Free Dead of Knight: A Zombie Apocalypse Survival Tale by Stephen J. Beard Page B

from the other side this time.”
    “Okay, Tab good job.  You alright?”
    “For now…  I don’t like being this close to them.”
    “I don’t blame you one bit Tab.  For the record, they get worse the closer they get.”
    By the time Sam and I finished getting the wood on the last window there were nine zombies up against the fence trying to get at us.  And Tabby was not happy.
    “Can we be done now?”
    “Yeah, Tabby.  Thanks for hanging in there.  Go check on your brother, please.”
    She was gone and Sam and I stepped closer to the door to be safe.  But even though there were five zombies in one place on the fence, it seemed to be holding good.  It moved a little in that one spot but otherwise held.
    “So, know we know the fence will hold five.  At least for a bit,”  Said Sam.
    “Not bad.  Let’s not push our luck though.  C’mon inside.”
    An hour later they were gone.
    At dinner the talk was of Tabby being up close to one and Mal couldn’t hear enough about how horrible they were.  Of course, Tabitha was egging him on and exaggerating a bit.  She was enjoying the taste of fear from the relative safety of home.
    “I want showers again for everyone tonight while we still can,” I said.
    “Can I have a bath instead?” asked Mal.
    “Yes, but only if you wash yourself first.  That’s the point remember?  Not just hanging out in the tub.”  Sam pointed out.
    “And you have to go last.  Everyone needs to get a shower and that way you won’t be in the way.”
    “Yes sir.”
    Sam went first while the kids and I cleaned up after dinner.  Tabby got her shower, then me.  It was nice having a tank less water heater.  Everybody had plenty of hot water.  I was glad I made that switch a few years back. 
    Mal was splashing around in the tub when the power went off.
    “Mom!  Dad!”  Came the cry from the bathroom.
    “I’m coming buddy.  You’re alright.  I’ll be right there.”  I grabbed a flashlight and headed into the bathroom.  Mal was still in the tub.
    “The lights went out.”
    “Yep, they sure did didn’t they, Mal?  Why don’t you get out carefully and dry off?”
    As Mal dried off and we got him dressed by flashlight in his room, the girls were getting candles out and lighting them.  When we got downstairs to join them the house looked very romantic.  There just wasn’t anything else romantic about the situation.
    “I thought you said three days?”  Sam said.
    “Hey, I’m not in charge of anything.  Besides, this could just be a downed power pole somewhere nearby.  But the result is the same cause nobody’s coming to fix it.”
    “My phone still has a signal,” said Tabby.
    “Okay, so it’s probably not widespread.  Again, that doesn’t really matter because our power is out.  Sam, have you looked at your news app on your phone?”
    “No, let me take a look.”
    “It might be the last time.”
    “CNN says that the government’s declared Martial Law.  Dusk to dawn curfew everywhere in the country.”
    “That’s alright, I wasn’t planning on going anywhere in the dark.”
    “They’re not coming out and saying it but it looks like most of the major cities have been lost.  They’re trying to put a ring around some of them to contain the threat of the zombies, keep them inside.  But the Guard units keep getting overrun.”
    “Poor bastards.  They should be home with their families if they have any left.”
    “What are we going to do about my mother?” asked Sam.
    “What’s her situation?”
    “Well, she called again while you were in the shower.  She might have a week’s worth of supplies and she’s scared.  There are zombies in the street and she thinks she hears them in the house next door.  I think we need to go get her.”  I thought about this for a minute.  I knew what was coming but…
    “No, I’m not leaving you guys here while I run down there.  I need to be here to keep you safe.  That’s my job, remember?