Read Online The Last Christmas by Jacqueline Druga - Free Book Online Page B

pursued us.
    My family screamed. They were obviously terrified, I didn’t blame them.
    “It’s okay, I have this.”
    But I didn’t. Soon those things forgot about purs uing Gene and encompassed our van. I slammed it in reverse, knocking over the group that pounded to get in.
    I made it out of the driveway but they kept coming.
    I drove, and it wasn’t until I was a quarter mile down the road that I realized I was a pied piper. Every walking dead homed in on us.
    So I slowed down. Slow enough for them to keep up, but fast enough that they couldn’t catch us. Once I hit Pierce Road, which was a about a quarter mile from my house, I turned.
    I led them pretty far and then I returned home.
    Only this time, I pulled into the garage.
    I knew I was there to stay. Like Gene said, hunker down. Wait it out.
    Pro blem was, how long could I wait?
    Supplies were dwindling; I had to feed my family.
     
    <><><><>
     
    My first plan was to establish a safe environment for us all. They weren’t happy at all when we got back, and I knew they were scared. I was scared. But I explained to Melissa that it was for the best.
    The next few days were spent boarding up the windows, rationing supplies and foraging the empty houses nearby for food, medical supplies, and stuff to burn when the weather grew cold.
    Most of those things moved slowly. Some were quick, but those ones that were fast were motivated by something and easily stumbled. You just had to be ready to swing.
    I ventured to TJ’s Market, down the road, without incident. The first time I went, my heart pounded, but I didn’t run into any. It was a quick trip there and back.
    We weren’t eating as much as we should have; the kids were pale from lack of nutrition. I saw my neighbor Gene, just one more time before he died.
    Yeah … he died.
    But he did so helping me get food.
    I’ll always remember him, because without his help that fateful day I would have been a goner. My family wouldn’t have made it.
    I owe him.
    That was early November, when we took the last from the shelves, when we ventured out into the mobs of those things.
    But I had another reason to go out again.
    It was Christmas.
    We were already in the basement and I made the decision to get them. The Christmas decorations, or at the very least least some of them. Carly held her doll and Jeff was leafing through a book when I brought them out. Their eyes lit up. I guess they thought I forgot. I almost did.
    I strung up the lights around the fireplace and set up the tree.
    There was just a tad of gas in the generator, and I planned on using it to fire up the lights on Christmas day.
    There was a feeling about everything, a sad one, that the end was coming.
    I needed to make it special. They looked at me as if I were strange when I passed out those goofy Santa hats and made them wear them.
    Well, the kids liked them.
    Melissa held out her hand to me. I knew she was holding back crying.
    “I have to go,” I told her. “I have to. I have to do this. I’ll be back. I promise.”
    She didn’t want to let me go when I said my goodbye, neither did the kids, and it was tough.
    I plugged the lights into the extension cord and carried it with me to the garage. Before leaving, I looked back at them. “When I’m back, I’ll plug this in.”
    Then I left, running the extension cord under the door and pulling it closed. I placed the plug end by the generator.
    I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared leaving them. I was. I was petrified. But we hadn’t had an incident of those things trying to get in since early on. I had barricaded the stairwell door, and there were no windows in the family room. It was safe.
    After quietly opening the garage by hand, I grabbed the duffle bag that I always took for supplies and got in the van.
    My heart beat so strong ly. I worried for them. What if I didn’t come back? There was a half a box of stale crackers remaining. I envisioned my family waiting for those lights to come on.