Lighthouse

By April Maguire

Fleeing an abusive husband, a mother hits the road with her son in search of a new life, only to drive straight into the midst of a zombie apocalypse.
 
When April Winters leaves home, she’s hoping to escape her bad marriage. But once on her own with her son, she discovers that monsters are everywhere. A virus is running rampant across America, turning innocent people into gruesome zombies.  Now the monsters are lurking behind every door, every forsaken building, every street corner. They roam the sidewalks and hover under the lamplights. They invade homes, hospitals, and restaurants. Now April must draw on whatever strength she has left to survive, to protect herself and her son. Or suffer the consequences of becoming a monster herself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Dec 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781639842964

Book preview

Lighthouse

By April Maguire

Lighthouse by April Maguire

Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, without the express and prior permission in writing of Pen It! Publications.  This book may not be circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is currently published. 

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   This is a work of fiction. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect that of the publisher.

   This book or part thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise-without prior written consent of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

Published by Pen It! Publications, LLC

812-371-4128  

www.penitpublications.com

ISBN:  978-1-954004-15-3

Edited by Aobakwe Diteko

Cover Design provided by Author

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the two greatest men in my life, my dad, Edwin R. Maguire Sr, and my son, JayRex Winters. Without their love and support, I would not have a story to tell, nor would I have had the courage to write it.

My dad is the person who taught be how to write. He is the first person to put a pencil in my hand, and he was the first person to teach me to write the alphabet. He gave me my love for books and the unsatiated hunger for reading. Together we shared tales of hobbits and elves, pixies, and trolls, as well as mysteries and intrigue. Our worlds grew beyond our imagination with every page we turned. It is because of him, that my dream of becoming a writer was instilled.

My son is the inspiration of my life. It was JayRex who first brought me to the land of zombies and apocalyptic madness. He encouraged me to fulfill my lifelong goal after the day to day routines had shoved my dream aside. With every word I wrote, my son cheered me on and challenged me to reach new potentials with my stories and with my own life. He is my true compass to move in the right direction when the world is spinning out of control. With Jay beside me, I know that I can conquer any monster that comes my way.

Table of Contents

Chapter One A New Way of Life

Chapter Two First Night Out

Chapter Three Dreams in the Dark

Chapter Four Stop for Dinner

Chapter Five The World Around Us

Chapter Six Drive Thru

Chapter Seven Take a Left and Then a U-turn

Chapter Eight Big House

Chapter Nine Decision Making

Chapter Ten Downtown

Chapter Eleven Field Trip

Chapter Twelve Getting Acquainted

Chapter Thirteen Settled

Chapter Fourteen The Invitation

Chapter Fifteen Birthday Surprise

Chapter Sixteen Second Chances

Chapter Seventeen Visitor in the Night

Chapter Eighteen What's Next?

