Authors: S.G. Harkness
The room explodes, and the walls around it are destroyed. Fritz’s head lands—beside me! There’s smoke everywhere. The alarm goes off; I turn around to find Norman, and he seems satisfied with his meal. I grab Norman and make sure that he stands behind me as we make our way through the complex. It’s like walking through a maze as Norman keeps up behind me. The guards spot us, and they quickly open fire. We are pinned down, and I take another direction. I don’t know where I am, but I find a stairway, and we make our way up the stairs.
We finally reach the top, and I open the exit door. We continue down the hallway. I turn a corner to run into a couple of guards who are off their guard, and I don’t hesitate to shoot as they quickly raise their weapons, but I blast—each guard in the face! I grab a grenade and an extra machine gun from one of the guards. Norman tries to eat one of them, but there’s no time for that. I grab Norman, and we continue our daring escape. The entrance is near, and I toss a grenade to clear the area. The blast shatters windows, and the smoke is everywhere. I need to clear the area for Norman. I find a room and put Norman inside until things are clear. I sprint outside, and I’m being fired on from the guards in the watchtowers. I make it to one of the machine gun nests, point the machine gun at the watchtower, pull the trigger, and I blast—the guards inside!
A horde of zombies storm the complex grounds. I also notice several guards running in my direction. I turn the machine gun at them, pull the trigger, and the bullets fly out like missiles! Blood and flesh fly out of the guards as the bullets rip through them. Several guards focus their attention to the horde as a vehicle approaches me, but I continue my assault with the powerful machine gun.
I mow down the guards inside the vehicle, and the vehicle explodes! The zombies manage to kill a couple of guards. There are dozens of zombies that notice me as I aim the machine gun and pull the trigger. The bullets rip through the horde; I manage to blow off zombie heads, and I blast off zombie legs. I fire the machine gun at a guard who is being eaten alive by the horde. I blast the top of his head off, and I manage to control the horde. Most of the guards are dead, and the rest of the guards have the zombies to deal with.
The machine gun is a lot of fun! I run back to get Norman, and I look back to see that another horde of zombies enter the complex grounds. I open the door and quickly grab Norman. Shots are being fired from outside. I take Norman, and we go down the hallway. Everything looks the same. I’m lost. We end up in another arena in the complex. Norman slows me down. I leave Norman alone for a minute as I run around to make sure the area is safe. I immediately return to the arena. Sergeant Locknight enters the arena with his rifle, and he spots Norman. I quickly aim my assault rifle at Sergeant Locknight.
“Drop it now, Sergeant! Turn around and face me! I will shoot your head off! Slowly turn around and drop it!”
He slowly turns to face me, and drops his weapon as Norman approaches the Sergeant.
“Drop your knife! Do it now!”
He drops his knife.
“Now back up!” Move it!”
The Sergeant backs up, as Norman gets closer. I grab his weapons. The arena only has one way out. I close the door and lock it. The Sergeant looks in my direction through the glass window.
“IS YOUR PET MONSTER SUPPOSED TO SCARE ME?”
Norman approaches him as Sergeant Locknight stands his ground. The Sergeant has his fists ready, and he swings at Norman’s face. He punches Norman back and forth. He assaults Norman with his best body shots, and he grunts as he throws his best punches at Norman. Norman backs up as he launches a hard kick at Norman’s head, and Norman falls to the ground, but he slowly rises back up. He continues his assault on Norman. He throws punch after punch and launches a series of hard kicks at Norman.
He finally runs and tackles Norman to the ground. He gets on top of Norman, and he ground and pounds Norman, but Norman grabs the Sergeant’s arms, and they struggle as Norman tries to take a bite out of him. The Sergeant backs off since he seems to be getting tired. He sends another assault on Norman and throws his knee and elbow at Norman’s head. Norman growls and continues to pursue him. Sergeant Locknight begins to stagger.
The Sergeant begins to lose his punching power. He catches his breath. Norman manages to grab his arm and takes a bite out of his huge bicep.
The Sergeant screams at the top of his lungs! He backs away and swings at Norman with one arm. He starts to stick and move at Norman. He throws his leg at Norman, but Norman manages to grab the Sergeant’s thigh and takes an enormous bite. Norman tears out the flesh from the Sergeant’s thigh and blood is everywhere as he limps and backs away from Norman.
The Sergeant has a nervous smile as if he knows it’s the end for him. He uses his reserve energy to charge at Norman. He tackles Norman to the ground, chokes him, and bangs Norman’s head onto the ground, but Norman grabs the Sergeant’s wrist and Norman manages to sink his teeth in. The Sergeant screams and backs away from Norman as he quickly loses blood fast. His wrist bleeds out as he leans on the wall and uses the wall as support to keep himself up, but Norman manages to catch up to him, and Norman takes a ferocious bite out of the Sergeant’s shoulder. The Sergeant is a bloody mess with torn flesh that hangs out of his thigh while he drags a blood trail as he walks, and he falls on his knees.
