by Flacco, Jack
Ranger didn’t want to talk about the undead. He had other things on his mind. “Do you know anything about the conversion camps?”
Jacob kept silent and looked at Emma who had stopped picking meat off the bones of their meal. He nodded. “There’s a camp a few miles from here. We’ve seen soldiers come and go, and we’ve seen other things, too.”
“Ships?” Matty asked.
“You know about them?”
“They change people.”
“There was one ship of the lot much bigger than the rest. I’ve never seen anything like it, nor have I seen since. It floated in the air. Silver. Other ships came from it from under its belly. The other ships looked more like scouts, scanning the area and catching dawdlers with its beam of light. We’ve seen it happen. That’s how they turned to chewers.”
“Why weren’t you ever caught?” Randy asked, then went back to staring at the fire.
“I don’t know. Lucky, I suppose. We almost got caught. We were in town fishing for supplies a month ago when a smaller saucer flew by. We don’t think anyone was on it because a few days later, it had passed by at the very same time of day searching for others to change. The four of us had just finished loading our car when we saw one of them appear in the sky over the stores across the street. We left everything behind and ran as fast as we could into the shrubs behind the grocery store. We stayed there until sunset when we had gathered enough courage to peek from the clearing and run back to our car, right where we’d left it.”
“We saw an alien once.” Jon blurted, tossing the raccoon bones into the fire.
“You saw one?” Ethan asked, while he wiped his mouth from his meal. “A real live one? What did it look like?”
“It had four arms, two huge eyes and it looked kind of pale. Two legs, too.”
“Six limbs?” Emma asked.
“That’s right. We talked with one, too.”
“You did?” Ethan asked.
“He saved us from a horde of zombies that’d come after us. If it hadn’t been for it, we’d all be dead and buried.”
Ethan mouthed the word “wow.” To have seen an alien up close had to have been one of life’s highlights, but to talk to one must have been even more overwhelming.
Jacob picked up a handful of pebbles from his feet and tossed them one at a time into the fire. His thoughts wandered on what Jon had said. “I don’t understand something. Why would an alien help you? They’re there to change us and I’m not sure what else. Not all the things my family and I have seen make the aliens lovable creatures. If anything, they’re evil monsters wanting to destroy the world.”
Ranger stretched his legs, at ease with the conversation with his newfound friends. He answered, “That’s just the thing. Among them, are others who don’t want the destruction of humanity. Like us, they want peace. I’m not sure how far we can go with sayin’ they want to live in peace with us, but the one we met had given his life so we could live.”
Jacob and Emma sat there with a stunned look on their face as if a truck had hit them head on. Ranger’s words fell on them, surprising them to discover not all aliens had a grudge against them. It wouldn’t account for the evil they’d seen done to others when the ships had taken the others with their beams and changed them into zombies. The news came as a relief knowing evil did not corrupt a whole species into wanting to destroy all humans. They had a different view of the aliens, unlike the view they had of the undead, who became evil because of their lack of a spirit. Jacob held his head in his hands and couldn’t fathom what other surprises the strangers would reveal to him.
Brooklyn inched closer to Jon again, this time taking his hand within hers and holding it in her lap. Matty smiled as did Randy, seeing how the young girl enjoyed showing her affection to the young boy from Boston. All Jon could do was raise his eyebrows with his bashfulness.
“About the camps?” Ranger wanted to continue his original thought.
“A handful of soldiers run the conversion camps. I once followed a group of jeeps from the town and hid among the hills, in the bush. What I saw frightened me.” Jacob answered.
Matty thought, nothing he could say could frighten her and the gang. They’ve seen it all. Conversions. Alien dogs. Zombies. Nothing would make them take cover for the hills.
Jacob went on to tell of how he saw the torture of prisoners at the hands of the military and how the soldiers had lost all sense of humanity, treating the prisoners as animals. One officer in particular gave the orders and seemed to be the leader of them all. He couldn’t tell what he looked like since the bushes were in the way. All Jacob knew was the man appeared as the one giving the orders while the others followed suit, no matter how brutal the orders were.
