Shades Of Humanity (Surviving For Humanity Book 2) Read online

  Shades Of Humanity

  Surviving For Humanity Book 2

  Kip Nelson

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter One

  “Where's Jessica?” Tillman asked.

  The person behind the door was alert and went to slam it shut, but Tillman was quicker. He jammed his foot in the opening just as it was about to close. Pain lanced through his foot, and he was thankful that his instinct had protected his already-damaged foot. He put all his weight against the door and pushed it open, hearing a soft yelp from behind, and then the pattering of footsteps.

  This small town was a ghost town, although Tillman had seen some evidence of life. It seemed as though people were deciding to hide in their homes rather than converge on the streets and work together. When the planes had fallen from the sky and fire and panic had gripped the world Tillman held a sliver of hope that people would unite and work together.

  He had been wrong.

  People kept to themselves, wrapping themselves up in a cocoon of fear. They hid in the shadows from the dangers that lurked outside. Tillman had been face-to-face with those dangers himself. The sight of the man he had killed still plagued him. Tillman told himself that it had been necessary, that he only had been protecting himself and his friends, but the fact was he had killed a man, and there was no telling what cost that would extract from his soul.

  Tillman's blood boiled as he worked his way into the house, ignoring the pain. Would he kill again? To save his niece, absolutely. He was on his own. His family and friends were back on the ranch, safe. Jessica had made the fatal mistake of sneaking out of the house, staying out late with her friend. She'd told Morelle, his sister, that she was at her friend Tanya's house. Tillman was about to find out if that was true. He'd scour this town until he found her, because he knew what kind of people lurked outside. The world had ended, and hell had begun.

  Tillman pushed through the door and followed the footsteps. The yelps turned to screams as the girl pulled down shelves and ornaments. They crashed on the floor, creating an obstacle course through the narrow hallway. Tillman grunted as he made his way through, trying his best to not catch his wounded ankle. The pain only just had begun fading. The last thing he needed now was to hurt it again.

  He couldn't help but compare this experience to those that had peppered his life. So many times, he had gone into mysterious houses and tried finding someone, but only in video games. They didn't tell you how hot and stuffy the world was, or how each breath clutched at the lungs after some time. Tillman had a crick in his back from sleeping on the floor, and still had much to discuss with his parents. His homecoming hadn't been as explosive as he had feared, but he sensed his father was holding much back for the sake of Morelle and his mother.

  Tillman had to have words with his father as well. He couldn't understand why the man hadn't tried harder to keep Jessica from wandering off. He'd had some idea of what was coming thanks to his job, so why hadn't he protected the youngest member of the family?

  Tillman only hoped that he'd return to have these words with his father, for there was a danger that he would meet his death when outside in the wild world.

  The figure in front of him ran up the stairs. He reached the bottom as she was at the top, and saw her turn around, checking if he was still there.

  “Get away from me!” she screamed. Her face was clad in shadow, and Tillman was unable to make out her features. It had been so long since he had seen Jessica and he wondered if they'd even recognize each other.

  “I'm looking for Jessica!” he yelled.

  There was no reply. He grunted and grimaced and forced his way up the steep staircase. The steps were wooden, and in his haste his feet almost slipped on the smooth surface. He gripped the wooden handrail and hauled himself up. When he reached the top, he saw a door that was being slammed shut. This time he wasn't quick enough to jam his foot inside. He hammered on the door with his fists.

  “Let me in! I don't want to hurt you. I'm just trying to find my niece. Is she in there? Where is she?” he yelled. He heard whimpers from the other side of the door. He hammered again. The whole house almost shook, such was the desperate strength of his mighty blows. He tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge.

  “Please, I'm just trying to find my niece. I don't want to hurt you. The longer I stay here the less chance there is of finding her. Are you Tanya? She said she was with you,” he asked in a gentler tone, trying to calm himself down. Somehow, he had to win this girl's trust. Otherwise, he wasn't going to get anywhere. She must have some information about Jessica. If he didn't get it from her, he'd have to walk around town in the blind hope that he would find her.

  He remained silent, letting the question linger in the air, hoping the girl, who he presumed was Tanya, would indeed talk to him.

  He stepped away from the door and sank to the floor, pressing his back to the wall. He closed his eyes and brought his hands to his face in silent prayer. His parents always had brought him up to be religious, although, like so many others, he had strayed from the teachings of God as he grew up. Now, though, he prayed hard for his niece's salvation. It seemed to him that God was the only one who had the power to help them now.

  The door creaked open and a sliver of darkness appeared. As soon as he heard the door opening, Tillman's head jerked towards it and his muscles coiled, ready to spring. The door was pushed shut again, though. So Tillman knew he had to stay still and silent. The door opened once more.

  “You want to find Jessica?” a trembling voice asked.

  “Yes, are you Tanya? I'm Jessica's uncle, Tillman,” he said.

