Turned: A Spine-Chilling Young Adult Apocalyptic Fiction (The Undead Series, Book 1) (7 page)

I didn’t imagine that I would have fallen asleep after all that happened, but I finally did after nearly two hours of staring at Jasper’s back as he watched out the window for intruders. I woke up to the delicious smell of coffee, but didn’t see Jasper anywhere. I followed the smell into the kitchen, expecting to see Jasper in there waiting. But he wasn’t in the kitchen. It was Em brewing the coffee. All I could think about was how thankful I was for coffee at that moment because without it, I would have never survived the apocalypse as long as I did.

Em looked surprisingly good considering all that had happened the night before. Her long fire-red hair was pulled into a ponytail that cascaded down her back. She wore a pair of jeans and a red tank top that had rhinestones at the collar and red sneakers. She had taken time to put makeup on, which was so strange to me because I hadn’t worn makeup in a year. A fresh, inviting, fruity aroma radiated from her presence. What was in front of me did not look like a widow who had just violently lost her husband the night before.

“Morning, Em,” I said to her as I walked to the kitchen island in the cozy fleece pajamas Em had given me the night before. My hair was on the top of my head in a messy bun, and I certainly didn’t look like I was ready to take on any zombies today. I didn’t want to say “good morning” because it certainly wasn’t a good morning, but I didn’t know what else to say.

“Hi honey. I saw that you got some sleep – that is good,” she said as she grabbed two mugs from the cabinet behind her and poured two cups of coffee.

“Yes,” I said. “I didn’t expect to, but I did fall asleep after a while.” I paused. “How are you, Em?” Em finished pouring the coffee and slid one mug over the countertop to me. She walked around the island, sat down on the stool beside me and took a slow sip of coffee.

“Oh honey, truth be told, I’m worse than I’ve ever been. I know it doesn’t look like it, but after crying and praying until 4 AM, I decided that I could do one of two things: go insane and kill myself or pick the pieces back up and move forward. And I was never one to give up. I’m a devout Christian,” she added. “I have to believe that the good Lord still wants me to be here in this cruel world, and I have to accept that. Maybe I have a mission to complete. Maybe my mission is you.” I glanced up at her with a look of puzzlement on my face, not sure what she meant.

“I’m so glad to hear that, Em,” I said while leaning over to give her a hug. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.”

“I have some more news too,” Em added. “I’m going with you to Washington and hopefully to Canada. I don’t know how I’ll get past that border, but I have to believe that if the good Lord is pointing me in this direction then I will make it across the border.

I took a big sip of coffee and nearly burned my tongue. I expected the coffee to taste stale, but to my surprise – it tasted incredibly fresh. Em must have thought she caught me off guard when I nearly spit it back out.

“That is, if that’s okay with you and Jasper,” she added.

“Oh Em, of course it is! You made my day. I was really hoping you’d come with us. I’m not ready to leave you yet, and not sure I ever will be! Have you talked to Jasper about it?”

“No, I haven’t seen him yet. When I walked downstairs, he wasn’t here. I don’t imagine he’ll have a problem with it, do you?”

“Oh no, of course not!” I replied warmly.

Just then, Jasper came through the living room doors and into the kitchen with jeans and a bare chest, his hair wet from the shower and slicked back in a way that made him look like a handsome villain. He must have caught Em off guard, and she cleared her throat.

“Morning girls. What’s going on?” he asked inquisitively as he walked over to me to kiss the top of my head. I smiled up at him.

"I’m coming with you,” stated Em. “To Canada, and I’m going to try like hell to get into the country.” Both Em and I certainly expected Jasper to look happier about Em’s decision than he did.

“I mean, if that’s okay with you,” Em added, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

“Oh,” Jasper muttered. “Oh…okay. Of course it is okay with me, I just can’t guarantee you’ll get in. You actually might be better off staying here.” Em looked shocked at his honesty. My mouth gaped open. I had tried to make her feel better; Jasper just twisted the knife that was already in her heart.

“I’ll take my chances,” she replied coldly, and stood up with the mug in her hand. “What time are we leaving?”

“We need to leave as soon as possible,” he said to us. “We need to drive as far as we can today, then find a place to stay the night again.”

