Sunshine

by Wenner, Natalie

  I couldn’t hear anyone on my floor, but it sounded like someone was wreaking havoc a few floors down. Maybe they would cause the whole building to come down and put me out of my misery.

  Could I really survive this? I was only five foot four and weighed less than 110 pounds. I could run and swing a bat, because I had been playing softball my whole life, but this didn’t mean I was strong. I may even go crazy from all the screams outside.

  While I was still sane I decided to leave a note for my family, if by some miracle they were alive and came looking for me. Their implants were working perfectly fine last I knew.

  Mom and Dad,

  I’m Ok. It wasn’t safe so I had to leave. Please know that I love you both. I don’t know where I have gone, as I am writing this before I make a plan. Be safe and don’t worry about me. Just keep yourselves alive.

  I love you, Emma

  I pinned it up on the fridge as if it was a grocery shopping list.

  The sounds below seemed to be getting louder. I prepared myself for flight and grabbed my bat. The knife felt too foreign in my hand. There was no way I would be able to stay hidden for a couple of weeks. My nerves would get the better of me. I needed to see what was going on. I needed to open the curtain, but it didn’t win in the stare down that in sued. Instead I sat down and tried to focus on staying calm.

  It was now day five in my apartment. The sounds outside were still horrifying, however, they weren’t nearly as loud. I guessed that they were killing each other off and spreading out. They might be territorial.

  I had yet to open the curtain. Instead I had tried to cover the windows with any object I could find as outside of my window was a fire escape. It had taken till the second night for my brain to make the connection that the windows weren’t safe. Somehow they hadn’t yet climbed it.

  I still had no idea where I was going to go. I didn’t have a map and I felt helpless without the internet. The power had gone out yesterday. Honestly I was surprised it had lasted that long. This also meant my food supply was now cut in half. I felt no guilt eating the whole cartoon of double chocolate chip fudge ice-cream.

  By day seven it became apparent I needed to leave. I was still alive, but this was no way to live. Maybe there was a safe place out there where humans were safe. I had to take my chances. I decided to take a peep out the window to check my odds.

  After removing the stack of books, I looked out the window only I was not looking out onto the destroyed city of Cleveland, instead my eyes focus on a redheaded woman with red bloody eyes, a missing arm, and a look of starvation on her face. She broke through the window instantly, before I could even react.

  I took a step back and swung at her with all I had. The bat struck her hard in the back as she climbed through. It had to have done some damage, but she acted as if nothing had happened. So I ran for it and shut myself in the bathroom before she got up. I had no other way out. She started to pound at the door and it was instantly apparent that the door wouldn’t hold. I had to get back through the door if I was going to survive. There weren’t any windows in here. I searched for another weapon and came upon my mirror just as her leg came through the door.

  How many times had I seen this in movies? I smashed the mirror with my bat and wrapped the biggest piece of glass in a towel. Of course my knives were by my bag in the living room. She was now nearly in. I started to stab at her. Oh the horrible feeling of it stabbing into her flesh and having to pull hard to get it back out. Or the sound of her screams as she got closer to getting in.

  Then with one strong push on her part she was inside. She was coming at me full force with her mouth wide open and ready to bit, her one arm flailing. I readied myself and swung the bat aiming at her head. The sound of the contact was disturbing. I could hear every bone crack as I smashed in her skull. And she fell limp to the floor.

  For one second I took a breath and I realized I had just killed someone. This person had a family maybe kids. Yes, I know the kids are now probably eating the face off their Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals and karate chopping their cribs in half, but still. This had once been a person like me and now she was a freaking maniac that I had stabbed to death. Holy bloody hell. Alright panic attack over; this was no time to linger. Get it together, Emma. I needed to get the hell out of here. Who knows how many of them heard this? Neither of us was anything close to quiet.

  I grabbed my bag, knives and bat, which had somehow survived with only a small dent. I leapt out the window onto the fire escape and didn’t look back. This was no longer my home. I regretfully took in my surroundings. I could see Jacks her and there, but mostly all I could see was red as there was now a layer of blood upon the streets.

  Chapter 4

  On the Run

  How I survived those first few months I do not know. I believe a lot of luck was on my side. I had to learn almost everything. At first there were Jacks around every turn. I hide in basements, on roofs, in cars, and once in a bank vault. I too short power nap throughout the day and traveled at all times of the day. Sometimes night time was better, because they tended to rest at the darkest hours. Gradually they started to thin and traveled in packs of no more than two or three. They often fought with frequent fatalities and were highly territorial. I think their fighting saved me, because they were so distracted by their own kind.

  I came to suspect that they group together because there was a little bit of a need for socializing still in them. They hunted when they got hungry or came upon a source of food. Unfortunately, I was on the menu these days as they didn’t mind cannibalism.

  The Jacks also had fits of rage, randomly destroying anything they could get their hands on. One second they would be walking down an alley the next they would be ripping off the nearest fire escape and sculpt it into modern art. I didn’t see much difference between a Jack and a wolf so I came to nickname a group of them “packs”. This seemed a bit wrong to me because it reminded me of one of my favorite books. If only these packs were a group of hot muscular men without shirts.

