The Vermilion Strain : Post-Apocalyptic Extinction

by S A Ison

“It almost seems normal.” She breathed as she took a bite.

  “Yeah, it does. Once we get to the park, I figure we find us a place, lay claim and then empty out the truck. We can head back to the nearest store and maybe pick up more items that we might need in the future. Before your gas is gone. Once that’s gone, we’ll be stranded at the park.” Paadi suggested.

  “Good idea. It is a daunting and frightening thought, having whatever we have and never having more. We screw it up, and we’re dead. Let’s look for more gas cans. I want to try to syphon more gas, that should give us longer use of the truck.”

  “No more dead talk. Sound’s great about gas cans. Maybe swing by a gas station and pick up a few. Let’s get this place cleaned out and go to this wonderful place you’ve told me of. Let’s go find our new home!” Paadi smile broadly.

  Ӝ

  Paadi loved her coffee more than anything, except perhaps Dunkin’ Donuts. God, she missed those and the thought was nearly crippling, that she’d never have them again. She was glad that Emma had chosen this place. It was nice to sleep in a clean bed and one she didn’t have to make. Lancaster was a pretty city, despite the bodies that littered the ground. Though there weren’t as many as there had been in Boston.

  She’d had a fitful night, dreams of shooting that man had crept into her dreams. As had Shane. She missed her husband, her family and her friends. She looked over at Emma, who was giving Buddy breakfast. She liked the woman. They were about the same age. She could see that Emma had a kind and generous heart. She smiled at the dog. Police dogs were pretty loyal to their masters. It would seem that Emma had a way with Buddy.

  She wondered what their life at this park would be like. She was sure she could shoot an animal, not so much on butchering it, but she did know how to fish. Hopefully, they could raise crops, but she knew they’d have to pick up a hell of a lot of food supplies to last them until they got the hang of growing things. She’d not been prepared for this kind of disaster, no one had. The Vermilion strain was so virulent, it took her breath away. Who’d ever set this monster loose had no idea how very relentless the contagion was. Would they have unleashed it on the world had they known? Probably so, only a madman would have done it in the first place.

  Now, their lives were forever changed, so many losses, so much pain. She mentally shook the dark musings away. She couldn’t let herself get bogged down with negativity, that would kill her quick, make her careless. No, that wasn’t her. She needed to focus all her energies forward, into surviving. She had to help her new friend. If she didn’t, it would dishonor Shane and her family. She’d try for them, because she knew they’d want her to live, survive and thrive. Just as she’d want that very thing for them.

  FIVE

  Flynn felt the flutter in his chest. He was desperately trying to think of a way to escape. He didn’t want to meet this Casper character. He sounded like an overlord maniac. A smart maniac, but still, someone bad. The man had taken over Philadelphia with only a few people. How many people were left here? What gave him the right to take over? Where was the government? When were they coming? Wasn’t FEMA supposed to come in and help them? Where in the hell was all that planning that his tax dollars paid for? Christ. He just wanted to go to Amish country, find a safe place and live.

  Philadelphia was a dead city and it now had wild animals roaming. He didn’t want to end up as tiger shit. He looked over at the man driving. He’d not answered any of Flynn’s questions, just drove. They pulled up to a large building. They were on the back side of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Why they hell are we at a museum? He wondered. The man ordered him out and began to walk around the structure.

  “Casper lives all over the city. He says he might as well enjoy it.” The man said.

  “What’s he like?”

  “He’s a good man. He’s helped a lot of us. He keeps order. You know, there would be more bullshit going on, if it weren’t for him. He and his bodyguards.”

  “How in the hell can he be a good man if he skins people and won’t let others have food?” Flynn asked, unbelieving.

  “Hey, it’s a brutal new world now. Only the strongest survive. We’re all survivors. He just makes sure it’s a level playing field. He’s not that bad, just listen to him. I think you’ll be surprised. He’s started cleaning up the city, getting rid of the bodies. You know burning them. It’s actually starting to get better. Not as nasty.” The man shrugged.