“Are we taking the truck?” I asked Jasper, then looked a little embarrassed when I realized I should have asked Em.

“Oh, sweet girl,” replied Em. “Whatever vehicle you two think would be best is what we can take. We have the S10 and the Jeep Commander that Frank and I drove in on.”

“Let’s take the jeep,” Jasper interrupted. “More room, more comfortable for a long drive, and probably better on gas. Em nodded. “I’m going to go get some belongings, and then I’ll be ready.”

“Me too,” I added. “I’ll go change and grab our stuff, babe.” I jumped off the stool and started walking out of the room. Suddenly, I had to stop in my tracks and grab the wall. I felt an incredibly odd feeling in my stomach. I looked down at the ground and took in a deep breath, not quite sure where the feeling came from.

“You okay, doll?” Jasper asked. He walked up to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

“You need to eat,” Em answered as she walked over to the pantry and pulled out a big black canister. “I’ll whip you up a chocolate protein shake, my favorite flavor. It’ll be ready when you come back down. I don’t give this to just anyone!”

“That sounds great,” I replied as I kissed Jasper on the cheek and walked upstairs to get ready to leave.

Safe in the privacy of the guest bedroom, I sat down on the chaise lounge to try and regain my composure. I didn’t feel hungry or gassy. I pulled up the fleece button-up pajama shirt to expose my stomach and laid back on the chaise, examining it. It looked a little bloated, but I chalked it up to all the salt in the canned goods I ate at Saving Grace. But maybe it wasn’t from that…

An uneasy feeling slithered up my back. If I was pregnant already, it had to be Trent’s baby. I itched my stomach and, not noticing that feeling again, stood up to gather my things and then went downstairs to meet Jasper and Em in the garage.

“Ready to hit the road, ladies?” Jasper asked. Em and I nodded.

“Retta, you and Em go get in the jeep. I’m going to go make sure it is safe outside. When I knock on the garage door, open it up, and back out.” I nodded and pecked him on the lips. I walked around to open the trunk to the jeep and packed all of our stuff inside. Thankfully. Em had two extra cans of gas stored in the garage, which she attributed to her late husband always being prepared for the worst. I slid in the driver’s seat.

“Here’s your shake, hun,” Em said as she pulled a plastic shaker out of her backpack. “Drink it up so you keep up your energy. I brought myself and your honey one too.” She smiled and patted me on the shoulders.

“Thanks. I used to drink these type of shakes all the time.”

“Oh me too,” replied Em. “Chocolate and peanut butter, mmm mmm. You’ll be happy when you taste that!

“Woohoo!” I giggled, as if I was in the company of close friends. Chocolate and peanut butter shakes were always heaven, but especially delicious during a zombie apocalypse.

Our light conversation was interrupted by a quick thud on the garage door. It made Em jump, which was understandable given the circumstances she just endured. She was holding up as well as could be expected. I credited both her religious convictions and belief in her “purpose” for her not going bat shit crazy at the loss of her husband.

Em quickly regained her composure and pushed the garage door button on the roof of the car. The motor on the garage door quickly lifted it up, and I backed the car out. I stopped to let Jasper in the back seat.

“Let's go, babe,” he urged me gently, in case anyone was watching us, while keeping his gun poised for any impending attacks. “Just be watchful,” he warned.

Jasper estimated the drive to Washington would take about three days, give or take, if we didn’t run into any problems and drove only during daylight hours. Three days might not seem like much in a civilized world but in a world filled with zombies, it felt like an eternity.

Em had stocked up on non-perishable foods and water and stored them in the trunk along with the gas, so hunger and hydration likely wouldn’t pose a threat to our journey. Zombies, mechanical problems, and crazy people who wanted to either kill us or steal from us would be our biggest challenges, I guessed. That was enough.

I backed out of the driveway and drove slowly down the road, cautious of the landscape around me. We didn't begin to relax a little until we got on the main highway. Jasper leaned back and draped his arm over the driver’s side headrest and looked over at me with a grin.

“Hey, no silly stuff in the car,” Em teased from the back seat. I could tell she was trying so hard to be optimistic and happy, and I was grateful for that. It was going to be a long enough drive without hearing the gut-wrenching sobs and moans of a widow the whole way. The thought made me feel heartless but there was too much else to deal with at the moment.

