Read Online Generation Dead - 07 by Joseph Talluto - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Joseph Talluto
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went our separate ways. The first thing on my list was a shower, and I didn’t doubt it was first on the list for Julia and Jake. I went up to my suite of rooms, noting the still closed door across the hall. One of these days, Jake and I will open it, but it still hurt a lot.
A n hour later, I was in the main lounge area by the fireplace, burning off any excess zombie glop from my weapons and sharpening their already razor-sharp edges. My sword took the longest, mostly because it was over thirty inches of cutting edge.
Julia came in, rubbing her hair with a towel and wearing clean clothes.
“You busy?” She asked.
“Not really, ” I said, running an oily rag over my blade and sheathing it. “What’s up?”
“Nothing, I was just going to go visit mom, and wanted to know if you wanted to come with.
I thought for a second. “Yeah, maybe that might be what I need.”
“Come on.” Julia took my hand and together we headed out of the lodge and down the stairwell. We crossed the main area, and I smiled when I saw Jake working the lawn mower, clearing out the tall grass, and keeping the place looking like it always had, even back in the day when the place was a spot for tourists. Never could figure out why he did that, and he wasn’t telling .
We climbed the main steps of the chimney rock formation that rose out of the riverside and stood like a sentinel over the Illinois River. At the top, we looked out for a moment at the big bend in the river, easily being able to discern the town of Ottawa . Over to the west and north, Utica could be seen, although there wasn’t much left. The years had not been kind, and two out of every three buildings were caved in and covered in brush. In the river was a small dam, and through it, a small generating station provided us with power.
Julia tugged at my hand.
“Come on. We didn’t come up here to see the sights.”
I allowed myself to be led, and each step brought back a lot of memories and a lot of feelings. We followed a small trail to the center of the pillar, crossing ancient stones put there by the French Army a long time ago. There had been a fort once on top of this rock, and a hotel, if the information from the Visitor Center was to be believed. But the top of this rock served another purpose, now.
We stepped into the small clearing and approached the two graves that had been dug there. Simple wooden crosses marked the gravesites , and Julia approached the one on the right. The marker simply said Rebecca . I went and stood by the marker on the left. This one simply said, Sarah.
The graves were about fifteen feet apart, and allowed for Julia and me to have some private time with our respective mothers.
“Hi, Mom, ” I said, sitting down on the warm grass. “I’m back.”
We spent the better part of an hour, just sitting quietly and talking softly to our mothers. Julia occasionally ran her hands through the grass on the grave, sometimes holding the grass, as if she was holding her mother’s hand again.
I talked of the things we had done, and mentioned how Jake was acting funny. I didn’t talk about my father at all, that was a subject I tended to avoid when he wasn’t here with me. It was awkward, anyway.
As the sun went higher, Julia finally kissed her hand and placed it on the name on the marker. That was her signal it was time for goodbyes, and I said my own, standing quickly. It had been two years since our mothers had passed away. Two years since our fathers silently dug these graves. Two years since we had last seen our fathers. One morning we woke up to find our dads’ weapons gone, their truck missing, and a note on the table that just said:
This place isn’t home right now.
We have things to do.
Don’t follow .
Jake went a little nuts for a while, being angry all the time and blaming our dads for all the ills of the world. However, as the days passed and the hurts
A n hour later, I was in the main lounge area by the fireplace, burning off any excess zombie glop from my weapons and sharpening their already razor-sharp edges. My sword took the longest, mostly because it was over thirty inches of cutting edge.
Julia came in, rubbing her hair with a towel and wearing clean clothes.
“You busy?” She asked.
“Not really, ” I said, running an oily rag over my blade and sheathing it. “What’s up?”
“Nothing, I was just going to go visit mom, and wanted to know if you wanted to come with.
I thought for a second. “Yeah, maybe that might be what I need.”
“Come on.” Julia took my hand and together we headed out of the lodge and down the stairwell. We crossed the main area, and I smiled when I saw Jake working the lawn mower, clearing out the tall grass, and keeping the place looking like it always had, even back in the day when the place was a spot for tourists. Never could figure out why he did that, and he wasn’t telling .
We climbed the main steps of the chimney rock formation that rose out of the riverside and stood like a sentinel over the Illinois River. At the top, we looked out for a moment at the big bend in the river, easily being able to discern the town of Ottawa . Over to the west and north, Utica could be seen, although there wasn’t much left. The years had not been kind, and two out of every three buildings were caved in and covered in brush. In the river was a small dam, and through it, a small generating station provided us with power.
Julia tugged at my hand.
“Come on. We didn’t come up here to see the sights.”
I allowed myself to be led, and each step brought back a lot of memories and a lot of feelings. We followed a small trail to the center of the pillar, crossing ancient stones put there by the French Army a long time ago. There had been a fort once on top of this rock, and a hotel, if the information from the Visitor Center was to be believed. But the top of this rock served another purpose, now.
We stepped into the small clearing and approached the two graves that had been dug there. Simple wooden crosses marked the gravesites , and Julia approached the one on the right. The marker simply said Rebecca . I went and stood by the marker on the left. This one simply said, Sarah.
The graves were about fifteen feet apart, and allowed for Julia and me to have some private time with our respective mothers.
“Hi, Mom, ” I said, sitting down on the warm grass. “I’m back.”
We spent the better part of an hour, just sitting quietly and talking softly to our mothers. Julia occasionally ran her hands through the grass on the grave, sometimes holding the grass, as if she was holding her mother’s hand again.
I talked of the things we had done, and mentioned how Jake was acting funny. I didn’t talk about my father at all, that was a subject I tended to avoid when he wasn’t here with me. It was awkward, anyway.
As the sun went higher, Julia finally kissed her hand and placed it on the name on the marker. That was her signal it was time for goodbyes, and I said my own, standing quickly. It had been two years since our mothers had passed away. Two years since our fathers silently dug these graves. Two years since we had last seen our fathers. One morning we woke up to find our dads’ weapons gone, their truck missing, and a note on the table that just said:
This place isn’t home right now.
We have things to do.
Don’t follow .
Jake went a little nuts for a while, being angry all the time and blaming our dads for all the ills of the world. However, as the days passed and the hurts
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