Until The End

by Brown, Derek

  “Lazarus we have to hurry and get inside, they have no idea that they are almost surrounded we can try to get as many people as we can out the back.” I moved slowly at first towards the back door then more quickly as I could feel the adrenaline rushing into my body. Anthony and Lazarus were running inside and got to the door only to find it locked. Dammit I silently cursed myself whoever I had seen in the shadows must have meant to keep us out. They had locked the roof and the back door on us. I looked around quickly and I saw the motorcycles that the bikers had ridden sitting idly there. I got an idea, I walked over to one of them and checked for keys. The arrogant pricks had not even bothered to take their keys out to deal with us. They must have really just figured they had us beat. I saw that Anthony and Lazarus were yanking on the door trying to furiously get in. I yelled at them.

  “Anthony and Lazarus get out of the way.” They both turned and realized what I was going to do as I turned the motorcycle on. It roared to life and I jumped on it motioning for them to grab a bike too. Once they were on we rode around to the front of the store where tall glass windows were once used to proudly display sale items. I turned the wheel facing a window panel and I floored it. I went right through the window with a loud crash and in my rush I didn’t consider the tile and the motorcycle’s front tire touch the tile and it started to turn to the left and slide as I lost control of the bike. I tried to compensate and turned the forks of the bike to the right but it was useless and I went crashing into cereal section. I hit the dame aisle so hard I think I might have broken a rib, I fell to the ground and I was lying there. Until I saw Anthony and Lazuars driving into the store and they lost control of their bikes. Anthony crashed into the soda section sending soda spilling and fizzing everywhere. While Lazarus crashed in the produce section into a box of old bananas that just didn’t smell right. I saw Anthony getting up but then he slipped and fell over backwards in the soda on the tile floor. I moved to steady him then we went untangle Anthony from the rotten bananas.

  “Oh boy do you need a shower man. You stink.” Anthony covered head to toe in soda couldn’t contain himself from laughing. Slowly as we were steadying ourselves we saw that everyone was beginning to surround us.

  “What happened why did you guys crash into the store?” A tall man dressed in jeans and tank top asked. The gathering grew louder and I could hear more people demanding an answer. Then I saw Ash rushing up to us and he stopped short as he saw the destruction we had caused to the store. I looked at him and quickly began speaking, knowing time was of the essence.

  “Ash get these people out now the bikers are on their way, hurry we don’t have much time!” There was a flutter of activity as people went running in all different directions and the sheer chaos of it all was dishearten. Scarlett rushed over to me her face scared as she saw the blood pouring out of my wound. I hugged her tight and I held her for a minute. I leaned over to her ear and I whispered “I love you so much baby please don’t forget that. Get to the campsite and I will meet you there, you have to take Danielle and the baby with Lazarus. Go hurry if you circle back around you guys can get the cars. I will follow after I buy you some time. Please baby do this for me, you have to take charge now.” I kissed her passionately and held her in my arms for a moment.

  “No baby I will just stay with you they can get out on their own.” Tears were filling her eyes because she knew that I wouldn’t let her stay. But she grasped my hand and stood firmly next to me. “I can’t lose you.”

  “Baby, I know but we can’t argue right now. I have a plan, please you have to trust me. I will find you, I promise.” I held her hand tight then I nodded towards her and kissed her again. Then I turned to Lazarus and Anthony. “Guys you have to get the girls out of here now, get to the campsite; I am going to buy you some time.”

  “Colin, you can’t fight in the condition you are in now, I’ll stay and buy you guys time…” Lazarus began to move towards the front of the store.

  “Lazarus, go to your baby now, and don’t argue, Anthony don’t even think of arguing, who are the only one who can operate the Humvee and you are going to need the 50 cal on there. Both of you go now. Please protect my wife, I am counting on you both now.” I turned towards them and while a slight nod from my brother Anthony and a wink for Lazarus they began to move towards the back of the store. Scarlett didn’t leave my side.

  “Baby please just come with me, we can make it out of here. Please I can’t do this without you.” She caressed my cheek with her hand and the warm chills it sent down my back brought butterflies to my stomach. She kissed me and I felt the tears running down her face. I moved her face so her eyes looked into mine.

  “No matter what I will see you after this, I will find you, I swear it. Now go my Love, get them to safety, you have to show them the way.” I whispered to her and then gave her a gently nudge to get her moved. She held my hand and looked deep into my eyes as the tears came rolling down her face.

