The Ridge (Book 1): After the Static

by Mark Mihalko

  Damn, did that man disappear? Esther, do you see him, where did he go? Never mind, just stay close to me and hold your emotions in check; we cannot afford another of your meltdowns. So please, for once, just maintain your focus for our future and us. When we survive, I promise all of our dreams will come true. Ester, hurry up you are scaring me. I know you are tired, but be strong; we can make it. No, we will make it. I promise you. Nothing will happen to you as long as we are close. Besides, from the looks of it, there is no one left alive out there to fuck with us. Those demonic hoards must be full as well, as I still do not see or hear any those vile creatures around us.

  Esther! Esther! Damn it; get your rotting hands off her. Esther, nooooo! Help me! Help us! Someone, anyone… Get off her before, before I blow you to hell and back. Fuck you then! Die you bastard!

  Oh my god, that bullet, it, it, it didn’t phase that monster. He would not stop; he just kept eating. I know that I did not miss; it had to shatter his rib cage. Oh God, no not her beautiful face, no! Her eyes, please, not her eyes. Stop it, you fiend! Oh, damn, I missed with that one. Esther, I am so sorry, I was supposed to protect you and guard you with my life. Now, I have failed. God Damn you- you festering beast, fuck you. I must escape; I must carry out our plans. Ester, your sacrifice must be for naught.

  I love you!

  Run, I have to run to the bridge. I must cross the Monongahela and reach the countryside; I have to get out of here. Damn, another one. What do I do? How can I kill them? Only seven bullets left, these beasts must have a flaw; they cannot be immortal.

  Nothing lasts forever! The head, yes, maybe the head.

  III

  What a small world we live in. That account reminds me of the time I was watching a Pittsburgh Steelers game in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the person at the table next to us said, “you look familiar, are you from Pennsylvania?” Shocked because he did not look familiar to me, we started talking. Here, he knew my father when they were a little younger and I guess I have a small resemblance. Even more ironic is the fact that the town I grew up in is extremely insignificant and I was hundreds of miles away. One thing remained the same, though, the love of the Black and Gold and the love of Rolling Rock. Do not get me started on Rolling Rock; selling out to corporate America was a travesty, one that proved that even the most sacred institution is driven by greed.

  Enough about me, there is more work to be done (a lot more). There are tons of passages in this notebook and on these recordings that need to find the light of day. Couple that with the fact that I am still motivated to work tonight, I may be able to put a dent in this text. With Esther apparently a feast, maybe the two damsels in the area will team up and escape the madness together; it does appear that our pregnant beauty is gaining on her (and the undead lover boy). Let us dive into the next account together and see where we end up.

  February 14 (Continued),

  Hold on, baby. I had to stop and take another break. We are almost through the tunnel. Once we make it through, we have about three miles before we can hopefully find the house I remember. With any luck, we will find safety and salvation there. Three miles may seem like a lot, but with what is happening, that is a drop in the bucket. I still cannot believe how Esther looked, the despair in her eyes. Strange though, she looked almost alive, baby, I have no idea how she could have survived that vicious attack.

  As I look ahead, I can see some light. Eli, I think we are almost there. I am still worried about your father. Damn you, Isaac, why did you run off? Eli, if ever I needed him, it is now. He was supposed to protect us; at least, that is what he said in his vows. I guess it is my fault; I did entrust the most important bond on Earth to a stranger.

  If I survive and ever find you a father, if a man even exists out there, I swear that the Lord, our Father, will preside over that union. I know I am not very religious, never have been, but these creatures have me praying and questioning everything I thought I knew. No, Eli, that is a lie; these creatures have me begging for forgiveness. I know I have sinned, but I meant well, I really did. I love you!

  Chapter Seven

  “Then I Saw an Angel Coming Down From Heaven…”

  October 21

  Damn it, and I was on such a roll last night until I was swept up into the emotion and feelings held within these accounts. Everyday that I venture into this world, I feel such an attachment to these victims, an attachment to the unbelievable atrocities that took place. Tyranny truly is a disease, as those bastard globalist pawns never had to answer for their deeds. In fact, to this day they deny any of this ever took place. But, it did and they will never be able to prevent these stories from getting out.

