They started catching up to me and I began pushing myself even harder. Somehow, I managed to stay ahead of them, but they were getting closer and closer.
I was dying, literally dying, that’s how bad the pain in my lungs and legs had become. I was out of shape and the zombies were only a few feet behind me. I don’t think they ever get tired. I fell once more and almost got nabbed, but somehow, I don’t know if it was an inner strength or just fear, I managed to get back up and take off again.
I started to think about giving up. My body was done. I thought about how much it would hurt when they bit into me. I was hoping that because there were so many of them, it would be over quickly.
I just couldn’t run anymore. I started to slow down; their grasping hands were inches from my skin. God…I knew it was going to hurt. I knew it was going to be terrible, but I just couldn’t run anymore.
And then I saw Lowe’s in the distance. I began to hear the sounds of gunfire.
I mentally spurred myself on. I was almost there, but my legs were shot. They wouldn’t cooperate. The zombies were about to catch me.
I refused to look behind me; instead, I looked towards Lowe’s and with each step I took, the more details I could make out. There was a great mass of cars and trucks. It was a barricade of some sorts and behind this barricade were men holding rifles…
And then I saw him. I saw Jax. I saw the General.
At first I wasn’t sure. I was looking through about a gallon of tears. So, I wiped my eyes and there he was. I was sure of it. I began to scream his name. At the top of my lungs I screamed. It was a scream even more powerful than the scream I unleashed earlier in my rage and frustration. It was a scream that shouted my fear. I screamed his name over and over.
He heard me.
He was standing there, tall, straight and proud. He was on top of a truck and he was looking right at me.
“What were you thinking at that moment?”
Hmmm…well, do you know what a hero is?
“I have my definition, but I’d like to hear yours.”
A hero is someone that chases away the dark. When you are at the very bottom and the demons are scratching at your door, a hero will be the one and only person that chase’s them away. A hero can wash away all your fears and doubts, because you know that he won’t fail. He will save you. No matter how bad things are, he will stand fast against the storm.
That is how I felt at that moment. Jaxon saw me. Jaxon knew I was in trouble. Any doubt born in fear had vanished. It was him. He was the hero
I made it to my boy. I was saved.
“That must have been a huge relief to you?”
For a split second there was a light at the end of my tunnel. I even managed to speed up for a second and gain a little distance…and then my legs gave out. They wobbled and I hit asphalt hard. The dead were right behind me. They were just about to reach me. I refused to look. Instead, I cast my gaze towards Jaxon. He wasn’t on top of the truck anymore.
He was running straight towards me. He was moving inhumanly fast. The distance between us was covered almost instantly. The zombies hesitated and slowed when they saw him approaching. This distraction saved my life. Then, he was past me and crashing into the many zombies with a sickening, bone crunching thud.
I turned to look and what I saw was simply unbelievable.
The dead never stood a chance. It was like he was created to bring them harm. With an axe in one hand and a big knife in the other, he hacked and slashed and stabbed his way right into their heart.
I couldn’t see him anymore. He was hidden from view. They had surrounded him. Then, I saw a corpse fly about eight feet into the air and ten feet away from the main group.
Dudley and Kingsley rushed by a few moments later. They had their guns out and began shooting into the mass of dead. It was probably a wasted effort. I don’t think Jax ever truly required their help, but I’m sure he appreciated it nonetheless.
I watched as the group of zombies began to diminish. I began to see flashes of the General. He was still cutting and hacking. The dead were falling at an alarming rate. In minutes it was over.
Jaxon walked over to me. He was flanked by Dudley and Kingsley. I was still lying where I had fallen. I was in shock. Not from what I went through, but from what I had just seen. The violence and devastation that seemed so easily made by Jaxon was almost frightening.
He grinned at me.
It was one of those sarcastic, arrogant grins that he so loves to give.
“Picked a bad time for a walk,” said Jax.
She laughs at this. After a few seconds, I begin to laugh as well.
“He actually said that?”
I know. Can you believe it? After all that just happened, those are his first words to me. It’s so typical of him.
“What did you say to him?”
I didn’t say anything. I began to laugh and then I began to cry.
“What did Jaxon do?”
He picked me up. He did it so easily. One scoop and I was at last safe in his arms. It was a good feeling. Hell, it was a great feeling. I did it. I made it. I was safe.
I had my losses. I had my injuries. Every survivor has those, but when you meet him face to face and you’re under his protection…it’s just…relaxing.
“Relaxing?”
Yeah, I don’t know how else to explain it. I was finally able to just relax. I think I was pretty much incoherent for the next ten minutes and that was okay with me. I had my battle. It was over. Reinforcements had arrived. My turn was finished.
“I can imagine, after all you went through, how great it felt.”
That’s the feeling he brings to people. He makes them feel safe. He makes them feel like fighting back. He inspires them.
“He chases away the dark.”
Exactly.
“What happened next?”
