Late Return

“Dad, I have to return this book!”

“What are you, nuts? The mutants are about to come out. You can’t go out there!”

“But if I don’t return it today I’ll be hunted by the Librarian Squad! They don’t play!”

“Why didn’t you return it earlier?”

“I forgot.”

Dad gave his eleven year old son Felix a pained look. All he could do was look down at his shoes, embarrassed.

“Fine, we’ll go now. Maybe it’s not too late.”

“Wait” said Mom, “you can’t be serious. It’s too late, the sun is going down. You’ll be out there with the mutants.”

“I know sweetie” he said, taking her in his arms. “But you know those librarians. Ever since the Fall they take their books way too seriously. And now that they’ve got their own personal hit squad. Him having that book puts us all in danger.”

She looked at her son. “What were you thinking, keeping that book out so late?”

“I don’t know.”

“‘I don’t know’ he says. Fine, but take the Roadster. Do you need ammo?”

“Never hurts to have more” said Dad, already steeling himself for the trip ahead. “Boy, go get your shotgun.”

“Right Dad” he said. He ran off to his room and grabbed the shotgun he was just cleaning off of his work bench. He also grabbed his football helmet and threw his steel-toed boots on. Once done he ran to meet his father, but stopped short. He almost forgot the book. It was on the bed, a hard-covered sci-fi book of short stories by various writers. He grabbed in and tucked it into his shirt. 

His father was already geared up when he met him in the foyer. He had on his jacket with the metal bands on the sleeves and his metal shin guards. He carried two pistols in his belt and a rifle on his back. Mom ran up from the pantry with several boxes of ammo, shells for the boy, bullets for Dad.

“Take Grover Street. It doesn’t have as much wreckage on the road as the other streets. And please be careful.”

“We will honey” and he kissed her on the forehead. “Just have dinner ready when we get back.” His way of assuring her of their safe return. She understood, but she was still worried. 

She turned to Felix. “Remember, shoot first, ask questions later. And mind your Dad, you hear me?”

“Yes Mom” he said. By this time he knew the routine. He was also anxious to get back home. He was in the middle of a video game when he realized he still had the book, and he wanted to get back to it.

“Ready?” said Dad.

“Ready” said Felix.

He nodded at Mom, and she began unlocking the heavy metal door, pulling on several bolts. Once done she grabbed the welded on handle and began pulling, using quite a bit of strength. The two slipped out and she shoved it back into place and moving the bolts back into place, making the home secure once again.

The sun was indeed low in the sky. Dad estimated they had maybe a half hour to get there and back. Dad looked at his son and nodded toward the Roadster, a tricked out SUV with metal guards on the sides and an air scoop poking out from the hood. It also had spikes jutting from the grill and the back. The windows were covered with a metal mesh, and the roof had a cupola with a mount for a .50 Cal machine gun. They didn’t use it anymore because they ran out of bullets for it, but Dad likes to pop out of it with his rifle and take shots at the mutants. He was good too, even with the Roadster in motion.

They hopped in with Dad behind the wheel. “Buckle up” he said.

“I know” said Felix.

Dad turned the key in the ignition and it started with a growl. Felix always liked the sound of that. It was the sound of power. Dad built it himself, including the engine. For a vehicle that big and heavy it had a lot of speed to it. Dad did not skimp on any part of it. Nothing could get in, short of a couple of sticks of dynamite. He turned on the radio and spoke into the mouthpiece. “Check one two.” Instantly they heard Mom. “Check three four.” Satisfied, he put it in gear and they were off.

The streets were covered with broken cars and other garbage left behind in the Fall. Dad wove through the suburban streets deftly, avoiding the bigger obstacles with ease. He waved at a neighbor who was in the process of shuttering up his windows. The neighbor waved back.

“You really have to pay more attention to these things” he said. “We can’t do this all of the time. I don’t even know why you have to check out books.”

“But Dad, I like to read, you know that.”

“I do, but why can’t you do all of your reading there?”

