Grapeshot
First Post
It was a week after the bombs had dropped before Dr. Gracie could let out a sigh of relief. It had taken him that long to make it back to the ranch that he and his wife shared miles outside of Houston TX. His wife and son was alive, his ranch was unscathed, and there were no signs of looters or the weird creatures, the freaks that he had seen in the last week, near his home. God had protected him and his family and while he didn't know whether or not his Brothers or Parents were alive he was still very greatful that his wife and son was protected. God had wanted them to live. God had obviously wanted Jack to live as well.
Dr. John Gracie had been in Houston at his Office 2 weeks before that. During the weeks he would stay in Houston at his office which had a comfortable bedroom upstairs and then come home on the weekends to see his family. His ranch was just too far out to drive back and fourth from every single day.
That week had been like any other day at the office. Dr. John began seeing patients at 7:00 am on Monday morning. His first patient of the week was Jack Bradford. Jack B had been coming in every week. Since Dr. Gracie had opened the office. He was a full blown hypochondriac, and possibly suffered from mental illnesses as well.
"Hello Mister Jack, I suppose we have bone cancer today?" The doc said jokingly.
"That's not funny. I read the symptoms for bone cancer and despite what you have guessed it is still not proven that I DON'T have bone cancer. So while you make jokes my bones could be detearating as we speak."
"I'm sorry Jack" The doc said with his back turned to J.B. who was lying on the table. The doc, knowing that Jack couldn't see them, rolled his eyes.
"You should take me more serious Dr... And don't roll your eyes at me. Dr. I see things. I know things that other people don't know. I hear things that other people don't hear."
"Ok, I'm sorry. So why have you come in today?"
"Yes well, to that, I was reading on the internet last night and I found something that I thought you should see." Jack pulled out some folded printer paper from his pocket and began to unfold them. "I thought this would interest you."
The doctor took the papers and began to read. A few moments passed. "Uhm Jack, this is some crackpot theory about the end of the world..." The doctor was used to getting a list of symptoms of some terminal disease.
Jack looked down at his hands. "Yah, well, you've been real good to me Doc, and I've been coming here for many years and you've always been nice to me. You've always entertained my paranoia’s. You know allot of people think I'm crazy. Allot of people treat me really bad at work and others act like I don't exist at all."
John was beginning to get worried. I mean yes Jack always seemed paranoid but never suicidal and while John had many patients to see and much work to do he felt it was his obligation to make sure that Jack wasn't getting ready to go off of his rocker. "Jack, are you ok? Is there something you want to tell me? Why did you bring me this?" Jack looked back down at his hands.
"Well you see uhm, I didn't really get that from the internet... It was from..." Jack hesitated, "It was from uhh hmm a dream I had. Doc you’re the only person I'm warning." Jack looked up from his hands deep into the Doc's eyes "The world as you know it will end in less then 7 days. The dead will walk the earth. Other Men will be influenced by harrowed and they will take arms against all that is good"
The doctor was sure that this was weirdest thing that had ever happened to him in his entire life. It was almost not real. A person was literally confusing fantasy with reality and was going nuts right before his eyes. For some reason it just didn't seem possible. "Jesus Jack, calm down. Look everything will be fine and I'll see you on Monday like always. Here I want you to see this friend of mine." The doctor began to write down a name and number on some RX paper "Look I want you to sit down and talk with him for a while ok. Jack you are kind of worrying me ok. Please see him."
Jack looked back down at his hands. "Yah I thought you would say that Doc. It's ok I mean it's not every day someone tells you that the world is going to end. “Jack kind of laughed to himself "I had trouble with it when I found out about it myself...
"Seriously Jack, go home today. Don't go to work and get some rest. You look tired...
"It's just that it's less than 7 days away... and I thought....
"...come see me on Monday and we'll talk some more...
"Just LISTEN ONE SECOND PLEASE" Jack's voice had risen considerably.
"What Jack?"
"Well I thought that since you live in the Country I could come ....
"Jack it's out of the question. The world is NOT going to end and you are not..."
"Yah ok." Jack began to gather his jacket and keys. Thanks Doc. You really have been a good friend"
John looked into his eyes and could see pain. Real pain and loneliness. He couldn't help but be sympathetic, it was in his blood.
"Ok Jack listen. Meet me here on Friday and we'll leave after work and you can come and stay in our guest house but..."
"No no, Friday may be to late Doctor, let's go on Thursday" There was a smile and a look of extreme excitement on Jack's face "I'll get my things ready and meet you here on ....
"No Jack I'm sorry. I have to see my OTHER patients on Friday. Meet me here around 2 as I usually leave a little early, trust me everything will be fine." John Interrupted.
