The Cleansing

The News is Depressing

Time: 1:22 PM 6/7/06
Location: The Church, Wellington

The sounds of hammering filled the air as windows were boarded up around the building. Nick walked around the building for the first time looking around it. It reminded him of his old church he'd gone to when he was younger. His parents were never religious but his grandmother was. She'd taken him to church several times and he'd gotten into the habit of it. He went until he was 18 years old. Then for reasons he could not figure he'd simply stopped. He was never very devoted to religion. He was never very devoted to anything really. This church reminded him of his though. They were both Baptist churches. This one was larger though consisting of a large congregation room a regular sized gym with a regulation basketball court and several Sunday school classrooms. They also had a kitchen and a large dining area.

Several of the adult women were in the kitchen area all talking about what was happening. It annoyed Nick a little bit that they weren't helping any but he could really do nothing about it. Everyone else had grouped up in clicks. Funny that a survival situation like this would be just like high school in that way. Because of this though, Nick noticed that he had nobody. His friends and family were all outside someplace very far away likely dealing with the same terror he and these strangers were. He suddenly wished very much to be with them wherever they were. “Hey boy” Said Bruce as he came over to Nick with some boards and nails. He must have noticed how I was feeling, Nick thought slightly embarrassed to show weakness like that. “That was a pretty good job back there. If you hadn't thought about the door and closed it like that well chances are some of those things would have gotten in here. And if that'd happened... well... things could be a lot worse. I just wanted you to know that I'm glad your here.” Nick was silent for a moment. He was really happy with himself for the first time in a long time. “Thanks Bruce I'm glad I could help. Besides if you hadn't picked me up I'd have found one of those things without even knowing anything was wrong. I'd probably be dead.”

Together Nick and Bruce finished boarding up the last window. “HEY!” Cried a boy from the congregation room. “Come quick!” Everyone ran into the congregation room terrified that one of them had gotten in. It was the boy who'd been monitoring the T.V. Channels. “It's the channel 8 news they're back on!” Everyone crowded around the small T.V. In the front of the room. A rather worse for wear woman reporter was sitting on the floor in what appeared to be the back of a van. There was a lot of noise in the background it sounded as though people were pounding on the van trying to get in. Which is exactly what was happening.

“Ladies and gentlemen this is Coleen Forester”, they could hear her fighting back tears as she spoke, “for channel eight news. I don't know if this is even working but I can only prey somebody's getting this broadcast or I'm gonna die in here for no reason. Susan (Bruce's Wife) got up and started gathering up the younger children and taking them out of the room. Obviously afraid they'd see something disturbing. “My cameraman and I have been following the supposed Riots since they began and we have exclusive video of the early stages of the outbreak and the fall of Portland and its surrounding areas that we will bring to you shortly.” There were gasps and whispered talking throughout the audience. “Portland's gone!?” “What about the military and the police?” “before we show you the tapes” Coleen went on “we should tell you what we've learned about them. First, They're hard to kill. You have to shoot them more then once and they don't seem to notice pain. They're fanatic they just keep running at you until they're dead. But they can be killed. Second, people who die lately become them. We don't know if its because of a virus or disease or something but it seems as though if anyone dies for any reason they don't stay dead. These rioters aren't rioters at all. They're our dead. Thats why the riots started simultaneously everywhere in the world, and why the world governments are having such trouble fighting them. Every time anyone dies they gain another soldier. And finally, they're smarter then you think. If you barricade yourself in someplace they wont stop looking and probing and attacking until they find a way in.”

A particularly loud thud was heard and the van rocked somewhat. Coleen trembled somewhat and a mans voice could be heard swearing briefly in the background. “Alright we'd better get on with this.” She reached out past the camera lens and suddenly the screen changed. It showed police cars in front of a hospital in the middle of the night. People were running and screaming everywhere trying to leave the hospital as the police were trying to get in. Then gunshots could be heard from somewhere off screen and on of the police men pushing his way in through the crowd could be seen getting bitten in the neck by what looked like a doctor. Other people on the far side of the crowd were falling down one by one as the things came out from inside the hospital. One of them charged straight at the camera and a familiar male voice could be heard swearing as he ran towards a white channel eight news van. The scene cut out. Then it picked up again in a field at sunrise. There we're tents all over the place and military looking personnel everywhere. Helicopters could be heard overhead and the camera panned upward. Several military looking black helicopters flew above heading away from the field towards Portland. The screen panned down to show the city parts of it on fire smoke billowing up blocking out a large portion of the sky. Car alarms could be heard, white noise remaining from the chaos of the night before. Undoubtedly there were still people out their barricaded in buildings like Nick and these people were. Nick wished he could help them. Gunfire erupted from everywhere and the screams of the monsters could be heard in the distance. The screen panned upwards again as one of the helicopters exploded suddenly. “How!?” Nick asked aloud. Something large could be seen flapping away for a moment. The soldiers formed a line and were firing into the trees nearby where the monsters could be seen pouring out towards them. Several fell down but it was obvious there were to many. It seemed like the forest was full of them and all at once they poured out as though they'd organized. Coleen Forester ran at the camera waving her arms wildly and it cut out again. It went black for a moment then they were shown the inside of the van again. Coleen looked as though she'd been crying. “Thank you ladies and gentlemen. And good luck” With that she reached out towards the camera again and everything was black.

The room was bathed in silence. That had obviously not been good for moral. “heh... haha...HAHAHA!” Gillmen started laughing hysterically. That had obviously been way to much for him. “you shut your damn mouth!” Cried Michal. “It's not funny!” “He knows its not funny Michal he's snapped can't you tell?” Said Bruce standing up now and walking over to Gillmen. “It's gonna be okay Michal so long as we all have each other and god we'll be fine. This is his house remember Gill and he's not gonna let any of them in here. We're gonna be just fine. Gillmen dissolved into crying again.

--=End Chapter 2=--