The Mound, Part 1
Flight or Fight? Which will Kace choose when his back is against the wall?
There was a calm over the village settlement. The clear night sky was blanketed with billions of stars that were so big you could reach out and grab them. The moonlight danced between the snow capped mountain peaks casting long shadows throughout the valley below. The frosted pine tree forest beyond the slightly rusted chain linked boundaries of the settlement echoed sounds of animal life.
Kace loved nights like these. The picturesque atmosphere made his overnight lookout duties bearable. If he was being honest with himself, he actually liked being on watch at night. At his vantage point on top of the lookout tower, he could see the entire settlement, which reminded him of one of those frontier towns in the old west. It was peaceful up here. Up here, he could enjoy the silence. Up here, he could be alone. Kace liked being alone and after all those months on the road, scavenging for food and shelter, the solitude was very much welcomed. The only downside of the tower was that the silence created ample space for his mind to roam. For most people, a wandering mind isn’t cause for concern, but most people haven’t suffer through what Kace had to endure. In these moments, he tried his hardest not to let his mind settle on his family, but their memories were too powerful to resist. The harder he tried to push images of his daughter’s eyes or his wife’s dimples to the back of his mind, the more their faces materialized in front of him. These thoughts were too painful to bear. Going over the inventory of his rations was the only thing that kept his mind from wondering to that painful place. A wondering mind was common in this line of work. Was it boring? Yes. But boring was good in Kace’s eyes. Boring meant no danger. Boring meant no infected.
What was that? thought Kace. Sounds of foot steps pounding the creaking floors of the tower steps broke the silence of the night as someone, or something, climbed closer and closer to the top. According to his watch, he still had 40 minutes left on his rotation. Pulling his rifle closer, Kace peaked over the edge of the tower.
“Who’s there?” Kace said as the creaks grew louder with every step.
No response. Kace relieved his gun of its safety. “Who’s there?,” he repeated louder.
“Whoa whoa, its me, Arlo,” said Arlo, holding his palms in the air. “Can you lower your gun?”
“Oh sorry, man. What are you doing up here? Your shift doesn’t start for a while.”
“Yeah I know, but I woke up early and I couldn’t go back to sleep. Thought I’d come up and keep you company,” chuckled Arlo while placing his rifle down and taking a bite of an apple.
Even though Arlo was several years older than Kace, he didn’t look it. The years were kind to him, which was evident by his smooth brown skin and a kind face. Arlo’s youthful outer appearance was matched by his genuinely pleasant personality. He was one of the first people to greet Kace upon his arrival in the settlement in which its inhabitants affectionately called The Mound. Kace suspected it was his job to be the face of the community as a way to illustrate to newcomers that The Mound was a safe place. However, after couple of weeks living within its walls, it was clear that this was no act. Arlo was one of the good guys, which was an uncommon trait nowadays. A trait that made Kace uneasy.
“Thanks, but I’m good.” replied Kace. “The last thing I need is people to think I skipped out on my duties, especially after I just got this job.”
“And your gun back, huh.” smirked Arlo offering him a spare apple from his bag.
Ignoring this statement, Kace took the apple and once again took inventory of the settlement below. Arlo’s assertion was absolutely right. Finally being able to get his gun back after giving it up upon arriving at The Mound was like getting his breath back. He felt as if he lost a piece of himself when he gave it up to be able to stay in the settlement.
“How are you adjusting,” Arlo said pulling out a two bottles of water and handing one to Kace.
“I’m adjusting to the job good enough. It feels good to be able to contribute now and not feel like I’m freeloading.” Kace said taking a sip of water.
“I meant to The Mound.” replied Arlo. “I know you been here for a few months now but being on the road for that long and then coming here can be a big adjustment.” Arlo’s brown eyes pierced a hole in the side of Kace’s head.
“I’m adjusting fine. This place has been good for me.” Kace continued to scan the valley, refusing to make eye contact with Arlo.
“Kace, the motion sensors along the north gate in zone C just went off.” called command from Kace’s walkie. “It could be a malfunction, but just in case, go take a look and report back.”
“Copy that.” answered Kace, speaking into the walkie receiver.
