Free Then Came War by Jacqueline Druga

eerie to Lana. As she turned to leave the kitchen to go upstairs to search the bedrooms, she saw Lisa’s cell phone.
    The alerts on the screen stated that she had four missed calls and three text messages.
    “Read the texts,” Ben said. “Maybe they’ll tell us something.”
    Lana lifted the phone, “They’re all from her friend Beth.” She read them aloud:
    “First text – Ray is sick, so is Lynnie. How are you guys?
    Second Text – can you get back to me to let me know you’re fine. You aren’t answering.
    Third text – Everyone is sick, I swear I’m the only one who isn’t.
    Fourth text – Ray just died.
     
    The phone toppled from Lana’s hand and without hesitation she flew from the kitchen up the stairs, calling for her Mom the entire way.
    She was scared to open the first bedroom door, her Mother’s. The house oozed silence and Lana stopped as she reached for the door.
    “I can’t.” She turned to Ben. “I can’t.”
    Ben nodded. “I understand. Do you want me to?”
    “Yes.” Arms folded tightly to her body, Lana backed away from the door.
    Ben knocked once and then entered.
     
    A foot into the room, Ben’s hand shot to his mouth and he closed the door behind him.
    Margaret was in the bed, covered completely to her neck. She lay on her side, a box of tissue on the nightstand along with cold medicine.
    Her hand hung from the edge and tissues were gripped in her fingers.
    “Margaret,” Ben whispered. But he knew he wasn’t going to get a response, not by the smell and especially not by the looks of Margaret.
    Her eyes were open and grey, her skin was bloated and blotchy with purple spots and a thick substance encrusted around her mouth and nose. Ben grabbed the covers and lifted them over Margaret’s head.
     
    Out in the hall, Lana waited.
    It didn’t take long for Ben to emerge with a solemn, “I’m sorry.”
    Lana crumbled and with a sob folded herself into Ben’s arms.
    “It was a cold or virus or something.” Ben held on to her.
    “Should we check Lisa?”
    “I will,” Ben said. “Stay here.”
    Lana nodded and Ben slipped away to Lisa’s room.
    It was more of the same and that was all Ben had told Lana. He didn’t get into details or explained how decimated the bodies were from the illness. He just said it was an illness and they had to move on.
    Before they did, Lana grabbed Lisa’s phone. Beth’s last text had come only three hours earlier so Lana tried to call her back.
    Beth didn’t answer.
    She sent a text to Beth, stating that Lisa had died and left her number, asking Beth to please get in touch with her when she could.
    At least if Beth was still alive, she got get some answers.
    Ben and Lana left the home, got in the car and continued on to check on Ben’s mother.
    Another twenty miles would bring them to her house.
    They hoped the boundaries of death and destruction ended before they arrived there.
     
    ***
     
    Harry and Tyler weren’t as lucky as Lana and Ben. Their car ran out of gas before they even reached the Connecticut turnpike. Harry tried the few cars left behind on the highway but didn’t have any luck.
    They’d walk, he told Tyler. Eventually they’d find something.
    They located a convenience store just off the highway and the electricity was on. Harry had Tyler wait outside, just to avoid the bodies and he went in, hit the sandwich area and grabbed some food to take with them on their walk.
    Tyler enjoyed the sandwich.
    “Do you think my mom’s okay?” Tyler asked.
    “I don’t know,” Harry answered. “I hope so.”
    “You think she knows about my dad?”
    “No, I don’t. I think you’ll have to tell her.”
    “That’ll be hard,” Tyler said.
    “Yeah, I know.”
    “Will you help?”
    “Absolutely.”
    “Harry, can I ask you a question?”
    “Sure can,” Harry said.
    “How come no one else asked me to go? How come they just made plans to go? They made me feel bad.”
    “Well …” Harry reached out and laid his hand on