Sorrow's Gift

Chapter Thirty-Two: Noah

They were back on the road, but Noah was restless.

He kept glancing at the new girl, wondering if there was something she needed to say to him. They'd hardly spoken since she'd been brought into the group, but today when he got back in the truck, they'd shared something. He couldn't quite explain it.

He'd felt connected to her somehow. He'd actually imagined, for the briefest moment, what it would have been like to kiss her.

There was no doubt she was beautiful, but he didn't even know the first thing about her. Not even her name. Where had these feelings come from?

He couldn't shake it. Maybe when they stopped again, he'd offer the front seat to Parrish again so he'd have a chance to talk to the girl. Get to know her. But the thought of being attracted to someone else made him uncomfortable. Wasn't he finally getting somewhere with Parrish? He'd felt connected to her his whole life. He didn't need to complicate it by thinking there was something special about the girl they'd picked up in D.C. He was probably just feeling the effects of their group's connection. Nothing more.

He sighed and turned around.

He also couldn't get the survivors of the burned town out of his mind. They were the first people the group had seen in a very long time, which gave him some hope that there were people still out there fighting to stay alive through the worst of this thing. But at the same time, these were grown men and women barely hanging on by a thread.

It sent chills up his arms. What if mankind didn't survive this?

It was the first time the thought had really come across his mind. Before now, he'd known that the virus and everything that came with it had destroyed billions of lives. But still, he'd never once entertained the idea that humanity wouldn't eventually win this fight.

Now that they were out in the thick of it, actually seeing what was going on out here, he was more afraid than ever.

As if to punctuate that fear, a group of hungry undead appeared in the distance, all huddled together at the edge of the highway.

"What's going on up there?" he asked, pointing toward the group.

Crash squinted ahead. "Good call," he said. He slowed the Humvee down just a little bit as they approached.

They moved closer and Noah suddenly realized what had brought this group out here during the hottest hour of the day.

There were six of them all huddled around a single object. A body. Noah watched as one of the zombies—a girl who couldn't have been much older than him—reached into the stomach of the body on the ground. She tore something from its innards and shoved it into her mouth.

Noah looked away, feeling sick. "Jesus," he said.

They were eating someone like buzzards on roadkill. He was going to be sick just thinking about it.

It was one thing to see hints of it on video or to get the feeling that this was happening, but to actually see it with his own eyes was something else entirely.

"What is it?" Parrish asked from the back. She leaned forward to try to get a better look, but he shook his head and held his hand out.

"You don't want to see," he said. He turned to Crash. "Just keep moving."

Crash had been staring at the group, nearly bringing their vehicle to a stop so he could get a better look.

"That's the most disgusting thing I've ever seen in my life."

"Come on, man, seriously, let's get out of here."

Some of the zombies were starting to look up from the mangled corpse. They didn't need that kind of attention. No matter how safe they felt inside this Humvee right now, they didn't need to be taking any chances.