safe,” he said, looking around. “I’d rather be on the road then stuck here. Besides, we need to get back to the truck, make sure Darren didn’t screw with it. Let’s keep moving.”
“Oh my God,” said Kylie , turning to her friend as Justice began walking away. “Allie, do you still have the keys?”
Allie’s face paled and she shook her head. “I…um…left them in the truck.”
“In the ignition?” asked Justice, stopping dead in his tracks. He turned around.
She bit the side of her lip. “Well…yeah.”
He sighed.
Just then, Allie’s face paled in horror as she stared past Luke, towards the woman’s restroom. Before Luke could turn his head, shots rang out and he dropped to the ground.
“Luke! ” screamed Allie, dropping the box of bottles and scurrying towards him.
As they all stared at him in horror, it was obvious from the large bloody chest wound, that he was already gone.
“Oh,” giggled Darren, who was standing behind a dumpster less than twenty feet away, a shotgun in his hands. “Guess he’s staying.”
Filled with rage, Justice raised his gun and began shooting at Darren, wiping the maniacal smile from his face for good.
“Luke,” sobbed Allie, kneeling next to his still form. She touched his red hair and moaned. “Oh my God, don’t leave us!”
Ju stice knelt down and examined the wound. “Yeah, he’s gone,” he said, his voice thick.
Chapter Six
Cassie
“Have you killed any of the monsters?” asked the pale child.
I’d been helping Sister Theresa feed the children peanut butter and crackers in the courtyard when the little girl asked me. She’d been sitting alone, clutching one of those American Dolls like she was afraid it would disappear, like everything else.
“Zombies?” I asked, not knowing exactly how to respond to that kind of question from such a young child. She reminded me of Allie when she was younger, with her light hair and dimples. Unfortunately, her hazel eyes were filled with a haunted sadness that made me want to cry.
She nodded.
“Yes, a few.”
She clutched her doll tight against her chest. “Good.”
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Kallie,” she said, a shy smile spreading across her face.
“I’m Cassie,” I said. “Do you have any brothers or sisters here with you?”
Her eyes welled up with tears. “No,” she whispered.
She was obviously devastated and I was a complete moron for reminding her of what she’d probably lost .
How could I be so damn stupid ?
Obviously , she was alone.
“Oh,” I said, sitting down next to her at the picnic table. I put my arm around her. “I’m so sorry, Kallie.”
She wiped a tear from her cheek. “The zombies got my mommy.”
“ It hurts a lot to lose your mommy. I know because mine is gone too,” I said. “But you know what? I’d bet anything that they are both watching us right now in Heaven and smiling.”
She looked up at me. “How do you know?”
“Because a little voice inside of me said that if I hugged you, we’d both feel better. I don’t know about you, but I certainly feel much better now. In fact, I’m beginning to think that hug was actually from your mom.”
She tilted her head, thinking about this and then her face brightened . “You’re right. And that hug that I gave you was from your mom!”
“That’s right. Oh, wait,” I said, putting my arm around her and pulling her close. “I feel like giving you another hug. It must be your mom, again.”
She closed her eyes. “I miss you mom,” she whispered.
I smoothed her hair down and kissed the top of her head. “I’m sure that she misses you too.”
“Is tha t cute little girl yours?”
I stiffened .
Dwayne.
I ignored him and released Kallie. “Why don’t you go and look for Nora. I think she’s handing out water.”
Kallie stood up and eyed Dwayne warily. “Okay.”
“You look a little young to be a mother,” he said as she scampered
“Oh my God,” said Kylie , turning to her friend as Justice began walking away. “Allie, do you still have the keys?”
Allie’s face paled and she shook her head. “I…um…left them in the truck.”
“In the ignition?” asked Justice, stopping dead in his tracks. He turned around.
She bit the side of her lip. “Well…yeah.”
He sighed.
Just then, Allie’s face paled in horror as she stared past Luke, towards the woman’s restroom. Before Luke could turn his head, shots rang out and he dropped to the ground.
“Luke! ” screamed Allie, dropping the box of bottles and scurrying towards him.
As they all stared at him in horror, it was obvious from the large bloody chest wound, that he was already gone.
“Oh,” giggled Darren, who was standing behind a dumpster less than twenty feet away, a shotgun in his hands. “Guess he’s staying.”
Filled with rage, Justice raised his gun and began shooting at Darren, wiping the maniacal smile from his face for good.
“Luke,” sobbed Allie, kneeling next to his still form. She touched his red hair and moaned. “Oh my God, don’t leave us!”
Ju stice knelt down and examined the wound. “Yeah, he’s gone,” he said, his voice thick.
Chapter Six
Cassie
“Have you killed any of the monsters?” asked the pale child.
I’d been helping Sister Theresa feed the children peanut butter and crackers in the courtyard when the little girl asked me. She’d been sitting alone, clutching one of those American Dolls like she was afraid it would disappear, like everything else.
“Zombies?” I asked, not knowing exactly how to respond to that kind of question from such a young child. She reminded me of Allie when she was younger, with her light hair and dimples. Unfortunately, her hazel eyes were filled with a haunted sadness that made me want to cry.
She nodded.
“Yes, a few.”
She clutched her doll tight against her chest. “Good.”
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Kallie,” she said, a shy smile spreading across her face.
“I’m Cassie,” I said. “Do you have any brothers or sisters here with you?”
Her eyes welled up with tears. “No,” she whispered.
She was obviously devastated and I was a complete moron for reminding her of what she’d probably lost .
How could I be so damn stupid ?
Obviously , she was alone.
“Oh,” I said, sitting down next to her at the picnic table. I put my arm around her. “I’m so sorry, Kallie.”
She wiped a tear from her cheek. “The zombies got my mommy.”
“ It hurts a lot to lose your mommy. I know because mine is gone too,” I said. “But you know what? I’d bet anything that they are both watching us right now in Heaven and smiling.”
She looked up at me. “How do you know?”
“Because a little voice inside of me said that if I hugged you, we’d both feel better. I don’t know about you, but I certainly feel much better now. In fact, I’m beginning to think that hug was actually from your mom.”
She tilted her head, thinking about this and then her face brightened . “You’re right. And that hug that I gave you was from your mom!”
“That’s right. Oh, wait,” I said, putting my arm around her and pulling her close. “I feel like giving you another hug. It must be your mom, again.”
She closed her eyes. “I miss you mom,” she whispered.
I smoothed her hair down and kissed the top of her head. “I’m sure that she misses you too.”
“Is tha t cute little girl yours?”
I stiffened .
Dwayne.
I ignored him and released Kallie. “Why don’t you go and look for Nora. I think she’s handing out water.”
Kallie stood up and eyed Dwayne warily. “Okay.”
“You look a little young to be a mother,” he said as she scampered
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