It was a very odd sound. It sounded as if a large bull was being tortured. However, the sound was unmistakable these days and it nearly stopped my heart. There was a Jack in the area and it was close. There were no other noises so it may be alone. I thanked god that Sunny was being silent; this was no time for a crying baby.
I set him down in his crib. It was torture to do so, but I couldn’t hold him and hold my gun properly. I was going to do a perimeter check, and then I would be right back, five minutes most. I ran to the peep hole to see if it was visible. I could see nothing but the next building. There was a full moon, thankfully. This would work in my favor.
I ran to the next room and peeked out. There it was standing at the end of Main Street only two buildings away. I could tell even in this distance in the dark that it was huge. The Jack was alone maybe this was his territory or maybe it was here to claim it. Either way this was no place for me or my son. I ran back to Sunny and quickly gathered our things. It appeared we were being evicted from our happy home.
I could hear it getting closer. I was praying we could sneak out unnoticed. It was making his presence known by banging its fists on every surface it came in contact with. I peeked out the hole quickly again and I could see it now. It appeared it was looking right at me. It must be able to smell me. I tried my best to hide our scent, but I didn’t really know what I was doing. Something changed within it, it only took a fraction of a second, but I could see it went from claiming his territory to being on the hunt. I knew we needed to get out of here now!
Chapter 6
One Shot
Thank goodness I had all of our necessities packed. I grabbed the sling I used to hold Sunny and tied him safely in. He was not being quiet at all. His every cry was giving our location away. There was no way or time to sooth him.
I put our rucksack on my back and put my bat into the loop. It was still my trusty weapon when it came to hand to hand combat. However, I’ve never had to use it with Sunny attached to me and didn’t want to find out how that would work out. Our vehicle was located behind Stan’s and there were two exits to get to it. I ran to the hallway and pulled down the attic ladder. I climbed up and ran over to the peep hole. I couldn’t see him near the exit or by the car, but it was apparent he had already been there. The car was destroyed. The window had been smashed in and the front end was crumpled as hell.
I had a backup vehicle, but it was in the auto repair shop on the other side of the street. What was I going to do? The Jack was nowhere to be seen and for some reason it was silent. It could be anywhere. I ran to the other side of the attic and check to see if it was near the repair shop. Yet again it was nowhere to be seen.
Sunny was still crying his eyes were full of fear and panic. He was so loud I didn’t hear the Jack enter the building. I finally heard it when it knocked into the bells I had set up on the stairs. This must have surprised it as he was now grunting. I had never observed a Jack that was trying to be stealthy. I than ran over to the ladder. I had forgotten to close the trap door. I got to it just as he came into view.
Up close it was even more frightening. It had to have been a male at one point. He had to be near seven feet tall, his hair was past his shoulders and his beard was just as long. He wore barely any clothing, but was rather clean which was unusual. I could, however, see blood on his hands that looked relatively new. His muscles were tensed and his eyes crazy with the prospect of a kill.
He jumped for the trap door, but I closed it just in time. Sunny grew very quiet as the door shut. He knew this was no longer the time for tears.
The Jack went on a rampage I could hear him breaking the furniture and smashing in the walls. He was going to tear down the building from the inside out. I went to the small window in the front of the attic. I removed my blockade and threw out the rucksack and started to climb out. The Jack had managed to punch a hole through the ceiling and was attempting to climb up.
In a panic I jumped out of the window and slid on to the lower roof. There was no way down, but to climb over to the roof of the next store. I grabbed my backpack and hurried over to the building and climbed up onto the roof. A quick look down and I saw Sunny was still safe. It was a good thing I had added some foam to his sling to keep him protected.
The Jack was nearly in the attic. It sounded like the store was putting up a good fight, as he broke all of the beams and floor boards. The other store had a fire escape and I run over to it when I was nearly to the bottom the jack jumped out of the building onto the lower roof. He didn’t see me yet, so I froze. I was too far from the truck to run and if I did he would soon discover me. I had to use my gun, there was no other option.
I had been avoiding this. You have to shoot a Jack either directly in the heart or the brain to kill them instantly. If you shot them anywhere else it will simply piss them off. Once I shot one only an inch or so left of her heart and she kept on after me. She was fiercely bleeding, yet she still ran full force towards me. I shot again this time missing her completely and she got her hands around me before I had time to grab my bat. She was trying to ripe my throat out. I only had one option left. I stuck my free fingers into the bullet wound and tore at her heart. She soon bleed out.
I wouldn’t be able to repeat that with this Jack. He was nearly three times her size and now I had Sunny.
I slowly set down my backpack and moved Sunny around so he was on my back. I propped my gun on the rail to steady it. This was it, my only chance. I aimed for his right eye as I usually shot a little to the left. I took in
a very deep breath and I pulled the trigger.
The Jack fell to the ground instantly. I had done it. Sunny was now screaming, so I quickly put down the gun and swung him around and into my arms. I too started to cry as I held him. I realized I hadn’t made sure the Jack was dead, but as I looked over I didn’t see him moving so I look that as a yes.
