The Soul Eater (Chronicles 1): The Book of Roland

by James Master

  Ashley held out her pistol and waved it in front of his face. Starke felt scared for a second but relaxed when she didn't initially shoot him. “Roland said I could do this one.” She brought the gun butt up and down on Starke's head. His vision blurred then blacked again.

  *** 3 ***

  Roland and Ashley managed to find a workable car before the sunset. They stowed Starke in the trunk and hightailed it back to the construction yard. Ashley opened the gates watching when Roland drove through she promptly closed and locked them. Ashley was the first to suggest going back to the construction yard. She had pointed out that it was defensible against zombies and that they could get a better look as to where they needed to be heading. When she had caught up with the car they had hijacked, Roland opened the trunk and pulled Starke out of it. Starke woke up upon hitting the ground and looked around in a daze. Roland had his gun out and kept it trained on the bastard. A smile crept on Starke's face when he realized where they had taken him. Roland spoke before Starke could.

  “Alright, this is how we do it. Ashley goes up first, you next, then me. If any funny business happens when I'm climbing the ladder, Ashley will make sure you’re a holy man when you face your demon next.” He wagged the gun at Starke as an indicator to move. Starke walked, hands bound in front of him with duct tape, and tried to make conversation.

  “You just about nailed my whole life in about one sentence. You sure you’re not psychic?”

  Ashley climbed up the ladder shouldering the rifle and stepping back a couple of paces. Starke was a little slow getting up the ladder because of his bound hands. He tried to get Roland to unbind him, but Roland answered with a poke in the butt with the revolver's barrel. Starke looked at Ashley as they waited for Roland to get up the ladder. Starke stepped towards Ashley, but she lifted the rifle and Starke stepped back, hands in the air.

  “Were you invited to join the party or were you not old enough?” Ashley looked at Starke curiously. “What do you mean?”

  Starke smiled as he said, “The party Roland and Jessica had. You mean Roland didn't have a three way? What a waste.” Ashley kept her rifle up but slid her finger next to the trigger. Roland made it up and motioned for them to continue to the next floor.

  Roland looked at Starke, “Did your demon tell you that too?” Starke shook his head.

  “Nope. Saw it.” Roland looked at Starke and laughed. “I should have known you might have been following us. Your master probably wanted you to. Anyway, our destination is the top floor, that's about four or five, I think. I want to get some sleep eventually so let's get to it.”

  They made their way to the top floor and stopped there. Roland tied Starke to one of the small cement mixers that had been lugged up here by some poor construction worker. Starke tried to protest, but Roland took off his sweaty sock and gagged him with it. Ashley made a gagging noise and started to lay out her sleeping roll. Roland, done with Starke, looked out at the Indianapolis ruins with a sense of awe. They weren't high enough to be on top of everything, but he could see the stadium, mostly because it was lit up like a Christmas tree. Ashley stood next to Roland and saw the lit up dome.

  “That's where we are going?” Roland nodded, absently sliding an arm around Ashley's waist. Ashley, surprised, did not remove it, instead leaned into Roland.

  *** 4 ***

  Roland woke up with Ashley lying next to him. His arm was around her shoulder. He didn't remember going to sleep against the concrete wall of the building and remembered less of falling asleep next to Ashley for that matter. Roland didn't remove his arm but looked around to see if Starke was where they left him. Starke was glaring at him from his spot across the room.

  “Morning there, sleep well? Hope you did cause today is going to be rough.” Starke said matter-of-factly. Roland cracked his neck to the left and right. Ashley woke up with the left cracked and leaned off from his shoulder and blinked around lazily.

  “What time is it?” Ashley slurred. Roland guessed that she never slept up against a concrete wall before. “Bad night?” Roland saw her smile sweetly with her eyes closed as she yawned and he thought of how pretty she looked. He replied when she asked again, this time it brought him out of his thoughts.

