After the Fall

by Martinez, A. J.

  “Yes, Commander. One year and eight days, and just as proud to serve you as the first day.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. You know I would never ask anything unreasonable of you. Anything I ask of any of you I would do myself, and I would not ask you to do something unless I had a good reason.”

  “Sir?”

  “Mordecai here has saved us all. His inhuman skills are impossible to believe unless you see them firsthand.”

  “Indeed, sir, it’s like he’s an angel descended from Heaven!”

  “This may be hard to believe, son, but angels do not eat as we do. There is no worldly food that can sustain them.”

  “They feed from God’s own grace.”

  “Yes, that, but seeing that once they’re on Earth, they’re on their own. Just as God has given us dominion over all the creatures on Earth, he has given them dominion over them as well as us.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “We need a bit of your blood, my son. You will not be hurt and the pain will be minimal. Isn’t that right, Mordecai?”

  I nodded. “Just pull back your sleeve and I will see to the rest. All you’ll feel is a sting.”

  “Something about this doesn’t feel right,” he replied.

  “Listen, if you don’t do this, Mordecai will weaken and may not be able to protect us. Is that what you want to happen? Do you want to see this place overrun?”

  “No, never!”

  “Then you must do your part. Someone else will do it next time, and so on.”

  “He’s right,” I said. “After a few days, it will be as if nothing happened. You won’t be hurt except for a small needle stick on the arm.”

  I reached for my exsanguination kit and began to unfold it on the table. They watched me join the thick needle to the clear plastic tube. The next part might be the hardest.

  “Okay, just look away if you need to. It’s just a little sting,” I said. The boy did not look away. He stared at my hands as I tied off his arm and tapped the fat vein on the inside of his elbow. I pushed the needle and felt him take a deep forceful breath, but he braved the pain. With a flick of the thumb I released the valve and watched the dark red liquid flow through the hose. Venous blood wasn’t as rich as arterial blood, but it was good enough for nourishment.

  The young guard shuddered, but he held strong. It took less than five minutes before I was pulling the needle. He looked uncertain about what he had done, so I did my best to comfort him.

  “Worry not, boy. You will get into the Kingdom of Heaven yet.” He nodded and gave me a firm hug, one that lingered a little longer than I would have preferred, but I let him. He did feed me after all.

  “Okay, that’s enough,” said Alaric. “Back to your post.”

  “Can you spare him for the night? He could get some rest and be as good as new tomorrow.”

  “I need all hands tonight,” he said. “Especially if we’re going through with what you suggested.”

  Alaric was the Commander of the Guard, and as such, he had to be tough on his men, but this seemed excessive. I looked at him with disapproval.

  “All right, you win. You have tower duty. Go relieve Micah.”

  “Yes, sir.” He walked out of the room with a grim expression on his face. Tower duty was not the most enjoyable duty, but it would spare him from the heavy exertions.

  It didn’t feel good to be right, not this time. The men managed to get the door raised and the corpses began to crawl inside. We were ready for them, but that didn’t stop their surprise. Many of them looked like used practice targets and yet they still came. A hardworking detail had already dug a shallow cremation pit and filled it with a meager amount of oil and wood.

  “Can’t we get more?” I asked Alaric.

  “We’re trying to get scrap wood, but most of the people are sleeping. It will take some time.”

  I had an idea.

  “Do you have an axe I can use, a heavy one?”

  “You!” he said to one of the guards. “Fetch me an axe, the largest one you can find.”

  He came practically dragging this thing. I grabbed it from him like it was a child’s plaything and rested it on my shoulder.

  Alaric gave the order to burn the bodies and it was executed. For hours on end, the men pulled the gate slightly ajar and let in a few of them at a time. They crawled and writhed inside only to be greeted by a shower of projectiles. One corporal beside me shot one in the chest. The creature lunged at him while he hurried to reload. When he realized it was no use, all his soldierly discipline went out the door. He screamed and closed his eyes. There was a groan and a series of thuds, but he felt nothing biting him or tearing him to pieces, only fluid spattering all over him. His eyes opened to the sight of me hacking the thing to pieces. We dragged the bodies to the center of the pit and heaped them high.

  “Light the fire!” Alaric ordered. A lit torch twirled and roared through the air before landing on top of the pile. It caught fire with a loud whoosh, sending out a heat wave that I felt several feet away. The smell was horrendous. I once asked myself if the stench of the undead could get any worse. Now I wish I had remained ignorant.

  We repeated this exercise several times with similar success. There were a few close calls, but no bites. Their faces were an amalgamation of fear and relief that I found quite amusing. A guard actually came to my feet and tried to kiss them. His name was Ron Billings, I later found out.

  “Don’t do that! Are you mad?”

  “I’m sorry. You saved my life. You truly are an angel from heaven, worthy of praises.”

  Ugh. There goes that again. “Yes, but I’m also covered in their filth.” I pointed at the noisome pile of burning bodies, some of which were still twitching. “Do you want that on your lips?”

  He shook his head. I thought as much. Idiot.