He set me down inside his Jeep and went back to barking orders. It took a few moments for everybody to snap out of it. You see, they were just as astonished as I was. Jaxon was able to do what no other man could. He could destroy the zombies. Not just one, that’s easy enough when you have a gun. No, he could destroy them in masses. The people following him were in awe.
Next thing I knew, everybody was moving around again. It seemed like everybody had a job to do. A man who said he was a doctor came over and started treating my injuries. It hurt like hell, but I never cried out. I would have been ashamed to.
Whatever equipment they were gathering, they seemed to have gathered it. The people started getting back into their vehicles. Jaxon came over to me. He was once again followed by Dudley and Kingsley.
“How ya feeling?” said Jaxon with a smile.
“Thanks to you, I’m feeling pretty good.”
“Jill?”
“She didn’t make it.”
“I’m sorry.” He said after an awkward pause. “Dudley and Kingsley will be in the Jeep with you. We’re headed to Georgie’s street. I’m going to go in the back of one of those oversized pickups so I can shoot.”
“No way man,” said Dudley angrily. “You don’t go anywhere without either Kingsley or myself.”
“I’ll be like two or three cars away.”
“Don’t care,” said Dudley.
“Alright,” answered Jax. “Kingsley can come with me. He can’t drive worth a shit anyway.”
Jaxon strode off rather quickly, leaving Kingsley in a rush to grab his shotgun and catch up to him.
I was alone in the Jeep with Dudley. Dudley is a very funny young man. He’s often very quiet, but when he finally deems the rest of us worthy of speaking to, what he says is really quite amusing.
“So little lady, would you like some ice cream?”
“Do you have any ice cream?” I asked.
“No. I just wanted to know if you’d like some.” He answered.
“Fucker,” I murmured.
He thought this was pretty funny. Or maybe he was just testing me to see if I was still m
e.
I was ya know?
“You were what?”
I was still me. The dead couldn’t take that away from me. I mourned my losses, but I did so privately. There were people that still lived and these survivors needed my help a lot more than those that were lost.
In other words, I decided right then and there that I wasn’t going to fall apart or waste any time feeling sorry for myself.
“You decided to help instead?”
Hah. What could I really do? I’m no fighter. I’ll never be a fighter, but yes, I decided to help. Or more to the point, I decided to be beneficial.
I’m only telling you this, because I don’t want you to feel that I’m cold. In the end, I lost my entire family, but you won’t see me crying through the rest of my story. I saved that for when I was alone.
“I understand.”
We went to Georgie’s. A few of the zombies rushed us on our way, but they fell almost as soon as they screamed and charged.
There were one hundred and seventy two survivors including Georgie and the rest of the people still hiding on his street.
“A lot of people still wear the 172 patch. Did you know that?”
I did know that. The original 172 survivors that set up the safe zone, I have one of those patches on my jacket. It’s a badge of honor now.
Men with guns were posted everywhere along the street. Teams were formed to search all the yards. Even more teams were formed to help search the houses. The latter of which had already been started before we got there.
Jax was scouring the dead out of the area.
It was well into the night before Jax was satisfied that we were safe. He still didn’t relax though, spotlights went up and they started erecting the fence.
Georgie’s street is naturally well guarded. Behind the houses on one side, is an eight foot rock wall and beyond the wall, is a ten foot drop that ends in a ditch. On the other side of the street, behind the houses is an even taller rock wall, with a sheer cliff rising up immediately behind it.
The chain link fences were built right into each ends of the street. They spanned from the outside wall of one house, across the road and straight through the yard until it reached the home of the adjacent neighbor.
When the fences were finally finished, dawn was breaking. Jaxon stared at them for a long time and then decided to make them higher. It was late in the afternoon before the fences were finished and both ends of the street were closed off.
We were safe. People cheered. I remember cheering right along with them. Jaxon was smiling.
Georgie, who had previously refused to leave his yard, finally came over to the rest of us at Lucy’s request. There were zombies already at the fences, but the fences were strong and would not be moved. Georgie had an idea.
Guard towers were built. A total of ten and each of them could hold about four guards. They were spaced around the fences and behind the houses. When the zombies approached, they were easily spotted and shot down from the high vantage points.
That evening we threw a huge party. Everybody had fun. We were tired, but we were safe. I don’t remember drinking so much in my entire life and I’ve had some crazy nights let me tell you.
I finally passed out in Georgie’s house. This is where Georgie, Lucy, Jaxon, Dudley, Kingsley and I stayed while we were here.
“What happened to Jaxons dog?”
Oh, ha! Merrick. I love Merrick. Who doesn’t love Merrick? As soon as we pulled up, she went so crazy Georgie had to let her out of his house. She never leaves Jaxons side.
The next night was pretty much the same thing. We even started dancing in the middle of the street. The occasional gunshots coming from the towers didn’t even slow us down a bit. I can’t tell you how much fun we had. We were living life. We were enjoying. Because…all of us had faced death and all of us came away loving life.
“Was Jaxon also living it up?”
He was very busy. He seemed to make it his own personal duty to periodically check up on all the guard towers. Finally, someone found some walkie-talkies. It made his job a little easier, but he was always talking on the damn thing.
