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.