Rock and a Hard Place 12 The Wall Six

The Wall Six

            Councilman Troy Hudson walked into Head Council Grimes’ office without knocking since the situation was so urgent. He noticed that Judith Grimes sat with her father speaking in low tones when he interrupted.

            “Council Grimes, I have some distressing news to inform you of. It’s rather important.” He tried to be cordial.

            “Can’t it wait, I’m talking with my daughter.” Rick spoke softly.

            “I’m afraid not, there’s another ongoing attack in the south eastern providence; Columbus Square. At this time the NCD have been unable to retake control and has fallen back to containment until reinforcements can arrive.” Troy spoke urgently.

            “I’ll come back tomorrow morning, dad, you have….business.” Judith could barely hide the resentment in her voice. She never liked Councilman Hudson. He’s a little older than she but with a harsh ambition that Judith classified as ladder climber. He’s the kind of person that would sell his soul for fame and fortune.

            Judith stood and kissed her father on the cheek a bit dishearten that no one seems to see him the way she did. He’s been through so much since the start of the infection that the deep lines etched on his face betrayed his real age of only 63. He lost his friends, his wife; a mother Judith never knew.

She left the two to talk and leaned against the closed office door thinking she had to contact Carl and tell him about another attack in the city. It was already past curfew and even being the Head Council’s daughter wouldn’t protect her completely if she’s caught out on the streets. But she had to get to Carl and the Dead Heads right away.

On the other side of the city another citizen was dodging the screeners out past curfew as well. Hank and Marla walked the nearly empty streets of New Charleston in search for Hank’s daughter Jen.

“Where the hell would she go? We don’t know anyone here yet?” Hank said in a harsh whisper.

            “There are plenty of children Jen’s age here alone. They lost their parents or group before arriving which is why we’re checking the group homes in the area. Teens tend to hang around outside them.” Marla explained. “There are two big homes in Columbus Square.”

            Hank was beside himself with worry. For a second he thought facing down hordes of undead outside the Wall would be preferable than losing Jen in this densely populated city of survivors. Why didn’t they just stay in the settlements?

            The pair turned a corner onto a narrow, sparsely lit street in Columbus Square. Unlike the streets they passed where a few people mingled outside, this square was completely empty and still.

            “Wait. This…..this doesn’t seem right.” Marla stopped in her tracks. The city is usually still alive after curfew with sounds of residents inside their homes but it was dead silent. A loud crash sounded in the direction they had come. Behind them a door burst opened and the dead piled out of a two story brownstone.

            “Walkers!” Hank yelled and gripped Marla’s wrist, the two began to run further into the square.

            “Walkers? What the hell are so many walkers doing in the city?” Marla couldn’t believe it. The walker attack days prior was unbelievable but now she counted at least a dozen Zeeks making their way up the street. This is impossible.

            “Come on, we gotta get off the street!” Hank was stunned. He didn’t think after a few days of living in the only human city left on the East coast that he’d be running from a horde or walkers and his daughter would be missing. His heart ached knowing she was alone in a city starting to fill with the dead.

            The pair rounded a corner and was greeted with a horrifying sight. There, in the square’s park was a resting herd of walkers. There were too many to count and many of the wounds were fresh. Fresh bites and scratches which leads one to believe these were the now infected residents of Columbus Square.

            “My God! Where the hell is the NCD?” Marla asked in a panicked whisper.

            “Looks like we’re on our own. Where is that group home?” Hank spoke low; still a few mingling walkers closer to them started to react and soon the whole herd will be down their throats.

            “We can’t keep looking….”Hank cut Marla off with the fire in his eyes.

            “I am going to find my daughter, now where is the home?” Hank spoke a little louder than he intended. Marla knew not to argue and pointed to a four story building on the other side of the park. The pair started off for the home keeping low and quiet.

            Just leaving the inner Wall, Judith exited the transport on the first stop. She would walk the rest of the way taking back alleys through the providences in case she was being followed. She could at least get a look at the damage from the latest sham attack as her route would take her through Columbus Square.

            The inside of the group home was quiet and dark as if the residents either fled or turned. Hank told Marla to stay quiet as he went meticulously from room to room, clearing them. After so many years living on their own, the skill to avoid walkers came second nature. The first floor was free of dangers and Hank moved on to the second while Marla stay in the main living room to sound an alarm should walkers get in from the street. So far, they remained quiet as to not draw any attention.

Marla walked into the big kitchen to see bowls of food still steaming on a set dining table. They were just about to eat when this happened. But why isn’t the NCD here? Why is there no containment and more importantly, why is there no help?

            Hank came down after checking all the floors and he had a small jean jacket in his hand.

            “Jen was wearing this….there’s blood on it.” Hank’s voice cracked. He can’t believe his little girl is gone. She’s strong, a survivor; he wasn’t writing her off yet.

            “I’m sure she made it out. From the little I’ve seen of her I can see she’s stubborn and that’s a good thing.” Marla smiled a little hoping Jen was okay. The sound of glass breaking caught their attention as walkers tried to get in the front door. The back door was there in the kitchen and Marla grabbed the knob to open it when Hank caught her hand.

            “Wait!” There beyond the glass were several gray faces pressed against it. The door began to bow under the stress. “We’re surrounded.”

            “How do we get out?” Marla felt the panic in the pit of her stomach threatening to make her lose her dinner.

            “We go up.” Hank ran to the staircase stopping at the bottom, he motioned for Marla to go ahead of his just as the front door burst open and a flood of walkers streamed through the opening. “Go, go, go!” Hank yelled.

            Not stopping, they ran past the second and third floors to the fourth. The stairs will slow the walkers down as they attempt to navigate them but only for a few moments.

            “Where? Where do we go? My God, we’re trapped here.” Marla held her elbows, she didn’t want to die like this.

