James Hoch: Heckel Casey

As I got older, I discovered what she had done and the evil seeds that she planted.

As I approached a burned-out city, the sun advanced closer to the horizon. Shadows were lengthening and the temperature was dropping slightly. I figured I was still in Iowa. Maybe Des Moines. Humidity still hung in the air. I debated whether I should just walk around this deserted ghost of a city. The last time I went through a major city I didn't fair too well, and I have several nasty scars as reminders.

Off to the side of the road and caught in a roll of razor wire, a tattered American flag with singed edges fluttered in the wind. Lying in the rubble in front of the flag was an old Schwinn with fat tires, the back one twisted and flat. The paint on the bike was faded, and ragged blue streamers remained on one of the handle bars.

Sitting on the hood of a burned-up old Ford and trying to decide which way to go, I paused in the middle of stifling a yawn. Out of the corner of my eye, something caught my attention. I turned my head slowly, not sure what to expect. The swishing motion revealed a tail. Looking closer into the bush, I spotted the large gray tabby cat.

"You've been following me, haven't you?" I whispered. "Are you friend or foe?"

The cat stepped back.

"I won't hurt you. I'm not partial to eating domesticated animals." I snickered lightly as I held out my hand and tried to coax the cat over. It hissed and took another step backward. I reached into my pack and pulled out a small leather pouch. "How about a little snack?" I asked, retrieving a small bite of beef jerky. It was one of the few food sources that one could find every so often from some deserted convenience store.

The cat immediately perked up at the sight of the food. "I know it's not Tender Vittles or Fancy Feast, but it tastes pretty good. Personally, I am craving a big juicy cheeseburger. You know those burgers like you'd get at Burger King with lots of cheese, pickles, lettuce? It's been so long since I held one of those Big Whoppers. Yum." I held out the morsel and the cat, still cautious, slithered over to me hugging the ground. The cat stood on its hind legs in front of the car's grill and took the food. It kept one eye on me as it devoured the jerky.

"Guess you approve. Glad you like it. Care for another?" I said reaching into the pouch to pull out more jerky.

I tossed the cat another chunk and gnawed on a piece myself.

"Do you have a name?"

The cat leered at me as if to question my sanity.

"My name is Heckel. Heckel Casey. It's a pleasure to meet you. Yeah, I know I have a funny name. What should I call you? Hmm…seeing how much you like beef jerky, how does Jerky sound? I think it's got a good ring to it."

The cat stared at me deeper as if to question my sanity further and nonchalantly started to groom its behind.

"Okay then, Jerky it is. You want to come with me? I could use the company," I slid off the hood.

Jerky worked undistracted at cleaning her head and ears. She seemed to not even notice I was there. As soon as I started walking, she spun around and followed closely on my heels. I looked back every now and then to check on her progress. Occasionally, she would stalk a mouse or a bird for a short while, but would always come back to follow.

"It's getting dark. We need to hunker down for the night somewhere. You got any ideas?" I whispered to Jerky. With a quick sprint, my new friend took off into an abandoned building.

"Where you going?" I shouted as I ran after her.

Inside the building, the last rays of sunlight streamed in from a broken window. I looked around what appeared to have been some sort of specialty food store, maybe Mexican. Most of the shelves were bare and torn down. Broken boards, smashed glass and other debris littered the floor.

"Jerky? Jerky," I half whispered and half shouted, trying not to draw any attention. "Yeah, like the dumb cat is going to respond to her name after I just gave it to her half an hour ago. Sheesh, Heck, get a grip."

The cat came out from behind a counter with a mouse in its mouth.

"Well, looks like someone found dinner. Anything back there for me?" I asked as I went around the counter. Nope…nothing…nada. Most places had been picked over for food shortly after the final days of the collapse. However, sometimes if people looked hard enough, they could find some old can stuffed far back in the corner or under a cabinet. I pulled out a small LED flashlight that only had a dim light. It needed new batteries that were about as hard to find these days as…well, just about anything. I checked each cabinet to see if there was something salvageable.

With my head crammed in a cabinet, I felt Jerky crawl on my back and go into the cabinet above me. Without any notice, she let out the loudest meow I had ever heard. I slammed my head into the board above my head.

"Son of a bitch," I yelled pulling my head out of the cabinet. A large knot formed on the back of my head in response to contact with the shelf. I rubbed it, trying to keep the swelling down. Jerky sat at the front of the cabinet and almost appeared to be smiling. She leaned forward and licked the top of my head.

"What the hell was that blood curdling meow for? Man, you got one hell of a set of lungs for someone so small."

Jerky purred and walked back into the cabinet. I shoved the feeble flashlight into the dark, cobwebbed enclosure. I couldn't believe it. Way back in the far corner, the cat sat next to a dusty old can. She looked as if she had just found King Tut's tomb.

"Well, well…what do we have here?" I sniggered and reached to retrieve the can. "Hmm, a can of refried beans. Do you like refried beans?" I asked Jerky as she jumped up onto the facing counter.

"Too bad we don't have any cheese and some tortillas," I said stroking the cat on the head. Immediately, she ran off to a back room.

"You don't really think we are going to find the remaining ingredients," I said, following the cat. I stopped abruptly at the doorframe. The scene was an all-too-familiar one. The faint glow from my LED flashlight washed over the two people lying on the floor. Their clothes were covered with dried blood. Parts of their bodies had been gnawed at from various rodents who had been dining on their flesh for who knows how long. Jerky hissed and arched her back.

"It's okay. They've been dead for a very long time." I picked up Jerky and petted her, trying to soothe the cat. Jerky continued to hiss and alternate with a horrible mewling sound.

Like a shot, someone sprang from the dark corner. The figure was holding a long filet knife. It lashed out at me. I ducked; the blade missed me. Jerky lunged at the attacker's leg, sinking all her claws and teeth into flesh, causing the knife to go flying. A loud scream, followed by a litany of cursing, came from the assailant.

"Get this mangy, fucking beast off my leg!" an old man begged.

"Okay, Jerky…let him go!" I yelled at the cat.

With her hair still spiked on her back, the cat retreated, still getting in one last hiss.

"Good girl," I said. "And she isn't a mangy beast, you asshole. Why'd you attack me?"

"These days it's attack or be killed," the old man said rubbing his leg. "I figured you were about to kill me."

"Not everyone is out to kill you," I said. "There still are a few good people left."

"Really. What crap have you been smoking?" the old man replied as he shuffled out into the next room.

I picked up Jerky and petted her head. The old man found some old boxes and padded cushions in one corner, probably left over from some other wanderer. He sat down and continued to rub his leg.

"I certainly hope I don't get an infection from that little shit. That's the last thing I need."

I found a cushion opposite the old man and set Jerky down. I turned off my feeble flashlight just as I saw him lighting a small candle. The soft glow showed more of the room. It had the characteristic lively festive colors of a Mexican restaurant.