Everything Dies | Season 3

by Malpass, T. W.

  There was zero chance of getting cornered by the dead in this region. Apart from it being previously unpopulated by humans, it would be easy to see a shambling ghoul from some distance.

  They’d been able to scavenge enough food and water from the small towns they passed on the way to last the rest of their journey, but the terrain was hard and unforgiving, and Salty still nursed his shoulder wound.

  After two days of almost constant travelling, he was struggling to heal, but he wasn’t about to let his new companions know. They might try to talk him into slowing down, and every minute counted if he was going to find the rest of his group alive.

  ‘Why didn’t we just stick to the highway?’ Teddy asked with equal amounts of exhaustion and frustration in his voice. ‘This shit is ridiculous.’ He slipped on some loose rocks as he spoke, nearly turning his ankle for the third time. ‘Shit, fuck!’

  It was clear from his breathlessness, his intense perspiration, and the paunch stretching the lower regions of his Hawaiian shirt that he’d previously lived on a stereotypical diet for a private investigator and spent most of his time cramped up in a stationary car.

  Such was his exhaustion, he was about ready to quit altogether and stage a sit-down protest.

  ‘Suck it up, cupcake,’ Salty said, his lack of sympathy reinforced by the nagging pain from his own gunshot wound. ‘It’s safer this way. They’re less likely to see us comin’.’

  ‘They ain’t got shit to worry about because at least one of us will be dead before we get there,’ Teddy said. ‘What the hell are you doin’ anyway, kid?’ He waved his hands ahead of him towards Kaos, who strode on in front with Anna trotting close behind him.

  The young boy walked with his head tilted up to the hoodoos.

  ‘I’m lookin’ for something,’ he said, only half interested in Teddy’s whining.

  ‘Looking for what?’

  ‘That!’ Kaos stopped and pointed at a top-heavy formation that had come into view.

  As they got closer, Salty and Teddy saw the edges of red covering its base—the same signature the boy had sprayed onto the train car two days prior.

  ‘This is where we get back to the road,’ he said.

  ‘You’re speaking my language,’ Teddy replied.

  ‘Wait,’ Salty said, holding up one hand and reaching around to grab his rifle with the other.

  He’d heard Anna’s low growl of warning and noticed her defensive stance as she sniffed the air.

  The next sound they heard was the cocking of weapons, and they were suddenly surrounded, guns trained on them by four men and one woman.

  ‘I would think twice about that if I were you,’ one of the men said as he saw Salty’s hand moving to his rifle.

  Salty spread his fingers and placed his arms above his head.

  Anna flashed a snarl at the ambushers.

  ‘Easy, girl,’ Salty said.

  Kaos and Teddy both surrendered and put their hands in the air.

  ‘We have nothing of any value,’ Salty said.

  ‘Relax, old-timer,’ said a young man wearing a knitted bobble hat. ‘We’re not here to rob you.’

  ‘You’ll have to forgive us. Folks jumping out of nowhere holding guns in your face usually means only one thing,’ Salty said.

  ‘State your business here,’ the woman demanded, seemingly not disarmed literally or figuratively by Salty’s congeniality.

  ‘We’re looking for something—a place,’ Kaos said.

  ‘What place?’ she asked.

  ‘They call it the Black Temple,’ Kaos said.

  All five ambushers tensed up at the mention of the name, but they made sure they didn’t lose aim on their targets.

  ‘Why would you want to go there?’ the woman asked.

  Salty glanced around at the gun barrels pointing at him, reluctant to say any more.

  ‘Answer her,’ another man shouted angrily.

  ‘Some friends of mine were kidnapped, and I believe they were taken there. I’m going to bust them out if they’re still alive,’ Salty said.

  ‘If your friends are there and they haven’t been converted to that cult they call The Children, they won’t last long,’ the man with the bobble hat said. Something caught his attention. He stared long and hard at Kaos, then lowered his weapon so he could get a better look.

