The Living Dead Boy (11 page)

Chap
ter 19

“Josh, wake up,” Corina’s voice said urgently.

Josh jerked awake.   He had been dreaming about his dad.  The details were blurred in his mind’s eye, but he remembered his dad telling him that he was coming for him.

“Josh, wake up!”

“I am awake,” he answered groggily.

“Listen.”  Corina’s face was illuminated by the moonlight spilling in from the open window.  She had pulled up the shade during her watch.

At first Josh wasn’t sure what he was hearing, then he realized it was a motorcycle engine growling somewhere nearby.  Crawling over to the window, Josh looked out into the murky darkness dwelling around the houses.  The dark shapes of the undead stumbled through the front yard of Corina’s house. A few zombies stood swaying under the yellow light of the sole street light on the block.  The zombies turned and stared up the road toward the rumbling of the motorcycle. Slowly, they began to walk in the direction of the noise. The zombies milling around in the yards of the neighborhood shambled after them. Josh felt a shiver flow down his back as he realized they were after their next meal.

“Do you think it’s Brad?” Josh asked in a soft voice, careful not to wake their friends or alert the departing zombies to their location.

“It might be.  He said he’d come back for me.  I think he might come to my house.”  Corina bit her bottom lip, her fingers gripping the edge of the window tightly.

“The zombies are all heading down the road now.” Josh furrowed his brow.  “Whoever it is better take off before they get close.”

The roar of the motorcycle abruptly cut off and Corina gripped Josh’s arm tightly.  Together they crouched by the window anxiously watching the road and surrounding area. The zombies were no longer in sight and it was a relief to not be surrounded by the undead.

A few minutes later, Brad emerged from the shadows behind Corina’s house, running alongside his silent bike.  He was pushing it along, his hands gripping the handlebars.  Josh realized that Brad had probably killed the engine and ran up the alley once he had lured the zombies down the block.

Corina started to call out, but Josh slapped his hand over her mouth.  “Don’t let the zombies hear you. They’ll come back.”

Her eyes widened, then she nodded.

He dropped his hand.

Brad parked his motorcycle next to the rear porch of Corina’s house before trying the back door only to find it locked.  He moved on to a window, tapping on it lightly. They could barely hear him call out Corina’s name.

“We have to let him know we’re up here.”  Corina tugged on one of her ponytails, looking nervous.

“Okay, I’ll go down and get him to climb over the fence,” Josh decided.  “I’ll take the flashlight and signal him through the fence.  If I do it from up here, the zombies might see.”

They could see Brad’s shadowy figure as he edged around the side of the house, stepping into the light from the street lamp.  Corina let out a little gasp.  It was obvious that he had been through a lot during the day.  His arm was heavily bandaged and he walked with a limp.  His blond hair was matted and dark with blood. At some point, his shirt had been torn.  Only one sleeve remained and the torn cloth flapped around him as he moved. As he turned first one way, then the other, a terrible wound on his shoulder became visible. A large chunk of skin and flesh was missing. It looked  like a bite.

Corina clamped her hands over her mouth to keep from crying out.  Josh sighed heavily.  He looked down at the flashlight and considered his options.

If he went down and let Brad into their safe haven and he was bitten, it would be very hard for the kids to fight off a burly sixteen year old.  If Brad wasn’t really bitten, it wasn’t fair to leave him down there to face the zombies alone.

Picking up a brick from the crumbling walkway around Corina’s home, Brad looked around one more time before slamming it into a window.  The sound of the glass shattering seemed horribly loud in the stillness of the night. Brad lifted himself into the house and disappeared.

Streaks of tears marred Corina’s face as she leaned her head against Josh’s shoulder.  She sniffled loudly, rubbing her nose.

“I can go get him,” Josh said finally.

Corina motioned to Drake sleeping nearby.  “We can’t risk it.”

“It might not be a bite.”

Shaking her head, Corina sobbed, “I saw it.  So did you. Something took a big piece out of him.  And he looked so pale.”

Josh hadn’t noticed that fact, but Corina tended to be more observant than he was.  He swept his hair back from his face with one hand and stared into the black void beyond the broken window of Corina’s house.

