The Fall: The Apocalypse Diaries

by Brock, Dianah

  “Charlie, what did you mean by we made your last days worth living?” The question escaped my lips before my brain registered the question. Once again, Charlie hung his head. “Well, a couple months before this started, the doc said I had cancer. Wasn’t anything serious then. Started that chemo stuff and was on my way to getting better. But then this all happened, and chemo treatments stopped. Was a blessin’ in disguise really. Couple months after I couldn’t get my treatments, I started feelin’ better. But here lately, the bleedin’s been worse, and I ain’t ate nothin’ solid in over a month. When I heard your young’uns arguin’ out there, I knew the time was close.”

  Now I understood perfectly. Charlie was dying of some form of intestinal cancer, and felt his days were drawing to a close. He’d seen our arrival as a sign from God that it was time. So he was doing his last good deed before God allowed him to be reunited with his family. It was a beautiful thought, bitter sweet, but beautiful. A part of me hoped that many years from now, when my time came, I could have something, a moment as beautiful as this one.

  “Well, why don’t y’all sleep here tonight, leave at day break. Gives ya plenty of time to make it where ya gotta be.” Charlie offered. I smiled. One more act of generosity to fulfill his unspoken promise to Morella. With a smile, we agreed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  I was beyond grateful for all of the help Charlie was giving us. I still felt guilty about agreeing to take the one thing he and his late wife treasured so much, and made so many plans with, but as he had said, he wasn’t going to use it. I hated to think of Charlie dying alone there in that farmhouse, no matter how cozy it seemed, but I understood his wishes. It was home, and had been all of his life.

  We made our way back into the living room where we found Tara and Tyler sitting in the floor around the coffee table with a board game out. They’d lit the six kerosene lanterns to light it up. They turned their attention to us when we entered the room. “I hope you don’t mind that we lit the lanterns.” Tara said to Charlie with a smile. “No child, it’s alright. I don’t much care for sittin’ in the dark in the evenin’ anyway.” Charlie answered.

  We watched as Charlie walked over to the bookshelf on the east wall of the living room. “Now, ya game is gonna have to wait. Y’all be sleepin’ here tonight so I need to show y’all the escape plan, just in case.” Charlie removed a big flashlight from the shelf, and turned to leave the room. We all followed behind him single file as he led the way up the stairs.

  “Now this house has an attic. I pull the ladder down ever night.” He said as I shined the light on the pull cord dangling from the ceiling. “Tyler, why don’t you go ahead and pull that ladder down. Don’t forget to push on the sides so it locks into place. If you gotta run for your life, you don’t wanna deal with that thing movin n costin’ ya balance.” Tyler did as he was asked.

  Once the ladder to the attic was secure, Charlie went back to his tour. “Now, I got enough bedrooms for all y’all to sleep in, but you can double up if ya want. Don’t make no difference to me. But here is the rooms I got for ya.” We went to the first door closest to the ladder. He opened the door and went inside to light a lantern. “Tara girl, this was my Morella’s room. Still the way she left it, bed made n all. You’re more than welcome to sleep in here.” Charlie said.

  We went inside the room and looked around. The room still resembled a typical teenage girl’s bedroom. Feminine décor, but not too feminine. The posters on the walls were of country singers instead of rappers or boy bands. There were several shelves on the walls, and beautiful, gothic style fairy figurines rested on them. The cobwebs wrapped around their wings made them look aged, but no less beautiful.

  “She loved to read.” Tara said as she looked at the titles on the shelves. “Yeah she did. This is ever book Bernice and me ever bought her. Most kids ask for toys at the market. Morella asked for books and the like.” Charlie said, a hint of sadness in his voice. Tara turned to him. “I don’t mind sleeping alone, if it’s ok with mom.” She said. I nodded with a smile. “Would it be ok it I read a book?” Tara asked. “Well I don’t see why not. That’s what they are there for. Pick somethin’ n if you don’t finish it, just take it with you.”

