He turned away from the door and looked at Amy. It was the first time since the zombies had broken in that he got a good look at her. They were both still damp from their stint in the rain and sweating like pigs from their earlier exertions. Her ponytail hung like a limp rag, and drops of water fell from the ends.
Alex frowned when he noticed that the water held a pinkish stain, and he leaned closer. Her entire head was the same color. Even as he watched, it grew, spreading throughout her blonde locks and gradually turning bright red.
Alarmed, he grabbed her shoulder. “Sis, you’re bleeding.”
“Huh? Where?” Amy asked with a bewildered look.
“Your head. Did you get hurt?” Alex asked. He hesitated before voicing his worst fear. “Did any of them bite you?”
Amy blinked as both hands flew to her head. “I don’t think so…no. No, I didn’t get bitten.”
Alex heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank God. Here, let me see.”
With gentle hands, he undid her ponytail and parted her hair, wincing when she sucked in a sharp breath, “Ow!”
“Sorry, but I have to check,” Alex said, examining her scalp. Deep scratches cut through the skin, bleeding freely. “There are cuts all over your head. What happened?”
Amy thought for a second, her eyes wide. “Oh, yeah. When the zombies grabbed me, a couple of them scratched me. I didn’t feel it then, but I remember it now that you ask.”
“Scratched you?” Alex asked. “That’s nasty, but at least you can’t get the virus that way. Only through saliva.”
“It still hurts,” Amy said, her face scrunching up as he continued his exam.
“I bet, but it’s not too deep. You won’t need stitches,” Alex said, sitting back. “We’ll need to clean the cuts, though. You could get an infection.”
“With what?” Amy asked. “We left the first-aid kit back in the kitchen.”
“Shit,” Alex cursed, getting to his feet. “There must be something down here we can use.”
“You can take a look. I’m staying right here,” Amy mumbled, leaning against the wall and closing her eyes.
Half an hour later, Alex admitted defeat. “I found a couple of rags. They’re not too clean, however. The only other thing we can use is water and hand soap.”
“Hand soap?”
“Yeah, there are a couple of boxes of toiletries down here,” Alex said, “but not much else.”
Amy shrugged. She looked tired, and her eyelids drooped. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. It doesn’t hurt that much anymore.”
“Well, let me clean and wrap it up, at least,” Alex said, tipping her head back. With the water in one hand and a soapy cloth in the other, he rinsed the blood from her hair. As he washed, it bled even more. He persisted, and eventually, it slowed. Once he’d done what he could, he wrapped it all up with a spare rag, the cleanest of the bunch. “Is that better?”
“A little, but all I want to do is sleep,” Amy said with a big yawn.
“Let me see what I can arrange,” Alex replied, getting up. He searched the basement, but there wasn’t much in the way of comfort.
There was food and water, enough to last them for a while, but precious little else. No blankets, clothes, or heaters. The best he could do was dust off an old couch and offer his lap as a cushion while she slept.
“Is this okay?” Alex asked once they’d settled in for the night.
Amy nodded, her hands tucked beneath her chin as she snuggled up to him. “This is great, Alex. Thanks.”
“No worries, Sis. Get some rest,” Alex replied, draping his jacket over her.
In no time at all, Amy was in dreamland while he was left staring at the ceiling. It was impossible to sleep when faced with an uncertain future. What if the zombies don’t move on? What if they stay?
The specter of starvation loomed large in his mind, and he shuddered. How long would it take for them to go mad? Once the light ran out, they’d be stuck in the dark with only the zombies for company. Even now, they hadn’t stopped beating on the door for even one second. They were single-minded in their determination to break through.
He was familiar with the aspects of psychological torture, and he knew how little it took to break the mind. Factor in the isolation, darkness, threat of death, lack of sunlight and fresh air, and it wouldn’t be long before they both lost it. If they didn’t run out of water first. “No, it won’t happen. The zombies will move on. They have to. Something else will come along and catch their attention.”
Alex sighed and closed his eyes, determined to get some rest. In the morning, he’d take stock of their supplies and work out how long they could make it last. As for Amy, he’d put her to work devising ways to keep their minds busy and off their crappy situation. She was good at things like that. Inventive and creative.
Alex smiled, remembering all the games they’d played on the farm. Games she’d come up with, often on the spur of the moment. She’d never failed to amaze him with her wit and sunny disposition. Not that she couldn’t be a real tiger when she had to be, especially when someone close to her was threatened.
“That’s Amy for you,” he thought, draping his arm over her shoulder. She was so tiny. Petite. But she packed a big heart and an even bigger spirit.
Now that he had a plan of action, Alex felt better. He leaned back and blew out a slow, deep breath. “We’ll get out of here, and we’ll find a new place. A better place. One with a future for both of us.”
Chapter 14 - Dylan
After the near-disaster at Radcliff, they made excellent time throughout the morning. Saul avoided the worst of Louisville by sticking to the outskirts of the