"Ok, Ok we're cutting it close but it might be ok, I mean we should be ok..."
"Yes yes we'll be fine...Ok." The Doc Assured Jack “Friday at around 2. Please be very discrete about this because I'm not sure if I'm violating my patient/doctor code...." The doctor said jokingly.
Jack left and Dr. John continued his work at the practice. That night he read the entire story that Jack had claimed he had written. It was your basic cyber world/internet prophecy. Bombs, pissed off Indians from the old west, undead... blah blah blah.
"Did I do the right thing?" John thought to himself. "I mean should I have invited a now proven delusional, suicidal, patient to my home? I guess I'll just have to keep a close eye on him, besides I always have ol'betsy if he gets out of hand". John kind of laughed to himself. He was referring to a family heirloom that was propped up above the mantle on the fireplace. It was an ancient shotgun; he wasn't even sure if it worked, but he couldn't but think about it sometimes. Kind of a silly weapon by present standards.
The rest of the week went as any week would go. There were more sick people and 1 broken arm. Billy Walker, a local toys store owner who specialized in antique toys, had managed to swallow a plastic gun when it fell in between two slices of bread while he was making his sandwich and shelving some new North Alliance Joes on the wall. The doc assured him that he would get it back in 7
24 hours but it wasn't going to be pretty.
Friday came and there was a swarm of irregular appointments. People calling in and saying that they have to come in for this reason or that. The doctor worked in as many as he could before 2 pm but still had 4 more to go when Jack showed up...
The doctor was at the front desk with his receptionist talking to a patient that he had just seen. Jack made his way through the chairs and desks with magazines to Dr. John. "...yah and then I want to see you again next Thursday just to make sure that clears up all of the way..."
"You ready doc" Jack spoke up.
"You’re going to have to wait until I finish. I just have these 4 left but I should be able to get them done in the next hour...”
"Err Doc you told me we could leave at two, and I told you that we was cuttin' it close now listen we don't have all day. I got everything out in my truck grab your stuff and let's hit the road." Jack demanded.
The Doc was now a bit irritated "Jack go wait in the car and keep your voice down... I have 4 patients to go and don't worry we'll be fine... now go out to the car."
Jack's face changed he now he got aggressive and dead serious "Listen Doc, we can't be
in' around get your bag and let's go NOW..."
There was now a little panic in the receptionist area.
"Michelle call the police, Jack the police will be here momentarily, if you stay you'll be going to Jail, or you can leave now and I'll tell them that there was a small outburst but you left and I won't press charg...
"DAMNIT DOC WHY WON'T you LISTEN TO ME. I"M TRYING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE YOU IGNORANT..."
"GET OUT..." John yelled, his voice had become very intimidating.
"Jack turned sharply and walked out slamming the door behind him.
Dr. John addressed his remaining patients "I'm sorry for that you all he won't be back. Everything’s ok. Michelle Carlton is next, Michelle go to room 3. The Johnson’s go to room 6. I'll be right with you all I just need a minute."
Jonathan walked back to his small work office and brought up Jack's profile on his laptop. He started to record everything that had just happened in the past week and Jack's behavior in his permanent file so that he could review it later. He was typing angrily because he was furious that he had trusted a patient and that patient had totally betrayed him and caused a huge scene in right in his front office. This was just unacceptable. He continued to type but stopped suddenly. There was quite a bit of noise coming from the back of the building where the dumpster was. John listed closer and heard a definite hit on the door that was one room over from the office he was in now. John rose to his feet and went over to the door and put his door to it. "BAM" A loud smack rang out against the steel door and a dent came through to the other side. Without rationally thinking the Doc pulled open the door. "LISTEN JACK I KNOW YOU THINK I'M JUST SOME DOC...
"WHAM" As an old file cabinet that was in the dumpster was smashed over the doctors head and he fell to his knees and then dropped to the ground unconscious. Jack was standing there and he quickly grabbed a hold of the doc and drug him to the doc’s car. He grabbed the keys from the Doc’s white lab coat. "Damnit Doc I didn't want to do this to you but it's for your own good..." he struggled to say while exhaling and lifting the doc into the passenger seat.
The events that passed over the next couple of hours where a complete loss for Dr. Jonathan Gracie. He was unconscience and never even heard the bombs that dropped in houston and all of the other surrounding cities. The entire world as he knew it was ending. It was ending right before everyone’s eyes. The doctor was unconscience for all of it.
