Hollow Graves (Lesbian Story)

Chapter Twenty

   "Mom. Who is she?" The girl pointed at me as I walked locking the front door.
   "Give me a moment, Brennon." Madison checked the door to make sure I locked it, most likely scanning the entire house again.
   I walked up the stairs sluggish, going straight to the bathroom. When I was finished I checked myself in the mirror. It seemed every time I looked in this mirror the last few times, I appeared different every time.  
   "Mom, come on." Brennon, from what Madison called her continued to pester her mom about me. "Mom, who is this lady?"
  I decided I'd introduce myself since there was no manners in this girl. I walked over to the kitchen, grabbing a magnet frame. In it held a picture of my brother, Christian and I. "Here you go, kid." I handed it to her.
   Brennon mouth widen, realization that this was my house.
   Coming from downstairs, Madison sighed. "Brennon sit down."
   I was going to let them talk. The next important thing on my mind besides taking a shit, I was starving. I headed back into the kitchen hopefully for anything. The electricity did not work. Luckily the stove was gas. I knew it wouldn't be long before that shut off too. I didn't trust the water from the sink, concerned for it being contaminated with zombie goo.
   There were still a few water jugs filled. I poured water into a pot nearly spilling the water. My muscles were a bit shaky but I could manage.
   I found a pack of Top Ramen noodles, opening the pack.
   From the distance between me and the basement I could hear my parents. I shut my eyes not sure how to respond. I should cry. A natural and understandable reaction. I couldn't bring myself to cry. I'd promise my mother to take care of Christian.
   Madison walked in, her footsteps muffled. My hearing was enhanced so I could hear her. "You want some noodles."
   Our eyes locked until she gave me those prying and fearful eyes.
   "I know who's down there," I said quietly, before she spoke . "I was here on vacation. Christian." I paused. Saying my brothers name made me feel weaker. More susceptible to crying. "He blackmailed me into coming."
   Madison opened her mouth, closing it back. She turned away looking at Brennon.
   "Christian isn't down there." I needed her to know he was still alive. I needed to say that aloud to believe he was okay. "Our parents are."
   "I'm sorry," she said weakly.
   I waved her sympathy away, shrugging. "My only concern is Christian."
   Madison looked around as if to say 'where is he?'
   "We got into some trouble out there." I pointed to the front door. "He was taking by some people."
   Frowning, Madison shook her head. "Why would someone do that?"
   "I don't know." I sighed placing my noodles into the pot once the water was boiled. "I know how to find him. I just have to wait until morning to start." I looked back at Brennon, laying quietly on the couch. "He's not alone. His girlfriend and someone we met out there is with him."
   "Why didn't they take you?"
   Her question seemed to infuriate me. "Why all the questions?" I said agitated. "Why were you camped out in my house?"
   Madison stared blankly, instead of getting upset. "You look drained." She twisted her head away, defensively. She was avoiding eye contact. "Her mother passed a few years ago. Her mother was my partner."
I looked toward Brennon asleep.
"We moved out here a year ago and when everything happened...my instinct was to come here. Though I heard you moved away to College, there were rumors in our lesbian universe that you came back for the summer." Madison smiled weakly. "When I heard...noises down at the basement. I opened the door for only a few seconds. All I saw was..." Madison silenced. I'm sure it was hard to describe what she saw especially knowing my parents personally.
"Yeah. Well. They passed away peacefully until they turned into that."
Madison nodded. "You really going to go back out there?"
"My brother is out there." That's all I needed to say. My noodles were done. I went around Madison grabbing a bowl out of the dishwasher, along with a fork.
Mixing the seasoning package I inhaled my noodles instantly. The growling in my stomach diminished and I grabbed a bag of chips to help end my hunger strike.
Feeling a lot better, I considered my next options. It wasn't too late yet.
Left Madison alone heading to my room to find a new change in clothes. I had a second pair of my Medic pants, finding a new long sleeve shirt.
In the back of my mind I still wondered why Madison thought to come to my house.
Did I seem like a woman who was meant to live in a world like this? Clearly not if I lost my brother. I slammed my first into my dresser. I was angry at myself. Every second I wonder where Christian was at and what he was doing. Did he believe I was dead? Deep down, I believed; hoped he knew I wasn't and would be searching for him.
I went back downstairs an hour later. Madison was asleep on the other couch across from her daughter.
Walking over to the basement, I leaned my back against the door. I thought of zombie Roscoe and all the other zombies I'd killed.
I thought of Steve before he was a zombie and the men who took Christian and the others.
Would my parents be treated how I treated Roscoe if someone decided to come down here?
They were wasting away. Each day their skin would become more elastic and able to tear easily. The stench would hot box this entire house.
   I opened the door prematurely, frustration guiding me to do it. My parents ran up the stairs falling through the hole I created in between. I wondered how many times they'd done that. They still looked like my parents yet so much different. My mothers hair looked like a over used mop, both their skins droopy and pale. Their eyes sank into their eye socket, flamed red. My blood stain around their mouths and fingers from the night they attacked me.
