“Yeah!” the whole crowd exclaimed.
“You heard them,” Simon resumed. “Tomorrow at sunrise they’ll be back for our answer. Well, I say we’ll give them an answer they won’t forget. Prepare your weapons, everyone. Tomorrow, we have a battle waiting for us.”
The whole crowd exclaimed, in approval.
***
And so, everyone started getting ready for the battle ahead of them. Everywhere you looked, people were busy doing something, whether it was filling clips with bullets or cleaning their weapons.
Thomas and Julie suggested taking some defensive measures as well. And so, the townsfolk put poles with barbed wire tied to them in front of the gates. Also at Thomas and Julie’s suggestions, they put metal plates up the walls and in front of the gates, to protect them from the bullets. Others put metal plates in front of their houses’ windows. And some were cutting tree trunks and stuck them in the ground, as shields. Everybody, except for the elderly and the kids, was doing something to reinforce their town for the battle ahead of them.
Thomas was trying to stick a metal plate in the wall, but the damn thing was always falling. Every time he put it in the gap between the wall and the platform, it just didn’t want to stick.
“Stubborn bitch, stay upwards, damn it!” he said.
“Maybe I can help you,” a voice said.
He looked to his right and saw a blonde girl, in her mid-twenties, with blue eyes and a very pleasant face. She was as pretty as a flower. And Thomas immediately blushed when he saw her.
“What seems to be the problem?” she asked him.
“Well, I can’t seem to make this damn plate stick in the gap,” Thomas said.
“I can definitely help you with that,” the girl said.
“You can? I would appreciate it.”
“Of course!”
She took a few nails from a little blue, linen bag that she had on her hip and a hammer from her pocket.
“Now,” she said, “I want you to stick this stubborn bitch to the wall.”
“Okay,” Thomas said, after laughing.
He put the plate on the wall. Then, the girl put a nail on it and started beating it with the hammer, sticking it in the wall.
“I’m Melissa, by the way.”
“Thomas. It’s a pleasure. Thank you for doing this, Melissa.”
“I know who you are. I heard Simon calling your name many times. Nice to meet you too. It’s my pleasure to help you.”
She took another nail and started pounding it in the plate.
“So, are you ready for tomorrow?” Melissa asked.
“Definitely,” Thomas answered. “I can’t wait to kill the son of a bitch that took everything from me.”
“Yeah, I heard what he did to you in Fullerton. I’m sorry. My condolences. No one deserves to die like your family did.”
“Except for the one who did it to them.”
“Yeah, except him.”
Melissa took another nail and pounded it in the plate.
“Twenty years ago,” Thomas said, “his father killed my parents. My dad managed to put a bullet in his head just before his men machine-gunned him. And now, he wants to have his revenge on me for that.”
“I thought sons are not responsible for the father’s actions,” Melissa said.
“I thought so too. But apparently, someone disagrees.”
“So this isn’t the first time you’ve dealt with these assholes.”
“No. My quarrel with them started twenty years ago, when mom killed their leader’s brother as retaliation for attacking us one day while we were on the road. They tried to rob us and rape mom. But we managed to escape somehow, with our guns included, by some miracle, and mom wanted to take her vengeance on them. So she shot the leader’s brother right in the head. They have hunted us ever since, and it was hard for me and my family to face them. I was only seventeen, and Julie was only four, which made the situation even harder. I suppose it’s obvious how difficult it can be to be a fugitive with a small child on your back. Sometimes we would hide, sometimes we would fight, depending on the situation. It was hard for us to make friends as well, since mom and dad had this rule that said we couldn’t stay in one place for more than a week, sometimes even less.”
“Why is that?” Melissa asked.
“Some… trouble that we had in Buffalo a long time ago.”
“Oh, my God, I can’t believe it! You went to Buffalo? And made it out alive?!”
“I’m standing here, talking to you, aren’t I?”
Melissa took another nail from the bag and pounded it in the plate.
“You guys must have been some warriors, if you made it out of Buffalo alive.”
“When it came to my mom and dad, they would have stopped at nothing to make sure that me and my sister would get out of a bad situation alive and well. For me and my sister, they would turn into beasts. And boy, what beasts they were.”
“Until eventually, someone got them,” Melissa said.
Thomas lowered his eyes and sighed.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I… I didn’t mean it to sound like that,” Melissa said. “I apologize. I didn’t mean to…”
“No, no, you’re right. You don’t have to apologize. You’re right. Someone did get them, eventually. But not before they could get to their leader.”
“Warriors to the end, huh?”
“Yeah. Warriors to the end.”
Melissa pounded another nail in the plate.
“So you settled in Fullerton after they died?” she asked.
“Yeah, me, my sister and my back-then future wife stumbled across Fullerton about three days after our parents died. Initially, we wanted to obey our parents’ rule and stay for just one week, but then we asked ourselves how long are we going to be vagrants on the road, with no place of our own? So we decided to stay. Of course, the friendly locals also contributed to our decision. So… we stayed for twenty years. Until two days ago, when… when history ran its course, sort of speak, and we had to leave. You know the rest.”
Melissa put her hand on Thomas’ shoulder.