  Where was I? Oh, yeah, the woman. I would love to learn that person’s name. I have to find out what happened to her in the end. I can only hope that she, and her child, survived this ordeal. Honestly, no one deserves to fall prey to the unbearable evil when they have so much to live for.

  Today is a new day though; I wonder where I should start. I guess it is time to dive back into the prophet. It has been a few days since I have experienced his sermon. I am a sinner and need to be absolved of my sins; maybe he would be available for confession. Who knows, maybe the Eucharist would help wash away these visions that overwhelm my being. I could possibly convert; his scripture does seem in line with a more modern way of thinking. Well, at least if you are undead.

  I

  On this day, a steel chariot will streak across the Grand Confluence

  Erupting with the force of Vesuvius and the angels among you will weep

  From the ashes, a golden triangle will appear to the Messiah

  Consecrating this fertile land as thy sacred sanctum

  And the sinners among you will rejoice in the Fountain of Forgiveness

  (The Revelation of Moloch 2.13)

  Look ahead my faithful; again, our lord speaks truths. The Fountain of Forgiveness lies at the confluence of the mighty rapids. Blessed be the name of the lord, for through his words our history comes to light. I can sense this is a momentous time for us. Our evil prey may have found a flaw in our perfection. We must remain vigilant in our proceedings, bearing true faith to the holy trinity at hand. Dark days for the festering vermin that desiccate our thoroughfares are near.

  Again, I saw a vision of beauty from one of our herd. Her sinuous red hair flowing like the blood of the lone martyr, her heart pulsating with our sour wine, and her thighs opening the forbidden garden for our satisfaction. Indeed, her pleas for pleasure will be answered. The signs of our mission lay before us, our righteous path designed by God. Let us go forth and continue his pilgrimage, and consign our redemption in his eyes. Let us cleanse this filthy world in his name

  Let us pray

  Lord of Light

  As we pursue our passage through purgatory

  Guide us through the torment that these vile sinners harbor

  Forgive them for the misconceptions created by their prophets

  The words of the broken down blasphemers whom you cast out of Eden

  Forgive them for slandering your gracious and holy name

  For the insolence is not of their doing

  You alone have the power to turn their blood into wine

  Give us the strength to complete this battle in your name

  To lead them through the temptations scattered along their path

  In your name, we pray

  Amen

  II

  As the bishop continues to ready his congregation for the rapture, it seems as if our professors of stupidity are still making their way from the confines of their torture chamber. As I type this up, I cannot help but hope that they run into a group of hungry parasites. I am positive that they deserve to be the ones made into the latest Golden Corral. They started this shit with their illegal human experimentation; therefore, they warrant nothing more than to be a main course at the local raw bar. Unfortunately, from reading ahead, only one may fall this time.

  (Play) The Boulevard
at last, we have finally made it through the city; our salvation lies ahead. I think we are safe for the moment. At least, we are as safe as we can be in this plagued nightmare. We should stop and rest; there are no signs of those beasts anywhere and we will need all of our energy to make it out of the city. If my calculations are correct, we have about two miles until we hit the bridge and nine miles to our sanctuary.

  We do not have long though. Our pheromones make us tempting entrées out here in the open. I still cannot believe how the immunization has mutated; it never should have caused this type of reaction. I swear we are living in some sort of butterfly effect. Damn, I wish I had brought a gun. Yes, these foul beasts can be can be killed at close range with a targeted blow to the head, but I would still prefer to distance myself from them. Are you about ready to move again?

  Great, just in time. Look, over by the Console Energy Center, here they come. Damn, their senses are even better than I imagined. Amazing! It is incredible how the outbreak has spread so quickly through the population; there has to be 5000 or so packed into that small area (way too many for me to stand here and count, that’s for sure). Time to move on; we must hurry.

