Chapter Nine
Before, when the city of Phoenix was whole and not teeming with anarchy, Faladon and Sarah had gone to the same high school. They were nearly graduated, seniors both, when the disaster struck. It had been but a short time. However, it had seemed to the two to be forever. Their only infatuation had been of each other. Now they were split apart, maybe to never meet again.
"What do you mean she is gone?" Fal ranted to Dorris. How? When? Where was she headed? He wondered. He wanted to scream and howl at the dark, sagged sky. He wanted to tear it asunder and watch it dissipate into nothingness. He wanted Sarah.
"She left with naught but a note," she explained. She handed him the letter, upon which was words hastily scrawled in Sarah's small handwriting. He quickly pulled the sides apart; it was folded in its center. Faladon read the note aloud, hardly believing the words he both spoke and read.
"'Goodbye friends. I have troubled you too longer' Oh Sarah. 'This is my closing to a happy life, a conclusion to a happy tale of two lovers. Goodbye dear friends, I say once more.'" Faladon stopped to read the rest silently.
He finished reading what was inscribed on the paper. His eyes showed ever- greatening signs of angst and disbelief. When he finished the letter, he stood, silently, the storm raging all about him.
Then he dropped the soggy length of paper and it blew away solemnly, solemn like its contents. Off into the haze of rain it fluttered, until it disappeared suddenly. Faladon fell to his knees with a splash.
Dory took a step forward to lay her arm around Fal's shoulder as she sat. Faladon simply stared ahead with his eyes, darkened to a dull green at his grief. Tears welled up in his eyes but he ground his teeth together so sharply that they pained. He mustn't cry. He was still the leader in this group and he must be strong.
He raised back up to his feet, a new vigilance. They must pay, he thought vengefully. Any who have pushed us apart must pay. He turned to Jewel.
A second later, her head fell to the ground. A gush of blood streamed from her neck. Jewel was dead now, and amidst Dory's frantic complaints, Fal dragged her aside to hold off any Afflicted who came by. He took up her pretty head and tossed it aside with a sigh.
"I didn't like her much anyway," Dory finally concluded as she followed Fal once more. David had taken flight when he saw Faladon's rage. Faladon walked silently down the street, contemplating.
Too long it had been since he had released his anger such and Fal now felt empowered. He straightened with a new pride, despite his grief.
Sarah had died. She had killed herself in her angst and now he, Faladon Mycosta, must live on to avenge her death. To bring fear into the zombies' crude minds. To show them what true horror was like, that was his job.
The rain had now died down enough for decently efficient travel. They soon stopped to rest though, as Dory was growing fatigued. They picked an old two-story apartment complex. In a room upstairs, they rested.
They were running low on food and drink, Dory found out when she took inventory of their things combined. All they had were two bottles of purified water, the things Fal had found inside the liquor store, and some dried beef jerky. Altogether, they had enough to go on for a day or perchance two.
Faladon slept in the bedroom while Dory stood outside the room, on the balcony, scanning the area for any signs of life (or the lack of it). The day went by slowly, and around noon, Faladon woke. Dory found him inside nibbling on a bit of jerky.
"You fool!" she shouted at him. Faladon didn't wince though. He, instead, defended himself: "Why? We're not to live for long?! So who is the fool? The person who bides their time in hiding; or he who gets what they want themselves?" he yelled back at her.
They sat there for a while silent, with heaving chests and nasty words on their tongues. Then, a sound disrupted their silent debate. Something slammed against the door.
"It seems we must stop this folly and defend ourselves," Fal noted, drawing his sword but not taking his eyes off of his friend. Dory unholstered her crossbow, doing the same.
Before, when the city of Phoenix was whole and not teeming with anarchy, Faladon and Sarah had gone to the same high school. They were nearly graduated, seniors both, when the disaster struck. It had been but a short time. However, it had seemed to the two to be forever. Their only infatuation had been of each other. Now they were split apart, maybe to never meet again.
"What do you mean she is gone?" Fal ranted to Dorris. How? When? Where was she headed? He wondered. He wanted to scream and howl at the dark, sagged sky. He wanted to tear it asunder and watch it dissipate into nothingness. He wanted Sarah.
"She left with naught but a note," she explained. She handed him the letter, upon which was words hastily scrawled in Sarah's small handwriting. He quickly pulled the sides apart; it was folded in its center. Faladon read the note aloud, hardly believing the words he both spoke and read.
"'Goodbye friends. I have troubled you too longer' Oh Sarah. 'This is my closing to a happy life, a conclusion to a happy tale of two lovers. Goodbye dear friends, I say once more.'" Faladon stopped to read the rest silently.
He finished reading what was inscribed on the paper. His eyes showed ever- greatening signs of angst and disbelief. When he finished the letter, he stood, silently, the storm raging all about him.
Then he dropped the soggy length of paper and it blew away solemnly, solemn like its contents. Off into the haze of rain it fluttered, until it disappeared suddenly. Faladon fell to his knees with a splash.
Dory took a step forward to lay her arm around Fal's shoulder as she sat. Faladon simply stared ahead with his eyes, darkened to a dull green at his grief. Tears welled up in his eyes but he ground his teeth together so sharply that they pained. He mustn't cry. He was still the leader in this group and he must be strong.
He raised back up to his feet, a new vigilance. They must pay, he thought vengefully. Any who have pushed us apart must pay. He turned to Jewel.
A second later, her head fell to the ground. A gush of blood streamed from her neck. Jewel was dead now, and amidst Dory's frantic complaints, Fal dragged her aside to hold off any Afflicted who came by. He took up her pretty head and tossed it aside with a sigh.
"I didn't like her much anyway," Dory finally concluded as she followed Fal once more. David had taken flight when he saw Faladon's rage. Faladon walked silently down the street, contemplating.
Too long it had been since he had released his anger such and Fal now felt empowered. He straightened with a new pride, despite his grief.
Sarah had died. She had killed herself in her angst and now he, Faladon Mycosta, must live on to avenge her death. To bring fear into the zombies' crude minds. To show them what true horror was like, that was his job.
The rain had now died down enough for decently efficient travel. They soon stopped to rest though, as Dory was growing fatigued. They picked an old two-story apartment complex. In a room upstairs, they rested.
They were running low on food and drink, Dory found out when she took inventory of their things combined. All they had were two bottles of purified water, the things Fal had found inside the liquor store, and some dried beef jerky. Altogether, they had enough to go on for a day or perchance two.
Faladon slept in the bedroom while Dory stood outside the room, on the balcony, scanning the area for any signs of life (or the lack of it). The day went by slowly, and around noon, Faladon woke. Dory found him inside nibbling on a bit of jerky.
"You fool!" she shouted at him. Faladon didn't wince though. He, instead, defended himself: "Why? We're not to live for long?! So who is the fool? The person who bides their time in hiding; or he who gets what they want themselves?" he yelled back at her.
They sat there for a while silent, with heaving chests and nasty words on their tongues. Then, a sound disrupted their silent debate. Something slammed against the door.
"It seems we must stop this folly and defend ourselves," Fal noted, drawing his sword but not taking his eyes off of his friend. Dory unholstered her crossbow, doing the same.