Read Online Born In The Apocalypse by Joseph Talluto - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joseph Talluto
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something,” he said. “I’ll be right back.” He walked off to the stairs to the basement, and I could hear him rummaging around. I couldn’t think of anything I needed, so I just waited.
Dad came back with a small box. It was about a foot long and a couple of inches wide. He gave it to me with a small smile.
I opened it and had to smile myself. Inside was a beautiful knife. The blade was about seven inches long and was attached to a rough-looking white handle. The edge looked extremely sharp, and I knew from experience that it was not a toy.
“I think you’ve earned this,” Dad said, taking the knife out of the box. The sheath was a simple leather affair, and I hurriedly slipped in on my belt. Dad put the knife where it belonged, then took a step back. “You’re growing up, Josh. No denying that. I hope there’s something left of the world for you when your time comes.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, puzzled. I was thrilled with the gift; it was the first present my dad had given me that wasn’t connected to my birthday or Christmas.
“I’ll tell you later. Let’s get ourselves cleaned up and ready for supper. We’ll leave in the morning,” Dad said, ruffling my hair.
“Okay. Thanks, by the way. I love it,” I said, looking down at the knife sticking out of my belt.
Dad smiled. “I did, too, when my dad gave it to me.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, but by the time I had a question, Dad was already headed for supper.
Chapter 13
In the morning, we pulled out a couple bicycles and headed east. Dad wanted to go a little south before we went east, so we zig-zagged our way down farm roads and back country lanes. The fields were full of untended grass and crops, and homes we passed had long been abandoned and looted. Some of the homes we passed were burned out wrecks, and in some cases we could make out the distinct white of bones in the yards. It was such a contrast to the world I knew that I had to ask my dad about it.
“Dad?”
“What’s up, Josh?”
“What was it like during the bad times?”
My dad thought for a minute as we pedaled away the miles. He got a faraway look in his eyes like he was seeing something in the distance that wasn’t really there.
“It wasn’t good, Josh. People were panicking all over. Trippers were everywhere, but they weren’t the real problem. Neighbor turned against neighbor; people were killed for no reason other than they had something the other person thought they needed. Chicago was a war zone with gangs establishing kingdoms in what used to be the better parts of town. The police were so overwhelmed they were useless, and in a couple cases joined with the gangs. We weren’t sure why the disease spread so far so fast. There wasn’t any good information coming out, and people were just going crazy. No one was paying attention to the Trippers, and they eventually took over.”
“How come they didn’t just shoot them all, Dad?” I asked.
“They didn’t have enough bullets, and the police had been spread so thin trying to put down the riots and the gangs that the situation just got out of control. Politicians were trying to score points against each other and blaming each other that no one stepped up lo lead. Eventually, things were just left alone, and we were on our own, every last one of us.”
I couldn’t understand how no one could lead. My education was full of men stepping up to do the right thing, to lead the way, and here my dad was telling me that such men didn’t exist anymore.
I pedaled a bit further, then I had another question.
“Dad?”
“Yes, Josh?”
“Did the rest of the country get overrun with Trippers, too?”
“From what we understood, it was worse everywhere else than it was here. No one knows why. The east coast has a lot more people on it, so I’m sure that played a part. But the south and west should have been
Dad came back with a small box. It was about a foot long and a couple of inches wide. He gave it to me with a small smile.
I opened it and had to smile myself. Inside was a beautiful knife. The blade was about seven inches long and was attached to a rough-looking white handle. The edge looked extremely sharp, and I knew from experience that it was not a toy.
“I think you’ve earned this,” Dad said, taking the knife out of the box. The sheath was a simple leather affair, and I hurriedly slipped in on my belt. Dad put the knife where it belonged, then took a step back. “You’re growing up, Josh. No denying that. I hope there’s something left of the world for you when your time comes.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, puzzled. I was thrilled with the gift; it was the first present my dad had given me that wasn’t connected to my birthday or Christmas.
“I’ll tell you later. Let’s get ourselves cleaned up and ready for supper. We’ll leave in the morning,” Dad said, ruffling my hair.
“Okay. Thanks, by the way. I love it,” I said, looking down at the knife sticking out of my belt.
Dad smiled. “I did, too, when my dad gave it to me.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, but by the time I had a question, Dad was already headed for supper.
Chapter 13
In the morning, we pulled out a couple bicycles and headed east. Dad wanted to go a little south before we went east, so we zig-zagged our way down farm roads and back country lanes. The fields were full of untended grass and crops, and homes we passed had long been abandoned and looted. Some of the homes we passed were burned out wrecks, and in some cases we could make out the distinct white of bones in the yards. It was such a contrast to the world I knew that I had to ask my dad about it.
“Dad?”
“What’s up, Josh?”
“What was it like during the bad times?”
My dad thought for a minute as we pedaled away the miles. He got a faraway look in his eyes like he was seeing something in the distance that wasn’t really there.
“It wasn’t good, Josh. People were panicking all over. Trippers were everywhere, but they weren’t the real problem. Neighbor turned against neighbor; people were killed for no reason other than they had something the other person thought they needed. Chicago was a war zone with gangs establishing kingdoms in what used to be the better parts of town. The police were so overwhelmed they were useless, and in a couple cases joined with the gangs. We weren’t sure why the disease spread so far so fast. There wasn’t any good information coming out, and people were just going crazy. No one was paying attention to the Trippers, and they eventually took over.”
“How come they didn’t just shoot them all, Dad?” I asked.
“They didn’t have enough bullets, and the police had been spread so thin trying to put down the riots and the gangs that the situation just got out of control. Politicians were trying to score points against each other and blaming each other that no one stepped up lo lead. Eventually, things were just left alone, and we were on our own, every last one of us.”
I couldn’t understand how no one could lead. My education was full of men stepping up to do the right thing, to lead the way, and here my dad was telling me that such men didn’t exist anymore.
I pedaled a bit further, then I had another question.
“Dad?”
“Yes, Josh?”
“Did the rest of the country get overrun with Trippers, too?”
“From what we understood, it was worse everywhere else than it was here. No one knows why. The east coast has a lot more people on it, so I’m sure that played a part. But the south and west should have been
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