  ‘Don’t I know you?’ he asked. ‘You’ve been to our community. You stayed for over a week and then left.’

  ‘That’s right,’ Kaos said, bringing his hands to his sides. ‘I remember you too. Your name’s Timo.’

  ‘Yes. It’s Kaos, right? You vouch for these two?’

  ‘I do. I haven’t known them for long, but they’re good people. Salty here saved my life, and I said I’d return the favour by showing him where his friends were taken.’

  The man in the bobble hat took a breath and shared a look with his companions.

  ‘You’re known to us, Kaos. You can go freely, but I’m afraid your friends will have to come back to Gideon. He’ll decide what to do from there.’

  Salty clamped his jaw shut and ground his teeth at the idea of a further delay.

  ‘Every second I waste means my friends are in even more danger,’ he said.

  ‘That may be true, but I really don’t see what other choices you have,’ Timo said.

  Salty took note again of the five guns trained on him, Teddy, and Anna.

  ‘Gideon’s a reasonable man. If he believes you don’t pose a threat to us, he’ll let you go,’ Timo said.

  Kaos gave Salty a nod of reassurance.

  ‘It’s like you said, what choice do I have?’ Salty replied.

  2

  Both disciples flanked Ethan on their walk towards the next wheat field.

  Ethan stumbled on a raised patch of dirt. In his already tired and hunched stance, he almost fell over and would have done so if not for Anthony grabbing his arm to steady him.

  ‘Watch your step,’ Anthony said. Even with the blight of the infection upon him, the disciple’s features were softer than his peers, his voice gentler.

  It made Ethan wonder what level of trauma or psychological issues caused him to join such an insane cult as The Children.

  ‘You’re pushing yourself too hard. You know better than any of us that we need to take special sustenance now to be able to function properly. You shouldn’t refuse it when it’s offered to you.’

  Ethan’s mind was suddenly consumed by the images of Jason strung upside down being bled like a slaughterhouse animal.

  Any kindness Anthony exuded melted away, and Ethan snatched his arm from the disciple’s grasp, stumbling again in the process.

  ‘I don’t need dietary advice from you. I just want to get this over with,’ Ethan said.

  He shrugged away any help offered by Anthony and the other disciple and made his awkward climb over the fence that bordered the field.

  The flat ground backed onto a small patch of woodland, and there were seven creatures wandering around in plain sight, each one quite a distance apart from the other.

  Ethan planted his feet into the loose ground, scanned the field, and bent over to release a weary sigh.

  ‘Take your time. Father doesn’t expect you to push yourself the first time. Just see what you can achieve and allow yourself to build up slowly,’ Anthony said in his usual calming tones.

  ‘You make it sound like I’m rounding sheep. You don’t have any idea what it’s like to be inside their heads—to listen to their screams,’ Ethan said.

  ‘God is with them, and with you.’

  ‘If that’s true, then God can go fuck himself,’ Ethan said.

  ‘Just do as Father asks and you’ll be rewarded,’ the other disciple said, clearly agitated by his attitude.

  ‘Richard, please,’ Anthony said, indicating his colleague’s comment was an unwelcome one.

  ‘It’s fine,’ Ethan said. ‘I know what he meant. Do as I’m tol
d and one of my friends might not die tonight. I’ve got the message. Now shut the fuck up and let me concentrate.’

  Anthony nodded and gestured to Richard to step back with him to give Ethan some space.

  Ethan closed his eyes, clenched fists down by his sides, and focussed on the closest creature.

  It only took a couple of seconds before it turned towards them and acknowledged Ethan’s presence, as if he’d blown some kind of dog whistle attuned to dead ears.

  It moved its creaking bones and shambled in his direction.

  A second and then a third heard the call and followed until there were five huddled together about a hundred metres from their controller.

  The other two creatures in sight soon travelled from opposite ends of the field to join the group.

  Anthony and Richard stood in stunned silence as they watched a further three corpses emerge from the woodland that skirted the field, all marching to the same beat.

