{"id":286,"date":"2013-07-22T04:05:16","date_gmt":"2013-07-22T04:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/?page_id=286"},"modified":"2013-07-22T04:05:16","modified_gmt":"2013-07-22T04:05:16","slug":"chapter-70","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/story\/chapter-70\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 70"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 70<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

O LORD, God of my salvation,<\/i>
\nI have cried out day and night before You.<\/i>
\nLet my prayer come before You;<\/i>
\nIncline Your ear to my cry. <\/i><\/p>\n

For my soul is full of troubles,<\/i>
\nAnd my life draws near to the grave.<\/i>
\nI am counted with those who go down to the pit;<\/i>
\nI am like a man who has no strength,<\/i>
\nAdrift among the dead,<\/i>
\nLike the slain who lie in the grave, <\/i>
\nWhom You remember no more, <\/i>
\nAnd who are cut off from Your hand. <\/i><\/p>\n

You have laid me in the lowest pit,<\/i>
\nIn darkness, in the depths.<\/i>
\nYour wrath lies heavy upon me,<\/i>
\nAnd You have afflicted me with all Your waves.<\/i>
\nYou have put away my acquaintances far from me;<\/i>
\nYou have made me an abomination to them; <\/i>
\nI am shut up, and I cannot get out\u2026<\/i><\/p>\n

LORD, why do You cast off my soul?<\/i>
\nWhy do You hide Your face from me?<\/i>
\nI have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;<\/i>
\nI suffer Your terrors; <\/i>
\nI am distraught.<\/i>
\nYour fierce wrath has gone over me;<\/i>
\nYour terrors have cut me off.<\/i>
\nThey came around me all day long like water;<\/i>
\nThey engulfed me altogether.<\/i>
\nLoved one and friend You have put far from me,<\/i>
\nAnd my acquaintances into darkness.<\/i><\/p>\n

(Psalm 88: 1-8, 14-18)<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wednesday, August 22, 2012<\/b>
\nWeek Eighteen<\/i><\/p>\n

Another milestone had come and gone.\u00a0 Four months, they\u2019d been at MacDill now.\u00a0 But on that night, they gathered at the club to celebrate a different sort of milestone.<\/p>\n

\u201cHappy birthday, Howie!\u201d\u00a0 The salutation rang out around the table, as they all looked to their guest of honor.<\/p>\n

Howie nodded his thanks, grinning almost embarrassedly.\u00a0 He was normally so stiff and stuffy that it came as a surprise when he lifted his glass and said, \u201cThank you, everyone.\u00a0 If it wasn\u2019t for you, I wouldn\u2019t have made it to thirty-six.\u201d\u00a0 Of course, he\u2019d already thanked them, many times over, for saving his life with their blood, but the way his brown eyes sparkled with moisture behind his glass made the rare touch of sentiment even more poignant.<\/p>\n

\u201cThirty-six!\u201d crowed AJ.\u00a0 \u201cGod damn, you\u2019re an old man, D!\u201d<\/p>\n

The smile slipped from Howie\u2019s face, and Kayleigh scoffed, \u201cJeez, way to ruin a moment, AJ.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow c\u2019mon, y\u2019all\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Even when it was mellow, Kevin\u2019s deep voice was commanding enough to cause them all to stop, look, and listen.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s do this right,\u201d he said, and raised his glass.\u00a0 \u201cTo Howie, on his birthday.\u00a0 We couldn\u2019t imagine life here without you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo Howie,\u201d they all echoed, holding up their glasses in a toast to Howie\u2019s survival.<\/p>\n

Brian had seen the way tragedy brought people together, and it seemed that ever since Howie\u2019s near-death experience, they had forgotten their differences and banded together, closer than ever.\u00a0 They were a single unit now, united against the undead, dedicated to protecting each other and their new home.\u00a0 Their bickering was more just friendly banter now.\u00a0 Everyone was pulling their weight, and everyone had earned his or her place in the group.\u00a0 Together, they felt stronger than they ever had before.<\/p>\n

