After The End

by Melissa Gibbo

  As night blanketed our hideaway, the community was wakened for the evening’s travel. The vehicles were given an once-over and fueled up while the group ate. While we barricaded the children into the SUV and packed our belongings, we discussed our plans.

  “We’re going to break a big rule and go towards the National Guard base in Winter Haven; most likely it has a good number of fleshies roaming around it, but they’re probably manageable if we work together as a team with Cal and Daemon.”

  I gestured to our resident vamps as reassurance of their zombie-fighting prowess. Daemon struck a Charlie’s Angels pose. Both His mentor and I did our best to ignore it, but I still felt the smile creeping on my cheeks.

  “We aren’t going to try to clear the whole area, we just want to get near enough to see if the place is worth raiding or securing. Not being in Orlando outright, I’m hoping it wasn’t overrun too badly.”

  Everyone kept arming himself or herself and mobilizing for the trek; occasionally my words would be met with a nod or a weak smile. Aside from some snickering at Daemon’s goofiness, there was nothing. I sighed. Noting my frustration, Chase cleared his throat.

  “Guys, Squirrel is trying to get some input here; anyone got a comment?”

  It felt like watching an entire herd of deer stunned in headlights. I watched the blank stares for a minute before the truth of it hit me: they aren’t thinking about it.

  “Are you guys seriously just following no matter what the plan is at this point?” I blurted as fast as the realization could be formed into words.

  “Of course.”

  Several nods and shrugs followed the answer from Marley Guy. I turned my head thinking I’d see someone shake their head or something. I looked to Cal for guidance only to observe him rubbing his temples in circles. Our eldest member spoke coolly.

  “You people make me fucking sad.”

  People stopped prepping to leave.

  “She may be leading you, but you aren’t supposed to follow blindly. Squirrel is trying to keep everyone involved so that if something happens, you may be able to use something gleaned from the experience to survive. And you dumbfucks have chosen instead to become lemmings. Sheep follow directions unless it’s against their best interest, whereas lemmings will follow unto their own demise for lack of thought.”

  Nothing.

  “Does anyone have an opinion at least about this attempt to keep the group alive? Or a reason to agree or dissent? Anything to say, really?” He stared each person down, eyes beginning to shine with his fervor.

  “Yes, I do.” Sunny piped up as she climbed out of the truck and placed her hands on her hips. “I’m agreeing to go, because I don’t see another option that’s worth a damn. Chase and I are responsible for our own well-being but we aren’t dumb enough to think a group effort wouldn’t be simpler.

  If anyone wants to split up or try to go back and rebuild, I’ll go along if it’s a better choice. But I’m not going to run around the state forever hoping to find a perfect place; we have to make one. I’d prefer to just trust Squirrel and you to guide us.”

  It seemed like thunder rolling as a dozen people spoke simultaneously.

  “We can’t go back, the place was burnt down.”

  “I want to just keep moving until we find a better plan.”

  “Did Cal just call us dumbfucks?”

  “What about those gunmen; there could be more. Why shouldn’t we keep running?”

  “I thought we were going to the base for the winter and rebuild the old place in spring?”

  “Anyone seen my revolver, I could’ve sworn I had it in my pocket a minute ago.”

  I held my hands up in a plea for quiet.

  “Guys, c’mon we can sort this out fast, but not if everyone’s talking at the same time.”

  Troy let out a loud whistle.

  “Shut up. Let’s work and talk. We’ve made too much noise to stay tonight either way, so shut up.”

  “Thanks, Troy.” The herd watched me intently now. “We’re going to the base because it is one of the only things I could come up with. There may be items we desperately need to make it through the winter. I don’t think there are any others from that pack of marauders, but who knows for sure.”

  I shouldered my faded green duffel before checking my rifle was loaded and had the safety on. Closing the gate of the Chevy, I set my bow and quiver in the back since it wouldn’t fit.

  “I haven’t even considered if this base would be permanent or if we’d become the Bedouins of the Southeast or if we’d return to our old camp and rebuild. Those are all things we need to think about and decide as a whole. Think about that and we’ll hold a proper council after we’ve settled in at the base.”

