Free Catholic Guilt and the Joy of Hating Men by Regan Wolfrom Page B

pushing, arriving first at the stable door. She leaned over and pulled it open, still straddling her horse. She moved on to the stable beside it, as Julia’s horse was catching up.
    “That’s good, Cadance,” I said. “Now ride up the aisle.”
    She took her horse into the stable, slowing down to a trot.
    Julia’s horse hesitated, but eventually followed.
    I waited for Tiara and sayra.
    The zombies had caught up to them.
    “Keep going,” I called out. “You can make it.”
    Tiara swung her right leg over and threw herself off the horse.
    The macoutes swarmed her. Her horse broke free with sayra on its back, trotting toward the stable.
    Tiara didn’t get back up. She was screaming.
    I knew sayra would make it inside. I had to see if I could save Tiara.
    I couldn’t see what was happening to her; I took a few steps forward. She was crying, shrieking... and then it stopped.
    I saw it; the macoutes were feeding on her.
    I slowly started back toward the stable door, hoping they wouldn’t notice me.
    But one of them was watching me. Then another.
    I turned to run.
    I reached the door and started to pull.
    I felt a hand grab my shoulder.
    One of the macoutes threw me to the ground. More of them surrounded me.
    They had me pinned, but not one had bitten me.
    A macoute stuck his face against my neck and sniffed.
    “Just do it,” I said. “Just fucking eat me.”
    But they didn’t.
    They slowly climbed off of me. They still surrounded me, but as I pushed past them toward the stable they didn’t try to stop me.
    I finished opening the door and walked inside, closing it behind me. The macoutes did not follow.

    Cadance led us into the hallway to the front door. We found the shotgun lying on the concrete floor. There was no sign of Pouchon.
    “Where’s Tiara?” Cadance asked as she swiped her keycard.
    “She didn’t make it,” I said.
    She nodded. “Just like Rarity. But you made it, somehow.”
    “I don’t know why, Cadance. They let me go.”
    “Maybe they just hate my family so much they wanted to see you make it out of here.”
    She pushed open the door and stepped outside.
    The three of us followed behind, Julia clutching onto my shoulder.
    I didn’t notice that Kathleen was out there waiting for us. Kathleen and the man with the assault rifle. And Gary, too, still looking a little dazed. And another guy, with yet another assault rifle.
    “It feels like you cheated,” Kathleen said.
    “Where’s Mike?” I asked.
    “He’s dead, thanks.”
    “We’re not going back in there,” I said. “You might as well just shoot us.”
    “She doesn’t speak for all of us,” Cadance said. “I don’t want you to shoot me.”
    “No one needs to be shot,” Kathleen said. “The test was a success.”
    “But they made it out,” Gary said. “How is that a success?”
    “Shut up. Tell me, girls... did you feel terrorized?”
    “Uh, yeah,” Cadance said.
    “And the macoutes did eat your sister...”
    “Both her sisters,” Gary said.
    “Again, Gary. Shut up.” She looked over to me. “Tell me, Amanda, do you feel that these zombies would be effective as an instrument of terror?”
    “Yes,” I said. “Your parents would be so proud of you.”
    “Good. Then there’s no need to feed more of you to the macoutes . Why that’s a waste of good breeding stock.” She turned to Gary. “Restrain them.”
    “With what?” he asked.
    “With the plasticuffs... in your jacket pocket... remember?”
    Gary bound our wrists behind our backs, starting with me.
    “So what are you going to do with me?” Cadance asked. “Are you going to let me go?”
    “Do you have problems listening?” Kathleen said. “We’re going to drug you up, like the other girls.”
    “Oh... I thought you were talking about the other three.”
    “Amanda’s immune. Isn’t that what Gary told you? So it would be pretty hard to turn her into a zombie if she can’t be turned into a zombie. You following me so far?”
    “So what are