The Ridge (Book 1): After the Static

by Mihalko, Mark

  I

  February 15 (Continued),

  Eli, I need your father. Something is happening to me, and I don’t know what to do. As soon as I found some food, I could feel you become even more alive inside me. Your kicks, your turns, everything about you was different. Not to mention the pain became unbearable. I know you love when I grab an apple, but this reaction was pure insanity.

  I also found you some more vitamins before sitting down to rest. I can’t explain it, but I feel so different inside and I’m not sure how much longer things will stay this way. I don’t think you will be in there much longer. The pressure in my abdomen is creeping downward. I swear you think my bladder is a punching bag. I just don’t know what I would do if you decide it’s time.

  I still think I hear something in the back of the store. Luckily, I haven’t seen any signs of life come from that direction. I pray it is not one of those creatures; there is no way I could keep you safe if one were to appear. I keep holding out hope that it is Isaac coming back for us, but I realize that desire can only be a dream. Dammit Eli, must you continue beating on me? I’m trying my best here given the circumstances and I have no idea of what else I can do to help you. I know you want your father to be here, but he’s not. I’m sorry, it’s just me and I’m doing all I can.

  Oh God, Eli, what’s that? This moisture, where’s it coming from? Oh God, the pain, nooooo, not yet? Help make this all stop!

  II

  This can’t be happening. There is no way Gabrielle can go into labor at the Wal-Mart. This really may not end well for anyone. I’m not even sure Morgan can help with this situation. I know she could help keep her safe or protect her from the monsters, but delivering a baby is something altogether different. This has to stop; I’m not ready to see what happens to Eli.

  With this worse case scenario unfolding, I wonder where our lone flesh eater is and whether his bond with Gabrielle is as strong as he has led on. Can he sense the pain and urgency coming from her cries? I can only hope so. When we last caught up with him, he sounded like he was near some type of open field searching for Gabrielle. I am sure he has moved on from there by now. But, where could he be?

  III

  (Click) Oh Gabrielle, what have I done? My heart has been shattered by my wretched deeds. I have tried in vain to stay true to you, wanting nothing more than to finally consummate our bond by sharing in the gratifications found each other’s flesh. The thought of your conversion stimulates every sense in my body. Please do not question my faithfulness to you with what I have done, as the aching inside my decomposing void finally seized control. I hope you can forgive me, as the empty visions of the carnal desire blinded my mind as my ravenous innards filled with rage.

  In the distance, I can feel you as you lay. Your tears of pleasure and cries of pain called to me, yet, his presence in the falling snow engulfed my sanity. Did you hear the last gasp of sin as I tore into his abdomen and drank from the scarlet streams that line the walls of his mind? He was delicious, and the warm taste of his beating heart upon my tongue was divine. I promise you though, I was gentle, and he only struggled for a moment. But, I will say, the sounds of his screams made everything taste even sweeter.

  Inside my dying shell, I can feel the virus calling for more flesh. My once beautiful dreams have faded deeper into the depraved depths I now call home. Why was I consumed by this strange infliction where the once forbidden cravings now run deep? While I can still feel love inside my lifeless heart, my desires are not only for your touch, but for the divine grey you harbor. I salivate at the thought of opening your veins and sharing eternity by your side.

  Sanguine tears fall from my sunken black eyes as storming emotions swirl inside the empty passions I hold onto. Forever was once near for us and our bodies perfectly combined as one. We were soul mates and lovers, conjoined best friends with our undying hearts beating forevermore. Why did I fall prey to this unforgiving infection and have God trap me inside oblivion. I know you warned me about the dangers involved, but my stupidity reigned over allegiance, but did I truly deserve this punishment?

  Outside the fervent screams and cries of the docile slaves overtake the bloodstained streets that surround me. I can sense it will only be minutes before more sinners close in for a final battle, their minds oblivious to the realities that lay before them. As I wait, my pulse quickens at the thought of my teeth tearing into another beating heart, the pulsating warmth and savory elixir stimulating every gland in my body. My guttural breath hastens at the thought of a life with you by my side. I know, if you are willing to experience the luscious taste of flesh and dine on the souls of the wicked, our love will overcome every obstacle that appears before us. I for one cannot live alone inside these nightmares much longer and I want to again share the memories of your depths, the Heaven along your curves, and the sweetness of your lips. Our reunion is near and I long for our next embrace.

  As I stand over the remains of my latest feast, I am torn by the desires I have for you. While I know my life is in ruin, I know my true feelings for you will never die. Will you save me and join me on a forbidden journey into flesh. I know you will if you just let me hold you again. Everything is different now, as my body craves every inch of your purity and nothing more. My eternity can only be found in your arms and until the moment we sanctify our bond, my soul will never be whole. (Click)

  IV

  So, it was you that devoured our scientist! You bastard, why would you do this? I wanted to be the one that found him and ended his life. All right, I may be jumping to conclusions as I have no real proof, but from the audio, it definitely sounded like our scientist when his pleas echoed through the room.

