The Birth Of Decay (12 page)

             
A
fter we all had a meal, Ricky and I wondered outside.  We walked to the eastern barricade and checked on it.  We looked out of the few holes we made and did not spot anything.  We wondered over to the other barricade and I climbed into the tower.   Ricky joined me and we sat down.  I peered out in the field and noticed a few decayed we had recently killed.  “Any signs of the bandits?”  I asked.  He shook his head and handed me the scotch.  I took a drink and felt my body relax.  “I really shouldn’t drink this crap.”  I said.  He laughed and took the bottle back.  “We could die any day; I think we deserve a few drinks.”  I grinned and picked up the deck of cards.  “I hope you have bullets on you, even though you will loose them to me.”  Ricky laughed and watched me pass out the cards.

             
Later that night I lay down with Claire and held her tightly in my arms.  “I can’t loose you honey.”  She whispered.  I ran my hand through her hair.  “As long as I have you, I won’t die.”  I said softly.  I rubbed her stomach and smiled.  “David said I was doing well and I have about four months left.”  She whispered.  I started crying and we held each other until we fell asleep.

             
We all spent the next few weeks watching the barricades and fixing up the town.  Our gardens were thriving and full of healthy vegetables.  We finished painting the houses and Ricky and I built new toys for the kids.  I was happy in this new life but I kept my eyes on the horizons, I knew it was just a matter of time until the bandits or more decayed attacked.  We started using the horses more and more and only used the truck when we needed to haul supplies.  One of the female horses was pregnant and the whole town was pleased.  The kids visited the horse’s everyday and we all took turns teaching them how to ride. 

Ricky and I started hunting in the hills behind the town and would sometimes bring home small game for stews.  I started forgetting about technology and the luxuries they had once offered.  There was a time where I could not imagine life without my video games and electronics.  It is funny how technology helped us live our lives everyday and was the core of our possible extinction.

              The winter had settled on the lands around us and the kids built snowman outside of their houses. We started doing live plays for entertainment and told stories of the past.  Everyday we watched the lands for signs of danger and each time there was nothing.  Thanksgiving came and our horse had her baby.  The town gathered and watched the new life join our large family.  Ricky and I managed to bring home a few geese for thanksgiving dinner and we all gathered for the joyful feast.  The kids put on a thanksgiving play and I held Claire tightly in my arms.

             
Ricky and Jasmine started dating and I was glad for them.  Even in these dark times love can still exist.  I wanted too marry Claire soon and unit forever.  I would do it in the spring, to welcome our new life as well as a new world.  Her daughters were starting to call me dad and it felt great.  Everyday was a blessing now.  Christmas was near, we lit candles in the windows for the kids, and it helped bring joy to our town.

             
It was late one winter night and I asked Ricky to join me on a check of the town.  We walked outside and walked over to the north barricade.  I looked up at the star covered sky and lit a cigarette.  “It looks like you and Claire are going to have that baby soon.  Jasmine can’t wait.”  Ricky said.  I smiled and looked through the hole in the gate and looked at the landscape.  “I hope it is a boy.”  I said. 

We walked over to the gas station and I shined my flashlight on the building.  A few rabbits ran from the light and headed to the back of the building.  “There goes lunch.”  Ricky laughed.  I took a drag of the cigarette and continued down to one of the homes.  I shined my light at the doors and windows and everything seemed fine.  We walked over to the next house and I listened to the snow crunching beneath my boots.  Everything looked fine and we continued to check the houses.

              We walked up to the east barricade and looked through the hole.  I noticed a few lights flashing in the far distance.  “I hope they don’t come this way.”  I said.  Ricky patted me on the back.  “Well if they do we will give them a run for their money.”  He said boldly.  We started walking to the church.  “I want to marry Claire.”  I said.  He smiled and put his arm around my shoulder.  “I better be your best man.”  He laughed.  I tossed my cigarette in the snow and we walked to the church.

             
I smelled coffee in the kitchen and poured a cup for Ricky and me.  We walked in the main room and noticed Claire playing dolls with the girls.  I leaned closer to Ricky.  “We need to get some stuff for Christmas, maybe hit a big store in one of the towns. We can be in and out.”  He nodded and watched the kids make the dolls dance.  “I am game. We found a gift shop one of the parks. It is only a few miles away.”  He said.  I nodded and took a sip of the coffee.  “You should marry her on Christmas.”  Ricky whispered.  I smiled and loved the idea.  I will marry her on Christmas.

             
I
t was Christmas morning and the kids opened the gifts Ricky and I got them from the gift store.  The kids ran around in excitement and played with their new toys.  The room grew silent and David stood at the podium.  Everyone sat down and I stood next to Ricky.  For the first time in months, I was not wearing my bulletproof vest of holding a gun.  Claire walked down the isle and her daughters walked behind her.  Everyone watched as she walked up and stood beside me.  Ricky held our rings and looked nervously at jasmine on the other side of David. 