Plus, everybody wanted to meet him. Everybody wanted to talk to him. Everybody wanted to shake his hand. If he accepted half the drinks they had offered him, he would have died from alcohol poisoning during the first party.
Yeah, he was busy.
I remember, at one point. Maybe it was the third evening; Jaxon was nowhere to be seen for the longest time. So, I went to look for him. He was back at Georgie’s house. Georgie was there with him. He was staring at the computer screen, just sitting there in the dark and watching the screen.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out which site he was on. I finally looked over his shoulder to see what was so important.
At this point, I guess the entire world probably knew what he had done. Other survivors and people that were safely outside of El Paso…all of them were asking for some kind of help. Post after post was rolling down the screen. All of them were crying out to the General, all of them needed a hero.
The people outside of El Paso were asking him to save their loved ones that were trapped inside the city, the survivors inside of El Paso, were asking to be rescued and still others were asking for revenge.
“The military and the government were not responding to the citizens in and outside of El Paso, so the citizens were turning to the one person that would do something.”
Yeah, there were a lot of family members and fellow human beings left out there in the cold and many people were getting pretty upset with being ignored. I can’t blame them. The government had simply closed off the city and refused any further action. It’s just that Jaxon is only one man. There’s only so much that he can do.
“We have to help them,” whispered Jaxon in the dark.
“You can’t save everybody,” answered Georgie.
“They need me.”
“We need you,” said Georgie. “You’re an inspiration. I don’t know how the hell you did it, but if you leave us to go play hero, these people are gonna fall apart. They feel safe because they are with the General. Their hope rests on your shoulders.”
“That’s too much pressure.” I said rather angrily. I could see how stressed out Jaxon had become.
“I understand that,” answered Georgie. “But that doesn’t make it any less true. He’s needed here. If he leaves, who is going to run this place?”
“Jax,” I said. “I don’t want you to leave. I think you’ve done enough. Hell, you’ve done more than our own government…”
I didn’t finish what I was going to say. A scream that came from somewhere outside of Georgie’s house interrupted me. It was human, but the scream that followed was from the dead.
Jax moved so fast, he became a blur. The axe or actually, I think he calls it a tomahawk was off his belt and in his hand in a flash. It was then that I realized he always carried his weapons.
People were running everywhere. It took a moment for Jaxon to pinpoint where the screams came from. Oddly, Georgie was right behind me as I followed Jaxon between two houses.
A zombie boy of about seventeen was eating his father, while the mother watched on in horror. The tomahawk swung twice, once at the boy and once at the dead father. A crowd had formed behind me. Some of the men had brought guns.
The bodies were carried away. The mother was led away. Jaxon reached out as she walked by him.
“Wait.” He said. “She can’t go.”
“Why not?” asked the woman leading her.
“She’s been bitten,” answered the General.
I moved up to him and grabbed his arm. He was so focused, I didn’t think he even noticed I was there until he suddenly turned to me and whispered. “Grab the boys. I want a meeting at Georgie’s right now.”
I was off and moving as fast as my legs could carry me. I was terrified. I don’t mind saying that. I just wasn’t terrified for my life this time; I was terrified for the life o
f that woman. They were going to decide whether or not to kill her, to chop or shoot her in the head. That poor woman…she’d just lost her family.
“Wasn’t she already dead anyway? I mean now that she was bitten, wasn’t she going to turn?”
Yes. She was going to die very soon and turn into a zombie. I knew this, trust me, I knew this. Yet, she wasn’t dead yet. My problem wasn’t with killing the monsters that were already dead. My problem was with killing the living. It wasn’t right and I was going to that meeting to make sure my opinion was heard.
It didn’t take me long to find them. We then gathered in Georgie’s dining room as Jaxon told everybody what had happened.
“I’ll do it,” said Kingsley. “You’ve done enough Jaxon. I can handle this part.”
“No.” I answered. “She’s not one of them yet. It isn’t right to end her life…that would be murder.”
“Would you rather wait until she turns into a zombie and attacks you?” asked Georgie.
“Let’s just put it to a vote,” said Dudley.
“You will be voting on whether or not to end a woman’s life.” I shouted in anger.
“I agree with the vote,” said Kingsley.
“Jaxon,” said Lucy. “End this. I don’t want someone who will soon become dangerous around here. We’ve all been through enough. Can’t we finally be safe?”
“Let’s just vote on it,” said Dudley. “That way, Jaxon doesn’t have the weight of this on his shoulders.”
“My shoulders are fine,” said Jaxon. “Has anyone considered that there may be more people out there with bites?”
“Oh hell,” said Georgie.
The rest of us gave a sigh. No, it was something none of us had considered, but we were sure as hell considering it now.
“What was decided?”
Jaxon picked out the smallest house in our little safe zone. Everyone was searched for bite marks. All in all, there were five victims. All five of them were sick.
Jaxon brought them into the smallest house and handcuffed each of them to a bed. He made sure that they were comfortable, and then asked for doctors to watch over them.
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