Last Man Standing

Chapter 1: The Beginning

The Beginning

         It has been five long years now… Since the comet hit the earth. Most of the population had died out, especially in the larger, central cities. There had been rumors that more landed on other continents, but it’s near to impossible to know fact from fiction now. There isn’t much of an opportunity to travel, with all the monsters roaming about. Things haven’t been too bad around here, a lot of the people left, hoping to get away… They went north, to Canada. A few stayed, and fought… I don’t know how I’ve lasted this long, without changing… Maybe I have… Must be the comets radiation didn’t reach this far yet. Maybe the changing effects are over. Not many here changed anyways… not at first. Most of them that did had come here already infected. The others… well… There are other ways to change than the comets radiation. Before anyone found out that certain types of contact with the afflicted could infect them, it was too late. Luckily I moved here before, and didn’t know many people. I have had to kill people I did know though… after they changed. It was all about survival now, and they didn’t have a chance. They had changed, turned into one of the many zombies hoarding outside, in the streets of every city and town he’s heard about and seen. Afflicted in mind, dead in body, changed by the comets radiation. It even resurrected the dead, even those who were long dead before it hit. Those with no flesh, all bone, were the most common in the beginning, all dead long ago, and their flesh gone. Then there were those who had recently died… not completely decomposed, but not whole either, and then those that died after the comet hit… all brought back as the mindless undead. Continuing in its wake were those in direct contact, or within the immediate area surrounding the impact zone… just a few miles away. They are the most powerful of the comets creations, those we call “monsters”, changed completely by the most powerful of the radiation, strengthening the mind, and changing the body’s appearance… Creatures you could only dream up in your most horrid of nightmares… there’s even rumors of dragons coming from those who came into contact with the comet itself when it landed… when the first wave of radiation burst forth. Beasts with unimaginable strength and cunning were appearing around it in droves. Further down the line are those we now call “super” zombies. There are not as many of these, though there should be. They are the humans that were killed instantly by the overwhelming amount of radiation that came from the comet upon impact… Why the monsters didn’t die, and the super zombies did isn’t known… But the super zombies weren’t tortured by long and painful deaths. They just died, and were reborn… remembering some of their past lives, and retaining some of their intellect. They almost seem human, and will recognize you, and you will recognize them. Except for the uncontrollable urge to kill and devour the flesh off of anything living, they would seem… human. They are the worst to kill… human like intelligence, radiation enhanced strength… and the remorse you kill… it’s like you’re killing another person… Under their control, of course, is the regular zombie… which makes up just short of the larger part of the population of the entire planet. Just under the fleshless zombies… they can be combined into two categories under the same pretext. Much easier to kill… you don’t feel any remorse for killing mindless flesh eating swarms of rotting death. There are also those who are still alive… twisted with the pain of being sick from radiation, or a bite or scratch from a zombie… or even a simple kiss from an infected person… Those are the crazies… They are terrifying and reckless, and dangerous… You kill one of them… their death with stick with you forever… Last, but not least, there’s the survivors… us… the last living, sane remnants of humanity. There are less of us than any of the others, except maybe the monsters, and there are less of us each day that passes, hunted by creature and each other alike. Fighting them for survival, and each other for supplies, which there is less and less of on this God forsaken planet. You can’t dwell on it though… otherwise you go crazy… become one of them. I’ve fought too damn long and hard to let that happen now.
         There’s two different types of survival now… there’s “society”, where people try to band together in a miniature city, or fort, and survive along with others… a few last, most don’t. People think that the mass numbers of living people draws the attention of the enemy… it’s entirely possible.
         Then there’s the loner. Those who believe it’s better to survive on their own. You don’t draw nearly as much attention as one flesh bag, as would a “society smorgasbord”. I’m a loner, as is much of what’s left of this city. Sure, there’s other people here, and we work together if the chance presents it’s self, usually only to the benefit of ourselves, if not both of us, but it doesn’t happen often. I like this lifestyle, less responsibility, less complication, less swarms of zombies beating down the gate to ransack the town and devour the flesh of the living. I do, however, have a series of connections elsewhere than just in town. Friends from my old life, before I moved, before the comet hit… We help each other out a lot, stay in contact often. Nathaniel is the main one I stay in contact with… I grew up with him, but there are others two.
