He looked up from his phone with a goofy smile and said, “Yep all done.” I walked over and slapped him on the back showing my gratitude. And went back to the living room to try and watch the news. I jumped on to the couch and grabbed the remote but the TV wouldn’t turn on. The only thing I could see on that blank screen was my own reflection. I tried multiple times but the bastard wouldn’t turn on. I hung my head in resignation as the words, “Shit!” flew from my mouth. Everyone gathered in the living room after hearing my little outburst. They all look at me and in almost perfect unison ask, “What the hell happened?” I reluctantly explain that the TV went out and now I can’t find out what’s happening. Raye’s smart-ass says, “Is it plugged in?” She goes behind the TV to check the chord. Then says, “Well, that ain’t it.” I place my hand over my face and shake my head back and forth. But a thought popped into my head. I told Queso to go into the basement and check the electricity meter. I also asked Nugs to go with him to fill up some extra jugs with water before it shuts off. They both haul ass to the basement. I urged Raye to check her phone to see if she still had service. The idea was if I couldn’t find out what was happening on TV social media would be my next bet. I glanced over at Raye who looked blue in the face and in a grim tone claimed, “I’m not getting any bars, bro.” My eyes grew wide and a sense of anxiety started to creep into my chest. I held my head in my hands and rapidly started tapping my foot on the floor. I heard Queso’s footsteps approach from behind me in a disturbed tone, “Anybody else's phone got service? Cause me and Nugs can’t get any signal.”he declared. He looked over at Raye and she shook her head then he looked over at me and I told him my phone got fucked up when I was in that car accident. Raye did a double take and glared at me so hard I felt like I was a little kid about to get my ass beat. She put both hands on her waist and in a coarse tone said,”You were in an accident and didn’t tell me?” The way her tone delivered the message made me flinch. I just felt like at any moment I was about to get hit. Nugs ran up from the basement and broke the tension hanging in the air, “I finished filling the water jugs.” She stated. We all looked in her direction and I felt a huge sense of relief. But Raye returned her gaze back at me and silently mouthed, “This ain’t over.” She walked over to her left and sat in the armchair with her arms crossed and legs folded. Looks like I managed to survive another day. Once the mood settled down between me and Raye I asked Queso what he saw on the electricity meter. He said, “Basically it’s showing that we still have power to the main parts of the house but for how long I don’t know.” Well, while we do have it we sure try to minimize how much of it we use. Queso, being one step ahead of me, went into the kitchen and unplugged all the non-essential appliances as well as turned off all the lights. Nugs walked over to the entrance to the hallway and turned off the light. Raye turned on the lamp that was on the table next to her. I turned on the lamp that was on the table next to me. We all sat silently for a few minutes in semi-darkness. I suggested that Raye, Nugs, and Queso should probably go wash up and get ready to call it a night. Queso went upstairs to use the bathroom up stairs. Raye and Nugs shared the bathroom on the first floor. I went into the linen closet and got some towels and washcloths for them to use and a change of clothes. While everyone was busy getting clean I pushed the sofa out from the center of the room back against the staircase. Got some blankets out of the linen closet and laid them neatly on the floor and tossed a pillow on each blanket. Queso came stomping down the stairs before I could even open my mouth he said, “What are we doing camping now?” with a half smile on his face. I cocked my head to the side and dryly responded, "For your information this is one of the tenets of the Survivor’s Commandments."None of the members of the group sleep alone; we all sleep together in one area.” I don't want to have to worry about us getting picked off one by one in our sleep. At least if something happens we’ll all be able to hear it. My brother made no further wise ass comments, picked the blanket he wanted to sleep on and went to bed. Raye and Nugs came out of the bathroom followed by a trail of steam. The two of them came into the living room, Nugs stared down at the floor then back over at me, “So these are our sleeping arrangements then?” I walked past them with an extra pillow and briskly nodded. Nugs chose to sleep on the blanket closest to the hallway leading to the kitchen. Raye and I slept on the two blankets in the center. Before we laid down we