After The End

by Melissa Gibbo

  Cal continued the hunt briefly as we took aim at the fleeing brutes. As the trio rounded the corner of a house, one shadow slumped to the earth and we gave chase. We found the man crippled in a heap on the sidewalk; his blood gushed from the center of his back accompanied by his wails for mercy. In the distance I heard bursts of gunshots and the low groans of fleshies. Vincent turned his head and decapitated the dying man.

  “More mercy than he deserved.” I commented with a smirk as we rushed towards the sounds of a firefight.

  “Maybe, but I’d like to think we’re better people than to take joy in another’s suffering; deserved or not.”

  As we ran we watched Cal plummet to the ground with a loud “umph” and the familiar sound of cracking bones. Checking on our friend, we noted dozens of gunshot wounds in various states of healing.

  “Their leader managed to elude me, but I just drained his last henchman. His car didn’t start, so perhaps he will end up stranded and eaten. The Dead aren’t far off. We should retreat to our camp, now.”

  We helped the injured vamp to his feet and returned to the vehicles. Our party reconvened, I turned to the teenage tourists. Fernando had died earlier, but Maria lingered. I raised one of the silenced pistols to her forehead and looked into the girl’s eyes.

  Through her anguish, I saw a glimmer of recognition and distrust. I remembered our last meeting, my fury at her attempt to kill Daemon, the hours of listening to her torture, and Vincent’s words. I drew a steady breath and discharged a single round through her brain. Her ordeal ended, she was thrown in the fire with the boy. It was as close as we could come to a funeral for the last of the Brazilian tour group.

  We suffered only one casualty and a few injuries. Troy’s arm bore a flesh wound wrapped in gauze. Quickly, we moved our deceased into the back of the Dodge, loaded all items of use, and drove towards the main road. This time the vampire rode shotgun to recuperate; he spent the entire night intently staring out the window for signs of our escaped opposition.

  We traveled away from the city engulfed in bereavement. Although the guy had been in our community for almost three months, none of us knew the poor man’s name. I scolded myself for not remembering the name I’d written on schedules for months. The only comfort was that he would at least have a proper burial.

  Our funeral procession moved far beyond the wreckage of the living world, into the wilderness, and back to our reality. Our convoy drove without stopping for anything but fuel and to relieve our bladders. Cal rode inside the SUV trunk, with blankets lodged in the windows and hung across the backseat as protection from the sun. After what seemed ages, we arrived at the clearing and walked to the gates laden with our goods and a corpse.

  CHAPTER 22 SEPTEMBER 23rd-25th YEAR 2

  After we entered the gate of our fort, we laid Ezra to rest with a small service under a blanket of stars. We sent the children to the coffin cabin to listen to “Uncle Cal” telling them about Icarus flying too close to the Sun while we told the rest of our community about the raid’s events. There was a murmur suggesting we track the lone cannibal and his remaining campmates. Chase ended that conversation within seconds.

  “No. We’re not going to start the first post-apocalyptic war. For all we know, that bastard is already dead and the others in that suburb may already have died without supplies. We’ll keep our defenses up, work towards survival, and do our best to forget the things those pricks did. If anyone wants to argue the point, take the floor and state your case; I intend to focus on our lives rather than on the deaths of those murdering thieves.”

  Sunny stood by her husband, looking around for any signs of dispute. None arrived. The topic changed to the storage and disbursement of our haul. A small cache of baby jumpers and pacifiers materialized out of Forrest’s bag, joined by some books and bottles I’d found in the cupboards on our mission. The funeral became a war meeting became a baby shower.

  The night carried additional questions about the dwindling number and condition of the Dead. Their deteriorated status was an unexpected turn of events that brought several conflicting ideas about what our future should be and whether the Pact held a place there. Each meal the next day felt uneasy as the conversations ended or shifted topic whenever I sat down. At dinner I sat apart, sure I’d somehow offended the group, until Troy and Seth planted themselves firmly next to me.

