A Violent World

by Paul Seiple

  His job was to wait for a sign. He had no idea how long it would take. Darkness would arrive soon, and the night would bring more threats. But if need be, he would still wait. He couldn't disappoint Maestro.

  A snapping twig and rustling leaves from behind caused him to drop the binoculars. A piece of broken glass landed on the ground. He flipped over on his back and fumbled for the pistol wedged between his belt and jeans.

  "Whoa!" an approaching man said with his hands raised in a non-threatening manner.

  "You nearly scared the shit out of me and got yourself killed. You were told to come from the north."

  "I know, but I couldn't leave from the north gate. It's hot right now after your little stunt. Way to be subtle."

  "Maestro wanted to strike fear in them first."

  "Well, it's a pretty dumb move. Now they are going to be on guard."

  "That's where you come in, Gary. You're going to let us in when the time is right. And I'm going to act like I didn't hear you call Maestro dumb."

  Gary Hughes pulled a candy bar from the inside pocket of his jacket. "Here, it's your favorite."

  The man inspected the wrapper for tears.

  "I didn't do anything to the candy, Miles," Gary said.

  Miles ripped through the paper and took a bite. He closed his eyes and moaned with pleasure as he savored the chocolate.

  "I don't understand why he has to do this. He doesn't need the supplies. Why can't he just let these people be?" Gary asked.

  Miles wiped chocolate from his lips with the sleeve of his flannel shirt. "This group is well-organized. That poses a threat to our survival."

  "They are not violent people, Miles. It's a just a group trying to make the best of this shitty hand we've been dealt," Gary said.

  "Are you going soft? Don't tell me you have a crush on her," Miles said.

  "Melanie? No. We've done enough killing. There aren't many people left. I think it's time to start rebuilding, and we are going to need everyone who isn't sick if we want to get life back to the way it was before," Gary said.

  Miles tossed the candy wrapper onto a pile of leaves. "The way it was? Do I need to remind you how shitty your life was before the outbreak? You delivered pizzas for pennies. You had to move in with me because you got evicted. Maestro put a roof over your head. You've got it a hell of a lot better than most who have survived this far," Miles said.

  "We're murderers, Miles. I still see the faces of..."

  Miles interrupted Gary. "We're fucking survivors, Gary. Sometimes that means we have to do bad shit."

  "Taking her isn't about surviving. He's a psychopath," Gary said.

  "Look, I don't know why he wants her or how he even found her, but Maestro provides for us. Need I remind you how he saved us from that horde of skin chompers? We wouldn't be having this conversation if he hadn't helped us."

  "It would have been better if we’d died. Being a slave to the virus is much better than being a slave to him," Gary said.

  "I'm not having this conversation. I have to get back before dark. What was the reaction to finding Lynette?" Miles asked.

  "How do you expect they reacted to finding a murdered woman painted like a skeleton? It creeped them out."

  Miles smiled.

  "You're turning into him," Gary said.

  "Does tomorrow night still look good?" Miles asked.

  "She'll be patrolling with Roger from dusk to about nine or ten," Gary said.

  "And Roger is her boyfriend, right?"

  "Yes," Gary answered without hesitation, hoping Miles wouldn't catch the deception.

  Miles’s smile grew wider. "I'll give the good news to Maestro. Be sure the north gate is open tomorrow night."

  "I can't promise..."

  Miles stood face-to-face with Gary. "Do not fuck this up. We've been friends for a long time. It would be a shame for that to end over a girl." Miles patted Gary on the shoulder.

  "It's dark. You should be going. It's dangerous out here. I'd hate for something to happen to you before you deliver the news to Maestro," Gary said.

  "Oh. That sounds like a threat, my friend," Miles said.

  Gary turned away and started back toward the compound. "It's not a threat. Things happen in the dark. Look at Lynette."

  Miles ran toward Gary, grabbed his shoulder, and spun him around. He placed a hunting knife to Gary's throat. "I love you like a brother, but if you fuck this up in any way, I will kill you, my..."