Jo had cooked Howie\u2019s birthday dinner, improvising with the ingredients she could still get to prepare a traditional Cuban meal.\u00a0 The dishes weren\u2019t all authentic, seeing as how fresh food was hard to come by, but she served rice and beans and tamales made with canned pork.\u00a0 To Brian, a home-cooked meal was a home-cooked meal, and he thought the food was tasty, considering.<\/p>\n

Everyone was complimentary to the cook.\u00a0 \u201cYa did good, J-Lo,\u201d said Nick, patting his stomach once he\u2019d finished his meal.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, it\u2019s J-Lo now?\u201d laughed Jo, her eyes twinkling.<\/p>\n

Gabby looked horrified.\u00a0 \u201cUh, no<\/i>, Mom, it\u2019s not!\u00a0 Do not<\/i> call her J-Lo ever again,\u201d she ordered Nick.\u00a0 Unbeknownst to her, Brian twisted his features into a snotty face and snapped his fingers in a circle, mocking her attitude.\u00a0 \u201cWhat?\u201d Gabby asked, looking around, when Nick started cracking up.<\/p>\n

\u201cNothing!\u201d chirped Brian in a high-pitched voice, folding his hands angelically beneath his chin.<\/p>\n

Gabby crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.\u00a0 \u201cWere you making fun of me?\u201d<\/p>\n

He dropped his voice to its normal tone.\u00a0 \u201cNow Gabby, look at this face.\u201d\u00a0 He flashed her a cheeky grin.\u00a0 \u201cWould I ever make fun of you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes!\u201d she insisted, glaring at him.\u00a0 But he knew she wasn\u2019t really mad.\u00a0 Gabby could be moody, but she was playing along, just as he was.\u00a0 He missed going back and forth with his own daughters this way, and it made him wonder what they would have been like at Gabby\u2019s age.\u00a0 He would never know.\u00a0 She reminded Brian of them sometimes, especially Brooke, who\u2019d had the same kind of spitfire personality.\u00a0 Bonnie, the more reserved of the two, might have grown up to be more like Kayleigh or Gretchen.<\/p>\n

He caught Gretchen\u2019s eye across the table, and she winked at him.\u00a0 Even though she hadn\u2019t had children of her own, she understood them well, and he liked that about her.\u00a0 It was something they had in common, and as time had gone on, they\u2019d spent hours sharing stories of his twins and her students, all gone now, but not forgotten.\u00a0 Never forgotten.<\/p>\n

After the dinner plates had been cleared away, Gabby shut off the lights, and Jo came in, carrying a large birthday cake that was covered in flickering candles.\u00a0 \u201cHappy birthday to you\u2026\u201d<\/i> she started.<\/p>\n

\u201cHappy birthday to you\u2026\u201d<\/i> Brian joined in, singing the harmony.<\/p>\n

\u201cHappy birthday, dear Howie\u2026\u201d<\/i> they all sang.\u00a0 \u201cHappy birthday to you.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Jo set the cake down in front of Howie.\u00a0 The candles danced in the darkness, lighting up his face with their warm glow.\u00a0 \u201cMake a wish!\u201d cried Kayleigh, and Howie smiled.\u00a0 Then he sucked in a deep breath and blew out all thirty-six candles in one, sweeping gust of air.<\/p>\n

They all clapped, bringing back memories of the seven special birthdays Brian had celebrated with his twins.\u00a0 There should have been so many more.\u00a0 But today was Howie\u2019s day, and he tried to put himself in the moment, rather than dwell on the past.<\/p>\n

Jo removed the candles and cut the cake, and Gabby started passing pieces of it around the table.\u00a0 It was a chocolate cake with vanilla icing, and the first bite was like heaven to Brian.\u00a0 It had been a long time since he\u2019d tasted cake.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is wonderful, Jo,\u201d said Howie appreciatively.\u00a0 \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The others nodded in agreement, echoing the sentiments.\u00a0 The room got quiet as they ate their dessert, savoring each sweet bite.\u00a0 But when there were only crumbs left on the plates, Kevin spoke up.\u00a0 \u201cWhose turn is it for guard duty tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMine,\u201d said Brian at once.\u00a0 They took turns keeping watch at the main gates each night, for no one wanted another repeat of the ambush in the chapel.\u00a0 No one really looked forward to guard duty; the nights were long and boring, but they always went in pairs, which made it easier.\u00a0 Except for Gabby, everyone was expected to take their turn, and since there were nine of them, the rotation always changed, so they were paired with a different person each time.\u00a0 Brian looked around to see who would be joining him that night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s my turn, too,\u201d said Howie.<\/p>\n

