He remembered very clearly what his mother said before locking the basement door. That he had to stay hidden and quiet. Or else the monsters will come for him and eat him. Just like they ate everyone else. He shivered with fear, pleading his mother to come with him but she said she had to find Daddy first.
As long as he did what she told him to do, he'll be safe. She promised to return with Daddy and they all will pack their things to leave the hell-ridden town. He pleaded to go with her, but she told him it was too dangerous outside, and that he had to stay inside.
"Please, honey. Just listen to me and stay in the basement. Keep quiet and stay hidden. Don't make any noises. You'll be safe, I promise. I'm gonna keep the door lock, so that way no one comes in. When I come back with Daddy, we'll leave here. For Grandma's, okay? Just do what I say, sweetie. Okay?"
So he did. He stayed in the basement, hiding in the dusty dark. He could hear the scary noises coming from outside. He waited for his parents, just like his mother wanted him to. He waited, and waited, and waited. He waited for that basement door to come unlock and his mother calling for him so he can run in her arms, and also Daddy's arms. So they can get in the car and drive to Grandma's, where it was safe, because Mommy said the monsters were no where near around Grandma's.
Anytime he heard a scary noise that sounded like one of those monsters, he would quickly hide inside the old cabin his Father had down here, where he stored his bottles of drinks. One cabin was empty and he was small enough to hide in it. Any time he heard a hiss, a growl, a deadly groan from any of those monsters, he quickly hid and counted to himself until he was sure the monsters were gone.
All he wanted was his parents to come back already so they can leave. But, his young mind could not comprehend how many days has passed since that day his mother left to get his father. He did not know he was all alone in his little basement, with boxes of stale cereal as his only food supplies. How many nights he stayed hidden in the cabin because that's when the monsters would really make scary noises and he would silently cry for his mother to be with him, protect him. He did not know he was the only one left in Columbus, Ohio.
The Floridan hick drove around slowly, eying the town that was rumored to get burned down and covered with zombies. He was considering skipping this town, forgetting about it, but oddly enough, he could not bring himself to do that. He hasn't killed any zombies in a while and this town was filled with them. Perhaps he'll get lucky and find a store that had aisle and aisle of delicious Twinkies.
Nodding to himself, he drove straight into the town, eager to blow off some dead motherfuckers' heads off. The town was not much. Zombies were walking around the place, as if they owned the fuckin' place. He gladly fixed that by shooting them like a game of shoot the ducks at a carnival.
The buildings of the town were mostly destroyed. Mostly, because he drove around the suburban area too, and was surprised to see one house that looked completely unharmed. He put the car in park, looking at the house. It was a normal house for perhaps what used to be a normal family. He climbed out of the car, making sure he had his gun and knife with him. If he was lucky, this house could have some Twinkies in it.
He went up to the front door and found it to be locked. Frowning, he lifted up his leg and gave it a swift kick, breaking it open. He stepped inside the house, looking around. Pale walls with few pictures on them. A living room left untouched. The staircase looking dull. He walked around, looking for the kitchen. He found it and grimaced at how plain it looked. He checked the cabinets for any source of foods or Twinkies but only found stacks of boxes and canned goods that has gone bad.
He grumbled to himself and decided this house was useless. He was about to turn and leave when his eyes spotted the basement door. Perhaps, there were better food supplies (and Twinkies) down there. It seems whoever used to live here was a very organized person. Those stacks of boxes and cans were in size order and alphabetize.
He went up to the basement door and slowly unlocked it. He pushed the door open and looked down at the darkness. He gripped to his gun and felt around on the wall for a light switch. He flipped the lights on, and the lights flickered. It was dimly lit but it was good enough. He slowly went down the stairs, making every step creak and moan.
He looked around the basement. There were boxes marked with whatever was inside of them, old furniture, and once again the alphabetize and sized order of food. He went up to them but frowned to find them as useless as the ones upstairs. He gave a swift kick, grumbling a curse to himself. He glared at the boxes again but noticed something. The boxes of the cereals, they were open. He took one, a box of some cereal he could clearly see an old person eat, opened and half-empty.
His face fell in thought. Is there someone else in this house that he wasn't aware? Clearly if someone was here, they make themselves seen, right? He looked around the basement again, placing the box down. Holding on to his gun, he walked around the basement.
"Anyone here?" He called out.
Nothing answered him. He sighed and guessed he had nothing to worry. He was about to turn and go back upstairs when he heard something. It sounded like a gasp or a whimper, but he heard it. He looked around and his eyes landed on the cabin. Something was inside there, he knew it.