  Once they were all gathered in one small herd, Ethan opened his eyes and took a stuttered breath, tears streaming down his cheeks.

  He stared in disbelief at what he had willed into action. The herd faced him, swaying in the breeze like rotten branches of the same infested tree, awaiting their next command.

  Ethan relaxed his fists and turned to his captors.

  ‘You truly have the power,’ Richard exclaimed, wide-eyed at the display.

  ‘Make sure you quote him when you fill out my report card,’ Ethan said, addressing Anthony instead. ‘Tell your boss I want to see my friends, and I mean actually see them. Not stuck in a cage surrounded by guards.’

  Anthony nodded, still amazed by what they had just witnessed.

  ‘I’ll ask him.’

  Ethan didn’t look back at the herd and tentatively made his way to the fence that separated the field.

  The huddle of creatures he’d assembled didn’t move. They would wait until time crumbled their bones unless Ethan willed otherwise.

  3

  The five survivors led Salty, Kaos, Teddy, and Anna through the maze of rock to the edge of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

  There, a 4x4 and a jeep waited for them, and they drove the rest of the way.

  Kaos had already told them where they were going before they reached Medora, but Salty and Teddy were still surprised by the reinforced concrete walls that fortified half of the small town and the deep trenches around the outside of it to prevent the dead who might gather there from applying too much collective pressure.

  A guard stationed in the clock tower that peeped just above the outer wall saw the vehicles approach, and they must have recognised them because they used a hand signal to someone else on the ground inside the barriers.

  Shortly after, the makeshift gate made from scrap metal crudely welded together and wood made a grinding sound as it opened inwards, allowing the cars to take the road inside the confines of the settlement.

  ‘We’ll understand if you want to take a minute before you see Gideon,’ Timo said as he turned to glance at the newcomers in the back seat of the 4x4. ‘It tends to be hard to acclimatise to an environment like this when you’ve been out in the wild for a long time.’

  ‘I’ve passed through small towns like this since the outbreak,’ Salty said, looking from the side window at Medora’s town hall building. A few residents stood outside it, peering back at him in curiosity.

  ‘Not quite like this,’ Timo said, smiling. ‘Things are a little different now.’

  The vehicles pulled up, and the passengers got out.

  Anna trotted a couple of yards along the main street and took a long sniff of the air, sensing the various people and activities being conducted inside the safety of the walls.

  Salty rotated where he stood to scan the surroundings. The town’s structure was considerably open—plenty of space between most of the houses and other buildings. There were also several recreational spaces, such as parks and campgrounds.

  Every resident in plain view seemed to be busy performing a task, whether that be carrying produce or engaging in ongoing repairs or crafting something new.

  Although he didn’t possess anywhere near the same smell senses as his canine companion, he could still take in the aromas of smoke from cooking vegetables and shaven wood chippings.

  ‘You ready?’ Timo asked.

  ‘The sooner the better,’ Salty replied.

  ‘I’ll be around once you’re done,’ Kaos said.

  ‘Don’t sweat it, kid. You paid your debts. You got us here, and it sounds as though these folks know exactly where to direct me,’ Salty said.

  ‘Even so, I’d still like to make sure you get to where you’re really going.’

  ‘Suit yourself. Time to go, cupcake,’ Salty said, following Timo to the town hall across the road.

  Teddy and Anna crossed the road too, leaving Kaos on his own.

  The boy pulled his oversized jacket tight over his shoulders, acutely aware that the reinforced concrete protecting the perimeter of the town existed as an unwelcome barrier between him and the outside world. He noticed a small group of children playing basketball farther down 2nd Avenue and headed off towards them.

  Timo brought Salty, Teddy, and Anna into the main hall and told them to wait.

  The hall was full of activity—at least thirty people buzzed around, carrying benches to position on the floor and taking props and decorations to the stage. They were obviously preparing for some kind of production. It was truly bizarre to see a community at all in the middle of so much desolation, let alone one engaging in art and entertainment.

