Wormwood Dawn (Episode IX) (5 page)

“Not well,” Dan said. “But he looked different than the last time I saw him, like he wasn’t really the same person. You saw that look in his eyes. He wanted this farm, not our friendship. He’s probably working for someone. Someone who doesn’t give a flying fuck about you or Linda.”

Bill sighed, letting his rifle slump in his hands. He looked longingly at his home as the realization hit him. Dan watched him for a moment, then looked at Linda. She nodded sadly, and went back into the house.

“Alright,” Bill said. “We’ll take my truck and come with you.”

“Good,” Dan said. “Grab any canned or dry food you have, all your ammo, and your clothes, of course.”

“We’ll have to ride with the chickens.”

Dan grinned. “That’s fine.”

As Bill went into the house, Dan looked around the farm. He thought about his group, and how great it would be for them to have a place like this. But, it wasn’t secure, and was too open to the outside world. He would have to make sure Bill and Linda were safe, and he couldn’t do that here. It was too risky. However, the more Dan thought about it, the more his confidence returned. He was his group’s leader, and he realized that he had done a good job keeping them safe.

He had done what he was supposed to do. He hadn’t failed. He realized that now.

It was time to go home.

Eric, Jake, and Drew piled in to the Jeep, armed and ready to go. Toni opened the gate for them, giving Jake a wink as they passed through. Eric drove, and Jake and Drew both sat in the back seat, each of them keeping guard on their side.

“Columbus should be even deader than it was before,” Eric said. “All that cold and dark probably killed what was left.”

“Or made things worse,” Jake said.

Drew chuckled. “You’re such a happy guy, Jake,” he joked. “Always positive.”

“Just bein’ real, bruh.”

Drew kept smiling, keeping his eyes on the tree line as they continued down the gravel road. The trees were beginning to fill out, he noticed, but there was something odd about the leaves. They weren’t shaped like they were supposed to be, and the green color was a little “off”.

“Have you guys noticed the greenery?” Drew asked.

“Yeah,” Jake said. “It’s all funky-looking.”

“I wonder if plant DNA is affected, too.” Eric said. “Dad said something about how all living things are descended from blue-green algae. So it’s all connected… man.”

Eric grinned as the others laughed at his impression of Travis. He pulled onto the highway, turning left as usual. Drew kept his eyes on the landscape around him, but his mind was focused on the plant life. Even in this area, where the forests were thick and dark, the trees just seemed different. They were taller, greener, more alive than they were before.

It was almost like the impact had fertilized the whole countryside with supercharged dog shit from space. Drew wondered if any new plant life would emerge, or any new versions of existing plants; maybe some super bomb-ass weed or giant flowers that blew intoxicating spores at anyone who passed.

Jake nudged him on the shoulder. He looked up, noticing that Jake was staring off in the distance. Drew followed his gaze. There in the sky was a flock of birds—big birds.
Really
big birds.

“What the shit?” Drew said. “Eric, are you seeing this?”

“I see 'em,” Eric said. “I've been keeping my eyes on them. They don't look dangerous.”

“I wonder if they're mutants.”

“If they are,” Jake said. “They're pretty mutants.”

Jake was right. Drew had thought they were black, like crows, but as he looked closer he realized they were metallic blue with black stripes. Their wingspans were at least ten feet, judging by the relative size of their shadows. They were fascinating and exotic; like giant gothic parrots.

“Stellar,” Drew said, smiling.

They continued on in silence, Judas Priest playing quietly on the CD player. All three of them bobbed their heads slightly with the beat. Jake nudged Drew every once in a while to show him that Eric was mouthing the lyrics. That was odd, as Eric never gave them any indication that he was anything but a U2 fan.

“Diggin' the tunes, bro?” Drew called up.

Eric grinned, continuing his head moves.

“Dad, are we there yet?” Jake asked.

“Shut up, kid,” Eric said. “Don't make me pull this…
holy shit!”

Eric slowed down quickly, making Jake and Drew lurch forward in their seats. They both scooted up toward the windshield, looking out at the scene around them. As they reached the peak of the overpass going into Columbus, they were shocked at the plethora of plant life that had sprung up all around. Every building in sight was completely engulfed in thick green vines.