“‘Cause sometimes it’s too stuffy. And those goons are always looking at you.” 

“Or maybe you don’t like being away from your video games. I swear, one day I’m going to throw them all out.”

“Dad, you can’t do that. Remember, as long as I keep up with my chores I can have them. You promised.”

“I did?”

“Dad!”

“Alright, alright. Don’t you have friends at the library?”

“Yeah, but the librarian won’t let us talk. They’re really mean.”

“Yeah, I guess they are. What about school?”

“We hang out at lunchtime and recess, that’s it.” He thought for a minute, then asked “Dad, when can I have a sleep-over?”

“Ha ha ha! Are you serious?”

“But Danny had one, and Art and Georgie. Why can’t I have one?”

“Alright, alright, I’ll talk to your mother about it. Okay?” The truth was Dad didn’t like the idea of kids running around his house, and he wasn’t sure how long he could hold out on Felix’s request.

They turned right on Grover, where the street was indeed clearer. They made good time as they drove, reaching the library just in time. Dad pulled right up to the door as the librarian was about to shut it.

Felix jumped out and ran up to her. “Miss Boswick, Miss Boswick. I need to return this.” He pulled the book out of his shirt and held it out to her.

She looked at him with cold, hard eyes. “I was about to alert the Librarian Squad for you. Do you think you could be a little more punctual in the future?”

“I’m sorry” said Felix. “I guess I lost track of time.” He continued to hold the book out, waiting for her to take it.

She continued to stare at him. “Maybe I should reconsider giving you a library card. You can see that it’s late and I still have to get home.”

“But don’t you live right across the street?”

“That’s beside the point, young man!” She had leaned down to look him in the eye. “You have a responsibility. Books are to be returned promptly. Do this again and I just may revoke your card. Understand?”

“Yes ma’am.” Felix went back to feeling sheepish. His arm was beginning to hurt from holding it out so long. 

Miss Boswick straightened up, still with those cold, hard eyes. Then she took the book. “Well, good evening.”

Felix felt like he was being dismissed. He took a few steps back, unsure of what to do next. He settled on saying “Good evening.” Only then did she turn her back on him and re-enter the library.

His Dad called out. “Let’s go, boy.” Felix returned to the Roadster and buckled up as his Dad pulled away from the door, not waiting to see if he finished.

“We got a few more minutes to get home. Plenty of time.”

“Yeah” said Felix, still smarting from his encounter.

They made it back to their street when suddenly the left rear tire went pop.

“Oh, great” said Dad. “We got a flat.” He stopped the car and got on the radio.

“Hey babe” he said.

“Hey yourself” came the reply. “What’s up?”

“We just got a flat. We’re not far and this should only take a few minutes. But be ready for us when we pull up, okay?”

“Okay, but don’t take too long. The sun’s almost gone and there may be a few early risers. Can’t you just make a run for it?”

“Naw, we’re close but not that close. I swear we’ll only be a few minutes.”

“Okay, I’ll be ready for you. Please be quick. Dinners ready.”

“Yes ma’am! I’ll call you when we get there.”

He put down the mouthpiece and turned to Felix. “Alright, you know the drill.”

“Right” said Felix. They got out of the Roadster and headed for the back. Felix opened the hatch and pulled out the jack while Dad pulled his pistols out and watched his back. He had the car jacked up quickly, after having practiced so many times. Then he started working on the lug nuts with the screw gun.

“C’mon boy, speed it up.”

“I am” said Felix. He had the nuts off and wrestled the flat off. Then he had to wrestle the spare out of the back and get it into position.

“Crap” said Dad.

“What’s wrong?”

“Early risers. Speed it up!”

“Right Dad.” Felix hurried to get the tire on as his father began taking aim. He didn’t want to shoot too soon so as not to draw attention to other mutants. They came out of the basements and cellars of abandoned homes, victims of the Fall. They were mindless humans, their skin hanging from their bones, ripping apart exposing bones and organs. Most had exposed skulls, with their eyes rolling around in empty sockets. What they lacked in strength they made up for in numbers, and they only came out at night, for the sun was too strong for their ruined flesh. They shuffled along, looking for living flesh to eat. One caught sight of Dad standing there with his pistols out and made for him.

