by Brown, Derek
“Boys and girls its story time. Today we are going to talk about YOU!!” He pointed long knife at me and held up the head. The head then spoke quietly.
“Tell us a story, we want to hear a story.” The severed head spoke in echoing tones. The lips were moving but the eyes were closed. Then the eyes shot open and I saw deep blue eyes staring at me. Then the man spoke again to me as he chuckled in cracked tones.
“You are failure. You have failed everything and everyone in your life. You are worthless and you could even safe your daughter. How does it feel to know you will die and no one cares about you? Please tell us all how it feels to be a worthless piece of shit.” Suddenly the entire room became full of everyone that meant anything to me in my life. I saw Emma standing behind the man shaking her head at me in disgust.
“I thought you were my Batman, but you aren’t daddy. Why what’s wrong with you?” I saw Scarlett there and she turned her back on me.
“I thought I married a great man. But you are not great you are not even a good man. You let me die out here all alone.” My dad and my stepmom both were holding each other and I heard them whisper.
“Such a disappointment.” Then I saw my mother standing there with her red hear and brown eyes looking at shaking her head.
“What a waste of a life, it should have been you died not me. I wouldn’t have wasted my life the way you have.” My brother Jason was there.
“You are pathetic brother, what happened to you? I used to look up to you now I am just sickened by you.” Lazarus was there looking down at me.
“You failed.” Then I saw the man with the red smile.
“You see everyone is here to witness what a pathetic piece of shit you are.” Then he rushed towards me, in horror I managed to push myself into the tub and knocked my head as I was falling down into it. It all went black again…
“Ring around the roses, a pocket full of posies, ashes to ashes, we all fall down.” I could hear Emma singing and laughing in the background. As my eyes opened I could see sunlight shining in from the window. I slowly pushed myself up with my muscles aching all over in protest. Slowly I looked around the room expecting to see the man with the green hair again. I could still hear the singing and I knew I had to find her. So I got up quickly and my head was swimming as I had the images from before floating in my head. The pieces clicked all of a sudden and I knew who the man had been. Lt. Michael Clay had been the one I had seen holding the woman’s head. Trying to sort out the details of what had occurred in my head I slowly moved towards the door where on the other side I could hear the singing. Hesitantly I slowly pulled the door open and I peeked out the singing got louder. I didn’t see anything and so I moved out into what was a hallway. The singing was coming from the bedroom and I crept slowly making as little noise as possible. Stopping at the door I listened and I knew that I heard singing coming from the other side. I pushed the door open; nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. Curled up in a ball on the bed was the woman in the white gown but not the mutilated woman from my dreams but just a normal woman. She was staring at the television and on it was a video of two little girls singing. I went from the television back to the woman on the bed. She turned and met my eyes with her dark brown eyes that were blood shot from crying.
“You’re awake finally, I didn’t think you were going to make it. How are you feeling?” Her voice was so soft, it was almost a whisper. “I gave you all the antibiotics I had left and as much ibuprofen and Tylenol that you would let me. I also had to fix that blotched job you did on the knife wound you had. Damn you are one tough son of bitch though.”
“Thank you, I can’t really remember the past couple hours, days, nights…Hmm how long was I out?” My sense of time was somewhat lacking at the moment.
“You never really can get used to the idea that they are really gone can you? My daughters were such amazing young ladies. They both had such a bright future ahead of them, but that future was stolen from them by this damn infection. I hate being in this world without them, to be honest I was about to just end it all then you came crashing into my house. Like a bull in a china shop.” She looked at me with such sadness in her eyes, that I didn’t for one second doubt what she was saying. “Is Emma your daughter? You were out for three days nothing I did could wake you”
“Yes she is, I must thank you for saving my life, and I do not know what I would have done without your help.” I moved towards the edge of the bed and sat down. My head was still swimming and my knees felt like they might go out on me.
“Still feeling weak, huh, don’t worry that’ll pass, plus once you go and get yourself some food from the kitchen you will start to get your strength back. You are welcome, but it is time for you to leave now. I grow tired of this world without my daughters.” Her eyes met mine and then I saw the empty bottle lying next to her.
“Wait, no I can help you, please don’t go let me help you.” I frantically moved towards her side. I checked her pulse, it was slow and unsteady.
“No need, it’s too late for me, but not for you, Emma is out there waiting for you. Promise me you will find her. Swear to me that you keep her safe. Don’t let what happened to my daughters happen to her.” She grasped my head and met my eyes with hers, it was too late there really was nothing that I could do for this woman who had just saved my life.
“I swear. I swear that I will find my daughter.” Tears welled up in my eyes as I held her hand.
“Stay with me until the end please?” Her voice trembled as she asked me the question.