The look on Ranger’s face could have written books. He wanted the general and he knew the man was in the camp dealing death to anyone who got in his way. Ranger’s idea of a diplomatic solution disappeared when he’d seen what the military goon had done to Olivia, the woman who had helped them escape from the soldiers’ clutches back at Temple City. Without a doubt, nothing could stop Ranger from going after the general.
Chapter 24
Hours after Emma had accompanied their guests to their rooms, Matty and Randy slipped away into a clearing in the woods behind the motel. They didn’t fear the undead, since they had their guns at the ready, and had there been zombies, the fire would have attracted the vile beasts to attack earlier in the evening. The full moon shone bright in the clearing as the teens strolled in thought. They hadn’t spoken to one another for what seemed a long time and they needed to catch up. They took short steps to allow time to last longer.
“Since the saucer had lifted me from my feet in attempt to take my life a few days ago, I’ve been remembering things.” Randy said, staring at the ground with his hands in his pocket.
“That’s great news.” Matty said in a flat voice, wanting to keep her enthusiasm in check.
“I remember being at home in my room on a Sunday morning thinking how I needed to go to church more. The church at the end of Main Street would always ring its bells to extend its worship to the people. I also remember how I lay in bed with a comic book by my side, watching the rain pour on the windowsill on a Saturday afternoon. I’d listen to music and would get lost in my own world. I thought how lucky I was without responsibilities or cares.”
“Do you remember your parents?”
“No, none of that. The memories are coming and going without making much sense. I remember things I did, but not relationships. I remember times and seasons, but not people. The whole thing doesn’t sit well with me, Matty. I want to remember who I was, not what I did.”
Keeping quiet for a few seconds, Matty then asked, “Do you have bad memories?”
“That’s the thing, I remember how the grass smelled after my father cut it or how cozy the house felt after my mother made cookies. I remember lying on the side of a hill watching the clouds turn to sheep, dogs and horses. I feel stupid. I think I might have an animal fixation.”
Matty laughed at the notion that all Randy could think about was animals. “I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with you. You wonder about things in a very different way than everyone else, and you’re finding this out on your own. It’s not something to worry about. At least, I don’t think it is.”
The moon’s white light brightened the whole area and when Randy stole a glance of the girl, he held tight not wanting to show his feelings. Somehow, whenever he was alone with her, he didn’t have to worry about a thing. She somehow made everything better, not because she could put a bullet into anything that moved a quarter mile up the road, but because he felt comforted being with her.
Catching Randy’s quick glance, Matty knew how he felt about her. She knew that if she needed to remain clear-headed she had to keep him at a distance. If she didn’t, she’d get too close, and then she’d get hurt. She didn’t want to get hurt, not with the way her life felt like it wasn’t her own. If anyone needed he
lp, it was her. She hoped she could hold on to her feelings and not get wrapped up with him like she’d done in the past. She couldn’t see herself longing for him as she had done when she’d met him.
“I think about you a lot.” He said, stopping and turning to face her.
She sought to continue forward, but how could she when her heart wanted to explode from her chest?
“I don’t want anything to happen to you, Matty. I know we’ve had our problems. We’ve had our arguments, our troubles, and I don’t want to make things complicated. Nothing in the world is more important to me than to know you will always remain safe and—”
“Don’t.” Matty placed her fingers on his lips. “Don’t say anything you will later regret. I know how you feel and I don’t want to hear the words. We’ve gone through too much to think about anything else other than what we should be thinking, and that’s getting rid of the general.” She shook her head. “God, that sounds so corny.”
Randy removed her hand and held it for a moment, but she pulled it away. He remained silent, wondering what he may have done wrong.
