Dead On Arrival~ Season 2- Episode 26: The Garden

Note: Was posted on my tumblr last Friday, but never got the chance to post it here. Sorry all.

Episode 26: The Garden

I hadn't set foot in the backyard since Grace's funeral. I didn't have the heart to. Seeing her grave among the flowers was too much to bear. I could still see her alive and well kneeling over those very flowers she loved so tenderly. Her smile as bright as the sun. Her voice, soothing and encouraging. Omar seemed to be the only brave soul to venture out there regularly to place flowers on her grave. I guess it kept him going. For me, it was easier just to look away and focus on other pressing manners. Gemma for example.

Her sob story had had a profound effect on her standings in the house. Some had soaked it all up like a bunch of saps, but others like me were still on high alert. Madison had also entrusted me to spy on her, so I did just that. For three weeks. Strangely enough, nothing happened. It was both disheartening and frustrating. There was no way she was telling the truth about anything, but somehow she was able to keep up the act of being sickeningly sweet and innocent. It was annoying, but I kept my cool. What really set me off was what I saw in the backyard one fine morning. I went to the window in the hallway to look out and saw someone tending to the flowers. A certain redhead. Gemma!

I immediately made a beeline for the backyard with my katana. DJ lazily sat in a lawn chair keeping watch nearby, but before he could even take notice of me I was right behind Gemma. I aimed my sword at her as she kneeled down over Grace's flower bed. She froze and turned around grinning seemingly unfazed.

"Hi. Mind if you put the sharp pointy weapon down?"

I said nothing. I simply glared at her and DJ sat up in his chair now alert. He gasped. "Whoa! Whoa! Put that down!"

"No! What is she doing here?" I spat.

"Jones said it was ok and Omar, gave me his blessing. So can you please put that thing away?" she continued. "How about you sit down and we have a chat?"

She patted the ground next to her. "Come on. Let's talk. Lassie to Lassie."

"Like the dog?"

"No. Just sit down."

I sat down next to her reluctantly and placed my sword on the ground beside me. DJ relaxed in his lawn chair again. I glared at her as she smiled back. She looked different. She wore clothes suited for the yard now and her hair in a ponytail, but her hair was shinier. Shiner and curlier. Like a glowing red crown.

She caught me looking at it and squealed with excitement. "Oh, you notice my hair? I really got the grit and grime out of it. Then Omar helped me trim it. Didn't you know? He used to be a barber. His dad owned a barbershop. Said he worked there sometimes. He's a wizard with scissors."

"That's...nice," I said unable to hide my displeasure with her.

She sighed. "Omar told me about what happened here. With his wife and all. I know what you must think, but I'm not here to replace her and I'm not up to anything. I just like gardening is all. It takes my mind off things and gives me something to do. Its...calming."

"Calming. Grace used to say that when she was out here. It calmed her."

"You must have been close."

"We were. She was sort of like a mother figure or a grandmother." I said sadly as I glanced over at her grave. "She was like that with everyone though. She always had the right thing to say."

"She sounds like my granny. I still miss that spitfire of a woman. Deep down she was a big softy though. Hugs, cookies, the typical grandma stuff. I really do miss her sometimes. She like to call me Ginny. I was her Ginny."

"Ginny?"

Yeah. I know she's gone, but I like to think she's still out there alive. Alive riding a Harley Davidson and raising hell," she said garnering a small chuckle from me. She smiled. "How about you?"

"What you mean?"

"Do you have family out there somewhere?"

"It's really none of...well yeah. My dad. I know he's alive though. I can feel it."

"How about your mom?"

I flinched. "She died long before this."

"I'm... sorry," she whispered. "Any brothers or sisters?"

"No. I'm an only child."

"Ah. Well, you're lucky. I had three assholes for brothers. I miss those assholes. Maybe there with granny and her Harley."

"Maybe."

"Hey ladies! Sorry to interrupt, but I'm going inside for a second," DJ yelled over to us rising up from his chair again. He stood up. "Audrey, can you keep you an eye on things?"

"Yeah. Go ahead!"

He smiled and nodded. Then he headed up the stairs and disappeared inside. I looked back at Gemma who seemed to focus on planting again. She dug a small hole and placed what look like seeds in it.

"So how about that DJ?"

"What?"

"DJ. I see the way he looks at you," she winked. "Seems like you would make a fine pair."

I scoffed. "If this is your way of bonding with me you're doing a shitty job."

"No. I'm just saying. It might do you some good to pursue that you know."

"I don't have time for that!"

"There's always time for love."

"Don't make me barf!"

"Oh, stop being such a grumpy grump," she laughed. She reached down making another hole. "I sure wish I had a healthy manly distraction right about now. Someone to make you forget this fucked up world."

As she said this, I saw something out the corner of my eye moving in the bushes. The leaves shook as it brushed by them. Then an eerie silence followed.

"Ah. That's the ticket. Can you hand me my basket over there?" she asked. "Gonna plant one more thing and finish up."

I looked over to my right and saw a small wicker basket. As I reached for it, I heard the unmistakable sounds of a zombie. The horrid gasping sound it made. It echoed through the air and then I heard Gemma scream.

I immediately jumped into action. The zombie grabbed Gemma's wrist and it pulled her towards its gaping mouth. I jumped up and grabbed my katana off the ground.

Then without thinking I stabbed the creature in the head. Right through the top of its skull. It let her go and went limp. Gemma fell backward. She backed away looking terrified. I pulled the sword out its cranium much like pulling the Excalibur out of its stone. Then I came over to Gemma. She stared up at me blankly.

"Are you ok?" I asked genuinely concerned. I bent down next to her. "Did he bite you?"

“No. I don’t think so,” she said. She squinted at me suspiciously. “Why? Why did you save me?”

“Huh?”

She shook her head and mumbled, “I mean Ace would have never saved me, but you did.”

“Ace? What did you say?”

“Oh, did I say Grace? I meant John,” she gasped. She laughed nervously. “I guess Grace is on the brain. That poor woman.”

“No. You said Ace.”

“No. No, I’m pretty sure I said Grace,” she spluttered. “That poor woman. She died following that stupid cat. The rotter nearly tore her to pieces. Her and that cat. White fur everywhere. I guess that rotter coming out of nowhere just put her on my mind you know? Poor woman.”

I eyed her suspiciously. “You sound like you were there.”

“What? No. How could I? I was still out there on the road silly,” she said regaining her train of thought. “Omar told me about it obviously. Now help me up already.”

I glared at her. Her hand extended to me, but I couldn’t bring myself to grab it. She had slipped up as Wade predicted, but I had no idea it would be in this way. Did she have something to do with Grace’s death? Was she there that night? She had described the scene in such detail as if she had seen it herself. Was she and the Vultures involved? And Ace. Ace was said to be their leader. Was he John?

I grabbed the hilt of my sword feeling anger bubbling up inside me. Part of me wanting to strike her and end her loathsome existence. Luckily for her, DJ came out with two cans of soda. He froze as soon as he saw us and placed the cans on the table. He ran over to us looking alarmed.

"What happened? Y'all alright?" he asked.

Gemma smiled and nodded. She pointed at the zombie. "Audrey saved me.”

“Shit! For real?! I swear I clear them out and they keep coming back,” DJ gasped. He smiled at me. “Good looking out.”

“Yep. She’s a real hero,” she said grinning. She leaped up and grabbed me into a hug. I stood there in disgust.

She squeezed me and continued her gratitude sounding oddly menacing. “Thank you, Audrey. Thank you.”