  A prick against Miles's side cut his threat short. Gary had a blade pushing against Miles's ribs.

  "We are not brothers and never were," Gary said, tearing a piece of Miles's shirt away as he pulled the knife back and shoved Miles's blade away from his throat.

  "What happened to you?" Miles asked. "You used to be fun to be around."

  "Fun? Killing innocent people isn't my idea of fun. Survivors are few and far between. We should be helping each other instead of this bullshit," Gary said.

  "Do you really think anyone inside that compound would give you their last rations if food was short? This is a dog-eat-dog world, Gary. I don't necessary like it, but I'm sure as hell not going to let it kick my ass. I'm going to do what I have to do to survive, and if that means kidnapping that bitch for Maestro, then so be it."

  Gary turned away. "It's past dark. You need to go."

  Fourteen

  James Jones sat at the kitchen table, fiddling with an iPhone. The No Service indicator displayed for well over a year, but thanks to a secret government Internet that his brother, Nick Preston, hacked, James could still communicate with Nick. It was going on the third day since James had heard from his brother.

  "Still nothing?" Melanie asked, pouring a cup of coffee. She paused and watched the sun peek over a row of pines in a show of gratitude for another day.

  "Not one stupid joke. I'm sure he just hasn't had the chance to charge his phone, but it gives me a nagging feeling," James said, placing the phone on the kitchen table.

  "Where was Nick when you last spoke?"

  "Somewhere near Fairfax. He should be here by now," James said.

  "Maybe he had trouble finding gas," Melanie said.

  "Maybe. So what are your plans for the day?"

  "I'm teaching literature to the kids in about an hour, and then I'm meeting with Roger to map out tonight's patrol. Those bastards got too close yesterday," Melanie said.

  "I really wish you wouldn't volunteer to guard at night," James said.

  "I'm the leader, remember, you said that." Melanie smiled. "I have to lead by example. I'll be fine."

  "I have no doubt. You're the most bad-ass five-foot-nine person here."

  "Not the most bad-ass person overall?" Melanie asked.

  "Well, that would be me. Speaking of bad-ass, the latest mutation of antibodies slowed the evolution of the virus. I mean, it didn't come close to curing it, but it seemed to confuse it for a bit. If I can find the right combo to attack Judas with while it's stagnant, we may be onto something."

  Melanie took a seat at the table. "Is it even worth it any longer? You've seen what Judas does to people. There's no coming back from that."

  "You're right. You can't come back from being dead, but a cure would lead to a vaccine. Maybe we can save those not yet infected," James said.

  "If there's anyone left who's not infected." Melanie stared out the window again. The sun was above the trees. "OK, gotta go teach the brats. Meet here for dinner?"

  "I wouldn't miss it," James said.

  "I don't understand why we are forced to read Shakespeare when the world has turned to shit."

  Melanie turned away from the blackboard and faced the class. "The student doth protest too much, methinks."

  "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Hamlet. I get the joke."

  "It's no joke, Steven. You wouldn't have known that was from Hamlet if you hadn't learned about Shakespeare. You would still associate the quote with an Internet meme," Melanie said.

  "Internet? What's that?" another kid said.<
br />
  "Very funny. It's only been a few years since you could waste hours on Snapchat," Melanie said.

  "Snap sucked. Instagram all the way," Steven said.

  Melanie took a seat on the corner of a desk in front of the seven children. She pointed at each one. "You are the future for this world we live in now. It's important to know things such as math and literature. Most everything from museums down to books themselves have been destroyed. You are going to have to educate the next generation. And it's not going to be easy with everything we've lost. So pay attention and clean up your vocabulary."

  Steven furrowed his brow.

  "Stop saying shit," Melanie said.

  A girl from the back row stood up to leave the room. "It doesn't matter what he says. It doesn't matter what you teach. We're not going to make it to another generation. The only thing left for us to lose is our lives and that will happen soon."

