All That Remain

by Travis Tufo

  “Oh boy, you guys don’t even know do you?” He gave a sinister smile.

  “Let me finish my story first, okay?” He got a nod from Eli and a blank, unimpressed stare from Aurora.

  “Okay, good. So back to the sea of bodies. So I was looking down at them and then I look up to see that maniac on the other side of the pile of...I don’t know, like, two million bodies just drenched in, like, twenty bottles of gasoline. He was laughing in this scary almost hysterical way, then he whispered something and lit the whole thing up. It sounded like a bomb at first and within seconds all of Portland was covered in smoke. And the stench. Oh God.”

  “So how did you end up on the ground?” Eli was hurrying the story along to get back to the mushroom comment.

  “Ahh, well, he caught me and beat me up so bad the last thing I remember is you…saving my life.” He got a little quieter.

  “Seriously, though,” he said. “Thank you.”

  “It’s not a problem, really,” Eli answered, “but now I want you to be calm for a second. Leave the character behind and talk to me for real. Do you know anything about this virus thing?” Aurora leaned in with Eli’s question.

  “Wow. You guys really don’t know? Well, I guess I can’t blame you; not too many people know about it, after all. It’s not really a virus, it’s a fungus.” Eli and Aurora were skeptical.

  “Eli, this guy is crazier than M.C. Hammer back there.”

  “No, really. Just hear me out! Have you guys heard about the zombie organism that was, like, only found in ant hives or whatever?”

  “No,” Aurora said.

  “Nope,” Eli said.

  “You guys must have been real go-getters in high school.”

  “I’m going to really be a go-getter and get that hammer guy for you if you don’t get on with it!”

  The man frowned at Aurora. “Does she always act so violent?” He directed his question sideways to Eli.

  “It’s the reason I’m still here,” Eli whispered back. They smiled at each other.

  “I bet! Well, regardless of what you two do and do not know, it’s this strain of some type of cordyceps, a type of fungus that infects an ant, kills it, and then uses its body as a vessel...or something along those lines. It’s been a long time since I looked into this stuff. Anyway, long story short, somewhere down south a strand of this cordyceps developed a way to do the same on humans. Most people were infected by spores in the air that the infected ones spat out. Others were infected through bites...or other contact.” The two listening could barely believe what they were hearing.

  “Why the hell aren’t we infected then?”

  “Yeah,” Eli said. “I got bit on my shoulder.” He was worried. The mysterious man also seemed concerned by Eli’s comment.

  “I would be lying if I told you I knew. I mean, I should probably be infected too. For all I know, we three are immune to it. But I’ll tell you what we aren’t immune to: them eating us alive!”

  “Or sledgehammers,” Eli laughed.

  “You know it’s funny,” the young man went on, “I always played all those zombie games as a kid, and even read the books as I got older. In a serious, but not too serious way, I always wanted the zombie apocalypse to happen,” he said as he smiled and looked down. “Those magazines always had survival guides, and the movies made it look so fun, but this…it’s so much more…brutal. There isn’t a second that goes by that I’m not debating whether or not to kill myself so I don’t become one of those.” His tone was darkening.

  “Wait a minute; you wanted a zombie take over?” Aurora was beyond confused.“Why the hell would you want that? This guy is bizarre,” she added.

  “No, I was the same way,” Eli jumped in. “I mean, of course it was all in good fun...I never wanted people to die by the millions, but he’s right. All the media made you feel like you could be some great zombie slaying hero with a badass homemade chainsaw staff or something. But this really is just a frickin’ disaster.”

  Aurora shook her head. “Guys are honestly so dumb. Wanting a zombie apocalypse…” she started muttering under her breath. The two guys laughed it off, lightening the situation.

  “So stranger, tell us; do you have a name?” Eli asked.

  “Eli, don’t get too attached, you know what they say? Once you give them a name it’s harder to give them away.” Aurora was only half joking.

  “She is vicious, man! Congrats! But my name is Shaun.”

  “Well, Shaun, it’s nice to officially meet you.” Eli seemed excited to meet another person who wasn’t armed and dangerous or infected with something that made them want to eat his flesh. Aurora, on the other hand was just going with the flow.

