Zoey (1)
Francis had yelled for me to come out of the room- apparently these “vampires” could now drive. I walked to the edge of the bridge, peering down at the group of five that had come out of the race car on the road.
These weren’t vampires; they looked like people. Normal human people. Survivors. Like us. I spot a woman and feel relieved- thank God I’m not the only woman left.
“Well hello down there,” I call, scanning the ragtag group. There were two taller guys, one in a suit and one with dark hair.
There was also a heavy set black guy and the woman had light brown skin and dark hair in a ponytail. The final guy was a man and he wore a hat.
He was kind of cute and he looked up and then immediately away. “So, what brought you all here?” I call down and they turn to each other.
They seem to be a tight-knit group of friends and I wondered if they knew each other before the outbreak.
Finally the one in the hat calls back up, “Uh, we’re tryna get to New Orleans. Is there any way you can lower the bridge?” He had a Southern accent- you could tell he was from here.
“I’m sorry.” I replied, “The bridge can’t be controlled from here. If you can fuel that generator, though, we could probably help you.”
The group looks at the generator, then at each other. They couldn’t exactly get up here. I mean, if they climbed they probably could but it would be exhausting.
Finally the woman looks back up at me. “Alright, what do we have to do?”
It was nice to see another woman alive and she clearly had her shit together. I didn’t. Not after Bill. For a moment I was lost in memory, his final words ringing in my ears before he left us. Before he died.
“Hello?” She called but it was more in a concerned way than anything.
“Sorry. You’ll need to fuel it with gas.”
“Where can we get that at?” The guy in the suit asks and I look over at Francis.
He shrugged. “There should be some gas in some of these garages, maybe. I dunno. I haven’t been down there in weeks.”
“Why haven’t you?” The southerner calls up.
“Well we, uh,” Francis looks over at me, then forces himself to say it. “We lost one and we have one who was injured. The injured one is better now but we’re just staying here because it’s safer.”
“Oh,” the southerner had nothing else to say, so they turned to each other.
“Thank you for your assistance. We’ll be finding those gas cans- you’ll watch our car, won’t you?” The heavier man asks.
Francis and I share a look. Nobody’s ever cared about a car like that- and you wouldn’t think someone would care about a car in the midst of an apocalypse- but I guess we could.
“Uh, not much to watch for around here but we’ll meet you on the other side of this building. We can give you some supplies and we’ll help you get the bridge lowered. I’ll raise it again after you leave.”
“Alright then, we’ll be on our merry way won’t we, guys?”
The others either nod or shrug and they get supplies out of the trunk of the car. I must admit it was a nice car but it had clearly driven through some shit.
There were guts and blood splattered around the front and the tires were beginning to look like they had been worn down. I’m not a mechanic but it definitely didn’t look like it was safe to be driving.
The others wave to us, turning and heading back through Rayford to collect gas. I almost felt bad that we couldn’t do anything else for them but I was also glad they weren’t trying to join up.
I don’t think I could handle the death of another survivor. That southerner seemed like such a great guy, I hoped he made it out okay.
I turned to Francis and he shook his head. “I know that guy.”
“Which one?”
“The one in the suit.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“That asshole’s Nick. I’m shocked to see him alive.”
I look back down at the car. I’d never heard of Jimmy Gibbs Jr but he was some sort of hero around here. I had seen posters everywhere for him- apparently he was at the mall at one point taking pictures with people.
“I don’t know any of them.”
“Look, Zoey, I was shocked to see him. Also they’re not vampires, right?”
“No, they armed themselves with guns so they’re clearly out to get out of this nightmare.”
Francis nods, suggesting we head inside to tell Louis. I hoped they would get out of here okay, I didn’t want to see them stranded like we were.
Louis was sitting at the table staring sadly at the wood. It was barely big enough to fit all three of us but we made it work. Sometimes we snuck out to hunt for food, hoping nothing found us and attacked us.
Hunter had told me there were more survivors out there but I hadn’t planned on meeting them. I was surprised to see them come our way.
I guess it made sense- it followed a road leading directly to New Orleans. Apparently things would be better there but I didn’t buy anymore of the military and CEDA’s bullshit.
We gathered around the table and Louis looked up.
“You guys were gone for a long time.”
“Yeah well there’s people out there. We didn’t catch any names- not like it really mattered anyways. We’re going to meet them downstairs once they come back with gas for the generator.” I explain.
Francis adds, “The lady is hot.”
Louis sits up. “There was a woman? What’d she look like?”
“Brown skin, black hair, light eyes.” Francis shrugs. “Sexy.”
Louis looks at the table. “It doesn’t give me an answer.”
I put a hand on his arm. “Louis, it’s okay. And knock it off, Francis. Stop calling every woman you see sexy. It’s disgusting and disrespectful.”
He shrugs. I roll my eyes. “Either way, Louis, do you think you’ll be fine to walk downstairs?”
“I’ve been fine for a while now. I don’t move because I’m not given a reason to.” He answers sadly.
“Louis, if you don’t use it you lose it.”
“I know.” He sighs and we sit there for a while, wondering what it’s been like for the other survivors.
