Page 8 of Once Upon an Apocalypse

How long does Sarah have? Minutes? Hours? And if she turns, will she know who I am? I don’t say any of this because I don’t want her to die in fear. If death is what happens when you turn into one of those things.

Instead, I say, “I love you. No matter what happens tonight. I love you. You will always be my best friend.”

“I love you too, Lori. But why are you being so sentimental?”

“Because you are going to die, Sarah.” I guess Jonah didn’t share the same thoughts I had, intending to keep Sarah calm.

“What the hell, Jonah!” I scream at him.

“You know,” he says simply, stealing a glance at my horror-stricken face. “You saw.”

“Yes. But we don’t know what they are. We don’t know what happened to them.”

“Saw what?” Sarah asks. Before I can respond, Sarah’s head collapses to her chest in a groan. “What…what…is happ–”

Another groan of pain escapes her throat and I want nothing more than to climb in the back seat and hold her. But if I do, I’m as good as dead. Sirens wail as we speed down Route 10, flashing lights following behind us.

“Fuck!” Jonah screams at the top of his lungs but slows down, pulling the car over to the shoulder. “Sarah, I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“It’s okay, Jonah. It doesn’t…hurt too much. I…you guys…I love you.” Sarah seizes, her head rolling to the side. A moment later, I can hear her life’s breath escape her. Tears run freely down my cheeks, splashing on the chiffon of my gown. My own breath keeps getting caught in my throat as I attempt to breathe, a panic attack forming in my chest.

“License and registration, please.” The cop sounds like he’s miles away. Everything around me is submerged in water. I can’t breathe. Then Jonah’s hand is on my knee, giving it a gentle squeeze, a reminder to swim up to the surface. I pull myself out of the abyss to see Jonah pulling out an envelope from the glove compartment. After handing the documents to the cop, Jonah takes my hand in his.

“Do you have any idea how fast you were driving, Mr. uhhhh Rosenberg?” the cop asks as he glances at Jonah’s driver’s license.

“I apologize, officer,” Jonah says, the calmness in his voice making way for the deep panic inside him. “We are just coming from our prom, which was attacked by…by. I’m not exactly sure what happened, sir. My sister is hurt. I’m afraid.”

The officer points his flashlight at me in question, examining my features for injury. “She looks fine to me.”

“That’s my girlfriend. My sister is in the back. I think she’s…” The quiver in Jonah’s voice pierces my heart. Dead. Sarah is dead. And yet, I can hear moaning coming from the backseat. My hand shoots out of Jonah’s, ready for action. I stop breathing again, but not in panic this time. Fear? Yes. My heart is pumping so fast it must think we are running a marathon.

As the officer aims his flashlight at the back seat, the moans turn into an animalistic growl. I shouldn’t look. I don’t want to look. I do not want this version of Sarah to be the last time I see her. I will not look. Don’t look. Don’t look. Do not look. I close my eyes, not trusting myself.

I keep them closed as I hear the back door open.

I keep them closed as the officer yells, “What the hell is wrong with her?”

I keep them closed at the sounds of a rabid animal latching onto its prey.

I keep them closed as I feel the car plummet forward.

I keep them closed when all I hear is the sound of the car’s engine and the crashing of my beating heart.

“Open your eyes, Lori,” Jonah whispers, pressing his lips against my cheek.

But I can’t open my eyes. I do not want to see this new world.

Chapter 5

“Please,Lori.Openyoureyes.” The desperation in Jonah’s voice pries my eyes wide open. When I can finally see in the dim light, it is Jonah’s beautiful face before mine. “We are home, Lori. Safe. For now. But we need to get inside.”

As I look around, I recognize the familiar forms of home. But is this still home? The world has ended. Literal zombies have taken over. Home doesn’t exist anymore. We are stuck in a horror movie now.

“Lori. We need to get inside.”

I nod my head, trying my best to keep the fear at bay because I’m terrified of leaving this car. Jonah contorts his body to slide the stanchion onto his lap, bracing it in front of himself like a shield as he opens the driver’s side door. Nothing happens. It seems to be quiet. No zombies lurking in the dark corners of our shared driveway at least.

Jonah marches over to my side of the car with careful steps, like he’s one of the characters he plays in those shooter video games. With his back to the car, he opens the passenger door with one hand while the other keeps a tight grasp on his weapon. I slide out quickly and close the door as silently as I can. Jonah motions me in front of him to take the lead to my house.

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