both cut off the lamps on the opposite sides of the room then walked to the center of the living room. As we sunk to the floor Raye nudged me, “This reminds me of when we had that sleep over a while back.” I gleefully remember when we were playing Uno and to make it more interesting we started betting money. But Nugs couldn’t win to save her life, at least not at first but she gradually got better over time. Raye started to laugh uncontrollably and we both heard Queso grunt in an annoyed manner. She tried to hold her breath to stop herself from cutting up any further. When she calmed down we both laid down and settled into the blanket. She rolled over on her side and peered at me through the darkness and muttered, “From now on no hiding things from each other.” As she spoke she held up her pinkie. I figured she was referring to the accident so as a show of solidarity I raised my arm and we both locked pinkies. I guess that put her mind at ease because she rolled back over and immediately fell asleep. I unfortunately did not have an easy time drifting off to sleep every sound jolted me awake. Every creak of the floorboard played on my uncertainties, the tree branches tapping on the window plagued me with endless doubts about whether or not we’ll make it to morning. I laid there motionless floating in a sea of my own insecurities and hopelessness. I could hear a faint voice call out to me in my strife saying, “Sleep so the body can be prepared for what’s to come.” I did not know who the voice belonged to or if it was just subconscious intervening. But the waves of my mind soon calmed and I was able to drift off into a sound slumber. In that moment I doubt anything undead or otherwise would have awakened me from my sleep. As I continued to doze I could hear the faint sound of shifting and footsteps gliding past me. Minutes later I awoke to the smell of bacon and freshly brewed coffee. I darted my eyes around my surroundings just to make sure everything was as it should be that I was as I should be. I lifted myself onto my feet and briefly stretched before striding into the kitchen. I was welcomed by the feeling of warmth and hearty laughter. Raye and Nugs were off to the side cracking jokes and Queso offered me a plate with a generous portion of bacon and eggs followed up with a large mug of coffee. He inspected me asking, “How did you sleep?” I sheepishly replied, “Better than I thought I would.” A faint smile appeared on his face as he went back to tending his skillet. I made room for myself on the kitchen counter and began to scarf down my meal. I felt like a vacuum cleaner just inhaling everything in sight. Nugs walked to the right of me and joked, “Take your time, the food isn’t going anywhere.” I quickly adjusted my posture and slowed my pace but in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but think of how many more meals I’d be able to enjoy like this at my own leisure. But once I finished eating and downed my coffee I told everyone to gather in the living room so we could discuss the next steps to our plan. We all filed into the living room taking a seat on the couch. I reached for the small box I had put to the side. Everyone stared at me, eyes filled with intrigue as to what I was holding. I opened the box and reached inside and pulled out a pistol, a BB gun to be exact. Raye eyeballed me and expressed her trepidation, “What do you expect us to do with that?” I looked at Raye and with an air of cockiness I told her, “I expect you to shoot it.” After my remark I hop up from the couch and tell everyone to follow me to the basement. I get to the entrance and flick on the lights and head downstairs and walk to the walk farthest away from the steps. I start digging through the box against the walk and pull out a roll of paper targets. And started taping them to the wall. Raye, Queso, and Nugs shuffled down the stairs as they came to the bottom, each one of them taking notice of the targets hanging on the wall. They all stood there silently, mouths hanging sl
ightly open. Queso pointed to the wall and exclaimed, “The fuck is this!?” I pressed my hand against the wall and replied, “These are targets you're going to be learning how to shoot.” Queso’s face lit up with excitement while Raye stared at the wall with a sense of uncertainty and Nugs just looked positively frightened. I walked away from the wall and put down a line of tape on the floor. I gestured to Queso to stand just a little bit behind the line. I gave him the BB gun and he started feeling himself. He cocked the gun to the side on some wannabe gangster type shit. I smacked him on the back of his head like, “What are you doing?” His slow ass says, “I’m about to shoot the target.” I thought to myself, “Not like that.” I stood to the side of him and started to