            “Here.” Hank reached up and pulled a cord hanging from the ceiling. An attic space above the fourth floor opened up with a ladder sliding down. The moans were getting closer as Marla gripped the steps and hurried up. Hank was right behind her and slammed the ladder closed just was the walkers reached the fourth floor landing.

            The attic was dim and smelled of mildew. They still needed to find a way out of the attic unable to live there indefinitely. Hank heard the sound of shuffling feet from a dark corner.

            “Shit.” He whispered. How could a walker get up here? He had to take care of it and grabbed the nearest blunt object, the base of a lamp with its cord dangling as Hank held it like a bat. He lifted it high above his head.

            “Stop! It’s not a walker.” Marla yelled just as Hank was about to swing. There in the corner was a group of children ranging in age from about 8 to maybe 16, five children in total. “It’s kids.” Marla spoke softly. The children huddled in the corner with scared wide eyes.

            Judith walked the narrow streets of Columbus Square unsure as to where everyone was. The square was quiet and almost empty. This was odd with a district further away from the inner Wall. There should be groups of people at the local bar, a few milling around trading goods and services, but there was no one. She also didn’t see any sign of attack or the NCD. Perhaps Councilman Hudson got the report wrong. Judith continued to walk further into the square her steps echoing in the empty street unaware of the looming horde of undead just beyond the park.

To Continue….

Rock and a Hard Place 12 "The Wall" Three

The Wall Three

            Marla, the handler, called Hank early the next morning to let him know she was caught up at classification. She was sending another liaison to show them to the testing facility and that she will meet them. A young man showed up at the door promptly at 10 o’clock to chaperone them.

            “You okay?” Hank asked as the three boarded the bus. Todd, as he introduced himself, seemed nervous.

            “Yeah. I just don’t come to this part of the city often. I’m still in training to become a liaison actually.” Todd spoke, his voice seemingly about to crack either by the anxiety or puberty or both. Hank smiled to ease him. Jen had not said a word since getting on the bus. When Hank asked her what she had done yesterday she simply responded with nothing.

            At their stop, Todd quickly told them to wait on the steps, that Marla will meet them to take them inside. He barely said goodbye before rushing off. The August day was hot and sticky, it almost seemed as air barely flowed in the crowded streets. Not many cars used the roads, most people were on foot or took the bus. High above them, the elevated train rumbled by and as Hank’s eyes followed he noticed a cemetery across the street.

            A woman in a blue blouse caught his attention and Hank realized that it was Marla. Telling Jen to stay and protect the stair she was sitting on, Hank walked over to the cemetery a little put out that Marla wasn’t here to show them where to go. She was kneeling down next to a plaque with her back to him. Standing over her, Hank read the epitaph out loud to announce his presence.

            “’Glenn Rhee & Maggie Greene, Husband and Wife, We didn’t just Survive, We Lived.’ That’s beautiful, who were they?” Hank asked.

            “Umm, they were…really good people.” Marla was a bit startled and seemed tense. “They fell in love after the world ended. They got married in an abandoned prison and managed to stay together even through the worse of it. I like to come here sometimes and just look at the plaque. It reminds me that life finds away.” Marla spoke softly.

            The engraved words showed the couple died together about two years prior, in Year 23 A. When the world ended, all sense of time passing was inconsequential so survivors simply called that first year, Year One After, as in after the world ended. And so this modest unit of measuring time became standard and today was August 15 Year 25 A.

            Hank and Erica did meet and get together before Year One and remember how life was before things changed. Jen was born March 19 Year 8 A, she wasn’t planned and in fact Hank was worried about how he would handle a newborn among the dead but he soon found that keeping Jen alive was his reason for breathing, his reason for waking up day after day after his wife died. Now she was 17 and more importantly…alive.

            “We should go, classification starts soon.” Marla didn’t hear Hank walk up behind her so absorbed in her thoughts. Marla would come to this gravesite once a week to pay her respects even though she was told not to. For her protection, she was told to stay away from the cemetery but she had cut all ties with the Dead Heads when her parents died. She even changed her name from Greene to Goode. Her parents were so involved with the Dead Heads, they put their cause over their safety and their cause got them killed.

            Marla left the McAdams pair to complete their testing, she felt that Hank would score well given his military and police background. He may even make the cut for the NCD if they looked past his age. There are not a lot older people left in the world and all that wisdom tends to die off with the aging generation.

            Marla sat a little café in the southern quadrant; she was a frequent patron here where you could almost get a glimpse of the Charleston Harbor beyond the inner wall. Marla has crossed behind the inner wall sporadically for work and it is such a major adjustment from where she lived.

            The streets were cleaner, cars were more frequent, the rich and powerful lived well behind that wall. A clean shaven man dressed in a white tee and jeans sat opposite of Marla. She wasn’t afraid, just annoyed that he would make contact now.

            “Hi Marla, you look good.” He said with a smile.

            “What do you want, Pete? I told you, I’m done with this. I just want to be left alone.” She said in low tones; luckily the café was mostly empty today.

            “He wants to see you. We need your help.” Pete sat forward his hands folded on the table.

            “I don’t want to see him, not after what he did in front of Processing. I was right there Pete, I was almost killed by a walker. If it wasn’t for a newbie I’d be dead right now. Tell him that for me, as the leader of the Dead Heads I don’t want anything to do with him.”

            “Why don’t you tell him yourself? He just wants to meet with you because we need help.” Pete pleaded.

            “To hell with this…”

            “Marla,” Pete grabbed her arm as she was getting up to leave. “We didn’t do that, Carl would never put innocent lives on the line like that. The Dead Heads are being set up.”

            “Are you sure?” Marla paused to consider it. Carl had always been passionate about the cause but he was never reckless. Marla knew he was getting desperate but maybe he wasn’t capable of this terrorist act. “Pete, tell Mr. Grimes I’ll meet him in our usual place.” Pete let go of her arm and Marla left her favorite café with apprehension. What did he have to say to her?