“Hey… you’re going to get this bastard and you will have your revenge. I know it, okay? I just know it.”
“Your mouth to God’s ears.”
Melissa took another nail and pounded it in the plate.
“Okay, that ought to do it. Now, it should be stable.”
Thomas yanked it, to see if it will fall.
“You’re right. It’s stable as a rock. Damn, you’re good.”
“You should see me cooking,” Melissa said, with a smile on her face.
“Well, what can I say… Thank you!”
“My pleasure.”
***
As he was lying in his chair, with his head full of grim thoughts, Simon heard three knocks on his office’s door.
“Come in!” he yelled.
The door opened and Thomas came in.
“Ah, welcome, Thomas! Please, have a seat!”
“Thank you, sir!” Thomas said, before entering the room and sating down the chair in front of Simon’s desk.
“So, what can I do for you?” Simon asked him.
Thomas approached Simon’s desk. In the light of the lamp on Simon’s desk, he looked like a ghost, ready to scare an unwanted visitor.
“Well, sir, you yourself admitted that your town is in numerical inferiority, compared to the rebels’ numbers.
“Yes, that I did. So?”
“So I was thinking that we can’t win the battle ahead of us on our own. In such small numbers, the rebels will decimate us. We’ll practically be cannon fodder.”
“So what do you suggest?”
“I suggest we call reinforcements. Ol’ Man Jackson, one of your citizens, said that your town is not the only one at war with the rebels. There are others out there fighting these sons of bitches. So why don’t we ask for their help in this? Unite our forces, join an alliance. Our chances to win the war against these scums will grow. Wh
at do you say?”
Simon looked at his face, illuminated by the lamp, for a few seconds.
“Ol’Man Jackson told you that?”
“Yeah, that’s what he said when we first met.”
Simon got up from his chair and started walking across the room.
“Ol’ Man Jackson is a dimwitted moron who can’t tell his head from his ass and who, apparently, lives in the past. This information is old, my friend. Ancient history old. Except for us, every town in the region within a hundred mile radius made peace with the rebels, or, even worse, decided to support them. You know… join the winning side. They supply them with everything they need to continue their waves of pillage and rape. It wasn’t their first choice, that’s true, but when they realized they have no chance against those assholes, they decided to make a deal with the Devil. Sell their souls for their well-being.”
“You can’t be serious,” Thomas said.
“I’m deadly serious, pal. We’re all alone in this god damn war.”
Thomas got up and said, with an irate voice:
“No, no, no. There has to be something that you can do. There has to be something that you can give to those towns in exchange for giving up their commitment to the rebels and switching sides.”
“Give them?! Give them what? We’ve got absolutely nothing to give. I have barely enough food for my town, not to mention others, our water has to be rationed, each one of the residents of this town has maybe, I repeat, maybe two pairs of drawers to last them for a week and one in three children dies of pneumonia every winter due to shortages in medications. What could I possibly give to another town? Weapons? No, sir. Those are valuable too. We need them for the war. No, my friend. My town has nothing to offer.”
“You could forge a trade alliance with them.”
“God dammit, man!” Simon suddenly yelled, while hitting his fist in the desk. “Did you listen to what I just told you? My town has nothing. We are as poor as hell. We use leaves to wipe our shit from our asses. That’s how poor we are. We are the shithole of the region.”
He was quiet for a few seconds and then he said again, this time more calmly:
“I know what you’re thinking, kid. Diplomacy. Politics. I understand that you’re thinking about the welfare of my town.”
“Do you, now?” Thomas sarcastically asked.
“Yes, I do,” Simon answered with a serious tone. “But in the game of diplomacy, one side expects something from the side it chooses to make alliances with. And my side has nothing to give to the other side. Besides that, do you really think they would give up a truce or an alliance that would allow them to live in peace, without fearing an attack from the rebels, in exchange for defending a puny town, of less than four hundred inhabitants? Huh… Keep living in the dream world, kid.”
There was silence for a few moments. Then, Thomas said:
“If this is how you see things, then there are high chances your people will be slaughtered tomorrow. Your town will be exterminated, because your people are numerically inferior.”
“My people will fight for every inch of this town. They will defend it with all costs, and they will die with their dignity intact, knowing that they did so defending their homes. Now, is there something else that you wish to tell me?”
“No, sir!”
“Then I suggest you go shut your eyes for the day. You’re going to need the rest tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir!” Thomas said, before turning away and heading for the door. When he reached it, he opened it, turned around, and said:
“So much for a leader.”
He exited the door and closed it.
He tried to go into his room, but he heard his sister’s voice behind him.
“How did it go?” Julie suddenly said.
“Bad. He won’t listen. He’s such a stubborn bastard.”
“Then I suppose this town’s fate is sealed. That our fate is sealed. Just like Fullerton.”
“Don’t you say that,” Thomas said. He came toward her and grabbed her by the arms.
“Don’t you ever say that again, do you hear me? Do you hear me, Julie?”
“Jesus Christ, Thomas, you’re scaring me.”
He started shaking her and told her, loudly, on an authoritative tone:
“We are going to be just fine, Julie. Everything is going to be just fine, you hear me? We’re not going to end up like mom and dad, you hear me? We’re not going to end up like mom and dad.”
