We Are All Strangers (3 page)

“Well, if you don’t follow the rules, you’re going to become zombie food.” Keegan bursts out in laughter. I throw my hand over his mouth in order to muffle the sound. “Keep it down, will you? I’d like to live.”

“Newsflash: you’re not going to live by staying here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” His presence is seriously starting to annoy me now. Have people always been this annoying? Maybe their "no relationships" rule is a good thing. Maybe silence isn’t so terrible after all.

“Why do you think they are keeping you locked inside of a facility? If you’ve been paying attention to the guards, you would’ve realized that there is a plan to flee the guards upon an attack, but not the civilians. If, and when, the zombies attack – every civilian inside will be left to fend for themselves.”

I ignore him, not wanting to believe what he is saying; even if it does sound as though it can be true. “Is there a reason you’re so insistent upon bothering me?”

“Well after your little stare fest, I figured you were desperate for company too.”

I want to tell him that he is wrong. I want to send him off, but the truth is that I need someone to talk to. And he’s my only option at the moment; even if he is annoying. Yes, it is against the rules. Yes, it can result in me being tossed on the street. But honestly, I am beginning to-not give a crap. If Keegan is right, how much longer do we have before the zombies overtake this place? I’ve spent the past ten years cooped up in this building. What point is there in living if I am not allowed to do anything?

“You know,” I fold my arms over my chest before continuing, “you’re quite annoying, but I guess your company is better than no company.” Keegan presses his arm against the wall beside my head and smiles. His curly black hair stands out against his pale skin. The slightest bit of sunlight finds its way inside the patio, reflecting upon his icy green eyes. His light pink lips turn up in a smile. With his mouth closed, he is actually quite attractive.

“Are you just going to stare at me all day?” he jokes.

“Eh, it was a nice sight until you started talking.” I move towards the other side of the patio, and dig my hands into the pockets on my pants. Someone has heard us. I can hear footsteps approaching near the patio.
Be quiet
, I mouth to Keegan as I slide out of the entrance, and head back into the general area.

A male guard walks over towards the patio to see where all the noise is coming from. But when he walks inside, all he finds is Keegan sitting against the wall with his eyes closed pretending to be asleep. I try to act as though I am staring at the ground, noticing that my favorite guard seems intent on catching me. When her attention drifts to an elderly man that is screaming for help, I peer over at the patio. The guard shakes his head and makes his way back into the general area, resuming his post by the facility’s entrance.

Keegan makes his way back into the general area and slips a piece of paper into my hand. In messy handwriting,
Meet me on the patio later
is scribbled across the withered paper. I am not sure where he obtained the pen and paper, probably back in the vaccination room when the guards weren’t paying attention.

I walk with my head lowered, moving towards the beds, hoping that one of them will clear out soon. I am exhausted. That’s what standing around with nothing to do all day will do to a person.

“Harper.” I look up and find a male guard pointing towards a free bed down the line. “That one is free if you’d like to catch some rest.”

I nod and stroll over to the bed, easing myself onto the creaky mattress. I wrap the light sheet over my body. The soft pillow helps to provide some of the comfort I seek, enough to lull me to sleep.

Later that night, while everyone is asleep, and the guards are busy keeping post outside, Keegan comes and gets me. “There’s a ladder leading up to the roof of the patio,” he whispers. “I don’t know about you, but I need outta here.”

“Let’s go then.” I push past him carefully, making sure not to wake my fellow civilians.

When we reach the patio, Keegan already has the ladder pulled down. “We need to be quick. I’m not sure how long it’ll be until the guards come back.” I nod and begin to climb, one foot after the other. The cold, steel ladder feels lovely against my skin. It feels like freedom.

When I reach the roof, I pull myself up and wait for Keegan to climb up the ladder after me. He climbs up much quicker than I do, pulling up the ladder quietly behind him.

“What do you think? Worth getting in trouble for?” he asks.

“Yes.” I laugh.

There are no guards on the roof to yell at you for talking. There are no guards standing nearby to yell at you for standing too close to someone. Out here, I am able to do as I please. For now, at least.

