DISCLAIMER: Welcome to my weekly blog, as some of you are well aware, this blog, this week--will be a little different from what we normally do. Most of it will be writing instead of pictures. All of the writing is my own from MY creative imagination from a novel that I have been plotting for years. I had pieces of it written and backed up but alas in our move it got skewed and lost and all I was left with was my bare base notes. I didn't let that get me down though, I picked it up and I started again. Everything in here is MY creation, and I have taken the proper steps to make sure everything written so far is legally my own. That being stated, I can't wait to share with you and hope you enjoy! Zombies have always been a weird passion of mine, amongst the creeps and ghouls, witches and vampires, and generally spooky things that I already enjoy! I appreciate feedback but remember, everything is in plotting/draft stages so go easy on me.
--respectfully yours
Danii Grimm.
PS...I wanted to note here that there will be sensitive subjects and/or controversial topics in the following excerpt. There is mature language and content so if you feel like you might be offended now is the perfect time to stop reading and move on.
xo
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The air on the ocean was always so sticky, and Amelia Walter’s had been stuck in the bay docked somewhere in San Diego for going on four days; this was not her idea of a great honeymoon, not to mention Bart was basically useless when the rioting hit the streets as they arrived. They were warned to stay aboard their rather expensive marital present-a decently sized yacht, until they were contacted again. She hadn’t seen that police officer for days though, and she wasn’t stepping out in her wedding clothes to get mauled and robbed by poor people....or worse...eaten by the cannibals they’d heard about.
Sighing because Bart was in his own world listening to his Bose headphones, and ignoring the world around him like this was some sort of vacation they could enjoy. “Bart.” she said flatly but when he didn’t respond she threw a pillow in his direction from where she sat on the couch. “BART.”
“Yes dear?” He asked, pulling the headphones off his ears and setting them on his shoulders as the classical music blared from where they sat.
“Can you join the real world please?”
“I’d really rather not...” he chimed as he turned off his ipod and set it aside. Stretching his arms out he glanced over at Amelia who was tapping her foot impatiently and staring at the door that locked them into their safe haven. “But anything for you dear...What do you suggest we do?”
“I don’t know...anything? I’m really bored, and this hasn’t exactly been my idea of a dream get-away.” she crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.
Bart shook his head at her selfishness and got down on his knees in front of her, “It’ll be better soon baby....that cop’ll come back and-”
“Open your fucking eyes Bart!” she stood up and threw her hands in the air, “He’s not coming back and we’re going to run out of food on this thing...what are we supposed to do?”
Bart shook his head and shrugged, “I’ve been trying to reach my father since we arrived but he hasn’t gotten back to me....it’s really weird. I hope he’s okay...”
“What about my mother?” she asked tapping her newly painted nails on her arm and waited for an answer.
“Well, yes dear. I’ve tried them both up until yesterday when-”
“When. What?” she snapped shortly at him.
“When the cell stopped getting service.” He finished a little defeated. “Listen baby, I don’t know what’s happening out there, but we just gotta sit tight and wait it out. It’s obviously bigger than you or I.”
“Well no shit Bart. That’s the understatement of the year.”
“Then can you do me a favor, and stop acting like this is all my fault?” He snapped quickly back at her and finally had a seat beside her “The most we can do is make the best of this.”
“Make the best of what Bart? Starving together, while we’re locked away like animals in cages?” She turned away from him and stared out the small front window.
“Well, if I was going to experience the end of the world with anyone...I would rather it have been you...but I can see that the feelings are not mutual there.” He had a headache now, and was wishing he didn’t put his earphones aside. “I am hungry though, and we still have a little bit of supplies....so if you want I can make something?”
“Whatever.” she replied coldly, her eyes still staring out the window, narrowed a little as she watched the vacant boardwalk.
“Yeah.” he said sighing in defeat as he started to climb the ladder to the top deck so he could grill some food.
When he twisted the lock and pushed the hatch all was well on top deck; the sun was shining brightly down on the bleach white floors, and would be blinding if he hadn’t had transitional lenses. The waves rolled steadily in and out on either sides of the boat, and they rocked serenely on the water’s surface.
One difference he had noticed since he arrived was the noise started to calm down all around them, and the fact that the gulls were no longer singing; it was an eerie sort of quiet, but it was much better than the non-stop car accidents they heard the first two nights and days. The smells of fire and rubber were lifted as well, and he could once again breathe the salty air. He heard that Californians were infamous for bad driving, but surely this was a bit much.
“Ahhhh...” he sighed and smiled, hitting the sides of his pants to find the box of matches within. “I think I’ll make the steaks tonight.”