  This guy is delusional, this place reeks, Flynn thought, but said nothing to the man. They entered the large structure. It was surprisingly cool in the interior. There was a strange smell, he wasn’t sure if it was stale air or the empty building and its contents. Ahead, Flynn saw a man, there were several candelabras around him and he was reading a book. His hair was a shock of pale gray hair and when he looked up, his eyes were milky. Then shock ran through Flynn’s body, like a live wire.

  “Cramer? Is that you?” He croaked, his step faltering. The figure looked up and his head cocked oddly to the side, then swung back to the other side. He squinted and stood up, stepping forward.

  “Flynn? You’re alive?” A broad smile split the man’s face and he rushed forward.

  “You’re Casper?” Flynn asked in a small voice.

  “Yeah. I died, or damned near. Rachael died, she died and rotted beside me. I’m a ghost now. Not really dead, but not really alive either.” He smiled oddly and shrugged. Flynn wasn’t sure he wanted to hug the man or run away. It was Cramer, but it wasn’t. The man before him had changed dramatically, in form, but also the essence of him. Had he gone insane?

  “I’m glad you’re alive Cramer, I tried calling you, and Roger too. Then the cell service died, then the power went out.”

  “Call me Casper, Cramer is no longer here. You didn’t try to come by? Me, I swung by Roger’s apartment. He’s dead. Everyone is dead, except for us. How do you like my city now?” Casper grinned, and it gave Flynn the willies.

  “Well, I was leaving. I’m heading to someplace else, any place else. I’m going to try to find a place to live out there and maybe survive as a farmer.” Flynn wasn’t sure why he didn’t tell Cramer about going to the Amish, something warned him not to. The less Cramer knew about his plans, the better.

  “Leaving? No, you can’t leave now Flynn, I need you. You have to stay here and help me keep Philadelphia. We got the food to last us for a long time. There ain’t many left here. I’ve been killing all the bad apples.” Casper said in a sing song voice and Flynn felt the hair raise up on his arm. Yes, something had changed in Cramer, something in his brain had died. He would not and could not trust this person in front of him.

  “I’d like to Cram… Casper, but I’d really like to go. It makes me too sad, too depressed to live in this place. If I could just get some food, I could be gone.”

  Casper’s face hardened and his milky eyes narrowed.

  “Sorry, that’s just not going to happen. You’ll be staying here, with us. We need good people to hold onto this place. I stay where I want, but you can pick a place and live, here in the heart of things. I want you by my side. I need my friends near.” Casper said with a tone of finality. Behind Casper, two large men came out from the shadows. They were hulking figures and walked to stand behind Casper. Those must be Casper’s bodyguards the other man spoke of. They too looked like they’d survive the virus. Their skin was mottled, from old bruising, just as Casper’s was.

  “We think you should stay; our friend Casper has asked you nicely.” One of the men smiled, a hand going to Casper’s shoulder.

  “Yeah, Casper is a good man, with a good dream. We’re helping him and you should as well.” The other man said, his face pallid and blotched.

  It must be the last vestiges of the busted capillaries. Flynn looked again at his friend, who was now a stranger before him. He didn’t want to stay here, he wanted out of this dead city. How could he get out of here without pissing this man off? He shivered a little, he’d have to figure something out. The
food here would last only so long, perhaps a few years, then what? He’d be in the same situation, but with no transportation out of this place except by foot. Not to mention, there were wild animals around.

  Should he go along with his old friend? Perhaps play along until he could get free of this city? He’d known no other home, no other way of life. If he were to stay here with his friend, he could eat, live another day. But for what and for how long?

  “Can I think about it? Maybe you can come too? Me and you, go find a place out there, where there aren’t a lot of dead? We could work and maybe have a family one day? Find a life away from the ashes.”

  “You can think on it, friend, but you’re not leaving here. I won’t leave here though. This is my home, my city. Here, I rule. I can’t rule elsewhere. Here is where I stay.”

  “I’ll stay for a while then, but I will leave one day. I hope you’ll come with me. This place can’t last, the food can’t last.” Flynn saw the smile spread across Cramer’s face. It gave him a chill, a disquieted feeling.

