After The End

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After The End Page 8

by Melissa Gibbo

We stockpiled fresh water, salted meats, tools, and medical supplies as well as extra arrows and stones for the bows and slingshots. The weapons building brimmed with knives, swords, spears, axes, and equipment for traps. We reinforced the wall and rehearsed our emergency plans. (To die from a storm during a zombie apocalypse would just be too pathetic for words.)

  As preparation for natural disasters was in full swing, the unnatural disasters continued to disrupt our community. For some reason – Daemon guessed lack of food – the Cadaver Fest began wandering out of the urban areas and into the more deserted marshes, parks, fields, and forests. Every day a handful of Dead had to be burnt in the clearing to the left of camp; thankfully, it is far enough downhill that the stench doesn’t drift into our home. The hard part was burning them as soon as the sun was up so they’d be done before the afternoon downpour.

  Undead training turned into a more practical, on-the-job kind of thing for Daemon, since he and Cal had more targets to practice their skills on. The pair never travelled out of sight of our tower for long. Watching his progress from the gateway or platform became one of my favorite things about sentry detail.

  Every so often, the elder vampire would give me a look and speak to me with his mind; it was always the same reminder to keep my feelings in check. Sometimes I’d see him give Daemon the same expression and his protégé would nod. Despite the warnings and restrictions on what our relationship could be, I felt most connected with the young vampire.

  One evening, as I finished reinforcing the new awning to cover our meal tables, Randolph sprinted over.

  “Chase needs you. There are a bunch of strangers in the woods. Came back to tell you; he and Jamaican guy went to keep tabs on them.” He wheezed and leaned on the table. “The strangers have bats and pipes. Not sure if they plan to attack or are just wandering around..”

  The panting messenger jogged towards the gate, urging me to follow. I yelled instructions to the guard on the tower.

  “Outsiders approaching from the woods. Get everybody armed and ready. We’re going to meet up with Chase and Marley-guy to see what these people are up to. If the vamps get back here first, send one to check on us.”

  The camp transformed into a swarm of movement as we rushed away. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we found the pair of allies. They lurched behind a copse of moss-laden oaks, surveying the half dozen people several yards off. I waved to Chase, informing him of our Mission Impossible presence. Randolph and I scurried to their hiding place, crouching as we ran. The theme to played in my head; making me smile despite the gravity of the matter.

  “What do you think; do they seem hostile?” I whispered. Heads shook in unison as Chase answered in hushed tones.

  “Looks like a bunch of lost tourists. They’ve got pipes and bats, and that short one is carrying a shovel, but these days everyone is armed with something. No signs of guns or that they’re aware of our village. These people don’t even seem to have much gear.”

  He tilted his head and softened his eyebrows, it was clear to me Chase thought we should help; he’d turned off battle-mode once he assessed them as harmless. I thought for a moment and agreed with his judgment.

  “Should we all pop out and say hello now, or head back to camp and make introductions in the morning with an extra couple of people?”

  Someone spoke gently into my ear,

  “Let’s make friends now.”

  Startled by the proximity, I twirled on my heel as my fist made contact with flesh and I heard the bone crackle beneath my clenched hand. I’d yelped with surprise at the intrusion of my space. My knuckles throbbed as I instinctively reached for my sword.

  An icy hand grabbed my arm, preventing me from drawing the weapon. Looking up, I realized Cal was the one grasping my wrist to end my attack. He gazed down, scolding the pale figure that knelt cradling his jaw.

  “What exactly was accomplished by dashing silent as a mouse if you then proceed to cause a ruckus with foolish pranks? Serves you right, having your face fractured.”

  The Roman assisted Daemon to his feet.

  “Shake it off, the bone will mend in a few minutes. Come now, you are making our species look embarrassingly feeble.”

  Relaxing my stance, I laughed loudly and shook my head.

  “Dude, you just got beat up by a human girl; your macho vampire card is revoked.” I teased as I stepped towards the encampment of outsiders. “Well, judging by the noise over there, the tourists know we’re here now; may as well go make nice.”

