Lords Of The Flies
Darlene Bobich, feet tired and down to her last can of corn, rested against a wall of the Havenwood High School. She felt like she'd been walking for days, because she had.
When R.J. ran off with the Bandit (the Pontiac Trans Am) and left her she was furious. That anger sustained her for the first couple of hours on the walk, but now she'd wash his damn car if he pulled up and offered her a lift.
She was skirting the New York - Connecticut border, slipping in and out of small towns while she moved. But she didn't find much. It seemed like a great horde were just over the next ridge, pillaging the houses and stores a mile ahead of her and clearing them out.
Living and undead were in scarce supply and at least that was something to be grateful for. She knew the school might not offer a comfortable resting place but it might offer some shelter, especially if she could hide in one of the classrooms and sleep.
Maybe a teacher hid some candy bars or an energy drink in their desk, she thought. At this point she'd be happy with stale crumbs in the bottom of an empty potato chip bag.
As she got the strength to move again a strangled cry sounded from just around the building. Darlene led with the Desert Eagle.
The girl looked to be no more than ten, with curly blonde hair and wearing a light blue dress. She sat on top of a picnic table in the enclosed courtyard, hands in her lap.
Darlene stopped short and lowered her weapon.
The girl smiled at her. "Hi," she said, as if they'd met in a store or restaurant. "My name is Stephanie."
"I'm Darlene. Honey, what are you doing out here alone?" Darlene moved slowly toward her. The girl was clearly living and she didn't seem to be bleeding or have any noticeable bite marks. "Do you know how dangerous this is?"
The girl, still smiling, nodded and kept her eyes locked on Darlene's without blinking. It was unnerving.
"Freeze."
Darlene was too late to react when she felt the muzzle pushed against her side.
"Move a muscle and I'll shoot you, lady."
Darlene slowly raised her hands but kept the Desert Eagle. She turned her head slightly and looked. The shotgun ended in a boy, maybe twelve, with reddish hair and freckles. Behind him were seven or eight other kids, all wielding baseball bats, hockey sticks or steel bars. "I don't want any trouble," she said.
"Too late. This is our territory, lady."
"I understand. I'm going to turn around and walk out of here and no one will get hurt."
"If you take one step I'll fill you full of lead," the boy said.
Darlene wanted to laugh at the cliché he'd just said, and every other one he'd make before this was over. Too much TV watching for this kid, Darlene thought.
"Kid, where are your parents?" As soon as she said it she cringed. Of all the stupid things to say. "I mean, who's in charge here? You?"
He pushed the shotgun into her side, harder, and nodded. "I'm in charge here. This is my school and my playground and my town. You're trespassing. Do you know what we do with trespassers?"
Darlene shook her head, casually glancing at the other children. They hung on his every word, fear, awe and hunger clearly etched on their faces.
"We gut them and eat them."
"Bobby, don't say that. I'm not eating anyone," Stephanie said. "You wanted to lure the monsters in so we could kill them. She's not a monster."
"I make that decision, not you."
"Who said you were the leader of us, anyway?" another boy said. "You're only calling the shots because you have your dad's rifle."
"Don't challenge me, Brent, or I'll kick your ass."
"You can try," Brent said.
Darlene knew this would quickly escalate into in-fighting, with someone likely to get hurt. She didn't want any part of this, especially with kids involved. If Bobby accidentally pulled that trigger or turned the gun on the group and fired she didn't know if she could live with that. "After all I've been through, kids killing kids would suck," she whispered.
Bobby turned his attention back to her. "What did you say?"
"I said you and I need to talk."
Bobby smiled but Darlene could see he was scared. The muzzle brushed against her side but he couldn't hold it steady. "There's nothing to talk about. I'm in charge and I call the shots." Darlene watched in horror as his fingers kept flexing on the trigger.
"You do know that shotgun wouldn't do anything to me at this close range?"
Bobby looked down at the weapon, which was what Darlene was hoping for. She pushed it aside and had her Desert Eagle out and pointed at his chest.
The group scattered.
"That just broke my heart to put a gun to a child. But, Bobby, this standoff needs to end right now. I need to leave."
He nodded his head, tears starting to form. "I'm just scared."
"I know you are." Darlene took a step back and lowered the gun but reached out and grabbed the shotgun from his limp fingers. "We all are."
"Not you."
"I'm pissing my pants, Bobby."
He laughed at her joke and wiped at his face. "Stay with us, be our leader."
"How about you all come with me? I'm heading south before the winter comes."
"We live here. This is all I know and the rest. Besides, my parents are here somewhere. When this all started my mom drove out to get my grandma and my dad was on his way from work. I need to stay close to my house and take care of my sister."
Darlene nodded. "But you're a bunch of kids."
Bobby laughed. "A bunch of kids that have survived this long. We have a house full of food and water, and we built a tunnel. That's the only way into the garage now."
"I can't just leave you."
"It looks like we're doing better than you. When was the last time you ate something?"
"True."
Bobby called for Stephanie, who came running. Darlene put her Desert Eagle back in her waistband. "Sis, go get this lady something to eat from the house, and some water. Take Jimmy with you."
"I can't cut into your supplies like that," Darlene said.
"Just through the woods there is a shopping center. We cleared out all the food from the big store and all the small ones. We have three rooms packed with food."
"Thank you." Darlene said. "Sure you don't want to come?"
"We're fine here. These are my friends and they look up to me."
"You're a natural born leader, Bobby."
Darlene went and sat down on the picnic table. She was about to leave a group of little kids alone, to fend for themselves, during such trying times.
"All the rules have changed," she whispered and smiled when Stephanie approached with an opened can of corn.