A Little Undead Read Free

paycheck. I'd survive somehow, I always did.
    “ New in town?”
“How
could you tell?” I replied, not particularly curious.
Following her nod I saw Holly turning around, a small waxed package
in her hands.
    “ Julie, what's ice cream?”
    Spinning back to the barista my
stunned disbelief shifted to excitement at the sight of her nod.
Paying the asking price with no more than a small grimace I tore open
the package with anxious but oh so careful haste. “I can't
believe someone was able to make this again.” It was golden
vanilla, flecked with ice, the scent wafting up from the open
packaging enticingly.
    “ For about two years now,
actually,” explained the woman. Ducking under the counter she
found them two plastic spoons likely salvaged from a pre-Infection
factory.
    “ Holly, you should try the
first bite.”
    Still curious, she lifted a
small dollop with her spoon, tongue questing outwards to test its
surface. With a slight start at its flavor she took the rest in one
bite. “Mmmh. This is good!”
    Taking a bite myself I kept it
on my tongue to savor the flavor but I couldn't keep a small frown
from creeping onto my face. “It doesn't taste quite like I
remember.” Spotting the coming question from the blonde I
headed it off before it could fully form. “Yes, I'm older than
I look.”
    “ Of course... Well, it's
actually made with goat's milk. Cow's milk is tough to find these
days.”
    “ Gotcha.” Mentally
berating myself over the use of teen-speak I soothed my annoyance
over the slip with further consumption of ice cream. It was then
that I saw it. While her right ear was normal, her left curved back
to a delicate point. “Penny the pixie,” I murmured
without thinking. I knew immediately that I had made a mistake.
    “ What did you just say?”
she asked slowly, head tilting to the side.
    “ Come on Holly, we need to
go.” Despite no doubt being curious herself Holly followed my
lead, carrying out the ice cream with her.
    “ Where did you hear that
name?” the barista called after me, voice tinged with
suspicion.
    I
sped up my pace, nearly slamming the door behind me as we left. It
was an old name, a sort of playground nickname from a time so long
ago it felt more like a dream than a memory. ' No, it can't
be a memory, it can't be.' I
felt sick to my stomach, backpack suddenly heavy enough to nearly
drag me to the ground. I slumped against the wall of a bakery the
moment we turned the corner, struggling to regain my composure.
    “ Julie, are you okay?”
    “ I'm fine,” I said.
“Come on, I still have to find my apartment after we get you
settled in and the sun's falling fast.” Diversion or not it
was a valid concern, and so with shaky legs I resumed the march. I
couldn't be certain about Boston, but in most parts of the world
walking around outside went from potentially dangerous during the day
to “You should really know better” during the night. I
wasn't going to let a little panic attack keep Holly from getting to
the dorms on time.
----
    It was like a whole other world
beyond the gates to the walled off inner city. Haven had only ever
had sporadic electricity up until just a couple years ago. Enough to
run a radio and a TV or two and the phones once they were
reconnected, but not much else. This display of blatant wealth felt
decadent in comparison. As marvelous as it was to see a piece of the
world as bustling as it was before the Infection, I couldn't help but
remember four winters ago when Haven had gone on half rations for
nearly a month. I had woken up once in the middle of the night in
pain, only to realize I had been gnawing on my own hand.
    “ Julie, this is amazing!
Can you believe it? I'd heard rumors but I never thought it would be
so bright.”
    “ Mmh,” I replied
noncommittally. I wondered if Bostonians were afraid of their own
shadows to put up so very many street lights. Every alley was lit,
even now in the early afternoon, and one casino appeared to use