Ascension

taken the time to clear one lane for the entire stretch of road.

'And that had to have been a lot of work.' Katie said to herself as she drove along the coast heading south. 'Where are the fucking people?'

Not that she had gone looking for them. The only time she stopped in the towns along the way was to get gas, and twice she had just refilled the car using a plastic hose and the power of siphoning that Randy taught her.

'There are no people.' Randy said.

'Oh, you again. About fucking time.' Katie said irritably.

'You miss me? I know you did.'

Katie shook her head and smiled, 'Yeah, no fooling you. Where has everyone gone?'

'I don't know that one sugar. You have to realize by now I am pretty limited. I can't really tell you anything you don't already know.'

'So I am batshit crazy then?'

Randy nodded, 'Certifiable.'

'Shit. What do I do?'

He shrugged, 'Keep on going I guess, until you work it out.'

'So you can't help me?'

'I can, I am. I'm doing the best I can here.'

'Why can't you just tell me?'

Randy thought for a moment and then said, 'Because you don't know. You only know that something isn't right. What isn't right?'

It was Katie's turn to think. She took in the highway and the seemingly abandoned country side, 'No fucking people.'

'I bet that's part of it.'

'I figure, when I was inland, that the people were hiding. I thought once I got to the coast I would see someone. I mean, it's the coast and fifty million people live between here and Florida. But…nothing. No one. Not even zombies? What does that mean? Where are they?'

'I don't know.'

'Lotta help you are.'

'I'm on your side.'

'Thank God my own imaginary friend is on my side.'

'Harsh.'

'Now, see, that isn't consistent. Randy would never have answered that way.'

Randy smiled, 'It just proves my point. I'm really just you, in a shell you can relate to.'

'Great. So, 'Shell', any more vague clues I can ponder in your next absence?'

'Something isn't right with you.'

'You think?' Katie laughed and gestured out the window at the landscape around her, 'Something is funny in dodge! That's a good one.' She turned to look back at Randy, but he was gone. 'Fucking jack-in-the-box, popping in and out like that.' She punched the side of her head angrily, 'Bring him back!' When she turned her gaze back on the road she was amazed to see two people tied up laying on the pavement in front of her.

'Fuck!' Katie yelled, slamming on the brakes. The car slewed sideways and smoke started pouring out from the front tires as the car slowed down. At the last instance Katie let off the brakes and was able to veer the car around the two bodies by drifting onto the shoulder. She brought it to a more controlled stop several yards beyond where they lay.

Panting, she glanced in the rear view mirror, then out her side window, to make sure she missed the bodies.

'Probably dead anyway.' She said watching them. It looked like a pair, one man, one woman, both on the young side, perhaps in their mid-twenties. The man started moving, struggling to get his hands untied.

'Shit.'

Katie scanned the trees for zombies or other humans. She didn't see anyone in any of the places she would have taken up a position.

'They might be alone. But how in the fuck did they get here?' The obvious thing to do was to hop out and untie them. Katie put the car in reverse, when her front door was beside their feet she opened it and leaned out behind her car door. She kept the car idling, with one foot on the brake and the other on the gas pedal. Leaning out she held onto the steering wheel with one hand while she cut the plastic ties holding their feet together the other.

'If you want to live, get on your feet and crawl into the back door of the car.'

The woman lay on the ground, not moving, the man rolled to his belly and used his head to get himself into a sitting position, with his back towards Katie. His mouth was muffled, but he wiggled his hands at her frantically.

Katie cut the cord with a swift motion of her knife. His hands free, the man didn't waste time removing his gag, he grabbed the woman and opened the rear door of the car. Tossing her on the seat, he threw himself on top of her. Katie floored the gas pedal as a shot rang out from the woods. A bullet hit the car somewhere on the body as she accelerated, but did nothing to slow her down. Another shot rang out, then a third, before Katie had driven over a small hill and out of sight.

The man had pulled his gag free and sat up in the back of the car. The rear door couldn't shut because the woman's feet were in the way, so he pushed her to an upright position and pulled the door closed.

'Shit!' the man exclaimed, 'Shit! Shit! Shit!'

'I know.' Katie answered.

'Do you have a gun?'

Katie snorted derisively, 'I have many guns.'

'Do you have one I could have?'

'Probably.' Katie glanced in the review mirror. 'No one is following us.'

'I need a gun, I gotta go back.'

'No way, Jose. I ain't going back there. Just enjoy the ride, bub.'

'Just pull over and let me out. I'll walk back.'

Katie glanced in the review mirror again, adjusting it so she could see the man's face. He looked serious. The woman was slumped against the door, bleeding. Blood was dribbling down the side of her face to smear on the side window.

'She was hit.'

'In the head. Let me out lady. Really. They have her kids. Please.'

Katie slowed the car down to a walking pace. 'Mister, for all I know you are with them, those guys back there and as soon as I stop your friends will jump me.'

'No, they were moving us, left us on the road while the three of them went back for the kids. They didn't think anyone would be on the road. They ain't seen anyone in days.'

'Neither have I. Until I almost ran you over.'

'You gotta stop. I need to go back.'

'One guy against three of them?'

'You could help.'

'I like killing zombies. Only three?'

'Just three. They were bringing us to a camp. Some sort of a detainment center where all the living people get dumped. I can imagine what happens to us there.'

Katie pulled the car over to the side of the road and stopped.

'They your kids?'

The man shook his head, 'No, hers. I didn't know her until I was caught. It has been a couple of weeks for us.'

'They took you two weeks ago? And didn't eat you?'

'Someone told them not to. They bled me once though, took out a pint or two. They didn't drink it in front of me, but I know they drank it. They talked about how good it was.'