Pt Four-Ten

10

His eyes opened wide and he felt the breath come back into his lungs. David put his hand down to his abdomen and felt where the knife wound had been before he had left the world and now there was nothing there. He reached out above his hand and felt the handle of the MP5 on the tips of his fingers. Aaron must have kicked it away after he had stabbed him. David got to his feet, bent down and grabbed the MP5 and walked away from the door. He didn’t even hesitate at walking away listening to the words that the Savior had told him not to go after Aaron just yet and he would listen. Marcus needed his help and he had to find him.

He broke into a sprint as he left the train yard and followed the tracks out for several minutes and then he quickly turned a sharp left feeling something pulling him that direction. After running for several more minutes he could make out a tree in the distance and it looked like there were quite a few zombies gathered around it and David hoped that he wasn’t too late. He caught a glimpse of a figure in the tree and he could tell that it was Marcus and he breathed a sigh of relief as he drew closer to the crowd. He brought the MP5 up using both hands aim it towards his targets, he decided to remove the silencer because he would lose range with it equipped on the gun and he wanted as much as he could get right now.

He aimed at the back row at three zombies that were straggling at the back. He took a deep breath and pulled the trigger once. He could feel the three bursts came out of the gun at the one squeeze. He preferred the three round burst to the automatic setting he got more accuracy out of it. The first zombies head exploded in a cloud of gore and brain matter and before the second could turn around David had him in the sights and pulled the trigger and it’s head also exploded as the bullets found their mark. Half of the group under the tree began to turn towards the new intruder and began to walk towards him. Gunfire came from the tree as Marcus began to open up on the rest around the trunk and two then three more bodies fell to the ground.

David put the MP5 by itself in his left hand, the same hand that used to hold the shotgun but he now preferred this lighter weapon to the bulkier model of the twelve gauge and then removed the machete from under his cloak and prepared for the swarm to reach him. He felt confident as the first zombie got to him as he sliced across it’s midsection and then pointed the MP5 at the zombie next to it point blank at it’s head. It exploded like a melon, the gore spraying into the air splattering onto the ground and on several more of the zombies around. The first zombie’s top half was on the ground still reaching for David’s legs he drove the machete down into the top of its skull planted a foot on it and pulled it out. Two more came at him as he ducked down, slicing the closest one at the knees slicking through both of them as the zombie fell wiggling its stubs as it did, David finished it off with the MP5 and the stubs were still. The second one he planted the machete deep into it’s gut and then ripped upwards all the way to its neck, it’s insides began to seep out and were dragging across the ground as it continued to walk David sliced across, decapitating it in the process, sending it’s head into the group. Some of the zombies stopped and began to feast on their fallen comrades innards instead of coming at David. He chose to finish them as they feasted taking them out one at a time as they were eating. The group by the tree was beginning to thin out and before David knew it he had killed the last zombie and there were no other ones around. The last one at the base of the tree fell dead and a few moments later Marcus dropped to the ground and looked up at David with relief in his eyes.

“I thought you were dead,” Marcus said coming over to embrace his friend, “It’s good to see you alive and kicking.”

“It’s good to be alive Marcus. God chose to save me so I could continue on with the work that we are meant to do. I know what the next move is and we have to find a way to stop it and it is not going to happen by taking on this guy head on. We have to rejoin the others and take a breather and then find a way to get across the ocean.”

“What?” Marcus asked as they began to walk towards the east, “How are we going to do that boss.”

“First off,” David began, “Don’t call me boss anymore I have been given a name and I have chosen to use it. My name is David and it is good to have an identity to be known by. Second, I don’t know how we are going to do it but with the Lord’s help,” David paused for just a moment as the two men walked into the setting sun, “Anything is possible.”

EPILOUGE

Three Months Later.

West Bank, Israel

Mikail felt the grief in his body. Tragedy had just struck his family and he was trying to find a way to escape from the moment and find some time to spend. For years him and his people had been trying to get back the land that rightfully belonged to them from the Jewish pigs that resided on the opposite side of the bank. They had reclaimed this side in an agreement that he been dressed up as a peace proposition but there would never be peace. The Israel people deserved to die, every single one of them and Mikail’s people would make sure that would happen.

Mikail had been sleeping soundly dreaming of a time in the future when he would be a great leader. He saw himself in front of thousands of people speaking words of hope and leading them against the enemy and then a great crash had brought him back to reality. He woke from his bed thinking it was just a dream and then he opened the door of his bedroom and walked right into a nightmare. There was blood everywhere, various different body parts and organs littered the room and the light from outside was coming into the building.

“Momma! Papa!” The boy had yelled out in his native Arabic but had gotten no response. He called out for his brothers also and their was no response from either of them. He cried in rage as he realized the impact of what had just happened his family was littered all over the apartment in various pieces and even if he tried he could not put them back together. Israel had launched one of its rockets against them and it had just killed his entire family. He ran out into the night tears pouring from his eyes as he did so. He ran to edge of town and into the desert that bordered it and now here he sat anger filling every part of his being.

