Chapter 4
Jack was seven years old, and he refused to listen to his parents, who said that throwing his money into the well would not get him an angle. He threw every penny he ever got into the well and tonight, he met an angle. She had perfect copper hair and she wore nothing. Jack did not expect the meeting, and he did not know what to say.
Would she grant his wishes? Would she take him off the island, like he wanted? Jack was afraid, but when he backed up and stepped on a twig, fear took him. He screamed and ran away.
Liz looked behind her and cursed her momentary lack of attention. She did not want to move; hopefully the men would run right past her. But she had to when the men took out guns and pointed them at her. She tried to run, but her foot caught on a root and she fell to the ground. Liz covered herself with her arms, and ten lights pointed at her. The men were yelling at her in some unknown language. She voiced her lack of understanding and one of the men said something to another. One of taller men took off his coat and threw it to her. She put it on and it fit almost like a dress; a brown, wet dress that smelt like fish.
The guns were lowered and one of the older men held out a hand for her. As he pulled her up, he said to her, “My name is Mitch, who are you?”
“My name is Liz, and I’m from the mainland.”
“What happened, and why were you naked?”
“I…” Liz trailed off, remembering how ridiculous her story would sound. She said, “Our ship was running away from the mainland, but one of the infected was hidden in the lower deck. Someone ran down to check it, but it got him. I was the only one to make it off alive.”
“What do you mean by infected, and who got him? We haven’t had contact from the mainland in a while; what the hell is going on over there?”
“Have you ever watched a zombie movie?”
“Well yeah. You don’t mean to say…”
“I do.”
Mitch started to translate what he just heard to the other men, and all of them looked at Liz. She said, “The US is completely gone, except for the west coast. Marcus, my brother, was our group leader, but when our groups merged, Demetrius took over. We traveled to an airport, but I and Marcus were left behind. We traveled to the shores of the lakes and stole a boat.”
She stopped so Mitch could catch up, and she said, “Did I mention that my brother isn’t dead? He’s actually just off the coast.”
“But you said he wasn’t dead.”
“I said I was the only one to make it off the boat alive. He swam next to the boat. Sorry, but telling you the whole truth just seems like a bad idea. You guys would take me for a crazy person.”
“Nonsense. Tell me about your brother.”
“He’s massive, he can fly, and he can breathe fire.”
“Marcus sounds more like a dragon than a person.”
Liz smiled at him and stood. She walked to the shoreline and yelled to the open sea, “Marcus, the men here are friendly, and they have food!”
A large lump appeared in the water a few hundred yards out. Marcus let his body slide up the beach. His head stopped a few feet from Liz, who took the time to admire how frightening he looked when the only light on him was a small fire. All of the men stood and looked at the beast. Do they run or do they stay?
“Like I said; Massive, he can fly, and he’s my personal flame thrower!”
One of the men started to run away and Marcus stood, he said, “And where might you be off to?”
“It can talk?”
“It? IT? My manhood weighs more than you!”
They all half laughed, half looked around to see if anyone else was laughing. Some of the men started to sit back down, and Marcus sat down next to the fire. Liz walked up to him and sat next to his claw. Mitch asked, “So, as for your story…”
Liz recounted how Marcus worked for an organization called the Science Theory Covenant. She told of their escape from their home, meeting Dem, the fixed god, and their adventures leading up to this moment. Every man took his turn speaking to Mitch or one of the younger men, who knew English.
Liz answered their questions about the rest of humanity and the rest of the world. One man got up and started to walk away. Marcus asked, “Are you going to tell your family?”
“Yes. Do you have a better idea?”
“Wait until the morrow. Give them one more night to sleep at ease. I will tell them.”
“I’m still going home.”
Marcus turned back to the fire and saw mot of the men get up and leave. The raven haired girl said, “Would you like to come with me? I’ll get you out of that crappy shirt.”
Liz turned to Marcus and he said, “Go ahead, I think the undead and Joe will let us rest for a night.”
Liz stood and walked away. When she was out of sight, Marcus backed over to the ocean and let his head float a few feet away from the fire. As the men became further satisfied, they started to leave. Mitch said, “I always stay here till the fire dies out.”
Mitch was silent and Marcus looked up at the sky. He said, “I’ve never seen stars so beautiful. Perhaps it is the lack of light that lets us see their true beauty.”
“Why? You can’t see them from the mainland?”
