"All in the family" by Chris McWilliams

Debbie and I had been married the night before and now the following afternoon, while on our honeymoon we had decided to have an outdoor picnic.     It was a perfect day for it sunny and warm and beautiful.    As we sat their on our blanket eating with a portable radio playing some romantic songs.    It was perfect, and that was when the bottom fell out.  

Suddenly, the radio stopped playing our favorite love song and in it’s place a news broadcast was started.     At first, in my compliancy and happiness I ignored the broadcast until I suddenly realized what he was saying.   Something about rioting that was only increasing in intensity and scope, even to the point where reports were beginning to come in from other nations.

At that point the broadcast was saying that anyone who was not already indoors should make for shelter whether it was his or her own home or some selected rescue stations set up by the local governments.     At first we thought about going back to our bed and breakfast but then we decided to head for a church called St. Verbena, we had seen it on the way to the picnic spot and knew it was close by, or least closer than where we staying.

We hopped into my jeep and tried to make for the church unfortunately the streets were clogged with traffic as angry and panicked as the drivers themselves so I was forced to use my jeep’s four wheel drive to go off road and take shortcuts to Saint Verbena’s.

After driving the back roads and short cuts for a while I was finally able to find a stretch of road that was not clogged and would take us to our destination.    I returned my jeep to the road and started to make way, after all it was much faster to take a road than trekking through the wild, and lot less likely we would get lost.

We were making good time until we came upon three people standing at the side of the road.     The trio, two men and woman, were standing there their clothes covered in dirt and blood and at first they didn’t seem to notice we were speeding our way toward them like a bullet.

Once they finally seemed to notice us they began to react: they waved and screamed, then in a last ditch effort they stuck out their thumbs in the universal sign of hitchhiking.      When I saw this Debbie and I decided to stop.

Normally, neither Debbie nor I would even consider picking up hitchhikers (especially covered in blood) but these were far from normal times.     As SOON as I stopped the jeep, maybe even before the stop was complete, one of the guys opened the back door and they all jumped in, slamming the door just as quickly as they had opened it, the woman screamed, “DRIVE!   DRIVE!!   DAMN IT DRIVE!!”

I could tell Debbie was about to take exception to being spoken to so rudely by stranger, strangers we were trying to help no less, but before she could say a word a handful of other figures ran onto the road as well.    “Jesus,” I said, “we don’t have room for…” before I could finish my thought I noticed that these new ‘people’ were not quite right.

They all had some sort of wound on them: One of them had a huge bite looking injury on their cheek, one had the same type of wound on what was left of their neck, another had it on their upper arm and so on.     Further, they seemed somehow inhuman more like ferial, vicious animals the likes I had only seen on the nature shows, hunting prey.

All the while the three people in the back seat were yelling and screaming for me to drive, but I was transfixed looking at those thing before me, I couldn’t look away or act.

The things notice me, which made my blood run cold, and that was when they attacked.    They ran at the jeep almost like a single entity as they jumped on it and tried to get at us inside.    Luckily it was a hard top jeep so they couldn’t just tear their way inside, of course this didn’t stop them pounding and trying to gain access anyway.

Finally, Debbie was able to shake me out of my daze and I put the jeep into gear and floored it sending the jeep flying full speed forward.     This caused the things to all fall off but they ran after us for several yards, even keeping up, until finally they spotted a car full of stranded teenagers on an adjacent road and ran after them instead.

After a few minutes the three in the back calmed down enough to talk, one of the men said “thank you for picking us up man.   Those things were right on our tails and we were about out of steam.    By the way I am Nate, this my twin sister Kate and this guy here is our cousin Christen.”

Christen spoke up “we were at the movies when they stopped the show and announced on the loudspeaker about what was going on.    At that point they were telling everyone to get to their homes or to stay put if they were safe where they were.     We stayed, until a group of those things managed to break one of the glass doors in the theater lobby and get inside.     We and a few others managed to get away but no one could get to their cars, the parking lot was full of those things.    So we took off on foot, until we ran into those things back there, they chased us for what seemed liked hours until we hit the road and you found us.”

I said, “we are glad to help, I am Mark and this my wife Debbie.    We were on our honeymoon when all this started.    We are heading to some place called St. Verbena’s.    Any of you know it?”   “Sure,” Kate said “we are from around here, but the last thing we herd in the reports we were listing to in the theater was that Verbena’s had been over run and was no longer safe.”