  With a hand signal, we began to take our places in the low speed procession. The hours were passed in discussion of our future. Each hour we stopped to switch walkers and riders while the vamps checked in. Sunny took a turn walking beside her hubby — with her weapons and canteen only — after the Nurse admitted it wouldn’t cause her baby any harm.

  By 4AM it was time to find a new hideout for the day. I made a mental note that Cal hadn’t needed a donor since the battle and Daemon had needed only a little tonight. It had been more than a little awkward being his donor when twelve hours prior I’d been kissing Troy. Before the sun had set, I’d managed to clean up with a tin of water and some baby wipes; I didn’t want Troy’s scent on me in case Daemon could smell it.

  As we began our search of the first building we came upon, it was deemed unlivable. Apparently, someone had gone out with a blast; the decayed remains of at least forty people were strewn about the living room in various states of undress. A table laden with empty liquor bottles, drugs, and poisons sat in the center of the room. It was an altar to their final spree of excess.

  The front door was shut as abruptly as the stench reached our noses. Our lead group skipped the next two houses in case of contamination or infestation from the earlier scene. The fourth place was a nice town home with a large garage and screened pool. Finding the place cleared out and mostly raided of supplies; we set up camp for the day. Taking turns bathing in the pool lifted everyone’s spirits. Thankfully no one had taken the pool cleaning equipment.

  With an hour left until dawn, I met with several others to raid the neighboring house for any usable goods or vehicles. As soon as Seth got the door open, I could see the place was trashed.

  “Doesn’t look promising.” I commented.

  A scraping sound came from the rear of the building, drawing my sword out of its scabbard with a metallic ring. Cautiously, we moved towards the noise in the obscured rooms. Each room was clear until the kitchen. Up against the open fridge was the long dead body of a woman. She had gaping holes where bites had been taken and her tattered dress clung to the exposed ribs. Her neck and cheeks bore scratch marks and the small indents from children’s teeth.

  Nearing the putrid corpse, the head tilted towards my footsteps and the withered eyes fixated on me.

  I know that stare.

  I gasped as I remembered Lonnie and Amber’s mother and father leading them away from camp on Daemon’s first night.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  I closed my eyes as my blade cut through the side of her skull. I opened them as I jiggled the wedged sword out of the wound, shaking off the bits of cranium and hair onto the linoleum. The cadaver slumped sideways to the floor, finally deceased. I heard Chase whispering a farewell to our former ally and a prayer for her family. His words halted as the scraping continued to our right.

  Please don’t be them. Please whatever God or Goddess or higher power or spirits can hear me, just please don’t let it be them.

  I prayed to myself with each step. Turning the knob on the back bedroom, I eased the door open. With each inch the room’s contents were revealed: a stained sock monkey, some clothes, used bandages, a katana, empty food cans, and a child’s Sponge Bob backpack. Across the room Lonnie and Amber were scratching th
e metal closet door.

  Dried streaks of tar-like blood embedded with skin and fingernails coated the door - signs of the extended attempts. At the sound of the door creaking wide, they both turned. Lifeless eyes stared at me from cherub faces. Tripping over her broken leg, Amber lunged for us, making that guttural moan that echoes in my nightmares. Lonnie followed with disjointed steps, his only arm reaching with bone-tipped fingers.

  From the closet I began to hear sobbing as our party backed up to fight. Amber drew close to me, her open mouth missing half her teeth; I fought the rising bile in my throat and thrust my broadsword at her.

  No Tooth Fairy for you, Sweet-pea.

  “Dammit.”

  Missing her head, I’d clipped her neck and let her get too close. I took a large step back and put my hips into a diagonal swing. The sensation of steel driving through bone and flesh ricocheted up my arm as the little zombie was split from her ear through her chin; the blade continued the arc taking a chunk off Amber’s left shoulder and rebounding off the door frame.

  Lonnie was right behind his sister grasping for flesh. An upward slash tore through his torso releasing fetid organs and splitting the jaw. It wasn’t high enough, and the Dead boy stumbled nearer, the once vital pieces all swaying and hanging as gravity called the organs to the ground.

