Evolution

chapter 7

Chapter 7

He looked at his frail reflection and stuck out his tongue. Jedd examined the yellowing of his teeth and poked at his thinning cheeks. Three weeks confined to the sleeping quarters eating the scraps found in soldiers bags took its toll.

He looked down at the slender package he held in his hand, another bit of beef jerky. The last of any food source he could find. He flung trash from his cot, satisfying the anger that was swelling deep within his very soul. Only in Missouri can you find more guns and ammo than food! he thought to himself.

He tapped the digital watch strapped to his wrist and let the time register in his mind. Three thirty seven. He looked down again. Three thirty eight! He thought. Not that time really mattered much when a man is waiting to die, it was more or less a nasty habit he had acquired over the past few days.

Standing, he slowly stretched and picked up his rifle. His shoes clicked against the floor as he walked to the large metal door. Pressing his ear against it he listened intently. Silence. He could feel his heart flip flop for a brief moment, hoping the time has finally come.

He pulled away and allowed the feeling of hope to overtake anger, if only for this one moment. “With all the soldiers dead, surely they would move on. The baboons would have no reason to stay right?” he muttered to himself, another bad habit a condemned man acquired.

He gently placed his ear to the door and and swing his rifle around. listening intently he brought the butt towards the metal and held it, letting it linger. Three hard hollow knocks on the mental and he froze.

Nothing happened. Jedd could feel the joy and happiness start to creep up, salvation just within his grasp. He held his breath and slowly brought the butt towards the metal once more. He didn’t even make it to the second knock when a loud screech from just beyond the barrier caused him to jump.

“FUCK!”

He clutched his chest and panted. The stale oxygen did little to sedate him. Jedd grabbed his rifle and paced back and forth in his prison. Fate had dropped a pebble of defeat in his pond of hope and the ripples were already affecting his thoughts.

Jedd felt his stomach growl, reminding him that it was way past breakfast and a quarter past lunch. He clutched the beef jerky and stared at it for a moment.

“Fuck it I’m going to die anyways, might as well do it on a full stomach” He said to no one.

He ripped open the jerky and instantly started to salivate as the smell permeated the air. He sank his teeth into the meat and chewed greedily.

“I could go out in a blaze of glory, Take on those filthy things till I die”

“You can’t do that Jedd you are only one person they would kill you!”

“Oh yes I can! Would rather go out shooting than starve to death.”

“They will eat you alive, it will hurt, and you hate pain”

“Fuck pain! I’m a Jedd-I”

He started laughing, almost choking on the beef jerky catching in his throat. Even now it amazes him how he can tell a joke that he has never heard. His raucous laughter slowed to a giggle and crawled to silence. He swallowed the last bite and flung the wrapper into the pile of other garbage. No reason to save the world now. Thank you hippies for truly wasting our time. Recycle, pfft maybe the baboons will learn to recycle one day. Its not my job to worry about it anymore.

“YOU HEAR ME YOU FILTHY ANIMALS, GO TO HELL AND TAKE THE HIPPIES WITH YOU!”

Jedd ran across the room more colliding with the pile of garbage than kicking it. He stomped on wrappers and spit on paper. He kicked empty aluminum pop cans across the floor and slowly sank down. He stared blankly for a brief moment before feeling his chest burn.

Tears, fat stingy bastard tears slowly streamed down his face. He felt  it trailing down his hot cheeks and fought to control it.

“Your last day on earth and your going to cry. God your such a mommas boy!”

His sobbing voice echoed back into his ears and Jedd looked down.  Four twenty two. Through blurry vision Jedd walked over to the grey bag and unzipped it. Pulling out a large charcoal pencil that was hidden deep within the pouches he presses the tip again the wall and scribbles.

“Jedd Howard died at four twenty two pm”

He sits on the cot and grips his rifle, feeling the cold barrel against his chin he sniffles. His fingers shake as he wraps them around the trigger, ready to be rid of this nightmare for good. A thought occurs to him. What if momma was right? What if there is a heaven? I can’t let her see me with tears in my eyes! Jedd slowly removes his fingers from the gun and lays it on the cot next to him.

“If she’s watching I can’t let her see me die like this neither” he sobs to himself

Standing, he lifts the black bag. Filled half full of assorted bullets, the sheer weight almost drops him to his knees. Jed picks up the rifle and walks to the door, gripping the handle he turns it carelessly. He is aware of the danger that lurks outside of his prison. He is also aware he may not survive. But mostly, he knows its time to make him momma proud.