Land of the Dogs (Book 1)

by S. L. Rowland

  “How are you not one of them? With your face and all,” asked Simon. The scar that ran down his face would have been a nasty wound.

  The Mayor touched his face for a moment and seemed lost in memory. “It’s not like in the movies. Getting bit or scratched doesn’t turn you into one of them. Only if you die. That’s why I think it’s in the air. I mean, you can catch an infection or something from a wound they leave, but they don’t have a disease inside of them that spreads on contact. They turn people by killing them. Heart attacks, old age, it doesn’t matter how you die, but when you do, you turn.”

  “It doesn’t make any sense.” said Simon.

  “Things in life rarely do. What is your plan from here? Are you looking for a place to stay or are you just passing through?” asked the Mayor, getting down to business.

  “I’m trying to find my family. Well, some of my family. I know where my dad is, but there is nothing I can do for him at the moment. I don’t even know where to start looking.”

  “What were their names? Maybe they are here or have been through here. I keep a record of everyone that comes and goes through our little town.” The Mayor opened a drawer and pulled out a leather-bound notebook filled with a list of names and dates and a few notes on each person.

  “We are the Finches; my mom is Julie, my sister is Claire, and my brother is Dan.”

  The Mayor’s eyes went wide and he stared at Simon. “And your father is Harry, which would make you Simon.”

  “How do you know?” asked Simon. Did that mean they had been through there?

  “I knew you when you were little. Your dad and I used to be close friends. We played baseball together in high school. I was a year ahead of him, but he had some real talent. He told me you were going to be a star when you grew up. We kind of fell out of contact over the years, you know. Life happened and we went our separate ways. Your family moved in here about a year ago. Then your sister went missing and your brother and mother went searching for her, which was about two months ago. We don’t know exactly what caused Claire to leave. Her room was in order, nothing was missing. She didn’t pack anything. We searched the surrounding area for days. When we didn’t find anything, I gave Julie and Dan the supplies they needed to make a long journey, but that’s the last we’ve heard of them. They said they would come back when they found her. So either they haven’t found her yet, or they found somewhere better to stay.”

  Simon wondered what could have prompted Claire to leave without warning? She wasn’t reckless.

  “Are there other places like this in the area?” asked Simon. If he wanted to track them down, he would need to know where to start.

  “There were at some point. Over the months, we haven’t heard anything out of them, and we haven’t sent out scouts in a while since the sightings of people have become fewer and far between. But there used to be a setup in the high school in the next town over. And I know about a dozen people or so were holed up in Old Man River’s farm down south. Outside of that, I can’t really say. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like, but I can see that you are set on finding your family. I wish you the best of luck and hope your search ends better than mine.” The Mayor stood up from his desk and looked out the window into the gray. Simon could see the barricade. A new lookout was patrolling, hopping from car to car.

  “What happened to your family?” asked Simon.

  “That’s a story for another time.” He continued to stare out the window, reliving distant memories in his mind.

  “If it’s okay, I would like to stay the night and set out first thing in the morning, maybe talk to some people that are staying here.” Maybe he could find some useful information from the people who spent time with his family.

  “That’s fine. Like I said, you are welcome to stay as long as you like. You missed lunch, but dinner will be in a couple of hours. You’re free to walk around at your leisure; not everyone will be willing to talk though, these people have had it hard, some more than others. I’ll give you a room in building C, it’s the one to the left of this one. Go up the stairs and all the way to the right. Everything should be set up already. If I don’t talk to you again, good luck with everything.” He sat back down at the desk and shuffled some papers, signaling Simon to leave.

  “Thank you, you’ve been a real help. At least I have a direction and some of the facts now. Thanks again.” Simon gathered his bag and Slugger and left the Mayor alone.