“What?”    Debbie said sounding very distressed; in truth stressful situations were not her natural habitat “Are you sure?” she asked.   Kate nodded.    “Let me turn on the radio,” I interjected “and see if they have any updates.    There has to somewhere we can go for shelter.”

With one eye on the road and the other on the dial I turned on the radio and began moving the dial up and down until I hit another newscast.     What we heard was NOT encouraging.

The Newscaster said, “Again I must STRESS that several former safe locations are now being reported by eye witnesses to have been over run and compromised.     Chief among them in our area is St. Verbena’s where the resident priest was killed and at least one person reports that the chapel has been over run.     At this time we have not been supplied with a list of new rescue station so the previous list will be repeated again with the now compromised locations removed…”   The newsman then read off a list of several places, not knowing the area we had to see if the others could find one nearby.

After the depressingly short list of safe locations were named off Kate said “the nearest is the public school, we are on the right road to there but it’s a good three or four miles away.    I know the area well as I am a teacher there.”    I couldn’t help but groan, three or four miles with those things out there seemed so FAR away, Debbie took my free hand to reassure me so, taking a deep breath I said “Ok then that is our new destination.”

I had only been driving full tilt for a few minutes when we came upon a strange site.    It was a little boy running along the side of the road being chased by two things, one a man in work clothes and the other a woman in everyday jeans and a t-shirt.

I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing so I quickly whipped the jeep around in a dangerous U-turn that threatened to turn the jeep over and headed to the boy’s rescue.    As I drove the jeep flat out I remembered everything that happed to my wife and me today and all I saw was red.

I floored the jeep and ran over the two things without a moment’s hesitation.    In fact in my overzealous rage I was barely able to stop before hitting the boy, who as a reflex jumped out of the way of the jeep, just as I swerved off the road and ran into a nearby tree, not only stopping our motion but crushing the front part of my jeep like an accordion.

Everyone got out of the jeep to survey the scene, Debbie unfortunately happened to get a good look at the pair I had run over.    The jeep had, as luck would have it, ran over each one’s head crushing them like squashed grapes.    The site of brains, blood and gray matter in the twin puddles on the road made her sick and she ended up running over to the side of the road and throwing up the picnic luncheon we had only a few hours ago.

Meanwhile Kate had run over to check out the boy, he was trembling and sweating in some kind of shock all he kept saying was “mom, dad, don’t please!    What is happening!?”

After a few minutes Nate, who had been looking over the jeep with Christen and me said “good going Jeff Gordon, looks like the jeep isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.    As long as we are on foot maybe we should get off the road, it dangerous being out in the open.”

I decided to let his jab pass, after all he was right: I let my anger get the better of me and now we were on foot in hostile territory.    Everyone seemed to agree with his suggestion however, so Kate picked up the boy and we all left the road for the cover of some of the more over grown areas.

It didn’t take us long however, to realize a problem with the plan we didn’t consider before, we had no idea where we were, what way we were walking or anything.    The only upside was that SO FAR we hadn’t run into anymore of those things.    The downside was it was starting to get dark and we had no light (nor were we sure if using a light would be good idea if we even had one) and nowhere to go.

After a awhile (how long I could not say as every minute felt like an hour), like the answer to a prayer, we spotted something in the twilight.    It looked like an old run down five-story apartment building.    The building would have passed as being abandoned except that there was light in one of the third story windows and another on the roof illuminating a sign that read: Occupied.    It is safe here all are welcome.    Come to the roof and then an arrow directing the reader to go around the back.

We were still staying in the woods trying to be quiet because there were some of those things around the building feebly banging on the windows and doors that seems to have been reinforced from the inside.    We began to make our way to the back of the building where there were NONE of those things.    In addition, there on the roof sat a man perfectly still and quite with what looked like night vision goggles on.

Even in the ever-ebbing light we could make out that the man had seen us and waved for us to come closer but to be careful.   Once we did he lowered down a rope ladder and we made our way up, with me carrying the boy over my shoulder.

Luck, it seems was with us because by the time those things realized what was happening we were all on the roof and the ladder was pulled back up.    The man shook everyone’s hand and said “I am Rick, come on inside” in a low whisper.

Once inside Rick said, “Sorry to be so short but the longer we stay on the roof and talk the more of those things there are.    Luckily I have been able to keep the numbers down by being careful.    They still KNOW I am in here SOMEHOW but not making a big show of it seems to keep them from coming in droves.    At least for now.”

