\u00a0Okay, back to this.\u00a0 Here’s part 28 of my unedited novel that I wrote during a drinking binge in 2002.\u00a0 Suck it down!<\/p>\n
———<\/p>\n
Azizi dropped back and Daryl waited for Martin to get far enough ahead before he spoke, his voice barely audible over the whispering rain, \u201cThose things can overpower us, outsmart us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Azizi leaned forward, \u201cDaryl, We have two choices.\u00a0 We can embrace the change and try to carve out new lives, or we can let the horror overwhelm us and go nuts.\u00a0 Martin and I have been talking alot about this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what conclusion have you two reached?\u00a0 Something crazy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Azizi waved his hand dismissively, \u201cMartin is Martin.\u00a0 We know how to handle him.\u00a0 But these things are on the move, Daryl.\u00a0 We noticed that from hour one.\u00a0 What if we do have a chance to sober these fucking monsters up?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a mistake, Aziz.\u00a0 We need to run.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not going far with that girl in your arms.\u201d<\/p>\n
They came up to the front doors, where Martin waited impatiently.\u00a0 \u201cBe sure to get her as wet as possible.\u00a0 I think pneumonia\u2019s better than a concussion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daryl walked into the great hall and Azizi wheeled an uncomfortable antique couch around so it sat in the center, clawed wooden feet against the hardwood floors.\u00a0 Daryl put Molly down on the thin cushions and covered her in the blankets that Azizi handed him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what to do if she\u2019s sick,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have books,\u201d Martin said from the shadows by the side door.\u00a0 He closed it against the rainy night and punched the wall brutally.\u00a0 A row of chandeliers burst to life, bringing the great hall to life.\u00a0 Daryl was frozen for a moment, spinning around, his mouth open.\u00a0 Martin and Azizi had been busy.\u00a0 The great hall was filled with boxes \u2013 weapons, camping equipment, foodstuffs.\u00a0 It looked as if the two had spent their time raiding the countryside.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy god\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Martin paced over to a stack of crates nearly as tall as he was, his boots echoing coldly.\u00a0 He slapped the plywood and grinned malevolently.\u00a0 \u201cThe shit hit the fan, D.\u00a0 One minute, everything\u2019s cool, the next \u2013 chaos.\u201d\u00a0 He spoke dramatically, whispering the last.\u00a0 Then, as if monsters weren\u2019t bad enough, we run into a bunch of yahoo good old boy fucks who had decided to pass the time shooting at anything that moves.\u00a0 Really cramped Azizi\u2019s ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daryl looked over at Azizi, who stood behind the couch, bent over, cleaning the blood off of Molly\u2019s face.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t look up, but he softly said, \u201cLooting Best Buy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLooting?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLooting!\u201d Martin shouted.\u00a0 \u201cA great idea.\u00a0 Though, after getting our asses shot at and chased by demons, I rather figured we\u2019d be a bit more constructive with our looting.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently, Martin\u2019s been planning the end of the world since he got beat up in third grade.\u201d\u00a0 Azizi said.<\/p>\n
Martin rolled his eyes, \u201cRight, laugh it up.\u00a0 I kept my head \u2013 you were ready to hang yourself in the shower.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daryl knelt beside Molly, put a hand on her forehead, and her eyes opened slightly.\u00a0 \u201cHello.\u201d\u00a0 He said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDreaming?\u201d\u00a0 she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
She exhaled and closed her eyes, then covered them with her hand.\u00a0 \u201cLight.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s okay,\u201d Azizi said, \u201cLet\u2019s go into the kitchen and let her rest a bit.<\/p>\n
Daryl walked over to Martin, heading to the bank of light switches on the wall by the side door, when the words stenciled on the crates caught his eye.\u00a0 He jerked to a stop, turned shakily to Martin and swallowed.<\/p>\n
Martin only smiled in return, caressed the top most box and nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cProperty of the National Guard, Marty?\u00a0 Those are guns!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSerious ones.\u201d Azizi replied, going to the light switches as Daryl had intended and dimming the chandeliers until the great hall was once again a maze of shadows.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve passed by that National Guard armory on Cherry Hill Road every goddamned day for the last 4 years.\u201d\u00a0 Martin said defensively.\u00a0 \u201cWe hit that and the cop station in Glenmont.\u00a0 It\u2019s not as much as you think.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re dangerously out of control, Martin.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u00a0 Because of the guns?\u00a0 We\u2019ll need them.\u00a0 Hell, you were blasting away just 20 minutes ago, me laddo.\u00a0 Or were you not paying attention back there when those things tried to swiss cheese you?\u00a0 Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have another Humvee and a SWAT van up in the eastern parking lot,\u201d Azizi chirped happily.\u00a0 \u201cWe need more drivers, I guess, but I like the SWAT van.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe should be hoarding food and water and books on how to live in–\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right Daryl,\u201d Martin said seriously, \u201cA normal person, when attacked by mutant jellyheads after the apocalypse, usually spends his time saving hamsters.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyway, let your girl sleep.\u00a0 The three of us need to talk about building the new world order.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if she has a concussion?\u201d Daryl asked as Martin led the way to the kitchen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got a book on shit like that.\u00a0 We can figure it out.\u201d Azizi said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes she have one?\u201d Martin asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know, ask her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re a bitch, Daryl.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what\u2019s your crazy plan?\u201d Daryl asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid I suggest that I had a crazy plan?\u201d\u00a0 Martin said.\u00a0 A set of double doors took them into a full service kitchen that looked able to handle an event with 300 people or more.\u00a0 Martin hit the lights and they blazed on, gleaming off of tile and chrome.\u00a0 The kitchen was in impeccable condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you\u2019re collecting guns and ammo and hanging out here for\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor fun, Daryl, for fun.\u00a0 Hey, where do you think they keep those battlefield nuclear weapons around here?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe put some ice on her head\u2026\u201d Azizi suggested.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho?\u201d martin asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe girl!\u201d Azizi snapped.<\/p>\n
\u201cI still don\u2019t see how Daryl rates an apocalypse girl.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe he got to the store before you did.\u201d Azizi said,\u00a0 \u201cWhat number do you have?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyway, the guns.\u00a0 We should be ready for anything,\u201d Martin said to Daryl.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0Okay, back to this.\u00a0 Here’s part 28 of my unedited novel that I wrote during a drinking binge in 2002.\u00a0 Suck it down!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[404],"class_list":["post-584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nachos-lousy-novel","tag-nachos-lousy-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatsociety.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatsociety.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatsociety.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatsociety.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatsociety.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=584"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/greatsociety.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":738,"href":"https:\/\/greatsociety.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584\/revisions\/738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greatsociety.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatsociety.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greatsociety.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}