Chapter 2 - The Journey Begins

Thank you for reading. I have really enjoyed starting this and I hope you enjoy it as well.

Chapter 2 - The Journey Begins

The station bathroom lighting flickered as Kade stood shirtless with dark slim denim jeans tucked into his combat boots, washing his arms of maniac blood. He cupped his hands together, lowering his head he splashed the cold tap water onto his face and ran it through his hair. This was the first time he was given the ability to wash up in days. It felt so cool and refreshing he wished he could bury his head in the water forever.

As he picked his head back up he could see Mikael in the mirror. Standing in the doorway she held a cup of coffee in her hands for him. She even went so far as to use the little cardboard slip so that you don't burn yourself. As Kade dried his hair with paper towels she spoke,

“Three little cups of french vanilla, two sweet n’ lows right?” Mikael asked.

Kade nodded and she walked over and placed his cup on the sink. Mikael then leaned her head softly onto Kade’s shoulder. She had wavy brunette hair that fell just below her shoulders and her eyes were the kind of blue that could almost be seen as grey. Just two weeks earlier she celebrated her fourteenth birthday when Kade found a previously opened pack of candles and a set of twinkies in a half standing house they slept in.

“Thanks.” Mikael turned and looked up at him, “Hey, Kade?” She asked.

“Yeah ‘Kael?” He replied.

“You ever wonder what they were like? You know… Before?”

Kade thought for a moment, “...Every time.” He sighed, “Hey ‘Kael?”

“Yeah?” She replied.

“It’s time to pack up, we’re gonna get moving.” Kade turned and slipped back into a very ragged white t-shirt then walked out of the room sipping his coffee, “Take the tarp off the truck and load up our bags, I’m going to do a final sweep of the place and we’ll move on.”

Mikael followed Kade’s instructions and headed for the truck. With one quick snatch she removed a plastic blue tarp revealing a dirty old Ninety-Eight Chevy Twenty-Five Hundred. Just like Kade’s blade the truck belonged to their dad. In fact, he and Kade used to work on the truck together when Kade was younger. He taught him all he would need to know about keeping that truck running and throughout all that Kade and Mikael have gone through, that Chevy hasn’t disappointed them once. In all honesty, it’s probably the reason they have made it this far.

As Mikael folded up the tarp and tossed their backpacks into the truck-bed Kade rummaged through the rest of the store. He checked storage closets, cabinets, boxes, crates and then finally he made his way behind the counter. Kade yanked drawer after drawer from their slides, until he saw something shine under a few old lottery tickets and unspooled receipt paper rolls. Carefully he reached for source of the shine and as he grasped it tight in his hands his lips curled into a smile.

“It’s about damn time.” Kade thought to himself as he lifted a small six cylinder revolver. There weren’t any bullets loaded however he did find a dusty box of bullets in the next drawer. Opening the box lid for a moment, he counted eight bullets remaining.

Mikael flashed the brights on the Chevy and Kade quickly rushed out of the station. He hopped into the truck, tossing the revolver and box over to Mikael.

“Glove box.” He pointed.

Mikael gasped as the cool steel of the revolver landed on her thigh. She wore blue jean shorts and a black shirt, red button up combo. She always had tried to keep her black and white Converse intact but they had begun to fade over their travel.

“Won’t this be a little loud?” She asked.

“Won’t bring on anything I can’t handle.” Kade replied.

She placed them in the glove compartment and Kade pushed hard on the gas. After a small squeal from the tires they sped away leaving only black skid marks as evidence someone was there.

Mikael slipped her homemade CD into the radio and as the truck faded into the heat wavy distance Here It Goes Again by OK Go began to flow out the windows.  

-

They had only managed to drive about half an hour before needing to stop. Kade and Mikael sat in silence only staring at the road or more appropriately, where the road had been. It appeared one of the blasts knocked a few dozen trees onto the uneven pavement and the surrounding landscape wasn’t something their truck could take on.

“I know what your thinking…” Kade blurted out, breaking the silence, “We’re not leaving it.”

Mikael repeatedly ran her fingers through her hair, “We can find another car Kade, there’s no way we can go around this. I mean just look at it.”

“We can just go back.” Kade replied.

“And do what?” Mikael had started to raise her voice slightly, “There isn’t another way, you know where the blast hit! It would probably put us back a day just to get back on track.”

“ ‘Kael...” Kade gripped the steering wheel, “I’m not… I’m not leaving Dad’s truck.”

“Seriously!” She scoffed, “We’re going to Galveston anyways! What are you going to do with it then?!”

