Decay | Book 1 | Civilization

by Spitznogle, D. L.

  Later, Deacon arranged to transfer to the Clay Hills Fire Department. He’s also a trained paramedic, which Jonathan was pleased to hear. Sophia worked as a manager at a clothing store. She met Deacon after the attacks. Both were looking for supplies, they stuck together, eventually falling in love.

  Jonathan also shared his own stories. He told of what he knew of the fiends, where they came from, and how they work “biologically”. It was amazing to sit around at the dinner table and tell stories. Almost like having a family again. Jonathan wanted this to last forever, but he had been planning on finding a way to stop this plague. He wanted nothing more than to live outside of the walls of his safe home.

  One thing Jonathan seemed to find funny in a way, is how these different groups survived in such close proximity for months and managed to not find each other. Bradley and Guillermo were literally within sight of each other. Deacon at one point had checked the same stores that Bradley had also scavenged. The children were on top of a supermarket in the same neighborhood.

  Was there seriously so little hope of finding others that each group avoided the others? Jonathan was oddly thrilled to think that Guillermo and Deacon could have been in different aisles of a store at the same time assuming the other’s sounds were that of the dead. Could the children have seen Deacon and Sophia crossing beneath them and never realized they were alive?

  And speaking of the children; Andy and Amie were playing out in the yard one day. Jonathan decided that it would be as good of a time as any to ask them about his father, if they remembered. He went out in the yard and sat with them. Warm air washed over him as the gentle breeze blew. The dry grass crunched under his bare feet.

  The feeling that now was indeed a bad time hit him quickly after seeing them having such a good time playing. Laughter was a break from the norm for Jonathan. For everyone. To see children smiling and playing again was more incredible than he had thought it would be.

  He didn’t want to discourage their play, but he came out with his question. “What do you remember about the day of the attack?”

  Andy looked up from the fortress he built in the dirt. Roads for his Hot Wheels cars weaved in and out of the grass. The twins had dug down into the dirt in a three-foot circle. Jonathan’s father would have flipped out over this, but Jonathan only smiled and remembered the time he had done the same thing.

  Amie stopped playing, but she didn’t look up.

  “I don’t remember much, but we were on our way to school in Mom’s car. Mom left early so she could grab some things we needed for school,” Andy recalled.

  “There was lots of screaming. It was coming from the direction of the hills. Some people were scared and running away, and there was a bunch of angry people chasing them around,” Amie added. “Mom told us not to look out the windows. She drove fast to get away.”

  “Yeah, Mom tried to get away from them, but a truck hit us and pushed us off the road,” Andy said, reenacting the event with the toy cars. “The screams came from all around the car as people ran past. Then mom started to scream as the angry people came up to the car. A man pushed them away and helped us get out. Mom tried to get away too, but they hurt her bad. The man got hurt bad too, but he pushed his way through the people and picked us up and ran away with us.

  “We screamed for mom, but she told us she loved us, and we needed to leave, so we didn’t fight the man. He took us into a garage and closed the door. We stayed there all night. The angry people were outside hurting other people. We could hear the screams, and I didn’t sleep good at all,” Andy said.

  “I didn’t sleep good, too.” Amie interrupted in that way children do when they don’t want to be left out of the conversation. The sadness in her big blue eyes pierced Jonathan’s heart.

  Andy nodded and continued with his story. “The man said his name was—I can’t remember his name anymore, but he was getting sick bad. He said we needed to find somewhere safe that we could go. That maybe he would get so sick that he might try and hurt us, and he didn’t want us to be hurt. He said he wouldn’t be safe to be with for long. That’s when he found Danni. She was running from the angry people, so he helped her, too. Told her to take care of us.

  “He saved her then ran off to lead the angry people away so they wouldn’t hurt us. I think they hurt him. He screamed a lot,” Andy said.

  The boy kept talking. His voice faded in and out as Jonathan lost himself in his own thoughts. A story about Tyson could be heard for a moment, and then he drifted back to his father.

