Rotten (14 page)

“We live in a mobile society, people fly, drive, and travel so it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility to assume someone who received the shot moved on to other places, maybe several people.  And it is possible that if experiments were being done in our country, they could have also been happening in other countries.  I agree that it may have mutated, but I think the shot was the original infection and then it spreads by contact with body fluids like a bite.

“I’ve always prided myself on being a rational man and very confident with my place in life and the world.  All that has shattered in the last few days and I find that I don’t know much.  I still think you guys are crazy.”  Sully laughed softly.  “But crazy is what we need, I guess.  I still believe, though, that if we never received the shot and we have no contact with the zombies,” he rolled his eyes, “we shouldn’t have to worry about suddenly turning into one.

“On another note I need to apologize to all of you for the way I behaved when this started.”  He looked at Princess.  “And I also need to apologize to you for what happened between us years ago.” He smiled tightly, not like he was in pain, more like he was embarrassed and on the verge of tears.  “Nothing like the zombie apocalypse to show you what a brat you can be.  I’m sorry and I just wanted to let you all know and say thank you for putting up with me and saving my life.”  His voice cracked, and he lowered his eyes.

“No problem, man,” Moonshine said awkwardly, and then grinned.  “Although I was pretty sure we were going to have to throw you to the zombies at first.”

“It’s true!” Princess giggled.  “It’s okay, Sully.”

“Yeah, Sully, it’s okay,” I said

“Dude, we were all freaked out.  You’re cool in my book,” Rotten held up his fist for Sully to bump.

Sully bumped it, smiled, and nodded his head.

“It’s cool.” Highland lifted his beer in Sully’s direction.

“You’re good in my book, Sully,” Will said.  “You handled that canoe like a pro.”

“That was nice.” Mrs. Williams smiled. 

“I was thinking,” Highland set his beer on the table, “we’re going to need things soon, like candles, batteries, gas for the generators, clothes, and I’m sure lots of other stuff.  There are other cabins up here where we could find some of the stuff we need.  And whoever goes out exploring could stay in radio contact with whoever stays here.” 

“We can duct tape magazines around our arms like they did in
World War Z
and wear lots of layers in case we run into a zombie,” Moonshine said.

Sully nodded.  “I think it’s a good idea, we don’t know how long we’ll be here and we don’t know how long the power will hold out.”

Day Five

Monday

December 15, 2014

The power went out sometime in the middle of the night, but the generator automatically kicked in supplying power to the refrigerator, well, heater, and a few receptacles where we could charge electronics.  Will explained about the different electric panels and the generator, but all I heard was that there would be no more overhead lights or TV, but there would be hot coffee and warm food, and the outdoor flood lights could be turned on in case of an attack.

Moonshine was up early building what turned out to be a zombie proof cage on the bed of Grady’s pickup truck made of two by fours, chain link fencing, and a couple pieces of tin he pulled from the roof of the shed, and then we decided who was going out for the first run.  We dressed in layers with duct tape wrapped around our fleshy parts - turns out Grady didn’t subscribe to any magazines - and piled in the truck.  Highland and I sat up front, while Will and Moonshine climbed in the cage in the back with shotguns and rifles – it also turns out that Will knows how to handle a gun - and we pulled down the long dirt drive from the cabin. 

Grady had cleared the trees on the side of the house, leaving a wide road that opened into a small flat field, as though he anticipated entertaining regularly or storing part of his car lot by the river, and then the road continued through a patch of woods.  I unlocked the gate at the end of the driveway and left it open in case we had to return in a hurry, and we turned onto the rutted dirt road.  Less than half a mile later we pulled into the first driveway we found, this one also had a gate and I jumped out with bolt cutters and cut the chain.  “If someone’s living up here they sure aren’t going to appreciate that,” I pointed out.

“True,” Highland agreed. 

We pulled up to the house and I decided that these people living on the river had a totally different idea of what a cabin was than I did.  This “cabin” was bigger than Grady’s, although made in the same style of wood and glass, and also had a couple cars parked in an open garage under the porch. 

We parked and listened for a bit before stepping out.  The place looked deserted and Moonshine called out, “Anyone home?”  We waited, heard no response, and Moonshine knocked firmly on the door and called out again, “Hello?” 

We stood for a moment and then walked up the stairs onto the deck, peering through the transparent wall into the empty living room and kitchen.  Highland tried the door but it was locked.  “I’d hate to just break the glass,” he said. 

“Step back.”  Moonshine pulled a pistol from his back pocket and shot the lock.  The glass in the door shattered but didn’t fall and the door swung open.  We stepped inside the empty house and stood awkwardly, feeling like the trespassers we were.

“The truth is these people are probably dead,” Highland said, after we investigated the place for the living and the undead, “and won’t be needing their stuff.  We could leave them a note or something in case they come back.  And Dove, it looks like a woman lived here too so you may find some clothes, I don’t think she’d mind.  Besides, if we’re going to survive we’re going to have to take stuff that used to belong to other people.”

