“I watched that fucking monster leave the building dragging the skeletons of its victims in a macabre parade behind it. Not once did it search around for me. It just headed off toward the graveyard. I barricaded myself in here when the coast was clear. After reinforcing the door with spare parts from the medical equipment here abouts, then my diabetes started acting up. I’m sorry I was so crass when you first showed up. The world is insane now,” said Robert completing his story, a tear running down one cheek.

“Navy man. I’m an Army Ranger myself,” interjected Rubio, receiving a curt nod from Robert.

Jennifer was up in an instant to console him. Rubio shared a look with CJ and Elena. Roger collected himself. He thanked Jennifer for her comfort with a polite pat on her hand to let her know he’d be all right. It seemed to CJ that Roger needed to get all that off his chest. His shoulders were more relaxed, and his eyes weren’t as wild as before. More than anything else, it seemed he’d been running on adrenaline and whatever he’s got puffing smoke deeper into the building.

“This is exactly what I’m talking about,” said CJ standing up abruptly, “How many people like Roger are still out alone and wishing someone would help them. This is why we can’t just turtle up in the safe zone. We need to go out and help others. I can feel it in my bones.”

“There’s a difference between bravery and stupidity. You can’t just throw yourself into every situation hoping you’ll just save someone. I know it’s worked for you recently, but you’ve also almost died. I think you should take a step back and go at it a little slower. Don’t get me wrong I agree with you, but you’ll need to be clever than just running into every dangerous situation, cabron,” replied Elena.

CJ just stared at her; confusion plastered on her face. If he hadn’t showed up when they sent up a flare, the Trinchar’s might never have gotten away from those corrupted mannequins. If he hadn’t changed his plan on the fly when Jenn was tied to the back of that motorcycle she wouldn’t be here now. Those were just recent examples; he could go back as far as helping Tommy in the parking garage as well as Doc Redmond’s family. His way of doing things often costs him bodily harm but he could take. Especially now with his kinetic barrier. Then a thought occurred to CJ, the description on the boss monster concentrate said it could upgrade a skill or ability. What about boon? Could he use it to upgrade his Kinetic Barrier. It worked like an ability, just one granted by Wukong. He would have to ask Monty about that.

Shots rang out from outside breaking CJ from his concentration. Roger moved everyone to the dining hall behind the common room. Inside were a line of tables against a wall. Above the tables were tubes running from the roof all converging behind a concave piece of glass roughly the size of a bowling ball. Beneath the glass was a large cog wheel setup that moved the ball left or right in front of the tubes.

“What the hell is that?” asked Elena.

“You can take the man out of the submarine, but you can’t take the sub out of the man,” quipped Roger.

“I get it. You made some kind of periscope on the roof. How does it work?” asked CJ, fascinated.

“Well, the light refracts through mirrors in the tubes and returns an image here. As long as the ball is in front of a specific tube, it’ll show whatever its pointed at.”

“That’s why the four tubes are labeled with N, S, E, and W.”

“Best I could do with the materials available.”

“Sounds just like the Navy,” said Rubio.

“Feel free to poke your head outside if you want, Army,” shot back Roger.

As CJ got closer to the… crystal ball. CJ gave up and referred to it as what it was. He could see the street outside in the front. There were three people with backpacks running down the street. One in a red jacket turned a corner and blind fired behind him. Then the flesh ball rolled into view at speed. It was rolling at good pace and didn’t look like the bullets were doing any damage. The other two runners exchanged hand signals before they split off at the intersection. One wearing green fatigues and a holstered handgun sprinted left. The runner whose form was more feminine turned and burned to the right. The red jacket runner kept going straight. Then the ball of flesh bounced up into the air landing hard on the guy with a fleshy splat.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“This is it. I can finally kill that fucking thing. It takes a few minutes for it consume someone. If I go now, I can empty my shotgun into the damn thing,” said Roger eagerly standing up from the rolling stool he was seated on.

“Wait! Look,” said CJ his eyes glued to the crystal.

The ball of flesh began to rock back and forth before slowly rolling forward. It rolled off of a gruesome scene. There was just some red flecked bones left grasping a handgun. The backpack was gone, the guy’s clothes were gone, and the monster rolled around like it was drunk.

