Rise of the Death Walkers (The Circle of Heritage Saga)

by Lawrence Nason Jr.

  He stomped his feet, removed his hat and tossed it on the table. He ignored the dirty look my grandmother shot him and sat at the table.

  “Feed me woman so I can get our grandson to school.” He drank from the cup of coffee she poured for him and looked at me.

  “Well Pasche, are you ready for your big day?”

  I rolled my eyes at him and shot back.

  “I’m ready but not willing. I learn more when I’m in the woods with you for one hour than I do in a whole day in school.”

  “I will never get used to this new fangled contraction stuff you children talk in. I promised your mother you would get a good education grandson, and we do not go back on a promise.”

  He looked at me sternly. “There will be time enough after school for us to commune with the woods. You are going to help me expand the back yard. We need more room with you here now.”

  I knew what he meant by that. He’d told me the first day here that we didn’t take from nature without asking first and when we took something we always gave something in return. We had spent the past week on old Thompson’s farm rebuilding the old damn the rainfalls of the spring season had torn down.

  “Why do we need a bigger back yard Grandfather?”

  He smiled at me and said. “That is where we are going to build your room boy. No grandson of mine is going to be stuck in a little room in the attic.” He reached over and tousled my hair. “Now finish your breakfast and I will get you to school before I start my day’s work.”

  I did as he said while I contemplated what he would be doing that day. My grandfather ran two of the biggest gas stations on the reservation. He was planning on building one of them bigger and offering some of the crafts my grandmother and great aunts made to the white people who drove to the reservation for cheaper gas.

  He was also building a third station on the east end of the reservation to cover the traffic from that end of the highway. I already knew the name of the station he had chosen. Up until now the one place had been called White’s Fueling Station but when the new place was done it’d be called the Wolf’s Den, in honor of the clan we belonged to. He’d told me it would be his legacy for me and my children.

  I was honored my grandfather thought so highly of me and I’d told him so when he first told me of his plans. He then told me somewhat mysteriously that I did not know who I was yet. No amount of begging and pleading from me would get my grandfather to say anything more than that.

  I finished my breakfast and grabbed the items for school my grandparents had gotten for me. My grandmother stopped me and gave me money for lunch before I left. When I got into the truck my grandfather made sure I was belted in before he started the truck. The old truck bellowed to life with a backfire that left a trail of smoke and fire behind us. I was on my way to the white man's school and little did I know this day would mark great changes in my life.

  Chapter 4 - The Beating

  Hogansburg was located about twelve miles up the road from Massena on route thirty-seven. It took about thirty five minutes on a good day to get from the outskirts of the reservation to the High School in Massena. My grandfather didn’t say much as he was driving me to the school. Before I had a chance to open the door he grabbed my arm and said, “remember Pasche, never be ashamed of who you are. Walk with your head held high and take no degradation from any man or woman.”

  I nodded at him and opened the door.

  “I’ll see you after school Grandpa.”

  I shut the door and watched while he drove away. Squaring my shoulders I turned to face the unknown. The building was relatively new. It had red brick facing and many large windows. It wasn’t long before I guessed that this was the gym building I was looking at. I dimly recalled my mother telling me that the main entrance was just to the right of the sport facilities.

  I rounded the corner when I saw her the first time. I don’t know why but I skidded to a stop and just stood there like a fool with my jaw hung slack. My brain shut off completely and I was suddenly a creature driven only by hormones. She was thin, almost lithe in appearance. That she was definitely female I could see by the shape of her body. Her hair was jet black. So black that the sun actually seemed to reflect off it. Her skin was not overly tan but definitely not as dark as mine. When she swung her head and looked in my direction I noticed she had midnight black eyes which seemed to stare deep into my soul. She stood at approximately five foot or five foot one to my own five foot ten. I had sprouted up considerably during the summer and had lost every bit of childish fat I’d been plagued with all my life up until now. She seemed to look right through me as if I wasn’t standing there, but I couldn’t take my eyes of her.

  As I was standing there several people pushed by and suddenly I was shoved from behind.

  “Move it you half-breed scum.”

  My brain reengage and I turned around and looked at the person who addressed me that way. I had to look down to see the kid’s eyes. I took note of the four other boys standing around him so I knew where he got his false bravado from. I guess there was strength in numbers. He reached out to shove me again. I stood my ground.

  “Is there a problem here?” A voice asked from behind. I swung my head around. The man was shorter than I was but definitely older. Judging by his receding hairline I guessed him to be in his late forties, early fifties.

  “No sir.” I spoke clearly, “No problem at all. It seems some people have some issues with coordinating their feet to walk around someone who’s standing in one place.” I shifted the books in my hands as the man looked past me at the group of five boys standing behind me.

  He cleared his voice and jerked his head in the direction of the building. The five boys dispersed in a hap hazardous manner

  “Follow me.” He said curtly. “You're Jason White, is this correct?”

  I nodded my head once.

  “I know your grandfather. He is a fine respectable man. My name is Mr. Janas. I’m the principal here. Your grandfather called me yesterday to correct your entry form. May I ask why the change of last name?”

