Page 8 of Creepy
Dillon and I went to work.Forgetting what I’d packed, I went through the few bags I had for him, seeing mostly tomatoes since I’d just picked a ton.Like always, I only gave Dillon what he could fit in a couple of saddlebags.He and his crew insisted on using more fuel-efficient motorcycles.Unfortunately, that also meant whatever I gave them had to be pretty valuable.Even so, I included some canned goods I didn’t care for, canned asparagus being one of them.The thought of the stringy mush made me gag.In the bottom of the brown paper Piggly Wiggly bag, I spied some items I was a bit more attached to since I’d gone through Mrs.Dean’s house last week.
To avoid stray zombies, I only entered houses of people like Mrs.Dean, who I knew for certain had evacuated.And that was only because I’d already gone through all the abandoned shops in town.I kept quite a bit of the nicer things for myself.After all, the world had ended for the most part, and I needed to keep my spirits high.A nice designer jacket or some high-end perfume would do the trick most days.
Mrs.Dean had quite the jewelry collection, fine jewelry, none of that costume stuff.I hoped to keep most of it to myself, just in case she ever made it back.Assuming she took anything of real importance with her, I didn’t think she’d mind me protecting my independence with what was left either, presuming she was even still alive.After all, her autonomy had always been most important to her.The five-time divorcee and three-time chamber of commerce businesswoman of the year turned eighty-one years young the day before the evacuation.It’s a wonder she’d survived as long as she had once the shit hit the fan and the dying wouldn’t die.
“Honey, I’m too mean to die,” she’d say, speaking of her reputation around town as someone you couldn’t walk all over.With her diner situated right beside my Papa’s salon for over twenty years, she’d been like a grandmother to me, albeit the coolest granny ever, doting on me like one.While my real grandparents were absent from my life, because of my parent’s awful divorce, she always encouraged me to follow my dreams.Even if my dream had evolved once Dillon left me.Deciding to stay in Creepy to help run my Papa’s several businesses only felt right.
But all of that was in the past.I shook my head, trying not to dwell on it.
I finished my task first since I’d insisted Dillon bury the zombie corpse far away, so as not to attract anymore.Dirty and disheveled, he returned while I washed the blood off the back porch.
“You want a fresh pail of water?”I offered to let him clean himself up.
Without a word, he waved me off and sat on the bench exhausted.I went over and sat beside him with the bucket and rag, proceeding to wipe off his bloody hands like he were a child.Dillon cooperated.But once he caught his breath, he was ready to go.“I wish you’d come with me.It’s not safe for you here anymore.”
“I’ll be just fine.”Knowing how exhausting it was to dig a grave, I took my keys from him.
We made our way to the truck.“You’ve got plenty of ammo?”He asked while he half-heartedly checked the bags.
“More than enough.”
“Need anything when I come back?”
I squinted.That was a first.Dillon hadn’t asked before.Sure, he’d given me what he thought I needed, the radio.Actually, come to think of it, besides weapons and ammo, that’d been all.I had to take a moment.What did I need?“Are your eggs fertile?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you have roosters?”
“Yeah.”
“Bring me some eggs.”I smiled.“Please.”
“Keep your radio on, will ya?Please?”
After driving Dillon back to town and watching him and Karl ride away, I thought about turning off the radio again, but his offer to bring me something buttered me up.Maybe that had been his plan.Back home, I went about my routine, watering flowers on the porch and weeding the garden like the zombie sighting hadn’t happened.Mowing and weed-eating the yard would have to wait until I made another trip out.I was low on fuel.Wetting the garden was out of the question since I was running low on rainwater, too.I needed to make a trip to the well, but my body said no.Smelling myself, I knew I had to save some water for my bath and washing up tonight, as well.I took a pail of it and secured the lid back in place to keep the mosquitoes at bay.My bath wasn’t a full-on, sit your ass in the tub type of bath.How I’d love to have one of those or to jump in a lake.
A girl could daydream.Once inside, I locked all the doors, all the deadbolts I’d added to the house.Tugging all the curtains tight, I thought about how only a year ago, I was sitting poolside with a margarita.Making two visits into town today had been bad enough, I wouldn’t waste any more gasoline to heat the water for a warm bath like I normally did.Forgoing my customary routine made me anxious.I hadn’t survived this long without a process.After lighting a few candles in the bathroom, I filled the sink with rainwater.I sponged myself off with the cool liquid, thinking of how I’d be building fires soon myself just like the Stayers.The reason why I didn’t send smoke signals up the chimney right now was obvious to me.I was only one person.I had done fine on my own, so far, but that didn’t mean I wanted to advertise my location.
After buttering up with lotion, I dressed in the most amazing silk nightie from a posh boutique in town, something I would never own in normal times.I fastened on a pistol, something else I wouldn’t have owned before.Transferring the candles to the kitchen, I cracked open a can of chickpeas, chopped up some fresh kale and tomatoes.I added some parmesan cheese, olive oil, red wine vinegar and sprinkled on some seasoning, all shelf-stable.Paired with some crackers and a glass of Cabernet, I had a rather pleasant dinner, considering.Afterward, I checked every lock.Then I bolted myself into my new room downstairs.I read by candlelight, some romance novel about how a dick for brains asshole changed his entire personality once the right girl came along.Unbelievable.However, zombies were real.No.I decided redeemable assholes were more unbelievable.Regardless, I read until it tired me enough not to think of what was lurking outside.I blew out the flame.