  The work dragged on throughout the night. My senses alerted me when the sky began to lighten up on the East. Luckily, all that was left at this point was to tend to the fire and make sure nothing leaped out of it. With my recent experience, I could never be too sure.

  “It will be sunrise soon. I’m going home.”

  “Wait for me. I will walk with you,” said Alaric. He gave a few orders for the men to tend the fire and make sure the bodies were completely burned before disposing of the ashes. I just hoped I hadn’t led us all astray by vaporizing whatever infected them and exposing the whole town to it.

  “It’s been a long night,” he said to me as we walked. “I suppose this is normal for you.”

  “I am a creature of the night, like I said. I was a prisoner of it until a few decades ago, when I found out by accident that I had gained some immunity.

  “How did it happen?”

  Of course he had to ask. My life was so long it had become a large volume of stories. I didn’t feel like launching into another story, but we had a walk ahead of us and a little spare time, so I decided to humor him.

  It was shortly after the Fall had begun. Chaos had broken out and I was beginning to feel the pinch of hunger. When I fell in with a group of survivors, I saw a chance to stay fed and give them protection in exchange, much like I was doing now. It didn’t work out well. Turns out they were hoping that I would protect them without giving anything in exchange.

  “You don’t get a gun until you earn our trust,” they said. Of course they’ll keep the guns. How else would you maintain control of the group? Keep your stinking guns, I thought. I don’t need them anyway.

  “Fine” is what I actually said.

  “We get the food first. I’m the largest, so I have to keep my strength,” said the alpha-male leader. What a hack. He would be full of endless questions, like “where do you go during the day?” or “why are you always eating up the food?” I took exception to that remark. Why would I get blamed for food I can’t even eat? It was the woman that was eating it, of course, but I kept my mouth shut and took the abuse—for the time being.

  I obliged all their “needs,” l
ike when his girlfriend explained that she had to have food because she would get lightheaded if she didn’t get all her meals exactly on time. She also demanded that I go find her food, which I obliged, even if I roused a whole horde of undead to find her a pack of sweets.

  “Here you go,” I said as I handed her a box of donuts. The joy had to be put on hold until we reached safety, because the horde was headed for us. When we got to a safe place, she finally thanked me…or not.

  “Ugh. These are stale. Couldn’t you find something that keeps better? Maybe you could have been a little quieter while you were at it and then we wouldn’t have to run and hide?

  “I’m sorry,” I said, giving her a smile to try to score extra points.

  “I don’t need your apologies!”

  “It must have made you very angry to be with that bunch,” said Alaric. “I’m surprised that you endured them so well.”

  I endured them well, I told him, because they were my food. That night, I resolved to drink her, down to the last drop. It was easy to get the drop on her. I had guard that night. I always had night guard because no one wanted to lose sleep. That morning she didn’t wake up.

  “Rita, wake up!” She did not move. “What’s the matter?” He pulled her sheets back and found that she was as pale as marble. The man screamed. They checked her for bites and found one on her neck.

  “Why didn’t she tell me she was bitten? We have to go before she rises.” He looked at me. “It’s all your fault, you and your stupid box of donuts!”

  Which she asked me to get, I could have added, but I bowed my head and looked contrite, all the way until he struck me. I felt the impact of his boot on my jaw and seethed. While I grabbed my jaw and massaged it, he decided to send another punt to my skull. It was over. He had finally done it.

  I got up and began to grapple with him. Being a Vampire, I am strong, but this big boy gave me a run for my money. We tussled around for a few seconds before falling out of the window and to the street below. It was so bright outside that I became blinded. I could already hear their strained groans and knew I didn’t have much time. My fangs came out like twin switchblades and found their mark in his neck. This one I didn’t have the chance to drink dry before they were upon us. I pulled away and plowed through the growing crowd of hungry predators. It didn’t take long for the fallen ones to get their feet back under them and join the feast. He wouldn’t last long.

  In all my excitement, I forgot it was daytime and scrambled to find shelter. I was sure that I was burning to death with every second. Somehow I made it back inside without being attacked once. I guessed they were too busy with my old companion. When I returned to the room, I found the darkest place in the building—a supply closet and checked myself for wounds. There was nothing except for the burning feeling on my skin.

  “What has happened to me? How am I still alive?” I asked myself.

  “The Grace of God chose to spare you,” said Alaric.

  “Something did, that’s for sure.”

  “Well, here we are,” I said as we walked arrived at the door. “Time to call it a day.”

  “Yes, I imagine I will be sleeping late today. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?”

  “Why must you torture me like this?” I asked.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll have special arrangements for you. It will be just the family and a few close friends, nothing too extravagant. I hope that’s to your liking.”

  “Yes, I would like that.”

  “See you tonight.” He patted me on the back and headed to his room upstairs. I went down to my own room and locked the door. All in all, it had been a great night. I had worked hard and gotten a meal, two things that seldom went together anymore. Sleep rarely felt this good.

  Dinner and a Nightmare

  I didn’t awaken until dusk. It was the kind of deep sleep that I took for granted before the Fall. This place was making me soft. At any rate, I needed the rest. My recent exertions had taxed my strength, but the combination of rest and fresh blood enhanced my recovery. I arose feeling much stronger—and thirsty.