Norman continues to pursue him. The Sergeant is on his back, and Norman tries to get on top. He throws his leg at Norman, but Norman makes it on top of him. I can’t believe the Sergeant is still alive. He’s super strong, and he manages to grab Norman’s neck with both arms, but Norman takes his hand and digs into the Sergeant’s gut. He grabs Norman’s arm to try to stop him. The Sergeant is locked into a position that he can’t get out of since he’s too weak to shake Norman off. He uses one arm to stop Norman from biting him, and he also uses his other arm to prevent Norman from gutting him.
Norman stares at him, and Norman’s fingers slowly pierce into the Sergeant’s stomach as the Sergeant screams in agony, and blood oozes out of Sergeant Locknight’s mouth. Norman’s hand slowly creeps into the Sergeant’s gut, and Norman manages to insert his whole hand inside and tears out the intestines.
He starts to chew on them, yet the Sergeant is still alive and is gargling blood from his mouth as he watches as Norman eats his intestines, and he screams like a girl while Norman puts his hand inside the Sergeant’s body. He quickly rips out the heart, and the Sergeant is instantly silenced. Blood drips down Norman’s mouth as he grinds his teeth into the heart. Norman seems to take his time with eating the heart. Norman treats the heart as if it is his trophy.
He tears out all of the Sergeant’s organs and chews on the liver like chewing gum. He has an appetite and finishes off the thighs. He continues to munch the flesh off of the massive biceps. The Sergeant has a big hole in his body, and most of the flesh goes into Norman’s stomach. The Sergeant’s body looks funny on the floor since he now has skinny arms and legs. Norman loves eating large muscles.
Norman digs into the Sergeant’s eye sockets to pop out the eyeballs. He pulls out one eyeball at a time, and he chews the eyeball like a grape. It must be a delicacy for Norman. He must be trying something new since I’ve never seen Norman try an eyeball before. Norman finishes with his meal, and we make our way out of the complex. I won’t leave without collecting supplies. I find a truck, stock up on all the weapons, food, and all the medical supplies that I need. Norman and I get in the truck. The zombies are all over the place, and I drive over some of them as I make my way onto the long road. The zombies are no match for the truck. I continue my journey, and I drive off into the darkness.
Episode 12
It’s been several days, and as usual, I’m sick of driving. I need to find a nice spot to camp out and rest, so I take Norman out of the truck, and I hide the truck in a nice area. I camouflage it with branches and dirt. The truck is in good condition, and I have spare gas containers. I grab my rifle in search for food. Norman and I travel slowly through the dark forest, and I spot a bear, so I use my scope to aim for the bear’s heart. I hold the rifle steady, fire one shot, and the bear falls to the ground. I hack the bear to pieces, and I only take what I need from the bear. We make it back near the hidden truck, and I make a fire to keep warm.
Norman is standing above the fire. I have a lot of meat to cook. I cook the meat over the fire, and it smells delightful. Norman watches me as I eat the meat. I offer Norman some meat, but he does not want it. He groans, and I feel bad for him since he probably wants human flesh. It’s time for some sleep. The fire is burning, and Norman watches over me. I close my eyes, but I can’t seem to sleep. It is a peaceful night, and all I can hear are the light crackles of the burning fire. I close my eyes again, and it feels so good to close my eyes knowing that Norman is close by to keep me safe.
I can hear movement coming nearby. The sound of branches being stepped on is getting louder, so I grab my rifle. Norman is growling at the intruders who are walking slowly in our direction. There are three zombies approaching, and I don’t want to make any noise with my rifle, so I grab my hunting knife. These zombies are so slow, and they are limping. A zombified little girl is approaching me, and it is a lot faster than the others as the zombified girl raises its arms at me and hisses. I raise my hunting knife and thrust down into its head, and it’s an easy and instant kill.
Norman grabs the other adult zombie and struggles with it, but I take my knife and launch it into the side of its head. The third zombie is a huge beast that stands tall and must weigh over three hundred pounds. This zombie is truly a fat fucking bastard, and it is the slowest of the three. I grab my rifle and aim for its head since shooting at its body will do no good. I blast it in the forehead, and the huge zombie falls hard. It’s a good thing that I used my rifle this time. If that huge zombie had gotten a hold of me, it would have been over for me. It looks like I’m good for the rest of the night. It’s time for some shuteye, and Norman will keep me safe as I sleep.