            This is a man she grew up with, traveled with, he was a part of her surrogate family of survivors. Carl at least deserved chance to defend himself but she was risking her life even speaking with him. The New Charleston government didn’t know who the leader of the Dead Heads is or what he looks like but he is public enemy number one and surveillance since the walker bomb has picked up significantly.

            Random screenings have increased, an earlier curfew has been put in place for all non-officials, and higher restrictions have been placed at both walls. Marla has to admit, she is interested in what the hell is really going on.

To Continue.

Rock and a Hard Place 12 "The Wall" Two

The Wall  Two

            “Here it is.” Marla exclaimed as Hank and Jen approached a small two story brick duplex. The shutters were falling off and the railings needed a coat of paint but the roof looked sound. They weren’t able to walk to the home, Marla took them on a bus to a neighborhood that was closer to the outer wall.

            “This is all ours?” Hank was waiting for Marla to tell them they would be sharing with another family or something. He was surprised when she confirmed that this home was only theirs. “How do we pay for this?” He asked.

            “With your assignment. But that’s tomorrow.” Marla unlocked the door and handed Hank the keys, he noticed she had a set for herself as well. The house was sparsely furnished but clean. No cockroaches or rats from what he can see.

            “Can’t wait to see my room.” Jen said sarcastically and walked upstairs with all the excitement of a prisoner going to solitary confinement.

            “Teenagers.” Hank half smiled at Marla.

            “Well, you two should rest for the remainder of the day. Explore the city of you like unfortunately you can’t requisition a car yet until you have more credits but the buses and trains are free. Here…” Marla handed Hank a card with her name, address, and phone number.

            “The phones work here?” Hank asked in amazement.

            “Yes they do but only inside the city grid. Just call me if you need anything and I’ll be here tomorrow to show you to classification. Ten o’clock. Also, thanks…for saving me.” Marla smiled, turned and walked away.

            “You’re welcome.” Hank said quietly closing the door. His hand was still on the knob when a knock sounded from the other side. Thinking Marla forgot something Hank opened the door and was surprised to see Chuck Wells.

            “Hank! Nice to see you.” Chuck smiled and let himself in.

            “Charles Wells? What the hell are you doing here?” Hank smiled and hugged the friend he thought was dead. “I thought you were dead. We were told your group of runners were cut off from Union settlement, that there were no survivors.”

            “There was just me. Nice place you got here.” Chuck walked into the living room to the kitchen and opened the fridge which was his habit every time Hank invited him to his home. “Of course no beer. When I first got here that was the first thing I did with my little bit of credits, I went to the bar and had an ice cold beer. One of the benefits of being behind the Wall.” Chuck instead grabbed a bottled water and sat on the couch placing his feet on the crates that served as a coffee table.

            “So how long have you been here? Union settlement was 5 years ago.” Hank asked taking a seat in a chair opposite of Chuck.

            “I wandered around a bit for a year and a half then came here. Mostly for the beer and women.” Chuck laughed.

            “How’d you know I was here?” Hank asked.

            “I go to Processing from time to time to scope out the lists of newbies coming in. Saw yours and Jen’s name so I waited for you. I would have come up to you sooner but you were with your handler. So I just followed you until she kicked rocks.”

            “So…how do you like it?” A loaded question and Hank wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer.

            “It’s….different. Let’s just say, I haven’t had to kill a Zeek in all this time but there are rules, curfews, and jobs. Remember jobs? The one thing I liked about the world going to hell, I didn’t have to work. Now, they give you ‘assignments’ they call it. Just slave labor if you ask me.” Chuck snickered.

            “So what is your assignment?” Hank was interested.

            “Waste disposal.” Chuck growled.

            “Sucks.” Hank had a big grin on his face because Chuck worked for waste disposal before the world changed and he always commented on how he hated his job. Hank had to chuckle which turned into a full blow laugh.

            “What the hell is going on down here?” Jen stomped downstairs and stopped short. “Chuck? Chuck!” She ran and hugged her dad’s friend who was like a second father to her.

            “Jen honey, shit look how tall you are.” Chuck smiled. They may not have been blood relatives but they were family.

            “Where’ve you been, you ass?” Jen asked. Hank told her he got away in Union and has been here. “Dad I’m gonna wander around, see what’s what. Okay? I already got our phone number off the receiver so if I need anything or something….” Jen was speaking fast as she walked to the door.

            “Hold on. Hold on. Marla said there’s a curfew for minors, you need to be in by 10pm; you got it? Jen?” Hank stood.

            “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ll be fine.” Jen slammed the door behind her and was gone. A part of Hank wanted to lock her in her new room until he figured this place out, but he brought her here for a new life so he had to trust that she’ll be safe.

            “Teenagers.” Chuck mirrored Hank’s earlier statement.

            “Chuck, what can you tell me about the Dead Heads?” Hank got serious sitting back down on the chair.

            “Dead Heads? So you must’ve saw their work outside of Processing. Shit, I didn’t think they would take it that far.” Chuck shook his head.

            “Yeah, that’s what Marla said. What’s their deal?”

            “Come on, we need a drink on me.” Chuck exclaimed and they walked down the street to a little corner dive bar. The sun was shining and the streets were full of people coming and going. Patrons sat in the bar and drank beer, there were old flat screen TVs over the bar where they sat.

            “Tommy, one for me and my friend here.” Chuck yelled to the lone bar tender who didn’t look old enough to shave let alone tend bar. They settled on stools as Chuck continued.

            “No one outside of the Dead Heads know for sure, but from their flyers and graffiti they think the New Charleston government is controlling people’s lives.”

            “’There is No Life Behind the Wall’ that’s what the flyer said.” Hank told him.

            “Yeah. Rebels some call them. They find any way to disrupt life here. One time they took out an entire power grid. Scared the hell out of the Stiffs. That was funny.”

            “Stiffs?” Hank asked.

            “The people who’ve been here too long. Anything like the power going out, they start crying like babies. I tell you, they wouldn’t last 5 minutes outside this damn Wall.”