  “Well, I’m Eli, and this is Aurora, probably the best shooter left alive and the only person in the world more savage than that skull splitting freak with the sledgehammer.”

  “I can’t tell you two how happy I am to meet you both, even if she doesn’t like me yet. I hate to ask, but I think that now is as good a time as any.”

  “Go on.” Aurora knew what was coming.

  “You know what I’m going to ask. It’s too dangerous out there for me alone…obviously, and perhaps you two could use another set of hands to get dirty?” Eli looked from Shaun to Aurora.

  “Don’t look at me Eli, you wanted to name him. You are the leader of this pack.” Her words hit him hard. He immediately got light headed.

  “The…the leader?”

  “Of course!” Shaun chimed in, playing along with a situation he had no idea about.

  “What the hell? Who decided this?”

  “I think you fit the role Eli.” Aurora, ignoring Shaun, gave Eli a conspiratorial wink.

  “Holy…if anything…”

  “Shut up and take it!” Her command shut him right up. Eli felt light inside but at the same time a weight pressed on his shoulders. He took what she said very seriously, maybe too much so.

  “Well, in that case…” Eli looked to Aurora for a split second and then gave his attention back to an eager Shaun.

  “Welcome to the party.” Eli held out a grimy, bloody hand. Shaun met Eli’s grip with an equally dirty hand. One shake and the group had nearly doubled in size.

  “Great, another helpless man to look after,” Aurora smirked.

  “Do you cry yourself to sleep Eli? I mean, she is relentless.”

  “If you’re real tough, you’ll get used to it. Or you could be like me and sneak in a few tears when she isn’t looking.” Eli grinned.

  “I’d love to sit around and whine some more and bitch about everything and hug each other, don’t get me wrong, but I think that we should find a safer place to do so.” Aurora jumped to her feet.

  “I’m all for that!” Shaun also got to his feet, it was a battle getting there, but he made it. Eli tried to get up, but fell back down before he was standing.

  “Hey—you alright?” They both rushed over to help him up.

  “Man, I guess carrying you on that run took a lot out of me.” Eli slowly and painfully made it to his feet.

  “Damn, I wanted to get out of Portland as soon as possible, because this place is frickin’ crazy! But maybe we should set up camp in a place I know about for the night.” Shaun’s hideout got their attention.

  “Where is this place?” Aurora was ready to go.

  “It’s about a mile from here; it’s just some little mom and pop shop downtown. It’s pretty secluded though, and there’s plenty of supplies. That’s why I’m still here.”

  “You think you can make it another mile there, champ?” Aurora turned her words to Eli, like a psychological challenge. In his mind he thought “no,” and his body was screaming “no,” but somehow his lips muttered out a weak, “Sure.”

  “Good, it’s settled then. Lead the way, Shaun.” Shaun could see the distress in Eli’s eyes, but he set off anyway.

  ELI STRUCK UP a conversation to pass the time and keep his mind off the pain his body was tolerating.

 
“So you’ve made it this long without a weapon?” Eli asked.

  “Well, yeah. I’ve really been hiding out in stores, jumping from alley to alley, and keeping to the shadows. I figure the best offense in a battle against possibly millions is a strong defense. Stealth has kept me alive so far.”

  “Yeah, and us,” Aurora added.

  “Well yeah, and you two.”

  “I get it, avoid a fight if you can. But a pistol, or at least a knife or something, could have gotten you out of that guy’s hands. What if we wouldn’t have come along? We need to invest in getting you something.” Eli was persistent.

  “Well, this shop has knives and stuff—maybe I’ll grab something. Ohhh...a flamethrower would be awesome! You know, like roasting those freaks till they’re crispy!” Aurora rolled her eyes and Eli grinned at Shaun’s sudden enthusiasm. “This is going to be a good time,” he added with a smile.

  Another ten minutes or so of using the thick smoke in the air as shade from the infected around them, running and hiding when necessary, the group managed to get to the general store without any confrontation.

  “This is it,” Shaun said, placing a hand on the locked bar door that stood in front of a glass door.

