Life Among The Dead (36 page)

“
World events. A lot are occurrences that happen every day and you always hear on the news. I do that so people think salvation is coming soon. The rest I get from the bible. As the salvation approaches they must make even greater tributes to give to the messiah when he comes. These people were so generous. They sold everything; appliances, furniture, plasma, kidneys, a woman sold her baby, one guy actually…”

“
Tell me the signs!” The man sickens Dan, but he has to keep him on track.

“
Soaring oil prices, poverty, civil unrest, the seas boiling…”

“
The seas boiled?” Dan asks. He imagines he would have heard about that one happening.

“
Global warming.”

“
Of course.”

“
But, yesterday one of the big ones happened. One that couldn’t possibly happen in a million years.”

“
The dead walked the earth.” Dan says, laying his forehead on the bars.

“
What are the odds? And, then he came sauntering into town.”

“
He? He who?” Dan asks.

Greg looks at the convened mass and judges how far into the ceremony they are. “Just some drifter… Actually, you’ll see him very soon.”

Below them two figures leave the tidy rows and enter the open door behind the man leading the assembly. They emerge again, pulling a cage on wheels. Inside the cage is a man with a scraggly beard and long knotted hair. He is wearing a long white bathrobe. The robe has a dark stain down the front of it that Dan knows is blood even without being able to see the color. Dan can tell he is dead by his slow movements as he reaches for his handlers.

“
Who is he?” Dan has to ask.

“
The messiah. He just walked into town. One of our followers must have let him through the gates. My bride told me all about…” Greg stops talking as Dan stands up glaring at him.

“
You mean to tell me, I’m about to witness Night of the Living Jesus!” Each word becomes louder as they pass through Dan’s lips until he is shouting. He punctuates the sentence by slapping Greg upside his head. The Sheriff chuckles, someone below shushes the captives.

Greg’s pride is hurt along with his head. He composes himself, knowing that they are in this mess because of his greed. “I’m afraid so. Sorry. Tomorrow they all plan to become one with the messiah. Become zombies.”

“
And, us to.” Dan makes it a point to add. “Willing or not.”

Dan slides his back down the bars until he is seated on the floor and mutters. “This is what T-Rex meant.”

“
Did you say T-Rex?” The Sheriff asks.

“
Yeah.”

“
He OK?”

“
Dead.”

“
They get him?”

“
Shot himself. He left a note saying he wouldn’t be one of them. I thought he meant a zombie.” Dan joins the Sheriff.

“
So, this whole zombie thing is real?” The old cop asks.

“
I told you about…” Greg tries to speak.

“
I don’t believe a fucking word you say. Figured it was more of your bullshit.”

“
You knew T-Rex?” Dan probes, though he already knows that much.

“
He was my brother. Theodore Rexton. I’m Doug.” The Sheriff offers his hand and Dan takes it.

“
I’m Dan.” He almost wishes he hadn’t introduced himself to the nice old cop. It seems to Dan that everyone he meets lately either leaves him, or dies.

“
I’ve been in this cage for weeks.”

“
For being a nonconformist?”

“
Yup. And, I know old T would never be stupid enough to follow this dipshit. I’m actually glad he did it himself rather than on their terms.”

“
My followers would never hurt anyone.” Greg states.

“
They plan on force feeding us to a zombie tomorrow, Greg. I think that’ll hurt.” Dan silences the stout man.

The three are quiet and just listen to the zealots below moaning along with their messiah. A few things still have Dan puzzled.

“
Greg, why are there townies already turned in Gaines?”

“
My bride said the messiah appeared at the gate and was allowed entry. He spoke the word into someone’s ear. From there it must have snowballed. I was in here, I don’t know much else.”

That explains why the followers are living outside the gates now,
Dan reasons.
They don’t want to be saved too early. They are waiting for the Great Salvation. The “word of God” must have been when the corpse bit the idiot who let him in.
He can imagine some cheerful fanatic, happily showing everyone his ear that had been chewed off. It makes him sad to think about someone that enraptured in a false belief. He decided to keep his mind off of that and check on the policeman’s progress. The cult had taken everything from Dan’s pockets, but they had left his boots on him. Dan had felt the comforting bulge of the razor and lent it to the old cop.

“
How is that coming along?” Dan asks the police man who saws the hemp ties with the silver blade.

“
Slow.” Sheriff

“
What’re you guys doing over there?” Greg asks craning his neck to try and see.

“
Shut the fuck up!” The Sheriff spits out.

Dan listens to the head of the congregation below as he addresses his people, but the words are too low for him to make out. The followers give him rapt attention. The zombie in the cage is still reaching for the people. Mass is adjourning, the faithful rise to their feet and start to file out of the hall.

“
Excuse me.” Dan calls down. A few of the white robed figures glance back at the captives, but continue to the door. The one in black takes a couple steps closer to the elevated cage. “Can I have a word with you please?”

The head of the order snaps his fingers and two followers break off from the line. They run to a large wheel on the wall and work in tandem to turn it. The cage starts to descend towards the floor below.

The man who had led the mass is crossing the hall. His arms are folded behind his back as he calmly strides to the nonbelievers. The cage has stopped at floor level and Dan can see there is actually no floor under them. The enclosure dangles six inches from the ledge.

Pleasant eyes meet Dan’s. It is the gentleman who had told Dan they would save him outside of Gaines. His face bares no hatred or malice towards the infidel. He just smiles warmly, with the patience of a priest. Around his neck is a white collar.

“
What is it, my son?” The cleric asks.

“
As I understand, we are to be converted.”

“
That is true. You will receive our messiah’s word and join us in the rapture of salvation.” He explains.