  “She talked about you once or twice. Said you were some kind of big shot, that you'd forgotten about her.”

  “I'm trying to find her,” Tillman said, not wanting to get into his family politics with this troubled girl. “Can you help me? Are you Tanya?”

  “Yes,” Tanya said.

  “My sister told me that Jessica was coming to hang out with you last night. That's the only reason I'm here. I'm not going to hurt you.”

  “Dad said I had to keep the door shut. I should have listened to him.”

  “Where is he?”

  “Gone to search for food. He's going to be back soon,” she said defensively.

  “I won't stay long. All I need is to know is where Jessica is, and I'll be on my way,” Tillman said, trying to do anything he could to reassure the young girl.

  Part of him wanted to take her with him, because he wasn't confident her father would return, but he could tell she wasn't going to leave her home. Like so many others she associated it with safety, with comfort, and to abandon it would be to embrace chaos and fear.

  Tillman thought it would be the downfall of many people. The worst thing they could do would be stay in a place like this, without a source of clean water or constant food. It was secure, but soon enough it would be no better than a tomb.

  “Please, can you tell me where she is?” Tillman begged.

  Tanya sniffed again. “She was here, but she left around midnight. She...she went to see Anthony.”

  From the tone of her
voice, Tillman knew that Tanya just had betrayed the confidence of her friend. He was glad she did.

  “Anthony?”

  “Jessica's, well, boyfriend, I guess. She didn't like calling him that, though. She liked him but, well, you know how things go.”

  “Okay, and where does Anthony live?”

  “I don't know, but I doubt she went to his place.”

  “Where would they have gone? Can you tell me a few places you used to hang out?” Tillman asked. Now that Tanya was talking about more normal things she seemed to calm down a little.

  “We used to hang out all over the place. The bowling alley, the movie theater, some hotel lobbies as well. Just to get away from home, you know? It sounds kinda creepy, but we liked hanging out in the cemetery as well. There was something about it on moonlit nights. It was like we were in touch with the spirit world or something. I don’t know, maybe we shouldn't have done that. What if a demon has escaped?”

  “There's no demon,” Tillman said, thinking 'apart from those that reside in men's souls'. “Is there anywhere else you can think of?”

  “No, not really, I'm sorry.”

  “Okay, I'm going to go now. You just wait for your father,” Tillman said, and turned his back to the girl. As he moved, the door closed as far as it possibly could without shutting completely. Tillman felt bad for the girl. She likely stood little chance of making it through this world, but he hoped her father would return.

  He made his way out of the house and closed the door behind him, then tried to remember the layout of the town so he could try finding Jessica.

  The streets were eerily empty. At least on the freeway there still had been cars parked there, reminding him of the way things used to be. Now there was silence. He only realized now how much noise there had been in the modern world. All the ambient hums and murmurs came together to create a river of noise that rippled by, seeping into everyone’s consciousness without them realizing it. But now that the world was silent the absence of the noise was stark. It was as though the entire world had died, and everyone was involved in mourning.

  As he walked along, Tillman continued looking around furtively, doing his best to ascertain any threats. The windows were dark. He knew that people were waiting in there. He wondered what they thought of him, a lone man walking his own path in the sun. Would they think him a hero? A villain? Or just plain crazy?

  He walked through town, trying to figure out where Jessica was likely to have gone. Of course, the mystery boyfriend made it harder to anticipate since Tillman didn't know anything about him. Was he cautious? If so, he might insist they go to the movie theater, where it was likely to be sheltered and safe. But if he was a risk taker, they might have gone anywhere. Tillman cursed himself for not being more involved with his family, for not knowing Jessica better. If he had been more involved, he would have been able to put himself in her shoes.

  He didn't blame her for sneaking out during the night. Kids would be kids, and when the opposite sex was involved rules tended to go out of the window. But fate had dealt her a cruel blow. She would have been better served had she been tucked up safely in bed. He only hoped that Jessica's judgment was better than her mother's. The last thing he needed was her being threatened by someone she trusted.

  Tillman still burned with rage whenever he thought about Morelle and her ex-husband, Jessica's father. Morelle had been so sure that she was safe and happy she had ignored the warning signs, and Tillman had been too busy with his own life to stop her from making a mistake. Since then Morelle had been broken, unable to live properly without the support from their parents. She was anxious all the time, and panicked whenever she had to leave the house, always afraid that he would be there waiting for her.

  If Jessica was the same, Tillman was going to have his work cut out.

  He decided to try the movie theater first, figuring it was the likeliest place. There were a couple of hotels, although he wouldn't have thought of them as hotels given some of the luxury places he'd stayed in during his travels. Coming home reminded himself how far he had gone in the world. Yet, it was as though there had been elastic tied around his soul and had snapped him back. Somehow, he'd always known he would return to this place, although it had taken an apocalypse to do so.