  Quickly, down this alley. I remember this from when I was a freshman at Duquesne. Yes, this should aid our escape. God, wrong turn! Damn it, those creatures are everywhere. How could they have surrounded us so quickly? It is almost as if they knew we were coming this way, like they knew our escape route. What to do, what to do? I guess, Paul?

  Paul, stop, there are far too many for you to handle. We must take refuge. Look, that building would be perfect; the foundation is built on the shoreline. Maybe there is a boat in that shed down there we could find something to aid in our escape. Paul, get back here! Mark, John, head inside, Paul, please!

  Stop it, Paul! Please! Please stop, I have enough blood on my hands from this experiment. I could not live with myself if I lost another. No! Over Here! No, leave him alone! It, It is me you want. Hey, over here! Damn you! Stop, oh God, what have I done? Paul, not you, you bastards want me! I did this; I created you. I built the lab and designed the vaccination. Take me! Here I am; yes, leave him alone. I deserve to die. Please lord, have them take me and not Paul, he is innocent.

  That is the way, leave him alone. If only I had some type of weapon. Paul, run! Meet Mark and John in that building, and I will be right behind you. Run, run as fast as you can; they are listening, coming for me. Yes, Paul, that door! You are almost there, 20-yards and you will be safe! Ten more steps Paul, that is all, just ten more. Thank God…

  No! Stop! No! Where did that abomination come from? You bastard! Get your mouth off him. Oh God, Paul, no. God, he is tearing into his neck, ripping at his flesh. Oh God, no, not Paul! (Stop)

  That is fucked up; they ate the wrong one; so much for my thinking that they were actually intelligent. You know, I need to shut up before you; the readers believe that I am a sympathizer for these ungodly servants. No way, besides if I were, would I donate my time to help the recovery of those inflicted and injured during the tribulation? I would not this so, but I do. In fact, I go down to the center almost daily. Which reminds me, I have to run; I have a meeting at the hospice. I will return and pick the story up right here.

  III

  OK, I am back. When I left this afternoon, I never expected that meeting to take quite as long as it did. It is amazing how many people crawl out of the woodwork when they discover that you are compiling an account of government-sanctioned genocide from this type of perspective. I guess everyone wants his or her story to be heard. I took great notes. In fact, I filled yet another notebook of material. It is a shame, though; I think that the characters that I am working with are perfect. There seems to be an unnatural connection between them. Crazy, especially considering that this whole ordeal is fucking cruel. Where do I continue? I think I will dive back into the story of our lovely lesbian. How outrageous, the world is coming to an end and one of the main characters in this true story is a damn lesbian wielding a shotgun. Who says feminism is dead?

  Fuck yeah, direct hit! Die you bastard! The head, it is definitely the head. That will stop these monsters in their tracks. Damn, I wish I had more ammunition, or at least, had this revelation before now. If I would have known, I may have been able to protect you, to save you like I promised.

  Too late to be remorseful now, I must get out of here before I end up on the wrong end of this outbreak. I want no part of becoming a bloodthirsty freak. I want to survive; to carry out the plans we discussed, even if I will be alone, even if I must spend my life without you.

  The tunnel, I have to make it through the tunnel. I hope my path is somewhat clear; I cannot afford to battle many more of these beasts right now. I must find someplace safe, somewhere I can defend myself and pick and choose my targets wisely.

  If I remember right, there is a cemetery. Yes, I must make it to the cemetery.

  Chapter Eight

  “One of the Four Beasts Sings Come and See and I Saw and Behold a White Horse…”

  October 22

  I cannot believe that I woke up with such a headache. It is funny, I do not even remember going to bed last night. From the look of it, I never made it off the couch. I guess I passed out from exhaustion; I have been working extremely hard on this project lately. What sucks is that I am quite motivated this morning, even with my headache. I wish I did not have to go to my therapy appointment, I actually believe I could make some great strides today once the Aleve sets in. Before I shower, let me knock a small part out though. I pulled this out last night before I went down. It appears that our lover boy, yeah that one, the one that does not realize he is a zombie is calling his beloved Gabrielle again.