  The sun was already setting when I walked upstairs. Alaric had already been up for hours. The man seemed to have endless energy. He was upstairs in the bedroom conversing with his wife about mundane happenings. She sounded exhausted, like she had not slept at all.

  “Are you feeling sick, my love?” he asked.

  “I’m just tired. Couldn’t sleep after you left.”

  “And you didn’t try to stay late in bed and get some sleep this morning?”

  “I would, but the house needed tending and there’s always something that needs doing.”

  “Magda said you were sick a few times earlier.”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “I want you to get some rest.”

  “What about dinner? There’s still so much left to do.”

  “Let the girls take care of it. You just rest.”

  “Okay. If you think so, I’ll just come down to dinner when it’s ready.”

  “Only if you feel up to it, my dear.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Have you seen Matthias at all today?”

  “I haven’t seen him all day, not since last night.”

  Alaric grunted in annoyance. “I better not hear he’s out hunting again. There’s a horde of them still outside. I posted guards to keep them at the main gate while we sneak off in small groups to bring supplies and fresh food.”

  “How do they keep them distracted?”

  “We’ve had to give away a portion of our meat to them. You can call it a tribute or a tax. Also, you might notice less pigeons flying about when you go out.”

  “That’s horrible.”

  “No, horrible is what will happen to our men if we don’t keep these things occupied. Bear in mind what happened to Jethro’s group.”

  “Oh. Then I guess that’s fair.”

  “Just rest for now. I’ll see if Mordecai’s up yet.”

  Before he had finished his conversation, I had already decided what I would do tonight. The horde of them gathered outside would have to be eliminated. I timed my walk upstairs to coincide with Alaric’s descent.

  “Mordecai! I was about to see if you had risen yet.”

  Risen. I shudder at the word. It makes me feel like one of them.

  “It’s never as simple as waking up. The sun and I are not on the best of terms, a side effect of my gifts.”

  “Yes, indeed. I was meaning to ask—”

  “Say no more,” I replied, hefting the weighty axe up to my shoulder. “That horde is as good as gone. Just have some men ready with fuel and kindling so that we can take care of them.”

  “Yes, we can do that. I’ll give the order.”

  “Good. I’ll head to the main gate.”

  I ran there, keeping my pace fast enough to dissuade anyone from trying to engage me.There were many eyes gleaming with admiration, ready to stop me if I showed the slightest sign of slowing. It’s a good thing no one questions a man running with a heavy axe.

  A young man paced around the bridge, anxious for his shift to end. He had a pile of meat beside him, surrounded by a swarm of flies that added to his irritation. His job was to throw a piece of meat at the horde whenever it seemed like they were going to disperse. The cacophony of choking, wheezing, and moaning sounds from below were chipping away at his sanity one sound at a time. Add to that the stench that wafted up from below and he was almost ready to leap over the wall and join them. He was reaching down for another piece of meat when he felt a gust of wind and feet landing beside him.

  “Good evening. How are you holding up?” I said to him. He gasped and almost fell over the wall had I not pulled him back. The creatures below became excited like a school of piranhas. Their moans of disappointment were even louder when I pulled him away from the edge.

  “Thank…thank you,” he said.

  “You better watch it. The best thing that could happen to you down ther
e is that you break your neck when you hit the ground.”

  “Um…yes.”

  “Not in a mood to talk, huh? That’s fine. Hold down the fort. I’ll be back.” I dove off the wall and into the middle of the undead mob. They didn’t make any excited noises or even seem to notice me at all. I seemed to have lost all appeal to them. I felt almost jealous of all the living folks right then. Almost.

  Now it was time to do what I had come to do. I choked down on the handle with both hands and spun around, taking off any heads in my path. I was a murderous whirling dervish, cutting down anything in my path. Any sensible creature would have scattered, but they kept ambling around until the cutting disk shortened them by a head or so.

  I called it a damned fine piece of work. In only a few minutes’ time, I had cut the crowd down to nothing. Not one of them stood on their feet. The ground outside was a mannequin shop of decayed body parts strewn all around me. I walked around some more, bringing down the axe on any corpses still moving. There was a satisfying sound of crunching bone and spilling innards. Unfortunately, the sentinel above didn’t find it so amusing and spilled his dinner over the wall.

  “Do you really have to do that? You’re grossing me out,” I joked.

  “It’s my fault. I looked down, knowing I have a weak stomach.”

  I leaped back up to the wall. I told him, “Then you might want to go find some real guts if you want to survive in this world.”

  “Guts? Are you not done talking about this?”

  “Never mind.” I hopped down and headed back to the house. If people left me alone before, they gave me a nice, wide berth now. No one wants to talk to a man holding a large axe—especially a bloody one—while he walks around, whistling without a care in the whole world. Needless to say, I made it to the house without being stopped.

  “Back already?” asked Alaric, who was getting ready to step out.

  “Yes. Your problem is fixed for now. You’ll need to follow through and take care of the remains before they start to get up and move.”

  “I’m going to let the men know. I will be back for dinner. Just be patient. Oh, and Mordecai?”