Chapter Nineteen Gun Practice

Chapter Twenty New Jobs

Chapter Twenty-One In the Works

Chapter Twenty-Two Sickness

Chapter Twenty-Three Help for Jay

Chapter Twenty-Four Behold the Truth

Chapter Twenty-Five What Happened

Chapter Twenty-Six Aria's Hospitality

Chapter Twenty-Seven Temporary Stay of Sanity

Chapter Twenty-Eight Secret Visit

Chapter Twenty-Nine The House that Jack Built

Chapter Thirty We'll Take It

Chapter Thirty-One Signing the Papers

Chapter Thirty-Two New Friend

Chapter Thirty-Three More Surprises

Chapter Thirty-Four First Night in the New House

Chapter Thirty-Five Trip to Town

Chapter Thirty-Six Pharmacist Tom

Chapter Thirty-Seven Adventure of My Own

Chapter Thirty-Eight So Much House

Chapter Thirty-Nine Helpful Neighbor

Chapter Forty Meeting of the ABC Club

Chapter Forty-One Radio Call

Chapter Forty-Two Fortified

Chapter Forty-Three The Letter

Chapter Forty-Four Road Trip

Chapter Forty-Five The Truth of the Matter

Chapter Forty-Six Mary's Backroom

Chapter Forty-Seven Fight or Flight

Chapter Forty-Eight Lunch with Cora

Chapter Forty-Nine New Ideas

Chapter Fifty Friday Comes

Chapter Fifty-One Adam's Story

Chapter Fifty-Two Jay's Request

Chapter Fifty-Three Saturday Practice

Chapter Fifty-Four Sunday

Chapter Fifty-Five Jay Leaves

Chapter Fifty-Six The Rest of the Day

Chapter Fifty-Seven Wayne's Call

Chapter Fifty-Eight Wayne

Chapter Fifty-Nine Wayne's Blood

Chapter Sixty Wayne's Notes

Chapter Sixty-One Finding the Books

Chapter Sixty-Two Late Night Visitation

Chapter Sixty-Three Ring, Ring Goes the Phone

Chapter Sixty-Four Strange Alarms

Chapter Sixty-Five Preparing for Wayne's

Chapter Sixty-Six Wayne's Revisited

Chapter Sixty-Seven Where is Diana?

Chapter Sixty-Eight Finding Diana

Chapter Sixty-Nine Diana's Story

Chapter Seventy Shopping Spree

Chapter Seventy-One The Way Back

Chapter Seventy-Two Life Remembered

Chapter Seventy-Three On My Own

Chapter Seventy-Four Emergency!

Chapter Seventy-Five Preparations

Chapter Seventy-Six Home Alone

Chapter Seventy-Seven Bad News

Chapter Seventy-Eight Unexpected Rescue

Chapter Seventy-Nine Cornered

Chapter Eighty Burying Friends

Chapter Eighty-One Night Falls

Chapter Eighty-Two Power Outage

Chapter Eighty-Three Keys

Chapter Eighty-Four Shopping

Chapter Eighty-Five Shadows by the Garage

Chapter Eighty-Six Finding Things in the Garage

Chapter Eighty-Seven Preparation

Chapter Eighty-Eight Gaining Momentum

Chapter Eighty-Nine Making Room

Chapter Ninety Time Passes

Chapter Ninety-One Mary's Heartbreak

Chapter Ninety-Two Good News

Chapter Ninety-Three Celebrating

Chapter Ninety-Four Scuffle

Chapter Ninety-Five Rescuing Rascal

Chapter Ninety-Six Island Revisited

Chapter Ninety-Seven Rescue Gone Wrong

Chapter Ninety-Eight The Garage Door

Chapter Ninety-Nine On His Way Home

Chapter One Hundred Oncoming Storm

Chapter One Hundred-One Confrontation

Chapter One Hundred-Two Homecoming!

Chapter One

A New Way of Life

Saying goodbye is never easy. There was no going back, however. I made my choice and I was sticking to it. I could no longer live with my overbearing, Bible thumping, controlling husband. Our marriage was a farce, although no one but my son and I knew it. My mother and father had some suspicions, but they didn’t know all the details. If my brother and sister knew, they never said anything. And honestly, my church friends were clueless.

My husband appeared to be the ultimate church going, reliable, good Samaritan man that every pastor wants in his church. And he was, when he was around other people. The problem was when he was home, alone with his wife and son. That’s when his real character materialized. His words spewed condemnation and judgment for both me and my son, Jay. Nothing was ever good enough. I was too short or too fat. My hair wasn’t long enough, or my legs weren’t shaved as smoothly as they could be. I wasn’t sexy or spontaneous in bed. I just couldn’t please him. That would be the reason he looked elsewhere to find satisfaction. He told my son to toughen up and stop acting like a queer. Maybe if Jay lost a little weight, he could play sports; and then he would be a real boy.

I tried for years to change the man and fix our marriage. I tried counseling, self-help books, and lots and lots of prayer. Nothing changed. He never changed. I felt as if I were stuck in a deep, dark, muddy gutter with no way out. I was getting nowhere, and I was slowly growing into a bitter woman with a cold, cold heart. I didn’t like who I was or who I was becoming. I also didn’t like what was happening to my son. Jay reminded me that if I kept doing what I was doing, I would keep getting the same results. He was right.

We had to leave. It would be difficult leaving friends and family and starting over, but I was determined. It was time for me to step away from my comfort zone and do something totally different and opposite of whom I had been. That was the only way of making sure I didn’t fall into the same rut again. I had to blaze a new path. I wasn’t the most adventurous woman in the world, but I knew something had to change. I wasn’t sure exactly how we would do it; I was just happy that my son was coming along beside me.

