The Dead & Dying

Stirring up ghosts.”

“Look, Carl, we can…. ”

“No, hear me out. I’ve gotta try to set things right in my own mind. Find some sort of closure like all my ex- girlfriends used to say. I’ve gotta do this for me, Doc.”

“Carl, let’s talk about this.”

“Ain’t nothing to talk about really. You take Sadie and Josie and that Hummer and get your asses to Florida. There’s a little island down there called Captiva. You work your way there and sooner or later I’ll meet up with ya.”

“Carl, whatever you need to do we can…. ”

“You get her safe, Doc. Both of these ladies.”

“Fuck that.”

I crossed my arms over my chest.

“I’m not leaving you alone out there, Carl, while the three of us speed away. Wherever you go, I go too.”

“Dang it, Josie, don’t argue with me. You’re going to…. ”

“I’m going to stay with you. And you better get used to the idea because I’ll just follow your tracks in the snow if I have to.”

There must have been something in my voice because Carl lapsed back into silence then. He looked at me and I tried to read the expression on his face but it was like looking at a book written in a language I didn’t understand.

Several hours later, Sadie was laid out in the backseat of the Hummer and Doc was behind the wheel with the window rolled down. All of our goodbyes had been said; tears had been shed. But it seemed as if no one really wanted to part ways. There was always one last thing that needed said, one last reminder.

“Captiva Island, Doc. Don’t you forget, hear? We’ll all be swimming in the ocean together before you know it.”

“You take care of him, Josie. Make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid, okay?”

Finally the excuses ran dry and Carl and I were left to watch as the yellow Hummer slowly pulled away. Doc threw his hand out in a wave and we stood there together, Carl with his left arm wrapped around my waist, his free hand waving back.

We stood and watched until they were nothing more than a yellow speck in the distance. A speck that rapidly faded into nothingness. And, just like that, Sadie and Doc were out of our lives.

“What do ya say we get this show on the road? Sooner I take care of my shit, the sooner we can be catching the rays with Doc and Sadie.”

I nodded my head and took his hand in mine. As we walked through the snow, I glanced back over my shoulder, half-hoping to see the Hummer making its way back to us. But there was nothing but the clouds creeping across the sky and a flock of birds silhouetted against the sun.

I thought of Florida, of the crash of waves against the beach, of Carl suntanned and lean with sand caked on his calves and bare feet. Doc and Sadie were lounging on towels and I was laughing as the tide crept in and slowly eroded the walls of the castle Carl had worked so hard to build. That was the goal I had to keep in mind. Sunny, Florida….

But I had no way of knowing that was the last time I would ever see my friends again. Within the span of a week’s time, I would be dead.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: THE CHILD

After Mr. Carl killed my Mommy, I just kept running through the woods. I didn’t know where I was goin’ and really didn’t care neither. But I kept thinkin’ that I heard him behind me and that he was comin’ to get me so there wouldn’t be any witnesses or anything to what he did.

I got so tired, but every time I’d stop and try to find a place to hide for a while I’d get this picture in my head. I’d see Mr. Carl shooting Mommy over and over and I wanted to cry but just couldn’t anymore. And I couldn’t figure out why he’d did it. I thought he wanted Mommy all to himself and that he wanted me out of the way so he could have her. But then he murdered her instead of tryin’ to get her to a doctor or something and it just didn’t make any sense. Nothin’ made any sense anymore. All I knew what that I was scared and more lonely than I’d ever been and I wanted to hug Pepper and Mr. Boots so tight that they’d squirm to get away.

But instead I just kept on runnin’ ’til finally I came to this little town. At first everything looked pretty much normal except it was all empty which I thought was really weird. But I also thought maybe I could find a policeman and tell him what Mr. Carl did to Mommy. So I started going in to all the stores only there wasn’t ever anyone in them. It was kinda like everyone in town had all went on a field trip, like maybe the zoo or something.

After I walked a little bit I came around this corner and the buildings on this street was all messed up and stuff. It looked like maybe a couple armies had been fighting it out and I suddenly saw all these bodies laying around. They weren’t movin’ at all and some of ’em had birds peckin’ away at their skin and I knew they was dead and I started to get really scared. I wondered if maybe the monsters had been here too and if they had done all of this. And then part of me wondered if Mr. Carl had gotten there before me and shot anyone who might’ve been able to help.

I didn’t know what to do so I just kinda stood there for a minute, turning round in a slow circle and it was like all the thoughts in my head had been wiped clean. I was scared, but I wasn’t thinkin’ ’bout being scared. I wasn’t thinkin’ anything at all.

Finally, I saw this little church up the road and I thought if I went there that the preacher might be able to get me to some cops. And if monsters had been there, then I was pretty sure they wouldn’t be able to go inside a church ’cause it’s protected by God and stuff.

So I started walking toward it and then I noticed someone movin’ around in one the stores that had its windows all smashed out. I couldn’t see ’em very well cause the inside of the story was really dark even though it was bright and sunny outside.

And then I started hollering for help as loud as I could. I hollered out that Mr. Carl had killed my Mommy and that he was probably comin’ to kill me too and I needed someone to call the police.

The person inside kinda acted like my voice had scared him at first. His shadow jumped a little bit and he seemed to freeze in place. But then he came runnin’ toward the street and instead of comin’ out the door like a normal person, he kinda jumped out through the window.

Once he was outside I saw that his face was all cut up real bad and his tee shirt was all covered in blood. He came runnin’ at me and I screamed and took off toward the church ’cause I knew now that the monsters were in this town.

All of a sudden, monsters started poppin’ up left and right. They were crawling out from underneath wrecked cars, comin’ out of houses and stores, and one even jumped out of a window. I remembered the way the monsters had tried to get me when I was in the little cave so I ran just as fast as I could and finally I was goin’ up the front steps of the church and I’d just got inside and slammed the door shut when I heard one of them thud up against it. Even if the church was protected by God, I didn’t wanna take any chances so I turned the little lock on the door anyway. And I think it made them mad that God had saved me cause they started pounding on the walls so hard that the windows kinda rattled around.

I thought maybe if I stayed real quiet that they might just go away after a while, so I went up toward the place where the preacher stands and laid down on one of the little benches. I didn’t move or make any noise at all. I just closed my eyes and pretended like I was somewhere else. I imagined I was on the playground with Danny and Pete and we were playing tag and Mommy was standin’ just outside the fence watchin’ and smilin’ like she always did.

I think I might of went to sleep for a little bit ’cause next thing I know the inside of my mouth is all dry but my head’s sticky and there’s all kinda spit on the bench I was layin’ on. And those monsters were still out there and they were still poundin’ away on the door and walls and I just wanted them to go away and leave me alone.

I kept hopin’ that I would hear army helicopters comin’ into town and they would open fire on all the