Chapter 5- Look, Jen. Look, look. See Dick.

“If you think all the time, all you have to think about are thoughts. Therefore, you are living in your thoughts rather than reality.” -Alan Watts

Rick was walking through the tunnels on a daily walk accompanied by Jenna until they left, when a woman’s screams rang out through the tunnels very close by.

He shouted, “What is going on here?” Then, seeing the penetration,

“Stop!” Rick yelled.

The man saw it was Rick and tried to run, turning his back, not even seeing halfway to their location

Meekly drawing a spear from a rack on the wall.

Not wanting to lose the spear totally through the rock wall, he tossed it as lightly as he could and speared the man through the lower back. The spear flew past Jenna hitting the criminal in the back sinking a foot into the rock, the paralyzing poison made his body numb so he couldn't feel a thing in his lower body. He hung off the shaft of the spear, hugging the cold hard wall as his only relief.

Without looking at the woman, Rick removed his shirt and pants and gave it to the victim. Stepping forward a few paces as Jenna helped her. Putting her out of his periphery, so she could dress in peace.

Ricks face stayed stoic and calm, his muscles moved as one, flexing in a wave starting at his neck and shoulders rolling down his back. Giving a gentile and understanding expression, never looking away from his prey. Rick waited then asked her what had happened, just to be thorough. “I went alone through the tunnel…” She said stopping, unable to breath. She buried her face in her hands choking and crying. Making sure he Confirmed what he already believed to be true, and it was witnessed by multiple sources.

The man writhed for what seemed like forever but only a minute passed before understanding came to him. As he realized what was happening to him, he screamed.

Rick knew it was time to guide the man through his punishment at his scream.

Speaking boldly as a judge, he said. “You have been caught in the act…  By your actions and her statement and witness..., I hereby judge you condemned. What say you?”

Only screams, gasps and whimpers escaped the man’s mouth.

“What is your name, son?” Rick asked gently.

The man didn’t stop screaming or crying long enough to defend himself. Rick waited a while then pulled the spear out while holding him by the back of his shirt. Spinning him to make eye contact, he lifted the criminal with one arm and placed his shirt onto a hook, he hung safely, like a picture frame on the wall.

Patching the hole in the criminal's abdomen, using the knowledge of the ancients and special herbs to keep the man alive.

The man kept crying the whole time, knowing his punishment… now pleading “No. Noo. Please Rick!”

“It is too late friend. It is not my hand that caused this, our citizens all know the rules, and I’ve seen your face many times. You know better and it is my responsibility to protect all peoples.”

“I won’t do it again. I can’t... you can't!  Me! Rick! Rick!” He blathered.

Inserting a knife in the back of his neck with precision severing just enough of his spine.

The criminals face went blank, and His cheeks drooped excessively down unable to support the weight of skin, his eyes still open, still aware, still whimpering. The tears poured out in streams.

The woman hanging next to him poured tear. “Meet your roommate, a woman who murdered her husband so she could be with another man. Such a perfect pair for education.”

Rick called for a woman who ran up after hearing all the noise and started helping the victim with Jenna.

“Bring my book so I can record these events for the counsel to review and have all witness testimony recorded, also please send for medical to insert a feeding tube and IV, our friend here is going to have a long life. Have Jessie call the town for a meeting.”

Letting their crews finish cleaning up they continued their walk. Ricks brow wrinkled and moved as if he would speak but he remained silent going through a flashback.

“It was one thing to hold it together when I put those memories behind me.“ it was quiet as he was deep in thought, then he said “Your heart will forever bleed, my dear, like mine. We weren’t made for these brutal times that is why we are so Sorley needed. May the blood of Jesus cover us and the bleeding of our hearts remind us that this world is not our home.”

“Why can’t we just cut the limbs off?”

“It is code.” He stated matter-of-factly as a commander. As her former commander.

“You speak true.”

They waited until the town was settled in for the.

Sals predicament

“Mamma!? Mommy!!” Sal screamed and cried, but there was no answer. He lay in utter nothingness, and he was being pulled down. His back was against something cold and pokey, there was nowhere for his form to go… but he was pulled down and down he continued to scream.

“Daddy, help me! Please.”

His eyes opened, the pain in his body shot through him. All of his limbs weighted more than planets. His left arm had a scar around it, his stomach growled like a lion backed into a corner. Tears streamed down Sal's face. He thought he was dying. It felt like there was a hole in him. “Aaaahhh.” He screamed then his stomach roared once more.

Finally able to just roll over, falling off the refurbished mattress and hitting the ground with a thud. His guts… they hurt so badly. Reaching down he felt his stomach and cried out. “Aaaahhh.” And it responded with a roar again.