  I can’t believe what I just heard this recording was brutal. Between the screams and the popping of bones, the entire ordeal turned my stomach. Even worse were the gurgling, the unnatural gasps of putrid breath, and the raucous inhumane growls rising from the depths of the entrails and the pleasure; with every breath an outpouring of passion melding with a frenzied climax that is easily heard through the blowing snow. How could this happen? There is no way these two men should have crossed paths. From the past entries, I would have sworn that our zombie was near the house or the cemetery. From my calculations and interpretations, he should have been nowhere near the tunnel.

  It was interesting that he did seem to sense something with Gabrielle. I wonder could the man we have been following be Isaac. I know she has mentioned him multiple times in the different accounts, so I know he is out there somewhere. Plus, the connection that they seem to share seems more than a coincidence and I don’t know about you, but I don’t believe in such things.

  Now with Gabrielle seemingly going into labor, I wonder if Morgan has found her. Here’s hoping that she didn’t shoot first. With the way, she thought she was hallucinating; anything could be possible under the right conditions, especially if some of the side effects from her medication return.

  Damn it, someone is knocking at my door. I guess I will stop and pick up with Morgan when I get back from dealing with whoever is outside.

  Chapter Thirty

  “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death…”

  November 22

  After taking a night off last night in an attempt to drive these migraines and voices away, I woke ready to take on the world and this project. I will be the first to admit that the past few days have been a challenge. The emotional rollercoaster that is taking place within the confines of our story is having a grave impact on my ability to immerse myself into the characters. Between the death of our scientist and lovely Gabrielle going into labor, I am almost afraid to see what is next.

  I know I said I would get to Morgan before the pizza delivery guy rudely interrupted me (and it wasn’t even for me), but I think I need to veer off into another topic for a moment. I promise, sometime before I finish tonight, I will get to her and see where she is.

  That is when I realize that today was November 22, a fay that for many
will live in infamy because in many ways it is the day that America was truly brought to its knees by the globalist cartel and the deep state military industrial complex that is in full agreement with the globalist agenda. Today is the anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, one of the first outwardly anti-globalist world leaders and a true beacon of hope for America.

  While there are many sheep out there, that still believes the story that Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone gunman. The fact remains that there is no way this man could have worked alone to plan and carry out one of the most incomprehensible attacks on United States soil in the history of the nation. Even the Congress sub-committee agreed with that notion noting in a rather obscure publication that there were four shots at the president, not the three (including the magic bullet) contained in the Warren Commission Report. To me, the Warren Report should be filed in the same category as the fraudulent 9-11 Commission Report as globalist propaganda out to brainwash society.

  For those that don’t understand why Kennedy was dangerous and became a target for the globalist dictators out to control the world, all you have to do is look at some of his public statements and stances that went against once accepted doctrine. Kennedy was the first Catholic elected president and he was more conservative on some of the social issues than much of the more progressive left, he was extremely pro-freedom and pro-liberty standing up against the rogue elements within the CIA and other government agencies that sided more with the globalists that the American citizens, and of course, he had a large distrust of the Federal Reserve and was taking the first steps to rid the United States of their subversive financial controls.

  Yes, this may sound like random ravings from some insane writer caught up in breaking down what appears to be a globalist engineered zombie apocalypse, but it is all truth. His brother Bobby Kennedy knew the truth, and attempted to run for president to finish what his brother started and we all know what happened there. Yes, he too met an assassin that snuffed out his life with a bullet before he could achieve his goals. Incredibly, many believe (and there may be evidence) that his murderer, Sirhan Sirhan, was a Manchurian Candidate brainwashed by rogue elements within the CIA and FBI to carry out the deed.

  The ongoing cover-up of the truth behind the Kennedy assassination did not stop there. As soon as his son John started to build political capital and hinted at following in the footsteps of his father and uncle, his life too was cut short. In 1999, Kennedy was killed in a mysterious plane crash that still today has more unanswered questions than facts and left America waiting to hear the truth and longing for another family to rise to power and rebuild Camelot.

  One of the things that become clear to me when looking into these and other) events and a possible connection to what took place during the outbreak is the underlying presence of the government and their globalist partners. We know from the scientist that he has a background working with both black ops CIA research operations and the United Nations. Our zombie (Isaac?) escaped the World Health Organization facility and from the description, Morgan encountered a United Nations convoy. Why are these agencies here and why do, they hate the sovereignty of our nation?

  Maybe someday, we will be able to find out. If our new president has his way, the answers could be coming soon. For the first time since President Reagan (who was also shot in an assassination attempt) and President Kennedy, it appears that President-Elect Trump is against many of the agencies that the globalists use to control societies across the world. If he does in fact stand up to the United Nations and NATO, the elite will not like it and do whatever they can to take back control.

