Mankind

by Stalletti, Matthew

  “Here… I know a trick to get him to stop crying.” Shelby says.

  Shelby walks away down one of the isles and begins to comfort the baby. The baby slowly stops crying. Sydney looks over at her sister and feels relieved. She looks back at Matthew and sees the bag in his hand.

  “What’s that?” Sydney asks.

  “Oh, this? It’s for you. It should help you heal faster. Hopefully we can head out by tomorrow.” Matthew explains.

  Sydney looks down at the bag with a guilty look on her face, “You’re still thinking about going?”

  “Yeah. Why wouldn't we still go?” Matthew asks.

  “I don't know. It’s just the four of us now, and we have a baby. It’s not safe out there, but it is in here.” Sydney says.

  “It’s not safe here either.” Matthew takes a deep breath, “Behind those fences, with all those weapons; that’s what ‘safe’ is. We’re still going.”

  Sydney doesn't say anything, but she does nod her head. She doesn't want to argue with Matthew or question his judgement. She begins to question him in her head, but she doesn't know how he would react if she said it to his face. Sydney turns around and walks over to Michael, who is still upset. Matthew looks around and realizes that they are a much smaller group now, and when they do decide to go outside, they must be very careful.

  Matthew, Shelby, and Michael all sit in the storage room around a fire in a tin bowl, just like the previous night. Shelby is holding the infant, and he finally decided to stop crying. Michael just sits and stares into the fire. It's dark outside, and it’s dark in the room. A few hours have passed since Moxxie left the group, and it is now night time. Matthew looks over and sees Sydney sitting all alone in the corner of the room. She has a pen and paper and is writing something. Matthew looks confused and doesn’t understand what she is doing.

  “What are you writing?” Matthew asks.

  “Oh… I’m just writing a journal.” Sydney says.

  Shelby turns and looks at her sister, “Since when do you write journals?”

  “Since now...” Sydney explains.

  Matthew turns back and looks in the fire. Sydney seems to be acting unusual lately, but he tries not to think much of it. Matthew looks at Michael. He hasn't said a word this entire time. He is clearly upset about Moxxie leaving. Matthew doesn’t want to ask him about her because he doesn't want to make him more upset than he already is. Shelby looks down at the infant in her arms. She smiles as she watches him sleep. Matthew notices how good Shelby is at taking care of the baby.

  “You’re good with him, eh?” Matthew says.

  “Yeah… we never ended up giving him a name, you know?”

  “Hmm… what did you have in mind?” Matthew asks.

  Shelby thinks for a moment, “How about Joe? We should name him after your brother.” Shelby suggests.

  Matthew remembers his brother and feels optimistic about the future. It feels right to honor him by naming the baby after him.

  “Yeah, alright. It’s a good name. Welcome to the family, Joe…” Matthew says.

  Michael continues to stare into the fire. Every time he hears mention of that baby, the guilt starts to eat away inside. Michael begins to think about Matthews brother, and everyone he knows who is gone. A tear slides down Michael’s cheek, but that’s all that he allows.

  Sydney writes on her paper and comes to the end of the page. She finishes writing, folds the paper, and stands up. She puts the paper in her back pocket, and before she walks over to sit with her family, a tear runs down her face. She tries hard to hold back the tears, but she can't. Sydney starts crying, but quickly wipes her face dry and holds the remaining tears back. Shelby hears her cries and becomes concerned. She turns to look at her sister.

  “Are you okay?” Shelby asks.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  Sydney proceeds to walk over and sits next to her sister, across from Matthew.

  Matthew looks at the baby in Shelby’s arms. He begins to think about the future for them, and how they will take care of the baby. Matthew is confident that the baby will grow up and survive in this new world alongside them.

  “Once we get to Ottawa, we can keep him safe. We can start to rebuild everything we lost.” Matthew says, “Today… I left two people behind. I didn't think it was best for them to come back with us. One of them even helped us, but I thought it was too risky.” Matthew explains. “Once we get to the base, maybe we can start giving people a chance. Maybe we can let them work with us and start something new. But I don’t know if that day will come. I know we will all get there, but I don't know if we can ever trust people again.”