I stand in the middle of the roof with my arms outstretched and allow the cold air to pound against my body. I don’t mind the goose bumps or the shiver it sends running over my spine. I feel free. I feel alive for the first time in what feels like forever.

Keegan comes and stands beside me. Under the moon’s light, I notice a small gray mark on his inner left wrist. “What is that?” I ask. “Are you hurt?”

“Something like that.”

“What do you mean ‘something like that’? You’re either hurt or you’re not.”

“Someone is a bit testy,” his smile fades, and his eyes fall closed. “Look, I don’t want to alarm you. One of those things bit me on my way here. I managed to hide it from the guards, but over the past few hours, it has started to grow more noticeable.”

“It’s spreading,” I whisper, backing away from Keegan.

“Yes,” he sighs. “Harper, I didn’t mean to worry you. I’m not like
them
. Not yet. I brought you up here because I wanted to spend my last few hours of humanity feeling as those they meant something. I wanted to remember what it was like to live before the outbreak.”

I should be screaming for help. My instincts are telling me to run, to crawl back inside. But I can’t. I can’t find it in me to leave him alone. I understand what it feels like to want to hang onto your life. I know what it feels like to want to live. And that is enough to keep me here beside him.

“Keegan.” I stretch my hand out for him to grab onto. “I don’t know you. I don’t know who you were before this all happened. The fact is I don’t know much besides your name, but I do know what it’s like to crave life. I know what it feels like to want to live again. This place,” I gesture towards the building. “This isn’t life.”

“Will you stay with me then?” he asks. “Until I change?”

“Yes.”

He grabs a hold of my hand and pulls my body against his. “Thank you,” he whispers. I can hear his heart pounding against my ear as the disease seeps into his bloodstream. I know that the longer I stay near him, the more danger I will be in. But I can’t find it in myself to care. I want to remember what it is like to be human, to feel.

When he releases me, I pull him down to the floor and lean back against the wall. His skin is changing from pale white to gray, darkening with every passing minute. He presses his head against my shoulder and sighs. “Can I ask you something?”

“Depends,” I joke.

“Given they’ll probably kill me in a few hours...”

“Let me guess, you’re trying to ask if I would kiss you?”

“Something like that.” He shrugs and then breaks into a laughing fit. “Yes.”

I lean down and brush my hair behind my ear. The arrogance I’d become used to Keegan displaying had now faded; it had been replaced by a nervous boy.

I press my lips against his, allowing the warmth to flow throughout my body. I pull away, confused by the feeling taking over me. I want to stay here in this moment for as long as possible, even though I know this will all be taken from me shortly. I want this. I want him. I want to press my lips against Keegan’s again and never stop.

He reminds me of the warmth I’ve been craving. And now that I have it, I don’t want to let it go.

“What is it?” he asks.

I don’t say a word. I lean down and press my lips against his again. At first he is hesitant, unsure of what I am doing, but soon after he presses back just as hard. Each movement, each breath, makes me quiver. When I finally pull away, Keegan just stares at me. “Well, that was more than I thought I’d get out of you.”

“Yeah, about that...” I laugh, trying to compose myself. “I’ve been alone for a while, unable to even so much speak to another person. Then you came along, and everything I’ve been craving, you’ve made a reality.”

“Don’t get all lovey-dovey on me, Harper.” He winks at me, pulling himself into a sitting position, entwining his fingers in with mine. “After all, I hardly know you.”

“Love? Yeah, no...more like lust.”

“Well now, I can deal with that.”

“Glad to hear that.” I lean over and rest my head on his shoulder. His skin is beginning to darken; he looks as though he is covered in ash now. As long as my brains remain intact, I don’t mind. He has managed to give me everything that I’ve desired since my parents both died. He has given me my sense of humanity back.

“What do you think they’ll do when they find us up here?” I ask.

“Chances are they’ll shoot me, and you...well, they’ll probably feed you to the other zombies.” He nudges me in my side and smiles. “I’m glad I met you, Harper.”