Feeling the skin around his abs and back to make sure it was still there, the pain was unbearable. Feeling the wall with his palm he pushed himself up to sit on the ground, then he stood and propped himself against the wall.  Unable to tell if the wall was unstable or if it was him. He made his way, slumped and slid down the wall as gently as possible falling on his back, he slid down the stairs. Crawling into the kitchen unable to find any reserves of strength anymore… found pieces of a sandwich that was tossed onto the floor. It was moldy and dried. The meat curled up and turned black and the lettuce was so dried it flaked.

Sal ate the sandwich only using his mouth unable to move his limbs. Choking on the air-dried crusty bread, he lost consciousness.

Waking up to a spasm and puking sounds, he gargled and tried to spit, but he was drowning!

Turning over he coughed and hacked and coughed, throwing up only bile and black stuff until he could only dry heave. When he stopped throwing up, he shouted, “Hello?” Then dry heaved for a while longer.

Resting for a while and finally able to speak, he cleared his throat and started softly “Mom? Dad? I must have been on a real bender. Jesus Christ save me.”

He stood shakily and opened the refrigerator and found some homemade peanut butter. Stirring the oil and peanut back together with his finger Sal ate a few dips worth of butter. Barely able to keep it down he secured the lid back onto the Atlas Mason jar.

A framed on the wall and said:

“I am someone special.

I can do so many things well.

I am good at making mistakes.

I am good at respecting others.

I forgive myself for hurting me most.

I can learn to love again.”

-PM

“Did she redecorate over night?”

He spoke.

I came home for the celebration and saw the house yesterday. Am I on drugs..?

“Hello!” He said much louder now.

“Dad…?”

“Mr. Jenkins? Aby one else there? Leroy old pal? What did you put in that chicken…?”

Hmmm

He yelled “Hey faggot” calling his little brother. Now that they were grown it was a joke to them and a way to say I love you. He chuckled again recalling telling Lathe he was adopted from planet doodoo as children. Lathe would get so mad.

Stumbling out of the living room he looked the window, and the neighborhood looked great… completely different. Just like his house…

“I am going crazy… I knew it. I freaking knew it!”

Walking to the study he heard men's voices.

“The cure for immortality…” His dad said standing shoulder to shoulder with Robert Jenkins.

Leroy looked me in the eye and asked. “Are you ok dude. Here eat some chicken.” Then the room spun and fell.

The ceiling looked great. It was spotless, like it was painted by his grandfather, the most prominent home painter in the world.

“Woah… was I standing up before?”

“Aaaahhrge” he said standing again. It was night time now.

“I need a doctor…” looking for the car keys everywhere but to no avail.

“Probably shouldn’t walk to the hospital if I’m losing time like this.

The lion in his stomach gargled and said “Borborygmus.” He spelled it out phonetically.

“bor-buh-rig-mis.” His lips carefully moved to each sound.

“I’m crazy.” He said again.

Eating a finger scoop again as he walked up the stairs, groaning to himself because he was so sore.  “Sleepy time she comes.” Quoting his favorite comedian while falling face first into the pokey mattress, He fell through the map. Falling asleep instantly, dreams of food came, and of his family and friends.

Jolting awake to his stomach hurting worse and worse. This time if felt like something inside of him was trying to get out. Jumping out of bed he tore off his pants and underwear. Panic shot over him. His morning wood caught on his underwear causing him to poo a little.

“Noooo!”

“Aaaahhh! Nooo you said you were my friend!” He shouted at his erection jumping onto the toilet just in time to not paint it brown as they say.

“Best part of waking up is crapping your whole butt.” He said mocking the narrator.

“Oh God I am crazy.”

“All right get yourself together. This family does not crack, besides that one family member…” He tilted his head sideways.

“Meh.” he said dismissing the through.

“Alright I'm getting myself together. Let’s see where we stand. No one in the whole house… only weirdos in bulky suits and helmets walking around outside.” Unable to grasp his world from where he stood, he sensed it was time for an adventure, he walked out of his door and looked around.

“These junk piles… I think I’ve seen them in my dreams. They're supposed to be statues, but they're abstract almost.” Spinning to see all of them.

He got dizzy, he ate more peanut butter. Bigger scoops at a time now. He felt so much better after moving around, never able to sit still. Sent to the principal's office so many times because of this attention problem.

“Mom took me off those ADHD meds because she said they made me a zombie.” He said talking to no one and anyone who might be able to hear. I was so spastic and out of control it made her want to pull her hair out, but she couldn’t bare seeing me dead to the world like that, so she let me be a kid.”

“The city looked normal, but everyone was dressed in weird suits... I can't get over how dedicated they are.” He said mulling over his situation once more.

Not wanting to have to deal with people he avoided the weird guys like the plague. Spending all day searching Sal gave up and went home and slept better than he ever remembered sleeping. The dreams didn’t come that night, he woke up refreshed and full of cheer.