  Backing into the kitchen, I was able to move to the side. Lonnie paused and groaned as he was confronted with multiple people to eat. Chase lifted his axe and stepped towards the fleshie. Lonnie immediately charged him and slipped in the pool of infected blood. Chase’s swing missed the falling zombie and put a large crack in the checkered linoleum instead.

  “Ugghh.” He exclaimed as he tried to pry the weapon out of the floor.

  Lonnie started to crawl towards him and Seth pulled Chase back from the axe.

  “Watch out, I got it.”

  Seth’s spear point erupted from the back of the boy’s head, spraying the wall with gray matter.

  I helped Chase retrieve his weapon from the pulverized floor, trying to think of something to say.

  “So Chase, I’m afraid you almost lost the duel of the one-handed. We may have to reconsider the axe as your primary arsenal in the future.” I joked to keep from vomiting at the ordeal.

  He grinned, but it was clear it was forced. Hefting the axe onto his shoulder, he tilted his head towards the bedroom.

  “Should we go check that out or get reinforcements? Someone’s in there, but we don’t know with what.”

  I took a deep breath.

  “I’ll go in first, Seth stay to my right and Chase move to my left. I’ll pull the closet door and we’ll wing it from there. Okay?”

  My partners nodded and we got in place.

  I tugged at the door. It wouldn’t budge. The crying had stopped and now a whisper escaped.

  “H-hello?”

  “Look, we took out the three zombies; open the door and come out slowly. We don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Squirrel? Is that you?”

  It’s him.

  “Yeah, Paul, it’ me. I’ve got Chase and another guy named Seth here, too. It’s safe.”

  I put away my sword and took a step back. The door came loose and revealed the same mild man I used to know. Paul was now gray-haired, twenty pounds lighter, and a wreck of his former self. He was sitting in a mess of his own filth and empty boxes of supplies surrounded him.

  He must’ve been in here for weeks.

  My composure wavered and I propelled my rational mind to take control of my body. The acid from my stomach subsided and my pulse leveled out. I took a moment to focus on keeping my voice calm and even and my words simple.

  “Seth, please go get us some help. Chase and I are going to talk to Paul for a minute.”

  The spearman departed without a response and I knelt down to look the traumatized man in the eyes.

  “Paul, I’m sorry about your family. I know that you must have been in this closet for a long time and that this has been very difficult for you. We’re here to help. Do you think you can stand up?”

  Paul just looked through me and wept.

  “Everything was fine; for a long time it was fine. We raided and trapped and kept moving and the four of us were fine.”

  “I know, Paul. You did a good job. I know you loved them and you did your best; life is just really tough right now. We’ll give them a proper goodbye later, but right now I need you to look at me. Do you think you can stand up?”

  Chase squirmed uncomfortably for a moment before leaving the room. I heard him retching into the sink.

  “The winter was really hard but we did okay. Lonnie got really good at setting traps for meat and Amber helped Pamela with the gardening and gathering. She used to sing songs for us. ‘Tweet tweet little birdie hopping on the car, tweet tweet little birdie flying far’”

  The puking stopped and Chase returned. Together we listened to the broken man sing the little song.

  “I covered the bodies with some curtains. Can he walk or should we pick him up?”

  “Chase, I don’t think he can get his mind around what’s happened. Let’s wait for backup and go from there. Just talk to him for now.”

  “Hey Paul. How long have you been here?”

  I elbowed Chase and shook my head.

  Too serious a question for him right now.

  He seemed to catch my hint; The broken man just kept singing his daughter’s tunes as though he hadn’t heard the question.

  “Here little raindrops, make my veggies grow. Careful little raindrops, no storms though.”

  Hearing footsteps, we turned to find Seth returned with Daemon, Sunny, the Nurse, and Sindbad.

  “I got some help. How is he?”

  I pointed out the door to the other room.

  “Paul, we’re going to leave you in here for a second, but I’ll be right back. We’re going to help you out of there and get you cleaned up.”