“I’ll come with you.” Arlo said, picking up his gun a putting his apple core back in his bag.
“I can handle it. No need for both of us to go.” Kace protested.
“No such thing as too much help. Besides, I need to stretch out my legs.” Arlo said brightly. “Come on man, the quicker we do this, the quicker you can go back to you room and get some sleep.”
Kace reluctantly pick up rifle and followed Arlo down the watch tower. The freshly snow covered ground damped their footsteps as the strode toward the north gate. Kace didn’t want any parts of Arlo assisting him. It’s not that Kace hated Arlo, it more like he didn’t want to like him. However, after a while, Kace felt it more prudent to accept Arlo’s relentless optimism as to not alienate the others in the community who adored him. Being the new guy would be harder if people felt he was against what Arlo embodied for the community…hope. This philosophy is exactly why Kace wanted to keep his distance. He knew that hope did not exist in this world and everyone who subscribed to it was fooling themselves.
“The school is coming along,” said Arlo, gesturing toward a small one room schoolhouse with construction equipment and pieces of plywood littering the ground in front of it. “I need to talk to Jeff about making sure the guys put away their tools at the end of the day. Can’t have the snow rusting them out.”
They turn up a nearby street with eight small trailers lining the road. “Looks like the Henderson’s finished their Christmas decorations,” chuckled Arlo. “Looks better than I thought it would.”
Even though Arlo wasn’t the community leader, he was a big part of keeping the community functioning. Everyone seemed to liked him and inflate in his presence. However, his optimistic spirit did not penetrate Kace, and at first, avoiding Arlo was his top priority. But Kace eventually conceded to the fact that the better move was to let Arlo think that he was getting through to him. This decision was a necessary chest move. Arlo was able to help Kace gain the trust of the community in a fairly short time, and in turn, Kace was able to blend in harmoniously. This point was crucial for Kace. It allowed him to discretely stock up on food, clothing, and just as recently as two weeks ago, his rifle. The price of the gun, however, came with his current employment situation. But in Kace’s mind, it was worth it. Everything he accumulated these past few months was in preparation for what Kace knew was inevitable, chaos. Ever since the spread of the infection, chaos was a constant part of life. You had to eat, sleep, and breathe turmoil and disarray because that’s what comes from a world where half of the population is wiped out from a disease, leaving the remaining poor souls to become remnants of a lost world.
“The north gate is just past the chicken coops,” instructed Arlo. They walked past the makeshift chicken housing as their feet sunk deep into the snowy canvas. As they made there way past the coops, Arlo cleared his throat, which caught Kace’s attention. “Hey Kace, I’ve been meaning to speak with you.”
“About what?” replied Kace.
“I know that you’ve been stocking up on things. My guess is you’re planning to leave. Probably fairly soon since you’ve gotten your gun back,” said Arlo in a conversational tone.
Kace’s heart dropped. He thought he had been careful not to be too obvious when hording supplies. “Uh, I really don’t know what to say to that,” Kace said nervously.
“Don’t worry no one else noticed. And I don’t plan on saying anything to anyone.”
“Why not?” Kace replied, curiously.
“I know the idea of this place can be a tough pill to swallow. Especially for someone like you who has been on the road for so long. The Mound can seem fake compared to the rest of the world.” said Arlo, as they crunched through the dense snow. “But you should really consider staying.”
“Why? What’s the point?” retorted Kace.
Arlo pointed to his surrounding. “What’s the point? All of this is the point. Community. Connection. Finding a group of people to try and forge something sustainable.”
Kace sighed. “You don’t get it.”
“Enlighten me.” responded Arlo.
“Sooner or later, all of this will go away. This can’t last. Not in this world. Every person you care about is either going to be killed or even worse, be turned into one of those monsters. So there is no point of getting attached. It’s just easier keeping your distance.”
Arlo let Kace’s words wash over him for a moment. Even though he didn’t completely agree with Kace’s outlook, he couldn’t completely disagree either. “Look, I know how hard it can be to-”
“No you don’t,” Kace interrupted hotly. “You have no clue. You haven’t been through what I’ve been through. Seen what I’ve seen. Lost what I…” Kace voice faltered, betraying him. “No one in this community has an idea what its like out there.”