A few minutes had passed and we had both cried ourselves out. Even though the Jack was dead this was no longer a safe place. I headed over to the body to give it one last check. I had shot him in the left eye as I had hoped. A perfect shot in my eyes. I walked with sunny against my shoulder over to the truck in the repair shop.
It wasn’t what I would have chosen, but it looked like it had been well maintained. I had previously loaded up the bed with gas and other supplies. I set Sunny into his makeshift car seat and placed a pacifier in his mouth.
I drove down Main Street and past the yellow house. I decided to take one last look at our sanctuary in the rear view window. The body on the ground was no longer alone. It appears we had been in another packs territory. They were pummeling the corpse to a pulp and paid no attention to us. They must have heard the commotion and came to investigate.
The territory was theirs now. We would never be setting foot in Fenton ever again. We were now on the search for a new home.
Chapter 7
The Barn
The sun was now rising and I started to feel a little at ease. There was no way the Jacks could have followed us this far. We had to be out of their territory, but that meant we were in someone else’s.
I parked in the middle of the freeway that was nearly void of vehicles. I wanted to be in the open so I could see if anything was coming. I gassed up the truck all while holding my gun at the ready. Sunny needed some attention as well. He was restless and needed to be held and played with. I did the best I could.
I changed him and gave him a bottle. He was no longer as active as a sack of potatoes; he needed space to spread out his arms and legs. He would be rolling over in a few months and I feared what it will be like when he can crawl and walk. There will only be a handful of months left that I can put him into a sling.
I laid down a blanket on the passenger seat and left him free to move. I checked out the area around us. The few cars were smashed in and there were several trees down in the surrounding woods. This really wasn’t a safe place, but I didn’t have any other options. Nowhere is safe these days.
But I didn’t know how to drive a boat. It would require fuel unless I got a sailboat. That would only work if I knew how to sail, which was definitely not one of my talents.
However, the more I thought about it the more I thought it was worth a try. From the map it looked like the ocean was a two or three day drive, but that was when the roads were clear of wreckage.
I needed a better vehicle, because I would probably have to do some off-roading. Sunny would also need some time out of the vehicle, so we would have to camp from town to town. With that factored in it would take us a couple of months to a year to get there. Why did life have to be so difficult these days?
I drove off in the direction to the nearest town hoping to find refuge. I had had it good in Fenton, a little too good. I had lived without Jacks for so long that I had kind of gotten used to it. The rest of the world wasn’t like that. There were still jacks everywhere. I could see this as I drove along. I could see them near the roads or off in the distance. I could see the remains of their meals on the grounds and their “homes”. They seemed to sleep in any form of shelter they could find.
I stopped a couple more times to tend to Sunny and to eat. Then we came to a barn. It was getting dark and I didn’t see any other options. I was as loud as I possibly could be as we pulled up. I wanted to make my presence known. Nothing came out for us so I grabbed my gun. I parked as close to the barn as I could and put Sunny in his sling.
I slowly moved around the barn and finally entered. I checked every possible hiding area and finally decided it was clear. I opened the doors and drove in the truck. There was no good way to cover our tracks. There was only a small amount of daylight left, so I would have to hurry.
The barn door was secured with several boards and the windows that had been for horses, I believe, were easily boarded shut also. I got out all my weapons and laid them in all corners of the barn, just I case in found myself without one.
Should we sleep in the truck, where we could make a quick getaway or in the hay loft away from the Jacks if they decide to enter?
I decided Sunny would be happier in the lofts and we could jump down if needed. I made a quick bed for the both of us out of hay and a few blankets. Sunny was happier then I would have suspected.
As I set him in between my legs he smiled a huge smile and giggled. He had been making noises for a while now, but this was a genuine laugh. By some miracle, he was actually happy even in this hell hole. I couldn’t help but to laugh back at him and this soon became the best moment I’d had in over a year.
He started to yawn after a bit and we settled into bed. It was hard to sleep in this place. I needed to get some rest, but every noise made me jump awake. Sleep, however, won the battle and I slipped into a deep slumber.
I awoke to Sunny kicking me in my side. He was wide awake. Man how long had I been out? Sunlight was shining through the boards. I panicked and started to look around for any sign of danger. There didn’t appear to be anyone in the barn, but there was a loud knocking outside.
This didn’t sound like a Jack, but what else could it be. I peeped out a hole in the wall and saw something very surprising. There was a man at the barn door. I must be dreaming there couldn’t possibly be a man. He was very good looking from what I could see, so I must be dreaming. I gave myself a couple of seconds to collect myself.
What if he was dangerous, like Sunny’s father? What if he wasn’t and he was looking for someone to group up with? Having someone else to keep watch and help keep Sunny alive would be amazing. Plus he might have some new information on the Jacks. Alright, I definitely needed to let him in but I was going to greet him with my gun in hand.
