Begin and End - a zombie short ⚒

Part 8

They walked east for hours, no one saying much. Shauna only needed a break once, to eat and rest. Her throat had swelled and ugly bruises bloomed on her face, but she swore to Brian she was good to go. They tromped through the dense woods, which eventually exposed a sandy shoreline.

Brian scanned the horizon. Quiet waves rolled over and eroded the beach.

"What are we here for?"

Shauna pointed to a small cottage positioned next to a dock.

"My family's in there," she said simply.

She strode forward, but Brian caught her arm. "How?"

Shauna grinned. "Because my position also afforded me a list of safe houses. When everything was going wrong, I sent them here."

He wanted to ask a cruel question like How come your family got to live and mine didn't? Biting his tongue, he plodded behind her, steps sinking in the sand.

They arrived at the porch, and she asked him to hang back on the steps. Shauna rapped on the cherry front door twice, pausing. Then she knocked hard, three times.

After a good deal of rustling from inside, the door opened, revealing a strikingly beautiful woman with ebony skin and long brown hair. He hadn't seen someone in such clean condition in months.

The stranger beamed at Shauna, tears immediately landing on her slant cheeks.

"My god, it's really you!" She held out her arms, and the two embraced, weeping openly.

Two small girls appeared in the doorway.

"Momma!" cried the taller of the two.

"My babies," Shauna blubbered, squeezing the three in a bear hug.

Brian waited on the porch steps, fiddling with his hat. The shorter child, probably toddler-age, broke away to inspect him.

"Who's he?" Her tiny finger poked his leg, as though to assess if he was real or not.

Shauna wiped her face. "That's Brian. He's going with us to Mexico."

It was news to him, but he didn't argue.

"Hi." He raised his hand in an awkward wave.

"Hello Brian, I'm Naomi," she offered him a perfectly clean hand to shake, and he brushed his grimy hand on his grimy shirt before accepting, "and these are our daughters, Kianna and Lars."

The girls curtsied, and he laughed, voice hoarse.

"It's good you came, because a refugee boat is due this way in a couple days," Naomi said, sniffing. "The way the wind's been shiftin', it's keepin' Biters away, but we need to get outta this zone."

"Eaters." Everyone stared at Brian. He cleared his throat. "We call 'em Eaters."

Everyone stepped inside, Naomi throwing him a warm smile.

Lars, the littlest one, extended a chubby arm in invitation. She wore a shirt that said, When I grow up, I'm gonna be a Slayer.

"Come on, Brian. I'll show you my Lego spaceships."

Come on, Daddy.

The memory of his daughter speared his heart, and a solitary tear spilled over.

Brian nodded and followed Lars over the threshold, the cherry door closing behind them softly.
 
THE END