A Regressive World: Book One

by Baldasaro, Jason

  A woman’s scream came from downstairs. Jessica knew that it was her mother’s. She dropped her doll, settled Lilly into a safe place before she went to check on that scream she had just heard. With Lilly now safe, and secure, she rushed out of the room and made her way to the top of the staircase. When she looked down to the bottom of the stairs, she saw what would be a flesh-eater.

  It was making its way up the stairs rather quickly, Jess froze, and she didn't know what to do. This thing that was barreling down on her was hideous and scary as all hell. There was a GUNSHOT, then the eater's head exploded, spraying blood, and brain fragments on the walls. As the headless body fell limply, it then tumbled backward down the stairs. Standing in the stairwell, she saw her father, and he was holding a small pistol, and a wooden bat.

  “Take this bat, defend your sister,” he commanded, as he shoved the handle of the bat into her clammy hand. His attention turned to the downstairs, as glass shattered from the windows being busted into by other flesh-eaters. “You’re mother,” he screamed. She watched, as he skipped almost every step of the staircase on his way down. With the bat in her hand, she stood the still frozen with terror.

  Her trance was broken when two more eaters began to ascend up the stairs towards her. She turned, and bolted to her bedroom. Once inside, she slammed the door and locked it tightly. All that was going through her mind was, where was Lilly. She checked the closets, and there was no sign of her. Next, she turned her attention to the undersides of the two beds. One bed down, and now only one left to check.

  “Lilly,” she frantically called out. “Lilly,” again, Jessica yelled, as she checked under the other bed. To her relief, there was her sister, hiding under the bed. “Come on out Lil,” Jessica coached. Then Lilly reached her arm towards Jessica. Lilly then slowly and carefully edged her way out from beneath the bed.

  “Good, come on Lil,” Jessica said, as she helped pull her out. Once she was out, Jessica hugged her tightly. Loud BANGING came from the bedroom door, and this caused her to break the hug. She knew it was only a matter of time before they broke down the thin wooden door. With only one way to escape, she focused on their window. She remembered that her father showed her how to get to the roof from there.

  Jessica and Lilly ran over to the window, slid it open, removed the screen, and then Jessica helped Lilly to the open window. She was too short to reach it herself, so she needed a little help. “Lilly, you’re going to go first.”

  “But I’m scared.”

  “Don’t be scared, I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Jess, I can’t.”

  “You remember the time dad brought us to the roof?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s just like that. I’m going to help you out the window. Then you grab the black pipe next to it, and inch your way up until you reach the roof.”

  Lilly nodded and handed Jessica the container of colored blocks. Just as easy as getting tucked into bed, Lilly was out of the window. Jess looked down to the ground to the base of the house and saw dozens of flesh-eaters just aimlessly wondering around. She turned her focus back to Lilly, as she watched on, as her little sister reached for the pipe. Her short outstretched hand, just barely touched the pipe. She could get her fingertips on it, but nothing else.

  “You’re going to have to jump Lil!”

  “I don’t want to, please let me back inside,” Lilly replied, as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

  “You have to jump, do it now!”

  The banging at the door was getting louder, and more intense. Jessica looked back to see the wooden door starting to splinter. She whipped back around, and reached out the window, with no other choice, she pushed her sister in the direction of the pipe. Jessica watched, as she was released from the safety of the window ledge, and now she was in the air on her way to the pipe.

  Lilly's body hit the pipe, and she grabbed hold. Jessica smiled, but it might have been too soon, as she watched as her little sister's grasp on the pipe slipped. She was loosing her grip, and fast. The door shattering from behind her startled Jess, as three flesh-eaters tried to make their way through the doorway at once. She turned back to the window and pulled herself out.

  "Help me, Jess, I'm slipping," Lilly pleaded.

  “Hold on, I’m coming,” she said, as she leaned towards the pipe.

  “Hurry!”

  “Give me your hand.”