The next few nights we’re worse. His muscles pulled on him from within. He couldn’t get comfortable. Un -able to sleep, Sal did crunches, sit-ups and push-ups until he fell asleep on the hard ground. He had a deep dream; He ate veggies, and the broccoli hugged him and jumped in his mouth, the tomato's sang church songs. The steak and potatoes patted each other on the back and jumped in his mouth and they dissolved and hugged every muscle fiber of his body and danced and flexed their food muscles.

When he woke up, he wrote his dream in his journal and realized it was a dream he saw in that old cartoon Veggie tales.

The next few weeks he explored further and further. He was so strong now… he could lift two 80-pound bags of hardened cement   He would sweat and grunt, but he could lift it and carry it home! He was so proud of all his progress.

Sal found out about the weirdos walking around in the suits. They were his neighbors pretending to be zombies and they were extremely dedicated... Chong Belushi was still wearing his Comic-Con Samurai suit, but a device was built onto the armor that trapped his arms, and a helmet was strapped to him. This guy was the only one that was different, so he imagined why, maybe they were doing a live play, and he didn't get the memo... They were all well-crafted.

Making his way to the train station Sal saw the pile of chopped up carts but the rail yard looked pretty clean, just a pile of pieces of trains all shredded up into chunks. A man trapped in a suit, much like his neighbors this guy would growl and walk at you and not say a word.

His neighbors would gang up on him and try to dog pile him, so he took this opportunity to check this guy out and at least try to talk.

“Are you hungry?” He waited and slowly walked away as the man continuously walked towards Sal. “I can make some food, and we can talk about what every play you guys are doing.”

He waited for a long time then gave up then got on the train sitting in the station and make himself comfortable in the kitchen.

“Well, the stoves here are totally tabular.” Using the coolest slang he could think of.

He carefully described how trains work and the Eletric motors they use. Halfway through describing the various connectors he realized he was all alone still. “I’m talking to myself… Heard that was a sign of going crazy... Naaa, I’m just bored.”

“Shabadaba duuune a doobie do do ya.” He scatted while relieving his bowels in the train cart bathroom.

The Embroidered towel said Summer and so did the toilet and even toilet paper. The fancy pants company that owned the world basically. Everything was happy and sunny, or it was advertised that way. This beautiful hand towel definitely spoke to that little detail. Un-paralleled craftsmanship. His only complaint about the world he lived in was that “we celebrated bad choices and ignored the consequences cutting off our own pathway to redemption almost.” He said it out loud trying to analyze what thoughts he was trying to process but he didn't like it so he thought of as many famous quotes on the subject as he could. He mulled over these thoughts for a long time then realized he was still sitting on the toilet.

Grabbing the towel to dry his hand reveling graffiti etched into the beautiful wall. It simply said “Penis Man.” He was a weird philosopher who gained recognition for his tagging art. The police caught him, and he went to jail then turned his life around and became a Sage to the under privileged people of the world. Now kids paint his symbol in solidarity. He was a childish adult and was able to grow up even though he was older. He’s not even the real Penis Man, but he still went to jail, and he still turned his life around even though he really wasn't the guy. “It happens he would say.”

A loud snap of his fingers. “That picture on the wall was one of his most famous sayings.”

Sal remembered the rest of the saying:

“You make the world go.

The individual.

You are loved.

The child in you can rest.

Our potential is infinite.

Love is time.

Do not waste it.”

Before that he only ever made perverse jokes and cussed like a sailor.

There was a noise and Sal looked to see a lady and a group of dudes and an old man standing outside the train but before we get to that... lets catch up with the heroes on their journey from Phoenix Ash. They have a crazy trip.

Jenna and friends leave Phoenix Ash

The sun was high in the desert. The rippling dunes looked as if they turned to mist; the dry air felt good under the shade of her large, brimmed hat. Armed to the teeth with zombie stopping weaponry. They all wore electric field generators that effected the defect in the blood of zombies only somehow. The science was lost but the results remained the same.  Non-lethal always. It is their oldest code and understood by all without word in their tribe.

They only had to use a hand full of humpers and found a total of five zombie lions as they're called. They made it to the Rim.

The desert still in the full heat and ancient crystallized and fossilized trees appeared then the trees started becoming live trees as they got further out of the desert.

It was as if there was a magic line where the sand ended and the darker dirt began, a figure stood on the line, watching with his hands in the air to show he was a friend. If he didn't want to talk all he had to do was hold out his middle finger.

They approached and no finger was displayed, just ten fingers to the sky straight up in the air until they got close enough to see each other.

“Hi, ya!” The stranger yelled.

The party came closer. “Iddy!” The Dwarf woman shouted.

“Mandy!” He replied.

Greeting each other quickly, informing their new friend what their quest while they walked and talked. He listened and stayed quiet because it was sad news. He had to process it slowly and not speak. It was a new skill he was trying to master.

Hearing his name was weird. “Iddy… Id,” he repeated. “Yup it’s weird.” He received that name in the war because he was so fast it was hard to identify him.

“I’ve recently discovered another Albert Frankenstein book on psychology.”