“Hide it.”

“Really, Kade! It’s just a truck!”

“It’s not just a f****n’ truck!” Kade yelled, “It’s Dad’s truck… It’s Dad’s and it’s mine and I’m not f****n’ leaving it! Jesus Christ, you don’t even get it! All the...”

As the argument continued the bushes and brush around them began to shake. Grunts, growls and painful breaths grew louder and louder. Fingers contorted in terrifying shapes pushed the brush aside and twelve maniacs began to peer their faces from beyond the leaves.

As they emerged, you could see their teeth were crooked and misshapen. Some of their eye sockets had shifted and some of their eyes were gone. Their limbs were warped into nearly unfunctional shapes as they hobbled toward the truck and you could hear how hard it was for their lungs to inflate with their rib cages mashed into obstructions.

“God damnit!” Kade punched the steering wheel, “Stay in here, stay low!”

The maniacs had started to surround the truck, Kade slid the back window of the Chevy open and climbed out into the truck-bed. He looked down at the tools he accumulated overtime. Crowbar, sledgehammer, axe, machete, baseball bat. He picked up the axe just as the first maniac had started to reach over the side of the truck.

Kade held the axe high above his head, the metal reflecting the early sun. He flung it down with all his might splitting the maniacs skull and wedging the axe halfway through. He pulled a few times on the axe handle, bumping the corpse against the truck but it wouldn’t budge. Kade let go and let the maniac fell to the ground.

At this point, two maniacs started trying to climb into the truck bed. Kade then picked up the machete and with one clean slice he severed one’s head. The head rolled across the floor of the truck bed as his warped body laid close to the first. Kade then swung at the second maniac lodging the blade into her temple and she began screeching in pain.

Their sounds were the soundtracks of nightmares. Every grunt, scream, screech or noise emitted from their crooked mouths was filled with a deep pain and restless anger. Their bloodshot eyes shot daggers of infinite rage and their tangled expressions only conveyed derangement.

Kade let go of the machete and grabbed his sledge hammer. With a three-sixty spin he collided the end of the mallet with the lodged machete silencing the horrid screams. There were still nine left to go and now four of them had arrived, two on each side climbing and reaching for Kade’s pant legs.

Again Kade rose his weapon high above his head, dropping the sledgehammer down on one of the maniacs, their skull bursting like a red balloon. As he readied himself for another swing his feet were pulled from under him and he fell into the truck bed. The three maniacs began to close in rapidly, working themselves up and into the truck bed.

It almost looked like their jaw would unhinge as the maniacs prepared for a bite. Kade let out a deep yell as he tried to kick himself free of their hold. Yet, the maniacs jagged teeth inched closer and closer to his flesh. As Kade’s eyes grew wide and fearful a loud noise erupted from the truck.

!!!BANG, BANG, BANG!!!

Shots rang out and the maniacs grip on Kade was lost. Mikael shakily held the revolver out the back window and Kade scrambled to take the gun from her.

“I had it under control!” He shouted.

“Sure you did!” She sarcastically raised her voice.

While Kade held off the maniacs Mikael had loaded the revolver for him. There were now three shots left in the cylinders and five maniacs nearly upon them.

Kade immediately exhausted the last three shots loaded into the revolver, dropping two of maniacs and missing one. The maniac then placed it’s foot on the tire and flipped himself into the truck bed. Mikael handed Kade the last two bullets from the box and he quickly loaded them into the cylinders.

As the maniac rose to meet Kade, the barrel of the revolver met his forehead. The moment Kade and him locked eyes, Kade squeezed the trigger and a bullet bursted through the back of the maniac’s skull. His head cocked back and he fell out of the truck and onto the cement with a meaty thud.

Ten down, two to go as the maniacs simultaneously met at both sides the truck. Kade expelled his last bullet and one of the maniacs dropped limp to the pavement. Kade reached down for the crowbar but the second maniac had made its way into the bed and lunged at Kade.

The maniac struggled to disarm Kade as they pulled back and forth on the crowbar. Kade felt exhausted and his arms grew weak from the fight. The maniac ripped the crowbar from his grasp and tossed it from the truck. The metal clanged on the ground as the maniac snapped at Kade's face.

Kade was now holding him back and the shoulders. Leaning his head back and to the right, Kade closed his eyes. The snap and tapping of the maniacs teeth echoed in his ears. He could feel it’s spit splashing him in the cheek. Kade turned to look into the eyes of his attacker when...

!!!BANG!!!