The morning is finally here, and it’s time for us to get going because I don’t feel safe in the forest. I will have to get back in my truck and keep moving. Driving is a pain in the ass, and I have no idea where I am, so I will keep driving until I find a place to stay. It looks like I’m heading towards an unknown town. I stop the truck and step out to have a better look. I see that a small part of this town is barricaded, and it looks like there might be people living there. I should stop by to see who lives there.
I don’t think that I should have Norman in the front. I take him into the back of the truck. I take the keys that I find on the crate, unlock it, open the crate, hide Norman inside the crate, but he refuses to get in so I slowly push him in. I close the crate, lock it, and drive towards the town. I see the entrance, step out of the truck with my hands up, and the gate opens. Several armed people walk out of the front gates. They are dressed in regular civilian clothing, and they carry rifles and handguns. An Asian man approaches me as the others stand behind him. He has a shaved head with a long black beard, and he has colorful tattoos all over his arms. The tattoos are mystical. He wears blue nail polish on his long nails. He appears friendly as he smiles.
“Welcome, pretty girl! I love your furious red hair. You can put your hands down. I trust you won’t go crazy on us. Who has been doing your nails? I’m sorry for being nosy. You must be looking for shelter, well, you found it. We call this place Luther. It was named after one of our fallen brothers. You’re not the first person to come to our gates. I’m the gatekeeper around here, and you can call me Jazz.”
“That’s an unusual name, Jazz. I’m in desperate need of a place to stay. I won’t stay long; I promise. I have supplies. I can pay you. I will do whatever you want.”
“Relax, girlfriend. I know how it is out there. This is what it’s all about, so we need to share and protect each other. There are too many people with the same names around here. It can get confusing, so each person has one name only. It has to be approved by me. You can stay with us. You will be guarded and disarmed. We don’t know you, but I’m sure you’re a good girl. What should we call you?” Jazz asks.
“You can trust me, Jazz. I’m just a lost girl trying to find her way in the world. I want to contribute here, and you can all call me Killborn since it really is my last name. I hope that’s fine with you.”
“Killborn, I like it. I also love your red hair, girlfriend. If you don’t mind, my people will have a look to see what’s in the back of your truck. They will also park it for you. Don’t worry about it. They won’t take your stuff. We just want to make sure we know what we are bringing into our place. It’s always better to be safe than dead.”
Two men have a look in the back of my truck.
“Clear!” they shout.
My truck is being parked, and I’m escorted inside as the gates close behind me. Jazz shows me to an office. We reach the front door of the office, and Jazz walks inside and shuts the door as I wait outside. After a few minutes, Jazz opens the door.
Jazz shows me inside the office, and I make my way inside. Jazz leaves and closes the door behind me. A black man sits comfortably in a leather chair. He is clean-shaven, wears business attire, and he smokes a cigar as he stares at me.
“Have a seat. I hear they call you Killborn. I’m Masterson. You’re too pretty to be out there on your own, and I’m surprised that you’ve made it this far. You must be a fighter. My brothers and I fortified this short stretch of street from scratch. We came from a family of construction workers. The world changed; they died, but I’m still here. We named this place Luther. It was named after one of my fallen brothers. He was killed by people who wanted our supplies. I’m running things around here, and I like to keep my appearance in good taste as you can see.”
“Are there ever any fights in this place? How safe is it?”
“The war is not here. The war is outside our gates. The walking dead were everywhere, but we managed to clear the area. I’m sure the dead will be back since they always come back. It’s like some sort of curse around here. It isn’t a large hold up here, but it is home. We have collected a lot of weapons and supplies over time. If you want your place here, you need to earn it. Remember to have faith, and pray every night before you go to sleep. Remember that Jesus loves you, and there is enough housing for everyone here. You can have your own home here. We keep an eye on you for a little while until we get to know you better. Do you have any other questions?”
“When can I see my new place? I’m exhausted. I appreciate this, and promise to contribute as much as I can.”
“Come with me, Killborn.”
We walk out of the office, and Masterson shows me to a tall woman.
“This is Sheila. She will give you the grand tour.”
“Hello,” Sheila says.
“Nice to meet you, Sheila.”
We shake hands, and I can feel her strong grip and man hands. Sheila has a strong masculine voice. I wonder if she has taken steroids since she has a freakish physique. Sheila towers over me, but she towers over most of the people around here. She looks around thirty years old and has long golden hair. Her hair is in a long ponytail, and I think it looks cool. She has a spiritual tattoo on her left arm, wears black spandex pants and a tank top. She carries a machete and two handguns. Sheila seems like a real bad ass, and I doubt there is any guy in this place that can kick her ass since she’s very strong and intimidating. I bet she can take out many zombies on her own. Sheila looks down at me as she escorts me down the street.
