Running Late

While he was checking the clock one more time, some of the coffee he was pouring sloshed over the top of the metal thermos and onto the kitchen counter. He swore under his breath and placed the carafe back in its place in the coffee maker. After wiping up the spill and sipping enough to make room, he screwed the lid into place and latched the thermos onto the carabiner on the strap of his backpack.

The young man couldn’t believe that he had fallen asleep. Now he was going to be late; he was already late because he wasn’t going to be early. Everyone thought that he liked to arrive early because he was committed. But, he knew that if he arrived early, then there would be fewer creatures to fight through. The infected tended to follow others as they arrived and then congregate around the entrance.

Walking through the downstairs rooms, he checked all the latches and locks on the windows and doors. The windows had been covered with heavy wooden shudders months ago, and, of course, they were all latched. They were always latched. But, it only took one unlatched window for them to get in. His mother and father had learned that the hard way. He missed them, but, like he had been taught, you can’t dwell in the past.

He checked the backyard through the sliding glass door that led out onto the deck. That door held the only remaining outside view on the lower level. But, it was safe, because he had reinforced the fence that surrounded the backyard. In fact, mending the back part of the fence was what caused him to be so exhausted and fall asleep earlier that afternoon.

But, the fence had to be mended. When he set the back neighbor’s house on fire two nights before, part of the fence had ignited also. He extinguished the fence fire quickly enough, but the burned spots could be weaknesses in his home’s defenses. As he pounded the new boards into place, he couldn’t help but pray again that his neighbors had gotten out safely, from both the fire and from the swarms of demon creatures he had seen inside.

Now, everything looked normal in the backyard, except the smoke from the smoldering remains of the house on the other side of the fence. The goats were happily munching the grass, and the chicken coop was prepared for the winter which was quickly approaching. The dogs were dozing at the base of the steps, a sure sign that the house was safe.

He turned back toward the inside of the house and stopped at the base of the steps leading upstairs. While buttoning his jacket and swinging his backpack into place, he considered his options. There were only three bullets left in the revolver. He decided to take it anyway, even though he hadn’t had to fire it in several weeks. He never knew when he would need those last three shots.

He grabbed the thick five foot long wooden pole. Because of his years of Tae Kwon Do training, he preferred the thinner, longer bo staff that tapered on each end. But, the heavier staff was much more effective, even if it was a little heavier and slower.

Bounding up the stairs two at a time, he reached the top and pulled that cord that lowered the ladder to the attic. He quickly ascended the rungs, turned on the light, and pulled the attic door shut behind him. Above him, the roof hatch was easy to unlatch and push open. He pulled himself onto the roof and closed the hatch, hearing the satisfying click of the latch as it closed.

He stayed crouched on the roof for a few minutes, trying not to move. Scanning the houses and grounds around his neighborhood, he did not see any movement at all. The sun was just beginning to set in the western sky, casting pink and orange shadows in the direction he was heading.

Dropping the wooden staff to the ground below him, he grabbed the metal pole that had been positioned near the side of the house and slid down after it. Again, once he hit the ground, he crouched quietly while examining the roads, houses, trees, bushes, and anything else that might hide one of the creatures. It was clear.

For a few blocks, he crept carefully along from hiding place to hiding place. This was the most dangerous time. His eyes had not adjusted to the dusk lighting. Eventually, as he saw the coast was clear, his pace quickened and became less measured. Soon, he was walking down the sidewalk, glancing left and right. He kept the staff ready, swinging it occasionally to check his grip and range.

The metal skeletons of cars and trucks blocked the road at regular intervals, especially in the intersections. While the provisional government was working hard to clear the interstates and highways, local roads such as this one were at the bottom of their priority list. And, who could blame them? They had enough trouble trying to keep electricity and water flowing.

When he first began coming to these meetings, he tried to take the SUV that was still parked in his garage. But, driving through the streets and getting in and out of the vehicle turned out to be more dangerous than walking. So, he walked. Plus, it was only a few blocks. It was best to save the SUV and the gas for emergencies.

