The Dead Lands Diary (Book 1)

by Staggs, S. David

  We can use newspaper. We can gather that at the stores. I'm sure the racks are mostly full.

  That's some cheap ass wrapping paper but it'll do.

  Tim will find this stupid probably. I know him. He never cared about holidays or birthdays. Normal days to him. Kelly will love this whole idea, though.

  Totally! She'll be impressed we thought of something so sincere and...happy?

  We didn't think anything...you did. Let's get this tree and decorations upstairs.

  END.

  As predicted, Kelly was ecstatic when she saw the tree box and seemed to light up. Reggie flopped it down and she grabbed the box of decorations out of my arms and sat down on the floor pulling the flaps open. Ben walked over and knelt beside her to go through it. I saw the smile on his face and it felt good to see this kid be a kid again for a bit. Reggie was ear to ear, too.

  Jim sat down on the couch without a word and smiled. He looked toward Reggie and I and nodded.

  And, also as predicted, Tim was rather apathetic with it all. He was leaned in the doorway shaking his head wonderingly and smirking. At least he wasn't a prick about it. He saw Ben and Kelly's excitement and it seemed to loosen him up.

  It was a good day.

  ***

  On the second week of December Reggie, Jim and myself set out to find some water supplies and whatever else we could find while out; including some gifts for Ben.

  We set out late after noon into the flurries. We drove to Garrettsville and to the discount store where we had that close call with that Bolter pack. The ones we killed were still laying in the parking lot; frozen to the asphalt. We only witnessed a single Roamer on the way here. It stood in a field barely moving. It's ragged loose fitting clothes blowing in the snowy wind.

  Inside we slowly creeped and clanked on the glass. Nothing stirred. No Bolter repeat of the previous visit. We made our way foot by foot clearing it. A Roamer was in the back standing by rows of toilet paper. It was in a dormant state. Finally I saw it's eyes open. It looked up at me, it's neck cracking as it lifted its head. It had been standing there for quite some time.

  The thing was freezing. It made a stumbled step toward me; its mouth opening for a Dead Call. I bashed the crowbar against the top of its head, sending it to the tiled floor. I stomped its skull for good measure and cleared the rest of the back. The store was safe and secure.

  We moved comfortably through the store now. I grabbed a cart from the front of the store and while doing so grabbed stacks of newspapers that were stacked by the front double doors. I glanced at the headline which read:

  Is This Our End?

  Latest vaccine trials fail; plague sweeps world.

  Yeah...it was our end.

  Strolling the aisles I tossed things Ben could use or potentially want into the small cart. Deodorant, shampoo, colognes. Some cans of pop and boxes of pastries...most likely stale as hell but edible nonetheless. Thought that counts, right? He'd be grateful and surprised we did this.

  Reggie walked over and dumped an armful of toilet paper rolls into the cart. I asked where Jim was. Reggie said he was filling carts with bottled water and gallons of water.

  Reggie pulled from his pocket some batteries and from the inside of his coat a small, cheap portable CD player. Didn't know they still sold those. Or used to. Almost a novelty gift in the world at the time of its ending. He also found some cheap CD's. He didn't have a clue the type of music he liked; none of us did, so he grabbed a mixture of country, rock and rap. Surely he liked one of the three.

  It was a fine gesture on Reggie's part. As he said, music is a great escape. He was right, it's very therapeutic.

  Oblivious to how long we were spending inside, we made our way to the front and looked out at the heavy snow and white out conditions. It was also starting to get dark. One of the many shitty things of a post apocalyptic world? No weather forecasts.

  We opened the doors and felt the sting of the blistering cold and freezing flakes on our faces. Reggie let out a barrage of obscenities.

  We loaded the water and everything else, which we had placed in plastic bags, into the vehicle. I jumped into the drivers seat, Reggie beside me; Jim quickly hopping in the back.

  The parking lot was already covered; the Bolter bodies just white mounds.

  This storm came outta nowhere and from the looks of it had started awhile ago. We dicked around in the damn store way too fuckin' long.

  I put the SUV into four-wheel drive and set forward. Within feet we began to slide a little across the pavement. This was an icy mix and, well, four-wheel drive doesn't mean much of shit on ice. We could barely see the road as we turned left toward home and slightly slid again.

  JIM: This is too damn dangerous, man. We're gonna get stranded in a ditch a die before we make it back.

  REGGIE: Yeah, Jack! Fuck this. Let's just sit here and wait.

  ME: We have no clue how long this storm is going to last...not like we have the luxury of radar anymore.

  REGGIE: Well driving in it is fucking stupid. You gonna risk our lives trying to drive in it?

  ME: We risk our lives sitting here waiting to run out of fuel and freezing to death. Yeah, I'm risking our lives...but only a short distance, so calm down.

  REGGIE: A short distance? The fuck you...oh!

  ME: Exactly. We didn't set up safe houses for no reason. And I'm happy as hell right now that we did!