With that said Rick passed out some food and drinks, which we all ate and drank happily then we all settled down in what must have been the lobby of the apartment building.     After awhile I asked, “What is this place?”

Rick answered me by telling us his story:   “This is what is left of what was once a top notch apartment complex back in the 70’s, I and my wife Alice had purchased it and reopened it a little while back.    These days we are kind off the beaten track so we used that as a selling point.    Peace and quite while still being in the city.    The tenants all left when the shit hit the fan, but we stayed because my wife was pregnant and was in no shape to be moved.    I reinforced all the doors and windows on the first three floors and so far they haven’t been able to climb.    However, just in case I have rigged all the upper floor windows with crude alarms that will let us know if anyone breaks in.”

With that out of the way and once we had introduced ourselves to Rick and told him our own ‘war’ stories both Kate and Debbie began trying to work with the boy, to see if they could get him to tell us anything about himself.    Since we met him all he had said in a low monotone voice, was “No, daddy!   No mommy!    Don’t, don’t” and then he would start sobbing loudly.   

After awhile Kate, because of her job as teacher she knew how to deal with children, managed to get some information out of the poor child.   He told us finally, that his name was Pete and he and his parents were trying to get out of town in their car.

Apparently, their car had some trouble, or as Pete put it the car got hot and smoked.   They had to stop so his dad could try and fix it.    That was when, again as Pete put it, the bad things came and got his mommy and daddy.

Apparently, those things somehow had over looked little Pete (probably they spied some other easier prey) and went away.     At this point his story got a little disjointed as he says his mommy and daddy stood up and tried to get into the car.

He would have let them in but he could see they weren’t right (as he put it they looked mad and they were scary).    Scared out of his wits he jumped out the other side of the car and ran away as fast as his little legs would carry him, with those things close behind.

That apparently was when we came along, with him being chased.   At this point he looked at me with a mix of sadness and something like being grateful as he said, “that is when you saved me.”    At that point he burst into tears and lay with his head in Kate’s lap, sobbing himself to sleep.

It was more or less at this point that we all began to realize how tired we were, the adrenaline in our system must have been wearing off.    We all ended up falling asleep pretty much where we were sitting.

The next thing I knew it was sometime in the mid morning and there was some sort of commotion going on.    Debbie nudged me awake and said “honey wake up something is wrong.”    I was groggy, barely able to focus but I managed to say “What?    What is happening?”

Kate was having a fit apparently Pete was missing.    She was talking to her brother Nate when I finally woke up enough to have some idea what was going on “No,” she said “I looked everywhere Rick even helped, he is not anywhere in here.”     “Did you check the other floors?” Nate asked.

Kate shook her head, “not yet I wanted to wait for everyone to wake up, so we could form a search party,” she replied.    “IF he wandered off somewhere he could be in bad shape mentally, he could be an room somewhere curled up in ball reliving what happened with his parents over and over.”

“Ok,” Nate said we will put together a search party and look around, he has to be here somewhere.”   That seemed to appease her as we all slowly gathered in the dinning area (Rick wasn’t kidding when he said this was once a world class apartment complex) for something to eat.

We sat down to a quick breakfast, prepared wonderfully by our able host.    We all ate hungrily except for Kate, who seemed too upset to eat a bite; she didn’t even have her coffee, or anything.   I and Debbie, Kate and Nate and Christen and Rick divided up the floors to search.    Debbie and I took the second floor, Kate and Nate to the third and Christen and Rick took the fourth.    Rick explained, “The fifth floor is actually where I and my wife live.    She had the baby yesterday with my help, thankfully I used to be doctor, and she is resting.    The place is locked tightly to keep her from being disturbed and because she wanted to be left alone to rest.    So there is no way Pete is up there and it doesn’t need to be searched”.   So with that we split up to search the apartment building.

While Debbie and I searched the second floor she came up to me and said “I don’t really know WHY we are making such a big deal out of this”, part of me was kind of puzzled yet, there was a part of me that seemed to agree completely.    “I mean,” she said quickly as if she needed to explain, “this place is SUPPOSED to be safe, and we KNOW he didn’t go outside.    He is just around here somewhere; maybe he needs his space so he can sort things out.    Who doesn’t need some space sometimes?”   I found I couldn’t really argue with her on this point, so we both decided with the second floor only halfway searched to call it off and go back to the lobby to wait for the others.