correct his posture. I explained that you need to have a stable and comfortable stance that tilts you a little forward to manage the recoil from the gun. I tell him to hold the gun as if he were giving someone a firm handshake. You want to make sure the web between your trigger finger and thumb rests as high as possible on the grip. This helps contain the recoil of the slide moving back and forth. The next step is to focus on the front sight. Use whichever eye is dominant to help you focus on where to aim. Maintain your natural breathing and want to slowly squeeze the trigger. At this point I had backed off and let Queso take control. He pulled the trigger and was almost surprised that he had fired the gun. He lowered the gun and ran to examine the target. He started to jump up and down like a little kid that just won a trophy. He gleamed with pride, “Holy shit I did it!” I patted him on the back proudly but then added, “Next time try to aim for the head body shots don’t count.” He ignored me and continued to bask in his accomplishment. I took the gun from him and pushed him out of the way. I repeated the same steps with Raye. She was hesitant in the beginning but gradually took to it after a few tries. Nugs was a different matter even though she was basically holding a toy. She feared it like it was an actual gun she kept trembling and closing her eyes every-time she shot. After a while I decided it was time to take a break. I pulled Nugs to the side and was very blunt with her, “How do you plan to survive if you can’t even shoot the target let alone a zombie!?” She hung her head low and started to cry. She looked up at me, tears streaming down the side of her face. She gasps,“I don’t know why but this just terrifies me. I know it is not a real gun but I can’t bring myself to shoot.” I let out a perplexed sigh and I started to rub the back of my neck. I try to calm her down while telling Queso and Raye to go get lunch started. Once Nugs finally got herself together we both went upstairs to get some food. After eating and chilling for a bit I herd everyone back into the basement. We went back to shooting practice. I had everyone take turns shooting until they could consistently make headshots. But when it was Nugs’ turn to shoot I didn’t expect her to hit the target hell I didn’t even expect her to pull the trigger. I held my head in my hands then suddenly I heard the sound of the BB pellet hitting the wall. I quickly glance up and see Nugs in her stance. She fires again just in case I didn’t see her the first time. The pellet hits the target directly in the center of the head. I jumped up and high-fived Nugs. I asked her, “What made you pull the trigger?” She told me in a sinister tone, “I imagined someone I hate.” My eyes grew wide and I backed the hell up a little bit jokingly but not really. She chuckled at me for being silly and went to shoot the targets. Once we did a few more rounds of target practice. I had the three of them gather around me. Before I could even speak Raye asked, “Now that we know the basics. When do we get to shoot real bullets?” I looked at her honestly and told her, “Not until you have to.” They looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. So I went a bit more into detail. Another tenet from the survivor’s guide is “Don’t waste supplies unnecessarily.” Ammunition is a precious commodity that we cannot afford to squander. Especially because we don’t know how often we’ll be in the position to stock up again. I don’t want to get into the habit of being wasteful and that's with bullets, food and first aid items we may be in possession of. But I really wanted to stress that even though you guys know the basics of shooting. If you find yourself in a dire situation if you can’t land a headshot in three shots or less. I want you to run and find a safe place to hide. No point in taking unnecessary risks and there’s no shame in running away. Nugs could see how serious I was. My face must have looked like a knotted up pretzel. She stuttered, “B-But say we get in a jam and can’t run away what then?” I studied Nugs’ face and realized she was searching for a response that would put her at ease. But I realized that I couldn’t offer her that solace she was seeking. I had to hit her with a hard dose of reality. I let out an uncomfortable sigh then explained, “You may have to stand your ground and fight no other way around it.” Raye and Queso eyed each other then looked over at like I had lost my mind. And like always here comes Queso and his sarcastic wit, “So do you expect us to fight with our hands or do you prefer us to use our feet? Cause I’ll kick the shit out of a zombie the quickness.” I bit back at Queso, “No you jackass I expect you to use a weapon.” I walked behind the three of them to open a cabinet