Survival Instinct (11 page)
Authors: Kay Glass
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Genre Fiction, #Horror, #Dark Fantasy, #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Science Fiction, #Post-Apocalyptic
Nadine
shrieked, the noise high and piteous as she fought to free herself of the large dog. He didn’t growl, made no real noise but the wet sounds of him sucking on her arm as he tried to pull something meaty off. There was blood- a puddle of it that seemed so much larger knowing it came from her body- gleaming an almost black color in the pale moonlight. Ryan shut the door to the trailer and ran to Nadine. He didn’t cry out, although he’d wanted to. He didn’t tell her to shut up, to stop before she drew a horde down upon them, but he was desperate to. He just put all that fear and frustration into running to her side. He had a spike in his hand, the one he’d used on NoOne to end his life so quietly, and he used the momentum of his run to drive the spike down through the top of the dead dog’s head, pinning him to the grass below. The dog’s jaws released as he died for good, and Nadine was free, clutching her ravaged arm as she whimpered.
Ryan picked her up and ran for the trailer. Throwing the door open wide, he set her on the floor, grabbed the desk and shoved it against the doorframe as though it was feather-light. There was nothing that could be done about the one window so he ignored it and focused on Nadine.
Her eyes were huge in the light from the small lantern he’d set up, scared and showing entirely too much white so that they seemed to glow. She made a keening noise, full of fear and hurt, as Ryan dug through the bags until he’d come up with the first aid supplies and a mostly clean washcloth. “Open, honey, open,” he urged, and when she did without question, he shoved the balled washcloth into her mouth to gag her, much like he’d done in the midst of her labor.
Reaching behind him, he opened a bottle of water and poured it over her arm, apologizing under his breath as she sobbed with the pain. The wound was clean of dirt and grime now, but blood welled deep in the teeth marks, showing that the injury was just as deep as he’d feared- Jonesy had nearly chewed through to the bone and the wound was horrendous. He poured half a bottle of hydrogen peroxide over the wound next and it fizzed up, pink foam as he did his best to sanitize it before he pressed large gauze pads over the bite marks, pressing down hard. He used one hand to
hold them in place, using the other hand and his teeth to open the gauze roll. He used the entire roll now, wrapping her arm tightly before securing it by tucking the end underneath.
Mercifully, Nadine had passed out, slipping under completely somewhere between the water and the peroxide treatment.
Ryan was grateful for that small blessing as he opened another of the precious water bottles and used yet another cloth to wipe her face. She was clammy and pale, looking much too close to those things outside for comfort. He knew it was shock, but fear held him in place. He wouldn’t let himself worry about her turning. He was immune- maybe she would be, too.
A whimper came from the corner and he spun, prepared to protect Nadine at all costs. Then felt like a fool as he realized it was Cassidy. He’d forgotten her in the hectic battle of the last few minutes. God, what would Cassidy do without her mother? He fought the worry- he had other concerns for now, like making sure the baby ate. He couldn’t risk her nursing until he knew how Nadine would react, and he couldn’t make a run in unfamiliar territory in the dark. There were no good options, and he was miserable.
Ryan scooped the baby into his arms and cuddled her close. “Hush, little one,” he murmured, rooting through the bags for a pacifier. They hadn’t used them yet, but now was as good a time as any, he supposed. She latched onto it and made a face, obviously displeased with the texture and lack of milk, but she sucked on it contentedly for the time being. He breathed a sigh of relief as he held the baby to his chest and rocked her automatically, a gesture he remembered from the countless hours he’d walked the floor with his cranky daughter once upon a time.
He let the memories fill him, seeking any distraction from the noises of night, the shuffling undead feet and occasional groans and grunts. He remembered his daughter, Emma Jean. He remembered Lily, his ex-wife. He wouldn’t let himself wonder if they’d survived this horrible plague- some things were just too disturbing to think about- but he let himself remember how good they’d made him feel so long ago. He remembered his mother, Cassie, and how she’d raised him after his father had died. And he let himself cry, and that felt okay, too.
Ryan looked at Nadine, face slack, and his heart broke. Fresh tears rolled for her. He’d fallen in love somewhere along the way, and he knew she wouldn’t live. He would have to kill her, too, and for the first time it felt like murder. But he loved her too much to leave her as one of these shambling creatures. He would put her down when the time came, but he didn’t have to enjoy it.
He knew she didn’t love him, not yet, but she cared for him. He loved Cassidy as if she was his own daughter, and he would do right by the child. He swore it to Nadine
now, even though she couldn’t hear him. She might have grown to love him if they’d had more time together, but it wouldn’t be long now before she was gone. He’d seen this before, too many times to count, and as if he’d conjured it, her breathing changed. Irregular now, and with deep, rattling gasps, she was breathing her last as he held Cassidy to his chest and cried. The baby stared up and him, blinking eyes so much like her mother’s, and it nearly undid him.
He knelt by Nadine and held her hand. It was the least he could do as she took her last breath. Her eyes opened, wide and unseeing, already filming over. She looked in his direction once and he thought he saw her, the essence of her, peeking out before her lids closed down and she let out another rattling puff of air. He watched her chest for a minute, then another,
but she never breathed again. He whispered his goodbyes as he grabbed the spike and let her go.
All the supplies were loaded onto the bike when morning came and the area was clear of the creatures that had once been people. It would be awkward riding it alone, but it would do for now until he found a better way. He lit a match and tossed it behind him. A trail of flames led to the trailer where Nadine’s body lay cold. He’d poured gasoline from a nearly empty canister in
side and carried Cassidy out with him. He would find supplies for the baby and help her grow. He would keep her safe, and tell her bedtime stories every night, every memory he could give her of her mother. And he would pray- he
would pray that, someday, someday soon, they found a cure for the madness they’d begun.
Kay Glass is the author of the Just One Bite series, Puppet of the Fates, and a variety of short stories. She also writes and publishes under the pen name Kendra Glenn. Kay lives in Delaware with her husband, their two children, and a variety of beloved pets. When she's not writing, she can be found reading, swimming, playing video games and spending time with her family.
Thank you so much for reading Nadine’s tale. I hope you enjoyed it, and I would love to hear from you! Please email me, or connect with me on Facebook, and let me know what you think. Better yet, please post a review on Amazon so I know your thoughts. I’d love to continue this series from the perspective of other survivors, but that depends on you! Thank you for taking the time to read, and I look forward to any comments you might have.
Kay