Page 7 of Dyana
“Shut the fuck up,” Riggs said as he slapped me across the face.
The sting from the blow only silenced me for a few shocked seconds before I continued to scream for help. While I did, Sheriff Finley turned and punched Riggs in the face. He stumbled back in shock as Finley stood over him. “We do not put our hands on women here! Let me find out you’ve struck her or any other woman again, and I’ll boot your ass out of town!” He turned back to me. “That’s enough screaming, missy. Ain’t no one can hear you down here, and if they could, they wouldn’t do nothin’ about it anyway.”
I shut my mouth because I knew he was right. Every person in that diner knew what would happen if I went with them, and the only one who tried to warn me was the waitress, Joy. “Why are you doing this?” I asked.
Sheriff Finley grabbed my chin gently and turned my head to the side to look at my cheek. He shot Riggs another dark look before answering my question. “We aren’t doing anything to you that isn’t necessary. Women-kind are more important than ever now. We’re trying to take care of you. You’ll see that soon. You’ll understand. We’ll let you sit down here and consider your future. There are cold drinks in the refrigerator and snacks in the cupboard. Feel free to use the facilities. That shower has excellent water pressure.”
Sheriff Finley smiled again, and I had to wonder what kind of alternate reality I had stumbled into. He presented the amenities of my prison like he was describing a suite at The Plaza Hotel. “And what exactly will that future look like?” I asked.
“That part is up to you,” he replied. “This job is stressful. Keeping this town safe isn’t easy work. You’re a smart, pretty girl. I’m sure you could come up with something to help with that. If you choose to be integrated into our society, all of the things you arrived here with, your truck, belongings, weapons, will be returned to you as you gain our trust.”
“And if I don’t choose integration?”
“Well then, you’ll join our reproduction program. You’ll be just as useful there, though I hope you consider integration. You seem like a nice girl.” He patted my shoulder and gestured for the other two to return upstairs. Their eyes raked down my body one final time before they left ahead of the Sheriff.
“Was Kelly ever here?” I asked as the Sheriff lifted his foot to the first step.
“No, she wasn’t,” he replied honestly.
My shoulders slumped in relief. While it seemed I would need to be saved instead of Kelly, I hoped she would never come here. I wouldn’t want this for her.
“Though I do hope she shows up.”
His soft, almost tender tone sent chills down my spine. Although he might look and act like a kind old man, inside, he was a monster—possibly the biggest monster of them all.
“I’ll be back tomorrow to hear your decision.”
As the door closed and was locked, I looked around the basement. “You’re really off to a great fucking start, Dyana. You barely made it ten miles down the road before you got captured. You should have just killed yourself when you had the chance.”
While I beat myself up over my life choices, I contemplated my biggest one. The message was clear. Be a willing whore for the hardworking men in the police department, or become an unwilling breeder for whoever wanted to get their dick wet. When Mom said in her note to do what I must to survive, I’m pretty sure this wasn’t what she had in mind. Then again, maybe it was. Perhaps she understood better than I had what this world would become.
I only had one real choice if I wanted to make it out of this town alive. I’d “integrate” into their society, earn their trust to get my things back, and then find a way to escape. I grabbed a water and a bag of chips and plopped onto the couch.
Dyana, Badge Bunny Whore, reporting for booty.
If I couldn’t laugh about it, I’d cry.
And I wasn’t going to fucking let those bastards see me cry.
Chapter three
Dyana
Present
Istomped away from everyone. There was no way in hell I would shack up with Jack and his buddies. Finding my little slice of heaven took me a long time, and I wouldn’t share it. How dare Jack waltz back into my life like he fucking belonged here! I was halfway back to my tower when I realized Cora had followed me. I stopped to wait for her to catch up at her own speed. Now that she was pregnant again, I didn’t want her to overdo it.
“Thanks,” Cora said when she reached me, slightly out of breath. “Now, tell me what Jack did to make you hate him.”
We continued toward my tower. “I don’t hate Jack,” I replied automatically, surprised to realize it was true. I didn’t hate Jack; I just didn’t want anything to do with him.
“Then why the extreme reaction?” Cora asked. “He said you guys were high school sweethearts. I know I’m naive aboutthings like this, but I would have expected you to be happy to see him after everything you’ve been through. Reconnecting with someone you used to care deeply for in the apocalypse isn’t common.”
“Did he also tell you I caught him kissing the head cheerleader?” I asked, annoyed that it sounded like she was taking his side.
Cora burst out laughing. “Do you hear yourself, Dy? You caught him kissing the head cheerleader? That’s high school shit. She’s probably a raging zombie now. In the grand scheme of things, I think it’s ok if you let that go. I encourage you to. Life is too short to hold onto that kind of grudge. Save your energy for something that matters.”
We took the tower stairs in silence as I considered Cora’s words. I knew she was right. At this point, the cheerleader didn’t matter. But that wasn’t the only thing that made me resist the arrangement. The Dyana who loved Jack was now a ghost. She didn’t exist. She had died a long time ago, and the woman who took her place—well, she was a monster.
