by Lee Jones
James brings a large duffle bag and starts unloading canned goods into the bag. Will steps into the back of the supermarket, “Hey there are boxes full of goods back here!”
Rochelle starts bringing boxes from the back and loading them in the vehicle. “We are going to need a larger vehicle than this to get this stuff out,” she says.
“Well whatever happened here they are not here,” says Zac.
They walk around on broken glass. Looking down Zac notices a trail of dried blood on the tile floor. “That’s not good,” he says to himself.
He follows the trail of blood and it leads to the back of the deli. The assault rifle of the SEAL is laying there, also some items he would be carrying with him.
He walks further up and sees a skeleton. “Damn damn,” says Zac shaking his head. “Hey guys I found them!”
Will walks in. “Whoa!” he says. Zac picks up the radio,”we’ve located the body of one of the SEALs. We’ve however have located the supplies.”
“Ten four,” is heard over the radio in response.
APOCALYSPE
As Rochelle is carrying a box outside to the car she notices movement in the distance. A car alarm goes off and starts beeping. “Hey whats that noise thats going to attract attention here?” says James.
Rochelle can hear in the distance something. It’s the sound of an extremely large horde of infected. Rochelle squirms her eyes and can see a wall of infected stretching for a least a while wide moving in their direction on the horizon. It’s the largest horde she has ever seen.
“Hey guys we have a problem, like a really big problem,” says Rochelle. She runs inside, “ guys you gotta see this.”
James walks out with her, “ holy shit! We need to get the fuck outta here.”
“I’ll grab Zac and Will we need to move now!” she yells. She runs inside to find them. “Zac! Will!
She spots them in the deli section and runs over. “The apocalypse is coming!” she yells. “Rochelle what the hell are you talking about? says Zac.
“The biggest horde of infected you’ve ever seen is heading this way!” says Rochelle. “What?!”
“Come, come we need to go!” says Rochelle.
“But what about the supplies? We really need this,” says Zac.
“I’m staying behind,” says Will.
“What?” Rochelle and Zac both look at Will in confusion.
“It’s my time, I cannot escape death any longer,” says Will.
Will sits down and starts to cry. “Listen Will I know it’s hard, but we really have to go,” says Zac.
“Leave me here! We all die eventually. I’m an old man my time is up,” says Will. Zac and Rochelle both grab him by the arms but he shoves them away.
Zac looks at Rochelle, “ Go get James I will meet you both at the car!”
“But what about?” says Rochelle. “Go now!” yells Zac.
Rochelle runs out, “James lets go we have very little time.”
Zac kneels down to look at Will in the eye. He hands him a pistol.
“Here use this, see you in heaven,” says Zac. Will is sobbing.
THE OTHER SIDE
Zac grabs some last minute boxes and supplies in his arms. The horde has now made it to the street preceding the parking lot of the supermarket shopping center. He gets into the car and slams on the gas.
Some of the horde attempts to follow the car but he drives off in the opposite direction.
Will is left sitting on the floor of the deli inside the supermarket. He is thinking about his life.
He is thinking how happy he was before the pandemic broke out as a retired veteran. The horde quickly reaches the supermarket and like a tornado leaves a path destruction in it’s wake. The horde gets inside.
Will holds the pistol to his chin just moments before infected reach him and he pulls the trigger. His body slums over. The infected run over and quickly rip his body to shreds. They surround his body pulling off body parts and eating, blood spurting everywhere.
The infected fight each other over fresh flesh to eat. Windows break and the building is easily damaged. Rochelle looks in the rear mirror and sees the horde. She begins to shed a tear.
“We did what we could guys, but he wanted it,” says Zac.
James is looking down feeling a moment of grief. He looks up and speaks, “We’ve lost a friend. But, we need to continue searching for food and supplies. Rochelle can see in the rearview mirror a fire has started at that building.
The horde is so massive, she thinks how did this come about?
“How can they act together in such a large group?” Rochelle ask out loud.
“I think the virus is evolving, we’ve never seen anything like this before,”says James.
OUTPOST
They have made it to a few miles out away from the giant horde. Their search continues without Will. Most shops like everywhere else have been previously looted. But they have little time and must make it back soon with supplies.
James holds up a list of supplies needed. They are sitting around a bonfire to stay warm.
“With as many people on the ship, and the other ships we need a miracle. Simply there is not enough we’ve found yet,” says James.
They have a can of beans and ramen noodles cooking over the open fire.
There is a full moon out. The crickets are chirping and the only lights they can see are stars in the sky. Rochelle is humming to herself to calm herself.