            The bar tender with red hair placed two golden glasses in front of them. “Chuck, keep it down, remember what happened last time?” He walked away. Hank couldn’t wait to take a drink of that beer. Living on the road, you need to keep your wits about you which is why he hasn’t had a single drop of alcohol since the outbreak but there was nothing he loved more than a cold beer after a hard day. When the amber liquid touched his lips, he smiled.

            “Good huh?” Chuck laughed at him. He knows Hank is a good guy and would never jeopardize his daughter by drinking while they were out in the open.

            “What did he mean about last time?” Nothing was going to get past Hank, not in this place.

            “Shit, it was nothing really. Just a bar fight. I don’t like to be censored and some Stiffs don’t like to hear the truth. Hell Stiffs wouldn’t know the truth if it bit them on the ass. I mean, look where we are.” Chuck gestured with his arms held up.

            “Umm, a bar.” Hank stated sarcastically.

            “No I mean look where they put us. The newbies are always near the outer Wall. The poor and unimportant are always the furthest away from the inner wall.”

            “There’s an inner wall?” Hank was stunned. “I didn’t see one.”

            “Processing is not close enough but there is an inner wall, it’s not as big as the outer Wall but it’s there; closing off where the city officials and the rich live. They call it a second line of defense but that’s bullshit. That wall has nothing to do with defense….against Zeeks. Just against us. Once you’re rich and important enough, they may move you up to the big times.” Chuck took a deep gulp of his beer.

            “I don’t want to be rich, I want to be alive. I’m just gonna keep my head down and my daughter safe, that’s all I want.” Hank drank his beer contemplating an inner wall. Why would there be an inner wall except to keep the people apart. Hank would have to learn more about the ways of this city if he planned on raising his daughter here. He knew he was already going to get an earful from her when he tells her about going to school. Jen’s going to have a real shit-fit.

            “Screeners!” Someone yelled from the other side of the bar near the windows. Hank looked out to see two men dressed in white slacks and white button downs with white lab coats coming into the bar. They had a squad of NCD boots behind them. Some of the bar patrons got up calmly and walked out of the bar on the other side. Hank thought, what the hell is going on.

            “Good afternoon gentleman, this is a random screen. If you would all cooperate this will go quickly and smoothly.” Lab coat smiled and proceeded to begin screening. The room was tense as everyone left sit still waiting for their turn. Even Chuck kept his mouth shut and his eyes were vacant.

            The screen finished up without incident. “Thank you for your cooperation.” Lab coat smiled that same smile and the team walked out. There was a collective sigh of relief from the entire bar.

            “What the hell was that? You mean they can screen you whenever they want? Why if we passed the screens at the outer Wall and Processing?” Hank asked.

            “Because that doesn’t guarantee you won’t become infected while behind the wall. Remember if you die, you turn to.” Chuck responded.

            “But no one here is dying.” Hank pointed out.

            “You think so. How do you think those Dead Heads got Zeeks behind the wall?” Chuck lowered his tone to barely a whisper. “They didn’t, it’s impossible to pass the screeners with infected.  Dead Heads created those Zeeks. They found some poor slobs and killed them, let them turn, and the rest is history. I don’t think they will stop. I think they’re just getting started.” Chuck was no longer smiling and Hank was now afraid.

To continue.

Rock and a Hard Place 12 "The Wall" One

Rock and a Hard Place 12 “The Wall”

One

            Twenty-five years have passed since the initial outbreak that caused the deaths of more than two thirds of the world’s population. The survivors were left to fend for themselves in a new world devoid of government and civilization but full of the infected. Those first few years were the hardest and it wasn’t clear if this was mankind’s imminent extinction event but by some miracle, small pockets of humanity managed to endure.

            Many small groups merged into bigger and bigger communities; eventually all left alive from Maine to Florida and just east of the Mississippi river migrated to the remains of Charleston, South Carolina and formed New Charleston, the only human city left on the Eastern US. This city was made possible by New Charleston’s location with two rivers to the east and west and the Charleston harbor to the south. Carving a path through the peninsula city is the most valuable line of defense against the infected and that is The Wall.

            The Wall took almost a decade to construct and is built from solid concrete with retaining walls, support structures, and abutments for strength. It soars at a neck breaking 10 stories tall; some may say 100 feet is overkill but it illustrates the panic and fear people had from walkers.

            “The Wall is here for our protection. If the Wall were to ever come down, New Charleston would soon follow.” The woman on the loud speaker spoke as if she were a tour guide. Inside the raised train car new arrivals to New Charleston were being escorted to Processing.

            “If you look to the top of the Wall, you’ll see the NCD or New Charleston Defense force. These men and women are charged with defending New Charleston against threats from the infected and others. Perhaps some of you will want to join the NCD in the future.” Tour Guide Betty spoke again. Jen McAdams just rolled her eyes and tried to read the tattered comic her dad gave her before entering the train. Hank McAdams sat in the window seat with a feeling of dread. For the past 10 years, Hank has avoided entering the city opting instead to make a life in the last remaining smaller settlements outside the Wall.

            His daughter, Jen, has become increasingly reckless when it comes to fighting off walkers. Hank felt they needed to be a part of a civilization again even if that is behind the great Wall. Life was different behind the Wall even the blonde woman on the loud speaker looked almost foreign to him in a dark blue skirt suit free from blood stains and dirt. Hank heard plenty of stories from other travelers who managed to escape the city.

            Here in New Charleston you trade your freedom for survival. Instead of having to forage for food you have a simple barter system, instead of fighting off walkers you have the NCD for protection, and instead of sleeping in shifts you have the Wall.

            “We’ve been on this train for a while, when are we gonna get there?” Jen asked, her face still buried in the comic.

            “Processing should be the next stop. Remember, this is not the Redgate settlement, you can’t do what you want when you want here. There are rules, regulations…okay?” Hank asked. He looked at Jen, she didn’t look up from the comic. “Jen?”