My dad and mom met Jay and I at the house, right before we had to leave. It was a bright, warm, crisp morning. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the wind was wistful and light. It was the kind of day where I would have loved to just sit on the front porch with a cup of tea and a donut and enjoy its peacefulness. That was not, however, what life had in store for us that day. With sorrow and anxiousness, I kissed both my parents goodbye. I had no idea when I would see them again. My heart broke into pieces, and I couldn’t stop crying, when my dad pulled me aside before I got into the driver’s seat.

April, I don’t want you to cry. Your mom and I understand why you have to go. It’s not good for you here. You deserve so much better. He paused. I’m just so sorry you had to live that way. If I had known sooner…

It’s okay, Dad. I didn’t want you to know. I didn’t want you to think of me as a failure. I sobbed.

Oh, my dear daughter, I could never think of you that way. You’re my first born, my treasure, my tiny quiet pillar of strength. You’ve been that way since you were a little girl. You always kept things inside until you couldn’t take it anymore. Then you would explode like a piece of dynamite. We never knew what would set you off until it happened. He chuckled as he remembered some of my tantrums. Now you’re grown up and you’re taking care of life the best way you know how. I am so proud of you. You’ve become a strong, intelligent woman who knows what’s best for her son and herself.

Are you sure, Dad? I don’t feel very strong and intelligent right now. I feel lost and afraid. What if I can’t take care of Jay like I should?

My dad hugged me tight. I’m not worried about you at all. Whenever it comes to Jay, you have always known what to do. You can do whatever you want to do, April, once you set your mind to it. No matter what happens, you will survive; because you must. You get that from your mother.

He and I gazed over at Mom, saying goodbye to Jay. She was incredible, so resilient no matter what life threw at her. I only hoped I could be that way too.

I smiled at my aging dad and kissed him again on the cheek. He kissed me back and stuck a fifty-dollar bill in my pocket.

This is emergency money; in case you need it. I wish it were more, but my security check doesn’t come in until next week.

Dad, I don’t want to take your money. You and Mom need it more. Jay and I have what we need. 

He just nodded. I know you do, but this is just something extra. Just in case. And if you don’t take it, I’ll never hear the end of it. Your mother will kill me.

We laughed and hugged one more time. I hugged my mom again, before I got in the car. Jay and I waved goodbye and drove off down the street, away from the home where we had lived for most of our lives. My son was already programming the GPS for our journey. The plan was to drive until we were tired, then settle into a hotel room. If the area was nice, the two of us would investigate apartments or homes that were for rent.

Jay was my navigator and my constant. He had kept me sane throughout all the arguing and fighting I had experienced with my husband for the past few years. I don’t know what I would have done without my son.  He was always there for me when I felt hurt or despairing. He brought me tea when I needed reassuring, and he made me laugh when all things were crumbling to pieces. Yet throughout all my turmoil, Jay was hurting too. His relationship with his father had been rocky, and my son just didn’t fit in with the small town thinking that my husband found so reassuring. Jay needed more than what was being offered to be happy, and I felt it was my responsibility to provide it. Together we made a powerful team.

That is how it all began. A close friend of mine gave me a journal to keep track of my thoughts and ventures as I traveled and began my new life. She said it was an adventure of a lifetime, and I should document it. All new stories need to be written down. Well, this is my first entry. Where it will all go? I do not know; but I will keep writing in this book until an appropriate ending is found, or there are no more words to write.

Chapter Two

First Night Out

Driving down roads and into places unknown can be extremely scary and nerve-wracking, especially for someone who hates to be lost. Like me. I hate not knowing where I’m going, yet I hate it more when I don’t know how to get back again. Whenever I go on a road trip, I write down very specific directions for both ways. I despise it when a person tells me to just follow the same route backwards. Honestly, it does not work that way.

This trip was a challenge for me in more ways than one. I had no idea where we were going, so there were no instructions how to get there. We only had a broad guideline of the direction we wanted to go. Anywhere, but where we came from. My overbearing need to be in control of where I go and how to get there was thrown out the proverbial window. There were plenty of times I had to hold myself together, so I didn’t freak out. I think Jay recognized this too, because he would play some uplifting, power song on the radio, and make me sing along. Or he would start talking about our new life, and how we could come and go as we pleased with no one judging us or yelling at us for not being home to make dinner.