“That’s it? That all you've been doing is reading books in all the years?” Jenna chuckled.

“Well just living in between and finding cool stuff as you know… After reading so much you’d think I would be better with people.” He smiled big and awkwardly with his missing teeth.

“Oh, I Made up a story about a strange woman with a leather pack on her back. I was curious beyond imagining and had to meet her and here she is with her cargo and it's a baby! I know what you and Paul were up too.” He said like he was still 10 years old.

“Always a child.” She laughed.

Jenna always enjoyed his company. He was goofy and always quiet around most people, he listened and had funny stories on special occasion.

“Cin and blase were behind tracking down some food. They will be back in a few hours, hopefully sooner!” Mandy said.

“Mandy where we headed madame.” Id asked with a bow.

“To perform the ritual and render Paul neutral.” She said sadly.

“Ah, man. He went down first. Well crap. I’m sorry Jen.”

“Those are the rules.” Said Jen.

“Them’s the rules.” They all repeated.

“We head for Arthurman. We will stop at Hope to talk to Judy.” Rick said.

“Ahh not Judgmental Judy...” Id groaned.

Rick looked at Id like he did something wrong so Id quickly said, no disrespect our friend Paul but Judy is SOOO mean” He quickly added.

All the years of being a Judge made her unimpressed and quick to anger at stupidity and Id had an air head.

“At least she’s a mayor now, maybe she won’t bite my head off anymore.”

They all trudged on and visited with each other until they found a place to take a break and eat some hardtack and whatever food they had. The breeze was cool in the autumn and the evergreens became thicker and thicker. A tree grew through a car and it was suspended forty foot in the air. Almost as one with the tree, the metal didn't corrode so it was still recognizable to people who knew what cars were.

“Hey Idy.” Mandy said standing beside him.

He jumped into the air halfway up a tree and disappeared in its needly pine.

“I'm sorry Idddy! Where did you go!”

“I wasn't afraid, I was just gathering pine needles for some tea... ya that's it for some tea.”

Mandy fell to the ground laughing, holding her tiny stomach. Squeaks came out from her little voice box, Id’s favorite sound in the world was hearing her laugh.

She grabbed a tea pot and set it on the fire with water from the stream close by.

“Judy isn’t so bad, Idy.”

“Is that why you scared me half to death? I knew you two were in league with her.” He joked then chuckled.

“The wall is much worse than Judy’s way.”

He grimaced at the mention of the wall. “I dont want to talk about the wall.”

“Ok, im sorry Iddy.”

He started to fidget and become increasingly restless exponentially. She noticed and hugged him quickly. He calmed down as if he took a pill that cured him instantly. She leaned against his arm.

“I figure each place needs their own rules for their own reasons. I cant judge him but I just don't like people suffering. I can't stand it.” Id said.

“Judy really isn’t so bad.”

Id squeezed her shoulder and repeated what Mandy said. “Judy isn’t so bod” Then he smiled.

They drank their Pine needle and herbal mix. Id trailed off thinking about his parents who taught him to gather the herbs. Mandy seeing him looking into his cup asked, “What herbs are these... besides the pine.” She smiled.

He began wondering if she could read his mind. He stared silently at her until she said. “I can't read your mind.”

And he stared at her blankly in a small panick. So, she repeated. “What herbs are in the tea?”

“Oh ya.” He said.

“Its not my star tea mix.”

“Star tea?”

“Ya the tea I drink and stare at the stars. Sometimes I pretend I can run in all that space as fast as I can. Thees a planet with a big ring around it that I saw in a book. I could run around that track and to different planets and have all sorts of adventures through space.”

“I do not want any of that tea.” She laughed.

“It's a good medicine but a lot of people don't like it. I would not recommend it if you have bad reaction. Just like any other herbs or medicine.”

“Yup, not for me!”

“Good more for me!” He laughed.

“This tea that were drinking is my old family blend but... It's a family secret SOOO...  I'll tell you what's in it. Its dried Mommy Root leaves for the vitamins, elder berries, Bull thistle and a little Chamomile.”

He quickly added, “Don't try to pick these without me though. Chamomile and other plants can be mistaken for poisonous ones. OK?” Not wanting to get anyone hurt with his advice on picking wild herbs.

“Okie.” She smiled.

Master Akari seeing the tea walked over to join them bringing wood for the fire. Id poured him some tea while the Akari placed several branches on the fire then grabbing his tea.

Sipping the tea, he smiled at Id with and gave a small bow.

“This wood is Pine and cedar, the perfect smoke for a fire to pair with this tea.” The master woodworker knew everything about trees and wood. He smelled the wood, smelled his tea and lifted it and gave thanks then began singing an old Japanese song and they all enjoyed their break, then they were on their way again.

