Two Summers Ago, the World Went to Shit

Chapter 8: What's Not to Love About Lucy

Chapter 8: What's Not to Love About Lucy

I cried with Greyson in between my arms as I feared whose body had been mutilated feet away from us. A couple more gunshots fired and then silence. There were no longer growls coming from numerous zombies, just the heavy breathing of the two guys left outside of the stall. I let Greyson down while I walked over to the stall door. I hesitantly unlocked it and prepared for the worst. I eased the door open and saw the man from the parking lot ripped from all over and blood pooled in the floor. I sighed deeply, Jackson walking over to me for a hug. I balled up both fists and angrily beat them against his chest repeatedly.
"What is wrong with you!"
I sobbed, and my hits became weaker. I sunk my face into his shirt, letting out a mild wail of a cry.
"It's okay. We're okay," he said wrapping his arms around me.
Caleb walked over to me, and I pulled away from Jackson to hug him.
"I can't lose you two," I said as my brother comforted me.
"You won't," he said as he rubbed my back.

The store was no longer occupied by the dead, only the four of us, from what we could tell. We'd managed to load up the car with as many items as we could fit in the trunk and around me and Greyson in the backseat. We weren't in the clear, but we would be okay for a little bit longer. At this point, surviving was all we had to do. There weren't responsibilities we once had like bills and work, just surviving. That's what I'd been trying to do my entire life, but now surviving had a different meaning. It meant I had to live for more than just myself. I had Caleb, Jackson, Greyson, and this baby, all relying on me to survive.
After we pulled off from the store, we just started driving. I lost track of how long we'd been on the road between dwelling on my near death experience and what the world was now. I wasn't sure where we were headed to or if we even knew. There was still no cell service, and I think that had something to do with the military invasion. Their plan was probably to cut off our access and communication with the world. No one could help us. No one would want to risk it after the millions of people were turned into walking corpses. We were lost causes, a dead country. No one was coming to save us.
     I kept looking out of the window to see our surroundings and watch as the day gradually passed by. The clock in the car at least gave us the normality of time, one thing that would never change even when the world did. We were only in the first couple of days of life in an apocalypse, but it was taking a toll on all of us. With no contact to others or the outside world, our hope was deteriorating. The car ride was so quiet I felt like I could hear my heartbeat. I was curious to see if the radio stations were up and working anywhere that would pick up with this car.
I sat up and leaned towards the front seats when I said, "Turn on the radio."
"Why," Caleb asked.
"Turn it on," I said with a hint of irritability.
He pressed the media power button, and the sound of static just filled the car. White noise was on each channel he clicked through. I frowned disappointedly. Jackson reached over and played around with the AM and FM, and to our surprise, there was a voice fumbling around behind static. After a couple of adjustments and better signal, the voice cleared and became audible.
"If anyone is out there, we have a safe haven in Oklahoma City. Come to Omni Hotel; we welcome all survivors. I repeat if anyone is out there," the message continued on, replaying the words.
We all perked up eagerly as Caleb turned the radio back off.
"It's a trap," he said pessimistically.
"What do you mean? We need to go there," I said.
"There's probably an army of soldiers waiting on everyone desperate enough to fall for this. We're not even a week into this; how would they already have enough resources to welcome survivors?"
"Jackson," I said hoping for backup.
"I don't know. It sounds too good to be true, Sammi. I don't think we should take risks like that when we're not in a terrible position. We've got food and water, a car—I don't know," he repeated.
"We need somewhere safe to go. I need security," I pleaded.
"I'm sorry Sammi, but it's a death sentence. We're not going there. They sound too solid, calm, like they just have unlimited supplies to hand out. The odds of that being legit are not good," Caleb said.
I looked out of the window as a handful of zombies marched around the fields, intrigued by the movement of our car. I pouted for the next hour until we arrived at a small, rundown motel. The neon light was buzzing outside as the sun began to set. We had a long day between the grocery store and the driving; it was getting dark out. I'd much rather have been at the hotel from the radio, but the guys outvoted me. A part of me wanted to keep pestering them about it, hoping they'd change their minds, but I knew better than to get my hopes up.