             
“We all gather here this beautiful night to witness the bonding of two souls, John and Claire. Through these times of hardship and trials we can now look at these two lovers and know there is light.”  David said with a warm smile.  Ricky handed me my ring and I held Claire’s hand.  I put the ring halfway on her finger and looked in her eyes.  “I have traveled a thousand miles and have felt pain on each of those miles, until I met you. You take away the pain I have felt and give me reason for this life.”  I said nervously and slid the ring onto her finger.

             
Ricky gave Claire her ring and she held my left hand.  She looked at me with teary eyes.  “I have fought the pain in my life and stayed strong for my kids. I have laughed when I should have cried and I kept going. You have lifted me up and helped me stay strong. You made me realize that there is more than just death in this world.”  She slid the ring onto my finger. David looked at the crowd.  “I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”  We embraced in a kiss and the room filled with excitement.  We all ate rabbit stew and the adults drink a glass of wine that Ricky and I took from a store.  Sandra played the piano as we all danced through the night.  Jasmine heated a bath for Claire and me and lit a few candles for us. 

             
I sat behind Claire in the warm bath and held her.  She leaned her head back and we kissed.  I relaxed my body and rubbed her stomach.  “If it is a boy I will name him Damien and if it is a girl, Jodi.”  She slid her fingers in between mine and we both closed our eyes.

             
The following morning I made a pot of coffee and lit a cigarette.  “Breakfast of champions.”  Ricky laughed in the doorway.  I smiled and poured him a cup.  “How are we doing on supplies?”  He asked curiously.  I looked at the shelves.  “We are down two three can’s of coffee and I think we are good with tuna and boxed goods for a couple of months.”  He handed me my vest and we suited up for our rounds.

             
We stepped outside in the frigid air and walked down the street.  We noticed a few people removing snow from their sidewalks and waved.  We climbed up the north look out tower and sat down.  I blew in my hands and warmed them.  I picked up the rifle and looked at the surrounding lands.  I noticed a large buck walking through the field and shot it.  The deer fell and tried to get back up and I shot it again.  “What the hell are you shooting at?”  Ricky asked.  I smiled and pointed at the deer.  “Lunch.”

We opened the barricade and pulled the deer in.  We took it to a garage and stared at it.  “How do you cut these things up?”  I asked.  Ricky shrugged his shoulders and started laughing.  “I think David used to hunt deer back in the day, we should ask him.”  He said.  We went to the clinic and found David sitting at his desk.  “David do you know how to cut a deer up?”  I asked.  “Was that what you were shooting at? Where is it?”

              We ran back to the garage and he looked at the deer.  “Well I just need to get some rope and tie it up; if you find me that I will cut it up.”  He said.  We found some rope in the hardware store and gave it to David.  He took out his hunting knife and started gutting it.  Ricky and I walked out and headed for the east barricade.  We checked the horizon and did not see anything out of the ordinary.  “I really love Jasmine.” Ricky broke the silence and I lit a cigarette.  “You guys make a great couple.”  I assured him.  He smiled and we walked back to the church.  I shook the snow off my boots.  “I can’t wait until spring.”  I said.  Ricky walked over to the coffee pot and added hot coffee to his now cold cup.  “I know and hunting will be great.”  He said.

             
I spent a lot of time with Claire and the girls during the winter and was glad spring had begun melting the snow.  Claire was due in roughly a month and David started preparing the clinic for the birth.  Claire was happy and I was nervous.  This would be my first child and I didn’t know what to expect.  Claire told me what would happen and said it would be fine.  David also told me everything would be fine.  He told Claire there would be nothing for the pain during the birth.  She seemed fine with that and I knew then she was a strong woman.

             
R
icky and I decided to keep an eye on the town as they ate breakfast.  We sat in the lookout tower and opened a small bottle of scotch.  “A toast to our lives!”  I cheered.  We took down the strong shot and started playing poker.  I studied my hand and realized it was bad.  “I will raise you one bullet.”  Ricky said.  He set a 9mm bullet down on the small pile of other bullets.  I looked out on the horizon and dropped my cards.  I noticed something in the distance but could not make it out.  I picked up the rifle and looked through the scope, a large crowd of decayed were walking in our direction.  “Shit.” 

             
Ricky stood up and grabbed his gun.  “Do you see the bandits?”  He asked.  I shook my head and set the gun down.  “A lot of decayed are heading our way.”  We climbed down the ladder and ran to the church.  We told the adults of the pending danger and they picked up their guns.  Claire and Sandra took the kids into the back of the church and locked themselves in our apartment.  The group slip into two groups and took positions at each barrier.  We had recently finished the fencing around the town and the barriers were the only access into town.  The fences were mainly scraps of metal and recycled fences from yards, but they worked.

             
Ricky and I stood in the makeshift tower on the north barrier and watched the decayed limp and crawl their way to our town.  I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing.  Ricky handed me a grenade and I opened my eyes.  I pulled the pin and threw in into the crowd bellow.  Ricky and I knelt down.  The grenade exploded loudly and black blood covered the grass and barrier walls.  I jumped up and started firing my Uzi at the decayed.  One of the new survivors named Robert shot a decayed in its head with his shotgun.  I watched parts of decayed run to the other barrier and David and his group shot at them.

