I used to hear from people that in the end of the world, doomsday, there’d be plenty to fear. In the end of the world, there’d be a grand war between man that would shake the earth to its core, in the end of the world, there’d be an onslaught of nuclear explosions that would bring upon a nuclear holocaust, in the end of the world there’d nuclear winter and plagues, in the end of the world humanity would no longer exist. They were wrong, there was no war, there was no nuclear winter, but there was a plague, and it snuck in under the radar like the hush of summer.

Before the military could respond, before the big man could turn the keys and press the button, the world was over with the quiet hush of death. Not an army in the world could save us. People, human beings were dead, and just like that… they were alive and became flesh eating monsters, those that were lucky enough, died, those unlucky enough survived, those cursed were eaten and turned into one of those things walking outside, but then again… maybe they were right after all, when doomsday came there was plenty to fear, and it was them…

THE DEAD CHRONICLES, PART SIX:

SISTER GOLDEN HAIR

Written by Felix Vasquez Jr.

The shot went off in the distance, and the body of the brown rabbit went limp to the grass, “Yes!” Zoe screamed jumping up and down with her rifle in her hand, “I saw that from a mile away.”

“See?” her father boasted, “That’s my blood, right there. Born and raised a hunter. She got my talents.”

“Yeah, lucky her,” Tommy replied sulking with arms crossed.

“Don’t be jealous, now,” his father joked, “You can be ashamed, but there’s no reason to be jealous.”

“Ashamed?” Tommy asked pursing his lips, “Why’s that, pap?”

“You’re four years older than her,” he said almost angrily, “You ain’t got enough sense to know how to shoot, that’s your fault.” He patted his back and walked off down the hill to Zoe who held the rabbit’s carcass up.

“That’s my girl,” he laughed. Tommy stood watching with a frown looking around at the silence of the forest. Why did he come here every week with them? Why did he subject himself to this torture? Waking up at 5am, to drive the whole way, carry all the equipment like a golf caddy, hearing his father boast non-stop about Zoe and lead her away from him as if they’d only been hunting, and then watch his younger sister shoot down rabbits like there were no tomorrow. But what hurt worse was his father never let him hear the end of it all.

Why did he do it? He asked himself again and again with arms crossed looking around. “Alright, that’s it for today!” their father said clapping, “We got to go on home, now. It’s gettin’ dark.” He walked off, “I’ll put your rabbits in the truck,” he said to them, “I think we’ll have space for Tommy’s kills.” He cackled and rushed off to the truck down the path. Tommy huffed nodding and slowly walked back with them, “Hey,” Zoe said walking beside him, “Are you okay?”

“Sure,” he replied, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I heard pa diggin’ in to you,” she explained.

“Oh, you know,” he replied shrugging, “Same old shit with him. Nothing I can’t handle on my own.” He chuckled, “I’m used to it, Zoe.”

“Okay, just checking,” she shrugged.

“Nothing like the smell of blood to make a man hungry,” he joked.

“You’re not mad at me, right?” she asked.

“No,” he assured her, “Why would I be?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “I just don’t want you to think I’m going against you for the old man.”

“No,” he said putting his arm around her, “I know it’s all him.”

“Good,” she smirked, “I like when you come here. I hate it when he follows us out here, though.” That’s why he came. Every time he asked himself, he’d always have his answer. His sister.

“He loves you, though,” she declared.

“No,” he nodded, “He loves you. He puts up with me.”

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” she replied.

“It’s true,” he replied, “You were born four years later, Zoe. You don’t know the half of it. Lettin’ me get beat up in school, throwing me in to pools before I knew how to swim, “Be a man! Be a man!”--”

“—I’d really rather not hear this, you know I came here to have a good time,” she replied walking up ahead.

“Well, neither would I, but it’s true,” he declared.

“I know it’s true,” she replied, “Okay? I know. But I don’t want to hear it. In spite of what’s going on between you two, I still love him.”

“You don’t have to stop,” he assured her, “But I can.” He walked past her and rushed down the path. She patted her sides and rushed behind him. She ran up and leapt on to him with a loud grunt, and they nearly fell to the floor.

“Damn it,” she laughed.

“You’re too predictable,” he said carrying her on his back.

“You can still lift me,” she chuckled riding piggy back.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s not hard to lift a hundred pound girl,” he replied walking with ease, “Even one with a ginormous head.”

“Hey!” He laughed.

