A while back there had been some talk of religion at the compound, with much of the discussion focusing on Revelations, the end of the world and Judgement Day. Nothing of note came of it as most of those in the group simply did not believe in a higher being or a God. The overwhelming consensus about their predicament was that it had come about due to some kind of man-made biological disaster, but the truth was they really did not know. All they had to go on was rumor and chatter from way back then.
Those on the veranda stood around for some time, picking at the finger food, lost in their own thoughts. The flies had returned buzzing everywhere, they always arrived about this time after a slaughter descending like a black haze over the corpses. Aside from the crows and flies, nothing else stirred on the road.
“What the hell are those things?” asked Tyler, referring to the dead creatures on the road. “I mean they drain our blood to live, so what does that make them? Are they vampires, bloodsuckers, or zombies?”
An uncomfortable silence followed.
Jon dragged his fingers over his chin which scraped noisily across his greying stubble. “I’m not sure whether they are vampires, but they are us… were us I mean,” he said, shaking his head. “We all know these things regenerate from us, into that,” he pointed to the mass of corpses. “Once they turn they feed on the blood of the living drinking it like it as a fine wine.”
“Oh that’s just gross,” said Eric.
Tyler seized the opportunity to get another one over his brother-in-law. “A bit squeamish are we?”
Eric fired back a scowl.
“What does it all mean though,” Stuart asked, “for us?”
“We must know our enemy young fella, in order to defeat them. As for us,” Jon sighed heavily, “we’re alive and I damn-well intend for us all to stay that way.”
Jon was a very serious person, a thinker, possessing the ability to analyze most situations thoroughly. He was admired by everyone in the group, especially by his children, who were awash with pride with how he kept them all safe.
“We have to understand just how much of a threat these creatures pose to us and for that reason we have to stay vigilant. If these things ever evolve, mutate or change in any way, then we simply have to know.”
“What do you mean Jon?” asked a curious Gerrard.
“Well we know these demons have no soul, they simply run purely on autopilot because they have become nothing more than instinctive savages. This is their final form before they die and right now we have a pretty good handle on how to kill them, before they kill us.”
The group were glued to his every word.
“They are simply reanimated humans – zombies, just like the stories and the movies. Their organs are intact, they can see, hear and obviously taste. The only thing that appears to be different is their brain and how it functions. They simply cannot think like we can, like they used to.”
“Do they think at all?” Colin asked, stuffing his face with the last slice of fruit from the platter.
“They are incapable of rational thought that much we do know. They run on instinct nothing more.”
“What about what we heard yesterday?” asked Stuart. “They definitely sounded like they were communicating with each other.”
Moving his fingers across his cheek Jon continued to rub the stubble. “It would be easy for us to think that they were talking, but in reality all creatures communicate with each other, in some way. I am sure there is nothing for us to be concerned about if it is no more than grunts and moans,” he sighed. “But if what you say is true and it is more than that, then that is a disturbing change of events. We need to keep on our toes and try to find out more, if we can.”
“Those fuckers still die the same way,” said Tyler.
Turning to her youngest son Olivia gave him a glare. She abhorred the use of unnecessary foul language and cut Tyler in two with her stare, causing him to blush.
“Yes, they do die the same way,” Jon agreed, chewing his lip a little. “Their brain is the key to everything, so if we kill the brain we kill the creature. Just like always.”
“When they haven’t fed for some time,” Josh said, joining in on the conversation, “their systems shut down and they begin to hibernate. It is so odd and hard to understand, but that seems to prolong their life.”
“That is so messed up,” Colin said shaking his head.
“It is, but that’s the reality of the world in which we now live,” said Jon. “We have all done remarkably well up until now and I am proud of each of you. We’ve alive and that is because we have all followed the rules, the new rules.”
“So…,” Tyler said, rubbing his hands together, “clean up time?”
With a wry smile Jon shook his head at his youngest son.
After brunch Josh changed into a fresh shirt then set off with Gerrard to tend to the perimeter alarm. Today was not the first time they had been alerted of an attack, trip wires and tins cans had saved their lives on many occasions. The system they had put in place may have been basic and rudimentary, but it worked and worked well. It now just required a reset.
Tyler and Stuart parked themselves on the veranda and stood watch overlooking the intersection. It was a warm and pleasant afternoon, the air was still and nothing stirred. Clouds were building up slowly in the distance, it was wet season so frequent showers were expected.
It took Josh and Gerrard an hour to untangle the trip wires from under the corpses. They toiled in the baking afternoon heat, moving carcasses and body bits aside, unwinding, uncoiling. Once free the metal strand was pulled tight again and reattached to hooks on buildings on the far side of the intersection.
Josh stood there in the middle of the carnage lost in thought, the sight before him was horrendous. He had seen creatures killed often enough and had seen many of the undead become lifeless. Whilst he had witnessed it all on many occasions and taken out his fair share, the sense of loss around him for some reason today filled his heart with sorrow.
Gerrard gave a whistle to let the others know that they were ready, received a wave from the balcony. The two boys on watch put down their weapons, jumped to their feet and headed inside to fetch the others. It was cleanup time at the compound.
