Free Hell Happened by Terry Stenzelbarton, Jordan Stenzelbarton Page A

from everyone. He was arrested several times for public intoxication and once for defecating in public.
    Then the real end of the world came.
    The coward in Terrill hoped he would die soon, but the man in Terrill lived on while those around him died. In the days and weeks after the fall, he saw others who died at the hands of vigilantes or the not- deads , but Terrill kept on living.
    When Mike stopped on the highway, Terrill made the choice then that he was not ready to die. For some reason, he believed, God kept him alive for some purpose. He still drank, and he kept to himself all the horrors he’d seen, but Jerry was a nice guy, never pried into his past, offered him respite from the hell with which he lived and made him feel like he was part of something greater.
    Jerry even gave him a bible, one of the small ones with just the New Testament and Proverbs, when Terrill was seen reading from one Jerry kept in the living room. He never said a word, just handed Terrill the bible and went back to what he was doing.
    Terrill kept the bible with him always and read it when he felt the need. He remembered a passage from John 14:1, and it was the last thing he thought before the grenade extinguished his life: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”
    ~      ~       ~
    Terrill grabbed the grenade, pulled it deep into his curling up body, putting the light pole between himself and Jerry and Tony, and his life ended.
    The concussion from the blast stunned Jerry, but between the concrete which held and protected the light pole from cars, and Terrill’s heroic sacrifice he was able to get Tony in the truck.
    There was still sporadic gunfire from Eddie and the building as he reached for Jeff.
    Jeff’s head lolled to one side and Jerry knew that the neck was obviously broken. Jeff’s life had been shortened long before he’d been discovered by Jerry. He left the former auto mechanic where he was and jumped in the truck. It was still running thanks to Terrill and Jerry was able to drive it up to Eddie. He heard two hits on the truck, but they hadn’t hit anything important and the truck kept on running. Eddie dove into the bed of the truck before it had even stopped and hollered at Jerry to “Go! Go! Go!”
    Jerry matted the accelerator, tears rolling freely down his face at the sacrifice Terrill had made for them.
    “Get a good seat up there, soldier,” he said as the truck raced out of town. “You deserve the best.”

 
    Chapter 3
    J erry drove the truck away from Odenville at a speed which was not fast enough to outrun the memories, but fast enough that if anyone was following them, they’d play hell catching up.
    Eddie, having jumped in the back, hung onto one of the quads with one hand and his rifle with the other. He was watching out for anyone following them as well.
    Jerry stayed on the highway to put as much distance between them and anyone following from the store. He drove faster than he had since high school and kept a firm grip on the wheel. He paid very close attention to what was ahead of him. There weren’t many vehicles left abandoned on the road, but there were enough and Jerry didn’t want hit any of them. If someone was following, Jerry was sure Eddie would let him know by shooting first.
    After several minutes he slowed to a more reasonable rate of speed and cresting a hill he saw a dirt road off to the right. He slowed quickly and made a wide turn so as not to raise any dust. He hoped Eddie was hanging on tightly to the quad in back. He drove slowly until the highway was out of sight and he pulled over and shut the truck off.
    The silence was nearly absolute, except for a few birds complaining about having their territory infringed upon. He quietly got out of the truck and listened. He heard vehicles in the distance so he grabbed his rifle from the front of the truck as Eddie jumped out of the back and stood behind him. Both had their rifles at their