John opened his eyes and jolted himself against the car that was at his back. He looked around quickly. Where was Jack? Wait wait where was he? There wasn't a house or car in site. He felt around on the ground for a weapon and then looked at the car. Jack was leaned over the front of the car under the hood which looked to be utterly smashed along with most of the right front quarter panel.
"Those damn things are bigger than I remember them" Jack was muttering to himself as he fiddled around in the engine compartment "Wouldn't think one would be able to lay waste to a big piece of metal like this....damn...this is just great..never was a very good driver.. though I dont' know if I would be able to out run something like that...."
John looked to the back of the car. The trunk was open, he remembered that he had a set of golf clubs back there. He quietly made his way to the back and reached into the trunk. There they were his $2000 set of Custom Golf Clubs. He reached for his heaviest Iron and pulled it from the bag. Then he pulled it back behind his head in a "cocked" position ready to strike onto Jack as he walked from the back of the car to the front. He was watching Jack and not paying attention to the pile of tools and the toolbox that he was about to trip over. "Clang, clang, clangity clang clang"
Jack looked up over the hood at John who was now about at the front drivers door. "Oh your awake, sorry about back at the office Doc, but you just wouldn't li.....hey hey. Look put that club down before you hurt yourself.
"Jack WHAT THE is wrong with you" John reached in his pocket for his wireless communicator and started to dial the emergency number
"Listen put that thing down and I'll tell you, look I don't mean you any harm and if I wanted to have killed ya I would have done so when you were laying like limp puppy in the passenger seat."
"Jack I've called the authorities any moment now they'll be arriving after they trace this signal"
Jack began to laugh histarically. His laugh was alot different that John remembered it. It was much more heartier and his voice was now scratchy and sounded as if he had a load of flem at the top of his throat. "I don't think I have to worry about the "Authorities," Jack mocked "I'm sure most of them are a film of dust by now..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Go ahead pick up your phone and listen..."
John pulled his communicator from his pocket and began to listen, it was the operator robot repeating a recorded broadcast "This is a Southern Alliance Emergency Please evacuate all cities. Repeat: Please Evacuate all cities".
"Doc, put down the club and I'll letcha know what's going on"
The doc put the club down. After all he was right, he was oviously not going to hurt him.
"Look I want you to come over here and tell me that in all of your years of learnin if you've ever seen this before" Jack pointed to the ditch on the passenger side of the road. Jack cautiously made his way over. In the ditch lay a massive sized wolf that had humanoid arms and legs. He was about 9 foot tall and had claws pertruding from his hands the size of machete's. He had a tear in his gut, from the car John supposed, that was about 24 inches long and the blood from the wound had soaked the fur around it. The evidence was conclusive. This beast was not something John had ever seen or imagined in his life.
"What is that Jack?"
"Did you read my prophecy John? Didn't it clearly mention the freak monsters and the bombs and..."
"Yah and the undead and the pissed off Indian..yah."
"Well that's one of those freak ass monsters. Would have ripped your beamer to shreads had I not ran into him. Would have torn us limb from limb. You see doc the bombs hit and I was barely able to make it out of the blast ... now had we left on time we would have been safely at your home gearing up for Boise..."
"What Bombs?"
"The atomic ghost bombs doc. Didnt YOU read the paper?"
John looked extrememly confused "Yes I read it, but what are you saying all of that nonsense is true, no it can't be"
"Look, we don't have time to chit chat we gotta get moving. It'll be safe at your ranch, it's in my prophecy. We gotta get moving that way, and now on foot cause you wouldn't let us leave on time. I'm not going to be able to repair this hunk of. I just don't have the mechanical skills to do something like that."
"Look Jack, I don't know what your trying to pull, but we need to get a hold of the authorities, they'll want to see this ... this... THING."
Jack pulled out a shotgun and pointed it at John.
"What the are you doing Jack.. look I have a wife..."
Jack looked at John calmly "If I was you Doc, I'd duck..."
"What?" John turned around just in time as a red colored humanoid with wings swooped out of the air. It had glowing yellow eyes and giant teeth.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR" It screached as Dr. John hit the ground.
"BLAM" The creature bounced off of the shotgun blast and flipped 3 times in air and smashed in to the ground.
A moment of pure silence passed "What the was that Jack?" John yelled as he looked into the air for more mobs incoming.
"That was Demon, maybe a spawn of hell, maybe a spawn of heaven, or maybe it was just a song bird coming to sit on your shoulder and sing louey lou-I to you. Look I know your not convinced about the bombs and all but where going to have to pass through a city on the way to your place. So if you just grab the bag in the back seat of your car I'll let you know about everything as we make our way to your place. You'll see plenty of carnage tommorrow."
