Survival - Warning Signs (1)

[Jadynara]

Thunder broke the dark night like a tide crashing against cliffside. The walls of the little house we lived in shuddered as a bolt of lightning struck thirty feet from the front door, before the flash faded thunder rocked the walls again and the electricity died. This storm had been raging for hours and it wasn't showing any signs of letting up anytime soon.

"Mackenzie... where are the camping flash lights?" Jess called out from the back bedroom where the kids were all huddled into a corner. "I don't know Jess. Probably in the garage where you packed them last time we came home from the mountains." I answered as I lit a candle and wandered back to the boys' bedroom. The trees were brushing against the window and scaring the wits out of the kids.

"It's zombies mommy!!!" cried Jalen. He rushed over to me clinging to my leg like a piece a saran wrap clings to a wet counter. I shot Jess an angry glare."I told you he shouldn't be watching those damned movies Jess"

"Mommy! Mommy! They're going to get in and eat me!" Jalen wailed. I picked him up and carried him to the bed while Jess grabbed hold of Griffin and Daviahna and hauled them over to the bed as well. Jess grabbed a book and started to read... something about a brown bear which soon had the kids giggling in glee as daddy pretended to be a growly, big brown bear coming to tickle them and gnaw on their bellies.
I glanced at the window... zombies in a thunder storm... whatever gave the boy that idea. I walked over to shut the curtian and froze in my tracks.There was a bloody hand print dragged across the outside. It looked like someone had been scratching with their nails so hard they had begun to bleed. Quickly, I shut the curtain and let Jess finish his story and tuck the little ones in. We kissed them goodnight and said prayers before I pulled him out into the hallway. I left the candle in with the kids until they fell asleep.

"Jess, did you see anything at the window when JJ started crying?" I asked softly, trying not to let the fear I was choking on show in my voice."Uh, no." He lit another candle. "Honey. What's wrong? You look like you just woke from one of your night terrors."

"Jess there was a hand print on the window and..."

"Yeah it was probably from one of the kids."

"No Jess," I said shaking my head and looking to him for some sort of explanation, "this was on the outside... and it was bloody."

"Mackenzie seriously? You say Jalen shouldn't watch zombie movies?" He chuckled as he wandered back to our bedroom, brushing me off the way he always did when I looked like I was about to have a panic attack. He wasn't listening to the incessant scratching that was coming from the window beside the front door where there was no tree. I remember there was no sound, aside from the thunder... and that scratching.

Jess suddenly reappeared out of the bedroom and pulled me playfully back along the hallway. At the door to our room he lifted me and carried me across the threshold like he did the day we got married and moved into this house. That was all so long ago before we had kids, and lives outside of eachother. He laid me gently back on the deep red microfiber comforter we had picked out together and kissed the inside of my thigh while lifting up the knee length white peasant skirt I was wearing. We hadn't made love in so long. Unfortuantely for Jess, I was too keyed up by the hand print I had seen and it wasn't going to happen tonight either.

"Jess I'm serious" I said sitting up and smoothing my skirt back down. He huffed and flopped on the bed beside me."Of fucking course," he muttered under his breath as he turned to lay on his side facing away from me. "Well what, exactly, do you think it was Kenz?" he asked nastily. "I don't know Jess... did you see anyone outside when you were out there taking the trash down?"

"Oh you mean in the blinding wind driven rain and pitch black? Yeah Kenz - there's an army of undead minions out there just waiting to break into the house and devour our souls like a bunch of vampires." He always fell into this sarcastic attitude when he wanted to get laid and he knew he wasn't going to get any."Vampires dont devour souls you moron" I said in a venomous retort. This was how nights had become between us. The kids went to bed and Jess and I fought. But tonight was different... I was scared and Jess didn't even seem to be bothered by it. At the time I didn't think anything of it... I figured he was just upset too and so he was less than concerned about my needs. I would soon learn just how wrong I was.

[heinzs]