  I looked at Mr. Janas and told him what my grandfather had told me.

  “My father was a white man who deserted my mother and five children years ago. My family is a proud family and my grandfather wanted me to carry a proud name since I didn’t deserve to carry the last name of a weak man.”

  Mr. Janas cleared his throat at my words. “This is highly irregular but since you’re not bound by the laws of New York State I’ve entered the change in the records. You’ll however conduct yourself within the rules and regulations of this school while you’re here. Do you understand me?” He stopped in front of a closed door. “This is your homeroom. Your homeroom teacher will have your class schedule and locker assignments.”

  I looked at Mr. Janas and nodded. “Yes sir, I’ll conduct myself appropriately at all times in a manner which will honor my tribe.” I opened the door and stepped inside. I searched the room and found an empty desk toward the back of the room. Walking toward the back, I sat at the empty desk and looked at the people in the room. I was flabbergasted when I saw that the girl I had seen outside was also in the same homeroom. My attention was diverted by the teacher standing up and clearing her throat. The class settled down.

  “My name is Eleanor Grant and I’ll be your homeroom teacher for this school year.” She began walking from row to row handing out combination locks to be passed back in the row. “These locks will be used on the lockers I’ll assign you today. Since this is your first day your whole day will be spent in the process of new student orientation. That means tomorrow your first period class will be the first of the year for you.”

  This much was obvious to me but I paid attention to what she was saying.

  “I’ll call your names to take attendance each day. Today when I call you, you’ll come to the front of the room and get your locker assignments. I’ll then enter the serial number of the combination lock you now have and give you the combination.
You may talk quietly to the people around you but don’t be too loud.”

  She began to call out names. I knew I had a while before she would call out mine. I looked at the girl again. She was leaning over talking to another girl and giggling. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her, she was beauty beyond beauty. My ears perked up when she was called to the front. Her name was Katie Grant. I wondered if she was related to the teacher in some manner. I watched her as she walked to the front. She was as graceful as gazelle when she walked. My heart was racing and I broke out in a cold sweat. I needed to get a hold of myself. I watched her as she leaned over the desk and talked to the teacher. Her hair was extremely long and was well past her waist when she stood.

  I watched as she walked back to her desk and it seemed like she looked me straight in the eye and smiled. It was then my brain took a trip to Tahiti, my face felt blazing hot as she sat down and giggled to her friend. I couldn’t think. She had looked at me. Did she really see me or was there someone behind me? This was foolish, my mind told me. I’d sat in the last desk in the row so there could not be anyone behind me. The logical part of my mind was telling me to stop drooling over a girl who probably didn’t know I even existed, while the rest of my mind was babbling in some unknown language and sunning on a beach next to the ocean. I looked down and felt my chin to make sure I wasn’t drooling.

  “Jason White.” There was a short pause then, “Jason White?”

  “Huh? Err yes you want me?” The class broke out in a laugh when I said this and I turned deep red in embarrassment. I stood up and tried to compose myself. “I hoped I remember how to walk.” I mumbled to myself as I stumbled forward. “Yes Mrs. Grant.” I looked at Katie from the corner of my eye as I passed and she giggled at me.

  “Did you remember to bring your combination lock with you Jason?” Mrs. Grant asked me gently as she looked at me with understanding eyes.

  “Errr.” I looked at my hands and tried to remember what this lock she was talking about looked like. It’s difficult to think when your brain was vacationing on a beach somewhere and all your hormone driven body wanted to do was sit and drool while gazing at the ultimate object of beauty. I turned my head around and spotted the offending object in question sitting on the desk I had chosen.

  “Errr, Right that’s it back there.” the rest of the class burst out laughing again.

  “Jason?” I looked back at her. “Could you get it so we can finish up here?”

  “Err right; you want me to get that now?” I asked. And my mind was screaming at me to stop acting like such an idiot and do what she wanted.

  “Yes please.” She rolled her eyes at me and pointed back to my desk. “Go.”

  “Right.” I turned around to go back to my desk. As I passed by Katie’s desk she smiled at me again. My mind returned from vacation but it was in no shape to perform its natural function. I walked back to my desk and looked on it. I wondered what I had come back here for. My partially recovered mind was dimly screaming at me. ‘The lock idiot, pick up the stupid lock and bring it back to the teacher.’

  My hand reached out and picked up the lock and I turned around. “I have it right here.” I said proudly.

  “Bring it up to me Jason.” I could see she was questioning herself in her mind if I were not five bottles short of a full six pack.

  I walked up to her desk and sat the lock down. Shaking my head I said. “I’m sorry about that.”

  She smiled at me again and said, “Ok this is your combination then and you are assigned this locker and here is a map of the school and your list of classes.” She handled me the papers and I juggled them around. “Have you ever been to this school before?”

  “No. Mrs. Grant, This is my first time here.” I was slowly regaining my senses and my mind was unscrambling.

  “Ok return to your seat.” I walked back and tried hard not to look at Katie again. I failed. “Ok I know many of you are new to the school so I’ll allow you go with someone who has been here before and knows their way around. Pick a partner. Take this to your locker and make sure that your lock works before coming back here to the room. After this we’ll watch a short orientation film on the school before you go to the orientation assembly in the auditorium.” She waited a bit for people to get up and leave to do as she instructed.

