didn’t slow until she poked her head through the door to the nave, where the pews faced the altar. She slipped through and let it bump closed behind her. Judy moved to the thick curtains and waited in the shadows. She stared at the ceiling. Something would be lurking up there, waiting for movement.
Judy counted to three and then went.
She slipped down the wall, eyes straight ahead. Panic wanted to drive her feet faster, but she kept them in check. When she reached the back wall, she slipped through the door. In the familiar hall, Judy sprinted for Sister Glen’s office.
Judy kept her back to the interior wall. She stayed away from the windows.
The nun had a footrest under the desk. Judy put her hand on it as she crouched down between the big chair and the thick wooden desk. She snaked one hand over the edge until she found the phone.
It was dead. Of course. Judy put it back in its cradle.
The space under the desk was tight and secure. She could fit herself in there and wait. Nothing would find her under there. Judy closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then stood up. She checked the phone one more time.
It was dead. Of course.
She walked for the door.
✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪
The car wasn’t going to come to her, no matter how many times she looked out the narrow window at it. The door was still open. The keys were still in it. Her car sat there exactly where she had left it. The question was, would it run? Would it start up when she turned the key?
Judy pictured her mom hiding under a desk down in Connecticut. She clenched her teeth and put her hands on the door to the outside.
In a low hunch, she crossed the street and practically dove into her car. She pulled the door shut and put the key in. The dash lights came on.
Judy wasted no time. She triggered the ignition and stomped on the gas pedal. The car cranked and sputtered, but came to life. Judy put it in gear and drove.
✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪
She passed quite a few abandoned cars. It wasn’t until the other side of the bridge that she saw her first car with someone behind the wheel. Judy pulled over behind the car and sat for a long time looking at the motionless head.
“They must be dead, right?” she whispered. He hugged herself and then put her hands gently back on the wheel, like it might shock her. “I mean, why would they just be sitting there?”
She pulled out her cell phone and checked it again. It was a useless gesture, but it was ingrained behavior. She couldn’t stop. Judy bit her lip and looked around. There was no help coming. She opened the door and left the engine running. The car dinged its disapproval as she gingerly put a foot down on the pavement. It would be so much easier just to drive on by, but what if the person needed help?
Judy made sure the door would stay open on its own and then she headed for the car. On the way, she stuffed her hands deep in her pockets. Her fingers found the lighter in her left pocket. She gripped it like a talisman.
Her footsteps sounded too loud on the pavement. Judy swung wide around the car and slowed as the person’s head came into view through the driver’s window.
She stopped.
The man’s eyes were red, bloody sockets. They looked like they had been gouged out with a spoon. Judy’s hands freed themselves from her pockets and flew to her face. She stood motionless. She didn’t know what to do. Watching people disappear had been disturbing. This was worse.
Judy ran back to her car and slammed the door. She didn’t even bother with the seatbelt. She jerked the wheel around and then spun her car in a tight little u-turn. She kept glancing in the rearview mirror as she fled back over the bridge. What if the person was infected with something? What if she had already been exposed?
Tears streamed down Judy’s face as she drove as fast as she could towards her apartment.
✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪
She parked on the street for almost two
Judy counted to three and then went.
She slipped down the wall, eyes straight ahead. Panic wanted to drive her feet faster, but she kept them in check. When she reached the back wall, she slipped through the door. In the familiar hall, Judy sprinted for Sister Glen’s office.
Judy kept her back to the interior wall. She stayed away from the windows.
The nun had a footrest under the desk. Judy put her hand on it as she crouched down between the big chair and the thick wooden desk. She snaked one hand over the edge until she found the phone.
It was dead. Of course. Judy put it back in its cradle.
The space under the desk was tight and secure. She could fit herself in there and wait. Nothing would find her under there. Judy closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then stood up. She checked the phone one more time.
It was dead. Of course.
She walked for the door.
✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪
The car wasn’t going to come to her, no matter how many times she looked out the narrow window at it. The door was still open. The keys were still in it. Her car sat there exactly where she had left it. The question was, would it run? Would it start up when she turned the key?
Judy pictured her mom hiding under a desk down in Connecticut. She clenched her teeth and put her hands on the door to the outside.
In a low hunch, she crossed the street and practically dove into her car. She pulled the door shut and put the key in. The dash lights came on.
Judy wasted no time. She triggered the ignition and stomped on the gas pedal. The car cranked and sputtered, but came to life. Judy put it in gear and drove.
✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪
She passed quite a few abandoned cars. It wasn’t until the other side of the bridge that she saw her first car with someone behind the wheel. Judy pulled over behind the car and sat for a long time looking at the motionless head.
“They must be dead, right?” she whispered. He hugged herself and then put her hands gently back on the wheel, like it might shock her. “I mean, why would they just be sitting there?”
She pulled out her cell phone and checked it again. It was a useless gesture, but it was ingrained behavior. She couldn’t stop. Judy bit her lip and looked around. There was no help coming. She opened the door and left the engine running. The car dinged its disapproval as she gingerly put a foot down on the pavement. It would be so much easier just to drive on by, but what if the person needed help?
Judy made sure the door would stay open on its own and then she headed for the car. On the way, she stuffed her hands deep in her pockets. Her fingers found the lighter in her left pocket. She gripped it like a talisman.
Her footsteps sounded too loud on the pavement. Judy swung wide around the car and slowed as the person’s head came into view through the driver’s window.
She stopped.
The man’s eyes were red, bloody sockets. They looked like they had been gouged out with a spoon. Judy’s hands freed themselves from her pockets and flew to her face. She stood motionless. She didn’t know what to do. Watching people disappear had been disturbing. This was worse.
Judy ran back to her car and slammed the door. She didn’t even bother with the seatbelt. She jerked the wheel around and then spun her car in a tight little u-turn. She kept glancing in the rearview mirror as she fled back over the bridge. What if the person was infected with something? What if she had already been exposed?
Tears streamed down Judy’s face as she drove as fast as she could towards her apartment.
✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪
She parked on the street for almost two
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