  It was a slow, sometimes sliding, drive to the outskirts. We parked on the side of the building. Soon, the car would be covered and look like it's been there for who knows how long. Not that anyone would be out in this anyway.

  I took the keyring from my pocket. Together we grabbed the blankets and made our way inside; locking the door behind us.

  The Hutt was freezing inside. It was warmer than the gusting wind outside, but freezing nonetheless. We sat on three different rounded benches "Indian Style" as we called it as children, wrapping the blankets around us.

  REGGIE: I hate the cold, man. I fuckin' hate it! I can't say it enough. I was not built or designed for this cold ass shit.

  ME: I never cared for it myself. With the exception of my childhood.

  JIM: The water we put up in the ceiling is probably frozen solid.

  ME: Most likely. But we won't need it. Storm can't last forever.

  REGGIE: If we're stuck here all damn night we're gonna bring the food down though. And at least a couple bottles.

  JIM: Shit. I don't want to stay the night here. Kelly is going to be flipping shit.

  ME: Yeah...probably already is. But she knows we have this place and I'm sure she'll be focused on that thought. Least they're safe. No one is driving in this to harass anyone. Infected are probably frozen in their tracks.

  REGGIE: Except for those fuckin' Bolters. Nothing seems to phase those assholes.

  JIM: I miss the days of cell phones...

  ME: Nothing we can do, so might as well not even complain. It's getting pretty dark now. Conserve our flashlights.

  [Dead Calls outside nearby]

  REGGIE: You gotta be fuckin' kidding me, man! Nothing stops these motherfuckers.

  JIM: Maybe a Roamer...can't hardly move but seen something.

  REGGIE: Or Bolters!

  ME: They usually don't call.

  REGGIE: Might if they have difficulty hunting in this shit and something's getting away in the storm?

  ME: Maybe. I don't know.

  [Closer Dead Call]

  ME: Okay, lights off! Lower our voices.

  REGGIE: That sounded by the front door, man!

  JIM: Front Doors.

  ME: Right...least there's two steel doors. Reggie, go look out the door window and see if you can see out the main door windows.

  REGGIE: You got jokes, that's cute. Fuck off.

  JIM: Well, we know one thing...it's not a frozen Roamer. It's moving so it's gotta be a Bolter or a pack of them.

  [Thud to outside door]

  REGGIE: [Whispered voices now.] Fuck! Fucke
r's at the door!

  ME: Shhh!

  REGGIE: I am shushed, dammit!

  JIM: How the fuck would one know we're in here? We aren't loud...the snow would even block some sound.

  REGGIE: Sure as fuck can't get our scent...and we've been in here awhile...didn't see us! What the fuck?

  ME: I don't know!....Maybe when we were shining our lights around some went through the door windows, caught on the snow and one noticed. Best guess I got...

  REGGIE: Future reference...we cover that damn window with something!

  ME: Agreed.

  [Banging at the outside door]

  REGGIE: We're fucked.

  ME: We're fine! I'm gonna look...

  REGGIE: Don't do it, man! Don't do it!

  [Ruffling]

  REGGIE: FUCK! Sit down, man. You're gonna make me freak out! Jim, tell him!

  JIM: Shhh...we'll be OK....

  REGGIE: You sound so sure of yourself...

  ME: I can vaguely see it...it's trying to look inside.

  REGGIE: Which means it can see you, jackass!!

  JIM: Nah, man. It's pitch black in here...can't see shit from the outside. They ain't got night vision.

  REGGIE: How the fuck you know? We don't know shit about how they work or what this damn virus mutated into...Bolters are obviously Apex motherfuckers! What if they see like a cat or some shit?

  ME: That's not something I want to think about at this moment, thank you. But if that was true, it'd see me right now and be attacking the door. We just need to wait the fucker out.

  REGGIE: Really think it was light glare that got the things attention?

  ME: Only logical thing I can conceive.

  After a bit we could determine by listening that it was only one Bolter. We could hear how fast it walked around and it was alone. Lost its pack or maybe it was a newly turned and never found a pack. We were grateful it was just the one.

  About an hour and a half later it was quiet. We heard it run off and minutes later heard it shriek a distance away. You could feel the tension in the room lift. We waited awhile longer and then pulled some snacks from the ceiling and three bottles of water. They were partially frozen.

  Reggie eventually moved to a long bench and fell asleep after some time. Jim and I took the other benches a few hours later. Normally we always keep watch, but it was safe to say nothing and no one would be coming around. Even if by some chance that Bolter had returned, we'd be woken by it's Dead Calls or hitting the door.

  It was a long cold night.

  ***

  I woke up when the room started to light up from the sun. Reggie was already up, peering out the door window. Jim was still asleep on his bench. I yelled over to Reggie who jumped out of his skin and spat obscenities, which in turn startled Jim awake.

  We rolled up the blankets and put the food we didn't eat back in its hiding place. We made our way through the first door and peered out. I looked down at the ground.

  No foot prints.