He would make them pay for what they did to them. He didn’t know how yet but he would do it and he would be known as the one who ended them and their god would remain silent and be unable to help them. Come, a voice suddenly called from his head.

“Who’s there?” Mikail asked jumping to his feet looking around for the source of the voice. There was nothing for several moments and then again, Come.

Mikail walked forward towards the direction that he thought the voice was coming from when he felt his feet hit something in the sand. What is this, he thought to himself. He bent down and picked it up and lifted it into the moonlight where he could examine it more closely. It was a silver canister, circular in shape and it was very light. What was it? Mikail wondered to himself. Maybe it was an weapon of the Jew’s that didn’t go off or that flew over the shacks and landed in the desert. Whatever it was he felt drawn to it and as he turned back towards the town holding the canister in his hands he felt a little of his rage subside. If only he would have walked a little further over the next sand dune he would have found a crashed C-130 the cargo that it was carrying was meant to change the very way the world was going to be from that day forward.

To Be Continued….

Pt Four-Nine

9

The group of other survivors got to the caves by nightfall the same day that they had parted ways with Marcus and the traveler. While there was still light out Emily had the group get most of the stuff into the caves as well as make some makeshift torches so that they would have a lighted living space. They set up watches for the night and ended up resting peacefully through the night.

The next day they set up groups to go out and look for some more supplies to add to the stuff that they already had. Also the training that the traveler had wanted started began as well. It was a lot of work for Luke and Emily and they pretty much were up the next two days ensuring that everything got done the right way. It was nearing the end of the third day when Emily had just finished up some sessions with a group of the campers when a feeling a anxiety suddenly came over her.

Luke was standing close to her at that moment and could tell that something had come up and that it was causing a change in her emotions so he confronted her about it after the rest of the group left.

“What’s wrong Emily?” He asked, “You don’t look so good.”

“I don’t know I just had this feeling come over me all of a sudden. I think that we should pray right now the guys might need our help.”

They both bowed their heads and began to pray earnestly for their two companions that were miles away in the opposite direction from where they were. Little did they know that the prayers were greatly needed and that a war was starting that would change the world.

********

Blood was coming out onto the ground. Dave looked up into the eyes of the man that he used to call his best friend. He couldn’t believe that this was happening right now, this wasn’t suppose to happen. He wasn’t suppose to die here on the ground like a pig he was meant for something bigger. These thoughts among many others were going through his head as he felt his life draining between his fingertips.

“Surprised to see me are we?” Aaron asked with an evil grin. “I thought that by leaving that door open you would all be zombie chow. But of course the chances that someone would escape were slim but not impossible. Oh well I just finished the job.”

Aaron walked over and pressed one of his feet on Dave’s hand that was holding the wound and Dave began to scream in agony as the pain filled his body. I felt like billions of tiny needles being stuck into his body. He hoped Marcus had left and wasn’t going to try anything stupid that was the last thing they needed was both of them to be massacred needlessly.

“Don’t worry about your friend over there,” Aaron said dashing Dave’s hopes instantly, “My undead friends will be taking care of him before he can reach your friends, I have a group of them ready to jump him at any moment. There is no where to go and all this time you have wasted. This is what you get for taking her from me.”

“What happened to you?”

“Well since you asked so nicely I will tell you. That night we found the guy on the road I was contaminated by the blood that got in my mouth. It doesn’t work as fast as a direct bite but it still does the job. Once I left the clinic I felt something start to come over me I fell into an alley and began to vomit and could feel myself changing. That’s when I was saved and chosen to lead this world into a new era.”

“Chosen?” Dave asked barely audible, “What are you talking about.”

“Legion.”

That name instantly made Dave think back to the shack with the girl and the monster tearing itself from her flesh. Legion had been the source of this all along? Even back at the church they were responsible for Rick, Jake and Kailee being killed. They were behind this all along and he had used his best friend for the deed and now here he was staring into the eyes of a man that had given himself to evil and was the exact opposite of what he stood for. And here Dave was with nowhere to go dying on the concrete, they had won and there was nothing that he could do about it.

“After I left the church,” Aaron continued, “I walked and ran into a woman who picked me up. Her name was Tabitha I believe you met her the other day which is why I am making you die slowly in return for taking her from me. Her and I came out East led here by Legion after a week straight of traveling we found our way here. Do you know where you are right now my friend?”

Aaron looked down at Dave and waited for him to answer when he didn’t get one he continued anyway. Dave was about to die but Aaron still wanted him to know what was going to happen.