Even the cars in the parking lot were covered, and the utility poles were wrapped tightly with flowering, green runners that twisted themselves around them like English Ivy. It was beautiful yet frightening at the same time.

“Jesus Christ,” Drew said. “Were we asleep for a thousand years or what?”

“No fucking way these sprung up that quick,” Jake added.

Eric was speechless, and drove forward without a word. He simply stared slack-jawed.

“It’s like… a damn jungle or something.” Drew said.

“Look at that restaurant,” Jake said, pointing.

A fast food joint nearby had been overcome with plants, and a tall, thin tree poked up through its roof. It resembled a skinny willow tree, with long, swinging vines that hung down from its impossibly high branches.

Jake mouthed the theme to the Twilight Zone.

“This is crazy shit,” Drew said. “Why isn’t the country side like this?”

“Hydrocarbons, maybe,” Jake said. “Settled smog from the blast sticking to everything… something.”

Eric rolled down the window as he drove, sticking his head out to sniff the air. When he pulled his head back in he looked back. “Smell the air,” he said.

Drew and Jake both rolled down their windows, taking in the earthy floral smell. It was pleasant, but had a strange, underlying smell of fungus or shit, Drew thought.

“That’s pure Mother Nature there,” Jake said. “It smells like the swamps of N’arlins.”

“We’ve gotta tell Grace and Travis about this,” Drew said, taking out his iPhone.

He realized then why he had kept it charged. Smiling, he snapped a bunch of pictures of the outside world, making sure to get a good shot of the skinny Taco Bell tree.

“I can’t believe you still have your phone,” Jake said. “Good thing, though, I guess.”

Eric turned into the nearest parking lot, where a small strip mall stood. There was a pizza place there, overgrown and crumbled, along with a few small shops, and the same car lot they had shopped at before.

“Why did you turn off?” Drew asked.

“It looked the highway ahead was overgrown,” Eric replied. “We’ll take the parking lot over to the shopping center.”

Eric rolled over large vines and parking blocks, not being able to see much underneath the flora. They bounced along, sometimes hitting potholes, going over curbs, and splashing through hidden puddles. At last, they reached the road that connected all of the parking lots together, and turned left onto it. It too was mostly covered with a coating of grass that had broken up the asphalt.

“Man,” Jake said. “It really does look like years and years of growth. That black gunk must have been rich as hell in fertilizer.”

“Probably some alien seeds, too,” Drew said. “I don’t know what most of these plants are.”

“Shit,” Eric said, stopping. “This is a far as we go, guys. We’ll have to take the rest of the way on foot.”

Everyone grabbed their weapons and exited, looking around at the overgrowth. Everything was soft and mushy with greenery, and the asphalt was crumbled from the tufts of tough grass that had grown up through it. It truly looked—and smelled—like a jungle.

“I hope we don’t see any giant Venus flytraps,” Jake said.

Drew swallowed nervously. “Man that would suck.”

“Menards is closest,” Eric said. “Let’s head there first.”

The three men trudged through the rough landscape, making their way slowly. They had to step over pits and go around large clumps of asphalt that had been pushed up by the emerging plant life. The sounds of exotic birds and other unknown creatures echoed throughout, making them all nervous and uncomfortable. It was like walking through the outskirts of a South American jungle.

Drew couldn’t help but think somewhere in there, the Predator was stalking them.

“If it bleeds, we can kill it,” he said in his best Schwarzenegger impression.

Jake laughed, then fell silent as he realized why Drew had done it. Eric looked back at them with a crooked smile, shaking his head.

“You guys are gonna freak yourselves out,” he said.

“I’m already freakin’ out, man,” Drew replied.

“How are we gonna carry anything we grab at Menards?” Jake asked. “This shit is impossible to get through.”

“Got any better ideas?” Eric asked. He stopped suddenly, holding his hand up to halt them in their tracks. He squatted, and then turned around. “Shamblers ahead,” he said. “Sniffing around.”

“How far?” Jake asked.

“About fifty yards. Can you get ‘em?”

Jake nodded, shouldering his Henry and taking out his crossbow. He loaded a bolt and cocked it, silently moving forward to peer through the thick weeds. Drew sidled up behind him to see. There were two shamblers up there, stalking through the brush, sniffing in their general direction. Jake could get one, but by the time he reloaded, the other would be on to them.