He came to a major intersection crowded with wrecked and abandoned vehicles. A big rig sat diagonally across the intersection, its cab a burned shell. He slowed as he approached, making a wide arc around the intersection. The cars and trucks, and especially the trailer of the truck formed too many shadows and corners.

This time, he was able to make it around the intersection and make the turn toward the north without incident. Ahead, only a few more blocks away, he could see the top of the building that was his destination.

But, he also saw something else. Walking toward him, only a block away, was one of them. It had seen him, and it was positioned between himself and the building. Looking left and right, he didn’t see anyone else, nor did he see any other creatures. So, he started running.

He ran straight at the creature. He began swinging the staff over his head and yelling, more for himself than to try to scare it – they didn’t scare. Between the two was an old Buick sedan, and it appeared that they would meet directly beside it. He shifted his run slightly to the left and headed straight for the back of the Buick.

At the last moment, he jumped. He landed on the trunk of the sedan with his right foot and pushed himself up onto the roof of the car leaping over the outstretched arm of the creature who was now standing beside the Buick. Just as his left foot landed on the roof, he brought the staff down hard onto the thing’s head. While it stood momentarily stunned, he braced himself with both feet and swung the wooden pole in a long sweep down onto the left side of the creature’s skull. He heard a thud and crack as its skull split apart. He brought the staff up ready to strike again, but the thing toppled over to one side, blood and brain matter streaming down the side of its face and neck.

Again, he crouched and scanned his surroundings. It was only then that he noticed the car was not empty. The broken remains of the car’s only occupant were scattered across the front seat. He guessed the person had once been an old lady, based on her ripped dress and the grey hair still stuck to the skull

He heard a commotion behind him and spun around ready for another attack. But, the sound was coming from about a block away. He saw a woman, probably just a few years older than himself, running from a pack of three creatures. She made a mistake and turned into the space between two houses running headlong into a fence that ran from one house to the other. The creatures blocked her escape and moved toward her for the kill.

The young man checked his watch again and turned away from the scene. “She should know better than be out here alone,” he thought. He still had two more blocks to traverse before he made it to his meeting, and he was already late. Ahead of him, he could see several of the things loitering around the entrance to the building, pulling against the stone wall and shutters.

He bounded off the hood of the Buick and hit the street running and yelling. Before he had taken three steps, he saw that the creatures around the building had turned toward him. Within another step, they were walking toward him. His plan was working.

He closed on the first creature when he was still half a block from the entrance. While still running full speed, he leapt forward and landed his right boot against the creature’s chest with his full force. He jerked his foot back quickly so the thing would not grab it, and swung the staff around hard against the creature’s head.

In that brief moment when wood connected with skin and skull, he realized that he recognized this thing. She had once been a girl he dated a couple of times. Not long ago, this kind of recognition would have stung emotionally. But, now, he had been taught better.

He continued his lunge, landing just past the creature’s body and kept running toward the door. He was able to run past the other four or five demon creatures keeping just outside of their reach.

Stopping at the heavy metal door, he looked back to see that the creatures had turned to pursue him, but were far enough away that they could not reach him before he went inside. He reached up and grabbed the two latches, one with each hand. He pulled one down and one to the left – an easy enough operation for anyone with enough intelligence and dexterity. The door swung open, and he slipped in pushing it back closed with a satisfying thud.

As he turned around, he instantly noticed two things at once. First, someone was standing a few feet away with a shotgun leveled at his head. Second, everyone else was present and the meeting had already started.

He nodded toward the man with the gun, then found his way to a bench in the back. As he laid his backpack on the wooden pew beside him and placed the staff on the floor, he looked around the chapel, past the broken stained glass windows now mostly covered with boards to the platform at the front.

A notice board above the platform at the front announced the topic of next Sunday’s sermon: “Luke 10 – Love your neighbor.”

“Not another sermon about the Good Samaritan,” he thought to himself.

He turned his attention to the pastor standing behind the pulpit. “And, that’s all of the announcements,” the man continued. “Now, brothers and sisters of the Remnant, if you will open your Bibles, we’ll continue our study about how to deal with these demon-possessed creatures that are ruining our lives. We’ll start in Revelation.”