            “Yeah yeah, I got it. It’s like the prisons you told me about.” Jen spoke still reading the comic. Hank didn’t tell her how close her observation was even though she meant it as a snarky remark.

            “Jen, you never got a chance to live in a city. We’ve always moved from place to place, never settling anywhere. That’s not a life to live forever.” He lean in and took the comic gently from her hand. He wanted to look in her eyes…her mom’s eyes.

            “Our life was fine, I don’t know why you dragged us here.” Flashing green eyes filled with anger before looking away.

            “Jen, I’m not young anymore. If something happens out there and I can’t protect you….I don’t even want to think about it. The point is its safer here…behind the Wall.” Hank was amazed at how quickly he began to parrot what was being drilled into the new arrivals.

            “I’m not a child anymore. You don’t have to protect me; I can protect you…and you’re not that old…dirt is still older than you are. Come on dad, you’re only…what 28?” Jen smiled.

“55 little smart ass.” Hank laughed. Jen loved her dad, without him she wouldn’t be alive. Jen doesn’t remember her mother she died when she was five years old. She turned; her dad had to put her down. He still misses her; Jen could see the sadness and regret in his eyes.

            “Welcome to Processing…” Tour guide interrupted Jen’s thoughts. “This is where you get your housing assignments as well as meet your city liaison. He or she will be your guide for the first few weeks here. I would advise you to listen to what they have to say as they are charged with showing you how New Charleston operates. Your life outside the Wall is completely different from your life within. It’s better behind the Wall.” The tour guide was going on but Jen wasn’t listening.

            She was thinking about what her dad had to say about not being able to protect her. Life in this city is extremely different and Jen didn’t want any part of it but she’ll stay if that’s what her father wants.

            Hank and Jen left the train in the flood of newcomers to New Charleston. The platform was tightly packed and everyone was pushing and shoving to get to Processing. Lines began to form in front of seated screeners. The screeners are officials that have hand held blood tests to make sure infected people don’t enter the city.

A young man stood in front of Hank and held out his forearm to be screened. The sample was taken and a red light began to blink. The screener motioned to someone behind Hank and a squad of NCD force swept in and took the man.

“No! I’m not infected! Please, I was screened at the Wall, I’m fine. This is a mistake! Please, please…” the man pleas faded as he was taken down an alleyway. No one even flinched as the man was hauled away. Maybe he was infected, maybe he was not but Hank was not about to rock the boat on their first day. He made a mental note to stay in line and don’t make waves.

“What the hell was that?” Jen asked shifting her backpack to one shoulder.

“Don’t ask.” Hank spoke in low tones.

“But we were already screened, how’d that guy get infected between then and now…”Jen inquired. Sometimes she was too smart for her own good.

“Just…drop it Jen. Please.”  Hank held out his arm with confidence and breathed a sigh of relief when the light turned green. He watched his daughter pass and they were moving through at a brisk pace away from the screeners.

It took months for the city to be emptied of corpses and walkers leaving it livable for people. There was no money in New Charleston; the world had reverted back to a simple barter system. If someone has what you want then you need to have something they want.

            A packet of papers was shoved into Hank’s arms by a petite brunette he didn’t notice before. She has mouse brown hair and a plain gray pant suit. She was slim but well fed and was looking down at a clipboard while she spoke.

            “Hank McAdams 43 and Jennifer McAdams 17, father daughter. These are your housing assignments and your classification application.” Her voice was light even though she seems rushed.

            “Classification application? I don’t understand...” Hank began to ask.

            “Everyone in New Charleston needs to have a purpose. Tomorrow you will be tested to determine your classification. Depending on your skills you’ll given your assignment.” The brunette still didn’t look up from writing.

            “You must be our handler. And you are…” Hank attempted to be polite.

            “Marla. Marla Goode. And I’m not a handler, I’m your liaison.” She looked up then and Hank noticed a healed wound on her right cheek. Even with the mar Marla had a pleasant face.

            “You done enough staring?” She asked with an attitude.

            “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…it’s just…” Hank tried to explain.

            “Just what? Yeah I know, I’m not pretty enough to classify as a glorified cheerleader and tourist guide like the train stewards but I do okay for myself.” Marla exclaimed. Sounds like she’s been defending herself for a long time.

            “Ms. Goode, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it, honestly.” That seemed to calm her down.

            “I’m sorry too. It’s just…I don’t know. You need to have a thick skin living behind the Wall. Most newcomers aren’t used to living with so many rules and regulations while those who’ve been here a long time don’t see any other way to live. Sometimes that causes conflict.” Marla began to write on her clipboard.

            “So you haven’t been here long?” Hank asked as Marla began to walk. He assumed she was showing them to their housing unit. Jen left the conversation long ago and began to trail behind them. To her right she watched as more newbies filed out of a train. Most were dirty with ripped clothes, like her and her father, but they were in sharp contrast with the people who have been living here.

            They were like Marla, clean and colorful clothes, plump faces, and purpose to their walk. They have not been scavenging for food or fighting off a horde of walkers. Maybe life here was not too bad if it means you know where your next meal is coming from. But these people were soft, outside the Wall they would probably be walker fodder.

            Jen had never seen buildings so high some even soared higher than the Wall. Growing up, her father taught her to stay clear of the cities, the places people use to live in great numbers, because those were filled with the dead. The cities were packed and that made it difficult to escape if needed. But here, the city is alive. Cars and bikes and people walking crowded the streets and sidewalks. There were no dead bodies lying in the ditch or burned out cars on the roadside.

            Jen watched as a dark blue van pulled up and parked. The back doors opened and Jen was stunned motionless.

            “Jen? Come on, Marla is showing us where we’re going to live? Have you been paying attention? Jen?” Hank looked in the direction Jen was staring and there in the middle of a busy street half a dozen walkers poured out of a parked van. There was a second of awkward silence as if no one could believe it before all hell broke loose.