“I wonder how a little girl like you survived on your own. You don’t look like a girl that can hold her own. Even I had a hard time on my own. I knew a lot of little girls who couldn’t even cross the street and make it back alive. This place isn’t much, but we do our best to keep things running smoothly. I came here desperate and hungry. They took me in, and now I’m one of the heads of security. People here have their own homes. There are still several empty homes here. We have gardens in the front and the backyards as you can see. There are some families here, and they live in one home. We always make our decisions together, and you can’t go unless we decide. This place isn’t a place where you can come and go as you please. We have a curfew at night, and constant security so that people can sleep with their eyes closed. Everyone does their part around here, so I’m going to assign you as one of the food preps. No offense, but you don’t look like you can handle a security gig. You will have to work your way up. Do you have any questions?”
“How often are you under attack here?”
“We haven’t been attacked by other people in a while. The dead ones usually come in large numbers. The last attack was a while ago, but the dead ones can’t seem to breach our barricades. We made wooden spears so that we can use them to pierce the dead ones in the head. You have to destroy the brain. It’s better to conserve ammunition and keep things quiet. How have you stayed alive all this time, Killborn?”
“I’ve been lucky, but there have been many rough times for me. I’ve been through a lot, and I’m fortunate to have found this place. I’m glad to be around people again.”
Sheila shows me where I will be staying. Several people are moving my belongings into my new home. Sheila and I watch as things quickly get moved inside. The crate Norman is hiding in is being moved as Sheila watches the crate as it is carried inside the garage. She suspects nothing, and I’m surprised that they haven’t tried to open the crate. They must trust little innocent looking me. Sheila prepares to leave as they finish loading my stuff.
“Your truck will be parked with all the other vehicles. We hold all the keys, and there is no reason that you should want to depart so soon. It’s deadly outside of Luther. You can go and get settled in your new home. Tomorrow we will have an assembly, so that people know who you are.”
“Thanks for the tour, Sheila. I look forward to meeting the people of Luther.”
Sheila walks away as I walk into my new home and close the door. I open the door to the garage, free Norman from the crate, and he groans as he gets up and roams around the garage.
“We did it Norman! We made it inside! The first thing I will do is feed you, and it won’t be easy, so try to hang in there, Norman. I don’t know how long we will be here, but I will do my best to feed you whatever you want.”
Norman looks at me and groans. I take him inside the house and hide him in the basement. I walk upstairs to peek out the living room window. There are two people guarding my home, and it is getting dark outside. It looks like people are starting to make their way home. The curfew will probably be starting soon. This place is not so bad, and it seems safe here. They must have worked their asses off since it looks like a lot of work was put into barricading the area. I have to start planning ahead, and Norman needs to eat something fresh. I will sleep on the couch tonight, but I don’t feel that safe in my new home. I feel my eyes getting heavy as I try to get comfortable on the couch.
Morning is already here, and it is raining outside. I slowly get up, and wash myself. I suddenly hear a knock at my door, and I open the front door. I’m escorted to an assembly that is happening across from me. Masterson and the rest of the people of Luther are present. I stand next to Masterson as the people of Luther gaze in my direction.
“I would like to introduce a new member of Luther. She is joining us for at least a little while. This is Killborn. Let’s show her that we are a family. She came to us the same way as most of you came to me. When you came knocking on the doors of Luther, and you came asking and begging for help. You came desperate and alone. Let’s welcome Killborn, embrace her, and show her the way. There is only one way to do things around here. Things are done the way we all decide. Making decisions together is how we roll around here. We do things the Luther way. May God bless all of you. Praise the Lord! Remember that Jesus loves you! I want all of you to carry on.”
People begin to walk away and continue with their day. Masterson focuses his attention on me.
“You can carry on too, Killborn. I don’t think you have anything to hide. I believe you can be trusted.”
“You seem very passionate. What else did you do before the world went south?” I ask.
“You seem really interested about my life. I participated in Sunday sermons, of course, Bible study is one of my passions, and I also love art. I believe in this place. We can survive, grow old, and die of old age. We can only get stronger. I hope you believe in this place, and I hope that you have faith in me.”
“I believe in you, Masterson. I want to survive and see Luther grow. We can beat the dead. I look forward to seeing this place get stronger. Things can only get better.”
“Believe me, it will. Luther shall prevail as long as I am alive. The people are strong. They believe in me. They will do anything to keep Luther safe. We have nothing without Luther, so try to keep that in mind. I have a Sunday service for the people of Luther. It’s right across from us, and unless you are blind, you can see a small cross on the door. I turned that house into a small church. It’s a nice place, so I hope to see you there on Sundays.”