Chasing the Dark: The Demon Inside

by A. P. Texan

  As close as I will be to home, I decided against the chest rig just going with the Alice pack and battle belt. I also grabbed a small set of bolt cutters and pry bar from the garage. Putting them in the Alice pack, and placing it on my shoulders; I head out the front door and head north on our street, at the end of the street there is a “T” intersection. I take a left and then another right. I end up in a large field behind the Lawn Maintenance facility and across the street from the school baseball fields. I walk towards the back fence of the maintenance yard and glance around to see if I’m being watched. I don’t see anyone so with the aid of the small bolt cutters, in just under a minute I get into the maintenance yard through a hole now cut in the fence. From where I am, the yard stretches about 100 feet to my right and around a quarter of a mile in length.

  Let’s see if I can get this fence closed enough to keep prying eyes away. After a few minutes of arranging the chain links where they look somewhat normal, I sneak into the yard; crouching and moving slowly in case someone else is in here. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Wow, lots of sand, brick, and dirt but I don’t see any generators or tractors. About a quarter of the way down, I see what I hope is my salvation. A corrugated steel building, three of them actually. Parked outside one of them is a golf cart. I wonder if it runs? It appears to be one of the gas models, which is good, as long as the battery and fuses aren’t fried. No key. Let’s try the door to the building, damnit locked. I wish Charles was here he has been practicing picking locks for over two years. I have practiced but not as much as he has, plus I have nothing to pick it with. Maybe the overhead is unlocked. Grabbing the bottom of the door I attempt to open it, Success! After lifting it about two feet I roll underneath then shut it behind me. Using the Nitecore mounted to the AR to illuminate the inside, I scan the interior of the building.

  I have hit a treasure trove of post-apocalyptic goodies. I see several generators lined up against one wall. Against the opposite wall I see a Kawasaki Mule, and Kubota side by side UTVs. On the far wall from me is ten 5-gallon Jerry cans painted red telling me immediately they are intended for Gasoline. I’m sure these are empty since this is a government building and flammables wouldn’t be stored inside. I pick one up, and yep, as I suspected they are empty.

  I’ll find the gas tanks in a minute for now I need to find side by side keys. KISD employees are extremely helpful leaving the keys in the UTVs like that. I need to get one of those generators up into the back of the Kubota and then find some fuel for those cans.

  Climbing in the UTV I turn the key and am immediately greeted with the beautiful sound of a small, internal combustion engine turning over and then starting. HALLELUJAH AND AMEN! I turn on the headlights and back up to where the generators are. These things are going to be heavy. I know from my own research that the Honda EG5000 is rated for 5000 surge watts and 4500 running watts, more than enough for what I need. The problem I have right now is that it also weighs close to 200 pounds; and I’m here by myself.

  I have an idea, I’ll let the winch cable out toss it over the rafters and hook it to the generator and then I can pick the generator up and set it down into the cargo bed of the UTV. After three or four tries, I manage to get the cable over the rafters and pull it around to the back of the UTV. Not exactly how it is intended to work, but this will have to do. As I activate the winch, I realize my folly a second too late, as the two-hundred-pound generator lifts an inch off the ground and swings by the cable straight into the back of the Kubota with a horrible sounding crash.

  “Damnit Chase” I chastise myself “you should have thought of that, now every person, in every house around knows you’re here and if anybody else is in this compound they will definitely know to.”

  Okay got to hurry now, I quickly get the generator set up in the cargo bed of the side by side and secure it with a ratchet strap that was lying in the back. There is still plenty of room for some fuel cans so I grab half of the ones that are there and place them in the bed also. This fills it completely. I get the 4-seater UTV turned around in the cramped space and park it right in front of the overhead and kill the ignition. I pocket the keys and head for the walk-through door, unlock it and slowly open it while looking outside for any threats. Only a half a day into the apocalypse, I really don’t want to shoot anybody, and certainly not this close to home. Good, still no one around, I’ve got to find the fuel storage. Walking south along the west side of the building, I see what I have been looking for. On the side of the front building of the complex is a row of 55-gallon drums under an awning. That must be it. I move quickly but cautiously between the two buildings and inspect the drums. Two Drums of diesel, one and a half Drums of Gas and a half drum of 15w40 Diesel oil. So, if I get all ten cans that will be fifty Gallons, I only grabbed five so twenty-five gallons and I have around eighty-two gallons here. I need more cans.

