She slides the sunglasses back into position and tips her face skyward to absorb those UV rays. I take that as my cue to carry on.
I disappear into the thick of the woods. Once I’m clear out of eyesight and earshot of everyone else, I open the PDFs of the property records saved on my phone—I assumed the Internet would fail me out here—and study the images. According to the records, I’ve almost reached the farthest point of Courtney’s land. If there’s anything that’s been missed, any violation or issue that could be used as leverage against her, I might find it here off the beaten path.
I stop in front of what amounts to a woodland wall. The trees have grown so close together in this section that they seem to be forming a blockade. Is this considered a fire hazard, having trees clustered like this? One forest fire could blaze through here in a matter of minutes. If Courtney was forced to clear some of the trees, it would cost a small fortune—a fortune I happened to know she didn’t possess.
Uncertain, I snap a few pictures just in case, then instinctively glance over my shoulder to make sure Angela didn’t follow me. I feel a strange sensation in my stomach as I tuck the phone into my pocket. At first, I worry that I ate something I shouldn’t have, until I realize I’ve experienced a twinge like this before.
It isn’t indigestion; it’s guilt.
Here I am, actively working against the people who are currently actively working to protect me and the others from a zombie invasion. It doesn’t matter that it isn’t real. If it was real, I have no doubt they would be out there, working to defend the community they’ve built, while I’m secretly working to destroy it.
I feel sick.
An uncomfortable realization sinks into my bones. This is about more than my fear of getting caught. If I’m being honest with myself, the truth is I don’t want the campers to think less of me. I like them. They’re nice people, with the possible exception of Hunter, who may, in fact, be a sociopath disguised as a nerdy firearms enthusiast.
I hear a garbled growl behind me and turn to see Fiona stalking toward me wielding a five-foot branch.
“That seems excessively large,” I tell her.
“That’s what she said.” The zombie cracks a smile, and I see she’s blackened a few of her teeth. I admire her commitment to the role.
“Zombie brains lack the capacity for humor,” I remind her.
“Right. Grrr. Argh,” she says, slipping back into character.
When she pulls back to take a swing at me, the top end catches on the branch behind her. I seize the moment to slip past her toward the campground. I’m unprepared for the adrenaline rush that comes with dodging a zombie attack, fake as it is.
My survival instincts kick in and I race toward the picnic area with Fiona hot on my heels. Up ahead, I see a group has already gathered there. The second whistle sounds as I reach a table.
“I almost had him,” Fiona says, panting. “I tracked his footprints to Endor Forest, but he had a little help from the trees.”
Adam whips toward me. “You were all the way out by Endor Forest?”
“That’s against the rules,” Bradley adds.
Gloria rushes to my defense. “It isn’t his fault. Nobody explained the boundaries before we started.” She turns to me. “We don’t go as far as Endor Forest. If somebody were to get lost trying to hide in there, it would be almost impossible to find them.”
“Noted,” I say. And not at all surprised. At least they took sensible precautions. “Why are you all here?”
“Hunter got us,” Olivia complains, casting a steely eye at the camo zombie. “Are you the only one who didn’t get bitten?”
I survey the group. “I guess so.”
“Charlie’s the winner!” Bradley crows, yanking my arm skyward in triumph. I feel uneasy accepting any accolades, knowing the real reason I managed to successfully dodge the zombies.
Olivia looks at me, eyes shining. “What does he win?”
“He gets to be first in line in the cafeteria for the next three meals,” Gloria announces.
“Lucky,” Adam says with a hint of resentment.
I don’t feel lucky though. I feel more like our undead opponents—a monster.
* * *
For the remainder of the afternoon, I can’t stop thinking about Stefan’s joyful transformation and how happy everybody was to witness it. It was almost as moving as Courtney’s wistful gaze whenever she talks about the camp. I wish I had more of that in my life.
Following a Lego meetup where every participant built an iconic movie scene (there was a shark Lego, so I chose Jaws), I agree to participate in a tabletop game. I get so caught up in reading the rules to avoid making a mistake that I don’t realize how many hours have passed until I get a message from Jeannie requesting proof of life, and that’s when it hits me.
