Page 34 of Creepy
“Is that all?”Mabel dug in her pack and handed me some pills.“You need something stronger.”
“My neck’s still aching,” I remarked and took one without hesitation.“Thanks.”I slipped the others in my pocket.
Mabel scooped up the little dingy white poodle.“Bean, you be a good girl...or you’re going to get eaten.”
“I’ve not seen many dogs or cats,” I started, bringing up the subject carefully.
“We spotted this little bean on the way down, staring out the window.She was locked in when her owners died.Weren’t you?”She’d said that last bit in baby talk to the dog, then covered her tiny ears.“She must’ve eaten them.”
Before I could ask how, Mabel explained, “Up north, after what happened down south, down here, we advised the infected to take care of themselves before...”
“What?”I didn’t get it.
“We, well, guidelines suggest if you become infected to go ahead and kill yourself before the worst happens.”
“You mean before they turned into zombies.They...”
“Overdoses were the most common way.”
“But what about the ones who could survive.”If I’d offed myself, I wouldn’t be here today because I’d basically been on death’s doorstep before my miraculous recovery.
“Guidance is different for those under 40.In that case, you should isolate and lock yourself in a secure location.”
“That’s what folks were doing here.Young and old.Boarding themselves up in their houses.Who knows how many zombies there are left in Creepy?”
“I suppose you’re a survivor and there’s no need to worry about that bite?”
“Yeah,” I remarked, touching the bandage.“Isn’t everyone?”
“Definitely not everyone up north.”She shuddered and whispered, “Not everyone here.”Mabel gestured over to my brother and his crew.
“But how?”
“The north controlled the outbreak much better.The worst is over.But even if you test negative, if you have antibodies you aren’t allowed into the quarantine zones, let alone back into civilization.If you survived the plague, you might as well be dead.I can’t blame them.That’s why so many of us are migrating away from the expanding quarantine zones.”
“Quarantine zones?”I repeated her words, thinking of all the people in Creepy who were evacuated on buses.I’d assumed they didn’t make it, that the whole universe had gone to shit.The arrival of Arlo from way out in Washington State and my brother’s crew from near Chicago had confirmed it for me.“Civilization?”
Mabel went on like I knew what she was talking about.“The U.S.government wants to reclaim the land, clean up the zombies and make it safe again, to hell with survivors and the people who love them.”She glanced toward the dining room again.
Before I could ask her who she was talking about, who amongst them wasn’t a survivor, they all joined us in the kitchen, fixing to leave out the back door.I filed my questions away for later.
After much debate, Arlo dropped me off at my house.My brother followed us in his van to give Arlo a ride back over to the Jules’ Estate.I told Joey where I’d left his truck so he could pick it up later.
“It’s dead,” I said, “But it’d been running just fine.”
Joey asked me, “Did you do any maintenance?”
“No, not since...”I admitted I hadn’t done anything since before the pandemic.I was always horrible at thinking about oil changes and such.In my defense, I’d had more important matters to worry about lately.
Joey’s head bobbed head in condemnation.Gawd, it was only a truck.
“I’ve got to give them the grand tour,” Arlo explained as they left.“Are you sure you won’t join us?”
“Not tonight.I’ll meet up with you all tomorrow.”I said with a yawn.
“To go over the plan to rescue Troy,” Arlo reminded me.“He’s going to be okay.”
“Right.”I forced a smile.I didn’t share his positive outlook.
