Dead and Beloved (16 page)

“That was fun,” she tells me. “Now I want to spend time with
only you.”

“Do you need a drink or something?” I ask.

“No,” she answers, in a matter of fact tone. “I'm not tired.”

She releases my hand and grabs my waist. As she's leaning toward me, I kiss her and pull her closer. Her breath is hot and her body warm while we hold each other and embrace in the sight of everyone at the dance. There's no flash of light, no disturbance;
simply a song to measure out the length of our kiss.

When it ends, she breaks our connection. “You were going to tell me something,” she says. She's staring into my eyes. Hers are sparkling and wide. They're inviting me to share everything with her. “There are no secrets in this place,” they tell me. “I'm everything.”

“I was forced to escape the hospital to come tonight," I admit. "They won't let me back.” I wait, expecting her to react, but she keeps staring at me.

She pecks me on the lips and smiles. “Tell me more."

I shudder, not from the moment, but from a draft of air draining from a vent in the ceiling high above. “You won't like the rest.”

She pulls me closer. I can hear her heart beating rapidly against mine.

“Hospitals aren't treating victims of the Virus anymore,” I say. I can hardly breathe. We're smothered together. But I keep talking. “When I leave here tonight, I have no place to go. No home. No hospital. This could be the last night of my life.”

“Then how about I make it a night for you to remember?” asks Jessica. She kisses my cheek and then nibbles my ear. “Come on, let's dance some more.”

Before I can protest, she's pulling me toward the center of the room. Then we're wrapped around each other, swaying to the classic music of OMD. I want to be angry at how casual she's taking my news, but she's so warm and inviting.

“Remember the memory you told me about in your letter?” she asks. Her breath is hot in my ear. “Is this night fulfilling that dream?”

“Yes,” I answer. I take a piece of her lobe in my mouth. I'm expecting the same feeling as when she does it to me, and find it more than satisfying. I taste her flesh and it's calling to me.

“Stop,” she whispers, pulling away. “That hurts.”

I turn her; the whole room is spinning. Now I'm hungry and she's so close. The song ends and we pull apart as the bass rumbles a song we can move with. It's a good thing, too. I realize how much I'm changing and look at her ear. It's red.

Noah interrupts the song by speaking into a microphone the DJ hands him. “It's been a fun night, everyone. For you seniors, it's been a great four years. Thanks for coming out.”

There's an applause that echoes from the corners.

“Drive safe tonight,” he adds. “Be safe tonight.”

There's snickering and laughter.

“We'll play a couple more songs, so grab your date and hold her tight.”

A whirl of the microphone fades into a new, slower rhythm. I remember what Jessica's father had told me.

“What time is it?” I ask, suddenly searching for a clock.

Jessica pulls her little purse from off her shoulder and takes out her phone. “It's eleven fifty,” she answers. She pulls my hand, trying to lure me closer.

I hold firm. “I told your dad I would have you home by midnight,” I tell her. “He said he'd have the cops shoot me if you're not home by then.”

Jessica tilts her head and gives me a sultry grin. “I know,” she says. She pulls herself into me. “He told me the same thing.” She kisses me under the chin. “And he'll keep his word.”

“But that means.”

“Yes,” she whispers. “We have ten minutes left.” She tugs on my ear; this time I feel her teeth.

I'm caught in the moment. I pull her into me, absorbing her heat as she presses her chest against mine. I rub her back and twist my head to find her lips. They are waiting for me and answer my urge. We're kissing and dancing and it's almost the end of my life.

The last song starts and we're moving as we spin.

“This night will last forever,” she says, “for both of us. Let's share the same memory.”

I breathe a yes into her ear. There's less than a song left for us to be together.

“And if it's your last one here, I have something for you to see.” She squeezes me closer and then pulls us to the wall, keeping with the rhythm.

Everything is spinning. My fingers tremble. She steps away, but keeps me between her and everyone else in the room. She kisses me again, longer, harder than before, then pulls away so fast that I'm leaning toward her, reaching for more. She lifts her left arm and pulls the sleeve that's been covering it. I stop breathing and stare at the line of open flesh that will never heal.

“It's a special night for both of us,” says Jessica. “I'm a zombie too.”

~ O ~

The music ends and I'm staring at the girl who'll share the same fate as me. “Was it the vaccine?” I ask. “Did I do this to you?”

The girl I met online smiles back at me and shakes her head. “No, Ryan. I’ve been infected for a while now. My dad has kept me stable.”

Her dad. Dr. Snow. The man I’ve loathed since the moment I saw him on television.

Jessica can read my thoughts, it seems. “Don’t hate him,” she adds. “He’s trying to find a way to save us.”

People around us start shuffling out of the room. The lights turn on and I squint from the sudden brightness.

“So, the work at the clinic—the tests, the samples?” I’m so shocked I can barely breathe.

“My dad is close,” she says. “He thinks you are the key to making this all go away. I think so too.”

The room is still moving.

“Ryan?”

“I’m all right,” I insist, though I hold onto her for support. “This wasn’t the ending to the night I had expected. It’s a lot to take in. I wish I had more time.”

The girl I love leans close to me and breathes into my ear. “We have the rest of our lives together,” she whispers. “It's midnight. A new day. Imagine the adventures we're about to
share.”

The End

Ryan’s story will continue. It must continue. Watch for DEAD AND GONE, coming later 2014.

About the Author

When not plotting tales in
his head, Jamie spends his days with his wife and children. Next to a large lake and snow crested mountains, the adventures unfold, both real and imagined.

Find out more at
jamiemchenry.blogspot.com/

Twitter:
@
JamieMcHenry