  I came across a family of other survivors in the beginning, but they turned out to be a little too crazy for my liking, so I left them after only two weeks. They were actually very excited about the whole thing. They saw killing the Jacks as a sport; “One hundred points for a head shot, only ten for the stomach”, “I killed it with a spoon. A spoon! Who knew?”, “Whoever kills the most today gets the last snickers”. I still felt pity every time I had to kill one not like I should win a giant stuffed banana. They did, however, teach me how to use a gun and even gave me a rifle when I told them I was going my own way. Oh course the leader’s son wanted me to hang around to repopulate he world. He had less teeth then I had toes, so I declined that stupendous offer.

  On my own I decided I wanted to find out what had gone wrong. After a month I became obsessed with finding the knowledge of what happened to society. I only knew what I had seen before the power went out. I wasn’t searching for a way to fix things or even destroy the Jacks, I just wanted answers. What the hell happened?

  I was currently driving a Hybrid, but it wasn’t easy to use. Most of the roads were covered with abandoned, broken cars, and debris. I was only driving right now, because the highway was surprisingly clear. I stopped at most buildings I came across. Well, all the ones that appeared to be safe or not burned down.

  There was very little information about what had happened in any of the buildings. The radio stations had a lot of stories explaining what had proceeded in those few days before society crashed. But they were nothing new, just different takes on the same event.

  The hospitals were where the real information was. They had books explaining how the implants worked and how to repair them. I understood very little, but at least it was something. I found a printed email on one doctor’s desk and it appears they had nearly figured out a virus that could be broadcasted to all devices and would have caused them to turn off. It would have saved us all, but the madness within got to them before th
e riddle could be solved completely. Apparently the programmers hadn’t thought of adding an off switch to start with.

  I read about how the implants were removed before it became an illegal practice. They had to insert a probe into the nasal cavity and hit a special trigger on the implant that then released itself. It was more of a key and lock situation. This became very dangerous though. I read one account of a doctor who upon failure of hitting the trigger his first try, became so enraged he stabbed the patient in the brain with the probe.

  I steadily became a very good fighter both with my guns and my bat. I still preferred it as a last resort, but I try to avoid being close to a Jack. Sometimes, however, you don’t have a choice. They are becoming easier and easier to kill as they become less and less human like, but it still affects me. I see that as a good sign; I haven’t become a killing maniac that takes pleasure in disemboweling monster or torturing puppies. Yea me for staying sane.

  Anyway back to the Jacks, you wouldn’t believe what a supersized dose of testosterone would do to someone, but it is truly grotesque. In the past eight months the Jacks have evolved completely into their own. It has become more and more difficult to tell the males from the females. It turns out the testosterone has the same effect on both sexes. The women are usually small with feminine features that can only be observed up-close. I can usually tell by the faint hint of nail polish on their toes. But both sexes are pure muscles and veins; imagine angry, starving body builders who have the mental capacity of a squirrel.

  I can only hope that all the hormones have messed with the females and they are no longer fertile. They would probably kill any child they birthed, but if it did survive, who knows what kind of monster it would be. For some reason I imagine it would be green and slimy.

  I’m starting to really get lonely. Humans are few and far between. I haven’t come in contact with any since the first family, but I see evidence of them here and there. I sometimes wish I hadn’t said no to my proposal from Jim-Bob Jr. Until I find other humans I’ll have to continue to keep myself company. I always thought I was pretty good at conversation, but now I’m starting to really get on my own nerves.

  Until then, I think I will just continue on searching for answers, as it is all I have right now.

  Chapter 5

  Stan’s General Store

  Sunshine and I have survived the first few months and it has been very tricky to say the least. In any normal circumstances this would be hard for me. I babysat when I was young, but I was never given full responsible for a newborn. Not to mention I once dropped a baby and every time I use to put kids in their car seats I would whack their heads on the door frame. However, motherhood has come naturally to me somehow. I’ve been gathering supplies from the houses I’ve been staying in and some stores.

  Thankfully I found a very small town that was once Fenton Pennsylvania. The main street has some mom and pop stores with living quarters on the upper floors. These are the best places to stay in my opinion. They have supplies below and the comforts of home above. Minus working toilets, I really miss toilets. If you’re prepared well enough, in area with few Jacks, it can be kind of pleasant.

  I’ve set up camp in Stan’s General Store. The area doesn’t seem to have any Jacks, although this scares me very much. If the territory doesn’t belong to any Jacks, then they will claim it as their own. From what I’ve observed they tear the place to shreds investigating. But it would be even worse if another pack comes into the territory if it’s already claimed. A fight would certainly occur and hopefully they would kill each other, however, the place gets destroyed extremely quickly in those situations.

  I’ve just decided to be extra careful. I’ve blocked all of the ways in, yet I’ve got several ways out if I need to make a quick getaway. All the supplies we would need are packed and ready to go. And as a last resort I’ve stored weapons all over for easy access. I thought of setting traps outside and distractions, but it is hard to scheme and set things up with Sunny.

