Chasing the Dark: The Demon Inside

by A. P. Texan

  My 30-quart turkey fryer should do the job nicely and I fill it up about halfway with water from the backyard hose and place the oil thermometer in it as well. Must be our close proximity to the water tower because the pressure is surprisingly strong still.

  “Okay, let everyone know that the water is warming up.”, I announce as I walk back in the house, “Children, then women and then us men last. Charles your almost 20 that means you have to wait like Bob and I.” After everyone is washed up, we need to sit down and come up with a plan for the next 2-3 days. We also need to figure out how we are going to get everyone to the farm.”

  “I can’t believe I forgot about this”, Sandy says” Tuesday on my way home from work I noticed an old Ford pickup with one of those really old pull behind campers. The silver ones that are all rounded and look like a big silver pill. It was parked by that store that sells compressors”

  “How old?”, Bob speaks up from where he is sitting at the breakfast bar eating some oatmeal. “It will most likely have to be older than 80 to survive the Pulse.”

  “I’m not sure but it is old. Probably 70s maybe 60s”

  I look at Charles and Bob. “Who’s going with me to check it out?”

  “I’ll go”, Charles says as he stands up. But we are going to need another long gun and your bolt action .308 isn’t going to work.”

  “Agreed but I gave your big sister my shotgun when she moved into her apartment. The only thing I got left is the 22 and the .308”

  “Let’s do this, you take the AR and the 1911, I’ll take the .308. You go check out the Truck and see if you can find some keys or hot wire it. I’ll stay across the road where I have a good field of vision and pull overwatch with the .308. We can stay in communication with the radios.” I suggest.

  “How do I hotwire it?” he asks sincerely

  “Okay you pull overwatch with the .308 and I’ll get the truck.” I answer,” We will be back in an hour or so. Bob, do you guys have room in your garage for the truck?”

  “Yeah, that won’t be a problem. Just pull in our driveway when you get back and I'll open the door for you.”

  With that we grab our weapons and the radios and set out on foot for where the truck is located. It takes about 15 minutes to find what we are looking for and we both glass the area using our rifle optics to look for anything out of the ordinary. Down the street about a hundred yards from our current location is a series of flat roof buildings at one of those self-storage places.

  “Go down to the self-storage and see if you can get up on the roof. Find a good spot where you can see as much as possible in all directions and give me a call when you’re in position. I don’t like being out here in the daylight to many people can see us.”

  “Okay give me ten minutes.” Charles takes off at a half crouch run.

  6 minutes later I see him scaling a pipe at the back of one of the buildings then disappear after he reaches the roof. “Alright pops I’m in position. I don’t see anything and amazingly there are no people around.”

  “This is only the second day most people are probably staying home just waiting for everything to go back to normal. Okay I’m going for the truck. Watch my back. After I get it running, get back to the Mexican Restaurant and wait for me out of site around back. I’ll swing by there and pick you up.”

  With that I hold my AR at the low ready and take off at a run across the street to where the truck is. I walk around it to make sure it is road worthy and notice the old Airstream isn’t connected to the hitch. “Charles the camper isn’t hooked up. Should I take the time to hitch it or do you think we should go get a cargo trailer from the feed store.”

  “Hook it up we can go get another trailer later. The more we have the more options we have later. You have time there is no one around paying you any attention.”

  With that I start cranking the trailer down on to the ball of the hitch and in just a few minutes have it hooked up. I pull the wheel chocks out from the trailer and then start checking the exterior of the truck for a hidden key. Under the bumpers, inside the wheel wells, I am just about to give up and break the glass on the rear window when I have a thought. Laying on my back I slide up under the truck and start checking there. Nothing on the frames or cross members, one last place to check. I reach up and start to feel around the top of the fuel tank and find what I’m looking for. Feels like some sort of duct tape with the distinct feel of a key under it. I rip the tape off and the key stays stuck to it. Perfect, I hold in my hand the distinct round door key of a vintage ford. This brings back memories of when all cars came with two keys one for the doors and other locks and one for the ignition. This must mean that the ignition key is hidden inside the truck somewhere. I’m about to slide back out from under the truck when my radio comes to life in my ear.

  “Dad stay where you are. There are 2 men walking towards the truck. I’m guessing they aren’t the owners but someone just looking to grab it like us. I see two side arms both holstered and no long guns.”

  I click my PTT twice to acknowledge without saying anything. I turn my head and can see two sets of feet and legs approaching.

  “Man, I’m telling you this old Ford will start, it doesn’t have all the fancy electronics in it like these new cars do. Once we get it started, we can high tail it out of here. The cops and Marshalls have more to worry about now than finding 2 escaped inmates. Even if we did kill those two cops to get away.”

  “I don’t know Bro I’m not liking it. You probably shouldn’t have smoked them like that. They was on their knees beggin’ and shit. We had their guns they were the ones in handcuffs, we could have just walked away.” Convict two replies

  “You still haven’t realized what’s going on, have you? This is the end of the world as we know it my man. And a couple of guys like us can have our own kingdom. Make the little people bow to us and shit.”