Julie removed his hands from her.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Thomas?” she asked, scared. “Have you gone crazy?”
She turned around, but Thomas grabbed her by the shoulder.
“Julie, I’m sorry. I don’t know what…”
“Don’t fucking touch me!” Julie said, before brutally removing his arm from her shoulder and entering her room. Thomas looked down on the ground and sighed.
***
His mother was standing in front of him.
“You and Julie need to go, Thomas,” she said.
“Never! I will never leave you,” he told her.
He then saw his father.
“We don’t stay in a place for more than a week,” his father said.
“How long are we going to be on the road, dad?” Thomas asked.
“For as long as it takes,” his father answered.
Suddenly, they were in a house, with the rebels outside firing at them.
“I’m running out of ammo!” his mother yelled. Then, she said, while hugging them:
“It was an honor being your mother and your wife.”
Then, suddenly, he was holding a four-year old Julie by her hand. She was yelling, while they were moving away:
“No, mommy, I’m not leaving you!”
“You have to, baby, or else you won’t live,” their mother said.
“Thomas, protect Julie!” his father said. “You hear me? Protect her! Protect her! Protect her!”
***
He suddenly woke up. As he did so, he sat up quickly and started panting. He put his hand on his forehead.
“Jesus, what a nightmare.”
He got up from the bed and headed toward the window. It was still dark outside. The stars and the moon were visible on the sky.
“I wonder what time it is?” he said to himself.
He started getting dressed. He put his socks on, his pants, his shirt, his jacket and his boots. He then opened the door and exited the hallway. It was quiet. Simon and Julie were probably still asleep. So he decided not to bother them. He headed down the stairs and got out of the house.
Outside, people were starting their activities, as the torches were still illuminating the town streets. As Thomas was walking, he could see a young man hitting a rug with a broken tennis racket. Another man, much older, was carrying a wheat basket. At one point, he saw some children playing a game of tag next to the road. He then saw a blacksmith forging something out of a hot piece of iron. And further down the road, he saw three men cleaning and loading their weapons, no doubt in anticipation for today’s battle with the rebels.
Eventually, he saw a luncheonette to his left.
“I should get some breakfast,” he said in his mind.
So he headed toward it and sat down. Two torches attached to two poles illuminated the place. Five people, each staying on separate seats, turned their heads toward him as he sat down. Then, after about a second, they turned their heads back toward their plates.
He waited for about a minute, before he eventually heard footsteps coming from behind him. When the footsteps stopped right behind him, a woman’s voice said:
“What can I get you, kind sir?”
“Could you please tell me…”
He looked behind him and he was surprised to see Melissa, wearing an apron with blue and white squares, a pink shirt and a cowboy hat.
“Well, hi there!”
“Hi yourself,” Melissa said, just as surprised as he was.
“Smal
l town, isn’t it?” Thomas asked.
“Apparently so, yeah,” Melissa said. “So, what can I get you…Thomas, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Well, Melissa, what’s for breakfast today?”
“The freshest eggs and bacon you’ll ever eat. That’s what’s for breakfast today.”
“Perfect. That’s what I’ll have.”
“Coming right up,” she said, after writing the order on a small notebook. She then turned around and took a few steps.
“Hey…” Thomas said.
“Yes?”
“Could you tell me what time it is?”
“Sure,” she said, before walking away toward the kitchen.
Thomas waited a couple of minutes. Then, Melissa returned with a plate in her hand. She put the plate with the eggs and bacon on the table in front of Thomas.
“Here you go! Enjoy it!”
“Thanks!”
Thomas took a bite form the eggs. And boy, he loved it.
“Mmm! These are good.”
“I told ya you should see me cooking,” Melissa said, before winking at him. Thomas smiled at her.
“By the way, it’s seven o’clock in the morning.”
“Thanks!”
“Don’t mention it!”
She sat down in front of him and asked him:
“So, are you ready for today?”
“Absolutely. I can’t wait to kick some rebel ass. Although I must admit I’m afraid a bit.”
“Everyone is afraid when it comes to a battle. You wouldn’t be human if you wouldn’t be afraid on the battlefield.”
“What about you? Are you ready?”
“Oh, I have something to show you. Hold on a moment.”
She got up and headed toward the back of the wall. A few seconds later, she came back with an M-16 in her hands.
“This is my M-16. Thirty bullets a mag, three bullets per second. And she is hungry for some rebel ass.”
“I like your enthusiasm, really.”
“Oh, don’t tell me you’re not enthusiastic about this.”
“I am. But like I said, I’m also afraid a little. Aren’t you?”
“Of course I am. But not as much as I’m eager for revenge.”
“Revenge?”
Melissa sighed. She leaned the M-16 on the table and sighed.
“A year ago, me and my boyfriend were in the woods, looking for berries and mushrooms. We were all cheery, and in such a good mood. And just when we finished filling the buckets, a group of rebels ambushed us. They cut his hands and legs, they castrated him, and they tied me to a tree and forced me to watch as he dies in agony. He died…”
Dark Apocalypse: A Post-Apocalyptic Family Saga Page 20