  "That's not true. The worst is over," a girl sitting next to the door said.

  "Keep telling yourself that. The dead are the lucky ones. At least they don't have to wake up every day, learn about a past that doesn't matter, and then spend the rest of the day preparing for a future that will never happen."

  "You're alive, Sarah," Melanie said. "But you have to choose to live. The worst may not be over. But we've been given a responsibility to rebuild this world. We cannot sit back and wait for the end."

  "In case you missed it, Melanie, the end came a few years ago when our own government unleashed that fucking virus on us," Sarah said.

  "It wasn't the end of your world. You're still here," the girl in the front said.

  "Gee, thanks for clarifying that, Karen," Sarah said.

  "OK, that's enough," Melanie said.

  "Praise, Jesus, we can agree on that," Sarah said, storming through the doorway.

  "Whoa," James said, as Sarah pushed by him, knocking the can of RC Cola from his hand.

  "You're welcome," Sarah said eyeing the spilled soda. "Drinking that shit will kill you. There, Melanie, are you happy? I'm doing my part to save the fucking world."

  "What was that all about?" James asked, brushing a drop of cola from his sleeve.

  "Nothing. Just a case of the terrible teens," Melanie said. "All right, guys, you're free to go. Let's meet back here tomorrow, same time."

  James grabbed the can of soda from the floor. He wiped the lid and took a sip.

  "Gross. You're a doctor and you're going to drink from that after it touched the dirt," Melanie said with a smile.

  "I can handle a little rhinovirus or staph. I'm immune, remember." James pointed the can at Melanie.

  "No, thanks. Didn't you hear Sarah? That shit will kill you."

  James took a couple of apples and sandwiches from a Planet of the Apes lunchbox and placed them on the desk.

  "I cannot believe you carry your lunch in that thing," Melanie said.

  James spun the lunchbox in his hands. One side was covered in dents. Most of the paint was chipped away on the other side. The hinges were rusted, and James had to wire the latch to stay closed.

  "What are you talking about? This is my prized find from all the supply runs. You're just jealous."

  Melanie picked up a sandwich and took a bite. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the taste. "Debra makes the best bread."

  "It's OK," James said, biting into a sandwich. "I've had better, but don't tell her."

  "Telling her as soon as I leave here."

  "Snitch," James said.

  "So do you think we would be better off if the world was taken over by apes instead of the infected?" Melanie asked.

  "Have you seen The Planet of the Apes?"

  "No," Melanie said.

  James put his sandwich on the desk and shook his head. "How's that even possible? Please tell me you've seen Star Wars?"

  "What's that?" Melanie asked.

  James took a deep breath.

  "I'm kidding. I've seen them all. Those Ewoks are cute."

  "Cute? Really? That's not an adjective that should be associated with the Star Wars franchise," James said.

  "Oh really? What would you suggest, then?"

  "No adjective can do it justice."

  Melanie laughed. "Hey, do you think it's weird we're not seeing many dead roaming around anymore?"

  "Not really. We cleared so many before coming above ground. We're pretty secluded. I expect to see one or two here and there, like the other day, but not a horde."

  "I don't know. It seems odd to me."

  "Don't tell me you miss those vile things," James said.

  "Well, they're definitely not as cute as Ewoks."

  "Since it's been established that we no longer have to fear the dead, I think our fearless leader should stay at home tonight and listen to old country records with me," James said.

  "Now, baby, baby, don't get hooked on me," Melanie said.

  James smiled. "Good Mac Davis reference. That makes up for not seeing Planet of the Apes. But, seriously, you don't need to patrol. Roger will be fine. If not, Gary can help him."

  "I don't completely trust Gary yet. He's been part of the group less than a month. He seems OK, but so did Dean," Melanie said.

  "I can't say for a fact Gary isn't a psycho killer like your ex, but he doesn't seem to have an infatuation for clowns." James paused to flash a grin. "Seriously, I wasn't comfortable letting Gary in at first, but he is immune, and we have to look out for each other if there's ever going to be a chance to rebuild."