  I looked at the map in confusion because I had no idea what room I was in now. I was distracted by Mrs. Grant leaning down to whisper something in Katie’s ear.

  Katie nodded her head and stood up.

  I looked down at the map again to try to figure out where I would have to go and suddenly this musical voice startled me.

  “Let me help you find your locker.” I felt the heat in rise in my face and I could just barely nod at her. “My name is Katie Grant, Jason.”

  I think I said “Jason White, Katie. I’m please to meet you.” It was kind of distorted to me with the distracting pounding of my heart in my ears. I swallowed hoping to get my heart out of my throat. My next words were clearer.

  “Thank you for offering to show me the way.”

  She placed her hand on my arm to guide me out of the room. My already pounding heart took off at record breaking speeds and I broke out in a cold sweat. “Are you all right Jason?”

  I gulped and said. “It seems a bit warm here today.” I couldn’t understand why I was acting this way. “Are you from this area?” I asked before my mind screamed at me ‘Of course she’s from this area you idiot or she would not be going to this school. Get a grip on yourself brainless’

  “Yes I am. I live on Maple Street in town. You're from the reservation right?” She asked me as she guided me through the halls.

  “Yes I live out there with my grandfather.” I said as I tried to take note of where we were going. She guided me around some scaffolding in the hallway to a set of lockers beneath it.

  “You have two-nineteen right?” I nodded at her not trusting my mouth to say the correct thing. “That’s cool you are right next to me I have two-twenty.” My heart which had calmed down sped back up again.

  I was about to say something back to her when the same voice I had heard earlier came out of nowhere.

  “What’re you doing Katie with this half-breed ?”

  I looked around and I noticed he had grabbed Katie’s arm. Suddenly my heart stopped racing and the rage built up in my system. I dimly noted that the same four guys were still with him.

  “Get your hand off me Steve.” Katie shook his hand loose. “He is a person, not a half-breed as you called him.”

  As he reached out to grab her again I growled at him.

  “Touch her again and that’s the last time you’ll use that arm.” I was clenching my fists and the birthmark on my hand was burning.

  “Oh really scum?” he reached out and pushed me.

  “What’re you going to do about it?”

  “Jason he’s not worth getting in trouble for.” Katie said desperately.

  Steve reached out and backhanded her. “You stay out of this you tramp!”

  All I saw was red when he hit her. I growled and leapt at him. In that moment I wanted to kill him. I never laid my hands on him, I was hit from behind.

  “Katie,” I said weakly as I lay on the ground. “Run Katie! Get away from here!” I was dimly aware of repeated hits to my head. I tried to put my hands up to ward the blows off but someone was holding each arm down and I could not move. I saw Katie running and I felt the blood gushing from my head onto my neck. I flinched and felt wave after wave of pain surge through my body. I looked at the angry expression on my assailant and wondered why he had chosen me as the object of his fury. I heard screaming in the hallways and then suddenly everything went black.

  It was a short time later I think I came to and I saw blurry faces above me. There was only one face I wanted to see. I had to know she was all right and then I could sleep again.

  “Katie, where are you Katie?”

  I saw someone push another person out of the way and then I
saw her lovely face hovering above me.

  “Jason? Oh dear God Jason. Why didn’t you listen to me?” The tears were streaming down her face.

  I reached up with the one hand I could move and wiped a tear from her cheek.

  “Don’t cry Katie. They were hurting you. Nobody has a right to hurt such a beautiful girl as you, nobody.” I was losing my grip on my consciousness but I had seen her one last time.”

  The last thing I remember was her tear dropping on my cheek.

  Chapter 5 - Recovery

  I woke up in a daze not sure where I was. I opened my eyes but closed them quickly. The lights above me were too bright and hurt my eyes. Instead, I used my other senses. From the medicinal smell I smelled, I must be in a hospital. I had spent so much time in hospitals when I was younger with several bouts of pneumonia, now I hated hospitals with a passion.

  I tried to remember how I had gotten here but my mind was a blank. I didn’t dwell on that. For now I listened for other sounds.

  There were people walking up and down the hallway outside the room. I could hear faint conversations but I couldn’t make out what was being said. The door opened and I heard someone approaching. I heard the scrape of what sounded like wood against metal, then the rustling of papers. There was a soft “Tsk Tsk.” and then the person was next to me.

  I heard a rustle that sounded like someone putting a hand in a pocket then the clear pop of plastic being broken.

  Someone bumped against the bed. I felt the movement of something above me and the soft sound of suction. The person, who was in the room, started whistling then left.

  I began to feel drowsy again and I fought to stay alert. There was something I wanted to remember but I kept hitting a blank wall in my mind. Something that was important to me. It was more important than anything else in my life. I struggled to keep conscious and tried to grasp that important something that seemed to be floating just out of reach. There I had it. I heard the door open and someone came inside. I heard the scrape of a chair but I ignored it. I knew what I wanted to remember and keep with me forever.