“Do you remember the first time I jumped on your back?”

“You were five, and I was nine. We fell into the pool, I still remember the water up my nose,” he chuckled.

“But you still laughed.”

“You laughed, I hit you.”

“Oh yeah,” she smirked, “Mama gave you a mighty hit in the backside.”

“I hated you… and yet you never stopped jumping on my back.”

“Well, I’ll keep doing this until we die,” she assured him.

“That will be something,” he scoffed, “An eighty year old woman jumping on an old man.” She roared with laughter.

“Tommy, will you put her down?” Dad ordered.

“Alright, alright,” he groaned. She eased down standing beside him.

“You gotta stop grabbing at her like some pervert,” he grunted.

“Oh daddy, please,” Zoe groaned, “I jumped on him, okay?”

“Get in the goddamn truck, you trouble maker,” he smirked. She laughed rushing off. “How longer until school finishes?”

“About a few more months,” Tommy replied coldly.

“You gonna visit?”

Tommy grimaced, “You know, with any other father, it would sound like an invite. But with you… you make it sound like you want to know beforehand so you can pretend you’re not home or something.”

“Don’t be stupid. It’s making conversation.”

“You care about school?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What am I going to school for?” he crossed his arms.

“Don’t start this crap.”

“Tell me. Name something involving what I go to school for.”

“You know, this was a good day, and I don’t need you fucking it up, alright?”

“Doctor,” he leaned forward, “I’m going to school to be a doctor, dad. Remember? Doctor?”

“La deed fucking da, are you through, meathead?”

“Never mind it, okay?” He huffed.

“You know don’t ever say I never I tried to make nice.”

“Oh, I’ll remember it,” he replied sarcastically, “I’ll cherish it forever.”

“Dad, get in the car,” Zoe insisted annoyed. He nodded and sat at the driver’s seat. “I don’t know where he gets that cockiness from.”

“Leave him alone.”

“Stop sticking up for him.”

“You’re picking on him, again.”

“Zoe, shut it.” She sighed looking away. Tommy slid into the back and closed the door. “Did you put all the stuff back in, doctor?”

“Yeah,” he huffed.

“What about the firearms?”

“Yes,” he replied sharply.

“One of them goes missing and you’re a dead man.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

“Okay, now,” Dad said, “That was something today, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it sure was,” Tommy sighed.

“I’ll drive back,” he announced. They looked over at each other with shrugs and went into the truck. It was like that since they were children. Pitting them against one another, and they weren’t aware of it until late in to their teens that they stopped fighting and became friends. The fighting was always so violent since they were children. Tommy’s dad would almost have them fight on purpose and be angry whenever Zoe was beaten by her older brother.

There were awful fist fights, sabotage, manipulation, scheming, and many scars between the two of them that still hurt. But eventually they figured out what was happening and called a truce. Meanwhile, they formed a bond and became closer than any brother and sister could hope. Usually in that part of the town, the boy was the pride and the girl was pushed in to the background, but on that particular scene, and that particular family, it was different. Tommy, the oldest was pushed in to the background very often, a disappointment to his machismo-fueled father who enforced manhood. He was as much of a man as he tried, but he just couldn’t find himself in the same lump of everyone else in town.

Even when doing well in school and on the way to his girlfriend in the next town, he was still the disappointment. Zoe was the youngest, born four years apart, and was the unofficial pride of the family. She was blonde and soft spoken, with hair down to her shoulder and a sweet soul. She was the one pressured in to making the family proud from the very beginning and inherited their father’s hunting skills. It was an inadvertent effect of her being born there, and one that was going to separate them had they not fought it.

Tommy and Zoe were close, and fought for one another viciously in the town of Redding, the mountainous small town that looked out on to cities in the distance. Tommy and Zoe feuded since being born, often getting in to arguments and beating on one another, but they soon knew it was their old man’s war, and not their own. Since then, they never left each other’s side.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” she asked looking back.

“Curing cancer.”

He ignored his jab, “I’m going to class for a while, and run some errands.”

“Can I go with you?”

“No,” he barked, “You’re not going into that city. They’re nothing but a bunch of crooks and con men.”

“Suddenly the world is like “Mad Max,” Tommy replied.

“You’re funny,” he groaned. Tommy sat in the back with the carcasses and cringed looking toward the window. He dozed off watching a figure staggering in the distance in a sleepy haze. He furrowed his brows and turned away sighing. Tommy sat up quickly with a loud knock at the window and snapped up.

