For the Last Time

I hate propaganda so goddamn much. Unfortunately, it’s everywhere in the fallout shelter. That’s where they sent us when the Walkers came. They tore Pittsburgh apart piece by piece, Nothing was left but infected humans and animals of all sorts. I lost my Golden Retriever Duffy to those bastards. I loved that dog more than myself. Lost my mother too. She fought bravely, but the zombies knocked her down and infected her. I’ll never forget how they broke through the glass screen door and began viciously mauling us like a rabid dog. They knocked over plates, pans, and dishes of all kinds. The most valuable ones had to have been the porcelain ones. It was a complete nightmare, there is no other way to describe it. And we couldn’t do anything to stop it.

We fought hard against them and I practically slipped on a bump on the ground, catching myself before I’d fall and become zombie bait. That would have been hell on earth, as the saying goes.

Anyway, back to the propaganda. They showed this impossibly well-dressed man called Oscar or some shit and he spoke about how the shelter is the safest place for us to reside in. Safest, my ass! Everybody wanted to escape it, including me. That’s a real shitty fucking shelter if people want to do that. But I’ll move on now.

He spoke, “Our dear residents, fear not, for we are safe from the outside world in these bunkers. We have survived through much and will continue to live our lives in safety. The Walkers took everything away from us and now, it is our time to strike! Join the cause and help us destroy them. Enlist in the Black Fang today! Make the most important decision of your life tonight tonight,” he proudly spoke.

“Yeah, right, who would join that nonsense? I’d sooner swallow razors,” I muttered under my breath. I mutter to myself quite a lot, it’s a bad habit of mine. It’s just that I was sick of the clips they showed us from day one. They always spoke about how we’d be safe and protected in the shelter and that it was dangerous in the wasteland. As if we didn’t already know that…

Obviously, it is perilous out there! I don’t need a guy dressed in a suit to tell me that crap. I don’t need anyone to do anything, in fact.

Oh, Mother! I miss you so… Things would be less shitty with your presence.

“Lunch time!” one of the cooks exclaimed. I was not looking forward to it, in the least.

We all gathered 'round like the folks did during the Great Depression a hundred years ago. I knew the food was going to be some artificial crap anyway. All our food has been for the past fifty years. There used to be people who protested GMOs, but that is now a thing of the past. They are all likely dead. We were forced to accept the reality of the matter. You see, during Otto Von Frasier’s presidency, our food supplies became insufficient. Seeing no other alternative, he had the scientists create “fake food designed to taste like the real thing.” His words, not mine. Personally, I’d rather eat the real thing, but I’ve never actually gotten the opportunity to do so in my twenty-three years of life. I would have loved to try non-GMO peanut butter. I practically live for that shit. No kidding,

I walked down to the lunch room along with everyone else and sat in the corner. I didn’t like conversing with most of the people in the shelter and found them obnoxious and immature. Especially, the teenagers. Don’t even get me started on them! Whenever I am angry they ask me ‘Shirley, are you on your period?’ Like damn, leave me alone! I am twenty-three now and vividly remember my teenage years being a complete disaster. First, I got pregnant at nineteen, only to suffer a miscarriage fourteen weeks later. My partner Sergio left me after that and called me “a bitch” because I didn’t fulfill his every demand. I can’t stand most men. They are egotistical pieces of shit. The only man I don’t hate is Carter and my father. I’d die for them both.

Anyway, the food was ‘chicken and rice.’ I put the quotes in because it was all artificial garbage anyway. It tasted too damn good to be real. We had a farm in the shelter (somehow) and they raised hens there for eggs and for chickens for meat. The poor things must detest it but they have no real choice. They’d get infected outside and have their tiny brains eaten. Walkers don’t discriminate. They kill rats, monkeys, and even pygmy elephant offspring. I haven’t been able to visit a zoo since the incident happened. Since MX happened. That’s the name of the virus the scientists chose. Personally, I’d have chosen GLOBAL DOOM. But I’m not a scientist, after all.

That was when I had a crazy idea, I was going to join the Blank Fang. I wanted to kill those fuckers myself to get revenge for what they did to my mother and dog. It would be the only thing I’d ever want. I’d also go to the capitol (if I survived that is) and demand a cure. It’s been two years already and we haven’t gotten confirmation as to when they’ll make it. The radio signal to the capitol is jammed and the television showed propaganda twelve hours a day, so we were screwed. We do get the occasional news though. We get reminded when there’s a holiday, for example. Nothing like spending Christmas in a bunker, am I right?

“Hey, Glasgow, why don’t you come sit by me?” a boy named Carter asked. He was quite attractive and I had a small crush on him. Scratch that, he made me feel all tingly inside like I swallowed a jar full of butterflies.

“Me?” I acted dumb.

He rolled his eyes and nodded.

“Well, okay…” I went over to where he was sitting and sat down gently. The chairs were about as comfortable as a rock and you couldn’t sit on them for more than an hour or you’d get severe pain in your ass.

“Anything new going on with you?” I asked.

“Oh, you know, same old, same old… Life is boring as…” he trailed off.

I paused for a second, preparing how to tell him I was going to join the Black Fang, and decided to be direct about it. I couldn’t exactly beat around the bush with something like this.

“Carter, there is something I have to tell you,” I began with my heart beating out a speed metal song.

“Yes?” he asked anxiously.

“I’m joining the Black Fang,” I spoke softly.

“Your father would kill you…” he reprimanded me.

“Carter, I am twenty-three and not married. I have got nothing to lose here. Besides, I want to run away from here,” I explained.

“Alright. Shirley… But I’m joining too! Don’t try to stop me,” he nearly shouted across the lunch tables and folded his arms in defiance.

“You’ll get yourself killed, dipshit,” I muttered.

“So will you,” he begged me to stay. I simply couldn’t live in this hell anymore. There was a new life out there somewhere where the Walkers weren’t.

“Tell my father everything! Oh, and you can have my chicken. I’m not actually hungry,” I said hurriedly, taking off to the recruitment office.

“Good luck. Don’t die!” he shouted.

“I’m worth more dead than alive,” I jested.

“Just go…” he waved a goodbye wave at me and proceeded to cry. I felt pitiful for him but knew I couldn’t get too deep into my feelings. They are a sign of weakness, and I am not weak.

He began following after me not ten seconds after I left. I was shocked that he had actually meant that he’d follow me. I assumed it was just bullshit on his part. But no, if Carter said he’d do something he meant it.

“What are you doing?” I hissed. I was beyond annoyed with him for following me.

“I’m going with you,” he calmly explained. That broke my friggin’ heart right there.

“Like hell you are!” I shouted angrily.

“I want to see the outside world too. Even if it’s all gone to shit,” he chuckled.

“This is not something to joke about, Carter,” I furrowed my brows.

“Right, sorry…” he apologized.

“Now, where is that damn station?!” I shouted loudly, perplexed.

“Are you looking to join the noble cause?” a man emerged out of the shadows. He was tall and lanky, about six-foot-three, and looked malnourished but spoke confidently and without a mumble or stutter. He should have been a narrator, in all honesty.

“Yes, Sir!” Carter saluted the mysterious man. I was cautious of him.

“What about you, young lady?” he pointed at me.

“Yes, I would like to join, please,” I said, with anxiety gripping me like a vice. My heart was tight with anxiety and beat like a speed metal drum.

“Great, follow me,” he said, leading the way.

I followed him and began sprinting until I was entirely out of breath.

“Where are we going?” I asked, worried, now that we were finally outside. My eyes stung from being in the dark for such a lengthy period of time.

“The heart of hell, young lady, the heart of hell,” he chuckled.