“This is where the sickness started. Three years ago a scientist created a chemical weapon codenamed Agent 666 right here in this very factory. I found his notes, read them and studied them extensively finding his secrets and everything he believed in and I have continued his work. And now I have made plans for it to spread in order that the world may be forever changed. I actually just got off the line with someone overseas, it took forever to reach someone over there they think we are all dead but finally we got through.”

Dave couldn’t believe his ears. He was trying to spread it? He was crazy.

“Why….would…you….do that?” Dave asked in between gasps for air.

“Oh I don’t want it to spread all the way. I only want it to go to one place can you guess where that is?” Aaron asked with a smirk.

“Not….a…..clue.”

“Israel. The so called chosen land shall be the target for the next outbreak. It will start there and when it seems like all is lost I shall appear with a solution to their problem. Not an antidote of course because there is not one but a way to control the creatures and keep the sickness at bay that I do have. And all I will ask for is their loyalty to me and I will save them.”

“You always…..were so…..full of…yourself.”

An intense pain filled Dave’s body as Aaron reached out and kicked him with all his might in his ribs. Dave could feel them crack at the impact and almost passed out from the pain. Aaron was on his knees staring him in the face.

“I am meant for bigger and better things,” Aaron said, “And you my friend are meant to rot out here and be food for some zombie that happens to come across your corpse.”

Aaron stood up and turned towards the door and as he got to it he turned around with hate in his eyes and anger in his voice.

“Where’s your god now?”

********

Marcus wanted to run to him as soon as he saw him fall but he felt something invisible tugging at his heart urging him to turn and run as fast as he could in the opposite direction and before he knew it he was doing just that. Tears were coming down his eyes as he began to run as fast as he could. He couldn’t believe that the traveler was lost that the one that had come to them led by the wind had fallen so easily. They had failed and now there was no hope.

There is always hope, a voice said inside his head lifting his spirit instantly. He knew it wasn’t his voice or his thoughts so it had to be from on high, urging him forward. He continued to run and out of the corner of his eye he saw something. A group of zombies to the left of him not small by any means but they were out of range of him, but as he brought his head forward he saw something that made him stop suddenly. There were about ten zombies in front of him as well, arms outstretched reaching for him.

Marcus lifted the MP5 and unloaded bursts into the group that was coming towards him. The two lead zombies dropped as the bullets entered their skulls and the back of their heads exploded in a cloud of red and pink as the hollow points did their job. But the crowd continued forward and Marcus had to go to the right to avoid the ones coming from the front and the left firing behind him as he ran. I’m going to make it, he thought to himself as he broke away from the herds when he saw the third group coming from the direction he was going. His hopes immediately dropped, he had no where to run he was boxed in.

“Jesus,” he prayed as he lifted the MP5 and unloaded some more into the crowd, “Help me get out of here.”

Marcus turned and scanned the area looking for someway out of the predicament that he had gotten into when he spotted something. One lone tree stood directly behind him and was directly in the middle of where the zombie herds where going. He immediately ran to the tree and began to climb it as high as he could get. All three groups converged at the tree and gathered at the bottom and looked up at him moaning in hunger. He unloaded some more shots into the crowd, three more zombies fell chunks of brain splattering on the ground as they fell. But the tree was still surrounded and Marcus had no way to get down. As he sat at the top of the tree and looked down he wondered how long he could last before they all decided to push the tree down.

********

There was blackness. No light for what seemed like merely seconds and then there was a small dot of white light. It got bigger and bigger and suddenly it was overwhelming and his eyes opened. He could hear birds chirping and could hear singing in the distant. Also he could hear the sound of water rushing by close to his ear and he realized he was laying on the grass and it was damp beneath him. He sat up slowly and put his hand to his stomach feeling for the dampness that he had remembered being there before and it was gone. He was wearing what looked to be a white robe and he was wearing no shoes and could feel the damp grass under his heels.

He had remembered something happening. He had been at a door it seemed like a dream and then it had opened and there had been a face and pain in his stomach as something sharp had pierced him.

“Hello,” a voice said from behind him. He turned around and there was a boy but he was not alone. There were three people with him, people that looked familiar but he couldn’t remember where he knew them from.

“Where am I?” The man said as he looked around. “I have never been in such a place as this. There is peace and love in the air and I feel like I could fly.”

“You could if you wanted.” The boy said smiling as he motioned to the air. “You are on the other side do you remember what happened?”

The man thought for a second and after a moment realized the truth. He had been alive on the earth and had been walking for a long time. He had lost some friends that he had not known very long but they were family to him. He remembered the group he had found after walking so long thinking he was going to be alone forever and then he remember coming to the door and then…Aaron. For a second he thought he could feel the knife going back into his stomach but then realized he was only imagining things.

“I’m dead aren’t I?”

“Yes Dave you are.” The boy answered and motioned to the people. Two men and a woman, “We came to greet you.”

Suddenly it hit him like a freight train hitting a car at full speed. He knew who these people were.