“Me too.” I lower my face; avoiding meeting his gaze. “You’ve kind of turned everything upside down for me today. I appreciate it more than I think I can put into words.”

“Harper, do you mind if I ask you a more personal question?”

“Feel free.” I run my fingers through his hair, feeling at peace with the world around me. Sure, everything may be going to shit around me...but here, right here in this moment, I’m okay.

“I noticed you were by yourself. What happened to your family?”

I wince at the word ‘family’. I miss them. I miss them terribly, but I don’t want to think back to that moment. I don’t want to imagine my mother being eaten or my father’s body being trampled over. But I have to. I have to tell him the truth. “They died.”

“Zombies?” he asks.

“Yes.”

“Mine too, about three weeks ago. I’ve been locked away in my house until this morning when the guards came and fetched me. Apparently they want everyone locked away in this shit hole.”

Keegan pulls me onto his lap and places his hands on my cheeks, forcing me to meet his gaze. “I don’t know how much longer I have, it may be minutes, or it could be an hour; all I know is that I want to spend whatever time I have left with you, Harper.”

“Who’s getting lovey-dovey now?”

Keegan laughs and pulls his fingers through my long, brown hair. “I may hardly know you, Harper, but you are the last bit of humanity left in my life. I don’t think you understand just how much that means right now.”

I lean into him, our lips meeting once more. There is a sense of urgency in his words. Keegan leans in, pressing his lips harder against mine. I listen as the beat of his heart weakens. The urgency is the hunger. He doesn’t have much longer now. I pull away, resting my head against his shoulder. “It’s almost finished,” I whisper.

“I know.”

We sit in silence for another hour, treasuring the last bit of time we have together.

The beautiful boy I met that showed me what it was to live again is now a zombie. His pale skin is now ash gray. His icy green eyes are now yellow. “Keegan,” I gasp, jumping from his lap and struggling to back away.

He lunges for me, his arms reaching for my neck.

The door to the roof flies open, and the guards yell at me to move away. I back away slowly, my eyes never leaving Keegan. I can feel my body shaking, unsure of what to do. I collapse to the floor as I reach the guards.

I watch as the guards prepare their weapons, aiming directly at Keegan’s head. I hear two shots fire, and I let out a loud shriek. “Keegan!” I yell, but it’s useless. As his body falls to the floor, all I want is to pick him up; to try and bring him back. But they won’t let me. Their hands are gripping my arms, pulling me away from his lifeless body.

He is my last connection to the outside world, and now he is gone.

Just like everything else.

I
t had been two months since we’d been tossed on the streets by the Facility.

I suppose that should have bothered me, but I preferred walking the streets with the dead to being locked away, praying for some sort of miracle that would never come.

It was crazy how brainwashed the others had become. They were no better than the monsters that had overtaken our world. The Facility was not there to help them. It was built solely as an illusion, to act as though the government gave a shit.

“You had to rebel, didn’t you?” My sister, Avery, dragged her machete along the dirt road, careful to maintain a slow pace.

“You didn’t have to follow me,” I reminded her. “But you had to involve yourself.”

“You’re my brother, Jackson. I wasn’t just going to allow them to toss you on the street by yourself. You’re the last bit of family I have left.”

I tried to forget what our lives had been like before the dead came back to life. I had found that it was easier to survive in a place like this if you let go of your past, especially when there was no way in hell that we would ever get to go back to our pasts.

This was our world now, whether we liked it or not.

If you wanted to survive, you found a way – you salvaged weapons and food as you passed through ghost towns, you learned not to trust those you met along the way, but most importantly, you learned to accept that help would never come.

The Facility was constructed to be a sort of safe haven for us, a place to seek refuge from the zombies. But it was far from that. They treated us like criminals. We weren’t able to talk to one another. Our beds – bunk beds – were in the open so that the guards could watch over us constantly. Our clothes, gray uniforms issued by the Facility, were all that we were allowed to wear. It was almost like they had forgotten that we were human.

That was why I had gotten kicked out. I couldn’t stand it any longer, so I decided to do something about it.