Ashes to Ashes (Book 1 of 2) A ZOMBIE FICTION

21-Gun Salute

It had been three days since Drake's death, and the others hadn't said more than a few sentences; especially so Crystal and Kat. I had spent the three days digging, using a small shovel I found in the base, and had gotten a decent hole dug for him. Six feet deep, four feet wide and seven feet long. People offered to help mind you, but I refused it; feeling responsible still. Maybe this would dim that feeling, but I doubted it. 

The rain poured onto my head, soaking my hair as I climbed out of the hole carefully, not wanting to disturb the soil. This grave was dug in the center of the entire base on a small patch of grass. 

"Alex?" Josh called as he held something in his hands.

"What?" 

"Do you think we could put this over him?" He asked, showing me a perfectly folded American flag.

"Yeah. Did you find any coffins?"

"Yeah. Over in hangar two, most of them were taken, but there was one."

"Alright, we'll carry it over in a few. Put the flag in the plane so it doesn't get wet."

He nodded and continued his walk past me. I had been feeling a pair of eyes on the back of my head for about an hour now, and finally found out who it was. I looked under the wing of the C-5M and saw Crystal, standing silently; sheltered from the rain. I shared her look of sadness, then made my way towards hangar two.

I had found the casket, a light brown Oak; polished to reflect what ever was around it like a mirror. I stood waiting for Josh to arrive, and when he did we carried the casket to Drake's rotting corpse. I wanted to bury him with his weapons and what he had when he died. Discluding the M4. The rain just rolled off of it as we walked, setting it down under the left wing of the aircraft; then carried his corpse into it, followed by the weapons he had. 

We got the help of Cathy and Kat, and carried the casket to the hole that I had dug. Drew brought the flag to his mother and she and I unfolded it and placed it over his coffin. 

"Anyone who wishes to say their last words go ahead, anyone who doesn't can come with me and help get the dozer and Miss Piggy." I said, wishing to say mine last.

I saw clear confusion in their eyes, but we wouldn't be able to lower it in on our own; that's where the bucket came in. The dozer is what we'd use to cover it.

About a half hour passed and we had lowered the casket into the hole and covered it, and I still hadn't said my words. We used rifles found in the base armory and Kat, Drew and I all fired seven rounds. Our lack of twenty one people forced us to modify the '21-gun Salute' to a three gun and twenty one shot salute.

I ended my part of the ceremony after Crystal and Drew carried a small wooden cross and placed it into the ground at the head of the grave.

Cathy had started the plane and everyone silently began filing into the plane and I was standing at the foot.

"I'm sorry for everything that I've done against you, and I wish that it was me in that hole instead of you... I can't lead them, so I might have to leave it to Josh. If it wasn't for you I would've died within a few hours; we all would have. Goodbye Drake..." I said, placing a single .44 round tip-up into the ground.

I walked into the plane and to the cockpit, then taxied into take off position, then took flight. Leaving that Airfield made me feel like my body was now nothing but a husk, and maybe that was the spirit's doing...