  Along the way to his room for the night, Simon passed a young boy. The boy looked at Simon before continuing his game of kicking a ball against a wall. It must be lonely to grow up in a world like this, thought Simon. As Simon made his way to the end of the hall, he saw a woman sitting on her bed in one of the rooms. She was in her forties. Salt and pepper hair hung down to her shoulders. A blue blanket sat across her lap as she knitted. She spoke to Simon as he passed by.

  “Where’d you come from, honey?” she asked.

  “I got here this morning. I came from Lake Brownwood. I’m just staying for the night before I head out,” said Simon.

  She began to ramble. “It’s not such a bad place here. We look out for each other. And we haven’t had any issues in months. My name’s Becky. Two doors down is Russell and Stan, they share a room together. A little weird if you ask me, but most people don’t. The guest room is the one next to theirs. Most people live in the other buildings, but I like the quiet here. Dinner will be in a little while. Will you be joining us?” The look on her face showed that she hoped so.

  “I will,” said Simon. “I’m pretty famished. Haven’t ate much the past two days.” With that, he kept walking down the hallway to his room. He passed the first room on the left and looked inside. It was empty except for a bed. No sheets or pillows or anything inside. He passed Russell and Stan’s room; the door was shut. When he reached the guest bedroom, Simon was surprised by how furnished it was. There was a full-size bed with clean linens. A dresser was against the wall. When he opened it, it was filled with clothes of various sizes, for both men and women.

  Simon threw his bag on the bed and lied down. It feels so good to rest for a minute. He closed his eyes and the next thing he knew, he was being shaken.

  “It’s time for dinner. Come on down if you are hungry.” A scruffy face and shaggy hair leaned over Simon. The man shaking him couldn’t be much older than Simon. The jeans and a white t-shirt he wore were stained from sweat and hard work. “Name’s Carter.” He held out his hand and Simon shook it. Carter’s grip was strong.

  “Simon. Nice to meet you.”

  “We don’t see many noobs out here anymore.”

  “Noobs?” asked Simon.

  “That what I call new people. From my days as a video game nerd,” said Carter. “Anyways, let’s go get some food. I want to hear all about you.”

  Simon rolled out of bed and followed Carter back to the building where he first met the Mayor. They walked in and straight down the middle hallway to a large cafeteria. There were about forty people inside, sitting at tables and eating. They were talking and smiling like the world was as normal as could be.

  “Let's go get in line,” said Carter. “It's spaghetti night. And, dude, I freaking love spaghetti! It’s not real pasta though, it’s actually spaghetti squash, but it’s really good.” The cafeteria line reminded Simon of his high school lunchroom, but there was no one behind the line to dish out the food. Carter noticed his hesitation. “Don't worry, it's self-serve. Eat as much or as little as you like. We haven't been on rations for about a year now; if there are any leftovers, they usually go to the pigs.” He put his thumb to his nose and pushed up, mimicking a pig. “Oink, oink!”

  “You have pigs?” asked Simon, scooping a large portion of spaghetti onto his plate and topping it with a healthy serving of tomato sauce with vegetables. Simon’s mouth began to water at the smell.

  “We have practically a whole farm out back. Lettuce, tomatoes, corn, pretty much any vegetables you could think of. We mad
e our own greenhouse, it's pretty large, enough to feed fifty or so people and provide them with food throughout the winter. We also have livestock. Chickens, goats, pigs, and a few cows. We don't use them for meat unless they die, except for the pigs, but we get a lot of eggs and milk, so we always have our protein. It's hard work, but it gives us something to do and helps to pass the time.” Carter scooped himself a similar serving as Simon and walked over to a table with three other guys. “Hey, everyone, this is Simon. He's staying here for the night.”

  “Nice to meet you,” said Simon. The three guys were stuffing their mouths, but they looked up and nodded.

