He focused on the closed door. Again, something bumped about inside.
I must be insane, Ben thought. He tried the door knob. Locked. Ben exhaled. Well, here we go. Feeling like he was no longer in control of his body, Ben kicked in the door.
Eyes immediately upon him. Ben’s heart sunk.
Shit.
Josh stepped into the kitchen and immediately recoiled.
“What is it?” Victoria asked.
“Don’t come in here,” Josh told them.
“Is it… a zombie?” Emily asked.
“No. Just…” Josh shook his head. “Stay there. All of you. I’ll search the kitchen myself.”
Victoria huddled her daughters into the living room and waited. The house was less messy than the previous one. They were able to walk around without stepping in mounds of garbage. Victoria sat herself on the couch. Her daughters followed.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” he said, disappearing into the kitchen.
He passed a hanged woman who had tied herself to the ceiling fan and kicked a chair out from under herself. Her skin was gray, a tone he had been accustomed to seeing lately. Josh surveyed her. There were no bites on her arms and legs. Maybe Ben’s kid has a chance yet. He walked past her, his gaze fixated on her cold, open eyes. He waited for her corpse to spring to life, but it never did.
Josh started rummaging through the drawers, finding nothing useful. No map. No GPS. Nothing they could use to find Melissa’s house. We’d be half way to that convenience store by now.
Josh opened the cabinet above his head. His heart skipped when he saw what was staring him in the face. His nerves tingled with delight. He cooed affectionately, not realizing he had done so. He imagined it smiling at him, opening its invisible arms and hugging him.
The dragon within grinned.
The plastic bottle containing opiates glowed in the dim kitchen. Josh licked his lips. His body and brain clashed.
The dragon crept forward.
Josh grabbed the bottle and felt power ebb through his veins. The rush of how good it would feel to take one pill into his mouth and swallow waded him. That phantom sensation.
The dragon purred.
The name printed on the bottle was Kelly Monroe of 1243 Yardsmith Street.
Josh glanced at Kelly, who remained hanged. “Sorry, Ms. Monroe.” The bottle popped opened gracefully. “Doesn’t look like you’ll be needing these any more.” He tapped the bottle and watched its contents invade his palm.
The dragon’s eyes widened with delight.
Then, he dropped them into the sink. “And neither will I.” He ran the water and watched the pills disappear inside the drain.
The dragon’s throat had been slashed, rivers of blood flooding the countryside.
A few moments later he entered the living room.
“Who were you talking to?” Victoria asked.
“Nobody,” he said dismally.
“You okay?” Brit asked.
“Yup.”
“Find anything?” asked Emily.
Josh shook his head and pushed open the front door, the sickness causing his body to tremor.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ben’s legs weakened. The figure shifted in the corner of the room. Its eyes fixed on Ben’s. Eyebrows furrowing, the figure hunched over, as if it planned to leap across a small brook. Ben put his palm up.
“Wait,” Ben said. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
The figure grumbled. It remained where it was, shrinking back into the shadows the window blinds provided.
“Are you hurt?” Ben asked.
For a second, the figure said nothing. “I’ve felt better.”
“I’m not here to cause any problems.”
“Then what the fuck are you doing in my house?” An elderly man vacated the shadows. He reminded Ben of a toad; short, round, with bug-like eyes resting above droopy patches of skin. His flesh was riddled with brown spots. A white gauze pad clung to his neck. In the center of it, Ben noticed a rust-colored stain. “Hmm?”
“I’m looking for my son.”
“Well he sure as shit ain’t here.”
“I know. He lives on Crown Avenue. My friends and I were searching the neighborhood, hoping to find a map. See we hoped—”
“No map here either,” the toad-like man croaked.
“I see. Perhaps—”
“Two streets over.”
Ben stared at him blankly, his lips trembling softly.
“That’s what you were going to ask, wasn’t it?” The man sat down on a nearby chair. “Where Crown Street is.”
“Yeah…” Tears glistened in the corners of Ben’s eyes.
The toad-like man coughed. He scratched the wound on his neck. Ben backed away slowly.
“Goddammit.”
“Were you… bit?” Ben asked.
The man’s eyes broke away from Ben’s. “Jack Runion from Hollow Court. Five blocks down. Was chasing a dog when I went to get my paper the other day. Crazy fucker turned direction and attacked me. Bit pretty hard. What the hell is going on with people?”
“And you didn’t… change?”
The man’s face twisted like a pretzel. “Change? Into what? A zombie? Fuck no.”
Ben shook his head disbelievingly. “How is that possible?”
“Dunno. Maybe I’m immune.” The toad shrugged. “Lost power a few days back. Haven’t really left this room. Only for pissing breaks and food. What’s going on out there?”
“Nothing good.”
The man started coughing. Ben covered his mouth and backed away. The toad waved at him.
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m just getting over this damned flu.”
Ben’s heart stopped momentarily. “Did you say… flu?”
“Yeah. Flu season in the middle of fucking summer. Can you believe it?”
Ben thought of Jake and what he said on the phone. That he had been sick the past week. Same as Ben. Same as the toad-like man. What was it the doctor told Jake? Lots of people were coming down with it?
“Fuck’s your problem? Look like you saw a goddamn ghost.”
Ben shook his head. He tried to add it all up, but couldn’t. The flu. People catching it at the exact same time. The zombie apocalypse. These things seemed like they intertwined, but Ben couldn’t figure out how or why.
“Anyway… best be gettin’ along,” the toad said. “You have a son to find, don’t you?”
Ben nodded. “Yes. Thanks for your help.”
“Not sure I did anyth—” The toad erupted into another coughing fit. “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.”
“This way!” Ben shouted, running across the toad’s front lawn.
“You found something?” Victoria asked.
Ben didn’t reply. Running to the street corner, the rest of the group took off after him.
Please, God. Please be there…
He rounded the corner. The first thing he looked for was the street sign. Yorke Avenue. Next one over. He heard Victoria yell something, but ignored her. Josh said something about waiting up, but he ignored him too. “You don’t know what you’ll find!” Ben heard him yell. He didn’t care. He needed to find his son. He needed to hold him again. God just let me find him in one piece…