Dead Hunger_The Cleansing

by Eric A. Shelman

  Jim smiled. “Nel, when you showed up in Concord, I swear my legs went weak. I never thought I’d see you again before you walked in that door. Now how many years have we gotten to spend together?”

  “Like sixteen, Gramps.”

  “Yeah. Imagine that,” said Jim. “If none of this crap ever happened and you’d have stayed in New York, how many times you think I’d have seen you over these years? Five times, maybe ten? For how long? A week? You get what I’m sayin’ here?”

  Nelson nodded. “Yeah, I know. But I guess I always thought I’d be with you until the end. I never really thought you wouldn’t want to go with us to Flex’s place.”

  Scofield shook his head. “Nel, these folks need me. I got maybe a few years left in me, but I’ve got some other … I don’t know – apprentices, if you wanna call ‘em that. I’ll get ‘em up to speed. There’s Mary Shaw, too. She just showed up about a year ago, and she was an RN in her old life. She’s practically better than me.”

  From behind Nelson came Rachel and Lita. Lita broke free from her mother and ran to Jim, throwing her arms around his neck. “Grampy!” she said, squeezing him tightly.

  “Hey, little girl,” said Jim. “How’s my little angel?”

  “I don’t have any wings,” she said. “Angels have wings.”

  “Whenever I see you, I swear I see wings,” said Jim. “You gonna be a brave girl on your trip to Georgia?”

  “It’s going to be a long drive,” said Lita. “That’s what mommy and daddy said. And I’m not supposed to ask if we’re there yet every ten minutes.”

  Jim looked at Nelson. “You let Rachel drive when you’re smokin’ that stuff, okay?”

  Nelson sighed and nodded. Rachel nudged him, wearing a smile of her own. “I’ll make sure, Grampa Jim. Lita, let me in.”

  Lita squeezed her great grandfather again and reluctantly pulled away.

  Rachel moved in and stood on her tiptoes, slipping her arms around Doc Scofield’s neck, holding him tightly for a long time. “I know a lot of your influence went into making Nelson the man he is today,” she said. “And a whole lot of that came about since this all started. He comes by it honestly, and I see your goodness in him.”

  “With you by his side, Rachel, he’ll be twice the man I ever was. I’ll miss you guys. Now get goin’. I’ll be cryin’ like an old fool if we don’t call it a goodbye already.”

  Rachel let go of him and took Lita’s hand. “We’ll try to touch base on the Ham Radio now and then. Listen for us, okay?”

  “Try and stop me.”

  “Richie Shiers’ is the radio man now,” said Flex. “I told him the frequencies we’ll use. Of course, Hemp told me, so you can bet it’s accurate.”

  “It’ll be our version of Skype,” said Rachel. “So you’ll hear from us.”

  As all of the travelers gathered, CJ DeAndrea, Jim Cole, Lana Sibley, Giles Batchelor, and many others from town came to say their goodbyes. They would be the ones to hold Kingman together and build it up further as more survivors came to town.

  Because of all the goodbyes, they didn’t hit the road until just after 11:00 AM.

  As everybody loaded into their allotted vehicles, the engines fired, tears fell and people waved.

  Looking into the rear view mirror long after the people of Kingman, Kansas had fallen out of view, Flex realized he felt as though he were leaving home; not going there.

  He turned his face out of the window of the SUV, attempting to hide the tears flowing down his cheeks.

  Gem reached over to take his hand.

  He could never hide anything from her.

  *****

  EPILOGUE

  They were just outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma when Gem said, “Flex, slow down.” She reached down and picked her Uzi up from the floorboard of the passenger seat.

  Flex let his foot off the accelerator and reached down for his Glock, sitting on the center console.

  They hadn’t run into many people, but the ones they had met seemed to understand that the zombie situation had changed. They didn’t necessarily understand how or why, and besides confirming for them that it was all over, Hemp didn’t go into much detail.

  When they drove off, they definitely left happier strangers behind. It was the best news they could share.

  “What is it?” asked Trina, leaning forward in the back seat.

