9Chapter 8: Out Of The Ordinary
He is standing over a pane.
What's coming down is not just rain,
But all his pain
And all his shame. . .
He just couldn't stand his own name. . .
MYRRH-CHANT
On the western part of the fort was Patrick. He was staring ahead for no reason. He was touching the fort's wall absent-mindedly. His callused hand reached out to his eyes and he removed some unwanted substance.
Patrick was just sitting on his chair. One could mistake him for a zombie. He kept forgetting that saliva was dripping from his mouth. That was an effect of boredom.
But he knew not to sleep and believe that the zombies would not come to his place. He just believed that there are other roads that smell worse of blood. Everyone was avoiding meat. Only zombies eat meat those days.
'Perhaps not.'
Patrick saw a large white cat outside the wall. He noticed that a little chick was stuck on its mouth.
"Sshhh! Shoo!" He threw a rock through the wall's circular holes. "Sshhh!" The cat growled but ran away.
"Aww! Blood!"
Patrick fumed and stamped once. He sat again on his chair and laid down. He felt his pillow and the lines of irritation on his face were quickly fading.
Then he found that he could not rest well. He changed his position numerous times until he realized that the ground was shaking.
'Oh my. . .'
He looked around and his vision was shaking softly. Then outside the wall, approaching him was a pair of lights. Headlights. Of a delivery van. Of a heavily armored delivery van. The vehicle stopped an arm's length away from the wall.
"People! People! Persons! People! Have a look at my merchandise!" A voice said. A head popped out of the vehicle's window. "Oh, but let me enter first!" He sounded his horn in a polite way.
'Good. Not an earthquake. Not a running horde of zombies...'
Patrick opened a large portion of the wall. The merchant shouted his thanks and drove his vehicle inside. He stopped beside Patrick and went out.
"Hello there! The name is Ned," the merchant stated jovially.
Patrick looked at Ned, assessing. Nothing out of the ordinary. He just noticed that Ned's body looked strong and firm.
"Where did you get fuel for your vehicle?"
"Oh! Not interested on my merchandise? Never mind... I got it from another fort!"
"Are you serious?"
"Yes. But that fort is now dead. The walls were broken."
"Oh..." Patrick couldn't keep his dismay.
"Anyway, where do you think are the people here?"
"Oh, that would be south of here. Don't worry. You will be attracting attention there and might be able to sell. Nobody's been seen driving vehicles in here," Patrick said. "What do you have in there?"
"Oh! Boxes... Boxes... Chocolates, papers and photographs of some ol' artists. Would you like to see them?"
"No. You may now pass."
"Thank you for your consideration." Ned bowed politely and left with his vehicle.
SEE-BLING
"Where did you come from?" Jasmine asked her partner, the kid.
"I am Harry from a family. I don't know the name, Miss," the ten-year old kid replied.
"Why do you fight?"
"I am here to find my parents," Harry said.
"Aren't you afraid? Or disgusted by the waves of blood?"
"No, Miss. My father said they're all like tomatoes. Nothing bad for my health."
The two were standing back-to-back. They were located a few kilometers south of the fort of Lipa. The woods around were buzzing. And zombies were behind them.
Jasmine was two times taller than the kid. She wore a red shirt, pants and a pair of slippers. Her auburn hair was tied in a ponytail.
Harry was wearing a gray jacket with the number of 22 on his back. He was wearing very long pants, or so it seemed. Harry claimed he broke his belt. He was holding two knives, one for each hand.
"You! Where did you learn to play with knives?"
"Anime! This is fun, Miss Jasmine! I'm like the guy with the whiskers. But there are no zombies in his story. He uses shuriken."
"Childhood mess," Jasmine muttered.
"Hold up your pants," she ordered.
"I can't."
"Stick the ends in your shoes." The kid followed.
"Good," Jasmine observed.
"Are you ready, Miss?"
"No. Do you kill the zombies?"
"People say I do good work."
"I envy you. All I do is think of a love life."
"Let's go." Harry charged to the woods. Jasmine followed.
Harry saw a zombie and pushed his knife on its groin.
"Hmm. You know where to hit," commented Jasmine.
Jasmine slashed at a nearby zombie. It made a straight line on its face and blood spilled. "Ew! Shit! This is disgusting!"
"My mother would punish you," murmured Harry.
"Why?" She faced the kid.
"You spoke a bad word, Miss."
"I say sorry to your mother," said Jasmine as Harry opened up a zombie's abdomen.
"Yuck! Harry, don't do that! Fuck!" Jasmine held her face and sighed. "Shiiiiit..."
"Your life will be a mess. Behind you!"
Jasmine clawed at a zombie. It damaged the zombie's neck. Her hands were dirtied. "Ew! Flesh!"
"Get down!"
Jasmine followed by instinct.
A knife whistled above her and hit the zombie near her. Jasmine looked and screamed again. "That was an awfully good shot! But shit! That was an eye!"