Zoe gave a wide smile waving at him, “Wake up, sleepy head!” she yelled with a laugh. He sat up confused and wiped his eyes, “We’re here already?”

“Come on, I want to show mama,” She insisted. He stood at the end of the truck lifting out the firearms and kills they captured that day. As usual their dad, Al, was inside with Zoe boasting about her hunting while Tommy was left to carry the rest of the load inside.

“Back from judgment day?” a voice joked.

“You know it,” he replied.

“How was it?” Bart asked walking up the driveway.

“As good as usual,” Tommy sighed.

“That bad?” he asked.

“Yep, you said it,” he explained, “Pap did nothing but talk about Zoe, Zoe shot more than anyone, and I’m left to pack all this up.”

“Good times,” he joked patting his back. He shoved the rabbits into Bart’s arms, much to his chagrin. “Seriously, though,” Tommy said, “If Zoe didn’t beg me, I wouldn’t even go with that bastard.”

“How is it you two never got into a fist fight?”

“Give it time, man,” he replied closing the back of the truck, “Give it time.”

“I think you could take him,” Bart joked.

“Bart, just because you’re my neighbor doesn’t mean you have to be here every single day.” He shrugged, “I can’t visit my best friend?”

“You’re like a bad sitcom character.”

“That’s insulting.”

Tommy smirked, “You’re either Skippy or Urkel.”

“Oh great, compare me to two faggots who can’t even get laid.”

“If the shoe fits,” he chuckled.

“Fuck you, bastard child.”

“Yeah,” he scoffed, “That’s the most apt nickname I’ve ever heard.” He set down the rabbits. “Tommy, have that finished soon.”

“I have to study,” Tommy replied.

“Study later,” Al ordered, “Finish those now.” He grumbled yanking a knife.

“So, how would you do it?”

“What?”

“If you could kill your old man without getting caught, how would you do it?”

“That’s disgusting, man.”

“Come on, you mean to tell me you’ve never thought about it… ever?”

“Well…” he shrugged.

“I knew it!” Bart laughed, “So? Claw hammer? Gun?”

“No,” he cringed, “It’s too gruesome. I have a medication that I could put into him that would kill him in seconds flat. It’s undetectable.”

“Nice,” he gasped, “Go get it.”

“Nah, I’m not in the mood to play Menendez Brothers,” he replied.

“What are you doing tonight?”

“After I’m done with this bullshit, I have to study, and then, perhaps some sleep.”

“Five AM, that’s sick,” he sighed, “You’re Superman.”

“Well, I’m used to it. Once I officially start going on rotation and doing rounds, I’ll get about a half hour of sleep every day.”

“You chose the most difficult profession in the world,” he tisked, “I am jealous.”

“You could do it too,” Tommy insisted. “If you could take time out between shooting squirrels and getting wasted, that is.”

“I don’t make fun of your hobbies, man.”

“I swear, if Zoe didn’t plead, I’d never go with him.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. He heard Zoe laugh. “Your sister is in there?”

“Yes,” he replied, “And no, she’s not interested.”

“Wha--? How do you know that?” asked Bart.

“Oh, about the seven times she’s turned you down this week,” he joked, “It’s been two years, she’s not giving in.”

“Give me time, brother,” he smirked, “I’m going to wear her down.”

“Like a bad fungus,” declared Tommy.

“Where is she now?” he asked.

“With the old man,” he explained, “He’s bragging to mama about her magical shooting skills.”

“Well, I’m going inside,” Bart announced.

“Here,” Tommy said packing the firearms in to his hands, “Do me that favor.”

“Which reminds me, did you hear about Mr. Jansen?” he asked.

“No.”

“Some bum outside his store tried to attack him,” he explained.

“Really?” Tommy asked surprised.

“Yeah,” Bart scoffed, “He was even trying to bite him. There are fucking psychos around here.”

“How’s the old man, anyway?” asked Tommy.

“Well, he’s alright,” Bart explained, “But he sure got the shit scared out of him.” They gave a laugh. Bart walked in to the house. Tommy gave a laugh hearing Zoe groan at his appearance. Tommy stood in the backyard cutting up the rabbit hides hearing Bart pitching himself to Zoe as usual. It was a two year crush he’d had on Tommy’s little sister, and it became an everyday routine now.