“Impossible. That was too fucking fast! I have to kill it. I can’t let it keep doing this!” yelled Roger, his eyes wild.

Roger took one more step on his metal leg and visibly winced again. Jenn was now shaking something in what looked like a repurposed perfume bottle. Roger had stopped moving to scratch at his leg. He was in obvious pain. Jenn approached him slowly.

“Can I take look? I was a pharmacist before this all happened. I have basic first aid training. I also think you might have an infection. You aren’t alone anymore,” Jenn asked with uncertainty in her voice.

New Message from Party Leader CJ: Careful Jenn, he’s a little unstable.

New Message from Psycho: I’ve got this. Let me help.

“My fucking leg. Sorry, sure please take a look,” said Roger propping himself up on a nearby table.

Jenn slowly rolled up his leg to reveal where Roger’s burnt stump met the cold metal prosthetic. It was red and swollen. To Jenn’s eyes it was absolutely infected. She lifted the perfume bottle and looked up at Roger. He nodded his approval. Roger sucked air in through his teeth when the solution hit is irritated skin.

“This is a powerful disinfectant. If you give me a few minutes I think I can make you some penicillin with the equipment we grabbed from the CVS,” she said before standing back up and grabbing the bag from the ground where she was previously sitting.

CJ was still watching the crystal ball. The flesh monster had settled down near its latest victim. Not long after, the skeleton on the ground picked itself up. Its eyes were hollow before an eerie purple light began to shine from within. CJ cranked the handle that moved the crystal ball laterally, so it could see south of the building. A long line of skeletons clambered their way up the street toward the flesh ball.

“We should get you back to the safe zone. I know a doctor I can get to have a look at your leg. It won’t be quick but it’s better than being trapped in here,” offered CJ.

“I’m not going anywhere until I stop that thing. It’s twice as big as when it ate my leg. Left unchecked and it’ll eat every survivor in NJ,” replied Roger emphatically.

Roger spoke with a fanaticism that would broker no arguments. That left CJ with only one option. He’d have to figure out how to kill this thing. That means figuring out why this neighborhood was its hunting grounds.

“Wait, who were those people? They didn’t seem like the flesh monster surprised them. They even took off in opposite directions like they knew where they were going,” asked CJ.

“Probably members of the Crimson Knights. They were a local gang before the world went to shit. Mostly harmless harassment. They never took things too far. A week or two ago some of them knocked on the door demanding I give them food. I told them to fuck off… shit that hurts. They took a few pot shots at the door, but it wouldn’t budge, and they gave up. No idea why they didn’t ransack the CVS you all did. Guess they aren’t very smart. They are constantly fighting north of here with the Flaming Pitchforks. I assume you’ve run into them already,” explained Roger.

“No, but this is the second time I’ve heard that name. These crimson guys must have been out scavenging. Enough about them. Tell me everything you know about the monster,” said CJ pulling up a chair from a nearby cafeteria table.

“Not much else to tell. It roams the streets with its cadre of skeletons. Takes about an hour to make a full figure eight of its pattern. It crosses through the CVS parking lot followed by its victims, and I won’t see it again for sixty minutes or so. Depending on whether or not it’s found more prey. I know the route by heart now,” explained an increasingly agitated Robert.

New Message from Monty: Ask about the figure eight.

“Why a figure eight pattern?” asked CJ quickly.

“What? Oh, that. It doesn’t seem to want to enter two places. It always takes a wide birth around the mausoleum section in the back of the graveyard and the old, abandoned textiles factory. Like I said, I know it by heart. It just won’t go near them. It turns at the exact same places every time. There isn’t even a wall there, it just stops and curves around. I watched it push a fence down instead of just continuing down the road. Oddest thing, but it takes the same route every time,” replied Roger seemingly much calmer than before.

New Message from Party Leader CJ: Bolster Dungeon.

New Message from Rubio: Could it be two of them?

New Message from Elena: Sure, sounds like it.

New Message from Monty: I’d bet my fur on it.

New Message from Psycho: What are you guys talking about?