  Seeing people embrace aspects of human culture again that didn’t merely involve survival gave Salty and Teddy a surreal sense of familiarity reminiscent of things that had been long lost.

  Timo climbed up to the stage and approached a thickset black man who was helping hang a red velvet drape close to the back.

  Whatever play they were putting on, it seemed to have something to do with kings and queens. The set design resembled a royal hall. There was an entire structure made from wood complete with a second-floor balcony and handrail. An old chandelier hung from the cove above it, and a round window frame had been cut into the wood, filled with coloured paper made to look like stained glass.

  Most of the crew working on the stage were so busy, they barely noticed the presence of newcomers. Either that or they were somewhat used to it.

  As Timo whispered in the large man’s ear, he turned to look over at Salty, Teddy, and Anna and eventually handed the drape to someone else.

  He carefully made his way down from the stage, collecting a walking cane when he got to the stairs. He needed it too, walking with a limp in his right leg.

  As he hobbled over to where they stood, the man’s paunch wobbled beneath his shirt. He smiled as he closed in, and Salty thought he possessed a kind face.

  Timo caught up to the man and dodged in front of him so he could introduce the new arrivals.

  ‘This is Jake and Teddy. I let Kaos walk freely. I assumed you wouldn’t need to see him again.’

  ‘Kaos is welcome here whenever he wishes to return. Pleased to meet you. I’m Gideon.’ Gideon held out his large hand and both Salty and Teddy shook it.

  ‘And who might you be?’ Gideon smiled down at Anna, leaning forwards on his cane so he could reach out and allow the dog to sniff the back of his hand.

  ‘Anna,’ Salty said.

  ‘Well now, little miss, I think we might have some canned dog food lying around somewhere. I’ll make sure I get someone to dig it out of a storage cupboard.’

  Gideon straightened himself, wincing in discomfort as he did so.

  ‘I’m glad you made it safely through the Badlands. It can be an unforgiving place at the best of times, and as you know, this is not the best of times,’ he said.

  ‘It’s OK. It ain’t the worst thing we’ve had to get through to make it here. We’ve come a long way,’ Salty s
aid.

  ‘So Timo tells me.’

  ‘Excuse me!’ A man carrying a set of stepladders on his shoulder moved right by them, and they all shuffled to the side to give him more space.

  ‘I’m sorry about all of this. We’re desperately trying to get ready for our next production in two days. “Now is the winter of our discontent”,’ Gideon said.

  ‘Say what?’ Teddy said.

  ‘Richard III. A little morbid for the kids, I know, but it’s one of my favourites.’

  ‘I’d say you were just about the most fortunate people on the planet right now, having your main concern be whether you can deliver some Shakespeare on time,’ Salty said.

  Gideon nodded knowingly.

  ‘I didn’t mean to sound flippant, but I believe cultured behaviour is far more important to the cohesive nature of a community than simply having fun and relaxing. Art is one of the cornerstones of human civilizations and must always be preserved. Having said that, I wouldn’t want you to think our humble production is our main concern. In fact, as Timo explained to me, I understand some of our concerns overlap. He tells me some of your friends are being held captive by The Children.’

  ‘I have it under good authority that these Children kidnapped the rest of my group and are holding them at their camp. All I ask is that you allow me to leave so I can at least try to rescue them. I have no interest in your community or bringin’ trouble to your door,’ Salty said.

  ‘Would you walk with me a while? It won’t take long, I promise. Afterwards, I’ll let you go and do what you need to,’ Gideon said.

  Salty gazed at him for a moment. Although he knew time was running short in his pursuit of his friends, there was something about this man that instantly intrigued him.

  ‘If it gets me out of here, I can take a walk with you, sure.’

  ‘I’m not so fast on my feet these days, so bear with me,’ Gideon said, tapping his bad leg. ‘But it would be a shame to waste such a lovely day.’

  He limped to the entrance, and Salty followed and Anna did the same.