Chapter 4 Like Father, Like Son

Three on the right and one on the left. These used to be his neighbors with whom he shared Christmas and Thanksgiving. He knew they were no longer the same. His only hope now was to save his wife and child. Turning towards his left, he ran towards the solo corpse eater.

 

Pulling his arms back while running forward, when he was less than a foot away from the monstrosity, he swung horizontally. The bat's edge landed on the temple of the flesheater. Its head tilted to the opposite side and flew three feet back.

 

After witnessing the hit, Jack did not linger and ran towards the other two zombies.

 

A little shocked at his own body for having the strength and endurance to keep running for so long, he soon arrived at the closest zombie and swung.

 

The hit was just as impressive as the first, but no matter how much power was behind the swing, if it missed, it would be useless. The bat scraped the nose of the walking corpse. Its outstretched hands were nearing Jack's face. The putrid stench of the rotting flesh assaulted Jack’s nose.  

 

Fear made Jack's knees soft, causing him to land on his back. This unconscious action allowed the zombie's claws to pass over Jack’s head.

 

Jack grabbed the bat and, while on his back, scuttled backward as fast as he could. Creating some distance from the two creatures, every fiber of his being screamed at Jack to run away. But when Jack looked to his right, he saw his house’s number. He knew that he couldn't leave, nor could he allow these creatures to remain. His resolve reached its peak again. He made a covenant with himself to protect his family, and that is exactly what he would do.

 

Jack chanted in his mind, 

 

“I will not die; I cannot die.”

“I will not die; I cannot die.”

“I will not die; I cannot die.”

 

Again and again he chanted. The more he chanted, the more strength filled his body. Using the accumulated strength, he stood up and now faced the objects of his fear. Both decaying figures were now facing him. Jack did not cower back. His hands had turned white from how tightly he held the bat. He swung from left to right with all his strength.

 

This time the hit landed, and not only did it land, but the momentum carried the first flesh eater towards the other, knocking them both down. The first flesh eater was laying on top of the second with its head tilted 180 degrees. It acted like a cage, trapping the second walking corpse. Jack would not let this opportunity go. He brought the bat straight up, and with all the strength of his body, he brought it back down. Like a gavel sentencing a murderer to hell. Jack became the judge, jury, and executioner. The head of the corpse burst open and spat itself onto the grass of his front yard.

 

Out of the inflated energy, Jack dropped to the floor gasping for air, both due to physical exhaustion and mental fatigue.

 

After a few moments, he was finally able to feel air with his lungs, but what he saw around him were three white orbs. They looked smaller than Lilith’s but looked identical in every other aspect, except for the small string. His hunger was stimulated. Even drool was coming out of his mouth witnessing the presence of the small orbs.

 

Jack’s self-hate had decreased greatly when he saw that Lilith had a chance to be revived. This decreased his self-harming actions as well. Thus, he no longer had the ability to resist the orbs. He looked at the closest one and grabbed hold of it. His desire to consume became maddening. His stomach felt like desert sands praying for water. He had never felt hunger like this. Yet, his curiosity about what this orb was also great, thus allowing him to keep his sanity and observe the orb from varying sides.

 

The orb felt like mochi in his hands, but it kept the same appearance from all sides. It was simply a perfect white sphere. Unable to acquire any more information from the sphere, Jack slowly placed it in his mouth. Before he could determine if the sphere tasted like mochi, it dissolved on his tongue but gave his stomach a comfortable warm feeling spreading from his mouth to the esophagus then downwards.

 

So comfortable was this feeling that Jack sat there with his eyes closed basking in its afterglow. His tiredness from the fight was gone, and now all he wanted to do was savor the other two spheres. However, he knew his experiment with his powers was essential for the survival of his family.

 

He recalled how he pushed the orbs into Lilith, and he was able to control her. He wondered if he could do the same with others. He might be able to cure all the corpse eaters back to normal at some point. His sense of duty acted as a means to avert his hunger.

 

Pushing them back onto their heads, he waited for their bodies to change. The corpses started to shake. The damage on their bodies reverted back. It appeared as if time had flowed backward. The blood flowed back to them as if it had never left. Not even a bruise remained from the heavy damage he inflicted. Soon, they stood back up. Jack waited for minutes, however, unlike Lilith, their skin did not return back to normal. Even their eyes remained gray without a single sign of humanity.

