"No mother," The man muttered as he held the cell phone to his ear. It was an average day in Atkins City. The heat had increased and begun pounding down on the city streets. Causing the people to become angry and cruel.
But currently the streets seemed to be so anomalous. Not by the bitterness in the man's voice, or the heat that left traces upon the man's suit. It was the smell of the town. Trying to ignore it like the others who cradled the city's sidewalks he passed a couple of small time stores and stopped at the steps of an apartment complex.
"I just can't." He told her while punching in the numbers to allow him the access he needed to get into the dump he called home. It wasn't much but in his words 'it will do' which seemed to slitter out of his mouth way more than it needed to. "Don't you dare put this on me, the world has been cruel enough and I don't need your problems hoisted upon my back. Keep your posture old lady, it will do."
There it slipped again.
He slammed the cell phone closed and with a couple of under his breath curses he stepped into the brail gates.
His masculine fingers slid along the black wooden edge table as he lingered around his message machine. Pressing the 'play' button and making his way to the kitchen for a little drink to quench his thirst.
"Charlie," Her goddess voice always placed a smile upon his face. That was her call, that made him lap over her and kneel down at the woman's request. Loosening his tie he flipped a glass to sit upon the tiled counter.
Making an echoing sound throughout the apartment.
"I found a new place to go for some fun," She was leading him now. "I thought that you would like to join me and the girls tonight for a little to drink. Call me babe and we'll talk."
Her words were so far from the truth but he had blocked them out of his mind. She would push everything on him and guilt him into going with her, that had never failed.
Charlie Tate poured a luxurious maroon wine into his cup and toasted to the night ahead of him. It wouldn't be long before the day had ended and the heat would seize to a more comfortable breeze. After taking a gulp of the wine he place it back in the cupboard and made his way to his small living room to look at the mail he had picked up.
Something slammed at his door which reminded Charlie of a very frantic thud. Raising an eyebrow a smile formed once more on his face as it came to him that this had happened before. One of his drunk friends getting in a fight with the neighbors. He didn't care really.
They were not that nice of people, Charlie never keen on which one's he was actually talking about, his friends or the neighbors. But Charlie always opened the door to resolve the bickering between both classes of people.
When he unlocked the door a hand pushed at it with all it's might causing Charlie to stumble back out of bewilderment. This was a new one. He quietly said to himself and pushed back at the person who appeared.
Charlie could make out his face.
He was his neighbor from a floor up. But something was so different from the always optimistic smiling brute. His deep blue eyes were a tad larger and aggravated beyond their kind routine. His hands gripped Charlie's arms and he pushed him into the apartment.
"We have to go." His voice tensed "We have to leave."
Charlie tried to get loose from the intruder by wiggling him off, which had no prevail. "Get the fuck off me." He then shouted which caught Daniel Reed off guard.
He stopped in his tracks and let go of Charlie turning around to close the door. "Listen to me." His words stumbling over the other in a rush to come out. "We have to get out of here fast Charlie, we don't have much time. Something-Something is happening to this town."
"Something is always happening." Charlie retorted trying to get passed Daniel. "Now get out of here before I call the cops."
Daniel licked his lips as he looked around the room for something to help him. "I mean it man, something is wrong with these people."
"What isn't wrong with these people?" Charlie asked guiding him to the door. "Look, man, why don't you go home. Take a few pain killers and get some rest, it's clear that you have been visiting the bars a little early."
Daniel whipped around and took hold of Charlie once more. "I am not playing around man." He shouted. "Look, look for yourself at these things." Daniel motioned to the windows in the living room.
Not trying to convince himself that he wasn't a tad bit curious, Charlie did as Daniel said. Taking a gulp before he took a peek through the windows. From the view the streets just looked deserted which gave Charlie a point.
He jumped up as Daniel locked the door and then proceeded to check the apartment for anything that could be used as a weapon.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Charlie asked through clenched teeth. His face steamed red as he came to the conclusion that Daniel was just yanking him around.
"Just look out there." Daniel said leaving the room.
Charlie slipped open his window. sticking his head out of it and looked down the fire escape. It was clear that there was something different now, the same streets he found himself walking just minutes ago had been deserted. Trash in the places of wandering feet.
He smelled the stench from before but more powerful, invading his nostrils and watering his eyes. "Awe hell." Charlie choked as he tucked his head back into the apartment. Only to take a second look out of curiosity.
This time he saw something laying on the concrete out of normal eye view. It seemed to be like lace, brown lace that had left a shine from the beaming sun that had been fighting to go down. Charlie's eyes grew in width as he saw a white balled shape shaped like an oval. It's pupil red and clearly the life had been sucked out.
His lock on the young girl had been disconnected as he felt something dripping on his head. Sliding through his short cut hair. He reached a hand on his head and pulled it back at the touch of the liquid. Charlie could feel his loss of control over his breath, looking at the red liquid on his fingers, slipping away with ease.
Charlie turned to look up in the direction of Daniel's apartment, against his feeling to tuck his head back in and slam the window closed. He gulped and saw as the deranged monster reached out at him, trying to grasp any inch of the man into his hands.
Feeling the hands around his waist pull him in Charlie was forced back into his couch as he frantically tried to catch his breath.
"Now do you believe me?" Daniel Reed asked closing the window and tossing the speechless Charlie a bat. "We need a plan. These things aren't human anymore. I don't know what they are, but they aren't the ignorant dumb fucks we once knew."
"How can you tell?" Charlie asked a tone of sarcasm took effect as he examined his bat. Memories of the bat flushed into his mind that he kept hidden. But right now he needed to keep from feeling weak. He tossed the bat aside and led Daniel to his bedroom where he pulled out a gun.
Daniel nodded his head. "Bedroom. Side table." He smirked at Charlie. "You're one of those take life for granted party boys aren't yah?"
So do you think Charlie and Daniel are going to get out of this mess? What about his mother, what about the girl that always keeps Charlie at his feet. What's happening in Atkins and why is there a zombie in Daniel's apartment? Stay tuned for more!
