Amongst the Dead by David Bernstein Read Free Book Online Page A

that had lived there had left in a hurry. She hoped to find soap and other hygienic items in the bathroom, having not taken many from the cabin.  
    The first bedroom she entered looked as if the occupant had cleaned before leaving. The bed was made, pillows fluffed. The closet door was open, shoes and shirts neatly arranged. She guessed from the décor and clothing that she was in the master bedroom, the parents’ room. It had a bathroom. She entered and found two packaged toothbrushes, two rolls of toilet paper and a bar of Irish Spring soap.  
    The next room was a girl’s room. Posters of forgotten teen idols lined the walls. Pink sheets embroidered with daisies covered the bed. A purple radio sat on a wooden desk with stuffed animals guarding it. Riley had a room like this once—comfortable, soft. Would she ever have one again? Needing to leave, she exited the room, shutting the door behind her.  
    The next room’s door was closed and as she approached it she heard a scraping noise. She crept up to the door, putting her ear to it. Something was moving on the other side. She heard the scraping sound again, followed by a moan. She swallowed, shaking her head slightly. As she backed away, something heavy thumped against the door, causing her to jump. She knew what horrible creature lay on the other side. It could smell her; her presence arousing the thing’s sense to living flesh. The moaning grew louder along with the scratching sound. The thing on the other side was clawing at the door to get at her. It probably hadn’t eaten in some time.  
    She raised the handgun, pointing it at the door. It was too much to hope she’d found a place with no undead. Tears began to blur her vision before spilling over her eyelids and down her cheeks. She could never relax and would always have to be on guard wherever she went.  
    She suddenly felt tired, as if all the strength had left her body, zapped by some unseen force. She lowered the gun and wiped her face with her sleeves. The moaning and scratching continued relentlessly, and she knew it would never stop.  
    She wanted to blast holes in the door, hopefully hit the zombie in the head and silence it, but she had no idea how tall it was. Was it an adult? A small child? She could find out, but she hadn’t the strength to open the door with the zombie up against it. She’d let Jack take care of it, realizing how lucky she was to have someone to count on. People weren’t meant to be alone.  
    Riley walked, half in a daze, back to the girl’s room. She let her backpack slide off her, then removed her coat and flopped onto the soft, dusty mattress. She felt like she was invading someone’s privacy, but the reality was that the bed no longer had an owner. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep.  
    She awoke to Jack’s voice and the shaking of the bed.  
    “Riley,” Jack said, softly, sitting on the bed next to her. She opened her eyes, blinking away the dreariness. “You okay, kiddo?”  
    “Guess I fell asleep,” she said, remembering the zombie. Her face faltered. “There’s one in the room at the end of the hall. I couldn’t open the door by myself.” She felt weak, not physically, but emotionally as if she’d let him down. Jack put a hand on her arm.  
    “I took care of it,” he told her.  
    “Good,” she replied coldly.  
    “Found these,” he said, smiling and letting a pair of car keys dangle from his finger. “Already checked it out. Runs fine and has about three-quarters of a tank of gas too.” Riley forced a smile, matching the grin on Jack’s face. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
    A short time later, their bags packed and the car loaded with supplies, they pulled out of the driveway and began heading down the road.  

Chapter Five
    A Bump in the Road  
    It took some time, driving along the back roads and looking for a way onto the highway. The leaves were beginning to fill in along the branches of the