Photo Credit: Vanessa Barger.

The Round Table

Traci Kenworth

“Scott,” I called from the corridor leading to what used to be an old college campus. The

professor’s “staging” area had now been claimed by chairs and a table.

            “What is it, Dawn?” he asked briskly.

            I cringed at his tone. Once we had been friends, students in high school together. Was that but a short few months ago? “It’s just, shouldn’t we think this through? And not shock the people with our announcement?”

            He turned to me, eyes cold. “What would you have me do? Wait until the creatures show up on their doorstep to tell them—”

            “No, but, well, that’s just it. By the time everyone takes you seriously, the majority of the world could be dead.”

            “So, then, what do you suggest? We’ve sent tanks, stealth bombers, armed forces, nothing keeps these monsters down for long. And their numbers are growing more and more every day.”

            “Shouldn’t the President hold the press conference though?”

            He shuddered. “They struck the Oval Office not more than an hour ago. There were no survivors. Just more meat to add to the ribs of the walking dead.”

            I struggled to hold back my nausea. “Still, this could send millions into the street, unprepared for what they meet.”

            He shook his head. “They’re going to be lucky to survive an assault anyways. The best we can do is be optimistic about getting them to shelters we’ve set up and pray that we can hold on to those posts.”

            I nodded at last. “You’re right. We should give them that possibility. Even if it’s for nothing. The way these things are going, it’s going to be total world domination.”

            The cameraman came up behind us. “Mr. Danner, we’re ready to go on this end.”

            Scott sighed and then turned to go. I touched his shoulder. “Get through to them, the best you can. Good luck.”

            He sat at the head of the round table and began at the cue. “Ladies and gentlemen, tonight we come to you with extremely frightening news I’m afraid. Our cities, our towns are under attack. This is no joke, no Martian radio show gone astray, this is reality. Scourges of the undead have overrun our society. Soon, they will attack and obliterate anyone they can find. I urge you to go to the following locations as quickly as possible. We have a slim hope to survive this massacre, but it is still a chance.”

            The doors to the auditorium burst open. Inside, straggled the filthiest, most deplorable rejects on earth, those that had come back not to rid the world of homo sapiens, but to wield their voting power, to veto a world gone wrong.    

The End

©copyright 2010, Oct. 9, tlc.

Vanessa

Mindy