  Lilly let go with her left hand and stretched it out to meet Jessica's. Their hands locked tightly, but the sweat from Jessica's hand caused their hands to slip apart. She knew she couldn't let go, or the zombies below would surely devour Lilly. Jessica did her best to hold on, but it was only a matter of time before their hands slipped completely apart. As soon as their last fingertip let go, Jessica was flooded with a wave of emotions. Lilly slipped off the pipe and fell into a horde of flesh-eater. Jessica watched as they surrounded her, and then she was gone, as they piled upon her body.

  She had no time to grieve; because she then felt something gripping her leg. She looked down and saw it was the hand of an eater, gray, rotted, and dead. She SCREAMED, as she pulled her leg away from the creature's reach. The pole was only three feet away, and she knew it was her only hope of getting out of here alive. The eater shoved his head out the window and startled her. This was it, her only chance. She got into position, leaned all the way to her right, and her hand grasped the cold, black, metal pole.

  She used it to pull the rest of herself over to it. The eater was chomping at the bit, as she looked back. It was time; she used her arms and legs to inch her way up till she finally reached the roof's edge. She swung one arm up on the shingles that felt scratchy, and crispy then came to the other arm. Once she was secured on the roof, she let her legs free from the pipe. Her body dangled two stories up off the ground. It wasn't so much the fall she was worried about, but more so being eaten alive.

  With all her strength, she pulled herself up onto the rooftop. After she was all the way up, she stood and made her way to the peak. She put one leg over one side and one leg over the other. For a minute, she sat there and caught her breath. Then she looked up and could see for miles. House fires were raging out of control as far as an eye could see. Flesh-eaters were wondering the streets, some feeding, and some attacking.

  Although the night’s air was filled screams, and gunshots, Jessica took some time to rest, and reflect on her losses. Her wounds would eventually heal, and so would her heart, but the anger for what these creatures had done to her, and her family would live on forever.

  Cluster Two

  After revisiting her past, and telling her story to the guys, Jupiter put his arms around her, to comfort her from the sadness she was feeling. She looked up, to see what Andrew was doing, he continued to slurp his potato soup. She couldn’t believe she’d known this guy for like for four years, and he couldn’t say anything now, he’s always got something to say. As she was in Jupiter’s embrace, she looked over to Barry, and saw him, and Gracie having a good time.

  She didn’t want him to see her crying, so she wiped the tears from her eyes, collected her thoughts, and pestered Andrew again, “What’s with you, jerk?”

  He stopped eating, and looked as if he could see through her, "Jerk? What's wrong with me? I just came back from a battle from a horde of flesh-eaters, and my best friend, and I almost died. I'm sorry about your little story, but excuse me if I'm a bit shaken up too." He continues his soup, while Jess stood up, and stormed off towards her pod. He looked up and saw her walking off briskly.

  He got up off his bench, “Wait, Jess,” he called out trying to stop her.

  She could hear him faintly, but was too pissed off, and didn't want to talk, especially to her best friend in the Cluster, who treated her like garbage. He could've shown some compassion when she told him what she was going through. From behind she heard the crunching of the dirt, as someone was trying to catch up to her. She heard Andrew’s voice calling out to her over all the commotion of d
inner, “Jess… wait!" He grabbed her right arm and gently spun her around so they were face to face.

  “What,” she asked defensively.

  His expression looked sincere, with his brown eyes that reminded her that of an adorable puppy. This time, there was no trademark smile, just a serious look on his face, "Listen. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make your story sound trivial, but what Barry , I went through this afternoon has really gotten me shaken up. Not just the battle, but also the way things went down. Something was off. Can I talk to you in confidence?”

