Free Dark Recollections by Chris Philbrook Page A

looked around the lobby to see if there were any weapons, but there was nothing visible. I took another couple steps back, and thought about how having the Glock would’ve been so much better. The Glock I wanted had a higher magazine capacity, and I would’ve been good to go.
    Phil to the motherfucking rescue.
    I reached into my pants cargo pocket on the left side and grabbed the spare mag Phil hooked me up with earlier that day. I dropped the empty and slid the full one in, and thumbed the slide forward. Calmly and with relative precision, I snapped two rounds at the undead mess coming at me. First round sailed a little high and hit it in the back, but the second round split his forehead clean. His brains flew out the exit wound and covered his back with bloody grey poop. My heart was fucking pounding hard, so hard it actually hurt a little. I can recall the uncomfortable doubt of wondering whether or not I was having a heart attack. I wasn’t though, panic attack maybe.
    Once I gathered myself and got my heart to slow down some I grabbed my empty clip off the floor and went back carefully to grab my banana box. All was clear this time, and I got the fuck out. I tossed the banana box in the back seat and got in. Once I got the door locked I snagged a box of 9mm and reloaded my empty clip. I also filled up the chamber and the two rounds I shot out of the new clip. I hate to admit it, but that ass Phil totally saved my bacon with that second clip.  
    Phil, if you’re out there, I take back all the bad things I’ve ever said about you. You have earned your passage to heaven in my book, sir.
    Still on my agenda was checking on my friends. The rest of my family was long since out of the question. Dad had been dead for some time, my older brother Caleb lived right in the city, and my younger sister Rebecca was away at college, which was on the other side of the city. No chance for a rescue for either of them, at least not that day. I guess it’s ironic that I actually thought about the logistics of driving all the way through the city to get to Rebecca, but not 45 minutes to find Cassie. I don’t even know what to say about that. I guess I’m a total fucking scumbag.
    Anyway, earlier I mentioned that I wanted to check in on Steve, my coworker buddy, and my two friends John and Dorothy. It was getting dark at this point though, and I really wanted to get a move on. I knew for one that Steve was probably either A) doing just fine, or B) not home anyway, so I knew, or at least had a good feeling I wouldn’t be long at his place. I switched my destination order immediately. I think it was about 6:30 or so by that point, and it was half dark. I had until maybe 7 or so before I’d be in the dark. I left my mother’s place, moving a little faster than the speed limit and headed past the school. The school parking lot was still packed. I didn’t know why then, and I still don’t know why now, but my bet was that there was some kind of parent teacher conference that night, or a basketball game or something. The kids would have been out of school for hours by that point so it didn’t make sense that this was a rush of parents getting their kids. I couldn’t get involved anyway. I almost got sideswiped by some prick in a Prius though as I drove by the exit. It was close, but no damage done.
    I hit Main Street, and headed straight east the 8 miles to John and Dorothy’s place. Now I said it was out of town, and it is. Their place is a few hundred feet down a side road off of a fairly well traveled state route. It’s rural, pleasant, and was a bitch to get to. The roads were packed big time that day, and everyone was *flying*. I got passed at least 20 times on a solid yellow during the trip. No middle fingers given my way though, which was a pleasant change of pace from the prick earlier in the giant truck.
    I got off the main route without getting the car wrecked and turned onto the street John and Dorothy lived on. No