Arlo chuckled. This enraged Kace but before he could retort Arlo interjected, “Why does everyone who loses someone they care about think that they’re the only one in the world to have done so.”
This comment stopped Kace short. In the short time Kace has known Arlo, he hadn’t pause to think what Arlo had lost during the spread.
“What do you know about it? You still have your-”
“My family?” said Arlo, taking a deep breath. “Yeah Kim and Bryce are great. Without them I’d probably go insane. I would have lost my sense of self along time ago.”
“Exactly. Throughout all of this you still have your wife and son, “ said Kace. “I’ve lost everyone I cared about. Before I got here, I was out there in the dark. In the cold. Basically alone. I had to do things that people in this place wouldn’t even be able to wrap their precious little heads around. You don’t know how I feel. So don’t you try to act like you do.”
“I can see why you would think that I wouldn’t know how you would feel,” Arlo said calmly as the two reached the north gate. “But I’m going to tell you something that only a couple of people know about me.”
Arlo reached out his arm to stop Kace from walking. When Kace turned to look at him, for the first time since he had known Arlo, he didn’t see the oddly youthful man staring back at him, the inflection in Arlo’s face was that of someone who has lived through two lifetimes.
“Kim is not my wife and Bryce is not my son,” confessed Arlo, staring into Kace’s confused eyes. “I love those two more than anything in this world and even though she isn’t my official wife, she does have my heart. However, I had a wife and two beautiful girls before the spread.”
Kace felt the blood drain from his face. He did not want Arlo to finish his revelation, but he seemed to have lost the use of his voice. The two stood there under the 15 foot high fence as the winter wind swirled around them.
“Annie, my wife, was so strong,” continued Arlo. “I was a mess when, what we thought was the flu at the time, hit Terri, our oldest, first. There was nothing I could do for her. I watched that disease suck the life from her body.”
The brown in Arlo’s eyes started to drown under the tears bubbling up from under them.
“I was a mess when she died. But Annie helped me through it,” he continued, “She was really great. But when Natalie, started to show the same symptoms, it was too much to handle. Knowing that you’re going to lose both children is a pain I wouldn’t wish on my worse enemy. At the time, the government had thought that the disease spreading around the globe was a new powerful strain of the flu. But something different happened with Nat. Something that the government didn’t warn the public about. At first she showed signs of what we thought was the flu, but subtle changes not only changed her physically, but personality wise as well. The bright almond brown in her eyes seemed to fade away. All that was left was the black of her pupils. The color drained from her skin making her look almost frost bitten, but she was boiling to the touch. And then she got really…hungry. Yeah something was different. Of course we didn’t know what it was at the time. We didn’t know that the disease had more than just a fatal side affect.”
Kace knew all too well of the other reaction to the disease. If you weren’t naturally immune to the disease, it either killed you or turned you into a living nightmare. Kace saw firsthand how the disease rips a person’s sense of self into millions of pieces. Kace saw how it turned people into a shell of themselves. How every stitch in your mind was unthreaded, leaving something unrecognizable, something ungodly. And for this reason Kace knew that there was no way this community could last. Not when demons were out there hell bent on nothing but to satisfy their hunger.
But now he was prepared for it. The Mound was too pristine to belong to this world. It stuck out like a weed blossoming from a well manicured lawn. It was an impersonation of a society that had fallen years ago. This was why Kace worked so diligently to prepare himself for when it inevitably would fall.
“Nat became one of them,” Arlo whispered.
“Who did it?” inquired Kace, as a image of an infected girl grew in his mind.
“Did what?” said Arlo.
“Who had to… kill her?” Kace replied, wondering why he asked even though he really didn’t want to know the answer.
Arlo paused as his memories forced him back into a place that he tried to forget. “I did.”
“I’m sorry Arlo.”
“It’s no need to apologize,” Arlo said, shaking his head to erase the lingering memories from his mind’s eye. “Like I said, only a couple of people know.”
