listened to her father’s cruel laugh.
“It’s not going to recover,” said Kyler. “There’s only one way to end this. So do it, Charlie. You think you’re a woman now; you think you can handle everything without me, so do it .” Kyler suddenly released his grip on her and Charlie stumbled forward. She jumped over the bird, worrying she was going to tread on it, and then stood up.
“I’m not going to hurt it, Dad,” Charlie said through her tears. She was shaking, yet she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She had to make him see that he was wrong. “I think we can save it. I think—”
Kyler shook his head. “You’ve got to grow up one day. You have to fight or you die, Charlie. Your boy bands are gone. They’re not making another Star Wars. There are no more trips to the golden arches or the mall, so grow a pair.”
“No!”
Charlie screamed as Kyler reached down, scooped up the crow in his hands, and snapped its neck. The sickening crack sent shivers up and down Charlie’s spine. Kyler held the lifeless bird in his hands and walked toward his daughter.
“Here.” He thrust the bird to her and instinctively Charlie held out her hands. Kyler dropped it into her hands.
“You can serve it tonight with that tin of potatoes we’ve been saving. I need a good feed for a change. I’ve had enough of this shit. It’s time for you to start taking on some more responsibility, Charlie. Hurry up and get inside.” Kyler walked back to the house and turned in the doorway. He looked at his daughter holding the dead bird, her face a mixture of shock and fear. “If I don’t see that bird on our plate tonight, maybe I’ll snap your fucking neck too,” he said calmly, and then disappeared back inside.
Charlie stared at the bird in her hands. Its head lolled loosely around in her palms, and yet it was still warm. Its feathers were soft and its body fat. She knew she had to do it. Would her father hurt her or hit her or kill her if she didn’t? She doubted it, but he would make her life Hell.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Crow. I thought…I just wanted to help.”
A song started playing, a distant voice that soon turned into a full choir. It was the song she had used earlier to drown out the noise of the zombies. Now it was drowning out her thoughts.
‘ I want to kiss your mouth, hold your hand, and all I feel is the distant wind as you turn your back on me .’
The thought that kept coming to the front of her mind was how she wished she could swap places with her mother. Charlie didn’t want to wish herself dead and she didn’t want to remember her mother like that, or remember how much her father had willfully hurt her. So she played the song at full volume and slowly walked back toward the house, toward her home, and letting the tears fall, she began to think how she was going to cook Mr. Crow for dinner.
CHAPTER 3
“You sure about this?” asked Rilla. “I mean, maybe we should wait. He listens to Lyn. I’ll talk to her.”
Schafer shook his head. “It’s too late for talking. He won’t listen anymore. The more you try to explain things to him, the more he digs in his heels. It’s like he’s making a point now. No, this is our best shot, Rilla. I’ll be careful. I’ll be fine. Just look after your mother. Magda’s not doing so well. She’s worried. She… just look after her for me.”
“Okay, but…”
Schafer kissed his daughter’s forehead, his gray beard tickling her skin. He was worried about venturing out into Peterborough, but he saw no other choice. They would run out of food in two more days if they didn’t find more, and they had enough water for three or four days maximum. Jeremy was insistent that it was too dangerous to go out, and that they wouldn’t find anything if they did. He thought they should wait for the crops they had planted a few weeks ago; wait for the bountiful harvest that his garden was supposed to bring. Schafer knew that waiting was not an option
“It’s not going to recover,” said Kyler. “There’s only one way to end this. So do it, Charlie. You think you’re a woman now; you think you can handle everything without me, so do it .” Kyler suddenly released his grip on her and Charlie stumbled forward. She jumped over the bird, worrying she was going to tread on it, and then stood up.
“I’m not going to hurt it, Dad,” Charlie said through her tears. She was shaking, yet she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She had to make him see that he was wrong. “I think we can save it. I think—”
Kyler shook his head. “You’ve got to grow up one day. You have to fight or you die, Charlie. Your boy bands are gone. They’re not making another Star Wars. There are no more trips to the golden arches or the mall, so grow a pair.”
“No!”
Charlie screamed as Kyler reached down, scooped up the crow in his hands, and snapped its neck. The sickening crack sent shivers up and down Charlie’s spine. Kyler held the lifeless bird in his hands and walked toward his daughter.
“Here.” He thrust the bird to her and instinctively Charlie held out her hands. Kyler dropped it into her hands.
“You can serve it tonight with that tin of potatoes we’ve been saving. I need a good feed for a change. I’ve had enough of this shit. It’s time for you to start taking on some more responsibility, Charlie. Hurry up and get inside.” Kyler walked back to the house and turned in the doorway. He looked at his daughter holding the dead bird, her face a mixture of shock and fear. “If I don’t see that bird on our plate tonight, maybe I’ll snap your fucking neck too,” he said calmly, and then disappeared back inside.
Charlie stared at the bird in her hands. Its head lolled loosely around in her palms, and yet it was still warm. Its feathers were soft and its body fat. She knew she had to do it. Would her father hurt her or hit her or kill her if she didn’t? She doubted it, but he would make her life Hell.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Crow. I thought…I just wanted to help.”
A song started playing, a distant voice that soon turned into a full choir. It was the song she had used earlier to drown out the noise of the zombies. Now it was drowning out her thoughts.
‘ I want to kiss your mouth, hold your hand, and all I feel is the distant wind as you turn your back on me .’
The thought that kept coming to the front of her mind was how she wished she could swap places with her mother. Charlie didn’t want to wish herself dead and she didn’t want to remember her mother like that, or remember how much her father had willfully hurt her. So she played the song at full volume and slowly walked back toward the house, toward her home, and letting the tears fall, she began to think how she was going to cook Mr. Crow for dinner.
CHAPTER 3
“You sure about this?” asked Rilla. “I mean, maybe we should wait. He listens to Lyn. I’ll talk to her.”
Schafer shook his head. “It’s too late for talking. He won’t listen anymore. The more you try to explain things to him, the more he digs in his heels. It’s like he’s making a point now. No, this is our best shot, Rilla. I’ll be careful. I’ll be fine. Just look after your mother. Magda’s not doing so well. She’s worried. She… just look after her for me.”
“Okay, but…”
Schafer kissed his daughter’s forehead, his gray beard tickling her skin. He was worried about venturing out into Peterborough, but he saw no other choice. They would run out of food in two more days if they didn’t find more, and they had enough water for three or four days maximum. Jeremy was insistent that it was too dangerous to go out, and that they wouldn’t find anything if they did. He thought they should wait for the crops they had planted a few weeks ago; wait for the bountiful harvest that his garden was supposed to bring. Schafer knew that waiting was not an option
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