Dead Endz

4

4

John Doe?

––––––––

He made it to Atlanta in record time. The motorcycle had been a good choice when it came to weaving through the crowds of zombies and the countless abandoned cars. The problem was that he didn’t know where to start once he crossed into the city, so he decided to wing it. He’d drive until it felt right to stop.

He found many of the tourist attractions in Atlanta right away, including a very popular one, the Georgia Aquarium, but unfortunately, it did nothing for him. There was no pull, nothing. It was, however, crawling with zombies who were a little too excited about his arrival. He kicked it down as they approached the bike and drove further, until he was in an area of the city that appeared to have less walking dead traffic. As he began to relax, he noticed an abandoned mini mall in the middle of nowhere that looked inviting. He was thirsty and needed something to keep him going. It seemed to be less volatile than most other places he’d driven past.

He parked the bike off to the side of the building and grabbed his ax. He then headed toward a small health food store in the center of the mall that caught his eye. As he walked into the entrance, he stepped over a couple of dead zombies that appeared to have been shot in the head. He tightened his grip on the ax and made a mental note to start looking for a gun, too.

It was quiet and appeared to be void of people, living or dead. Fortunately, there was also plenty of nonperishable food. He grabbed a canvas bag and started filling it with protein bars, energy drinks, and water. As it started to get heavier, he thought about trading in his motorcycle for a truck or SUV. He could carry more and have a place to sleep, if needed. The question was gasoline; could he still acquire it, and how long would that last?

He clenched his jaw as his head started to throb again. He then sat down behind the store’s counter and took more acetaminophen, hoping the pain would subside quickly so he could get moving again. As he began to feel better, more images of unknown people flashed through his mind; this time of two men aiming guns at him and shouting furiously. Quickly, the images faded and he couldn’t recall anything more.

The memory lapse was really starting to piss him off.

He grunted and then stood up, stretching his arms. It was definitely time to move on.

He grabbed his bag of supplies and headed for the exit, halting in his tracks when he noticed the van in the parking lot.

Shit.

He ducked down as a man got out – a man who was built like a brick shithouse. Something about him looked vaguely familiar, but also very dangerous, so he decided not to approach. Especially after his recent memories of being shot at.

He could hear laughter coming from somewhere in the van. He crawled closer to one of the store’s broken windows and watched as the man walked around to the passenger window and kissed a woman with long, dark hair. She smiled and pointed toward the store next to his, which was a tobacco shop. Something about her also niggled at his brain, but he just couldn’t place it. It didn’t matter, though; after what he’d been through, he wasn’t about to approach them, especially with the Incredible Hulk holding such a large, powerful rifle.

“Aw... thanks, hon!” called the woman as the large man stalked toward the tobacco store.

He ducked down so the big mug wouldn’t spot him, thankful that he’d hidden the motorcycle in a fairly inconspicuous spot. He watched and waited until the man returned empty-handed, which produced an immediate scowl on the woman’s face.

“It’s a sign,” echoed the man’s voice in the parking lot. It was high and unusual for such a muscle-bound guy. “Someone else ransacked the place... no smokes left, babe. No cigars or chew either; sorry, gramps,” he motioned to someone else in the back of the van. “You should both quit smoking anyway. You’ll live longer.”

The woman snorted. “Hell, I don’t think I’ll survive another day if I don’t get my hands on a cigarette. Damn thieves.”

His lips curled up at the woman’s logic, considering her boyfriend probably wouldn’t have left any money on the counter for her smokes either.

“What about the store next to it?” she asked, pointing.

Her “hon” shook his head. “Are you kidding me? That’s a health food place. Everything in there is natural and good for you.”

“Natural, huh? Maybe they have those clove cigarettes? Aren’t those supposed to be better for you? All natural?”

The man burst out laughing and then got back into the van. A minute later they were peeling out of the parking lot.

“Wow, do you know who that was?” blurted an excited voice behind him.

He dropped the bag of food and whipped around to find a teenaged boy staring at him. The boy’s face turned white when he noticed his firm grip on the ax and he took a step backwards.

He lowered the weapon. “You scared the s**t out of me, kid. Don’t ever sneak up on someone like that again. It’s dangerous.”

“Sorry,” he replied. “I saw you, and then I saw Tiny. It freaked me out to see a real live celebrity in the parking lot.”

He stared at the tall, lanky boy who couldn’t have been more than thirteen or fourteen. His red hair was messy and his face was streaked with something resembling dirt.

“Who’s Tiny?” he asked the boy.

The kid stared at his “I Love Hooters!” T-shirt and grinned, his mouth full of metal. “Far out, dude, love the shirt!”

He didn’t respond.

“Yeah... um... Tiny’s a famous wrestler. Everyone knows Tiny.”

Seriously? Tiny?

He bent down and picked up his supplies from the floor. “You all alone?”

The boy looked away. “My parents... they’re...”

“Gone, huh?”

The kid’s lower lip trembled slightly and it took him a while before he could answer. “Yeah.”

Something tugged at his heartstrings and he sighed. “Well, you’re welcome to tag along with me, if you want, that is. I’ve been thinking about trading in my motorcycle for something bigger anyway.”

The boy’s green eyes lit up. “You have a motorcycle?”

He smiled at the kid’s excitement. “I do at the moment.”

“Sweet. I was getting tired of this place anyway.”

He nodded. “It’s too dangerous for a kid like you to be alone anyway.”

“I’m Luke, by the way,” said the boy, holding out his pale hand.

He shook it. “Nice to meet you, Luke.”

Luke tilted his head and smiled. “And you are...?”

He let out a ragged breath. “The hell if I know, kid.”