World Memorial (24 page)

"Weird."

"Whole fucking world is weird."

"And getting weirder," said Angie, taking the bottle from the table. She unscrewed the cap and poured more water for her and Park, screwed the cap back on and set the bottle down.

“So what now?” said Angie.

“What do you mean?” said Park, sipping the water.

“You still looking to kill yourself?”

Park paused, considering her question. “Maybe. Who the fuck knows? For now, though, I’m sticking around.”

“Good.”

Park set the glass down. “Here’s the thing. This Beulah woman also said she…‘arranges’ things. Claimed she can control how shit happens. If she’s right, she could have saved my kids and didn’t. So I’m gonna help you do whatever you can to take a big shit on her grand fucking design.”

Angie didn’t know what to do with that statement. It was too much. It was all too strange.

Park looked at Angie for a moment. "So what happened to your leg?"

"My leg?"

"I saw you limping. What finally got the invincible Angela Land?"

She smiled. "It's a funny story, actually. I—"

Noise came from the living room: the door opening, the wind outside howling, shuffling feet, and then the door shutting. A few seconds later, Carly walked in.

"Ms. Land," she said, looking over her clipboard, "I've got to ask you something..." She noticed Park for the first time, startled at the sight of someone else in the room. "Oh, hello."

"Park, this is Carly," said Angie. "She helps out with the running of things here. And Carly, this is Park. He's an old friend."

"Nice to meet you," said Carly, holding out her hand to shake.

"Um, back at ya," said Park, taking her hand and shaking it. He looked very awkward, telling Angie he'd had very little human contact for years.

"So what's up?" said Angie.

"Oh yeah," said Carly, looking at her clipboard. "Lilly left after the doctor took some blood. I followed her back here as quickly as I could but the little thing’s fast."

"She made it here fine," said Angie.

"Good," said Carly, making a note of it on her clipboard. "So there's just one more thing. Dr. Graham was wondering when Dalton would show up. He hasn't been in all day."

"What?" said Angie, standing.

"Dr. Graham—"

"I thought he was with Dr. Graham," said Angie, taking her cane and heading for the door.

"Guess we're going out there now," said Park, standing behind her. Angie heard him pick up his rifle. Carly followed after and they all hurried into the living room. Angie stepped around the various mattresses and cots, all empty at the moment.

"Are all the other kids with Dr. Graham?" said Angie.

"I think," said Carly, flipping through pages. "Let me look here—"

"Dammit, Carly, are they?"

"Yes," said Carly, checking some papers. "Except for Lilly, they are all there."

"Okay, thank you," said Angie, heading to the front door as quickly as her cane would allow. She heard Park follow behind her. She twisted the old, loose handle and wrenched the door open. It groaned and frigid air blasted in. Angie ignored both. She limped outside and scanned the area hurriedly, not bothering to close her coat around her.

It was late afternoon, judging from the light. It would be dark soon. She heard movement behind her and turned. Park and Carly were walking from the house. Park was frowning. Carly looked concerned and scared.

"Carly, go back to the medical shed and make sure the kids stay there."

Carly nodded and headed off.

Angie and Park watched her go, then turned back to the front. Park stepped up next to her. "So what's the plan?"

"We look for Dalton," she said. "But don't panic and don't draw attention to it."

Park turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you give a fuck what people think?"

"It's complicated."

Shouting came from the front gates. Groaning and creaking in the wind, the gates swung open. Maylee came in, bracing herself against the wind. Behind her was Dalton, bundled up and looking very shaken. Actually, they both looked shaken. Angie couldn't remember the last time Maylee had looked shaken.

Angie headed toward the gates as fast as she could. Park followed behind. They reached each other and stopped. Groans came across the field outside. Angie looked to see two corpses stumbling in the snow, heading for the gate.

"I got them," said Park, pushing past Angie, Maylee and Dalton. Maylee noticed him for the first time, frowning as he passed.

Angie grabbed them in a combination of hug and punishment. "What the hell, you two?"

"He followed me, Mom."