It seems like we weren’t the only ones to have this, or similar thoughts as the others had either beat us back to the lobby or came back shortly after we did.     The only ones gone for any length of time was Kate and Nate and it was obvious the time spent was NOT Nate’s idea.

After a few minute and some half hearted reports that Pete had not turned up Rick tried to change the subject by saying “I realize the lobby isn’t the best place to be ‘camped out’ and since we have no idea how long all this is going to last you might as well take up residence in some of the un-rented apartments.     The rented ones are locked up and I promised the tenants I would watch over the stuff, but there are more than enough un-rented ones to accommodate you all.   IF you are interested.”

I for one was very interested because the couch that Debbie and I tried to share was WAY to narrow and short, we all, except for Kate who was still on about trying to find Pete, started trying to work out our sleeping arrangements.     As it worked out Debbie and I found a nice little place for two that would make a suitable honeymoon sweet for the time being anyway.    The others chose to take one place each, near each other but separate (I amused myself by imagining that Nate and Christen would enjoy getting away from Kate’s nagging about Pete even for a bit).

All of us, again except for Kate, who took it upon herself to do a solo search of the apartment house, spent the rest of the day trying to set up the apartments to our liking.     Luckily, they came furnished as none of us had any furniture and Rick was able to scrounge some changes of clothes from the rented apartments (he insisted that the others wouldn’t mind, since they took what they could carry in the way of clothes and food when they left), a lot of the clothes were old, out of style, or whatever but at least they were clean.

One of the major things we had to do was cover the windows with cardboard so that those things outside wouldn’t see the lights and be drawn to the apartment.    It was all right in the first three floors because those windows and doors had been boarded up, but the higher floors had been vacant and untouched.

It was while I was working on the windows in our apartment that I really looked outside for the first time since we arrived.     I could tell there were more of those things out there, not a lot more but there were more.   Apparently whether we drew attention to ourselves or not they were still going to show up.

That first night Debbie and I took the opportunity to have the wedding night we were cheated out of before.    At first with those things moaning outside and the images of what I had seen since all this started still in my mind I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to do it, but once I saw my wife there naked in our bed waiting for me to take her in my arms, all of that vanished into nothing.   After hours we finally fell into an exhausted sleep, a sleep that was interrupted sometime the next morning by someone pounding on our door.

It was Nate; he wasn’t so much knocking on the door it seemed to me as trying to pound it down all the while shouting our names and trying to get us to open up.

Once Debbie and I were dressed I ran to the door and opened it up, Nate ran in looking very worried, with hair and clothes all disheveled, the first thing he said was “she is gone, I can’t find her anywhere.”

It wasn’t until we got him sat down at our kitchen table and calmed him down some that he began to make sense.     That is when Nate told us “I had been awake and down in the lobby for awhile, we were all there except you two,” at which point he gave me a glance that seemed to say he knew and understood why we were still asleep “and Kate.     After awhile I started to worry about Kate not being up, she is naturally an early riser, always has been, and she had told me was calling it an early night specifically so she could get up early and try and look for Pete again.     Stubbornness can be a very strong in her at times.     At first I thought maybe she HAD gotten up really early and was looking but then I started to wonder if she overslept so I went to check on her.    I knocked on her door for a while before I finally got worried enough to use the spare key she gave me.”

“When I entered her apartment I didn’t see any sign of her, everything was as I remembered it being when I left the night before, then I went to her bedroom and knocked on that door then at last entered the room and found her bed hadn’t even been slept in.    No one I talked to remembered seeing her since I went to my apartment last night.”    This was a little startling, first Pete now her.    But, then Debbie said “Are you SURE she didn’t just start looking Pete really early this morning?”    “No,” Nate replied “but if she did she would be done by now, the place isn’t THAT big.”

“I will help you look around for her,” I volunteered “I am sure we all will.”   Then I felt my stomach growl “just give us a chance to clean up, maybe grab a bite and get some caffeine in our tanks.”    He seemed a little disappointed that we didn’t jump into action but apparently understood that we were hungry and needed to get awake so he nodded in agreement mumbled “Thank you” and went downstairs with us.

When we got downstairs we found Christen and Rick talking in the lobby, I couldn’t tell about what because as soon as we got in earshot they stopped.    Rick stood up and said “there is coffee on the stove and I kept a couple of plates just for you warm in the oven.”