Clenching his fist tightly around a set of keys Tyler turned to his father and gave a coy smile. “Hey dad,” he asked, broadening his smile, “can I borrow the car?”
Jon shook his head and laughed loudly. He saw the funny side and knew precisely what Tyler was asking. “You idiot,” he said in jest, ruffling his son’s hair in the loving way father’s do.
Olivia too got in on the joke. “Can you please pick up some milk and bread when you are out son?”
Raucous laughter filled the house.
Tyler rattled the keys in his hand then turned, ran out of the room and darted across the veranda out onto the front yard – he was on a mission. Bolting through the front gate he quickly disappeared from sight down the road. There was a huge sense of excitement within him that lifted him as he ran.
Making their way back onto the road the remainder of the Armstrong group started to pile up the corpses. It was messy, slimy, arduous work, which needed to be done. Ever since their first encounter with the undead outside their home they had cleared away the remains as quickly as possible, for a raft of reasons. If left in the open air like this they would bake in the hot afternoon sun with the pungent aroma attracting flies and vermin. The stench right now was repulsive and it would only get worse. The greatest fear that the group had was that the dead creatures would attract more of the living corpses and experience had shown this to always be the case.
Suddenly the ground shook underfoot. Josh spun around, weapon in hand readying himself for anything. Through squinted eyes he peered down the road in the direction of the rumble, which was approaching rapidly. Everyone around him on the road was on edge. Finally, as he caught a glimpse of the source of the commotion he gave a wry smile and shook his head with a sigh.
With a loud hiss the airbrakes slowed the vehicle as it approached the group, eventually stopping in the middle of the intersection. The large garbage truck creaked and rattled before belching forth a final long noisy hiss. Behind the wheel Tyler grinned from ear to ear, the thin red-haired lad relishing the opportunity to drive the truck once more. It made him feel important and it was one of the few pleasures afforded to him in this otherwise dreary melancholy town.
“Right,” said Jon, with an air of authority in his voice. “Let’s get rid of this mess.”
Clouds rolled in over the next hour, keeping the pleasant mid-afternoon sunshine at bay for the rest of the day. As shadows began to form across the barren wasteland of the dead city the air began to chill.
“Well,” Tyler said, patting the side of the dumpster, “that’s us.”
The garbage truck was now fully laden with corpses and body parts that had been compacted to allow for every dead creature on the road to fit. A pool of crimson sludge sloshed at the bottom of the steel container. Their long toil was over.
“Which site are you going to?” Jon asked.
“Probably The one at the top end of Lincoln.”
“Probably?”
“Okay,” sighed Tyler, “definitely.”
“You know the drill son,” Jon said in a serious tone.
“Sorry Dad,” Tyler chewed on his lip. He knew better than to continue this joke with his father who took security very seriously. Experience had taught him not one to mess with him on the topic.
“Top end of Lincoln Terrace. We’ll take the same route as we always do and will take our time and do it right.”
Upon hearing what he wanted to hear, Jon slapped his youngest son lovingly on the shoulder and smiled. “Just stay safe. That goes for all of you,” he added, addressing the others set to join Tyler on this excursion, “stay safe.”
A cool breeze whipped through the intersection causing Tyler to shiver.
4
Secrets of the Dead
Bones bounced and chains rattled as the garbage truck careered into another deep pothole, shifting the load in the rear once again. Those in the cab were thrown upwards from where they sat, landing again on the soft spring leather seats. It was a different story for those outside on the roof of the cab.
“Watch your bloody driving will ya!” Josh said to his brother.
Tyler kept his eyes on the road, swerved hard to avoid another pothole in the crumbling bitumen. “Ring the City Council and get them to send someone out to fix the bloody road then,” he said with a smirk.
The two brothers laughed aloud.
It had been slow going that afternoon and they had meandered through the empty streets for the past half hour. Tyler had to negotiate crashed and abandoned vehicles, downed power poles, discarded shopping trolleys and other debris in their path. This was always a slow trip.
Thick, dark clouds continued to come creep in silently over the streets like a phantom, blanketing the city in early darkness and casting an ominous shadow. Every now and again late afternoon sunlight peeked between openings in the growing gloom, illuminating the way forward.
Seated on the roof Eric and Stuart had a birds eye view of their surroundings. Both men were armed and cradled their weapons in their laps as they bounced atop the cab. Having endured a bumpy ride they held on for dear life. They were on edge, vigilantly sweeping the deserted urban landscape for potential threats, but so far on this journey nothing but shadows moved in the fading light.
“So why do you think we were attacked by so many today?” Tyler asked his brother.
“Creatures you mean? I dunno.” Josh gripped his chin with his left hand. Stroked his face with his fingers in a similar way to how his father does. “I really do not know, but we were certainly swamped.”
“Stuart and I were careful as man,” Tyler said, defensively. He was so worried that everyone might be holding him and his friend responsible for what had happened. “There is no way that they ...”
“Followed you?” Josh finished his brother’s sentence for him. “No-one thinks that buddy. Not for a second.”
Tyler gave a thin lipped smile.
