In the After

Is he going to hurt us? she asks, signing one-handedly. In her other hand she clutches a fork. She’s eating peaches from a can. The juice dribbles down her chin and stains her shirt.

I won’t let that happen. I hand her a napkin. Stop making a mess. “You don’t have a maid,” is what my mom always used to tell me, even though we did have a housekeeper. When I pointed out the obvious to her, she would say, “Do you pay her wages?”

Amy, if that man comes back, are you going to hurt him? Baby asks, eyeing the gun that I have not taken off since we spotted the outsider, except to shower.

If I have to, I tell her. She stops eating, her fork paused midway between the can and her mouth. I don’t want to frighten her, but she needs to understand that we could be in danger. All of Them are monsters, but not all monsters are Them.

Maybe he was just lost, she ventures.

Maybe.

Maybe he’s nice.

I frown at her. I doubt it.

Amber was nice.

Eat your peaches. You have to get going soon.

Baby shovels the rest of the fruit in her mouth, chewing carefully. I told her that tonight she can go scavenging on her own. We need food again and one of us has to stay home, in case our visitor comes back. I debated leaving Baby with the gun, but I don’t think she can shoot someone if push comes to shove. I’m not all that confident that I can either, but I’m willing to try.

Baby keeps smiling and pushing her head up tall. She is excited; I can tell by the way she won’t sit still. I hope she can channel that energy later, but I’m not overly concerned. She is a smart girl, fast and quiet. She can take care of herself out there, for a few hours anyway.

Baby clears her place and grabs her two bags. One almost empty to hold food and supplies, one filled with garbage to drop down the block. She stands by the door and hops up and down silently.

Do you have everything you need? I ask, unwilling to let her go just yet.

Yes. She rolls her eyes.

You have the key for the gate? I’ve already checked twice to make sure it was in her pocket. I can’t stand the thought of her stuck out there, even though I’ll be watching from the window.

Yes, yes. You know I do.

Okay, I sign. Then what are you waiting for?

She grins and opens the front door, quickly stepping out into the night. A few feet away she comes to a halt. She turns back to me, no longer smiling.

What? Is one of Them at the gate?

Baby’s mouth opens. For a second I think that she is going to scream, but she doesn’t. She’s just surprised.

There’s someone at the gate again, she signs.

I look past her to the fence. The man has returned and he is fiddling with the gate. Large black gloves cover his hands, protecting him from the electricity.

Get inside now, I order.

Baby hurries past me and I slam the door as loud as I can. I want to bring Them to the gate. I need that man to be gone.

I head over to the window and watch. The man not only has protective gloves, he has other tools as well. In one hand, he holds large shears. He is going to cut the fence so he can get inside. We’ll be completely exposed to Them.

I try to think. What can I do? I reach immediately for the gun and hold it in my hand. I don’t want to kill him. Maybe if I just show him I have it he will go away.

Stay here. Don’t look out the window, I tell Baby.

I jerk open the door and an idea strikes me. I reach over and flick on the porch light. Even if the door slam doesn’t bring Them running, the light will. They love the light.

The man looks up briefly, but continues to work. I hear a low snarl, and smile. They will be coming soon.

“Circle in,” a voice in the distance yells. I squint against the light. Other figures gather around the first man. He is not alone.

I run back inside and up the stairs at full speed. I need to get to my bedroom window, where I’ll have a better view. Baby looks at me questioningly as I run past, but stays where I told her to.

From the window upstairs, I can see that there are several men, at least five. I spot a few of Them down the street, running toward the light. They will be at the house in a matter of seconds. One of the men sees Them and holds up a gun.

I breathe a sigh of relief. The guns will only bring more of Them. The men will be finished in a few minutes. The damage to the fence looks minimal. We’re safe.

The first creature reaches the semicircle of men and falls without a sound. I blink. Another creature goes down and another. I pound my head against the glass of the window. I want to cry, but know I don’t have time for a nervous breakdown.

The men have guns, but they have something else too. From where I sit, I can see one pull something long and white from his bag. He holds it up to a black metallic object and shoots. Crossbows. They have crossbows. Where did they get crossbows? They must have raided a hunting supply store. They are handling themselves like seasoned hunters, either that, or they’ve had a lot of practice in the After.

Without the additional noise, all that’s calling to the creatures is the porch light. It won’t draw them like gunshots. The men just have to hold Them off until they can break through the gate, then they can turn off the light.

I look again at the man with the gloves. He is being extremely careful, terrifyingly precise. They don’t want to damage the fence because they want to live here. Once they get inside, what will they do with me and Baby? Best-case scenario, we have to share our space with men we don’t know—rough, hardened men who would expect us to be at their beck and call. Worst-case scenario, well, I don’t want to think about that.

I aim the gun through the glass of the window, seeing what kind of shot I can take. It will be hard to get them all. I’ll have to open the window without them noticing. By the way they are killing the creatures, I can see they are experienced marksmen. I’d only ever practiced shooting at paper targets a long time ago. I’d never actually shot a living thing.

I weigh my options. If I manage to kill some of them, but not all, Baby and I can still escape, but they will look for us. If we leave quietly, they might just be content to stay and enjoy their newfound home. They won’t bother looking for us when all they want is here. I put the gun back in its holster. My mind is made up. It is too risky to fight.

I’m heading downstairs when something out the window catches my eye. Just out of reach of the light is a red pickup truck. It looks like the same red truck we saw that night we found Amber. My face burns and I can feel my jaw clench. What has Amber done? Did her brother abandon her or was she just a spy all along?

I run back down to Baby, taking two stairs at a time. Seizing her arm, I yank her to her feet.

We have to leave, now, I sign furiously. I take her hand and drag her to the back door.

For how long? she signs into my hand.

Forever, I tell her. I feel her stop, her weight dead against my pull.

I turn and look into her eyes. She stares at me. She understands why we have to leave, but this is the only home she’s ever known. I grasp her shoulder.

It’s not safe here. I am telling her what she already knows, but she doesn’t want to believe. Those men, they are going to get inside. If we stay, they’ll hurt us.

You don’t know that. She tries to convince me, convince herself. They could be good. Like Amber.