Rise of the Undead

Chapter 6

Rosa knelt in the middle of the grassy knoll behind the building, her shoulders shaking as she cried once more. My heart constricted as I heard her soft sobs. I understood what she was going through, even though I had no children of my own. The pain she felt in losing two children in one day was torture. I came to stand beside her, slowly dropping to my knees. She looked up, and offered me a watery smile.

“Thanks, cuzo,” she said, gently cupping her hands beneath Julianna’s head.

“Welcome, Rose. I wish there was more I could do.”

She wiped her nose across the back of her right hand, and stared at the snot gathered across her flesh. A frown dug deep between her brows. She rubbed her hand against her dirty jeans, and shook her head to clear it.

“You’ve done enough. Look how far you got us.”

I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, and drew her close. “Yes, but I could have prevented this somehow.”

“How?” she asked. “None of us saw that damned pick-up coming toward us. We had no way of knowing what would happen, then and there.”

“I know, but . . .”

“This isn’t your fault, Meg. None of it is. Marcus and Jules’ deaths are casualties of war, so to speak. God, I would love to know how all of this came about. I’d kill the bastard for springing this wretched virus on us.”

I bit down on my lower lip in thought. Rosa shared the same sentiments I did. “I feel you on that.”

She slid Julianna into my hands, and stood up to rummage through her pockets. A soft gasp slid past my lips as she pulled out a hefty pocket knife. The eight inch knife unfolded, its serrated edge glistening beneath the light overhead. She sank down onto her haunches, sliding her daughter’s body out of my hands. She took a deep breath, and clutched the make-shift dagger tight. Her arm shot out, and separated the child’s head from its body in one smooth motion.

I winced inwardly as I saw the head roll several paces across the ground. Rosa’s breathing sounded a tad ragged as she tried to control the hysteria that had begun to roil within her. I pulled the blade of her grasp, and folded it closed, tucking the knife into my back pocket. I then withdrew a slender gold lighter I carried with me at all times, and pushed myself to my feet.

Gathering the body parts, I deposited them in the nearest dumpster. The bin was empty, as it hadn’t been used for quite some time. Hunting for several sticks, I tossed them inside, and set everything ablaze. Julianna’s body caught fire quickly. The flames would fizzle out once nothing else remained.

Rosa looked on from a distance, her face haggard. None of us spoke as we watched her daughter’s small frame disintegrate in the inferno. Satisfied with the outcome, we headed back inside, lost in our own thoughts.

To our surprise, Mary had taken the initiative. She’d cleared a space amongst the old boxes and desks the previous owner had left behind. She’d found several thread-bare blankets in one of the boxes, and carefully spread them across the floor. Chase appeared with an expired bottle of alcohol, a roll of toilet paper, and a cup filled with cold water. He placed the items on top of one of the desks, and tapped my sister on the shoulder.

“Thanks, hon,” she said as she peeled Mallory’s t-shirt off, and ran her fingers over the small cuts on her arms.

“No problem,” he replied, and hunkered down in the middle of the floor.

I approached, and ruffled Mary’s hair before dropping to my knees beside her. “Looks like you’ve the situation under control.”

“Sort of.”

“I’m heading off to Mom’s house.”

She grabbed the bottle of alcohol and the roll of tissues, ripping off several plies before dousing the paper with the pungent liquid. “I’m going with you,” she stated as she gingerly dabbed at our little sister’s wounds.

Mallory whimpered slightly beneath the sudden onslaught of pain, and fought to retain her fragile composure. “It stings!”

“Sorry, Baby, but we gotta disinfect the cuts.”

“You should stay here with Rose and the kids.”

She pinned her narrowed gaze on me, and shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’m going, and that’s final, Meg.”

I groaned. “I’d rather go alone.”

Mary sighed, and said, “I’ll just follow you if you leave me behind. ‘Sides, an extra set of hands would come in handy if these things come at you unexpectedly.”

“Mar . . .”

“Don’t, Sis. You’re taking me with you. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. “Fine.”

“I’m going, too,” Chase stated.

I turned around to face him, and shook my head with vehemence. “I don’t think so.”

He grinned, his brown eyes shining with excitement. The meager light emitted by the flashlight gave his pale face an ethereal glow. “I’ve my aluminum bat.”

“So?”

“So I can help you knocks these things out. There’s safety in numbers.”

“No.”

Rosa stepped out of the shadows, and came to stand beside me. “He’s right. Besides, we’ll be fine here. We’ll barricade ourselves inside until the three of you get back.”

“The idea of leaving you guys here unprotected doesn’t sit well with me.”

“Unprotected? I’ve my bat. Emma has hers, and Grady has the metal pipe. Well, we will once we fetch them in a few. We’ll be fine.” She knelt beside my sister, and pulled Mallory into her arms. “Just make sure you come back in one piece.”

“Of course.”

She administered to the rest of Mallory’s wounds, and pulled her t-shirt back on. “I’m being serious, cuzo. And no more bites. We aren’t sure as to whether you’ll turn or not.”

I ran an unsteady hand through my tangled mahogany curls, and stared at the scuffed tips of my Skecher’s trainers. My body burned with the venom that now ran through my veins. Every inch of me yearned for a release from its wretched grasp, but I refused to succumb to its effects. I had quite a bit to do before I’d allow the sickness to consume me. One way or another, I’d complete my objectives before I fell prey to this obnoxious virus.

I had a duty to fulfill in telling Rosa and the children about the changes taking place within me. Yet, I couldn’t find the will within me to do so. I refused to let them worry about me. This wasn’t the place for such things. Until I was certain that Mom, Elijah, and Joe were fine, I wouldn’t rest easy. Only then, would I give in to the plague’s effects, and die peacefully, knowing I’d done everything possible to save my beloved family.