Day after day, he’d watched as the maggots moved across her once beautiful face. The putrid gore and stench were unbearable, until he became nose deaf. But for the numerous bottles of water by the bed, he too would have succumbed to death. For a long time, while he lay beside Rachael, he’d wished for death. When he began to understand that he would not die, his sight began to dim and fade. Though he could still see, the world around him was cocooned in a semitransparent shroud.
His once brown hair had turned whitish gray, from the extensive trauma his body had survived. He’d stumbled out of his apartment and had wondered the streets. Surviving people fearing him, running from him. No one would help him. He’d not understood why until he’d seen himself in a department store mirror. His skin was a deep vermilion hue, his hair gray, almost white and matted down with blood. His eyes, were milky white. Though he didn’t smell himself, he was sure he stunk badly.
After wandering the streets, he went back to his apartment and took a shower. He collapsed on the bathroom floor, exhausted. He guesstimated that a full day had passed when he woke next. He was still weak, but his body was now hungry and thirsty. He supposed that was how he knew that he’d live. Over the next couple of weeks, he saw the population of Philadelphia dwindle. He’d gone by Pennsylvania Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, all three were forsaken to the departed and bodies littered the emergency bays, waiting rooms and along the sidewalks and parking lots there were heaps of bones.
Corpses littered the sidewalks and streets as he walked and he had to step around them. The sight of it didn’t bother him anymore and he’d gone nose deaf to the noxious stench. On one of his outing, he rarely went back to the apartment, sleeping in various buildings, he’d gone to the zoo. As a child, he’d adored the zoo and he and Rachael had spent many hours there as well. The animals were dying, no one feeding them. Something inside of him wouldn’t and couldn’t stand for that.
It took three days, but he’d busted open, broke, bent and unlocked every cage. He wasn’t sure if most of the animals would survive in the city, but they would most surely die in their cages. He’d smiled at the big cat enclosures. The big cats kept their distance from him. He apparently didn’t smell very appetizing. The animals had skirted him while making their escape. The bears did the same. He was walking death, a ghost. Albeit, a benign and friendly ghost. He’d sniggered at that thought. He’d named himself Casper, since his old life and old self was over, dead and gone. Rotted and gone to corruption of the body, soul and mind.
He’d wandered for days, not seeing another living soul, then he’d gone into Old City Hall and found two men, twin brothers, who’d, like himself, had actually survived. He’d gone quickly to a convenience store to get bottled water and sat for hours, helping the two brothers. He’d cleaned them and cared tenderly for them. He understood their pain. They’d been large men, but the virus had taken its toll. The brothers, Javier and Ramon Pena were visiting from Orlando. They’d been caught in the city when the virus had struck and like himself, had been hit in the first week.
By the third week, it was apparent that he and the brothers would have to fend for themselves. They’d been attacked by several men, and nearly killed. Casper had found a gun store and had armed himself and the brothers. He inherently knew that his brain had changed, that he and the brothers had slight brain damage, but he wasn’t too far gone to realize that he’d have to go on the offense. Javier and Ramon were loyal to him and over a few days, Casper had recruited people with brute efficiency.
If he and his new friends were to survive, they’d have to secure the city and all its resources. Casper also knew that showing compassion and humanity would be perceived as a weakness. Only to Javier and Ramon did he reveal his true self and compassion. He sent his growing band outward, to secure food supplies. One person per store. They were to inventory and live at those locations. He figured this way, that person would have a very personal and good reason to guard the supply with his or her life. Then, should Casper need the resource, he’d have the ability to tap into that. He only had about thirty-five people, but day by day, that number grew.
He and the brothers had come across a man, raping a woman who’d resembled his Rachael. He’d been so enraged; he’d taken the man to Love Park and had skinned him before horrified witnesses.
“Any who cross me, any who do not obey, I’ll tear your skin from your body.” He’d raged, spittle flying from his mouth. He was nearly drowned out by the scream of the man. He’d then slit the man’s throat. He left the bloody corpse as a reminder. Word quickly spread that he was not a man to cross. The brothers slowly regained their strength and bulk. They were his shadows, his confidants, guarding him. From a mild-mannered