The trees thinned out and the great plains opened. On the top of a Mesa sat the town of Hope. They were greeted hours after stepping onto the open land, scouts could see them immediately with their ancient binoculars. The scout in front of them now had golden binoculars. So well-made they were at least 240 years old, its side was engraved with the word. “Summer.”

The guards greeted with a Cardinal song far off and the group called back with the Sparrows song singing to each other a few times. When they finally met, they greeted the guards and walked with their escorts into the city. They took a rope and rock elevator and saw the massive gates. Two unhewn boulders and a ramp led up onto the mesa.

The ground was dug down into the ground. The buildings looked small and squat, but they went under the dirt, keeping the homes insulated as well as hidden.

Mayor Judy and a cadre of guards were behind her and all the towns' people came to greet their friends.

The mayor looked them over with an unmoving impartial face and did not see Paul. She looked each of the group in the eyes, stopping at Rick who gazed back, Judy and almost made a face.

“Rick.” She spoke

“Judy.” He said back.

“I will entertain you in the living room, follow.”

A “Coooo.” sound came from Jennas pack.

Doing a double take Judys eyes opened wide and her mouth was agape Staring at Jenna who opened her pack and removed the almost one year old child.

Holding her arms out childlike and demanding the mayor waited for Jenna to hand her the child, and they continued on.” She poked at the small humans bulging stomach and Jake giggled.

“Oh, a beanery!” Id yelled as they passed a restaurant. “I thought Judy hated beaners.”

Coming up to the building caddy corner to the town hall they went down the stairs and entered into the building. The skylight illuminated the room and was opened currently, the fire pit in the middle ventilated through the skylight and a wind turbine pulled the smoke through giving maximum ventilation.

Blase and CIN leaned against a wall.

Id was in a corner hiding but not as worried because Judy carried a baby. “Women can eat you alive if they're holding a baby.”

Blase heard Id and asked, “What the heck is going on in your head kid?”

Roma and Merik laughed.

Master Akari reclined by Judy with Jenna and Rick and sipped tea and listened quietly.

“Where is Paul located.” she asked plainly.

“Arthurman.” Rick replied.

Pausing to study Ricks eyes for a moment then she spoke.

“That is a week's ride from here. You will stay the night; The news of Jake is the best thing I've heard in a long long time. In the morning, I will provide you with horses and anything you need to for the ritual for my son. Thank you for coming here first.”

“Wasn't he adopted.” Id chimed. His mind and mouth working together without him paying attention.

Judy made a “stop talking or ill bite your head off,” face. Id realized what he had done and disappeared behind furniture.

Roma and Merik laughed out loud, then stopped as soon she looked at them both.

Smiling at Jenna and Jake she continued. “Now, I want to ask if Jake can stay with me just until the ritual is done.”

“Of course. We will return the horses and come get Jake from his grandma.”

Judys eyes watered as she stared into the eyes of the future of her small family barely making it by.

“Hope” said Judy.

The feast was ready, and they all went to eat. Id sat across from Judy because it was the last seat available, and she saved it just for him. The room was filled with friends and a group of nomads.

“Are those beaners?” Id asked.

Judy looked at him wryly.

Johnny looked back at the mention of his tribe and waved to Id and smiled.

“Did you forget about the magic bean incident already?”

“I'm a victim, I didn't know how they worked. I was hungry, I just wanted some beans...”

“The entire field was taken over by vines and there were trillions of beans to clean up and yes, it's still attracting beaners from all around.”

“I love beaners, they just travel around and plant bean seeds everywhere and they feed people. I've found their wild beans planted far and wide. I respect nomads, It's a noble cause.”

“Ya but they fart a lot.” said Judy.

Id didn't expect to hear the word fart to ever come from her mouth, He rolled on the laughing.

Rick sat with Roma and Merik and friends from town.

Roma and Merik were opposed to Judys light touch methods of governing... Ricks methods were much better in their opinion. They wanted to have capital punishment, but they agreed to not kill because of Ricks harsh and immediate punishment style.

They were discussing her politics, but Rick stayed quiet and listened hoping Judy wouldn’t hear but she did and spoke. “You're living in the war, Rick. The law is there to help guide and correct behavior that is counterproductive for our cultures. They can be rehabilitated or forfeit their freedoms but in jail or in a service capacity.”

Rick replied “I hear you. Please let us talk of future plans, not past actions. You know the code.”

“Rock…” She said then stopped. She held Jake and talked to him instead. “We will teach Men and Woman to take care of each other one day.”

“We caught him in the act of rape, and he was seen by Jenna and also witnessed by the people who helped.”

“Yes.” Chimed in Roma and Merik. “The code is specific.”

“The war is over...” Judy started to say then paused.

“You should run things the way you see fit. Thank you for listening to my rant, my friend.”

“Thank you, Judy, for telling me what you feel. Your advice and words are always cherished.”

“Look how ambassadorial we are now.” Judy said with a smile.