         I stay at the college in town now. It’s easier to defend than a house would be, easier to hide from the enemy, that are roaming around outside. I managed, at first, by looting Walmart… oddly enough. I hated that place, I never expected it to save my life. Lots of guns… I don’t do much fighting though, so the rifle, auto shotgun, and all the ammo I took has lasted, thankfully. I also now have dual 9mm’s, chrome with jet black trim and pearl handles that I found in someone’s house, for emergencies. I also have a long sword, which I keep strapped to my back at all waking times. It’s not the greatest… I bought it from a magazine a year or two before all this happened. It’s saved my ass a good plenty of times though. I have dual daggers that I got from the same place, I used to collect… and my most trusted friend, Trinket. She’s a double barreled shotgun… was my grandfathers. Given to me as a memento when he died, it’s all I have left of him. I made some modifications, sawed off the barrels shortly after the comet hit… I figured it would be useful. Turns out I was right… I used Trinket to put an end to my grandfathers existence again 4 years ago when I went down last to see Nathanial. He was buried around there shortly before the comet crashed. She never leaves my side… ever. She’ll send a zombie flying 20 feet through the air and it’ll land with a basket ball sized hole in it. I do name all my weapons though… mostly just to keep my sanity, or to prove that I’ve finally lost it… I’m not sure which anymore. Crazy people don’t know they’re crazy… but none-the-less, you respect the things that keep you alive, and they are my only company.
         There are rumors of teams of scientists that are studying the comet… trying to figure out why all this is happening, and how we are affected by it, and changed into the creatures that roam now. The U.S. Government is still in tact… they are tucked away safely in an underground facility, safe and sound, but they have no power out in the real world, nor any way to enforce it. I’ll bet that just rubs them the wrong way. No more people for Mr. President to boss around, no more lives to ruin. Forget them anyways, I don’t care about why this happened, I just care about my survival. We all see what happens when someone dies, and nobody wants to end up a zombie.
         They’re beginning to stir now… there’s more on the streets… the day is beginning. They don’t sleep, I don’t think… I try not to go out at night, but there aren’t as many of them at night as there are during the day. There’s other things though, worse things. I think, though, that the super zombies that control them, lessen the “patrols” at night… there might be some kind of routine. I don’t know why they care about organization… it’s not like there’s enough of us left to put up much of a resistance, they could swarm us with their unending numbers, and that would be it. Oh well, as long as it doesn’t happen, I’m happy, and alive, that’s all that matters to me.
         It’s time to get up and start the day. It’s the fifth year anniversary of “Hell on Earth” and I’m going to go down to Nathaniel’s to kill a few zombies to celebrate. Strap Excalibur to my back… I know, it’s a corny name, but having a sword called Excalibur makes me feel empowered. Strap my twin daggers Carl and Jackson to my belt, trinket on my hip and a bandolier of ammo for her. A few straps of throwing knives on my thigh, then grab my rifle Vincent, and a pouch of ammo for him, my auto shotgun Nail Driver and a bandolier of ammo for that and strap those over my shoulder, then check my dual nines Alexandria and Tracey… fully loaded, as always, and a few extra clips for them and tuck them safely behind my belt. I can't wait to see my baby... a 2006 Harley Davidson VRSCR Street. One-hundred horses of ass kickery, liquid cooled with 1130 cc’s. 60 degree V-Twin engine with polished two-tone silver and black powertrain with electronic sequential port fuel injection… redlines at nine-thousand rpm. She has strait-shot chrome dual pipe exhausts, hydroformed perimeter frame around a smoke grey aluminum body, and a radiator shroud with twin vortex air scoops. Her name is Veronica, the most beautiful creature on the face of the planet. I spend most of my time babying her… making a few of my own adjustments, like a holster for Vincent along the right side, and two emergency carriages… has emergency supplies and ammo, and dual NOS tanks with protective cover, and intakes built directly into the engine. Today’s a special day, and I wouldn’t want my love, Veronica, to miss out on the fun...

Seraphus

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