I was very grateful for a son who understood me and had such a considerate heart as well. It made my fear melt away. I was also thankful we had a GPS in our car to help direct our path from one state route to another. However, I was not so happy about some of the strange things we began to see as we drove farther away from our home.

As Jay and I drove, we discovered that it was better for us to stop for gas off the main interstates. Fuel was definitely cheaper, and there were also more choices for eating and resting. That meant we had to take detours to get the best value for our money.

It was the first stop we made when I noticed the peculiar difference between the small bubble-wrapped community we came from and the particular seedy town we were visiting. Everything seemed in order and safe, but my attention was drawn to the man who stood behind the counter at this particular convenience store/gas station.

He seemed nice enough, but there was something wrong with one of his eyes. I remember thinking this man didn’t blink the entire time I saw him. His arms looked as if they were peeling from a very bad sunburn. Scales of dried skin covered the counter. He continued to scratch and itch the entire time I was in the store. I originally was going to buy a few snacks and use the restroom but decided against it after I watched him scratch his elbow with the bathroom key. I walked out empty handed.

Hey, what happened, Mom? Jay asked. I thought you were going to get some chips or something to eat.

I decided against it. I replied, noticing the two men standing nearby. Let’s just go and find a place to eat dinner instead.

Jay nodded and finished filling the gas tank. We both got back in the car and drove off.

Actually, Mom, I’m glad you didn’t buy anything. The people hanging around were very weird. I was starting to get nervous about you being in the store all by yourself.

Tell me about it, I said. The man at the counter was peeling like a snake shedding his skin. And one of his eyes was covered in some kind of glaze. Like a cataract. It was gross. I didn’t want to go near him.

I asked my son, What was going on outside?

Jay explained. Well, I watched these two men in garage uniforms stand in front of their business for at least 10 minutes. All they did was just stare off into space. They never moved at all. I looked in the same direction, but I didn’t see anything. Then there was this little girl playing jump rope on the sidewalk. She seemed okay until she saw a squirrel moving towards her. She actually stopped and growled at it. Then she chased the thing up a tree and tried to climb up after it. Talk about freaky!

I shuddered. Let’s get as far away as we can and find a place for the night. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.

We quickly left that place and drove farther up the road. Our next stop would be the last one for the day. Jay calculated the distance on the GPS and began looking for somewhere we could stay the night.

The hotel that we found was not what we expected. It was large filthy brick building with lots of windows and a sign outside that could barely keep its lights on. One moment it flickered brighter than the sun on a hot summer’s day – the next moment it was blacker than night with no stars. The price range was within our budget, but the atmosphere was beyond our imagination. It resembled an old science fiction movie, with a few aliens missing. A few cars were parked outside the entrance, but there was no sign of life anywhere near them.

One brown station wagon was stuffed with leftover fast-food bags and garbage in the backseat (I pulled up beside it to park.) A black two door sports car had three flat tires and broken windshield wipers. There were empty bottles of cola and beer crammed on top of the dashboard.  Two spaces down, a broken-down green jalopy of some sort was missing a door and front window.

Jay began refiguring the GPS again. Not a word had to be said. This was not the place for us. Let’s be honest, first impressions are vital – I was not about to stay in a place where we could get mugged before even getting out of the car. I didn’t care how reasonable the rates were, we were getting out of here. I looked around and backed out of their parking lot. Jay directed me to the ramp to get back on the interstate. It was getting much later than we anticipated, and I wanted to find a place before it became too dark. Jay found directions to another hotel just a few miles down the road. We ventured forth.

After turning down many, many side streets, we reached the next place. It was a smaller hotel than the first one, but it definitely felt safer as you parked your car. There were streetlights in the parking lot - each one glowed beautifully - with a working fountain right outside the entrance. Manicured bushes lined the walkway into the office and well-placed flowers grew beside the courtyard. The overnight rate was a bit higher, but at this point, I didn’t care.

 I parked the car and we went inside to find out if there was an available room. The vestibule was nicely carpeted, and there were mints in a bowl sitting beside the phone. We waited for someone to come to the front desk to help us out. I did notice that the hotel’s prices came with a complimentary continental breakfast. That was certainly a plus.