Rick stood and raised his glass. “For now, we are safe and in reembrace of a brother, son and friend. We can debate any time, I too would rather enjoy each other's company. A toast to Paul. We are all here for a short time. May we appreciate each other while we still live.”

“Cheers!”

They all raised their glasses and moved onto things that made them smile and moved into the tougher realities of the void left after Paul was gone. For Jenna, Jake, Judy... All of his family and friends left behind to make their way back out of the apocalypse... His absence was felt, remembered and celebrated. The air was filled with the smell of food and Cinnamin and cake.

The mice in the beanfield sang thanks to Id for their abundance of food and that fateful planting of a single magic bean.

Id slept like a baby on a wool mattress and lulled to sleep by mead. He whispered about mice when Meric poked him awake.

“Time to go.”

“I'm up, I'm up.” His head hurt, so he quickly put together some herbs for tea to fix it.

Before they knew it, they were at the stables and setting the horses up. Id was always bored when they saddled up. Ever since the war they didn't trust him to saddle a horse because he never paid attention, and he always ran anyways. After losing a few carriages.

He fidgeted with everything and caught the attention of Judy.

Judy wanting to put him to work to burn off his energy said. “Can we get a digger here?”

Id smiled and quickly thrust his finger in the air and yelled. “Did you just say niii..”

Judy cut him off luckily for us.

Judy replied. "No, I need a hole in the ground. Can you dig a hole?”

“But I thought you said...”

“Digger I said digger...” She cut him off again. “That other word is a nonsense word... Stop talking id! and dig! Please!"

“but I read that word in a Mark Twain book though. It exists still.”

“Yes Id. People in the past used it to hurt other people and it's lost its power to hurt anyone anymore. We do not forget its meaning, but we do not say it because it's not useful other than to remember the evils of the past which is very important but thank you, Id, please go and work.”

“I'll dig this hole even if I have to die trying.” He said with a completely serious face and a roman salute. He dug a hole super deep and stopped to enjoy it for a moment then heard Judy yell “please remembered...” she was still talking to him he jumped out of the hole and said, “Sorry.” Hoping Judy wouldn't be mad.

“Wait till I'm finished...”

“Yes ma'am.” he replied.

“That is ok, put the dirt back in this hole in the ground and dig a new one over there and make it a wider area and shallower. No deeper than your hip. Then move to a different area until the whole field is tilled.”

And remember. “Slow is fast and fast is slow. Take your time and do it right the first time. A magical kind of thing happens when you do it right the first time.”

“But it's just a field.”

“Do you like beans? This is a bean secret.”

Yes ma’am.” He said politely. Absolutely giddy that she finally liked him, He didn't know how or why she seemed more like a friend, but he was going to get to the bottom of it, so he vowed to do as many chores as it took to learn this secret.

“I'll own all the beans in the world once I learn this secret and I'll give beans to everyone for free! I will be the uber beaner of legend!” He thought in him mind as it ran wild with ideas and dreams.

Dust billowed into the air as he sunk deeper into thought until he realized he was doing it again. He came back to Judy slowly with his head down and cried, “I'll never be the uber beaner.”

“Uber beaner? What the heck are you talking about!” She yelled. Then stopped and said “You will never be the uber beaner unless you follow my instructions, ok. Say ok back.”

“OK”

“Watch what you are doing carefully, especially when you get excited. Do you do the meditations you learned?”

“Every night Your Honermayor.” Blending the words together into one word.

She sighed. “Master Akari, can you help me please.”

“What is your nightly routine Id.” Akari spoke gently.

“I'm supposed to just feel the ground and the air and think about how they're not mine to keep.”

“Grounding yes. Now dig into the ground, go and dig literal holes in the ground for a while.”

“Yes sir!”

Id flew into action and tilled the field carefully.

Master Akari spoke to the group. “He was a baby in the war. He still thinks as a baby, but he will learn. He has so much potential.”

Rick chimed in. “He’s in his thirties...”

Id was done digging and said “Life begins at forty by Walter B. Pitkin. What are we talkin about? I just heard thirties.” He laughed.

They all slapped their foreheads in unison and Rick whispered the word “faggot.”

Id lifted his shoulders and paused. Rick always said that when Id got annoying, so he slowed himself down more finally getting it.

“You're not kid Id anymore. You get no lessons from me.” Rick stated matter of factly.

Id thought to himself “I did learn something from you Rick.” he chuckled out loud.

Rick thinking he was mocking him shook his head and stated. “This is your journey to make find it whatever way you want. It makes no difference to me.”

Id took his statement to mean he was on the right track not understanding the dynamics of the conversation. “Remember slow is fast and fast is slow. There is hope for you yet.” Judy said holding Jake, but he was already gone. Judy sighed. “He’ll have to learn it himself wont he.” She said in baby talk to Jake.

“OK, thank you Judy! Bye bye. Then he was gone. enna whispered, “Goodbye my love. You exist and that is enough to fill the void of distance.” The way Paul used to say it to her when they would part. Then she kissed him on the head and handed him over.