            “Walkers! Jen run!” Hank grabbed his daughter by the shoulder and spurred her into action. People were screaming and running in all directions. Marla was right on Hank’s heels until she screamed. Hank turned to see a walker reaching for her. Instinct took over as Hank spun around and kicked the walker back. As the walker fell Hank reached for his gun in his waist band only to remember it was confiscated at the outer wall. A smiling woman told him he wouldn’t need that gun behind the Wall, that it will be collected and cataloged should he want to retrieve it when he left the city.

            “Fuck!” Hank yelled as he brought his booted heel down on the walkers head. Over and over he smashed until its head was just walker jelly. A group of armed men surrounded the intersection and made quick work of the remaining walkers. Several bystanders were taken into custody because they were bitten. Most likely they would be taken someplace to be killed as was the way in this world.

            “Dad?” Jen looked at him and handed him a small flyer that littered the area. A trail of paper lead from the van to the hands of the survivors. The flyer simply read “There is No Life Behind the Wall.”

            “What the hell is this?” Hank asked a recovering Marla.

            “The Dead Heads? I thought they were driven from the city.” She looked shocked.

            “Who are the Dead Heads?” Hank asked.

            “They want to destroy life behind the Wall. I never thought they would go this far.” Marla looked around at the devastation.

            “Something tells me this may have just started. I thought it was supposed to be safe here.” Hank crushed the ugly flyer in his fist thinking only of the safety of his daughter.

            “Well, that was some welcome.” Jen exclaimed. “Shit.”

To continue.

Rock and a Hard Place 11-Part 2 The Church of the Dead

Rock and a Hard Place 11 –Church of the Dead- Part Two

            It has been a week since Gloria arrived on the island and she never felt more apprehensive. She gleaned as much information as she could from the women population barely seeing any man besides David and his few guards. The residents were not too forth coming but they made her feel uneasy; as if everyone was hiding something.

            “Good morning Gloria.” Clara walked in with a radiant smile. Clara had been shadowing Gloria around with the pretense of “showing her the ropes” but Gloria was no fool. Clara’s sole purpose was to watch her and to scrutinize the information Gloria was getting. “It’s a glorious day. A perfect day for church.” Clara began pulling clothes out of a drawer and laying them on the bed.

            “Church? Is that really necessary?  The world pretty much ended, instead of going to church and praying we should be out doing something productive.” Gloria suggested.

            “This is productive Gloria. Not everyone is as…strong emotionally as you seem to be. Some people need their faith now more than ever. All have lost their families and homes and ways of life; we need our faith to keep us going. So, David has deemed that we all attend church once a week. Here you are, I’ll wait outside.” Clara finished laying out the clothes and closed the door behind her.

            Gloria had to admit that Clara had a point. For someone who has lost everything, what is their reason for living now? Faith that the human race will survive may be all they have. It wouldn’t hurt to give church a chance. Gloria dressed in the khaki pants and white button down that Clara laid out.

            Walking outside, Gloria saw the other residence dressed in similar clothes. Clara took notice of Gloria’s semi-shocked expression.

            “We dress similar as a sign of our unity.” It was little statements like this that would cause warning sirens to go off inside Gloria’s head. Once inside the converted cabin, Gloria sat in a pew with Clara and other happy congregants.

            “My brothers and sisters, welcome.” David took the pulpit and began to speak. He looked like a compassionate politician but Gloria learned that not everything is what it seems here.

            “It has been 10 months since our forming of this community. We started out with nothing, a few scraps. We were scared and disheartened.  But we survived and we thrived and here we are together in a working community. We’ve had to sacrifice much to have what we have. While people are still dying on the mainland, we’re safe and should be grateful for all we have…” David’s speech ran long and Gloria thought it felt forced and disingenuous.

            She took this time to look around the church and saw eyes blinded by faith and obedience. These people were still scared and had to stay in line to live on the island. This was no life for her. Gloria made the decision to leave the island on the next boat. She’d rather take her chances among the dead than be surrounded by these people.

            “Bless you, David. You saved me and my daughter. Bless you.” A woman stood to give her praise. Strange, Gloria thought, they were more focused on David and less on God in this church.

            “Welcome our sister, Gloria, she’s a newcomer but I believe she will fit in perfectly here. Gloria, come up here, please.” David smiled with his hand outstretched. Gloria didn’t want to go near him but as she stood with a nervous smile, all eyes were on her.

            “Go ahead, Gloria. This happens for all newcomers.” Clara assured her. She stood with Gloria and walked her down the aisle. The church was full of claps and cheers as she walked, the mood can only be described as joyous; so why was Gloria’s heart racing?

            “Gloria, why don’t you say a few words.” David spoke with his hand at the small of her back. Just that minor contact unnerved her.

            “There’s not much to say but…my story is the same as everyone’s. I lost my family and people I love. It makes it hard to find something to live for…”Gloria was somber but truthful.

            After the service David took Gloria aside in the church. The people had dispersed and only she, David, Clara, and two men remained. “What did you think of the service?” David asked her. She didn’t want to tell him what she really thought. From what she saw it was a way to blind the people to what may be really going on. People talked about David as if he were God and in a way, he was. With a word from him he could give life as well as take it away. David seated himself as the ultimate power on this island and Gloria wanted nothing to do with it.

            “It was good. Very….inspiring.” Gloria said cautiously and smiled.

            “Now that’s not what you really think, is it Gloria?” David sat next to her so close she feel his body heat. He placed his hand on her thigh, it made her skin crawl.

            “I don’t know what you mean. It was nice….it’s just I never thought to go to church even before the world ended.” Gloria found herself looking for the words that wouldn’t upset him.

            “Gloria, I know what you’ve been asking people. I know what you’ve been doing. You’re trying to find a fault where there is none. This world now is what we make of it; what I make of it.” David spoke calmly and with that smile plastered on his face.