  It had snowed heavily all night. The Bolters tracks were covered. There were no tracks anywhere in the parking lot, so nothing was recently creeping around. Snow had its advantages.

  I pushed the door open against the shin high layer of snow. There was a soft flurry of snow. The roads, to be expected, were covered. No more plow trucks to assist anymore. It would still be dangerous but at least it was light and the snowing was faint.

  I suggested maybe we should stay another night; see if it warmed up and melted some of this, but that was a losing battle. They wouldn't hear of it and I didn't bother trying.

  I made it clear this would be a very long ride home. I didn't plan to go more than 5mph...10 tops, depending on what a road looked like.

  We passed several Roamers and Shamblers. Most were in fields or seen through trees in the woods. A couple were closer to the road by ditches. A few let out Dead Calls that made us increasingly nervous. For good reason.

  I did a double take in the rear view mirror and spotted three Bolters running down the road after us. They were small in the mirror and would soon catch up to us.

  I alerted Reggie and Jim. They spun in their seats and Reggie began to panic and shuffle. Punching the pedal was no option. If we slid off the road it was a long walk through low temps, deep snow and hostile territory.

  REGGIE: The fuck we do, man?

  ME: We get out.

  REGGIE: The fuck?!

  JIM: Yeah!

  ME: They're a distance but gaining and they won't stop. We get out, take aim, and mow them down when they're close enough.

  REGGIE: [Sigh]

  JIM: Let's do this...

  We exited the SUV quickly. I removed the shotgun I had on the dash. Reggie took his rifle and Jim had a revolver.

  When they passed fifty yards Jim and Reggie took aim and began firing. I sidestepped to the side of the road and leveled my shotgun. If any of them got past their firing then they'd soon be within my range.

  Finally a shot from Reggie hit one in the lower leg, sending it sprawling into the snow. It was now trying to crawl at us. Jim caught the other directly in the head and dropped it. He went to fire at the last one and it just clicked. He scrambled to reload.

  I stepped ahead of them both and leveled my aim. When he was about fifteen feet away I waited a moment and then fired. Its chest was shredded away and sent sprays of black blood into the air and onto the white road.

  It was stunned but only for a moment. It sat up and Jim walked over and shot it in the face. Further back the other was still crawling, now a Stagnant. Wasn't worth a bullet.

  We continued the rest of our slow drive.

  ***

  The driveway was think with snow when we pulled in. Before we were even halfway down the drive I saw the front door swing open and Kelly, Ben and Tim quickly emerged. As we were getting out Kelly ran to Jim and flung her arms around his neck and gripped him in a bear like vice. She began crying in her relief.

  Tim walked over and shook my hand, then Reggie's, welcoming us back. Ben expressed his confidence that he knew we'd be back and were OK. I ruffled his hair.

  Inside a fire was already lit and the three of us returning sat close to it. We were still freezing from the previous night in The Hutt.

  BEN: Kelly walked around the house all night and every room she went in she looked out its windows.

  KELLY: I did [laughs] I was scared...you would be, too!

  JIM: I would have. I know. If someone wouldn't stop me I'd have drove into the storm to find you.

  KELLY: I was talking about it! A few times! Tim had to keep calming me down.

  ME: Well, Tim was right. We're good though. I mean, it turned out good. That's why we set up safe houses.

  KELLY: That's all Tim kept saying to calm me down. "They're in the safe house." "The weather got bad fast, so they went there to wait it out." Just glad it was the truth.

  REGGIE: Damn storm. Froze our asses off all damn night. Half frozen water to drink just made me colder. Next run, I'm staying home! Tim or Kelly can have a chance to freeze.

  KELLY: But what if it had been The Boro? Ravenna? No safe houses set up and you'd have been stuck freezing...maybe to death...in the car. Or taking your chances going into some abandoned house or store that might have infected in it.

  ME: I'm sure we'd have survived a single night in the car, heating it up off and on. It was driving that wasn't worth the risk. Freezing wouldn't have been something to kill us in the car unless fuel ran out and temps went below zero. It'd be infected noticing us in the car. And we'd never go near The Boro and Ravenna without a safe house. Wouldn't go toward Ravenna period after we spotted that group. And we wouldn't need anything anytime soon from The Boro. We have plenty to scavenge right around here. You know that.

  REGGIE: I wonder what our old home is like right now after these past few months.

  JIM: Not going back to find out, that's for damn sure.

  REGGIE: Oh, fuck no. I'm just wondering.

  ME: Our old nei
ghborhood is either sitting quiet and abandoned, looted long ago...or infested with infected. Or maybe a group set up there. Who knows. Too risky staying in the city. Any city. But I'm sure there's groups there that stayed. Especially if they knew no other places and that's all they've known. Stay where you know the area, I guess. It's home.

  REGGIE: Well, I knew the area and I knew we needed to get the fuck on outta there. But...if it wasn't for y'all, I no doubt would still be there. Probably dead as fuck, too.