  “Promise me, my Love, You will find me, no matter what.” Her lips were trembling as she asked.

  “I swear I will find you, even if I have to go to hell and back, I love you.” I gripped her hands tightly once more and then she turned and started running. I turned around trying to figure out a plan in my head on what I should do to stall these bikers. I looked up and I saw Ash standing there with an M-240, a case of grenades, and my bow which he threw at me. As I caught it I saw a glimmer in his eyes it almost looked like raw madness. But then I understood his family was gone and what he was feeling right now. He looked at me and gave me a big crazy cheesy Ash smile.

  “Let’s go kill these fuckers!” ….

  That is how our war began with the bikers, I fear for my safety and I have to move now. It is getting dark out now and I think I have a few of the bikers tailing me. My knife wound is getting worse and I haven’t been able to find medical supplies to treat it yet. The hospitals are overcrowded with the infected and almost everything else has been looted. I’ll write more soon.

  April 10, 2014

  Still no medications or treatment supplies found I am getting weaker by the minute. I know I have an infection setting in. The wound is red and angry, hot to touch no matter how clean I keep the wound. I have been hiding in an abandoned house trying to catch whoever is following me. They must have been following since the battle with the bikers. At least I think someone is following me it could just be the fever causing me to see shadows where there are none. God it hurts so much, I can’t begin to describe it, the pain is pulsating and I can feel heat around the wound accompanying the redness, like old friends. I can feel the fever setting in and it is getting harder to think. I have been lying on this cold hardwood floor for three days barely moving because of the pain. I am dehydrated and the cotton mouth is becoming unbearable. My tongue is sticking to the roof of my mouth and refuses to become unstuck. Please help me it can’t end like this, I spend my waking moments in tears not from the pain but from the utter sense of failure. I don’t think I can go, this just might be the end of the line for me, time to throw the white towel in.

  April 12, 2014

  I was lying on the floor yesterday night and a blue dragonfly flew up to the window. It caught my attention and it landed on the window still. It reminded me of my daughter Emma she loved the blue dragonflies they were called the Princess dragonflies. This Princess sat there on the window still and I swear it beckoned me to get up and follow it outside. At first I tried to push myself up on my arms but they gave out and I went face first into the ground. The sweat from the effort I was exerting was rolling down my face onto the ground creating a large pool of sweat. The dragonfly flew at the window taunting me to get up again. I tried again and I fell again, and I heard the tapping of it hitting the window. “God I am trying!!!” I hoarsely shouted at the dragonfly yet it was unfazed and it tapped again. I gritted my teeth and looked at the ground and with tears in my eyes mixing in with the sweat I forced myself to my feet. Getting one foot up then the other. “Ok
I am up now what do you want? What was so important you had to get me up? I am dying are you happy now?” The dragonfly simply tapped the glass beckoning me outside. Frustrated I stumbled to the door and yanked the door open. Odd that it almost seemed like the humid air was causing my fever to disappear. Then I felt a cool breeze hit me and turned to see the dragonfly fly into the front yard of the house where I have been staying. “Fine, Fine I am coming.” I shouted as I started to following the dragonfly using the side of the house to propel myself towards the front yard. A thought occurred to me that perhaps I was hallucinating but then I saw the dragonfly in front of me.

  “Colin follow me, if you want to live.” A large booming voice demanded me to follow it. I followed the dragonfly for what seemed like forever until it flew up to the door of a green painted house. I followed it up the steps to the house and I tried the door knob and it opened. I toppled inside and as fast I as I could I made it down the hallway to the bathroom. I knew if I didn’t find something fast I was going to die. Thoughts of the dragonfly quickly faded as I was now on a mission of survival. I made it to the bathroom in the hallway and I scavenged through the bathroom and I found nothing that would help me. I almost sat down and ended it there but I thought to myself one more bathroom and then it would be over, then I would allow myself to finally rest. I managed to get myself up and again stumbled my way to what I hoped was the master bedroom hoping they had a second bathroom. As I entered the master bedroom I found a small bathroom in the back corner and I began to rummage through the tiny room. I discovered something more precious than gold. I couldn’t believe my eyes a freaking single shot of Rocephin in the medicine cabinet. I quickly yanked the syringe cap off and I injected it into my right arm. It was a quick poke and then done, unlike all the inmates that I had dealt with at the jail, I didn’t cry about a tiny shot. Digging deeper I found three bottles of peroxide and a bottle of Doxycycliene and a case of 24 water bottles underneath the sink. I threw two of the pills into my mouth and I stuffed the rest of them into my pocket. I drank two full bottles of water very slowly at first and then quickly almost as if I had been in the dessert. I took one of the bottles of peroxide and I poured it all over the wound at my side. It began bubbling and hissing like a snake as the peroxide ate the infection surrounding my wound. As I watched it work, I fought to keep my eyes open. I knew the danger I would be in if I lost conciseness right now. I don’t even remember if I had locked the door. Then my body just said no more and I collapsed.

