This story was begun in June of 2011. My son Jon has published two chapters of his new Zombie epic and inspired me to dust off this work and give it another go with a new title and a new direction. Critique would be appreciated. Minor edit 5-20-2013 (essential to the storyline) The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living, dead or in-between is probably totally intentional, SO DEAL WITH IT! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
He held her close and felt the firmness of her body against his. “Is this the end?” He asked. “No mi Vida.” She replied, “It is just a new beginning.” – The Chronicles
———————————————————————————————————————————- -1-
It was one of those earth-shattering headaches that promised a world of hurt in the near future.
Problem was, the near future was already here.
He groaned as he rolled over and promptly fell out of bed.
“Damn”! he swore softly. Because to swear loudly was to make his head pound harder.
Some hangover he thought.
But wait! He had not been drinking, so what brought this on?
He opened his eyes to the brightness he had thought was due to bright sunshine but now saw was provided by artificial illumination of some sort as there were no windows in the room.
Where the blazes am I? He wondered. He certainly wasn’t at home, nor was he at work. He hadn’t been at work for ten years now.
He scanned his surroundings, a low bed, a table, some chairs, a dresser, and two doors. One open door led to a bathroom. He crossed to the other door and tried it. Open, well that was a good thing, not a prisoner then.
He stuck his head out of the door, and saw that it led into a corridor. Well, enough time for exploration later. He went back to the bathroom door and stepped inside.
There was a tumbler on the sink along with a wrapped toothbrush and toothpaste. He filled the tumbler with water and went to remove his teeth.
That was when he got the second shock of the day. His teeth would not come out!
He examined his mouth in the mirror and saw two neat rows of permanent teeth where dentures should have been. He looked closer and received yet another shock. Who was that looking back at me? The face staring back at him was not the one he remembered from last night! Not a strange face, but surely one he had not seen staring back at him in decades. A fair-skinned face with a scraggly beard and a mane of dark brown hair. He took stock of the rest of his body and found that he had lost the overweight flab of his seventy years and instead had the body he remembered from his mid-twenties.
He showered as he pondered what all this might mean. Randall Vines had gone to sleep last night in his Brooklyn apartment on the eve of his seventy-first birthday. He had bid goodnight to his friends and well-wishers and turned in rather early. The next thing he knew, he was here with a killer headache and a relatively new body. But where was here?
-2-
He’s here!!
She knew it immediately upon his arrival. She still did not know how that worked. A locator! That’s what they told her she was. This must be how that worked.
She felt his presence and the general direction of his location.
She had been here four weeks and this was the first time she had any evidence of her talent.
Dana West continued to brush out her long red hair as she pondered this new feeling. West! Of course, that was the direction of the processing facility.
She did not know who he was, only that it was indeed a male and that he was a member of her pod.
But which member was he? It was all so confusing.
Six weeks of acclimatizing herself to this new, yet strangely familiar, environment, this “new” body, this strange new world.
She had awakened after the accident none the worse for the wear. At first, she thought it was a hospital room, but she soon realized it was more like a plain hotel room.
She had found clothing laid out for her in the bedroom. After dressing, she thought it prudent to explore.
Leaving the building she realized that she was no longer anywhere near her dorm. In fact, she had a sinking feeling she was no longer anywhere near the University.
Now all she could think of was this persistent urge to move.
Well, might as well get on with it and see just who or what it is I have located. The facility was a day’s hike from “the village” she found herself in. It reminded her of a story she had read where everyone went around addressing everyone else by number. She finished binding her hair into a ponytail gathered her few belongings headed out the door and began her westward journey.
-3-
Randall stepped out of his door and took in his surroundings. An empty corridor greeted him in either direction. He turned left and started down the corridor. Presently he came upon another door and he decided to open it to see what lay beyond. He stepped into what appeared to be a dining area. Several tables and chairs were set up in the room with a counter against the far wall. Behind the counter, a doorway led to another room.
Randall turned and started for the door from which he had entered the room.. He was stopped by a startled gasp from behind him. He turned and saw a young woman standing behind what he had taken for a serving counter. As he faced the woman her eyes opened wide and she gave him a deep curtsy
. “My Lord!” she said.
“Pardon me?” said Randall, “I am no one’s Lord, my name is Randall Vines, Randy to my friends.”
“As you wish, my Lord.” the woman replied. “I am Nedra if it pleases your majesty.”
“I think we are getting off on the wrong foot here lady,” he said “you must be mistaking me for someone else. I get that a lot. Guess I have one of those faces.”
“There is no mistake sire.” Another voice said.
Randall saw that an older man had stepped into the room and had addressed him. He appeared to be middle-aged with a vaguely European appearance. He sported a thick mustache and a shock of unruly hair.
The newcomer turned to the young woman and addressed her. “Nedra, be a dear and see to his Lordships wants. He must be famished after his journey”
“I could go for a burger and fries now that you mention it.” Said, Randall
The young woman turned with a formal curtsey and scurried out of the room to carry out her errands.
“Allow me to reintroduce myself, sire.” Said the stranger “My name is Albert and it is my pleasure to serve as your chancellor. Let me be the first to welcome you home.
To be continued
updated Nov 7, 2020, 4:15 PMMay 19, 2013, 6:25 PM
Always excited to read more
I have released the available files in the series even though they have not received a final edit