After the Fall (14 page)

“I’m not leaving,” he said. His tone of voice was firm and determined, his eyes chilling. If I were a human, I would rather face the horde than this young man. I struggled with the decision to leave him to certain death or risk being shot. A headshot is not something from which I could easily recover. It was worth the risk, at least that’s what I told myself. I used my blinding speed to close the distance. That was when I heard the shot. I was just a short distance when I heard it. The punch of the bullet was heavy and crippling. My hands lost their grip on the bark and I hurtled to the ground below. I hit so hard it felt like it rose up to meet me. The fall should have knocked me unconscious, but it didn’t. I knew I was hit somewhere vital, but not vital enough to kill me straight away. Matthias was still at the top of the tree, his eyes unchanged. There was a sound of mixed moaning and ragged screams in the distance. The horde, attracted by the sound of the gunshot, was coming in this direction. My strength was fading and I knew I would go out soon. There was no chance to get up and run, much less fight them off. They were going to consume me. I went unconscious with the knowledge that I was done for.

It’s all over. This is how it ends.

The Decline of the Savior

The undead continued their march until they were right up on me. I could see them crouching upon me, sniffing at their food. Even though I could not feel anything, I knew they were feeding on me. Now I would get the answer to my question, but this was not the way I wanted to find out. If I was changed into one of them, would my blood change something in them as well? Perhaps these zombies would prey upon their own kind, creating a kind of super-weapon that could destroy the undead scourge once and for all. This was a pipe dream, of course, and it did nothing to quiet the fear and panic that exploded within me. All these years I had flaunted death and now that it was right at my doorstep, I revert back to fear. So
stupid
!

I opened my eyes to the darkness of night and a concert of nocturnal creatures chirping. It was dark, much more than normal. I realized I was still wearing my sunglasses. The skin on the lower half of my face burned and felt tender to the touch. Now I was worried it was the fever. I touched my neck to confirm and it felt cool to the touch. 

So what was happening to me? 

There were no bites anywhere on my body. There was only one small circular hole in my shirt that was far too small to be a bite. It must have been where the bullet entered. I felt another larger hole in the back of my shirt that must have been the exit wound. Both wounds were healed but the entry wound felt the same way as my face. Now I realized what it was: sunburn.

I let out a growl into the night that quieted some of the other nocturnal creatures for a few seconds. My hat had fallen off my head and landed some distance from me. The horde had trampled it in passing, but it was none the worse for the wear. I put it back on and let out another growl. The little creatures of the night took a shorter pause before resuming their symphony.

Matthias had shot me. The little weasel shot me when I was trying to help. What surprised me was that he didn’t do anything else. Did he watch me in excitement, waiting for the undead to devour me, only to find that they had no interest in me? No matter. He was going to pay. 

Luckily, I still remembered the way I had come and set off on a full trot. There was a straggler limping and moaning on the trail. I took out my dagger and swung so hard it nearly decapitated him. His head slumped forward, hanging on a bit of flesh. The thing tripped forward and  fell on its own head. I was at a full trot at this point. More of them began to appear and I realized I was catching up to the rear of the horde. I began to take heads but at some point, I realized there were too many and I would be there all night. I needed a sword or an axe.

The horde was already gathered at the walls when I arrived. We weren’t even able to make our improvements before we were besieged once again. I plowed my way through the ranks of the undead.

The guards must have seen me as some fast undead cutting through the crowd and vaulting to the wall. I stood face to face with one of them and he pointed a crossbow at me in response.

“If you’re going to do it, do it right,” I said. “Otherwise, I’m coming for you.”

The man let his hand off the trigger and gave me a nod before returning to his duties. I leaped off the wall and headed to Alaric’s house. For his sake, Matthias had better be far from there.

I burst through the front door door and tramped around the house in search of the runt. If I had him, he had only a short time to live. Evelyn and Magda came out to see who was there. They must have seen my expression, because they cowered behind a wall and watched me without saying a word.

“Mordecai!” shouted a voice from the top floor. I expected it to be Alaric, but I got Rhiannon instead. The dress she wore made her look like she was farther into her pregnancy. There was none of the radiance that is normally associated with that state. She looked pale and haggard. Dark circles ringed her eyes and what little color had been on her skin was gone.

“Rhiannon. How are you feeling?”

“Why are you worried about it?”

“Because you don’t look well.”

She scoffed. “And is it any of your business?” I shook my head. “Why don’t you go love on those two young whores and stop worrying about me?”

Now it was my turn to feel indignant. I tried to push that aside and get back to the original subject. “Have you seen Alaric…or maybe Matthias?”

“I haven’t seen either of them all day.” Her eye twitched slightly, betraying the anger beneath the surface. 

I decided to leap to the second floor, putting myself eye to eye with her. The jump was quite a surprise, but we also ended up almost at kissing distance. She gasped. I took a small breath and inhaled her scent. It was no longer that fresh, angelic smell. Her skin had lost its youthful gloss and smelled…it smelled of death. She wasn’t with child…she was dying.

“Are you just going to just stand there all night?”

“No. I just need to have a word with Alaric.”

“You said Matthias, too. What do you want with my stepson?”

There was a surprise. Now he was her stepson. “I’d like to have a word with either one of them, that’s all.”

“Why can’t you just tell me?” She crossed her arms and gave me a pointed look. I leaned in a little closer and she gasped again. Her stalwart resolve melted like an ice castle in the middle of summer.

“I really didn’t want to bother you in your…in your condition.”

