Reeling in the Zombie Apocalypse 6

To be continued...

I turned to see her look of horror and then I followed her eyes to the creature coming towards us. Her left arm was bone and an eye was missing but the creature had indeed been my mother in law. My mother pulled the trigger of the gun and my former mother in law’s head exploded and then Jenny fainted which was probably for the best since a moment later I was forced to drive over her father. I felt bad about it. My father in law and I got along fairly well except for the fact that I was a Piscifun fan and he preferred Rapala. We didn't fish or shop together so as long as the topic didn't come up it wasn't too much of an issue. Certainly some concessions have to be made for ones father in law. Even when he is clearly wrong. I felt terrible as I heard his bones crack under the tires.

The zombies were too slow to follow the Yukon as we raced up the street.

I heard Jenny stir and saw my mother in the rearview window as she clamped a hand over my wife's mouth. I hope Jenny would forgive her later but we really didn't need the attention of any more zombies.

I turned my face back to the road but a moment later my mother tapped me on the shoulder.

"The baby is coming," she whispered. I turned around to see that my wife's pants were wet. Had she peed herself in shock?

"My water broke," she said.

"Shit," I growled slamming down on the gas. We had to make it to the sailboat, fast.

 I felt renewed determination and there was not a zombie that stood a chance as I gunned the engine pushing the Yukon as hard as I could. Part of me worried a cop might come and ticket me as my speedometer reached 100 MPH but no one came and the fence to the dock was opened. The bad news was that meant that zombies might be on boats. The good news was that I didn't have to drive through a chain link fence.

Her parent's boat was in its spot. My dad and I jumped out of the Yukon. I have to admit that at that moment I was pretty pissed and would have welcomed a zombie to beat to death but none were on the boat. My dad and I loaded the supplies onto the sailboat before I opened the door to pick up my wife. Her face looked panicked and pale. I couldn't say I blamed her. I hoped my mom knew what to do.

I let her settle my wife in the bed in the cabin while my dad helped me to get the boat out onto the water.

"I need something to tie the cord!" My mother yelled.

I grabbed Piscifun braided line and brought it into the room where my mother was pulling a baby from my wife's body.

I didn't watch as she tied the cord and then cut it. All I could see in that moment was my wife and my son.

I knelt down beside my wife and gave her a kiss.

"He is beautiful," I said because there was nothing else I could say.

"Do you think it really matters? He won't get to grow up. We are all just going to be zombies," she said. The tears falling down her cheeks upset me. The birth of a baby was supposed to be joyous and it was apparent that even though my son was a bit small he was perfect in every way.

"We can't give up hope," I said. "We have to believe that the outbreak hasn't crossed the water. We have to hope that once we cross the water we will be safe and our son will be able to live a normal life just like we intended for him to."

"What if the outbreak is everywhere? What will we do?" Jenny asked. I gulped. I didn't want that to be the truth. It would be a hard life for us if it was. It certainly wasn't the way I wanted to raise my son, but I couldn't lie to my wife, and I wanted her to know that I was going to keep her and my boy safe no matter what.

"If the absolute worst happens, I suppose we will just live on this boat. We have enough fishing gear here to assure that we will have food at least until Junior is a teenager. Water might be an issue but my dad and I can make water runs. There have to be lots of stores with bottled water ripe for the taking. We have plenty on here now but it is a concern."

"But what about other children to play with," she said. "I want him to have a normal life. A good life. He can't live on this little boat forever fishing with his dad and grandpa," she said.

It didn't sound like such a bad life to me but I was smart enough not to say so.

"There have to be other survivors. We will find them. When we do, we will figure out how to fix this," I said. It might have been a dream, but it was the only hope we had.

The end.

Reeling in the Zombie Apocalypse 5

To be continued...

We opened the doors with caution and listened for any sounds. It was silent which made me more confident as we moved forward. There was carnage in the road but it looked as if most of the solid flesh had either been devoured or had gotten up and walked away.

We walked around the truck and I was pleased to see that there was nothing on the other side.

"Do you think we can move it?" I asked.

"It is worth a try at least."

My dad and I put our hands on the frame of the truck bed and on the count of three gave it a shove. I was horrified by the squishing sound as it did indeed move and then we heard an inhuman squeal. I looked down and saw a head sticking out from beneath the wheel. I jumped back in terror but my father took his fishing scissors and brought them down into the soft flesh of the monster's temple with s sickening suction noise that made me nauseous. The thing didn't move after that but I was careful not to get my leg too close to it as we continued to push the truck enough that we could get the Yukon past it. I hoped that the truck was sliding because it was in some kind of mud. I hated the idea that it might be decaying human fats and juices that were creating the slick film allowing the truck to move.

I was glad when we got back into the car and even more glad when we approached the quiet neighborhood where my parents in law lived; that is, until I turned the corner and Jenny's parent’s house came into sight. The door was smashed in two and the window was shards of bloody glass. Before I could stop her, Jenny let out a blood curdling scream. My mother clamped her hand over Jenny's mouth but I knew the damage had been done.