     The day quickly passed us by. I felt like it hadn't been all that long ago that we'd woken up in the library basement. Greyson had slumped over in his seat sound asleep almost the entire ride here. I smiled as I watched him take subtle breaths while he dreamed. I was going to wake up, but I wanted to let him rest just a minute longer before returning to reality.
We pulled into an almost vacant lot, the gravel crunching underneath our tires. I could see from the car that the front window clerk was a walking corpse, pounding on the glass while we parked. Greyson woke up after we hit a small pothole that rocked the car. He rubbed his eyes with his hands and began looking closely at the outside of the building. We all got out of the car, Greyson by my side. Caleb turned to me apologetically, staring at me with sad eyes.
"I'm sorry. This isn't the Omni Hotel, but it's our best offer right now. I think this will be a pretty decent stay," he said observing the outside of the motel.
I pursed my lips and nodded.
Jackson didn't speak; he just followed Caleb to the window where the clerk fumbled around as a useless dead body locked in a tiny room. You could hear her growl through the window as papers blew around on the desk from the wind sweeping through the small hole that met the counter. She looked like she'd been dead a little bit longer than any of the other zombies we'd encountered. It seemed like they'd been to this city at least a week before hitting Pocola.
     It amazed me how different they all looked with their dry, wrinkled skin, empty eyes, and rotting teeth. It was becoming evident that time played a huge role in their appearance and agility. It would one day be in our favor, but for now, it was too early in the decomposition stage for their stamina and elasticity to be affected.
The two of them opened the side door that led to her office. Jackson held her still while Caleb stabbed a knife through her skull. Her body fell like dead weight onto the floor, and they retrieved a couple sets of keys for some rooms that'd been hanging on various hooks stuck into a peg board. They looked down at the numbers handwritten in black marker over a white piece of paper that was shoved into a clear keychain. They made sure to get rooms right beside each other.
We hadn't grabbed any of our things from the car yet because we weren't quite sure what we were getting ourselves into. We decided to scope out the rooms before wrestling zombies with our hands full. Caleb led the way down the left side of the tiny motel. The two rooms they'd gotten keys for were at the very end of the strip, 101 and 102. Jackson took the first room, and Caleb took the second with weapons in hand to protect themselves against any zombies. Greyson and I hung back on the sidewalk right outside the doors until they were finished.
     I was sure the keys that were left with the clerk belonged to vacant rooms, but for peace of mind, we knew it'd be safest to scan for unwanted guests. It was hard to imagine that there could be dead bodies filling each of the rooms here. From the looks of this place, I don't think they got much business anyways.
Luckily, both of the rooms turned up empty. Jackson and Caleb met me and Greyson outside of the rooms where we stood on the concrete, underneath the faded awning. The streetlights kicked on with a soft buzz; that's the only sound I could hear. The world was so quiet without traffic and interaction. It was an eerie feeling, especially with the sky growing darker.
"Okay, the rooms are untouched and ready to go," Caleb said.
"How should we split up the two rooms? One has a king bed; the other has two queen beds," Jackson said.
"I was thinking me and my new pal Greyson could bunk together in the room with the two queen beds, and you and Sammi can take the king," Caleb said winking at Greyson.
     He smiled in admiration of Caleb. Every time he protected us, Greyson grew more hopeful of what our future held. I could tell just by the look in his eyes when he watched Caleb and Jackson that they were like superheroes to him. Caleb sat his hand on Greyson's shoulder as the two of them walked towards their room.
When they got to the door, Caleb turned around and said, "Let's try to get a good nights sleep. Yell if you need us."
Jackson nodded and walked in the direction of our room. I followed closely and almost nervously behind Jackson while he opened the door. Everything had changed so suddenly I forgot how to interact alone with him. It was like we were meeting for the first time, the awkward stage forcing its way back into our relationship. I'd never pictured myself dating Jackson; it was always a silly flirting game for most of our friendship. Now that we were boyfriend-girlfriend, things seemed so unfamiliar to me.
     I walked into the room after him, locking the door behind us. I scanned the room before taking slow, hesitant steps towards the edge of the bed, letting out a sigh once I'd sat down. Jackson plopped down beside me, so carefree as if we'd been together forever. I think that was the closest we'd been to each other since we almost had sex on the kitchen island. It felt like years ago.