They continued walking along the gate as beams of light emitted from their flash lights cutting through the darkness as they search for whatever set the motion detectors off. Kace’s mind was swimming from the revelation of Arlo’s past. But there was still one piece missing from the story. And Kace hated himself for wanting to know what happened. But he had to ask.
“What happened to…uh.”
“Annie. Well, after we left Boise…what the hell is that?”
Arlo’s flash light settle upon a strange sight. Just beyond the gate, there was a dead deer tied to a wooden stake stapled to the ground.
“There’s another one,” whispered Arlo, as his light came across what looked to be a dead possum staked to the ground as well. “What the hell?”
The light beams illuminated the scene to reveal several more animals staked down. As they examined the scene through the other side of the fence, they noticed something moving just beyond the light. Their flashlights were drawn to the movement which revealed three people in ragged clothing hunched over a large furry creature, each taking ravenous bites from its carcass.
“Oh shit!” said Kace, covering his hand over his light. Arlo quickly followed.
“Call it in,” whispered Arlo.
Kace pulled his walkie from his pocket. “Command, we have infected just outside the north gate.”
“Infected? How many?”
“I’m counting three, but that’s not all. They’re feeding on dead animals scattered along the gate.”
“What? Hold on.” There was a moment’s pause as command digest the news. “We’ll send some more people from the night shift. If you can handle the infected then go ahead, but if not, then wait for reinforcements.”
“Copy. I’m going to give it a try.” Kace tucked his walkie back into his pocket and brought his rifle up to eye level.
“Wait, don’t shoot.” whispered Arlo. “Save your ammo. We can take them out quietly since there’s not that many of them. You have your knife on you?”
“Yeah,” said Kace, lowering his rifle and pulling out his hunting knife.
Arlo pulled out his knife as well. “Okay, I’m going to bang on the gate to get their attention. Wait for them to come up and we can stab them through the openings.”
“Got ya.”
Dawn started to rise over the horizon slowly as Arlo walked over and tapped on the gate several times until the infected stopped feasting and slowly turned toward the sound. Kace has seen them before, but that was a long time ago. The pale, dry skin stretched across their blank faces still brought a shiver to his spine. The icy white eyes pierced with the tiny spec of their dilated pupils locked on to Arlo and Kace. Thick, crimson blood dripped from their mouths onto the disheveled clothes of their former lives. They approached the gate scratching and clawing, wanting a piece of their new prey. Arlo lined up in front of one of them being careful not to get too close. He raised his knife between it’s eyes, and then firmly plunged it deep into its skull. Its body went limped. Placing his boot on the gate, he pulled the knife out of its head and the body fell back unto the snow with a thud. “Right, one down two to go.”
“Arlo! More are coming!” yelled Kace pointing toward the tree line of the nearby forest. Twenty more infected were making their way down the slopes of the valley toward The Mound.
“Damn it! Kace tell command to hurry!” Arlo screamed, holstering his knife and lifting his rifle.
“Command! A pack of infected is approaching the north gate from the forest! Tell back up we need them now!” Kace yelled into the walkie as Arlo fired shots into the dark which echoed like a cannon in the mountain valley. Kace followed suite.
As shots rang out into the night, more people from the night shift hurried to help Arlo and Kace. More infected were heading down the slopes as men yelled instructions and gun smoke filled the air. Soon the north gate was rattling with the infected, waking the sleeping inhabitants on the inside of the gate. Bullets cut through the bodies of the infected pushing on the gate, and more filled in the gaps where the bodies fell. It was chaos.
Kace took a step back to reload and in that moment a thought came to him. The question wasn’t who would bate the infected with dead animal carcasses, but why? Looking around at most of the settlement’s night defensives battling to keep the north gate steady, suddenly the answer rushed to Kace in a panic. This was a distraction.
Kace whipped out his walkie to warn command but the confirmation of his epiphany came with the sound of a large explosion which rocked The Mound, knocking snow off the roofs of the trailers and buildings throughout the settlement. Kace spun around to see a large fire ball rising high into the sky turning into a mushroom cloud which blotted out the star lit night.
“That was at the front gates!” screamed Arlo.
Check out part 2, here.