  “Really you think so. I mean all those books you used to read where fiction books and the Bad guys, guys like us always lost.”

  “Of course, they lost dumbass that’s why they were fiction books; in the real world all us strong guys win.”

  From where I am, I really can’t do much without making a ton of noise. I can’t even get the Carbine up to a good firing position because of the cramped quarters I’m in. At this point they are at the truck doing exactly what I was just doing. As quietly as possible I draw the 1911 and take aim at the legs closest to me. Hopefully Charles will back me up when this goes down. He is a great kid and I love him dearly, but I don’t know that his moral compass has turned as much as mine has. Let’s face it he is a better person than I am; he is going to school to be a youth pastor after all.

  The legs stop by the driver’s door and it looks like the person is beginning to crouch probably planning on climbing under same as I did. I can’t wait any longer I take aim at the right ankle and pull the trigger.

  BOOM! The large caliber handgun is deafening in the confined space and as soon as the hammer falls, I go completely deaf, I hear nothing except a sharp ringing in my ears and spots start to form in my vision. However, the leg and foot I was aiming at comes almost completely apart with the impact of the 45-caliber jacketed hollow point. The projectile completely mushrooms against the bones of the ankle destroying most of the small bones and cracking both the bones of the lower leg. The impact and resulting bone chips explode out of the foot shredding skin and muscle. As he drops, I pull the trigger again. This time I can just barely here the boom of the pistol, but still feel the concussion of the sound in my head. This round exited the muzzle just as he hit the ground catching him in the chest. I see the other guy fall his face towards me eyes lifeless an exit wound obvious in his chest.

  “THANKS FOR THE BACK UP!” I say into my radio, more than likely way to loud, as I can’t hear myself. The spots are starting to get worse in my vision, “I think I’m gonna pass…….” The final word never leaving my mouth as the spots take over and darkness consumes me.

  Light begi
ns to filter in through my closed eyes, my head is pounding, and all the sounds around me sound muffled like I'm underwater. I’m sitting up but also leaning against something hard, and I have the sensation that I am moving. My memory of what happened starts to come back into my head. I must be in the truck. Suddenly the motion stops, and I try to open my eyes. The light is blinding. I can make out the house through the dirty truck window.

  “What happened?” I manage to ask although I can barely hear myself.

  “Oh, Thank God your awake! After the shooting you passed out. I had to drag you out from under the truck and lift you up into it. What happened down there?”

  “Let’s get in the house and I’ll explain in there. My head is killing me I need some naproxen.” I open the door to the truck and attempt to stand up. Vertigo kicks in, everything begins to swim in my vision, and I fall backwards back into the truck.

  “I’m going to get Robert to help me get you in the house.” Charles says

  Less than a minute later everyone is coming out the front door Sandy leading the way a look of fright and panic on her face, “Mi Amor, are you okay?”

  “I’ll be fine, just get me inside so I can sit down.”

  Robert and Charles each get on a side of me and with their help I manage to make it inside, where I unceremoniously drop into the recliner.

  Chapter 3-The Reunion

  Preparedness isn’t about how much stuff you can store, or how well you can use a radio. It is about a mindset that no matter what happens you know you will prevail.

  1045 12 September 2021

  Keller Texas

  “I was under the truck getting the door key when Charles informed me two guys were walking up on me. I stayed perfectly still hoping they wouldn’t see me, but I could hear them talking. They were escaped prisoners who assassinated the cops that were transporting them. One of them was apparently a fan of apocalyptic fiction novels because he knew exactly what was going on and was planning on using the EMP to enslave everyone and start his own little kingdom. I wasn’t going to let that happen, so I started shooting. What I didn’t take into account was the concussion of the forty-five in such a combined space. As soon as I pulled the trigger, I knew I had screwed up. I could barely even hear the second shot, spots started appearing in my vision and I could feel the concussion battering my brain inside my head. My hearing is starting to come back but everything sounds like it is underwater. And my head is killing me.”

  Elizabeth speaks up from where she was standing, pushing her way forward. “Someone hand me a flashlight.”

  Sandy disappears and comes back in a few minutes with a flashlight, a glass of water and two 500mg Naproxen. She hands the flashlight to Elizabeth and the water and pills to me.

  Pulling up and back on my outer ear Elizabeth opens up my ear canal where she can see my ear drum. Then looks at the other side.

  “Well, it doesn’t look like you damaged your ear drums. My guess is the sound waves in those tight quarters caused a minor concussion. Similar to what happens when a Flash-Bang goes off. You should be fine later today or tomorrow, but just in case no sleeping for the next 12 hours. Stay here in the chair till the vertigo goes away. Then you should be okay to at least move around some. No more supply runs for you till tomorrow at the earliest.”

  “That’s fine with me. I don’t feel like doing anymore today. But we do need to figure out how we are going to do runs.” I say

  “I have done an inventory of meds we are going to need for myself and George, Sandy you need to get a list together for Chase”, Mom speaks up. “Only thing I can think of is the Pharmacies, Doctors' offices, and the Hospital down by 35.”