Debbie and I thanked him and made our way to the kitchen with Rick coming along to show up were everything was and in case we wanted anything else.

Christen and Nate stayed in the lobby and began talking about something, once we were in the kitchen Rick said “I am sure Nate told you the latest.”    “Yeah,” I said he practically broke down our door trying to get us up.”    Rick looked sad “I understand his concern, Christen and I were talking about it when you came in.    We figure she is up there looking for the kid, she seems very attached to him.”   I nodded in agreement “yeah we noticed that too but when we brought up that possibly Nate seemed convinced that if that was the case she would be done by now, can’t say I disagree.”

“Yeah,” Rick seemed to agree “of course as determined as she is and searching alone who knows how careful she is being, or if she is staying away because she doesn’t want to give up.    I didn’t want to say anything when the kid first went missing because I wasn’t sure, but there are places in the upper levels that aren’t entirely safe.   I have them marked but sometimes with kids it doesn’t matter.”   “What kind of places?” I asked sounding more alarmed than I intended “Oh, nothing to worry about” Rick said in a reassuring and soothing tone “just places where the floor is rotting that I haven’t had a chance to fix, places he could have fallen through and broken his neck.    Like I say the odds aren’t great that it happened and I didn’t want to scare anyone, least of all Kate, but at this point we have to think maybe something happened to Pete.”

By this time Debbie and I had gotten our coffee and taken a few drinks then grabbed our plates and went out to the dining room which was far enough away from the lobby to allow us to continue.    “That is likely,” I said, “although I still have SOME hope he just got scared and is hiding, of course unless he FOUND food somewhere he is probably getting hungry.”     Rick sadly agreed.

At length Debbie and I finished up and helped Rick clean up the plates and cups and returned to the lobby where we found Christen and Nate arguing about whether we should search for Kate or just let her come back when she is good and ready, apparently she has been known to go off and pout before returning only when it was out of her system.

After listening to this for a few minutes, I have to say I was starting to take Christen’s side, if all she was doing was pouting because of the loss of Pete or up there looking for him, why should we waste our time looking for her.    In the end however, I found the arguing much more distasteful than the idea of poking around upstairs for a little while so I stood up and said Debbie and I will help look for her.    In the end this seemed to appease both sides, if only a little.     Debbie, Nate and myself along with Rick for moral support would help look for Kate, in the end Christen decided to join as well (he said to help out but I felt he just didn’t want to the lone man out).

As before we split up: Debbie and I took the second floor, Nate and Christen took the second and Rick took the fourth by himself.

Again Debbie and I searched the second floor, which is where we all took our apartments, between that and the occupied ones being locked we had little to search.    However by the time we were halfway through Debbie said, “Why are we doing this?    You heard that Christen guy she has pulled this sort thing before, he is probably right, she went out looking for the kid couldn’t find him and got upset and is off somewhere pouting about it.”    “Yeah,” I said “but what about what Rick said about the danger spots, what if she got into one of those?”   

Debbie seemed to consider this, it was almost as if she couldn’t find it in herself to care “He also said they were clearly marked, if she was dumb enough to go inside and get her fool neck broken then so what.”    A part of me couldn’t believe that, Debbie was usually so compassionate and soft hearted she couldn’t even watch a sad telephone ad without weeping buckets.    But, then again I am not normally and uncaring monster either and I couldn’t find any concern.    It didn’t take much more of that to make us break off our search and head back to the lobby.

When we arrived we found Rick already there and Christen not far behind us, apparently he and Nate had gotten into another fight about searching and Christen had stormed off to leave him to his fool’s errand.

Eventually Nate came back both alone and angry.    As soon as he got to the rest of us lounging in the lobby area he said, with an amount of distaste and venom I had never heard from anyone “I don’t suppose it worth asking if the rest of you even TRIED to find my sister.”

No one bothered to answer; by this time we had all long since given up the pretext of politeness and false concern.    Only Christen said, “I told you she is pouting and she will come back when she is good and ready.”    This seemed to inflame Nate’s anger, I thought for sure he was going to slug Christen but instead he turned and stomped upstairs, soon after we heard a door open and close and we knew he was in his apartment for the night.

Despite not still being able to find any concern for Kate I DID feel a little guilty for not helping Nate out, I could just remember him at our door all crazed and needing help and we all just pretty much blew him off.    I leaned into Debbie’s ear and said “lets go I don’t feel comfortable” she seemed to feel the same so we went up to the apartment.

