The Monster Apocalypse

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

While the once innovative and promising Grisly High School had become a dangerous zombie playground, the neighborhood of Diablo Shadows was as serene and soundless as the day Brin moved into it when she was six years old. The trees and grass were as brown as the dirt mountains above, but there was a charm to the winding streets and non-cookie-cutter two-story homes. Best of all—no one in the car could spot a zombie or a vampire, or even a traipsing troll, anywhere.

"Make a left here," Crispin said, pointing toward a small cul-de-sac up ahead that Brin had only frequented in middle school when she was in her avid biking phase.

Mr. Barker pulled up to an impressively large house, only one of the few three-story houses in the entire neighborhood. A big white van, similar in size and shape of Sawyer's brown van the group had taken to Bodie Ghost Town the first time, but in every way more modern, was indeed parked out on the curb, just left of the driveway. Mr. Barker parked behind it.

"OK, here we are," he said. "Crispin, do you know where the keys are?"

"That's kind of important," Anaya said, with a sigh and a clucking of her tongue.

"Yes, my mom should have it," he said. "Or it would be on the key ring inside."

"Is your mother home?" Mr. Barker asked, but he didn't need the kid to give him a response. A loud slam of the front door of the house gave him his answer.

All eight in the car looked out the car windows to see a middle-aged woman running toward Mr. Barker's 4Runner, a disheveled, panicked expression on her tired face. She was halfway across the lawn, to the car, when Mr. Barker stepped out of the car.

"Who are you?" the woman shouted. "Who are you, and what do you want—"

"Ma'am, calm down," Mr. Barker said. "We have your son. We have Crispin."

"You have my boy?"

Crispin was the second to leap out of the car. He raced around the back of it and ran all the way up to his mom. She took him in his arms and started weeping uncontrollably.

"Oh, Crispin. Oh, honey, I knew you'd be all right!"

"Mommy, I was so scared..."

"There's nothing to be afraid of," she said, kissing him all over his face. In any other situation, Brin figured, the middle schooler wouldn't have wanted his mom giving him such a public display of affection, but she knew in this moment, the boy didn't care. He was just happy to have his mom back.

"Thank you," Crispin's mother said, looking first at Mr. Barker, then over at the car. "Well, I don't know who to thank, but thanks, nonetheless. I had no idea where Crispin was. I've been calling all day, trying to reach his father, trying to reach his older brother. I've been worried sick." She kissed him on the top of his forehead, then pointed to the car. "Is my other son in there? Colin? Or did he get a ride with his father?"

Mr. Barker just stared at her. He didn't know what to say. "I'm not... I'm not sure..."

"The last time I talked to everybody they were on their way to Macabre Golf Course. For that tournament. My friends called me and told me there was some attack out on the course, and I went and investigated. When I couldn't find anyone, I came back home. I figured they'd find their way back." She smiled. "And I'm so glad they have." She hugged her son again, and Crispin finally turned back to the vehicle.

Brin wanted to step out into the late afternoon air, where it was getting colder and colder by the minute, the darkness of the night sky only an hour away, and tell Crispin's mother everything. But she didn't know how. She didn't know the words she could find in her vocabulary to let this stranger down easily.