\u201cAww, on your birthday?\u00a0 You shouldn\u2019t have to stay up all night on your birthday,\u201d said Kayleigh, her lip jutting out sympathetically.\u00a0 \u201cUnless you\u2019re out drinking, of course!\u201d\u00a0 She grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI think Howie should get a bottle of tequila to take to guard duty tonight!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely not,\u201d Kevin replied sharply, with a disapproving frown.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t get that Kayleigh was joking\u2026 at least Brian thought she was.<\/p>\n

Kayleigh blew air through her lips.\u00a0 \u201cParty pooper,\u201d she pouted.\u00a0 \u201cFine, then I\u2019ll trade with Howie tonight.\u00a0 You can take my shift on Friday,\u201d she added, smiling at Howie.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Kay,\u201d said Howie, looking surprised, but pleased.<\/p>\n

Kayleigh beamed.\u00a0 \u201cConsider it a birthday present.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 She stood up and pushed in her chair, oblivious to the fact that everyone was staring at her in astonishment.<\/p>\n

Kayleigh had come a long way since they\u2019d arrived on the base, but still, they didn\u2019t often see her volunteering to do others\u2019 duties.\u00a0 But she had always been close to Howie, probably for the same reason Brian felt close to Gretchen, and Nick to Riley.\u00a0 They\u2019d all bonded with the first living person they encountered after the dead rose, the same way a newly-hatched duckling imprints on the first moving object it sees.\u00a0 Nothing like a horde of zombies to bring people together,<\/i> Brian thought wryly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou coming, Brian?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d\u00a0 He stood up, too, and touched Howie\u2019s shoulder on his way over to join Kayleigh.\u00a0 \u201cHappy birthday, Howie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, Brian.\u00a0 You two stay safe,\u201d Howie replied, his large brown eyes flitting between him and Kayleigh with concern.\u00a0 No one exactly felt comfortable sending two of their own out to the main entrance every night, where they would be separated from the undead by only a gate, but they would feel less comfortable with no guards at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will,\u201d said Kayleigh, and she and Brian walked out.\u00a0 They climbed into the pick-up truck, and Brian drove, following Bayshore Boulevard along the shoreline to the first of the three main gates.\u00a0 They would pass the time by rotating among the three of them, following the tall, chain-link fence that ran along the perimeter of the base to the center gate on MacDill Avenue, then to the gate at the Visitor\u2019s Center on the west side of the base.<\/p>\n

They started at the Bayshore Boulevard gate, which was Brian\u2019s favorite because it was near the beach, and he could hear the waves lapping gently against the sand and feel a cool breeze coming in off the water.\u00a0 He found it soothing.\u00a0 It was too nice of a night to sit inside the stuffy guard\u2019s kiosk in the median of the road, so he and Kayleigh sat outside, right on the curb.<\/p>\n

As darkness fell, he thought of his childhood, of playing outside on the streets of Lexington on warm summer nights such as this, until the streetlights came on, and his mother hollered for his brother Harold and him to come home.\u00a0 He turned to Kayleigh and asked, \u201cYou ever play chicken as a kid?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChicken?\u00a0 Like in the pool?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, like in the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo?\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian chuckled.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s a pretty dumb game, really.\u00a0 You lie in the middle of the road, late at night, and wait for a car to come.\u00a0 Then you see how long you can stay there before you turn chicken and get outta the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the moonlight, he could see the glint of Kayleigh\u2019s eyes widening.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s a horrible game!\u00a0 You could get killed doing that!\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian grinned.\u00a0 \u201cI know.\u00a0 Like I said\u2026 pretty dumb, right?\u00a0 My mama woulda skinned me alive if she had a clue.\u201d\u00a0 She had always been overprotective of him, especially, because of his heart condition.\u00a0 Looking back, that was probably why he had enjoyed playing such games, living a little.\u00a0 He shuddered to think of his own girls doing that as teenagers, then realized it didn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 They would never have the chance to repeat any of his adolescent mistakes.\u00a0 He swallowed the lump that rose in his throat and forced himself to keep talking.\u00a0 \u201cIt was kinda fun, though, for some reason.\u00a0 The thrill of it, I guess.\u00a0 Lyin\u2019 there on the pavement, listenin\u2019 for the sound of tires or the first flash of headlights, your heart goin\u2019 a mile a minute.\u00a0 It made you feel alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI bet AJ played that game, too,\u201d Kayleigh said dryly.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably,\u201d he agreed, laughing.<\/p>\n

