Reality.

[Nancy1340]

Thanks

[Lex1785]

Walt watched and listened the wind not helping much. He saw what he thought was three flashes of some sort but wasn't sure and he continued to watch. When the sudden flash of a bright white light from near the vehicle caught his eyes he wasn't sure at first.

He watched and whispered

“Long short.. Long short,”
“Short Long Short Short”
“Short”
“Short Long”
“Short Long Short”

As soon as he whispered the last and the blinking light started over again Walt fired up the truck put it into gear and started up on the road. Hitting the Run dark lights on the trucks dash he made his way forward towards the car and Alex.

The time from when Alex had left the vehicle till now had been almost two hours. Walt drove up slowly his hand resting on the butt of his pistol as Alex appeared in the Run Darks. Walt stopped the truck and leaned over opening the Door. Alex stepped in placing his weapon in the gun rack on the dash first, placing three spent casings on the dash as well. Walt looked at Alex a moment then over at the vehicle.

What appeared to be three slumped figures leaned against the side of the vehicle.

“Trouble?”

“Yep.” Alex sat into the passenger's seat and leaned back humming softly to himself.

“Anythin..” Before Walt could finish Alex shook his head and pointed down the road. Walt simply nodded and put the truck into gear and started on their way.

As they passed the car Walt, the head lights splashed against the car and he could read in dark looking paint on the side of it over the three bodies.

“Supplies are free to take use what you can. These Three Stole, and Murdered. Do not let this happen to you in either regard.”

Walt grunted softly as his eyes fell on what looked like three fresh scratch graves in front of the car.

[Lex1785]

They drove into the wanning light, dusk having set and the world slipping into its first night of chaos. Humanity came of age with its animalistic tendencies not with a soft murmur but a quick snap of a bullet to the brain.

Cities governmental structures collapsed as mass rioting turned into all out bloodbath free for alls. The incidents of individuals attacking others violently with teeth claw and out and out unbridled aggression had gone relatively low in the rating scheme of things for the news media so people were not prepared when mass hordes of infected overwhelmed the local police and those few individuals who tried to fight back.
Local government immediately started trying to suppress the crowds and issued general curfew to all inhabitants of the cities. National Guard troops were called up to active duty within the states. Live Ammunition was issued and this all lasted about two days. The US people were not ready to fire on their own citizens. Specially individuals that were “infected” with some sort of disease that was making them act this way.

Whole congregations of worshippers were systematically culled. Literally to the last member as they either tried to administer aid through prayer and forgiveness or through physical first aid.

Good people died because of misunderstanding, failure to realize, or thinking the power of word will heal all. They were wrong. Dead wrong in the end.

Humanity didn't know how to face the brute sheer ferocity of the suppressed animalistic nature this “infection” brought upon them. Nor the aftereffects of society as whole crumbling.

“What do I do! the police aren’t responding and someone is trying to break into my house!”
“HELP! HELP! HELP!!!!”

The screams filled the air as much as the growls and murmurs of the infected as society's dregs realized suddenly it was disneyland for the criminally aligned all over the world.

The morally obliged tried. They truly did. But it became a dilemma of the moral obligations of each individual. Do right, serve the public, protect the public, or protect your family.

National Guard troops faced it alongside the local Law Enforcement. The Riots were not the problem any longer. The Infected where.

“If I’m here, holding this area, who’s there holding mine?”

“ I’m trying to help these people. what if my family is infected will they help them or just shoot them?”

“Even the criminals are hiding.. this isnt right.”

“We can’t shoot them.. they are just sick.”

Having Morales became more than just the grey and white right and wrong. There was no right and wrong any longer.

[DTyra]

Make sure your family is competently trained, try to do your job with the faith they can fend for themselves for the short term and when it all looks fruitless head for home and safety. I'd like to think that's what I would do. Keep it going, please.

[Laager]

“Supplies are free to take use what you can. These Three Stole, and Murdered. Do not let this happen to you in either regard.”

I'd take advantage of this type of situation as well........even if I did not currently need or want it, someone else down the road might need the weapons, ammo and other supplies. Either as a gift or a trade.