He silently walked up to it, and leaned over, his hand on the knob of the cabin as his other hand held his gun. He counted to three in his head, bracing himself. He threw the cabin door open and aimed his gun.
A scream was heard and he blinked in surprise. A kid. It was a kid. A small, skinny, bushy-haired boy. He lowered his gun as the small child whimpered and cried. Jesus H. Christ, it's a kid. He suddenly felt guilty for making the kid cry and he put his gun down.
"Hey, hey. It's alright. Fuck, kid. I didn't mean to scare ya. I didn't know ya was even in there. Hey, c'mon now..."
The child sniffled, still shaking with fear. At least his tears had stopped. The Floridan hick heaved out a sigh, scratching his head. He looked at the kid and got up.
"C'mon, get yerself out of there."
The child obeyed, slowly coming out of the cabin. His skinny little figure was still shaking as he stared at the huge man with large frighten eyes. The huge man stared back, awkwardly and nervously.
"Where's yer parents, kid?" He asked.
The child just shrugged his shoulders, still shaking.
"Are ya alone here then?" He asked again.
The child nodded his head, sniffling.
The huge man mumbled something to himself, rubbing his stubble in thought. The child looked at the man, now curious by him. The man looked like a cowboy from one of his books. Well, almost a cowboy but he definitely has the cowboy hat. The man looked back at him, frowning.
"How long ya been down here?" He asked.
The child shrugged his shoulders again. The cowboy looked annoyed by that answer so the child opened his mouth and for the first time, spoke to the stranger.
"M-My mommy s-said to stay down here. S-She was gonna c-come get me a-after she gets D-Daddy."
The cowboy mumbled something that sounded like a bad word. He looked back at the little boy and he frowned, but not in an angry way. The child was still shaking, afraid still of the strange cowboy. The man sighed again and extended his hand.
"C'mon. Ya look like ya need a change of clothes. Maybe a shower too, kid. Ya smell something fierce."
The boy blinked, looking at the hand. His mother always told him to never go anywhere with strangers. Could he trust this cowboy? What if he tries to feed him to the monsters? The boy looked up at the cowboy and shook his head.
"I-I have to stay here. M-Mommy said so..."
"Kid, I dun know how to say this, but I don't think yer mom's gonna come back anytime soon."
"B-But she p-promised..."
"I dun know what she promised, but I'm pretty sure she ain't comin' back."
The child blinked and his face scrunched up. He lightly whimpered and soon tears were coming out of his eyes again. The cowboy said a bad word again, only this time loudly. He was down to his level now and looking at the crying boy.
"Listen to me, kid. I know ya promised yer mommy, but it ain't safe here no more. It's amazing enough ya was able to hold it out fer this long but yer luck is runnin' thin, kid. Look at ya! Yer skinny enough to slip through any of these goddamn cracks! Ya need some lookin'-after, alright? Ya can trust me, okay?"
The little boy looked at the cowboy's blue eyes and he nodded, sniffling. The cowboy grinned and ruffled his head. He got back up, dusting himself off. The child wiped his eyes with his arm, still looking at the cowboy.
"W-What's your n-name, mister?"
The cowboy looked back at the boy and lightly frowned. He looked away and then looked back at the child. The little boy waited for an answer, his small eyes blinking.
"No names, kid. Just call me Tallahassee."
"T-T...Tallahassee." The child tried out.
"Very good, kid." Tallahassee said, smiling.
The little boy lightly smiled back. "M-My n-name is-"
"No, no, no, no. No names, remember?"
"O-Oh yeah...Can I be O-Optimus P-Prime?"
Tallahassee chuckled, shaking his head. The little boy looked serious and he grinned at the boy. "Maybe, on good days. Fer now I think we'll just call ya...Columbus. That alright with ya?"
"O-Okay, I g-guess." The boy mumbled.
Tallahassee grinned and ruffled the boy's hair. Columbus lightly smiled at Tallahassee. Tallahassee extended his hand again and Columbus looked at it. His small eyes gazed up the stairs and he stared back at the man's hand. He took a deep breath and took Tallahassee's hand, his small hand clinging on to the man. Tallahassee squeezed his hand back and they both went up the stairs.
First thing was first; Tallahassee had to barricade the front door he broke shut. He didn't want the kid freaking out. So with the help of a really ugly designed couch and chair, he made sure the door was shut tight. He tried to look for something edible for both of them to eat and luckily found one good can of creamed corn.
