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"We need to go now," Jenni’s faint, singsong voice said She turned her glassy gaze to Katie "We really do"

Katie turned the wheel and they headed back up the road

"Turn here," Jenni said

Katie obeyed autoain "Turn here"

Katie turned the truck and sped down a back road that sliced behind the suburbs nestled into the hill

"It will take us far away frohed and reached down and cleaned her toe with the edge of her bathrobe "Away fro"

"Then what are they?" Jenni’s voice held a hint of e ho he ate e of hysteria

Lydia racing toward her, bloody hands stretched out, her chest torn open…

Katie drew in a sharp breath

"If they are not zombies, what are they?" Jenni’s voice was shrill

Katie looked at her and reached out and grabbed Jenni’s cold, clammy hand with her own

"Zoht This is the end"

Jenni sighed and nodded and laid her head against the back of the passenger seat "I know I know…" And she closed her eyes and slept

4 Into the Hills

Jenni woke to the steady huhthed with relief Her dreams were even worse than this new, horrible reality In her sleep she had curled up, resting against the passenger door Now raising her head, she saw the dry and caked blood her son had smeared on the hen he had tried in vain to reach her

Not for hugs and kisses, but for far worse

Beyond the swath of gore the world was speeding by Hills, large and sreeted her gaze

Time for Easter and Easter baskets She would fill them with candies and toys and the kids were scras But that wouldn’t happen now It was all over

Lloyd had taken away her kids Stolen them away Just like she had known he would Maybe he was so else when he had attacked them, but he had only finished out the cycle he had started when he had decided to hteen year old bride His looks, his money, and his success had blinded her He was older and wiser In her heart, she hadn’t truly loved him, but she had believed she would one day When he spoke of his first failed e, she had vowed that she would never let him down

She would be his perfect wife, his perfect coative word about her

Somehow, she had failed him No matter how hard she had tried, she had failed his were verbal and fierce, then it was the back of his hand, and, eventually, it was his fists But she had continued to try She had struggled with her inadequacies, done everything he asked of her

Toward the end, she had known in her heart it would come to this She would either die at his hand or he would kill the children as he had threatened to do so many times before

"But he was a zombie in the end," she said softly

"What?"

Jenni blinked, not realizing she had spoken aloud She turned slowly to gaze at the woman beside her

The driver of the truck was a very pretty lady with golden blond hair that fell just to her shoulders in tousled curls She had a strong, pretty feminine face with cat-eyes and a sensuous irl as the ho queen and head cheerleader and student council president all rolled into one The sirl as actually nice Jenni felt coe of the popular girls She understood this type They lead, you followed It was siht Katie

"I was drea," Jenni answered

Katie nodded "You didn’t e of the neighborhood it was s"

"No one cohas built I like it out here It’s peaceful" Jenni didn’t feel so cold anymore She still felt awfully numb, but it was a pleasant sort of nu," Katie said after a beat "I’ on Katie’s lap "Did you talk to your Dad again?"

Katie shook her head, pressing her lips tightly together for a nal" She motioned to the radio "And that doesn’t work"

Jenni nodded, understanding They were alone, detached froely, this was how she often felt It was alure things out She looked strong and very capable

"We’ll need gas soon," Katie said "Know if there are any stations out this way?"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>