the virus now. They say it can infect a fetus, without the mother even knowing it. You’re going to end up getting yourself killed because you can’t keep your legs closed. You’re going to end up getting pregnant and then...”
“No I’m not.”
“How do you know? Is Arthur sterile or something?”
Kim was embarrassed and clearly didn’t want to have this conversation with her little sister. “There are ways to keep from… Look, Annie, we’re not doing anything bad. Okay? For crying out loud, Arthur and I haven’t even had sex. We’ve done other stuff, but not… For fuck’s sake, Annie, you know what you need? A boyfriend. Then maybe you’d give me a break.”
“Mom is going to flip her shit.”
“Are you seriously going to tell on me?” asked Kim. “You’re not that petty, are you?”
“Why do you think they made me come with you?” asked Annie. “Everyone’s freaked out about what happened in Hanger. Mom wanted me to come along to try and keep your legs shut.”
“You and mom are such bitches sometimes. You know that? I’m eighteen. I’m a fucking adult, Annie. It’s ridiculous how she treats me. When she was my age she was practically married already.”
“Whatever.” Annie laid down and pulled the cover back over her. “Just get out. I don’t feel like fighting anymore.”
“Are you going to rat on me to mom?”
Annie didn’t answer.
“Well, are you?”
“No,” said Annie. “Just go.”
Kim didn’t say anything else as she unzipped the tent flap and went out. She paused outside of the tent, seemingly ready to say something to her sister, but then zipped the flap closed and left.
Annie tried to go to sleep, but she was too uncomfortable and annoyed. She hated it when Kim talked about how she needed a boyfriend. Kim and Annie fought frequently, as sisters often do, but Annie’s solitude was a topic that Kim knew was a sensitive one. Annie had no romantic interests, and felt increasingly ostracized by the others for it.
She heard the tent’s zipper raise and sat up, expecting to see Kim. “What’s wrong? Is n’t Arthur horny tonight?”
It wasn’t Kim. Annie yelped when she saw Mac’s face. The shock of seeing him stole her breath away.
“I don’t know about Arthur,” said Mac. “But I know I am.”
He smiled and waved his pistol at Annie.
* * *
August 24 th , 20 years after the apocalypse
Annie has fallen from the steeple as the Rollers watched.
Annie collided with Dante’s corpse, her shoulder striking the spike that protruded from him. She wasn’t sure if it punctured her, but the pain was enormous and the force sent her body spinning. The next thing she felt was the ground strike the side of her foot, and then her leg as she collapsed to the sidewalk. Her head bounced off the pavement and the darkness was suddenly enlivened by a flash of pure white light.
The steeple was still collapsing, and the wood snapped as the structure tore across the shingles. Annie heard a woman scream and she looked up in time to see the first few planks of wood fall. Then the weather vane that adorned the top of the steeple slid off the roof as the shingles rained down with it. Annie assumed that the vane had snapped free, but soon saw the rest of the steeple’s roof falling with it. She put her arms over her head and closed her eyes, fully aware that there wouldn’t be time to move.
“Annie!” Laura cried out her daughter’s name as the roof of the steeple crashed down.
The rooster shaped vane struck the iron posts first, which caused it to snap free from its base. Annie’s already wounded shoulder was the first part of her to be hit by the rest of the steeple’s roof as it thudded to the pavement. The roof settled at an angle against the posts beside her, leaving a tiny pocket of space where Annie lay. It had still crushed her shoulder, but miraculously she was alive.
There was another echoing crack of wood and Annie prepared to be
“No I’m not.”
“How do you know? Is Arthur sterile or something?”
Kim was embarrassed and clearly didn’t want to have this conversation with her little sister. “There are ways to keep from… Look, Annie, we’re not doing anything bad. Okay? For crying out loud, Arthur and I haven’t even had sex. We’ve done other stuff, but not… For fuck’s sake, Annie, you know what you need? A boyfriend. Then maybe you’d give me a break.”
“Mom is going to flip her shit.”
“Are you seriously going to tell on me?” asked Kim. “You’re not that petty, are you?”
“Why do you think they made me come with you?” asked Annie. “Everyone’s freaked out about what happened in Hanger. Mom wanted me to come along to try and keep your legs shut.”
“You and mom are such bitches sometimes. You know that? I’m eighteen. I’m a fucking adult, Annie. It’s ridiculous how she treats me. When she was my age she was practically married already.”
“Whatever.” Annie laid down and pulled the cover back over her. “Just get out. I don’t feel like fighting anymore.”
“Are you going to rat on me to mom?”
Annie didn’t answer.
“Well, are you?”
“No,” said Annie. “Just go.”
Kim didn’t say anything else as she unzipped the tent flap and went out. She paused outside of the tent, seemingly ready to say something to her sister, but then zipped the flap closed and left.
Annie tried to go to sleep, but she was too uncomfortable and annoyed. She hated it when Kim talked about how she needed a boyfriend. Kim and Annie fought frequently, as sisters often do, but Annie’s solitude was a topic that Kim knew was a sensitive one. Annie had no romantic interests, and felt increasingly ostracized by the others for it.
She heard the tent’s zipper raise and sat up, expecting to see Kim. “What’s wrong? Is n’t Arthur horny tonight?”
It wasn’t Kim. Annie yelped when she saw Mac’s face. The shock of seeing him stole her breath away.
“I don’t know about Arthur,” said Mac. “But I know I am.”
He smiled and waved his pistol at Annie.
* * *
August 24 th , 20 years after the apocalypse
Annie has fallen from the steeple as the Rollers watched.
Annie collided with Dante’s corpse, her shoulder striking the spike that protruded from him. She wasn’t sure if it punctured her, but the pain was enormous and the force sent her body spinning. The next thing she felt was the ground strike the side of her foot, and then her leg as she collapsed to the sidewalk. Her head bounced off the pavement and the darkness was suddenly enlivened by a flash of pure white light.
The steeple was still collapsing, and the wood snapped as the structure tore across the shingles. Annie heard a woman scream and she looked up in time to see the first few planks of wood fall. Then the weather vane that adorned the top of the steeple slid off the roof as the shingles rained down with it. Annie assumed that the vane had snapped free, but soon saw the rest of the steeple’s roof falling with it. She put her arms over her head and closed her eyes, fully aware that there wouldn’t be time to move.
“Annie!” Laura cried out her daughter’s name as the roof of the steeple crashed down.
The rooster shaped vane struck the iron posts first, which caused it to snap free from its base. Annie’s already wounded shoulder was the first part of her to be hit by the rest of the steeple’s roof as it thudded to the pavement. The roof settled at an angle against the posts beside her, leaving a tiny pocket of space where Annie lay. It had still crushed her shoulder, but miraculously she was alive.
There was another echoing crack of wood and Annie prepared to be
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