Dar heard a knock on the frame of her door and heard the voice of Jamaal beckoning her to come out. She looked at Styx stirring next to her on the bale. His body was slowly transforming from chubby toddler to rugged little boy. His blond hair spun out in wild shocks and his round cheeks were becoming more chiseled with each passing day. She stared lovingly down at her son, thankful every day for his existence. He was the main reason she kept on going.
“This better be good, Jamaal.”
“Something's happening out there, Dar. The Amish all gathered round the common area. Got them a horse and buggy out in front of the injured guy's house.”
“So what does that have to do with me?”
“Amish dude must be dead or something.” Jamaal paused. “Best we all be there to support them, especially you of all people.”
“I'll be right out.”
She lifted herself off the bale, her arms and legs sore from having axed zombies all night. If not for that nocturnal outlet she feared she'd go crazy cooped up in this place with all these crazy people dressed like Puritans. She brushed her hair back and put on a fresh shirt. Though she appreciated the kindness they extended to her and the others, she had no intention of ever joining the Amish community.
Grabbing her ax, she joined up with Jamaal and the young soldier outside the barn. Styx wiped his blurry blue eyes and stared up at her as if to ask where they were going. A thick fog hung over the land, obscuring the grove of trees beyond the fence. The rejoinder of the dead's cries echoed like the howling of wolves. The four of them began to walk up the hill and to where the Amish had gathered. The entire community stood in front of the man's house, waiting to hear of his fate. A horse and buggy stood off to the side, ready to carry him away.
Upon reaching the house, they stood to the rear, knowing their rightful place among the Amish. To stand with them would be an insult to their quiet sensibilities, although the Amish would never say anything. The shunning imposed on her small group had been a gentle reminder of their differences. She'd come to understand that the Amish weren't trying to be vindictive but viewed shunning as a form of tough love. Cephas had done all he could to accommodate them and because of that she felt guilty about sneaking out at night and killing the dead. But thinning the horde was now an integral part of her being. She was a natural born leader, and killer, and she was merely biding time until the opportunity presented itself to take back the reins of leadership and deliver these people to safety.
The Amish did not look at them or even acknowledge their presence. Styx stood perfectly still, as if understanding the gravity of the situation. She stared at the black clad bystanders and saw Annabelle glancing at her. She loved Annabelle like a sister and yet despite this love, she felt as if she'd never be able to communicate these feelings with any conviction. Annabelle possessed a rare gift that needed handling and care, and Dar couldn't afford to let her guard down for the sake of friendship.
The door to the injured man's house opened and Cephas walked out carrying Joseph in his arms. He stopped and stared at the crowd, pausing to take in the seriousness of the moment.
“Is he dead, Cephas?” one of the men asked.
“Our brother is very close to resting comfortably in God's kingdom. He's a good man and doesn't deserve to die like this.”
“We demand justice for brother Joseph!,” someone cried out.
“You demand nothing, and I forbid any of you to retaliate for this crime. Joseph, of all people, would not want it to come to this. Revenge goes against every principle we stand for and I will not have it.”
“But we can't just let this deed go unpunished?” another man said. “We must do something.”
“Don't worry about that now because we all know what we will happen next. Take his body down to the ditch.”
Cephas led the procession with the near-dead man in his arms. He walked through the thick fog and everyone followed. Dar could hear the roar of the zombies inside the ditch, and the groaning got louder with each step. It sounded very much like when she was a child vacationing in Cape Cod, and walking with her parents toward the beach, the incessant roar of the waves pounding against the shore.
Once they reached the edge, Cephas placed him down on the ground and turned to face the crowd. The horde below shrieked and howled, sensing the moment was near. Although the deceased had not been bitten, Dar knew that the horde gave off signals that caused the deceased to reawaken.
“We are gathered here to pay our respects to brother Joseph,” Cephas said over the roar of the horde.
“Look over yonder!” someone shouted.
Dar peered across the ditch, but could barely see anything through the brume. Then she noticed a large procession walking toward them. For a second she wondered if the horde had broken through their fence, although soon enough it became apparent that the rival Amish group had shown up to pay their respects, despite the fact that it had been one of their own who'd been the culprit. Dar glanced down at Joseph and saw that his beard had been properly restored. The women attending to him must have snipped a portion of his hair and glued it back onto his beard. She looked over and saw Samuel and his wife with their children, tears streaming down his ruddy cheeks. His own beard hung in tatters and only time would heal the perceived injury.
The mourners on the other side stopped en masse and stood staring down at the deceased somberly. Cephas nodded his head at Lebanon as a gesture of appreciation. The two groups stood staring at each other. A few of the men on Dar’s side glared with hate in their eyes. She studied the face of every one of the Amish, having by now memorized all their names. Hannah, the fragile, pale ghost, stood staring into space as if lost in a trance.
Styx released her grip and walked over to the dead man, squatting over him to get a better look. Mere inches separated the boy from the precarious edge of the ditch. Dar knew instinctively that he wouldn't wander that far, having already learned the perils of death. For this reason she didn't bother to warn him, fearing that she might someday become as overbearing as her own parents.