Finally, a little woman with jet black hair came out from the adjoining room. She wore a black vest over her white blouse. Her nametag read Gloria, Hotel Supervisor. She looked extremely efficient and businesslike except for the red rash around her neck and chin. I didn't see anyone else loitering around. The place seemed very quiet.

We registered for the night and paid the lady. She gave us the key to our room and told us what time breakfast was served. Jay and I went back to our car to find our overnight luggage. (We then proceeded to meticulously wash our hands with sanitizer. We weren’t taking any chances.) I unlocked the door to our room, and we went in.

The room was rather typical, with its two double beds and a large television. The bathroom was fully stocked with all its little shampoos, towels, and toilet paper. We dropped our suitcases down and I immediately took off my shoes. I was exhausted and my feet were extremely sore. I watched Jay do the same, and then stretch out on the bed.

I’m so glad we found this place. He murmured. My legs were beginning to cramp. I might have to rearrange some of our stuff to give me more leg room. How are you doing with all this driving?

I’m okay, but my body feels depleted. I think I’m going to make myself a cup of tea and watch some television.

Sounds good. I’ll heat the water up for you in the coffee maker.

Thanks sweetie. I’ll get my teabags out and grab you that extra bottle of iced tea from the luggage.

Jay laughed at me. I think you are the only person I know who keeps extra teabags in her purse. Most moms keep lipstick and makeup, but not you. You have a mini kitchen inside that thing.

I laughed with him. It was true. I had tea, a few packets of sugar, a package of crackers, and a few pieces of candy. I liked being prepared for little emergencies, plus a nice cup of tea made me feel like I was home.

Want to watch some TV? Jay asked as he turned on the remote.

Sure! I said. "See if you can find something good, or at least something we both like.

Jay began flipping through the stations. How’s this, Mom? Your favorite Scottish actor is on. I know how much you like him.

I was thrilled when I looked and saw one of my favorite shows on the television. Doctor Who. was just beginning.

Oh Jay. After the day we had, this is perfect. It’s so nice to see something familiar. Thank you, sweetie.

My son just smiled. I knew you’d like it.

We sat there for a moment in oblivion, trying to relax. 

After 15 minutes or so, I looked at Jay sitting there on his bed. He looked back at me and shook his head. I don’t think this is the right place for us, Mom.

I couldn’t agree more.

We sat there on our beds a little while longer watching the Doctor and his companion, Donna, run through a giant library to save the world one more time.

As much as I wanted to stay awake and watch, my eyes started to droop, and I had to put my cup of tea down on the nightstand beside me. Jay got up to make sure the doors and windows were all locked. I laid my head on the pillow and immediately started to doze off. I didn’t even change into my pajamas. I was too tired and too many weird things had gone on today. Sleep came quickly, but not without dreams.

Chapter Three

Dreams in the Dark

The bed wasn’t that comfortable. It must have been the springs popping up in the middle of my back. I kept tossing and turning to find a good position. The room was dark except for the bathroom light I left on. I refuse to sleep in pitch black. If ever I have to get up for something in the middle of the night, I am not going to trip over a shoe or chair and fall. I always leave a night light on, even at home.

Suddenly I heard the door handle jiggle. I stopped moving and listened with anticipation. It jiggled again. I knew Jay had locked the door and bolted it on the top, but still the handle wiggled. Who was touching the door? Was somebody trying to get in? I waited. On one hand, I knew I had to open my eyes to see what was going on. On the other hand, I just wanted to shut them tighter and pray for it to go away. I had to be brave. I slowly opened my eyes and peered at the door. The knob turned. My thoughts exploded!  What should I do? Turn on the light and hope the person goes away? Shout out that I was awake and had a gun? (It was a lie of course. I didn’t carry one, nor did I know how to use one.) Should I get up and see who was actually out there? Maybe someone just had the wrong room.

I turned to look at Jay sleeping in the bed beside me, but he wasn’t there. Where was he? Where could he have gone? Then I turned and stared at the door again. The top lock was undone. Did Jay go outside at this time of night to get something from the car? Did he accidentally get locked out? I had to get out of bed to check. I needed to know who was actually at my door. I’d feel silly if it were my own son trying to get back into our room and I didn’t let him in.