  Charlie led us through the rest of the second level of the house. He gave Tyler his Son’s room for the night, and Tyler didn’t mind. He loved the old cars on the wall with the camouflage curtains over the windows. It was cozy for sure.

  The guest bedroom was at the end of the hall, and led out onto a small balcony. It was cozy in the dim lighting given by the lantern, and one could tell that the lady of the house had put extra care into its décor. Once we were all settled, and our packs resting close by, just in case, Charlie took us up to the attic to explain his escape plan.

  “So after we climb up here, we go over to them French doors my wife wanted put in up here for some reason. They lead out onto another balcony.” We watched as Charlie went over and opened the doors, kicking one of them when the rusty hinge got stuck. “They’s a ladder here. Big ole extension one that’ll reach down to the ground. Worst comes to worst, ya can climb right on down and run like hell. Or if ya hear em’ trying to break in and its more than a few, just drive that damned RV through the garage door and haul ass.”

  I couldn’t help but to notice that Charlie was talking as if he knew this would be his last night alive. I was curious, but didn’t want to alarm the children. They had grown fond of him very quickly, and I didn’t want to upset them. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Charlie was planning to end his life that night. Normally, suicide would be frowned upon, but in this case, with no one to care for him in his last days, withering away in his own excrement while he waited to starve to death seemed less humane than whatever method he planned to use.

  “Ok we have a long day ahead of us. Why don’t you two head to bed. Don’t fall asleep with the lanterns on.” I instructed. Once the children were out of the attic, I turned to Charlie. Randy came to stand behind me and put his arms around my waist. I was sure he could feel my anxiety.

  Charlie remained silent for a moment. He ran his fingers through his thin gray hair. “Listen um, I know we ain’t known each other enough to be askin favors, but I got one for anyway.” Charlie said as he fought to get the words out. “Anything Charlie. Whatever you need.” Randy said in a calming tone.

  Charlie waked over and took a seat in a rocking chair on the balcony. “I’m old. Been sick a long time.” Charlie took his pocket knife out of his pocket and began cleaning out from under his nails. “I wanna be buried out in the garden with my Bernice and Morella. Took me a while but I done got the hole dug.”

  I knew what he was attempting to ask of us, or at least along what lines it would be. My heart ached for this man who suffered a condition that could no longer be treated in this day and age. But that was just it; he’d suffered, and more than just the cancer. I choked back the tears and asked him, “What do you need from us Charlie?” my voice quivered and I hoped he didn’t notice, even though the embrace that came around my waist from Randy told me that he had noticed.

  Charlie continued to run the tip of his blade underneath his nails. “Well, way I figure it, I got me a bunch of old blood pressure medicine. Reckon I will take it all at once, and sit in my chair out there beside the garden until I’m good n gone. Then, maybe if it ain’t too much trouble, I could get you two to roll me on in there and cover me up before you go.”

  Just as I had thought. He had it all planned out. A part of me hated knowing what he had planned, but another part of me, a more humane part, didn’t have the heart to tell him no. With a heavy heart, and fighting back the tears, Randy and I agreed to give him his last request on this earth and bury him in his grave beside his wife and granddaughter.

  I saw a tear fall from his eye and down his cheek. The energy in the attic changed, and we could feel the peace that Charlie felt in his mind and his heart. “I thank ya for ya help. It means a lot to this old m
an.” Charlie stood up and came over to where Randy and I stood, Randy’s arms still locked around my waist. As Charlie approached us, Randy let go of me, and reached out to shake Charlie’s hand.

  “You take care of this family of yours. Them’s some good kids, and you got one hell of a woman. Treasure that Son.” He said with a sniffle. I looked over at the man I loved. “I will Sir. You have my word.” I could see a glisten in Randy’s eyes that told me he was also trying not to cry. Charlie then turned his attention to me. “Miss Amber, there should be more people out there like you girl. You are one of a kind, remind me a lot of my Bernice.” I couldn’t help but to let the tears fall. Instead of shaking his hand, I hugged him, and hugged him tight. I hugged him like I would my grandfather if I could see him again.

