A shriek brought her attention back to the men. The afflicted, for she could not bear to think of him as Louise’s father, had gotten one of the men. Riding his body to the ground, he tore out his throat in a spray of blood, cutting off the man’s screams. The others rushed the unnatural thing, trying vainly to pull him off though it was far too late to save the man.
“Daddy!” Louise screamed.
Bee turned and saw her friend, pale and terrified. Louise took a step toward the scene and Bee stopped her with an arm around her shoulders.
“Come on, Louise,” she spoke urgently. “That’s not you father anymore. He’s been stricken with the virus. He’s afflicted. We have to go.”
Louise didn’t answer. Choking back sobs, she let Bee drag her away. They made it to the van without incident. Once they reached it, Bee got Louise inside and started the engine with a roar. She didn’t know where they should go, didn’t care. They just had to get away. She drove down out of the mountains, heading south to where the snow abated and the rain fell in sheets from the clouds.
That was when Louise’s dissociative periods began. She would sit vacant and unresponsive for hours. Bee knew they had to find somewhere safe where more people could look after Louise. There was security in numbers. That had become Bee’s goal.
“Why are we stopped?” Louise asked, drawing Bee from her reverie.
Bee laughed weakly and patted her friend’s knee. “Glad to have you back, honey,” she spoke.
The day was dawning, bringing with it a diffuse sort of light. Bee could hear the first hesitant sound of birdsong in the trees. She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes, breathing deeply.
“Where are we?” Louise asked.
Bee heard the rustle of her jacket against the seatbelt as she moved, likely looking out of the window.
“We are near Pacific Heights,” Bee answered, without opening her eyes.
“Is that near the ocean?” Louise asked, sounding lost and unsure.
“Not quite, dear,” Bee answered. She wondered just what the devil she was expected to do now. Trying not to think past the crisis in front of her, Bee gripped the steering wheel and sighed.
“Do you think daddy made it out?” Louise asked, guileless and innocent.
“Yes, I’m sure he did,” Bee answered.
It wasn’t the first time Louise had asked that question and it likely wouldn’t be the last. She’d tried at first to explain to her friend what had really happened, feeling that she deserved the truth. That had backfired badly. Louise had screamed raggedly, dissolving into inconsolable tears. Only one of her flitting catatonic states had brought her peace and when she woke she hadn’t recalled anything. Bee was carefully vague with her answers after that.
“Okay,” Louise murmured. “That’s good then.” She rolled up a spare sweater and placed it against the passenger window. “I think I’ll sleep for a bit,” she said, smiling absently at Bee. “I’m sure things will look better in the morning.” He eyes sparkled momentarily with her former self then it was gone. She closed her eyes and rested her head, snoring almost instantly.
“Well, shit,” Bee said, feeling very alone. The sky was starting to lighten and that was good. Maybe she could find them somewhere to rest. Perhaps there would be other people to take them in. Bee could only hope.
She started the engine and checked the gas gauge. They had well over half a tank and that was good enough for now. She had three extra gas cans full of the now precious liquid and that was even better. They wouldn’t have to worry about more for a while.
Bee put the van in drive and pulled back onto the road. The gravel crunched beneath the tires and the van splashed through puddles, sheeting the sides with water and washing off any dust it had gathered sitting at the resort. The road wound down the mountain, curving gently. Trees lined one side, just visible in the growing light. On the west side of the road there was a precipitous drop. Bee was very careful to hug the yellow line in the middle. She didn’t want to imagine what would happen if she strayed a little too far.
Accelerating carefully, Bee continued down the road, hoping soon to find somewhere for them to rest.
“What about there, Bee?” Louise asked. She’d woken a few hours later and the sparkle had returned. Alert and cognizant, Louise had pulled out a map and began lining out different routes for them. She was pointing to Junction 73 than ran down the mountain and all the way to the sea. There was a small town named Ocean Side.
“I suppose we could try it,” Bee answered. “We have to stop somewhere and smaller towns will likely be a better choice.”
Bee drove carefully around a sharp curve. It was mid-afternoon and, for a wonder, the rain had stopped. The sun had peeked out from beneath the clouds, brightening the day. Birds sang in the trees, alighting from branch to dew-dropped branch. Bee was glad to see the sun and feel its warmth through the rain dotted windshield.
“Or we could drive here,” Louise said, pointing to a different town on the map. “I’ve been here before though it’s been a few years.”
Bee glanced down at the map but Louise’s finger blocked the name of the town. “What’s it called?” Bee asked, keeping her eyes on the road. The sun was reflecting from her windshield and it was hard to see.
“Hallows Point,” Louise responded. “It was a nice town from what I recall.” She was staring at the map and her hair fell in her face. Louise swept it aside. Her slender fingers tucked the graying strands behind her ear.
Bee and Louise had known each other for