First one, and then another shot rang out from outside the walls. Park marched back in, rifle over his shoulder. He stepped over and nodded to Maylee and Dalton.

"Kid," he said to Maylee, then looked to Dalton. "Buddy."

"We thought you were dead," said Dalton.

"Believe me I tried," said Park.

At the sound of footsteps, Angie looked over her shoulder to see Elton approaching, yet again with a group of townsfolk in tow.

Park must have seen the way Angie looked at Elton. "I'm guessing here comes complicated," he said.

Angie turned back to Maylee. "You couldn't come back?"

"We had to find Zach, remember?" said Maylee. "And we were too far out."

"So," said Elton as he drew closer, "having trouble keeping things together? What a shock."

Park frowned at him. "Who the fuck are you?"

Elton looked at Park, apparently noticing him for the first time. "Who the fuck are
you
?"

Angie ignored Elton and focused on Maylee and Dalton. "Are you guys alright?"

"Mom," said Dalton, "I just wanted—"

Angie looked at him hard. "We will talk about this later." She looked back to Maylee. "Are you guys alright?"

Maylee nodded, looking down. The shaken look returned. Angie didn't like it. "Yes, yes. But Zach—"

Elton snorted. "More people lost?"

Park took a step toward him. "You'd best shut up, or I'm going to take that ridiculous fucking pony tail and stick it up your pecker-hole."

Elton looked between Angie and Park. "Who the fuck
is
this asshole?"

Angie ignored him and looked back to Maylee. "What about Zach?"

Maylee kept looking at the ground. "They ate him."

"The corpses?"

Maylee looked at Angie. Looked her in the eyes. And what Angie saw there shook her more than anything she could possibly say next. "No. Oh shit, Mom. I wish it had been."

* * *

Timothy stumbled through the snow. His brothers in the Lord were dead. He'd heard them scream as the corpses ripped into them. The girl had left them wounded and easy prey for the dead. It wasn't right, wasn't Christian. But Timothy knew he couldn't expect that from her. She clearly did not know His blessings.

But the boy. The boy was one from the visions, like the boy who had fed them and glowed. None of them had glowed before. Surely they were getting close. Surely the blessing of the Lord was near.

By His mercy, Timothy was holding on. His broken arm hung limply to his side. The bite a corpse had given him hurt and he knew he was dying, knew he was infected. He could feel a cold numbness spreading from the bite and through his body. But he had to keep going. He had to keep following the girl. And the boy.

The boy.

He stumbled over a hill, nearly slipping as he did. He blinked at what he saw. A town. A makeshift, scrap-metal town with a big wall surrounding it.

He blinked again and saw the girl heading across the snow, toward the town. The boy was with him. They moved there with purpose, like they belonged there.

The gate opened and they walked inside. Timothy watched, making sure he remembered everything he saw. Making sure he remembered the location.

Two corpses were also in the field, stumbling toward the walls. A bearded man in a long coat came out, his long, wild hair blowing in the wind. He saw the corpses and raised his rifle. Two shots and the corpses fell. The man walked back inside.

The gates shut. Timothy stared.

"Thank you, Lord," Timothy whispered. "Thank you, Jesus."

He knew if the boy had gone there, there was a good chance the other children were there. Maybe, by God's mercy, all of the children were there. The Lord had revealed the location of the chosen ones. To Timothy. To simple, humble Timothy. He stood there a moment, silently worshiping God.

He coughed. Blood sprayed out across the snow. His head was swimming. He knew he didn't have much time. He had to let Joel and the others know.

He turned and headed back for the church.

Maylee threw open the door to Elton and Carly's camper. Carly, who was inside, gave a little start, then relaxed when she saw it was Maylee.

"You're back!" she said, stepping over to her with arms out.

Maylee shut the door and hugged Carly. The warmth of the hug made her shudder. She didn't want to feel good. She never wanted to feel anything again.

She pulled away and strode to the other side of the small area. She pulled back a curtain that covered a tiny window and stared outside. Nothing but blackness, roughshod walls and snow.

"What's wrong?" Carly asked.

Maylee stared outside, saying nothing. She heard Carly step up closer.

