Slipped: Book One

Chapter Four: Nascentes Morimur

Chapter Four: Nascentes Morimur

    King lands back first on the ground but dares to not stand back up.

“What happened!? You were supposed to bring her home! What happened?!” Travis snarls like a dog shot up with adrenaline. “What the fuck happened, King?! Don’t even think about lying to me either!” Jem tries to place her hand on Travis’ shoulder but he shoves himself away before she has a chance.

“She was helping us take down these brutes when it slashed a nail down her arm. I had to take her out before the symptoms even started, Trav-“ King is interrupted by Travis punching a wall, busting open his knuckles. “She fought for us all, Travis. She saved us before anything dangerous could’ve happened.”

“You could’ve saved her. You could’ve amputated her arm once the contact happened!” Travis snaps, gripping his bleeding knuckles. “What made you all so goddamn soft? Was it finally realizing that you finally had walls to where you’d be able to sleep peacefully at night? Was it the first moment you discovered the soil was still rich and you could grow food? You were all brave once but once those walls went up, you became nothing but cowards.”

“But you’re here now so doesn’t make you one as well?” Jem interjects, a tad shaken.

“No because I’m not staying one more damn day.” The others begin to mumble to each other.

“Travis, you can’t just up and leave! You’ll die out there! At least in here you’ll be safe and you’ll have the means to survive.”

“She was my method of survival and you took that away! She kept me going the entire fucking time, King! I was almost bit more times than I can count on my fingers and toes but I fought through all of that for her! I went through all types of Hell for my wife!” Travis’ voice cracks and he breathes in shakily, his right hand covering his mouth. “All for my wife…” he leaves the community hall and stomps his way towards their once temporary home. All of her things are scattered in their bedroom from when she couldn’t decide what to wear that morning. Travis shuts his eyes and slides down onto the floor, clutching at one of her shirts.

    “Travis, should I wear yellow or blue today? Ooh! Maybe this white blouse?”

“Stop…” his voice is hoarse, choking itself back.

    “What about a dress today? One of the ladies gave me a pretty peach one.”

“Stop… please…” his face twists in pain.

    “Travis, quit staring at me like you’re about to kidnap me.”

“I was… I was. I was…” Travis sobs into the shirt. His fingers grip and twist into the fabric; his knuckles fading into a milky white with each squeeze. Once again, it feels like his entire ribcage has exploded open and a Blank has disconnected his heart from his body.

   

    After what seemed like five hours, Travis finally emerges from the trailer. His eyes are puffy but they’re empty and his face is still. In his right hand is an old radio for CDs and in the other is a small blade. The community is silent; hardly anyone is out walking around and the sun has hardly set. King is the first to notice him walking towards the vehicle storage. “Travis!” The man doesn’t turn around nor does he acknowledge him in any form. “Travis!” King shouts again, this time sprinting towards him. “Stop, man! Whatever you’re planning, it doesn’t have to happen.” Travis finally stops and turns toward him. King visibly startles back at Travis’ expressionless features.

“None of this had to happen. None of it.” Travis turns back around and keeps walking forward. He reaches an RV and swings open the door.

“Travis, man… please stop.”

“Open the gate, King. And thank you.” Travis disappears inside and King, still shaken, rushes over towards the gates. Travis shuts his eyes as the RV shuffles to life with the turn of a key and when he’s ready, Travis opens his brown eyes and pushes forward out the gate.

“Travis, baby. Go back.”

He ignores her as he drives down the road.

“I love you, I love. I love you.”

He swears he feels her fingers caress his cheek; his face.

“What will you say to me now?”

His chest visibly shakes as he breathes in deeply. The tears prickle down his cheeks but he quickly wipes them away with the back of his hand. A few Blanks stumble out from the wooded area but he lets them be; he wants them to follow the RV. A few more miles down the road and he sees signs for the community. He flips each one off and lights a cigarette halfway through his driving.

    The clearing he wanted and searched for stands quiet. The sky has darkened slightly and he knows that by morning, the Blanks will stumble his way. Travis climbs up to the roof of the RV, a cigarette between his lips. To pass time, he lies on his back and watches the stars twinkle and disappear as if the universe didn’t want him to see their beauty.

“Travis, go back inside.”

“No.”

“Travis, baby-“

“You’re gone, Mandy!” He snaps, sitting upwards. It hits him like a cannonball; it’s the first time since he found out that he’s said her name. For a moment, he stops breathing. He stops feeling the nighttime air chill his skin. For once, he just stops.

“Please come back…”

                    Morning Of

    The sun kisses his skin in warmth but he stays frigid. He doesn’t sit upright. All he does is move his hand over the radio he carried up with him and press the play button. He shuts his eyes tightly as The Mamas and The Papas croons through the speakers and the man twists the volume level up higher. He hears them snarl over the song but he doesn’t move. The snarls become closer, more alert of where the song is coming from. All he does is turn the volume up higher.

    He sees her smiling at him with those large gray eyes sparkling. He kisses her for a moment, wanting to know if his heart is correct. When she doesn’t pull away but cling onto him, he knows.

God he knows.

With the blade in his right hand, he slits open his wrist and lets his arm hand over the roof edge. The RV shakes a bit from the Blanks urging to satisfy their hunger.

    She sits in his lap one Christmas and lays a box in his lap. There’s a wide smile on her lips and when he discovers a set of house keys lying snug in the box, he kisses her so hard that Mandy forgets how to breathe.

His eyes become heavy due to exhaustion and blood loss but he forces them to stay open. The sunlight decorates his body with a warm glow but he knows his skin is greying down. He hopes he’ll go into shock. The song replays again; he almost forgot he pressed it to play on a loop. One of Blanks down below hits right below his arm on the RV panel but he doesn’t care. The RV rocks a bit more than before but not enough to move him.

    He swears that being able to caress his fingertips along her arm is one of the sinful yet beautiful things known to mankind. To him, she is purity in a person but with Hell hidden in her beneath her veins. She is forever his and in a month, they’ll be united as one.

The song no longer plays on the radio but he hears theirs. It’s crisp, clear, and loud but there are no Blanks around him anymore.

“Travis.”

She caresses his cheek gently.

“Travis, sing to me.”

    He shuts his eyes and hears the last chord of the song before the snarls of the damned echo in his ear. He feels the sun warm him no longer; in fact, he feels nothing at all anymore.

He hears her one last time.

“Mandy…”

If I didn't tell her I could leave today;

California dreamin' on such a winter's day.

   

                    The End