Tales of Courage From Beyond The Apocalypse (Book 5): Roger

by Edwards, T. M.

  ***

  The sunrise never came. Instead, cold, dreary gray gloom covered the landscape. The rain still poured, just not quite as heavy as the previous night. I watched as my breath steamed and pulled my coat tighter. It was really cold now. Colder than it had been so far. Maybe the permanent clouds were part of that. I think they called it a nuclear winter in school.

  I felt my forehead. “Normal? Seriously?” Looking in the mirror, I actually didn’t look half bad. Dirty, but not bad. I’d accepted my death and survived what I supposed was a sure thing. How am I immune? Why me? Why not someone more important?

  I packed some food into my backpack and grabbed the machete. I tied a piece of rope through the hole on the handle and clipped it to a hook on the backpack. It wasn’t optimal, but it would keep it out of the way if I had to climb anything. I pulled my hood up and stepped out into the storm. The first few blocks weren’t an issue, however, as I ventured farther from the radio station, the zombies grew more densely packed. Instead of one or two here and there, they huddled around in groups of five or more. I can’t afford to get hung up with a group. Immune or not, they’ll rip me to shreds.

  I played it safe and took the long way around, cutting through a wide-open field. I had a clear view of every direction. It was safe to pick up the pace and make a little bit of noise. So I ran through the rain, trying to make up time. I splashed through puddles, footfalls drowned out by the rain. It’d been over a month since I actually was able to run without having to worry. I’m not sure what happened, but my vision tunneled in front of me and the raindrops seemed to slow. I became hyper-aware of my surroundings. Ahead of me, two zombies stood, facing away from me. I pulled out the machete and charged headlong at them.

  I let the adrenaline-enhanced reflexes take over. I took the head clean off the first one and turned on the second one before it could react. As it reached up, I cleaved its arm off at the elbow and on the return slash, opened up its neck. Both bodies collapsed into a pool of brownish-black coagulated blood which spread along the surface of the puddle.

  I stood there for several minutes, shoulders heaving. Everything seemed so much clearer now. “What the hell just happened?” I asked aloud. I replayed everything that just happened. I hadn’t noticed, but my body had begun to shake. Adrenaline crash. But damn, what a rush. I could get used to that.

  I continued on, killing and practicing my new revelations. I got to the point where I could call up an adrenaline rush and focus my instincts on demand. It didn’t always happen, but I was getting pretty consistent. And hungry. It burned a lot of calories to move like that.

  As I ran through the streets, I noticed a convenience store up ahead. It was likely already looted, but perhaps the storage room would have something. I took out two zombies on the way in. The shelves were barren, and the beverage fridge doors had been ripped clear from the hinges. A body, torn top from bottom, lay across the frame of the fridge. Entrails still connected the two halves. My stomach turned. But I was still hungry.

  5

  I stepped over the body and moved to the back storage rooms all convenience stores seemed to have. In the back, a few cases sat stacked on the shelves. I opened up a few of the plastic totes. “Jackpot.” Inside were full cases of various brands of candy bars. Some of my favorites, in fact. I emptied a few cases of the ‘king size’ bars into my backpack and ate three of them. Three more went into my pockets. The sugar would give me the energy to keep fighting for a while, but when I crashed, I’d be out for the count.

  I repacked the totes and moved them behind a table so they were out of sight. I’d have to come back at some point and grab the rest of them. There was still a few weeks’ worth of supplies here. I mentally checked my progress and realized that I’d made some good time. There was still a good amount of sunlight left before I reached the electronics store. Good. That’ll give me plenty of time to find a place to hide for the night.

  I left the convenience store behind and made my way deeper into the city. The buildings seemed to be in more disrepair the farther I moved closer toward Boston. I supposed that made sense, seeing as that was ground zero for the bombs and the virus. Lucky for me, I wouldn’t have to go too far in. Immune or not, I doubt I could take a lethal dose of radioactive fallout. This far from the city though, the exposure would be minimal, if my history classes were serving me well. If not, I’m sure a third arm would be useful.

  I cleared the corner and something slammed me into a wall. My momentum sent me head over heels, but I rolled out of it and came up to my feet. The other guy stood and turned dead eyes toward me. Then he lunged for me, hands outstretched. I ducked out of the way and landed a left and right hook to his face, stunning him momentarily, but not stopping him. He lunged again. I lashed out and punched him in the throat, collapsing his windpipe. Worth a shot. Or so I thought. The zombie slowed, if only a little. I broke both of his knees, but still, he kept coming. Finally, I started wailing on his face until I was sitting on top of him punching with everything I had.

  After several minutes of exhausting cardio and taking out the month’s frustrations on the zombie, it stopped moving. I stood. Looking down, I noticed I was drenched in dark, rotted blood and smelled worse than I looked. Why did I beat it to death? I had no idea. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I looked around me and noticed several more of them slowly shuffling toward me. No doubt due to the noise of the beat down I’d just delivered.

  I unhooked the machete from my backpack and made quick work of the newcomers. The electronics store was only a few blocks away now.

