She throws the dead man’s head into the blazing fire, and they attempt to make shish kabobs out of the dead man’s body parts. I want to vomit, but I do my best to calm myself.
The fire quickly roasts the dead man’s body parts. The smell is awful, and I bet the dead man’s flesh tastes just like chicken. It might taste like beef jerky. You could probably smell the stench of the dead man’s burning flesh anywhere in the forest. The animals must be running from the awful smell. The mysterious man takes his hand off my mouth. I look back at him, and I thank him. He does not say a word.
He’s a large man and sports a large beard. I ask him to tell me his name, but he will not tell me his name. I question him, but he does not answer my questions. He’s a total mystery to me. He slowly walks away as I stay still, and I have a feeling that he does not want to be followed. I watch him walk away. He must have been watching the camp closely for a while.
He eventually disappears into the forest. He’s my guardian angel even though he smelled bad, but he saved my life, and today is my lucky day.
I want to continue to observe the camp. These people are evil. They start to eat the dead man’s body parts. The men and women bite chunks of meat off the thighs and arms. They seem to enjoy eating away at the dead man’s flesh. The flesh looks like it was cooked medium rare. Some parts are a little bloodier than others. Blood drips down the mouths of the men and women. They smile at each other as they devour the flesh. I never witnessed something like this before. I don’t want to be their next meal. They are disgusting, and they make me sick. I want to kill them all. One of the men begins to howl like a werewolf. He’s as crazy as they come. He’s a howling cannibal, and I want to wait until nightfall to have a better look at their camp because I need to see how secure their camp is at night. I will sit and wait until it is time to move.
Nightfall arrives, and it begins to rain hard. They manage to keep the fire burning strong with gasoline containers in their possession. There are two men guarding the camp with guns. They also have machetes with them. They will never leave the forest since they look too comfortable, and I have a feeling that they will stay in the forest forever. I turn away and make my way home since I’m in no position to fight them. I plan to return one day to avenge the dead man. I didn’t know him, but cannibalism is wrong. There is no room for cannibals in the world. It’s bad enough that zombies kill people, and the world doesn’t need people to kill people.
I’m cold and tired. I can’t stay in the forest with the cannibals roaming around, so I keep moving. I make it out of the forest. I won’t walk back to the mall because it’s too far to walk back to. I find a restaurant, but it probably won’t be comfortable. It will have to do for the night. I walk inside and try to get comfortable on the floor. I seriously need to get some rest.
The night seems to drag on, and I’m shivering so much. I use my candles to keep warm. I can’t seem to fall asleep since all I can think about is to keep warm. The cannibals still torment my mind with flashbacks of the horror that I witnessed. I’m afraid they will try to devour me while I’m asleep. I need an attack plan, and I can’t wait to get back home since I feel safer there. I’m not feeling well, so I get up and vomit on the restaurant floor. It’s disgusting, and it stinks like crap. The cannibals left a bad aftertaste in my head, and I feel shivers. It’s a total nightmare.
Chapter 7
The morning is rough for me since I have the worst stomachache this morning. The inside of my mouth tastes like puke, and the sun isn’t shining. I grab my stuff, and I walk the rest of the way home. After a long walk, I finally make it back to my home, wash up and take a long rest. I will stay inside for most of the day to prepare the weapons, and I will make sure to load the weapons. I want to kill all the cannibals. They are like vicious wild animals, and the thought of them makes me sick to my stomach.
I organize the weapons; secure the house by boarding up some windows and placing weapons in different areas of the house. It’s been hours of hard work around my house, and I’ve achieved great progress. The night arrives as I sit by the fireplace and keep warm during the chilly long night. The only sound that dominates the house is the crackling sound of the wood burning. I feel like I’m about to fall asleep on the couch, so I make sure that the fire is burning strong. I keep a lot of weapons nearby so that if I’m under attack during the long night, I’m able to protect myself. I can’t afford to take any chances. There is no room for mistakes. There’s no one in this world that I can trust. The only thing that I can trust is an assault rifle next to me. A couple of grenades next to me can make me feel much better too. I can feel my eyes getting heavy, and it’s time to sleep.
I slowly open my eyes, and I didn’t sleep well at all, but I get ready for a long day. I should try to find a car that works. I will spend the morning trying to find a car. I need a car with a key and enough gas to get me around, and I have no idea how to start a car without a key to start it. I wander deep into the city, and I find a car with a dead woman inside it. Her head looks like it was cracked open.
I’m feeling lucky as I check her pockets, but there is no key to start the car. I check her purse, and I find what I’m looking for. It’s not the best-looking car, but who’s looking?
I pull the dead woman out and throw her body on the ground. I disrespected her dead body, but I don’t have time to be gentle. She was probably a bitch. I get inside the crappy car and start it. It seems to be in fair condition as I drive away. It starts to get cloudy outside, and I hope that there isn’t going to be another storm. I drive around the city, and I’m looking for others, but all I can see is death.
There are dead bodies all over the place. After driving in every corner of the city, I decide to drive out of the city. I take a long drive out to the countryside. It’s been a long drive into the unknown, and I notice a church on the horizon, so I will stop at the church to see if there are survivors living there. I figure there might be people trying to survive in a church of all places.
