Evolution

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The first blast was almost holy. Jedd felt a warm sense of justice wash through him as he watched bits of green matter spray upon the cave. He reloaded his rifle and waited, not quite brave enough to venture too far out of his former prison. The loud boom from his gun followed by the nasty wet explosion of his foe was sure to draw attention.  Jedd walked slowly, not daring to lower the tip for an instance.

The putrid smell of death enveloped his naval cavities causing his gag reflex to react. Many people he once considered mostly friendly lay half eaten upon the cavern floor. Before the creature could finish his screech of terror, Jedd squeezed the trigger and watched the body fling against the wall and twitch. A smile spread across his sadistic face .

He made it past the the the first hallway and dared entering the mess hall. Dozens of corpses lay motionless, a true testament to the horrific events that took place. He pulled his shirt up over his nose trying to alleviate the smell. Off in the corner he could see three baboons finishing off their own dinner. Nasty chewing sounds and sprays of blood came from the trio. He could see his reflection in the crimson pool that lay all around him. Jedd felt sick.

His shoes left prints in the sticky pools as he tried to catch the monsters by surprise. His actions were in vein. They curled their blood soaked lips and snarled menacingly. Charging full force at him, the baboons had one thing on their mind. Fresh meat.

Jedd hesitated for a brief moment, startled at the reaction. He watched them gain ground before squeezing the trigger. The bullet ripped through them like a hammer through glass. Their bodies decorated the floor, a mental trophy for the scorned man.

Barrel still at the ready, he cautiously trudged ever closer to the stockpile of food, praying that the canned goods were still intact. He could feel his stomach growl in anticipation. As he marched past the bodies and started to lower his weapon he caught himself marveling at the bizarre nature of human survival.

So much death and decay lay upon the room. Blood and carnage, rotting corpses, and stench that would curdle the strongest stomach. Yet his desire to find food outweighed it all. His appetite was still intact.

He slide his hand across the counter, clearing away all the debris in one swoop. The plates shattered to the ground, the empty cans echoed in the cave, and the pans rattled upon impact. He did not care.

“Let them come!”

His eyes darted back and forth for a brief moment before he lay his weapon upon the counter. Jedd started searching the racks, something, anything to eat! He slung dishes and tossed empty tin cans, till he finally spotted three unopened containers of spinach.

Just my luck. Spinach. I hate spinach. He slammed then to the counter and searched for a can open, anxious to open them and feast properly for the first time in weeks. He opened each drawer and tossed the contents to the ground. After ten grueling minutes he found what he was searching for.

The tiny metal wheel slowly sliced against the lid, bringing dinner ever closer. In the background he could hear them coming closer, could hear the wildlife coming to get him. Jedd did not care. He ripped the lid off the can and dug his fingers into the spinach. He shoveled mouthful after mouthful of the horrid food into his mouth, more swallowing whole than chewing.

The baboons were already entering the hallway, he could see their shadows dance upon the wall. Jedd raced against the clock, trying to finish his meal before the next round came. The first baboon screeched and entered the room, edging ever closer to him. He lifted the rifle and fired a shot, slaughtering him. They started flooding in like a green wave against the shoreline, all greedy, all hungry for fresh meat.

Jedd tried to shove the can opener in his pocket and hold the spinach while shooting, an impossible feat. He missed the next two shots. Only twenty feet now, the man felt anger wash over him.

“FUCK IT!”

He chunked the spinach off the baboons nasty green skull and opened fire. He watched both the creature and the can explode in the air, mingling in a funky blend of dark and olive green before decorating the floor. More and more came into the room.

he tried leaping over the counter in a panic. He felt his foot catch the lip and seen the ground come closer. he closed his eyes for a moment and threw out his hand waiting impact. To his surprise he only stumbled. He fired again, and again. Listening to the echo ring in his ears he pulled the trigger once more. It was empty.

They flung themselves on him sinking their fangs deep into his skin. He felt the warm trail of blood trickle down his arm as he shielded his face. His body made a nasty thud as it smashed against the ground . Three more sunk their long sharp fangs into his skin.

Little star bursts flashed before his eyes as he flailed. Crawling to the best of his ability, he panicked. He felt something bump his hand and tugged at it. A Corpse. Jedd pulled the decayed body over him trying to use it as a shield, trying to hide from his own death. The baboons held on for dear life and clawed and ripped at his flesh. He thought of his wife, he thought of his child, he even thought of his last meal and how he wished it was anything else.

He can see the last months of his life and all he as been through. The unofficial military training he found to be utterly useless at this moment. He remembered the stupid pledge he had to make to the Morton twins. The hours of target practice with the rifle and the tactical knife fighting he was forced to endure. Slash, slash again, cut open the bag of bird seed, make it bleed!

He heard their voices in his head, their commanding voices and their need to be feared. Jedd wished so hard it was them he was slicing not the bird seed.

“This boot knife will save your life one day.” they said

I doubt that. When they come, a knife won’t save me . His eyes flung open and a new round of hope rose up. Jedd reached his free hand into his boot and pulled out a small double edged blade. Still trapped, he tried using the body as a meat shield. He frantically stabbed at the creatures, aiming for anything that was visible. It penetrated their eyes, It tore into their throats, He swung wildly like a madman, desperate to win the battle for survival.