[Dark Angel]

MOAR

And who says we are frayed at the edges?

[DTyra]

MOAR

And who says we are frayed at the edges?

Actually, I was referring to myself since I can't truly speak for others. As a reference to how frayed around the edges I might be, my last post on April 1st was not intended for this thread and I have no idea how I managed for it to appear on this one.

As far as this thread...moar please.

[Narshalla]

Interesting.

[Lex1785]

Haven't forgot about this. Computer just returned from the repair shop so will be posting up a couple more chapters here this weekend hopefully. Thanks for being patient!

[Lex1785]

“So where we going?” Walt looked over for a moment at Alex who had set his head back against the rear window of the M37 seeming to doze as they drove down the two lane highway. It had been hours since they had seen another vehicle.

Alex looked over at Walt and shifted in the seat for a moment then pointed to the side of the road.

“Pull over I’ll drive a bit.”

Walt complied and they switched seats. Alex took a piss before sliding into the driver's seat of the old M37, shifting into gear and starting back on the road. He reached over and flipped on the radio, for the past few hours it had been silent not even music coming from Alex’s phone, nor his humming had permeated the still night.

“The Chicago Mayor has issued a general Curfew and warnings that any looters will be shot on sight. All Residents are instructed to remain indoors, lock all doors and windows and if they own any firearm to arm themselves and shoot any individual that attempts to make entry into their homes without announcing themselves first.”

Walt whistled softly as the head lights played on yellow dotted line going down the center of the highway. Alex nodded.

“Chicago is gone.” Alex shifted the M37 and flipped the radio to a new station the news droned on in the background accompanied to the hum of the tires on the ashapult.

“Alex.. what's going on out there? I mean. The Riots and such well that made sense in a way. But people attacking people.. eating them? Guard called out and over run. What's going on?”

“Change.”

“Change? This isnt like any Change I’ve ever lived through and I’ve lived through a good bit son.. this is down right end of the world. Those people back there at the car.. I mean that's normal, in an the natural sense. But the radio is saying people are attacking and eating each other. People getting shot and not stopping.. That isnt change that's anarchy.. it's chaos, that isn’t normal. “

“Walt. Its just Change. You can label it anything you like. but its simply just Change.”

Walt looked over at Alex as they passed a road sign the headlights bouncing off it filling the cab with light for a moment. The younger man had a stern set jaw, his eyes reflecting the light almost in a feral animalistic manner as he continued to study the road in front of them.

“So where we going?” Walt asked as he leaned his head back against the cool rear window.

“West.”

[Laager]

“The Chicago Mayor has issued a general Curfew and warnings that any looters will be shot on sight. All Residents are instructed to remain indoors, lock all doors and windows and if they own any firearm to arm themselves and shoot any individual that attempts to make entry into their homes without announcing themselves first.”

......I'd pay good money to see video of those anti-gun pukes have to step up to the mic and say something like that......

Still enjoying the story by the way.

[Nancy1340]

Laager, I was thinking along the same lines.

Thanks Lex.

[deathstalkertwo]

OK, you got a good story going here. Don't stop now. It's already time for MOAR.
Thanks

[Lex1785]

Sorry moar is coming, its getting warm so the busy time for training units and such. I'll throw a couple more chapters out this weekend definately. Thanks for understanding and hanging in there!

[deathstalkertwo]

Really glad to hear that , cause this MOAR zombie ain't gonna stop checking on this story.
Oh yeah, thanks for writting, keep it up please.

[Lex1785]

Alex drove most the night, the soft hum of the tires on the asphalt highway a lullaby, soothing in simplistic manner. Walt slept for most of the time Alex drove. The road was utterly empty for most the the night, in the distance in many locations Alex could see a soft red glow of large fires.
“Walt, Gas”.

“Hmm what?” Walt sat up and rubbed at his face and stretched as much as he could in the tight confines of the cab.

“Gas”

Alex pointed out the front of the windshield to a Gas station half light on the side of the road about half a mile down the road from where they were sitting parked.

“Oh right. Just pull up, see if anyone is there. I’ll pay with my card if need be.”

