Katie raised her head, realizing she had been mentally blocking the sound of the moans.
"Yeah, me, too. "
"Well," Jenni said at last, with a smile. "At least we live in Texas where people actually own guns and hunt. "
"Well," Katie said with a grin. "At least we're in a hunting shop and not
a mall. "
Jenni giggled as she stood, stretching her long legs. "Yeah. Or a farmhouse. "
"Do you know how to fly a helicopter?"
"Uh, no. "
"Me neither," Katie grinned.
"You have watched Dawn of the Dead!"
"Romero series all the way. " Katie walked out into the bedroom and crawled onto the bed.
"How about Fulci?" Jenni climbed in after her, looking much more relaxed now.
"No, can't say I have," Katie said with the shake of her head.
"I had hoped if this ever happened they would at least wouldn't run like in the new movies. " Jenni pouted.
Outside, the moaning continued, almost a lulling sound, the same sound over and over again. Jack crawled into the bed between them and nestled down.
Snuggling down on either side of the dog, the women laid there listening, both lost in thought. The tension that had been brewing between them had dissipated without either one of them ever realizing it had been there. They now knew where they both stood and it was good.
Without fear, without reservation, without being afraid of being misunderstood, Katie reached across the dog and took Jenni's hand. Jenni squeezed it tenderly.
"Tomorrow we'll get your stepson," Katie assured her.
"And kill more zombies," Jenni added.
Katie somewhat laughed, her eyes still feeling horribly large and swollen. "Yeah, kill zombies. "
"But avoid malls and farmhouses and helicopters. "
"And find ourselves a handsome black man for the main lead in our story," Katie added.
They both began to laugh and it felt amazingly good.
And outside, the zombies gathered and moaned.
3. The Midnight Hour
Jenni's heart pounded almost as fiercely as her footfalls as she rushed down the stairs with Mikey beside her. Her fingers slid down the banister as she struggled to not fall headlong down the stairs. Mikey's hand was slippery in hers and she tugged him hard as she reached the bottom of the staircase and headed toward the front door.
She felt Lloyd grab her long hair and yank her backwards.
"Don't touch my Mom!" Mike's hand slipped from hers and her little boy launched himself at his father.
"No," Jenni whispered and her eyes snapped open. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest it hurt. Slowly, she sat up and struggled to catch her breath.
Katie was sleeping beside her with her arms wrapped around the German Shepherd. The dog eyed Jenni drowsily and she rubbed his brow lightly.