Ted and Kat

Chapter 6

I am walking with him in the woods. We are holding hands and approaching my camp where my comrades welcome us. I see their lips moving, but all I hear is the crunch of the autumn leaves on the ground. He isn’t wearing his usual turtle neck or gloves. Just a clean crisp polo shirt and blue jeans. His face is visible, but blurred out, as if someone used an eraser to smudge out his features. We pass by everyone with a nod as they greet us and we stop at Don’s tent. The two talk and eventually shake hands, smiling the whole time. Afterwards, I lead him to the edge of the camp, behind some trees. He wraps his warm arms around me, his face nuzzling the top of my head. With my hands at the back of his neck, I raise my face to meet his. I can almost feel his soft lips on mine…

And I woke up.

       That’s the third time I had that exact dream. The first time it happened, I brushed it off. The second time I woke up in a sweat with the sheets scattered around me. This time, I couldn’t take it anymore.
        I was gonna have to talk to him about joining my group. In my head it all made sense. We’ll need more people in our group and he needed a group to belong to. The house would be a great place to stay and regroup. He can help us with medicine or maybe find supplies. We can travel around and scout as friends. Maybe something more.
        Then again, what if he didn’t want to leave? Would I be willing to think about staying? Surely he already considered we needed this conversation. We couldn’t live like this forever. So while I had the courage, I decided to find him and confront him about it.
        I quietly snuck out of my room and walked downstairs. The other two bedrooms in the house were on the first floor. I never knew where he slept, both rooms were immaculate and untouched. I had a feeling he would be in the forbidden basement. Approaching the usually locked door, I hesitated. Would he be so mad that he would kick me out? What else could he be hiding from me? Enough was enough. I had to try.
        Surprisingly, the door was unlocked. I watched almost in fascination as the door quietly opened to show the darkest stairway I have ever seen. I considered going to get a flashlight first but decided that it would be too risky. I extended my arms in front of me, hoping I wouldn’t fall to my death; luckily, a banister was on the right side of the wall and my hand brushed against it. Clinging to that side, I slowly descended one step at a time. It became much cooler the further I went down. I also heard a low humming which crescendoed with every step I took. My suspicions were correct when I saw he had multiple generators with huge wires snaking in various directions. A doorway revealed itself to the left when I reached the bottom. Wide plastic drapes covered the doorway like a curtain, giving the dark room a blurry look to it. I took a gulp. No turning back now.
        Parting the drapes, I walked into the room, my hand feeling the wall until it found a light switch. Fluorescent bulbs flickered to reveal a laboratory of sorts. It was basically a spacious white room lined with countertops and cabinets with all sorts of instruments scattered about. Beakers, microscopes, scales and computers galore. In the middle of the room, a makeshift island on wheels had a few things on it, mostly syringes and first aid supplies.
        Confused but bored, I was about to head up to bed. It was then that in my peripheral vision I caught another doorway that led to an even smaller room. Gravitating toward it, I walked in to see huge freezer boxes and wide refrigerators along the walls. But it was what was in the middle of the floor that made my blood cold.

        There were two gurneys, one laying horizontal and the other upright. Strapped in both of them were zombies, writhing and moaning in their restraints.

        My mouth completely agape, I used all the strength I had not to scream. I finally recovered and fled as quickly as I could. I practically slammed my body into the wall before turning toward the stairs. I tripped once or twice and bruised my knees in the process. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. All I had on my mind was to get to the front door and get out. Tears were spilling down my face and I was still in my nightwear, but I didn’t care. I had just reached the living room and focused my sight on the door to my escape. So focused in fact that I didn’t see Ted until I ran right into him. He was still dressed in a turtleneck sweater and gloves. He had a ski mask covering his head, barely revealing his dark eyes. I couldn’t take it. I was so hurt, so angry I couldn’t speak. Before he could say anything, I ripped that stupid mask off.
        It was as if one of the dead from downstairs was looking back at me. The grey skin, the bloodshot eyes, the sunken, rotten flesh sticking to his cheekbones. His mouth was open in shock, showing stained teeth.
        My anger immediately changed to absolute horror. I couldn’t believe it was real; it had to have been a terrifying nightmare. I just wanted to wake up and make it stop. The world went dark, and I didn’t feel myself fall as I slipped into unconsciousness.