-8-

What would have taken me half an hour in travel was taking days. Our trip to the EAC was constantly detoured. Before daybreak we had stopped to replenish supplies and scout out somewhere to stay for the day. The night after Mack and Benny had joined us we had confronted another group of norms; but they would have nothing to do with anyone. After that it was decided to wait for others to approach us.

The day after Mack and Benny joined provided more nightmares for all of us. Simon was finally confronted by the lady and he was more on edge than before. Mickey insisted that the lady didn't scare him as bad but I knew the little trouper was trying to impress the men in our group.

Mack revealed that the lady hadn't spoken to him at all; only motioned for him to follow her along Blue Ridge Road. Benny dreamed of a stage where some people were being displayed. He said they were damned and being given their final judgment.

Once again I had found myself wandering the blood filled halls of the EAC. The lights had been dimmed and in that dream I had tripped over my brother's head. I had woken in tears and unable to breath. Lucky for me, I was alone with Mickey who was more concerned over his own dream to worry about the state I was in.

I had always been a solitary creature. I preferred that my problems remain my problems.

The late hours of that day I distracted myself by listening to the men exchange stories of their dreams. All in all I was doing fine until two details grabbed my attention.

When Mack mentioned that he was traveling up Blue Ridge Road in his dream, I stopped breathing. The EAC was on Blue Ridge Road and by his description the lady was leading him toward it. I steadied myself from that blow by reminding myself that we all were headed for the EAC and we all knew it was on that road. Mack had merely integrated it into his dream. It was natural to do that. We all placed familiar things in our dreams and it was only a coincidence.

As the conversation waged on, it got around to Benny. His recount was by far the most disturbing; but would have been second if I hadn't insisted I had nothing to share.

"I just stood among a crowd. Most of 'em around me were norms but there were some of them zappies, as Helen says, lingering around. There was this voice in my head and when I looked up I saw that lady."

"Did she look the same as before?" Mack smacked his lips a bit, readjusting his teeth.

Benny shook his head. "Nope. I got a better look since-in it was lighted. She has blonde hair cut short in one of those boy styles. She weren't good for wear neither. Her arms were all caked with dried blood and I'm sure she would have been a looker if not for all that blood and that hair cut of hers."

Simon looked my way and winked. "Good thing you keep your hair long. I'm not sure we would have such interesting company otherwise."

I knew he was trying to make light of the whole thing; but I couldn't help but to feel the urge to cut my hair. Not that it would have been a bad thing. I always kept it long but after sweating on our walks and no way to shower it made me feel dirty. One of my pet peeves is for my hair to go too long without a good shampoo.

Instead of responding verbally I gave Simon the best smile I could and turned my attention back to Benny. I had a question I didn't want to ask, but somehow was propelled to. "You said you were in front of a stage?"

Benny nodded. "Sure was. On it were four people; two boys and two girls. They were the damned."

A small streak of anger flooded me. I quickly depressed it and held still. He called the people on the stage damned, but in his dream he was standing with the zappies. If anyone was damned I would think it would be the infected ones.

"I got a good look at 'em. That lady told us to remember 'em and to stay away from 'em."

"Whad day look like?" Mickey sat forward very uncharacteristically. He wasn't one for stories unless it involved nicely illustrated pictures. His sudden change in interest sent a chill up my spine; but I didn't move to stop him. For some reason, I wanted to know the same thing.

"They were all norms, I know that much. One of the girls was a teenager. She were a black girl and scared beyond anything I'd ever seen. Beside her was another teenage girl only this one were white. The white girl was talking to the black one, tryin' to calm her down. As for giving a better description…the black girl had orange in her hair and it were wavy and long. The white girl was a red head and both of 'em had brown eyes. They were normal lookin' alright.

"The two boys were older; probably in their twenties. One had black hair, quite messy and too long for a boy. He had earrings and a tattoo on his neck of some squiggly lines. The other one had his hair nearly shaved off making his small bread and mustache stand out. That one was topless and I saw more of 'em tattoos on his arms. What is it with boys now-a-days and disfiguring their bodies?"

