Thirty-Three
Asia
“We’ll be at your uncle’s soon, right?” Miles said.
“We will,” I said, smiling at the boy, trying to hide the nerves that were growing.
Based on the maps, we had maybe fifteen miles to Uncle Levi’s.
And with every step, I got more afraid.
It was the first place that had ever truly felt like home to me and thought of being turned away—the thought of it being gone—filled me with a dread that I didn’t even want to acknowledge .
So I didn’t.
Just kept walking.
And hoping.
“That bruise looks a lot better,” Lourdes said.
“Yeah. Feels better, too,” I said.
I didn’t tell Jack, but I had headaches for a couple of days. But they were getting fewer and further between.
“It does,” I said simply.
Lourdes smiled, and we continued to walk.
We still stayed off the main roads, but were getting closer to something like civilization. There were farms out here, and the unharvested produce that hung heavy on the trees were a welcome respite from the canned goods.
“I wonder what this is?” Elliot said.
We walked through a field, exposed but willing to take the risk since we were close.
I studied the scene in front of me and realized it was the scene of an accident.
A bad one.
About thirteen vehicles of various shapes and sizes all twisted up together in the middle of a field .
“Maybe they tried to get off the main road and got stuck here,” Jack said.
We walked around the wreckage, and without prompting, Lourdes and Miles pulled out their weapons and started to search.
Caitlin, Bridget, and Elliot did the same while Jack and I stood next to an overturned box truck.
“Why did they try to go through here?” I said.
“Probably desperate. Didn’t see another way,” he said.
So much like everyone else here and now.
“Yeah. I hope there’s some—” Jack stopped abruptly, then looked up.
“Do you hear that?” he said quietly.
I listened, then heard it. Faint at first and then louder.
“Is that...”
“Quiet.”
He let out a low whistle and got the others’ attention.
“Hide,” he said in a whisper-yell.
We ducked into the back of the truck, and I peeped out of the window, my heart practically seizing when I saw what was approaching .
“There’s hundreds of them,” I said.
“Yeah,” Jack said.
I didn’t want to look, but couldn’t make myself look away as they approached. Those things, moving almost as a unit, the sound of their shambling and their moans getting louder and louder.
“They’ll pass us by,” Jack said, his voice quiet.
I prayed he was right, but if they did, it would take a while.
They passed, always moving, but so, so slow that I worried my heart couldn’t take it.
I tried to stay calm, stay quiet, but every moment felt like torture.
I inhaled sharply when I felt something, then looked down into the now dim evening light to see that it was Jack.
He interlaced his fingers with mine, and I looked into his eyes.
Saw the calm there. Knew that no matter what, I wasn’t alone.
“No matter what, right?” I dared whisper.
Jack nodded, his gaze unwavering.
I held his hand, squeezing it so hard I knew it hurt .
But it didn’t bother him.
And he didn’t let me go.
Jack
“They’re gone,” I said.
It was dawn now, the tense night spent in the back of the truck finally giving way to the morning light.
The crowd was so thick, I lost sight of the others, and by the time it started to thin, a full night had fallen.
I didn’t know what was out there, and I couldn’t fight what I couldn’t see, so I stayed put and hoped the others did, too.
I risked looking out of the window and saw nothing but a field.
The same twisted wreckage.
A beautiful sunrise.
“We can get out,” I said quietly.
Asia nodded, but didn’t speak. She went to move, but I squeezed her hand, the one that I still held.
“No matter what,” I said.
She looked almost embarrassed, but nodded at my words. She got out without saying anything, and a moment later, the others emerged.
“Everybody okay?” she asked.
“We’re fine,” Lourdes said.
Miles nodded, and so did Elliot and Bridget. Caitlin just stared off into the distance but looked okay.
“All right, everybody, take a minute, then let’s move. We’re going to get to Uncle Levi’s today,” I said.
I was determined to make that happen.
This trip had already taken forever, and even after all of our close calls, there hadn’t really been anything that we couldn’t handle.
But that wouldn’t last.
It couldn’t.
Within fifteen minutes, everyone stretched, relieved themselves, and eaten a quick meal of trail mix and we were on our way.
“It’s less than five miles,” Asia said a few hours later, her voice was a mix of excitement and trepidation.
“It’ll be there,” I said.
“I didn’t say I thought it wouldn’t be,” she said, looking at me .
“You’re not the only one who’s observant, Counselor. It’ll be there,” I said.
Asia, being Asia, would never admit to it, but I knew the fears had creeped in. She was worried about whether her uncle would be there.
If he’d take her in.
I wasn’t, but I had to get her there.
“Less than a mile,” Asia said a little later.
There was excitement in her voice, and everyone, even Caitlin, picked up the pace.
I was going to smile, but something flashed out in the corner of my eye.
I turned, hoping I was wrong.
I wasn’t.
From the slow, lumbering gait, I could tell the undead were behind us.
“Move!” I whispered urgently.
Miles pushed the wagon aside and grabbed Lourdes’s hand. Together they took off in a run, Bridget, Caitlin, and Elliot a step behind. I reached for Asia, letting out a breath when my fingers grazed hers.
And then we ran.
I looked back, relieved when I didn’t see those things .
But I knew they were there.
“I see the house!” Asia yelled.
“Wait,” I called as I scanned the area.
Asia looked at me, then froze.
“What is…?” She trailed off when she stopped at my side.
She saw it, too.
“No,” she said, her voice quiet. “No!”
I didn’t look at her. My gaze was stuck on the beautiful farmhouse in the distance.
This was an old farmhouse.
A real one.
And it was surrounded by a horde of zombies.
A crowd that seemed to turn as one and shamble directly toward us.
Glanced back and saw more creeping inexorably forward.
To us.
Asia’s fingernails dug into my palm, but I didn’t really notice, too busy calculating how many I could take out before they reached us.
I took a moment to look at Asia.
Planted a hard kiss against her mouth.
“No matter what,” I whispered .
Then I drew my knife.
Thank you for fighting the fire.