Read Online Born In The Apocalypse by Joseph Talluto - Free Book Online
Authors: Joseph Talluto
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flowerbeds.
I worried about her because she seemed too fragile, like the smallest thing could make her break. Dad said she was stronger than she looked, and I hoped so.
School was about four hours, and it was time for lunch when we finished. I learned about the Fertile Crescent and ancient Sumer. I liked history the best. It was fun to learn about where we came from. Sometimes I wondered what historians might make of this little episode in mankind’s history.
Dad came home early and had lunch with us, which was a nice treat. Even Mom seemed to brighten a little when she saw Dad was home early. After lunch, I went outside to practice with my arrows, and was putting most of them in a good group across the yard when Dad came out to see what I was up to.
“Nice work, Josh,” Dad said when he saw my target. “Why are you practicing at targets that are so far away?”
I shrugged. “I figured if I could hit a small circle at fifty yards, then anything closer was just that much easier.”
Dad nodded slowly as he digested that. “Good thinking.” He surprised me with his next sentence. “I think it’s time you learned to defend yourself.”
I didn’t know what else to say but “Okay!” I was kind of excited to be learning a few moves to defend myself, but I was a little curious about what my dad could teach me. I never suspected that he knew anything other than how to shoot people.
We went out to the yard, and I was always curious as to what it might have looked like before the infection hit. Our yard was big with many tall trees. Dad worked hard to keep the yard looking neat and trimmed, and we had a push mower to cut the grass. The bushes around the house were trimmed to about head high (to me), and there was a shed in the back where the horse feed was kept. A tall rock fence surrounded the yard, and it cut off the rest of the world. Dad built that fence after the first wave of infected hit the area, and it’s saved us a couple of times since.
“Okay. Let’s see what you think you know,” Dad said. “Pretend I’m a Tripper coming to get you.” Dad put up his hands and started moving towards me.
I didn’t know what else to do, so I ran away and hid behind a tree. I didn’t hear him coming, so I peeked out to see where he was. That’s when a big hand grabbed me and pulled me from my tree. I yelped as I got pulled in, and gasped when I got thrown to the ground. I figured the lesson was there, but I squawked in surprise when my dad started to pound me with his fists.
“Ow! What the…? Dad!” I curled up into a ball, covering my neck with my hands.
The pounding stopped. “You’re dead, son. First lesson. Never stop moving, and never stop fighting.” Dad stood up and helped me to my feet.
I rubbed my back and sides where he had hit me. I was more surprised than hurt. “What do I fight with?”
Dad smiled. “Your head.”
“Huh?”
“Use your head to win a fight. Outthink your enemy. Use what you have. You’re not going to win a fight with a bigger person or Tripper unless you think.” Dad motioned me over to the open area. “Let’s try again. And if you just curl up and fall down again, I’ll hit you harder until you learn.”
Let me tell you, that was a lesson I learned right then and there. We stepped out into the open, and Dad came at me again. This time I ran over to the line of bushes that separated the side yard from the back yard. I slipped underneath the branches between two of them, sliding out the other side. I could hear my dad approaching, and I ducked down, running along the bushes towards the back wall. I knew the bushes thinned out back there, and as I ran I made a plan.
Reaching the end, I moved back to the back yard, and I saw my dad trying to get through the bushes. I ran wide to stay out of his peripheral vision and came up behind him. He was about a third of the way
I worried about her because she seemed too fragile, like the smallest thing could make her break. Dad said she was stronger than she looked, and I hoped so.
School was about four hours, and it was time for lunch when we finished. I learned about the Fertile Crescent and ancient Sumer. I liked history the best. It was fun to learn about where we came from. Sometimes I wondered what historians might make of this little episode in mankind’s history.
Dad came home early and had lunch with us, which was a nice treat. Even Mom seemed to brighten a little when she saw Dad was home early. After lunch, I went outside to practice with my arrows, and was putting most of them in a good group across the yard when Dad came out to see what I was up to.
“Nice work, Josh,” Dad said when he saw my target. “Why are you practicing at targets that are so far away?”
I shrugged. “I figured if I could hit a small circle at fifty yards, then anything closer was just that much easier.”
Dad nodded slowly as he digested that. “Good thinking.” He surprised me with his next sentence. “I think it’s time you learned to defend yourself.”
I didn’t know what else to say but “Okay!” I was kind of excited to be learning a few moves to defend myself, but I was a little curious about what my dad could teach me. I never suspected that he knew anything other than how to shoot people.
We went out to the yard, and I was always curious as to what it might have looked like before the infection hit. Our yard was big with many tall trees. Dad worked hard to keep the yard looking neat and trimmed, and we had a push mower to cut the grass. The bushes around the house were trimmed to about head high (to me), and there was a shed in the back where the horse feed was kept. A tall rock fence surrounded the yard, and it cut off the rest of the world. Dad built that fence after the first wave of infected hit the area, and it’s saved us a couple of times since.
“Okay. Let’s see what you think you know,” Dad said. “Pretend I’m a Tripper coming to get you.” Dad put up his hands and started moving towards me.
I didn’t know what else to do, so I ran away and hid behind a tree. I didn’t hear him coming, so I peeked out to see where he was. That’s when a big hand grabbed me and pulled me from my tree. I yelped as I got pulled in, and gasped when I got thrown to the ground. I figured the lesson was there, but I squawked in surprise when my dad started to pound me with his fists.
“Ow! What the…? Dad!” I curled up into a ball, covering my neck with my hands.
The pounding stopped. “You’re dead, son. First lesson. Never stop moving, and never stop fighting.” Dad stood up and helped me to my feet.
I rubbed my back and sides where he had hit me. I was more surprised than hurt. “What do I fight with?”
Dad smiled. “Your head.”
“Huh?”
“Use your head to win a fight. Outthink your enemy. Use what you have. You’re not going to win a fight with a bigger person or Tripper unless you think.” Dad motioned me over to the open area. “Let’s try again. And if you just curl up and fall down again, I’ll hit you harder until you learn.”
Let me tell you, that was a lesson I learned right then and there. We stepped out into the open, and Dad came at me again. This time I ran over to the line of bushes that separated the side yard from the back yard. I slipped underneath the branches between two of them, sliding out the other side. I could hear my dad approaching, and I ducked down, running along the bushes towards the back wall. I knew the bushes thinned out back there, and as I ran I made a plan.
Reaching the end, I moved back to the back yard, and I saw my dad trying to get through the bushes. I ran wide to stay out of his peripheral vision and came up behind him. He was about a third of the way
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