Decaying Humanity (12 page)

    “1007? I reset it to zero before we left. When did it have all that time?”

    “It must have remembered where it left off. I wasn’t in the bathroom
that
long,” he replied staring at the floor.

    “Good God, if we do the math, one combo every two seconds, he can cover 30 numbers in just a minute,” I said. My eyes focused on an imaginary blackboard and I moved my fingers as I did the math in my head. “You were in the bathroom for more than 30 minutes!”

    “Dude I couldn’t help it. I ate Shay’s oatmeal out of her drawer. Plus, I didn’t see you doing guard duty.”

    “I had the shift before you,” I said.

    “Oh yeah.”

    I put my hand up against my forehead as I let out a sigh and tried to think of what to do next. I glanced up and saw the truck. “What the hell!” I shouted.

    We ran over to the truck and I pointed at the rear tire. The rear tire was completely flat with a red screwdriver hanging loosely from the deflated sidewall.

    “Who the hell,” Desmond began as he reached for the tool.

    Something on the screwdriver caught my eye. “Wait!” I shouted.

    Desmond froze in place, “What?” I stepped closer and leaned in to get a better view. As I bent down, I saw a red droplet fall from the handle. My eyes grew wide as I realized what I was looking at.

    “It’s covered in spreader puke!” I exclaimed.

    “What, how would it be?”

    “Is this a … trap?” I asked.

    “You don’t think it planned that, do you? It’s a brainless corpse, they don’t set traps.”

    “I don’t know, but you were two seconds from touching it. I swear when I find that thing I’ll kill it a second time,” I threatened.

    “We almost got outsmarted by a zombie,” Desmond said.

    “Shut up D, I’ll take your shift.”

    “Hey! C’mon, I’m right here!” I yelled through the black bars. I had the shotgun fully loaded with slugs. I was ready for that thinking zombie to come around here. I was going to paint the street with his brains and see how smart he was then.

    “You know, if he’s that smart, I don’t think you screaming ‘come here,’ and waving your gun around is going to draw him in,” Shay said from the poolside chair. She had her sunglasses resting on top of her head and was reading a book,
Tale of the Black Sun
.

    “Well I don’t know what else to do. I haven’t seen a zombie in hours.”

    “Just saying, I don’t think that’s going to work,” she said while turning the page.

    “So, what is that book about?” I asked still peering around for any activity.

    “Zombies, well the necromancer magic kind.”

    “Ugh, haven’t you had enough zombie stuff today?”

    “No, I like this book. I really liked it back when things were … normal.”

    “How does it end?”

    “I don’t know. I never actually finished it. It’s a little dark and twisted so I’m not expecting rainbows and flowers in the end. I just hope the necromancer and his love can finally be together.”

    “Sounds charming. Helloooo zombies, come get me!” I called. Shay simply rolled her eyes and went back to reading.

    Later that evening Pablo gave me a long explanation as he boarded up the last window, an explanation that I understood zero percent of. He mimicked trying to fit through the hole and it was too small. He bent down on one knee and pretended to hold a rife and it was the perfect size to shoot from.

    “Oh, I get it now. You are awesome, you know that right?”

    “Si, awesome,” he responded.

    That night we all gathered around the camping lamp, which was starting to fade as the battery died. Our shrinking group looked weird without the other two. Their chairs were still sitting by the table, empty. Peter seemed to have calmed down without his dad and sister around. He looked upset and just quietly ate his bowl of fruity loops. I never was good with kids and I didn’t know what to say, so I just kept quiet.

    “Did you guys run into the Army, too?” Desmond asked.

    “Wait, too?”

    “Yeah, they visited us today.”

    “I would have thought you would tell us that sooner,” I said.

    “Sorry, I forgot with all the other crap going on.”

    “Well we didn’t run into them physically. We heard a comment about them and the hunters had a piece of paper from them,” I said.

    Harvey fished through his pocket and tried to hand the crumpled paper to Desmond but his shaky hands caused him to drop it. Desmond picked it up and looked through it. Shay crossed her arms almost in preparation of ridicule.

    “Yeah they came by and showed us the same picture,” he said looking up from the paper. “There was like eight of ‘em. They started off by asking if we had seen this girl, Tiffany Mason, in the picture. When I told them no, they practically pushed me aside and started rummaging through the motel. Bunch of assholes, if you ask me.”

    “Did you ask them about evacuation, safe bases, or convoys that will defend this town?” Shay asked.