  Ӝ

  Brian shown the flashlight around the stores within the mall. It was eerily quiet. He’d just come from a clothing store, where he’d picked Cooper up clothing. The clothing were various larger sizes. He was headed to another store, to pick up more. Cooper wore a backpack filled with shirts and socks. Brian wore a larger backpack filled with jeans, sweaters and light jackets. The next store, they’d pick up shoes, boots and more adult wear. He’d have to get enough clothing to last this child and himself a lifetime. Daisy was happily sniffing around everything. Thankfully, there were no bodies in the stores. It was one thing he worried about with Cooper tagging along.

  It was an overwhelming thought. He’d picked up simple but well-made clothing, it was difficult, because most of the clothing offered was cheaply made with cheap material and wouldn’t last the harsh life ahead. He was guessing on Coop’s eventual size from his father, who was a modest five foot ten. He hoped that he got it right, especially for shoes. And winter coats, Pennsylvania was damned cold in winter and he was sure in the woods, it would be very cold.

  By the end of it all, they had accumulated quite an assortment of clothing. Hats, scarves, mittens. Those were found in the back, stock rooms, since it was mostly summer things that had been put out. His arms screamed with abuse as he carried numerous bags. Cooper was humming to himself, apparently, he was very pleased. He opened the back door and Daisy jumped in. In the back of the truck were more metal garbage cans along with fifty-pound bags of dog food.

  They were heading back to Lowes again, to pick up more wood, along with the gas tiller, seed packets and fertilizer. He planned to put up fencing around the garden, to keep the smaller rabbits out along with the deer. He pulled out and left the small mall, heading toward the large hardware store. He was also eating through the gas cans in the back of the truck. He was thankful that he’d at least had the forethought to store the gas. At least he didn’t have to drive home. That would save on gas as well. Tonight, they’d spend their first night at the Beach House, or home.

  He backed the trailer to the entrance to the Lowes. He let Daisy out, who went to sniffing around. Going inside, with Cooper, he stood for a moment to listen. He heard nothing. He didn’t think many people would be here shopping. Food would more than likely be their top priority. He got a large cart and Cooper climbed happily aboard. He pushed the cart toward the gardening center, his powerful flashlight shining down the dim aisles. It was the flashlight he used at work.

  He found an empty box and set it on the cart. He stopped by the seeds, he pulled them off. Tomatoes, green peppers, corn, zucchini, carrots, beans, string beans, and all other sorts of seeds he’d need to live in this new world. He wasn’t sure how to plant, but he’d seen enough videos to get him started. He was surprised to see canning equipment and stopped by to pick up canning jars, two pressure canners, strainers and other canning implements. He’d made notes and was glad he did, then a large grin spread across his face. There beside the lot were books on canning. He laughed out loud when he picked up Canning & Preserving for Dummies.

  He felt a heavy weight fall from his shoulders. He’d have to swing by and get materials for making racks. He’d need to store his food some place. He walked out to the outdoor part of the gardening section and almost fainted. There, on the shelves where pots of tomatoes and green peppers, squash, and zucchini, already growing in pots. Because the rain could reach them, the plants hadn’t died. He also saw six-foot fruit trees, peaches, apples and pears, along with a few cherry trees. He’d have to plant those, to ensure in a couple years, they had fruit. He laughed, delighted.

  “Looks like we’ll at least have some fresh tomatoes soon, maybe even some zucchini. And maybe some fruit in a few years.” He grinned down at Cooper.

  “I can help daddy. I can help.” Cooper squealed. It took a bit of doing, but they loaded up the trees and plants. He also found sets of lettuce and added that to the cart. He’d head to the farm and pick up the rest of the chickens, on his way to the park. It would be their last stop before they got to the park. He’d spend the next few days building inside the structure, making it habitable.

  Two hours later found him pulling away from the large store. His heart felt lighter. He had the beginnings of a garden; he had a dog for early warning and a companion to Cooper and he had hope. Pulling away, he headed for the small farm. He hoped that the eggs hadn’t hatched yet. He had a smaller gage wire for a brooder coop, to keep the babies safe from predators. The more chickens he could have, the better for he and Cooper. It was a continuing source of protein. He’d not eat the chickens, at least not until they had a heck of a lot more than seven or eight hens. He had so much to do and he wasn’t sure how he was going to accomplish it. Sometimes, it felt as though he were drowning. If he could get a few things accomplished today, he’d feel better about it.