  “Well, help me down that ladder would ya? I took ‘em pills before we come up here, and I’m already feeling a bit weak.” My heart sank, but Randy led the way to the ladder which led down from the attic. “I will go first, just in case you start to lose your balance. I will catch you.” Randy said. “Alright son. If we fall for some reason, just blame it on that bad balance of an old man. No need to scare them kids.”

  Once we reached the floor beneath, Randy took Charlie’s arm and headed down the stairs. “I’m going to look in on the kids.” I said. Randy nodded at me and waved me off. I opened the door to Morella’s room. There was no light shining through. Tara was fast asleep with a book light clipped to the book she’d chosen from the shelf. I didn’t bother turning her light off at the risk of waking her. When I checked in on Tyler, he was also fast asleep with the light from the old Gameboy shining on his face. .

  I made my way down the stairs, and to the side door of the house where Randy and Charlie had went out to the garden. I walked outside into the stillness of the night to find Charlie and Randy sitting in the rocking chairs, watching the sky. I took a seat in the vacant rocking chair, and looked up with them.

  The sky was beautiful. Not one cloud blocked our view of the wonders above us. It was a full moon as well, which lit up the world around us, and for once, it didn’t seem so terrifying. There were no groans of the undead, or shuffling as they wondered mindlessly around. The night was so peaceful, and quiet, quiet enough that I heard the sound of Charlie’s last breath.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Randy and I did as we had promised. I had checked for breathing, and for a pulse before we moved him to his final resting place, and covered him. Randy went into the garage and retrieved a few pieces of picket fence, and bound them together with wire. I wrote “Farmer Charlie” on the makeshift headstone, and we placed it at the head of his grave.

  Randy and I didn’t sleep. We couldn’t. we knew we hadn’t done anything wrong, but the rules of morality from an extinct society still made us feel as though we had. We were in the kitchen the next morning when Tara and Tyler came down the stairs. “Good morning mom, Randy. Where is Charlie?” Tara asked with a smile. I didn’t answer, just hung my head.

  “Charlie passed away last night kids. I’m sorry. He was very sick. He was diagnosed with cancer before the apocalypse started.” I watched as my children began to cry as if they’d lost a grandfather. Their tears broke my heart in two. I walked over and wrapped my arms around them. “Shh, it’s ok. He passed peacefully.” I said as I rubbed my son’s head. “Where is he? I want to say goodbye.” Tyler said. “We buried him in the garden with his wife and his granddaughter. We were sure he would have wanted that.” Randy answered. We’d already agreed that we would spare them the details of exactly how he passed.

  We took the kids to the garden where Charlie and his family were buried. They looked so heartbroken, and I assured them that Randy and I felt the same. Randy walked over and put a hand on each of their shoulders. “Hey guys, I know this is hard, but we have to get back. We don’t know what we are going to run into along the way.” He said calmly. They nodded and turned to go back inside the house.

  Each of the kids went upstairs, and made the beds they’d slept in as a sign of respect for the man that helped us in our greatest time of need. We gathered our things and headed down to the garage. Tara saw a picture sitting on a credenza beside the door. It was Charlie, Bernice, and Morella. “Mom, do you think Charlie would mind if I took this?” she asked. I smiled with a tear in my eye. “No sweetheart, I don’t think he would mind.” She carefully picked up the framed photo and put it in her pack.

  We got the kids into the RV and settled in for the ride to Adairsville. Once upon a time, the drive would have taken only 20 minutes, but the roads were littered with abandoned vehicles, road signs and God only knew what else. I sat in the passenger seat, and reached over to turn the ignition. The engine fired right up. Randy raised the garage door, and climbed into the driver’s seat.

  “Are we ready to go?” Randy asked as he situated himself comfortably in the seat. “You bet, but once we are clear of the garage, can you stop and let me close the door?” I asked. “Of course.” Randy said with a smile. He understood exactly why I wanted to close the door. It just seemed wrong to me to leave it accessible to the undead.