  “Got the key?” Aurora was ready to get inside and away from the putrid smell in the air.

  “No, but I do have something better.” Shaun jumped on the door and climbed it all the way to the top of the two story brick building. He made it to the roof and the two below lost sight of him.

  “I hope that monkey doesn’t forget about us,” Aurora said. They could no longer hear his footsteps. A few seconds later, however, they heard him stumbling over displays and other products in the store. Then he unlocked the front door and let them in.

  “I’m glad you came back for us, Spiderman. I don’t know if I could have scaled the building just now.” Eli felt a huge burden lifted from his shoulders.

  “Anything for the dynamic duo.”

  “Don’t say that again,” Aurora said as she walked into the building past Shaun who was holding the door for them. They set up camp in the office upstairs. It was a small room but they all fit comfortably. Eli and Aurora put their guns and bags down while Shaun ran off downstairs to the store part of the building.

  “I think I made the right decision, you know, with letting him tag along,” Eli said. Aurora didn’t answer.

  “You don’t?” Eli looked at Aurora. She started to say something but stopped.

  “What? Tell me! No secrets.”

  “I don’t think you made a bad call,” she finally said, “but I don’t know if it was the right call. You did what the good guy should have done, which would be great, if this was a movie or something. Look, Eli, that’s another mouth to feed and look after, plus we don’t even know if he will betray us in the night.”

  “What was I supposed to do? He wouldn’t last alone. He doesn’t even carry a goddamned weapon!”

  “Eli, I’m just telling you how I feel. Maybe this time it will work out, but in the future, if there is anyone even left, you need to really think through what you do,” she said gently.

  Eli sighed heavily.“I get it, I really do, but I just couldn’t say no. I’m not that guy.”

  “Become that guy Eli,” Aurora said as Shaun entered the room, bringing with him a tote full of goods. He opened the lid and revealed a small butane burner, butane canisters, and cans of food, ranging from sweets, to soups and meats. He tossed pillows at them and a bottle of Tylenol to Eli.

  “I would have brought the blankets with me, but you know, God only gave me these two hands.” He quickly headed down the stairs to get the rest of the supplies.

  Eli looked at Aurora and smiled. “See, he’s going to be a good guy.” She shrugged and began to set up the butane burner. Shaun came back quickly with three blankets.

  “So, there is all kinds of stuff down there that the average apocalypse survivor would love to have, but I can’t see any of it without a flashlight or a lantern.”

  “So use a flashlight?” Aurora seemed irritated.

  “Well, I don’t want to attract any unwanted attention,” Shaun said timidly. Eli laughed, Aurora was less than amused.

  “It's fine. We’ll get whatever we need in the morning with the sunlight.” Eli solved the problem. They all ate till they were beyond full, a feeling none of them had enjoyed in a while.

  “You know, I never knew Campbell’s soup could taste so good,” Eli said as he laid his head down on his pillow, grasping his full gut.

  “I had spam, and damn! It was delicious compared to the crackers I’ve been eating,” Shaun added.

  “Spam? That disgusts me. Hey, why haven’t you been using the burner this whole time, eating whatever you want?” she asked curiously.

  “I wanted to save the butane cans for something like this. It would be a waste if I used them by myself,” he said smiling. They all proceeded to lay down in their make shift beds.

  “Thanks again, you two, seriously,” were the last words whispered that night before Shaun quickly fell into a slumber. Eli just gave a grin and a nod. Aurora was the next to fall asleep, but Eli, the most tired of them all, stayed up for a while just staring at the ceiling. He needed some time to really grasp and comprehend what his life had become. Thoughts flew through his mind like they were being fired from a Gatling gun. Did I make the right choices today? How can I keep these two safe? Why should I be the leader? What is even going on? For at least an hour he stayed up tormenting himself with never ending inquires. He may have never fallen asleep if it weren’t for what happened next. Aurora, in the middle of the night, woke up, looked to Eli, and scooted her blanket and pillow closer to him. She draped one arm over him and fell back to sleep with a smile on her face.