“We were just in their path,” Josh continued. “Who knows where they came from, or how many more there are. This is a turf war little brother, one that we simply have to keep on winning.”
Tugging at the wheel Tyler veered to the right to avoid another hole in the road. They drove on in silence until eventually the truck slowed. Pulling into a vacant parking lot off the street, it came to a halt, airbrakes hissing like a cobra. They had finally reached the dump site.
“Right,” said Josh, quietly to himself. “Let’s do this!”
Reaching forward he pulled a lever and immediately the cab began to shudder and shake. With a creak the enclosed dumpster at the back of the truck began to rise and the cargo shifted once again. Bodies, bones, brains and blood slid onto the concrete below, forming a slushy heap.
Stuart leapt from the roof to inspect the drop. A mountain of mayhem had piled up, it became quite apparent that they had to spread the load so he banged hard on the side of the dumpster. Tyler responded by releasing the brake and with a loud hiss the truck lurched forward, emptying the entire load across the parking lot at Stuart’s feet. He danced a jig trying to avoid standing in the hideous red muck.
It had taken all afternoon for them to pile the corpses into the garbage truck, only seconds to dump them all. For the Armstrong’s, cleanup and disposal had become an integral part of their survival, it ensured the ongoing safety of the group just as much as warding off their attackers in the first place did.
Stuart hammered on the dumpster once the load had emptied.
Hiss!
With a creak and a rattle the truck came to a stop.
As the empty tray returned to a horizontal position Tyler and Josh jumped from inside the cab, both of them carrying red plastic containers filled with gasoline. Quickly they set about pouring the flammable liquid over the pile of corpses.
“Got a light?” Tyler asked Stuart, with a grin on his face.
“Nah. Don’t smoke.”
Both boys giggled. They did a lot of that.
“Hurry the fuck up you two idiots!” yelled Josh. “We’ve got to be back before it gets too dark and we’re fast running out of time.” He looked up at Eric, received a nod from high up on top of the truck to confirm that no immediate threat loomed.
“Yeah.! Yeah! Chill out bro,” Tyler said cheekily. From his pants pocket he pulled out a packet of matches, lit up a redhead and tossed it onto the pile. It ignited immediately in a bright fireball.
In no time at all the smell of death and decay had been overpowered by the stench of burning flesh. Flames leapt high into the air, dancing over the corpses.
“Time to go fellas.” Josh picked up the two containers and clambered back into the cab.
Jon pulled down on the ammunition press, crimping the casing and creating another shell. Carefully he removed it then set about carving an X into the tip. Experience had shown him that dum-dums were the most effective bullet to use against the undead, expanding on impact and creating maximum damage on exit. Satisfied with the end result he stacked the finish product with the rest of the bullets he had created over the past hour. Three dozen to be precise.
Ammunition had become one of the scarcest commodities in the new world, which was why Jon toiled away at this machine regularly. It had now become part of his daily routine – giving life to objects that would ultimately take life.
Josh had found this apparatus and an abundance of supplies at his sports store and it had proven to be a blessing in disguise for the group. After a few initial failures that had nearly been fatal, they eventually managed to master the machine and were now able to create ammunition for a range of different rifles. In addition to this one they also had a press that would create shotgun cartridges as well.
Olivia sauntered down the stairs with a fresh cup of hot tea for her
husband. She was a loyal loving woman who would do anything for her man, not in a subservient way, she just enjoyed keeping everyone happy. The truth was that as the matriarch of the family she was the rock that held everyone and everything together.
“Thanks love,” said Jon, taking the cup from his wife. He leaned over and gave Olivia a kiss on the cheek.
Theirs was a classic love story, somewhat of a fairytale romance. Teenage, high-school sweethearts who married young and are still madly in love with each other. Jon had taken a job at the local supermarket and within a few years he had made it to general manager. A short while later they purchased the entire business for themselves which afforded them with a degree of financial freedom. This allowed them to build the house they were standing in the basement of right now.
They were a hard working couple who enjoyed a quiet, unassuming life. The same could not be said for their children. Rebecca was the closest of any of the siblings in demeanor to her parents. She, like her mother was a home body and a loving partner. Jon and Olivia knew how much she wanted to start a family and welcomed the thought of becoming grandparents, but given current circumstances these dreams were not likely to become reality anytime soon. Rebecca really wanted to be a mum, but when the world turned to custard it caused her to rethink all her life’s goals.
“Much more to do?” Olivia asked.
Jon sipped on his tea. “Just finished,” he said, licking his lips.
“So, what do you make of today?”
“Nothing more than bad luck I don’t think,” Jon replied, taking another sip. “If the boys disturbed them on their way back they certainly took their time getting here. They haven’t got the capability to track us, so it was just bad luck.”
“Didn’t it have the same kind of feel as the early days to you?”
“A little, yes.” Jon sensed some anxiety in his wife’s voice. “I honestly don’t think we need to worry much about it though. I tell you what,” he added, “I’ll chat to them when they get back and we’ll bolster the perimeter alarm, just to be safe. Might even do a full sweep through the neighborhood again.”
Dark of Dawn 4Horsemen: Book one in the Dark of Dawn Series Page 5