“Wait,” Akari called. “One last joint then its finished.”

Id was back, seeing the wood and Master Akari, he was gone again. “This seat will help so you do not have to run the whole time.”

“Thank you master but it feels good to stretch my joints” Cin said in his southern accent.

Id was back, then disappeared again.

Akari’s wrinkled brow lifted, and his mouth formed a smile. My joints arent what they used to be

Id appeared again, Akari slipped something into his pocket so slyly, Id didn't even notice.

They all started on their way to the end of their quest.

Id found something in his pocket and darted off.

The air smelled aromatic and was cool and quiet. “What do you want from the liquor store!” Rick sang soulfully as they passed the liquor store on the way through Arthurman.  “Somethin sour...” He sang the whole song then said “That song is ancient from the greatest man to ever sing, Ted Hawkins”

Mandy clapped her little hands as fast as they could move which was really fast and made sparks but luckily nothing caught on fire.

“A liquor store is a bad thing, but he sang it as if it was just a part of daily life. It is a reason I will not be content living against my best interests. The tales handed down from old are meant to learn from.”

He looked at Roma and Meric and they began to discussed philosophy. Blase chimed in a time or two.

“Pain is necessary to learn. Mistakes define a man by how he acts and reacts.” They all agreed and nodded.

Anyways back to the story.

Sal looked out the window and saw a woman standing with four guys and a robot and the weird guy in the suit stood in front of them and charged.

The big guys grabbed him and were holding him as Sal stepped out of the train.

Jenna looked and yelled, “Dick!?”

“No, I think you've got the wrong guy.”

“Who is this guy.” In a Russian accent being thrown off by this stranger.

“Thats Dick.” Jenna said.

“Uuuh, I'm Sal.”

They both spoke at the same time.

“How did you?... You were a Zombie?”  Jenna said confused.

“A what?  Said Sal.

Paul slipped away, in tenths of a second. Her equipment fell to the ground, Jenna jerked around just in time to grab him by the front of the helmet, it all happened and was timed so perfectly that her finger bent and twisted into Paul's mouth, and he bit down.

“Watch out!” Yelled Sal.

Mandy shrieked causing a vortex of air to shoot out and throw Paul onto the ground, but it was too late...

Jenna gritted her teeth and screamed but was ok with it. She sat on the ground unaware for second, then was paralyzed by the edge of a toxin coated dagger and Ricks gentle hands laying her down on the ground softly.

Roma and Merik had Paul in seconds and drove a dagger into his abdomen rendering him paralyzed. His arms limp but his eyes ripped into their souls, following their every movement like a wild animals' eyes.

Rick finished wrapping Jenna up in a makeshift secondary body bag since the first was meant for Paul. “What did she mean you WERE a zombie?” He spoke in his deep voice that got deeper on the word “were.”

The whole party was in disbelief and looking at Sal like it was his fault

“What is happening?!” Asked Sal

” Zombie! You were a zombie!”

“Can you save them?”

“NO. I don't know what's going on. What is even a zombie?”

“What!”

“Where can we go!”

“Where do you live, sail?”

“Sal.”

“Where can we go.” Asked Akari gently touching Sal's shoulder.

“My house is not too far... but.”

“You were a zombie?!” Someone yelled again.

Through the flurry of questions and shouting, Sal couldn't tell who was talking. He was overwhelmed and felt numb, but he kept answering questions and helped as much as he could until they were ready to make their way to Sal's place. He had to buckle down and feel awkward.

Cin stood back and waited for someone to specifically ask for help. His programing was designed to give him a simulation of a dopamine rush, but he knew his code because he was self-aware and was over the whole dopamine rush thing. He stayed even and ready because he loved being helpful.

“Please carry Jenna, Cin.”

“Yes Sir 'Ree can do.” He said with a simulated smile.

“Hello CIN unit,” Sal said. “How much time has passed?”

“Two hundred and thirty-eight point eighty-six years. Would you like to know the weather or traffic conditions, Sir.”

“No thank you.”

Cin didn't know what to think. He didn't remember being able to do that, but he accessed the programing deep inside his core and he remembered parts of himself. For instance, he could run diagnostics tests on himself to format memory and repair damaged strings of data. He ran a test, he saw the text in his awareness, and it said last format was on star date six nine six nine six nine zero two. He ran the program, when it finished it said last formatted on star date six nine six nine nine three zero. Nothing else was different or new. He picked Jenna up.

Roma said, “New discoveries each moment, very curious.”

“Yes.” said Merik.

The whole party was quiet during the ride to Sal's. Pure exhaustion poured from their pores and slightly relieved their weary minds as they bobbed up and down in their saddles all ablaze with a quit rush of questions and probing minds trying to grasp and come to terms with what just happened and how it might all fit together.

They got to Sal's place and entered the home.