“Of course, now tell me about your daughters.” With her hand in mine she smiled at me and began to tell me all about her daughters. She was so full of pride and how amazing her daughters had been. I sat there right next to her until her voice trailed off and the life slowly left her body. Afterwards I sat with her for another few moments just holding her hand. I got up and carried her body outside into the backyard and I found two small piles of stones that must have been her daughter’s grave. I carefully laid her body next to theirs and I gathered stones from around her yard and I built a grave for her next to her daughters. I glanced once more at the graves and then turned and went into the kitchen. I found a bag already made up for me containing food items and medical supplies with a note on it. It read:
I am not sure who you are; I did everything I could to save your life. I heard you talking about your daughter Emma and I felt I had to do everything that I could to help you get to her. She is out there waiting for you, I know she is. Please promise me you will find her.
P.S. I am sorry
That was all it said, I shoved the note in the backpack and I slung it on to my back. I went out the front door and made my way to the house where all my stuff was at. I didn’t stay long I grabbed all my stuff. After I had everything I made my way south where I knew my daughter was at.
April 24, 2014
I have been moving as quickly as I can but I keep running into groups of the infected. I have noticed a pattern in the movements of the infected they move in packs of about four to six. Normally with no more than two females in each pack of infected at any given time. The land has been covered in a rolling fog that seems to eat up the light leaving darkness behind. I am moving slow and still trying to recover. I have observed two men making their way through the cars but I kept my distance. I feel like I can’t trust anyone any more, they seemed to be moving towards something and I felt I shouldn’t get in the way. I was traveling along the main streets but there are so many cars in the roads it has been difficult to navigate. I made a bed in a big back SUV Tahoe for tonight. I am trying to figure out how I am going to find the Brothers of the Cross, it was the only lead that I had as to where Emma was at. I assume it is near Visalia where my daughter’s mother lives. I am thinking I need to find a map at the next gas station I see tomorrow. Sleep is not easily come by every time my eyes close I seem to see Lt. Michael in that bathroom pointing at me. Believe me it does not make it easy to sleep at all but
I am exhausted so I think I’ll close my eyes again.
April 25. 2014
I woke up early with the rising sun that was shining so bright today. I checked all the windows making sure I didn’t see any movement before I made my way out of the Tahoe. I looked for a building so that I could gain some height and survey the area around me. Trying to gauge where I was at and I saw that I had made it to Clovis Avenue and was a little west of Ashland Avenue. So about seven miles south was a gas station that I knew of, I would definitely be able to find a map there. So I set out going west headed towards highway 180 where the gas station was located. With the sun shining I was beginning to feel better and I even managed to start jogging a bit. I actually got lost in the run and before I knew it was I was across the street from the gas station at the gate to a factory. Funny I was never quite sure what they had made here, it always smelled really bad though. I figured I would camp out here tonight the fence surrounding the factory seemed pretty sturdy and that way I could observe the area before I went into it blind. I managed to cut a small opening in the fence and found my way up a ladder that led to a platform that gave me a perfect view. So I huddled up and placed my bow next to me and I laid my head on a bag drifted off to sleep.
April 26, 2014
I woke up to thunder and lightning it was a black storm, it was pouring raining and I was soaked before my eyes opened. It was so dark out even though it was dawn, the dark clouds hung overcast and low. I carefully observed the gas station from across the street and when I saw no movement in or around it, I quickly made my way across the street. As I entered the gas station I noticed a distinct smell rotting food. It made me nauseous to be in that place, so I quickly looked around for a map. Of course my luck the shelf it had been on was knocked over on the floor. I bent down to pick up the map I needed. As I was bent over I heard an engine roaring and a truck pulled into the gas station I noticed the bed had some people in it. I jumped down behind the counter and looked around spotting the restroom door open. I quickly made my way over to the restroom door and I pulled it shut behind me quietly. It was pitch black in there and my breathing sounded so loud in my ears I thought the deaf could hear me. Then I heard them enter the store.
“What the fuck is that smell, Mark?” I heard a male voice saying to someone else.
“Isaac, I don’t know but let’s get whatever water we can and get out of here. You know we need to hurry and get to the hospital before it gets too late. He will have our heads if we don’t’ get what we came for and get back to camp. He said it should only take us two days to reach it max but we have already been out here for three.” The men were speaking as they were rummaging through the items looking food I would assume. A thought occurred to me that these men might be able to offer up some information for me or maybe even help me find the Brothers of the Cross. I figured either way they would be able to help me one way or another.
“Yeah but he didn’t think the highways were going to crawling with the demon spawn did he? No he didn’t and we already lost Willie on this damn cursed mission.” The man ended his statement spitting.