I sat on edge immediately. "Tell me, please, the guy with the long hair…did he have blue eyes and was he dressed in black?"

Benny squinted his eyes at me. "Yup. Did you…"

I cut him off quickly, reaching to the paper and pencil I had given Mickey earlier. I quickly sketched the Chinese symbol for happiness and presented it to him. "Was this what his tattoo looked like?"

He nodded and was about to speak when I cut him off again. "And the other one…he had brown eyes and on one arm his tattoo was a dragon-skeleton thing and the other arm was this serpent. Both tattoos were gray and uncolored?"

"You had the dream too, didn't ya?"

I shook my head at Benny's question. "No, I didn't. It's just that…"

I couldn't finish. He had just described my brother and his friend Kirk. I didn't want to admit that someone who had never met them could describe them with such detail.

Without another word I stood and crossed the room. Fumbling through my bag I retrieved the aspirin and swallowed two down without water. I nearly chocked but my head was pounding and I was desperate.

Cherokee had padded to my side and looked up at me with longing eyes. I patted her head before looking up. Every face was turned my way. Everyone wanted an explanation but no one was willing to ask. So I volunteered as much as I dared.

"I know a couple of guys like the ones in your dream, Benny. I refuse to believe they are the same guys I know, seein' I haven't had the same dreams as the rest of you."

I didn't want to add the small fact that I knew them on a deeper level. Benny was convinced they were 'damned' and I wasn't sure what trouble it would cause to mention that one of them was my brother.

Disturbingly I found myself leaning more toward the fact that these dreams were more. Too many coincidences…too many things that they had all shared. My wondering mind had to ponder that if there was more to these dreams, why was I the only one not sharing in them?

Sure, I dreamed everyday of my brother and Benny had just dreamed of him. Sure, Mack was traveling up Blue Ridge Road and the EAC in my dreams was on that road. But I had yet to meet the lady.

"Helen, maybe you should share with us exactly what it is you dream about."

Simon's eyes were soft and pleading. I swallowed hard, biting my lower lip hard. Feeling selfish I didn't want to tell any of them. I had to make it to the EAC and if they believed these dreams to be omens, then they might not go if I told them of the blood and gore.

Then again, I knew it was only right to tell them. I had to let them decide for themselves. So I told them; being careful to leave out the detail about my brother's head.

I wasn't sure what to expect so when silence sent a thick blanket over us I simply sat down and waited. We were only an hour away from dusk and the sun was sending in soft orange hues through the drapes. The house we had chosen was small but comfortable. I quickly found my mind pondering the fate of the occupants again when Mack finally spoke.

"'bout time we get our things together and head out."

"You're still coming?" I asked before I could think.

"Yup," Benny chimed in. "Got to see fer ourselves. Nothing else to do any how. Not like a couple of old men like us can fight a group of zombie creatures."

"Our zombie fightin' days are over," Mack smiled as he followed Benny to the back bed rooms where they had stashed their supplies.

Simon edged closer. "There's more, isn't there?"

"Yeah," I admitted as guilt flooded me. "I'm just not ready to talk about it. That's all."

Simon straightened up moved toward the door where his pack was. "I'm thinking we should reach the EAC tonight. We'll find out what's going on then."

"I hope so." I stood and checked my own bag. I dreaded the anticipation I felt. I wanted to be at the EAC already but I was scared to death of what I would find.

-9-

As we walked we exchanged stories not pertaining to dreams. Mack and Benny were neighbors and close friends. Both were widowed and retired. Since either had any living family and were from the older generation cell phones had been unnecessary to them. Benny was one to look down on technology, considering most of it the work of a lazy generation. Mack was more tolerable making fun of missing the TV shows he watched.

When we were within a ten minute walk from the EAC we met trouble. There was just enough moon-light to alert us before it was too late.