  “Such gentlemen,” said Carter, placing his tray on the table and taking a seat. “Allow me to introduce you to my fellow townsmen. On the right, we call him Bull.” He was in his early twenties and looked like his namesake. His clothes were even dirtier than Carter’s and covered in sweat stains. He was the most muscled person Simon had ever seen. “If we need something heavy lifted, we call him. Never met a stronger man in my life. We're lucky to have him. He doesn't talk a lot, though, but I get the feeling that is something you can respect.” Bull gave him a smile and then continued with his food. In the middle is Einstein.” He wore thick glasses that took up the majority of his face. He was skinny. His cheekbones were prominent, his arm had no muscle, yet he devoured his food with gusto. “He is one smart motherfucker. He designed the greenhouse and laid out a plan for irrigation so that we could water the plants as we needed. They say Russel and Stan are the geniuses, but we would probably all be starving without him.” He kept eating, but reached out a hand to Simon and mumbled something through his stuffed mouth that sounded vaguely similar to 'nice to meet you.’ “And finally, we have Jose. Or at least we call him Jose. He doesn't speak a word of English, but he is a great guy, and a hard worker.”

  “It's pretty impressive that you were able to make a greenhouse to feed everyone here,” said Simon.

  “We've made a lot of advancements in the past two years,” said Carter. “Russel and Stan have really helped to make this place pretty defensible too. That barricade outside was their idea, and I can't tell you how many times it came in handy in that first year. One time, we were attacked by a neighboring town. We were able to pick them off as they tried to scale the barricade. After about twenty of them died, they left us alone. But since then, it's been pretty quiet.”

  “I just can't believe the world is like this,” said Simon.

  “What do you mean?” asked Carter.

  “I mean, just yesterday I was out swimming in the lake with my friends. And everything was normal. I go for a dive off the pier and when I come out of the water, the world is like this.” They all started laughing. “What's so funny?”

  Einstein was the one who answered. “We've heard a lot of stories about how people have got here and how they spent the past two or so years, but yours really takes the cake.” He smiled for a minute. “You don't have to tell us where you're from or anything. It doesn't much matter at this point. You don't have to lie about it. It's a fresh start. Use it as one.”

  “I'm not lying. And I'm not staying either. I leave in the morning. To try and find my family.” With that, Simon got up from the table and went back to the guest bedroom. It was getting dark, but someone had already lit candles down the hallway and one in his room.

  This isn't such a bad place. Maybe after I find Mom and Claire and Dan, we can come back here. I mean, if this is the way the world is now, it seems we're gonna need to stick together. Simon climbed into bed and went to sleep, knowing he had a long day ahead of him tomorrow.

  Simon woke in the middle of the night. Someone had blown out the candle in his room, but half the candles in the hallway were still burning. He had the sudden urge to go to the bathroom. There had been one at the end of the hall. In the hallway, the flames flickered and their light danced upon the drab, old wallpaper that told of another time altogether.

  As Simon walked down the hallway, he saw a sliver of light from underneath Stan and Russel's door. He could hear someone moving around on the other side. I wonder if they are up late or out early? Simon reached the bathroom and went inside. There was a single candle burning. The light reflected off of the mirror, illuminating the white tiled walls and floor. One stall and one urinal were inside. Simon handled his business and returned to the hallway.

  On his way back to his room, he stopped beside Stan and Russel's room to listen. He could hear people moving around, and very faintly, he could hear a whimper. It sounded human. A chill ran up Simon’s spine. Something's not right. He couldn’t explain why he needed it, but Simon went to his room and grabbed Slugger, not sure what to expect but wanting to be prepared. Back at Stan and Russel's room, he pressed his ear to the door. He could still hear people moving, but the whimpering had stopped. Then he heard a voice say 'my turn.’

  Simon knocked on the door. The footsteps grew louder. “Who is it?” a voice yelled.

  “Simon. Is everything okay in there?” he asked.

  “Yeah, we're fine. Just doing a little late night work,” the voice replied.

  “Can you open the door?” asked Simon.

  The door opened slightly and Russel put his head around the corner. “Is everything okay, Simon?” he asked. His face was covered in sweat and slightly flushed. When his shoulder leaned around the edge of the door, Simon could tell he wasn't wearing a shirt.