Walking over to the freezer on the top deck he used the key around his wrist to unlock it, and then pulled out a few small steak rounds. He set them down in the sun and stared out at the crystal looking water as they swayed back and forth. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cigarettes, shook the emptying pack and stared into it worriedly. Amelia wasn’t the only one with vices and needs that weren’t being met, but clearly he was dealing with their situation better than she was.
The cop that had come had been accompanied by two men in army uniforms, and someone who said they were from the coast guard. He wasn’t about to ignore that kind of authority to get a pack of cigarettes, or anything else that she might argue that they might need. If the problem was dealt with, Bart just figured they would hear back from those same authorities. If not, well, they had enough gas to get to the next port but that was it.
Having a slow seat in a chair on the deck, Bart crossed his legs and used a match to light the cigarette crushed between his lips. Covering the end of the cigarette with his hand to block the wind from the ocean from blowing out his match, he took in a deep sharp inhale of smoke, and then exhaled the dark plume into the air above him. That was it, that was what he needed. It hit the spot every time, and by the time he was done with his cigarette if the meat wasn’t thawed enough to toss it onto the grill, he would busy himself with something else. Anything would be better than going back down below to face Amelia. When he tapped his sides a few times he would sigh a great sigh of defeat, his ipod was lost to him now. He had left it downstairs.
An hour passed and he must’ve dozed off on deck, but these days, Bart didn’t think much could get them here in the docks. Still, he sat forward as if something unsettled him and found that his heart was racing. It was just a dream….. He told himself. It must’ve just been some sort of dream…… He was trying to reason with the fact that his body was responding in a way that it hadn’t in years. When he was a child he had night terrors, that sat him straight up even though he was still asleep, and he would sweat his sheets and blankets out. His mother constantly had a wash to do. This was weird though, the feeling of unease he had didn’t come from a dream. At least, not one that he remembered--and he usually remembered them vividly. No this was something else. Standing up, Bart stretched to full height, then walked the short distance to peer off over the side of the boat. No one was there. Nothing was there. Not a person or a bird. That’s when he could hear it, off in the distance, an unsettling rumble of a single motor. Is that a motorcycle? He wondered curiously as he stood their squinting to himself, that’s when he noticed the movement.
“Excuse me!” He waved at the person in the distance, off the docks moving by a building near the trashes. “Hey you!” Bart called out of desperation; he didn’t know who or what it was--but clearly it was a human being and they needed some sort of update. Now, he was feeling stupid, like they may have been trapped up on that yacht for days without realizing they didn’t have to be. “EXCUSE ME!”
When it stopped moving, and turned, he could see the silhouette of the person as they approached but not much more in the dim light of late day. He waved his hand and laughed a little as he shielded his eyes from the sun to get a better look. Squinting hard he realized just as the thing he’d been calling had hit the docks, that it wasn’t exactly human. He stumbled back a little and cursed to himself as he reached for his cigarettes. Taking one out frantically he lit it up and stared down at the creature he’d attracted to himself.
I have to be dreaming Bart thought to himself as he stared down in disbelief as the creature tried (and failed) to take on the yacht’s steep ladder. That didn’t mean it would consistently fail though, so he knew he had to act. Taking a long drag from his cigarette he opened the cab by the captain's chair and called down the stairs to Amelia, “Meel? Are you awake?” When she wasn’t answering he went down after her. There she was sleeping soundly in the bed half naked where he’d left her. Crossing the room he made for the dresser where he kept his hand gun.
Opening the drawer he quickly opened the chamber of the small 9mm gold plated Beretta pistol to check if it was loaded. It was so he turned around and headed back to the stairs with determination and his mind racing. “What’s goin’ on babe are the steaks done?”
“No….just….stay down here.” He warned her as he began to climb.
Blinking the sleepiness from her eyes Amelia would straighten out and the first thing she noticed was his flashy piece was out. “Whats going on?” She found herself repeating.
“I don’t know….just stay down here. Alright? I’ll be back.” Bart climbed the stairs to the top deck and locked the latch to the lower deck. Amelia could still get out, but she would have to walk around half the ship to do it. Still, he wanted to keep her somewhat safe from whatever that fuck that thing was on the docks. When his mind whirled through the last few days it occurred to him that it may not be the only one out there. So he started more quickly for the side of the boat. Walking over to where he’d seen the creature before he realized it wasn’t there. Freezing, he gathered his bearings an then made to check around the entire boat.
Crouching down low he began to circle the perimeter of the boat but when he didn’t find anything he stood straight up and began scratching his head; this was strange. He knew what he saw, or maybe it was part of a disturbing sleep walking experience. Still, he didn’t want to take a chance. He walked back to where he’d left the steaks and checked on them. The condensation from the packaging had doused the area around them and that was how he knew before even touching them that they were ready.