  She didn't like where this conversation was headed, but she nodded her head, agreeing that whatever he was about to say, would stay between just her, and him. Andrew sat in the dirt around a blistering fire, and she followed suit. Once on the ground, he picked up a stick and began drawing in the loose dirt in front of him. He took a deep breath, sighed, and then he spoke, "I have a theory. The flesh-eaters are getting stronger, smarter, and more advanced. I believe they're evolving. Now I don't know how, but trust me… they are. After the last air raid during the apocalypse, The United Front knocked those things so far back, that only pockets of them survived. Nothing, like we saw today, has been around for years."

  She could tell he was worried, so she asked, “Did you tell someone?”

  “I told my superior officer.”

  “And, what did he say?”

  Andrew just shook his head, “Nothing… He told me I was seeing things, and to forget what I saw. Jess, do you remember when you used to go out with your squad to scavenge back in the day?”

  He hit a nerve, he knew she really enjoyed those missions, but it actually brought a smile to her face. Jessica nodded and agreed with him. Before he could ask her another question, she replied, "Yes, I still have it."

  “Huh,” he was perplexed; he had no idea what she was talking about.

  “The gun. Isn’t that what you were going to ask me about?”

  "As a matter of fact, I was. I can't believe you still have that thing. You'll have no reason to use it here in the Cluster. These walls are twenty-five feet high, six feet thick, and all solid concrete. Plus you have me protecting you," he said with his handsome smile.

  Sometimes she wanted to fall for him, just kiss him on those stupid lips, but she remained cold and made sure not to attach herself to anyone. Gracie was the only one that she fell for, and now she could get her killed if the right situation arose. She found it difficult to separate herself from Gracie, no matter how hard she tried, and now Andrew. He was another one that she had gotten too close to, but it was a good thing, because in a Cluster you need friends, or you will literally go insane, like her pod mother.

  The tension was growing thicker by the second, as they stared into each other's eyes, as the romantic flames from the burning fire crackled, and danced off their faces. Andrew slowly leaned in, making the first move. She wanted it to happen so badly. Since coming to the Cluster, she hasn't had much human contact. She closed her eyes, and readied her lips, as she awaited his. It felt like an eternity, as she anticipated the simple display of affection.

  Before his lips could meet hers, she felt a soft rumbling coming from the ground beneath her. It was noticeable, but only if you were in the quietness that they were in. Andrew looked around, and asked her, “Jess, do you feel that?”

  Indeed, she had, and she then placed her palm of her right-hand flat in the dirt. There it was again; a very faint vibration. Andrew could see that she was starting to get worried, so he stood up, brushed himself off, helped Jessica to her feet, and then said, "We should get back to the dinning area, check on Gracie, Jupiter, and Barry."

  Jessica agreed and followed him back to the main eating area. When they arrived, everyone was still eating his or her food, laughing, and having a good time. She spotted Gracie, and rushed over to her, "Are you okay Gracie?"

  She answered in her young voice, “Of course Jess.”

  An odd sound caught Jessica's attention. It was a rattling of metal, and glass; it was coming from the tables. The dinged up plates and dingy silverware began bouncing ever so lightly atop the wooden tables. She placed her hand on the top of the table, and she could feel the same vibrations that she felt on the ground just moments ago. Except this time, it had gotten more intense, and less faint. She looked for Andrew and located him. He was talking to Barry, who just so happened to have left Gracie alone.

  "Andrew," she exclaimed. He didn't hear her over all of the commotions, so she called out again, "Andrew, Barry!" That time they heard her. They both stopped talking and made their way over. Once they were close enough for Jessica to speak quieter to them, she spoke just above a whisper, "It's stronger."

  “Calm down Jess,” Andrew said trying to put her mind at ease.

  “It could just be The U.F running some drills with their falling apart junk-tanks,” Barry reasoned with himself, and her at the same time.

  Just when Jess was about to buy his story and believe him. The tremors intensified, shaking the entire ground within the Cluster. Andrew fell to the ground, and she dashed over to his aid. She called out, "Andrew… Barry, stay with Gracie!" She reached him, and helped him to his feet, "You're okay, come on stand up."