  “What about Moxxie, Linda, and Jacob? We trusted them… didn't we?” Sydney asks.

  “Yes, we did trust them. Where are they now?” Matthew asks rhetorically.

  Sydney looks down in the fire. She is becoming agitated with her cousin. She doesn't understand him anymore. Before she thought she did, but now she just wants things to be better.

  “I don't understand why you wouldn't let that survivor come back with you if he helped you guys. Isn't that the reason why you would let someone come back with you?” Sydney asks.

  “No. I don’t know him. We don’t know what kind of person he is.” Matthew explains.

  “You didn't know anything about Moxxie or Jacob, yet you brought them with us.”

  “That was before. What don’t you understand, Sydney? They left us with a fucking baby that they sure as hell knew we can’t take care of. We have to think about ourselves now. We can’t be risking everything for strangers who will just turn their backs on us!” Matthew shouts.

  Shelby looks angry, “The baby is sleeping. Keep it down.”

  Matthew realizes that he is getting defensive and is raising his voice. He tries to calm himself down. Sydney looks defensive and is ready to continue the conversation. Michael remains quiet.

  “All I’m saying is that we shouldn't just give up on people. There has to be good people out there still, and we have to be a part of that. Killing people… leaving them behind… that’s not the right way. We need to try.” Sydney explains.

  “We’ve been trying this entire time.” Michael finally blurts out.

  “We need to make a difference… we need to do something!” Sydney says.

  Matthew gets angry, “I am doing something! I’ve been keeping us all alive… since the start!”

  Sydney looks at him. She realizes that she pushed him and now he’s angry at her. Michael and Shelby look at their cousin.

  “I killed my only friend for you, Sydney! I didn't fucking ask for any of this, did I?!” Matthew shouts.

  They all look down, feeling guilty. They never thought about Kurt in a while, and the effect that he had on their cousin. Matthew becomes emotional as he remembers his friend, and all the things that he put him through.

  “If I didn't do all the things I did up until this point, you’d all be dead! Just like everyone else I knew… Everyone I knew from before is gone… everyone except for the three of you! I can’t let anything happen to this group… we’re doing things my way from this point onward.” Matthew gets emotional and leans in, “You don’t have to like it. Just accept it… because my way… is the only way”

  Sydney looks down into the fire. Part of her knows he’s right, but she doesn't want to accept that this is the world that they live in. Shelby thinks about what Matthew just said. She feels the same way that her sister does, but she is more open to change. She looks down at the baby and is surprised that he is still asleep after that short argument.

  Michael looks up at his sisters. He realizes that Matthew is right, and that they have to put themselves over others.

  “He’s right.... We got our own problems. Everyone out there… they gotta take care of themselves.” Michael explains.

  No one responds. Matthew is relieved to hear someone on his side, but he realizes that he should calm down. Shelby looks around at her family. She is sad that this is the rea
lity that they live in, but she is grateful for being here with them. Shelby turns and looks at her sister. She notices how sweaty and pale she is. She looks concerned.

  “What's wrong, Sydney? You don't look well.” Shelby says.

  “I’m fine.”

  Shelby reaches forward and rests her hand on Sydney’s forehead. She instantly feels the fever on her sister and becomes concerned for her health.

  “Sydney, you’re burning up!”

  “I said I’m fine!” Sydney yells.

  Matthew wants to say something, but he doesn't.

  Suddenly, they all hear the sounds of vehicles running outside. Matthew doesn’t know what is going on. Michael realizes that there must be people outside, so he stands up and quickly puts the fire out. Matthew gets up and walks over to the storage room door to peak outside the room. The engine sounds quickly disappear. Matthew becomes worried. Maybe people outside parked their vehicle and plan on coming inside. Matthew looks back at his family. They all sit in the dark, scared of what's to come next. Matthew turns and peaks outside toward the front doors of the store. It’s pitch black outside. Matthew can’t make anything out in the dark.