    “Yeah, of course,” Desmond replied. “They basically told me to piss off. One of them pulled me aside and said there was a reward for her return. Anyone who finds her and brings her in is guaranteed a spot on a protected base with a lifetime supply of food. I asked what was so important about her.”

    “And?” I asked.

    “He said their scientists can harvest her to extract a cure, an immunization.”

    “Harvest?” Shay asked, offended. “We are supposed to help them find a young girl and donate her to science so they can pull her apart? For what, the
chance
they can do something?”

    “Isn’t the life of one, worth sacrificing for hundreds of thousands?” Desmond asked.

    “Fuck that, I’d trade a hundred of you guys right now for my life,” Harvey panted.

    Everyone looked around uncomfortably.

    “I miss Nikki,” Peter said with his bottom lip starting to shake.

    “I know you do, buddy,” Desmond said. “Why don’t I take you to your room and I can tell you a story.”

    “One with a dragon and a princess?” he asked with renewed excitement.

    “I was thinking about the time I won the deadlifting tournament, but yeah, we can do dragons and stuff.”

    “I need some air,” Harvey said. He got up from the table and went out the front door.

    “I think I need to talk to him,” I said. I looked over at his bowl and it was completely untouched. I stepped outside to the sound of frogs and crickets. That was something I hadn’t heard in a long time. Harvey was over by the fence, two zombies reaching in at him desperately. They were chewing at the air. He raised the machete over his head, bringing it down with almost no strength. It came loose from his hands and clambered onto the concrete.

    He grumbled as he bent over to pick up his weapon. One of the outstretched arms grabbed onto his shirt and started to pull him in. He jerked away hard and fell on the ground, leaving the zombie holding nothing but air. For the first time ever I could see it—Harvey was sad. His eyes were starting to tear up and he struggled to pull himself up. I extended my hand to him and he swatted it away.

    “I don’t need help,” he said pulling himself to his feet.

    “Hey man, I need to talk to you,” I said.

    He glared at me for a second. “Please don’t, I’m not in the mood.” He took the weapon with two hands and stabbed it at the one zombie’s head. It hit and made a small cut, but pushed the monster back only slightly. The zombie was not even fazed and just continued to reach and claw at Harvey. He fumbled with the machete and I shouted at him. “Harvey, stop it!”

    “What’s your problem?” he asked.

    “You don’t have to prove anything. I just wanted you to know, that I love you man.”

    Harvey was hunched over trying to catch his breath and let out a frustrated sigh.

    “I know. We are practically brothers. I’m not pissed at you, but I am pissed. It was supposed to be me and you fighting through swarms of undead, walking out the other side as heroes.”

    “You are a hero. You saved my life,” I said.

    He tried to smile. “Yeah, I know. I just wanted to make it to the end. I wanted to stare down death, and tell him to fuck off.”

    “I, I don’t know what to say,” I fumbled.

    Harvey stood looking at me, depressed. Suddenly he clutched his chest and stumbled backwards. He let out a pitiful “
urgh
” and began wheezing for air. It was stupid I know, but I just lunged in, wrapping him in a hug. I held him tightly as he softly convulsed in pain. He tried to pull away from me, but I just couldn’t let him to die alone. He finally mustered enough strength to push me away, just before coughing up blood and mucous onto the poolside concrete. As he stood there shaking, his fists were clenched tightly through the pain. Then his hands relaxed and there was a moment of silence. The sounds of frogs faded into silence. The two zombies outside the gate froze and lost their interest in my friend. A couple seconds passed and they snapped their focus to me.

    “I’m … fine,” Harvey said standing up straight.

    I reached for the pistol I had tucked away. I couldn’t believe that I was going to have to put my friend down like an animal.

    “Please, put … it away,” he said slowly.

    “Man, you know I don’t want to,” I said while the two zombies still moaned and reached for me. Harvey walked slowly over to them and they paid no attention. He reached his arm through the bar and put it directly in front of the one.

    “What are you doing?” I cried out.

    There was no response from the zombie as it nearly looked
through
his outstretched arm to get to me. Harvey rubbed the back of his hand against its face and still nothing.

    “I’m really … really infected,” he wheezed.

    “Holy shit,” I said confused.

    “I’m just … close,” he said putting his hand to his heart.

    “You’re still alive?”

    “Barely.”

    I flicked the safety off the pistol and kept it pointed at the ground. “I can wait, you deserve every second.”