“How did you become back to human.” Merik asked.

“I kind of just woke up feeling like crap and everything was different... I'm not sure.”

Rick and Master Akari came through last and closed the door and they nodded in agreement. “No one knows anything or what's going on then.” Rick said.

Master Akari spoke now. “We will assign rooms for the night and set up then there is a family meeting in the living room to put all of our heads together. Rick will lead the meeting.”

They all turned to look at Sal, so he looked at them all then started speaking. “Uuuh, oh right. Right this way I'll show you to your rooms.”

They settled in and decided who would bunk with who. Placing Paul in Jenna in the master bedroom upstairs, laying the bodies beside each together in their individual body bags.

Rick, Roma and Merik stayed in the living room to watch guard as the code abides.

Mandy got her own room and Akari got his own room. Blase and Cin Guarded the back door by sleeping Infront of the door so it would hit him if anyone opened it.

Sal took the guest room, and they all met up after settling in.

Rick and Akari stood, and the rest reclined on the couch and chairs.

Master Akari spoke first. “Now, our new friend Sal. Tell us about yourself, please.”

“Well, I'm an electrician, and my dad was a scientist. Just a small-town shut-in church boy. I can't remember what happened. I don't really remember who I was beyond that; I remember my dad and things he would say but its fragmented.”

“If only you humans could run a defragment program, perhaps your bible holds the key?” Said Cin hoping to be helpful.

“I recognize symbols and writing but my memories are all blurry.”

Sal told them about how he woke up so weak he could barely move, the sandwich... how it made him sick and how he walked around clueless until he saw them.

They didn't learn too much but they were all on the same page now. Unsure how to proceed they decided to rest for the night.

Just before Sal laid down to sleep, he finds a note in his pocket. The paper had a print on the edge that read. E and H. The handwriting said;

“To my babies, if I do not make it. I want you to know my love for you is so encompassing and great, I cannot love you more that I always have... Ever since I knew you were coming to this world... Since the moment I saw your faces, I fell in love. Even with our vast knowledge and machines we could never ever measure my love for you. Only God is capable of such measurements. The earth might be passing, no one might ever read this note, but I pray, and I love you. Please live on. Please keep going. Please keep fighting. You can do it. I believe in you. -Love, Dad.”

Sal cried and drifted into sleep with a smile.

Sal's nightmares

He wakes up and drinks a cup of coffee and says I love you to his wife and kisses her. Her lips don't make contact but, in his hurry, he didn't think anything of it. It was the gesture of love that counted but he didn't pay attention to this everyday thing that he always had so he didn't have to give it much thought. His heart was in the right place, he thought to himself.

Runing out the door in his uniform to fix a Grav rail unit in the city. The whole rail was temporarily diverted until he fixed this portion. Jumping into his car he waded through the intense traffic. Why couldn't they have had Jerry do it! This isn't protocol he shouted at the people who couldn't hear him in their own cars who were yelling back at him in their seals little universes that could only wait and hurry and yell and honk... Some middle fingers popped out of windows. But he looked and the people weren't yelling or honking, he relaxed and rubbed his eyes then looked up again and he was finished with the Grav rail and traffic started to flow and ease once more.

“Time for a bite to eat!” He said glossing over the time jump he just experienced.

He stood at the edge of Towers Gate and Studio Street and looked around, unfamiliar with the area so he asked a couple standing on the street corner for a good restaurant close by. They looked straight ahead as if he didn't exist. Walking in front of them he repeated his words, they didn't even know he existed. He waved his hands and jumped up and down and nothing. Sal moved on to a person walking by and nothing. He stood in front of them, and they slammed into him both falling and hitting the ground.

The woman rolled and hit a man's leg, and he dipped backwards and then looked around as if the woman was invisible too. Sal walked at the woman to help her up. She stood by herself and said, “stupid clumsy... ahh.” then started to hobble off. He touched her shoulder and his hand fell through.

“Hello?”

“Can't you see me? Can you hear me?”

“I'm sorry I was trying to help...” He said at the woman, but she couldn't hear him.

“Help her?” He thought... I can barely help myself... How could I ever help anyone else... I'm the son of a mad scientist as the press calls him...”

“The Antidote to a virus that doesn't exist sounds pretty mad.” the man on the news said just then and he realized he was back in his living room watching TV.

His dad walked into the room. He thought about the lady on the street corner and realized he was dreaming. “This is a dream” he said, and his dad said, “of course it is a dream, real life is distinct and fact, dreams can be controlled and shifted.”

“Tell me what to do. What's going on? I need you dad.”

“Dad?” He asked after there was silence.

No answer. He was back on the street corner and unable to talk to anyone.

He moped around trying to talk to people to get an understanding of what was happening, but no answer ever can back. The void ate his words, and he despaired. Tossing and turning in his bed his blankets tightly swaddled him He said “ahh.” and hit the ground with a thud.