After a moment, Kayleigh said, \u201cIt\u2019s like in The Notebook<\/i>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Notebook<\/i>.\u00a0 You know, the movie?\u00a0 Ryan Gosling?\u00a0 Rachel McAdams?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yeah.\u201d\u00a0 Leighanne had made him take her to see that one.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t too bad of a movie, actually, for a chick flick, though he wouldn\u2019t admit to Kayleigh now.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was kinda romantic when they did it.\u00a0 Still dumb\u2026 but romantic.\u201d\u00a0 She was quiet for a moment, apparently thinking.\u00a0 Then she added, \u201cBradley and I never tried that.\u201d\u00a0 He knew that Bradley had been her boyfriend; she had spoken of him often in the early days.\u00a0 Not so much anymore.\u00a0 \u201cI was always a good girl.\u00a0 I know you probably can\u2019t imagine that, me being in a sorority, but I was.\u00a0 I studied hard; I only went out on the weekends.\u00a0 I had a 4.0 at UCF.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her expression was wistful, and he could relate.\u00a0 He thought he and Leighanne had made the most of their time together, but still, there were so many things they would never get the chance to do.\u00a0 To Kayleigh, he said, \u201cYou can try it now.\u00a0 You just gotta watch out for zombies, \u2018stead of cars.\u201d<\/p>\n

She giggled, and he was surprised when she actually got up from the curb and scampered out into the middle of the road, then proceeded to stretch out flat on her back across the white line.\u00a0 He was impressed.\u00a0 Leighanne had been a lot like her, prissy and put-together, a genuine Southern belle.\u00a0 She was a lot of fun, but she never would have lain in the street with him.\u00a0 He was proud of Kayleigh for taking a chance.<\/p>\n

He followed her into the road and lay down next to her, the opposite direction, so that his feet were near her head, his head at her feet.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t this nice?\u201d he asked, jokingly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is, actually,\u201d came Kayleigh\u2019s soft reply.<\/p>\n

He gazed up at the stars overhead and remembered why he\u2019d always thought so, too.\u00a0 There seemed to be a lot more stars in the sky now, he realized, than he\u2019d ever seen before Infernal Friday, when the lights down on earth overpowered them.\u00a0 Now, with his and Kayleigh\u2019s flashlights turned off, there was nothing to compete with the stars but the quarter moon.<\/p>\n

For a long time, they were silent, just listening to the sounds of their own breathing and the peaceful noises of night \u2013 the constant chirp of crickets, the mournful cry of gulls, the soft rustle of breeze through the palms, the distant slosh of water meeting the land.\u00a0 Then one seagull\u2019s voice rose above the rest, letting out a long squawk that sounded like a scream.\u00a0 Brian heard the beating of many wings as a flock of gulls took off, all at once.\u00a0 He saw their white shapes disappear into the black sky as they flew overhead and away, and he wondered what had made them suddenly take flight.\u00a0 Had something spooked them?<\/p>\n

It was then that he realized the crickets had stopped singing.<\/p>\n

He sat up, and a sudden gust of wind rose goosebumps on his skin.\u00a0 But it wasn\u2019t from the temperature, for the air was still steamy.\u00a0 It was from the familiar stench that invaded his nostrils, carried on the breeze, carried off the coast.\u00a0 Like an animal, he lifted his nose and sniffed.\u00a0 This was a mistake; he gagged and started coughing.<\/p>\n