  I led our little exploratory detail to formally greet the intruders.

  Once I stepped into the flickering illumination of their small fire, the girl with the shovel stepped forward; she held it as a lance with the metal edge aimed at my chest. I paused and held my hands up with the palms openly facing her. The other residents followed suit and gestured their peaceful intent as they came alongside me into the light. After what seemed like eons, their leader lowered her improvised spear to my great relief.

  “Sorry to scare you. We have no interest in hurting any of you; we just want to make sure your group isn’t a danger to us. You appear to be leading this bunch; they call me Squirrel, what’s your name?”

  I held my hand out to the petite young woman, intending to make full introductions after inviting them up to our encampment for a parley.

  A lightning fast parade of foreign gibberish ambushed my hearing.

  Fuck my life, they don’t speak English and have no idea what I’m saying.

  Taking a closer look at the rag-tag journeyers, I noticed they all wore green, yellow, and blue shirts, as well as each being in their teens. The picture came together immediately.

  “Brazilian tour group? You all speak Portuguese?” I asked as the faces of my fellows cringed and jaws dropped with the revelation.

  “Si, falamos Portuguese!”

  The leader bombarded me with an avalanche of words I couldn’t comprehend. I gestured to her to stop.

  “I don’t speak Portuguese. Do any of you speak English? Or maybe Spanish, someone in your bunch has to know some Spanish, right?” I pleaded with the now frustrated head of the turistas.

  The lone male in the bunch stepped closer, raising his hand.

  “Hablo un poco Espanol.”

  I turned to my compatriots.

  “Okay anyone speak Spanish, or do we need to get some backup?” I asked.

  I wondered where the other Brazilians from their original group were; these people always hit the theme parks in droves of 60 to 80 with one or two translators/chaperones for each pack. My thoughts were broken as Cal chimed in.

  “I speak some Portuguese and fluent Spanish; I acquired many tongues during my travels.”

  Daemon chuckled and elbowed Chase.

  “I’ll bet he got some tongue skills while abroad.”

  Cal glowered at the fledgling.

  “I can translate if needed, however, I doubt going through two translators for everything during the daytime will be worthwhile. Perhaps we should simply offer them some basic necessities and send them on their way. Being unable to communicate effectively with these people will only increase the risk to our group.”

  He stood erect and gestured smoothly with his hands as he elaborated on his advice; I stared in disbelief at his suggestion.

  “We’re risking the security and safety of everyone – not to mention the increased demands on your food supplies — if we admit them into the populace. Granted, it would increase the source of sustenance for Daemon and myself, but I feel it would be unwise on the whole.”

  All eyes were on me as the elder Undead finished speaking. He looked at me for a decision, while the South Americans shifted their gaze between us; I think they were aware that the course of their existence was being debated and chosen for them.

  Everything Cal said made perfect logical sense, but it felt as though I was being asked to abandon a box of puppies on the side of the road just because they weren’t housebroken. I thought for several
moments.

  “Cal please translate for me; I need to ask some questions before this goes any further.”

  The vampire nodded, his expression blank.

  “First, what’s her name? Where are the others they came with, specifically their guides? I thought they stayed with them to handle the language barrier.”

  He faced the shovel-bearer as he spoke. I had no way of being sure of what he was actually saying; I simply had to trust the man. She answered him but never took her eyes off me.

  “Her name is Maria. She says they all were eaten by the Dead or fell sick during the trip. A zombie bit her guide while they were at the hotel. She and her friends ran away when the men with guns started shooting everybody with bites.

  She says Fernando knows some Spanish and a few words of English, so he can translate. She wants to know if we will leave them alone now. She doesn’t want to fight; she just wants to find a place to sleep before they try to find a way to get back home to Sao Paulo.”

  I’ve never had a real decision to make until that moment. Even deciding who to trust has been simple: go off body language – signs of deception, don’t trust; no deception, trust until given a reason not to. If someone breaks my trust, that bond can’t be rebuilt.