“Randy, I want to say so much to you. I know you’re struggling with your own feelings, and I know you’re also in the middle of trying to understand who you are again. I don’t want to add to your worries. I don’t want to add to your stress. You’re an amazing guy and someone I’d give my life for. You have to know that.” Matty allowed her gaze to wander along the edges of the clearing to notice how the dark clouds drifted against the moonlight. “You also have to know it’s better not to get too close. If something were to happen to you, I’m sure I wouldn’t be fine. Now’s not the time. Maybe one day, but not now. Not while we’re in the middle of trying to fight for our lives against ungodly creations.”
Randy respected her decision, even if he didn’t agree with it. They didn’t talk on their way back to the motel, but her words lingered in his mind, “Maybe one day, but not now.”
* * *
Close to sunset the next day, having spent all day at the motel resting in what seemed like a pocket of civilization, Ranger finished packing the SUV with his gear and left the trunk door open. Jacob, Emma and their kids stood in front of their motel waiting while Randy, Matty and Jon hauled their bags from their rooms. The night air bit when Ranger offered his hand to Jacob thanking him for his family’s gracious hospitality. They didn’t have to share their meal with strangers, but they thought it was the decent thing to do.
“We’ll wait until dark,” Ranger slipped into his jacket to ward off a chill. “Then we’ll head into the camp.”
“It’s a tough place. You sure you want to go in there? You’ll have guards after you, and you may even meet other things as well.” Jacob said.
“We’ll be okay. I’m sure I’ll think of something when I see what it looks like.”
“Ranger always thinks of something.” Jon said, loading the truck with his bag. As soon as Brooklyn saw Jon, she ran to him and hugged him. He turned all sorts of red colors while everyone smiled at the adorable sight.
When Matty and Randy dumped their baggage into the truck, they slammed the door shut, then moved next to Ranger. Emma stretched her arm and shook everyone’s hand. She offered the team treats from the vending machine, but no one accepted them. Their family needed it more than Ranger and his team. They needed to be alert without the rush and crash of a sugar high. They said their farewells and loaded into the truck.
Before putting the truck in gear, Brooklyn knocked on the rear window where Jon sat. When he rolled his window down, she hopped on her toes, grabbed Jon by the shoulders and stretched to give him a kiss on the cheek. Jon didn’t say anything. He only withdrew into the shadows of the truck with a timid smile on his face.
After Brooklyn stepped away from the vehicle, the truck sped away from the motel as the family waved their good-byes.
* * *
Jon sat quietly for a long time staring out his window watching the scenery roll by. No one said anything, but they all were thinking the same thing, what did Jon think of Brooklyn’s kiss? Of course he wouldn’t admit anything. He’s a kid, how can he admit anything so embarrassing that it’d caused him to sink into his seat? He’d feel silly saying he felt special, different, one of a kind, and all that other sentimental nonsense. All he could muster came in the form of a declaration, “Remind me never to grow up. It’s easier fighting zombies and aliens than to fend off the kisses of a six-year-old with a crush.”
Chapter 25
Alien language soared through the clouds between the ships. The orders hit the commanders, and at once, they issued instructions to transfer their silver ships to their intended targets. Gone were the bright, multi-colored displays belonging in a lightshow. Instead, white strobes flashed along the edge of the saucers while the main thrusters controlled the crafts’ descent.
London, Berlin, Paris, and Rome saw the ships penetrate the clouds to drop slowly from their perch to their new home at the center of every city in Europe. In London, one ship came to hover over Big Ben. Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate. Paris, the Eiffel Tower. Rome, the Coliseum. In the United States, the saucers drifted from their hiding places to float stationary over the former major cities of New York, Boston, Dallas and New Orleans.
As for Wichita, the zombies roamed freely when one of the ships had parked its tail over the Larry Lehman Stadium, a baseball field long ago forgotten. That did not sit well with the undead. They screamed gut curdling cries and flung their arms at the metal beast, shooing it from view. Others had spilled into the streets from inside surrounding buildings, parking lots and stores where they once rested in a dormant state, waiting for future victims to make their day. They burst from doors, flew through windows, and raced from the back alleys where many of them had made their home. Some snapped their teeth at the flying object, some screeched in despair at their plight.
