Jason Campagna - White Ash on Bone - A Zombie Novel

“Mr. Ricks if it weren’t for those civilians with guns I’d, be room temperature but still looking for my next meal.”

This pencil pusher from Harrisburg just became an enemy, Sulla thought. Who cares, I have bigger issues to deal with.

"I think I have what I need to advise the President," the General said. "The state of Pennsylvania has, of course, its own sovereign authority when it comes to its Guard units. Good luck to all of you."

Sulla and Anderson switched back to the local emergency radio band. "Anderson, when you get here I think we need to talk," Sulla said.

###

Jack stopped the van beside an old woman sitting on the hood of a 1950's vintage Chevy that was decades into the process of decay. A shotgun sat across her lap as she sang "Amazing Grace" to herself.

The junk yard had been there Jack's entire life and housed thousands of old vehicles. Who ever had owned it had long ago stopped bringing in new wrecks to the property, and the yard had turned into a time capsule of a past age. Trees had grown up through many of the wrecks as life asserted its claim on their forgotten husks. The sun and time had burned away the once brightly colored paint leaving only faint glimpses of their former glory.

Jack rolled down his window, "Ma’am, do you need some help?"

"This was my Daddy's property, and I don’t plan on leaving’ it," she replied. "I do appreciate your concern though; of all the vehicles that have gone by since yesterday, you’re the first one to stop and check in on me. Come to think of it, no one has stopped to check in on me in months, but that’ll be over soon. My name is Ruth, Ruth Denton. Who would you be young man?"

"Name’s, Jack. Ma’am, it’s not exactly safe to be sitting outside at the moment."

"I may be old, but I’m not a damn fool. I’ve a television, and know all about it."

Jack opened the door of the van and stepped out.

"I didn’t mean to imply anything. I just wanted to make sure nothing happened to you."

"Well of course something’s going to happen to me. Look at me; I’m older than these junkers. I don’t have time left to be running all over God's creation. My life’s been here and I’m going to die among these relics one way or another. I expect I’ll have company soon enough to see me out."

"If that’s how you feel, why the shotgun?" Jack said.

"I’ve been shooting vermin round this yard for better than 50 years, why should it be any different when they come? They’ll win out in the end, like time, and chew my bones, but I’ll line them up like these wrecks here until it’s my time."

"Can we do anything for you before we go?" Jack said.

"No, but since you’re the only live people I’m likely to talk to before the end I'll do you a kindness and send you off with a parting gift. Come on round this here car, I got a secret to show you."

Ruth slid off the hood of the car and led him around the back of the vehicle. She pulled open the trunk to the sound of screechy hinges. She reached in and pulled out a wooden case of mason jars filled with liquid.

"My Daddy set this place up to make shine during Prohibition. He taught me how to make it when I was a little girl. You young people be carful with this stuff, it’s got a lot more piss than what you kids drink these days. Come on, I'll walk with you back to your van and meet that pretty girl you got there."

Ruth followed him back to the van limping a bit as she carried her shotgun in two hands. Donna slid over to the driver’s seat and leaned out the open window. Jack passed the case of Mason jars to Donna who put them on the floor inside.

“My goodness,” Rush said, “You’re such a pretty thing to have all those bruises on your face. You better not tell me Jack here had anything to do with that.”

“No, he didn’t,” Donna replied, “But I’d be in worse shape, if he hadn’t come along.”

“Good, good,” Ruth replied, “Well what's your name then, darling?”

“Donna.”

“My name’s Ruth, and this here’s my place. Come here Jack, because I got something I want to tell the two of you. I was telling Jack that I ain’t going to leave this place, and I accept the fact that my end is at hand. That makes me a dying old woman with a bit of wisdom to impart.”

Jack moved closer and watched while Ruth took Donna’s hand.

“I’m eighty-seven years old and have seen many a change during my years. I don’t know if these are the End of Day’s like they talk about in The Good Book, but I can tell you this. It’s the end of days, as you know it. The generations before now were made of harder stuff. We knew things and how to do by ourselves with out having to call someone to fix stuff for us. There was real sacrifice and hardship. Many a strong man broke his body down to dust at a young age, just to put a little bit on the table. You younger folk ain’t ready to face those days again, and you don’t know the things we knew about the world. Even the rudimentary common stuff of my day, like making soap, smoking meat, or distilling is going to be something you’re going to have to figure out from a damn book. I've seen this evil getting ready to befall us for decades now. Not that I knew it would be like this, but that it would leave the younger people in the street like orphans after a war.”

“There’s going to start being people out there looking out for themselves. They may want what you have and be willing to take it. Then there are going be just plain evil people that will inflict ill on the world for their own amusement. You have to be ready for it. Be ready to be your own law. Necessity is going to dictate a lot of things on you, and I pray you can bear it. You’re the only vehicle I’ve seen come down that road behind you since yesterday, so I assume whatever is behind you is something the two of you survived together. You may not be a couple, but you’re in a different world then the one you left behind down that road. You have a responsibility to each other now, an obligation and one that should not be lightly abandoned.”

“In all my years, I never was married nor had kids of my own. I want to spend my last hours thinking of you two as my kids. Give me your hand now, Jack.”

Ruth rested her shotgun on the side of the van and took Jack’s hand and placed it on top of her hand holding Donna’s.

“Jack, you watch out for my little girl, Donna here. They have tried to take her, but I want you to try and find a safe place for her. Donna, you take care of my only son Jack. I can tell from his eyes that he’s suffered a great loss in his life. I saw that same look on my father’s eyes after he lost my mother. Make him happy as it may be in your power, and bring water to a weary soul. Now, I’m going say a prayer for the two of you. I want you to get, without a word, after I’m done. That road behind you, and in front of you, carries death with it. You best be gone, before it catches you.”

“Dear, Lord, hear the final prayer of your daughter Ruth. I hear you calling me home. I pray for the courage to meet it here among this cemetery of the world behind us. I pray for blessings for my two children here. Their way is beset by the bones of our dying world. Help them break those bones. May they may find brighter lands in their future with green pastures and blue skies.”

Naomi had jumped up into Donna’s lap and peered out the window with her blue eyes looking at Ruth.

“I’ve never seen more beautiful eyes in my whole life,” Ruth said. “I’m going to go sit on the hood of my car and think about those eyes till it’s my time. Shouldn’t be long.”

Ruth offered her hand to the cat. Naomi smelled her hand and gave it a small lick and blinked at the old lady. “You keep watching over him like she wanted,” Ruth said. Without another word she turned around and walked off.