Forsaken Among the Dead
Part Two
Priscilla M. Castro
Copyright 2013 Priscilla M. Castro
Serena
“Mom, Mom are you alright?” I knew of course I already knew what was going to happen. I leaned over the edge of my bed, crossbow in hand. She lay there bleeding from the bites, her eyes closed. She wasn’t breathing and her skin was so pale. Her light brown hair was spread around her like a halo. I reached out my hand and felt for a pulse, there wasn’t one. Her skin was clammy and cold. I bite my lip and felt the tears striving to fall, but I wouldn’t let them.
Her eyes opened, they seemed not to see anything around them. While normally they would have been a beautiful clear hazel green, they now had a cloudiness on the surface. I saw it as if in slow motion. Her facial features that had always been so calm contorted in malice and hunger, just before she went to lung at me. I swung my leg and held her down; closing my eyes I shot the crossbow and felt her still below me.
I shot up from the dream, tears rolling down my face. There was not one night that could go by without that damn nightmare recurring, every night I was reminded of the night that this hell started. I looked around me and found the boy and his family sleeping, even though it was past dawn. I silently wondered how they could all be sleeping at the same time when at any moment one of the dead could show up. That was why I had moved up to the attic and stood there after the outbreak.
Quietly I went up to my en suite bathroom and washed up. I didn’t look around my room that was where the worst memories had taken place. I had been grateful that the water still ran after all this time. It was probably due to the fact that my father had been so paranoid about the government and the weather. I remember when he had brought the generators home, my mother had just rolled her eyes at him but they did come in handy later when a winter storm had knocked out the power.
After washing up I looked in the mirror and saw how wild I had let my hair get. Looking around I grabbed a hairband and picked it up so that it didn’t get in my way. When I left my room to go downstairs I found Gabriel frantically looking around, but when he saw me his face relaxed in relief.
“There you are, we didn’t know what had happened to you.” He said.
“Why should you even care?” she asked not meaning to sound so rude.
“It’s not every day you find another living being, and we really want to help you.”
“We thought you had left us. It’s a relief you didn’t, why don’t you come downstairs and we’ll give you something to eat.” His father came out of her parents’ bedroom.
“Thank you.” She felt like falling on her knees and crying.
“If you weren’t going to leave, then what were you doing up here again?” Gabriels father asked.
“Oh well, the water still runs, so I was just washing up.” I explained and both of their faces lite up.
“Would you mind if my family could use your restrooms as well?” he asked.
“Not at all, after being so kind of course you can.” I replied. So while they all washed up I ate the food I had been given, and at that moment it was the best feeling in the world.
Gabriel
I was the first allowed to wash up so that while the others did I could stay alert in case of emergency. I stood at the bottom of the stairs and from my position I could see Serena eating. I tried not to stare and look like a creep, it was just so strange to see a new face. I noticed her long hair that had hung loose around her last night was now tied back, giving me a better view of her in the daylight. Her hair contrasted with her pale tan skin, and I wanted to know the color of her eyes. I wanted to know everything about her and how she came to be here in the situation we found her in. Gradually my family filtered back into the living room.
“Serena, we were glad to have found you.” My father said.
“I’m glad as well, I didn’t think there was anyone left. I was beginning to think I was the last person, at least in this area.” Serena replied.
“Well now that we have found you here alone, we would like for you to join us.” He got straight to the point.
“You want me to go with you when you continue going where ever you’re going?” she asked, her eyes going wide. She looked more frightened at the idea than I think any of us thought she would. There was something so innocent about her, as if she were a frightened little animal in need of comfort and protection, two things that didn’t really exist in this world any more.
“Yes, we wouldn’t feel right leaving you here by yourself. You wouldn’t have any food and any survivors that come across you in the future would not be so nice.” My mother added, giving Serena a sympathetic, motherly look.
“I don’t know, I don’t really know you all. I don’t even know all of your names and I haven’t left my home since all of this happened.” She seemed very uncertain.
“You really haven’t been outside since the outbreak?” my sister stared at Serena in disbelief.
“You poor darling, now I think you really should come with us. I promise you can trust my family, we would never harm you. It would be so much better if you came with us, than to stay here. We could offer more food and protection.” My mother went over and draped an arm over Serena. It seemed that my mother already accepted Serena as one of her own and would try to make Serena see that she now was under my mothers’ protection.
“No decisions have to be made this moment. The destination I had in mind is not so far off. There’s a factory a few miles west that I used to work for, it specialized in dry food packaging. It seemed more secure than any other place I could think of, and might even have some food left over. Gabriel, you’ll stay here with your mother, sister, brother, and Serena. Your other brother’s will go with me.” My father explained.
“Are you sure it’s best to take them, they should stay and I’ll go with you.” I said.
“No it’s better this way, I need you to stay behind and protect everyone. You’re a good person to be left in charge here.” He replied.
Serena
I sat quietly after they had asked me to stay with them, while the father made plans for everyone. I didn’t mind that he made all the plans without asking, I actually liked that he did. I was tired of being alone and not having anyone there to tell me what to do. I was highly considering leaving with them. The only thing that held me back was going into the outside world, where I would be more exposed to the dead, a living walking feast out in the open ready to be devoured. The thought of going out there having to see and deal with the dead more than I cared to was frightening.
Also I would be leaving everything that I grew up around, everything that helped me to keep the past alive in my memory. I knew that if I stood I would live the rest of my short life a delusion and die of starvation. I could tell none of the family was too pleased by the fathers plans, but they didn’t put up much of an argument.
“I guess before they leave we should make introductions.” The mother said.
“You may call me Ann, this is my daughter Ailee holding my youngest son David. You already know Gabriel. This is my husband Kenneth and my two other sons Adam and Caleb.” Ann the mother pointed to each individual. I gave them all a brief smile only meeting their eyes for a split second. After the introductions the rest of the family ate while I sat there looking down at my crossbow. It was so strange to be amongst the company of living people after so long of being alone. When I was alone I didn’t speak of make any sort of sound, I would have preferred to be silent and fade away. With them here I didn’t want to fade away as much, they gave me a bit of hope.
Gabriel
While my family ate a silence filled the room and Serena seemed to t
ake great interest in her crossbow. She seemed like a very obscure person, like if you looked away one moment she would disappear. For the brief moment she had met my eyes earlier I found hers to be an attractive hazel. She seemed like a delicate being, too delicate for this world we now live in. There was something about her that made me want to unravel who she is, and to help her stay alive. It wasn’t long after we had all finished eating that my father and brothers’ had left. I saw my sister trying to console my mother who I knew had begun to worry more now that they weren’t here. I wasn’t really big into comforting right now so I left to check the house for any breaches.
Everything seemed fine on the ground floor as I moved up to the second. On the second floor I