam whispered to me. We were pulling out weeds on the tomato patch before we can be able to plant new seeds. “Big day, right?”

    I sighed, trying not to look tired. “All of us got chores. Fair enough.”

    Sam smiled. “I just got a small experience about gardening,” she said. “My parents had a similar carrot plot, when we still had that pet store.”

    Sam looked solemn, and I felt it too. She must’ve been missing her parents, who were both veterinarians. Even before we’ve met, I always walk past their store on my way home. Hearing the hamster wheels, the parrots chattering, I knew I’m close to the store. The memory brings me back nausea, and remembering that their store were at ruins now gives my gut a punch.

    I patted her shoulder. She grinned at me as she shrugs my hand away.

    “I’m not going to cry, Jules,” she said. Just the way she says my name brings me a smile. She tied her hair, but some still escaped and were lying freely, falling across her cheeks.

    Stel suddenly interrupted. “Ugh, love birds,” she murmured. “You probably should help me washing away this blood over here.”

    “Blood?” I repeat. I turned, and I looked to where Stel was pointing. Right where she had driven a shovel, was a dark, shiny spot on the earth.

    My eyes search for Mrs. Guns, but she was out of the picture. Maybe she forgot the watermelon seed, and went back inside. The kitchen was so near I can smell good food, particularly chicken cooking.

    I touched the dark liquid. It gleamed red when I raised my fingers.

    “Blood,” I said again.

    Stel rolled her eyes. “It’s creepy, isn’t it? That’s why I didn’t plow the earth yet.”

    The three of us exchanged nervous looks, and Stel suddenly said, “No way.”

    I was thinking of tomato juice, but Stel looked grim, like it was the obvious thing that had popped into her mind.

    Zombies.

    “Impossible,” Sam murmured. We were about to hold our hands together, but Mrs. Guns came out of the kitchen door, carrying a tray with steaming rice, her gloves removed.

    “Gotta eat lunch, kids,” she said, smiling, “Gregory and I will take care of that, later.”

    “W-what? The blood?” I stammered, my fingers getting cold by the red liquid.

    I thought she was going to scold us, yell at us like we’ve been insane kids, but the old lady just chuckled. “Oh, that’s the blood of the chicken we’re wolfing down at lunch now,” she muttered, the smile never leaving her face.

    Sam and I exchanged looks, and we followed the old woman inside.

    I was exaggerating, wasn’t I?