\u201cUgh,\u201d Kayleigh sighed, without moving.\u00a0 \u201cThere must be some of them<\/i> nearby.\u00a0 They\u2019re starting to smell worse and worse.\u00a0 How long till they just rot away completely, you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot soon enough,\u201d Brian choked.\u00a0 The base had been smelling better lately, since they\u2019d, for the most part, rid it of the undead.\u00a0 But on the borders, where zombies tended to skulk on the other side of the fence, the stench of decay still lingered.\u00a0 The hungry moans could still be heard.<\/p>\n

Brian heard them now, riding the wind.<\/p>\n

Getting louder.<\/p>\n

Closer.<\/p>\n

Hungrier.<\/p>\n

Brian\u2019s blood ran cold, and without a word, he climbed to his feet.\u00a0 \u201cWhat is it?\u201d he heard Kayleigh whisper, but he didn\u2019t answer.\u00a0 He stood still, squinting through the darkness, afraid to turn on his flashlight.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t need it.\u00a0 As he stared toward the bay, its black waters sparkling with starlight, his eyes could just make out the dark shadows that rose out of it, splashing as they staggered onto the sand.<\/p>\n

For an instant, he froze, as he tried to process what he was seeing.\u00a0 Zombies.\u00a0 Coming out of the water.\u00a0 Coming up the beach.\u00a0 Coming for them.\u00a0 There was no fence on this side of the base; it ended at the waterline, where TampaBay became a natural barrier.<\/p>\n

But not for the undead.<\/p>\n

As they emerged through the palm trees, he finally reacted.\u00a0 \u201cKayleigh!\u201d he hissed.\u00a0 \u201cGet up!\u201d<\/p>\n

She was still lying on the pavement, finally at ease in her new home.\u00a0 The base\u2019s many defenses had lulled her into a false sense of security, as it had all of them.<\/p>\n

They had both left their guns on the curb.<\/p>\n

Kayleigh sat up quickly, twisting around.\u00a0 When she saw the zombies over her shoulder, she screamed and scrambled to her feet.\u00a0 Brian grabbed her hand and pulled her up, dragging her toward their weapons.\u00a0 He picked up his loaded gun, turned off the safety, and fired at the lumbering figures, their faces hidden in the shadows.\u00a0 Kayleigh fumbled with hers, her hands shaking badly.\u00a0 Brian had fired off another shot before she managed to take aim.<\/p>\n

They both missed.<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon!\u201d yelled Brian, running for the guard\u2019s kiosk.\u00a0 It was a small building, but at least it would offer them some protection.\u00a0 They could shoot through the windows, out of reach of the undead.\u00a0 He threw open the door and darted behind it, prepared to slam it shut and lock it the moment Kayleigh made it inside.<\/p>\n

But Kayleigh never made it.<\/p>\n

He thought she had been right on his heels, but at the moment when she should have crossed the threshold, he heard her scream.\u00a0 He stuck his head out around the door just in time to see her fall underneath the weight of the zombie that had grabbed her.\u00a0 Her gun discharged as it hit the ground, a shot firing randomly, ricocheting off the roof of the guard\u2019s station.\u00a0 Over the sound of the blast, Kayleigh went on screaming, struggling frantically beneath the zombie.<\/p>\n

Heart thumping erratically, Brian raised his gun and tried to steady his hands enough to aim for the zombie without hitting Kayleigh.\u00a0 He was afraid to shoot, but if he didn\u2019t act fast\u2026<\/p>\n

He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger.<\/p>\n

The gun fired, and Kayleigh kept on screaming.\u00a0 When his eyes snapped open again, they were both still flailing, one on top of the other.\u00a0 It appeared his bullet had hit the zombie in the leg, but that made little difference.\u00a0 It dragged its leg lamely along behind it as it crawled over Kayleigh, dead hands reaching, teeth gnashing.\u00a0 She shrieked again as its fists clenched around two hanks of her hair, and he heard a horrible tearing sound as it ripped the hair from her scalp in its effort to pull itself forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cGET IT OFF ME, GET IT OFF ME!!!\u201d Kayleigh screamed, as Brian lunged forward, jamming the barrel of his gun into the side of the zombie\u2019s head.\u00a0 He pulled the trigger and winced as its head exploded, sending a shower of skull fragments and rotting brain tissue spattering everywhere.<\/p>\n