Zombies seemed to come from nowhere. My mother pointed her gun out of the window and started shooting into the zombie crowd. I pushed my foot down on the gas and started back towards the road. The water wasn't far. If we could just get to the boat we might just make it.

"Mom!" I heard Jenny scream.

To be continued...

Fishing At Casterly Rock Episode 7

The word “sacrifice” sounds like a snake slithering in tall grass. It makes me shiver. To be a protector of life is compensation in itself, but to sacrifice oneself to do so, is an entirely different situation.

“How exactly am I supposed to sacrifice myself in order to become a guardian like you?” I asked the guardian. Suddenly I am not so sure that I want to know the answer to the question I had just asked.

“By sacrificing yourself, you ensure the promise you make to Casterly Rock is forever kept. You have to spill your blood onto the tree of life. You blood must flow through the earth and mix with the water that runs through the roots of the tree of life. Once you give your blood, sacrifice it to the tree of life, it will return the favor by giving you life in the form of being a guardian of Casterly Rock.”

His words hit me like a thousand knives. “In order to be a guardian of Casterly Rock, I have to sacrifice my own life?” I could hardly get the words out of my parched mouth.

“Correct. You will then become one of us. Your body will change, but you will still be Brad. Only much wiser as the gift of life will run through your veins.”

“Will I still fish at Casterly Rock?”

“No, you will choose someone, whoever it might be, and they will follow the same path as you have. They will fish here and you will make the offer to them to become guardians, just like I have done with you. You will rein gifts on them from the trusted Piscifun range of fishing tackle and they will decide for themselves which path they will follow.”

I suddenly wish I had never met Mr. Stanley. If it was not for him, I would never have to make this decision. As the guardian can read my mind, I can see the frown starting to form on his fish-like face.

“You are not having doubts are you?”

“I…”

I cannot finish the sentence. I can only feel a slimy hand over my throat. As I look down onto the ground, I can see the blood flowing from me, straight to the tree of life. I do not even try to struggle against the darkness that wants to overcome me. All I see is the fish-like face in front of me and I know, I am now a guardian of Casterly Rock.

Fishing At Casterly Rock Episode 6

I sit in the darkness of the night, listening to the crickets sing outside. I do not know what to do or what to think. How will I be compensated for sacrificing myself and becoming a half-human half-fish, a guardian? It must be just past the magical hour of night, but I cannot sit here and ponder upon my fate without answers. I gather my fishing gear and head to Casterly Rock, with the full moon as my only guidance through the darkness.

As if the guardian knew I was on my way To Casterly Rock, I see him leaning against a tree in the distance, waiting for me.

“Evening,” he says.

“Hi. How did you know I was coming?”

“Brad, you must learn quickly now. We know all these things. We know what you think and feel even before you think it.”

I shift my Piscifun shoulder bag to my other arm and stand beside the guardian. His slimy hand is curling around something round, like a Piscifun braided fishing line.

“Come with me. Let me show you what you want to know.”

The guardian leads me to an opening in the forest, near Casterly Rock. In the middle of the opening, sprouting from the earth is a small sapling. Its leaves are the color of blood and a whitish liquid pulsates through its veins.

“This, Brad, it the tree of life. There is no other tree in the world like this one. The roots of this tree grow right into the water of Casterly Rock. In return for using Casterly Rock’s water, the tree gives life to the content of the water. The trout of Casterly Rock, thus flourishes because of the life they receive from this tree. The fish will never die, they will never grow extinct and they will never stop reproducing. But that is not all. Anyone who eats has the benefit of eating trout from Casterly Rock, will receive that same gift, the gift of life.”

It takes a few minutes for me to process all this information. “So, by giving the poor trout to eat from Casterly Rock, I am actually giving them life?”

“Exactly. They may not have money to dwell in, but they have a greater gift. They have the gift of life. That, Brad, no money in the world will ever be able to buy.”

“But why would you want to give only poor people the gift of life?”

“People that has come to know money and the riches thereof, is corrupted. Corrupted minds do not receive the gift of life very well. People that do not know riches that well, will embrace the gift of life much easier and use it in a more efficient way.”

“Efficient how?” Slowly, things began to make sense.

“If a person that does not have money, realize that they have the gift of life, and with the gift of life I mean immortality, they will not use money to exploit it. They will use this gift to do good onto the world. That is the way the gift works. It makes your heart pure, leaving the corruption of money out of the equation.”

“I understand much better now. So, protecting Casterly Rock means protecting the world and having control over the gift of life?”

“Yes, Brad, but first, you must sacrifice yourself…”

Fishing At Casterly Rock Episode 3

That night I have a dream. I dream that I am crowned ruler of Casterly Rock. The guardians all bow down to me and give me a crown made of golden fish scales. They name me god of the guardians. I am their master and they are my servants to make with as I please. Upon waking up the next morning, I feel a sense of guilt washing over me for having such a dream. Is that not what the guardian at Casterly Rock warned me against? Pushing the troubling thoughts to the back of my mind, I begin the usual route to my fishing spot. For some reason, my Piscifun Crossbody bag feels unusually heavy…

I settle down next to the bank covered with soft moss, making it my home for the day. I have much fish to catch and even more people to feed. My Piscifun Carbon casting rod glistens in the morning sun, making it look as if the sun only shines its rays on my rod; giving it a god-like look. God like…

“Brad, your mind is an open book to me. What you think goes straight through my veins. What you feel makes my bones shudder with pain as well. I am however wary of what goes on inside your mind as it is not what the guardians of Casterly Rock want your mind to be filled with. I warned you of the power that comes with guardian status.”

