Excerpt: Shelter and Waste

Chapter 1
She blinked awake and felt the sun on her face like a warm kiss. Silence in the apartment, the fuzziness of the blanket over her on the couch, she rolled over to a more comfortable position and started to sink back into a pleasant dream. That's when the moaning started and she remembered everything. Moaning and clinking from out side the window jolted Lisa's heart into a rapid fight or flight pattern. She threw the blanket off her and buttoned her pants that she had loosened for sleeping. She pushed her feet into her shoes while her hands scrambled across the coffee table in search of the machete and flame thrower she carried all day long for protection in the recent weeks' onslaught of zombies. Standing at the ready with her weapons held out in front of her, Lisa's knees were instinctively bent slightly ready to spring towards any attackers with deadly force. She whipped her head around the room for a quick survey and once she was sure none had made it inside, she slowly lowered her arms. Dan. Was he still on the lookout? Lisa located the walkie-talkie and called him.

"Dan. Come in."

Static crackled over the airwaves before a garbled voice replied, "What's your frequency? We are in Wal-Mart. There is a refuge here if you want to join us. Come to any entrance and communicate clearly that you are human. Secret knock is shave and a haircut if you cannot speak."

"Hello, hello! What's your name?" Lisa yelled into the walkie, changing to each chanel inturn, trying to establish a better connection with the mysterious voice. A moment later someone broke the silence. This time strong and clear the voice came across the speaker like an old friend. In fact, it was an old friend.

"Lisa, this is Dan. What's going on?"

"Dan, I just made brief contact with someone else on this channel. They say they have a refuge set up at Wal-Mart." Lisa let her fingers off the walkie's button and waited for his response.

"We should talk this over some more. I'll be right down."

Dan and Lisa ate lunch and silently thought over what had brought them to this situation and whether their chances would be better here or on the road to Wal-Mart.

"The obvious benefit of Wal-Mart is the support of other people." Dan said between bites.

"And the supplies." Lisa added.

"Well, the supplies might have been looted by now." Dan said skeptically.

"And people aren't always that great either. I don't think the promise of company is enough of a reason to leave this stronghold." We have successfully kept them out of the building altogether. This place has enough food for several more weeks. We have a system here." Lisa looked into Dan's eyes the whole time she made her points. "And," Lisa added while putting down her plate, "we aren't alone. We have each other."

Dan stifled a small harumph and licked the soy sauce off his plate.

Lisa noticed his ambivalence to her arguments and tried to not take offense. She licked her own plate then splashed some water on a paper towel and wiped the dish clean. As she cleaned her fork in the same manner she continued to make her case.

"I know I'm not the person you would have picked to be here with you." She said." But you know me well enough to know that you can trust me with your life. You cannot count on that from some strangers. People will turn each other over when they think their survival depends on it. You know I won't sell you out." Lisa waited for Dan to say something back. But he just started taking off his shoes.

"It's your turn on the roof." He said and laid down on the couch.