Undead Savior

Chapter Three

The night I spent with my mom was one I would never forget. We caught up on each other's lives, though she told me she had been keeping tabs on me. I stayed up all night, knowing that I would probably never see her again after that night. After spending the night talking to her and catching up, I never thought I could ever miss my mother so much. She was my rock when I was growing up, and now that I no longer had her I had gotten used to it.

Mom looked over to where the sky was turning purple. "The Flesh Eaters have returned to their graves, which is what I must do soon." She grabbed my hand and smiled at me. "This night has been wonderful, Marlene. I've missed you so much, sweetie."

Tears filled up my eyes as I realized that I would never see her again. "I've missed you too, Mom."

"Marlene, there is something you must do for me." I nodded. "Don't tell anyone about tonight. And never tell anyone of your talent to speak to us. If anyone were to find out..." She shuddered. "You don't want that kind of life."

"Could you?" I asked.

Mom nodded. "You got your talent from me. Not even your father knows you have it. Please keep it a secret."

"I will, Mom," I told her. "Mom?"

"Yes, Marlene?"

"Will you stop by the house some nights and chat?" I asked. "My room is still where it was. You could easily sit on the lower roof outside of my window and chat. It would be great to talk to you like this again."

Mom smiled. "I will, Marlene." She looked past me. "Ready to take her home, El?"

I turned around to see Eleazar standing behind me. "Good morning," I muttered to him, wondering how long he had been there.

"Good morning, Marlene," he answered with a smile. "And it looks like it's about that time, Elise."

Mom gave me a hug. "I love you, sweetie. Please look after Marc and your father for me."

I squeezed my mom back. "I will, Mom. I promise." The tears began to flow. "I love you, too," I choked out.

Mom pulled away and used her cold, soft hands to wipe away my tears. "I'll come talk to you tonight, okay?" She smiled. "Now I need you to go with El before the sun comes up." I nodded and turned to Eleazar. "Until tonight, Marlene," was all she said before she walked away.

"Come on, Marlene," Eleazar quietly told me. "I don't mean to sound insensitive, but it's getting early. I need to get you home and back to my grave before the sun comes up."

I began to walk with him in the direction of my home. "Thanks for taking me to her, Eleazar," I suddenly said.

Eleazar looked up at me with a shocked expression, probably startled from hearing his name. "You don't need to thank me, Marlene," he quickly told me. "I was just doing my job."

"But it didn't have to be your job," I quietly told him. "Why do you look after me and my family at night?"

"Your mother asked me to," he answered.

"You could've said no."

"I know that," he laughed. "I just, I feel like I owe it to your mom."

"Why is that?" I asked as we turned onto my street.

"She saved my life, or rather helped me end it," he softly told me.

We walked on the rest of the way in silence. And once we reached my house I could hear the all-too-familiar sounds of my father and brother taking down the barricades, which was basically Dad yelling at Marc.

"Thanks again," I told Eleazar. He nodded to me. "And one more thing. If you ever want to talk," I pointed to my bedroom window, which was right above a low roof, "I'm in there every night. I wouldn't mind talking to you at all." Eleazar smiled. "I mean, sure it's not my hand in marriage, but it's a start," I stated with a wink.

Eleazar laughed. "I just might take you up on your offer, Marlene," he told me. He looked up at the sky, which was almost starting to turn blue. "Have a wonderful day, okay? I'll talk to you again soon." With that, he began to walk down the street toward the town cemetery to join the other undead.

I ran to the door and began pounding on it. "Dad! Marc! I'm still alive!"

The door flung open and my dad grabbed me in a tight hug. "Marlene! Oh, my God! You're alive!" He squeezed me tighter and tighter. "I thought we lost you last night! Thank God! Never scare me like that again!"

"Dad, I kinda can't breathe," I choked out. Dad quickly released me as Marc appeared behind him. "Um, Dad?"

"Yes, Marlene?" I was surprised his smile could fit on his face. I could practically see his relief.

"I saw Mom last night," I mumbled.

Dad's smile faded a little. "You did?" He beckoned me inside. "Here, come on inside, Marlene, and you can tell us all about it."

I told him that I hid up in some kid down the street's tree house all night. I even managed to make up a bit about me fighting off an undead. My dad listened to everything I said without interrupting me once, which was pretty incredible because he was pretty good at interrupting me all the time. Maybe I should get locked out more often.

"So you seriously saw Mom last night?" Marc asked as we walked to school a few hours later. I had managed to get a couple hours of sleep in, but insisted on going to school.

I nodded. "Have you ever seen an undead, Marc?" I asked.

Marc shook his head. "I've only heard them moaning and groaning outside." His face went grave. "You know, Dad and I were really worried about you. Neither of us slept all night. Marlene, we thought you were dead." He smiled his goofy, crooked smile that all of my girl friends adored. "We didn't think you had any survival skills at all," he laughed.

"Have more faith, Marc." I smiled. "I lived, didn't I?"

Marc threw his arm around me and shook me a little. "Yes you did, little sister! Just wait until the kids at school see you. Everyone who watches TV knows you didn't make it home last night."

Our town did a thing every night where they would take count of everyone in town. They would call every house and check to see if everyone was home at lockdown. And then on morning TV, they would announce who didn't make it home. My name was on TV that morning.

"Marlene!" Brenna screamed the moment she saw me walk into the school with Marc.

"I'm out," Marc muttered to me before going off to join his friends. It wasn't like I expected him to stick around anyway.

"How are you here?!" Brenna cried when she reached me. She hugged me tight and refused to let go. "You didn't make it home last night!"

"I lived," I laughed.

Everyone at school was dumbfounded when they saw me, even the teachers. I knew how serious it was when someone didn't make it home. I wasn't even on the roll call lists at school. They had all considered me a goner, yet there I was, proving everyone wrong. Some couldn't believe it was me. It was like they thought I was a ghost or something.