Alex looked over at him and cocked his head raising his eyebrows as he started the truck moving back on the highway towards the Gas station/Rest stop.

“Really?”

“oh yeah.. Change. “ Walt rubbed at his face again fully waking up and realizing what he had just said about using his card to pay. Credit was probably dead.

Alex started slowing the truck as they came closer to the Gas station giving them a chance to look at it clearer.

“No sign of trouble really, one car in front, looks like the main area has lights but everything else is off.. what do you think?”

“No Trouble.” Alex shifted and pulled into the gas station ten minutes later sliding the truck expertly into the gas pumps.

“You pump, I’ll watch, get out after I’m out.”

Alex opened the door and slide out of the truck, pulling his rifle with him. holding it at a low ready as he scanned the darkness then turned his attention to the station itself.

The lights were on in the main convenience store area but he couldn't see any movement. Didn’t mean there wasn't someone inside.

“Pumps are working, fueling up now.”

“I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real
The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting
Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything “

Alex sang softly as he continued to scan the area, the night was quiet, The soft hum of the gas pump as it filled the M37’s tank, Walts nervous shuffling. Alex drew his eyes back towards the main area of the store again keeping a soft grasps of the rifle.

“Done, I’ll go pay. “

“No, get in”

“But..”

Alex looked over his shoulder at Walt for a moment then raised his rifle pointing at the main store area. Just as Walt looked a rack of chips swayed inside.

“Could be someone who needs help Alex, and we can’t not pay.”

“I’ll pay, get in start the truck.”

Walt shook his head then climbed into the truck, cranking the starter as the M37 coughed to life, Alex walked slowly towards the convenience store entrance, pulling out some money from his blouse pocket and some duct tape. He let the rifle hang from its sling and tapped the money to the door. Pulling out a grease marker he wrote quickly on the glass door and turned sprinting back to the truck.

“What did you write?” Walt asked as Alex closed the door with a soft snick of the mechanism clicking closed.

“Thanks for the Gas. “

[Lex1785]

Walt shook his head again with a smile and put the truck in gear and pulled back on the highway.

Two days later, a couple out of the city stopped at the gas station and saw the money tapped to the window and the message Alex had written.

“Get gas, be quiet, Dead inside, Don’t Enter or end up like them”.

The M37 rolled down the middle of the highway, the soft hum of the tires filling the cab slightly louder then the music playing over the radio. Mindless droning really as Alex sat in the seat, his eyes continuously scanning, Walt driving focusing on the dotted yellow lines pass.
“What now Alex?”

“West”

“You already said that son.. where out west. “

Alex started humming softly to himself as Walt shook his head.

“You know you're extremely irritating at times. Where you always this way?”

Alex stopped humming and slowly turned looking at Walt as he continued to drive, a ill feeling filling his body as Alex stared at him.

“Sorry I asked.. “

“No.”

“huh?”

“No. I wasn’t always this way.”

“What happened.. if you don’t .. no never mind.. none of my business.”

Alex turned and leaned his head back against the headrest of his seat watching the yellow dotted line.

“Daddy! Daddy! push me push me!”

The little boy stood on the bed jumping up and down bouncing causing the whole mess to screech on its frame.

Alex stopped and smiled as he was pulling his boots off. His Trousers covered in drying mud and dirt, t-shirt plastered to his skin with sweat and rain water as he looked behind him and reached up pushing the little boy back gently causing him to fall over on the bad with a fit of giggles.

“AGAIN AGAIN!”

“Ok one more time then I have to get cleaned up or mommy will shoot us both. “

“ahhh... she won’t shoot you!”

Alex pushed him again gently and the room was filled with laughter as he jumped on the bed tickling the little boy. pushing up off the bed after the squeals of laughter had died off and ruffling the little boys dark brown hair, his fingers running over the deep scars along the back of his skull.

“No.. I wasn’t always like this Walt.”

[Lex1785]

Suddenly Walt slammed on the brakes and the M37 slide sideways coming to a halt in a cloud of acrid smoke and squalling tires.

“Wha.. what is that?!”

