3: Pillars of Faith

‘Blessed be the Lord, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle.’

- Psalm 144:1






“I don’t mean to rush you, but I think now would be very good time to do whatever you’re planning to do. They’re clawing up the sides fast.”


Zoe is right. There are so many crowded at the bottom of this rock now they’re just piling up on top of one another. A rising tide of corrupted death. Don’t worry, Zoe. Their foot shall slide in due time.


“Will you just cut the religious crap and kill these zombies!?” She fires off a few rounds. They do about as much good as bombing an ocean would.


What exactly have I told you about firing off shots? All it does is waste your ammo.


“Well it’s a lot better than just fiddling with some radio and babbling nonsense about God and ‘His almighty plan!’”


I put the device down. Turn to her. Alright, what is it exactly that you believe?


“What?” She turns, stopping her pointless firing.


This isn’t nonsense. It’s ordained.


“We don’t exactly have time for a religious debate. If you haven’t noticed there’s a bunch of zombies down there that’d like us for lunch! So why don’t you cut the bull and just get back to your little…whatever the hell you’re working on, okay?”


No. We have a job to do here and if you’re not going to keep your head about you, then I don’t know how we’re going to complete it.


“What is with you!? Do you really think that this is all some plan laid down by God to punish Humanity or some shit?”


Yes.


“That’s bullshit! I thought God was supposed to be full of, of unending…everlasting compassion or some shit? If your God did this so he could save…”


My God? MY GOD!? If you think for one second that you’re not part of what’s going on here then you can jump down there and join the rest of those wrecks! If you’re so secure in your hate of Him, then what exactly is that you DO have faith in?


“I don’t hate God, Isaic. But I have faith in man! I have faith that with time our government, the men we have chosen to lead us…”


The men we chose to lead us! Do you know why these inhumane brutes exist? Do you know why they’re so different from every other Zed you’ve seen Zoe? Do you know why the sky rains acid and burns this city and everything in it with its toxic deluge? Well do you Zoe!?


“No, but…”


Man, Zoe. Our elected officials, our men of government bombed this city with chemical weapons to try and stave off His design for them. Man killed every last survivor in this city and made those slimes down below into the horrors that they are now! So put faith in man, Zoe. Put faith in those who have damned this city for all eternity. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you! But as for me, I will serve the Lord.


Rummage through my pack, looking for those charges. Four should do it. Set the frequencies on each charge.


I’ll show these heathens their salvation. I’ll give them their Eden.


I can feel her gaze on my back. I don’t get it. Why doesn’t she see? Why does she deny what is so plain?


Device is finished. Pull out the charges.


A man’s pride brings him low.


Listen, Zoe. I’m sorry. I understand this is hard for both us. But if we’re to get through this together then you need have some faith.


Toss the first charge down on the South side.


I didn’t mean to assume that you hated Him. It’s just hard for me to understand how you don’t see his design for you.


“And you do?” She stares, big blue eyes. She is a pretty girl. I hold the second charge just over the edge of the West side.


No. Toss it down. Walk to the North side.


But I know that it’s not by chance that we’re together. I know that we may be the only two people living left in this city. I know that we both are strong.


Toss the third charge.


We are lambs among wolves, Zoe. And so far, we have prevailed over the corrupt. We have not succumbed. This. This is miraculous.


Head to East side.


And miracles are nothing to be taken lightly.


Toss the fourth charge.


It’s amazing how much she says with just those eyes of hers. She pities me.


Save your pity for those below us. She blushes a little. You think I’m mad.


“I just see the world so differently from how you see it. I don’t understand it.”


Well then. We appear to be of the same mind. When we have some time later, maybe we can discuss our similar incomprehension, eh?


“When do you think we’re going to have that time? We’re stuck on top of a climbing rock with…” She gazes over the edge “…just about every zombie in Seattle crawling up the side of it for our flesh. How do you propose we’re gonna survive this, huh?”


Set the frequency on the transmitter. Get the 2 liter coke bottle outta my bag for me, would you Zoe? She searches through my pack, pulls out the plastic bottle.


“Why exactly do you want Coke? Did you run out of wine? Do you have some fish you want me to pull out too for our last supper?”


Very witty, Zoe. But that’s not Coke. Take off the lid and pour some all around on these beasts below. Half the bottle should do it. All around the rock, that’s right. She obliges.


“So what is in this exactly?” It pours out, a sludge dripping over the monsters.


Mixture of tar and gasoline. She startles, nearly drops the bottle. Careful now! It’s not like we can just buy that stuff.


She finishes, caps the bottle, puts it back in my bag.


Remember how I said that He put us on this rock for a reason? They are our reason, Zoe. They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.


We are as the wind, Zoe.


Set the frequency on the transmitter. Her eyes go wide, she crouches covering her head. I stand, still looking at her.


We are that storm.


Push the button.


Four balls of fire erupt. The glass tower around the climbing rock blasts outward with the explosion from below. Those four breaching charges pack a little more punch than I thought they would. Light up those wretches right nicely. A new sun burns around our rock, and purges the heathens with fire. They fall out away from the rock like water draining from a tub. They keep trying to climb. They show no pain as their faces melt off.


They’re insistent bastards, I’ll give them that. But we wait a couple of minutes and that fire’ll burn them all out for good. Then we can get back finding your brother, Zoe.


“But won’t there just be more? Won’t they be waiting for us?”


Most every Zed that was within a couple mile radius is at the bottom of our little rock here, and as I said, given a couple minutes they’ll just be charred little bits of flesh incapable of their cannibalistic hunger. We just took out most every zombie that’s going to giving us trouble for a while. If we keep away from the interstate, and go once they’re all ashes on the ground, then we shouldn’t run into much trouble for the rest of our quest.


I sit down, begin cleaning the rifle and pistol. There’s always reason, Zoe. Always a reason for what He does. Always a plan.


The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my god, my strength, in whom I will trust.