             
We have managed to live in this town with real incidents but the bandits had caused the decayed to leave town and wonder.  This showed they had some intelligence and their rotted flesh had bullet wounds from possible fights with the bandits.  A few decayed pushed against the barrier and it started to give way.  I motioned to Ricky and we open fired on the crowd.  Robert pushed his weight against the opposite side of the barrier and helped stop the decayed as they continued to gather at the gate.  I looked in the surrounding field and noticed several more groups of the decayed running and growling violently at us.  I pulled a pin out of another grenade and tossed it onto the ground.  A female decayed picked it up and it blew her and a few more decayed apart.

             
Ricky shook his head, pulled out his shotgun, and shot straight down onto the gathering decayed.  A few of them fell to the ground and more ran up to replace them.  I looked down at Robert.  “Go get our truck and park it against the barrier.  He nodded and ran off.  Ricky handed me a Molotov cocktail made from glass bottles and fuel.  “Where did these come from?”  I asked curiously.  He smiled and lit one of them.  “I made a few last night.”  He tossed it down onto a small group in the distance and fire covered their bodies.  They fell onto the ground and continued to crawl as their skin started burning away.  He started shooting decayed down with his Uzi and I lit my bottle and tossed it down on the crowd.  Bright flames spread across their bodies and they began to fall in the grass. 

             
Robert drove the truck up to the gate and pressed the bumper against the barrier.  The crowd of decayed was pushed back and they continued to bite and scratch at the rusted metal and scrap wood.  Robert jumped out of the truck, ran back to his small opening in the barrier, and started shooting his shotgun again.  I thought about the other barrier and looked at the other group through the riflescope.  They had a smaller group of decayed than us and were holding them back.  I watched David toss a grenade down onto the crowd below and the explosion caused many to fall.  I smiled and shot down a few decayed in the head below my tower. 

             
A female decayed suddenly fired a gun at the barrier and caused Robert to duck.  I got her in my scope and shot her in the head.  Ricky lit another bottle of gas and lit a few more decayed on fire.  I started to think about Claire and my unborn child depending on us and set down the rifle.  I reloaded my Uzi and shot at the decayed.  “Their getting in!”  David yelled.  I turned around and he was running with the other survivors.  “Shit, Ricky keep shooting!”  I yelled.  I climbed down the ladder and David stopped in front of me and bent over to catch his breath.  “Stay here and help Ricky.  Robert you’re with me.”  Robert nodded and we ran to the other barrier.  We stopped near the church and several decayed were running through the broken barrier.  I open fired at the group and dropped several of them.  Robert reloaded his shotgun and shot a decayed in the face as it was running at us.  I pulled a grenade out of my vest and threw it at the breech in the barrier and blew up several decayed.  “Robert get the van behind the church!”  I yelled.  He ran of and I continued to shoot down the invaders.

             
Robert pulled up in the van and I opened his door.  “Get out and cover me.”  I demanded.  He shook his head.  “No, we can’t loose you.”  He pleaded.  “Cover me!”  I repeated.  I jumped in and he shot at the crowd of decayed.  I fastened my seat belt and drove the truck into the opening the decayed had created.  The front of the van smashed into the bodies and the van died.  I took off my seat belt and crawled out of the van.  I felt a sharp pain in my leg and limped back to Robert.  “Holy shit man, are you alright?”  He asked.  I nodded and turned around.  The decayed scratched at the van and could not pass.  I ripped my sleeve off my shirt and tied it around my knee.  I jogged painfully over to the church, picked up a can of gas, and jogged back to the van.  I opened the back doors and poured the gas on the floor; the fuel quickly covered the inside of the van.  I tossed the can in and jogged back to the other barrier.  “Seize fire!”  I yelled.  They stopped shooting and Ricky looked down from the tower.  I took a grenade from my vest.  “What is going on?”  Ricky asked.  “Just don’t fire another shot.”  I said.

             
I ran to the right of the barrier and crawled through an opening.  I ran around the corner and behind the crowd of decayed.  “Come on you bastards!”  I yelled.  The slowly turned their heads and looked at me.  I continued to run away and they soon ran after me.  I pushed my painful leg and ran as fast as I could.  I watched the next barrier in the distance, as I got closer.  “Come on get me!”  I yelled.  The decayed stopped scratching at the van and ran at me.  I heard the growling behind me and my adrenaline was at full tilt.  I nearly fell from the growing weakness in my legs and pushed on.  I avoided the decayed as they tried surrounding me.  I pushed one down and ran over it.  I felt one of the decayed grab the back of my vest and I turned around.  I pulled out my handgun and shot it in the mouth.  I ran to the van and climbed on the hood.  The decayed grabbed my feet and I jerked away.  I crawled over the van and fell on the ground behind it.  I pulled out the grenade and threw it in the back of the van.  I started running away and the explosion caused me to fly foreword and land on the ground.  I could not hear anything anymore and I crawled away from the growing fire.  I turned and lay on my back.  I watched the fire engulf the decayed.  Ricky ran up, grabbed my vest, and dragged me away.  The van suddenly exploded and the barrier busted into several pieces.  I closed my eyes and passed out.