A few hours later there was a quiet rapping on our door and when I opened it I found Rick standing there with a tray.     “Nobody really felt like coming down to dinner and we kind of skipped lunch so I decided to take it up to you, especially since we can’t go out to eat,” he nodded to the window where we could hear the ever growing moaning from the things below “and there is no food in the unlocked apartments.   We may have to eventually open up the locked ones and get any food they have that hasn’t ruined but for the time being I am well stocked.”    He handed me the try and I said “Thanks, you really should let somebody help you with the cooking or something.”    “Oh no,” he said quickly “I love it, cooking has always been a favorite hobby of mine.”    “How are the others?” I asked feeling uncomfortable being so waited on. “Christen, while not wanting to admit wrong doing feels bad about not helping his friend out.   He says he tried to apologize but so far he hasn’t heard anything back.    When I went to see Nate he refused the food but I talked him into taking something to drink.   He is still mad but we can make it up to him tomorrow, hopefully.”

With that I thanked Rick again and we said our goodnights.    The food was really good, some sort of gourmet stake dish or something with a nice wine.   Debbie and I who were both suddenly really hungry eat like pigs and drank freely from the decanter Rick provided.

Afterward we began feel really tired, the events of the day catching up to us at last and we just fell asleep in each other’s arms in our bed, still wearing our clothes.

The next morning we woke up late, for once on our own and not to someone knocking on our door or some sort of drama with the others.     After several minutes alone to say our good mornings and to clean up a bit we went down to the lobby to see what today was going hold for us.

Once down there we fond Rick sitting and talking with Nate, who seems much calmer than yesterday (thankfully) they seem to be looking over a piece of paper and discussing it’s contents.    Once I get to them I ask, “What’s so interesting?”

Nate looked up, he had deep black circles under his eyes and it is obvious despite his outward peaceful demander that inside it’s was all turmoil and emotion.     “I found this,” he said handing me the paper “stuck to the door of my apartment when I woke up this morning.”

Taking the paper in my hands and with Debbie standing at my left side we read the message on it:

Nate,

I am VERY sorry I didn’t take Kate’s disappearance more seriously.    The three of us have practically grown up together and I should have been more helpful.     In hopes of making it up to you I have gotten up early and I intend myself to search every nook and cranny of this place open to me until I find your sister and bring her back to us all.

With deepest and fullest apologies Christen

As soon as he had seen I had read the note Nate said “that is just like him the ass, he does something wrong and to make it up he goes to the grand gesture set things right.”    I for one didn’t know what to say to something like that, seemed to me he was just trying to patch things up, so Debbie and I signaled to Rick and we all left for the dinning room.

Rick said, “As usual I kept a couple of plates warm in the oven.”    “What’s the deal with Christen?    You think he will find Kate?”    “I don’t know.” Rick replied “I didn’t want to say anything but those three don’t seem totally normal, very over the top, emotional.    At least maybe it will keep Nate quite and keep Christen out of our hair for a few hours.”

I didn’t entirely disagree with Rick’s assessment, I don’t know if those three are ALWAYS like that or it’s just the crap they saw at the movie theater, or while on the run but they seemed very all over the map and emotional a lot of the time.   Truthfully, all I could think about was how hungry I was so I got my plate, some coffee and went to eat with Debbie similarly armed and following behind.

As the day wore on and Christen didn’t return there started to be cracks in Nate’s relaxed façade.   Finally, sometime in the late afternoon Nate stood up and said, “I am going to go looking for Christen, he should be back by now.”

Before anyone could do or say anything else he was off and gone, I was beginning to see more clearly than ever what Rick was saying about them being emotional, yet not a one of us I noticed made a move to follow him, stop him or lend him aid.

Finally, it appears that Debbie got board sitting around the lobby waiting for something to happen and wanted to go up to our apartment, we stood and I excused us with Rick and told him we would be back for dinner, again I offered help him the cooking and he politely but firmly refused.

Debbie and I came down to dinner a few hours later and found Rick all alone in the lobby, apparently there had been no word from Nate, although Rick said he was passing by Nate’s apartment, as it’s on the way from where he and his wife live to the lower floors of the apartment building and that he herd what sounded like Nate and perhaps even Christen talking.    Good news at last, I offered to go up and see if they wanted something to eat but Rick said “it’s alright I already checked, he asked that theirs be brought up if it was OK, all things considered I figured it would probably be for the best so I already tended to them.”

