as many gulps as I could without choking. I didn’t know that I was so unbelievably parched. The best room temperature water I had ever tasted. That was definitely not an exaggeration.
“ Thank you.” I finally could speak. The sound of my voice startled me. I hadn’t spoken a word in over two weeks. There was no one to talk to.
He ignored me and kept his eyes on the road. Then I could feel him in my peripheral vision. “What the hell were you doing in the middle of the road, naked, with twenty freaks running after you?”
I took another sip of the water. “I was taking a shower in this townhome.” I decided not to continue for fear of sounding stupid.
He smirked. “A shower, you women kill me.” He kind of chuckled but it was more like a shattering hiss.
“ I just was going to get in and get out. It didn’t work out in my favor.”
“ Shit yeah. You almost got zombified. If I hadn’t come along you would have been zombie buffet.” He half smiled at his words. Words that although true, didn’t seem smile worthy if you ask me.
“ I guess I was at the right place at the right time. Or you were at the right place at the right time.”
He shook his head. He agreed. “You know I’m a have to check you for bites.” He said this like checking for bites was akin to checking a car’s oil. I completely understood his request. If you get bit, you are infected and you will turn into a deadie.
I was wearing only the lavender bath towel. The towel closed with Velcro. I removed my towel and it made that annoying sound that only Velcro makes. I sat naked in his passenger seat. He took his eyes off the road and looked over at me. He was in shock. His mouth gaped open for as long as his eyes. It hadn’t dawned on me that being nude was a normal part of my previous life and maybe not so normal for most people.
“ Cover yourself.” He choked out the words like vomit. “Jesus.”
I grabbed the towel and tossed it over me. “You said--”
“ Yeah but Jesus.”
“ I’m sorry. It was a habit.”
He chuckled. “A habit where you strip your clothes off.”
I didn’t know how to respond. He had made me feel embarrassed of my body. Something no one had ever done before. I was known for my body and my figure. My face wasn’t too shabby either but my body is what paid the bills. That is when money and bills mattered. “I wasn’t bitten. I just wanted you to see for sure.”
“ I can see that much. You don’t have one mark on you.” He chewed on the inside of his mouth. Was he nervous or something? “Where were you held up?”
“ I was in this subdivision a few miles back, for about two weeks. Before that I was in a big house with someone that took me in.”
“ What happened to them?”
I didn’t feel the need to answer. I just looked over at him. He read in my face the answer to his question.
“ You were alone in the townhouse?”
“ Not at first.” I thought about the people I had lost and held back my tears. I have been alone for a while now. You can’t trust anybody. In this world it is every man for his self. “Thanks for saving me back there. I thought I was deadies bait.”
“ Deadies bait. I like that. You call them deadies?”
“ Yeah, they’re dead. Dead people that have come back to life.” He looked over at me and half smiled. Maybe he half smiles a lot. I’m sure that’s all he could do. A full-fledged smile was something I didn’t think I’ll ever see again. Not in this world full of animated corpses. “Thanks again. Say what’s your name? I could just call you Superman. You did fly in and save me.”
“ I’m Nick.”
“ So Nick, where we headed?”
“ I’m going back to Eola.”
“ Where’s that?”
“ Back past Aurora, in the country, unincorporated farmland. Do you want me to drop you off somewhere?”
“ I don’t have anywhere to go. I figured I could just go where you go, if that’s okay with you?”
“ Yeah I guess. I got some clothes in the
“ Thank you.” I finally could speak. The sound of my voice startled me. I hadn’t spoken a word in over two weeks. There was no one to talk to.
He ignored me and kept his eyes on the road. Then I could feel him in my peripheral vision. “What the hell were you doing in the middle of the road, naked, with twenty freaks running after you?”
I took another sip of the water. “I was taking a shower in this townhome.” I decided not to continue for fear of sounding stupid.
He smirked. “A shower, you women kill me.” He kind of chuckled but it was more like a shattering hiss.
“ I just was going to get in and get out. It didn’t work out in my favor.”
“ Shit yeah. You almost got zombified. If I hadn’t come along you would have been zombie buffet.” He half smiled at his words. Words that although true, didn’t seem smile worthy if you ask me.
“ I guess I was at the right place at the right time. Or you were at the right place at the right time.”
He shook his head. He agreed. “You know I’m a have to check you for bites.” He said this like checking for bites was akin to checking a car’s oil. I completely understood his request. If you get bit, you are infected and you will turn into a deadie.
I was wearing only the lavender bath towel. The towel closed with Velcro. I removed my towel and it made that annoying sound that only Velcro makes. I sat naked in his passenger seat. He took his eyes off the road and looked over at me. He was in shock. His mouth gaped open for as long as his eyes. It hadn’t dawned on me that being nude was a normal part of my previous life and maybe not so normal for most people.
“ Cover yourself.” He choked out the words like vomit. “Jesus.”
I grabbed the towel and tossed it over me. “You said--”
“ Yeah but Jesus.”
“ I’m sorry. It was a habit.”
He chuckled. “A habit where you strip your clothes off.”
I didn’t know how to respond. He had made me feel embarrassed of my body. Something no one had ever done before. I was known for my body and my figure. My face wasn’t too shabby either but my body is what paid the bills. That is when money and bills mattered. “I wasn’t bitten. I just wanted you to see for sure.”
“ I can see that much. You don’t have one mark on you.” He chewed on the inside of his mouth. Was he nervous or something? “Where were you held up?”
“ I was in this subdivision a few miles back, for about two weeks. Before that I was in a big house with someone that took me in.”
“ What happened to them?”
I didn’t feel the need to answer. I just looked over at him. He read in my face the answer to his question.
“ You were alone in the townhouse?”
“ Not at first.” I thought about the people I had lost and held back my tears. I have been alone for a while now. You can’t trust anybody. In this world it is every man for his self. “Thanks for saving me back there. I thought I was deadies bait.”
“ Deadies bait. I like that. You call them deadies?”
“ Yeah, they’re dead. Dead people that have come back to life.” He looked over at me and half smiled. Maybe he half smiles a lot. I’m sure that’s all he could do. A full-fledged smile was something I didn’t think I’ll ever see again. Not in this world full of animated corpses. “Thanks again. Say what’s your name? I could just call you Superman. You did fly in and save me.”
“ I’m Nick.”
“ So Nick, where we headed?”
“ I’m going back to Eola.”
“ Where’s that?”
“ Back past Aurora, in the country, unincorporated farmland. Do you want me to drop you off somewhere?”
“ I don’t have anywhere to go. I figured I could just go where you go, if that’s okay with you?”
“ Yeah I guess. I got some clothes in the
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