  With the plan formulated, I go sprinting back to the garage with the side by sides, throw open the overhead and jump in the Kubota. Fill up these cans first, then go get Sandy and come back get the other side by side the rest of the cans and check the rest of the buildings. As I throw open the overhead, I notice a couple things that I missed when the room was dark. An overhead winch, that would have been helpful, and extension cords hanging from pegs on the wall. I grab a couple extension cords; they appear to be commercial grade heavy gauge 50-footers and throw those in the Kubota then I fire it up pull out and close the overhead. Jumping back in the Kubota I head for the Fuel Depot. In just a matter of a few minutes I find a handpump and get the Gasoline flowing into the Jerry Cans. With the cans full and secured in the UTV I head for the gate. I hope my bolt cutters are strong enough for this. The gravel causes the UTV to skid a little as I stop and jump out. I have been here almost an hour and still have another trip to make. I need to hurry.

  “I think I should have been working out more this chain doesn’t want to cut, come on, break already.” I brace one of the handles of the cutters against my chest and pull on the opposing handle with both arms as hard as I can, with the extra effort and leverage I am rewarded with a very satisfying clink as the cutters finally bite through the chain. With that done, I remove the chain, open the gate and drive the Kubota out onto the street. Jump off again and close the gate and dummy lock it with the broken chain.

  The fastest way back to the house would be the way I came so I hang a right when I reach the end of the fence, jump the curb and head across the field to the neighborhood. Several people are outside of their houses messing with their cars or carrying their cell phones around trying to get a signal. When they hear the motor from the Kubota, they all turn and look my way. You can see the confusion running across their faces. I can understand, why is this little UTV working fine and their thirty, forty, and fifty thousand-dollar cars are sitting in their driveway doing nothing. The answer to that question is simple. The steel building gave some shielding from the EMP working to make the pulse flow around the equipment inside, add to that the fact that the UTV has a much simpler electric system and you have a working vehicle and hopefully working generator. Then it dawns on me. Everyone within a mile of the house will hear the generator going. Crap in a handbasket, what can I possibly do about that? Hmm, oh well, that is a worry for later.

  I’m back at the house and pull up and back the cargo bed up to the garage door as best I can with the cars in the way. Jump out and pocket the keys and head for the front door. Once I get in the house, I make for the door leading to the garage I've got to get this genny hidden and quick. I hit the button for the garage door opener.

  “Duh Chase, that’s not going to work. I should kick myself in the butt for that”

  “Babe, are you talking to yourself?” My beautiful bride asks as she comes up behind me.

  “Yeah, I am, I tried to use the garage door opener, and of course it didn’t work, so I called myself an idiot.” I say as I pull the string to override the opener. I go to the door and slide it up and out of the way.

  �
�Oh wow! Great find. I can’t believe that thing runs. Did you get all that at the school yard?”

  “Yep, it is a virtual cornucopia of goodies. Get your shoes on, you're going back with me as soon as I can get this unloaded.”

  “There’s more?” she asks as mom steps out into the garage with us. Dad following along behind her, oxygen bottle in hand.

  “Hey, Pops I see you’re up and around, are you okay with the oxygen level I set you at? “I grab the Genny and attempt to lift it out of the trailer. “Holy Christ this thing is heavy!”

  I need something to help me get this out of the UTV. Looking around I see what I need. A 2x12 piece of lumber is sitting next to the wall where I was planning to make a picnic table and hadn’t gotten around to it.

