Homeward Z

Three

I drifted to sleep that night and found myself back on the airplane. Screaming, so much screaming... the little girl crying, her last whispers of Alice in wonderland.
I woke with a start, finding no one had woken or come to investigate. Even so my arms were drenched in sweat and tears poured again. I shook there sobbing quietly all night. All those souls on the plane lost and what about my dad? My mum, are they even alive? That made me cry harder to consider a world so without joy or anything tangible.
I eventually got control of it and stopped the crying. Mainly because of the suitcase at my feet. I opened it to the everything travel survival related bag. Two books were crammed into the pocket with my school work. One a worn out copy of the Iliad and the other a Bible. International version due to the horrible lack of cohesion in King James. Within the second of those books was a flap filled with photographs. Happy faces, Alice and I in Dublin for a concert and mum's picture with dad's. I started reading the Bible next to clear my head and remember the word mercy. I had been given the mercy of survival and I'd take it.
Tom was cutting potatoes already when I emerged, his dad already out splitting wood.
"Bad dreams last night?" He asked and I went completely rigid. Had they heard me after all?
"Our walls are adjoining... it's really hard not hear the entire house. Don't worry my dad didn't notice. It's alright if you don't want to talk about it either."
"It's just..." I searched my mind for words to explain all of it. He seemed puzzled that I was starting to clean the counter beside him, "all of it was bloody horrible. Those undead things, started attacking first class, and, and then someone opened the forward door. And that's not the worst of it," I whispered and he stared a bit dumbfounded. "And you survived..."
"That's the problem... Plenty more people deserved to survive that... not me."
"Maybe some did, you were knocked out for quite some time right?"
I shrugged indifferently... maybe and that gave my nerves a salve it desperately needed. "Thank you, for saying that."
"No problem, are these enough potatoes? I raided the camp store across the lake."
"Did you run a campground or something? Where is the lake anyways?"
"You didn't know that? Yeah dad started this place up after getting out of the service. I'll take you to the lake later today if you'd like. There's Z's there though."
"Z's?" I asked a bit puzzled,
"Undead as you say, but that sounds to vampires to me."
I snorted, "my cousin calls zombies munchies, I'm quite sure that no one will question the title undead."
"Munchies... you should call them that more often. At least we can laugh at something."
"The Irish cussing not funny enough?"
He shrugged and picked up the huge bucket of potato halves. "Can you shoot?" He asked next.
"No, I preferred not to be on the IRA's future recruitment list."
"Fair enough, that'll be another project today, you get a 22 though. Dad will kill me if I mess up your hand."
"It doesn't hurt too bad today, the brace helps."

We spent most of the morning planting and pulling roots, Tom had to do the watering since I couldn't lift the heavy bucket with one hand. "Do you think you'll try to get home?"
"Aye, when I know what's going on out there. At least I should find my way to my father. It's unlikely mum will bow to an Apocalypse either."
Tom snorted and patted the last mound of soil, "what now?" I asked.
"I should teach you to shoot before going down to the lake. You can watch my back while I fish."
"You must really like fishing, I've been on too many boats to enjoy it anymore."

It was more entertaining to him, teaching me to shoot I mean. The grip I had was rather unfortunate but eventually I grasped how to aim and hit the target with what I could manage. "Your hand ok?" He asked.
I nodded slightly so of course... as promised we went to the lake. The water was deep blue with the bulk of spring lily pads around the bank. "So how did your parents meet if your dad's from America."
"My father went to school at Cambridge, my mother did too."
"Smart?"
"Very, but she left to take care of me. A stupid decision as she had a full academic scholarship. If she had stayed we'd be able to support ourselves better."
"Are you smart them?" He asked.
I gave a snort, "bloody hell no, not like them at least. They're math smart I'm book smart. I volunteered at the libraries where I could, you find yourself reading them after awhile."
"Then you're probably into all those classics I can't read... I'd let you borrow what little I've got."
"I only read one classic and it's the Iliad, so I'd be happy to look through the books you have," I said.
"Cool, I'm sure it's better than thinking about work night and day."
I gave him a shrug in response. It didn't really matter how long many books there were. Work would always be a constant tug in my mind. There's always chores that need to be completed.
We were walking back when the yell shook birds from the trees. "Dad," Tom exclaimed and ran straight for the source of the sound. I followed but he was running like a bullet, there wasn't a chance I'd catch up with him first. I stopped at a tree to catch my breath when the first of the voices spoke. "Well, well, look what we found here Gary..." I whirled in time for two men to pin my arms to the tree behind me. "Where's the food kid? Hmm? All of it?"
He dug his thumb against the brace, making my hand ache horribly again. I spat in his face, "go to bloody hell," I said and locked my lips shut.
"An Irish Lass too, a bit roughed up around the edges but she might sell good at market, do what you want boys."
Their gazes were hungry, and because I wasn't helping them get food I was going to get beat to death. I let them hit me to the ground the first time, at least I had my arms back. I heard a couple of them wander away, twigs snapping in their wake. "We could break her legs first, that way they don't run.."
He kicked me toward an old trash pile. I'm not entirely sure what I grabbed, it was so caked in rust that you couldn't tell.
What I do know is... when he went for the next blow I brought the jagged thing on his foot, then thigh, stomach and up to his neck as I got to my feet. He fell against his buddy who I slashed to ribbons too. The rusty metal fell from my hand and the girl from before officially died.