The Omega Virus

Chapter 6

-Chapter 6-

            It was hard to believe that in this world of chaos rest could still be found—and yet that is exactly what we found—rest, at least for a little while.  The place had a marble plaque on the right stone wall of the entrance gate that declared: Heaven’s Gates.  The gate itself was just a small iron garden gate in the middle of a three foot tall stone wall.  It bore no lock and easily swung in and out as if to say: ‘Come and go as you please.’  In front of the gate was the large driveway, big enough to easily turn in it a three car garage.  Beyond the gate was a concrete path that lead to the wondrously large house.  The path started out narrow, but bloomed into a large concrete circle right in front of this place of peace.  On either side of the path were flowers in bloom; lilacs, roses, lilies of the valley, even grape vines—all seemed immaculately kept, though there wasn’t a sign of anyone around.  Three concrete steps led up to a sliding glass door through which could be seen an enormous kitchen, dining room and living room.

            We had found this house by sheer luck, or providence, or fate or whatever you fancy to call it.  I call it luck.  In this life there is nothing else but good luck or bad luck.  We had turned right from the 221 Highway onto an upward winding road called: Liberty Church Grove Road—hoping to find a place where we could just stop and sleep off our exhaustion.

            As Callum drove, I drank in the vivid scenery—in that dreamy state I saw it.  The house stood like a beacon atop a hill—calling to us, it’s very image giving promise of much needed rest.  From the bottom of that hill we could see its colossal triangular glass windows—it looked to be a house made just of glass.  We doubled back finding the steep concrete road leading up to it, and for many moments all three of us were breathless and speechless.

            To our surprise the glass door offered no resistance, it seemed to beg us to step in.  The triangular windows indeed was from ceiling to floor glass with intersecting wood.  The floors were shiny wood.  In unison we were drawn to those windows that overlooked the serene rolling hills.  Glorious, bright light streamed in abundantly.  It was like looking out over a surreal painting.  Peace crept into my ever troubled heart—it felt so secure and so quiet in here.

            Oddly, there wasn’t a speck of dust in the entire house.  No blood from struggles with the Dead.  Yet when we called out, there was no answer.  The glass door itself seemed sturdy, not cracked, with only a few smudges of dust on it from the outside.  How could this place have remained un-vandalized in all this world’s chaos?  Every other house along the way had been.  It was as if this place alone was barricaded by an invisible force from the rest of the hellish world.  Life flourished here.

            “Well, whoever lived here was clearly loaded.”  Alexa whistled in amazement as she ran her hand across the black marble countertop.  She whirled around taking everything in…and everything was state-of-the-art.  She opened the stainless steel refrigerator and her eyes just about popped out.

            “Um, guys…if I’m dreaming don’t you dare wake me.”

            Callum and I walked over and our mouths fell open in equal wonder.

            “If you’re dreaming, then we’re all dreaming, because I see milk, cheese, bread, and veggies.”  I said.

            Our stomachs growled in unison—and like the famished animals we were—we each took a lot of everything.  We ate as fast as we could for fear of it all vanishing before we could have our fill.  We were oblivious to anything else around us.

            As our stomachs became blissfully full, we could finally concentrate with more clarity than before on all that surrounded us.  Sounds registered in our ears that hadn’t before.  A cow mooed happily in the distance—and what was that sound?  Chickens?