by Mariah Lynde
There were however, other possibilities. One such scenario could be that the zombie in question had been infected right here in our little town and not in the city. While I sincerely doubted that to be the case it did however serve as a possible explanation for what had happened to him. If that particular scenario happened to be true, this had become a whole new ballgame.
If he had contracted the infection locally and not in Charlotte, it was proof that the chance of infection was not localized to a specific area within the city and had already branched out. Whatever the cause for all this had been, it had zero regulation and everyone no matter where they lived happened to be at risk.
However, if our initial theory about the infection being localized to major cities and highly populated areas happened to be the scenario we were working with, we might have a little time. Not much more but definitely enough to get a good deal of our plans in order.
Either scenario indicated that this plague would not simply die out. It would spread and run rampant through the populace. No matter the answer to the questions we had about my zombie friend from earlier one thing happened to be absolutely clear - this spelled disaster all the way around.
No matter the cause, no matter the location where the infection happened to originate from, the powers that be were already losing control.
“Well, damn.” Robbie muttered softly and I could hear his chair squeak as he leaned forward. A sure sign that he had realized exactly what this all meant. I could almost picture him hanging his head in his hands while he tried to figure out what to do.
“Pretty much.” I answered before taking another drag off my cigarette, “Any way we choose to look at this, they’re already losing control of the situation. I don’t care what they are saying, we need to get our shit in order and be ready.”
“Well, I’m all in.” This time when Jay spoke, I could hear that small note of eagerness that said the idea of shooting things would be welcome. While some may have found that scary, to me it happened to be a godsend. The sooner our group had arrangements in place the better.
“Probability wise, Angel and Robbie have it right. We’re looking at a massive epidemic that will likely expand at a rate greater than anyone can hope to control.” Brandon chimed in. While it sounded analytical and a bit snarky, I knew that was his way of saying he was with us.
“Well, if the world’s goin’ to hell, I’d rather be with you guys than most these fucks I know.” Mack yelled and I could only wince as the speaker beside me squeaked. His words from across the room were followed by Ray’s soft spoken answer.
“Just tell me what to do.”
“Whelp, Boo…Trisha and I are in. Not big on having to fend for ourselves against mindless undead freaks and gators.” Johnny chimed in at that point just before Alec spoke.
“Well, cool. Does this mean I get to make a chainsaw hand?” As far as throwing his hat into the ring, I suppose that was as good as we could expect from him.
“Just tell me what you guys want me to do and I’m in.” This voice surprised me. Turning my head to peer at Cal, I found him staring at me as if I had all the answers. The cigarette hung lazily from the side of his mouth making him look as if he’d just given up his stubbornness to accept the inevitable.
Those that were left all murmured their assent. Funnily enough, just after we all threw our hats into the ring, the whole of the call went dead silent. No matter how you think you’ll react when you face the end of the world, nothing can prepare you for the reality. We had always believed that we would have a plan, or be able to rapidly map things out for ourselves. In that moment, I think we were all just too stunned by the knowledge that the dead were reanimating to really think straight.
We knew the world was ending. We knew that it would only be a matter of time before the world spun out of control. What we didn’t know was just what to say now that we had accepted it.
Chapter Twenty-Four – The Rules
“So now what?” Cal asked. The question seemed to spurn everyone on the call into firing off an answer. To say it was chaos would have been an understatement.
With six people talking at once while others gasped, cursed, or grumbled made for a cacophony of noise that would have made the tower of Babel look like a whisper. That headache that had been threatening earlier came back with a vengeance to let me know that it lingered close to the surface. My eyes watered a little as I threw myself back in the chair and pushed off the floor with my feet.
Once that had put a good deal of space between me and the desk, I closed my eyes waiting for the others to quiet down. What should we do? Plan for the more immediate concerns or start taking steps for the long haul? Honestly, I had no clue. It would help to know just what everyone else happened to be dealing with as far as all of this was concerned.
“Oi!” I called out only to hear Mack and Ray speaking with Dave as they debated the finer points of going North or South to meet up. Still, my little interjection didn’t seem to have made all that much of an impact so I tried again, this time raising my voice a little louder, “OI!”
Thankfully, this time they appeared to have heard me and instantly began to quiet down. Movingto rest my elbows on my knees I gave a resigned sigh before continuing to speak.
“Look, we all know that this is going to get bad. Before we worry about where we’re moving and how, let’s take care of the basic necessities first. Now then, assuming that you guys agree, I think we should consider who’s seeing what as far as this outbreak is concerned.” I posed that to the group and waited a moment. Turning my head, I noticed gray eyes watching me with a kind of eerie intent that had my nerves screaming in discomfort.
Shaking my head, I looked back towards the computer screen, “For instance, I likely won’t be mobile here shortly. If things are so bad here that we’re already getting the curfew line, they’ll start closing roads and shops as it gets worse.”
“Will you be able to survive that?” Ray asked softly. I could hear the concern in her voice and while it was appreciated, I happened to be more concerned about the long term.
