The storm was raging outside by this time. The house creaked as the wind outside picked up. It was loud and obnoxious sounding. My fear would’ve been at a dangerously high level if it wasn’t for the numbing effect of the whiskey. I was extremely relaxed.
“This is a mess,” Daniel stated.
“Tell me about it,” I said in agreement.
“You think we’ll make it? What are we fighting for at this point?” he asked.
I laughed at the complexity of his questions in my tipsy state. “I don’t know. I think we’re lucky to have made it this far.”
“Yeah, and luck eventually runs out.”
“Man, you are a downer when you drink,” I said.
He laughed a little. “I guess I am.”
I finished off my second glass. I felt immediately drowsy. I yawned for a long moment.
“I’m exhausted,” I stated.
“Go, get some sleep,” he stated. “We’re as safe as we can possibly be.”
I nodded, “Yeah, which isn’t that safe.”
He smiled, “No, it’s not.”
“But I’m completely relaxed right now. So thank you for sharing that wonderful drink that I hate; but I kind of love it at the moment. I am going to lie down on that couch over there.”
“Okay, enjoy.” He said with a grin.
“Oh, you have no idea,” I said as I stood up. I swayed a bit as I got up.
Daniel made to get up to help me but I waved him away.
“I’m fine, just not all together now.”
“You’re a little drunk,” he said and laughed.
“I need to be drunk right now. This has been hell.”
He nodded, “it has indeed.”
“You think we’re being punished?” I asked. I lost my balance and caught myself on the chair.
Daniel eyed me for a moment to make sure I was alright before answering.
“I don’t think you deserve to be punished.”
“I didn’t ask if I deserved it, I asked if we were being punished.”
He thought a moment, “maybe as human beings but I don’t think we personally are being punished.”
I nodded not really following what he was saying because my head was beginning to swim.
“Alright, I’m going to go lay down. You should probably sleep too.”
“Someone’s got to keep watch.”
“I think we’re fine but do what you need to do.”
I walked away from the table slowly. I was walking wobbly as I made my way to the couch. I grabbed my bag from where I dropped in next to the chair.
I pulled out Jackie’s blanket and set the bag back down on the floor. I laid my body down on the dirty couch. My eyes closed instantly, maybe before my head hit the dirty pillow. My body was thankful to not be moving anymore. I felt like I was floating on air. I was so past exhausted at this point and the alcohol had relaxed my mind enough to finally let me rest. I didn’t think about how I just wanted to stop running, stop hiding, and stop fighting. I didn’t think about if I was ever going to make it to the Navy base. I went to sleep quickly to the lullaby of the storm.
I didn’t dream at all. It was the first time I slept since this mess started that my subconscious didn’t send me a counter attack in my dreams.
I wasn’t asleep very long before I woke up. I needed to use the restroom bad and that pulled me out of my beautiful restful state. It was late though, I could tell that much in the pitch black of the room. The lantern was turned off. After my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could make out Daniel’s body in the middle of the floor. I could also hear his heavy breathing.
I was happy that he decided to get some rest as well. Perhaps the whiskey had done the deciding for him but whatever it was, it was a good thing. I knew we should probably have one person awake but we needed our rest after the events of the day. We were never going to be safer than we were in this shack so we might as well take advantage.
I made my way to the bathroom. The storm outside had not lost any of its strength. It was just as loud if not louder as before. I thought that perhaps zombies were caught up in the wind, being blown around the island. With any luck, maybe their undead bodies would be tossed into the Pacific by the storm that was raging on still. It was a silly thought but it made me smile none the less.
I finished up in the bathroom and made my way slowly back to the couch to get more sleep. I had a slight headache but I was too exhausted to care.
As I made my way back, I could hear the faint sound of crying. It was Phoebe in the bedroom. My heart broke for her. I thought about going in to talk to her but then decided not to. I’d go in in the morning. Right now, she probably didn’t want to see anyone.
As I got back to the couch, I grabbed my gun out of my bag. I set it on the table next to me just to be safe. In case somehow a zombie made to the inside of the house.
I laid back down and went back to sleep. I was not so lucky this time. My subconscious was no longer numbed by the alcohol.
I dreamed of Jackie. I dreamed about her birthday party and at the party, amongst the girls dressed in their Disney Princess finest she became a zombie. She attacked her friends, then their parents. I watched in horror as she devoured Adam in front of me. Then she turned her dead grey eyes towards me.