Feeling like a kid caught in the act of being naughty, I spin around to see the guardian standing at the edge of the bank, his scaly skin like diamonds in the sun. “It was just a dream, just a subconscious meddle of the mind,” I try to come up with a valid explanation.

“They all say that, and yet they all follow the same path. Make sure you are not one of them, Brad. You are special and our last hope.”

“Yes, I understand. I will rid myself of these ludicrous thoughts and notions and concentrate on the task at hand. Making Casterly Rock the salvation for those in need and guarding it from any harm that might come lurking.”

“Good. I would like to inform you that you will be summoned to a council meeting tomorrow as you arrive here for your fishing venture. Do not be late and do not bring your negative thoughts with you. Leave them be where they do not bother you or any of us.”

Just as he appeared, he disappeared again into the water, making the trout in the lake surface for just one moment, making it much easier to catch them. Not long after my encounter with the guardian, the sun sets its rays on the mountain, ready for another night of darkness. As I pack up my fishing tackle, satisfied with the days catch, I open my crossbody bag and reach out to get my Piscifun fishing pliers. My hand glides across something cold and wet inside the bag. I glance down into the bag and am appalled at what I see. What stares back at me makes my breath catch in my throat. Eyes, or what used to be eyes, drawn back in their sockets, glassy with no life at all. My head lies in the bag, the look of fear still visible. As if the wind could feel my fear, a whisper sings softly in my ear.

“This will be you if you dare disobey.”

Now I know. Do not let the status cloud your mind. You will regret it. Shaking, I glance back at the bag to see my lifeless eyes. Nothing; the bag is empty. I gather up my trout and head back to the village. Tomorrow at the council meeting I will talk to the guardians about this. They had to have something to do with what I had just seen.

Fishing At Casterly Rock Episode 2

It had been an utterly exhausting day, giving trout from Casterly Rock to those who needed it most at the marketplace. As I saw it, I was their hero! It quickly became known to me that I will have to catch twice as much trout the next day if I was to stay their hero.

Early the next morning, before the sun bragged its luring rays of light, I went round the bend and over the next hill; back to Casterly Rock, back to what I wish I would forget. Upon getting there, I was met with a delightful splash; trout in the reeds, ready for the breakfast I was about to serve. I assembled my Piscifun Shadowcat Casting Rod and added some bait; Fly Fishing Flies with a Floating Fishing Lure. Fantastic for the amount of fish I wanted to catch today.

As the day wore on, I began getting an unsettling feeling that I was being watched from beneath the trees in the distance. As Mr. Stanley was no longer alive to watch my every move at Casterly Rock, the watcher was unknown to me. With a jolt, I heard a voice behind me.

“Brad, you are a good fisherman, Piscifun products agree with you. I have a proposition for you, if you are interested.”

I turned my head, already knowing I was about to speak to one of the Guardians of Casterly Rock. “A proposition, I would love that!”

“Brad, you are so enthusiastic, but I warn you, it is not an easy task. You must become a guardian of Casterly Rock. You must guard this wonder we live in with your life. Guard it from fishermen that want to exploit its riches and use it only for their own benefit. Mr. Stanley was asked to become a guardian, and the status went to his mind; see where that got him. Will you be able to become one of us, Brad?”

Gob smacked, I uttered the few words I could, “Yes, I will become a guardian of Casterly Rock.”

“Good. Remember, you are to protect this place from newcomers that wants to reap the benefits of what we have here. You are to catch fish from this pond and give it to the poor at the marketplace, not sell it for your own benefit. You will be poor yourself yes, but as a guardian, you will be compensated for good behavior in way you would never imagine! “

“Yes, yes I will do that,” is all I could muster.

As if talking to the wind, there was a slight splash into the pond and then nothing. I was alone again, only me and the trout. I could not believe what had just happened! I was asked to protect Casterly Rock from harm and in return I would be compensated, by money hopefully. As I picked up my rod to call it a day, I saw a Piscifun Portable Fish Lip Gripper next to my fishing box; a present from the guardians. I made a mental note to thank the guardian when I came to fish tomorrow; if I was to see him again.

I walked up the road and past Mr. Stanley’s post. So, that is why he was such a bitter man. The guardian status went to his mind. Poor soul was my only thought. As I walked into the marketplace, an idea became to form in my head…

“Trout, trout for those who are hungry! Come get some trout, those who need it most!”

As if drawn to my voice, a huge crowd of hungry men, woman and children began to gather, eager to get a taste of the trout of Casterly Rock.