Angie flipped it off, panting. "Eat it, asshole."

  Then she patted Dalton on the head. Dalton said nothing,

  looking around at the still corpses and at the furious chimpanzees.

  "Okay, honey," she said. "Let's go. The exit's this way."

  Thirteen

  "Guess we're sleeping here," said Maylee, looking around. She

  stood in a narrow alcove of concrete and plaster. The ceiling was low

  and claustrophobic. She felt a little trapped, but reminded herself they'd

  had to climb a ladder to get here. And from what she had seen, fresh

  corpses could navigate stairs if given time, but she'd never seen any

  manage a ladder. It bothered her that she was becoming an expert on

  what walking corpses could and couldn't do.

  "We'll swing it," said Park, leaning against a wall of the alcove.

  "It's cold and the floor is nice and hard. And don't forget fucking damp.

  What's not to love?"

  Maylee smirked and looked behind her. Ella was standing

  outside of the alcove, looking down with her back to Maylee. Climbing

  up here had been Ella's idea. She knew of all sorts of hidden areas that

  the zookeepers used for storage and shortcuts. This alcove, set high up

  along one of the fake-rock walls, was one of them. The ladder was

  almost impossible to see from the regular zoo walkways, but Ella had

  gone straight to it.

  Maylee walked out to where Ella stood. The rain was a light,

  cold mist. It stung her face but Maylee was glad to be out of the dim

  alcove.

  Ella was looking down at a bear exhibit. A bear paced angrily

  next to a large pool of water, one the bears would normally play and

  swim in. A beach ball bobbed in the water. A dead bear, head smashed

  and bloody, lay next to the pool.

  "I saw him do that," said Ella.

  "What?" said Maylee.

  "Geoff," said Ella. "I mean, that bear. I saw him pounding his

  head against the wall. I guess he did it too many times."

  Maylee nodded, not knowing what else to do. She stared down

  at the bear with Ella for a moment, then walked slowly back into the

  alcove. Park was still leaning against the wall, looking down. He saw

  Maylee approach and gave her a quick nod. Maylee nodded back. She

  sat cross-legged on the cold floor and set her bat next to her.

  Ashton Memorial

  211

  Ella slowly walked inside and sat next to Maylee. She sighed.

  "I can't believe we're still not there."

  "It's a big zoo," said Maylee. "Plus, dead people are

  everywhere."

  Ella frowned. "Plus you've got me for a guide." She stared

  silently at the floor for a moment. "People think I'm stupid. Weird and

  stupid."

  "Hey!" said Maylee, kicking Ella's foot then resuming a cross-

  legged position. "I don't think that."

  Park, who'd been watching this whole time, came over and sat

  next to Ella. "Listen, Ella," he said. "Everything's gonna be okay." He

  reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. She pulled away.

  "Not now," she said.

  Park stared at her for a second, then stood angrily. "When,

  goddammit, Ella? When?"

  "I don't know," said Ella, standing and pacing.

  "Well give me a fucking time frame, Ella. I'm your fucking

  father and I haven't seen you for years!"

  Ella whirled on him, a fury in her eyes Maylee hadn't seen from

  her before. "Big damn whup, Dad! I'm so sorry your stupid little plan

  isn't working out for you. You think you can just show up after years

  and be some sort of stupid scroungy hero? Where were you when Mom

  died? Where were you when Stepdad stole Lori? Where were you when

  dead people started eating everything? Where were you ever?"

  Park stared at Ella for several seconds. Maylee tried to read his

  face. He looked angry, embarrassed, sad, and several other things all at

  once. Maylee wished she had sat somewhere farther away.

  Park sniffed and stepped closer to Ella. "You guys. Your

  mother, your sister, you. You guys left me."

  Ella stared back, then shook her head. "Shit, Dad. I'm fifteen

  years old and I know how childish that sounds."

  She spun and stomped out of the alcove. Park watched her go,

  then looked down at Maylee. Maylee looked back, no earthly idea what

  to say.

  "The fuck you looking at?" said Park.

  Maylee shrugged, stood and walked away.

  Robert R. Best

  212

  * * *

  Angie grabbed another handful of paper towels from the

  dispenser. She walked to the center of the bathroom and knelt,

  spreading the towels out as neatly as she could in the rapidly-fading

  light. Dalton stood a few feet away, looking around the bathroom. The

  public restroom at a zoo was not Angie's first choice for sleeping, but it

  had only one door and one window. The window was high up the wall

  and narrow, making it unlikely that anyone, or anything, could climb

  through. And the door was locked thanks to a plunger Angie found and

  shoved through the vertical handle.

  "We should get there tomorrow, sweetheart," said Angie. She

  spread the paper towels out until they formed a thin layer against the

  floor of the bathroom. It would have to do. "I'm so sorry this is taking

  so long."

  Dalton came over and sat on the makeshift bed Angie made.

  Angie sat next to him. Dalton stared up at the frosted window high on

  the wall. "Do you think Maylee's okay?" he said.