“No, they are obscured by the lights of the highway and the streets. One can never see so many from land. So tell me; you never asked any questions. Were they all answered by the other men?”
Would she grant his wishes? Would she take him off the island, like he wanted? Jack was afraid, but when he backed up and stepped on a twig, fear took him. He screamed and ran away.
Liz looked behind her and cursed her momentary lack of attention. She did not want to move; hopefully the men would run right past her. But she had to when the men took out guns and pointed them at her. She tried to run, but her foot caught on a root and she fell to the ground. Liz covered herself with her arms, and ten lights pointed at her. The men were yelling at her in some unknown language. She voiced her lack of understanding and one of the men said something to another. One of taller men took off his coat and threw it to her. She put it on and it fit almost like a dress; a brown, wet dress that smelt like fish.
The guns were lowered and one of the older men held out a hand for her. As he pulled her up, he said to her, “My name is Mitch, who are you?”
“My name is Liz, and I’m from the mainland.”
“What happened, and why were you naked?”
“I…” Liz trailed off, remembering how ridiculous her story would sound. She said, “Our ship was running away from the mainland, but one of the infected was hidden in the lower deck. Someone ran down to check it, but it got him. I was the only one to make it off alive.”
“What do you mean by infected, and who got him? We haven’t had contact from the mainland in a while; what the hell is going on over there?”
“Have you ever watched a zombie movie?”
“Well yeah. You don’t mean to say…”
“I do.”
Mitch started to translate what he just heard to the other men, and all of them looked at Liz. She said, “The US is completely gone, except for the west coast. Marcus, my brother, was our group leader, but when our groups merged, Demetrius took over. We traveled to an airport, but I and Marcus were left behind. We traveled to the shores of the lakes and stole a boat.”
She stopped so Mitch could catch up, and she said, “Did I mention that my brother isn’t dead? He’s actually just off the coast.”
“But you said he wasn’t dead.”
“I said I was the only one to make it off the boat alive. He swam next to the boat. Sorry, but telling you the whole truth just seems like a bad idea. You guys would take me for a crazy person.”
“Nonsense. Tell me about your brother.”
“He’s massive, he can fly, and he can breathe fire.”
“Marcus sounds more like a dragon than a person.”
Liz smiled at him and stood. She walked to the shoreline and yelled to the open sea, “Marcus, the men here are friendly, and they have food!”
A large lump appeared in the water a few hundred yards out. Marcus let his body slide up the beach. His head stopped a few feet from Liz, who took the time to admire how frightening he looked when the only light on him was a small fire. All of the men stood and looked at the beast. Do they run or do they stay?
“Like I said; Massive, he can fly, and he’s my personal flame thrower!”
One of the men started to run away and Marcus stood, he said, “And where might you be off to?”
“It can talk?”
“It? IT? My manhood weighs more than you!”
They all half laughed, half looked around to see if anyone else was laughing. Some of the men started to sit back down, and Marcus sat down next to the fire. Liz walked up to him and sat next to his claw. Mitch asked, “So, as for your story…”
Liz recounted how Marcus worked for an organization called the Science Theory Covenant. She told of their escape from their home, meeting Dem, the fixed god, and their adventures leading up to this moment. Every man took his turn speaking to Mitch or one of the younger men, who knew English.
Liz answered their questions about the rest of humanity and the rest of the world. One man got up and started to walk away. Marcus asked, “Are you going to tell your family?”
“Yes. Do you have a better idea?”
“Wait until the morrow. Give them one more night to sleep at ease. I will tell them.”
“I’m still going home.”
Marcus turned back to the fire and saw mot of the men get up and leave. The raven haired girl said, “Would you like to come with me? I’ll get you out of that crappy shirt.”
Liz turned to Marcus and he said, “Go ahead, I think the undead and Joe will let us rest for a night.”
Liz stood and walked away. When she was out of sight, Marcus backed over to the ocean and let his head float a few feet away from the fire. As the men became further satisfied, they started to leave. Mitch said, “I always stay here till the fire dies out.”
Mitch was silent and Marcus looked up at the sky. He said, “I’ve never seen stars so beautiful. Perhaps it is the lack of light that lets us see their true beauty.”
“Why? You can’t see them from the mainland?”
“No, they are obscured by the lights of the highway and the streets. One can never see so many from land. So tell me; you never asked any questions. Were they all answered by the other men?”