The last maniac’s head tilted quickly to the right as a single round flew through his brain. His head bounced off the side of the truck and he laid dead at Kade’s feet. Mikael’s looked confused for a moment but then her eyes filled with horror. Two months they had gone without seeing another person but from a distance she could see a rifle barrel extending from the brush.

“K… Kade…” Her voice shook.

“I know.” He replied.

Suddenly, a scratchy deep voice called out from the distance.

“Now that’s what I call a show!” He cried, “Whew! You might just be one of the most impressive mother-fuckers to walk through this place in quite some time.”, the voice chuckled from afar, ”Well, I’m only gonna tell you this once so make sure your listening boy...Hey, you are listening aren’t-cha?”

Kade stood blood soaked in a silent defiance.

“Okay, well I’m just gonna assume you are. So get on out of the truck and put your hands on your head, all criminal style-like!”

Kade stepped up onto the side of the truck and leaped down to the pavement. Slowly he brought his hands up and locked his fingers in his hair. He turned to look at the rifle barrel and where the voice was coming from. Emerging from the trees was a man who looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties. His beard was a mixture of blonde and grey and his eyes were a cold dark brown.

“I’m Don, Don Watters and I ain’t gonna kill ya… I mean, unless you try some s**t. Then hell, I won’t have no choice now will I?” He laughed, “Alright, so two questions for ya. Who are ya? Where ya headin’?”

Don continued stepping slowly and carefully toward Kade and the truck. He stared down the sights at Kade and kept his finger off the trigger like a gunman should. Mikael sat shaking with fear, watching him approach through the open slide window.

She had seen Kade take out more maniacs than she could count. Unfortunately, she had also seen Kade take out a handful of people in the months prior. Mikael often worried about his temper and noticed that living in the aftermath seemed to leave Kade constantly angry and resentful.

Kade replied to Don in a low tone, “Kade… Waltz…”

“Alright Mr. Dancer, where ya heading?” Don was now about eight feet from Kade and the end of his rifle barrel was about six feet away.

“The coast.”

“Wanna spend the rest of your life on the beach huh? Does sound mighty nice.” Don grinned peering over Kade’s shoulder he looked into the back window of the Chevy, “...And who might you be young lady?”

“She’s no one... “ Kade interrupted.

“Well now Dancer, I’m sure she’s someone.” Don chimed.

“Just leave us alone!” Mikael shouted out the window.

“There ain’t no fun in that sweetheart!” Don replied and then locked eyes with Kade, “...Now seeing as you took out these disfigured folk and seeing as how I got the gun, how ‘bout we parle ourselves a little deal?”

Kade’s fiery gaze never broke, eyes never blinking.

“So I got myself a bit of a conundrum…” Don began, “I’ve been living in these parts my whole life ya see. My daddy and his daddy before him did the same. We got ourselves some land a few miles out and built a little ranch on it. I just so happen to have a few uh… tenants who I need to uh...  evict. They ain’t so welcome on my property”

“You want me to clear out your land?” Kade raised his brow at Don.

“Well I’m getting kinda old ya see and I ain’t the rockem sockem mustang I was back in the day ya know. I can’t really move as fast as I used to neither.” Don lowered one hand and pulled his right pant leg up exposing a prosthetic leg.

Don continued, “So seeing as I just saved your life I figure you could at least return the favor.” He smirked, “What’cha say you help drop some uglies and I’ll let you walk on outta here? Hell, I’ll even give ya a free night at the ranch, feed ya and put you back in route for the coast come mornin’. See, I don’t know if you can tell Dancer but you sure as hell ain’t making it through this way.”

“...And if I say no?” Kade said shrewdly.

Don thought a moment, “Well then looks like I’m wasting a bullet.” He peered over Kade’s shoulder again, “... Maybe even two.”

“Looks like you’ve got yourself a deal, Watters.” Kade turned and hopped back into the truck bed. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and threw Mikael's through the slide window at her, “Let’s get this over with.”

Author's Note

Please let me know what you think. I dont really spell check or spend much time checking to see if its all okay so if you notice something please point it out.

Reviews

[Lisa]

I like the story, it keeps my interest. In the future, I'd like to see more of Mikael get in on the action. Overall, your story is great. keep it up!

[Nicholas Duboe]

Thank you very much! I will keep that in mind

[Maria20]

I am already waitin for the next chapter, Hope its coming soon. I love it!

[Nicholas Duboe]

I need to work on it ASAP. I have kind of a story direction I know I am going to follow. Hope to throw it down soon.