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

desperate as their reality splinters. You have to look deep
in your heart to help your family get through this. You are very
special—that I'm here talking to you tells me that. You can
help them. You can help everyone.”
    “I'm an unlikely hero. I can barely stand up on my own
anymore. And someone is going to be saddled with taking care of
me...”
    “You don't give yourself enough credit. In another universe
you passed away peacefully in your sleep today. The opportunities for
you in this one are still endless. You could live to be 120!”
    Marty was full of questions, but at that moment a huge buzzard
dropped out of the sky and landed hard right in the birdbath, chasing
the bluebirds away. Its bald head was covered in blood, as if it had
been digging inside something—fresh. She tried to look away,
but those eyes were looking right at her. All the while the dripping
blood made the pristine birdbath water run red.
    Al appeared unimpressed. “I'm so sorry you must endure this
filth.”
    “What caused this disease?” She asked Al as he got up
and pulled her out of her chair.
    “My love, you were always whip smart. That was one of the
things I adored about you, and still do. That is the right question,
but the wrong time. The really important question right now is how
can you survive the disease?”
    “OK, how do we—”
    2
    “Grandma!” Liam was not quite shouting, but loudly
whispering if such a thing was possible.
    He ran up next to her bed and was comforted to see she was alive.
She had been mumbling in her sleep as he approached and woke soon
after. He tried not to think again of the possibility she might have
been dead. Being alone scared him more than the plague right now.
    “I'm so glad you're here. Things aren't right outside.”
    He briefly considered mentioning he saw her out front struggling
to get away from Angie but something made him avoid the subject and
instead focus on his own encounter with the sick nurse.
    “I ran into Angie and she chased me around the house, but I
managed to jump the fence and get inside the cellar door before she
could touch me. She has some kind of sickness.”
    Grandma gave him a clear-eyed look, but continued to lay on her
bed in silence. He noted she was still fully clothed, shoes and all.
She was holding her prized Rosary, which wasn't unusual—but
both her hands were on her chest grasping it, as if she had laid down
and never expected to wake up. It was very disconcerting for him.
    Liam watched her for a moment, expecting some kind of reaction,
but she remained silent.
    He didn't push the issue.
    “Well I walked back from the library and it is just as crazy
everywhere else as it is in our yard. There are speeding cars, people
shooting guns—he left out the bit where they were shooting at
him—and sick people running through the neighborhood. Oh and
there are thieves rifling through garages in the alleyway.”
    No response.
    “Grandma do you know what's going on?”
    But she had dozed off again.
    Liam removed her shoes, considered trying to get her under the
covers, but settled for finding a comforter and throwing it over her.
She must really be bushed to nap when so much was going on outside,
but Liam understood her advanced age gave her the right to sleep
whenever she dang well pleased.
    I'll just wait until she wakes up and then we'll figure this
thing out together.
    The hours began ticking away.
    Liam listened at the windows. The city outside was in full on
collapse the whole time.
    3
    Liam spent much of the afternoon resting from his ordeal getting
home. If he wasn't checking in on Grandma he was fidgeting with the
radio, trying to understand what was happening. Other than the
emergency alert message—playing on all stations—there was
no useful information forthcoming anywhere on the dial. They all said
the same thing. Evacuate to safer jurisdictions. None of the radio
personalities knew precisely where to go...
    As the sun set over the city, Liam was