  Suddenly, multiple truck headlights turn on from outside the front windows of the store. They are pointed directly in ward, and right at Matthew. The lights are blindingly bright, causing Matthew to panic and jolt back into cover to evade whoever is outside. Matthew thinks about what he saw. He begins to breath heavily as he recounts the fact that he must have seen headlights of at least 5 or 6 vehicles. Matthew looks at his family confused. He doesn't know who is outside, and why they are here.

  Eventually, someone steps through the front doors of the store, and sets off the makeshift bell alarm. Matthews heart skips a beat as soon as he hears this. The stranger walks forward, not knowing where Matthew and the others are hiding. They all remain quiet as they hear the man's footsteps echo through the store. Suddenly, the man in the store stops walking. A few tense seconds pass by as they remain hidden in the dark storage room. The man, to their surprise, starts talking. Michaels eyes widen as he recognizes the man's voice.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” Zak says.

  Chapter 17

  The Start of Something New

  Matthew turns and looks at his cousins in the dark room. He doesn't know what to do. Michael looks up at Matthew, and their eyes lock. The terrified look on Michael's face makes Matthew quickly realize what is going on. The Legion has arrived. Matthew looks down at the revolver in his hand. He squeezes the grip, anxious but also scared. No one says anything. They stay frozen like a statue. Zak walks through the store slowly, peaking around every aisle and every corner to see if anyone is hiding. Zak does not look happy.

  “I’m going to make this very simple for you guys… because I do know that you are here. Come out now, and we let you live. If you don’t… well, I’ll just have to get my boys in here and they’ll find you for me. But that won't be very fucking pleasant, now would it?” Zak says.

  Matthew does nothing. He doesn't want to give in to this man’s demand, but he also isn’t sure if it is worth risking their lives over. Matthew looks back at his cousins and looks at Shelby. Baby Joe is still fast asleep. Matthew doesn’t want to make the decision that will get him, and his entire family killed, so he needs to think this entire situation through. Michael looks at his cousin. He shakes his head, implying that they should not reveal themselves. Matthew really wants to just do exactly that, but it’s not that simple.

  Zak stops walking and spins in a circle to get a good view of the store’s interior. He looks frustrated now knowing that they didn't step out from their hiding spot. Zak slowly smiles as he comes up with an idea.

  “Are you really going to make me count?” Zak shouts.

  Zak begins to pace around the room, “10! 9! 8...”

  Matthew realizes what’s going on now. He needs to decide fast. His heart begins to beat faster and sweat rolls down his face. His cousins look at him, desperately for anything. They all want to survive this night, so they are relying on Matthew to make the best decision.

  “7! 6! 5!”

  Matthew thinks about all of the car lights he saw shining through the window. He understands that there must be at least a dozen more men outside due to the number of vehicles they saw. He knows that with their limited firearms, and limited ammo, they couldn't win a gunfight. Matthew realizes that he only has one choice if he doesn't want to be killed. He must put his trust in complete strangers.

  “4! 3! 2!”

  Matthew steps out from the storage room door with his hands up. He looks terrified and nervous.

  “We’re here!” Matthew shouts.

  Zak turns to face Matthew, “Well look. We got a couple of smart fellas back here. I told you… you will get to live… probably.”

  Matthew stands there with his hands above his head. He slowly begins to walk forward towards Zak. One by one, his cousins follow behind him from inside the storage room. Michael exits last, looking at the ground. He knows why Zak is here, and it’s for what Michael had done to his friends. Matthew walks up to Zak, not making eye contact. He feels intimidated by this stranger, but he seems calmer now that no one has gotten hurt. Zak looks at Matthew. Matthew looks back. Neither of them looks happy.

  “I’m gonna need you and your people outside.” Zak says.

  Matthew doesn't respond. He hesitates, but eventually decides to walk past Zak, and proceed outside the building. The rest follow him. Michael slowly walks past Zak, making sure not to look at him. Zak looks at Michael, recognizing his face. Zak smiles as he watches him pass by.