His relief was short-lived.<\/p>\n

It was still raining blood and bone when a second zombie lunged out of the darkness and sprung upon Kayleigh like an animal, its wide, snapping jaws aiming right for her head.\u00a0 Brian had just raised his gun again when he heard the sickening crunch of its teeth breaking through bone.\u00a0 He staggered back in shock as a third zombie fell upon her, and together, they cracked Kayleigh\u2019s skull like a walnut.<\/p>\n

He pulled the trigger of his gun, but he was too late; more zombies were closing in.\u00a0 Out of other options, he ran for the guard\u2019s station and barricaded himself in, cracking open the window just wide enough for the barrel of his gun.\u00a0 He fired, one shot after another, at the horde of zombies hunched over Kayleigh\u2019s fallen form.\u00a0 She was no longer screaming, but he could see her legs twitching weakly and knew she was still alive; if he could just take them down and get to her in time\u2026<\/p>\n

His resolve steadied his hand, and one by one, he managed to put a bullet into each of their brains, until there was only a single zombie left moving.\u00a0 Brian rushed back outside to get a closer shot, but as he approached, he was met with a grisly sight.\u00a0 At the sound of his pounding footsteps, the zombie raised its head, and he could see that its lips and chin were slick with blood.\u00a0 Bits of brain clung to the patchy remnants of its beard and mustache.\u00a0 It swallowed and moaned, then lowered its head to the hole in the side of Kayleigh\u2019s skull once more, slurping up its contents.<\/p>\n

Brian raised his gun, aimed, and closed his eyes once more as he pulled the trigger.\u00a0 He heard, rather than saw, the zombie\u2019s body hit the pavement with a dull thump.\u00a0 Then he dropped his weapon, doubled over, and vomited.<\/p>\n

When he had expelled the contents of his stomach \u2013 birthday cake, rice and beans, and Jo\u2019s tamales \u2013 onto the street, he straightened up, wiped his mouth, and went to Kayleigh.\u00a0 He picked up his flashlight on the way.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to look, but he knew he had to, in case there was any chance of saving her.<\/p>\n

She was still twitching when he got to her.\u00a0 He sank to his knees at her side and whispered her name as he leaned over her.\u00a0 \u201cKayleigh\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He shined the flashlight over her face, or what was left of it.\u00a0 The eye that was still there was half open and unfocused, rolling vaguely in its socket.\u00a0 The pupil was dilated wide, even in the bright light.\u00a0 Blood oozed from the hole where the other eye should have been.\u00a0 Her hair was wet with it.\u00a0 His stomach turned again as he recognized the wormy remains of her brain protruding through the shattered side of her skull.<\/p>\n

How she was even still alive, though barely so, was beyond him, but somehow, her heart was still beating.\u00a0 Her body was still convulsing.\u00a0 He knew she must be in the throes of death, that there was nothing he could do to save her physically, so he did the only thing he could think of.\u00a0 He took her hand, squeezed it in his, and prayed for her soul.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Father, Who art in Heaven,\u201d he murmured, \u201challowed be Thy name.\u00a0 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.\u00a0 Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.\u00a0 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil\u2026\u201d\u00a0 A lump closed his throat as he thought of the inexplicable evil that had done this to Kayleigh.\u00a0 He swallowed hard before he finished, \u201cfor Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.\u00a0 Amen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kayleigh was breathing raggedly now, her chest heaving as her body shook, the air rattling in and out in short, uneven gasps.\u00a0 Her fist had clenched tightly around his hand, and though she wasn\u2019t lucid, he knew she was in unspeakable pain.\u00a0 In his desperation to comfort her, a passage from the Book of Revelation came to him, and he whispered, \u201cGod is with you, Kayleigh.\u00a0 And He shall wipe away all the tears from your eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying; neither shall there be any pain, for the former things are passed away\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