  “Someone walking on the side of the road up ahead,” said Gem, pointing.

  The figure was still maybe a half-mile ahead. Wearing jeans, it could have been a man or woman. Flex slowed down as they drew closer, and the figure turned again to reveal it was a man. He waved his arms at them and stopped, moving to the side of the road.

  As Flex pulled to a stop, the gun now resting in his lap, Flex saw it was a young man, perhaps in his mid-twenties. He wore a straw cowboy hat, jeans and a flannel shirt. On his feet were snakeskin boots that looked well-worn. He had long, brown hair that fell just below his shoulders and skin well-tanned from the sun.

  “Hey,” the man said, still holding his hands up, palms out, stopping on the left side of the street. “Permission to approach the vehicle.” He smiled.

  “Grant him permission, dad,” said Trina. “He’s cute.”

  Flex shook his head and said, “Permission granted. Where you comin’ from?”

  “Depends on when you mean,” he said. “I’ve walked and run and pedaled my way over a lot of this country over the last few years. Met new people, made some friends, just to lose them. I guess I finally figured out my mental health would be better just keeping to myself.”

  “Okay, where you from originally?” asked Gem.

  The man tipped his hat. “Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas,” he said.

  “That explains the hat and boots,” said Flex. “You alright? Need anything?”

  The man held out his hand. “I’ve been hopin’ to get to some water,” he said, reaching down for his canteen. He shook it. “This doesn’t even have enough in it to wet my lips.”

  “I’ll wet his lips,” whispered Taylor.

  “Hey,” said Trina, nudging her in the side. “I think I spoke first.”

  “Do you guys mind?” said Gem, shaking her head.

  “I’m Flex, this is Gem, my wife. In the back seat are Colton, Trina and Taylor.”

  The young man leaned in and smiled. His teeth were intact and white, and his blue eyes were clear and sharp. “Nice to meet you,” he said, leaning beside the open rear window of the SUV. “So who’s Trina and who’s Taylor?”

  Extending her hand out of the window, Trina said, “I’m Trina. The ginger here’s Tay. What’s your name?”

  “Jackson West,” he said. “Friends call me Jax.”

  Trina passed a bottle of water to him. “We’ve got plenty in back. Drink that and we’ll fill your canteen for you.”

  Jax took the bottle and tilted it to his lips. He emptied the quart bottle and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “So they’re all dead, right?” he asked.

  “They are,” said Flex. “Dead and done.”

  “Lots of bodies,” Jax said. “Still make me nervous. They’re rotting away, but I still expect ‘em to get up and come after me.”

  Flex looked at Gem, a silent message translated. She nodded. He smiled because he knew the girls behind him might have a tough time containing their squeals.

  “We’re headin’ to Lula, Georgia. My old place. Kind of a big spread near a small town that ought to be pretty easy to get cleaned up.”

  The man looked nervous for a moment, as though afraid to say something.

  “What is it?” asked Gem.

  “You said it’s gotta get cleaned up. You want help?” He looked back at the other cars behind the SUV and threw a wave. Flex didn’t see if anyone waved back, but he heard the horn honk in the truck Nelson rode in.

  “We were just about to ask you if you might want to come along,” said Flex. “You were just a little kid when this all started, weren’t you?”

&nb
sp; “It was a lifetime ago,” said Jax. “But yeah. I think my parents were the first to change on my street, but it didn’t take long for everything to go to hell. The only thing I remember is being dragged from underneath my bed by a neighbor. I was with her until she got killed, and from there I was pretty much raised by strangers.”

  “Sounds like you met the right strangers,” said Flex. “I think we can scoot around and fit you in.”

  Flex turned in his seat. “Colton, buddy, climb over and sit up here with your mom. Jax, you can squeeze in back.”

  “Wow, Flex, Gem. Thank you. I can’t tell you how … well, grateful I am. And hell yes, if you’ll take me, I’d love to go. Much as I love these boots, my feet are sore.”

  “They are nice boots,” said Flex, looking down.

  “You guys don’t look all the worse for wear, either,” said Jax. “You must’ve gotten in a decent situation.”