  I still needed to find a safe place to sleep. I was much too tired to fight my way home in the dark. Home… I already considered the radio station home apparently. I suppose it is. As I walked, I noticed a run-down church in massive disrepair. A pile of red bricks was heaped next to a hole in the wall. Could be useful. I grabbed one and put it in the backpack. The extra weight was noticeable, but not heavy enough to bother me.

  The church, old as it looked, was still beautiful, as churches tended to be. Next to it was a tile store. I peeked inside. No zombies. Looking around, I noticed tall shelves with tile stacked on top of them. This would be a good place to crash for the night.

  I crept up to the strip mall, avoiding the zombies in the parking lot. The electronics store had a big sign that read ‘Liquidation Sale’ across the front. I’d heard on the news that they’d be closing several stores soon. Apparently, the company was considering bankruptcy in light of some of the bigger online retailers giving too much competition for their overpriced goods.

  I looked at the door. I’d make a lot of noise breaking in. Checking the rest of the strip mall parking lot, I counted at least ten zombies. They would have to go if I was to have a chance. I slowly approached the first group of three zombies as quietly as I could manage. The rain helped muffle my footsteps and I was right next to them before they’d noticed me. I swung hard and took the head clean off the first one.

  The other two turned and looked at me for a moment, as their infected brains took notice of me. I opened up the neck of one and did the same for the third on the backswing. The machete was great, but I’d need to upgrade at some point. I made quick work of the other seven zombies and was almost entirely exhausted by the time I made my way back to the door.

  The sun must have set as the gloomy sky was becoming quite dark. I’d need to use the little flashlight soon. This was as good a time as any. I reared back and kicked the door as hard as I could, putting as much of my weight into it as possible. The noise echoed throughout the parking lot. The door didn’t budge.

  I took out the brick I’d picked up and tossed it at the window as hard as I could. It shattered. And then the building alarm went off, like a school bell sounding for recess.

  6

  I used the machete to clear the rest of the glass from the window frame. I couldn’t risk a deep laceration without medical supplies on hand. I jumped inside. It was dark enough to need the flashlight
. The alarm was much louder inside and was already giving me a headache. And no doubt calling every zombie within two blocks to my location. I didn’t have much time.

  Moving to the parts drawers, I found the connector I needed. I grabbed three, just in case, stuffing them into my pocket. It was time to go. As I passed the cash register, I looked inside the display case. Several things caught my attention. I grabbed the brick and ‘opened’ the cabinet. I helped myself to the pair of six D-cell black tactical flashlights, the taser, and the two CB radios. I also grabbed several packs of D batteries.

  In the impulse-item rack next to the register, I noticed a stack of those cheap headlamps that ran on a triple-A battery. I emptied the box, and the batteries, into my backpack and ran for the broken window. The evening had officially come to an end. And I had company. I didn’t bother to count how many zombies were power-walking toward the electronics store. Toward my doom, I ran, with the rain and the alarm muffling my footsteps.

  Tactical flashlight in one hand, machete in the other, I made my way to the tile building. Surprisingly, I only had to kill about six zombies along the way as I tore through the night. It was also getting colder. My lungs burned and I was beyond the point of over-exertion. I could still hear the burglar alarm in the distance as I cautiously approached the tile store I’d seen earlier.

  Inside the store was still empty. Thank God. I just want to sleep. I shoved a chair against the door. It wouldn’t stop anything from coming in, but it’d hopefully make enough noise to wake me up. I climbed up to the top of the eighteen-foot tall shelf and pulled out some granola bars and a bottle of water. It wasn’t much of a meal, but I’d survive the night. Soon after, I laid down and was out in seconds.

  ***

  I really had to pee. I woke up, back in knots from sleeping on the hard shelving among stacks of tile boxes. I stretched and my body snapped and popped like a certain breakfast cereal. I ate a few more granola bars and a candy bar to give me a much-needed caloric boost for the trek back to the radio station.

  I used the bathroom in the store and did my business. Surprisingly, the water was still working. I washed my face. Brown water flowed down the drain. I filled my water bottle since the chances of finding fresh water were slim.

  “Dude, you look like shit,” I said to my reflection. “Alive, but like shit.” I smiled back at myself. I threw my backpack over my shoulder and grabbed the machete. Before running out into the rain, I checked my surroundings. One or two zombies shambled slowly in the direction of the electronics store. They didn’t seem to be in any kind of a hurry. The burglar alarm had also died sometime in the night. I headed out and snuck past the zombies. I was very confident I could take them out, however, I didn’t want to unnecessarily waste any energy.

  A few grueling hours later, I stopped by the convenience store again and searched for some kind of sack that I could use to transport more of the food that was still here. I doubted I’d want to carry one of the totes with me. Plus it would take up both of my hands. That wouldn’t be helpful if I had to defend myself.

  “Yes!” I exclaimed as I found a box of reusable cloth bags. I filled three of them with candy bars and packaged snacks. Everything I could find. There was even some jerky, but I didn’t want to open any of the bags, as much as my mouth was drooling for it. The smell would make me a meal instead of the jerky. And it was Mesquite Teriyaki flavor. My Favorite. Damn, I need to get home.