            “What you make of it? I thought this was a group, a team. But to me it looks like everyone is here to serve you. Why?” Gloria couldn’t hold her tongue any longer.

            “I made this place what it is. I saved these people’s lives. Brought them here to live in peace without the constant fear of the walkers ripping them to pieces. Is that what you want? You want to live on the run?” David’s smile never wavered. His piercing brown eyes offered no warmth. It was that vacant look and imitation smile that caused Gloria real fear; in that moment, she wished she was never brought here.

            “David, what you made here is great but…I want to leave. I don’t think I belong here and I want to go off island. I think I may still have surviving members of my group out there. I…I want to find them.” Gloria knew that wasn’t true. Her group was completely destroyed but she’d rather take her chances alone than stay her one more day.

            “It’s such a shame we couldn’t make this work for you. Clara, please gather Gloria’s things, she’ll be leaving on the next transport.” Clara left without question. “I sincerely hope you find what you’re looking for. The next transport is arriving in 15, wait here please.” David stood and left the church. Gloria felt a huge weight off her shoulders. She’s sure that David was just shocked that someone didn’t want to stay here in this pseudo-paradise. But Gloria couldn’t live with her eyes shut, not in this new world.

            Clara returned with her belongings and the men told her it was time to go. The four of them walked out the back of the church along a path and took them away from the camp. The island was really lovely, too bad the company isn’t so nice, Gloria thought. They walked about 10 minutes before reaching a small hill overlooking the dock where a small motor boat sat idling. David was there waiting on the hill.

            “I guess this is goodbye Gloria. Unfortunately, you won’t be taking the boat to the mainland. I’m sorry, but we can’t risk other people knowing about us. This island is…well…invite only. You say you don’t belong here and I think you’re right. You…ask too many questions. You’re strong willed and intelligent, I need people who are subordinate and obedient.” That smile, that same smile.

            “I won’t tell anyone,” the men grabbed each arm and forced Gloria to the top of the hill where David stood. Gloria was shocked to see what lay immediately beyond the hill on the other side. A large trench had been dug in the ground. The trench was deep and wide, it seemed to follow the natural curve of the island. Inside the trench were walkers. Hundreds of walkers clawing upwards looking for a meal.

            “Amazing, isn’t it? This trench is very useful in keeping the unwanted out but also to keep members of my flock in.” The men brought Gloria close to the edge. She looked down in the darkness of the pit and the deafening sound of the combined moans. “I have a few strays. People much like yourself that think a little too much. They may try to leave the island without my permission, I can’t allow that. Some fall in the trench….they get what they deserve. Why would anyone want to leave paradise?”

            “Because this is not paradise. It’s a prison. And I know why you get rid of people like me…because we know it’s a prison.” Gloria’s voice caught in her throat. She knew she was going to die. “You’re an asshole.”

            “No Gloria, in this church, I am God.” David smiled wider and there was a twinkle in his eye. He must only truly be happy when he’s killing someone. David was standing behind her, his breath on her neck. Gloria turned to face him, she wasn’t afraid to face the devil.

            David thought he saw fear in her eyes, so use to looking down on others that he didn’t see the determination instead. There was nothing Gloria could do to save herself but maybe she could make one last difference in the new world. Quickly, Gloria reached up and grabbed David’s collar shirt balling the fabric in her fist. His body guards had no time to react so taken aback with her intentions.

            Bending her knees she pushed herself back into the pit and carried David with her. She focused on his face, his celebrity type face with a strong jawline and handsome features. She watched with satisfaction as that conceited look of triumph quickly turned to terror. David was a coward and he screamed all the way down.

            As the walkers began to rip at her body and face, Gloria didn’t scream. Surprisingly, she felt calm. She was accepting of her fate and relieved that this hard life was finally over. Memories flashed in her mind, her parents dancing, her sister laughing, her first love, her honeymoon in Hawaii; life was good.

Rock and a Hard Place 11-The Church of the Dead

Rock and a Hard Place 11- The Church of the Dead-

            Gloria awoke lying on a cot in a candle lit room. Her eyes felt grainy and strained to remain open, fighting against the dim light. Where was she? Her last memory was of chaos igniting all around her when her group’s camp was overrun by walkers.

            How did they get past the patrols? People ran in all directions as a flood of walkers took the clearing. She could no longer tell the living from the dead and simply ran into the surrounding woods. Did she fall and hit her head? Gloria raised her arm to her head and found it bandaged with a splitting headache exploding behind her eyes as she sat up.

            “Shush dear. You need to lie back down, that’s a nasty injury.” A woman’s voice sounded from beyond the edges of the light.

            “Who’s there? Where…where am I?” Gloria asked.

            “You’re safe.” The voice said.

            “Nobody’s safe anymore.” Gloria began to swing her legs down the side and went to stand up but her knees gave out under her weight and she collapsed back to the cot.

            “Stop. You’re not well enough to stand. Lie back down, please.” The woman came to her side. Her clothes were clean and mended. There was no dirt on her face and she had kind green eyes and auburn hair. “My name is Clara. We found you in the woods on one of our runs. I’m sorry about your camp but the dead have taken it.”

            “Where am I?” Gloria asked

            “This is Eden.” Clara said in an airy voice and stood to retrieve a glass of water. “Here, drink this.” Gloria grabbed the glass as a strong thirst suddenly gripped her.

            “It’s cold.” Gloria said with excitement and gulped down the entire glass. “It’s been so long since I had something cold to drink.”

            “We are fortunate here to have many generators.” Clara busied herself around the room after opening a curtain and letting natural light back in. “Please excuse the darkness, with your head injury I didn’t think you could stand the bright light.”

            “Are you a doctor?” Gloria asked still sitting on the cot.

            “Oh know, but I do consider myself a healer.” Clara began to clean.

            “Clara, you said this place was Eden. What does that mean?”

            “Oh that’s just the name of our little settlement. In the beginning we didn’t have as much as we have now but we are self-sustaining and safe from the dead.” Clara spoke with a twinkle in her eye.

