/
Zack and Mr. Moesby refilled the generator that was in the garage. It ran on plain gasoline, which they took from underground tanks in the area's gas stations. The parking garage was large, and contained a number of cars that they had collected off the streets: three hummers, a fire truck, six convertibles, a couple of pickup trucks, and ten motorcycles. There were also an uncountable number of crates and cardboard boxes containing supplies. Zack and Mr. Moesby never argued about who owned what, as long as it was returned before dark.
/
Zack walked into the lobby. The front windows and doors had electrified bars over them, but aside from that, everything was the same as it had been when they left. Zack walked up to the candy counter.
"Hey sweet thang, I'll have a dozen mini-donuts, please," he said
Zack walked behind the candy counter.
"OK, but make it quick, I have to go to my civil rights for endangered penguins protest," Zack said, impersonating Maddie
Zack reached to the high candy shelf, and took down his box of donuts. He'd have them for dessert later.
/
Moesby took the elevator up to the twenty-third floor. He and Zack lived on the entire floor. Moesby collapsed on the armchair in the room that had been Zack and Cody's old suite.
"Carey, you would not believe the day I've been having," Moesby said
Moesby turned around to a blonde mannequin that stood in the kitchen.
"You think you have problems?" Moesby asked, "Mr. Tipton's been on my neck about the Winter Solstice Ball. That reckless knave threatened to have me fired if I don't book the hottest act."
The mannequin said nothing.
"Well, when you put it like that, I guess he does have a point," Moesby shrugged, "I just wish he would say it a little nicer, that's all."
Still nothing.
"Oh he's fine. He's just downstairs picking out something for dessert later."
Moesby lifted up the remote, and switched on the TV. By hooking up ten DVD players, each one playing at the same time each one on a different channel and starting at a random point, it seemed just like TV. The DVDs were of movies, TV shows, newsreels, and there was even one of commercials.
"Seinfeld, you never get old," Moesby said, adjusting the volume, "Hey Carey, do you mind if I watch this while you cook dinner?"
Even more nothing.
"Thanks."
/
Zack soon joined Moesby upstairs.
"What are we watching?" he asked
"Seinfeld."
Zack walked to the kitchen, and adjusted the mannequin.
"Could you turn it to the news?" Zack asked, "I want to see if the Red Sox won."
Moesby changed the channel. The newscaster was reporting events from three years ago.
"…and in other news, the Sox beat the Yankees five to two,"
"Yes!" Zack punched a fist in the air
"…the Sox have come very far since the infamous ball-catcher years ago who remains anonymous…"
Moesby buried his face in his palm. Two years after the end of the world and he still had to hear about that.
"Moesby! Zack!" came yells from the Zombies, "You can't hide forever!"
Zack slammed the window shut.
"So what's for dinner?" Zack asked, turning to the mannequin, "Again? Didn't we just have that?"
/
Dinner that night was Manwiches; most of the food they ate was canned. Moesby and Zack ate while watching TV.
"I think I we should get Arwin to take a look at our plumbing," Zack said
"Yes, the service around here is getting worse," Moesby replied, "It took Esteban half an hour to take the Gallows' bags up to their room."
/
After dinner, Zack went straight to bed. He was very tired from the long day. He collapsed onto the large bed in his old room, and slipped off his tracksuit.
"Goodnight…" he muttered
Zack soon drifted to sleep. He began to dream about the end of the world. It all happened so quickly, yet when it was happening it seemed like it took forever…
/
Two years ago…
/
Zack and Mr. Moesby stood in the medical bay, observing their friends. Cody, Woody, Ms. Tutweiller, London, and Bailey lay on camp beds; their heart rates and breathing levels had gone down, and their skin and hair had begun to turn gray.
"Excuse me," a soldier walked into the room, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"But my brother's here," Zack protested
"I'm sorry, but rules are rules. Now, kid, where are your parents?"
"Well, my Mom's somewhere in California, and my dad is…"
Moesby knew what would happen if the soldier knew that Zack's parents weren't in the city. He'd be taken to some military base along with other kids with missing parents, somewhere with poor treatment.
"Right here!" Moesby raised his hand, "I'm his father."
"You are?" the soldier asked, "But you're…you know…"
Awkward silence.
"Yes?" Moesby gave him a stern look
"Never mind," the soldier shook his head, "Take your son back to your quarters."
"Understood," Moesby nodded, "Come on Zack."
Works every time, Moesby thought.
/
They walked back to Moesby's quarters.
"Thanks for doing that," Zack said
"It was nothing," Moesby replied
Zack sat down on a chair.
"Why did this have to happen?" Zack said, "It's all so…so…"
"Have this," Moesby said, "You'll feel better."
Moesby handed Zack a soda; Zack drank it, and felt less bad.
"I still can't believe you did that," Zack said, "After all the bad stuff I've done to you."
"Well Zack, just because you put the occasional bucket of water over my door doesn't mean I'd abandon you during a bio-chemical war."
"You knew that was me?" Zack gasped
"I do now…"
/
In the present day…
/
Zack woke up suddenly the next morning; he often had nightmares about the end of the world. But, he had to go on. The boy got up, and walked into the living room. Moesby was sitting at the table, eating bacon and eggs.
"Morning," Moesby said through a mouthful of bacon
"Morning," Zack replied, "Hey mom, throw a pop tart in the toaster, I'll be right out."
Zack walked into the bathroom, and turned on the shower. He climbed inside, and let the hot water boil away his fears…