  I am not sure how long that I slept. I think I may have been asleep for about thirteen hours straight but when I awoke I felt much better. It was as if I was coming out of a haze and my mind began to clear up. I looked at the wound it was still red but did not look nearly as bad as it did before. So I grabbed a towel of the wall rack and I dumped another half a bottle of peroxide on the wound. This time I felt the immense pain as the medicine work. I slowly managed to crawl my way to the front door good thing that I did because it was wide open. That could have ended rather poorly had I not been lucky. I closed it and locked the front door bolt. Breathing heavily I leaned against the door resting my eyes for a moment. I could feel myself slipping down into the abyss of my mind again as my vision began to get darker and fuzzier. The pain became horribly unbearable and then the world went black and cold again.

  I woke up again slowly pushing myself up and I performed the painful task of cleaning the wound again. As I was finishing up I leaned against the shower door and I tried to figure what the hell I was going to do. I looked up and into the shower and I pulled the shower handle expecting nothing to happen. To my pleasant surprise the water turned on and it was actually hot water. I peeled the mud and blood stained clothes off my dirty nasty body and climbed into the shower. You might not think a hot shower is something to jump up and down about but I was so excited I was like a kid at a candy shop. I used the shampoo and body wash and I scrubbed my body clean. Paying extra attention to the knife wound to try to get the puss out of the wound. I even found a tooth brush and tooth paste and I am not ashamed to say I brushed my teeth with a complete strangers brush. I didn’t want to get out but I did and I began to dry off and I found a first aid kit and I applied a dry dressing to my wound. Then I went straight to the kitchen but ass naked and I began rummaging for food. I found half a bag of stale Lays BBQ potato chips and even a can of unopened clam chowder. I devoured everything then I went back to the Master bedroom and I went through the clothes and I found a pair of jeans that fit me and a gray shirt with a black Batman logo across the chest. I had to pick that shirt it made me laugh to think what Scarlett would say to see me at the end of the world with a Batman shirt on. Then I sat down and began writing. I will write more tomorrow and perhaps explain how I ended up here, god willing.

  April 15, 2014

  I have been sleeping for the last three days almost straight only getting up to get my medication, drink water, and eat. Needless to say I think my body wanted me to take a break and so here I am. So where did we leave off, oh yes, now I remember. How did I get here? The answer lies in what occurred during the fight with the bikers…

  Ash and I rushed the main entrance doors of the store and went out them to find ourselves facing about 40 bikers they had created a crescent moon shaped blockade using the cars that must have been abandoned in the parking lot. The bikers were on the outer side of the line of cars facing in towards us with guns bearing down on us. We both stopped dead in our tracks and looked at each other.

  “Well Ash it’s been a hell of run, but I don’t think we are getting out of this one.” I turned towards him to shake his. Firmly grasping his hand in mine and flashing a quick smile.

  “Yes Colin it has been fun. And even though we are going to die today at least let’s kill as many of them as we can. With that he cocked back his M-240 and loaded rounds into the chamber. I shouldered my bow and I opened a case of grenades, I grimaced in pain from the knife wound to my side. It is interesting what goes through your mind as you face certain death. It gives you a certain clarity that one can only earn from facing certain death. You think to yourself all the time you spent working and wished you had spent more time at home with your family. You think of your loved ones and were they might be and perhaps you could have tried harder to spend more time with them. I thought of my daughter and I knew she was out there waiting for me to come to her. But here I was about to die and I quite honestly I felt like I was failing her in this moment. Then something hardened in me another piece of my soul died just thinking of my daughter out there waiting for me. She knew her daddy would be looking of her because she knows me. Sometimes I think she knows me and what I am capable of doing more so than I know myself. When her blue eyes look into my eyes, she sees deep into my heart. I felt a fire burning bright within me full of rage at these fools who thought they could keep me from my daughter. I knew in that instant that this was not going to end how the bikers thought that it was going to end.