"Jack it'll take us a week to get there on foot how.."
"GRAB THE BAG AND LET'S GET MOVING. I want to get under those trees before night fall." Jack was commanding. John had never seen him act this way. Jack was always quiet and withdrawn. John thought back to all of those times he saw him in his office in the last couple of years. Was he just pretending? Just putting on an act? He was always so ignorant, clueless, so quiet.
The doc quickly grabbed the bag that was in the back seat, along with his first aid kit, and then slammed the door shut. The bag that Jack had brought was surprisingly heavy and making clanging sounds. They walked about 100 and 50 foot before Jack stopped and looked back at the car. "You see that piece of wrecked junk back there..." Jack blurted.
"Yah you mean my wrecked Beamer?" John replied.
"Whatever. I know what your thinking doc. It's just a car. A wrecked one at that. As long as I get back to my ranch and my wife is okays in all I'll call a tow truck or maybe just get me another one or something like that right? Listen.. things are changin. It ain't gonna happen that way. A few years from now that InJUN we just left behind will be worth more than the lives of 20 humanz. Scavengers will fight over that schlab of metal...I dunno I guess what I'm trying to say is this is probably the last time your ever going to see a car so beautiful so enjoy it" Jack continued to stare without blinking at the beamer that was about 50 yards away. Jack looked again at the car. It was a shiny beamer. It was shiny with a smashed in quarter panel and steam rising from the the front and smear of blood and organs on the hood and on the cracked windshield. "A beauty?" John thought to himself.
The next few days changed Doctor John for ever. Jack was right. He was dead on 100% right. Everything that was said in his prophecy was true. There were small cities that did not have one single living person and the buildings where smashed into dust. Creatures would pop out from behind the trees and from behind wreckage. Mobs of freak mutant humans would huddle over a birds corpse and rip it raw and eat every part of it's dead body. ANd I know what you are wondering? What was in Jack's bag that went clangity clang? It was a stock pile of weaponry. Machine guns and pistols and knives. Oh how the doc learned to love that bag over the next few days as him and Jack blasted they're way to the ranch. The both of them became great friends. The doc was greatful that he had forced him out of houston just before the bombs devestated the entire city. If it wasn't for Jack he would have been dead.
It was 11 years ago that Jack saved John and the last 11 years Jack and the Doc had been setting up a secure settlement at the Doc's ranch. Jack was constantly going on about John and his brothers, oh and his "prophecy". Everyone in the settlement knew about it and knew the day would have come when the Doc and his brothers would have to head North to Boise to complete Jack's prophecy. They were safe there. John knew that. Jack was like a brother and he would know how to take care of the setlement and of his family and his people. And one day him and his brothers left.
11 years later John stood on that same road where he and Jack had wrecked the beamer. John was much tougher now. He had muscles that bulged from his shirt and coat. His left ear had been severed by some undead beast but his hair covered over it. His face just looked gritty and hard. He wore a long over coat that kept a number of supplies and weapons hidden underneath of it. Even Ol'Betsy was under there. And on his back was that same golf club that he almost used to smash Ol'Crazy Jack right over the noggin. The doc looked up and down that road for what seemed like eternity. He could have sworn that he was standing exactly where that beamer stopped after ramming into the wolf demon. The road was half paved and half torn up by something or another and wreckage lay all over the place in the dirt covered grown. None of this was here when they were last on this road. It was still green grass and no cars had made it out of town to wreck out here yet. The sun was extremely hot and some more sweat dropped from his brow and hit the dirt. John watched it land and then went back off into a deep stair at the ground thinking back to what Jack had said and a gleam of light from the sun hit something shiny in the dirt. John bent over and started to dig a little with his hand.
"Whatcha got there Doc?" One of his brothers blurted. They were taking a break sitting in the ditch near the road eating some rations.
"Well Holy." The doc replied. "Holy , hahahaha it's the hood ornament from my beamer, look member these? Looks kind of like a blue and white coin, Holy must be good luck."
"From the beamer that Ol'Crazy Jack ran into that half
wolf?"
"That'd be the one. Haha or I'd like to think so at least. “The doc replied.”You know he was right...when I think back that beamer sitting here all wrecked and smeared with wolf guts, he was right. It was beautiful and I ain't seen nothing like it in a LONG LONG time."
A few moments of dead silenced passed.
"OK" The oldest of the brothers spoke up. "It's a long way to Boise Fella's so I suggest we pack up and get moving.
The four brothers packed up their gear and began to head off into the unknown future. Towards Boise to complete the first half of Ol'Jack's prophecy.