  Matthew and his cousins exit the store. Surrounding the front door are multiple vehicles with their headlights on. There is a small open area in the center that the cars surround. Matthew steps in the open and quickly notices all the men standing around with blunt weapons in their hands. Matthew begins to panic. He knows that even if he wanted to, he couldn't win a fight against these people. Matthew stops walking in the center and looks around. Suddenly, a few men walk up to them and begin to disarm them. One by one, each member of the family has their weapons removed. One man pulls out Sydney’s machete from her sheath and smiles. He must like the machete. Sydney doesn't seem to be scared as much as her family, but she still looks pale and is sweating. Michael looks around and sees some familiar faces. Right off the bat, he sees Henry, Jonathan, and Tony. He quickly realizes that there are many more Legion members from what he can recount, but that isn't a good thing by any means. Zak steps through the front doors and looks at the four people surrounded by his friends. One of the men walks up to Zak and hands him Matthews revolver. Zak looks at them for a moment, and then smiles. Matthew looks at him. He already knows that he doesn't like this guy.

  “I’m gonna need you guys down on your knees for us.” Zak explains.

  At first, nobody moves, but eventually Sydney decides to crouch down and kneel. Shelby holds baby Joe in her arms firmly, and crouches down as well. Michael looks at Matthew. He doesn't see any other option, so Michael decides to kneel as well. Matthew remains standing, staring into Zak’s eyes. He realizes that Zak was most likely lying about what he said before, and that they are probably going to hurt them. Matthew decides to swallow his pride and kneel. He feels defeated and worthless looking up at Zak. All four of them now remain kneeling on the pavement in front of the store, surrounded by the Legion. In order from left to right is, Shelby, Sydney, Matthew, and Michael, all kneeling in fear for their lives. Zak looks down at them in front of him and feels joy. Zak walks closer to them and begins pacing around.

  “It’s so nice to see people cooperating now-a-days, isn’t it? But before we get down to business… I gotta ask, where is that dumb bitch who killed Lucas?” Zak asks.

  No one says anything. Michael realizes that Moxxie was with him when he encountered Zak, so he would be expecting to see her.

  Zak walks around, “He was a good friend of mine, you know that? He was the
punching bag of our little rodeo. He made us laugh… we called him ‘fat shit’ every day, and he still stood by our side. You see that is one good ass fucking friend. Now… he’s dead. Not to mention the few other of our friends that are dead now.” Zak walks up to Michael, “You wouldn't know anything about that, would you Michael?”

  Shelby and Sydney look over at their brother confused. They had no idea that the two of them knew each other. Matthew looks down at Zak’s left wrist and sees the odd tattoo that his cousin told him about. Matthews heart begins to race as he realizes that Michael had killed Zak’s friends. He has no idea what they might try and do to retaliate. Michael looks up at Zak. His eyes are filled with rage.

  “Where’s the girl, Michael?” Zak asks,

  “She’s dead.” Michael lies through his teeth.

  Zak looks down at him. His smile slowly disappears. He doesn't believe him. Michael sees his expression and understands his doubt. He quickly thinks of a way to convince Zak that Moxxie is dead.

  “Point a light over there! That’s where we buried her…” Michael says.

  Zak looks over, and in the dark night, he can barely make out a grave with a wooden cross sticking out of the ground. He begins to believe Michaels word now. Zak accepts it and turns around.

  “I’m sorry for your loss, and I’m sure that she’s not the first one to go.” Zak walks in front of the group on their knees and looks at everyone, “You see, me and Mike here are already buds. I’m sure by the look on your faces that you didn't know that, so let me introduce myself, and tell you why we are here. My name is Zackary, and these are my friends. We are situated in a network of camps around Ottawa. You’re probably wondering why the hell would we be out here if that were true, and it’s for a very specific reason. You see, we are out here to recruit new ‘workers’, if you want to put it kindly. It’s what we’ve been instructed to do since the start of all of this.” Zak begins to pace around the four of them as he continues, “Now, we have to make sure we get back to our group with some new recruits, or else we’re gonna have to deal with the consequences. I already know what you’re thinking; ‘Why don’t you just not go back to that shithole?’. Well, it’s not that simple. Our families… they are still there. They work just like the rest of them. If we piss off the ‘Big Guy’ back home, he’ll kill them. So! It seems simple now, right? We bring you guys back with us, and everyone wins.”