            “How are you safe? No one is safe from them. It’s only a matter of time before they get you.” Gloria thought back to Jennifer, her sister. Even with her military training, she wasn’t able to survive a horde finding their small camp.

            “We are. You cannot see it but we are on a small island and completely surrounded by water and since we have yet to see the dead swim, we have never had an incident here. Sleep now, umm well I don’t even know your name child.”

            “Gloria. My name is Gloria.”

            “Gloria, sleep.” She walked out of the room and Gloria heard the sound of a lock clicking into place. Of course, everyone here is safe so what’s the purpose of a locked door. Sleep however came easily and as soon as she closed her eyes, she thankfully had a dreamless sleep.

            “Good morning Gloria. Time to rise.” Clara was back sliding open the curtains.

            “What’s going on?” She rubbed her eyes.

            “David would like to meet you. He’s the leader of our group and he wants to meet any potentials we bring back.”

            “Potentials? What does that mean?”

            “Gloria, this world is no longer safe. Anyone who wants to live in our settlement needs to be screened as to their potential here. What skills they bring, what vices they may have, we can’t just let anyone in.” Clara said with a smile on her face as if she said it every day. Screening survivors before helping them? What happens to those who don’t make the cut? Gloria thought.

            “How do you know I want to live here?” Gloria cautiously asked.

            “I’ll show you.” Clara took Gloria on a tour of the island. She was right, the island was small and surrounded by water. She wondered what island she was on, she couldn’t see any mainland on the horizon. There were about 30 people populating the village including some children and one German shepherd, children and pets, two things she never though she would see again.

            They passed by an older woman moving a basket of fruits. She had splashes of gray in her once black hair and small lines were just beginning to form around her lips.

            “Nicole, please meet Gloria, she just arrived last night.” Clara introduced them.

            “Gloria, welcome. Are you on your way to see David?” Gloria wondered how this was common knowledge.

            “Yes, I guess so.” Gloria answered.

            “Such a nice young man, he saved my life. He saved all of our lives, we owe him so much. I only hope I can be useful to him.” That seemed like an odd statement to Gloria but she let it go as they continued on.

            It was tranquil here. They went about their chores, some were mending the small houses others were tending a garden and so on. No one looked haggard or weary from running and fighting to live. Oddly enough, Gloria saw mostly women and girls in town. Probably the men were in charge of weapons and protection while the woman did the laundry and cooked; sexism in the apocalypse.

            “We have a garden that yields fruits and vegetables, there is a small hospital with our own doctor; she bandaged your head. This island was used as a small resort back when the world was different so it has a fresh water supply with an underground pipeline that’s fed from the mainland. We have raised a few goats for milk, wool, and meat. We have been fortunate in finding this place.” As Clara spoke, Gloria found it hard to believe that this place could even exist but it’s what most people in her decimated camp dreamed about.

            An isolated land with natural protective barriers and fresh water? Almost too good to be true and there always has to be a catch. Gloria looked around at the scenic beauty of the island and wondered if she really died in that walker invasion.

            “How many people live here?” Gloria felt the need to ask.

            “I’ll let David answer the rest of your questions.”  Clara didn’t divulge any more information.

            David the leader, lived in hut on stilts at one end of the island. It was moderately sized and there was even a pool on the deck. This must have been the main resort housing that David happily took for himself.

            The main lodge was richly appointed with expensive looking rugs on bamboo floors, fine paintings decorating the walls and inviting sofas with colorful pillows graced the sides of a free standing fireplace. From the looks of this home, you wouldn’t think the end of the world happened at all, in fact it looked like this room was ready for a photo shoot in Homes magazine.

            “You must be Gloria, welcome to our home. Please, come sit down.” David sat on the main couch, he had coffee colored eyes and dirty blonde hair that was styled in a way that male models would envy. His clothes were free of stains, rips, and blood which is the uniform of the day currently. Gloria was grateful for her change of clothes as she would feel completely underdressed but a thought struck her, why was she worried about how she was dressed at all. Seems like an inconsequential concern now.

            “Have you toured our island?” He asked.

            “Yes, it’s amazing. And you’re able to survive here without any problems?” Gloria asked.

            “No, not survive, live. We live here without any problems. We grow our own food, have our own water supply, we have the protection of water on all sizes but we’re close enough to the mainland to make runs if we need to. We maintain a form of government with our laws and regulations to keep order and everyone has a job to do. It keeps everyone busy and our little world functioning.”

            “Laws? What kind of laws?” Gloria was intrigued.

            “You know, the kind that protect us all. Things like not going out after a certain time, no going to the mainland on your own without permission...”

            “Permission? And what about my weapons, they were taken…”

            “Yes, another regulation is no weapons on civilians, only those charged with guarding the island. It helps to prevent unnecessary violence.” David said all this with a smile but he was tense as if he’s not used to being questioned so much. Gloria felt uneasy and was starting to feel trapped.

            “Personally, I think to go without a weapon can do more harm than good in this new world.”

            “This world is what we make of it. If we want a world full of violence and death, that’s what we make for ourselves. Personally, I want a world of life and peace.”

            “But my weapons are …”Gloria stood up.

            “You are safe here, Gloria. You have no need for your weapons unless you are on guard detail which we have plenty of at the moment.” David stood up also and faced her. He stood a full foot over her.

            “I’m sure you’ll want to do all you can to become a part of this community. Going against the rules is a sure way of finding yourself back on the mainland, fending off walkers alone. You don’t want that life, do you?” He was still smiling, Gloria wanted to wipe that smug look off his face but the thought of being alone surrounded by walkers was terrifying enough to hold her tongue.

            “I’m sure we can find a place for you here but you have to want to be here Gloria and follow those rules. Can you do that?” Gloria said nothing instead following Clara back out of the house. When something is too good to be true, it usually is. Gloria thought.

            To be Continued….