"What's wrong?" Carly repeated.

Maylee let the curtain fall. "It was bad, Carly."

Carly put her hand on her shoulder. The warmth comforted Maylee. She didn't like it. She didn't want to be comforted.

"What happened?"

"I'm sick of it," said Maylee, starting to shake. She wished Carly wasn't touching her. She could stay strong if Carly wasn't touching her. "I'm sick of fighting. I'm sick of beating things to death. I'm sick of seeing shit I shouldn't see."

"I know..."

Maylee spun, jerking Carly's hand from her shoulder. "Do you?" she snapped. "Do you really know? Because I don't think you do."

Carly stepped back, hurt spreading across her features.

Maylee softened. She stepped forward, taking Carly's hand. "I'm sorry Carly, I don't know what I'm saying. I just..."

Carly pulled her close, embracing her. Maylee shuddered from the warmth. Carly held her closer. Then they were kissing. Maylee kissed her back hungrily.

Then the door opened. Dalton stood outside, his hand on the handle. He stared inside.

Maylee pulled away from Carly and turned to the door. "What the hell?"

Dalton stared for an instant longer, then blinked. "I was looking for you."

Maylee stomped to the door. Her cheeks were hot and her chest thudded. "Well stop."

Dalton looked between her and Carly. "Were you guys..."

Maylee slammed the door. She turned, leaning back against it. "Fuck."

Carly pushed her hair behind her ear, looking down. "We have to tell them sometime."

Maylee pushed herself from the door, walking across the small room and shaking her head. "No, see, actually we don't. That's the beauty of not saying anything."

Carly sighed. "What are you afraid of, Maylee?"

Maylee stared at the corner. She shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I'm sure Mom would be okay with it, but what about your grandfather?"

Carly stepped closer to Maylee. "I'm sure it will be alright. He loves me."

Maylee turned from the corner and looked at her. "I just don't know."

Dalton's muffled voice came from the other side of the door. "Are you guys done in there? I wanna talk to my sister now."

Carly looked at Maylee. "They're going to find out eventually."

Maylee looked at her a moment longer, sighed. "We'll talk later."

She walked to the door and opened it. Dalton stood in the snow, a few feet away from the steps.

"What?" she said, looking down at him. She stepped outside and started down the stairs, shutting the door as she went, rocking the camper with each stomp.

Dalton looked between her and the camper. "Were you guys..."

"What?" Maylee demanded. She reached the bottom of the steps and stood in the snow.

Dalton looked at her a moment longer, as though wondering something. Then he looked down. "I'm supposed to tell you I'm sorry."

"What?" she repeated, her tone shifting to honest questioning.

Dalton kicked at the snow. "I'm supposed to tell you I'm sorry for following you."

Maylee chuckled, shifting her stance and crossing her arms. "Mom's that mad?"

Dalton nodded. "Mom's
really
mad."

"What's she doing now?" Maylee asked, stepping away from the camper and heading towards the house. Dalton followed, seeming a little nervous once he figured out where she was going.

"Talking with Park. Making some plan to protect the kids."

"And you."

Dalton sighed. "And me. I'm so sick of that."

"So you said."

"You sound like Mom when you talk that way."

Maylee didn't know what to think about that. She changed the subject, slowing her pace. She wanted to take her time. She and Dalton didn't talk much these days.

They turned down a side alley and Dalton seemed relieved at the change in direction.

They walked in silence for a while. Maylee finally spoke. "Park, huh? How about that crap?"

"I was sure he was dead."

"I think we all were," said Maylee. Dalton stopped walking. Maylee took a step before she realized. She stopped, looking at him. "What?"

He was looking off into the dark, cocking his head and frowning.

"What is it?"

"Shhh," he said, holding his finger to his lips. "Listen."

Maylee did. At first she heard nothing. Then, a whimper. A soft, whining noise, somewhere in the dark between two trailers.

She took a step toward the sound, reaching over her shoulder to pull her bat from the strap on her back. "Stay here."

"I can—"

"I said stay here!" she said, holding up her hand behind her.