“We can’t let him up here.  He’s too big and too strong for us to fight off,” Corina continued.  “I love him, but I don’t want to die.”

Sliding his arm around Corina’s shoulders, Josh nodded his head. She leaned against him for comfort and he wondered if he could be as strong as she was.  If Corina was bitten and he knew it, would he leave her to die alone or invite her into his safe haven and risk all of them?

Looking over at his brother, he felt his heart beat a little faster.  The moonlight glinted off Drake’s curls and Josh felt a pang of love for his brother so deep it surprised him.  The little turd drove him crazy, but he really did love him.  For all he knew Drake was the only family he had left anymore. Corina was right.  He had to protect him.

“I just wish I could say goodbye to Brad,” Corina said softly.

Josh didn’t know what to say, so he stayed quiet. Her hair was very soft against his neck. It was a little distracting, but he felt like a grownup as he comforted her.

They sat in silence, watching the empty window Brad had disappeared into as well as the street. Slowly, the zombies began to return, wandering beneath the street light and through the bushes surrounding the houses.  They walked more slowly and stiffly than before. Their coordination was significantly different from earlier in the day.  A few even tripped and fell as they tried to step over the curbs and onto the lawns.

Josh felt relieved that the zombies were slowing down. It was a good sign. Maybe rigor mortis was setting in or something.  They were a lot slower and clumsier now.

“He’s not coming out.”

Josh stirred, realizing he had been close to falling asleep. “Has it been a long time?”

Corina looked down at her cellphone and checked the time.  “Thirty minutes.”

Josh rubbed his chin thoughtfully before he got an idea. Grabbing a bobble head toy off the floor, he let go of Corina and stood up.  Using his best pitch, he threw the toy as hard as he could at the open window across the fence.  It sailed through the night and right into the darkened house next door.  He could barely hear it hit the floor or wall inside Corina’s home.

“What are you doing?”

“Seeing if he’s in there hiding and at least warning him of the zombies.”  Josh shrugged not telling her the real reason.  He was hoping he was wrong.

To his dismay, he was not.

Brad appeared at the window looking disoriented. He was moaning softly, his glazed expression telling the truth of his fate.  Brad had died inside the house and resurrected.

Corina lowered her head and began to weep softly. Josh sat back down beside her and took her hand.  She rested her head against his shoulder.

Below, the zombies wandered through the night as Brad stood framed in the window, moaning softly.

Josh reached over to lower the shade, quenching the pale light of the moon that had filled the tree house. They had both seen enough death for the night.

“I think my mom and dad are dead. Probably my stepmom and stepbrother, too.”   Corina sniffled.

“I’m sorry,” Josh answered in a low voice.

“I’m sorry about your mom.”

“Me, too.”

“Maybe we’re all orphans except for Yessica,” Corina sighed.

“My dad will come,” Josh assured her.  “My dad will come.”

“I hope so.  I really do.”

They stayed sitting side by side in silence, holding hands, until it was time to rouse Troy.

Josh lay down on a blanket near the doorway after handing Troy the flashlight.  Troy took up the post near the window as Corina lay back down with Drake.

As sleep dragged him down, Josh reached out and touched Corina’s fingertips with his own.

Ch
apter 20

Josh woke with a start.  “Mom?”  He had dreamed she was calling him, telling him to get up for school.

Sunlight tried to push its way around the window shade. The cover over the door was torn free and hanging from one corner.  Josh rolled over and looked down through the doorway.

His zombified mother growled and lashed out at him with one clawed hand.  Gasping, he scrambled back before he realized she couldn’t reach him. They were up too far.  She was at least ten feet below. Edging toward the door, suddenly terrified that she was climbing up the ladder, Josh dared to look down again.

The zombie banged her hands against the trunk of the tree, growling.  Her nails were torn and ragged from clawing at the trunk.  The gun was no longer in her hand.

Wondering how she had gotten out of the house, Josh looked toward the back door and was surprised to see it ajar. His gaze swept over the yard and to the back gate.

It was open.

Standing up, he backed away from the door and looked around.  Troy was asleep near the window, his head resting against the wall.  Sam was snoring loudly, his mouth open. Yessica was curled up next to him, hogging most of the blanket that had covered them. Corina was spooning Drake, her arms protectively around him as she slept.  There was no sign of Roger.