“Rick? Jake? Kailee?” Dave asked.

The three people started to laugh instantly and ran to him with a huge embrace. The four began to laugh and cry as they embraced. It had been so long and they had been waiting for him. After several minutes they calmed and turned to face the boy. Dave fell suddenly to his knees realizing he was standing before his creator crawled to him and wrapped himself around him and then suddenly it was no longer a boy in front of him but a man. He looked to be in his early thirties and he as Dave looked up at the hands that were on his head he could see two identical scars in each one and as he looked down at his feet he could see matching ones on them as well.

“Welcome my son,” Jesus said as he lifted Dave up. “You have entered your new life but I have a difficult choice for you to make.”

Dave was silent as he faced his Savior wondering what choice he could possibly make. He could stay here forever with his Lord and with his friends as far as he was concerned it got no better then that. He didn’t speak as Jesus continued.

“You have two options that are rarely offered to a person. One, you can stay here now with me and with your friends and spend eternity worshipping and fellowshipping with everyone up here.”

“I would love that,” Dave said, “I would love that more then anything.”

“We all would,” Rick said, “But hear him out Dave it’s important.”

“Yeah don’t rush to conclusions,” Jake said with a grin, “You were always good at that.”

The group laughed at the joke and then they all grew quiet realizing that Jesus was not done yet and had more to say.

“Or two, you can return to earth to your body fully restored and make an impact on the world unlike anyone else. You can save people who couldn’t be saved and you can reach people that couldn’t be reached. The outcome of the world will be the same regardless of what you do but you can be the one to make a difference if you want to. You have the information that might make the difference, you know the enemies plan you can choose to stay here with us and keep it, or go back and put something into action to counteract it. The choice is yours.”

Dave stood there completely motionless unable to speak. He wanted to stay here with all his heart and soul and spend every moment with Jesus and his friends. But a part of him was being pulled back to the earth. To Emily, Marcus and Luke his new friends that needed him just as much. And Jesus was right he knew what Aarons move was and all he had to do was find a way to get over there and stop it or at least fight it and be a voice for what was right. A witness for truth. Dave looked at his friends who all had tears in their eyes it was like they all knew what he was going to say and he felt like it was what they all wanted him to do.

“I’ll go back,” Dave broke the silence, “It’s the right thing to do. I can’t spend eternity having this on my conscience thinking I made the wrong decision. I want to help people and bring more people to the kingdom.”

Jesus looked at Dave with a smile on his face as tears began to come from his eyes. He walked over and kissed him on both cheeks and embraced him.

“Very well.” Jesus said, “You will be known as David from this day forward. Just like the king of old you will be a warrior who carries my presence wherever you walk. I shall be with you for the rest of the days of your life. Now go. You must hurry, do not go after Aaron when you return the time has not yet come for that. You must help Marcus he needs you and then you have to return to the others. Rest for a month, gather your strength and then head north. You will find what you are looking for.”

The friends embraced one final time and Jesus once again hugged David and blessed him as he laid back down and closed his eyes.

“Sleep my son,” Jesus spoke over him, “Sleep and remember that I am always with you for the rest of your days.”

********

Aaron couldn’t believe his eyes as he watched the screen in front of him. Dave had been dead. He had stopped breathing and here he was standing straight up after ten minutes of being completely still. There was foul play being done right now and Aaron did not like it. Just let him come in, Aaron thought to himself with a smile, I will just kill him again. But he didn’t even come towards the door he immediately faced the other direction and began to run towards the exit and to the direction of his friend.

“Well it looks like we still have a problem Ray,” Aaron said as he looked to his tech, “But that’s alright he can’t get across the ocean even if he wanted to. So how’s it looking.”

“The Russians have given us clearance to fly over their airspace as long as you deliver on your end of the deal.”

“Oh I will,” Aaron said with a smile, “But they won’t realize my true plan until its too late. Then my friend,”

He looked once again at the monitor that had showed his nemesis merely moments before.

“The world will be ours.”

Pt Four-Eight

8

Three Years Earlier….

He hated them. All of them. The last few days that he had been stuck here with all of them had been the worst days of his life. Ever since his transformation, Aaron had been looking at his life from a new perspective. Over the last couple of days he had been meditating and channeling his new found power, the voices were his new strength. The voices are what was going to keep him alive. There was no room for weakness and these people were full of weakness. They had found a god that could serve as a crutch in this time of darkness and all it was good for was an excuse to be weak. He was better then they were and he had no time for this foolishness any longer.

Aaron got up from his spot on the floor that had been his home for the last three days. Everyone was asleep, even the old sheriff was snoring soundly in his corner no one would notice him leave. He walked across the room, he could sense his friends from the shadows their glowing red eyes watching as he moved. As he got to the place where Kailee laid on the floor he stopped and looked down. Dave laid a few feet from her sound asleep not knowing that at any moment the girl that he had chosen to love could be dead. Aaron smiled at the thought of slicing her throat and watching as her blood left her body. He could do it easily but there was also a chance that if he did one of them would wake up and then that would be the end of him and he would have no future.