  “Not as tough as that exterior would lead to believe huh?” he whispered, matching her smile. The feelings that one act sent through his body quickly overwhelmed his thoughts. Surrounded by monsters, in a dark, abandoned shop, he’d never felt so comfortable, so safe, so happy and secure in his whole life.

  “This. This is what I needed.” He joined the others in slumber

  Chapter Fourteen

  CLEAR ACROSS TOWN, however, there was someone who wasn’t sleeping, someone who was readying for havoc, someone who was thirsty for blood and revenge. David White paced back and forth across his home. His eyes were blood shot; his fists clenched tight and released over and over again. David was six feet two inches tall, but he was slender, no more than a hundred and fifty pounds. He had pale skin, which was usually concealed beneath a black trench coat, black leather gloves, black trip pants with loops of chain, and a pair of military boots. His gloves had been crafted by himself, they were thick leather; and he had pushed short steel nails through the knuckles, making a punch to the right spot very lethal. He had light blonde hair, but it was often covered by a hood.

  “Who do they think they are? Crossing me while I set the unworthy ablaze? I should have stripped them of their lives right there! I should have ripped out their throats and watched the blood fill the holes. Oh, the killing is coming, you cowards.” David grabbed a long, jagged knife and placed it in the side holster of his boot. He then went to his living room. There, lying on his dark-stained couch was a bloody sledgehammer. He smiled maniacally, showing off razor sharp teeth.

  “With this instrument, I will batter your beaten bodies into nothing more than slops of flesh. And once you are puddles of gore, I will feed you to my hounds!” He grabbed the sledgehammer and threw it into the floor, smashing right through the floor boards. His “hounds” began to bark from another room.

  “Oh, don’t worry, boys. I’m bringing you a fresh heap of meat soon.” He walked over to a locked room. He pulled out a key and unlocked the door, revealing two pit bulls, ready to attack. These weren’t just any vicious dogs; they were infected with the fungal spores. Spots of open flesh showed through their fur, wounds from previous fights; their teeth were as sharp as blades, their eyes were jet bla
ck, and spores and tendril appendages were sprouting out all over their bodies. They looked like something straight from hell, and in a sinister way, they paired well with their master. David reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a bloody slab of flesh, whose it was, he didn’t know, but it was certainly human. He threw it on the floor before the dogs, and like ravenous monsters, they devoured it. The blood on their teeth and faces only added to the savagery they radiated.

  “I can already taste your blood…Eli.” David grabbed his sledge from the floor boards, it was like Death’s scythe, and headed off into the night.

  “Let’s collapse some skulls and splatter some brains!” David was often over the top as he yelled into the air as loud as he could like a wolf howling into the night. He wanted to attract as many infected as he could. And in downtown Portland, there were plenty. Hordes of infected flocked towards him from all directions, lusting for a taste of whoever was howling. A look of overwhelming pleasure filled David’s face as he swung his hammer at the closest infected. Metal made contact with the temple; the bludgeoning had begun. Like a wheat thresher, he cleared wave after wave of infected. His hammer spilled guts, shattered bones, decapitated some, and even removed limbs. The loud snaps of bones and the sounds of buckets of blood splattering the concrete only added to his never ending rush of adrenaline. He was nothing more than a machine bent on the destruction of countless beings, living or not. He effortlessly threw the twenty pound hammer against body after body, some dying immediately against the mighty force, others needing a second smash against their heads to do them in. After killing an entire cul-de-sac, spilling more blood than the average slaughter house, he locked his eyes on one last infected. It was a woman who had broken her leg somehow. She was twenty feet away, stumbling toward David. Each step she took on her bad leg audibly snapped the bone a bit more, but she felt no pain. David stood there, holding the hammer with both arms, breathing intensely as though he had just sprinted a marathon. Blood dripped from his body like he’d stepped out of a shower in Dracula’s mansion. Bits of brain matter and splinters of bone could be seen clinging to his hammer, all the while he just kept his light blue, widened eyes on the girl heading for him. If looks could kill, he would have already sent this woman to her grave for the second time. He let out one barbaric roar and took three bounds towards her.