All Together Now: A Zombie Story (16 page)

"Amen, Brother Ricky. Amen." He turned back to Peter Davis. "Are there more supplies in the van?"

Five other men whose names I was told and have since forgotten joined us. All five were wearing purple T-shirts with white crosses identical to the ones the Davis family was wearing

The reverend led the group out of the church and across the parking lot.

Just as we reached the van, a dead man in a purple T-shirt rounded the corner of the church. His wild blond hair reached down to his shoulders and his right eye dangled from its socket, resting against his cheek.

He raised his hands, which were missing several fingers, and snarled.

64

"DON'T MIND BROTHER MORDECAI," THE reverend said, taking a load of supplies from the van. "He means well."

The zombie growled and started across the parking lot, gravel grinding beneath his boots. Then the rocks beneath him shifted and he fell.

Even so, he never stopped clocking us with his hungry white eyes, never stopped snarling.

"Brother Mordecai is adjusting to his new life," the reverend said to the group. "This is his second childhood, and he's learning to walk again. But sweet Jesus holds his hand all the way, every hour, every day."

This was followed by a round of "Amen's."

I grabbed more sacks from the back of the van.

"I think he's upset because we got Sister Rachel inside, Reverend," said one of the men.

"You may be right at that," the reverend said.

"Fear not, Brother Mordecai," he called to the dead man struggling to stand and sliding back in the gravel, "you shall be reunited with your wife soon enough.

“And we'll all sit together at the great table of our Father for a feast in His palace on golden plates. Hamburgers, pizza, fried chicken, and mashed potatoes if you like. Whatever you've got a hankering for."

After a chorus of amen's, we took the last of the supplies from the van into the church. Michelle watched the dead man a moment, but no one else seemed concerned.

Inside the sanctuary, women were setting up lanterns. Beneath the lanterns were people stretched under blankets and sleeping bags.

I wasn't tired, of course, because I'd slept for two days.

Michelle looked sleepy, and Chuck was yawning in the exaggerated way he always had, shaking his head side to side to get it all out. Chuck's yawns were adorable and almost never went unnoticed by adults.

"Looks like this little lamb's ready to be put to pasture," the reverend said, tousling Chuck's hair. "I think we're going to have to save formal introductions for tomorrow. Brother Ricky, you and yours are welcome to stay with us, from here to the great unknown, if the Spirit so moves you."

"Thank you," I said, thinking we'd be staying the night only.

The reverend stared at me, as though expecting me to talk about what a miracle he and his church were for taking us in or how he was the answer to our prayers. When I didn't say any such thing, he frowned and waved Levi's mother over.

"Sister Ruth, will you show God's children a place to lay their weary heads?"

"Yes, Reverend."

Mrs. Davis led us into the sanctuary.

At the front of the room was a podium on a raised platform in front of an enormous white cross and beneath it a baptismal pool. Surrounding the stage were four rows of pews stretching to the back of the auditorium.

People lay in the aisles and between the pews. Not all of them were asleep, but everyone was quiet.

"It's a sleepover," Chuck said.

Mrs. Davis pressed a finger against her lips and nose. "We're out of blankets," she whispered. "But you can lie down wherever you find space. Anywhere except there."

She pointed to the stage. Behind the podium, three women and two men were on their knees, heads bowed and eyes shut.

All lines of communication were down except for prayers to the invisible man in the sky.

Beside the prayer circle were two giant cooler dispensers of Kool-Aid and plastic cups. No one said anything when I helped myself.

There was an area of clear floor at the back of the sanctuary. Michelle and Chuck lay down and I sat beside them. Chuck scooted over and put his head in my lap, using my leg as a pillow.

I wasn't the least bit tired, and I wasn't about to fall asleep until I knew more about these people, but Chuck was out within minutes.

Michelle reached into the back of her jeans and pulled out the gun we'd taken from the house. "Will you hang onto this?"

"Sure."

"Keep it hidden. I don't want people to know we have it until we know everyone."