    “What kind … you think … I’ll be?” he said with a weak smile.

    “I’m sure you’ll be the most badass zombie ever.”

    “I want … to see … that side. You think … I’d still be me?” he coughed a splatter of black mucous onto his fist.

    “Wait, you want me to let you turn?”

    “Yeah … I’m just going to go … for a walk,” he said. Harvey walked slowly over to the lock and began to fiddle with it. His motor skills were clearly fading as he struggled to pinch the small numbered nubs on the lock.

    “Dude, I can’t let you,” I said.

    “Why not? I just want … to bite a raider.”

    I didn’t
have
to kill him. I should have, but dammit, who was I to make that choice for him? I held the shaking pistol up, trying to decide. I just couldn’t do it. He unlocked the gate and stepped out onto the street. He closed and reset the lock and walked over, standing across from me through the bars. He stood beside the two hungry monsters. They were still reaching and clawing for me. He looked at them and then turned to me smiling. “It’s almost peaceful.”

    “I’ll miss you,” I said with tears welling up.

    Harvey reached through the bars and extended his machete handle first. “Take good care … of her.” I took the machete and my lip starting to quiver.

    “I will.”

    Harvey made a two finger salute from his eyebrow and then turned and walked into the night. I stood there and watched as he disappeared down the street. Then, he was gone. I unsheathed my own machete and held one in each hand—their weight felt good. I squinted angrily at the two flailing men in front of me. “Goodbye friend,” I said and brought down a blade for each of them. The blow split their skulls, bringing them crashing onto the pavement. Then, I truly was alone in the night.

    There I was, lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to process what had happened two nights ago. The room was hot and humid and the cheap drapes were slightly illuminated from the moonlight. There was no sound of jingling locks coming from outside tonight. We had thrown an ice machine on its side against the gate. I would imagine that is why the thinker hadn’t shown up to mess with the lock. Damn thing was probably smart enough to realize that the gate was now no longer an option. I wondered what it would do next. A visualization of it using a blow torch to melt the bars made me chuckle to myself.

    I felt lost and the days had passed oddly disjointed without Harvey around. His turning wasn’t the only thing that troubled me.

    We had to cut back on our rations. My stomach growled from the measly two meals of a granola bar and cereal. The buckets of water we used to catch rain water had run dry and the water cooler only held about four gallons left. We needed food or we would simply die, but what crimes would we have to commit to acquire it? I wasn’t ready to kick in someone’s door like John had done with us. As I was stabbed with a hunger pain, I wondered, how long until I was willing to kill innocent people to live?

    We were being hunted by a zombie that thinks. There were raiders from the Allmart that were just attacking everyone and it was only a matter of time before they came for us. We had to act, but I couldn’t think of an action that would result in a happy ending.

    There was a light tapping on my door.

    “Come in,” I said.

    The door opened and I could barely make out the figure in the dark. The doorway was wrapped in shadows even tighter than my moonlit tinged room. Somehow, without seeing, I already knew who it was.

    “Can I join you?” Shay asked timidly.

    “Of course, what’s wrong?” I asked as my mind ran through hundreds of scenarios for this late visit.

    “I can’t sleep,” she said. She crawled onto my bed passing through a single sliver of moonlight that shone through the curtained window. It revealed her slim figure barely disguised by a thin white undershirt and tight black shorts. As she glided across the tangled sheets, I could feel the heat of her body as she curled up next to me. I struggled to figure out the right move. Should I try to hold and console her, or keep my distance and sit up talking?

    She grabbed my right arm and pulled it around her as she lay beside me, gently resting her head on my chest. “I can’t believe he’s out there somewhere, all alone,” she said quietly.

    She faintly smelled of chlorine and sweat, but beneath that was the unmistakable scent of a woman. Even though the batteries in my lamp had died days ago, I could envision every part of her as she huddled close to me.

    “I know, he made the choice and I just couldn’t shoot him,” I said. While we talked my body was responding to her touch in the most inappropriate way.

    “I still can’t help but think that it’s my fault. If I never went for that truck, he might be cracking jokes with us right now.”

    “I never heard him crack a joke,” I responded.

    “True, but still.”

    “It wasn’t your fault. Who knows what could have happened if we tried to walk back without that truck?”

    There was a pause in the conversation and she simply squeezed me tighter. She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling in the near darkness. “I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I’m just so happy your car broke down that day.”

    “Me, too. It has only been a short time, but I just feel … that you are worth fighting for,” I swallowed as I felt my comment may have been too much.