  “Hello beautiful, why so glum?”

  I smiled at the confident man with the crossbow on his shoulder. Seth just waved a brief “Hi” and dove into his meal.

  “I’m fine, just trying to figure out why everyone is acting like I’m a pariah.”

  He chuckled and lifted his spoon.

  “It’s not you, it’s Daemon and Cal. Everyone knows how close you and the fangy guys are. They’re just sorting out how they feel about things and how they think you’ll react if they propose ending the arrangement with the vamps.”

  Troy took a large bite of his pigeon stew while I experienced an explosion in my brain.

  “What? Why would anyone think we should end the Pact; it’s one of the reasons we’re all sitting here alive. And why would they think I am closer to the vampires than anyone else in particular? I thought they blamed me for Ezra’s death.”

  Seth accidentally sloshed his bowl, tipping a bit of his food into the sand.

  “Really? It’s pretty obvious you and Daemon are an item; besides, the old Roman acts like you’re his daughter one minute and his general the next.”

  “That’s right, although I’d prefer if you were that close with me instead of the eternal teenager, it’s clear you two have a thing; it’s more obvious since you’re both visibly trying to avoid being alone together.”

  He took a bite while I looked away.

  Guess I’m not as low-key and subtle as I thought.

  “All the info we brought back about conditions in town changed the game. If the Dead can be managed without the help of the Pact and we’re capable of providing our own food, what is really keeping us from dusting them one morning and retaking the city? Or having them back us up while we clear the city of foes and then parting ways amicably?”

  Troy spoke without any malice in his tone. Seth merely shrugged.

  They honestly don’t care either way.

  I felt my jaw drop and watched both men for a moment. Troy flashed his smile in response.

  “We go with you, whatever you decide, but a good number of the others are suddenly wanting to start over inside the city limits and several want to go it with only humans. Pretty sure Chase, Sunny, Bubba, and his boyfriend are with you too. The folks with kids will probably follow wherever the Nurse and his pup go; too scared to risk losing the healthcare and zombie-sniffer. Not to certain beyond that, though.”

  I felt a whirlwind of panic coated with acid rising in my stomach.

  “Do you think anyone would try to kill Daemon or Cal?”

  “No.” “Not a chance.” They chorused. Seth elaborated for me.

  “They may leave or eventually bring around the possibility with you one afternoon away from the cabins, but no one would do anything in camp without approval. I’m fairly certain they all believe you’d take such a thing personal and things would end badly.”

  The spearman shrank into his dinner as his words trailed off. My community feared my reaction so much that they were trying to get a consensus together before even recommending any course of action. I’d somehow been forced into the role of leader and had now been cast as a dictator.

  Can’t we ever just have a mellow day anymore?

  CHAPTER 23 SEPTEMBER 26TH-OCTOBER 9TH YEAR 2

  For two weeks, I’d made a point of speaking one on one with every person in camp; I needed to assess what he or she thought about Cal and Daemon. As soon as Troy and Seth filled me in on the whispers and concerns within the community, I had them go to the coffin cabin with me. Under the pretense of surveying the housing situation in the fort, the five of us discussed the information.

  “W
ell it sucks to be us.” Daemon commented as he sat up on his bunk.

  I noticed he kept looking beside me at Troy. I was almost certain I saw him flex his muscles as he crossed his arms in front of his bare chest. Cal darted his eyes over the pair of them and shook his head before settling his gaze on me.

  “Eloquently put. So, Squirrel, how should we proceed?”

  “Well for now, I think we need to gauge where everyone stands on the issues: the Pact, moving back into the city, and handling the cannibal raiders. We should rearrange the sleeping quarters; it’s getting crowded in the main cabin anyways, so it ought to be easy to convince everyone.”

  I checked each man’s eyes for signs of agreement or dissension. Satisfied that we wore the same uniform, I elaborated on the rest of my improvised concept.