  “Babe, help me with this board.” At six feet in length, it will be just right to slide the generator off the UTV. We get the board propped up on the bed of the Kubota and braced against the lip at the edge of the garage floor “Okay you get on that side and I’ll get on this side and we will carefully lower it down, ready on three”

  “1”

  “2”

  “3 go”

  The Generator slides on its cage down the board to the floor of the garage, exactly as I had planned. The 2x12 slightly bowed under the weight of the generator but it held and didn’t break.

  “Great, now let’s get these cans out” As the words come out of my mouth, I realize I just screwed up. As Dad reaches out to grab one of the cans, he loses his balance, starts to fall tries to catch himself on the bed of the UTV mom grabs him and throws off his trajectory so he slams his forearm into the edge of the bed splitting open the skin in a torrent of bright red blood. He and mom end up on the ground together in a pile of screaming, moaning and blood.

  “DAD!! Not you, good Lord, Sandy helps me get them up. Mom are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. GEORGE get your butt back in the house!!”

  “DAMNIT HELEN, STOP YELLING AT ME!! I AM NOT A CHILD.”

  “BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP AND GET IN THE HOUSE! Go in the bathroom and I’ll get stuff to take care of that arm.”

  As they head in the house Dad holding his arm, I Go over to my medical supplies. Inside the footlocker I grab several 4x4s, a roll of 2-inch gauze, a can of wound wash, some Neosporin, and the Skin Glue. After gathering my supplies, I head into the house where I see mom washing out his arm in the kitchen sink. It appears the Kubota bed peeled the skin back on his left arm, at least two inches by two inches. With his age and conditions, his skin is as fragile as crepe paper, so I’m surprised that it isn’t worse.

  “Okay pops, this is going to be pretty uncomfortable but we got to get this taken care of so it doesn’t get infected. Dad, sit down over here, Mom grab some towels to put down under his arm.” I say as I head over to the dining room table.

  It only takes her a few seconds, and she is back with the towels. We set them under his arm, and I get to work. I use most of the can of wound wash and clean up the area around and under the flap of skin as best I can. I don’t see any debris, dirt or grease so I think it will be okay. The bleeding has pretty much stopped so I know it isn’t too bad; but I am worried about infection so I apply the Neosporin to the raw flesh as carefully as I can, I must admit he takes it like a trooper only gritting his teeth and wincing a small bit. After that, I carefully lay the skin flap down where it is supposed to be and begin to seal it with the Medical glue; leaving a small area unsealed down towards the wrist. So, it can drain if it needs to. After the glue dries, I place three gauze 4x4s on top of this with the wound in the middle and then begin to wrap the whole forearm with the roll gauze making sure to seal it as best as possible.

  “That should take care of it, now go lay down in your bed. Mom will bring you some pills for the pain.”

  As I’m finishing up with Dad, Sandy and Rusty come back in having finished unloading the fuel cans.

  1200 11 September 2021

  Keller Texas

  “Alright, let’s get moving so we can get back here. We are going to take the UTV back over there and search the rest of the buildings for anything useful, load everything up in this one and there is a Kawasaki two-seater we will grab also. We will top both UTVs off with fuel and come back here. Also, I have decided I want you to go with me tonight you’ll drive the Kawasaki and I’ll drive the Kubota. With transportation, we should be back before the sun comes up.”

  We get in the side by side and headed back towards the school yard to get more supplies. We get there with no real issues, however lots of people are looking at us which makes me a bit uncomfortable. The gate appeared to be untouched, “Babe jump out and open the gate up I just dummy locked it. After I drive through close it up so nothing looks suspicious from the street.”

  She jumps out opens the gate and I drive through.

  “First things first, let’s get the Kawasaki and the rest of the gas cans. We can top both off and fill up the cans then search the rest of the buildings” I explain. As she walks up after reclosing the gate and re-dummy locking it.