  “Tyson said those people are not angry. He said that they are dead and want to eat everyone,” Amie said with a serious look on her face.

  Jonathan was silent for a long time. Both Andy and Amie watched him while waiting for some sort of reply after they finished their story. So many emotions went through him. His father had sacrificed himself to save these children. This wasn’t new to him, however, as he watched his father run out to help them. He was proud of his father for that. Then there was this feeling of amazement. His father saved these two children, gave his life for them, and they managed to find their way back here.

  “That man was my father. His name was Brian, and I bet he would have really liked you two,” Jonathan smiled at them before standing up and walking back to the gate. He wondered if there would be any way he could honor his father. Perhaps by ending the nightmare that engulfed the world. Maybe he could finish what his father started and save these two children.

  Jonathan needed time to think, so he collected many of the books from the shelves in the family room and retreated to his new bedroom to study. Books were stacking up all over the floor. The small lab he built sat in the middle of the room. For now, he wanted to be lost in this world of science books and test tubes.

  Emalynn started coming around from time to time to talk to Jonathan. He was attracted to her, not only because she was the only girl his age he’s seen in what felt like forever, but because he thought she was absolutely beautiful. Her hair and skin had softened up after being able to properly bathe, and Jonathan couldn’t help but notice everything about her as they walked through the yard and talked about the past.

  Many of her stories involved her parents, and all the things they did together. As an only child, she was given almost everything that she wanted, yet she acted as though she wasn’t spoiled. Jonathan could listen to her stories forever; he felt mesmerized by her voice.

  Sometimes they would lay in the grass and watch the stars come out. Almost every one of those times they would wake up the following morning still there in the grass. Usually it would cool off too much, and Jonathan would help Emalynn to her room.

  Most of the time he wasn’t with Emalynn, Jonathan was alone in his room, yet he never neglected his guests. He helped with every meal, and he was amazed at how much cleaning needed to be done now compared to when it was just him.

  Emalynn was becoming social with the rest of the group, also. She was becoming close to Sophia. The two were like sisters. They were able to help each other heal. None of them could heal completely, but starting the process was something they never expected to do.

  “Almost done with all your reading?” Deacon asked one morning during breakfast.

  “Well I am working on a plan. I just need to make sure that all the pieces fit together perfectly. Most of my time will be dedicated to my research,” Jonathan responded apologetically.

  “Perhaps you should rebuild the internet, mate. When I needed to research, I went to Google.”

  “What kind of plan do you have?” Guillermo asked while chewing on a strip of bacon.

  “My plan,” Jonathan said, then paused briefly to find the simplest words. “My plan is not really a plan just yet, I suppose. It is more just me leaving the comfort and safety of my home. I have just about searched every book we have in this house, and I have not been able to find any possible end to this. There are no recorded events of anything like this happening before. On any scale, of course one of this magnitud
e would have been known about.

  “I have read through my father’s research. In there, I have learned my father’s account of how this started, but he worked with another researcher. Maybe he kept more information about what he knew in his office at the Biological and Chemical Research Corporation just outside of town, so I need to find out what he knew.”

  The others stared at him as if he was crazy. From their understanding of Jonathan’s stories, this whole thing started there. Whether or not it was still crawling with fiends, that fact alone made it harder to imagine anyone wanting to go inside that building.

  “So, I would like for the two of you to consider coming with me,” Jonathan continued. “I could use your help. I am sure it will be dangerous, so if you do not want to go, that is understandable. There is a good chance that there will be nothing there. There is also the chance that someone will be hurt. I also have to say that regardless of whether this is successful or not I need to move on after its completion. My mother and brother are out there somewhere. I need to look for them.”

  “I’ll be glad to go with you. I owe you for what you’ve given us,” Guillermo said.

  “I’ll also go,” Deacon stood up as he said this, as if he were a proud soldier volunteering for his country.