Cephas looked down and watched the boy squatting over Joseph, as did everyone else. Styx pulled out his plastic ax and held it up just in case Joseph reawakened. He leaned over and looked into the man's eyes before staring back at his mother.
“He we-awaken yet?” he asked.
“Not yet,” Dar said.
“Will he toyn into zomba, Momma?”
“Eventually.”
“Got my ax, Momma. I key him if he turns into zomba.” He leaned over the dead man and said, “Ha-wee-up and toyn into zomba.”
As if on cue, the dead man shot up and opened his eyes and Styx fell back on his behind, crying out in surprise. He lifted himself up, grabbed his tiny ax and walked slowly back over to the reawakened man, standing next to him. The dead man reached up and caressed the boy's cheek, and then stood to face those gathered.
“Look, Momma, he we-awaken.”
“Be careful, Styx. You know what comes after.”
“Grrrrrrrrr,” Styx said, baring his teeth as if he were a zombie.
“You all need to forgive each other and prepare for what comes next. It does not matter who did what to whom or why it happened. What's beyond this world is far more wondrous than anything here on earth. Stop being petty and mean. You must change what's in your heart before you can reach a higher consciousness.”
“No zomba yet,” said Styx, chopping at the man's shoe.
“It will begin shortly and when it happens the truth will come to the fore, and then the righteous will rise up and rule the earth with a startling new vision.”
“What do you speak of, Joseph?” Cephas asked. “What have you seen?”
“Oh, brother, what I have seen is so wondrous that I can't even describe it in words. All I can say is be prepared. Care for your citizens and the planet you inhabit. Put the past behind you so that you never lose your way.”
Just then the wop wop wop of a helicopter's rotors echoed in the air. Dar and all the others turned to see where it was coming from. A thick fog hung low in the sky and made it difficult to see. The only other sound Dar could hear was that of the horde screeching. A red light flashed through the brume as the sound of its motor approached. It flew low to the ground and circled just above their heads, causing dirt to fly up.
“It's that same chopper that's been following us!” Annabelle shouted. “I thought we were done with them.”
Dar stared up at the pilot, brandishing the ax at him in a threatening manner. She watched as he hovered in the sky, staring down at the crowd, the reverberating sound of the rotors echoing in her ears. A scream went up behind her and for a second she panicked. She'd forgotten all about Styx standing so close to the deceased. She whirled around, and saw that Joseph had transformed into a full-fledged zombie. He tackled an older woman to the ground and began to gnaw at her neck and face. Blood gushed into the air and onto the mourners. The others gasped in shock and stepped back in fear, frozen into inaction. To Dar's surprise, Styx stood behind the dead man, repeatedly hitting him in the leg with his ax.
“Bad zomba! Bad zomba!” he screeched.
The chopper soared up and out of the fog. Dar lifted her ax and ran over to where the zombie was still mauling the old woman's throat. The poor woman had lost so much blood that it pooled up on the dirt and flowed in rivulets into the ditch. She raised the ax over the man's head and prepared to slice his skull open when Cephas stepped in and kicked the zombie off the injured woman. Joseph toppled onto his back and growled, slowly standing to his feet. Cephas raised his long leg and kicked him in the forehead, sending the dead Amish man tumbling backward into the ditch and into the awaiting arms of the horde.
Dar ran over and grabbed Styx by the hand and pulled him back. She had half a mind to chew the little guy out but then remembered the way her own parents disciplined her, and she thought better of it. Besides, the kid had shown more courage than any of the other cowards standing here. Styx understood to some extent the consequences of confronting the dead and despite the danger still tried to fight off the zombie. He'd witnessed brutal massacres inside the Pit, had seen many people get torn to pieces by the horde and witnessed the slaughter caused by Brabas. Considering what he'd seen, the little guy had done good. She thought it high time she replaced his toy ax with something more useful.
Styx pulled at her hand, wanting to head over to the ditch and look down at the zombies, but she wouldn't let go of him. Someday in the near future it would be a big, strong hand squeezing back. She marched over to Cephas and stood staring up at the grief-stricken elder, his face partially obscured by his long, gray beard. Rage filled her. He'd put her son in jeopardy by refusing to let her kill Joseph. A small group of people gathered around the dying woman and tried to calm her during her last moments on earth.
“You put my son at risk. Why didn't you just let me kill him?”
“Violence is not the way. You must know that by now, having lived with us for the last two months.”
“Death is part of life, Cephas, can't you see that? If you care at all for your people, you'll put them out of their misery and send them to the heaven you believe exists.”
“The culture of violence begets violence. We are not scared of dying, Dar. Dying is the entire reason we live the way we do.”
“You and your people are afraid of living, that's why you're so fearful of anything new or different.”
“You totally misunderstand us then. The way we live, everything we do, reflects our love for God's infinite wisdom. We stay true to ourselves in order to keep temptation at arms' length.”
“Did you see that helicopter flying overhead, Cephas? You and your people will be like sheep led to the slaughter if you don't ready to protect yourselves. You caused one of your own to die because of your negligence.”
“Maisey's dead,” one of the woman announced.
Dar lifted her axe. “Do you want me to take care of her?”
