Not Dead Yet

Into the Sunset

"Rise and shine, firebug," Francis murmurs, his warm breath stirring her hair. 

Zoey opens her eyes groggily. Beneath her cheek, black leather slides as she shifts her head. Oh. Whoa! She pushes away from Francis, bumping back against an empty shelf and making it wobble.

He laughs. "Easy. It's just me."

She wipes at her mouth. She looks at his shoulder. Oh, gawd, tell me I didn't drool! She doesn't notice any spittle on the leather, but it doesn't make her feel any better. She looks around to see if either Bill or Louis had witnessed her cuddling up to Francis. She doesn't see them anywhere. 

"Where ..."

Francis puts his finger to his lips. "Ssshh. They're still sleeping."

She lowers her head, grateful for small favors. She climbs to her feet, dusting off her jeans nervously. 

"I ... um ... I need to ... um ... "

Francis reaches behind his back and produces a pitiful roll of toilet paper. Zoey leaps forward, grabbing it gleefully.

"Oh, wow! Where did you find this? Real toilet paper!"

Francis laughs again and she blushes. She shrugs. "It's just really sucked not having some of the stuff we used to take for granted, you know?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, I know. Go on. I'll wake the others."

After performing her morning ritual, or at least her new post-zombie morning ritual, Zoey walks back into the front area of the store. Bill and Louis are up and moving around. Francis is nowhere to be seen. She looks around. 

"Where's Francis?"

Louis shrugs. Bill looks around. 

"He was here a minute ago. Don't worry. He's around here somewhere. He'll be back. Like a bad penny, he just keeps showing up."

"Bill!" Zoey laughs. 

She knows he doesn't mean anything cruel by his comment. Bill and Francis might rib each other, but she's seen the respect each one has for the other glinting in their eyes from time to time. 

Louis laughs, too. "Hey. Good one, Bill."

"What are you yammering about, old man?" Francis's voice booms from the back of the store.

Zoey turns to watch him enter the room. Her belly does an uneasy little flip. He's so tall ... When he comes to stand next to her, towering over her 5'1" frame, she feels ... sheltered, which unnerves her a bit. She fights the urge to lean into him. What is going on?

"Eh, nothing," Bill says, chuckling. "We should get moving."

Francis shrugs. "I'm ready when you are."

Louis looks at Zoey. "How about it, girl? You ready?"

Zoey sighs. "Yeah. I guess."

They dissemble the barricade in front of the door, then exit the building out into the bright light of day. 

"Let's head that way," Bill says, pointing to his right. 

They all begin trudging down the road, ever wary for the presence of the undead. 

"If we keep moving in this general direction, we should reach the Gulf soon."

"Is it far to the Florida Keys, Bill?" Louis asks.