time that had passed, but my vision was beginning to clear, as was Aimee’s. While not perfectly restored, we’d be able to move soon- I wasn’t going to explore a strange town, already once overrun, without having every possible advantage.
The evening chill was beginning to arrive; we’d have to get to shelter before long. We were able to see, more or less, and started getting ready to leave and find Oak Bridge. While I began looking through the wreckage and cursing at the deceptively empty battery boxes, Aimee opened a jar of food from the bag and began feeding Jacob; we were very careful that he was dry, fed and warm as much as possible, especially when we didn’t know if undead ears could hear him cry.
Madi came to me sheepishly. “Daddy, I gotta go potty.”
I sighed, but couldn’t argue with the need. “Okay, let’s go around to the other side of the car.”
“Can you wait here? I need privacy.”
“Okay, I’ll wait right here.” I took a quick look around the car and didn’t see anything.
“Okay, thanks.” She hurried around the vehicle and I continued loading bottles of water onto the sheet.
A moment later, a scream pierced the air- Madi. It was a scream like I had never heard before, one from pure terror. I immediately bolted for the car, and saw Aimee bolt up to do the same as Jacob’s bottle crashed to the ground. Before I could reach the car, a shot rang out. Then nothing; silence. Panicked and swearing at myself for my stupidity, I reached the overturned car and rounded it at full speed.
Madi wasn’t there; but I heard her before I saw her. “In the head or we’re dead in the head or we’re dead in the head…”
She was crouched around the front, breathing heavily and standing over the corpse of a young girl about her own age. The girl was dressed in a blood-stained and torn nightshirt; her eyes were open and unfocused, and brain and blood was leaking from the top of her skull. Her hand had fallen on Madi’s foot, but she didn’t seem to register it. She just clutched the smoking pistol in her hands, repeating the same monotoned rhyme; “in the head or we’re dead, in the head or we’re dead.”
Aimee and I stared in horror, not sure of the surreal situation. I put my hand on Madi’s shoulder and pulled her away from the corpse; the hand slipped of her sneaker and fell unmoving to the ground. I took the gun from her and pulled her away from the scene, leading her to a place where she wouldn’t have to see the death. She didn’t resist, but followed automatically, mumbling the rhyme over and over again. Once we were on the other side of the car, I stopped and kneeled to look for bites or scratches. She had wet herself, but was otherwise unharmed. Her eyes drifted towards the car, like the inevitable flight of a moth to a porch light.
“Madi,” I said. No response. I shook her fiercely, feeling Aimee’s hand on my back. “Madi!” I said again, forcefully, “Look at me!”
She did, her eyes shifting lazily to meet mine. “Daddy… It was a little girl.”
Aimee chimed in, “No, baby, it wasn’t. It wasn’t a little girl any more. It would have hurt you, and the rest of us, too. You did the right thing.”
She looked at me, “Why didn’t you protect me, Daddy?”
The question tore my soul and I felt tears well in my eyes, “I’m sorry, Madi. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, ever. I promise.” I hugged her. She hugged me back. “I’m sorry, Madi,” I repeated. I heard Aimee sobbing behind me. Jacob was oblivious. It wasn’t only the creature that died today- Madi’s youth died with that shot, as well.
She sighed, “It’s okay, Daddy.” She was trying to sound brave, but she had a different look in her eyes. “I guess I’m kind of grown up now, huh?”
She wasn’t supposed to be, but I realized that our adulthood rituals had changed; perhaps forever. “Yeah… I suppose you are.” I surveyed the scene and turned to Aimee; “It’s
The evening chill was beginning to arrive; we’d have to get to shelter before long. We were able to see, more or less, and started getting ready to leave and find Oak Bridge. While I began looking through the wreckage and cursing at the deceptively empty battery boxes, Aimee opened a jar of food from the bag and began feeding Jacob; we were very careful that he was dry, fed and warm as much as possible, especially when we didn’t know if undead ears could hear him cry.
Madi came to me sheepishly. “Daddy, I gotta go potty.”
I sighed, but couldn’t argue with the need. “Okay, let’s go around to the other side of the car.”
“Can you wait here? I need privacy.”
“Okay, I’ll wait right here.” I took a quick look around the car and didn’t see anything.
“Okay, thanks.” She hurried around the vehicle and I continued loading bottles of water onto the sheet.
A moment later, a scream pierced the air- Madi. It was a scream like I had never heard before, one from pure terror. I immediately bolted for the car, and saw Aimee bolt up to do the same as Jacob’s bottle crashed to the ground. Before I could reach the car, a shot rang out. Then nothing; silence. Panicked and swearing at myself for my stupidity, I reached the overturned car and rounded it at full speed.
Madi wasn’t there; but I heard her before I saw her. “In the head or we’re dead in the head or we’re dead in the head…”
She was crouched around the front, breathing heavily and standing over the corpse of a young girl about her own age. The girl was dressed in a blood-stained and torn nightshirt; her eyes were open and unfocused, and brain and blood was leaking from the top of her skull. Her hand had fallen on Madi’s foot, but she didn’t seem to register it. She just clutched the smoking pistol in her hands, repeating the same monotoned rhyme; “in the head or we’re dead, in the head or we’re dead.”
Aimee and I stared in horror, not sure of the surreal situation. I put my hand on Madi’s shoulder and pulled her away from the corpse; the hand slipped of her sneaker and fell unmoving to the ground. I took the gun from her and pulled her away from the scene, leading her to a place where she wouldn’t have to see the death. She didn’t resist, but followed automatically, mumbling the rhyme over and over again. Once we were on the other side of the car, I stopped and kneeled to look for bites or scratches. She had wet herself, but was otherwise unharmed. Her eyes drifted towards the car, like the inevitable flight of a moth to a porch light.
“Madi,” I said. No response. I shook her fiercely, feeling Aimee’s hand on my back. “Madi!” I said again, forcefully, “Look at me!”
She did, her eyes shifting lazily to meet mine. “Daddy… It was a little girl.”
Aimee chimed in, “No, baby, it wasn’t. It wasn’t a little girl any more. It would have hurt you, and the rest of us, too. You did the right thing.”
She looked at me, “Why didn’t you protect me, Daddy?”
The question tore my soul and I felt tears well in my eyes, “I’m sorry, Madi. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, ever. I promise.” I hugged her. She hugged me back. “I’m sorry, Madi,” I repeated. I heard Aimee sobbing behind me. Jacob was oblivious. It wasn’t only the creature that died today- Madi’s youth died with that shot, as well.
She sighed, “It’s okay, Daddy.” She was trying to sound brave, but she had a different look in her eyes. “I guess I’m kind of grown up now, huh?”
She wasn’t supposed to be, but I realized that our adulthood rituals had changed; perhaps forever. “Yeah… I suppose you are.” I surveyed the scene and turned to Aimee; “It’s
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