Chapter 51- Dawn of the Living

The engine began to sputter, losing power no matter how much I pushed on the gas. The truck slowed and eventually idled unevenly until cutting off completely. As it rolled to a stop, I looked out to the light just breaching the horizon. Almost morning. I could see wisps of cloud turning pink and yellow as the sun made its way back toward our side of the world, and looked down at my sleeping passenger. Oliver was fast asleep on the bench of the truck, using my leg as a pillow. His steady breathing was rhythmic, and the warmth of his small body was comforting. As I put the shifter in park he stirred but did not wake. I slowly opened the door and lifted his head as I pulled out my leg, laying it gently on the vinyl seat so as not to wake him. He moved and chewed on his tongue but did not open his eyes.

Getting out of the truck I stretched, leaning backwards to pull on my aching stomach muscles. I looked at my hand, now swollen from when I had hit our assailant last night, and winced as I tried to move my pinky fingers. A bolt of pain shot up my arm and I hissed under my breath. Gazing up and down the road I didn't see any other vehicles and knew we'd have to travel on foot. Looking in the back of the truck I pulled out a blanket and unrolled it, laying it over Oliver as he slept. If we were going to walk he'd need as much rest as he could get. I needed it too. I couldn't remember the last night of sleep I'd had, it feels like days. I thought about Tracy as I looked at the horizon. Did she make it to our storage unit? Would she wait for me or would we arrive, finding it cleaned out and a note saying "gone to the hills, hope you're not dead." I chuckled to myself and then shivered. Morning was approaching but the air still felt chilly. I looked under the tarp in the back of the truck and found a jacket. Pulling it on I decided to search the rest of our supplies. Perhaps there was a little breakfast under here somewhere.

I unfolded the tarp and found a survivalist's paradise. Whoever owned this truck was either going off on a very long camping trip or knew what was about to happen. There were two coolers full of food, several jugs of water, and at least 30 gallons of gasoline. I smiled cheerfully and looked up at the sky. "Thanks!" I said to the clouds. I laid down the tailgate and pulled out a propane stove. Ruffling through a green canvas pack I found some waterproof matches and struck one up. The flame burned warm and bright in my hands, and I looked at it for a moment before lighting the burner.

Soon I had a package of sausage sizzling on one side and water boiling on the other. As I cooked I watched the sunrise peeking over the buildings in the distance, the light bouncing off the windows like a kaleidoscope. The smell of food must have woken my little passenger, because a head popped up from the cab of the truck, rubbing its eyes in disbelief. "Good morning little warrior!" I called out to him. "You hungry?" He grinned and pulled the blanket around himself, leaping from the cab and walking to the back of the truck.

I had set up two collapsible chairs with a view of the city and the rising sun past it, and we enjoyed a hearty breakfast of oatmeal, sausage, dried apricots, and hot chocolate. To two weary travelers it was a feast, and we savored every bite. "More cocoa?" I asked, holding up the pot toward his cup. He eagerly accepted and I filled it to the rim. He pressed the cup to his lips and and gulped the warm soothing liquid. As he glanced back at me we both laughed as he clearly had a thick brown mustache made of liquified powdered cocoa mix. As the laughter subsided his smile did too and he looked at me seriously. "Am I going to die?" I looked over at him.  He seemed so happy, but there was an underlying pain in his eyes.  "You saw your parents die, didn't you?"  I asked him honestly.  He nodded, putting his head down so I wouldn't see his tears.  "I saw my Mom too." I said, and he immediately looked up at me.  I could see a mix of surprise and curiosity on his face, as though perhaps I understood what he was feeling and could help him through it.  I unrolled the story, telling him about the hospital and Mr. Munn's house and all about the underground labs where I saw my mother caged like a monster.  He was rapt, listening so intently that his cup of hot chocolate was beginning to tip and spill onto his lap.  "What did you do?" he asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.  I could tell he was hanging on every word of my story.  "I left." I said, watching as the anticipation on his face fell.  "I got out as fast as I could.  He looked puzzled, almost frustrated.  "You didn't save her?  Or kill her?"  I was almost as though those were the only two possibilities and he couldn't wrap his brain around any other scenarios. I shook my head and looked at him, almost amused.  "Nope, I didn't.  I needed to save myself and find my friend, and I knew if I tried to do anything for her I could be killed trying."  I looked at his little brain processing the information.  "What happened to your parents?" I asked, hoping the question wouldn't dredge up something traumatic.  "They changed into zombies and tried to kill us." There was no emotion in his voice, and no further explanation.  He took a sip of his hot chocolate and stared out at the rising sun.  The day was heating up and the morning chill was finally leaving.  As we looked across the swampy expanse leading to the city we could see the fog lifting slowly off the water and into the bright air.  It was hauntingly majestic, and would have made a fantastic photo if it hadn't been for the hundreds of dark shapes lumbering slowly out of it toward us.