LZR-1143: Perspectives (Zombie Short Stories) by Bryan James

Author:Bryan James
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781458176387
Publisher: Bryan James

The Inmate

Power: when you have none, you detest those above you; when you have it all, you scorn those without it. Hank had gone from one to the other, and he liked where he ended up.

His hadn’t been an easy childhood. He had lived for years in the shadow of an abusive father, and had learned quickly that power was not something you tried to gain, but something you used if you had. Then you acquired more. His dad never hesitated.

From the very first time Hank could remember, there was no give, no love. At the age of 7, Hank learned his first lesson.

Cry at night? The fist.

Hungry for supper? A sound beating.

Home late? Two missing teeth, a concussion and the lesson soundly learned that you damn well play by the rules or learn to break them silently.

If you don’t die from an upbringing like that, you got stronger. And smarter. That was Hank.

When he was a kid, he started off small by pulling legs off spiders, lighting ants on fire, and taking pot shots at small birds with a bee-bee gun. But that wasn’t enough. Not even close. He never got a satisfying thrill from a scream or a cry of terror. Just silence. And one can’t have his mettle tested with silence. You can’t get stronger and faster and better if you can’t test yourself properly.

So he moved on. He kept looking for the power that he knew he lacked. He yearned for it. Needed it.

As a teenager, his world opened up a little more. With a driver’s license and a full day of school to skip, his time was his own. His father was drunk or sick most days, so didn’t give a flying dog fart where Hank was or what he was doing. So he could just take off in the morning like he was going to school, and spend the day the way he liked it. Watching.

He watched people, mostly. Some days he’d sit on the Memorial Bridge overpass, watching cars streak underneath. He’d imagine creative ways to damage the cars as they went under. In his mind, it was boulders and meteors, rebar and ball bearings—all sorts of items that became dangerous at high speeds when connected with shattered glass.

Some days, he’d go to the zoo. There was a simple purity in animals--a secure knowledge that they knew who they were and why they did what they did.

That was refreshing to Hank. He spent his young life repressing his own ambitions and desires. He gloried in the actions of the animals, moving without remorse or shame. If they wanted food, they’d eat it. If they wanted to shit, they’d shit. If they wanted to screw … well, you get the picture.

His favorite place, especially as he got older and braver, was the mall. It was kind of like the zoo--but for people. He needed to see people, be around them. He needed to feel the energy and closeness. Being around so many at one

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.