The luckily endowed Susan helped Hencheck hold down the flailing girl, muscles in her arms working visibly. She gave one last back arching contraction then stopped like a switch had been thrown. Hencheck and Susan held her at arms and ankles, clearly not sure if she was done seizing.
“I wouldn’t stay there,” Henry intoned, sitting forward on the couch.
Rocky raised his head and gave a quiet woof, eyes alert.
The woman lay still as death, skin pale and yellowed. Red lines snaked across her chest.
“I don’t think she’s breathing,” Susan spoke, voice delicate and gentle. Her hair fell across her face and she pushed it back with her hand.
Hencheck reached across the woman, feeling for the jugular vein.
“He’s going to get bitten isn’t he,” Raven spoke, pulling her knees in tight and wrapping her arms around them.
“I expect so,” her brother answered, staring raptly at the TV.
“I don’t feel a pulse,” Hencheck said.
Before he could pull his arm back, the woman opened her eyes. The whites had turned red as blood and they moved sightlessly in their sockets. A low moan escaped her lips.
“I guess I was wrong,” Hencheck spoke bemused. He coughed again, turning his face into his shoulder. His arm was still across her face.
“Move that arm, dude,” Henry said.
“Ack!” Hencheck screamed. The woman struck like a snake and bit his flesh; digging her teeth in. “Fuckin’ bitch!” he yelled and tried to pull away. There was no one to block out his cursing at the station and it came loud and clear over the airways.
“Help me, Susan,” he pleaded while tugging at his arm. The skin stretched visibly but the woman did not let go.
“He’s making it worse,” Raven said. “You shouldn’t pull out of a bite,” she told the television. “It only tears it more.”
“It doesn’t matter. He’s a goner.” Her brother added.
Hencheck screamed again and fell back on his butt. The woman finally let go and launched herself bodily at him, pushing Hencheck to the ground. She snarled, gnashing her teeth audibly. The red lines had spread to cover her face and when she leaned in to feed, Raven could see another angry looking bite mark on her back.
Susan hovered in the background, looking like a rabbit in the headlights. Her visage showed pure terror.
“Better run,” Henry advised, sitting forward on the couch. He took off his jacket and laid it aside. “I lit the pellet stove for ya, sis,” Henry added absently.
Raven smiled but didn’t turn to look; her eyes were glued to the screen.
The woman tore out Hencheck’s throat, stopping him in mid shriek. He gasped, trying vainly to pull in a little more air. Blood spurted out, plastering the undead woman in red. Susan received a spray to the face. It covered her in spatter. That broke her paralysis and she shivered, coming to life. Taking one look at what was left of her coworker, Susan bolted, running faster that Raven would’ve thought possible in heels. Her footsteps were audible after she left the shot. The sharp clicks dissipated. All that could be heard were the disgusting sounds of feeding and tearing viscera. The screen went momentarily black then switched to some mindless commercial about Tasty O’s. The O's with the sugar that hides the vitamins, a perfect looking blond woman boasted from inside a fake kitchen.
“I always thought that was a weird fucking slogan,” Henry said, leaning back in the couch with a sigh.
“These are strange times,” Raven spoke.
They sat quietly for a bit, listening absently to the television. The news never came back and the program switched to reruns of I Love Lucy.
Henry yawned, stretching his arms over his head. “So what’s for lunch?” he asked, turning to Raven.
Rocky raised his head at the mention of food, looking hopeful.
Raven laughed. “All right, boys,” she said, rising from the couch. “I’ll whip something up.”
Henry smiled and turned to look at her, leaning over the back of the couch. “I brought all the bags in while you are exploring.”
“I wasn’t exploring,” Raven said with asperity. “I was clearing rooms.” She smiled to soften her tone.
Henry laughed. “The bags are on the kitchen table,” he said, turning around to face the TV. “I’m going to see if I can catch any more news.”
“Okay, holler if you see anything interesting.” Raven walked into the kitchen, thinking she would rehydrate some lentil soup. There was plenty of jerky for protein.
Chapter Three
The Ray of Hope
Raven
The days passed in relative peace. Henry and Raven watched TV from breakfast to noon then they took Rocky out for his afternoon constitutional, walking in a cautious circuit around the cabin. They always went together; Raven thought it was safer that way and Henry agreed. After their walk, Henry was in charge of lunch and Raven went through her yoga routine, feeling it important to stay in shape. Then it was more television until dinner or playing cut throat games of Rummy and Go Fish. After dinner — which Raven was in charge of because she wanted more than peanut butter and jelly — they went out again with Rocky to run some laps around the cabin. Henry lasted longer than her. She’d always hated running and gave up after a couple times around the circuit. Then it was back inside for more TV. The channels started dropping away. They’d begun with over seventy-five stations but now most of them were just static. They had one news channel, the history channel, one that always played cartoons, and another that played tedious soap operas.
Everything went along like that until the morning of their third week ensconced in the cabin.
Three Weeks Later
Raven woke a little before sunrise, feeling unrested. She’d dreamed constantly and vividly all night long, disjointed images of her mother and father,
