as the earth dies

I pointed my pistol in the direction of the voice, hands shaking so much I almost dropped it. I surveyed the shadows around the room, praying it was a ghost and not just me losing my sanity completely. A figure stepped out from behind the door frame, hands in the air showing he was unarmed.

“Will you lower that thing?” it said, “Is that anyway to greet an old friend?”

I recognized the voice, but… it couldn’t have been… I watched…

“is that really you thrift?” I said through a shakey voice, “tell me its you! Better yet prove it! Where did we find you? Theres only a hand-full of people that can answer that!”

“ oh man don’t make me say it,” the figure said with a groan, “ fine…. I was running through an old shopping center. My pants were around my ankles because a group of deadlings found me in the bathroom….. they had followed the smell….”

I laughed remembering that day, when we disposed of the deadlings he had begged us not to tell anyone. We all gave him a hard time about it, but ultimately none of us told anyone. He might’ve been a stranger at the time, but if we spread what happened we might as well had left him to the deadlings.

“never gets old,” I chuckled as I stood up to welcome my recently undeceased friend.

The figure stepped forward into the light, lowering his hands he grumbled back embarrassingly, “Yeah, maybe to you. I should’ve just let them eat me that day. At least then I wouldn’t have to be reminded of it every day.”

I threw my arm around him, glad at least my friend was alive. “easy there, hermano. You ask a man to tell you a story about his pants down, then you hug him? People might get the wrong idea.”

“yea well, id be worried about that if…..” we both lowered our heads. Thinking about all the people we knew. How a week ago we were all goofing around and taking for granted all the little moments. Now, every single one of them were gone.

“I’m just glad I wasn’t the only one to make it out. Where’s….” he trailed off as he looked around the room. His eyes stopped when he seen what was in my hand. “herma…. Hermano??” he said on the verge of tears.

“thrift I… I’m so… I’m so sorry..” I couldn’t hardly get it out. How was I supposed to tell him.

Tears streaming down his cheek he whispered one word, “how?…” he managed to push out.

“I swear she was right behind me. we had almost made it out when… when one of them ran from behind us and grabbed her.” My tears now waterfalls as I remembered how I had let those beast take christina.

“YOU MOTHER-“ a school bus hit me across my jaw out of nowhere. There was this bright light, followed by a second one as I felt what I was pretty sure the brick wall that was behind me. I dropped to the floor, wondering where the bus came from and more importantly why was it driving through a house?

“I TRUSTED YOU!!! I ASKED YOU FOR ONE THING! TO SAVE MY DAUGHTER AND YOU GAVE HER TO THEM!” thrifty half shouted half sobbed. I had finally regained my senses. I looked up and there was no bus, just thrifts big fists. Both were balled up so tight his knuckles were almost glowing they were so white.

“you think I don’t know that?” I sobbed, “why do you think I was about to-“

“I SHOULD’VE LET YOU!” he screamed again, then rage turning to complete defeat he said, “I cant… why her… via con dios mija”. He walked over and sat down next to me. we sat in silence together for what felt like an eternity. He finally asked what happened, the whole story not the sugar coated one he knew I was going to give him. I told him I would after we both got some sleep. Neither one of us was ready for that just yet. He, of course, rejected the idea demanding to know.

So… I told him

After we had gotten done goofing around, the majors secretary, scarlette, delivered a message to us.

“alright you two, that’s enough of that.” She said, the same blank look she always sported on her face. “Majors got orders for both of you. He wants to see you boys at 1900.”

“SCARLETTE! Hows my favorite cyborg today? The mad scientist forget to oil up your face bearings again? Cmon I bet you have a pretty smile. Lets see it.” I said.

“ill smile when the deadlings get you.” She scoffed.

“ouch! Does that mean the marriage is off?” I asked, making the most shocked and innocent face I could make.

“which one?” she asked back, “my boot to your ass or my fist to your-“

“aye, innocent ears!” thrifty said pointing out that christina was still watching them. “1900? Why so late? We usually meet at 0600.”

“do I look like yalls secretary? I was told to tell you a time, NOT a reason.” She grumbled. Then with that she walked off, nose in the air as usual. She only got her job for the same reason waters did but thought she was above everyone else.

“what do you think its about?” I asked.

“don’t know,” thrifty replied with concern in his voice,” but whatever it is, it cant be anything easy. We’ve never had a debrief this late. Not that I can remember anyways.”

“I know what you mean. Hey! Maybe he wants you to give him a big ole smooch!” I held my hands together by my head and made a kissy face towards him.

