| General Fiction posted March 4, 2014 | Chapters: |
...6 7 -8- 9... 
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  |
The group continues to form bonds and another stranger comes
A chapter in the book Yosemite
Alliances, Joe Returns!
by michaelcahill
| Background Survivors are in the dark as they try and survive a disaster in the forest of Yosemite. |
In the last installment a stranger and her little dog wandered into camp with some news of conditions outside of camp. Roles continued to be defined and relationships continued to form. Jenifer was pregnant again and Johnny and Christine had developed a strong bond of friendship much to the chagrin of many in the group. We catch the group now as they continue with their reactions to the newcomer and their own changing interactions. Christine continued to draw attention.
It was very clear that she was a unique and compelling spirit that demanded attention without seeking it. That I had her attention was the cause of much envy and even jealousy. I was beyond infatuated with her on numerous levels. In my usual manner, I kept that to myself. I suspect my estimation of my own cleverness was probably over rated.
Truly, of all the people in our little conclave it was only Jennifer and Christine that sparked any interest on my part. I was delighted that they both would challenge me when most wouldn’t have anywhere near the nerve to risk my wrath. It told me that they actually got me and knew what I was really all about.
Christine was quick to realize that I would even revel in old man jokes at my own expense. This came after a brief but very sweet period where she was actually sensitive to it. There was a time when she would refer to something or someone as being old and actually try to cover her tracks for fear of offending me. It was precious and out of character for her. Once she realized that it didn't bother me, jokes at my expense where the order of the day. One time Carlos saw us together and yelled out,
“Hey! Jefferson! Whatcha doin', robbin the cradle?”
“Naw! I’m robbing the grave!” Great response, courtesy of Christine.
Synergy was never more apparent to me then when the three of us were on a roll. It was downright intimidating to the rest of them, which, of course, delighted the three of us. Well, I dwell on this, as it is the only distraction to our increasingly grave situation.
Our group by now had split into the ones that could contribute and the ones that couldn’t. Myself, Jennifer, Christine, Carlos, Linda and, a bit warily, Annie were the core of people that were ready to take action and on whose abilities there was a degree of confidence.
Lacci and another stranger named Larry weren't liabilities, but they weren't exactly assets either nor was Brenda, a lady that was almost an afterthought as she was so much a part of the background. Russell was game to help, but without his medication his epilepsy and schizophrenia were an impediment for him.
Rhonda, Tonnie, David, and Nathan were clear liabilities and needed to be dealt with sooner or later. Tonnie and Rhonda were weaning off their meds and constantly talking and arguing with everyone. They both had become promiscuous and to my surprise were getting regular takers. Nathan was becoming increasingly bizarre and detached. There was a definite aura of danger that we all felt from him. It wasn’t what he was doing it was what we feared he might be capable of doing.
David Vernon McMahon had turned from an irritating and verbose idiot into almost a complete zombie. Honestly, I was surprised that he was even alive. In the back of my mind, I was grateful for his current harmless condition and secretly lamented that such a fate had escaped Tonnie and Rhonda.
Lacci appeared pregnant though she denied it. I know she was more flat chested when I first met her. I laugh at myself realizing that it actually makes a difference to me. I suspect Carlos based upon my belief that she would be impressed by young and handsome.
She had shown me a picture of her boyfriend who was rather chubby and homely to be kind. She was very pretty and had a nice personality and it did make me wonder why she didn’t have a mate to match. Maybe, like Jennifer, her good looks were recently acquired and she still suffered from an unattractive mindset.
Again, I laugh at myself. It seems that once young and good looking the mindset remains with you even has time betrays and mocks you.
Knowing that there were people wandering around Yosemite in varying levels of distress heightened our senses and imaginations. Sounds that used to conjure images of bears or creepy crawlers now evoked visions of the undead waiting outside in the shadows deterred only by our campfire.
Why the undead would not want to cozy up to the warmth of our little hearth, I do not know. But, that has always seemed to be the rule in any horror film I ever saw.
With that being our mindset our reaction to the intruder that stumbled into our conclave was perhaps more understandable. As though sprung from our worst imaginings a large figure loomed out of the shadows and stumbled towards the campfire. He was filthy and at least in our minds eye walked like a classic ghoul from a forgotten childhood horror film that haunted our unconscious minds to this day.