Walt stared out the front window at a man standing in the middle of the road. Most of his chest and face were covered in what looked like drying mud. His left hand was tangled up in what appeared to be rope tied around his midsection. Before Walt could blink Alex stepped out of the truck. Walt looked over as Alex pulled something black and long from the side of his pack and slowly strode towards the man who now seemed to be moaning and trying to shuffle towards them.

“Alex.. he needs help. We should help him..”

Alex kept walking in a slow steady pace until he was about 5 meters from the man. He spun the long block object in his hand along its shaft and Walt watched as the light from the head lights reflected off what appeared to be a Tomahawk. When he blinked Alex was bending over and prying the Axe from the man's head who now laid on the ground in front of the vehicle.


“Alex WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO! HE NEEDED HELP!”

Walt yelled as he pulled himself out of the truck slamming the door behind him. Alex looked up as he was wiping the axe head off on the man's clothes. He suddenly dropped the Axe and pulled his Beretta raising the weapon to his chest then punching it out as he crouched pulling the trigger as the sites aligned on something just past Walt’s shoulder.

The boom of the pistol nearly caused Walt to pass out in fear let alone the intense blank stare of Alex as he stood, his free hand picking up the Tomahawk and striding towards the truck swiftly.

“Get in”

“Alex.. what the hell.. “

“GET IN.”

Walt shuddered and jumped into the truck's driver seat pulling the door closed behind him and making sure it latched as Alex slide into the passenger side doing the same.

“Drive Walt, More behind those two.”

“WHAT!? They may need help!” Walt tried to turn in his seat and look through the mirror into the dark behind the vehicle. What he saw caused his mouth to fall open as his hands fumbled with the gear shift.

“They.. “

“Walt Drive.”

What little light from the tail lights light up a crowd approaching the vehicle from the sides of the road. Many of them seemed etherall almost unreal as if they where at a costume party.

“Alex.. we should”

“I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts. “

Walt blinked and shifted the truck into gear stepping on the gas, it lurched forward starting away from the crowd converging on their tail lights. A few tried to stumble faster reaching out for the truck.

“Diddly dee.”

Walt looked over at Alex and shuddered softly wiping a bead of sweat that had developed off his forehead.

“Alex.. did you.. did we just kill two people?”

“Nope, see them all standing in a row..”

Walt looked at him for a moment more and turned his attention back to the yellow dotted line.

“thank you...”

“Big ones small ones some as big as your head..”

Walt continued to drive into the dark night, the sun just starting to show itself on the horizon.

[Lex1785]

The Huey did a slow circle pass over the area, kicking up dust and debry as it drifted lazily over the smoking remains of the town and buildings.

“He isn’t down there... he didn’t get clear”
Static crackled over the radio as the pilot adjusted the bird swinging it wider of the area to reduce the dust kick up.

“Keep on rocking the free world!”

The co-pilot looked at his pilot eyes wide at the burst of sound coming from the radio.. some one singing.. Neil Young?

“ 1-3, 1-3, this is Bravo 1-2 what's your status over”

“Bravo 1-2 this is 1-3, Keep on rocking the free world. Keep on rocking the free world. “

“Well he’s alive.. 1-3 what’s your location, rest of team has exfilled your last out. Give us a designator over.”

“We’ve got a thousand points tonight, for the homeless man, we’ve got a kinder gentler machine gun hand. “ The radio filled with humming and in the background a pop and hissing sound fills the it before it clicks off.

The pilot adjusts to the left as he starts to see purple smoke float on the breeze about 500 meters from the outer edge of the town.

“There he is.. This dude needs a Section 8”
“He’d get one if he wasn't so damn good at getting the job done.. this is his 17th straight mission in three weeks. He won't slow down.”

“He’ll eventually have to. “
“Not this guy.. he’ll die first..”

[Lex1785]

Alex started and sat upright in the seat. wiped his sleep crusted eyes and blinked into the bright light coming through the windshield.

The area around him seemed to be lightly wooded, and slightly elevated.

“Morning..”

Alex looked out the down window at Walt, he was sitting with his back to a downed tree, a long rifle laying over his lap. Pair of bino’s to his eyes.

“How long did I sleep.”