“Well I think we will find something give it until tomorrow. We still have the next town over to explore,” says Zac.
Rochelle is quietly looking up at the moon. She lowers her head for a moment and notices lights flashing in the distance.
She wipes her eyes and looks harder. It’s a morse code signal.
“Guys look over there,” she points in that direction. The guys turn around and see the flashing light.
“Morse code? Get me a pen and paper,” says Zac. Rochelle hands him a pen and paper. He begins writing down the pattern. Zac is scribbling fast trying to interpret the code. He is mumbling to himself.
Rochelle and James look at him.
“Wow, haha! we have survivors. They have an outpost with food, water, and medicine,” says Zac.
SAFETY
Zac, Rochelle and James are standing at the gates of an outpost. A safe house but much larger safe space to accommodate more survivors. A guard with a rifle stands up top with a spotlight smoking a cigarette.
“Hello! We are survivors, we saw your morse code signal a few miles away,” says Zac. The guard drops his cigarette surprised there are survivors. He turns to look at them, “Where are you from?”
“We are from Atlanta we’ve come a long way, we took a Navy ship here. Theres a ship off shore, they need supplies as soon as possible,” says Rochelle.
“At the outpost here we help our own, no one leaves until the infection has passed,” says the guard.
“We wish to enter, we are healthy no infection. I’m Zac, she is Rochelle and he is James.”
The guard stands and watches them for a few moments observing them. He turns behind him and signals his hand to another guard.
The gates slowly begin opening. Everyone looks at each other and smile.
SETTLING IN
The Outpost is a small town surrounded by fence and guards. The survivors appear happy, life seems normal inside it’s walls. Upon intake, Zac, Rochelle and James are assigned to a house and given duties for the community.
The whole community comes to their rescue helping out wherever possible. Later in the day they have a community service. The mayor of the community is John.
After the sermon Rochelle approaches John.
“We are new here, here, my name is Rochelle this Zac and James,” she says. “I see welcome you all to the Outpost. We strive to make this the safest community. You have something, how can I help you?” he says.
“We would like to thank you for taking us in. But we came from a ship off shor
e, a Navy ship. There are more survivors, they need food and supplies,” says Rochelle.
“Once you come to our community you cannot leave, we have everything here that you need,” says John.
Rochelle looks at Zac and James. John walks off and greets another survivor. “We need to get to those survivors,” says Rochelle.
The End…
Stay tuned for part 5 of The Undead Series.
THE GATEKEEPER
PROTECTOR OF THE REALMS
PART 1
BY LEE JONES
This story is being released in parts and will eventually be released complete as a novella.
INTRODUCTION
The multiverse is divided into
seven realms. Each similar but also vastly different. A
gatekeeper is tasked with protecting the portal between
each realm. The gatekeepers are an elite peacekeeping
force known throughout all the realms of the
multiverse. The Gatekeeper treaty ensures that no one
crosses into the other realms. A king of each realm
governs their world and it’s people.
ARMY OF DESTRUCTION
In the second realm an army has just invaded a portal. An army of darkness and mass destruction. The soldiers are coming through the portal one by one. Some foot soldiers with swords or bows, and some riding on top of large dragons.
The gatekeeper of the second realm lays helpless on the ground. His body is lifeless and soldiers march over his dead body.
Archers line up in a row and pull back their fire arrows pointing them to the sky.
The commander of this army of darkness is Artemis. Once a gatekeeper, he broke the code of the gatekeepers and went rogue. He has been building an army for years in secrecy. Today was the first step in his conquest. He is wearing an elaborate suit of armor in black, and a long sword attached to his hip. They stand perched on the steps of the temple overlooking a bustling city.
“Supreme Leader of Darkness, I just need your word to attack,” says a general. Artemis waves his hand to command the attack.
The general yells out to everyone, “ Attack!”
The archers pull back their bows’ and fire the arrows into the air.
The arrows fly through the air and hit on buildings. Fires are starting. The foot soldiers charge ahead in unison.
“We should overtake the city rather quickly, their army is rather weak,” says the general. The foot soldiers reach the city streets and slaughter as many citizens as they can.
Women, men and children of all kind running as fast as they can. The opposing army is small but has aligned its self in defense. They march towards the Dark Army in the street.
The archers from the dark army pull back their bows again and fire. The arrows fly through the air and hit the men of the opposing army, many bodies drop to the ground. Both armies’ foot soldiers charge at each other.
They clash swinging swords at each other.
Dragons fly through the air sweeping to the ground to pick up men then drop them from the air killing them.
