The Paladins #1: Eric’s Misfortune
Is drinking your own urine actually a good idea? I feel like the empty water bottle in my hand isn’t enough to persuade me to start lapping up some good old-fashioned pee. Hell, there’s gotta’ be some drinking water here somewhere! With the amount of people who normally drink fresh, clean water in Toronto every day, you’d think that when what looks like 99% of them are now only thinking about human flesh and how they are going to get it, there would be a bit of water left over. Or some food. Oh god what i wouldn’t give for some of those damned peas that I always scrapped of my plate. Mom, where are you! Get me some damn peas!
I walk over to the semi-smashed window of the toy-store that I’m holed up in and look around at the carnage and destruction that plagues the streets of Toronto. It’s horrifying really, how in a matter of days an entire civilization can collapse into madness. The news reports stopped coming in a few days ago, the cable went out shortly after. I’ve been trying to call Amanda ever since, but I don’t have a signal. After she broke my heart and took my son away, i stopped caring, i put the shattered pieces of the organ that keeps me going into a small box and locked it, planning to never open it again. But now they’re all i can think about. The dead walk, turning the living into horrifying abominations, yet still the only person i can think about is Amanda, well Little Joey too.
During the initial outburst, when people started to realize what was happening, that they no longer had lives, no longer had friends, no longer had laws, they began to transform. Not in the literal sense, like the ones who rose from the dead, or morphed into the freakish creatures, but mental they changed. Business executives and homeless men became one, morphing into pillagers, rioters, looters and even rapists. It seems like in the face of annihilation, every one's hand is revealed and the poker faces come off, opening up the evil within for the whole world to see.
If that’s true, then my true face is a coward. I didn’t run to my family to protect them, i didn’t find a gun and start pulling some vigilante bullshit, i ran to this small, abandoned toy store figuring no one would want to loot a store filled with useless toys. Now, everywhere I look i see Joey’s face. I see how happy he would be with any of these toys, and i see how sad Amanda would be if Joey weren’t around anymore.
I check my phone, still no damn service. Amanda, please be okay. You may be a heartless bitch but for god sakes don’t you leave my son to fight on his own. I couldn't imagine being a five year old kid in this mess of a world. I just pray that he will be okay, if anything, god, let him survive this. I don’t care if i live, just get him home safe.
I look past the window again and see that the monsters have thinned out a little, if i walked quietly and weaved between the cars, I could probably get to the office tower next door. Once there i could climb the stairs up-to the roof and there i would most certainly have service, right? I take one last look at the toy-store and walk out the front door with nothing but the clothes on my back and the ceremonial Katana Blade that my grandfather gave me.
Now, if my grandfather had have given me a real blade, and not something that looks like it could break with one swipe, that would have been great. But instead I'm stuck with this heavy good-luck charm that doesn't seem to be working.
I crouch low, trying to avoid the gaze of anything near where I am. I don’t even know if that’s what they use, whether it’s sight, touch, or sound, either way, I don’t want any of it to happen. Silently my feet bring me closer to the building, one quiet step at a time. Just about across the street now, everything seems to be going fine. I look down and stumble as I almost step on the arm of a rotting corpse. My hands fly out to catch myself on something and the first thing i find is the abandoned car beside me. My hand smashes into the hood, pushing past some sort of alarm system and sending the car into shock. The horn blares, alerting anyone and anything for at least a kilometer. I see freaks dart up and look directly at me. Fear takes control, adrenaline pumps into my blood stream, and I take off towards the office building at full speed.
I’m in for it now. For some reason my legs direct me to the stairwell, up and up and up, how tall is this building? I can hear the monsters screaming out below me, following me up the stairs. No time to stop, no time to turn around, all i can do is run. The fear guides me, bringing me closer and closer to that heavy metal door at the top of the stairs.
I burst through it into the dim morning light and realize my mistake immediately. There are no adjacent roofs to jump to, no fire escapes. Just one lonely roof top. I can hear the monsters gnashing their teeth and running towards me, getting ever closer with each passing second. I pull out my phone, maybe, just maybe, i can get one last call out to Amanda, tell her i love her and that I always will, tell Joey that daddy was always there for him, and that i love him too. I pull out my phone, and two words are written across it in bright red letters.
No Service
I collapse onto my knees, ignoring the shooting pains that are going up my legs. I throw the phone as hard as I can off the ledge of the building. I don’t need it, not where I’m going. I see the first monster burst into the day light like I had. It’s ripped clothing and pale skin, the dead look in it’s eyes, the red blood dried onto it’s face. I contemplate jumping off the ledge, but don’t. I don’t deserve a quick death. I stand up and face the monster head on as piles of it’s brethren join it. I take a deep breath and sprint towards them.
I always loved you, Joey. I’m sorry.
I always loved you, Joey. I’m sorry.
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