The End

The Start

---------------------------------------------In The Past-----------------------------------------------

I lay bored on my bed staring at my right hand as I levitated a bullet between my fingers. Around it went on a loop as i studied it thinking about the visitor we were about to have.

As I Stared in a trance at the bullet, a knock on my door brought me to my senses. "Come in!" I said as i caught the bullet and closed my fist on it. The shabby wooden door of my small room opened to reveal my father standing there in a long olive coloured trench coat, dirty black boots and a utility belt weighed down with items necessary for life in the apocalypse.

My father had short cropped black hair and steely grey eyes, his large strong physique and lines in his face gave the impression of wisdom and 'Hard Man' at the same time. "C'mon Jason, Jonas will be here any moment". Jonas was david's (My father's) lifelong friend and a part of a group of people who are called the hunters who have made it their duty to eliminate the threats to humanity.

Currently it was arranged for Jonas to come and give our settlement his report from the outside world as most of us had never left the confines of this impromptu shelter in the train stations of old. We walked through the many dark passageways that formed the living quarters of our little society, many of these rooms were now empty due to an escalation in mutant attacks, I'll leave the rest for your imagination.

My father sighed with sadness every time we passed a empty room he was the leader of these people and he felt powerless to help them. I rested my hand on his shoulder and patted it lightly, he seemed to gain a little strength from it and he moved faster towards the tunnel gates.

I picked up the pace too and followed my father into the gloomy mildewy passage to the entrance. Dust lined the walls of the small dimly lit entrance hall as the guards, dressed in uniform of army vests and cargo trousers, stood to attention as my father entered holding their rifles tightly.

"What now dad?" I asked as we stopped short of the heavy, grey metal doors of the entrance. "well" Said David "he should be here any second now" and true to his word in 3 seconds 4 loud clanging knocks sounded against the thick metal gates. The two guards tensed up, scuttled away from the entrance and raised their rifles. "What the Fuck was that!" said one of them "open the doors" Boomed David "mutants don't knock first!" The guard hesitated and David reiterated "NOW!", and slowly with a squeal of gears and the clanking of latches the doors slid apart.

A tall muscular man stood in the doorway dressed in black cargo trousers, worn dirty leather jacket and a large tactical vest strapped around his torso all the pockets filled with ammunition and survival equipment, the man also had a large dented helmet a old fashioned gas mask and carried a large modern shotgun brimming with deadliness.

The eyes behind the grimy lenses of the mask smiled and a familiar gravelly voice of Jonas growled "hello David!, Jason!" and David and Jonas embraced in a brotherly hug. I stood awkwardly at their side unsure of what to do in the moment of friendly affection.

No sooner had they broken apart and Jonas had removed his mask his face fell and the momentary respite of close friendship was lost as a look of deep fear and alarm crept into Jonas's lined features.

"David we need to talk but i cant stay for long!" began Jonas but no sooner had he started he stopped his mouth gaping, his skin paling and his eyes wide with horror. "Jonas!" said david more than a little alarmed but he took a step back as he noticed blood dripping from Jonas's mouth.

The rasp of air that escaped Jonas's lungs as he was lifted into the air was imprinted in my memeory forever. But Before i could comprehend what had happened Jonas was flung aside like a ragdoll to reveal a huge growling beast its claw dripping with Jonas's blood.

The Guards Yelled in shock as They opened fire, A hailstorm of bullets passed me and thudded into the beast, and it fell backwards in a ball of howling fur, blood and limbs.

As the guards stopped to reload another earthquaking growl sent me spinning around looking for cracks in the old walls but just as i realised the noise had come from something much more animate, I was bowled head over shoulders by a second beast who headed straight for David who had his revolver drawn and was facing a third beast who was currently racing towards the reloading guards.

"DAD LOOK OUT!!" was all I could yell before the huge monstrosity leapt into the air and onto Davids back. His scream of surprise was louder than anything i had heard in my life and as he fell i heard the gut wrenching CRUNCH of a leg breaking.

Davids screams of surprise had now turned into pain and seemed to increase in volume if that was possible as the monster began to wrestle with david snapping its large jaws dangerously close to Davids face.

I heard the guards rifles start up again as a fourth and fith monster raced in through the gates galloping with bloodshot eyes and foaming mouths towards the guards. I however did not register this as upon seeing David in danger I had switched into survival mode, I ran towards my dad's frenetic dance of death with the beast meanwhile pulling out a large leathal looking Serrated knife 4 inches long.

As i finally reached the more than unfair wrestling match i raised my knife above the monster and plunged it deep into its shoulder. The keening screeching noise emanating from its bloody snout was deafening as i pulled the blade out and wrapped my arm around its neck and plunged the knife once again into the creatures side twisting the blade and relishing the pain I was inflicting upon the beast that tried to kill my father.

The monster was now thrashing around in agony completely ignoring David and desperately trying to fling me off. I finally made one loud cry of fury as i withdrew the blade once more and drew it slowly and deeply across the monsters throat.

The Keening stopped and i let the body crumple to the floor, dead. Meanwhile the guards had dealt with the monsters and were hurredly and desperately Sliding the metal doors shut. The lound clang of the Steel doors brought me to my senses I ran to where my father lay but i knew, From the lack of total movement, That it was too late. The Face that had brought me up, comforted me, fed me, clothed me, taught me, loved me was now gone.

The Monster had won that last battle with my father and had succeeded in mauling his face to the extent that it no longer existed. At that moment something snapped inside me and i was no longer that man that was shielded from the outside world, but someone who had accepted that ways of the apocalypse.

A rasp in the coner of the room made me whirl around with the guards who had their blood spattered weapons raised in case one of the monsters still lived. But it was Jonas, I ran to his side as One of the guards ran for help and the other hastened to grab the medikit from the rusty cabinet across the room. As i knelt by the Groaning form of Jonas, I knew by the size of the expanding pool of blood that it was too late.

"...Jason..." he managed to rasp "I need you..." Jonas reached inside one of his vest pockets and pulled out a thick tattered bloody letter "...to take this...". His body shook as he took another gasp of ragged air "...and take it...to my friend...Conrad....At The gerkin...". his body shuddered with the struggle for life "...He'll know what to do..."

I leant over him and whispered "I will Jonas" as i gripped his hand in mine."There's a good lad...." Muttered Jonas before i sensed the essence of life leave him. His hand went limp and his eyes went blank and stared at the ceiling he couldn't see, a ghost of a satisfied smile upon his lips at the relief, of finally being free from the shackles of pain and loss in this new world...