And gradually, Kayleigh\u2019s grip on his hand loosened.\u00a0 Her breathing slowed, and her chest relaxed and did not rise again.\u00a0 Her body twitched one last time and then came to rest, limp and still.\u00a0 Her remaining eye stared at the sky, fixed and glassy.\u00a0 Brian reached out and drew his thumb over her eyelid to close it.\u00a0 Then he bowed his head over her body and began to weep.<\/p>\n

He wept not only for Kayleigh, but for Leighanne, and for Brooke and Bonnie.\u00a0 He wept for his own shaken faith.\u00a0 He wept until he heard the distant moans that signaled more zombies on the way, and only then did he wipe his eyes and pick himself up from the ground.\u00a0 He left his gun where it lay and instead lifted Kayleigh\u2019s lifeless body in his arms and carried her to the truck.\u00a0 He hoisted her into the truck bed and lay her out flat.\u00a0 Then he climbed into the cab and turned the ignition.<\/p>\n

For a moment, he sat there with the engine idling, dreading the drive back to the others, dreading the moment when they found out Kayleigh was dead.\u00a0 Ever since they had discovered the connection between their common blood type and their immunity from the Osiris Virus, they had begun to feel almost as if they were invincible.<\/p>\n

But they weren\u2019t invincible.\u00a0 No one was invincible.<\/p>\n

Not even the Son of the Lord had been invincible.<\/p>\n

The savaged body in the back of the truck would serve as a devastating reminder to the others that the undead were still a threat, and that they were all, very much, still vulnerable.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

As midnight approached, they gathered in the chapel once more.\u00a0 It was eerie to be back there, eerie to see Kayleigh lying so flat and still across the altar, her hands folded neatly over her chest, a towel draped over her face to hide her massive head wound.\u00a0 The flickering candlelight did nothing to help the atmosphere.\u00a0 Brian felt jumpy, imagining zombies lurking in every shadow.<\/p>\n

No one spoke much.\u00a0 He heard mostly sniffles.\u00a0 Jo was distraught, weeping into a handkerchief someone \u2013 Howie? \u2013 had offered her.\u00a0 Gabby sat at her side, her mother\u2019s hand in her lap, her face dry and stoic.\u00a0 She stared straight ahead, not crying, barely blinking.\u00a0 Her expression seemed wooden.\u00a0 It intrigued Brian to watch the totally opposite ways in which they dealt with grief, the reversal of roles between mother and daughter.\u00a0 Gabby was the composed one, silently comforting her mother, rather than the other way around.<\/p>\n

Beside them on the pew, Howie and AJ formed a similar pair.\u00a0 Howie, who had been closer to Kayleigh than anyone else, didn\u2019t bother to hide his tears, while AJ\u2019s face was impassive behind his dark sunglasses.\u00a0 Brian suspected his eyes were red underneath.<\/p>\n

Gretchen sat at his side, tears pouring silently down her cheeks.\u00a0 On her other side were Nick and Riley, their hands tightly entwined.\u00a0 And then there was Kevin, his face a hardened mask of grief and guilt.\u00a0 \u201cWe should never have made her go,\u201d Brian had heard him say, before they\u2019d left for the chapel.\u00a0 \u201cShe didn\u2019t know what she was doing.\u00a0 From now on, AJ and I will take turns doing guard duty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about me?\u201d Riley had spoken up, sounding almost offended.\u00a0 \u201cI can shoot!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo can I,\u201d Nick had added, still eager to be considered useful.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ll still take our turns.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStop,\u201d said Howie flatly.\u00a0 \u201cStop arguing about it; this isn\u2019t the time.\u00a0 We don\u2019t have to decide now.\u00a0 We should be thinking about Kayleigh.\u201d<\/p>\n

And they\u2019d thought about Kayleigh.\u00a0 For hours, they\u2019d thought of nothing but her.\u00a0 But decisions had to be made.<\/p>\n

Kevin\u2019s voice cut through the heavy silence.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to decide what to do with her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian could always count on his cousin to take the lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe deserves a proper funeral,\u201d Howie jumped in quickly, almost defensively, as though he thought they were just going to dig a big hole in the ground, dump her body in, and be done with it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Kevin agreed.\u00a0 \u201cAnd she\u2019ll have one.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Then he turned and looked at Brian, his eyes boring into his cousin\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Brian swallowed hard, steeling himself.\u00a0 Then he nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI used to be a minister,\u201d he spoke up, his voice hoarse and ragged.\u00a0 \u201cI can officiate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Heads snapped in his direction.\u00a0 Gretchen was the only one who did not look at him in surprise.\u00a0 She just smiled, and silently patted his hand.<\/p>\n