“
Cool. Can I read the scriptures please?” Dan asks.

“
It is a very holy book, my son.” The man shakes his head, his voice gives Dan the impression that it is out of the question.

“
I would hope so.” Dan chooses his words with great care. He doesn’t want to offend him with sarcasm. “I would just like to better understand. I would like to know how I can better serve the messiah, and what tributes I can make. What if I am unworthy, or unwilling?”

“
Worth and will are not for us to appraise. As for your tribute, that has been made. If the messiah wishes you to join, you will be one of us.”

“
And, I think that is awesome. But, wouldn’t the messiah prefer a well-informed follower to… Follow him? I think he would say so… If he could.” Dan nods towards the zombie Christ figure.

“
I will confer with our lord.” The priest walks away from Dan.

He was close enough to grab,
Dan thinks.
Should I have grabbed him?

The man in the black robe is at the smaller cage staring in at his savior. The unholy ghost inside is trying to get his hands on him. The messiah is pressing his body against the bars as he extends his arms as far as they will go. The meal is out of reach. Undead fingers miss the man’s face by mere inches and the guy doesn’t even flinch.

He looks rather intelligent,
Dan thinks.
How is he dumb enough to fall for this shit?
Their conference concludes and the man is returning to Dan again, walking in the same calm manner as before.

“
The messiah agrees with you, and appreciates your interest.” He says upon arrival. An almost subliminal glance is cast at the Sheriff who remains in the shadows. Dan trusts the cop has stopped his work on the bars for the time being.

“
You are able to communicate with him?” Dan asks fighting to keep his voice sounding interested and sincere.

“
He speaks to me from above. It is all in here.” A book is passed through the bars of the cage. Dan receives a spiral bound notebook, upon the cover words are embossed in black magic marker: Holy Scripter.

“
Wow.” Dan sounds impressed, but is trying not to laugh. “I have never held an actual religious text before.”

The soldier thumbs through the pages. Not only is the cover misspelled, the words inside are written in barely legible cursive. There are illustrations composed of stickmen.
I’ve seen more impressive cave drawings.
He gazes up from the book and nods to the man. The priest smiles, about to leave him to his theological studies when Greg gets his attention.

“
I want to be in my room!” Greg implores.

“
I am sorry Gregory, that isn’t possible. The test.”

“
The test is over. You passed! I want to be in my room with my wives.”

Wives?
Dan thinks.

“
Perhaps a compromise.” The priest says. With a snap of his fingers the cage is lowering further down past the floor. It is pitch black when they come to a stop. Dan is pissed off.
I can’t read in the dark. Fucking Greg,
he steams.

Five flickering lights enter the space before the cage in a line. In the center of the black abyss the lights break off from formation and venture around the room, reproducing. The chamber slowly brightens to reveal five young ladies in robes holding candles. Numerous flames devour the darkness.

The women assemble at the front of the cage. Standing in a row they shed their frocks showing that they wear nothing underneath. Each lady is gorgeous from their perfect hair all the way down their tight nubile bodies. Dan has to hand it to the slimy man.
He made good choices.

Dan didn’t share the man’s taste in interior design however. The bed is a large round mattress with a leopard print and a mirror above it. A zebra rug is on the floor in the center of the room. A wardrobe sits along the wall to the left, next to it is a rather nice vanity, its classy antique look blemished by the presence of a lava lamp.

Dan looks past the girls trying to come up with a plan. There are two doors on either side of the room. He notices Greg is holding hands with one of the ladies. From her strawberry blonde hair he surmises this is the special one who had turned him in.
It’s nice that he harbors no resentment,
Dan mocks.
That’s poison in a marriage.

Something Greg had said earlier sticks in Dan’s mind. He searches through the book for a helpful passage among the chicken scratch. They need to get out of this cage, and he knows the con man would have addressed this with a psalm, or at least a limerick.

“
So, how will this whole salvation thing go down?” Dan asks the women.

“
At dawn,” One of them begins. “The messiah will join those already saved, and he will lead them in here. We will be the first in the rapture. Then, we will all go forth and embrace the rest out in the parking lot.”

“
Great! We will be the first. Did you hear that, Sheriff? He was afraid we’d be last.” Dan looks at the old cop. As he expected the man has halted his work on the ropes that bind the bars together. He seems to be making an effort not to look at the girls.

“
I have a question.” Dan’s smile is exchanged for a look of concern as he holds up the college ruled testament. He addresses the strawberry blonde.

“
This says marriages will be maintained in the hereafter, only once they have been consummated…” Dan finds the line in the book with his finger. “And, I quote… ‘Like bunnies’.”

“
Well I’ve…” The girl starts to speak.

“
Those don’t count.” Dan interrupts.

“
Even if he put it…”

“
Not there either I’m afraid. What’s your name?”

“
Bella Donna.” She says in a voice so innocent it infuriates Dan that Greg could do this to her, to all of these people for that matter.

“
Bella Donna. That’s a pretty name.” Dan has his smile set to stun, the girl blushes at the compliment. “Why don’t you let your hubby out? Then the two of you can go and consummate in your marital bed?”

“
I don’t know.” She scrunches her brow in thought. “We aren’t supposed to.”

“
Come on baby, let’s do it.” Greg pleads. Dan isn’t certain if he actually gets the point or not.

“
I should ask the Reverend Pope if it is all right.” Bella says.

“
Oh, let’s not bother the Reverend Pope with this.” Dan tries to make it sound like a small matter. “This is a decision between a husband and a wife.”

The girl is conflicted. She wants to be with Gregory forever and follow the book together, but she was told not to let them out. She starts to cry.