“We aren’t going to be able to pick up anymore converts though with the three we have now. I don’t know why we bother to keep them around you know we don’t have enough food to bring them along.” He sounded like he had another plan. “You know Isaac no one knows we have those three with us. I know you are tired of having to worry about them and I know you could use a stress relief. Perhaps we should lighten our load, if we just came back with the girl?” This sick fuck sounded like he was smiling as he was speaking.
“Well we really can’t afford to spare the food right now anyways, hmm.” The two men stopped rummaging and I heard their steps moving towards the door. Holding my breath I pushed the door open and peeked out watching them exit the gas station. I just barely glimpsed their backs as the exited. They moved towards the back of the truck and yanked a woman and two children out of the bed. The woman and the children were bound with their hands behind their backs. One of the men moved towards one of the children and touched his cheek while speaking to the woman whose face went pale. She started shaking her head and I could see her face grimace as if she was in physical pain. Involuntarily I moved towards the door my body moving of its own accord. I stopped at the door they were about fifteen feet away from me. I could feel the heart pulsing through my veins as I contemplated what I was going to do. I slid the door open and unslung my bow grabbing an arrow. I notched it making sure I had easy access to another arrow in the quiver, before raising my bow up. I took a deep slow breath aiming down the sites. With a coldness I pulled back my arm as I felt the tension in arms building. It was as if I was standing outside of body in that moment, a spectator of my actions. With a slow determination I felt the tension leaving my back right shoulder as I let an arrow fly. In slow motion I watched the arrow slice through the rain drops seeking its mark. I watched the arrow as it buried itself into the rounded man’s bald head, he slumped over with the arrow protruding from his head. I already had the other notched as I moved forward into the cold wet air outside. Again I spectated as another arrow went sailing through the air. I stood with my arm still up and my eyes still staring down the site of the bow. With a cold fury inside of me I watched the arrow fly. Whether it was from my military training or it was from the anger I felt at what these men were about to do I had aimed for the man’s head not thinking. Then in amazement I watched his head exploded. I felt a certain amount of joy as I watched his head disappeared. My joy quickly soured as I realized I should have kept one of them alive to question before I killed them. With purpose I moved over towards the woman and the children too late to do anything about my decision to kill the men. The woman had dark unruly hair and large brown eyes and she looked up at me with fear in her face and tears rolling down her face. I moved behind her cutting the bindings behind her back with one my kukri quickly. She stood up we faced each other sizing each other up as the rain came pouring down us.
“Are you going to hurt us?” The words trickled out of her and I could hear the fear in her voice as she trembled in front of me. The children were trying to get as close to her as possible and they were crying as well. I looked at them and I tried hard to make myself seem less frightening. However with the pouring rain and the fact that I am sure I looked like I needed a shower they still seemed scared of me. So I did the only thing that I could I flipped the blade around and held it out to her with the handle facing her. She snatched it from me and moved to cut the bindings from her behind her boy’s backs. Then grabbing both of her children she turned to face me and I was met with three sets of questioning eyes.
“No.” I tried to make my voice as soft as possible. I even put my hands up in an effort to appear non-threatening. It wasn’t working, they were still visibly shaking while it may have been cold rain causing them to shake their eyes were wide and full of fear. I backed up trying to create some distance when I heard the scraping of feet. It was coming closer, I turned to the right towards the direction quickly bringing my bow up to take aim. I heard more noises coming from as the scrapping sound got louder.
“What is that?” The woman with the dark hair whispered to me. I motioned for her to be quiet with a finger to my mouth, shaking my head.
“Listen we have to move now. I have a place across the way from here where we can wait for them to pass. They are getting closer and it sounds like there are a lot of them.” Whispering with urgency through clenched teeth as I already began to move away from the gas station. I made my way to the factory. In a hurry I located the opening I had cut in the fence, turning to make sure that the woman and the boys were following me. We got to the ladder and I motioned for the woman to go up first. I turned to see several of the undead at the gas station. They were circling the remains of the two men and I heard several grunting noises. Then I heard the sound of chewing and clawing. The grunting began to get louder and was occurring very rapidly as I heard wet gushy sounds echoing from the gas s
tation. Quickly I moved to climb the ladder behind the woman and her two boys. Once I reach the top I pulled out an old Army blanket tying the ends to the rail and creating a shelter to block the rain from us. Motioning to speak quietly to the woman and her children, I leaned in.
“We have to be quiet, they seem to be busy at the moment but they are attracted to loud noises. Are you all doing okay?” I held my breath waiting to see if they were going to respond. After several long moments the woman finally spoke.
“We are okay.” She paused before continuing as she cuddled her boys up to her. “Thanks to you stranger, you saved us. Those men were going to do terrible things to my boys and me. You have my gratitude for that.” She bowed her head in respect to me.