 I would have liked to use the peephole in the door to see outside properly, but I was too short. Instead, I had to move my suitcase off the table, so I could peer out the side of the window. The parking lot lights were extremely bright and lit up the whole area even as I stood behind the curtain. My car was parked right out front and it looked fine. A few more cars had pulled into spaces since we had got there, but everything was quiet and peaceful, as far as I could tell. I turned towards the door to smile at Jay and show him I was awake, but it wasn’t Jay.

I jumped away from the window! A strange man was lurking outside with both his bony hands grasping at my doorknob. His skinny body loomed in the shadows of the streetlight. His jacket and pants were caked in dried brown blood. They seemed to hang off his body like they truly didn’t belong there. The side of his face I could see was scratched with scars of trailing ooze and blood as if a cat had attacked him in a fit of fury. He was just standing there – staring at the entrance to my hotel room. The doorknob jiggled again and then I heard a huge thump, like someone ramming their shoulder into a locked door. 

I jumped back on my bed. Frantically I searched around the room for something to defend myself with. I had nothing! What was I supposed to do? Where was Jay? Why was that man standing out there? I wanted to scream; I tried to scream, but nothing would come out of my mouth! I kept yelling, Go away! Get out of here. over and over, but there was no sound. My words were useless. My chest was heaving, and my breathing was stunted. I kept on shouting - hoping something would come out.

Suddenly I heard Jay’s voice calling to me, Mom, Mom! Are you alright? I could feel his arm shaking me. Are you alright? I could hear him, but my vision was blurry and unfocused. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. Mom, you’re dreaming. Wake up! He kept on shaking me until I was completely awake.

I looked over at him and blinked my eyes a few times. Where was I? What was going on?

Mom, are you alright? You were moaning and groaning and twitching all over the place. You must have fallen asleep because you were having a really bad dream or something. Are you okay now? Jay kept holding my hand.

What’s going on? I asked him. Where are we?"

We just crossed the state line. Jay answered me. He was driving the car down the interstate.

The lights were on and the evening had shifted to night. The stars had started to pop their heads out in the sky above. Jay had turned on the inside car light to see if I was okay. He had his left hand on the steering wheel and his right hand on mine, still squeezing it.  All the while, he kept glancing over at me as he maneuvered his way through traffic. We were still in the car. That whole thing – the hotel, the bed, the man at the door – was just a dream. Jay and I were still on the road. I grabbed the bottle of water at my feet and took a sip. My throat felt dry and strained from all my attempts at yelling. 

Mom, Jay put his right hand back on the steering wheel. It’s getting kind of late and I’m starting to get tired. Are you ready to stop for the night?

Still shivering from such a bad nightmare, I nodded. I hated those dreams that were so vivid you couldn’t tell if you were awake or sleeping. I had to get a grip. We were okay. We were driving and we were safe. I took a big deep breath and let it out. Jay glanced at me and smiled. 

I’ve been seeing signs for hotels as I was driving. Jay began. I thought I would pull into the next exit and stop at the Budget Inn. Is that alright with you? It comes with a Continental breakfast.

 I think that should be fine, I replied. I just don’t want a repeat of my dream.

Chapter Four

Stop for Dinner

The hotel Jay found was nice and clean, and we actually had a second-floor room. My son bolted the locks and made sure all the windows were secured. He even took the bed closest to the door. I had a hard time getting to sleep, but eventually I dozed off. The night was quiet except for the constant whirring of the air conditioner and the noises outside. The breakfast in the morning wasn’t that elaborate, but we managed to find the bagels and juice, and headed off for another run on the road. We didn’t see very many people, but that was okay with me.

The first full day of driving was actually fun. Jay and I listened to all kinds of encouraging and uplifting music. We sang as loud as we could and ate animal crackers and Starbursts. We stopped for gas in some rinky-dink town where a tarantula almost crawled over my foot. I was not amused. The people seemed very dirty and kind of sickly. As I was pumping fuel, I saw one man with his face all covered in grease and his flannel shirt all ripped to pieces just sit in his broken-down truck and stare at us. His eyes were strange and glossy. Needless to say, we got out of there fast! Definitely not the place we wanted to stay.