 

*Sigh*

 

A deep sigh escaped Jack. He really wished he could save his friends, but it seemed that it was impossible.

 

Jack grabbed his chin and thought, “This means that Lilith is special in some way. Hmm, in what way? And if she and I have something special, does that mean Ralph is also special in some way? Ahhh, so many questions. I wish Lilith was here.”

 

He suddenly heard locks being unlocked, and Lilith came out, standing in front of him.

 

Jack chuckled and said, “I guess you heard, Haha.”

 

Looking at the two remaining corpse eaters, he ordered, “We will need food and drinking water at some point, so please go to your homes and bring all of them. Oh, and also bring all the medical supplies.”

 

He looked back to his wife and said, “I guess we'll take it as a repayment for all of the Thanksgiving turkeys we shared. Not that you would have refused to take something if it benefited me and Ralph even back then.”

 

Glancing up, Jack noticed Ralph watching him intensely. He blew a flying kiss at his son and waved at him.

 

Jack thought, I want to rest, but Ralph should eat breakfast. Lilith should make him breakfast and herself. Wait. Lilith, since you can't eat humans, what do you eat?

 

He asked in his mind to prevent Ralph from listening.

The result terrified Jack to the core. Lilith pointed at the moon.

 

MOONLIGHT

 

The moon was bright and still full, even though it was morning.Jack instantly understood that the walking dead only need moonlight to sustain themselves.

 

Jack screamed in his mind, “Why! Then WHY do they eat people?! Wait. Why did I want to eat the white orb?”

 

Jack grunted then felt something strange in his hand. Looking down at his hand, he found that the metal bat handle had changed shape. It looked like it was crushed. Ahh. The body usually craves whatever it needs. Relying on that logic, this means the white orbs make me stronger. So it is fair to assume eating humans will make the walking corpses stronger.

 

While Jack was lost in thought, Lilith made breakfast and Ralph came downstairs and watched his father rubbing his chin while sitting at the dining table.

 

Finally calming down due to a growing headache caused by stress, Jack came out of his thoughts. He made eye contact with Ralph and also saw Lilith was staring at him. Jack smiled at both of them, then looked directly at Ralph and explained, “Okay Ralph, listen, you know how I said your mom is still sick. The gray people are even more sick, so sick that there is no way to save them.”

 

Before he could continue, Ralph cut him off, “Will mom ever get that sick?”

 

Jack shook his head, “Not while I am still around. She will never be like that. Also, you probably won't be able to go to school for a while.”

 

Ralph, now reassured, smiled, then started eating his eggs.

 

Jack laughed and asked while hugging his shoulder, "Oh, you don't look too sad about not being able to go to school. Do you like broccoli that much?”

 

Ralph's eyes went straight up to Lilith.

 

Jack asked while chuckling, "So Lilith, are you going to make him broccoli?”

 

Ralph's eyes increased in intensity. Lilith shook her head.

 

Ralph relaxed and immersed himself with his eggs again. Jack laughed and rubbed his head. Jack looked up to the roof and thought, “Indeed, for them, working hard is worth it.”

 

Jack then said to Lilith, “I am going to shower and change, please make breakfast for me.”

 

Saying that, he got up and left upstairs.

 

“Ahhhh !!!!”

 

Ralph dropped his fork, and he knew that was his father's scream. The decaying corpses flashed in his mind. He quickly ran up the stairs to his parents' room. The door was locked; the urge to push the door arose. He stepped back and pushed it.

 

“Oh My God!”

 

Hearing Jack’s voice again, Ralph became even more desperate. He pushed the door again and again. The third time he pushed the door, a sudden powerful force smashed the door, and Ralph ran in.

 

“Dad, I am here, don’t ….”

 

Ralph saw his father with only his boxers on making muscular poses in front od a mirror. He was shocked to see his father had the body of a bodybuilder without a single shred of fat.

 

Jack, on the other side of Ralph, was shocked by the fact that his small son was able to destroy the thick wooden door.

 

Both in unison asked, while pointing at each other,

 

“How did you do that?”

“How did you do that?”