It’s possible that maybe people are praying for a miracle. The church is so far away from the city so I guess people in the city didn’t care for a church. People shouldn’t have to travel far to go to a place of worship. I finally reach the church, and there’s a creepy cemetery nearby. I pull over to the side of the road, sit in my car, and I wait for a few minutes to see if anyone will come out of the church. I get out of the car, and I walk slowly to the entrance with my assault rifle ready for action, since I don’t know what kind of crazies are in the church. I will have to keep my eyes peeled.
I open the front door, and I slowly enter the church. There’s an old man standing at the Lord's table. I’m assuming he’s a priest since he is dressed like one. He looks like he’s praying. He takes a second to look at me. He welcomes me inside, and he asks me to have a seat. I feel safe, so I lower my assault rifle, and I take a seat and relax.
The church seems unfinished as I observe a big wooden cross leaning on the wall. The wooden cross has nothing on it, and it doesn’t look like it’s attached to the wall. I spot used condoms all over the floor that look very crusty. It looks like the condoms have been there for a while since I see dust build-up on them. I question if the condoms are connected to this old man. I feel shivers run down my spine. I probably shouldn’t judge him because the condoms could have come from anyone. I suppose I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The whole world has gone crazy. The old man looks at me with a creepy stare.
“Do you know why you are here my child?” he asks.
I glance over at him and smile. I wonder if he knows about the new world.
“I’m not looking to confess my sins, but perhaps I should. The end of the world is upon us. How long have you been living here? Have you been outside the church? Do you even know what’s happening out there?”
The priest does not seem concerned about anything that comes out of my mouth. It feels like I’ve stepped into a different universe. There is something disturbing about this old man.<
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“We are in Satan’s world. All who have died have risen. Have you seen Satan’s work? They are amongst us, and they want your soft, young flesh. They can smell your sweet, warm blood, and there is no escape from the dead. I’ve been here long enough to know about the evil that lurks in the world. You are safe here, in my sanctuary.”
This old man seems crazy. Something messed up his head. It could be all the religious stuff he has been reading. People often believe what they want to believe.
“That’s an interesting thought. I question if it is Satan’s handy work. Should I call you Father? Are you truly a priest?”
“I‘m a leader of all who believe in me, but I’m not a priest. I got these clothes from a dead priest. I’m really comfortable wearing a dead priest’s outfit. I’m a leader in this new world. The dead have risen; they will defeat you, and they do not talk or have emotions. They shall consume your body until there is nothing left. They killed most of my kinsfolk and friends, and as long as you are here, you shall call me, Master.”
“You shouldn’t get into a priest’s outfit. It's completely disrespectful. How long do you plan to live here? Are you alone, Master?”
“I will be here as long as the dead walk the land. I'm not alone here. I have my twin sons with me. They are tending the sheep in the backyard. Come here, and let me show you around. I would very much like for you to meet my sons. I’m certain they will love to visualize a beautiful girl.”
“I would like to meet them. It would be a great pleasure.”
The old man shows me to the back of the church. We walk down a hall; he opens the threshold to the outside to a sickening sight, and the old man’s twin sons are outside with slaughtered pigs on the land. We walk slowly to the action. There’s close to a few dozen zombies at the gates that seem a lot more belligerent. They can’t come to any of us. The zombies are trapped within the backyard section of the graveyard. They are hemmed in by the gates that fasten them within.
The twins are feeding the zombies. The zombies seem to love eating the pig flesh. I need to figure out the old man’s plan. I don’t know why he would encourage this.
“This isn’t right. Why are they feeding the zombies?”
“I thought I would show you what we like to do, instead of telling you. They are absolutely fascinating creatures. We can learn so much from them. They were real people just like us. Watching them roam around helps the time pass. They can’t harm us here. Please try not to worry. The gates will keep them out. The world would be too silent without them.”
I’m disgusted with the sight of this. The zombies are sinking their filthy sharp teeth into the bloody flesh. It’s a slimy, bloody mess. They should be saving the pig meat for feeding themselves. I love bacon and pork, but this is gross. The twins nod at me as they walk inside the church. The old man shows me to a chair, and we sit down. We watch the zombies roam around.
“You don’t approve of what we are doing. I think it would be a tragedy to destroy them. We should be perplexing to know them, and consider if anything about them will alter. We managed to lock them inside the graveyard. As long as the dead stay inside the burial site, there is no need for fear. They are mostly harmless to humans unless you stimulate them. They can’t get through the gates. There is no reason to destroy Satan’s children.”
“You’re right, Master. As long as the zombies stay inside the gates, there is no reason for concern. I personally wouldn’t want them roaming around my backyard. This home is your refuge. I will honor that.”
“I’m pleased that you understand. You must be very hungry. We are about to have our dinner. My boys are preparing dinner as we speak. It will be a pleasure to have you eat with us. You’re a beautiful girl.”