  Andrew stood up and looked around. She had never seen this look in his eyes before. It wasn't fear or confidence; it was as if he was confused. People were running, and screaming all at them. Some went into their pods, some hid under the wooden tables, and the rest of the made their way to the gate of the Cluster.

  “This ain’t tanks. We need to get out of here. Grab Gracie, and I’ll get Barry and Jupiter,” Andrew ordered.

  She knew it was bad whenever he went into United Front soldier mode. She didn’t question him, got Gracie, and waited for Andrew’s next move. Gracie kept pestering her with questions about what was going on, and if they were safe. Jessica did her best to calm Gracie’s nerves, as the ground began to open up in places on the grounds of the Cluster. The openings started to swallow up people, tables, and even pods. She knew what was going on, although she never lived through one. She was smart enough to know an earthquake when she felt one.

  She shouted to Andrew, “Earthquake!”

  That was enough to get him moving. He rushed over to them, but not before saying some words to Barry. He knelt down to Jess' level, and explained the plan to her, "We need our guns. I'll be right back. You take care of them, Jess. Get to the main gate on the east side. Those walls are six feet thick; you'll be safer there. I'll be right behind you… Go!"

  The task of being in charge was now hers, and she was hoping that Barry and Jupiter were going to follow her lead. She walked over to the boys with Gracie in tow, and said, "You guys heard him, make it to the main gate." She looked down at Gracie, "Gracie, you have to keep up with us."

  Gracie nodded.

  Once she knew Gracie was onboard with the plan, she started running away from the middle of the Cluster and made her way to the main gate on the east side. She looked behind her shoulder, Barry was keeping up just fine, and so was Jupiter. Gracie was doing good enough to get by. Each step Jessica took made her feel like a newborn calf trying to walk for the first time. She stumbled, tripped, and almost fell. On top of that, they were dodging falling tree limbs, and fire from the kettles that hung in the fireplaces within the Clusters.

  Just as they were gaining momentum, they came to a wall of fire in the middle of the path. It wasn't a small fire; it consumed the width of two football fields, both to the left and to the right. She was out of ideas, and the fires were just her luck. It was calming to know that they weren't the only ones that were stuck. People from the Cluster all they way down both sides were just standing there like they were stuck, with no solution in sight.

  “Jess,” a voice yelled out.

  She turned around, and saw Andrew, he was holding his gun as well as Barry's. She ran over to him and gave him a hug. "You can't do that to me," she said, and then punched him in the shoulder. "We can't get by it," she said referencing
to the "wall o’ fire”.

  Andrew looked to his left, and then to his right, “You’re right. We need to go back.”

  “Back,” she questioned.

  “Yeah, try the other side. We need to make it to the main doors before this place comes crashing down on itself,” he explained.

  Jessica nodded her head, letting him know that she was on the same page as he was. Gracie with widening eyes was staring at her, so she grabbed Gracie's hand and knelt down to be at her eye level. "Gracie," she said calmly, "You need to listen to me, and not ask questions,"

  Gracie replied, “Okay Jess.”

  Jessica tried to her best to calm her own breathing, in order to not let Gracie see the fear that she had deep down inside. “You gotta hold my hand. No matter what; don’t let it go. Gracie this next one is a big one. It’s going to get dangerous out there, the only things to remember is to keep running, hold my hand, and do not look back. You got it don’t you?”

  “I got it, hold your hand, and don’t look back,” she replied.

  Andrew’s voice broke up their little pow-wow, “I hate to tell you this, but we need to go, and go now! The walls are starting to crumble.”

  Running along this shaky ground, is going to be tricky, she thought, at the same time watching Andrew for his cue to go, and then it came. He waived his right hand in the air, three or four times, and they all started dashing forward. Just like a soldier, Andrew stayed back until the last member of our group had gone. It wasn’t too long until he caught up to them, and was leading the pack.