Patrick D'Orazio - Coming the Dark

“So where to now?”

The smiles quickly faded. The euphoria of their victory was already dissipating as George and Jason started to realize what had become of the world while they had hidden in the darkened church over the past month.

After a few seconds passed with no suggestions from the newcomers, Jeff piped up. “I’m not sure about you guys, but I vote we stick to the plan Megan and I had. We head out to the country and see if we can find someplace to hole up in and fortify.” When his suggestion didn’t meet with immediate nods of agreement, he added, “There’ll probably be a lot fewer of those things out there.”

Jason turned away, his expression icy as he stared out at the road. Jeff wasn’t sure why the boy seemed upset, but he knew there was always a reason for a kid his age to be moody. That was true even when the world was doing just fine. With the way it was now, Jason had plenty to be pissed about.

“I need to get to my family. They’re up north, near Wildwood.”

Everyone was suddenly looking at George. Even Jason cocked his head to the side, a confused look on his face. Apparently what George had said was as much a news blast to him as it was to Jeff and Megan.

“They’re hiding out in our house,” George explained. “They barricaded themselves inside when everything started going to hell in a handbasket. I was stuck in Gallatin on business and got dragged out of my hotel room and then thrown into that damn high school gymnasium.” His eyes glinted with desperation. “I have to get to them.”

When sympathetic looks began to appear on everyone’s faces, George grew frustrated.

“Look, I spoke to my wife and made sure she understood what to do. I told her how to barricade the house. She knew what was going on. I-”

“When was the last time you spoke to her?”

Jeff felt embarrassed for interrupting. His voice was gentle, but he could see that his question irritated George.

“I know what you’re thinking. You know as well as I do I couldn’t have spoken to her in the last month. Cell phones crapped out weeks ago. All I know is that the last time we did talk, she was prepared to sit tight and wait for me, no matter how long it took.” His eyes moved back and forth from Jeff to Megan as his frustration grew. “She can take care of herself. You don’t know her! I KNOW they’re okay. I need to get back to them!”

“Look, George, we’ve all lost family. It’s hard to accept, I know…” Megan’s voice was filled with empathy as she reached out to touch his hand.

“LISTEN to me, Goddammit! I am not screwing around or suffering from delusions! MY WIFE AND KIDS ARE AT HOME, AND I HAVE TO GET TO THEM RIGHT NOW!”

Jeff’s stomach clenched as George shook with rage. His meaty hands were balled into fists, and the strong, athletic man looked like he was ready to tear someone’s head off.

Megan still had the van in drive and suddenly slammed the gearshift into park. She practically flew out of her seat at George, her jaw tight and her eyes glowing with fury. Sliding between the two captain’s chairs she was a tiny blur, and she was inches from his face before he could react. All Jeff and Jason could do was watch as the petite dagger that was her index finger stabbed at the big man.

“No, George. YOU listen to ME!”

She was practically on top of him, looming over the man who was literally twice her size.

“I watched my husband die right in front of me.” Every word was punctuated by a poke of her tiny finger to George’s chest. “We’ve all lost people we love!” Rolling her eyes, she laughed bitterly. “Hell, we’ve all lost EVERYTHING!”

Jeff watched in amazement as George seemed at a loss as to how to deal with this miniscule whirlwind that had slammed on top of him like a ton of bricks.

“We’re all dealing with this shit, okay? I don’t know if your family is alive or dead, but I do know one thing.” She paused for effect. “ I’m still alive, and so are you . All four of us are still alive!”

Megan’s anger dissipated, and her entire demeanor changed. George looked stunned, as if someone had landed a solid right cross to his jaw. Megan slowly moved her hand toward his face. Her eyes had softened and seemed to be holding the big man hypnotized. He was too astonished to resist as her fingers gently touched his cheek. She moved her other hand up to his face as well.

A single tear tried to force its way out between his lids, but George blinked it away. He shifted uncomfortably as Megan spoke again.

“George…” It was a whisper. The gentleness of it gave him pause. “You don’t know how much I hope your family is alive. How much I hope anyone is alive. We want to help you, but we need to help ourselves first. Please understand.”

He stared back at Megan, his face rigid as if carved from stone. Suddenly, it began to crumble. When he reached up to take her tiny hands into his own, tears rolled down his face. She stood in front of him, dwarfed by his bulk, and slid her spindly arms around his neck. She leaned in close, and George’s arms wrapped around her. He hugged her tightly, wracked with sobs that had no sound but shook his entire body.

Jeff watched until he was sure things were under control and then slid into the driver’s seat. He snapped on his seatbelt and flipped the gearshift back into drive.

When he felt like things had settled down enough, he decided to speak. “Okay, guys. For now, let’s just head east. We can talk about where we want to go after we get the heck away from this hellhole.” No one responded, and he turned the van onto the road and through one of the gaps in the razor wire that had failed to keep the infected at bay.

They were heading out into the country. Several of the ghouls that had gotten close while the van was stationary moaned and swiped at it as it drove away, angry at being cheated of their prey.

The quartet drove east, seeing fewer buildings, fewer houses, and more wide stretches of farmland the further they drove. There was plenty of damage off in the distance; it looked like the area had been hit by a tidal wave. They only saw a few shadowy figures skulking around, but they weren’t fooled. Plenty of ghouls were still out there, hiding behind barns and in the shadows, waiting for the survivors to stop and step out of the minivan.

After a while, they were able to settle back and pretend everything was normal as the scenery rolled by. There were split-rail fences that ran great distances, and while there were few businesses, several large propane tank parks broke the monotony of the farmland.

They passed a sign indicating that the speed limit was now fifty-five. Jeff smiled when he saw it. There was the occasional abandoned vehicle in the road but not much else to worry about. He could do a hundred and it probably wouldn’t cause any issues. Still, he kept the van at around thirty miles an hour. He was in no hurry to get to the next town and its heavy population just yet.

“Hey! Look over there!”

Megan and George whipped around, startled at Jason’s outburst. He was pointing at one of the fields on the side of the road. Jeff shifted in his seat and slowed the van slightly so he could see what had the kid so excited.

There was another split-rail fence running alongside the road, unbroken, for at least a mile. A large building set back at least a hundred feet served as the backdrop. It was nearly as long as the fence, a huge barn made of sheet metal. It was too far away for anyone to tell if it had been attacked. Not that the building was drawing their attention. They were more interested in the horse grazing in the pasture in front of the barn.

The brown swayback gently nuzzled the overgrown grass. It did not bother raising its head as they slowly passed. Instead, it continued to munch contentedly. There was nothing special about the beast. It was like any other horse they had seen before. Old and grizzled, its back dipped precariously toward the ground. All in all, it was nothing special.