  We get the Kawasaki, fuel cans, another generator and extension cords from the first building and take them to the drums to top everything off. After we are done at the drums of fuel, we park the two side by sides near the gate so we can make a quick getaway if needed. We move on to the second of the three buildings and I use the small prybar to pop the walkthrough door open. Inside this building is a couple of what look like utility trailers and a couple of large commercial zero turn mowers.

  “We should grab those utility trailers and hook them up to the UTVs. They will be a huge help when we bug out to The Farm. For now, let’s keep looking and anything else we find we can put in the trailers.”

  Inside this building is mostly lawn equipment walk behind mowers and trimmers, nothing really useful for the apocalypse. So, we begin to walk back out the door when I notice a chainsaw bar leaning against the wall. I didn’t see a chainsaw or a chain just an 18-inch bar. But if there are extra bars there must be chainsaws. I’m just having trouble seeing in the dark using only flashlights. I open the overhead door to get more light. Ah, they’re against the wall behind some shelves of spare parts. Two Stihl Commercial Grade 18-inch chainsaws. And a flammables cabinet which will of course contain the 2-stroke fuel for the saws. All of this goes in the trailers.

  We turn around to walk out of the building and we see something that makes us both stop dead in our tracks.

  “You did shut the gate, right?”

  “Of course, I did. Maybe the wind blew it open, it is only open a little.”

  “I don’t think so. Someone is in here with us.”

  I immediately bring the AR up to my shoulder and start scanning the area for threats.

  “Go get the Kawasaki and back it up to the door. I want to get out of here but I’m not leaving the trailers. I’ll stay here and cover you.”

  Sandy moved quickly to the Kawasaki and began to back it towards the open door, where I was on my knee scanning the yard. I dropped the rifle to my chest to hook the trailer up to the UTV while Sandy watched the yard.

  After the Trailer was hooked, I started moving towards the Kubota. As I approached it, I saw a man come running towards me out of the building it once occupied.

  In one smooth movement the AR came to my shoulder, as the safety selector was moved to fire by my thumb and the crosshairs of my 1-4x20 optic landed on the center of his chest.

  “Stop where you are, or I will put you down!”

  The man immediately tried to stop but his feet slipped on the gravel of the lot causing him to come to a stop on his back side with his hands in the air and looks of both surprise and fright on his face.

  As I approached him, the crosshairs went from his chest to his forehead and I realized I recognized him from somewhere, but I couldn’t place where?

  “Who are you and why are you here?”

  “I could ask you the same” he responds

  “Listen, I’m the one with the
rifle so if you don’t mind, I’ll ask the questions. Again, who are you and why are you here.”

  “My name is Robert and I live down the street from you and your parents. I followed you here because you seem to be the only one around who knows what’s going on.”

  “Babe come get the Kubota and back it up to the trailer. Do you think you can hook it up without me?”

  “Yeah, I got it.”

  “Cool thanks. Me and Bob here are going to have a talk about following people around during the apocalypse. Get up, keep your hands behind your head and walk slowly towards the building where the UTVs are parked.”

  Robert complies without saying another word and soon we are inside the steel building.

  “Have a seat Bob, let’s have a chat”

  He sits and starts to look a little calmer, I safe the Carbine and let it settle on my chest.

  “Alright so let’s talk, tell me what you know and why you followed us here.”

  “Well, I was having a cup of lukewarm coffee trying to get my phone to work this morning when I saw you walking in with your backpack and guns. I thought I would keep an eye on you because that isn’t really normal behavior. And to be honest a lot of us on the street think you’re a little strange to begin with.”

  “Keep talking” I directed

  “Well anyways, after the two of you left, I thought I would follow to see where you were going and to see if you might know what’s going on. I’m think I know, but I’m not sure.”

  “Let me see if I got this straight. You saw me walking around with a rifle and pistol. Which is not normal behavior, and you, yourself said you think “I’m a little strange”, and you think it is a good idea to follow me around? What in your right mind makes that sound like a good idea?” I responded with just a bit more sarcasm than I intended.

  “Well, since you put it that way, nothing.” He says with a little bit of embarrassment on his face