  As I walked along the sidewalk, I noticed smoke in the far distance. It was miles away, but it told me that there were possibly others in the city trying to survive. Just like I was. Maybe, if I could get the radio to work, I could get some of them together and increase our chances of survival.

  I bumped into something soft and smelly. I must have been spacing out. I looked up as a woman turned toward me, moaning. She was missing half of her face. Her one eye widened as she registered that food had just arrived. She reached for me, but the machete was already sailing through the air. Her head bounced twice on the wet sidewalk, rolling away as her body fell backward. I resumed my casual stroll through the pouring rain as if nothing had happened.

  The sun was beginning to set. I put on one of the headlamps from my backpack and switched it on. It wasn’t great, but it gave me light and kept my hands free to use for other things. Like carrying groceries, or killing zombies.

  ***

  What am I going to do? I have no idea where any safe areas are. Is the entire country infected? I’ve seen enough movies… would the government even let any survivors escape the quarantine zone? Is that why they blew up Boston? To keep the infection from spreading? I arrived at the radio station and pulled down the fire escape. I carefully climbed to the rope ladder and, without falling, managed to carry myself and the three cloth bags to the roof.

  “Made it,” I said with a sigh. I went inside and stripped. I grabbed a towel and dried myself off. I was shivering by this point as exhaustion and cold weather took over. I’d found one of those portable, stand-up heaters for outside gatherings. Likely the station used it whenever they broadcasted at a remote site. I hauled it out of the basement. The propane tank was half full. Good enough.

  With a fresh set of filthy clothes, I started the propane heater and set it to low. It wasn’t long before I was feeling much better. I went to sleep, relishing in the warmth.

  -7-

  I woke to the feeling of comfortable warmth. Shit! I forgot to shut off the heater last night! I unrolled myself from the sleeping bag and checked the gauge on the propane tank. It was down to less than a quarter. I need to find another tank...

  I went about my daily routine… Checking the exterior doors and barricades, then separating out the food and eating. The usual stuff, nothing new. Yet. Time to change that.

  “Time to go shopping,” I said to Ben. “You want anything?”

  Ben didn’t answer. Fine, be that way. Dick.

  I stuffed the three empty cloth bags into my backpack, grabbed my machete, and headed out.

  ***

  The trip to the home improvement store was uneventful, however, the parking lot had plenty of zombies. It was time to deal with this problem once and for all. I ran at full speed straight for the first group of zombies. They began to turn as my blade met the neck of the first two. The rest fell quickly after that. With the parking lot now empty, I turned my attention to the interior of the store.

  Standing in the doorway, I took the machete and hit the doorframe a few times with the back of the blade. The pangs of metal on metal echoed throughout the entire warehouse. Moans echoed back. I took several steps away from the doorway so nothing would jump out and me or surprise me.

  The first couple of zombies moved briskly through the door. And to the concrete parking lot as I took their heads. Five minutes later, I was fairly confident that the warehouse was mostly empty. I donned three of the headlamps. One faced forward, the other two at forty-five-degree angles. I probably looked pretty stupid, but I had light in my peripheral vision, which would increase my chances of survival. Function over looks.

  After entering, I headed for the gardening and camping section once again. Once there, I grabbed one of the large garden buggies used for hauling dirt and refuse. It had four wheels and a pull handle and was almost the size of a small pickup bed. Perfect.

  With my new buggy, I went shopping. Since I was already in the gardening section, I climbed the shelves and grabbed the box of machetes I’d opened earlier. Once back on the ground, I noticed the display box of packeted seeds. I grabbed anything that looked like it would grow in cold weather zones.

  The camping section had plenty of stuff I could use. Apparently, the looters had no interest in survival as they’d only stolen the high-value items. Right now, however, the most valuable items in the entire store were in front of me. Camping equipment. I grabbed a pair of camping stoves and four sleeping bags and tossed them into the buggy. Everything I needed to have a four-person camp-out was right here. As I made my way down the ais
le, I also stopped by the outdoor section and helped myself to some barbeque tools as well as a portable grill.

  From the paint aisle, I grabbed a bunch of buckets and a gallon of white paint and some rollers. I headed toward the lumber department and had to make a quick detour to take out three zombies that hadn’t answered my summons earlier.

  I grabbed two large boxes of fence nails and a hammer, hand saw, and construction square. I tossed in a level. Never know… I found the treated lumber and grabbed six of the eight foot long 4x4s and twelve 1x12 boards to go with them. The buggy was much harder to pull now.

  I grabbed some tubing and rain gutter parts from the plumbing department and headed out toward the front. I packed the batteries and candy from the checkout aisles into the buckets. Once outside, I pried open the propane tank storage unit. There were at least forty tanks. That should last me quite a while. I grabbed three and carefully placed them into the buggy as well. Balance was starting to become a problem and I had to spend a good thirty minutes re-organizing the mountain of stolen goods.