"There's bound to be cars in the lots. If we can get to one of them, I'm sure Joey can get it started."
"Yeah." Joey leaned over the engine and sighed. "I can't believe my truck got fucked up. I just pimped it out."
"Maybe we can find some food there." Dana stretched out by the fire; one hand massaged the side of a massive breast. "I'm thinking about ditching this bra soon."
Matty chuckled. "Then they'll be swinging wildly when you run—you might smack yourself in the face."
"I'll use 'em as weapons!" She grabbed the underside of one breast and swung it up and down. "It'd be like dropping a bowling ball on someone's head!" She busted out laughing.
Joey stormed off through the woods, trampling the brush underfoot.
"He's worrying me," Matty said. "I know losing Hank and Gigi hit him hard, but… I don't know what it is, but something else is wrong."
"He had a plan." Dana sighed. "He spent so many hours thinking about what to do in case of a nuclear war, an asteroid crash, or zombies. He's really pissed that all that planning hasn't worked out, and he's pissed about losing his parents." She watched the flames and chewed her lower lip. "I think he feels responsible for their death. You know what happens when Joey feels terrible about something—everyone else is going to feel terrible, too."
Matty smiled. "Like the time he dropped Gigi's birthday cake."
"Oh my god!" Dana clapped a hand to her mouth. "I can't believe he threw cake at the wall and smashed the fuckin' ice cream!"
"Almost covered all of us in it, too. It was a like wild gorilla set loose in a bake shop."
Dana bit her fist, trying not to laugh hysterically; tears bubbled up and streamed down her face. "That was so fucked up!"
"And then two hours later he took everyone out to eat and paid for appetizers, meals, and deserts. It turned out in our favor, at least." Matty rubbed his stomach. "Shit, I could use a cheeseburger right about now."
"Tell me about it!" Dana groaned. "I'd kill for a steak and cheese! These fuckin' zombies fuckin' fucked up everything!"
Matty grinned. "How many f-bombs can you fit in one sentence, Dana?"
"You wanna find out?" She giggled. "That's nothing; you should hear my mother when she's on a roll."
"You two done screwing around?" Joey emerged from the forest with an armful of branches; he dropped them by the fire and sat down next to Dana. "Try to get some rest. I think we should leave soon."
"I'm going to fill the can." Matty scooped up the coffee can and headed off toward the lake. "If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, just wait longer."
Dana chuckled, but Joey remained stoic.
Snap out of it, bro , Matty thought; we need you .
A pale pink light colored the horizon. Matty knelt by the lakeshore and dipped in the can. The water resembled black glass: every hue of color, every cloud, and every tree along the shore reflected on the still surface.
Suddenly, a burst of bright red flashed on the serene water; a bulb of crimson light streaked in Matty's direction. He looked up and saw the flare rising in the distance; it came from somewhere across the lake.
Double Brook! He turned and bolted back to the camp. Someone's alive in there!
Crashing through the bushes and low-hanging branches, he staggered into camp; Joey stood behind the fire, pistol gripped in both hands.
"Whoa!" Matty held up his hands, splashing water over his pants. "It's me! There's a flare coming from the south—from the casino, I think."
They followed Matty through the trees; the flare hadn't been visible from the camp. Side by side, they stood on the shore and watched the flare float lazily toward the ground.
"I can't believe there are people still alive in there," Dana breathed. "There must be a lot of zombies."
"After that," Joey pointed to the flare, "there's going to be a helluva lot more. We need to move now if we wanna get there first."
They dove in the wagon; Joey
"Yeah." Joey leaned over the engine and sighed. "I can't believe my truck got fucked up. I just pimped it out."
"Maybe we can find some food there." Dana stretched out by the fire; one hand massaged the side of a massive breast. "I'm thinking about ditching this bra soon."
Matty chuckled. "Then they'll be swinging wildly when you run—you might smack yourself in the face."
"I'll use 'em as weapons!" She grabbed the underside of one breast and swung it up and down. "It'd be like dropping a bowling ball on someone's head!" She busted out laughing.
Joey stormed off through the woods, trampling the brush underfoot.
"He's worrying me," Matty said. "I know losing Hank and Gigi hit him hard, but… I don't know what it is, but something else is wrong."
"He had a plan." Dana sighed. "He spent so many hours thinking about what to do in case of a nuclear war, an asteroid crash, or zombies. He's really pissed that all that planning hasn't worked out, and he's pissed about losing his parents." She watched the flames and chewed her lower lip. "I think he feels responsible for their death. You know what happens when Joey feels terrible about something—everyone else is going to feel terrible, too."
Matty smiled. "Like the time he dropped Gigi's birthday cake."
"Oh my god!" Dana clapped a hand to her mouth. "I can't believe he threw cake at the wall and smashed the fuckin' ice cream!"
"Almost covered all of us in it, too. It was a like wild gorilla set loose in a bake shop."
Dana bit her fist, trying not to laugh hysterically; tears bubbled up and streamed down her face. "That was so fucked up!"
"And then two hours later he took everyone out to eat and paid for appetizers, meals, and deserts. It turned out in our favor, at least." Matty rubbed his stomach. "Shit, I could use a cheeseburger right about now."
"Tell me about it!" Dana groaned. "I'd kill for a steak and cheese! These fuckin' zombies fuckin' fucked up everything!"
Matty grinned. "How many f-bombs can you fit in one sentence, Dana?"
"You wanna find out?" She giggled. "That's nothing; you should hear my mother when she's on a roll."
"You two done screwing around?" Joey emerged from the forest with an armful of branches; he dropped them by the fire and sat down next to Dana. "Try to get some rest. I think we should leave soon."
"I'm going to fill the can." Matty scooped up the coffee can and headed off toward the lake. "If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, just wait longer."
Dana chuckled, but Joey remained stoic.
Snap out of it, bro , Matty thought; we need you .
A pale pink light colored the horizon. Matty knelt by the lakeshore and dipped in the can. The water resembled black glass: every hue of color, every cloud, and every tree along the shore reflected on the still surface.
Suddenly, a burst of bright red flashed on the serene water; a bulb of crimson light streaked in Matty's direction. He looked up and saw the flare rising in the distance; it came from somewhere across the lake.
Double Brook! He turned and bolted back to the camp. Someone's alive in there!
Crashing through the bushes and low-hanging branches, he staggered into camp; Joey stood behind the fire, pistol gripped in both hands.
"Whoa!" Matty held up his hands, splashing water over his pants. "It's me! There's a flare coming from the south—from the casino, I think."
They followed Matty through the trees; the flare hadn't been visible from the camp. Side by side, they stood on the shore and watched the flare float lazily toward the ground.
"I can't believe there are people still alive in there," Dana breathed. "There must be a lot of zombies."
"After that," Joey pointed to the flare, "there's going to be a helluva lot more. We need to move now if we wanna get there first."
They dove in the wagon; Joey
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