Her heart began to beat faster. The smell of life began to flow out of her pores. She began to breathe at a quicker pace, but her heart started palpitating and she swooned. I caught her midair and walked her to her bed, where I laid her down. Her hair had fallen over her face. I smoothed it over with my hand and beheld her pallid marble face. She was like a statue, with a barely noticeable rise and fall of her chest.

“Mordecai.” I turned round to see Alaric standing there. “What’s the matter?”

“She fainted. I’m not sure why.”

He rushed over to the bed and shoved me aside without realizing it. I took no offense to it. In his place, I would have done the very same thing. Well, maybe not the same or he would have gone through the wall, but you get the point.

“What is wrong with her?” he asked as he examined her. He put one ear to her chest and listened. “I can’t hear her breathing.”

“Oh, she’s breathing,” I said. As far as to what was wrong with her, I didn’t dare tell him my suspicions.

“But I can’t hear it. What happened?”

“We were speaking and she fainted. I brought her to bed just now.”

“I must get a doctor,” he said, darting out of the room, leaving me alone with her. The little bit of sweet scent that had come out of her pores was gone now. That damned smell of decay was back, like her own body was consuming itself. My hand unconsciously went to my tongue and felt the spot where she had bitten me.

Oh, no.

“Please don’t let it be that,” I implored to the air. Too many times I had seen this. Far too many to count. A careless bite broke the gums, let out a bit of blood, or maybe it happened in the struggle. She had been poisoned by just a bit of my blood. It was enough to cause death without the revival. If I was right, she only had a few days to live.

I paced the room while I waited for Alaric to return with the doctor. The front door opened and I heard them stomping upstairs. Alaric was first through the door, followed by the same old man who had tended to me through what I thought was the end of my long unlife.

“How is she?” asked the old man. He sat on the bedside and put on a well-worn stethoscope. After listening for a few seconds, he produced another equally shabby blood pressure cuff and wrapped it around her arm. “Her pulse is weak and blood pressure is low. Has she eaten much?”

“She hasn’t been able to keep a bite in her stomach,” Alaric replied.

“Why didn’t you call me before? This is not something to trifle with. She’s pregnant, and she could miscarry if she’s allowed to go on like this.”

“Yes, doctor.” Alaric looked down. He was contrite, but mostly worried for his wife and what he thought to be his child. “She has not slept much, either,” he added.

“Why didn’t you send for me? I would have liked to have known this much sooner than now!”

“You said this was normal,” Alaric defended.

“Yes, but not if it happens constantly!” He took out a needle and intravenous hose almost identical to mine.”

“What is your blood type, son?” he asked me.

“No, you don’t want my blood,” I said, instinctively covering my arm.

“Why not? What is your blood type?”

“AB positive,” I said, taking a stab in the dark.

“Ah. She’s A positive. Good for you, son. Your blood is only good for a few people, but you can get blood from anyone. We used to joke and call you guys ‘the universal vampires.’” He let out a wheezing chuckle. Alaric couldn’t help but join in. I laughed, but only at the irony.

“Very well. That’s out of the question. I might have to bring in one of the people I’ve already typed. I know Matthias is O negative. Where is he?”

“I have not seen him in days,” said Alaric. “Have you seen him, Mordecai?”

I considered this question for a moment longer than I should have. “He’s out hunting in the woods.” The right thing to do was tell the truth. I should have lied instead.

“What! You saw him go and didn’t stop him?”

“No, he snuck out. I tracked him out there.”

“And you didn’t bring him back?”

“There was no reasoning with him.” I wasn’t telling the whole story, but I wasn’t lying to him, either.

He paced the room. “I just can’t believe you left him out there. Do you know what’s out there?”

No, I’ve been living all these decades in a crypt
. “Yes, I know very well what’s out there. There’s hordes of them roaming the woods.”

“And you still left him out there. What if they attack him like last time?”

“You would be proud of him. He’s camouflaged so well they walk past him.”

“You did nothing! He’s just out there defenseless!” he shouted. “I must assemble a team of men and get to him.”

I held this towering mountain of a man as easily as he could a small child. His eyes flared. “Don’t be stupid, Alaric. There is a great horde outside of the gates, much larger than last time. If you try anything now, you will all die for nothing.”

“At least I would be doing something to help my son,” he replied in a sober tone.

“Let’s get something straight here.” I showed him the hole in my shirt. “I tried to help your boy and he shot me, leaving me to the advancing horde. I thought I was as good as dead, but there was no sign of Matthias or the others when I came to. I did what I could and that was what I got for my efforts.”

He shook his head and walked out of the room. The doctor stood there looking uncomfortable, wishing he could disappear.

“There is still the matter of her transfusion,” said the doctor. “I will go find someone out of my list who is suitable and will return as soon as possible.” He excused himself and scurried out of the room as quickly as his legs would take him.

Our shouting had managed to wake Rhiannon, but all she could manage to do in her condition was sit up in the bed.

“Save your strength,” I said. “You’re going to need it.”

“For what? I’m gonna die. It’s only a matter of time.”

I shook my head emphatically and came to her side, as her husband had done a while ago. “No, no. Don’t say that. We’ll find something yet.”

“Stop lying to me!” she strained to yell. “I’m going to die and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.” She tried to push me away and rolled over on the bed, with her back to me.

I put my hand on her back and caressed it. Even through the fabric, I could feel her youthful softness, that right balance of soft and firm, the silky feel of the skin. She allowed this to go on for a minute or so.

“Don’t touch me,” she finally warned, but the strain in her voice told me she had forced herself to say it. I pulled myself back with some effort and left the room. There was an exasperated sound as I walked away. “Fine, just walk away. You’re good at that, aren’t you?”