  “We need to move the bunks and belongings to even out the residents between all three cabins. I want to put Chase and Sunny in the second cabin; it’s mostly couples and families anyhow. Forrest and Vincent stay in the main cabin but I’d like to get the Nurse, myself, Troy, Seth, and a couple of others that are against the Pact moved in here.”

  “Seriously? You want to put guys in here who want to stake us on purpose?”

  Cal set his palm on his protégé’s shoulder to prevent him jumping up in his excitement.

  “It is the wisest move; if they stay with us, we may be able to sway their views over time - by erecting bonds of camaraderie and friendship. If not, we’ll have our enemies where they can be monitored and their attempts at causing unrest negated swiftly.”

  “Exactly. However, I don’t want either of you to use glamour to change their minds, they have the right to leave and think whatever they want. The line is at trying to harm any of our people and – despite what some of them think — you are both our people, too. I’m hoping these changes will remind them.”

  I made a quick mental prayer while trying to think of how to phrase the rest of the discussion. The words were practically a whisper when I managed to force them out of my tightening throat.

  “We need to decide a course of action… in case, well in case the group is divided on the Pact too severely.”

  I didn’t look up. The sensation of eyes burrowing through my head said they’d heard me. When I finally raised my eyes from the worn out New Balances on the floor where I’d been staring, I noticed the only surprised face belonged to Daemon. Troy and Seth just looked at me with an indifferent but determined expressions. Cal had zoned out facing the doorway.

  “I feared this would happen eventually. This is why we kept our kind a myth for so many centuries; kept living in the shadows, anonymous and forgotten.”

  The elder vampire drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, his jaw resolute.

  “As it stands, Sunny is no longer an acceptable donor and Ezra is dead. We are already close to the limit of a healthy donation schedule. If we lose more than four or five adults, the continued vigor of either the two of us or the rest of you will be significantly lessened.

  We must to impress upon the community that continuation of the Pact is a matter of our mutual best interest; it is essential for both our species to survive and maintain a semblance of civilization.”

  He turned to face us; Seth began pacing between the beds. I rubbed my temples and tried to find the right words.

  “I know. As far as clearing the city of fleshies and moving back in, I think it’s a ton of risk with no real perks, but I can agree if we have a game plan and do it gradually. The cannibals are a different kind of issue.”

  Daemon leapt to his feet, causing Seth to stumble in surprise and flip over someone’s trunk. Troy flinched, bringing his hand to his knife for an instant. Troy pulled his startled friend back to his feet and we stared at the fledgling vampire.

  “What if me and Cal took out the people-munchers?”

  I smiled.

  “That could help. Besides, maybe the folks who stay in their camp are unaware of the things those guys do on their raids. Some of those people could be allies. Even if not, getting rid of the threat that big guy and his team of brutes pose is important: they keep destroying other settlements full of other survivors who could join our camp. We should consider getting a crew together to deal with it.”

  “No. You wouldn’t go, just us vamps.”

  Troy smirked at the comment.

  “No humans on the hunt, huh? Yeah that won’t raise any eyebrows or distrust. Don’t be stupid, we’re going with you if this goes down.”

  “But alone, we vamps can fly out, waste the bad guys – supplying us with sustenance for the trip – sort out the rest of Seth’s old subdivision, and pop back here easier than a drunk stripper on Valentine’s Day. With a bunch of you folks in tow, the journey takes longer and the shuffling corpses become an issue; also the food and bathroom stuff.”

  The two men stood less than an arm-length apart, Daemon’s eyes gleamed bright emerald while Troy’s pearly teeth shone through his half-smile.

  “If we’re supposed to make everyone here trust you guys, we need to be able to believe it’s not just you two hunting up extra cattle for the winter. One of you has to stay and the other one goes as part of a team.”

  I watched the argument like a tennis match.

  “Gentlemen, it’s a matter for discussion with the community as a whole, not just us. Calm yourselves and sit down.”