“I at least have tomorrow to acquire some more stuff. After that, it’ll all be based on what does and does not happen. I have a couple of ideas, but first and foremost I’m worried about limiting exposure.” Leaning back in my chair I looked to Cal and gave a half smirk.
“What about food?” Jay chimed in, “You want that I should pick up some of those low-cost instant meals that have a shelf life of over a year?”
“Not really.” Robbie answered. “While they make a nice, convenient meal for the short term, people are going to be jumping all over them like flies on shit.”
“Robbie is right.” I chimed in, “The best thing we can do, is avoid the easy outs. Stores will start marking up prices on those instant meals and people will be crazed to get to them. We’re better off stocking up on actual staples that are seen as too inconvenient to bother with.”
“So, we’re talking long term?” Brandon chimed in.
“Yes.” Robbie answered softly and I found myself pushing closer to the computer as if it in some way put me closer to my best friend. While it was in no way physical contact, it was a false sense of security that gave me comfort. No matter what, Robbie would be there with me. Through thick and thin, he’d be by my side - even from over a hundred and fifty miles away.
“We have to.” While he may have been backing my play, I knew better than anyone we had to show a united front. More than that, if you wanted people to agree to follow you into battle, no matter what circumstances may be, you had to give them the facts. Once you did that, then you had to explain your method and in the end, if you made sense, they’d be able to better work towards the common goal you had as a group. In this case, we just so happened to be worried about our own survival.
“Not necessarily.” Alec finally spoke up and I had to wonder if he even knew what we were talking about. His next words indicated he was following the conversation to some extent, bu
t he had a lot to learn about actual survival. “I mean, why not get the quick stuff to make sure we survive the initial outbreak? Then, once there are fewer people to worry about we could start gathering long term supplies, right?”
I wanted to scream at him. Honestly, much as I liked Alec some days, there were more where he just crawled on my last nerve. Such was the way of things with people you let into your life in any capacity I suppose, but see, Alec…he took the cake.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he’s a bad guy. What I am saying is that Alec has a tendency to speak before he thinks. That lack of thought process to mouth meant more often than not he said something blindingly stupid and never once understood why it was wrong. Sadly, in about ninety percent of these particular scenarios, it just so happened that whatever point he was trying to make also served some selfish objective of his own.
On the other side of that, he could be great comic relief…some of the time. Unfortunately, moments like this one had him pulling a Speedy Gonzales to run over every nerve you had and make your patience disappear.
Taking a small, calming breath I reached for the pack of cigarettes in front of me. God knew, I had never been so grateful to have something bad for my health sitting in front of me. Honestly, if the world was ending, I saw no harm in just lighting up to make sure I didn’t help along natural selection by feeding people to the undead. Who knows? Maybe I’d end up doing that anyway before all this was over. That particular thought had me drawing up short. I seriously needed a break if I had already started pondering the idea of homicide via zombie.
“Again, that’s not viable. Do you know what happens if you go and get that stuff and worry only about the right now?” I asked.
“Yeah, I survive…right now. When it all calms down I go and get more stuff that I need. It’s pretty much that simple. I only have to survive to make it to you guys.” His answer had me seeing red. If I could have reached through the screen to strangle him, I would have. Then again, it was Alec. Despite how selfish it seemed, he probably didn’t mean it that way and even if he did…well he would be in for a rude surprise.
“You’re a jackass.” Jay said and just huffed a little. Despite the fact that he and Alec were the equivalent of Jay and Silent Bob as Hetero-life mates, even he had a certain level of non-tolerance when it came to his friend. A level which had apparently been reached at some point in the last two and a half minutes - not that I planned on stopping Jay from tearing him a new one if he wanted. “Let the woman speak and this time why don’t you damn listen?”
Personally, Jay happened to be the man with training in guns. I’d much rather not piss him off and have him on my side for the long haul rather than annoy him now and cause him to withdraw from our group early on.
Decisions, decisions. Oh, how they sucked. Ah well, if Alec survived long enough for the group meet there’d be plenty of time to rip him a new asshole later.
“Alright, let’s play this your way. You wanna know what will happen?” Taking a drag from the cigarette between my lips, I stared at the screen while waiting for Alec’s response.
“Yeah, I do. You guys are making it sound like just worrying about the immediate future is a bad thing. If we worry about shit for later it’s just gonna be that much more bullshit we have to deal with now.” Alec shot back. If it weren’t for the fact he half giggled at the end as an indication thathe was high, I might have taken him seriously. However, his lack of sobriety only made it that much easier to hear how dim that plan actually was.
“Fine. So… let’s say you go to the store tomorrow. You go to buy these cheap, easy meals…enough to get you through about five days.” I watched the smoke trail up from the end of my cigarette, my mind wandering as I pieced together the story in my head. “Seeing as how not much activity has been seen up your way, the prices on them are only hiked up about a dollar or so a piece, but they’re still higher than normal.