Kevin nodded.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0 His lips twitched in a brief smile, meant only for Brian\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cAnd afterwards?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think we should bury her,\u201d said Howie.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t want those things<\/i> digging her up\u2026\u201d\u00a0 He shuddered.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re probably not interested in dead bodies.\u201d\u00a0 Nick shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cOtherwise, wouldn\u2019t they have started eating each other by now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll cremate her then,\u201d said AJ, with a tone of finality.\u00a0 \u201cWe can build her a big, wooden funeral pyre, like they did in ancient Roman times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian saw Jo shudder, but no one protested.\u00a0 It seemed no one else wanted to think about it.<\/p>\n

Kevin gave a nod of approval.\u00a0 \u201cThe men will build the pyre tomorrow,\u201d he decided.\u00a0 \u201cThe women can get the chapel ready for the funeral.\u00a0 We\u2019ll have it tomorrow evening.\u201d\u00a0 When, again, no one spoke, he added, \u201cWe should think about heading back.\u00a0 It\u2019s late, and we have a long day ahead of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

But no one moved to get up.\u00a0 Finally, Howie said, \u201cI\u2019m not leaving her here alone.\u00a0 What if they come back?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI told you, man, they\u2019re probably not interested in dead-\u201d\u00a0 Nick stopped abruptly when he saw the look on Howie\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe one or two of us should stay,\u201d Kevin agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will,\u201d AJ volunteered at once.\u00a0 \u201cD and I.\u201d\u00a0 Beside him, Howie nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay.\u00a0 You two have your weapons?\u201d\u00a0 They each held up a gun.\u00a0 \u201cGood.\u00a0 Be careful.\u00a0 We\u2019re not as safe here as we thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian knew it killed Kevin to admit that.\u00a0 After the incident on the beach, they should have known something like this could happen, but they had completely overlooked the fact that one side of the base was protected only by water, and that zombies could apparently cross bodies of water with no problem.\u00a0 It was only a matter of time before they made it across TampaBay.<\/p>\n

The base had been compromised, and Brian knew Kevin wouldn\u2019t rest until they had done something about it.\u00a0 But they had to lay Kayleigh to rest first.\u00a0 \u201cAt least she\u2019s safe now,\u201d Brian said to Gretchen, on the drive back to their house.\u00a0 \u201cAt least she\u2019s no longer afraid, or in danger, or in pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gretchen nodded.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s home now,\u201d she added.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s back with her family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian smiled sadly.\u00a0 For an instant, he was almost envious, imagining Kayleigh being welcomed home by Jesus, her family and her Bradley Lee waiting to greet her with open arms inside the gates of Heaven.\u00a0 One day, he would see his own loved ones there.\u00a0 His two little girls would run to meet him, their arms outstretched, ready to throw around his neck as he scooped them up.\u00a0 Leighanne would be there, too, more beautiful in Heaven than she was even on Earth, a true angel, instead of a monster.<\/p>\n

He swallowed hard.\u00a0 \u201cYou really believe there\u2019s a Heaven?\u201d he asked Gretchen.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t hesitate.\u00a0 \u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a moment, Brian nodded.\u00a0 \u201cSo do I.\u201d<\/p>\n

He had to believe.\u00a0 Faith was the light at the end of the tunnel, the only thing that could guide him through this dark, dark night.<\/p>\n

As Gretchen drove, Brian thought about what he might say at Kayleigh\u2019s funeral the next day, what readings he might do.\u00a0 He would stay up late, preparing, before he set out to help build the pyre in the morning.\u00a0 He had thought ahead and grabbed something on his way out of the chapel to help guide his thoughts.<\/p>\n

In his lap, he held a Bible.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

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Chapter 70 O LORD, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You. Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry. For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draws … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":70,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"onecolumn-page.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/286"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":287,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/286\/revisions\/287"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}