Harry came closer to Jasmine. "Could I say something to you?"
Jasmine nodded. They were already safe from the zombies.
"Please be quiet," said Harry happily with his tiny voice.
"Sure." Jasmine didn't know if that was sarcastic. "I'm glad the zombies were few." She leaned on a tree trunk. Harry sat on the leafy ground. Some leaves were traced with blood.
"Did your parents give you freedom to go around?"
"They let me explore. They said they will be gone a long time."
"Hmm..." That put Jasmine in deep thought. "Let me take you to a fort, then."
Harry's face brightened. "The place with the high walls, castle tops?"
"Yes, but it's facing a castle war." Jasmine stood and walked. Harry followed.
"That is cool! Where are the catapults? The javelins? The halberds?"
"Uhh... I do believe we have that in our weapon collection."
"Wow! Do they have an Owl's Eye?"
"I do believe we have crafted one."
"Wow! I would want to trade for it."
Jasmine patted Harry on his head. "First thing we do there is fix your pants. You're a good and brave recruit."
"Who will be my commander?"
"No one but your will."
"I sure hope we'll win this game!"
"You will bring new hope, kid," Jasmine mused. "I'd like you to meet my crazy sister. Come on."
IN-SICK-CURE-IT-TEA
Two teenagers were arguing near the fort's eastern exit.
They didn't care that Victor, the guard, could easily eavesdrop on them.
The boy, standing, was shaking his hair with his hands while the girl was drawing on the ground.
The boy was dressed in quite formal clothes, with a broken watch on his wrist. Lines were on his forehead. His sharply-defined face was masked with anxiety.
The girl stood up. She was taller than the boy even though she had high heels. She had a bright yellow T-shirt and a dusty pair of pants. Her flawless face kept getting brushed by her long hair because of the cold night's wind.
"What would you do?" Johanna asked her boyfriend kindly.
"I was... ordered to stay," Garrin replied weakly.
"Do you think this is unfair?"
"Yes. I am the man, Johanna!"
"But you are a coward."
"Don't say that. You're afraid of mice."
"Let's say I'm an elephant. But I am not afraid of my predators."
"But what will I do if..."
"Do not keep your anger." Johanna slapped Garrin softly. "That's for losing faith."
"But why do you love me if I am just this way?"
"I do and it should be obvious why. You need more personal studies. Don't be frustrated."
"Let's say that this will be our last meeting."
Johanna smiled curtly. "Don't make me run a thumb across your cheek."
"I never did a remarkable thing for you. How should I love you?"
"Wait for me to return."
A long silence followed. It was broken by the opening exit. The wind blew as if on cue.
"You lovebirds should make a decision already," a voice said.
The couple was startled and looked at Victor who was already beside them and was looking down at them.
The massive size of the guard made them stare in wonder. He was wearing a bulky vest which looked weird because he worse shorts for the lower part of his body.
"Advice, Sir," Garrin said.
"Let the girl go. You do your own assignment," Victor said to Garrin. "Others are already battling zombies, loosening numerous heads, damaging bodies and scattering blood; while you two are just arguing, having each other's hearts suffer, blowing your own minds with worry."
Garrin gaped at Victor. Johanna nodded uncertainly.
Victor turned to Johanna. "You do have a weapon?"
She showed a set of shiny knives and bandages from her belt.
"Make sure that belt is tight," Victor advised. "And why do you wear high heels?"
"To remind myself not to run but to fight."
"Could make it hard for you to turn around quickly if there were zombies," he pointed out.
"I'm quick enough, I believe."
"That is enough. I believe in you. You have some spirit in you!" HE turned to Garrin. "Any comments?"
"It is still unfair and scary," Garrin muttered.
"Why don't you join her?" Garrin seemed to lighten up but his face was still set with worry. "I have a job."
"More important than your girlfriend?"
Garrin looked at Johanna briefly. "Can I say yes? Because everyone's life depends on cooperation."
"Well, aren't you two everything for each other?"
An awkward silence followed then Garrin spoke, "That is ouch. Why do you say these things to us? Do you want us to disobey or rebel?"
"No, that would be terrible! Anyway, the answer would come to the both of you."
Johanna received a small bag from Victor who said, "That would be an additional armor. Good luck, girl."
"Johanna, I love you," Garrin said.
"Thanks, Victor. I love you, too, Garrin." She kissed Garrin on the cheek.
"Never rebel, girl, with yourself. I'll make sure Garrin here follows it, too," Victor called as Johanna went out the fort. Victor patted Garrin on the head. Garrin just stared ahead in wonder of what could happen next to Johanna.
The end of this chapter.
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OH, BIG NOTE: I will be temporarily discontinuing this fiction. I'm sorry but I kinda lost my grasp on this one.
But I will not forget it. See ya some time in the future! ; )
- Da Newbie
How's that? I *bammed* myself thinking of your possible reactions. I clearly have no idea how I am doing.