I looked around the dim motel room. It had dirty, dark red carpet, the older style of paneling on the walls, a window that looked out into the surrounding trees, and a mini fridge that sat on top of a wooden desk with missing paint spots. There was finally a moment of relief from the dangers of the outside world. It was just me, Jackson, my thoughts, and this motel room.
"What's on your mind," he asked, always knowing when I was inside of my own head.
I turned to look at him as he stared back at me.
"We just haven't really gotten the chance to talk about anything. I don't know how you feel about a lot of stuff, and I'm worried that things are going to change," I admitted.
"What do you mean? How I feel about what, Sammi?"
"Me, us, this baby, all of it," I said as I turned away.
"I love you, Sammi. I know what I'm signing up for."
My heart fluttered in fear and excitement simultaneously, but the more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to make sure he knew what he was getting into. I quickly turned back to face him, noticing that he'd never looked away.
"Are you prepared to be a father to a child that isn't yours? Or be with someone who has bipolar disorder in the middle of a fucking zombie apocalypse? Or take on the responsibility of a six year old boy like he's your own," I asked, my tone stern.
He placed his warm hand on my face, gently moving his thumb across my cheek.
"I want everything that comes with you. Can you trust that?"
I gave him the slightest smile as he kissed my forehead.
"Yes, I trust you with my life," I said.
"Good," he said wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me closer to him.
I wanted to tell him about Bailey driving down to be with me and this baby before everything went down. I just didn't have the heart to tell him while we were having a moment. I was happy with him, but I knew I could've been happy with Bailey too. I felt guilty about being torn between the two of them, but Bailey crossed my mind on a regular basis. On one hand, I just kept thinking about the possibility of Bailey being out there looking for me, and on the other hand I wanted to enjoy and appreciate the here and now, the physical presence of Jackson.
     After we'd sat in the room for a few minutes, it had grown darker outside, and the moon was shining behind thick, gray clouds. We'd crawled into the big, king sized bed that was made up with a fluffy, vintage patterned comforter. While the stitching was a bit itchy, it definitely beat the floor of the panic room basement at the library. We'd fallen asleep in each others arms in no time, and once morning came, I was the first to wake up.
     I'd found myself kneeling in front of the toilet, vomiting up what little food I'd eaten the day before. I took deep breaths in between my free moments and puking episodes. I had the bathroom door shut trying to block out the noise, but it apparently didn't work because Jackson had rushed to my side minutes after the morning sickness began. He held my hair back and gently rubbed my back until it passed.
     He helped me back up onto my feet. I leaned over and turned on the shower faucet, running my fingers through the water as it gradually felt warmer. The motel room was stocked with complimentary tiny bottles of toiletries like shampoo, so I decided to take advantage of a shower while I had the opportunity and to clean myself up from puking.
The bathroom was tiled in mostly tan colors with some occasional red and green tiles mixed in. There was a single sink on a counter top and a gold framed mirror directly above it. The tile was cold on the bottom of my feet, but it made me feel like I was back at my apartment in New York.
     Jackson had stepped back into the area where our bed was, peering out of the window. I unfastened my boot and sat it to the side while I prepared for my shower. For a minute, the water was warm when I stuck my hand in the stream to feel it. I turned the hot knob a little more before it was the perfect temperature. I began undressing and stuck my foot into the tub as I felt the warmth of the water. I grabbed the travel bottles from the counter and sat them on the shelves inside of the shower. I pulled up on the lever to redirect the water to the shower head after I slid the shower door shut.
     For a while, I just stood underneath the water, letting the warm drops hit my face and my back. I closed my eyes trying to relax, but I'd just been distracted by my own thoughts. I rubbed the water from my face and opened my eyes when I'd heard Jackson come back into the bathroom.
"Mind if I join you," he asked in a flirty tone behind the fogged glass.
I didn't think it'd be an issue until I stood there struggling to say what I was feeling.
"Uh," I said hesitantly.
"What's wrong," he asked, almost ashamed.
"I don't feel confident right now," I admitted.
"What? Why? Sammi, you're beautiful."
I continued to let the water pour down my back as I watched the silhouette of his body behind the glass door of the shower.