  I

  (Click) My angel, my savior, I still cannot fathom what has happened to me. Everything is different now. Every taste richer, every thought deeper, even every hour feels longer. This revelation of clarity surrounds me; all of my visions of betrayal replaced by you; fulfilling every need, charging every emotion, and shaping every impulse. I flutter at the thought of my unyielding sense of bliss. Off in the horizon I can feel you near, the togetherness we have dreamt finally at hand

  Why do I long to hold you so? Where are you? At times, the feelings overwhelm my senses. Burning tears swell in my eyes, their bitterness inflaming past wounds and opening a pathway to my soul. My heart cries out for your flesh, longing to spend an eternity in your arms; your sweet nectar vanquishing the demons that haunt me; erasing the victims of my merciless behavior.

  Thoughts of you differ, though, my vicious ego in limbo; my sadness a distant memory suppressed by your breath. Are you a messenger from above, a saint in disguise?

  An equal? Your presence challenges every endeavor, quenches every thirst. My heart held at the crossroad by your perfection, your understanding of every thought. I know I had loved before, cared, and even nurtured before. Yet, this yearning, this craving is different, your fruit more tempting than the vine.

  I can taste you still; the familiarity is frightening, your aromatic bouquet fresh on my lips, your enticing skin warm in my hands. However, I cannot remember our last embrace or our last real kiss. When was the last time I lay at your breast? Have we actually shared the intimacy that I perceive?

  Strange, how my mind works now. My ideals, my perspectives circling your beauty, although, your description still escapes me. I am lost without you. This complete emptiness overshadowing the world I held sacred. Now, I am destined to devour everything in my path until I can hold you again, until we can grow, or until our family can grow together.

  I know that you will be the perfect mother to my son. Your essence alone is evidence enough, illuminating the endless possibilities of happiness that exist in your heart. I can almost see the many nights of redemption in your bed. Where are you darling? Gabrielle? Why have you forsaken me? Please return to my side, so we can become one and open the door to dine upon our neighbor’s splendor.

  You too can enjoy their divine intelligenc
e, their mouthwatering wine. Come to me, let me share with you the pleasures of indulging yourself on the purity of their bosom; sipping their milk until they run dry, and harvesting the spirit that failed them. In reality, their messiah that left them cold and alone. Only together can we complete their marvelous transition. Only together, can we survive this nightmare. (Click)

  II

  The words he used, my angel, those are powerful and heartfelt, that had to be genuine and everlasting love. I had an angel once, she was a picture of beauty, and more importantly, she kept me balanced. When I woke every day, I wanted to share every breath, every thought. Unfortunately, all I have left is a few picture scattered around this apartment, as I lost her during this plague. The infestation that ravaged society tore her apart, and she was taken from me. Where she went, or what exactly happened to her, I have no idea, but I have searched. For days, weeks, and months, I searched for her. In many ways, I am still searching, and this book, this project is keeping her alive in my heart.

  Damn, my head. This fucking headache has to go. Maybe I should just lay down, and possibly take a nap.

  Chapter Nine

  “I Rebuke and Punish All Whom I Love…”

  October 23

  I am truly sorry about that; I just could not take the pain anymore. The sound was deafening, my pulse echoing through my head. And the screams, I could hear the scream from my nightmares torturing me as I sat there looking over my notes, listening to the tapes, I wanted it to end, I want it to go away.

  Unfortunately, these are some of the side effects from the medications that the doctors have prescribed. Fucking bastards are probably poisoning me, the same way they murdered the innocents during the outbreak. Yes, the CDC and WHO have been closed because of the illegal and unethical eugenics they were practicing, but we must stay vigilant to prevent the next group from rising. These fascist technocrats and their globalist ideologies are always trying rise up and destroy freedoms. They always have.