  “I thought I heard someone whimpering,” said Simon. He stepped in closer, attempting to look past Russel.

  “You must be hearing things. The wind plays tricks on the ears at times. Anyways, I must be getting back to my work.” Russel began to shut the door. Then Simon heard it again. A loud whimper from inside the room. It was definitely human.

  “What was that?” asked Simon.

  A look of fear and anger crossed Russel's face and he started to shut the door again. “You best be minding your own business, boy.” He slammed the door, but Simon wedged his bat between the frame. Simon kicked the door hard, sending Russel, completely naked, flying to the floor. Simon rushed into the room and saw Stan, undressed also, standing behind a young woman tied to an office chair. Her hair hung down, covering her face. Stan was taken off guard by all the commotion, and before he could grasp the gravity of the situation, Simon hit him in the head with the bat. He dropped instantly to the floor and the life left his eyes before he hit the ground. Blood began to pool around the side of his temple as he lay motionless on the floor.

  “What have you done?” screamed Russel, rising to his feet. “My brother!” He came up with more force than Simon thought possible and charged at Simon. Simon was ready. When Russel charged, Simon swung at his knees and he fell to the floor, wailing in agony. Russel’s kneecap had split in half and drifted to the outer sides of his leg.

  “No, Russel, what have you done? Why do you have this woman tied to a chair in your bedroom?” asked Simon, pointing the bat at Russel's face. The adrenaline flowed through Simon, causing the bat to tremble in his hand. Russel attempted to get up, but the pain caused him to fall back down. He leaned back against the wall, grimacing.

  “You wouldn't understand. The old rules don't apply in this world, Simon. Now, you take what you want. The strong survive and the weak get taken advantage of. Did you ever see those packs of wild dogs in Russia or Africa? The ones that just roamed the country taking and doing as they wanted. They were so violent and full of rage and would pull people off into the woods and eat them. And they couldn’t be stopped because there were too many of them and they always stuck together. That’s what this world is now. This is the land of the dogs. Eat or be eaten.” He touched his knee and grimaced in pain.

  The woman began her muffled whimper again behind her gag. Simon could hear people running up the stairs. He walked over to the young woman and untied her arms, then her feet. She untied the gag from her mouth while Simon handed her the blanket from the bed so she could cover herself. As he handed her the blanket, their eyes met.r />
  “Claire?” His sister had tears stains etched into her face. She looked at him, eyes wide with shock. From the bruises on her frail, skinny arms, he knew this wasn’t the first time this had happened.

  “Simon,” she croaked. Her voice was raspy from trying to scream and a lack of water. “We thought you were dead.” She reached out and touched his arm, as if she wasn’t sure he was real.

  Simon took the blanket and wrapped it around his sister, kissing her on the head. He turned around and looked at Russel. Russel hadn't quite made the connection yet. “This is my sister.”

  “I-I-I-I d-didn't know,” he stammered, uncontrollable fear setting in. “We just thought she was a pretty girl. You don't see many these days. Please forgive me.” He covered his head with his arms, afraid of Simon’s wrath.

  A blinding rage overtook Simon. In that moment, all he wanted was to punish the man who had hurt his sister.

  “Only God forgives, Russel.” Simon lifted the bat above his head and swung down with all his might. Russel's other knee cap exploded beneath the force of the bat. A blood-curdling scream echoed through the room and Simon lifted the bat again. When he started to swing, the bat resisted.

  “What the hell is going on here?” yelled the Mayor, his hand wrapped around the bat.

  Simon let the bat fall from his hand. Russel’s whimpering was the only sound in the room. Maggie and Becky stood in the door frame with shocked faces. The Mayor saw Claire sitting on the bed, covered with a blanket and nothing else, tears running down her face.

  “My god. I had no idea.”

  Simon left the room, overwhelmed by what had happened. He wanted to comfort Claire, but he could barely think, let alone speak. He crouched against the wall in the hallway, closing in on himself. The Mayor took action.