He was right, they probably were dead, but it felt strange rummaging through a stranger’s drawers, it was different at Grady’s house because Will knew the place and we were like an extension of his family, here though, we were breaking and entering.  I went into the bedroom and opened the closet.  The clothes were a little big, but I gathered some jeans, sweaters, shoes, underwear, and belts and stuffed them in a bag, I also tossed in some men’s clothes, and several of the novels from the bedside table for Sully.  I found lotions, shampoo, make-up, and various other products in the bathroom and took them all. And then I went to the kitchen and found that the pantry wasn’t nearly as well stocked as Grady’s, but started stacking canned goods and boxed foods on the counter. 

“I found keys,” Moonshine called from downstairs.  “And guns and fishing poles and camping gear!” 

We packed up our found/pilfered goods, left a note on the counter in the kitchen, and loaded up the truck and the stolen Jeep.  We didn’t break into the next cabin; we just knocked on the door, waited to see if anyone answered, and left when they didn’t.  We drove down toward the highway, stopping before we reached it, and stepped out of the cars to listen.  We didn’t hear a single vehicle pass for a good fifteen minutes and then climbed back in the trucks and drove a little further, stopping again.  We stood on the black top looking up and down the highway, the feeling of being the only people left alive was strong but no one mentioned it. 

“At some point we should go into Arlington,” Highland said.

“Not today,” I said.

“No,” he agreed, “but soon.” 

“There are probably zombies there.”  Moonshine picked up a rock and threw it down the road. 

“Yeah, there are,” Will said.

We returned to Grady’s cabin where we were met in the yard by the rest of the group who were anxious for news, and unloaded the vehicles.  “It felt like everyone in the world was dead.” I handed Princess a bag of clothes.  “And it felt so wrong to be going through this lady’s things.” 

“She probably is dead, Dove, but if she’s not and makes it home to find her things gone, I think she’ll understand.”  Mrs. Williams grabbed a couple bags of groceries.

“Highland wants to go to Arlington, and I agree with him.” Moonshine pulled the fishing poles out of the back of the Jeep and set them against the shed.  “We need to see what’s happening.”

It seemed we all paused for a moment and then began talking at once.  Mrs. Williams and Sully were against it and the rest of us wanted to go.  We settled around the table, after putting away our ill-gotten goods, with beers, sodas, and coffee and discussed the pros and cons.  

“The biggest con is death or turning into a zombie, which is the same thing.  A pro is that there is a pharmacy in town, two, if I’m not mistaken, and we will need things like antibiotics at some point,” Highland said.

“But we don’t need those things now,” his mother responded. 

“We’re going to need gas for the generator and the cars,” Moonshine said.

“Again, we don’t need it right now, I think we should wait another week.” Sully agreed with Mrs. Williams.

“I’m just antsy, I could use some paint and canvas and I’m sure Rotten wouldn’t mind finding a guitar,” Princess said and looked at him across the table, holding out her fist.  “Am I right?”

Rotten lightly pressed his fist into hers and smiled.  “You know it.  I think stocking up supplies as soon as possible is a good idea.  We don’t want to have an emergency and need antibiotics and then have to get them.  Gas we will need continuously, so without a doubt we’ll have to make more than one trip into Arlington while we’re here.  Not to mention, I saw a pretty weird video that gave me a bad feeling and made me think we should be as self sufficient as possible.”  He opened the laptop and turned the screen toward us. 

“Y’all probably won’t know this guy, his name is Jason Adams and he’s a low level film maker, but some of his videos get over a million hits, so he has a following.  He also does a daily podcast where he covers politics, conspiracies, and religion.  He’s even made it onto a couple national news programs once or twice, but frankly he looked like a crazy man, any point he could have made was ruined by his behavior.”  He shook his head and sighed.  “Anyway, even though I’ve watched him over the years, I never really trusted him.  So I managed to get online today for a little while and found he’d put up another video.  He has survived and is creating a new community.  Just watch and tell me what you think.” He pressed the play button.

“Hello ladies and gentlemen, if you are watching this you have survived the plague God used to cleanse the earth.  Congratulations, you have been chosen.”  The overweight man sat in a tall wingback chair; his longish and oily hair was combed back emphasizing a pudgy face.  “As the chosen ones it our responsibility to get this new world started with the moral foundation for which it was originally intended.”  He peered at the camera over steepled fingers.  “Those who have watched my videos over the years know that I saw this coming and I have prepared.  I am offering sanctuary to any and all who can make it here.  I own a hundred acre ranch outside of Bliss, Texas with a perimeter that is completely fenced and patrolled and we have available housing and are building more.”

“It has come to my attention that survivors are not just having to deal with the zombie hordes, the plague victims, they are also experiencing harm from their fellow man and thievery and rape is running rampant.  It pains me to say that some of the survivors have simply lost their sanity in the trauma that we, and the world, have suffered.  They have regressed to something more than a zombie, but less than a God fearing human being and they are leaving destruction in their path.  I am offering safety from both of those ills here in the new Bliss, Texas and we will follow strong Biblical principles as we rebuild the United States.”