    Shay leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. She pulled back for a second and I just looked into her eyes. “Shay I think I…” I started.

    “I can’t wait for you anymore,” she interrupted.

    “What?” I said before being caught off guard as she grabbed me in a way I hadn’t felt in a long time.

    “I guess you feel the same way,” she remarked. The tone of her voice and that devilish grin told me she wasn’t just here to talk. In one smooth motion, she sat up, pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor behind her, revealing the perfect shape of her smooth breasts in the dim light. I said nothing … I was done talking.

    The next two days went surprisingly well. Very few zombies had shown up and I started to wonder if, possibly, things were going to settle down. I watched the fence uneasily, expecting to see Harvey reaching in. As we looked at the nearly empty rucksack, we discussed leaving or going scavenging. The incident with Harvey had made everyone wary of leaving the compound. We would have to do something tomorrow, but I couldn’t imagine any places that hadn’t already been raided or defended. I wasn’t ready to hurt innocent people, at least, not yet.

    There were no forms of entertainment to be had, so Shay and I made use of our newfound hobby, ironically in a cheap motel. I don’t think I had ever had so much sex in my life. If this was how things were going to be during the apocalypse, I could stay here forever.

    “We have to find food and I don’t even know where to start,” I said to Pablo and Desmond. I was standing in the hallway and I could see the nearly empty case of cereal. My rucksack had deflated like a balloon with only a handful of items remaining.

    “This is getting really old. We need something more permanent,” Desmond said.

    Pablo made a remark I didn’t understand and we both looked at him with frustration. He made a gesture of putting things into the ground and then holding something over them. We didn’t quite get it and he sighed. Then he bent over and made his hand rise from the carpet, he picked something from it and pretended to eat it.

    “A farm!” Desmond shouted. Pablo smiled, probably assuming we figured it out.

    “Ding ding ding, I think you won Desmond!” I said.

    “Is it a new car?” he chuckled.

    “A farm would be good,” Desmond said. “It would need defense, some land, and it needs to be secluded. We could find a van or small bus and us it as our sleeping quarters for protection from nighttime zeds.”

    “I know a place,” Shay said as she walked up. “There are tons of areas of just woods a few miles up. We just cut our way into the woods, chop down some trees and fortify the area. Then we start planting and hunting.”

    “That’s actually not a bad idea,” I said. “No one goes looking to loot and rob people in the woods; they wouldn’t even know we were there. Not only that, but zombies are most concentrated in the cities. They would be almost non-existent there.”

    “Hey, Jim, I need your help real quick, the shelf fell off the wall in my room,” Shay said.

    I left the group to help her, but found that her shelf was still firmly bolted to the wall.

    “Lock the door,” she said while taking off her shirt.

    “Yes ma’am.”

    We continued our conversation, after our activities.

    “So you really think the woods are the place to be?” I asked while lying under the white sheets.

    “It makes the most sense, as long as we could make it defensible. Using a vehicle to sleep in at night is a great idea. That is until we can build something better. I mean, we cut out a clearing, plant some seeds and catch rabbits.”

    “Rabbits?”

    “Yeah, I had a friend who raised them for the meat. You just build them a cage that sits on the ground and move it around every day so they can eat the grass. They multiply and bam, you got meat.”

    “Just like that?” I asked.

    “Sure, I guess. I mean it’s worth a shot right?”

    “We could even build a perch up in a tree. It would give us a vantage point,” I said.

    “I think if we could pull this off, we could just wait out the disease. Everything might go back to normal one day,” she said.

    “I don’t know if I want normal anymore,” I said and smiled at her.

    “You know where we have to go to get the supplies, right?” she asked.

    “Outdoorsman stuff, seeds, fencing, nails, stuff like that? Yeah of course we just go to Allmart … oh wait, you can’t be serious,” I said.

    There was a firm knock on the door. “Jim, get out here,” Desmond called through the door.

    I shrugged at her and crawled out of bed. I threw my clothes on and met him in the hallway. He pointed out of the hole in the boarded up window. Outside was a military Humvee with a chain attached to our gate. “Stop them!” I yelled out while running to the front door.

    “Stop what?” Desmond asked. He glanced out the window and then quickly followed me. “They weren’t doing that earlier.”

    “Stop, stop! I’m here!” I shouted while waving my arms at them. One of them took a shot at me that missed and went sailing into the alleyway. I dropped to the ground and I could hear a cease fire order called.