“Aye wey, this is serious. The only two times a crews had meetings that late, none of them came back. Well, one did but he was so fucked up he never said anything and just stared straight in front of him, until he grabbed the guards gun and blew his brains out.” I had never heard thrifty with worry in his voice. Now, he didn’t just have worry in his voice, it was straight up fear.

“Alright, listen up now!” Scarlettes forceful voice came echoing around the room.

Major came marching through the door, obviously still living the good ole days when he served in the army. Our very own living legend, the major has had rumors about how his time in our military ended. Some say, when the deadlings popped up, he coward somewhere out of sight while his entire company was erased from existence. Others, that he ate his battle buddies. Which, if you ask me, is alittle cliché. Truth is, no one really knows and he doesn’t ever talk about it. What is known, is that somehow the entire military force was gone within a few days. All of it, except for him somehow. No one really trusted him, but he was the only person that had any kind of combat experience so there wasn’t much choice but to make him our leader.

“Evening, boys. Heard ‘bout your squad. We’ll be holding a ceremony tomorrow to give ‘em a proper send off.” His voice sounded as if he’d smoked cigars all his life since he was three years old. “but for tonight” he continued “I’m afraid theres no time for the dead.”

“WAIT!! WAIT!!!” Everyone turned towards the door as christina came sprinting through it. “POPPA!!! POPPA YOU HAVE TO COME QUICK!!!”

“Mija! You know this room is-“

“What is this, a daycare? You better get her out of here, soldier! Or ill have both of you locked up. This room has to much classified info for that brat to just barge in.” The Major scorned.

“Jefe, you might be in charge here, but if you ever call my child anything other than her name or young lady again, we’ll all see exactly what’s on your mind,” thrifty warned. He turned back towards christina, “Mija, you shouldn’t be in here. There’s stuff that you shouldn’t see. Pictures you’re to young for.” He shot a look towards the major as if to say “screw your classified crap what about her mental health.”

“POPPA! THE MEAN PEOPLE ARE IN THE WALLS!” she cried out fear infecting us all.

Scarlette ran over to the window and looked out, eyes widening at what she saw.

“SHIT!” she yelled, “major shes right the deadling have breached the perimeter.”

“Sound the-“ he started but was cut off by thrifty again

“Im sure the screams were enough, puto!” he said picking up christina, “youre stupid sound proof walls almost killed us!”

I grabbed his rifle off the table and hurried over to were the two of them were standing, “ready amigo? Lets gets her somewhere safe.”

“Hermano…. What about everyone else?” he asked with sadness in his voice.

“I know… I know…” I hanged my head down. “but ive got one arm that’s not even dry yet and you’ve got a scared daughter. Right now, we get her out of here then come back for the others if we can.”

I didn’t like the idea of just running out on our friends, but there was nothing we could do right now. I was in no shape to fight, and thrifty would just be distracted by his daughter safety to be any real help.

“hold it you two cant just-“

I turned and held thriftys rifle up at hip level, pointed at the major.

“if you say anything you fuckin poser, ill plant one right in your groin. And trust me, ive seen these rounds. Youre not gonna be having kids for a long long time.”

The majors face went white, thinking about being shot in the dick by a small grenade has a way of shutting you the fuck up. “but… but…. What about us?” he whimpered.

“hey as far as im concerned, you can go eat snowcones.” I turned to scarlette, “well dear, I think its time we start seeing other people.”

“wait, wait!” she made a sad attempt at a loving look, “you were right I really do love you! Please take me with you!” she begged getting closer.

I slowly leaned towards her, calling her bluff. Our lips met, and for a second I almost believed her. I mean, she would have her perks down the road…

“wow,” I said coming up for air.

“so youll take me with you? All I want is to be by your side!”

“you know, ive dreamed about kissing you for a long time…. Gotta say needs some work. Maybe if you threw in some tongue I would’ve believed you.” I said sarcastically.

“you get me out of here ill do more than that.” She said back to her old self.

“can I get that in writing?” at that point I had made up my mind.

“HERMANO! Lets go!” thrifty said, “we don’t have time for this!”

“sorry babe, maybe some other time!” I turned and jogged through the door.

There were gun shots all around us now. More than that, screams were filling the air as if the planet suddenly burst into flames. We ran down the stairs then out into the courtyard. So far, we had gotten lucky and not ran into any deadlings. We decided to head for the south gate. It was the closest and there had been a few trucks parked just outside the walls earlier that day. We decided to take the alleys, they were narrow so at least we could get a few at a time instead of trying to aim at every single one. The only down fall was that they could just drop down from above, but we would just have to pray we weren’t that un-lucky.

We had just started in when two of them fell right on top of thriftys head.