Chapter 18
“Did you sleep?” Daniel asked as he packed a blue shirt back into his bag.
“No,” I answered.
He looked at me for a long moment before he spoke. “Won’t you be tired?”
“I’ll be alright,” I replied. “Besides it’s not that far to the Navy base.”
I looked at him and saw the look of surprise on his face, though his expression changed quickly.
“Yeah, that’s true. Should be alright,” he said as if the words were falling out of his mouth. “I’m going to check on Phoebe.”
Daniel walked towards the bedroom and knocked on the door. I didn’t hear Phoebe answer but she must have because he walked in the room and shut the door behind him.
I went over to the bookcase. There were so many books that I wanted to read but knew that I couldn’t take many with me. I decided on three to take Tale of Two Cities, Catcher and the Rye, and The Shining. The first two I had never read and the last was an old favorite.
I raided through the cabinets and found a few boxes of some fruit bars. I added a bunch to my bag before tearing one open and eating it.
I was ready to go but it was about 30 minutes or so before Daniel and Phoebe appeared from the room. Phoebe looked a bit tired and pale.
“You ready?” she asked.
I nodded in response.
“I’m not,” Daniel said.
“Hurry up. I’m ready to get out of this shit hole.”
I handed a bunch of bars to Phoebe. “Put these in your bag.”
She smiled, “Thank you.”
I handed another handful to Daniel. He took them without looking at me. “Thanks,” he said so low I barely heard him.
After a few more minutes of Daniel throwing things into his bag, we headed out. It was a very quiet journey. There were no zombies out it seemed, which would have been nice if any of us were talking but no one said a word.
Phoebe seemed to be in some kind of state of shell shock. I didn’t really know why Daniel wasn’t speaking. I was just much more tired than I had realized.
After a few hours of walking in weird silence and a zombie less path, we came to the point where we would part ways.
“You going to be alright? You want us to come with you? It’s not too far out of the way,” Phoebe suggested.
“No, you both can go to your destination, I’ll be fine. Thanks though.” I said.
“Okay,” Phoebe said. “It’s weird how much I’m going to miss you.” She then gave me a long hug.
“Me too,” I said into her smooth black hair.
She let go and Daniel walked up handing me a piece of paper.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“It’s a map, to the beach. In case things don’t work out at the base. I hope they do so you can see your sister again maybe, I know how important that is. But you know, in case.”
I smiled, “I thought you were mad at me earlier.”
“No, just a little disappointed. I thought you might stay with us. Well, I wanted you too.”
I nodded and swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’d like too but this is just something I have to do.”
“I get that,” he said and took me in his arms for a long embrace. I didn’t want to let go. He gave me a light kiss bye. “Good luck Shelly, watch out for the dead.”
“You too,” I said feeling weak.
That kiss threw me under a bus. I really didn’t want to part ways now. But we did. I waved to them as they set off in the other direction.
I set off towards the gates that were maybe 100 yards away or so. It didn’t take long at all to get there. I couldn’t believe the feeling of euphoria that filled every part of my body seeing the gates to the Navy Base. I’d made it finally. After all this time, I’d finally made it.
I walked up to the gate and was met by an annoyed guard. Before I could speak he barked, “Sorry, no access.”
“I was told to come here from the Air Force base,” I pulled out my I.D. to show him. “They told me you’d be sending out ships to the mainland.” I finished still foolishly hopeful.
His face changed then, “When did they tell you to come?”
“Four days ago. I’ve had trouble getting here. My car broke down, ran into more than a few zombies, and the typhoon.”
“Ma’am we had to stop sending the ships out. We couldn’t risk sending out anymore.”
I felt my heart drop past my intestines, past my knees and feet, and hit the ground. Deep down I knew this might happen but I had been hoping so hard.
Another guard appeared from the booth. He was a great looking black man with strong muscles and deep beautiful brown eyes.
“Unfortunately we can’t let you on base,” the guard in front of me said.
“What’s going on?” asked the new guard.
The one I’d been talking to explained the situation. I didn’t hear a word; I was drowning in my own thoughts.
“Ma’am,” the new guard said to me. “I’m Calimerrio Brown, you can call me Cal. What’s your name?”
He was speaking to me very softly, almost whispering.
“Shelly McCormick.”
“And your husband’s name was?”
“Adam,” I said looking at him in confusion.
He nodded. “Jax, this is my friend Adam’s wife Shelly. I went to college with Adam, roommates. Haven’t seen him in ages. We’ve been meaning to get together