So for the next four hours, our trio continued the journey through Tennessee. Mostly, we were all just eager to get to our next destination and ensure we had somewhere to sleep other than our car that night. After about a half hour of silence, I let out a surprised yelp that made Em jump again.

“What’s wrong, babe?” Jasper asked, after being pulled out of his sleepy trance.

“I don’t know,” I answered worriedly “I don’t know. I’ve been having on and off cramps all day. I thought it was just nervousness and anxiety, but I’m not nervous or anxious at the moment. Then I thought it might be gas, but if I had gas, I’d be passing gas.” I glanced at Em who was staring at me through the rearview mirror.

“Have you had any other symptoms?” she asked me. “Don’t forget, I’m a doctor dear.” I looked over at Jasper and saw he was staring at me too.

“Uh, um…um…just really weak and tired, but that probably has a lot to do with what I’ve been through in the past week.” Of course, I hadn’t told Em what I had been through with Trent but now wasn’t the time.

“Anything else?” Em probed.

“Uh, I guess I’ve been bloated more so than normal, but I attributed that to all of the high-sodium canned goods we were fed at the sanctuary.”

“Oh my,” muttered Em under her breath.

“What?” I questioned, even though I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say. I exchanged glances with Jasper, then with Em.

“My dear, I think you’re expecting a child,” she said. “Retta, it sounds like you’re pregnant!” I decelerated and looked down at my belly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper look at it too.

“Pregnant?” I whispered. I knew that I could be, but having someone else confirm it was too much to handle. “But I just had my period a few weeks ago,” I stammered. The corners of Em’s lips curved downward.

That doesn’t mean anything, hun. It could have been implantation bleeding, when an egg attaches to the uterine lining. Some girls bleed or spot in the first trimester for other reasons too.”

All of a sudden, my mind started to race, and I felt the jeep closing in on me. I thought, if I were pregnant, that meant the baby was Trent’s and was conceived out of an evil, abusive situation. If I were pregnant, it meant I was around ten weeks. I gripped the arm rest on the door with my left hand and the emergency brake on the right with every ounce of strength I had in me. I wanted to stop the car from closing in on me and suffocating me, but it wasn’t working. I looked over at Jasper and sadness gripped his entire face because he knew if I was pregnant, the baby wasn’t his.

“Honey, please,” Em said as she scooted to the edge of the back seat and gently touched my shoulder. “I need you to calm down, baby, or what you’re feeling is going to get worse. The last thing you want to do right now is stress yourself and the baby out if you are pregnant.”

The
baby.
That word made my insides feel like they were going to jump out of my chest. I couldn’t describe what I was feeling when I heard those words: Depression? Angst? Worry? Fear? Heartbreak? Whatever I felt, it sure wasn’t happiness.
The baby. My baby. There might be a baby in me.

I felt myself hyperventilate, and I saw Jasper jump out of the passenger’s side door, jog around the car and open my door. I couldn’t catch my breath. My chest was constricted painfully. Jasper opened the driver’s side door and wrapped his hands around the back of my head.

“Retta, baby. If you love me, if you love the baby, I need you to try and calm down.” He brushed the hair out of my eyes and wiped the beads of sweat from my forehead.

There was that word again.
Baby.
My mind spiraled deep down into a dark abyss that teemed with vile thoughts.
Great job, Retta, way to bring a baby into world filled with monsters. You should have killed Trent before he raped you! This is YOUR fault! You should have done something about it! This baby will never have a chance at happiness. She – what if it is the girl you’ve always wanted? She’s going to grow up a sick and twisted woman with countless mental problems, if she has the chance to grow up at all! Instead of learning ballet, hosting tea parties and cheering on sports teams, she’ll be hiding from zombies. Way to shoot higher for your own flesh and blood, Retta. She’ll probably get eaten alive by the time she’s two years old because if you’re dumb enough to get raped then you’re probably too dumb to protect the baby from the world. What a fucking twit you are, Retta. How dare you let this happen to your poor innocent child? What a terrible fucking mother you are already. You’re pathetic. You’re a damn loser. Way to go mommy. Just feed yourself to the zombies now because that baby is just about as good as dead.