  "I'm sure she is," said Angie. She desperately hoped it was true.

  She reminded herself that Maylee had Park with her. And for all of

  Park's issues, he could handle himself. Then she reminded herself that

  Maylee had gotten Dalton through that first night. The first night of the

  end of the world, Maylee had kept herself and Dalton safe. It made

  Angie proud, but it was too scary to think about for very long. Maylee

  was only fourteen.

  Shit, Angie realized. No she's not.

  "Shit," Angie said aloud into the dark.

  "What?" said Dalton.

  "I forgot your sister's birthday was today. I completely forgot."

  "It's okay."

  Angie chuckled. "Not so sure about that, buddy. I strongly

  suspect I may be a terrible mother."

  "There's a lot going on right now," said Dalton.

  "You got that right," said Angie, putting an arm around him

  and pulling him closer. "Too much. Way too much."

  She sat silently in the dark. Dalton put his head on her shoulder

  and was snoring in less than a minute. Angie knew how exhausted he

  must be.

  Ashton Memorial

  213

  "I'm so tired of running, Dalton," she said, quietly.

  "Mmmm?" said Dalton, half asleep.

  "Nothing, sweetie. It's okay." She leaned over to kiss his

  forehead. He fell fully asleep on her shoulder. Angie sighed into the

  dark.

  "So sick of running," she whispered, careful not to wake him.

  "I need to get you guys safe. Get you guys a home again. I'll build one

  if I have to."

  * * *

  Park stared at the ceiling of the alcove. The cold concrete hurt

  his back, but he didn't give a fuck right now. The girls were outside the

  alcove, looking down at bears or some shit. He was glad for it. He

  couldn't stand to have Ella looking at him right now. He felt exhausted

  and embarrassed.

  He stared at the ceiling, trying not to picture the look Ella gave

  him just before she stormed out.

  It is years ago and Park is sitting in his dirty old recliner.

  Jennifer, all pulled-back hair and seriousness, stands before him. Ella

  and Lori, small and confused, stand to either side of her.

  "You're serious," says Park, not bothering to get up. He hopes

  the gesture is defiant. He suspects he looks pathetic. He is not sure he

  cares.

  "Of course I'm serious, Parker," says Jennifer. "I told you

  things aren't working. I told you you need to find work. I told you you

  need to be more involved. You won't listen. No, it's worse. You do

  listen. You just don't care."

  Park isn't sure she's wrong. He ignores that part. "Work? I've

  got my garage."

  "Your garage, Parker? What garage? You fix maybe one car a

  month for one of your stupid friends. They give you fifty bucks if you're

  lucky. We can't live on that. Even with my job, the girls can't live on

  that."

  "Fine," says Park. "So I haven't actually rented out a building

  yet. But I still have a business. Things are slow right now."

  "Things are as slow as you want them to be. You're lazy,

  Robert R. Best

  214

  Parker. You're lazy and you don't care."

  Park stares at her, at the girls. He's half drunk from a morning

  full of beer. He wishes it made him feel better. "You can't talk to me

  that way," he says, hoping he sounds strong.

  "I am," says Jennifer. "I did. And now I'm going and I'm

  taking the girls with me."

  "Fuck you," says Park. He pushes himself farther back in his

  recliner, making a big show of not giving a shit.

  "Hell of a comeback, Parker," says Jennifer. She opens the

  door and steps toward it. She motions for Lori and Ella to follow.

  Just before they go, Lori and Ella look at him. They are

  confused, but Park can see the core emotion on their face.

  They are disappointed. In life. In their father.

  They look at him like he is a failure.

  Then they are gone.

  Park shook the memories off and forced himself to shut his

  eyes. Before he fell asleep, he saw the image of Ella staring at him a

  few minutes ago. Her eyes had the same disappointed look.

  Then he fell asleep.

  * * *

  Lori strained her legs against the ropes holding her to the chair.

  They were tight and they dug into her skin. She didn't care. She wanted

  to be free. She dug at the ropes with her hands, but they were too tight

  to get anywhere.

  Gregory sat with his back to her at the desk in the corner of the

  room. The one monitor showed one camera view, then another, as

  Gregory clicked a switch on the desk. The cameras showed various

  images of guests fighting, guests running from corpses, and sometimes

  guests being eaten by corpses. Lori looked away when those images

  went by.

  But mostly she glared at Gregory's back, hoping she could burn

  holes into him with her eyes.

  He clicked a different switch on the desk and leaned into the

  microphone a few inches from his mouth. "Attention guests of Ashton

  Memorial Zoo."

  "Hope you're enjoying your stay!" yelled Lori, hoping she was

  Ashton Memorial

  215

  loud enough for the microphone to pick up.

  Gregory clicked the switch off and turned to look at her. She

  glared defiantly back at him.

  "Please Lori," said Gregory, shaking his head. "Don't make me

  gag you again."

  Lori flipped him off but stayed silent, remembering the sweaty

  taste of the rag across her mouth.

