The last conversation I had with my sister Shelly, I knew that is exactly what happened with my niece Jackie. Shelly didn’t say it in so many words but she didn’t need too. I knew that Jackie turned and devoured my brother-in-law Adam. It was such a strange thing to imagine. I couldn’t think how it must’ve felt for Shelly to see her daughter that way. To see her husband in pieces.
I know things were bad between Adam and Shelly at the end and how Adam had treated Shelly made me quite happy he met a terrible and violent end. Even still, that was the man Shelly loved. Love doesn’t die easily, no matter what people like to fool themselves into thinking. It must’ve been so hard for her.
There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about Shelly. It’s the worst thing in the world not being able to reach the ones you love, to know what became of what is left of your family. The zombies, the killing, the surviving is cake in comparison to that.
Chapter 2
I heard footsteps behind me. I reached for my knife as I turned to look. It was only Ian. I took my hand off the knife and turned back to the pool.
“You okay?” he asked as he approached.
I nodded, “Yeah, I’m okay. I was just thinking.”
“About Shelly?” He asked.
I turned back and smiled at him, “Am I that predictable?”
He came over and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
“You’re not predictable. I just know you worry about her a lot.”
I put my head on his shoulder, “I do. There’s no real reason to worry. Not anything I can ever do.”
“You don’t know that. Who knows? Maybe the cure is right around the corner.”
I took my head off his shoulder and moved away from him. I gave him a weak smile.
“Maybe. Highly unlikely, but maybe.”
He nodded, “Well, we should…”
“Yes, we should get going.”
He and I headed back into the garage. I locked up the side door as Ian opened the garage. The streets were still wet and there was flooding in a couple of the neighboring yards. It wasn’t too bad though.
I got a couple of cans of chili out of the Mustang and put them in the van. Ian then closed and locked up the garage.
It was a little flooded in spots as we drove but it didn’t take us long to get to the safe haven.
Jerry, the guy who worked the front gate in the morning, looked surprised to see the blue Mustang pull up.
He called out to the others working the gate and it was then pushed open by two young men.
Ian pulled through the gate slowly and stopped. It was protocol so they could make sure that everyone was fine and not turned or ill looking.
We both stepped out of the car. Jerry approached us putting his shot gun, behind his back.
“I thought you two were goners with the way it was coming down yesterday,” He said.
“No, we got lucky. Found a safe place to stay for the night,” Ian answered.
“Find anything good?” Jerry asked.
“Found a box of cans of chili. Not the best haul, but pretty good,” I answered.
Jerry nodded and smiled, “That is nice. I’m amazed you could find anything out there after all this time.”
“They were back in a storage room in a grocery store. And we ran into quite a few zombies,” I said.
Jerry nodded, “No bites?”
“No, we’re good Jerry,” Ian said.
“Besides, you know if he got bit, I would’ve put a bullet in his head.”
Ian made a face at me and Jerry laughed.
“You wouldn’t even hesitate would you?”
I shook my head, “Nope, give me a reason.”
Ian gave me the finger and I laughed.
“Glad you two are back,” Jerry said and began to head back to the gate. “Oh,” he said and stopped. He turned back towards us, “Cate, Milo is at my place with Maria.”
He was talking about my German Shepard. I took him with us on runs sometimes but with so many near misses of him almost getting attacked by the undead, I didn’t take him often anymore. I trusted Emma to watch him.
“What? Why?” I asked.
“Emma said she couldn’t watch him. She said she had a lot to take care of,” He said. “We don’t mind. He’s a great dog; the kids loved having him around.”
“Thank you, Jerry,” I said. “I’ll find a way to pay you back sometime.”
“Well, Maria and I haven’t had a night alone without the kids in a while,” He began and trailed off.
I nodded, “I think we can work something out.”
Ian and I got in the Mustang to go around to the back of the complex. He began to drive away from the gate.
“Say it,” he stated.
“Say what?”
“Whatever it is your thinking,” He said.
“If she doesn’t want to take care of the dog she could just tell me instead of pawning him off on the Martinez’s. And I know she only pawned him off so she can go do the nasty with that jackass Aaron. It’s extremely infuriating,” I vented.
Ian patted my thigh, “I’m sorry. She should tell you.”
I shook my head, “Apparently the end of the world makes a person a bad friend.”
“Was she ever really a good friend?” Ian asked.
I was about to tell him off but then stopped myself as