But the knocking had stopped. So I grabbed Sunny and ran down to the door. It took me a couple of minutes to move the boards, but I opened the door before he was too far off.
I screamed at the top of my lunges, “Wait! Please, come back! I’m not going to hurt you. Please, come in. I’ve got food and supplies.”
He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around. “Alright Honey, I’ll come in. You don’t have to yell at me about it.”
Man, he was handsome. He could have been a heart throb Hollywood celebrity, but he just called me honey. We had just met and I already wanted to punch him in the face. This was going to be interesting.
Chapter 8
Marcus
“This is a quaint little place you’ve got here. Is there anyone else with you?”
“No. It’s just me and Sunshine. I’m Emma Fritz and you are?” as I put out my hand, simply to be nice.
“Marcus Bradley nice to meet you, you can put that gun down I don’t bite.” his hands were very rough.
“Have you seen any Jacks in the area? We have only been here for one night.” I lead him over to the truck and sat down on a bundle of hay.
“No. I spent the night in a big old oak tree and didn’t see or hear them. I picked up on your tire tracks as I walked. You should really hide them better. Jacks can’t recognize them, but it’s still a good precaution. Jacks aren’t the only monsters out there.”
“Yeah, I didn’t have time. With Sunny it’s not easy.” I was keeping my distance. Sunny was very fussy and really wanted to meet our new friend.
So I pulled him into my arms and let him look straight at Marcus. I thought he would cry, because he had never met a man before. He, however, reached out to him. I couldn’t believe it. This was a sign to me to trust Marcus, even though it probably wasn’t very smart. He seemed a bit dangerous.
He was wearing a leather coat, jeans, hiking boots, and a cowboy hat. He had thick black hair and his eyes were an odd blue color, they reminded me of robin’s eggs. He was clean, but scruffy looking. He too carried a large backpack and had a rifle in his hand a machete hung from the strap. It was very beat up and had some blood on it. This made him look even more dangerous. I never sought out fights with the Jacks, but I suspected he did.
His manners also appeared dangerous. His gun was still in his hands ready to shot at any minute, as he checked the whole place over, like it was a trap. What had this man been through that he could think I was trying to trap him? I was a single woman with a tiny baby, why would I set a trap for sexy men? I wasn’t a black widow.
“I’m going up to the loft I’ll be right back. Make yourself comfortable”. I took Sunny upstairs to change him and ready a bottle. He giggled as I changed him into fresh clothes.
When I returned downstairs Marcus was outside burning a pile of leaves. “What the hell are you doing? That will attract them!”
He turned and gave me a huge smile like I was an idiot. “How you’ve survived I don’t know. You don’t know anything about Jacks do you? They are attracted to fire, but not to smoke. It covers our scent and they try to avoid it for some reason.”
He picked up some of the leaves and placed them in random spots around the barn. They weren’t on fire just smoldering.
Before coming back inside he took a long look at the surroundings. He must have been satisfied.
I was sorting through our food supply, while Sunny played on his blanket. I would need to find him some more toys. “Would you like something to eat? I’ve got canned goods.”
“Wow, it’s been awhile since I’ve eaten processed food. Are those peaches? Mind if I have a can?”
“No help yourself. What do you eat then?”
He was opening the can with a knife that had a bone handle with skulls carved into it. My subconscious was yelling at me, “this man is dangerous.” However, I backhanded her and told her to butt out.
“I eat off th
e land. I hunt a lot. The blood attracts them so you have to cover and gather up anything with blood and burn it. Yes I know the fire attracts them, but not nearly as much as blood. Plus there are a load of edible plants in the woods and you can usually find good pickings on the abandoned farmer’s fields. I’ve got some grapes if you want them?”
He pulled out a bunch that looked a little worse for wear, but they were fresh. I hadn’t had fresh food in forever. You could find canned good nearly everywhere so I kept to them.
“Thank you.” They tasted amazing and I smashed up a few to give to Sunny. He started to bounce around the second they touched his lips.
“How old is your son”
“He’s not my son. Well not biological. His mother died giving birth so he’s mine now. He’s four months old I believe. I have a hard time keeping track of time. He seems to like you, even though you’re the first male he’s ever met.”
He was done with his jar of food and pulled out what looked like jerky from his bag.
“Oh that’s very nice of you. To risk your own life to care for someone else’s kid.” This ton came off like he didn’t think it was very nice, like I was stupid and he would have never done such an idiotic thing.
I pulled Sunny into my lap and he grabbed for my face. He was a very happy baby today. I would never have left Sunny there to die like his mother. The thought was horrifying.
“Well you don’t have to stay here if you think we are endangering your life. We have been doing perfectly fine thank you very much.”
“Yes, I don’t think I’ll stay long. I was just curious about you. I haven’t met humans in several months. I do better on my own anyways.” He looked like he was now off to another place as he stared at the ceiling.
Sunshine Page 3