And the four brothers will each raise their own posse. One in the East. One in the West. One in the North and one in the South. The adventures will save many good lives and protect many good settlments and do many many great things but most importantly they will set into motion a chaotic effect that will end the rule of the 4 horseman and it will bring a new era. The Era of Growth and Man and Technology and Peace.
Dr. John Gracie had been in Houston at his Office 2 weeks before that. During the weeks he would stay in Houston at his office which had a comfortable bedroom upstairs and then come home on the weekends to see his family. His ranch was just too far out to drive back and fourth from every single day.
That week had been like any other day at the office. Dr. John began seeing patients at 7:00 am on Monday morning. His first patient of the week was Jack Bradford. Jack B had been coming in every week. Since Dr. Gracie had opened the office. He was a full blown hypochondriac, and possibly suffered from mental illnesses as well.
"Hello Mister Jack, I suppose we have bone cancer today?" The doc said jokingly.
"That's not funny. I read the symptoms for bone cancer and despite what you have guessed it is still not proven that I DON'T have bone cancer. So while you make jokes my bones could be detearating as we speak."
"I'm sorry Jack" The doc said with his back turned to J.B. who was lying on the table. The doc, knowing that Jack couldn't see them, rolled his eyes.
"You should take me more serious Dr... And don't roll your eyes at me. Dr. I see things. I know things that other people don't know. I hear things that other people don't hear."
"Ok, I'm sorry. So why have you come in today?"
"Yes well, to that, I was reading on the internet last night and I found something that I thought you should see." Jack pulled out some folded printer paper from his pocket and began to unfold them. "I thought this would interest you."
The doctor took the papers and began to read. A few moments passed. "Uhm Jack, this is some crackpot theory about the end of the world..." The doctor was used to getting a list of symptoms of some terminal disease.
Jack looked down at his hands. "Yah, well, you've been real good to me Doc, and I've been coming here for many years and you've always been nice to me. You've always entertained my paranoia’s. You know allot of people think I'm crazy. Allot of people treat me really bad at work and others act like I don't exist at all."
John was beginning to get worried. I mean yes Jack always seemed paranoid but never suicidal and while John had many patients to see and much work to do he felt it was his obligation to make sure that Jack wasn't getting ready to go off of his rocker. "Jack, are you ok? Is there something you want to tell me? Why did you bring me this?" Jack looked back down at his hands.
"Well you see uhm, I didn't really get that from the internet... It was from..." Jack hesitated, "It was from uhh hmm a dream I had. Doc you’re the only person I'm warning." Jack looked up from his hands deep into the Doc's eyes "The world as you know it will end in less then 7 days. The dead will walk the earth. Other Men will be influenced by harrowed and they will take arms against all that is good"
The doctor was sure that this was weirdest thing that had ever happened to him in his entire life. It was almost not real. A person was literally confusing fantasy with reality and was going nuts right before his eyes. For some reason it just didn't seem possible. "Jesus Jack, calm down. Look everything will be fine and I'll see you on Monday like always. Here I want you to see this friend of mine." The doctor began to write down a name and number on some RX paper "Look I want you to sit down and talk with him for a while ok. Jack you are kind of worrying me ok. Please see him."
Jack looked back down at his hands. "Yah I thought you would say that Doc. It's ok I mean it's not every day someone tells you that the world is going to end. “Jack kind of laughed to himself "I had trouble with it when I found out about it myself...
"Seriously Jack, go home today. Don't go to work and get some rest. You look tired...
"It's just that it's less than 7 days away... and I thought....
"...come see me on Monday and we'll talk some more...
"Just LISTEN ONE SECOND PLEASE" Jack's voice had risen considerably.
"What Jack?"
"Well I thought that since you live in the Country I could come ....
"Jack it's out of the question. The world is NOT going to end and you are not..."
"Yah ok." Jack began to gather his jacket and keys. Thanks Doc. You really have been a good friend"
John looked into his eyes and could see pain. Real pain and loneliness. He couldn't help but be sympathetic, it was in his blood.
"Ok Jack listen. Meet me here on Friday and we'll leave after work and you can come and stay in our guest house but..."
"No no, Friday may be to late Doctor, let's go on Thursday" There was a smile and a look of extreme excitement on Jack's face "I'll get my things ready and meet you here on ....
"No Jack I'm sorry. I have to see my OTHER patients on Friday. Meet me here around 2 as I usually leave a little early, trust me everything will be fine." John Interrupted.
"Ok, Ok we're cutting it close but it might be ok, I mean we should be ok..."
"Yes yes we'll be fine...Ok." The Doc Assured Jack “Friday at around 2. Please be very discrete about this because I'm not sure if I'm violating my patient/doctor code...." The doctor said jokingly.