Where did they come from? How did they meet? How long have they been together? And most importantly what are their names?
We talked as if we’d known each other forever without once asking what their names were. I’d told them how to get the bridge to lower but I was a little nervous to be going back down there.
I hadn’t been back since I had taken grandpa’s dog tags. They were important to him- I figured they deserved to live on. Besides it’s not like the military was going to do a sweep through and clean out all of these houses and they sure as Hell weren’t about to go looking for their missing soldiers and veterans.
The thought of grandpa in that room cold and alone broke my heart. I missed him every single day and I hoped he was okay and living his best life now.
I couldn’t even be too upset though because Louis didn’t have anyone. Not that we know of. Until we see that other group of survivors- if they even come back- we won’t know if he knows any of them.
I hoped he did, it would only be fair. I had Francis- even if I didn’t like him. Louis was all alone and that other group seems to be familiar and comfortable with each other.
I went back outside, watching the sun set and wondering where the other group was and what they were doing.
Did they go to find gas? Have they been successful so far? Did they die? Are they going to take another route? I was full of so many questions and I had no one to answer them.
Ever since Bill died I’ve always questioned everything. Sometimes I think about the sailboat and going away to some island where the zombies couldn’t get to us. I wouldn’t have to spend the rest of my life on this bridge, wondering if there were any more people out there.
I’m sure there were, considering the amount of graffiti I’d seen on the walls about how quickly they had been changing.
I hadn’t seen anyone change yet, but I’ve seen them stumble across the roads from time to time. Some would throw up, others would wander off, looking for a group of survivors to prey on or other zombies to shuffle around with.
They weren’t even zombies. Not technically speaking. They were sick people. They were still people but something in their brains had changed due to the Green Flu. I sighed, looking at the night sky and at the stars.
I wished things would be different. I didn’t plan for this in my future, but now I don’t even know what to plan for. Francis stands beside me, smiling over at me.
“They’re nothing to worry about. I’m sure they’ll be back. After all, they left their car.”
“Yeah but who says they need a car to get to safety? Hell, they could find a way to go around if they really wanted or maybe even swim through it.”
“I doubt it.” Francis says, looking at the water. “I don’t think they would. It would take forever- much longer than the little quest we sent them on.”
“Do you think this will ever end? We already saw more people and they plan to leave and get to safety, yet here we are staying on a bridge and hiding from the problem.”
“We have to talk about leaving as a group, Zoey, you know that. We gotta keep Louis in mind. He’s not as optimistic as he used to be and I kind of miss his sunshine personality.”
“It’s still there but reality buried it. Francis, there’s no escaping this unless we move forward. Maybe we could join up with the other group and head out of here. They didn’t exactly say they were looking for CEDA or the military.”
Francis sighs and I know he wants to yell. We have to be quiet though- some zombies can still hear and jump to where we’re at- and we don’t need Louis hearing.
“Zoey, I’m sorry but we have to think this through. We need to find out how they plan to be saved, who they plan to be saved by, what they’re entire plan is. For all we know they could be putting up a false front and they might just want to raid us and take our supplies, leaving us for dead.”
“Like we’re not already going to be dead anyway.” I say. “Besides you seem to be infatuated with that woman.”
“What can I say? I haven’t seen a woman alive other than my daughter. What do you want me to think? She’s ugly?”
“No, she’s not ugly. I’m saying she looks too young for you.”
“Zoey, I’m in my thirties, it’s okay.”
I roll my eyes, looking out at the water, refusing to look at him again. “I just wish this thing would end. I want to be normal again.”
“We’ll never be normal.” Francis leans on the railing, mimicking my position. “Even if we make it to safety we’ll be a testing object. We won’t be accepted in society. We won’t ever be normal again, Zoey.
“Your face will be everywhere, everyone will know who you are. Some might want autographs, some might want you dead. People will protest, people will panic. It’ll be us. We’ll be a problem. You won’t get your college degree and get to settle down with someone and have a family of your own.
“There will be no more going out in public and blending into the background. You’ll be the most known person there is, along with the others who made it out alive. We’d be a case that everyone wants to know more about, a scientific miracle.”
I wanted to fight with him- to say he’s wrong- but I know he isn’t. I sigh, turning and heading back into the house. He was right and I didn’t want to admit it.
“I’m sorry, Zoey.” He calls and I nod. I know he is sorry- I am, too- but there wasn’t anything we could do unless we got down and went with them.
Louis was on the couch, staring at the ceiling. He sits up quickly, brightening as if I had good news for him. “Did you see them again? Are they okay?”
I shake my head. “We still haven’t seen them.”
As if on cue we hear yelling and Francis yells back before coming inside. “We got a mission, y’all.”
I smile at Louis, helping him off the couch and we head downstairs- moving the things that were blocking the door and heading outside.
I wasn’t ready to meet these people face to face- definitely not the cute guy. I was nervous and I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans, taking a deep breath before stepping out into the chilly air. I hoped I looked okay- smelt okay. We haven’t been able to shower in a few weeks, the water’s been off. Francis opens the door so any imperfections I have can’t be fixed now.