  “Big dog plays with little pup, all dogs are winners. Nice dog helps us all, mean dogs for dinner. Play little pup pup, roll in the grass…”

  I met with the others in the kitchen.

  “Guys, he’s had it bad. Paul’s really screwed up right now, I think we should just try to keep him mellow, get him next door, clean him up, and have a simple funeral for his family. That’s all I’ve got, so I defer to the medic among us.”

  “I think this man is in shock. Sindbad didn’t signal infected, but he’s probably malnourished, a bit delusional, and possibly injured. I agree with your plan, but we should keep him away from weapons and the kids for now.”

  “Agreed. Here Seth.” I handed him my arms. “Chase, he knows you, can you help me with Paul?”

  Both of us disarmed, we slowly walked into the room and knelt at the closet.

  “Paul, I’m going to come in and get you to your feet. If you can, please stand up when I lift; if not, Chase will come in and help okay?”

  I waited for any sign of acceptance or resistance before moving. I rose and took a step into the narrow room, pushing debris out of my path with each step.

  “Can you kill me now?”

  I stopped.

  “No, Paul. We’re not here to hurt you. I just want to get you cleaned up and somewhere safe. I promise, we’ll have a service later today for Pam and the kids. I’m sorry Paul, but we’re here to help.”

  “No.” His eyes became focused as laser beams. “Kill me. I can’t do it myself.”

  I forced the memories away as he pleaded through tears.

  “Please, end it.”

  “No, Paul, don’t ask me that. Please.”

  I found myself shaking and crying as I retreated little by little out of the shrinking room.

  “Please Squirrel. I want to be with them. If I do it, I can’t be with them in Heaven. Please kill me.”

  I felt a hand softly pulling me back from the closet.

  “Squirrel, I’ll help. You go back to check the others.” Daemon rubbed my shoulder as he spoke.

&n
bsp; “Amber got bit first. Pam and I couldn’t do it, not to our sweet angel. And then when she turned, we kept her locked in the other room. Kill me please. I can’t forget; the memories won’t stop. Please.”

  Owen crying on the floor. Rocking back and forth, each sway punctuated by blood drizzling down his bandaged calf. “Rhia, please don’t let me become like them. I don’t want to suffer like Mom and Dad.

  “Squirrel, let me get you out of here.” The vampire eased me closer to the exit as I began to hear those memories come to life again; Hell in surround sound.

  Dropping my looted supplies and reinforcing the barricaded bedroom door. Ignoring the scrapes and moans from within while I change Owen’s dressings. “I can’t do it little man. I’m your big sis, it’s my job to look after you. Take this medicine, I’ll be back soon with some more food.” Wiping the tears from his face and the feverish sweat from his forehead, before going out to check the traps.

  “Lonnie heard a loud noise and tried to check on her, she ate part of his arm. I tried to get Pam to leave but she wouldn’t. Please end it; kill me. Pam tried to save Lonnie, but he’d already bled out. I wanted to run away when the kids started to eat Pam, but I couldn’t. Please, Squirrel. Please kill me.”

  “Stop it! I can’t do it. Please, don’t ask…” I dropped to my knees as those words overtook me. The past overwhelmed me as I felt myself rocking.

  I have to force it away. It’s over, I need to get in control. Don’t listen, just try not to listen.

  Powerful arms lifted me and I felt myself slipping from the moment and cascading through my recollections. I closed my eyes and fought to keep a hold of the present moment.

  “Why is she rocking? What’s happening to her?”

  “She’ll be fine Sunny. It’s her past. Take care of that guy, I’m taking her next door.”

  “I’ll be there in a minute to check her vitals.”

  Coming back to find that stranger hovering over Owen’s crushed body with a baseball bat. The door open and my parents destroyed. The man’s face when he turned around. Blood painting my childhood home as I lashed out. Jabbing my blade into him repeatedly and slashing off his limbs. Kicking and crying until my muscles ached and all I heard was my own shattered laughter and the coming rain. Passing out from exhaustion, ready for the Reaper to take me.