Jack left and Dr. John continued his work at the practice. That night he read the entire story that Jack had claimed he had written. It was your basic cyber world/internet prophecy. Bombs, pissed off Indians from the old west, undead... blah blah blah.
"Did I do the right thing?" John thought to himself. "I mean should I have invited a now proven delusional, suicidal, patient to my home? I guess I'll just have to keep a close eye on him, besides I always have ol'betsy if he gets out of hand". John kind of laughed to himself. He was referring to a family heirloom that was propped up above the mantle on the fireplace. It was an ancient shotgun; he wasn't even sure if it worked, but he couldn't but think about it sometimes. Kind of a silly weapon by present standards.
The rest of the week went as any week would go. There were more sick people and 1 broken arm. Billy Walker, a local toys store owner who specialized in antique toys, had managed to swallow a plastic gun when it fell in between two slices of bread while he was making his sandwich and shelving some new North Alliance Joes on the wall. The doc assured him that he would get it back in 7
24 hours but it wasn't going to be pretty.
Friday came and there was a swarm of irregular appointments. People calling in and saying that they have to come in for this reason or that. The doctor worked in as many as he could before 2 pm but still had 4 more to go when Jack showed up...
The doctor was at the front desk with his receptionist talking to a patient that he had just seen. Jack made his way through the chairs and desks with magazines to Dr. John. "...yah and then I want to see you again next Thursday just to make sure that clears up all of the way..."
"You ready doc" Jack spoke up.
"You’re going to have to wait until I finish. I just have these 4 left but I should be able to get them done in the next hour...”
"Err Doc you told me we could leave at two, and I told you that we was cuttin' it close now listen we don't have all day. I got everything out in my truck grab your stuff and let's hit the road." Jack demanded.
The Doc was now a bit irritated "Jack go wait in the car and keep your voice down... I have 4 patients to go and don't worry we'll be fine... now go out to the car."
Jack's face changed he now he got aggressive and dead serious "Listen Doc, we can't be
in' around get your bag and let's go NOW..."There was now a little panic in the receptionist area.
"Michelle call the police, Jack the police will be here momentarily, if you stay you'll be going to Jail, or you can leave now and I'll tell them that there was a small outburst but you left and I won't press charg...
"DAMNIT DOC WHY WON'T you LISTEN TO ME. I"M TRYING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE YOU IGNORANT
...""GET OUT..." John yelled, his voice had become very intimidating.
"Jack turned sharply and walked out slamming the door behind him.
Dr. John addressed his remaining patients "I'm sorry for that you all he won't be back. Everything’s ok. Michelle Carlton is next, Michelle go to room 3. The Johnson’s go to room 6. I'll be right with you all I just need a minute."
Jonathan walked back to his small work office and brought up Jack's profile on his laptop. He started to record everything that had just happened in the past week and Jack's behavior in his permanent file so that he could review it later. He was typing angrily because he was furious that he had trusted a patient and that patient had totally betrayed him and caused a huge scene in right in his front office. This was just unacceptable. He continued to type but stopped suddenly. There was quite a bit of noise coming from the back of the building where the dumpster was. John listed closer and heard a definite hit on the door that was one room over from the office he was in now. John rose to his feet and went over to the door and put his door to it. "BAM" A loud smack rang out against the steel door and a dent came through to the other side. Without rationally thinking the Doc pulled open the door. "LISTEN JACK I KNOW YOU THINK I'M JUST SOME DOC...
"WHAM" As an old file cabinet that was in the dumpster was smashed over the doctors head and he fell to his knees and then dropped to the ground unconscious. Jack was standing there and he quickly grabbed a hold of the doc and drug him to the doc’s car. He grabbed the keys from the Doc’s white lab coat. "Damnit Doc I didn't want to do this to you but it's for your own good..." he struggled to say while exhaling and lifting the doc into the passenger seat.
The events that passed over the next couple of hours where a complete loss for Dr. Jonathan Gracie. He was unconscience and never even heard the bombs that dropped in houston and all of the other surrounding cities. The entire world as he knew it was ending. It was ending right before everyone’s eyes. The doctor was unconscience for all of it.
John opened his eyes and jolted himself against the car that was at his back. He looked around quickly. Where was Jack? Wait wait where was he? There wasn't a house or car in site. He felt around on the ground for a weapon and then looked at the car. Jack was leaned over the front of the car under the hood which looked to be utterly smashed along with most of the right front quarter panel.