In reality, this was simply a man tired and hungry from a long ordeal of survival. Had we simply been a group of vacationers we no doubt would’ve rushed to his aid. But, we were of an entirely different perspective. Several of our group attacked and drove him to the ground in a sea of fists and kicking feet screaming and grunting in a way not reminiscent of humanity. All he could respond with was “Please!’ over and over again diminishing with each wail as though he were getting farther and farther away. But, of course, He wasn’t. He was severely beaten before the attack finally ceased in an exhausted collapse of energy. He layed there moaning softly and unresponsive to questioning.
“Who are you?”
“What do you want with us?”
“Why have you attacked us?”
“Are you sick?”
Finally, after some time had passed he whispered his answer, “Please.”
Somehow, the fact that we could easily have beaten him to death tempered our desire to do so. There were no apologies of even a perfunctory nature shuffling alongside anyone’s tongue. What was in his mind was hard to discern as he sat there slowly recovering. He made no attempt to leave perhaps out of fear or perhaps what was out there was far worse than what he had found here.
“I’m Joe.” He said softly.
At that point, many intelligent minds made the leap to,
“Oh my God! Joe is back from the dead!”
He looked nothing like the previous Joe and the thought was ridiculous. But, if just for a moment, it was a thought we entertained, underscoring the true depth of our desperation and paranoia.
At this point, Christine and I began parodying walking zombies.
“I am Joe, back from the dead to avenge myself!”
“I am his willing bride, waiting to dine with him on a feast of bloody flesh!”
The laughter was beyond nervous and did nothing to relieve any of the tenseness of the situation. This delighted us both, illuminating the true basis for our friendship. It was Jennifer that broke the ghoulish spell. She slowly walked up to Joe, sniffing the air like a great predator, and said in her best horror film voice,
”The meat is spoiled! We are doomed!”
Our ensuing insane laughter more than eased our tension. The others joined in as well. Whether or not their tension was truly eased, I cannot say. We all silently agreed to return to at least a pretense of normal, for the time being.
For me, a realization made itself manifest. Christine had become my friend and gained a status that the others wouldn’t attain. Jennifer also was set apart to me from the others. They were the people of value to me. They were the people that even under these circumstances I would entertain an element of risk for. Regardless of the outcome of these events, they would be two people that I would want to continue to know.
We all listened intently as Joe began to tell his story. It was a story of an attempted rescue.
It was very clear that she was a unique and compelling spirit that demanded attention without seeking it. That I had her attention was the cause of much envy and even jealousy. I was beyond infatuated with her on numerous levels. In my usual manner, I kept that to myself. I suspect my estimation of my own cleverness was probably over rated.
Truly, of all the people in our little conclave it was only Jennifer and Christine that sparked any interest on my part. I was delighted that they both would challenge me when most wouldn’t have anywhere near the nerve to risk my wrath. It told me that they actually got me and knew what I was really all about.
Christine was quick to realize that I would even revel in old man jokes at my own expense. This came after a brief but very sweet period where she was actually sensitive to it. There was a time when she would refer to something or someone as being old and actually try to cover her tracks for fear of offending me. It was precious and out of character for her. Once she realized that it didn't bother me, jokes at my expense where the order of the day. One time Carlos saw us together and yelled out,
“Hey! Jefferson! Whatcha doin', robbin the cradle?”
“Naw! I’m robbing the grave!” Great response, courtesy of Christine.
Synergy was never more apparent to me then when the three of us were on a roll. It was downright intimidating to the rest of them, which, of course, delighted the three of us. Well, I dwell on this, as it is the only distraction to our increasingly grave situation.
Our group by now had split into the ones that could contribute and the ones that couldn’t. Myself, Jennifer, Christine, Carlos, Linda and, a bit warily, Annie were the core of people that were ready to take action and on whose abilities there was a degree of confidence.
Lacci and another stranger named Larry weren't liabilities, but they weren't exactly assets either nor was Brenda, a lady that was almost an afterthought as she was so much a part of the background. Russell was game to help, but without his medication his epilepsy and schizophrenia were an impediment for him.
