A houseboat. Finegan Fine

You stay here.

They continue to stare at each other, wordlessly. Finegan sighs and

steps into the house and returns with a rifle, handing this and some

ammo to the man. He hands the sheathed hunting knife to Joey and squats

beside Joey with instructions.

Only if someone makes a move on you, OK? Keep

it in the leather or you’ll cut yourself.

______________________________

The canoe is moving downriver, both Finegan and the traveler manning an

oar, the traveler to the rear as he is more experienced with canoeing.

Joey is seated in the center, holding the rifle upright. They steer to

40

the shore upriver of the town, pulling the canoe on land and setting

off on foot through the woods toward the city.

______________________________

The threesome are walking along a deserted street not yet flooded. The

residences at Millstown run up into the hills, only the business

district along the waterfront flooded. Victorian houses, tumbled down

with some completely collapsed, are lining the street. All the yards

and flowers and bushes are overgrown, fences broken and any painted

surface looking very weathered. Most of the windows are broken, and

most doors are hanging open.

The traveler is peering at any address number still visible on the

houses, and finally, somewhat excited, finds his childhood home.

There it is.

He is running now, Finegan and Joey bringing up the rear while trying

to look around them as they do, sometimes running backwards to do so.

The traveler bursts through the front door, which has been ajar but not

hanging open.

______________________________

The threesome are standing in the living room of the Victorian style

home. The furniture is old fashioned, tassels hanging from lamp shades

and over-stuffed chairs and sofa. The traveler has apparently searched

the house and found a note on the refrigerator door. He is holding the

yellowed piece of paper in his hand, staring at it.

She says she’s going to Atlanta with a group of

people. The phones are down, and there’s

nothing to eat.

The traveler looks up at Finegan and then down at Joey, connecting with

their faces briefly, then goes back to staring at the note.

That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. Off to Atlanta,

I guess. . . That’s the state capital.

They turn to go out the front door and suddenly freeze. There are

zombie people at the front door. The zombie people are at the windows

too. Finegan speaks quietly, so that only he and Joey and the traveler

can make out what he’s saying.

They look malnourished, not mean. I hear they

refused to leave the town.

Nobody is moving, all frozen, so finally Finegan has a plan.

41

Backs together now, let’s just push our way out

the front door.

Finegan and the traveler are shoulder to shoulder, with Joey facing

backwards, at their back, his knife drawn and turned upward in front of

his chest. They move as a tight group toward the front door.

The zombies are gently knocked aside as Finegan and the traveler come

out the front door, pushing steadily but gently. When the way seems

clear, they pick up the pace, Finegan with his spare hand on the scuff

of Joey’s neck, making sure he is not left behind. Joey is almost glued

to their backs, walking backwards, his eyes moving from side to side,

scanning for danger.

When they seem clear by a couple feet, they all bolt in the direction

of the canoe, running.

OK. Run for it!

The zombies are following them, staggering along wordlessly, too

malnourished to break into a run but clearly intending to follow.

______________________________

The threesome are running back to where the canoe is pulled ashore and

clamor into it, the traveler pushing the canoe out into the water and

stepping in at the last minute. He and Finegan push away from the

shore, and paddle upstream energetically. The zombies are approaching

the shore, still following them. The traveler says,

Lord! No wonder my mother left. Were we

supposed to be supper?

Finegan replies,

Not sure, but I think they were just curious. I

think they eat rats, stuff like that. Mostly,

they’ve just been starving. Waiting to be

rescued. Probably near brain dead too, from

starvation.

Finegan and Joey have been glancing over their shoulder. Finegan says,

I think we’re pulling away, but I want to put