    “Dammit, Coffman, ceasefire! I’m going to take your weapon and force you to engage with a spoon from now on,” the leader said to the shaken troop. The Humvee was revving its engine and the thick chains were wrapped all around the gate.

    “Stop, don’t mess with our gate, I’ll let you in!” I called out.

    “Told you they were assholes,” Desmond whispered.

    “We caught word of you harboring our patient. We are looking for a girl named Tiffany Mason,” the military leader said as he held up the picture we already had.

    “I’ve seen the picture and I’m sorry, but that girl is not here,” I said.

    “I keep hearing that, but you see … we had a man tell us you did. He ran into our roadblock just past the superstore. It seems he used to live here.”

    “Todd, that rat bastard,” Desmond whispered in frustration.

    “I would hate to have to come in there by force.”

    I stood up slowly and motioned for Desmond to do the same. We pushed the ice machine out of the way and opened the gate. The army leader stepped in and a few of his men followed. The rest of the soldiers stood watch by the truck, nervously looking for attackers.

    “You see, we aren’t some evil organization everyone makes us out to be. I had a job just like you before this all went down. The only difference is, I showed up to work every day, while you all started stealing and shooting each other,” he said and walked towards the building.

    “Easy for you to say when someone is paying you with food, shelter, and weapons,” I said dryly. He glared at me for a moment before beaming a fake smile and pushing past me.

    Pablo stepped out and looked around somewhat confused.

    “You two inside, search the place. As for you, I brought a translator this time. Sanchez, tell our
hombre
what we are looking for and let me know what he says.”

    The soldier moved with a look of subdued agitation and the translator began speaking to Pablo. Private Sanchez finished his conversation with the words “chica?”

    Pablo nodded, “Si.”

    “Sir, he said he has seen the girl,” Sanchez reported.

    “Well, find out where.”

    Sanchez started asking him questions and Pablo looked around before answering. Pablo nodded to the soldier with a look of pride. Hearing those unknown words still sent a chill up my spine. It wasn’t Shay, but she looked close enough that they would probably take her away from me anyways. When they found out it wasn’t her they would probably have already killed her.

    “He said the man with glasses drove away with her,” Sanchez said.

    The leader threw his hand up, “Worthless! That wasn’t the girl at all.”

    He started to reach for the doorknob and it abruptly burst open as his soldiers piled out.

    “Well?”

    “She’s not here,”

    “Is that a real gun?” Peter asked. “I had a real gun once, but it shot lasers and you had to load batteries in it.”

    “That’s great kid. Sir, can we go?” the soldier asked, clearly aggravated.

    “Do you think the tooth fairy turned into a zombie? I think so, because I lost a tooth and she didn’t show up.”

    “Yes, Carter you may report back to the …”

    “Then again I don’t really need money. If she wasn’t a zombie and she did bring me a present, I think it would be a flashlight or a sandwich, or maybe a flashlight that makes sandwiches.”

    “Report back to the truck,” the leader cut in.

    “Thank you,” the soldier said while speed-walking away.

    “Alright, pack it up everyone, the girl isn’t here,” the captain commanded.

    “What girl? You mean Shay?” Peter asked. I cringed.

    The captain stopped in his tracks, but the rest of his men just kept walking. “Hmm, maybe I finally got something here. Who is Shay, little boy?”

    “Shay is my new mom.”

    “New mom? Does she live here with you?”

    “Yeah, she just had a baby named Piper, he’s five years old too. We live in this mansion and that’s our pool. All the kids are jealous of my pool. Every day we ride go-carts and sometimes we sneak candy into the movie theater. She’s a ninja like me.”

    “I’m done,” he said shaking his head in annoyance.

    The captain rounded up his men into the Humvee and looked back at us disdainfully. “I really want to find this girl. The sooner I find her the sooner I can get out of this hell hole you call a town.”

    “Wait, captain,” Desmond called out. “Do you guys have any food?”

    “We sure do. Alright boys, let’s go home!” The Humvee roared into motion and I looked back at the gate where the chains were still attached.

    “Wait!” I screamed. It was too late. The Humvee snapped the fence off its hinges as if it were held together by twigs. The vehicle came to a stop a moment after the fence clattered onto the street.

    “Oh, the Army apologizes for that mistake,” he said from the driver’s seat. “You should be receiving a compensation check from us in three to four months,” he said sarcastically while driving off dragging the gate bouncing behind him.