Aaron had a future, there was big plans on his life. The voices had told him as such he was going to do great things in the world. He was going to change it and in order to do that he had to leave. He looked down once again at the girl sleeping soundly at his feet. Enjoy your sleep whore, Aaron thought to himself, soon you will be sleeping for good. He walked over to Dave and stood over the person who had once been his best friend. I have no need for you anymore, Aaron thought, You are just a weight to tie me down. He continued to walk and got to the door, paused, and grabbed a flower pot that was sitting at the right hand side. He opened the door all the way, as far as it would go and placed the flower pot at the end so it would stay open. By morning they would be zombie chow and Aaron would be on his way East to a new life and a better future.

********

Rick woke suddenly to the sound of a girl screaming. At first he thought he was dreaming but when he opened his eyes and saw Kailee being mauled by a zombie he quickly snapped out of it. Dave was up to his feet with the machete in a flash and quickly slashed out and decapitated the zombie but not before it had taken a chunk from Kailee’s neck. Blood sprayed from the open wound as she fell to the ground putting her hand over it trying to stop the bleeding but it continued to seep through he fingers. Jake emerged from the kitchen with a his bat in hand.

There were about ten zombies in total in the room. Some of them had come in and had walked past the group and were at the far end of the church.

“What the hell happened?” Rick asked. “How did they get in?”

Jake looked over and saw that the door was wide open and it looked as if it had been left that way purposefully. He scanned the room and realized that they were short one person, Aaron was missing. He knew there was something fishy about that kid he had noticed him getting stranger and stranger since that first day. He was about to tell his findings when out of the corner of his eye he looked and saw something behind Rick.

“Rick watch out!” Jake yelled out rushing towards him but it was too late. Rick was in mid spin around when the zombie got him biting down on his shoulder. Rick yelled out and spun around pistol in hand and pulled the trigger sending zombie brains splattering all over the wall. He grabbed his shoulder and felt nothing but wetness and realized it had been a big chunk he felt his strength leaving as he looked over he realized that Kailee was motionless and pale white as he fell to the floor. He saw Jake coming towards him and then everything went black.

*******

More zombies were coming in the door as Dave looked over and saw Kailee motionless he froze. His body went into a kind of shocked state as he saw Rick fall to the ground and Jake running to him everything went quiet. He didn’t even realize that Jake was yelling at him for several seconds.

“Dave look out!” He was screaming.

Dave ducked just as a zombie was reaching for him. He sliced out with the machete and sliced off the zombies arm at the elbow with an upward arc and then came across decapitating it in a swift fluid motion. The headless corpse fell to the floor as blood squirted from its neck and more zombies came from behind him.

“Dave you need to get out of here,” Jake yelled as he slugged a zombie in the head with his bat and then swung around at another one at the knee knocking it off its feet. “Here take this.” Jake quickly removed his backpack from around shoulders and threw it over to him he barely caught it as he moved away from another zombies grasp. They were closing in.

“What about you?” Dave asked, “What about everyone else?”

“I will do what I can but we cannot let all these things get all of us. Someone has to survive. Get out of here go now!”

Dave didn’t want to leave. A part of him wanted to stay until the very end going out in a blaze of glory but there was a small part of him almost a barely audible voice that was telling him to go. That he was meant to go on beyond today to a better purpose then this. He looked over at his new found friend and smiled as he turned to maneuver past the zombies and out the door into the wilderness. As Jake watched him go he stood in a stance as the hordes of zombies got closer and closer to him.

“Jesus,” Jake whispered as he reached back to swing, “See you soon.”

********

Rick slowly opened his eyes. He should be dead right now but something was causing him to come back. He could feel the poison of the zombie bite coursing through his system it was changing him to one of them. One of the monsters that he did not want to be. He looked up and could see Jake surrounded by zombies swinging out, he could see the one zombie to his side get past his defense’s and tear into his side exposing his ribcage. He could hear Jake screaming as the group got to him and began to tear him apart. He looked over and saw Kailee lying on the floor completely motionless any moment now she would rise from the ground to join the ranks of the undead and then something happened.

Everything seemed to stop. The feeding frenzy that was going on a couple feet from where he lay grew quiet. There was no sound or movement coming from the group and then Rick looked up and there was a small boy standing in front of him looking down at Rick with a huge smile on his face.

“Hello Rick,” the boy said with joy in his voice, “I have been waiting for you.”

Rick had no idea what was going on. He had no idea who this boy was or any idea where he had come from. But something about him felt familiar as if he was being reunited with a long lost friend.