  Choices have actually become easier since the outbreak of rising Dead. Anyone infected or hostile gets killed, and everyone else is considered an ally until shown to be otherwise. Leaving these kids unprotected and without aid is tantamount to death sentence.

  “Cal, gimme a second over here please.”

  The two of us stepped aside into the darkness to converse. An owl hooted its warning in the distance, drawing Daemon’s attention from our mini-conference; he was the only person not intently zoomed in on the meeting. The Roman vampire motioned for me to speak.

  “We can’t just deny them a chance to join us in the fort because they don’t speak English; it feels, well, wrong. If they keep wandering out here alone, they’ll be killed. I don’t think I can handle being responsible for their deaths.”

  “Squirrel, I will talk plainly with you. Everyone in Nova Nocte sees you as our leader, myself included. You are the final say, not myself or Chase or Sunny, you are. Although my experience and advice are freely given to you, this judgment must be your own.”

  “Look, the communication thing is important; we have to be able to understand each other to make our society work. It adds a lot of risk to bring the Brazilians in, but keeping them out feels inhumane.”

  I was begging Cal to give me a better reason to abandon these adolescents; or for him to make the ruling without me. His demeanor softened and I saw the sadness trapped in his gaze. He answered my plea the only way he could.

  “Making painful choices, even with others’ lives, is the reason the mantle of leadership weighs so heavily upon the bearer. I’ve carried that burden as well and do sympathize with you right now; but you must do what will be in the best interest for our people. Are these six lives worth risking all the others?”

  He gently patted my upper arm as he skulked back into the amber glow.

  I stood in a swirl of lonely shadows, the murmur of my thoughts buzzing through my head. I felt the bright eyes fixated on me from the recesses of night. With a deep breath, I announced my decision.

  “I agree with Caelinus; these half a dozen turistas pose a greater risk as our neighbors than as passing strangers. They’re trying to get home so let’s help them on their way.

  They won’t be entering camp; we’ll bring the supplies to them and give them tips on survival while guiding them away from our community. The potential hazard to our group outweighs the desire to provide more assistance.”

  I threw my head back slightly, signaling the Roman to translate the message. Stepping closer, I watched the petite girl who’d been forced into leading her friends; Maria exhaled lightly and put on a false smile as my words came to her through the vampire. She maintained eye contact with me until he finished each word. She seemed to grasp why I made this ruling, but I doubted she was aware of what an opposite judgment could have meant.

  I pushed away the sound of my parent’s voices in the back of my mind; they would’ve wanted me to help these kids.

  But they aren’t here anymore.

  The popping upwards of Daemon’s hand fractured the seriousness; he nearly quivered himself off the ground in excitement. I heard snickering from several spots at once. I was almost embarrassed to be friends with someone dorkier than myself. I jokingly played teacher.

  “Yes, the hyperactive child in the first row.”

  His usual ramble of thoughts poured out as smoothly as uncorked wine.

  “I can fly up now, get the bag and canteens ready, and tell everyone else to relax. Then I’ll be back in a few minutes and Cal can tell them camping tips and stuff while I’m gone. And then I can show them how to leave through the orange grove; I’ve always wanted to be a tour guide, I just didn’t really know until now. So can I? Please?”

  He was so energetic at the prospect of having a new task to do I thought the guy might wet his jeans.

  He grinned widely as laughter erupted from one of the tour kids; at their urging, Cal had translated.

  “Sure, go ahead. Have fun.”

  I barely restrained my amusement. It actually hurt my abs trying not to laugh during such somber conditions.

  Daemon shot up and flew towards the guarded hamlet. He really was gaining control over his flying. The warbling of frenzied Portuguese erupted from the other teens as Daemon crossed the dim heavens. I could make out his silhouette as he stopped mid-flight and pulled a shaky U-turn. Cal tried to calm the agitated tourists, his efforts thwarted as his protégé landed.

