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jeans and tight sweater he could tell that she had an athletic build.  He wondered if she had ever been on the track team.  Strong shoulders, he thought.  Probably a swimmer.  
    Staring at the girl and seeing how vulnerable she looked standing there in front of them, and noticing that she had obviously been crying, made him think of Angie.  Alone somewhere - hopefully, locked up in the house - in a town that was mostly a carbon copy of this one.  He was disappointed in himself for spending so little time thinking of her safety.  Almost like he had forgotten about her.  He justified this by telling himself it was natural to put pain and worry from your mind in order to continue functioning; that Angie had been there in his brain all along, but that he had set those emotions aside temporarily while they searched for a safe place.
    And he felt guilty for finding this girl attractive. 
    Taylor’s right.  Why the hell haven’t you proposed yet?  Because you figured you could take your own sweet time.  Now look.
    Taylor said, “I wouldn’t feel right leaving you here, but are you sure about going with us?  I can’t guarantee it’s going to be any better.  We’re just trying to get home.”
    “Where’s that?”
    “Coldwater.  It’s about a hundred miles from here.  About the same size as this.”
    “Maybe this is only happening here ,” she said hopefully.
    “From what the radio said, it’s happening everywhere.”
    The girl pondered the situation for a moment, eyes going to the ladder and following it up to the panel in the ceiling.  “I can’t stay up there forever.  So I guess I really don’t have a choice.”
    Carl considered how he would explain returning home with another girl.  It was a shame what a selfish thing the human condition could be at times.  Find Angie first.  Worry about explaining things afterwards.
    Taylor took the keys from her and said, “My name’s Taylor.  This is my brother, Carl.”
    “Tina,” the girl said.
    “Well, Tina, that’s about all I’ve got in the way of formal introductions.  If you don’t mind, we’re in kind of a hurry to ditch this place.  What do you say?  Road trip anybody?”
    Tina nodded.  A smile briefly lit her face.  Taylor could see himself ending up with a girl like this.  Name a girl you couldn’t see yourself ending up with.
    Taylor handed one of the full spray bottles to Tina before folding the drop cloth and swinging it over his shoulder. 
    “What’s this for?”  Tina asked.
    Carl said, “He thinks they have rabies.  That’s why they’re acting crazy.”
    “Something like rabies.  That’s what the radio said.  That a strange disease is spreading rapidly and that the symptoms are similar to rabies.  So this virus or whatever it is might be related to that.  A symptom of rabies is hydrophobia.  They have difficulty swallowing, and have a strong aversion to water.”  He looked at Carl.  “Make fun all you want, these things already saved our asses once.”
    “I happen to know quite a bit about rabies,” Tina said.  When Taylor raised his eyebrows in surprise, she elaborated.  “I’m studying to be a veterinarian.  I’m a sophomore right now, so I’ve got a ways to go, but it’s some interesting stuff.  I guess I never put it together.  It makes sense.  Large quantities of saliva.  No wonder they drool the way they do.”
    “How’s your car doing for gas?”
    “I think I’ve got half a tank.”
    Taylor opened the back door a crack and froze.  Tina’s Escort was less than three feet in front of them, but beyond that stood the mob of crazies.  They stood there still and silent as though they were in a kind of mass trance.  He scanned their faces.
    What are they doing?
    “Shut the door!” Carl yelled.
    The mob rushed forward.  Carl nudged Taylor aside and pulled the door shut, holding the handle with both hands.  “Lock it for God’s sake!”
    Taylor stood there looking at him until he