The stove still work so he started heating that corn up right away. The little boy looked around his own house, his own kitchen as if it was someone else's house. Tallahassee served him a small bowl of the creamed corn and the boy ate it up quickly. After Tallahassee ate his up, he took the boy upstairs where he guessed the bathroom was, and he was right.
Before he did anything though, he looked back at Columbus, the little boy scratching his head. "Hey, kid. How old are ya?"
The little boy looked up at Tallahassee and said, "S-Six and t-three quarters."
"Ya seem kinda small fer a six-year old."
"Mommy said I'll g-grow s-soon."
"Sure, ya might, kid. Now get yerself in the bathroom and start takin' a shower. Ya smell, kid."
Columbus looked at the empty bathroom and back at Tallahassee. He nervously shuffled his small feet. Tallahassee waited for the little boy, raising a brow. "Well? What ya waitin' fer?"
"I-I don't wanna go inside a-alone." Columbus softly said, looking down at his feet.
"Look, ya'll be fine. I'm gonna be out here, so I won't be far." Tallahassee reasoned with the child.
"C-Can you help me turn the w-water on?" Columbus asked.
Tallahassee sighed and walked in the bathroom with the little boy. The bathroom was clean, saved for the dust. He walked over to the bathtub, turning the faucets on. The house actually still had warm water so he made sure the water was at a right temperature for the kid and he took a step back.
"Alright, get in there and shower, kid." He ordered.
The child nodded and watched as Tallahassee walked out of the bathroom. The Floridan hick waited outside the bathroom, listening to the sound of the shower. He knew he should also be inside the bathroom, make sure the kid was okay, but he believed he'll cross a line if he watches over a nude six-year old boy take a shower.
Sure, the world went to hell but he did had a set of rules for himself. Besides, it would be awkward anyway and hold painful memories. Still, Tallahassee was amazed by this kid. This small little...spit-fuck was able to hold out a zombie apocalypse, and without knowing. Poor brat, he still probably thinks his parents are still out there, somewhere.
The door opened and Columbus was wrapped up in a towel, covering him everywhere. The little boy blinked up at Tallahassee, sniffling. "I'm finished. But I don't know how to turn the water off."
"That's alright, kid. Get in yer room and put some clothes on. Then start packin'." Tallahassee said.
"Packing? Why?" The little child asked.
"'Cause ya comin' with me fer now on, got it?" Tallahassee answered. The little boy just stared at Tallahassee as the Floridan hick went to turn the water off in the shower.
He scampered to his room, opening the bedroom door. His room looked so clean and neat, it was clear that it was left untouched for so long because Columbus knew he always got his room dirty. He walked in and went to get his favorite pair of underwear, slipping it on. He pulled out random clothes, some to wear and some to pack.
Tallahassee walked in, watching the kid throw clothes on his bed. He lightly chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed. He watched the little boy in little dinosaur underwear throw clothes everywhere. He was just like...
Tallahassee frowned, forcing himself to not remember because remembering would bring back memories and last thing he wants to do is cry in front of the kid. Columbus found a pair of jeans and a nice t-shirt. He ran to his closet, pulling out a small kiddy version of a suitcase and then a small yellow hoodie.
He slipped on the hoodie, and pulled the kiddy suitcase on the bed. He grabbed a bundle of clothes and tried to mush them inside his little suitcase. Tallahassee laughed and got up.
"Ya gotta fold them if ya want them to fit inside, kid." He said, pulling the bundle of clothes out.
"Mommy usually folds my clothes." Columbus mumbled.
"Yeah, well. Ya gotta be a big boy now. Yer mommy ain't around no more." Tallahassee said, folding the kid's clothes.
"I-I bet she's at Grandma's. Her and D-Daddy. They just forgot me 'cause the monsters were c-chasing them but Mommy's fast and so is Daddy."
Tallahassee looked at the kid, seeing how determined his young face look, believing the little story he just made up. He didn't have the heart to tell this kid the fate of this town. How it was rumored that no survivor was left and it was now a zombie's paradise. He sighed as he continued folding up the clothes and packing them.
"Sure, kid. That's where they're at."
"Are we going to Grandma's too? I remember that Grandma lives in the place where Disney Land is!"
Tallahassee blinked and looked away, rubbing his stubble. Fuck, this wasn't in his plans. He looked back at Columbus, who was waiting for an answer. He sighed, rubbing his stubble nervously.
"Maybe, kid. We just gotta get out of here first, okay?"
"O-Okay. Can I pack my toys too?" Columbus asked.