  They stood inches from each other; eyes locked and noses flaring.

  “Okay guys, time to focus.” I stepped closer and set my hand on Daemon’s forearm, leading him unblinking to his cot. “Let the macho out of the room and we’ll figure up what options we should present to the group and when.”

  Troy still stood between the beds watching me with a confused look. After a good thirty seconds of tense silence, he sat down next to Seth. Caelinus rubbed his eyes and stood in the center of the cabin.

  “Squirrel, perhaps we should just agree to adjust the lodging within the fort. After that we can touch base with our known allies about the pact and decipher who is a danger. Once we know who stands where, you can arrange a town council to address our external foes and pose the question of resettlement within the city limits. The majority will have to resolve these matters, not this small contingent.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  I rose to leave and fill in Sunny, Chase, and the others on the plan. Daemon rose also, stood at attention, and saluted the Roman. Jokingly he heralded,

  “So orders the great Caelinus Gaius, Under Commander of the First File of the Roman Empire.”

  With a light chuckle, he waved the three of us goodbye and returned to his bed.

  “Sorry, been waiting to do that for months; just needed an excuse.”

  The Roman waved us out of the room and approached his protégé.

  “It’s going to be a long eternity…”

  ***

  That evening the entire camp agreed to the reassignment of quarters; although some of those assigned to live with the vampires were visibly displeased. One guy mumbled about sleeping in a scarf and turtleneck. Although the relocation only took an hour, the council meeting barely dealt with the possibility of retaking the city and didn’t address the cannibal situation at all.

  Chase had pointed out the need to ease everyone into each topic week by week. It felt like the best option only because it gave our small group the chance to work out all the alternatives we faced. We were playing chess, trying to see five moves ahead and get into the minds of our adversaries. Our small group of planners spoke at length while we worked on our chores, practicing retorts for each potential dissension.

  The division in our tiny group kept waylaying our meetings over the cannibals: everyone agreed a search and destroy mission was needed, but the personnel and plan remained the point of contention. Troy and Daemon usually ended up squaring off verbally while the rest of us sat on the other side of the room trying to sort out how beneficial it would be to remain in our encampment versus moving our community into the
urban areas.

  “Look, Fang Boy, when we chase down those cannibals, it won’t be just you and Grandpa Dracula; I’m going too.”

  Cal shrugged at this latest nickname in their debate.

  “Children, is this really helping? The rest of us have already decided to present both choices for the journey to the assembly at the next council. Can’t you two please sit down and be useful?”

  Neither moved or said anything. I shook my head.

  “Fine. Troy, please check on the sentries.” With a frown, he strode out of the cabin, the door slamming behind him. I turned to his beaming opponent, “Daemon, I think it’s time to patrol the perimeter.” The wide smile slid off his face as he followed the bowman’s path outside.

  “Better?” I asked the others.

  All nods and agreements, we pressed on with the discussion and drew up two more backup plans for emergencies before joining the camp at supper.

  CHAPTER 24 OCTOBER 10TH YEAR 2

  Our day was busy. I heard the yells from the spike pits; Nancy had gone with Ellen’s Father to gather oranges and guava at dawn. It was a good distance from the safety of the wall, and at midday, only humans would be able to help. My partner Troy and I ran towards the orchard. I clutched my spear as we sprinted down the worn path. I knew others were with us by the pounding of feet echoing behind me.

  As we made it to the fields, the frantic shouts trailed off. I looked around me for a sign of where they might be and watched Troy, Jake, and the Nurse doing the same. The Nurse’s dog found the answer and led us to the western edge of the grove. We arrived out of breath. Droplets of sweat burned my eyes, while my denim jacket clung to my skin like a leotard on fire.

  Ellen’s Father lay at an odd angle and his skin was pale. There was no sign of Nancy or the cause of her yells. The Nurse examined the unresponsive man; the rest of us searched nearby for signs of our missing resident.