With that the three of us sat down and ate a wonderful dinner, after which Debbie and I retired for the night, it seems once again the events had gotten the better of us and we went to go to sleep right after dinner.

Sometime during the night I sprang up in shock, despite the cardboard over the windows I could tell that it was dawn.     I looked over and I could plainly see why wife was not there.     Before I could panic my mind threw up possibilities like some sort of shield to the coming of hoard of dread and worry.

Maybe she just in the bathroom, I looked over, no light that couldn’t be it.    Maybe she was downstairs, perhaps she was restless and went down to read or something with disturbing me that is possible, and so I threw on my clothes to check it out.

It was the earliest I had ever been up since we got here, the earliest I had been up in years to be honest and my mind was not used to it; I was still groggy and not very alert.    I actually felt like one of those things out there before they find prey and spring into attack.

When I got down to the lobby all I found was Rick sitting alone in the semi dark “hey!” I said, “Have you seen Debbie?   I woke up and she was gone”.    I could only see Rick in silhouette but I could see that he was shaking his head “I couldn’t sleep, so I just came down to get a drink and try to relax.     You want one?”

“I would much rather find my wife,” I said perhaps a little more acidly than I had really wanted to “Well,” Rick said “Have a little drink with me, give her time to turn up and if we don’t hear from her I will help you look for her.”      I didn’t really want to have a drink but I wasn’t really in much shape to refuse or to look for anyone without help “Do you have coffee or something to wake me up?”     Rick laughed and for some reason it made me feel ill at ease.   “I have just the thing,” he said handing me a thermos.

I took the thermos and drank the contents without a second thought, then I began to feel funny: not more awake but sleepier.    The world began to get fuzzy and wobble around me as Rick walked over, into the light I could see blood all over his hands and clothes, he looked like he had just come back from working at a slaughterhouse.

“I thought you would be trouble,” he said simply “I figured I would have to take you and you wife together or pretty close, otherwise you would tear the place apart and find my secret and we couldn’t have that.”    At that point everything went black.

Next thing I knew I was waking up but I couldn’t move.   My arms and legs wouldn’t move and when I tried I could feel the bite of some sort of coarse rope against my skin.    As my head began to clear I started to figure out what was going on.    I had been stripped down to my underwear and I was tied to a chair with some sort of coarse rope.

The room was dark but I could smell the stench of decay in the air.    After a few minutes Rick walked into view and I saw him, as I had before, covered in blood.    As soon as I was able to talk I said “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?   UNTIE ME YOU FREAK!!”

Rick seemed genuinely hurt, or at least his face looked that way he said “What?   I can’t do that I need you Mark” with that I started to struggle and try and get out of the ropes, but as coarse as they were every time I tried and strain against them all I did was make them bite into my flesh.

“That won’t work,” Rick, said tauntingly “I am an expert knot tier.”    Seeing I had no way out YET I decided to see what I could find out about what Rick had planned for me.     “What is going on?” I asked in as even a tone as I could work up given my predicament.

“I need you because I am in quite a little pickle.    You remember I mentioned my pregnant wife?   Sure you do, well there is part of the story I left out,” with that he turned on an overhead light and there was a large crude cage in the corner of the room with a woman, one of those things from outside, sitting in the corner, with a small bundle in it’s arms and a grotesque assortment of human remains in various stages of decay laying all around.

“You see the real reason my wife and I didn’t leave with the others because early on she had a run in with one of those things, a former renter named Miss. Smith.    She bit my wife before we were able to stop her, all seemed fine but over time she started to get sick.   

She died and became one of the those things, luckily I saw it coming and was able to restrain her, but then she gave birth as well and our son was one of them too, she must have passed her infection or whatever through her blood.   

I contemplated ‘putting them out of their misery’ but I couldn’t.   The only woman I ever loved and my only child.   How could I destroy them?   However, while I tried to figure out what do I discovered that the longer they were around with no human flesh to feed them, the louder and more vicious they became.  

There was one tenant who had decided to stay, a little old lady with no family or friends.   She was the first.   But, it wasn’t until after it was done and I disposed of what was left over that I learned something else: the more they eat the more they want.   

Then you and your group came along.    First the boy, I figured who would care, but then Kate made a lot noise about it.    I was secretly feeding you drugs in your food during the day to keep you docile and uncaring and sedatives at night to keep you asleep while I picked the next meal.   