  “I’ll get Chase’s meds together. We will also need antibiotics and pain meds.”, Sandy says.

  The front door opens unexpectantly. Elizabeth and Bob both have their sidearms pulled faster than I thought they would. I barely have my hand down to the holster by the time both of theirs are up and pointing at the open door.

  “WHOA, easy there.” Cynthia my oldest sister, with her two daughters Laura and Linda, is standing there. “We come in Peace. But you think we could get some water and a sandwich it is a long walk from Grapevine?”

  “Oh Lord I’m so glad you guys are here” Mom is almost crying. Most of her grandchildren are now together and safe.” Now, we just have to hope Christine can get here”

  “Crap, why didn’t I think of her, I was thinking so much about the kids and then supplies I totally forgot my own sister. I need to go get her.” As I stand up the vertigo gets me, and I immediately sit back down. “Okay, somebody besides me needs to get her”

  “Bob and I can go get her” Charles speaks up.” Dad give me your pistol and I’ll take the AR as well”

  “Okay,” I say as I take off the battle belt, which is a little awkward sitting down, “Take the Kawasaki. We need to conserve as much fuel as possible and the side by sides get the best mileage.”

  “Cynthia, meet our neighbors Robert, His wife Natalie, and their baby Alexandria.” Mom says in introduction to everyone.” This is my oldest child Cynthia and her two girls Laura and Linda. Thank the Lord you girls were in town when this happened. Cynthia where is Roger?”

  “He is in Miami” Roger is my Brother-in-law, “I am hoping he can find a way to get back to us, but I don’t know. He isn’t exactly the survivalist type.”

  I reach out from my recliner and take my sisters hand “Rog is the smartest person I have ever known and adaptable to just about anything. If anybody can figure out a way to get home, it is him.”

  She looks down at me in the recliner and smiles,” Thanks little brother, I left him a note where only he would look telling him we were coming here. I knew if anyone had a plan it would be Chase, so the girls and I packed up our backpacks with whatever we could carry and here we are. What is the plan?”

  “Well, the overall big picture is to get out of town and up to the farm. We have everything there we will need to survive long term. It should be far enough away from the cities that the hungry hordes won't find us. Short term we are scavenging and looting supplies to take with us to help us survive short term.” Sandy explains before I have a chance.

  “Sounds solid, what do you need the girls and I to do. We need to keep busy right now.”

  “Well, it would appear they have already found a job.”, I say as I point over to where they are taking little Alexandra from Natalie.

  “Which reminds me...” Natalie says” We are going to need baby supplies, Diapers, formula, baby food, etc.”

  “I for one am not looking forward to raising a baby in the apocalypse.” Robert says with a smile

  “They say it takes a village, and the good news is you have a village around you.” Mom says as she puts her arms around both young parents reassuringly.

  “Bob let’s go so we can get back; their apartment is only a couple miles from here so we shouldn’t be gone long.”

  With that Bob and Charles head, out the door to go get my other sister Christine, I am the baby of the family at 43, Christine is the middle at 48, and Cynthia is the oldest at 52.

  “Sandy grab a notebook and pen, let’s all talk this through and get a plan hashed out.” She returns in just a minute or two, so I continue, “This is how I see things going. We have three working vehicles so we should have three teams. Team 1 will be led by Cynthia; their job will be to hit the Hospital for anything useful especially medications. Get as many oxygen tanks as you can. The more tanks we have the less we have to run the condenser the less fuel we use in the generator. Team 2 will be led by Elizabeth; hit the doctor’s offices and the emergency clinic. You work doctor’s offices, so you have a good idea where they store stuff. Team 3 will be led by myself we will hit the pharmacies, Walgreens, CVS, Wal-Mart, and Sam’s. At those locations we can also stock up on baby supplies.”

  Sandy adds “It is going to start getting colder, we need to think about good winter clothes and stuff to keep us warm. The farm has the wood st
oves in the Barn and Cabin, but we can’t stay huddled around those all winter.”

  “I think I should take care of all the medical supplies since I am the only real medic here” Elizabeth pipes in

  “Excuse me miss high and mighty but I work in a hospital and I take care of a lot more patients with a lot more severe conditions than you do so shut up.” Cynthia says with pure anger behind her eyes.” Why are you even here? Who let the cheating witch join in this endeavor”?

  “Well for your information I was invited by Chase and your Mom. So, deal with it.” Elizabeth now getting in Cynthia’s face.

  “Easy you two we don’t need any fights among ourselves; we have to worry about the world around us starting to burn, we need to work together to stay alive and healthy.” Sandy says as she steps between the two women.

  “Can we get back on track? First item of business is medical needs. God knows this family has plenty of them. Mom make three lists of needed meds. To include any antibiotics, you can think of and give one to each of us team leaders. Second priority will be Baby needs. Third winter clothing and cold weather gear. Finally, more food and water.”

  Cynthia raises her hand, “This is all fine and good, but I have a couple of questions. One, how do we get all of this and ourselves up to the farm. Two, what do we do if we run into other people? We are going to be searching for and looting the same things others are going to be looking for.”