Who could blame them? The zombies were once viable citizens, fathers, brothers, mothers and sisters with dreams, goals and aspirations. They went to work, school and play. Many of the rotten corpses before the change had made their life in the city, going to ballgames, movies, frequenting their favorite restaurants and living their days to the fullest. They loved, cried, danced, sang, bought, sold, traded and fished. They enjoyed walks through the park and the museum, visited relatives, hung with friends, laughed at jokes, drank at bars, slept at hotels. They awoke in the mornings, ate breakfast, enjoyed reading, hugged and kissed, jumped, listened when someone needed an ear and offered advice. They grew strong and independent from those they had needed help. They enjoyed a quiet chat on a bench, a smile or two from the baker across the street, and saying good morning to those they passed.
They were people once, ordinary people.
When they changed, they became friends in death, stalking the living, making them meals until the next kill. The zombie life became nothing more than an endless hunt for human. If they didn’t find any, they’d rest inside basements and dark corners, lingering, listening for their victims to approach, much like spiders sitting on their webs. The undead had nothing else to do. No dancing. No singing. No love to give. They simply existed with very little time in between to accomplish anything of worth. They lived in death as corpses to the evil that enslaved them, dictating their desire for meat. Everything else came second.
As the ship sat in the orange sky where the sun dipped into the horizon, the crowd below rocked in place, moaning and groaning in the street. On either side of them, stores and shops stood empty. Grocers, candy stores, clothiers, bookshops were popular hotspots before patrons had disappeared in the horde. Those who survived the change had slinked from the cities and hid themselves in the woods. Some remained, though, and they became fodder for the undead who hunted and ate them with impunity. Of those who survived, they searched and clung to the hope that one day the nightmare would end. They hid on the rooftops with a handful of supplies and a will to beat the undead at their game. They’d hoped the eaters would die for lack of food
, but the reality told a different story.
The humans were the ones who died from famine, and the humans were the ones who made the mistake of making sounds when they ought to have been quiet.
The zombies wobbled on Maple Street between the stadium and the Wichita Ice Arena until a creak set them off. They scattered across the street into the rink’s parking lot. Drool scattered from their mouths and their pale eyes lit in anticipation of dinner. The mass that had once lived productive lives shook in their shoes as they allowed the frenzy to take hold. Their noses flared, and their ears focused on the former ice rink that now became the center of their attention.
The undead smelled blood.
The crowd destroyed the doors to the arena, blasted the gate, and tore through the rink.
The Waynes, a family of three, had overstayed their welcome in the fair city. They had thought they could live off the scraps without triggering a zombie chase, but they were wrong. George Wayne and his wife, Sandra, ran as fast as they could. Their steps echoed on the hard concrete surface of the empty arena. George carried their daughter, Catherine, who bled from the shoulder, cut after attempting to squeeze into a gated food services stand. Hunger made these parents do crazy things, including sending their only child into a situation where they had compromised her safety.
They had made it to the middle of the arena before the zombies surrounded them, screeching their hunger under the roof’s pale lights. The undead inched closer and closer, drawing their tongues from their mouths, lusting after the living souls. The Waynes held each other in a huddle, unable to flee anywhere. Sandra’s eyes moistened coming to terms with the realization they wouldn’t survive the horde. She seized Catherine from her husband’s arms and held her tight, never wanting to let go.
George pulled his knife from the satchel he carried on his shoulders and swiped back and forth, slicing the air, ready to defend his family. When the circle tightened, a few feet remained between the Waynes and the zombies. The ship that had earlier stationed itself over Larry Lehman Stadium had traveled to Wichita Ice Arena where its light pierced the roof, and lit the Waynes.