Dead On Arrival: Episode 4

Episode 4: Crucifix

“Vince. Vince. Wake up..,” a voice calmly said me. I could hear the sounds of soft and familiar giggling in background. A hand gently touched my face. I was home. The smells, the sights, and sounds. All the same. Back when the world was simple and full of the living. My baby girl and the love of life stood before me as I laid on the couch. A crucifix laid on my bear chest.

“Wake up…wake up….wake up” they chanted. I realized I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move. The chant only grew louder as I struggled to make words. Then the rush of cold reality came rushing in. Literally. In the form of cold droplets of water.

“WAKE UP!” a voice screamed in my ear. I open my eyes and saw I was dreaming. I wasn’t home. No way near it. I was sitting in the rain soaking wet. Still tied up barely alive thanks to old man Roy and his boys.

“About time. I thought I was going have to dispose of your body, boy.” Roy roared with laughter.

“I was having a good ass dream. Now it’s a fucking nightmare with your ugly old mug.” I said coughing up a mixture of rain water and blood. I heard David snickered confirming he hadn’t took his last breath.

Roy stood by drinking a beer. He downed the whole thing in a couple of gulps and thew the bottle at our heads missing us by a few inches. The bottle hit a rock and shattered. “Don’t ruin my mood…” he slurred grabbing another beer.

“Why? Why you keeping us here?” I asked honestly. We didn’t know the shit was yours.”


“Well that’s too bad. You’re on my land too. How about that?”

“You crazy old hillbilly. This land ani’t solely yours. We got every right to be here.”

“You ungodly city folk don’t belong here….”Roy trailed off. His eyes slowly shut, but then a boy came running into the camp. “Dad. Dad!” he screamed holding one side of his face as blood poured out.

“What the fuck happen to you, boy?” Roy shot up wide-eyed.

“Some crazy bitch cut into my face with a sword!” The boy whimpered. “My eye…"

"What? Sword?”

They talked for several minutes about a woman with a sword. I watched Roy and his men intensely. They were all drunk with the exception of the boy. Finally the chatter ended with Roy telling the boy to leave any search for her for the morning and him finally falling asleep. One by one they all fell asleep. Even the boy with a huge gauze over one eye.

That’s when we made our move. Me and David. We seemed to have same the idea as ours eyes focused on the glass fragments of the beer bottle. With a few grunts we slid over to a few bits of the glass. We both grabbed pieces. The glass cut into our hands, but the ropes broke apart with a few cuts. We slowly got up wincing in pain, but adrenaline kicked in.

We were running through the night before we knew it. A voice called out at us as the camp became a blur behind us. Only when shots rung out did we split up. David ran one way while I went another. I slipped and stumbled through the trees ducking bullets as the sound of gunfire filled the air. Then I felt a searing pain and fell to my knees. A bullet hit my shoulder.

I crawled to a near by fallen tree. I laid behind it hiding as I heard footsteps. I reached in my pocket for the piece of glass hoping it would be enough of a weapon to protect myself. My crucifix came with it. I had forgotten I still had it. I held it in my hand clutching it to my chest. I breathed in and out trying not to pass out from the pain.

“Don’t let me die like this,” I whispered to myself as one of Roy’s men came walking by completely oblivious of my presence. I watched him as he scanned the area. It was only a matter of time he would see me. Either him or the dead. Then a walking corpse slowly glided towards him. He ready his riffle aiming at it. That’s when something switched in me. An instinct. With all my might I lunged forward and stabbed him in the ankle with the shard of glass. He fell screaming in agony. The corpse silent his cries as it hungrily ripped him open. I watched horrified.

“I’m sorry. I’m…sorry Mya.”

I found my footing and made my way though the maze of trees. I didn’t know where I was going, but I needed help. I felt dizzy and exhausted as my shoulder throbbed. Blood soaked my shirt. I felt like I was dying. Then without warning my body gave out. I laid in the mud watching everything blur and spin. My crucifix still in my hand. Then I heard a voice. A woman’s voice.

“Who are you?!"

I looked up at her. “Are you an angel?”

“What????” She said holding something up above her head. Then she looked down taking the crucifix from my hand studying it as she put the object away. I don’t know what happened next. I assumed she grabbed me, because I woke up on a table inside what looked like a pantry or bunker. My shoulder bandaged up and a man’s shirt folded neatly on a crate in front of me.

“Hello?” I called out. I gently lifted myself from the table. No one was here. I was alone. Alone with a room full of food. I learned a hard enough lesson when it came to taking food. The only exit appeared to be via a ladder. I slowly climbed it using my good arm and chin.

When I finally made my way up the ladder I was in a shed staring at a rotten corpse. “Holy fuck! That’s fucking gross.” I thought. I open the shed door to outside. It was morning. The bright sun shinned in my eyes.

“David. Is he OK? Mark going definitely kill me. I gotta get out of here.”

I walked a little further. I heard digging and saw dirt flying. Then I found the source. The girl from the night before. She stood in front of a grave sweating.

I called out to her. “Hey…. hey there. HEY!”

At the instance the shovel came flying towards my face. A flash of white light and ringing in my ears followed. I fell backwards holding my nose. “You crazy b….”

“What you call me?” she shouted staring back at me. She pointed the shovel towards me. “Just because I saved you doesn’t mean you can sneak up on me like that.”

“Who the hell are you anyway?” I angrily asked rubbing my face. “Why the fuck you save me if you’re going hit me with a shovel?”

“Audrey,” she said as she dug in her pocket. She pulled out my crucifix throwing it to me. “That’s why. I’m not the religious type, but…..I just couldn’t.”

“Well the name’s Vince. Despite the shitty greeting, thanks for everything I guess. I gotta go. Nice to meet you.” I said walking away.

“Where the hell are you going? You can’t go. You’re still injured. Wait!!!”

Decision: Stick with Audrey or Find David & Mark?

Vote at >>pollmaker!<< All votes are anonymous at less you comment.

No part 2 this time. You’ll find out later what the results of this. A summary of the alternative paths that weren’t chosen will be revealed in the Postmortem series this week. I want to make it look really nice with pics. :P