Rhonda, Tonnie, David, and Nathan were clear liabilities and needed to be dealt with sooner or later. Tonnie and Rhonda were weaning off their meds and constantly talking and arguing with everyone. They both had become promiscuous and to my surprise were getting regular takers. Nathan was becoming increasingly bizarre and detached. There was a definite aura of danger that we all felt from him. It wasn’t what he was doing it was what we feared he might be capable of doing.
David Vernon McMahon had turned from an irritating and verbose idiot into almost a complete zombie. Honestly, I was surprised that he was even alive. In the back of my mind, I was grateful for his current harmless condition and secretly lamented that such a fate had escaped Tonnie and Rhonda.
Lacci appeared pregnant though she denied it. I know she was more flat chested when I first met her. I laugh at myself realizing that it actually makes a difference to me. I suspect Carlos based upon my belief that she would be impressed by young and handsome.
She had shown me a picture of her boyfriend who was rather chubby and homely to be kind. She was very pretty and had a nice personality and it did make me wonder why she didn’t have a mate to match. Maybe, like Jennifer, her good looks were recently acquired and she still suffered from an unattractive mindset.
Again, I laugh at myself. It seems that once young and good looking the mindset remains with you even has time betrays and mocks you.
Knowing that there were people wandering around Yosemite in varying levels of distress heightened our senses and imaginations. Sounds that used to conjure images of bears or creepy crawlers now evoked visions of the undead waiting outside in the shadows deterred only by our campfire.
Why the undead would not want to cozy up to the warmth of our little hearth, I do not know. But, that has always seemed to be the rule in any horror film I ever saw.
With that being our mindset our reaction to the intruder that stumbled into our conclave was perhaps more understandable. As though sprung from our worst imaginings a large figure loomed out of the shadows and stumbled towards the campfire. He was filthy and at least in our minds eye walked like a classic ghoul from a forgotten childhood horror film that haunted our unconscious minds to this day.
In reality, this was simply a man tired and hungry from a long ordeal of survival. Had we simply been a group of vacationers we no doubt would’ve rushed to his aid. But, we were of an entirely different perspective. Several of our group attacked and drove him to the ground in a sea of fists and kicking feet screaming and grunting in a way not reminiscent of humanity. All he could respond with was “Please!’ over and over again diminishing with each wail as though he were getting farther and farther away. But, of course, He wasn’t. He was severely beaten before the attack finally ceased in an exhausted collapse of energy. He layed there moaning softly and unresponsive to questioning.
“Who are you?”
“What do you want with us?”
“Why have you attacked us?”
“Are you sick?”
Finally, after some time had passed he whispered his answer, “Please.”
Somehow, the fact that we could easily have beaten him to death tempered our desire to do so. There were no apologies of even a perfunctory nature shuffling alongside anyone’s tongue. What was in his mind was hard to discern as he sat there slowly recovering. He made no attempt to leave perhaps out of fear or perhaps what was out there was far worse than what he had found here.
“I’m Joe.” He said softly.
At that point, many intelligent minds made the leap to,
“Oh my God! Joe is back from the dead!”
He looked nothing like the previous Joe and the thought was ridiculous. But, if just for a moment, it was a thought we entertained, underscoring the true depth of our desperation and paranoia.
At this point, Christine and I began parodying walking zombies.
“I am Joe, back from the dead to avenge myself!”
“I am his willing bride, waiting to dine with him on a feast of bloody flesh!”
The laughter was beyond nervous and did nothing to relieve any of the tenseness of the situation. This delighted us both, illuminating the true basis for our friendship. It was Jennifer that broke the ghoulish spell. She slowly walked up to Joe, sniffing the air like a great predator, and said in her best horror film voice,
”The meat is spoiled! We are doomed!”
Our ensuing insane laughter more than eased our tension. The others joined in as well. Whether or not their tension was truly eased, I cannot say. We all silently agreed to return to at least a pretense of normal, for the time being.
For me, a realization made itself manifest. Christine had become my friend and gained a status that the others wouldn’t attain. Jennifer also was set apart to me from the others. They were the people of value to me. They were the people that even under these circumstances I would entertain an element of risk for. Regardless of the outcome of these events, they would be two people that I would want to continue to know.
We all listened intently as Joe began to tell his story. It was a story of an attempted rescue.
 Recognized |
I hope those that may have missed chapter six have had a chance to read it. The input continues to be excellent and appreciated. Anything that occurs to you feel free to let me know. I am listening.
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