  Melanie took James's hand. "That's why I need to patrol. A lot of responsibility has been placed on me. I can't let these people down. I don't want anyone here to end up like that woman we found yesterday."

  "I'm just saying, some whiskey, some old George Jones, and this..." James ran his finger over his body as if he was showing off a prized car on a game show. "... could be a lot more fun than a cold, dark night with Roger."

  "Have you heard Roger sing 'She Thinks I Still Care'?"

  "Don't play with my emotions, Melanie Carpenter," James said.

  "You know you're my number one geek." Melanie kissed James's hand and pulled away. "Someone murdered that woman and left her here for a reason."

  "Like I said yesterday... probably Banditos trying to scare us. We're more than capable of handling a small group of scavengers."

  "What if it's more than a small group?" Melanie asked.

  "If it was something bigger, we would know about it."

  "You're right," Melanie said.

  "I'm always right."

  "Uh huh, sure. So what are you going to do tonight?"

  "I guess I'll spend the evening inspecting the water filtration system at the east tank. A couple people are sick with some stomach bug. Could be Norovirus. Or worst-case scenario, the system is failing, and bacteria is getting into the water."

  "I'm sure you'll figure it out," Melanie said. "I'm going to try to find Sarah. She was a little more of a teenager today than normal. Something must be bothering her."

  "OK, stop by the water tank tonight while you're out. We can sneak off for some heavy petting," James said, smiling.

  "You got it."

  "I cannot believe you put that nasty thing on your head."

  Steven danced in a circle wearing a gas mask he found near the fence of the kids' hangout they dubbed The Peach Pit from watching old VHS tapes of Beverly Hills 90210.

  "Smells like vomit inside," Steven said, pulling the mask from his face. He held it over his head and kept dancing.

  "You're fucking weird," Sarah said.

  "What the hell is wrong with you today, Sarah?" Annie asked.

  "Nothing. Just some days I don't even know why we try anymore. I mean, what's the use?"

  "We do it so we can watch that fool dance around," Annie said.

  Sarah smiled and lit a cigarette.

  "Where did you get that?" Steven asked.

  "Lifted it from Melanie's bag," Sarah said.

  "Can I get a hit?" Steven asked.


  Sarah handed the cigarette to Steven. He inhaled deeply, gagged, and had a coughing fit.

  "Lightweight," Sarah said.

  "Did you guys hear about that body they found inside the fence yesterday?"

  "No, Ben. No, we didn't hear about that woman painted in corpse paint," Sarah said.

  "It wasn't corpse paint. She was painted in ceremonial Day of the Dead makeup," Anne said.

  "Whatever you say, morbid Margaret," Sarah said.

  "Why do you think someone would do that?" Ben asked, taking the cigarette from Steven.

  "Can you think of a better time for a purge?" Sarah asked.

  "Damn, I miss horror movies," Steven said. "The first Purge movie messed me up."

  "Bambi probably fucked you up, Steven," Sarah said.

  "I never knew your mother, Sarah," Steven said.

  Without a word, Sarah slapped Steven.

  "That's fucking low, man," Ben said.

  "Fuck off, Steven. Not everybody has their parents," Annie said.

  The sound of shuffling leaves startled the kids.

  "Did you hear that?" Ben said.

  Steven tossed the mask over the fence.

  "So you're the one who stole my cigarettes," Melanie said, rounding the corner of a barn that shielded The Peach Pit.

  Ben threw the smoke on the ground and crushed the butt underneath his shoe.

  "I took them," Sarah said.

  "Well, don't do it again," Melanie said.

  "Yes, Ma'am," Sarah said without trying to hide the sarcasm in her tone.

  "Take a walk with me," Melanie said, motioning toward Sarah.

  Sarah huffed but didn't argue.

  "OK, what's going on with you?" Melanie asked.