October 28, 2009

• How to disappear (Pt. 6)

      They Don’t Have Lights (Pt. 1)
      Insubordination (Pt. 2)
      Of Rats and Men (Pt. 3)
      Obedience (Pt. 4)
      Coincidence (Pt. 5)

      “What time is is?”
      “It should be around 8 a.m.” Was Danny’s response to my sister’s question.
      “Then why the hell is it just as dark as it was five hours ago?” She wasn’t the only one wondering that, she was just the first to voice it. We had been walking for a good seven or eight hours now and if anything, the sky just seemed to be getting darker. There were no clouds either, not above a wisp of one anyway. The shrieking that we had been hearing intermittently had steadily increased to an almost constant cacophony.
      More than anyone, John seemed like he was the least afraid of what was going on, but he had also been the most silent. In fact, he hadn’t really spoken since we all had our introductions. The only action he portrays that even seems to give any idea of emotion are the nervous glances he keeps giving back at my sister. I know that she doesn’t look very comfortable with that gun in her hand and I’m fairly sure she has never had to fire it before, but I have a feeling that it wasn’t the only thing he was worried about.
      “Oh, shit! There’s another one!” Danny exclaimed suddenly. I raised my tire iron and wheeled around to face the direction that Danny had pointed only to find nothing there. “Is it still alive? Jesus, somebody, shoot at it!” I continued searching for whatever he must have been talking about. The lack of daylight certainly wasn’t helping, but I was still quite certain that nothing was there. I glanced at Becca who was just staring and shaking uncontrollably at the direction Danny was pointing. Still, I saw nothing. John silently walked over and bent down beside a trash bag.
      “No, it’s dead.” He finally said kind of calmly. “Just like the other one”
      “You guys have seen one of those things before? What the hell are they?” Becca could barely stutter out the words between the quivering of her lips and the almost violent shaking of her body.
      I couldn’t take it anymore.

  ***************

      It seemed like Travis was just about to shout something when they came. I’m not sure what he was going to say, but if I could guess, I would say that it seemed as if he couldn’t see the monster lying on the ground. He must have been the only one. Danny made it quite obvious that he saw it, and I think Becca commented on it, but all Travis did was stare at us like we were crazy. Then they came, more of these mutated, deranged, zombified human beings. Their stench is intolerable, the yellow color of their skin is unnatural, and they all seem to have a case of mange. I never quite saw how Danny died, all I know is that he did. There was the big scuffle, and he was really holding his own quite well, but something must have taken him by surprise. Travis and Becca, siblings, I don’t understand. The zombies carried them away, still very much alive. Becca continues to give off the invisible flames.
  I just don’t know what to think anymore. Although, who really thinks when nothing makes sense. Chicago was never a safe place to be, these streets were never safe. Nothing has really changed. It’s still Chicago, just with zombies.
      They didn’t eat Mr. Hosch. That is unusual, by their standards.
      “Fuck this” I say out loud. I take off my mask and start walking. I’m going to follow these kids, I owe it to Travis. My name is John Boyle, I am Travis Redden’s psychiatrist, and I am completely out of my mind.

  … to be continued.

  • 8:46 am
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