A couple of guys, late teens, stood blocking our path. The limited light glistened off their ripe eyes; casting a haunting expression across both faces. Goon number one was bald and had a very dark complexion. His buddy, who I quickly deemed Goon two, had a fair complexion and very unkempt short hair.

What frightened me more than anything I had witnessed before was the fact that both of them were norms.

"Yeah, yo!" Goon two half shouted. "What we got here?"

Goon one laughed. "Looks like Dorothy. I see the lion, scarecrow, tin man…hell, there's even a Toto! But didn't you know that the munchkins stayed behind?"

I gritted my teeth at his sneers. My heart pounded ruthlessly but I couldn't ignore the hidden threat just issued to my child. It would seem that Simon couldn't either. He moved in front of me; shielding Mickey at the same time.

Almost too low to hear, Cherokee stood alert at my side growling.

Mack stepped forward with his hands in the air. "Aint no need to fight. Let's just handle this like men."

"Well, brother," Goon two smirked, "I gots my manhood right here!"

Leaning over Simon's shoulder I had no trouble seeing the gun. The night shaded a lot, but the pistol was picture clear. Instinctively I pulled Mickey close to my left side as I reached for the butt of my own gun.

"Then Moses said, "You have been set apart to the LORD today, for you were against your own sons and brothers, and he has blessed you this day."'

Before Benny's word could register in my head four things happened in short sequence. Cherokee leapt for Goon two; quickly biting the hand closer to her which was empty, Benny pulled out his shot gun and blew a hole into Goon one's chest, Goon two shot Cherokee in the head and then Goon two was shot down.

I stood horrified for a brief second before dropping to my knees. Trembling all over, I held Mickey close. He didn't struggle as I pushed his head to face away. He mumbled softly, on the edge of tears, calling the name of his much loved pet.

The gun, still smoking, fell with a loud clank from my hand. My dog, my daughter, didn't stir. I stared long and hard wishing for any sign of life. But there was none for there was nothing for her to give me. She had died protecting her family and I had killed the boy in return.

Revenge, no matter how soon, is a sickening satisfaction.

Swallowing hard I kept myself from being sick. Part of me cried tears over taking another's life while the other part reminded me that he got what he deserved. My dog, who would have lived for many years to come, would never comfort me again. A piece of my heart died permanently in that instant.

The next few minutes were a haze. Simon had lifted Mickey up and was cradling him. He had already begun the story of how all brave dogs go to Doggy Heaven and that Cherokee had been the bravest of them all. He reminded the small boy in his arms that he should be brave too just like Cherokee.

Benny had ventured over to double check the fresh corpses. Mack held a sturdy hand around my arm as he helped me to stand.

"Looks like we can't trust anyone anymore." My voice was weak but it carried through the deserted street.

"No, Helen. We can't just give up hope like that. Where's that optimist…that sarcastic optimist? I know she's still there somewhere."

As I looked into the earnest eyes of Simon I allowed a few silent tears to fall. I nodded, knowing he was right. Without hope we had no chance at survival.

We took the time to pull the bodies out of the road. The two boys were piled up on the shoulder without much care. I couldn't stand to look at the damage done to Cherokee so Simon and Benny gently took care of her. They treated her as they would have a person. She was carefully set in the shallows of a ditch. Dried pine straw was brushed over her. We knew there wasn't time for a proper burial but it was better than just leaving her out in the open.

Dogs might not think as we do, but they do love. This I know for sure. Her love for us caused her to set aside the most basic of instincts. She chose us over survival and she was a hero for it.

Once things were set we treaded forward with sunrise on our heels. The EAC was in view but I was too mentally exhausted to feel anything but indifference. Mickey had fallen asleep in his stroller hugging the leash Cherokee had once used. I felt guilt for I was the one who released her from it. I had been scared something would happen and she would be unable to escape. Instead it killed her.

Keeping her in my memories as a Hero I pressed on. With each step the EAC came closer and I hoped for answers.