But the drugs to keep you under control didn’t work on those in the worst emotional states and Kate refused to eat or drink anything for so long, Kate had to go, then Nate was worried: I was going to get him next, but then Christen unwittingly placed his own neck on the chop.     But, then Nate got worried and I had to get him, then I had no choice but pick your wife, knowing I would have to take you too soon.   So, here we are.   You get to wait here for your turn.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, I thought of my wife, that poor kid who never had a chance and the rest and I grew angry, I tried again despite the cruel bite of the ropes to get free, I wanted to get my hands on Rick to give him a taste of his own medicine.     Then I saw something, I saw an body lying near the edge of the cage and on one of it’s fingers I recognized my dear wife’s wedding ring, the one I got her, the ring she had always dreamed off.   

My vision became blurred and my eyes felt the sting of tears.    Despite that I still found my gaze drawn to Rick’s wife, she was chewing what I knew was human flesh (despite trying to mentally block it out) then I saw her spit it up into the baby’s mouth so he could eat in a bizarre mime of a mother bird feeding her young.

Rick saw I was watching “yes, fascinating despite the gore isn’t it?   As I figure it your turn in the cage will be coming soon enough.    In the meantime I need to set my trap to catch more food for my wife and child, it is traditionally the man’s job to hunt after all.”    With that he left me alone to think about my situation.

It all seemed pretty hopeless and I was so groggy I was having a hard time focusing, then I spied in the corner of the room a pile of clothes and other effects from Rick’s earlier victims, and my pants on the top of the pile.   I knew that my key chain was in there, after all it had a picture of my wife on it and I wasn’t going to leave that even if the jeep was un-drivable, more to the point it also had a Swiss army knife on the ring as well.

Despite the bites of the rope and the difficulty I started trying to move the chair and myself over to the pile (not an easy task in my still groggy and weakened state), it took awhile but I finally managed to get over, and the pile was high enough for me to reach my pocket without too much maneuvering (which was lucky as the wounds from the rope were getting fairly bad).

Once I had the key chain, I felt around it until I found the Swiss army knife and was able to take the blade I needed out and start cutting the rope.   It was trough work and I cut myself more than once but I was finally able to get my hands free and with that done it was a simple matter to untie myself.

I had barely gotten undone when Rick returned “Well,” he said with a sneer “how nice of you to save the trouble of untying you before I take care of you.”    With that he was on me like a shot, still groggy from whatever he used to knocked me out I put up very little resistance as he grabbed me in a headlock and began to maneuver me into the cage where his wife and child waited.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the thing that used to be Rick’s wife watched us hungrily as if either of us would make a good meal and that is when I figured out what I had to do.    I might not be able to save myself, but I could make sure no one else would be prey for this monster and his wife (well maybe one more).

At that point I stopped putting up what little resistance I was offering and let him drag me to the cage and prepare to put me in.     Once he got the door open and shoved me in, I grabbed his t-shirt with a death grip and pulled him in with me.

I noticed that the cage door was designed to close on it’s own and lock (I would guess to makes sure he didn’t accidentally leave it unlocked) and that is exactly what it did, we were now both locked in and I leaned against the door to keep him away.

He turned on me and I could see fear as well as anger in his eyes “out of my way you idiot!”    I merely shook my head in defiance.    In truth I knew he probably had some trick way to open the door and that I didn’t have the strength to keep him at bay, but I hoped I wouldn’t have to, or if I did it wouldn’t be for long.

My gamble paid off, just as he was about to make a run at me a rotting a dead hand grabbed HIM around the neck and the thing attached to it chomped down on him like a hungry mongrel on a stake.    He let out a yell that seemed to rattle the cage and managed to turn to see his wife’s dead face before she finally tore into him killing him like a savage jungle beast with it’s prey.

The thing ate on Rick until he was fully dead and all I could do was watch in horror and wait for my turn, which mercifully or terribly (depending on how you look at it) was coming soon.

Once Rick was dead the thing lost interest in him and began to eye me with an unending appetite before it could act I saw with dismay that Rick’s body began to twitch and soon it was up as well, now I was trapped in a cage with two of these things now eyeing me ready to pounce, the infant merely laid their waiting it’s mother’s care.    The best I could hope for now is that death would come quickly and with as little pain as possible, maybe the sedative still in my system would help with the pain at least.

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