  “Ash we are not going to die, we cannot die out here, let’s bring the fight to these fuckers and kill every single last one of them.” I could hear the edge on my voice as I said. Then one of the bikers I assumed who was the leader walked around his car to face us. He was about 50 yards in front of us, he had a smug smile on his face as if he already felt he had won the fight. He stopped short at first just grinning stupidly at us with an evil twist to his face, before he finally raised his voice so we could all hear him.

  “The way I see it boys you let us in and we might let you live, if fact you could be our slaves. I know you let some of the fools inside leave no worries though, I will find them and they will pay. Their punishment for leaving will be more severe especially the women. My boys don’t like it when the women try to run from us. So I need you two to put down your weapons so that we don’t fire shots and bring the blooding infected down on top of all of us. You know if you fight that a horde will descend upon us and it is going to get real ugly for you all.” He gestured towards the ground for us
to throw our weapons down, he clearly thought that this was over. He sadly was mistaken and did not know who he was fucking with because right now this man was standing between my daughter and me. No one stands in my way without paying for it especially in this new world. So I took the bow off my shoulder quietly not saying a word and I silently judged the distance and the wind. “What are you going to do with that fool? You can’t possibly think that you can win do you? I will crush you and I will kill everything that you hold dear.” He was clearly angry right now and his voice inflected that. I just looked at him coldly then as fast as I could I pulled the bow up with my left arm took aim and with my right arm grabbed an arrow and notched it. Then all in the same motion I let the arrow fly and it sped across the gap dividing me and the man speaking. It landed with a thud in his eye socket and he fell to the ground instantly screaming in pain that ended with gurgling blood as the life seeped out of him. I dropped my bow and I quickly picked up a grenade and I started throwing them one at time towards the cars trying to get the grenades under the cars. I was trying to use the cars to create a bigger explosion. Ash was unloading the M-240 holding down the trigger spraying the bikers with lead bullets. As I was throwing the fourth the grenade the first three went off causing the vehicles to flip over and explode in great balls of fire sending shrapnel raining down on the bikers like they were in a snow storm. I kept hurling grenades and Ash kept firing he was screaming in rage as the gun was sending fiery bullets towards the bikers. There was fire raining down everywhere and screams of pain coming from the lines of bikers, they had backed us into a corner. Now they were suffering the hell that they had unleashed. They were in disarray and still I picked up the last grenade and I threw it as hard as I could at a biker. He must have seen me aim for him because he ducked to get out of the way. The grenade completely missed him as and continued sailing through the air. I watched as the grenade sail across the parking lot and rolled into the gas station where we had been parked. I grimaced as I peered through the smoke holding my breath and luckily I saw that the cars were gone. The grenade slowly rolled next to a fuel pump. Acting quickly out of relax rather than thinking, I turned and tackled Ash to the ground. We tumbled head over heels and I could feel a piece of hot metal puncture my back. Blood was pouring from my wound at my side as both Ash and I looked up. Then the loudest explosion that I have ever heard before in my life went off as huge geyser of roaring fire shot into the air at least 100 feet high. The gas station disappeared as it was engulfed in flames. We could feel the heat where we were and then debris began falling from the sky. I saw a biker get crushed from a huge chuck of steel that crashed down on his head. I turned to get up pulling Ash up who was quickly reloading his gun. I tried to get his attention to tell him that we needed to go but he had a look of madness in his eyes. He loaded the gun and slid the bullet into the chamber and he began firing again. The bullets were just shooting into smoke and flames, there was no way of even seeing if he was hitting anyone. Yet he kept firing squeezing down the trigger and yelling out a strangled battle cry. I could tell he was clearing dealing with his pain at losing his family and I have to stay that I could not blame him. I jumped up and pulled my bow out and I started taking aim and letting an arrow fly towards a biker I saw crawling out of the wreckage of a dark blue Honda Accord. As I scanned the area I saw that almost none of the bikers were anywhere to be seen. I saw two leaning on each other and limping, attempting to get away, but Ash turned and started firing in their direction mowing them down as they exploded into fountains of blood. I turned to see the madness that was devouring the man I considered one of my greatest friends. I moved towards and put my hand on his back but he didn’t even acknowledge me he just kept shooting.