Looking down again,  Josh saw that Arturo’s body was pulled toward the playscape.  It was still covered. His zombified mother had no interest in the body. He had a feeling Roger may have dragged it there.  Maybe Roger had been trying to drag it toward the alley.  It made no sense. The wheelbarrow was pulled away from the door with the rocks still inside.

“Corina,” Josh said softly. “Corina, wake up.”

Slowly stirring, she forced her eyes open.  “Mom?”

“No, it’s me, Josh.  Roger is gone.  My mom is out of the house, and the back gate is open.”

She sat up sharply, awareness filling her eyes. “Crap!”

“Troy, wake up!  Rog is gone,” Josh said, nudging Troy’s leg with his foot.

Waking up with a start, Troy stared at him in confusion. “Huh?”

“Rog is gone.  The back gate is open and my mom is out of the house.  I think he might have let her out.”

Josh couldn’t wrap his mind around these events.  It was bad enough seeing Arturo and Brad turn into zombies last night, but this was really bad. Keeping the backyard clear had been an important part of  them hoping for rescue.

“Is my daddy here to get us?”  Yessica asked as she pulled herself out of her deep sleep.

“No, Yessica. It’s something else,” Corina answered.

Sam crawled over to the doorway and peeked out. He drew back, a horrified expression on his face. “Dude, your mom!  She used to be so hot!”

Corina and Josh both hit him at the same time.

“Oww!”  Sam frowned, grabbed a bag of chips out of the hollow of the tree, and retired to his corner to eat.

Drake sat in silence, staring at nothing.  He looked disoriented and Josh moved to keep him from looking out the doorway.  With a loud sigh, Drake crawled onto Corina’s lap, laying his head on her shoulder.

Troy stared out of the doorway at the growling zombie. In silence, he drew the heavy plastic back over the doorway and tried to rehook it over the nail that had held it in place. It took a little effort, but he got it to stay back up.

“Maybe if she can’t see us, she’ll go away.”  Troy sighed and grabbed up a small box of animal crackers to eat.

Yessica crawled over to sit next to Corina.  She pulled out her inhaler and took another hit.   Josh wondered if it was good for her to be using so much of it.  He could hear the little girl wheezing.

“Are we going to go find Rog?”  Sam asked after a short stretch of silence.

“No point,” Troy said sullenly.  “He didn’t want to be here anyway.  He kept talking about going home last night. I guess that is what he did.”

“He’s probably a zombie,” Sam decided.

Troy gave him a sharp look, but said nothing.

Corina motioned to Josh to get her a bottle of water and he moved to comply.   He passed out water to the remaining survivors, startled at their diminished numbers.  With Arturo and Roger gone, the group seemed so much smaller.

Despite the growls of his zombified mother below, the kids ate their breakfast of snack food and warm water. Corina struggled to get Drake to eat something, but the little boy kept his lips pressed together and refused to even take a nibble.  Even Josh’s begging did no good.

“What are we going to do?” Corina asked in a soft voice, eating the legs off an animal cracker.

Listening to the zombie growl below, Josh shrugged. “I’m not sure yet.”

“C’mon.  You’re the freaking living dead boy,” Troy said sharply.  “You’re the fearless leader of the Zombie Hunters. You gotta have a plan.”

Swallowing hard, Josh frowned at Troy, but then realized Troy was serious.  Looking around at the faces turned toward him, it became very clear to him that they were all looking to him to save them and keep them safe. He wasn’t sure why.  He had failed Arturo and Roger.

“You always have a plan,” Corina finally said.  “You always figure it out.  Like last night with Brad.  You knew he was a zombie when you threw the toy in the window, didn’t you?”

Nodding, Josh ate a few more cookies, then looked toward Troy.  “I screwed up with Arturo and Rog.  I didn’t keep them safe.”

“Arturo lied and Rog went crazy,” Troy answered. “But you took care of Arturo and I fell asleep letting Rog sneak out.  It’s my fault he’s probably...” Troy looked down, irritated by his own tears.

“You killed two zombies yesterday, dude,” Sam pointed out.  “You’re the hero.”