“Well sorry to keep you waiting,” Rick said sarcastically. “But it would seem as if you are a little late. I am not going to be around for very much longer.” He gestured over to the group feasting on Jake, “I’ll be joining them here shortly.”

The boy knelt down and put a hand on Ricks head. Rick felt a coolness enter his body at the boys touch and suddenly a wave of emotion came over him and he began to weep. Images were in his head, images of him as a boy in church, looking for something meaningful chasing something that always seemed to be in reach but it was always hidden. Images of him and Megan together at home loving each other and talking about religion. Images of the final day of her walking out and him at the accident. He continued to weep.

“It’s alright,” the boy said wiping his tears away, “I have been here always. Watching out for you.”

“Why,” Rick began choking down his sobs, “Why did you take my wife from me?”

“Oh my son. I didn’t take her from you. It was her time to join the father just as it is your time now.”

“But. I have not had a good life. I have said bad things about you, drowned my sorrows with alcohol and used distasteful language how could you love someone like me?”

The boy looked at Rick, still with a smile on his face as a tears began to form at the corners of his eyes.

“I love all my children. That’s why I came a long time ago and died for all of you. I sacrificed myself so that you all could live and have eternal life. I love all of you equally so much that I give you the choice I don’t force you. My grace is sufficient and my love is everlasting. All I ask in return is that you believe in me.”

The boy stood to his feet and outstretched his hand to Rick.

“Do you believe Rick Sheldon? Do you believe that I am the only way to salvation?”

Rick looked up at the hand that the boy was offering. His whole life he had been missing something. He had always felt like he was half full, that he was not getting the most of out his life. Megan had always tried to explain to him that Jesus was the only thing that could fill the hole that he was in his soul. But even though he knew that she was right deep down he shut her out and chose instead to go on his own power. How stupid he had been, if only he would have listened to her she would still be alive but now here Jesus was with his hand outstretched with Rick on the brink of death after everything he had done, still offering him a chance. The tears began to pour down as Rick stretched out his hand to place it in his.

“Yes.” Rick said, “Yes I believe that you are my savior. You came and died for me so that I could be free from sin and death. And even though most of my life has been wasted that even now as I lay here on the brink of death you love me enough to offer me a second chance. Yes, I believe.”

It seemed as if Jesus smile got even bigger as Rick’s words left his mouth.

“You are forgiven my son. Today you shall be with me in Paradise. You will see your friends very soon. And also, don’t worry about your bodies coming back to prey on others you are under my protection and your body shall stay dead.”

Rick smiled as he laid his head back on the ground and looked up at the ceiling. The world came back to life around him. He could hear the sounds of the zombies around him but he could now feel no fear. He felt complete for the first time in his life and as his soul left his body his only regret was that he had waited so long.

********

Aaron had been walking for hours. The sun was starting to come out and he was beginning to get tired but something inside told him that he could not stop now that he had to keep going. He had got to the interstate and their was no traffic whatsoever anywhere to be found. There were zombies all over the place but they paid him no mind as he walked by. Of course not, Aaron thought, I am protected now they will not touch me. As he continued to walk towards the East he noticed something in the distance, the sun was glaring off whatever it was and Aaron could have sworn it was a car. As it drew closer he saw that his suspicions were correct he didn’t know what to think if he should run and hide or stay firm but before he could make his decision the car was coming to a stop beside him.

The windows were tinted so he could not tell who was in the seat. The window rolled down and Aaron was face to face with a beautiful redheaded woman.

“Are you Aaron?” The woman asked.

Aaron was almost taken aback at the fact that this woman knew his name but he was not surprised. Legion had many followers out in the world he could not be the only one.

“Yes,” Aaron answered, “And who might you be?”

“My name is Tabitha.” The girl said. “I was told to come in this direction and that I would find you. You need a lift?”

“Of course.”

Aaron walked around to the passenger side door, opened it and got in.

“Legion said I was to do what you asked,” Tabitha began, “So where would you like to go?”

“We need to turn around and head east back in the direction you came. Where are you from?”

“I was in Pittsburg when the tragedy hit.”

“Wow you made good time getting here.”

“I can’t explain how I did it. I have not been tired I have just been driving and stopping to collect gas. I walked at first but then I found this with the keys in it on the side of the road. Also,” she pointed to the back seat, “There were various different toys in here.”

Aaron looked back and saw many different types of guns and knives decorating the interior.

“Very nice. It’s a good start for what we are going to do.”

“And what exactly are we going to do Aaron?”

“That is a simple answer Tabitha,” Aaron said with a grin on his face, “We are going to rebuild the country and then the world.”

“Aaron,” Tabitha said as she turned the car around and began to drive back east, “I am at your disposal.”