“No.”
“At least put her in the ditch before anyone else gets hurt.”
Cephas nodded his head to the men standing nearby. They lifted the old woman’s lifeless, blood-stained body by the hands and feet, and carried her over to the ditch. Below, the horde screamed and reached up to grab hold of her. The men lowered her down and let go, and the woman's slack body fell into the mob and disappeared into the bloody maelstrom.
Dar stood at the precipice of the hole and glared at the Amish standing across the ditch from them. She had no fear now and would not be reined in by anyone.
“Which one of you committed this crime?” she asked.
“We came here in a show of peace to pay our respects to Joseph and his family, and now to Maizey as well. This has been a terrible tragedy,” Lebanon said.
“I don't care whether you came in peace or came to fight. The person responsible for this crime needs to be punished, and with extreme prejudice.”
“This matter is between Cephas and myself. You, whoever you are, young lady, need to stay out of Amish business and go back to cooking and cleaning.”
“Dude, you said that to the wrong girl,” Dar said, her fists tightening.
“The girl's right, Lebanon!” Cephas said, his voice booming. “You need to find the youth responsible for this crime and take action on behalf of the community. They must not be allowed to eat or partake in any of your activities until they see the error of their ways.”
“It was a terrible accident, Cephas. The child, whoever he or she is, certainly did not intend to kill Joseph.”
“It does not matter. The end result was that a good family man has died and his children are left fatherless. And now the old woman is gone as well. This is a crime against God and every Amish who stands before us.”
“You take care of your people, Cephas, and we will take care of ours.”
Lebanon turned and began to walk away and the others fell in line.
Cephas turned to her and said, “This matter is in God's hands now, Dar.”
“You have much bigger things to worry about, Cephas.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that the United States Army knows that we're here and is on its way to destroy everything that you've built. They'll turn this place upside down and inside out.”
“But why in the world would they bother us? What did we do wrong?”
“Are you that naive, old man? Those Army guys have been following our caravan from the moment we broke camp in Boston. General Townsend's delusional and wants to capture President Roberts and take control of the government, or what government even exists anymore.”
“But you yourself said that there is nothing left of this nation.”
“There isn't. But President Roberts is the last of what's left of our government and this maniacal general will do anything to replace her. Having Roberts is his ace in the hole and will help legitimize his rule.”
“I'm a simple man, Dar, and don't understand all this political speak, but I trust that what you are saying is true. What I don't understand is, why they would care to bother this humble community?”
“You have the one thing that every survivor out there desires, Cephas. You have Hannah, a ghost that protects and keeps your people safe. You think I didn't notice the field beyond the fence out there where you're growing more crops on the sly? Of course it wouldn't be possible without Hannah to help you plant and harvest them. I knew you couldn't feed everybody with that little cabbage patch you grow inside the compound. Those Army assholes would like nothing more than to jack your ghost, steal all your food, and maybe take a few of the pretty Amish girls with them as well.”
“So you know about Hannah?”
“Of course I do. Have you seen our Annabelle in action? How do you think we made it this far?”
“That additional farmland is necessary to supplement our food supply, Dar. We not only feed ourselves, but we also feed the families on the other side of the ditch.”
Dar couldn't believe her ears. “You're telling me that you supply those assholes on the other side with food?”
“Just because we have our differences does not mean that we should turn our backs on them, or they on us. We are all still of the same kindred spirit.”
“Those assholes are responsible for killing two of your people.”
“You don't understand, Dar. We are a forgiving people who believe that God will one day make the final decision in these matters. There is nothing more that can be done now. Our young people get out of hand at times and make bad decisions. It is all part of the Amish way of choosing whether or not to join our faith.”
Dar laughed. “There's no choosing for these kids. If they want to stay alive then their only option is to follow your rules. If they choose not to follow your way, then they choose death.”
“This is the tradition we have upheld for centuries. There is no use changing it now,” Cephas said, gazing out over the ditch. “We have compassion for their plight on the other side. They suffer mightily, having no protection from these terrible headaches.”
“Hannah's range doesn't protect them?”
“No, and it makes them do things they wouldn't otherwise do, especially the young. The head pains make them crazy. Earlier this summer, two of their children ran out to the farm and tried to carry back some of our crops. They never made it back.”
“How did the dead end up in the ditch?”
“Did you not see the gate at the far end? From time to time we open it and let our people back inside. Sometimes, outsiders wander in with them as well. It is our belief that Jesus will return to this earth and make things right again, which is the main reason we still keep them here."
“You give those jerks on the other side food and this is how they treat you?” Dar scooped Styx up in her arms and began to walk away.
“Where are you going?'
“If you're not going to protect your own people then we'll be forced to do it for you. I'm not Amish, Cephas, so I have no problem killing those who are trying to kill me. We'll be out of your hair right after we're done.”
“We don't need your protection.”
“I'm afraid you do.”
“Where will you go afterwards?”
“In search of my own family.”
“I wish you the best with that, Dar, but I'm afraid you're mistaken about protecting us. We're fine as is.”
“Dude, you’re going to be thanking me once those Army dudes show up at your gates.”