“I’m a kid.”

“A kid who is a hero,” Corina responded.

Drake looked at him, sniffling.  “You’re the bestest big brother ever.  You saved me.”

Yessica reached out and lightly touched his hand with her grimy one.  “You saved me when everyone else ran away.”

“You’re the hero, dude,” Sam insisted.  “You’re the leader.”

“Yeah,” Troy agreed.

“You are,” Corina said firmly.

“Uh, huh,” Yessica agreed.

“Like Superman,” Drake added.

“So...”  Troy looked at him straight in the eye. “What’s the plan?”

Josh took a deep breath as his mind pondered the possibilities.  He exhaled slowly feeling the pieces of the plan coming together.  “Okay, this is what -”

The cellphone rang.

“Who has it?”  Corina exclaimed.

Troy began rummaging through his pockets as Josh did the same.  Corina felt her own clothes as the phone continued to ring.  The growls from the zombie below grew more feverish.

“Hurry before they hang up!”  Troy began shoving the bedding around.

“Hurry before more zombies come!”  Josh yanked a pillow back from the wall and saw his phone. Snagging it, he saw the word “Dad” illuminated on the screen.  His hand trembling, he almost didn’t hit the right button to answer.

“Dad!”

“Josh!”

“Dad, oh, God! Dad, it’s you!”

“Josh, Josh...” There were tears in his Dad’s voice. “I’ve been trying to call you all night.”

“I’m okay, Dad.  I have Drake with me.  We’re in the tree house.”

“Your mom?”  There was fear in his Dad’s voice.

Josh swallowed the hard lump in his throat, shaking his head.  Realizing his dad couldn’t see him, he answered, “One of them bit her yesterday.”

Silence on the other end made him worry his dad had hung up, then his dad said, “Josh, we’re on our way.  We got a caravan of trucks, buses and cars out of Austin this morning.  It was rough going, but we did it. We’re going to head through the town.  How clear is it? Can you tell?”

Standing up, Josh drew near the shade.  Slowly, he drew it back.  He gasped.  “Uh, lots of zombies.”

During the night, more zombies had arrived in the street. They were gathered around something on the ground, jostling each other to get closer.  The street was filled with a small army of the undead.  The kids were lucky they hadn’t made it to the alleyway yet.

“In front of the house?”

“Yeah.”  Josh craned his neck.

He could see past Corina’s house and the one beyond it to the side street.  That road looked emptier. The zombies had obviously been drawn to the front of the houses by someone on foot.  Josh thought of Yessica’s dad coming to get them and felt his heart beat faster.

“Orange Street looks a little clearer.  I think we can get to the street through the alley.”

“Okay, here is what I want you to do.  Stay in the tree house until I call again. It will be in about an hour. When I call, it will be just as we get  to Orange Street near the house.  I want you kids to run as fast as you can down the alley.  We’ll be waiting for you.  Our bus is going to come for you.  The rest of the caravan won’t risk it, but my buddy Derrick is going to drive our bus into town.  I need you boys to run fast.”

“I got friends with me,” Josh said quickly.

“All of you then. All of you run fast.  Do you think you guys can make it?  The zombies are slower now. You can outrun them.”  His father’s voice was firm, but full of fear.

“Yeah.  We can do it.”  Josh thought of his zombified mom down below and tried to gulp down the hard lump in his throat.  “We can do it.”

“Wait for my call,” his dad said.  “Then run like hell.”

“I will dad,” Josh promised.  “I’ll get Drake to the bus.”

Looking up, he saw all the kids staring at him hopefully.

“I’ll get them all there,” Josh vowed.

“I got to hang up and save my battery.  I love you,” Jamie Rondell said emotionally.

“I love you, Dad.”

There was a click then his dad was gone.

“Josh?  What is the plan?”  Troy’s expression was full of hope and fear.

“We’re gonna get my mom back into the house, shut the gate, and wait for my Dad to call.  And when he does, we’re going to run down the alley to Orange Street as fast as we can to his bus.”

The kids stared at him with wide eyes and mouths open in surprise.

“We’re getting out of here,” Josh said firmly.  “And I got a plan.”