  Gregory ignored her gesture and turned back to the

  microphone. He flipped the switch to activate it. "Sorry about that

  folks," he said in his best cheery customer-greeting voice. Lori had

  heard it for years. Before, she was mildly irritated by it. Now it made

  her want to vomit.

  "This is Gregory, the owner of our wonderful zoo. I want to

  personally thank you for your continued patience. Remember that the

  fine employees of Ashton Memorial Zoo are working around the clock

  for your safety during this time of crisis. We trust that this crisis is

  temporary and that authorities are restoring order outside as we speak."

  He cleared his throat and continued. "It has also come to our

  attention that, regrettably, some of the ... things outside may have found

  their way into the zoo. Please do not approach them. Instead, report

  them to the nearest zookeeper and we will deal with the problem.

  Please be assured that only a few of the creatures have found their way

  inside, and we will deal with them all swiftly and surely. Good night."

  He clicked the microphone off and turned back to Lori. She

  tried to kill him with her eyes. It didn't work.

  "Don't look at me like you hate me, Lori," he said.

  "But I do hate you," said Lori. "And maybe you've forgotten

  since a lot's happened, but a day or so ago you tied me to a chair, so it's

  not like I can look much of anywhere else."

  He scratched at his neatly-trimmed beard and stared at the floor

  for a second. Then he looked back at Lori. "I can't untie you yet, Lori."

  "I bet you could if you tried," said Lori, straining against the

  ropes. "I believe in you, Dad."

  He shook his head, quiet for the moment. Lori was very

  conscious of the cell phone in her hip pocket. She wished Gregory

  would leave the room so she could text Ella. She wished she could call

  Ella, but she couldn't risk Gregory overhearing. She had no idea how

  Robert R. Best

  216

  far he went when he left the room.

  He smiled, sadly. "Now, don't be silly like your sister, Lori.

  You know what I mean."

  "I know what you did."

  Something approaching anger flashed across Gregory's face.

  His forehead turned red, then it was gone as he visibly pushed his

  reaction down. "I had to, Lori. You think I wanted to? You think I

  wanted to shoot my wife? Your mother?"

  Lori stared at him as he talked. He looked sad. Most people

  would believe honestly sad. But Lori had watched his face for years.

  She knew how he could be, when he wanted to impress guests or

  investors. She couldn't be sure he wasn't acting.

  He sighed and pushed his chair away from her. "Well, let's try

  to get some sleep."

  Good idea, thought Lori. Why don't you go outside to do that.

  He smiled at her, kindly. Most people would believe honestly

  kindly. "I'll be in the corner if you need me."'

  Shit.

  * * *

  Lee leaned against the doorway to the kitchen in the Bites. He

  held a clipboard in his hand. A handwritten chart was attached to the

  clipboard. Another Keeper, a young man with a bald head and goatee,

  stood inside the kitchen, looking around.

  Lee checked the clipboard. "Loaves of bread?"

  "Um," said the young man, turning to stare at the back of the

  kitchen. "Twenty-three."

  Lee nodded and clicked the pen he held in his other hand. He

  marked a hand-drawn box on the chart. "The guests will have to eat a

  lot of bread in the next few days. The bread will go bad fast."

  The young man rubbed the back of his bald head. "How long

  do you think we'll be trapped in here, Lee?"

  Lee shrugged, not looking up from the clipboard. "Not sure.

  That's why we have to ration food. Why we have to keep order. We're

  the Keepers."

  The young man chuckled softly.

  Lee looked up from the clipboard to stare at the young man.

  Ashton Memorial

  217

  "What's so funny?"

  The young man looked out at the other Keepers scattered

  around the Bites, then back at Lee. "Well, we were Keepers, Lee. I

  don't think we work here anymore. It's not like we're getting paid."

  Lee placed the clipboard under his armpit and crossed his arms.

  "What in the hell difference does that make?"

  All the other Keepers fell quiet. The bald man looked around

  for support, then back to Lee. He rubbed the back of his head.

  Lee stared at him for a second longer, then pulled the clipboard

  from his armpit. He looked back down at it. "Boxes of corn chips?"

  The bald man paused, silent for a moment. "Hey, Lee..."

  Lee cleared his throat. "Boxes of corn chips?"

  The bald man stared at Lee, then turned to look around the

  kitchen. "Um, fifteen. One opened."

  "How many bags in the open one?" said Lee.

  The bald man counted. "Um, let's see. Ten."

  Lee frowned at the chart. "There's supposed to be eleven."

  The man turned red, looking embarrassed. The other Keepers

  chuckled. The man coughed. "Well..."

  "Why aren't there eleven?" said Lee, looking up from the chart.

  "I took an extra one at lunch."

  Lee lowered the clipboard. "You what?"

  The other Keepers chuckled louder. The man turned redder,

  scratching his goatee and looking around. "I didn't see what the big

  deal was. I was hungry and we have plenty."