********

The tears wouldn’t stop coming. As Dave got a safe distance from the church he found a tree to lay under and laid there sobbing loudly. He didn’t care if any of the zombies heard him he had lost all of his friends and had nothing left to live for. He wondered where Aaron had gone off to because it had been him that had left the door open it was his fault that everyone was dead. Why would he do something like that? Dave had noticed him changing more and more as they had been at the church he had tried to talk to him a number of times but Aaron had chosen to be alone withdrawing himself from the others. Dave didn’t understand any of it and he probably never would, whatever had happened had happened and there was no going back.

Dave laid there under the tree looking up at the sunlight seeping through the branches. There was a slow and calm breeze blowing and it was almost massaging Dave’s spirit, relaxing him and soon he was sleeping soundly. As he awoke, he realized that it was already night time for the sun was nowhere to been seen and he could see several little dots of white starlight in between the branches. But as he was looking up a face suddenly was over him smiling,

“Hello Dave,” the face said.

Dave jumped back up to his feet suddenly grabbing his machete and pointing it at the intruder and then put it back down realizing it was a small boy. He could barely make him out in the moonlight.

“How do you know my name?” Dave asked the boy.

“I know all my children’s names Dave.” The boy said with a chuckle. “I numbered all the grains of sand and all the hairs on your head do you think it is hard for me to remember your name.”

Dave’s arm began to tremble and he dropped the machete to the ground.

“Who are you?” Dave asked.

“I am the one who knew you while you were still in your mothers womb. All through life while you were trying to get through it with your own strength I was waiting for you to come to me so I could help you get through. And you found me just recently did you not?”

The realization just hit Dave like a ton of bricks. He had a million human reasons not to believe anything that this child was saying. But something inside his spirit and soul told him that they were merely just human reasons. And that this went beyond human understanding this was a visitation not very much unlike Paul on the road to Damascus, the story that Jake had told him the previous night except Dave wasn’t going to get knocked off his ass and be blinded because he already could see the light. He fell to his knees and continued to cry again.

“They are all gone,” He sobbed, “Everyone is gone and I am left all alone.”

“It’s not so my son,” the boy came over and placed a hand on Dave’s bowed head. “They are merely gone from this earth but trust me when I say that they are safe with me.”

“Even Rick?” Dave asked knowing how Rick had felt about the whole Jesus thing.

“Yes. He had a last minute revelation. I offer love and grace always, it is never too late for anyone to be saved. As for you, you will never be alone as long as you live. I will always be with you until the end of days.”

“What do you want me to do now?” Dave said lifting his head and locking eyes with his Creator.

“I have a special purpose for you Dave. There are very, very dark times ahead, none of this is going to get fixed but it will not spread to the rest of the world quite yet. America is now going to be cut off from the rest of the world and is on its own, but a time will come when the rest of the world will come under darkness. I want you to head east Dave, I want you to travel by foot. Take this time to seek me as you walk. Rest in me and find peace. You will have battles and struggles along the way but eventually, your purpose will become clear. Will you do this for me?”

“It would be the least I could do for the one that saved me.” Dave said as he stood to his feet with a smile on his face. “So I just have to walk huh?”

“Yes. Do not worry about anything along the way I will provide for you. Now, I must go and you will not see me for awhile but rest assured I am here with you.”

The boy walked over and motioned Dave to bend down and as he did he placed a kiss on his forehead. Dave could feel a warmth spreading through his body and he closed his eyes.

“My mark is on you,” the voice filled his head, “You are protected. I will never leave you, or forsake you.”

Dave opened his eyes and the boy was no longer anywhere to be seen. But Dave could feel something in the air around him. A small breeze started to blow through the air towards the east and Dave knew what he had to do. He was no longer Dave, he had no name he was a new creation with a new purpose in life and was starting with a clean slate. As he picked up the backpack and put it around his shoulders and headed in the direction that the wind was blowing, Dave was left behind, and the traveler was born.

Pt Four-Seven

7

The traveler and Marcus headed North starting a journey towards a place neither one of them knew about. They were being pulled there by some force and all they did was walk. The traveler was use to this sort of thing since he had been doing it for the past three years. This time traveling together gave the two men some time to get to know each other better. Marcus had been a soldier before the degradation of the country had hit. He had been in the USMC for over ten years and had been on base for drills the week it had happened.

Marcus had awoke in the middle of the night to men screaming all over the place. He had entered the main barracks and had tried to settle everyone down but it was to no avail. And then they came from the outside out of nowhere. One marine had opened fire on the first one emptying a whole clip from his M-16 into the body and it continued to walk towards them. Marcus had froze at first, realizing that the monsters out of tv and movies was standing right here in front of him. He lost over half of his group that night and many more over the next week. Him and the survivors that were left got away from the base and walked for months living off the land and fending off the zombies that tried to get them.