I shrugged. "They haven't said anything about my bat."

"Keep it hidden."

"You don't trust this place?"

Michelle gave a half smile. "If a
dark sister
can't trust church folk, who can she trust?"

65

MICHELLE SLEPT BESIDE ME. MOST of the sanctuary was sleeping, save for the prayer circle at the front, which had grown to seven people.

I had to pee, so as gently as I could I slid Chuck's head off my lap and onto the carpet. I got to my feet and crept between the pews and sleeping congregation to the exit.

Lanterns had been set up around the sanctuary so I could see well enough until I got to the hallway, which was pitch-black. Beside the door resting on a folding chair was a flashlight.

I searched the doors in the hall until I came to one with a placard on it reading "Men's." I did my business and washed my hands, then used a handful of water from the sink to swallow a hydrocodone.

I was hungry.

I knew where all the supplies I'd helped carry in were, of course, but I didn't want to help myself to them without permission.

The New Life Christians might not mind me borrowing a flashlight to go to the bathroom, but they probably wouldn't take kindly to discovering me eating their food.

I went back into the hall and decided to find someone awake I could ask for grub. Light was coming out from one of the doors near the front lobby.

As I got closer, I heard the voice of the reverend inside, and another sound I couldn't place at first.

"Heavenly Father, I ask that You show Sister Rachel the way. Be with her, Lord, and comfort her as You comforted Jonah in the belly of the great fish.

"Be with her as You were with Noah when the waters rose and You kept him and two of all Your magnificent creatures afloat their many months at sea.

"And as You were with Father Abraham when You commanded him to sacrifice his baby boy, Isaac.

"Yes, Lord. Hold Sister Rachel to Your bosom and do not let her wander astray in Satan's traps. Guide her path always. May her steps be as You would have them. May her thoughts be as You would have them. Take her from this imperfect, mortal coil, and remold her in Your Holy image."

When I worked up the courage to peer in though the office door, I gasped.

The reverend looked up at me.

He was on his knees in front of a chair grasping the hand of a dead woman in a purple shirt.

She snarled, but her head didn't move and I saw why. It was strapped to the chair with a leather belt.

Ropes stretched across her chest, binding her to the chair. She jerked against them, but they held.

"Sorry," I said.

The reverend grinned, flashing his all-white teeth. "Not at all. Brother Ricky, this is Sister Rachel. Sister Rachel, this is Brother Ricky."

I didn't say anything.
Nice to meet you
didn't seem appropriate.

"Don't let Sister Rachel upset you, Brother Ricky. She's agitated is all. You have to remember all this is as new to her as it is to us."

The reverend stood. "We were just praying. Would you like to pray with us?"

I shook my head.

The reverend sighed. "Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."

The reverend's blue eyes were too wide, reminding me of the way the Tony Sty's manager had looked when he approached the zombie in the police uniform.

"I prayed for God to guide Sister Rachel, but you know what I think, Brother Ricky? I think Sister Rachel is showing us the way. I think God the Father is working through Sister Rachel to show us how we're supposed to live.

"It's a time of great tribulation, Brother Ricky, and there are many who will be led astray. And wicked men will rise up and Satan will establish his dominion here on earth."

I stepped back as the reverend reached for me, but he put his hands on my shoulders anyway and held me there.

"But do not be afraid, Brother Ricky. Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we shall fear no evil for He is with us!"

The reverend was shouting and his arms squeezed into my shoulders so tightly it hurt.

"Please let go of me."

"God is here with us, right now. This is His house and He will not forsake us!"

The reverend released my shoulders and stepped away. "The hour grows nigh, but has not yet come. Lord Jesus will return, descending from the heavens and every knee shall bow, every tongue confess. And He shall triumph o'er the grave!"

"Okay."

"Excuse me, Brother Ricky." The reverend stared off at nothing, the way Grandma Lacey does during a senior moment.

"There are preparations to be made." He nodded his head six times, as though agreeing with some unseen figure. "I have much yet to do this night."

