FROM 2

FROM 2

(Note: Readers, please read the first section titled FROM before this final section)

Someone, or something, did hear my scream while trying to escape from the walking dead…

But that person, or thing, did not come to help me…

Chapter Two

AWAKE AGAIN

I wake up yet again – this time, whilst walking – well, not really walking, walking normally, we (there are a lot of us, seemingly hundreds) are walking like zombies – slowly, numb-like, barely conscious – although – I think that I am a little more conscious than the others…

This makes me think of those movies – you know, like Apocalypse Now – are we the Living Dead?

Somehow I know that these are the people who were in that giant cigar shaped space ship with me – so somehow, I, and these people, ended up going somewhere in space and returned and now, we’re being hoarded – like cattle – by whom? Not outside in any paddocks, we’re in some kind of building – it's huge – I stretch my neck to try to see where we’re going, to my astonishment, this building stretches out into the distance as if we’re walking down a long narrow tunnel, except, there is no horizon in sight. I look back from whence we’ve come and again, this tunnel like building seems to be going on forever, nothing behind us, and nothing in front of us, and I look around feeling complexed, while trying not to draw attention to myself, but I don’t see anyone supervising us on our zombie like walk. Neither do I see any cameras watching us. Or lighting. The place is not dark, but the source of the light is a mystery. I do see a window though, only one, so I doubt that that was the reason that we were not slowly strolling along in darkness. A small window on the right side of this tunnel-like building, and now that I’m sure we’re not being watched, I make for it – but when I get to it, I notice that it is a thick, double glazed window. I knew there were no latches either, but I had to look all around, feeling all around it, just to make sure…

I try waking up some of the others closest to me to help, our opportunity to escape, but they really are in a zombie state, and ignore me – I even shake one, and push another, who fell, but without a flinch, or a sound, and like robots, they quietly place themselves back into position and just as quietly resume their slow walk - I panic, I try banging on it, breaking it, but it’s as strong as it appears to be, it doesn’t even crack – I try kicking it (I’m a martial artist), but it doesn’t shatter, and I’m left with my face leaning against it, hopelessly looking at the lush forest outside, the tall grasses stirring in a gentle breeze, fluffy white clouds spotting a brilliant blue sky, and the birds – pretty pink Galas dotting landing on the green trees – my world is out there, just on the other side of this window, and I can’t get out – but I have triggered some sort of an alarm – a loud alarm – so loud, I do not understand how the zombies manage to ignore it and keep going slowly on their trek along this tunnel without a care in the world – that’s when something materializes in front of me – a person (I think, it might be a robot) in a full black one piece outfit with gloves and boots, like a plain biker’s outfit, complete with helmet, a dark helmet that hide’s any facial features, and he/she points what can only be described as some kind of a gun, and fires – at me…

I feel as though an electric shock has gone through me – when a child, I put a heater on, it seemed to be taking forever, so I touched the element to see if it was working, and found myself thrown to the other side of the room in shattering – no, in shaking, vibrating pain, trying to breathe, while waiting for my heart to slowly stop pounding; so yes, I know exactly what being electrocuted feels like but this time, I am very too consciously aware of darkness - overtaking me – I am either losing consciousness, or dying, was my last thought…

FROM 2 continued

I’m looking forward to my first morning cup of coffee so much that as if in automatic mode I turn the machine on and grab a mug, that it takes a while to realize with some relief…

I’m home…it was just a silly dream…or was it?

Chapter Three

FULLY AWAKE

Strange dream, I think to myself while I sip on my coffee, very strange – and also – seemingly very – real…

I shake my head and almost spill my coffee – don’t be silly I think to myself, don’t be silly…

That’s when I realize, the dog’s not with me, watching, waging its tail happily as per usual, while waiting for his breakfast. Leroy must be outside. I fill his bowl with some of his favourite chicken rolls, then call him. But he doesn’t come excitedly running in, as I’d expected. I keep calling him while going out into the back yard, I see him, sitting under a tree at the far end of the yard, but he doesn’t come to me. I place his bowl on the ground, he’ll come when he’s ready, I tell myself, and with a frown, knowing how much he loves those chicken rolls, I wonder if he’s sickening, but by the time I return to my coffee, I decided I won’t worry yet, I’ll see how he goes during the day, before racing him off to his vet.

Being a Saturday, there is no need to hurry and rush off to my office job in the city, or anywhere, and I smile - I could take my time, slowly enjoy my breakfast instead of quickly swallowing something down while choosing what outfit to wear and rushing to shower, I could relax out on the veranda in the warm morning sun among my array of potted Petunia and hanging Fuchsia baskets and it was such a beautiful, perfect morning, when my neighbour spoiled it by popping her head over the fence and unhappily told me that Leroy had been barking for most of the night.

“Oh, I’m so sorry Deb,” I didn’t hear him bark, I must have been in a very deep sleep, “I…I didn’t hear him…”

She softened. “It’s not like him to bark so much.”

“No, it’s not,” Leroy usually sleeps at the foot of my bed all night, “something…something must have disturbed him…”

“OK, I just thought that I’d better let you know…” she left.

I was feeling somewhat perplexed. Leroy had never been much of a barker, he was a happy dog, trained and well behaved, and always, sleeps all night and doesn’t stir until I get up…that’s when I remembered, he wasn’t there when I woke up, this morning. He usually sits with me when I sit in the sun on the veranda, also. I look around the yard. Where is he, then I noticed, he was still sitting at the far end of the yard. I looked over at his bowl, he hadn’t eaten his breakfast yet, either. OK. I’d better get cleaned up and take him to the vet.

I took his food inside, I didn’t want to attract ants – damn – I was enjoying sitting in the sun. But I didn’t want my sweet pet to be suffering and I made for the bathroom to shower, pulling my clothes off as I went. As I was passing the mirror to get to the shower, something caught my eye – something about my reflection was not right. I stopped, and looked at my reflection – gasping, I had to hold onto the basin to stop from falling to the floor in shock – I blinked as though to blink what I saw away, but failed – I looked closer – at the reflection, at myself, and at my reflection again, but there was no mistaking what I saw – a dark reddish blue mark just below my shoulder, a welt when touched, still hurt – a sore where I had been shot by some kind of taser gun…

THE END