“You know Alex I think thats the longest sentence you’ve ever said to me.”

Alex smirked to himself more than Walt and opened the door slowly and quietly sliding from the truck cab with a groan of sore muscles. His knee’s cracked and moaned sounding like old rubber bands stretching as he crouched down and creeped over to walt.

“situation?”

“Stopped just before dawn, figured here was as good as place as any. have a look.”

Walt handed the Bino’s to Alex who slide down beside him against the log. Walt looked sideways at Alex for a moment making a mental note to keep him on his side. even half awake the guy made little noise.

Alex raised the bino’s up to his eyes and started humming as he scanned what appeared to be a small town in a valley below them. The main stretch of road running straight through acting as its main street. Smoke drifted from a few homes on the outskirt but other wise it seemed extremely quiet.

“Christmas songs?”

Alex continued to hum, it's beginning to look a lot like christmas as he scanned the town for any movement.

“Anything to note?”

Walt shook his head and looked back down at the valley township.

“About an hour ago a car went into town, but I haven't seen it come out since nor heard anything.”

Alex continued to hum softly as he scanned the town, he noted key structures, what appeared to be a combination townhall, fire station, and police station in one. What branch streets ended in dead ends, which ones continued out of town.

“Wait.. see something.”

“Where?”

“Look at that building half way down the main street, looks like a hardware store.”

Alex adjusted the bino’s and scanned down the road slowly till he saw what Walt had seen.

“For an old guy, good eyes.”

Walt grunted and mumbled something about young punk or at least that's what it sounded like to Alex as he started humming jingle bells and smirked watching.

The front of the building looked to be boarded up, but someone was standing in front of it frantically beating against the door.

“They are trying to get in.”

“Yep.”

Alex continued to watch, the individual occasionally turning and looking over their shoulder back into the town then turned banging on the door some more. Alex could occasionally catch a wisp of yelling as it drifted up the valley from below.

“Alive.”

Walt sat bolt upright and went to stand, Alex put his hand on Walts shoulder and pushed him gently back down.

“Alex.. “

“Walt, We don’t know the situation.”

“Alex, they are alive and need help.”

“Maybe.”

Alex turned scanning the area slowly watching for any signs of movement. None so far. Human or otherwise.

“Alex we can’t just sit here and watch! They need help!”

Alex turned and looked at Walt then pushed the binos into his chest, at the same time he grasped the long rifle and lifted it out of Walt’s lap. It was a Mosin Nagant in the standard 7.62x54R, long eye relief 4x30 scope.

“What are you going to do?!”

“Shutup.”



Alex looked at Walt for a moment then slipped up and over the log, going prone behind it. lifting the rifle and sliding it against the log, placing his shoulder against the buttplate on the heavy wooden stock. As he settled in and peered down through the scope it darkened over.

“Alex you can’t shoot them!”

“Walt move. and watch.”

Alex adjusted his position slightly getting a bit more comfortable, his legs out behind him spread shoulder width apart, feet flat against the ground, his breathing slowly causing his chest to rise and fall as he sighted through the scope at the town.

It was a bit of a shot, at least 700 meters give or take, little wind but at that range still a good distance to shoot. But Alex wasn’t shooting at a small target.

Walt sat next to him watching in the binos his breathing not as smooth as Alex as his temper flared, he turned his head watching Alex for a moment then back to the town, raising the binos again just as Alex sent the first round downrange.

KA-BOOM!

[Nancy1340]

I'm likin' this story very much. Thanks

[deathstalkertwo]

Nice update, likeing this one more and more as it goes along, just don't let it die like some of the other really good stories have on this site.
Thank you for the time and effort you're putting into this. Now MOAR please. lol

[Lex1785]

Thanks for the reminder, don't fret nor worry. I'm working on this in my spare time. Just during the summer periods busy as all get out with training units at work.

Once things calm down again towards fall and into winter will pick back up posting as often as I can. Again I thank every one for the kind words and I am glad to hear you are truly enjoying this story. I'll definitely work at keeping Moar flowing your way!

[bad_karma00]

I'm really into this. I like Alex, lol.

Be waiting for more!