With that, the reverend disappeared into his office with Sister Rachel and closed the door, leaving me in the darkness of the hall.

"We are getting the hell out of here," I whispered to no one.

66

I WENT BACK TO THE sanctuary, returning the flashlight from where I'd taken it. I weaved between the people sleeping to the back of the room.

"Wake up," I whispered, shaking Michelle's shoulder.

Michelle flew into a sitting position and reached to her back for the gun that was tucked beneath my shirt.

She looked at me, then the rest of the sanctuary and heard the combined snoring of the congregants. "What's wrong?"

"We have to leave," I said.

"Why?"

"Because we do. Just trust me."

"Ricky, it's the middle of the night. You want to go outside in the dark again with Brother Mordecai and all the rest of them roaming around?"

"I..." I didn't say anything else. I hadn't thought of that.

"What's wrong?"

"The reverend's crazy."

"I know."

"No," I said. "He was talking crazy."

Michelle scoffed. "He's been talking crazy all night."

"No, not just religious crazy,
crazy
crazy."

"What's he doing?"

"Praying."

Michelle rolled her eyes. "Surprise. Is he dangerous?"

I considered.
Yes
, was what I wanted to say. But I didn't.

The reverend was crazy, but he was in his office with his zombie girlfriend. He wasn't hurting anyone at the moment.

I thought of our run to Wal-Mart and of how the dead would've eventually cornered us if it hadn't been for Levi and his parents.

Was staying in this church, even with the reverend and Sister Rachel (who was, after all, tied up) really worse than being outside in the dark?

"We'll leave in the morning," I said. "As soon as there's enough light to see."

"Ricky, are we in danger?"

"No." Of course, I hadn't told her about Sister Rachel. If I had, things might've gone differently. I wish I'd told her.

"Then I'm going back to sleep," Michelle said. "If you still want to go in the morning, we'll leave when the sun's up."

"All right."

Michelle lay beside Chuck and went back to sleep.

I couldn't sleep. I thought about the reverend's words. Not the crazy ones, but what he'd said about peace being forfeited and needless pain because of things not being carried to God in prayer.

I went to the front of the sanctuary and climbed up onto the platform beside the podium. I got down on my knees and bowed my head.

If you've never done anything dumb, screw you because you're a liar. And I was in a church, for Christ's sake.

I'm not going to tell you everything I prayed for. That's between me and Gaw-ed. But mostly I prayed for the souls of Dad and Ben and all those lost at Harrington High School.

I apologized for a lot of bad stuff I'd done (none of your business) and asked Gaw-ed to create a safe path for Chuck, Michelle, and me.

Considering what happened mere hours later, if there is a Gaw-ed, when I get to heaven, I'm going to punch Him in the face.

But more likely, my prayers were babbled to no one and the time I spent making a fool of myself would've been better spent dragging Michelle and Chuck into the night to find a different place to stay.

When my prayers started to repeat themselves, I stopped. With all the death and suffering going on in the world, I couldn't see taking up too much of the Almighty's time.

I turned to see Levi sitting in a front pew. He didn't say anything, but I knew he'd been watching me pray and the expression he wore was a scowl of disdain.

My head hurt from being bowed for an hour, so I went to the bathroom and took another hydrocodone.

On my way back, I noticed the light at the end of the hall was still pouring out from under the reverend's office door. I could hear the faint sounds of him praying and the snarling moans of Sister Rachel.

67

I'D SLEPT MAYBE HALF AN hour when Michelle shook me awake. "Is the sun up?"

"No," Michelle said. "Breakfast."

"Morning, Ricky!"

"Good morning, Chuck," I said, sitting up.

He smiled wide. "We're having bacon and pancakes! With blueberries!"

Around me, people were gathering up their blankets from the sanctuary floor. All of them were wearing royal purple T-shirts with white crosses on the fronts.

"I think we're dressed wrong," I said, putting a hand to my head. It hurt worse than it had the night before, despite the painkillers.