  “What happened? Is everyone all right?” Daemon asked, his face awash in puzzlement.

  Maria shouted and thrust her shovel edge at the bridge of his nose in response. In the same instant, the fledgling moved to his right and Cal was at his side; it seemed like he’d materialized from the air itself.

  The Roman snatched the weapon from the girl and bared his fangs with a hiss reminiscent of a cat being bathed. The shovel was embedded deeply into the ground as Daemon recovered from his astonishment and took a fighting posture. Their eyes burned a furious green as they snarled at the assault.

  Everyone around the dying fire was poised with arms drawn. Maria stepped back and flicked out a small pocketknife as she muttered viscous foreign words at our detail.

  “Cal, what the hell just happened and what is that bitch saying?” I asked through clenched teeth.

  Although my vision was tinged with crimson and my heart thundered in my ears, I tried to restrain myself from gutting the girl who I’d argued to protect a moment prior.

  “Apparently, these brats were unaware of our kind. They are now under the distinct impression,” he paused as he threw their leader a disgusted look, “that the entire society we have here is composed of demons. She also claims this meeting was a trap to devour her and her companions. They reacted by denouncing our survival and attempting to remedy the situation.”

  The posse of teenagers began chattering amongst themselves. The lone male baby-stepped to his left and leaned down, hefting a bag onto his shoulders. The other Brazilians followed suit and gradually loaded their belongings before edging backwards from our crew. No weapons wavered.

  The diminutive Maria spoke at Cal; disdain and hatred dripped clearly from each word thrown at him. The elder vampire retracted his fangs as he sneered his response. He translated as the wandering pack of teens retreated haltingly into the trees, disappearing into the inky obscurity.

  “The head urchin said they don’t want help from abominations like us. They’re leaving and refuse to consort with damned beasts or worthless traitors to the human race. Maria added her intent to cleanse the entire community from existence at the first opportunity. She also tossed around some other threats and insults I will not deem to impart.”

  Chase and Randolph moved towards the tourists at the
threat on our loved ones.

  “Personally, I would like very much to rip her self-righteous tongue out of its cacophonous hole, and rend her apart until her blood ceases to gush and there is nothing left for the mindless Dead to ingest. However, it is your decision.”

  The fury seethed off of Caelinus in droves, each wave tactile as it rolled through the vicinity. The miniscule hairs on my neck stood at attention, an army prepared for war. I still struggled to maintain composure and think clearly after the initial assault.

  She nearly killed Daemon.

  I felt myself moving towards the tour group’s exit route but halted the advance after only three steps. We needed a plan. I wanted to hunt them down and destroy them, but that wasn’t the best course to take.

  “No. We’re going back to the fort. We’ll put out this fire, go tell the others what just happened, and add some precautions to our routine. Daemon and Cal, you’ll both need to sleep either within the wall or just outside where we can protect you during the day. We haven’t been holding up our part of the pact and I’m sorry.

  You’ve been left unguarded when you are most exposed. We can add a cabin if it makes things more comfortable, but I won’t let anyone slaughter you while you sleep.”

  The team withdrew a bit and the Roman eased his stance.

  “If these punks are foolish enough to cross our paths again, do whatever the fuck you want to them. They’re getting one chance to leave in one piece, if not peacefully. If they’re too stupid to take this opportunity, we’ll call it natural selection. Let’s go.”

  I kicked some dirt into the coals and plodded angrily back through the bushes to the entrance of our fort. My mind raced with thoughts of beating the girl into unconsciousness for her attempt on Daemon’s life. He was my friend and that dumb brat nearly ended his existence. For her sake, Maria should have stayed away.

  Upon entering the fort, I realized both vamps had positioned themselves at either end of our line; Cal watched our tail and Daemon walked directly behind me. I was stunned neither of the vampires had argued about changing their daytime address. If I hadn’t been fuming over how the evening had gone, I probably would’ve laughed at the silliness of two such powerful beings following the commands of my five foot two, meek self.

 

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