red hill - jamie mcguire

we couldn’t risk taking the bridge across, either.
“Did you think this far ahead” Tobin asked, staring at the flowing river. The rain earlier had
made the current stronger, and the water level higher.
“Not really, but we can’t get caught on that bridge. They’ll take one look at us and know we snuck
in. They’ll shoot us on sight.”
“Agreed. You used to live here. What do you think we should do”
“We can either try to find a shallower place downstream, try to cross here, or use the rope swing
on the other side of the bridge.”
“The rope swing” Tobin said, dubious.
“There’s been one on that tree over there as long as I can remember. They keep one there for the
kids that live around here.”
Tobin stared at me blankly.
I shrugged. “The city pool is on the other side of town.”
Tobin blinked. “What kind of backward redneck village did my sister move to”
Nathan
“LYLE SHOT A COP, DADDY.”
“I saw that,” I said, not knowing what else to say.
“What’s happening” Zoe said. “Why is everyone fighting”
“Some of the people are sick,” I said, turning on the police radio. “I think.”
Reports were coming in that the virus had affected all counties. After a while, the dispatcher
stopped talking, so I turned up the car radio. Thirty-two of the forty-eight contiguous states reported
casualties and illness. The East Coast reported that those who had chosen not to receive the flu
vaccination were not showing symptoms as quickly as those who had. Some reports said that those
who had had the flu shot didn’t necessarily need to get bitten or attacked before they caught the virus.
They would reanimate no matter how they died. I glanced over at Zoe. She had an egg allergy like I
did. People with egg allergies were advised against the shot unless they stayed under the supervision
of a doctor post-inoculation. Even though my allergy wasn’t severe, Aubrey and I decided the benefit
didn’t outweigh the risk, for me or for Zoe. Well, I did . . . Aubrey left the decision to me. I let a
small sigh of relief escape my lips. If I only did one thing right, I’m glad it was that.
All roads proved to be an obstacle course. If I wasn’t jerking the wheel to the left, I was yanking it
to the right, dodging people, other cars, and general debris left behind by the pandemonium. Aubrey
used to always bitch about my driving, but we were almost out of town, and I’d yet to crash into
anything. Even if it were a small miracle, even she couldn’t complain about my driving skills now.
Zoe pointed ahead. We were on one of the few roads out of town that I thought would still be open.
It was paved, but just a few miles ahead it would turn to dirt. Halfway between was a railroad