  I’ve even set up a bedroom for us, including a crib for him. It took a whole day to get it in the house. Moving isn’t any easier these days.

  We have enough food and baby formula to last another month or so and I truly hope we will get to stay that long. This is the nearest thing I’ve had to a home since it all happened over a year ago.

  Sunny is doing really well. It’s like he can sense he was not born into a world of joy. He is a very quiet baby. He makes noises letting me know he needs attention and only cries as a last resort. He is constantly looking around with his big blue eyes. Apparently he can sense my tension and is on alert.

  His patience is greatly appreciated as I have no idea what the hell I am doing. I’ve gotten better, but those first few nights were very terrifying. It took a few tries to figure out how to put on a diaper. His being so small and fragile makes it only worse. It felt as though my every move was too rough and I would break him. But I finally figured he must be tough, being born isn’t a walk in the park.

  It’s truly a miracle that he appears to have been born perfectly healthy. Rosa tried to eat as best she could, but its slim picking when you’re alone and on the run with a growing belly. I don’t know how she did it as I myself have lost some weight since the beginning.

  Well we’ve been at Stan’s for quit sometime. Our supplies are getting lesser, but we still have a couple of weeks left. Sunny has really been growing. When he stares into my eyes something magical always happens. A new life flashes before my eyes; A blonde toddler with bright blue eyes taking his first steps, a young boy skinning his knees after falling off his bike, a teenager vying for the affection of his first crush, and a tall very handsome young man receiving his diploma from an Ivy League school.

  These are all the possibilities that I would have made sure happened, if society still existed. I would have worked night shift at McDonalds if I had to. This baby boy in my arms, my son, would have had the world. How many of those things were possible now? He couldn’t ride a bike. The jacks would get him. There were so few people in the world I doubt he would meet a girl and if he did she would probably be his only option. Maybe it would be Jim Bob’s daughter with only one tooth. Finally, there were no longer colleges of any sort, so I would become his teacher and a diploma from me wouldn’t mean much. I have a degree in biology so I’m no dummy, but my brain is on survival mode. I’ve forgotten all the Latin names of the animals and plants in Pennsylvania. I knew that knowledge would totally come into use someday, not.

  Today we explored the last bit of the town. The yellow house by the railroad tracks is the farthest from the store and it didn’t appear like it would hold anything of interest. However, it was the very opposite. It appears to have been owned by an older couple from the depression days. They hoarded essentials and a lot of canned food. The basement was full with shelves of canned good, but most were expired. They must have gotten too old to tend to their stock.

  The real gold was the weapons. I guess they feared they would have to protect their goods when the stock market crashed again. If these people hadn’t been so elderly when the initial wave of Jacks occurred I’m sure they would have kicked some major ass.

  They had a large array of guns and knives, but I really needed ammo which they had plenty of. I took several batteries as well, as I hoped to come across a signal on my radio someday. Not to mention the pure godsend of flashlights. I truly get giddy every time I find a new one. I fill every pocket with them and have to leave two behind, it feels like I am leaving behind two huge nuggets of pure gold.

  I’ve just finished my daily radio check. I check it every night before bed, but of course there was nothing. The preparation for bed these days isn’t easy. I go outside at sunset and look for any signs of oncoming Jacks. They scream nearly constantly so they are easy to hear, but that means they are nearby. I then check that all my guns are locked and loaded. The windows and doors are blocked.

  I’ve abandoned traveling at nights it’s just too hard
with a newborn. Sunny is all clean and ready for bed with a bottle in his mouth. Once he finishes I just need to clean myself up and get into bed. I don’t dare have any light on at night or make any sort of noise. The Jacks still have many instincts and they can hunt just as well as any normal human being.

  In a few months we are going to have to start going south as winter will be coming and without heat it would be nearly impossible to keep sunny warm. Last year I headed north when it started to get cold. The Jacks seem to run hot from the hormones, so they stay active in cold weather, but they still have limits. They aren’t smart enough to wear clothing or build a fire. So once it starts to get near negative they tend to hide away to keep warm. It’s the only time you can walk down a street or into an open field and not have to look over your shoulder.

  Sunny falls asleep halfway through his bottle and I set him gently into his crib. He’s surrounded by several stuffed animals I collected. I then make myself as comfortable as I can. Sleeping with a gun in your hand and snuggled with a softball bat isn’t that easy. I let my mind wonder. I’ve been having extra odd dreams lately. Last night I dreamed I had a sick kitten and when I picked him up from the vet he was now a box of French fries with eyes. Needless to say, I’m starting to worry that I’m losing it.

  I awoke a few hours later. Sunny must have been having a nightmare as he was restless and whining in his sleep. I debated whether to wake him or not and finally decided he needed to be comforted. It is what I longed for when I have nightmares these days. Maybe he too was dreaming about a blanket that liked to turn people into balloon animals. The second I touched him he opened his eyes and started to wail. He soon settled down, though, as he realized I was there for him. That’s when I heard something.