Free Only Love Survives (Love and Zombies) by Renee Charles

good.
    “Heads up,” someone shouted behind him. Sam turned just in time to catch a football against his chest. The little boy chasing the ball didn’t seem to care Sam wasn’t part of the game and continued to charge him.
    “Why the hell not.” Sam bent down, ducked the boy’s advance and ran for the other side of the camp.
    “Get him,” an older boy shouted. Before Sam knew it, every kid in camp was hot on his trail. He dodged a curly headed girl, then weaved around another who squealed in delight. Sam didn’t run for any particular goal line, he just ran in circles letting the children chase him, until he saw Megan. She stood by the fence out of the way, cheering. Cheering for him. Sam headed in her direction with the ball tucked under his arm and a gaggle of kids in tow.
    One little boy got him by the leg and held on for dear life, but he kept going. By the time the fourth kid attached himself to Sam’s leg, he was within feet of Megan who was laughing her head off. Trudging forward, all the kids screamed at him to stop amidst their laughter. He reached Megan, and her lips formed a tiny ‘o’ when he grabbed her by the waist. Beautiful lips . He kissed her smiling mouth. But before he got really into it, the children pulled him back and dog piled on top of him until even his view of Megan’s shoes was obliterated.
    Though he couldn’t see her, Megan’s laughter echoed through him soothing his hurt. She’s what matters.
    ****
    The way the small camp divided the chores reminded Megan of how she ran her classroom. The chores varied depending on the day of the week. Moreover, everything happened on a rotation, even bathing. Anything the community needed was discussed, voted on, then added to the schedule. All very efficient.
    Whoever was interested in bathing went out to the river in a group before dark and took care of what they needed best they could while standing watch for one another. Lucky for Sam, today was the day for the men’s baths, because during his tumble with the kids, the dirt had mixed with his sweat and made mud. Not that she minded.
    She thought about the simple kiss he’d given her right before being taken to the ground, and, even now, it made her warm in unexpected places. The memory of his eyes so intent on her even with a gaggle of kids in tow, made her shiver while she stirred the chicken and dumplings. She inhaled deeply and wondered for about the tenth time where they managed to scavenge up the giant sack of flour used in the dumplings. Today the women stayed behind to cook dinner, and tomorrow they would go to the river while the men cooked. Everyone relied on everyone else. So different from what she’d experienced before.
    Her previous companions didn’t care what the group wanted. It was all about what the man leading them wanted. No one stood up to Mike, regardless of the fact he made one careless decision after another, including abandoning his turn to stand watch so he and his girlfriend could sneak off for some alone time. That night a corpse made it all the way into their base camp. They all woke up to the screams of a young mother as she wrestled it for her toddler. Both she and the child were bitten before the monster was brought down and consequently left behind.
    Megan considered leaving that group more than once, but the idea of being alone frightened her so much, she didn’t dare go…until they tied her up. Yep, that pretty much sold her on the idea of traveling alone. She’d been so lonesome these last months, but any careless moves were her own and not because their fearless leader couldn’t keep it in his pants.
    This place ran very different. They intended to be a permanent camp, a place where families helped each other survive day to day and children played when time allowed. Built on trust and kindness, the group bolstered Megan’s sprits.
    Once dinner was over, people gathered around the campfire to discuss the day, what had been accomplished, what would