“I suppose. Thank you again.” I could have placed the can in the back of the car, but I decided to add it all to the tank. I returned her can, got in my car, placed on the carrier Edward was in and started the car. I sighed out in relief. I had nearly a full tank. I could make it and if Edward was cooperative, I could do so without having to stop.
So, this is what you look like when you expire.
That was my thought when I pulled over into the parking lot of a beer distributor about eight miles after I left Gas Can Lady.
There was something off about our final moments. She watched me leave, but she did so as if she was looking for something. It left me with a bad feeling and I wouldn’t have stopped had Edward not been out of hand.
I had to pull over and take a break. Stop moving. I did what I normally did when I left the car. I opened the back door and unbuckled Leah. Each time I did that I hoped that she would leave and I wouldn’t have to be the one to deal with it.
I just wanted badly to acknowledge her death, mourn her and be sad. I couldn’t. She was there, always there. Even in her Vee state she was still my wife. Little by little she took on a Vee look. Her skin seemed to shrink like a raisin, although it looked as if underneath the layers of skin fluid was waiting to ooze out. The area under her eyes were dark and sunken in. Her pupils were glazed over and gray.
The eyes were unmistakable.
He had the eyes. The man in the beer distributor. Without a doubt, he was a Vee. Aside from the eyes, his fingers had that boney look with the black fingernail beds. There were no shoes on his feet and his soles were split from walking. He was on the floor, his upper body slanted and propped against the Bud Light Beer display, his legs extended out and he didn’t move.
He was probably infected in a wave because there were no visible bite marks, no organs torn from his body. There was no gunshot wound or bashed in skull.
Nothing.
Yet, he was dead… again.
It was a Vee appearance I had never seen. His toes were curled and feet pointed inward, his hands were atrophic and tight to his body. His skin looked dry, mummified, and his wide-open mouth formed an ‘O’ trying the impossible to gasp for air.
I had heard that they could just drop and cease to exist. Beer Vee Man was proof. I nudged his leg with my foot and when I did a huge, brown water bug crawled out of his mouth and dropped to his lap.
Clutching Edward, I jumped back and cringed.
Of everything I had seen, who would have thought a bug bothered me. I stayed until Edward was soothed, and I grabbed some beer. Not just for myself, but possibly for a trade, within a couple hours I was back on the road. I probably wouldn’t make it to Sanctuary Sixteen, not on this day, but I was close.
There were things I thought of and things I didn’t. I read enough beforehand to have survival supplies. Enough to get me to Sanctuary and beyond. My journey was met mainly with Vee trouble and blocked roads. I couldn’t take for granted that there wouldn’t be trouble with humans ahead. After nearly having my car stolen earlier, I couldn’t take a chance that it would happen again.
When I spotted the church with the fence around it, I backed up out of sight and pulled the car off to the wooded side of the road, parking it as if it were abandoned. Leah got out and faced the woods. I locked the doors, placed a backpack on my shoulder and the carrier on my chest.
Hurriedly, I moved from Leah. While she had not tried to attack me yet, I couldn’t take the chance and luckily she didn’t move all that fast.
Once I was at a distance, I stopped and watched her move into the woods.
She didn’t follow me. My heart sunk. It was goodbye, and the church was the sure sign that I was to begin my process of letting go.
I walked the near half-mile distance and as I closed in, I saw several Vee moving around the fence.
I could move by them but only if the fence was unlocked.
I kept the hammer in the backpack and pulled it out. I didn’t have a clue how I would fight them off with Edward strapped to my chest, but I would try and be careful about it. Edward was a newborn and delicate.
“Let me get to the church, please let me get us there,” I spoke softly, focusing on the fence.
The Vee spotted me and made their way towards me. I darted out of the way of the first one, shoved the next, and picked up the pace to the fence. There was one there, a female, standing by the gate as if she were on guard.
I lifted the hammer, I would have to try, I had to get in. The moment I raised it, an arrow sailed into the Vee’s head and she dropped. Surprised by that, I spun to see a priest headed my way. At least he looked like a priest. A stout older man who wore all black and rushed to the fence to unlock it.
“Come on in,” he said.
“That was impressive shooting,” I told him.
“Yes, well, in these times you have to be.” He waited for me to step through and he closed and locked the gate. “Pastor Jim.”
“Calvin. My name is Calvin. Thank you.”
He nodded then his eyes shifted to the carrier. With Edward nestled in there, I guess it was hard to see if it was a baby or supplies.
“My son. He was born two days ago.”
“Oh my. Then you hold a miracle. Let’s get you in there.”
“Thank you.”
Pastor Jim extended his hand, directing me to the church. It was a short walk across the parking lot. A large structure with white siding, surrounded by beautiful bushes and eight concrete steps that led to the red double doors.
“I appreciate this,” I said as he opened the doors. “It’s very kind of you.”
“All are welcome in God’s house. I wanted it to be that way, so we erected those fences early on. I was ready to leave, then when people were passing on their way to different sanctuaries needing help I knew I couldn’t leave.”
The double doors led right into the church and the second I entered, people turned and looked at me. There had to be at least a dozen. Some looked like they were right at home.
“Are all these people travelers?”
“Some. Some lost their homes in Carver or were overrun. They’re waiting it out until this thing is over.”
“They drop you know?”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“The rumors about how they can just drop and die for good. They’re true. I think. I saw one that wasn’t shot.”
“Well that’s encouraging.” He cleared his throat. “You look like you need to clean up.”
“Actually, I do. I suppose I don’t smell all that good either.”
“Well, smelling bad keeps the Formers away. But in here… there are none. So…” he smiled. “There’s a room behind the sanctuary. Barrels of water for cleaning. I’ll show you where it is so you can wash up.”
“Thank you.”
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
“This way.”
Pastor Jim led me up the aisle of the church. I nodded and gave a closed mouth smile to people that I passed as I followed him. He took me to a back room, closing the door and leaving me and Edward to our privacy.
The room was pretty large with a conference table and a couch. I wouldn’t have exactly labeled the bins of water as ‘barrels,’ but they were deep and filled.
There was a small basin on the chest of drawers and a pitcher that I assumed was used to fill the basin. It was a welcome relief to be in such a clean environment. I wanted to throw out my clothes after I washed up, but I didn’t bring anything extra. After I had washed up, I then unraveled Edward and gently washed his skin. At first I thought he enjoyed it and then he started to whimper. Those whimpers transformed into full-blown newborn screams. There was nothing I could do to calm him down.