In the back of his head a small voice said that he should pull away from port and just go as far as they could away from this place they were stuck in for days--especially seeing whatever he thought he saw. He just wasn’t sure if it was a hallucination brought on from being cooped up or sleeping in the sun. He rubbed his face a little and tucked the gun away in his pants, locked, while he began to light the grill and prepare the food. While he worked, he was careful to stay quiet, even if he was second guessing himself he didn’t want that thing coming back--and he prayed to god that it had a poor sense of smell because they needed to eat, and this was the only way they could. The oven in the kitchen on the yacht wasn’t installed yet, they had left for their honeymoon anyway figuring they could eat out or use the grill.
When he lit the grill he heard a blood curdling scream that made his heart stop in his chest. It was Amelia from below deck. He left the grill burning, and unlocked the door to the small set of hidden stairs from top to the lower deck. He pulled the gun from where it was stuffed in his pants and aimed it carefully in front of him. Sure he’d owned the gun for two years but he’d never actually fired the damn thing. Thinking back, Bart tried to remember the last time he actually fired a gun but it had been such a long time it didn’t comfort him any. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and he rounded the corner to where Amelia was screaming for him to find a Latino choking his wife, with his clothes half off. Not thinking before he fired, Bart released the trigger and fired but the bullet went passed the man and out the side of the boat.
~
Juanito cursed to himself, pulled his pants back up, and smacked the bitch he was trying to fuck aggressively until she wasn’t a problem anymore. When she laid sobbing and whimpering he got up and started for the man with the gun. He wasn’t worried much, the world was a different place now, but he was still the same guy. Besides, it wasn’t like this asshole could actually fire a gun.
“Who are you? Stay back!” Bart held the gun up and backed up a little as he watched the man approach him.
“I’m the guy that’s commandeering your wife and your ship pendejo now you better lower that fuckin’ gun before I throw you off of it.” Juanito stepped a little closer until the gun was pressed into his chest, he reached out and grabbed Bart by the neck and looked him in the eyes. “You got a problem with that?”
“This is is my ship….and that is my wife.” Bart said firmly as he stood up straight and shoved the gun harder into the man. “So yes I do have a problem.”
“Wrong answer chump.” Juanito hit Bart’s arm and took the gun from him, then pressed it into his head. The moment he did that Amelia gave another scream from the bed. “YOU. shut up bitch….If I could get on this boat how easy you wanna think it is for those things out there?” He turned and hit Bart square in the face with the gun and then smirked when Bart knocked out easily.
“Oh god...oh my god….” Amelia would sob, “Bart…..Bart are you okay?” She watched like a cornered animal, timidly from the bed as Juanito approached.
Undoing his belt, and pants again, Juanito climbed back up on the bed and pointed the gun at her. “He might not know how to use one of these but I sure as do hunny now get undressed.” He told her stiffly as he watched.
“I…..I….Why? What are you talking about?” She sobbed.
“As long as you’re nice and quiet you ain’t gotta worry about it little princess….” he told her, “now let’s go…”
Bart laid unconscious on the floor nearby, blood oozing slightly from the top of his head where the gun had struck him.
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Okay guys that's it! I know I know--maybe you are on the edge of your seat with questions but that's why reading the whole thing will count. All the questions about the book will be answered in the book. TRUST me. But I hope it flowed well and you enjoyed the characters as they are usually one of my favorite parts about building a story; my method of madness is to build a couple of solid characters and to round out their entire lives and history then to plop them into a story. THAT WAY, I *KNOW* exactly how they'll react to certain situations....and discovering their arcs are always fun as well!
I think it's important to point out that the characters I AM BUILDING will be dropped twenty years into the future where the physical story will take place and we will meet our heroine. We are seeing the first wave of the dead walking, but there will be way more to this. Everything is baby steps. How are you enjoying it thus far? Did you have any favorite parts? Is there any improvements I should be making? I would love some feedback in these stages!
I want to take a moment to thank everyone for the tremendous support on every blog I've posted pertaining to NANOWRIMO and my novel and making me feel so good about my writing. As most of you write yourselves, I KNOW that YOU KNOW it can be difficult to share your work especially in these unfinished stages because we are our own biggest and worst critics, but I have felt absolutely embraced and for that I wanted to THANK YOU SO MUCH. As Na(tional)No(vel)Wri(ting)Mo(nth) comes to an end, I want to thank you all again for joining me on this journey and for the encouragement you have offered to me along the way. This will be the last excerpt I post of my novel and next week will be back to format with my blog but I hope all of you have enjoyed this as much as I have enjoyed sharing my work with you.
Hope you all have a wonderful week!
I love you. Plenty to do, and so little time, so stay tight! be real! BE YOU!
