Cora (Love in the Apocalypse #2)

5. Cora

Chapter five

Cora

I was frightened awake by the sound of banging on the emergency hatch. For a second, I thought for sure they were coming through the door, but eventually, the sound stopped. I went upstairs to see what my guests were up to, and when I determined no one was inside, I crept out from behind the walls and started peeking through the windows until I found them standing around Daddy’s truck. The hood was up like they had been looking under it.

Movement from the other window caught my attention, and I saw zombies headed straight for them. Their appearance had undoubtedly changed since the last time I had seen them. The walking corpses were now far more decayed and disgusting looking. Derrick said something to the others and then headed toward the zombies. I opened my mouth to warn him, but nothing came out. My heart was in my throat as he appeared on the other side of the house and ran straight into the closest zombie. They impressed me as they worked together to kill the zombies. I wish I could do that. I didn’t know the first thing about combat or fighting off zombies.

I moved window to window, keeping them in my sight as I tried to piece together what they were doing. When Isaac started a chainsaw for the first time, I nearly came out of my skin with fright. After spending so much time in silence, the amount of noise these four men made was jarring and incredibly unsettling. Didn’t they know they would attract the zombies with all that racket?

As the day wore on, they began to remove their shirts one by one. I wasn’t sure what they planned to do with all the wood they were chopping, but watching them get sweaty did things to my body. It wasn’t until Derrick and Remi began putting posts in the holes Derrick had dug and assembling the pieces that I realized they were making a fence. That was smart. Daddy always said we didn’t need a fence, but I could see how it would be necessary in this new world in which we found ourselves.

I was so focused on what they were doing that I didn’t immediately recognize the tingles of awareness running down my back for what they were—time stood still as I raised my eyes to meet Derrick’s. He was staring straight at me, and it was like neither of us knew what to do for a second. I certainly didn’t. This was the first human connection I have made in three years. Why did it feel like he was staring into my soul?

Suddenly, he blinked and shouted something at Remi. As soon as he looked away, I ran from the window and back to the bunker. Part of me hated to stop watching them, but Derrick saw me. He saw me. If I didn’t want to be found, I had to return to hiding before they stampeded inside to look for me. When I didn’t hear the thundering footsteps above my head, I almost returned to make sure they were ok.

Almost.

Maybe he didn’t trust what he saw, or maybe he just didn’t care.

He wouldn’t be the first.

Ten Years Old

“Chloe, let’s talk about this!” Daddy yelled in a hushed voice.

I was supposed to be sleeping, but like every other night this week, Mommy and Daddy’s arguing had woken me up again. I crept to the top of the stairs to peek through the railing and see what was happening below. Mommy was piling things up by the door while Daddy followed behind her.

“There isn’t anything to talk about, Johnny,” Mommy replied. “I’m not happy here. Herman makes me happy. He can give me the kind of life that I’ve always wanted.”

“When did you stop wanting the life we’ve built?” Daddy asked sadly.

Mommy sighed. “I don’t know. One day, I woke up and didn’t want this anymore. I want more. I want excitement and to see the world.”

“And what about Cora, Chloe? What about your fucking daughter? Where does she fit in this shiny new life you’re leaving me for?” Daddy demanded.

“I won’t fight you for custody. She’s better off with you. I don’t have time to care for her right now,” Mommy said. Her phone beeped, and she looked at it and then opened the front door. “All of this can go to the car,” she ordered when a man in a suit and a funny hat appeared in the doorway.

“Yes, ma’am,” the man replied.

“You don’t have time to care for her right now?” Daddy asked incredulously. “Are you fucking kidding me? Caring for your child isn’t something you decide whether you have time for or not. Were you even planning to say goodbye to her? Or were you going to just leave me with the task of telling our ten-year-old that her mother left her for some pencil dick number cruncher with money?”

“There is no reason to be vile,” Mommy scolded him. “Act like an adult. And I’m sure whatever you come up with will be far better than anything I would say.”

“Is that all, ma’am?” the stranger asked as he collected the last of the bags by the door.

“Yes, that’s everything. I’ll be right out,” Mommy replied.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Daddy said quietly.

“Well, believe it.” Mommy turned toward the door, and I sprung into action.

“Mommy!” I yelled, running down the stairs in my pink princess footie pajamas. “Don’t leave!” I wrapped my arms around her waist tightly, refusing to let go no matter how much she tried to pry me off of her.

“Now, Cora. Be reasonable. Is this any way for a little lady like yourself to behave?”

“I don’t want you to go,” I cried.

“Sometimes things happen in life that we don’t like, but there isn’t anything we can do to stop them. This is one of those times, Cora. I will need you to be a big girl and let go of Mommy. Don’t make this any harder than it has to be. Dammit, Cora! John, you could help.”

“You seem to have it under control,” Daddy replied. “Why the hell should I make it easier on you?” Even as he said the words, I felt him bend beside me and scoop me into his arms. “Come on, Buttercup. We’re going to be ok, I promise.”

I struggled against his hold as Mommy walked out of the house and closed the door. “No! Mommy!” I yelled after her. As soon as the door shut, Daddy set me back down, and I ran for the door. I tried to open in and chase after her, but Daddy held it shut.

He sat against the door and held his arms out to me. “Come here, baby.” I crawled into his lap and sobbed into his chest. “I’m so, so sorry, Cora. I know it hurts now, but I promise I will always be here to care for you. I won’t ever leave you. You’re my favorite girl, and I love you so much.” Daddy continued to make promises and murmur comforting words until I had settled down, and then he carried me back to bed and sat with me until I had fallen back asleep.

That was the last time I had seen my mother. Over the years before the apocalypse started, I wondered what she was doing and if she ever thought of me. After the apocalypse, I thought of her only one other time before today, and that was after Daddy died.

I hoped that wherever she was, she didn’t survive because she didn’t deserve to live in a world where Daddy no longer existed.