Kicked Out in the Apocalypse, But My Dog Was My Secret Weapon

My head was pounding.

My forehead was so hot it felt like it could fry an egg.

I curled up in the corner of the couch, wrapped in that old tattered blanket, my teeth chattering uncontrollably.

“Mom, please give me a fever pill. I really can’t take this anymore.”

My voice came out hoarse, and my throat tasted like blood.

Linda Carter sat by the coffee table, clutching the white pill bottle tightly in her hand.

It was the last bottle of ibuprofen in the house.

She didn’t even look at me. Her eyes were locked on Tyler, who was sitting there playing video games.

Tyler Jackson sniffled and let out the faintest little sneeze.

Linda shot to her feet at once.

She poured a glass of warm water, shook out two pills, and pressed them into Tyler’s hand.

“Baby, hurry up and take these. That sneeze didn’t sound right. Don’t go catching a cold.”

I stared at the scene in disbelief.

I had a fever of a hundred and three point six. I was even starting to hallucinate.

Tyler’s nose just itched.

I struggled up from the couch and reached for the bottle.

“Mom, I still have a fever. Just leave me one...”

Smack!

Linda slapped the back of my hand.

It swelled red instantly.

“Eat, eat, eat. That’s all you ever think about. This medicine is for your brother. What does a useless girl like you need it for?”

Tyler swallowed the pills, then slammed the glass down on the table.

He looked at the husky lying by my feet with open disgust.

“Mom, this dog’s shedding again. Just looking at him annoys me.

“And he eats so much every meal. We’re barely scraping by as it is.

“Get rid of him.”

Duke seemed to understand. He let out a low whine and buried his head against my leg.

My dad had left him to me before he died.

He’d been with me for five whole years.

I wrapped my arms tightly around Duke’s neck.

“No. Dad left him to me. Nobody’s touching him.”

Tyler let out a cold laugh, got to his feet, and kicked Duke hard in the stomach.

Duke cried out in pain, but because he didn’t want to make things harder for me, he didn’t bite him.

I lunged at Tyler like I’d lost my mind and shoved him away.

“Stop it!”

He dropped to the floor on purpose and instantly started wailing at the top of his lungs.

“Mom! Hannah hit me! She hit me over a dog!”

Linda’s face darkened on the spot.

She stormed into the kitchen, grabbed a rolling pin, and came straight at me.

“So now you’ve got some nerve, huh? You dare hit your brother?”

Once.

Twice.

The blows came down on my back and arms.

I shielded my head, shielded my dog, and curled up into a ball.

Outside, thunder roared and rain came down in sheets.

From the street came the constant shrieks and growls of zombies.

When Linda finally got tired, she stood there panting hard and pointed at the front door.

“Get out. Take that mutt and get out of my house.”

“I don’t raise ungrateful brats, and I sure as hell don’t keep worthless dogs around.”

I looked up at her in disbelief.

“Mom, there are zombies everywhere outside, and it’s pouring. You’re really making me leave right now?”

“You’re sending me out there to die!”

Linda grabbed me by the collar.

She was unbelievably strong. She dragged me all the way to the door, with Duke and me in tow.