  He spotted the mattress store and pulled in. He left Coop in the truck with Daisy and ran into the store. He came back out with a twin mattress and put it into the trailer. Going back in, he picked up the box spring. On the next go around, he picked up bedframes, to keep the beds off the floor. Then he picked up a full-size mattress. He needed a bit more room than a twin could provide. He was about to leave the store when he looked at the leather loveseat, where customers could sit and wait. He shrugged. He’d need some place to sit in the evenings. Why not?

  He dragged the loveseat out; it wasn’t that heavy and he easily put it into the trailer. He smiled. Check out sure was a lot easier these days. He pulled away from the mattress store satisfied. He noted the Walmart up the road, that would be for future plundering. He sped along the highway and turned off the exit to the small farm. Before he pulled into the long drive, he slowed down. There was a car parked in the yard. Someone was there. He cursed softly under his breath. He’d just have to make do with the chickens he had. Perhaps he’d swing by another farm and pick up more. He drove past the farm and drove on for another few miles. Off in the distance, he saw another farm house. He slowed down and pulled into the drive. He beeped his horn several times, waiting silently.

  Cooper lifted himself as far as he could and looked out of the window. It was quiet. Brian beeped once more before getting out of the truck.

  “Stay in here Coop. I’ll be right back.” Brian instructed softly. Daisy sniffed the air but her tail was not wagging.

  He could smell the distinct scent of putrefaction and corruption. He didn’t go up to the house, but went around back. He found the coop, but all the chickens were dead. It was grizzly and he turned and walked away. This place was a bust. He got back into the truck and turned around carefully and left the farm behind. He was wasting time here and decided another day would do just as well for chicken hunting. He needed to get back to the park.

  Half an hour later, he pulled into R.B. Winter State Park. He drove around and then pulled up to the large structure. He sighed in relief, there was no one around and no one had bothered the impromp
tu chicken coop. He let Daisy out, who then went sniffing around. She sniffed at the coop and then ran off toward the water. Brian lifted Cooper out of the truck.

  “Stay close, where I can see you. Don’t leave the area, okay?”

  “Okay daddy.” Cooper pipped up and then went running after the dog. Brian grunted and kept his eye on the boy, all the same. He began unloading, and carrying the clothing bundles and suit cases into the structure, now home. It was large and would hold quite a bit. He’d have to section it off, but that could be done later. Once he got the garden in and trees cut down for future firewood, along with all the other things on his long lists. He watched Cooper playing by the chickens and was satisfied the boy had settled, at least for the moment. He stripped off his light jacket as the morning began to heat up. He unloaded the trailer and set the contents out on the ground. He took the beds into the house and set the fruit trees containers out. He felt the soil in the containers, it was damp, so he didn’t need to water them.

  With the truck and trailer finally unloaded, he began to assemble the wood for the new coop. He had a simple idea in mind. Tall enough to where he could enter, the floor raised off the ground, and chicken wire surrounding the whole of it. He’d also gotten dowel rods, for the chickens to roost on. The raised coop would allow the chickens to scratch under the structure in winter. It would also be large enough once the chickens reproduced more chickens. It might take a couple years to get a big flock, but he was confident they could do it.

  It would take a few days for to build the finished coop, for now, he began building an enclosure around the temporary coop. Cooper came over and helped him, handing him galvanized screws. Brian had his drill, with extra batteries. They’d been charging while he’d had the generator on at home. He figured he’d be needing all the batteries before it was all over. He’d seen solar panels at Lowes, as well as the inverters and deep cell batteries. Perhaps once he got things squared away here, he’d go back and pick them up. It would be nice to have the water pump running, so he’d have flushing toilets as well as the outdoor showers. Also, to have lights at night. He could also pick up light fixtures with the LED bulbs, so as not to draw too much power. He could even pick up extra panels and inverter, so if the others wore out or broke, he’d have back up. It didn’t hurt to have extra.