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ass down and make some kind of plan.  My mother and eighteen-year-old sister would need my help, and now that Leona was dead, they were all I had left.  I had no idea what had happened to Lisa’s dad because he wasn’t my blood, but if I was okay, I supposed there was a chance my mom and Lisa weren’t sick with this shit, either.  I guess I was subconsciously counting on any immunity being hereditary somehow.
    It hit me.  My cell phone was at my house, but Mrs. Steele had one.  I ran into the kitchen with my packed duffle and dropped it on the floor.  I saw her purse on the counter and pulled the Gucci bag toward me.  I saw the bejeweled phone tucked inside and pulled it out.  The only numbers I had memorized were my mom’s cell and Lisa’s.
    Lisa was never without her phone, while my mom would often let her battery die and leave it places.  I dialed Lisa’s number and waited.  She answered.
    “Hello?” she said, her voice tired.
    “Lisa?” I said, frantic.  “Lisa, are you okay?”
    “Davey?” she asked.  “Where are you?  Did you get a new phone?”
    “No, Lisa,” I said.  “Now be quiet  - and I mean really be quiet – and listen to me.  Do you have a television in your room?”
    “How did you know I’m in my room?”
    “Because you’re alive, Lisa … turn it on.”
    “What?”
    “Lisa, turn on the television, but lock your bedroom door first.  Hurry!”
    “David, what’s wrong?  You’re freaking me out.”
    “I’m freaked out, Lisa.  Please, just do what I’m saying.  I’m coming for you and mom.”
    “Why?”
    “Just turn on the TV.  Where’s mom?”
    “In her room I guess, Davey.  Hold on,” she said.  “Okay.  Got it.  TV’s coming on.”
    “Go to a news station or something.  Maybe local.  I can’t imagine every channel’s not either off the air or looping their broadcast.”
    She was quiet, but I could hear the television.  “Lisa?”
    “Dave, what’s going on?  What is this?  Some hoax?”
    “Hoax?”  I was confused for a minute.  “Lisa, this isn’t a hoax.  This is an insane disease or something, and everyone is going crazy.  Leona … she’s … I don’t know how to say this.  She’s dead.”  I began to cry and knew I had to keep my shit together.
    “David!  Leona’s dead?” asked Lisa, her voice incredulous.
    “It’s big, Lisa.  Bigger than anything I’ve ever seen.  What’s on the news right now?  What do you see?”
    “They’re showing people staggering in the street.  It’s a view from a traffic camera.”
    “Where’s the broadcast from?”
    “Downtown Knoxville, I think.”
    “Shit!” I said.  “Lisa, stay there.  Have you heard your dad?  Or mom?”
    I mentioned it earlier, but Lisa had a different father than me.  I was from my mom’s first husband, who passed away.  Her dad was cool, but he wasn’t mine.  I knew she loved him a lot, and from what I knew, he was good to her.
    Not that such former good behavior meant much right then.  Precedent had died.  Now it seemed to be a whole lot of chase and terrorize your ass , no matter what used to be the norm.
    “I slept in this morning and my door’s been closed and locked.  You know I sleep with my iPod on, so I don’t hear anything.”
    “When I hang up I want you to try mom’s cell phone, okay?”
    “I can do it now,” she said.  “From the house phone.”
    I hadn’t thought of that.  Leona and I had dumped our land line long ago.  “Do that, Lisa.  Call now.”
    There was a pause on the line.  Then:  “I hear it ringing out there, but she’s not answering.”
    “Just leave it ringing,” I said.  “Maybe she’s just asleep or something.”
    “I’m going out there,” said Lisa. 
    “No!” I shouted.  “Stay in there, Lisa.”
    “I’m starving, Davey.  Are you sure this is everywhere?  I don’t hear anything strange.”
    “I think they are, too, Lisa.  Starving.  The ones outside.”
    “What?”
    “I