  Sophia didn’t seem pleased with this. “Deacon! We’re safe here. I appreciate what we have here, as well, but we’re alive. We have each other, and I can’t lose you. You can’t go.” She looked at Jonathan and finished, “I’m sorry, but I can’t let him go.”

  “Can I talk to you outside?” Deacon ordered more than asked as he walked Sophia out into the garage.

  “Thank you, Guillermo.” Jonathan turned to his friend. “Should I ask Roger t—”

  “I’m going with you blokes,” Deacon walked through the door into the kitchen. Sophia walked in behind him, her eyes red from crying.

  “Sophia, I don’t want to cause any tension. He doesn’t have to go if y—” Jonathan tried to explain but she shook her head and walked by. He turned to Deacon and said, “Thanks, but you have no obligation to me.”

  “I know I have no obligation to you. I finally have friends again, so I’ll stand by you guys through thick and thin,” Deacon said.

  “There is a chance my mom and brother are alive and out there somewhere. I need to find out for sure. This is your home now if you will have it. Regardless of how things go at the BCRC building, you are all welcome to remain here after I leave,” Jonathan assured them.

  “Let’s see how well things go at the science lab first, mate. Then maybe we’ll discuss leaving the safety of this fortress you have here,” Deacon said.

  “I truly appreciate your concern,” Jonathan said politely. “But if I want to leave there will not be a discussion. Thank you though.”

  “I didn’t mean to discuss whether you leave or not. We will discuss who all will leave with you.”

  “We are all grateful for what you’ve given us here,” Sophia stepped in. Jonathan felt like she was angry with him, but she didn’t show it. “I’m not happy about it, but I understand why Deacon feels he needs to go with you guys. I too am happy to have you as friends, and I’d like to call you family.”

  Jonathan felt pride and happiness swell up inside him once more. There was something special about this family, he knew it. Then he was struck with guilt as he realized he asked two of these people to risk their lives for him.

  Before setting out, he would do everything in his power to plan for every possible contingency. It was now on him to keep these men safe. It would be on him if any of them did not make it back, and he could not come back without all of them. He would plan for that also.

  Settling into his room, Jonathan poured over every bit of text, every photo and video, and every recording he had from his father. The chances of any of these “fiends”, as the others called them, still lurking around that building would be slim, but he wanted to know as much about this building as he could before leading these men into it.

  Chapter 16

  The blue light burned bright, illuminating the smoke that rolled off of the source. Electric hums and crackling melded with the sound of sizzling bacon as the puddle of metal was moved with precision. A metallic river that froze instantly yet remained far too hot to touch. The weld was done with the perfection of a true craftsman.

  Drawings of machinery flashed briefly in the blinding light of the arc. Chrome tools reflected the blue light from where they hung on the peg board wall. Bolts and chains lay at the ready on the wooden workbench.

  A monstrosity of a machine sat several yards away. Its shining chrome grill glared with the ferocity of a tigress protecting her cubs. The dark silhouette of a semi cab stood firmly behind the chrome. The twenty-thousand-pound behemoth roared to life and let out a bellowing war cry from the air horns.

  The dream flashed by rapidly, causing Jonathan to sit up in bed. The smell of hot metal, grease, and diesel exhaust filled his nostrils. The dream had made some sense to him. There would be similar dreams over the next couple of weeks. He was not sure what they meant, yet they gave him hope.

  Chapter 17

  As the next week passed, Jonathan grew confident in going to the BCRC building, and he was ready to move. The books proved to hold no further clues that would help him stop or reverse what has been done. Guillermo, Deacon, and Roger volunteered to go with him even though he stated he was willing to go alone, and the most direct route to the BCRC lab was plotted. Emalynn and Sophia would stay behind with the children. They would carry on if the group didn’t return.

  Jonathan wanted to travel light, so he took two Springfield XD 9mm handguns. They were holstered in his Blackhawk tactical vest along with eight loaded clips. He also carried a large hunting knife in a side pouch. After all the years of watching his father collect firearms, the day was finally here for Jonathan to be pleased with all the options he had.

