watching the group through the store window. He moved to the register when the door banged open and Donnie entered yelling, “Resupply!”
Behind Donnie, the rest of the group surged through the door, descending on the isles like starving jackals.
Sam, Karl, and Rufus remained in their seats, happy to watch the commotion from the diner. Carla removed her apron and hurried over to help Tommy with the rush of customers.
“Look what the coyote dragged in,” said Rufus, shaking his head.
Karl chuckled. “Got that about right.”
“Those are the kids camping up at Big Caliente Hot Springs,” said Sam. “Tommy said they came in last week, bought up half the place.”
“Looks like a damn zombie movie over there,” added Rufus. “ Je-sus .”
“The undead,” laughed Sam. “Well, I for one don’t want to get bitten on the neck and turned into a crazed flesh eater.” He pushed back from the table and stood. “Besides, I better get back, make sure Curley hasn’t burnt the place down.”
The counter next to Tommy had been stacked with supplies—cases of beer, potato chips, canned food, bread, cold cuts, Gatorade, candy bars, cookies, you name it. Spider grabbed a jar of Slim Jims that was next to the register, started to remove a few sticks, then stopped, dropped them back in, and placed the entire jar on the top of the stack. “That too,” he said, a triumphant look on his face.
“You want the whole jar?” asked Tommy.
Spider flashed a goofy grin and nodded his head like a bobblehead doll, looking totally buzzed. Which he was.
“Okay. How would you like to pay?”
“I wouldn’t,” said Spider. He turned and yelled to Lander who was standing by a rack, trying on sunglasses with Maya. “Lander, dude… we need plastic over here.”
Lander slipped on a pair of sunglasses with bright orange frames and looked at Spider. “What do you think? Are they me?”
“Perfect. You look like a complete douche bag.”
Lander flipped him off, then started to remove the sunglasses, stopped, pushed them
up the bridge of his nose and stepped up to the counter. “American Express okay?”
“Sure. As long as it’s yours,” said Tommy.
That caused Spider to bust out laughing. “Trust me, it’s his. His old man owns half of Silicon Valley.”
Tommy studied the card, nodded, then looked up at Lander. “You want the sunglasses too?
Lander removed the sunglasses, then slipped them back on. “Add to cart.”
Donnie was at the far end of the counter studying a cool little plant. It was a creeper clipping that Doc had given Nguyen earlier in the week. Donnie grabbed the pot, held it up, and yelled to Tommy, “How much for this?”
Without missing a beat, Tommy fired back, “Twenty dollars. Very rare.”
Donnie looked at Lander…
“Cool. That’s totally wack-looking. We’ll take it.”
Chapter 26
Sam was lashing down his load of irrigation line when he noticed Kristin come out of Nguyen’s and march directly towards the camper van. She was walking with purpose, like she was on a mission.
A minute later, a loosely packed duffle bag was tossed out the side door, then Kristin climbed out, retrieved the bag, and started back to the store.
Sam stopped what he was doing and watched her, thinking, She’s probably about the same age as my little sister would’ve been if she were still alive . But never in his wildest dreams could he imagine Jenny being into the Night of the Living Dead , Goth look.
Kristin noticed him staring. She stopped, dropped her bag, and then gave him a direct look. “What are you looking at, Perv?”
“I don’t know. Are you a zombie?”
“Very funny, creep.” She picked up her bag, started walking again, then stopped, cast her eyes up and down the street, and looked at Sam. “I don’t suppose there’s a motel in this bumble-fuck town?”
“Nope. Furnace Valley isn’t exactly a tourist destination. You should’ve brought a camper van. Oh, wait—”
Kristin
Behind Donnie, the rest of the group surged through the door, descending on the isles like starving jackals.
Sam, Karl, and Rufus remained in their seats, happy to watch the commotion from the diner. Carla removed her apron and hurried over to help Tommy with the rush of customers.
“Look what the coyote dragged in,” said Rufus, shaking his head.
Karl chuckled. “Got that about right.”
“Those are the kids camping up at Big Caliente Hot Springs,” said Sam. “Tommy said they came in last week, bought up half the place.”
“Looks like a damn zombie movie over there,” added Rufus. “ Je-sus .”
“The undead,” laughed Sam. “Well, I for one don’t want to get bitten on the neck and turned into a crazed flesh eater.” He pushed back from the table and stood. “Besides, I better get back, make sure Curley hasn’t burnt the place down.”
The counter next to Tommy had been stacked with supplies—cases of beer, potato chips, canned food, bread, cold cuts, Gatorade, candy bars, cookies, you name it. Spider grabbed a jar of Slim Jims that was next to the register, started to remove a few sticks, then stopped, dropped them back in, and placed the entire jar on the top of the stack. “That too,” he said, a triumphant look on his face.
“You want the whole jar?” asked Tommy.
Spider flashed a goofy grin and nodded his head like a bobblehead doll, looking totally buzzed. Which he was.
“Okay. How would you like to pay?”
“I wouldn’t,” said Spider. He turned and yelled to Lander who was standing by a rack, trying on sunglasses with Maya. “Lander, dude… we need plastic over here.”
Lander slipped on a pair of sunglasses with bright orange frames and looked at Spider. “What do you think? Are they me?”
“Perfect. You look like a complete douche bag.”
Lander flipped him off, then started to remove the sunglasses, stopped, pushed them
up the bridge of his nose and stepped up to the counter. “American Express okay?”
“Sure. As long as it’s yours,” said Tommy.
That caused Spider to bust out laughing. “Trust me, it’s his. His old man owns half of Silicon Valley.”
Tommy studied the card, nodded, then looked up at Lander. “You want the sunglasses too?
Lander removed the sunglasses, then slipped them back on. “Add to cart.”
Donnie was at the far end of the counter studying a cool little plant. It was a creeper clipping that Doc had given Nguyen earlier in the week. Donnie grabbed the pot, held it up, and yelled to Tommy, “How much for this?”
Without missing a beat, Tommy fired back, “Twenty dollars. Very rare.”
Donnie looked at Lander…
“Cool. That’s totally wack-looking. We’ll take it.”
Chapter 26
Sam was lashing down his load of irrigation line when he noticed Kristin come out of Nguyen’s and march directly towards the camper van. She was walking with purpose, like she was on a mission.
A minute later, a loosely packed duffle bag was tossed out the side door, then Kristin climbed out, retrieved the bag, and started back to the store.
Sam stopped what he was doing and watched her, thinking, She’s probably about the same age as my little sister would’ve been if she were still alive . But never in his wildest dreams could he imagine Jenny being into the Night of the Living Dead , Goth look.
Kristin noticed him staring. She stopped, dropped her bag, and then gave him a direct look. “What are you looking at, Perv?”
“I don’t know. Are you a zombie?”
“Very funny, creep.” She picked up her bag, started walking again, then stopped, cast her eyes up and down the street, and looked at Sam. “I don’t suppose there’s a motel in this bumble-fuck town?”
“Nope. Furnace Valley isn’t exactly a tourist destination. You should’ve brought a camper van. Oh, wait—”
Kristin
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