  “We’ve had good people with us for most of this fucked up apocalypse,” said Gem. “And we’re pretty good judges of character. Prove us right by being a good guy, and we’d appreciate it. Betray our trust and you won’t be here long.”

  Jax smiled big. “I like you,” he said. “You remind me of my mom. She was tough, too.”

  Gem smiled as Trina opened the door and got out. Flex saw Jax look her over quickly before averting his eyes again and climbing into the back seat, tossing his backpack in the rear.

  Flex waited for Trina to get back in and pull the door closed before putting the SUV in drive and heading east again. In reality, he had only offered the young man a ride because the world would be in dire need of couples.

  As protective as he was of both Trina and Taylor, a fledgling society could not survive without attraction and coupling and babies being born. He would simply have to put his protective father persona away and let nature happen.

  Based on the girls’ reaction to Jax, there could be a bit of a love triangle coming, and maybe some hurt feelings, but one of them would likely win, based on Jax’s reaction to them.

  “Hey Jax,” said Taylor.

  Flex heard cards shuffling from the back seat.

  “Yeah?”

  “You wanna play Fuck Off?”

  “What the hell’s that?” asked Jax. “Card game?”

  “Post-apocalyptic Go Fish,” laughed Trina, pouring on the charm.

  “I’ll play!” said Colton.

  “We’ll all fucking play,” said Trina. “I never seem to outgrow that game.”

  “I’ll deal,” said Taylor. “It passes the time.”

  “Deal me in,” said Gem.

  “I’ll drive,” said Flex. “You guys entertain me.”

  *****

  After a dozen stops and over 1,050 miles, they turned onto the gravel drive of Flex’s driveway. He’d used heavy, triple-layered sheeting beneath the gravel, and it had kept the growth to a minimum, but the weeds along the side of the drive were well above the height of the top of the SUV.

  The fence was open as they had left it, and now hung by one rusty hinge. Flex felt a feeling of calm overtake him as he pulled up beside the house.

  “It’s still standing,” he said. “What’s more, from what I can see over the weeds, it doesn’t look bad.”

  The drive expanded to a circle, and he spun the SUV around and left room for the other vehicles to park. Everyone got out.

  Dave Gammon walked up. “So, it was Lula to Birmingham to Concord to Whitmire to Lula to Kingman and finally full circle, back to where Flex Sheridan lived before it all started.”

  “How the hell did you even remember all our stops?” asked Flex, laughing. “I think we had a couple more short stays here and there, but yeah. Back to my roots, brother.” said Flex. “Hey, look. Hemp’s goddamned antenna’s still standing.” He pointed to the tall tower the scientist had built that allowed him to interrupt their meeting with Charlie at the hospital, so many years ago.

  “That’s excellent guy wiring and craftsmanship,” said Hemp. “I fully anticipated it would be intact.”

  Everyone had already met Jax during several rest and sleep stops along the way. He quickly fit right in, and it appeared that Trina was winning him over. Taylor had moped a bit at first, but she was a self-confident girl, and Flex had no doubt she would harbor no hard feelings.

  “Flex, take a walk with me, okay?” said Gem.

  “Sure, babe.”

  Gem held out her hand and the two walked toward the house. Kicking some weeds aside, they stepped up onto the porch. Flex felt above the door and found a key, using it to unlock the door. It was tough to turn at first, but after several jiggles, it clicked and he turned the knob.

  They walked inside together. Two rats scurried to hiding places they hadn’t likely needed since the ratz had come to be, and Gem let out a little squeal.

  “Seriously?” said Flex. “You’ve been fightin’ zombies for nearly twenty years and you’re still afraid of rats? At least they’re not the zombie variety.”

  “Sorry the little fuckers survived at all,” she said, laughing. “But I guess it’s as it should be. I don’t have to like it.”

  The house smelled musty, and Flex was sure there would be a need for a few gallons of bleach to make it inhabitable, but they would have lots of help getting it back into shape.

  “We’re home, Flexy,” she said.