  “Um, it is about nine o clock. It's about time that we get moving. We have a rough trip apparently.” Roland stood and stretched his back. Ashley held out a hand and Roland pulled her up from the floor. She cracked her back and walked over to the spot where the designated bathroom was and relieved herself. It was just Starke and Roland. Starke leaned his head down and watched Ashley walk off. “You know, she is rather taken with you, Roland. You know that? Even in an apocalypse, you find time to get your groove on, shagadelic baby. Very James Bond of you.” Roland looked from where Starke was to where Ashley had gone and shook his head.

  “You know Starke, you really are a bastard. I guess we need to talk.” He sat about five feet where Starke was tied up and stared at the man. Starke smiled, “What do you want to talk about old pal? Come to confess your sins?” Roland laughed despite who he was talking for a minute.

  “You know, you would make a terrible priest.” Now Starke was laughing and Roland couldn't figure out why. Starke stopped, tears blurring his vision. He looked at Roland and tried to clear his vision by blinking them away.

  “I’m telling you, Roland, you hit the nail on the head and you just don't know it, man.” Roland took a double take at Starke as Ashley walked out of the incomplete bathroom. “What do you mean? You couldn't have been a priest.” Ashley walked up to the two and sat down next to Roland, almost as confused as Roland. Starke laughed again and said, “Untie me and I will tell you my story.” Roland looked at Ashley, who in turn shrugged her shoulders.

  “I'm kinda curious to know how he came to serve a demon.” Roland looked at his watch and thought that they had one more day before the deadline Starke’s boss had set. Surrendering to his curiosity, he untied Starke's arms and legs and sat back on the floor.

  Starke rubbed where the duct tape and ropes had bound him for a minute or so and stood. Roland and Ashley also stood when he did, making Starke smile. He raised his arms up in the French sign for giving up. “I just have to go piss, maybe a shit. Haven't done that in a while. You don't happen to have any toilet paper, do you?” Roland nodded and drew his revolver.

  “After you Mr. Starke.” Starke laughed again and walked to where Ashley had gone. Roland stayed behind a good four feet. Staying outside the room itself, Roland kept an eye out for any attempts Starke might make to escape.

  Minutes later, Starke emerged with a relieved grin on his face. “Boy, that sure is a load off. Now when I tell you my story, you'll know that I am not full of shit.” Laughing, Starke walked back to where he had spent the night. He looked at Roland and asked, “Could you give me my water bottle in the bag you confiscated from me yesterday? I am feeling a little parched.” Roland eyed Starke for a moment and then picked up the bag Starke had on him. He rifled through the bag searching for the item he wanted and not what Starke had wanted. Not finding it, he looked at Starke with anger flashing in his eyes.

  “What have you done with my gun? Tell me or I break your finger.” Starke looked at Roland with innocence in his eyes as he replied.

  “What gun?”

  Roland knelt in front of Starke and with a speed Ashley has only seen a couple of times, he took hold of Starke's right trigger finger and snapped it. Starke howled in pain and tried to pull out of Roland's grip, but couldn't get any leverage from his sitting position. Roland switched to another finger, this time the middle right. “Tell me or I'll snap this one too. You want to masturbate one more time?” Starke stifled a scream. “Roland, you have to believe me, I didn't do...” This time his middle finger snapped like a twig.

  “All right fine, just please no more.” Roland let go of his hand. He took a water bottle out of his knapsack and set it on the ground next to Starke. Starke was holding his broken fingers and hardly noticed that Roland had give
n him something to drink. “You know, your brother was a saint compared to you, you son of a bitch.” Roland laughed darkly.

  “Then you should have killed me instead, huh? One last time, you sniveling asshole. Where is my gun?” Roland reached forward for another of his fingers, but Starke slapped them away.

  “The gun is with Jessica, part of the prize if you win tomorrow.” Starke sighed as he took off his bandana he was wearing and wrapped it around his two broken fingers. “Which reminds me, we are almost late for the grand event aren't we?” Roland silently agreed, not giving the bastard any acknowledgment. It took a considerable amount of time to get back down the ladder even with Starke whining like a baby, but they were back on the road on their way to Lucas Oil Stadium. Roland made Starke walk ahead of them with Ashley staying back with Roland.