"Those damn things are bigger than I remember them" Jack was muttering to himself as he fiddled around in the engine compartment "Wouldn't think one would be able to lay waste to a big piece of metal like this....damn...this is just great..never was a very good driver.. though I dont' know if I would be able to out run something like that...."
John looked to the back of the car. The trunk was open, he remembered that he had a set of golf clubs back there. He quietly made his way to the back and reached into the trunk. There they were his $2000 set of Custom Golf Clubs. He reached for his heaviest Iron and pulled it from the bag. Then he pulled it back behind his head in a "cocked" position ready to strike onto Jack as he walked from the back of the car to the front. He was watching Jack and not paying attention to the pile of tools and the toolbox that he was about to trip over. "Clang, clang, clangity clang clang"
Jack looked up over the hood at John who was now about at the front drivers door. "Oh your awake, sorry about back at the office Doc, but you just wouldn't li.....hey hey. Look put that club down before you hurt yourself.
"Jack WHAT THE
is wrong with you" John reached in his pocket for his wireless communicator and started to dial the emergency number"Listen put that thing down and I'll tell you, look I don't mean you any harm and if I wanted to have killed ya I would have done so when you were laying like limp puppy in the passenger seat."
"Jack I've called the authorities any moment now they'll be arriving after they trace this signal"
Jack began to laugh histarically. His laugh was alot different that John remembered it. It was much more heartier and his voice was now scratchy and sounded as if he had a load of flem at the top of his throat. "I don't think I have to worry about the "Authorities," Jack mocked "I'm sure most of them are a film of dust by now..."
"What are you talking about?"
"Go ahead pick up your phone and listen..."
John pulled his communicator from his pocket and began to listen, it was the operator robot repeating a recorded broadcast "This is a Southern Alliance Emergency Please evacuate all cities. Repeat: Please Evacuate all cities".
"Doc, put down the club and I'll letcha know what's going on"
The doc put the club down. After all he was right, he was oviously not going to hurt him.
"Look I want you to come over here and tell me that in all of your years of learnin if you've ever seen this before" Jack pointed to the ditch on the passenger side of the road. Jack cautiously made his way over. In the ditch lay a massive sized wolf that had humanoid arms and legs. He was about 9 foot tall and had claws pertruding from his hands the size of machete's. He had a tear in his gut, from the car John supposed, that was about 24 inches long and the blood from the wound had soaked the fur around it. The evidence was conclusive. This beast was not something John had ever seen or imagined in his life.
"What is that Jack?"
"Did you read my prophecy John? Didn't it clearly mention the freak monsters and the bombs and..."
"Yah and the undead and the pissed off Indian..yah."
"Well that's one of those freak ass monsters. Would have ripped your beamer to shreads had I not ran into him. Would have torn us limb from limb. You see doc the bombs hit and I was barely able to make it out of the blast ... now had we left on time we would have been safely at your home gearing up for Boise..."
"What Bombs?"
"The atomic ghost bombs doc. Didnt YOU read the paper?"
John looked extrememly confused "Yes I read it, but what are you saying all of that nonsense is true, no it can't be"
"Look, we don't have time to chit chat we gotta get moving. It'll be safe at your ranch, it's in my prophecy. We gotta get moving that way, and now on foot cause you wouldn't let us leave on time. I'm not going to be able to repair this hunk of
. I just don't have the mechanical skills to do something like that.""Look Jack, I don't know what your trying to pull, but we need to get a hold of the authorities, they'll want to see this ... this... THING."
Jack pulled out a shotgun and pointed it at John.
"What the
are you doing Jack.. look I have a wife..."Jack looked at John calmly "If I was you Doc, I'd duck..."
"What?" John turned around just in time as a red colored humanoid with wings swooped out of the air. It had glowing yellow eyes and giant teeth.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR" It screached as Dr. John hit the ground.
"BLAM" The creature bounced off of the shotgun blast and flipped 3 times in air and smashed in to the ground.
A moment of pure silence passed "What the
was that Jack?" John yelled as he looked into the air for more mobs incoming."That was Demon, maybe a spawn of hell, maybe a spawn of heaven, or maybe it was just a song bird coming to sit on your shoulder and sing louey lou-I to you. Look I know your not convinced about the bombs and all but where going to have to pass through a city on the way to your place. So if you just grab the bag in the back seat of your car I'll let you know about everything as we make our way to your place. You'll see plenty of carnage tommorrow."
"Jack it'll take us a week to get there on foot how.."
"GRAB THE BAG AND LET'S GET MOVING. I want to get under those trees before night fall." Jack was commanding. John had never seen him act this way. Jack was always quiet and withdrawn. John thought back to all of those times he saw him in his office in the last couple of years. Was he just pretending? Just putting on an act? He was always so ignorant, clueless, so quiet.