After driving a few more hours, I was getting extremely hungry. I needed to eat soon. And if anyone knows me, when I get hungry, I get nasty! My family calls me the Mini Hulk. All along the road I kept seeing a sign for some special diner that served the best sub sandwiches in the state. It looked good on the billboard so Jay and I thought we would eat there. It seemed better than fast food, at least.

I pulled off onto the correct exit and found the place immediately. It was hard to miss, considering there were no other food places around. We parked the car, locked the doors, and went inside. It was a small place with a few booths and a couple of tables. You ordered at the front and told the counter person what you wanted in your sandwich. 

The lady at the counter smiled as we entered and asked how she could help us. She was very neat looking with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and plastic gloves on her hands. I saw no rashes or scratch marks on her body at all. We placed our order for a couple of turkey sandwiches, chips and two beverages; then we gathered our cups and proceeded to get our drinks. There were not many people sitting inside, so Jay and I sat down at a booth near the door. This way we could still see the car. There was a young couple sitting near the bathroom entrance, and an older man with a scruffy dark face seated behind us. The man kept coughing and shaking. He did not look well at all. Jay and I moved over to another booth a little farther over.

 The counter lady brought over our food, along with some napkins and silverware. She asked us if there was anything else she could get us. We thanked her and said that we were okay. Jay and I prayed over our food and began to eat. The meat seemed very tender and the vegetables were fresh. Overall, it was not a bad sandwich. My stomach stopped grumbling, and I felt a little bit better. Jay and I talked about the area and wondered why it was so bare. It was like everyone had disappeared.

Mom, Jay whispered as he put down his sandwich. That old man over there keeps staring at me.

Are you sure? He could be just gazing off into space.

Jay shook his head. I’m sure he’s staring. His eyes are watching my every move. He’s creeping me out.

I turned around to see and, sure enough, the man had his eyes pivoted on my son. The old coot had to be at least 70 years old, with snot crusted on his upper lip and drool running down his chin. He was the most disgusting old man I had seen in a long time. I don’t think he had seen soap and water in two decades. There were dark brown blood stains on his hands and clothes, and the top of his bald head looked grimy and sweaty.

Can I help you? I asked him, but he ignored my question.

Excuse me, mister, but is there a reason you keep staring at my son? I wanted to know what his problem was.

He turned his face away from me and began coughing violently. His hands revealed blackened fingernails and what looked like more dried blood. The man didn’t even cover his mouth as continued with his coughing fit. I couldn’t stand it anymore. We had to leave immediately.

Jay and I threw the rest of our meal away and got out as fast as we could. We almost bumped into the young couple as they proceeded through the door too. I stopped to let them pass first. I couldn’t help noticing the girl scratching at some bright pink rash she had all over her arms. Though it was rather warm for the evening, she was shivering; despite the fact she was dressed in heavy camouflage pants with army boots on her feet. Her hair was matted down and falling into her face. She pushed it out of her eyes once and I saw she had the same cataract film over her left eye.

Compared to his friend, the young man seemed okay except for the fact he kept twitching his neck, like the skin was too tight or something. You could hear it pop each time he stretched it out. I watched his hands as he opened the door. He had red blisters on his knuckles and what appeared to be the same rash on his wrists. He nodded to me as he escorted his friend outside. They sat on the wooden bench off to the side of the front door. Jay and I hurried to our car. We got in and locked the doors again. Out came Jay’s hand sanitizer and we smothered ourselves in the gel.

What do you say, Mom. Shall we drive until the next state or find a place around here?

I looked at my son in disbelief, but I could see the sarcastic grin on his face. I shook my head.

As much as I know how you enjoyed your little rapport with that old man, I think I’m ready to move on to the next state, sweetie. I smiled, and then pointed with my finger. Oh. And look, Jay. Your friend came outside to say goodbye to you.

Mom, that’s not funny.

I know it’s not, I commented. But it’s true.

Jay turned his head to see the old man standing at the door with his cane pointing at our car. The stranger took a step closer. I slammed my foot on the gas and swerved out of that parking lot. Jay began programming the GPS for the next hotel or motel in the next state over. Both of us shuddered to think about what could have happened if we had stayed any longer.

Chapter Five

The World Around