"Just the important ones, kid."
He continued packing the kid's clothes as quick as he could. He could see the sun would be setting soon and it would be a good idea to get out here before night fell. He packed a blanket for the kid and quickly went to the bathroom to fetch the obviously only childish toothbrush to pack.
Columbus was debating which toy to bring. Holding his action figures, he was deciding which robot he should take. He looked at his toy chest where his other toys were. His Legos, action figures, board games, or trading cards. He chewed on his bottom lip. The cowboy said only the important ones.
He grabbed one robot toy, the one his dad gave him for his birthday. He placed that inside the suitcase and then jumped on his bed, pulling the pillow over. Underneath the pillow was an old teddy bear. He smiled at the bear and hugged it tightly.
"Ya ready, kid?" Tallahassee asked.
Columbus zipped up his suitcase and pulled it to the floor, pulling up the handle. He nodded at Tallahassee, one hand holding the suitcase, the other holding his teddy bear. Tallahassee lightly smiled at him. He nodded at Tallahassee. "I'm r-ready."
As they went down the stairs, Columbus took one last look around his old house as he followed Tallahassee. He looked out the window and noticed night was coming. He clung to his bear tightly and looked back at Tallahassee. Tallahassee seem to notice the boy's anxiety and had a tight frown on.
Tallahassee came up to the barricaded door and looked back at Columbus. The young boy was hugging his bear tightly, obviously afraid to step outside. He sighed, scratching his head. He looked back at Columbus.
"Listen, Columbus. My car is just right out there, alright? I'll carry you so we can get inside of it faster. Ya dun have to scared, 'cause I'll be holding on to ya, okay?"
Columbus nodded. Tallahassee nodded back. He took down the couch and chair in swift quick moves and picked Columbus up with one arm as his other arm held the kid's suitcase. Columbus hid his face on the nook of Tallahassee's neck, not daring to look how it was outside. Tallahassee sighed deeply and opened the door.
Outside was getting dark and Tallahassee could hear those motherfuckers around, but in a distance. He ran to the car as fast as he could, and opened the door. He placed Columbus in the front seat and quickly put the suitcase in the back. He bulked up the kid and he got into the driver's seat.
He closed the door, and started up the car. He backed up and started driving away. He blinked as he drove, taking in everything. This was clearly not as he planned. He didn't find any Twinkies, nor any good food supplies. Instead, he found an orphan little boy. He looked back at the kid, who still had his eyes shut tightly and hugging his bear close to him.
It was quiet between them, and Tallahassee found it awkward. He nervously cleared his throat and rummaged around, and popped in a CD. Soft country music started playing in the car. Columbus slowly opened his eyes, and it looked like he was calming down.
"W-Who's singing?" He asked softly.
"Willie Nelson, boy. Best damn singer there is." Tallahassee said, smirking.
The child nodded as if he agreed. He looked at Tallahassee, his small green eyes tired and worried. "W-Where are we going?"
Tallahassee glanced back at the child. "Far away." He answered.
The boy was quiet again, then looked back Tallahassee. "C-Can we go to my Grandma's? Mommy and D-Daddy might be there."
"I dunno, kid. Ya say yer granny lives near Disney Land? California's far." Tallahassee muttered.
"But you just-just said we're going far away!" The boy squeaked out.
Tallahassee looked at Columbus and sighed. The boy's eyes were pleading to him. "I'll think about it." Tallahassee said.
Columbus lightly smiled, pleased. He then yawned, rubbing his eyes. Tallahassee's arm went to grab a blanket from the back and gave it to Columbus. Columbus took it, wrapping himself with it. He snuggled in his seat. The soft country music, the swaying of the car, and the feeling of warmth lulled Columbus to a peaceful sleep.
Tallahassee looked at the sleeping child and he sighed again. He rubbed the back of his head as he kept his eyes on the road. This was definitely not part of his plan. He glanced back at the kid, who was hugging his bear while sucking on one of the strings of his yellow hoodie. Tallahassee slightly smiled. Maybe, in a way, this kid was suppose to be with him.
Faith, and all that crazy crap. Either way, perhaps this was his second chance. He would take care of his kid and make sure nothing bad happens to him. Tallahassee made himself agree to do so. The car drove off and out of Columbus, Ohio as it headed to the direction to California.
Author's Notes: Well, I wrote this a long time ago, hoping to continue it. But I never got around doing so. I'm not too sure if I want to, that's the point.
So tell me, should I continue this? Does it interest you? I'd like to know.
R/R please!