Sirens of the Zombie Apocalypse (Book 1): Since the Sirens by E.E. Isherwood Page A

felt
like he was always there, just like the old days. In a sense she felt
that never really changed, even after he was gone. Al has always been
there beside her, but today he was there in the literal sense, and it
was so wonderful, she thought.
    Al was young again! She could see his blond hair, the deep blue
eyes, the smile which charmed her from the moment they met. He looked
no older than the young man she met 75 years ago. He was dressed
smartly in his Army uniform—just like the day he packed off to
war. He knew how much she loved a man in uniform. And he was standing
right next to her again.
    “Pinch me Al. I'm dead. I think I'm in Heaven.”
    “Hiya Marty. How ya doin'?” The Jersey drawl was
exaggerated as he loved to do when he was trying to impress her. And
he called her by her nickname too, which he always did. She really
hated her name just as much as Al hated his. What were the odds?
    “You aren't in Heaven, but I know how you feel. It's great
to see you again.”
    Marty looked around. Everything was so perfect, it just HAD to be
Heaven. But if it wasn't—she had a sudden fear that if this
wasn't Heaven, it might be...somewhere else.
    Al reassured her they weren't in the bad place.
    “We are merely taking a stroll in your mind. Your recent
trauma has led you to me, or me to you. Hard to say. This is a way to
reunite and look at what comes next. Are you ready for what comes
next?”
    She admitted she had no idea what he was talking about.
    “The plague. The infected dead. The chaos. Are you ready to
help your family survive this thing or not?”
    “Al, my love, you might not have noticed, but I'm 104. My
days of doing much of anything important are well behind me.”
    “Said the lady who single-handedly fought off a horrific
infected woman who was once your nurse. Not many people would have
been able to survive that. You're a fighter. Have been since the day
we met. That was really amazing how you remembered that old rope.”
    “I felt your presence helping me figure it out.”
    “My dear, you figured that out all by yourself.”
    Her mind had to be playing tricks on her. Marty's religious
beliefs were very strong, and she didn't believe in ghosts or spirits
or anything supernatural walking the Earth. But she desperately
wanted to believe this was real. He was real. Even so, she
continued to think of the physical world.
    “What of poor Angie? Is she still alive?”
    “I don't think so. I think her soul has moved on. Her and
many like her are succumbing to this sickness.”
    They prayed together. Al and Marty. Just like the old days.
Somehow she was on her knees, and they both prayed to the Creator for
guidance. When they were done, Al took her hand and helped her back
up, and they walked over to the patio and sat together as if it were
just a normal day for them. It could have been any day from among the
70-plus years they had together. If it wasn't Heaven it sure felt
like it to Marty. But it also made her sad to sit there with him,
knowing he couldn't be real.
    “But I'm real enough my dear. I'm here to help you face this
challenge. People out there are going to need you. Liam is out there
right now. He is young and reckless, but you know deep in his heart
he would stop at nothing to protect you. He is probably riding a fire
truck here right now.”
    They laughed together.
    “But why would anyone risk their life for an old woman? It
doesn't make any sense.”
    Al had a twinkle in his eye when he looked at her, but said
nothing else on the matter.
    They sat there for a long time, chair next to chair, hand in hand.
Marty didn't want it to ever end, but knew it would.
    “I have to go, and so do you my sweet Marty. I wish I could
tell you everything is going to be alright and that everyone you love
is going to survive this catastrophe. But you've seen things outside
your window. Things will get worse. Then they will get much worse. The sick will get sicker and the survivors will become more
and more