  “I think I’d like to borrow a gun or two, mate. Would that be alright?” Deacon stood in the center of what was now Jonathan’s room. “I’m strong and all,” he held up the fire axe he carried with him, “but this beast is far too heavy to swing for long periods of time.”

  “Absolutely. Take what you need,” Jonathan nodded toward the gun safe. “I will tell the others to grab some weapons also.”

  “Thanks, mate,” Deacon rubbed his hands together as he caught a glimpse of the treasures in front of him. He took a Remington 870 express tactical shotgun and an ammo belt with plenty of spare shells. “This is too great,” he said to himself as he held the shotgun.

  Guillermo and Roger each had their own opportunities to take what they wanted. They each chose an AR-15 and split the magazines and ammo. Guillermo fashioned a new lawnmower blade machete from the neighbors John Deere. While he was there, he picked up a large movie collection to keep the children entertained.

  “Everyone should have a signature weapon,” Guillermo told Jonathan as he showed off Kadavre Mark II. “Roger has his strange desk-leg-hook-thing that I named Dead Breaker.” Guillermo was still pleased about the name. “I have Kadavre, so you should think about your own signature piece.”

  Jonathan smiled at the thought of a “signature weapon” like a superhero would have. Deep down he was still a kid, but he knew it was a bit much. “I will see what I can come up with,” he told Guillermo with a smile.

  Since the day the group arrived at Jonathan’s home, Guillermo and Roger steered clear of each other. This wasn’t hard to accomplish as Roger spent most of his time in the small campsite that was his home. He also went out into the town several times a week. It wasn’t clear what he was doing. He never brought anything back with him, and he only came back after everyone was asleep. Jonathan never saw Roger smile. In fact, Roger never showed any signs of emotion, and this made Jonathan uncomfortable.

  After spending the next couple of hours making adjustments to vests and going over proper gun handling, they sat down to eat one final supper before setting out in the early mo
rning. They ate in silence. This didn’t bother Jonathan, but he knew the chances of everyone coming back. He expected more discussion from the others.

  It was only a few weeks, but not even months of planning could have prepared Jonathan for what he was going through mentally with the danger he was putting the others in. The night crept on slowly as he tossed and turned in his bed. What little sleep he managed was tormented by nightmares.

  Demons emerged from every dark corner, blood dripping from their teeth. The shadowy figure of Death stood behind them with every move they made. Dark storm clouds surrounded them; the thunder roared hard enough to collapse their skulls. He watched as Guillermo, Deacon, Roger, and himself were torn asunder by the sharp claws of beasts and savages. The wind tore the flesh off of their bodies, and the acidic rain burned deep into muscle.

  Jonathan sat up, wiped his eyes, and climbed out of bed. In the bathroom attached to his room, he wiped the sweat off his face and chest with a towel. He stared into the mirror for an eternity, wondering if he should have a more formal plan. The deaths of these men could possibly be on his hands, but the more he tried to convince himself over the past week, the more he realized he could not succeed on his own.

  Midnight passed and the new day rolled in. The tossing was beginning to wear Jonathan out. Guillermo had turned on them, shoving his lawnmower blade through Deacon’s neck. Roger raised his rifle to shoot, but the blade sliced through his abdomen. His insides spilled to the floor; his expression finally changed to that of surprise.

  The quiet knock on the door sounded like an explosion in the silence of his room. He sat up quickly and looked around, trying to clear the blur from his eyes. His bed sat in its usual spot, but he was on the floor a few feet away. The blankets and sheets were scattered around the room. He would gladly take the cryptic dreams of welding and grinding over the nightmares.

  The door opened slowly. Dim light shone in from the hall. “Are you alright?” Emalynn asked. Her voice was soft and warm, and Jonathan felt knots in his stomach each time she spoke.