After a long conversation, we walk back into the church. We enter a dining room. There is a big window next to the wooden table. There is a generous amount of food on the table. We sit down at the table, and I notice that there is a lot of pork on the table. There is also red wine for my consumption. Life must be good for them. Everyone sets out to grab a plate and help themselves to the pork roast, taters, and cornbread. I have to admit that this looks scrumptious. I guess they have a large reserve of food in storage.
The old man and his sons don't waste any time stuffing their faces. I start to stuff my face with the delicious food. I haven't eaten like this in a while. This church could be an excellent place to live, but the zombies need to go. I can get used to these hardy meals. There is a long moment of awkward silence. The twins are creepy looking. I hate to say this, but you can’t get any uglier than the twins. They keep giving me weird glances. One of the twins looks at me. He smiles warmly.
“I’m Ivan. The guy beside you is my twin brother, Kyle.
“Pleased to meet you,” Kyle stutters.
“Are there others like you?” Ivan asks.
“I’m Alice, and I’m all alone. I’m disappointed in your activities of feeding the zombies. You shouldn’t be feeding the zombies because they actually want to kill you. One of them almost killed me, and it tried to bite my face off. Do you ever plan on leaving this church?”
“My sons and I are more than happy in our church. We almost have everything we need. We are missing a beautiful presence.”
“A lovely girl like you should live here with us. There is not much out there,” Kyle stutters.
“I appreciate the hospitality. I should probably be moving along after dinner. I want to see what’s going on with the rest of the world. You won’t find that by hiding in one place.”
Ivan smiles meaningfully in my direction.
“We could sure use a girl around this place. I didn’t believe that there were any girls left in the universe. Kyle and I used to talk about our father finding another wife. The world does not seem to have much of a selection of women. Our father could use a wife, and we can be a family. You’re perfect for our father,” Ivan says.
“Still, the offer sounds really nice, only I’m a little too immature for your father. I’m way too young for him, don’t you think?”
Kyle has an uncomfortable look on his face.
“You’re not too youthful for our father. I doubt you would have ever dated someone who looks like me. You must have received a bunch of boyfriends before the Earth shifted. A beautiful young lady like you must have gotten hit on a good deal,” Kyle stutters.
The old man turns to me and grins.
“My sons are really loyal to me. They are constantly looking after my needs and desires. You should seriously think about it because this church is a nice home, with salutary food and honest people. We could use a nice smile around here. You should stay a while, and if you’re not happy, well…, I suppose you can be on your way.”
“That’s very kind of you to say, but I will think about it.”
“A young woman shouldn’t be outside all alone. You need people to support you. A little girl like you can’t survive out there all alone. My brother and I can keep you protected here. We produce a lot of crops, and you can have a husband. Our father is a great man. I think you should stay,” Ivan says.
“We don’t desire you to die. You will die out there. Oh, we can't have that now. You’re staying here with us,” Kyle stutters.
“I’m really uncomfortable with where this conversation is leading. I appreciate the dinner, but I have to be going now.”
“I don’t believe you realize. We aren’t going to let you leave this place. You are going to stay with us. You’re going to replace my wife, and treat my sons with respect. How long has it been since a man touched you?”
I stand up. Kyle grabs hold of me. Ivan approaches me and slaps—me hard in the face!
“What are you doing? Let go of me!”
The old man stands and faces me.
“Yes, we will let go of you. We will let you go when you change. My sons and I will need you now. You will stay here in my sanctuary. You will obey me, and you will do as I command. You’re a feisty little cunt. Don’t fight, accept
your new life, and let it be. To be honest with you, I was never going to let you go. You're indeed one in a million! You're a beautiful woman. My wife was taken away from me, and you shall be a fine replacement.”
“It doesn’t have to be like this. You can come with me, and we don’t have to stay here. I won’t make a good wife since I don't know the slightest thing about it. Believe me, I’m not wife material.”
“Stop talking, bitch! You speak a bunch of bullshit. You're a bloody liar! I don’t believe your lies, and you don’t fool—me. I'm not nearly as dumb as I look. I can practically see right through you. You will learn to show us some respect,” Kyle stutters.
“My sons and I will teach you how to be reverential. A wife will provide me with great pleasure. You will never want to leave this special place. Get used to it. Your beauty brightens up our home.”
“I can take you to my place for safety. I have more than you need there. You don’t have to do this. Please, please don't do this to me. Just let me leave!”
The old man laughs at me.
“Take her away and lock her up!”
Ivan grabs hold of me.
“Don’t worry. Everything will turn out just fine. We just want you to accept your new family. Treat us the way you want to be cared for. Trust me, you will be part of our family soon enough,” Ivan says.
“You’re making a terrible mistake! Don't make this mistake. Please!” You can’t have me! I’m infected! You don’t want to get infected!”
“Shut up! You bitch!” Kyle stutters.
The twins take me down to the basement. They cast me in a dark room, and the doorway is locked. This place isn’t exactly a classy hotel. The room has a dirty bed, no windows, and the walls that surround me are solid. There’s a musty smell, and the room is silent. There’s an outhouse for me to take a dump. That is very thoughtful of them. I will have just to sit here, and I will wait to see what happens. I spend my days in pure darkness since I wasn’t given any candles to light up the room.
Protecting Norman (Book 1) Page 6