“I’ll get the one on the right,” he said. “This is a pretty good suppressor.”

Jake nodded, raising his bow. Drew looked through his scope, centering the crosshairs on his target’s head. When he was ready, he said, “okay.”

There was a click as Jake released, and Drew followed. The two shamblers fell immediately, both of them killed instantly.

“Good job, guys,” Eric said.

“Thanks, dad,” Drew replied.

They continued forward, stopping to allow Jake to retrieve his bolt and wipe it off on his target’s muddy clothing. The two shamblers were particularly moldy; infected to the point that their faces were just mats of fungus with large cracks where the mouths were located. Even their arms and hands were caked with thick, patchy fungus.

“These guys must have been infected for a long time,” Jake said. “There’s hardly any exposed skin left.”

“This one almost looks like he has a smiley face mask,” Drew said. “Have a nice day.”

Eric scrunched up his face in disgust, shaking his head as he turned back to the trail. The others followed, keeping their eyes peeled for more dangers. The rest of the way was fairly clear, and they reached the edge of the parking lot without incident. Though not quite as overgrown as the medians and road, the lot was broken up as well. Menards was covered in vines, with barely an opening left where the front doors once stood. The entrance now looked like an overgrown square cave in a vine-covered cliff side.

The cars left in the lot were just large mounds of greenery, lifeless husks of what they used to be. A smaller car—probably a VW Bug—had been lifted off the asphalt by a thick plant that had grown underneath it. Drew was reminded of Jack and the Beanstalk—or some weird version of it.

“This is like an alien world, man,” Jake said.

“From what Grace said, it really is,” Eric replied. “Everything’s been rebooted.”

Drew lit a cigarette, stopping as they approached the entrance. “I wonder if we’ll even be able to see inside,” he said. “The windows are all covered up with vines.”

“The shelves might be overgrown, too,” Jake said. “What do we need here again?”

Eric sighed, pulling the list out of his pocket. “Hmm,” he grumbled. “Looks like another inverter, and I guess we can check for seeds. I’m not sure what else we can find here. I know they don’t sell computers.”

“Hey man,” Drew said. “Farmers use computers, too.”

Eric shrugged and went on. As they approached the front doors, they stopped to take in the odd “curtains” that had grown up around them. The columns that held up the large awning were covered in vines, and massive amounts of hanging plants draped down from above. Though the doors were broken from their last visit, they would still have to cut their way through.

Jake took out his machete and began chopping away at one door, clearing the vines and kicking them to the side. He then turned on his tactical light and shined it inside.

“It’s alright in there,” he said. “Part of the roof collapsed, so there’s plenty of sunlight once we get in.”

They stepped inside, noting the humidity and the strong pungent smell of plant life. The floor was cracked in several places, and little streams had formed there. The sound of rushing water, and the trees and plants draped and jutting everywhere gave the store a jungle-like feel. Above, a massive, gaping hole allowed the sunlight to filter through, and the center of the store looked like some kind of oasis.

“Stellar,” Drew said. “This is freaky, man.”

“I have no idea where the electrical stuff is,” Eric said. “And all of the signs are gone anyway.”

“We’ll just have to improvise,” Jake said. “Just think back to the last time you guys were here.”

“Yeah,” Eric said, grumbling. “Don’t remind me.”

Jake cocked his rifle and headed in. Drew shrugged and followed with Eric trailing behind. They navigated their way through the maze of foliage, ducking under the branches of trees they’d never seen before, and dodging the sudden bursts of insects that were startled with their passing. The air inside was very humid; almost thick enough to leave face prints as it swirled around them.

“Go figure,” Jake said. “A comet comes by and kills six billion people. Six months later, Earth is a tropical paradise.”

“Kinda makes ya think it was on purpose, eh?” Drew said.

Jake was silent, was Drew knew he was thinking about it. It seemed true. Earth was vastly overpopulated, and there had not been a bottle-necking event for some time. From all the science classes Drew had taken in his life, he remembered a series of disasters in human history that had nearly wiped out the population. All of the epidemics, plagues, and other disasters had dwindled the population down to one third of its size, only for the human race to bounce back even stronger than before.