The scene is chaotic and disturbing. Artemis and his general stand and watch from the temple steps above.
A messenger walks up to them and unravels a map of the city holding it open and displaying it.
The general points to a location on the map.
“We need to overtake the palace and kill the king. Once we do, you will control this realm and all it’s people.”
Artemis nods in acknowledgement.
The palace is fortified behind a giant wall. The foot soldiers have easily defeated the initial onslaught of the opposing army. They reach the outer wall of the palace.
Arrows fly over the walls and start fires on the inside of the palace. There is a large metal and wood door towering high several feet. The dark army pushes forth a large battering ram. In unison, they are chanting and push the battering ram into the door causing it to loosen the door several times.
The dragons fly over head trying to avoid arrows and drop heavy stones below inside the palace walls. The stones fall and instantly crush men.
One more push of the battering ram bust the door open.
The dark army soldiers rush in charging and attacking.
The opposing army runs and moments later a white flag is raised above the palace.
“Impressive,” says Artemis. He gets on a horse rides from the top of the steps of the portal temple through the streets below. He rides through the streets and the soldiers stand out of his way clearing a path. He lashes the horse to run even faster.
He rides inside the palace and walks inside to the main entrance. He stands in the middle of the room and waits.
“Where is he?” he says. A few soldiers come from behind the doorway with the king in shackles. They present the king to Artemis and the king kneels before him.
Artemis lifts his chin up to examine his face.
“I have taken control of this realm, I have no other use for you.,” he says. Artemis pulls out his sword from his holster and steps back a bit.
He swings the sword at the kings neck and decapitates the king.
URGENT MESSAGE
Zaden is new a gatekeeper tasked with protecting Alynthi, the sixth realm. He carries a long sword and stands in front of the temple gates. A wolf companion stands by his side. Having trained in the battle arts since a young boy, he now has achieved his ultimate goal. Having just been nominated to this post was his dream.
It is about time that Zaden should be relieved of his post, but his replacement does not show. Off in the distance he can see someone coming towards him.
A messenger arrives to the temple steps with a scroll. He unravels the scroll and speaks, “I have an urgent message for you.”
"Gatekeeper, if you have received this message, you are unfortunately the very last gatekeeper of this portal. We have been overtaken with a surprise attack in the other realms. We can not support you. We believe the next invasion will be soon. You must protect the portal at all cost.”
The messenger leaves. The news is shocking.
He is now left to protect this portal by himself. How big is this attack? What can he do to defend this portal? He thinks to himself.
CONQUEST
Artemis has now taken full control of more realms. They have now refortified their army and are ready to invade the next realm. They are inside a field tent looking over a large battlefield map laid on the table. All the generals and military leaders stand around the table. A general speaks, “They have a rather large calvary, if we can overtake that we can, break through their fortress.”
Outside it is a icy snow world extremely cold and barren. They are high in the mountains. A temple sits high atop the mountain where the portal is. The extreme wind blows the fabric of the tent.
Dragons await tied up outside to a post. Their wings are wrapped around their bodies to protect themselves from the cold. Horses are kept inside. The foot soldiers await inside tents around fires singing to songs to pass the time.
They are planning to enter the sixth realm. The general points to the map. “Just two more realms to conquer. Their numbers are dwindling we can easily overtake the portal. Once inside we will crush their army. First wave by air then calvary, then archers, then soldiers!”The general slams his fist on the table.
A horn blows and all the soldiers get out of their tents. The dragons are woken up and unchained. All the generals stand outside the tent to watch. The Dark Lord gives the wave of his hand to command the first wave of attack.
The portal is located inside a gated temple. The portal is spinning like a whirlpool.
The dragons stand up and flap their wings and lift off the ground in unison and fly into the portal one by one.
Next comes the calvary. Men in armor on horses ride through one by one. A commander stands by signaling each soldier when to go through.
On the other side of the portal in the sixth realm, Zaden is standing by. He is suddenly k
nocked over and watches a dragon fly through and into the air above. It bust through the gate. Then another dragon. They fly straight to the city of Flemery.
In the distance he can see arrows fly in the direction in defense of the dragon. More dragons are coming through at a fast rate. Zaden unsheathes his sword and turns around to stop the invasion. A calvary soldier comes through on a horse. The horse stands on it’s hind legs and Zaden swings his sword at it. The soldier is knocked off and the horse stumbles. He swings again and the soldier blocks with his sword. They are deadlocked with swords. Zaden is trying to push the soldier in a power struggle when a calvary comes through and knocks Zaden over.