  It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out, if the highly coordinated and funded protests that have transformed our streets to scenes from the Twilight Zone are any indication of how these leaders feel, we are in for some long days. I just hope there that more people start waking to the corruption that has seeped into our government and will work to keep them accountable to the citizens of our nation instead of the international spawn looking to complete the construction of the New World Order.

  Fuck the New World Order and fuck the globalists they must be stopped! We must all stand up against them and make them pay for what they have done to our nation. Just look at what they did to the people outlined in this documentary of misery. No one should ever have to deal with the atrocities that took place over these dreadful days. No one may have suffered more than Isaac; he was infected and has had to come to terms with the fact he has transformed from a human to a flesh-eating ghoul full of illicit cravings and forbidden desires. I know when I last left off with him; I was a bit out of sorts. I wonder where he is now and if he is against feasting on a sinner.

  I

  (Click) With every step I take, I still cannot comprehend the repulsion I feel inside my veins. Everything is so vivid, blinding from when I was a much better me. I remember standing above you before I left that day for the first session. I remember your words, and playing witness to your pain as I left. I have no idea how you could you endure the hurt I put you through.

  The misery that was frozen in your eyes on that day stand as beautiful daggers of despair that haunt me still. Yet, the tranquility of the night echoes within me as a surreal nightmare that will never end. Now my heart cries out as I walk these desolate streets. I must silence the anguish and hope that our secret will remain safe. No one could ever know the bond we shared, or the destiny that we planned. If discovered, my sacrifice will be for naught.

  At times, the remorse challenges my resolve by slicing through my soul and filling my void with darkness. I am hopeless, and helpless within this reality that has poisoned my body. There is an unexplainable emptiness that wears on my façade, shredding the fabric of what was and destroying what could have been. No, sadly annihilating what should have been if I wasn’t blind to the darkness that surrounded my heart.

  Today, I must endure, as all of my thoughts of you entrap me inside the spiraling visage of my incompetence. The way my talons slid across his throat, or my razors tore into his abdomen. Oh, the way the river of sadness that flowed from his veins, it was magnificent. But, it was my lone tear drying upon his skin that shattered my world and woke me to the monster I have become.

  I know now lovely Gabrielle that my tears will never dry and my life will never be the same. I once had a love that stood as my foundation, which shaped all that I was and helped me through the blackest days. With that gone, what I have become?

  As I stand among the snow, I can feel deep inside my emptiness a strange turmoil rages surrounded by my penitence and sorrow. I am lost without you, without your touch and I often wonder if you will forgive me when we meet again.

  Why was it my hands sliced through the flesh? Why am I so afraid of the pain I still feel? I can see these will be questions that remain a just punishment for my failure and a life sentence within this decay. I should have surrendered my body to science and I should have never left your side. (Click)

  II

  I can definitely feel the emotions inside him. Whether it was Gabrielle or someone else, the love this man shared had to be strong. What would drive a man to make such sacrifices and subject himself to being a lab rat? Was it the economy or something else? I understand that many in America lost hope at some point over the last decade, but these feelings described inside these accounts are depths that are beyond desperation.

  I still can’t figure out what to think about this man. Is he good; is he evil, or a monster? On one hand, I feel for him and the pain that he has endured being transformed into a beast trapped in Hell on Earth. But, he is also a murderer and a cannibal, dining on the flesh of humans, quite possibly on some of the friends that I lost during the remorseless plague. Part of me wants to hate him, while another part of me wants to save him (if he is still alive).

  I hope that we can all stay safe and possibly see these globalist pigs pushed once and for all from our shores. We don’t need ancient bloodlines determining who lives or
dies, or who are rich or poor. We need to embrace the pillars constructed by our founders and fight back against people like Soros or the Rothschild’s.

  Speaking of battles, I wonder what Morgan is up to. I wonder if she has found Gabrielle.

  III

  What the fuck is happening up there? I swear I hear both screaming and crying coming from the front of the store. Luckily, it isn’t those godforsaken moans that continue to echo through my head. I can’t stand them, or the damn smell. Those creatures smell like shit.

  There she is, and she looks to be alone. I wonder what is wrong. Hopefully, it is nothing more than exhaustion and fear. I really don’t want to deal with anything more that that right now. I don’t think I have the strength and I don’t really want to put another life in my hands. We all saw how that turned out with Esther.

  Maybe if I can get a little closer without being seen, I can find out some more information before I decide whether I should make myself known. At least now, I have more than enough ammo to keep me safe and I want to keep it that way. Who knows, maybe I’ll get lucky and she’ll leave before I get up there. It would be nice to keep this place to myself for a while.

  Oh God, I don’t think she is leaving on her own; it looks like she is pregnant, and, as I get closer, and it looks like she is in labor. Fuck, I can’t deliver a baby; I don’t even like children. Just the sight of a baby sends chills down my spine and turns my stomach. Fuck, what am I going to do? Fuck!

  IV

  Well, that sucks. Who would have thought that Morgan would hate children? I definitely think that this part of our story is going to get a lot more interesting in the next couple of entries. I can’t wait to get there.