against the back wall. I swung open the doors and revealed a rather impressive cache of weapons. From machetes, to hunting knives, bats, and clubs I’ve got everything your inner homicidal maniac could ever want. I urged everyone to take a look and choose at least two close quarter weapons to carry with you. Raye pouted, “Why two that’s too much shit to carry?” I didn’t like her tone, almost as if she was above the whole need to survive. So I inquired, “What will you do if your gun jams, you drop it, or freeze out of fear?” Her ignorant behind replied, “Run like you said earlier.” I started to get really hot and frustrated like I was going to end up putting my hands on her. I hit her with a counter question, “Say you're in an enclosed space and can’t run away, what then Raye?”She looked away from me like a child that’s been scolded by a teacher in front of the entire class. But I wasn’t saying this to deject her but everyone needs to realize that once we face what’s on the outside we will be thrust into a lot of uncomfortable situations. She let my words settle then took another glance into my murder cabinet. I told everyone to pick things that feel good in their hands and aren’t too heavy to maneuver with. Once everybody made their picks there was one final thing I wanted to cover with everyone. I took the liberty of packing each one of us a military pack that we will travel with on the go. In the pack you will find a flashlight and two six packs of batteries for it. I also made sure we all had a first aid kit, everyone has been given a standard Glock 19 and ammunition, a map and compass, utility knife, MRE’s, a solar blanket, fire starter kit, water purification tablets, and two jugs of water each. I stressed that everyone should take the time to get familiar with what’s in your pack and modify it however you see fit to suit your needs. Everyone started to rummage through their bags, hooking on their weapons, water rations, examining equipment , etc. I walked over to Nugs’ who had been looking very green in the face up until this point. I kneeled beside her and she could tell I was concerned. She chuckled, “Is it that obvious I’m freaked out?” I retorted, “Almost as obvious as snow in the summer.” We both chortled but I told her, “That as long as we avoid taking unnecessary risks things should go smoothly I hope.” As I said that I crossed my fingers I couldn’t even convince myself that we would all make it out unscathed. She gave me a weak smile and said, “Gee thanks for the pep talk coach.” I slapped her on the back with all my might and yelled, “Anytime!!” Once our hallmark moment subsided I could hear Queso bitching and moaning that he was ready to eat and Raye followed suit by joining in his tomfoolery. I took this as a sign that it was time to wrap things up and had everyone carry their packs upstairs. The three of them swung their bags across their backs and jogged upstairs. I lifted up my pack and headed to the stairs making my way up. Before I exit I shutoff the light as I leave and enter the living room. Everyone was huddled over on the left wall near the entrance to the kitchen. Queso looked like he had seen a ghost. I've never seen him sweat so profusely. His
skin was so pale he looked like a white linen sheet. I could hear him start to hyperventilate. He covered his mouth and tried to slow his breathing. Raye and Nugs were huddled together in the corner, tears were running down Nugs’ face as she silently wept. I could see Raye mouthing something with her eyes closed. If I had to guess I say she was praying to someone. I locked eyes with Queso and he gestured to me to couch down on my knees. I lowered to the floor slowly once on the floor and started to crawl toward the wall adjacent to Queso. He pointed into the kitchen. I slowly move my head to peek around the corner. I see a figure standing in the middle of the kitchen. He looks as if he’s drunk swaying slowly from side to side. All I can hear are these distorted cackled grunts like he’s trying to speak but lost the ability. As I try to get a clearer look at the person. I accidentally bump my elbow against the wall. I quickly jerked my head back. I held my breath and pressed myself against the wall. At this moment there is no doubt in my mind that there is a foul undead creature in my kitchen. I hear the scurry of footsteps in the kitchen. It's searching for the source of the noise making more unintelligible grunts that carry the tone of questions. l glance over at Queso he stills shows signs of fear on his face but his breathing is less haggard. He slowly mouths, “How do we take this thing out!?” I see him reach for his back pocket and pull out the glock. I wave my hands hysterically at him mouthing, “Don’t shoot! Don’t fucking shoot!”
Apocalypse | Week One Page 2