  “Full circle,” said Flex. “Place is a mess.”

  “Not that much worse than when you cleaned it.”

  “Oh, that’s nice,” he said, putting his arms around her.

  “This feels like a dream,” said Gem. “Like it never happened.”

  “I saw all the dead rotters in the yard, even if you didn’t.”

  “I saw them,” she said. “No threat now. Just stuff to burn later.” She slid her arms around his waist and he felt her hands squeezing his ass.

  Flex laughed. “Woman, you are predictable. Aren’t you supposed to be sick of me by now?”

  “I’m in my prime, I think,” she said. “The way I feel, you’d better hit the pharmacy and find some Viagra.”

  Flex leaned down and kissed her, and she intensified the kiss, pulling his mouth to hers, making it last. When he pulled away, she reached down and looked back up at him, smiling.

  “I guess I don’t need no stinking Viagra,” he laughed. “But Gemina, my darlin’, we’ve got about nineteen other folks outside who just might be waiting for some direction.”

  “So what you’re saying is …”

  “Sadly, what I’m sayin’ is we’ll have to save our homecoming screw for later.”

  Gem pulled away and huffed. “Fucknuts.”

  “Yeah. Fucknuts,” said Flex. “But it is what it is.”

  Gem took him by the arm and they walked toward the door. When they opened it, everyone had gathered on the porch.

  “Trini, Hemp, Charlie? Would you guys come with us for a minute?” asked Flex.

  “What’s up, babe?” asked Gem.

  Flex nodded toward the field. “Let’s take a little stroll.”

  He and Gem walked, and Trina, Hemp and Charlie followed.

  The grass was waist high, but Flex would never forget the spot. He stopped and knelt down. Looking up at Trina, he said, “You remember what happened here?”

  She shook her head. “Not really.”

  Flex brushed his hands over the tall weeds, and said, “Trini, your mama is buried here. You were here that day, and you were brave. You put a handful of wildflowers on her grave.”

  “They’re long gone,” said Trina. “I hate to see her grave like this.”

  “We’ll clean it up. Plant flowers and tend them,” said Gem.

  “I only encountered her after she … changed,” said Hemp. “But Trina, seeing the young woman you became, I know she must have been an extraordinary woman.”

  With tears forming in her eyes, Trina moved between Flex and Gem. Flex stood and Trina took each of their hands in hers, squeezing them.

  “You kept
me alive. Both of you, Uncle Hemp and Aunt Charlie. All of you raised and protected me. You taught me what I needed to know in the world that took my family from me, and for as long as I can remember, you’ve been my parents.”

  “We tried everything before laying Jamie to rest,” said Hemp. “We made sure nothing could be done for her.”

  Trina let go of her parents and hugged Hemp. Charlie moved in to hug them both. “It’s who you are,” Trina whispered to them. “Thank you. I love you all.”

  In a few moments, after wiping away their tears, they returned to the porch where everyone waited. Their eyes were fixed on the western tree line.

  “What is it?” asked Flex, momentarily bristling.

  “Over there, Flex,” said Jax, pointing.

  Charlie turned, slipping her arm around Hemp’s waist and resting her head against his chest. A smile crossed her lips. As they all watched, a huge buck with at least a 12-point rack atop his head, stared toward them.

  “It’s good to be home,” said Flex, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Nobody said anything. No words were necessary.

  THE END

  Author Notes

  Wow. When I wrote “The End” up there, I really meant it, huh?

  I just wanted to take this time to say that I hope you really enjoyed this epic journey, and that you feel, as I do, that this was a fitting end to the tale. It felt very right to me, particularly the last scene. I love these characters, and there is no way I’d ever do you the disservice of killing them.

  I’m not a dark-ending person like some others. I prefer that my readers be able to wonder what some of their favorite characters are up to after all is said and done – not recall their demises.

  I’ve enjoyed writing this series, and I hope you understand why I’m bringing it to a close. The story wound its way through almost two decades, and I believed it was more than fair to bring the apocalypse to an end for characters who have worked so hard to stay alive for so long.