Read Online The Lost Gods by Horace Brickley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Horace Brickley
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new pistol in a barrage of movement. Jesse looked at the tree line. Nothing stirred.
“Is that the scream you heard earlier?” Jesse asked.
“That would be the one, yeah,” said Adam.
“That’s not a person or any animal I know.”
“I was really hoping I was wrong about that.”
“You and me both.”
They began their pre-fight ritual. Jesse secured his cudgel to his belt, and checked the slide and barrel of his father’s pistol. Adam rechecked the rifle, slid it butt first into his large pack and left the barrel sticking out of the top.
Jesse noticed that Adam only had guns. He tapped Adam on the shoulder and said, “Go into the garage and grab a bat or something.”
“Ah shit, I left my axe back at the fort.”
Adam ran into the Jesse’s old garage and came back with a dull machete.
“That’s not sharp anymore,” said Jesse, “I used to use that to trim branches.”
“It’ll suffice,” said Adam. Jesse shrugged.
They crept through the Kitsap County forest. For half an hour, they waded through the thick growth and worked around the pungent evergreen trees. Jesse wondered how the creatures managed to get past these obstacles. He decided they must have taken another route.
“When we come back, we should use the main road. This is a pain in the ass,” Jesse whispered.
“We won’t have time to come back this way,” said Adam. “It’ll be dark before we get to the end of Eldorado.”
Jesse was about to reassure Adam when he heard footfalls in the distance. He crouched down and shot a sideways glance at Adam. Adam clenched the grip of the Hi Power. Jesse motioned for the rifle. Adam slid the left strap of the backpack off his shoulder and placed the pack on the ground. Jesse unzipped the bag, pulled the rifle out, and handed it to Adam.
"Take a look," Jesse said.
Adam holstered his pistol and took the rifle. He couched the butt of the rifle on his shoulder, and he looked through the scope.
“We’re fucked,” Adam said under his breath.
“What is it?” Jess e asked. Adam handed him the rifle.
“You look,” he said. Jesse closed his left eye and peered through the scope.
Ahead was a clearing: the same clearing from the vision he had on the platform of their fort. The reanimates were all huddled together. An odd creature paced in front of them like it was surveying the reanimates. It stopped for a moment. Its mouth opened unnaturally wide and it unleashed another scream. It was a primal roar that was twisted and amplified by an evil energy. A sound from the underworld that said, bring death to those that still live. Jesse closed his eyes and lowered the rifle. Adam took the rifle. He exhaled hard and put the rifle down.
“Yeah, it’s bad,” said Adam. “So what do we do?”
“That depends.”
“I already don’t like where this is going.”
“It’s not going anywhere.”
“That’s not what I meant. I mean—”
“I know what you mean,” Jesse said. He gripped Adam’s shoulder hard and stared into his eyes, “You are welcome to try and make it back to the fort, but I’m tired of living like this. I’m tired of being the rabbit at the dog track. This time I’m going to take it to them.”
“You’re out of your fucking mind,” Adam whisper-screamed at Jesse.
“If we go back to camp, they will hunt us down. They will wear us down until we are too starved and crazy to fight back. Eventually they’ll get us. That’s why zombie movies always end on a vague and depressing note, because you know full well that the zombies will get the survivors later. It never ends. Everyone we knew or loved is dead: every single one of them. As far as I’m concerned, we’re no less dead. Our death is right around the corner. It can be here in a fight, it can be in the dark with a snapped neck and an eaten face, or it can be when the food runs out. Fight or run. I don’t care anymore.”
Adam let what Jesse said fester inside him for a while. After a moment, he began to
“Is that the scream you heard earlier?” Jesse asked.
“That would be the one, yeah,” said Adam.
“That’s not a person or any animal I know.”
“I was really hoping I was wrong about that.”
“You and me both.”
They began their pre-fight ritual. Jesse secured his cudgel to his belt, and checked the slide and barrel of his father’s pistol. Adam rechecked the rifle, slid it butt first into his large pack and left the barrel sticking out of the top.
Jesse noticed that Adam only had guns. He tapped Adam on the shoulder and said, “Go into the garage and grab a bat or something.”
“Ah shit, I left my axe back at the fort.”
Adam ran into the Jesse’s old garage and came back with a dull machete.
“That’s not sharp anymore,” said Jesse, “I used to use that to trim branches.”
“It’ll suffice,” said Adam. Jesse shrugged.
They crept through the Kitsap County forest. For half an hour, they waded through the thick growth and worked around the pungent evergreen trees. Jesse wondered how the creatures managed to get past these obstacles. He decided they must have taken another route.
“When we come back, we should use the main road. This is a pain in the ass,” Jesse whispered.
“We won’t have time to come back this way,” said Adam. “It’ll be dark before we get to the end of Eldorado.”
Jesse was about to reassure Adam when he heard footfalls in the distance. He crouched down and shot a sideways glance at Adam. Adam clenched the grip of the Hi Power. Jesse motioned for the rifle. Adam slid the left strap of the backpack off his shoulder and placed the pack on the ground. Jesse unzipped the bag, pulled the rifle out, and handed it to Adam.
"Take a look," Jesse said.
Adam holstered his pistol and took the rifle. He couched the butt of the rifle on his shoulder, and he looked through the scope.
“We’re fucked,” Adam said under his breath.
“What is it?” Jess e asked. Adam handed him the rifle.
“You look,” he said. Jesse closed his left eye and peered through the scope.
Ahead was a clearing: the same clearing from the vision he had on the platform of their fort. The reanimates were all huddled together. An odd creature paced in front of them like it was surveying the reanimates. It stopped for a moment. Its mouth opened unnaturally wide and it unleashed another scream. It was a primal roar that was twisted and amplified by an evil energy. A sound from the underworld that said, bring death to those that still live. Jesse closed his eyes and lowered the rifle. Adam took the rifle. He exhaled hard and put the rifle down.
“Yeah, it’s bad,” said Adam. “So what do we do?”
“That depends.”
“I already don’t like where this is going.”
“It’s not going anywhere.”
“That’s not what I meant. I mean—”
“I know what you mean,” Jesse said. He gripped Adam’s shoulder hard and stared into his eyes, “You are welcome to try and make it back to the fort, but I’m tired of living like this. I’m tired of being the rabbit at the dog track. This time I’m going to take it to them.”
“You’re out of your fucking mind,” Adam whisper-screamed at Jesse.
“If we go back to camp, they will hunt us down. They will wear us down until we are too starved and crazy to fight back. Eventually they’ll get us. That’s why zombie movies always end on a vague and depressing note, because you know full well that the zombies will get the survivors later. It never ends. Everyone we knew or loved is dead: every single one of them. As far as I’m concerned, we’re no less dead. Our death is right around the corner. It can be here in a fight, it can be in the dark with a snapped neck and an eaten face, or it can be when the food runs out. Fight or run. I don’t care anymore.”
Adam let what Jesse said fester inside him for a while. After a moment, he began to
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