“We’ll work on the assumption you buy two meals a day for you and your wife to last five days, just in case anything comes your way.” Lifting the cigarette to take another drag I continued, “Two days later, zombies are rolling your city. Now, unlike me and the others, you live in an apartment. So…not only are you being overrun by the undead, but you’re trapped in a thirty by thirty box, with half the shit in your rooms blocking the doorway while you try to not get the attention of the horde.
“To cut down on noise, you rip into the prepackaged meals. One day passes, then two. Things are still chaotic. You hear your neighbors screaming that they need help. Others are thumping and moaning as they roll through the hallways, but you’re alright you have meals left.”
“Like I said, just plan for the immediate…”
“I wasn’t done, Alec.” My words shot out, cutting off whatever he was about to say. At that moment, I half considered throwing my hands up right then and saying I’d be done with it.
“Okay then…keep going. Just keep in mind, you’re wrong. I’m telling you that what you’re saying is not the way to go.” This happened to be one of those moments where Alec only seemed to be thinking about what would be easier for him. There were so many things I could have said or done differently. Yet, hearing his stubborn refusal and having dealt with Cal for a majority of the day, I had finally reached my limit.
“You know what, forget it. You can do whatever the hell you want. The rest of us will go on with our plan and you just do whatever is in that chronic fogged brain of yours.” Grunting a little as I leaned back in the chair, I took another drag from my cigarette.
“Hey, now. That was a little harsh don’t you think?” Jay interjected, already working to try and smooth things over between Alec and myself.
“If you ask me, it wasn’t harsh enough.” I shot back. “Look, I get it, and normally it’s fine to fuck around and play Alec’s little games. This time, it’s not. This whole situation is circling the drain and we need to have a better plan than just getting through the next few days!” My free hand slammed into the top of the desk as I finished speaking.
At that point it was hit the desk or kick Cal Mitty in the face. I thought I had chosen the lesser of two evils, at least until my knuckles registered a feeling of throbbing pain. Honestly, in one way I welcomed it. That dull throbbing as my knuckles had cracked against the top of the desk had me far more alert than I’d been before.
“What the hell is your problem, Angel? I don’t deserve this shit - ” Alec began and I felt my eye begin to twitch.
How the hell could someone be so selfish that they were blind to the difficulties and pains they inflicted on others? Whether he was high or not at this point, I really didn’t give a damn, he would get someone killed.
“Alec…” Jay began but I cut him off. I’d reached my tolerance for petty selfishness for the day. I would have my say and if he refused to listen then what happened to him and his wife would not be on my head.
“Don’t you dare, Jay.” I snapped. That done, my attention immediately snapped back onto the focus of my ire. “Let me put this simply. This time I’m not going to bother with the ‘what if’ horror movie scenario that will appeal to you. Instead, I’ll talk to you like the child you so obviously seem to be.
“If you go and buy for just the immediate little while that is coming in the near future, then you will die. Your wife will die. If you only plan for a few days the chances are likely that at the end of that you’ll be fucked. You know what the biggest part of survival in any emergency situation is? Patience and intelligence.” I gave a huff of air.
“That is not fair.” Alec began.
“What’s not fair? The fact that instead of sitting here and formulating a workable plan so we all survive past the first few days we have to sit here and cater to you like you’re a damn toddler? Instead of us divvying up the different things we can think of to make all of this any easier, we have to argue with a doped up, lazy ass stoner who just wants to survive on Cheetos and Mountain Dew for a few days until he has to actual
ly go fight for supplies.
“What the hell do you think is going to happen when your little city there gets overrun with infected? Your wife will be in danger and you’ll most likely be starving a few days in because it was more important to get the easy shit than actually sober the hell up to get supplies intended to stretch farther and last longer.
“So what I said before, I stand by. Do what the hell you want, Alec. I’m not going to argue anymore and I sure as hell am not going to pamper you so you have an excuse. The rest of us, we’re going to actually plan for the future. You’re welcome to stay, or you can stand by your supposition about just buying for a few days and do your own thing, but can we please get back to planning before the world ends?” Finishing quietly, I moved to snuff out the cigarette I had lit and glared at the computer.
If it’d been humanly possible I would have been spitting nails. At this point, I couldn’t even indulge myself with things I wanted to try and go the easy route. So the last thing I had time to do for anyone was holding their hand to indulge their vices so that this became easier for them. Survival meant pulling your own weight and if you couldn’t do that, you deserved whatever came your way.
While it should not have surprised me, everyone on the call had gone silent. Alec would make his own choice. Even if he were here for the planning, I sincerely doubted he would have stuck to it anyway. There would always be the possibility of people skipping over the details to do what they thought would be easier. When the time came, it’d be up to them on how they survived because all I could focus on at the moment was myself. I would survive and make it to a rendezvous with my group and woe be to anyone who put blocks in the way.
“Wow.” Mack spoke, this time it happened to be without the tinny, spaced voice from shouting across a room. Apparently my little explosion had got him to come closer to Ray and her computer, so it seemed strange hearing his voice without the distortion.