I slammed the door shut fast nearly panicking from the memory. I could literally feel their assault on me.
I shivered violently when someone's hand brushed my lower back. Biting my lip, I snatched away some of my panicked reaction.
Pressing my forehead against the door, I took a deep breath before speaking.
"Excuse me." The girl waited for
me to face her. When I did she smiled. "I can't use the stove. Could you make me something? I don't want to wake mom up. She's been up for days watching over me and I think since you're here she's finally able to sleep."
I looked pass the girl over at Madison's sleeping body.
I nodded. "Sure." We walked quietly into the kitchen. "What would you like?"
She looked around a bit shyly.
"I can make you anything that is still useful."
   Searching eagerly though the cabinets, Brennon pulled out a bag of potatoes. Definitely still useful. "Fries?" She asked.
   I smiled. "Grab a knife out the cabinet. Unless your mom--"
   "She let's me."
   I snorted, "really. She never let me."
   The girl smiled, awkwardly. "Mom says...if you can't handle a knife correctly you shouldn't hold one."
   I was about to grab the knife from the girls hand when I realized what she was trying to say. I frowned, playfully. I grabbed the knife from Brennon's hand waving it as I said, "I never played with knives."
   The girl watched how I lazily head the knife in my hand and smiled.
   I put the knife down grabbing a few potatoes. "Hey, I save lives...not take them."
   "Really. How do you save them?"
   "I work." I rephrased. "I worked at a hospital and 9-1-1 ambulance company as a EMT."
   "Wow. So like a Paramedic?" She seemed super impressed.
   "Not exactly. I'm--I was...right below the level of a Paramedic. I assisted Paramedics. Was going to Paramedic school when this all happened."
   "That sucks."
   I nodded. "Yes, it does."
   I began cutting up the potatoes and straight lines. Brennon grabbed a skillet and frying oil, turning the stove on.  By the time the oil was hot I put the fries inside, oil popping out.
   We only stood their quiet frowning in the sound of the fries cooking.
   Pretty much the rest of the time I zoned out, serving Brennon her fries and heading back upstairs.
   I could not be close to the sound of my zombie parents. It was too depressing.
   Hands shook at my shoulder. I grumbled wiping my eyes. "Yeah..." I whispered.
   "It's a little after five in the morning."
   I'd fallen asleep around midnight. I nodded sliding up. I was a lot stronger as if never being shot in the chest. Making sure my bites were covered I casually covered myself.
   Madison grabbed my hand impulsively. Naively, I'd used the hand the hand my missing pinky to cover me. "What happened?" She looked horrified.
   I needed to come up with a lie fast. The skin was healed over the bone of my pinky. It looked like a freshly healed scar never mind the fact that a zombie had bitten it off.
   "A patient attacked me with a knife a few weeks before coming here." I shifted my eyes away knowing I could not lie directly in her eyes. She was good at watching for my lies.
   By the expression of incredulous on her face, Madison did not believe me. "Mhm." She smirked. "My daughter thinks you're cool now that she knows you had a cool job as she calls it."
   I shrugged. "That's behind me now."
   "No," Madison shook her head. "I'm positive...that as long as there are humans around you and what you do will always be needed. You would be considered valuable."
   Grumbling under my breath, "I'm sure I'd be more valuable then just that." I was thinking about my abilities and being immune.
   "A bit arrogant?" She said sarcastically.
   I frowned. "No." I smiled. "I mean yes, but not for that."
Madison chuckled. "You were always too cocky for a kid."
"You know...you weren't that much older."
She smirked. "I guess not."
"So. Why did you come here? You never made that fully clear."
Madison rolled her eyes. "I thought about how resourceful and intelligent you were when it came to survivalist planning, you use to call it."
"You teased me about that," I reminded her.
"Yes. But I also listened. I mean...you'd talk about a lot but you seemed always quick to respond to anything. Strong. And I believe that anyone who has experienced life the way you have can survive this world much greater than many others."
   "So in other words...you needed me?"
   Madison shoved me in the shoulder. I winced only a little. The gunshot to the chest was barely a remembrance but it still left an ache. I guess I should count my blessings.
   Nothing my grimace, Madison grazed her hand over my arm, concerned. "You okay?"
   "Yeah." I shrugged my shoulders out carefully. "A bit sore."
   Madison stared down at my blankets for a while. "I'm really sorry about your parents and I know you'll get your brother back. I'm really glad you're here too."
"Things happen for a reason, right?" I stared, speaking stoical. I wasn't comfortable expressing my emotions in front of anyone. Too exposing.
"We can't go with you. I mean out there."
I nodded. "I know." I smiled. "I'll come back. It's not a guarantee that I will find my brother tonight. While I'm out there I will find things that can help us. I left a police car behind. It had useful stuff in it."
Madison smiled, relieved to know I'd come back. "I'll let you get ready."
"Thanks."
"Oh, Tris?"
I looked up to Madison as she walked toward the door. "Try not to get yourself hurt or lose anymore fingers."
I chuckled, letting her clothes my door. "I'll try."