“Are you done yet?” he said to his struggling son.

“Almost” was the reply. Felix had the spare on and was working the lug nuts into position. The screw gun made quick work of tightening them on, but also made enough noise to get the attention of other mutants.

“There, I’m done.”

“Good. Take the wheel.” Dad fired a few rounds into the nearest mutants. He walked backwards after Felix, taking out a few more mutants before getting into the car.

“Let’s go” he said to an excited Felix, who loved driving. He moved the seat up so that he could reach the pedals, then hit the gas. Dad made his way to the back and popped the cupola. He pulled out his rifle and shot at the mutants gathering around the car. Some began to follow as they pulled away, but weren’t fast enough to keep up. 

Felix drove around as many mutants as he could. The ones he couldn’t avoid wound up impaled on the grill spikes. After three of them were impaled and blocking his view he shouted to his Dad “Hold on.” His Dad braced himself as Felix hit the brakes and let the momentum pull the mutants off ahead of the car. He hit the gas again and ran over them with a sickening squish. He could hear his Dad shouting “Yeehaw” as they continued on their way.

Their house appeared in the distance. Felix yelled to his Dad “Get down and hold on.” Dad, not sure what was about to happen, closed the cupola and grabbed onto the sides. Felix sped up then pulled the emergency brake as he turned the wheel, causing the Roadster to spin out. Once it had it’s back to the front door of the house he put it into reverse and backed up to it and stopped. The whole process took four seconds.

Dad shouted “Go, go” as Mom opened the door to let them in. Dad jumped out the back and Felix jumped out of the drivers seat, remembering to grab the keys as he left. He caught a lot of trouble the last time he forgot the keys and was determined to never let that happen again. He slammed the door shut and made for the door, running past his Dad who had his pistols out again as he watched their retreat. Once inside they slammed the door shut and quickly bolted it as the nearest mutant began banging on it. They all let out a collective breath as more mutants made it to the door, uselessly banging away.

“Hey” said Dad, “where’d you learn to drive like that?”

Felix looked at him. “You know, video games” he said with a shrug.

Dad narrowed his eyes at him as Mom stifled a chuckle. Then he reached out and ruffled his hair.

“Okay you two” said Mom. “Go get cleaned up for dinner.”

“Yes Ma’am” they said in unison, and headed upstairs.

Felix entered his room and was about to put his shotgun back on his workbench when he noticed something out his window. He walked over to see out and saw that a mutant had somehow managed to get past the spiked overhang that was over the first floor. It was trying to make it’s way up the slope of the eave, but one of the spikes had made it’s way through it’s gut. As it moved upward the spike dragged out it’s intestines, leaving a wet bloody trail behind it.

Felix shook his head and picked up the shotgun again. He opened the window, took aim, and fired. The loud blast made the mutants head explode while sending the rest of it of the overhang to fall to the ground. He looked out to make sure that was it when his father came running into the room.

“What was that?”

“A mutant was on the overhang. I don’t know how it got there.”

His father looked out the window with him, surveying the area. “Oh, I think I know. I think it climbed that tree and fell on it. You know what that means?”

“We’re chopping down a tree tomorrow?”

“We’re chopping down a tree tomorrow.”

Felix looked again at the tree. “I think it’s our neighbor’s tree, the Harrisons.”

“Ugh. I hate talking to the Harrisons. They’re so stuck up. Probably gonna get all mad about their property value. Anyway, shutter this window and let’s go eat.”

“Sure Dad.” Felix closed and shuttered the window and returned his shotgun to his workbench.

“You gonna be okay in here?” said Dad.

“Sure, no problem. And thanks for helping me with the book.”

“Sure, no problem.” He looked at his son, feeling pride well up in him. “You know what? Let’s go talk to your Mom about your first sleep-over.”

“Alright!” he exclaimed as they headed downstairs.