The doc quickly grabbed the bag that was in the back seat, along with his first aid kit, and then slammed the door shut. The bag that Jack had brought was surprisingly heavy and making clanging sounds. They walked about 100 and 50 foot before Jack stopped and looked back at the car. "You see that piece of
wrecked junk back there..." Jack blurted."Yah you mean my wrecked Beamer?" John replied.
"Whatever. I know what your thinking doc. It's just a car. A wrecked one at that. As long as I get back to my ranch and my wife is okays in all I'll call a tow truck or maybe just get me another one or something like that right? Listen.. things are changin. It ain't gonna happen that way. A few years from now that InJUN we just left behind will be worth more than the lives of 20 humanz. Scavengers will fight over that schlab of metal...I dunno I guess what I'm trying to say is this is probably the last time your ever going to see a car so beautiful so enjoy it" Jack continued to stare without blinking at the beamer that was about 50 yards away. Jack looked again at the car. It was a shiny beamer. It was shiny with a smashed in quarter panel and steam rising from the the front and smear of blood and organs on the hood and on the cracked windshield. "A beauty?" John thought to himself.
The next few days changed Doctor John for ever. Jack was right. He was dead on 100% right. Everything that was said in his prophecy was true. There were small cities that did not have one single living person and the buildings where smashed into dust. Creatures would pop out from behind the trees and from behind wreckage. Mobs of freak mutant humans would huddle over a birds corpse and rip it raw and eat every part of it's dead body. ANd I know what you are wondering? What was in Jack's bag that went clangity clang? It was a stock pile of weaponry. Machine guns and pistols and knives. Oh how the doc learned to love that bag over the next few days as him and Jack blasted they're way to the ranch. The both of them became great friends. The doc was greatful that he had forced him out of houston just before the bombs devestated the entire city. If it wasn't for Jack he would have been dead.
It was 11 years ago that Jack saved John and the last 11 years Jack and the Doc had been setting up a secure settlement at the Doc's ranch. Jack was constantly going on about John and his brothers, oh and his "prophecy". Everyone in the settlement knew about it and knew the day would have come when the Doc and his brothers would have to head North to Boise to complete Jack's prophecy. They were safe there. John knew that. Jack was like a brother and he would know how to take care of the setlement and of his family and his people. And one day him and his brothers left.
11 years later John stood on that same road where he and Jack had wrecked the beamer. John was much tougher now. He had muscles that bulged from his shirt and coat. His left ear had been severed by some undead beast but his hair covered over it. His face just looked gritty and hard. He wore a long over coat that kept a number of supplies and weapons hidden underneath of it. Even Ol'Betsy was under there. And on his back was that same golf club that he almost used to smash Ol'Crazy Jack right over the noggin. The doc looked up and down that road for what seemed like eternity. He could have sworn that he was standing exactly where that beamer stopped after ramming into the wolf demon. The road was half paved and half torn up by something or another and wreckage lay all over the place in the dirt covered grown. None of this was here when they were last on this road. It was still green grass and no cars had made it out of town to wreck out here yet. The sun was extremely hot and some more sweat dropped from his brow and hit the dirt. John watched it land and then went back off into a deep stair at the ground thinking back to what Jack had said and a gleam of light from the sun hit something shiny in the dirt. John bent over and started to dig a little with his hand.
"Whatcha got there Doc?" One of his brothers blurted. They were taking a break sitting in the ditch near the road eating some rations.
"Well Holy
." The doc replied. "Holy , hahahaha it's the hood ornament from my beamer, look member these? Looks kind of like a blue and white coin, Holy must be good luck.""From the beamer that Ol'Crazy Jack ran into that half
wolf?"
"That'd be the one. Haha or I'd like to think so at least. “The doc replied.”You know he was right...when I think back that beamer sitting here all wrecked and smeared with wolf guts, he was right. It was beautiful and I ain't seen nothing like it in a LONG LONG time."
A few moments of dead silenced passed.
"OK" The oldest of the brothers spoke up. "It's a long way to Boise Fella's so I suggest we pack up and get moving.
The four brothers packed up their gear and began to head off into the unknown future. Towards Boise to complete the first half of Ol'Jack's prophecy.
And the four brothers will each raise their own posse. One in the East. One in the West. One in the North and one in the South. The adventures will save many good lives and protect many good settlments and do many many great things but most importantly they will set into motion a chaotic effect that will end the rule of the 4 horseman and it will bring a new era. The Era of Growth and Man and Technology and Peace.