After three months of surviving on their own they came to a church that was looked abandoned but on the inside their was a group of people led by an older gentleman named Eli. They were defenseless in the building choosing instead to pray for protection instead of defending themselves even though they were losing people on a daily business. Though Marcus did notice that when one of them was bitten that they stayed dead or just didn’t turn if it was a small bite. He guarded one of the members for several days after an incident had occurred and there were no signs of any transformation taking place.

Marcus had no idea what was going on at the time. He had watched several different men that had been under him transform in mere minutes and here these people were, not affected whatsoever. Marcus came to Eli one evening and asked what it was that made these people not affected by the poison of the zombies bites. Eli explained the gospel message to him for the very first time that night and from that day forward Marcus was a believer. He had been the security and protector of the group ever since and had personally trained Luke over the last three years.

“That is quite a story Marcus,” the traveler said, “You have been through a lot. It is always good to hear other peoples stories because it makes me realize that I am not the only one that has had a hard time.”

On the third day of their travels at the end of the day, after they settled and made camp the traveler told Marcus his story while the two of them were sitting around the fire. He told Marcus everything that he had told Eli from beginning to finish and after he was done Marcus was looking at him in awe.

“Wow,” Marcus stated, “That is intense man. So you have just been walking ever since?”

“Yes. I feel like I have been just walking with the wind. The one who saved us has been leading me all this time and now we know our purpose. Hopefully soon it will be fulfilled and we can maybe focus on more important things.”

The two men talked late into the night and eventually the traveler fell asleep while Marcus took the watch. The two of them had been alternating on different nights. On one night the traveler would stay up the whole night and keep watch and then the next night they would switch. It was a lot easier then taking shifts and keep waking each other up. The traveler got up with the dawn the next morning and after a short breakfast they set out again.

Later that day after they came to the edge of a field that they had been walking through they came upon a set of railroad tracks. Marcus continued to walk, crossing them to the other side the traveler put his arm out to stop him and motioned in a direction along the tracks.

“We should follow these,” the traveler said. “I am really feeling led to follow these.”

Marcus nodded in agreement as they walked north along the tracks. After a couple hours it looked like the tracks led up into a structure of some sort. The traveler motioned for Marcus to walk along the side and to hide themselves in some brush that was along the tracks. They got closer and they realized that there were people standing outside of this complex. Two men both holding automatic rifles the traveler thought they looked like AK-47’s but he wasn’t sure.

The traveler reached into his bag and removed a silencer for his MP5 and motioned for Marcus to do the same.

“I’ll take the left,” the traveler whispered, “You take the right. We go on three.”

The traveler and Marcus put their guns up and put their targets in their sights.

“One,” the traveler whispered. “Two.”

The two men were talking to each other having a casual conversation.

“Three.”

Both men at the gate dropped as the bullets struck them in the skull. Blood splattered into the air as they fell, both unmoving. The traveler and Marcus waited for a few moments to see if they had been undetected and after several minutes it seemed as if they had. No alarms were raised and everything was quiet. The traveler motioned for Marcus to follow him as the two men went to the side of the entrance of the complex. The traveler barely moved his head to the edge so he could get a look into the complex without exposing himself.

The entrance entered into a courtyard area that looked was used for unloading trains that came in with shipments. Or shipping out shipments from whatever kind of facility that this was. The courtyard was empty and it looked like their was no one guarding the main complex. But looks could be deceiving.

“I am going to go first,” the traveler said. “Off to the right there are some crates I am going to go behind them. Wait for me to get there and then follow me, we are going to take our time to get there no need to rush just in case this is a trap of some kind.”

Marcus nodded in agreement as the traveler checked again for any sign of enemies and then proceeded to the crate. He crouched as he walked making sure to keep his eyes on the ground to spot for landmines or any other kind of explosives. He got to the crate with no problem. He looked back towards Marcus and motioned for him to come towards him and Marcus mimicked the travelers journey step for step until he joined him behind the crate.

“All right,” the traveler said as Marcus joined him. “I am going to the door next. If anything happens, stay hidden. I don’t want you to get excited and make yourself a martyr for no reason there would be no purpose in me. Promise me.”

“Okay I won’t do anything stupid.” Marcus said sarcastically.

The traveler once again checked the area around him and seeing that it was clear he made his way towards the door of the complex. He kept his eyes moving all around to see if their were any intruders anywhere in the area around him. He got to the door with no problems. There was little miniature glass window in the door which the traveler looked into and seeing nothing opened the door. There was nothing inside as far as he could see and he turned to give Marcus the go ahead signal.

A sharp pain suddenly filled his body which felt like it was coming from his abdomen. He looked down and saw a shiny blade being pulled from his stomach, crimson red decorating the blade, a hand holding it. The traveler looked up and into the eyes of a familiar face straight from the past as he put his hands to his stomach and fell to his knees. The man had an evil smile on his face held the blood stained knife in a pose of victory.

“Well hello Dave,” the man said as he looked down at the traveler. “Long time no see.”