"I'm pregnant."
"Okay? You don't look any different," he said.
"I just don't want to ruin your attraction to me," I said embarrassed.
"Nothing would ruin my attraction to you. You look just as beautiful as you did when I first met you, but I'll respect your decision," he said politely.
There was silence for a few seconds.
"Wait," I said as he prepared to walk out.
"Come in," I said anxiously as I could see the outline of him right outside of the shower.
He quickly undressed before joining me.
I wasn't far enough along to physically show much or any evidence of a baby, but mentally it made me feel less attractive. The appeal of me would disintegrate, I thought. I was nervous for him to see me fully undressed. He'd seen a lot of me that night in Nashville, but that was the extent of the encounter. He was finally going to be inches away from me as I was naked and vulnerable, and in feeling this, I realized I'd never seen him this way either.
     The shower door slid open, and he stepped in. His body was perfectly sculpted, his hair catching a few drops from the shower head. He looked down at me as if he'd been waiting forever for this moment. His hands rubbed over every inch of my skin, and I felt completely wanted, adored, and appreciated. He was gentle, but firm. We kissed underneath the stream of water above us before he turned me around, my hands holding me up against the glass of the shower beside the door. I gasped for air before he and I had sex for the first time. There were so many factors that would've, under normal circumstances, made this no less special than a one night stand; however, Jackson made every second special. It made our attraction seem more authentic; he'd finally seen the entire package that came with me and my baggage. He accepted me and loved me for me. I could feel that when I was with him.
I wasn't sure how long we'd ended up in the shower together, but it was long enough to use up all of the hot water from the tank. We laughed in each others arms under the now cold water before turning the faucet off and scrambling for towels to dry off with. It was so rejuvenating being this carefree. Our bathroom floor was soaked as we were playfully searching the cabinets for towels. After we'd found them, we wrapped them around ourselves before plopping backwards onto the bed, inhaling deeply as we continued to giggle. We turned to face each other and just smiled like school children. For a second, I'd forgotten about everything else in the world. There were no zombies or soldiers, just me and Jackson in the room together.
     That day started off perfectly; I couldn't imagine it any other way. Eventually, Jackson and I got dressed in the same clothes we'd been wearing since the first day. Once Caleb and Greyson finished their showers, they joined us in our room for an early lunch. From what we'd managed to gather at Walmart, we were able to eat bologna sandwiches and chips. Caleb stashed what perishables we had in the mini fridge last night for when we decided to use them. I'd found a magazine in the bedside table and just read through it while we sat crowded together on the bed in boredom.
     Greyson and I played basketball with the wadded up magazine pages I ripped out after I finished reading it for the third time cover to cover. Our day had passed by, slowly, and we were watching paint dry from what it felt like. We knew this was the most stable place for us right now, but damn it was boring. And that was our life for four whole months, no joke.
The major differences between the first couple of days and the last few months was that power was gone. Without the support of humans, we knew it was only a matter of time before we'd be without power. It was now winter, so without the production of electricity, we had no source of heat unless we started a fire. Our water supply had ran out too as well as gas supplied from the cities and other places. Our water lasted a little bit longer than the electricity, but the pressure got weaker and weaker as each day passed until it was just a drop.
I was fortunate enough to have two Boy Scouts with me because they were able to start fires and scavenge for minor things. The supplies we'd stuffed in the car from Walmart disappeared after about a month. There was a Dollar General and an older gas station that didn't even have a walk-in convenience store not even a mile up the road that we used as our new go-to supply shop and gas station. The store had quite a few cases of water to keep us hydrated, batteries and flashlights to give us some light when the sun was gone, and blankets to add to our beds in these cold months.
Jackson and Caleb worked hard to keep the store cleared out, and it'd stayed relatively empty from zombies throughout that period of time. We still had a tent and other camping supplies for emergencies in our car, but as far as my medication and food went, we were running low again after our monthly restock.
     We'd gotten a one hundred count stock bottle of my medication along with an almost empty opened bottle in the run to Walmart that first go around, but I was down to the last handful of pills. We had pretty much wiped out the Dollar General of water and other necessities, so today we all planned to go to another store a little bit further out to restock up on supplies.