  While they walked Roland started asking questions. “Hey Starke, you never said why you are pals with a demon.” Starke looked back and smirked at Roland. “Roland, does it really make much of a difference to you why I chose the dark side over being dead?” Ashley spoke first before Roland could.

  “Hell yea it does. Why would you do such a thing? Don't you have any morals? Don't you have any beliefs? What the hell is wrong with you?” Starke stopped walking and Roland thought that he might turn around and argue with Ashley or worse, that he might attack her.

  When he turned around, Roland was surprised to see that Starke did not have any smirks or glares, but instead was crying. He found an abandoned car to sit on and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. “When you have something that can be used against you, what other choice do you have?” He asked the question to Ashley, but it was Roland that answered. “What does the demon have over you?” He was curious, but at the same time tried to sympathize with the man.

  “It must be worth something awfully bad if you are willing to give up your fellow man for. So what is it, Starke? What does that monstrosity have?” What Starke said now shocked both Roland and Ashley.

  “My son, the demon has dominion over his soul.”

  *** 5 ***

  Roland figured that they all needed something to eat so they stopped at a Burger King for lunch. The three stood at the entrance of the place. Roland looked at Starke. “You get to be the lucky one to open the doors. Ashley, if there are any of those things you and I will take care of them. Alright?” The others nodded as Ashley pulled her gun as Roland drew his. On his signal, Starke opened the doors. Zombies locked hungry eyes on Ashley and Roland as they advanced on the duo. The line of sunlight prevented them from coming towards them. Roland and Ashley started shooting, dropping zombies left and right. Roland paused to reload, but sure to keep an extra eye on Starke. For his part, Starke didn't try and run. In fact, he didn’t try to do anything. Roland didn't think anything of it plus he didn't have a gun so he couldn't kill any of the undead. He began firing again as Ashley paused to reload and soon enough, the dining area of the restaurant was clear of any remaining undead.

  Roland looked over at Starke. “All right big boy, you get to go in and play the piper.” Starke looked at him like he was nuts. “No way man. I am not going in there without a gun. Give me a gun and I will.” Roland looked hard at the man.

  “Do you want another broken finger? If not, I suggest you play away Mr. Piper.” Starke gave another uncertain look but entered the building. Ashley looked at Roland uncertain. “What if he runs off?” Roland shook his head. “He isn't going to run off.” She looked at Starke's slowly vanishing form, then back to Roland. “How do you know?”

  He turned from Starke and the Burger King to the girl he had come to care for, perhaps even love. “The demon wanted him to find us. That's why he hasn't tried to kill us and he played another purpose.”

  “What other reason could that be?” Roland looked back to Starke. “The demon commanded Starke to hand over the revolver. Otherwise, he would still have it on him. No, that was Starke's purpose, he’s a messenger. You never kill the messenger.” Roland took a moment to laugh at the irony of it all.

  Starke was able to draw out five undead from the inside of the store. Each time he went in he brought out more and more zombies. Soon enough, he had more than twenty in ten minutes time. The last time he went in Starke was only able to draw out two zombies. Roland stopped Starke before he entered again. “That's enough Starke that should be all of them. Good job.” Starke, who was bent over breathing in deeply, laughed. “Never thought I would hear you say that Roland. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.”

  Ashley cracked a smiled, but Roland didn't. “You know Starke, you are still a jackass. Now let's get some lunch. We have a long trip ahead of us.”

  The kitchen was the exact opposite of the one they had encountered at McDonald's. It was filled with dead people and also the appropriate stench that accompanied them. Roland and crew decided that they would get what they came for and take it outside. After collecting their lunch, they walked down to a park that wasn't too far out of their way and sat down at a picnic table. Ashley was happy that there was a cool wind that swept between the high buildings and past them. The wind was a break from the abnormal warmth they had been experiencing.

  “Starke, is this warm weather the demon?” Starke looked puzzlingly from his triple whopper he had created. Between bites, he managed to say coherently, “Al Gore, not the demon. Global warming, lass. Better get some skimpier clothes.” Smirking, he gorged himself more on the burger. Roland almost thought to break another of his fingers, but he didn't want to ruin Ashley’s appetite.