  Randy shifted the RV into drive, and slowly pulled forward, once the rear of the RV was clear of the door, I climbed out and closed the door. I watched as the cozy little farmhouse faded behind us. We took the little road out to Highway 411, making our way back to Adairsville.

  Two hours passed before we were able to turn onto 140. Randy had to drive really slow in order to navigate the RV around the abandoned vehicles, some were trailers still attached to the tractors that pulled them. I chewed my nails as I watched the speedometer. Randy glanced at me briefly before turning his attention back to the road. “It’s ok. We are going to make it.” He said, trying to reassure me. I wanted to believe it, but I knew how long we’d been gone.

  “Hey Randy, What if we don’t make it?” I asked. I couldn’t help but to think about all of the people at the village, sitting and waiting blindly for us to return. Had they given us up for dead by now? Did Alex and my daddy manage to keep things in order? Did the warning make it to them in time? So many questions went unanswered in my mind.

  Tyler and Tara walked up to the front of the RV where we were. I was still looking over at the speedometer, dreading how slowly we were traveling. I looked at my watch. Four hours on the road. Just as I was about to voice a complaint or suggest a different solution, Tyler’s voice caught my attention. “Hey Mom, Look! The bridge over the Interstate!” I felt my heart leap into my throat. We were so close, and I knew the roads were pretty much clear from this point on. The abandoned vehicles and other obstacles had been moved by us a while back.

  I smiled at Randy, excited that soon I could rest easy once I saw my villagers were safe, once I could see that my biological family and my family at heart were all alive and well. “See, I told you it would be ok.” Randy said with a smile and a wink. Now the only thing worrying me was how much supplies could we get moved before the horde fell at our doorstep?

  My mind was made up. Once we arrived, I would send out a scout on one of the ATVs to check out how far away the horde was. “Hey! Who is that on the motor cycle?” Tara asked as she pointed up ahead. “As far as I knew, no one had motorcycles in the village, but that could have changed in the week we’d been gone. “I’m not sure.” Suddenly, I remembered my radio in my pack. I quickly removed it, praying that the batteries were still good. I turned the power on and instantly heard the static.

  I smiled, eager to hear a familiar voice on the other end. “Commander to Bird’s Eye, Do you copy?” I called. I released the button and waited. No response. I shook my head, refusing to give up. “This is Amber, can anyone hear me?” I said, leaving the formalities out this time. I heard a pop over the airwaves, then a very familiar voice. “It’s Mike commander, welcome home.” I smiled and didn’t bother to fight the tears.

  “It’s good to be back. How are things at home? Over.” “Right as rain cuz. But we aren’t in the square. We’ve reloc
ated to the school so head there.” Mike said. “10-4 cuz. See you soon.” I replied. “See you already,” came the answer just as the rider on the motorcycle stopped and began waving.

  We made our way around the roads we’d cleared for just this occasion, and to the chainlink fencing that surrounded the football field. There wasn’t a soul in sight outside, except on the roof of the building, just as we had planned. I watched as the garage door of the school which led to the mechanics class opened. Randy pulled the RV inside slowly.

  Before the engine was off, I jumped out of the RV. There stood my parents, my brothers, my cousins, and all of my villagers. Mike and Alex were the first at my side. I wrapped an arm around each of them and squeezed as hard as I could. “Thank God you’re alright.” Mike said as he held me tight. “You know me. Tough as nails.” I answered. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again. You don’t leave this hell without me.” He demanded with a smile. “Deal.” I agreed.

  The door to the mechanics shop closed behind us, and we were left in the dim lighting of kerosene lamps. “Let’s get up top girl.” My daddy said as he wrapped an arm around me, leading the way up the stairs. The sounds of celebration of our return echoed through the school. I was so happy to be home, and even happier to see that even now, there was not one life lost among my village.

  The popping of the radio caused the commotion to die down. “Get Quiet down there. The horde is moving up Park Street.” We all remained quiet. We could hear the faint sounds of the groans of the undead. We sat silently and we waited as they passed by us, undetected.

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