  He ignored the cemetery for now, feeling as though that was far too morbid to investigate. He'd seen enough death already and didn't need to be reminded of it. The thought of it only made him sad, for he knew the vast majority of people who died during the night wouldn't have a ceremony or a respectful burial. There was no system for that in place anymore. Dead bodies would be strewn across the land until they rotted away, or until they were burned, if they were lucky. Otherwise, they would be home to flies, and nothing more. It was a maudlin end for people who would have had such hopes for their lives.

  Now that he was alone, and he didn't have to worry about keeping his companions safe, Tillman allowed himself a few moments to think about his own life, and how he had to retrain his mind to find new objectives in this world. Everything he knew was gone, and there was no hope of getting it back. The life he knew, the skills he had developed, were useless. He was a survivalist now. He had to keep going for as long as he was able. There would be no more championships. No more tournaments. No longer would he be a big deal, as Jessica had described him to Tanya. That brought a smile to his face. At least she still had some affection toward him. He wondered if she remembered how close they had been when she was young. Tillman had absolutely doted on her. She was the most precious thing in the world, and he wasn't going to return without her.

  With determination in his heart, he walked through the empty streets toward the movie theater, hoping she was there waiting for him. He kept his ears open for any kind of noise and made sure to keep to the edge of buildings just in case anyone was waiting to take a shot at him.

  Chapter Two

  Tillman’s every breath was labored. Every step he took was slow and deliberate, for he knew his life could be snuffed out in an instant if anyone with a gun wanted to do so. His body bristled as he looked around him at the windows. The sun reflected off them, meaning he couldn't see if anyone was inside. He felt a chill run down his spine. He didn't like the thought that somebody could be watching him without him knowing.

  He kept to the shadows of the buildings. There was no sign of anyone else around, which was strange. Even though the world had ended he had expected some people at least to be roaming around. They all seemed content to stay in their homes and buildings. Perhaps many of them had left under the cloak of darkness for pastures new.

  As he walked, Tillman thought about the last time he had seen Jessica. She'd been so young, so little, with her entire life ahead of her. Morelle had been so proud of her. She'd told Tillman that Jessica was the one good thing she had done with her life. He wondered what it was like for Jessica, growing up under the stifling influence of his parents. He'd had to leave as soon as possible because they wouldn't let him flourish. And he knew that, because of Morelle's fragile state of mind, his parents were the ones who would have instilled discipline in Jessica.

  Although, apparently, like most teenagers, she didn't listen.

  Tillman tried to not think about the likely outcome. His mind flashed back to all the horror he had seen already. There was nothing inherently special about Jessica, nothing that demanded fate spare her from misery and doom, but he would do anything to ensure her safety. All he needed was a little bit of hope, just one moment to show that the world was not as cruel as he imagined it to be.

  Cars were lined up along the main street. The stores all were closed, at least that's what he thought until he came up to one with an open door. Curious, because this was the first open door he'd seen in this town, he walked in warily, casting his gaze around the room.

  “Morning, stranger,” a gnarled old man called out from behind the counter. He was dark-skinned, had salt and pepper hair, and was idly flicking through a newspaper. Tillman narrowed his ey
es in curiosity, not sure if this was a trap.

  “What can I do you for?” the man asked, and then tittered with laughter at his turn of phrase.

  “I'm not sure, really,” Tillman replied.

  “Well, take a look around, I'm sure you'll find something. Quiet this morning,” he said, looking wistfully out the window. Then, he chuckled to himself again, Tillman wasn't sure why, and flicked over another page. Tillman moved farther into the general store. From what he could tell, there wasn't anyone else around.

  “Are you okay?” Tillman asked.

  “Me? Oh, I'm just fine and dandy. Always have been, always will be, God willing and knock on wood,” the man said, rapping his knuckles against the wooden surface of the counter. The noise echoed through the store. “The name's George.”

  “Tillman,”

  “It's nice to meet you, Tillman. Can't say I recognize your face. You new around here?”

  “Kinda. I'm visiting my family. My last name is Torres. We live up on the ranch just outside of town.”

  “Oh yeah! I know your folks. Lovely couple, and the girl,” George snapped his fingers repeatedly as he tried recalling the name of Tillman's sister. “Morelle,” he said with a grin, proud that he remembered the name. “Good folks, all of them. Although that Morelle, she's like a ghost that one.”

  “She's been through a lot.”

  George nodded absently.

  “What about Jessica, Morelle's daughter? She's my niece. I'm looking for her.”

  “Oh, has she been bad? Them kids, always getting themselves into trouble. If there's one thing you can count on in this world it's that kids are going to get themselves into trouble. Not that you can blame them really, what else are they going to do in a place like this? Too many of them want the life of the city, where there's always something going on, but that's not this kind of place. It's a good, sleepy kind of place, which is suitable for a man in his autumn years like me, but for a kid? No way. Probably why it's so quiet. Everyone has gone to the city,” George said. Tillman wondered if he was really so ignorant to not have realized what had happened, or if he was willfully in denial.