  “Alright smart ass, start explaining how you let your child get snared by this demon.” Starke stopped munching on the remnants of his burger. “It is a complex and long story. I'll tell it as long as we can still walk to the Dome.”

  “It's that long of a story?” Starke smiled as he replied as if remembering some long ago memory. “Yes, lass, it's a long story.”

  *** 6 ***

  Father Winifred Waverly of the Church of the Saints located in Terre Haute, Indiana walked quickly to his weekly meeting. Every Saturday afternoon he held special confessions for all the sisters of the church. The last one, in particular, was the one that the father especially made an effort to be on time for. The sister's name was Anna Lynn. She was the father's last confession of the day. He knocked on the door to the sister's private quarters and was met by the sister in her habit. The father stepped inside without hesitation or any greetings. When the doors closed, he set his hat on the rack that hung next to some of the nun's jackets. She smiled sweetly at the father.

  “Good afternoon Father Waverly, how was your day? I hope it was pleasant.” Winifred hung up his jacket and turned to the sister. “Oh, it's getting better and better.” He slipped out of his pants and advanced on the sister.

  *** 7 ***

  Ashley interrupted the tale with an angry outburst. “You raped a nun!?” Starke shook his head. “It was consensual, absolutely forbidden, but consensual. She was young, I was lustful. It was not something either of us wanted to have happen.” Roland shook his head. “You are a priest?” Again Starke shook his head.

  “I was a priest. I no longer practice Christianity. It is because of my beliefs that this has happened. I abandoned the faith long before the demon was brought into our world, I just didn't realize it then.” Roland was about to press for more information, but Ashley laughed. “Wait a minute. Your name is Winifred Waverly. I thought it was Gary Starke.” Starke-Waverly laughed. “My parents weren't very nice when they named me. I was the fourth child and I was the only one with such a unique and feminine name. Even my sister had a manly name, Bertha, from the name Bert. I took this moniker when I was transformed when I called the demon into existence. Coincidentally, it was when your father and brother came into my life.”

  *** 8 ***

  It was January in Terre Haute and the winter had been an exceptionally hard one. Father Waverly was in his office preparing the next week’s sermon when a knock came upon his door. He set aside his pen, �
��Enter!” He saw the lad, only six or seven, open the door. The boy walked in wearing a white robe. Waverly recognized him as altar boy Steven.

  “Father Waverly, there are two men at the chapel, they wish to see you. They said it's urgent.” Father Waverly stood and nodded at the young boy. “Thank you, Steven, that is all.” The boy bowed and exited the room, closing the door behind him.

  The father was glad to see the boy so mature and intelligent. He was an orphan living at the chapel with several other boys. They made up the small orphanage the church handled. Steven was the first orphan to grace the halls. His mother died shortly after his birth and the father was unknown. The child was found by Father Waverly on the steps of the church.

  Father Waverly entered the chapel finding the two men sitting in the back pews. He noticed that one man was older while the other was considerably younger. When they stood and faced him, Waverly knew that the men were father and son. They were splitting images age placed aside. The two men walked into the aisle and the senior man shook Waverly's hand.

  “Hello Father Waverly, my name is Harold. This is my son Edward. We talked on the telephone earlier.” Edward and Waverly shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. He looked at his father with a worried expression and said, “Should we find a better place to talk, somewhere quieter perhaps?” Harold nodded and was about to ask the Father that question, but Waverly sat down in the pew and motioned for the two to sit down.

  “Don't worry, the chapel is empty this time of day and there are only sisters and the altar boys. They would never tell of the business we discuss here today anyway. Plus they hardly get outside the church grounds. So please, sit and we’ll talk.”

  *** 9 ***

  They were on the corner of Chapin and Third and already Roland could see the dome from where they stood. He guessed they would be there in an hour or less. Starke was still in front of them, but he was walking slower. Roland didn't mind that they were going at a slower pace, being only two in the afternoon. He looked over at Ashley to see her head cocked back thinking.