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“You Need To Eat, Xander. A Mercy Eating.”

Xapper stared down at Broadway as she stayed huddled in a corner. Her rifle was at the ready but not pointed at him. Her face was in the shadows made by the pink hoodie and she watched Xapper carefully. Little Defiant stayed at the top of the stairs as Xapper dropped his rucksack and slowly approached Broadway.

“Thanks for the save back there,” said Xapper. “But don’t you think for a second that makes us even.”

“You want to kill me, right?” asked Broadway.

“I might,” admitted Xapper as he put his hand on his peacemaker. “That all depends.”

Broadway then stood up and dropped her rifle. She brought the hoodie down to reveal her face. She was wearing a fuzzy pink tube top, fuzzy white skirt, fuzzy pink boots and her earrings were giant pink loops. Around her eyes was a blue mascara that ran down her cheeks like dark tears.

Broadway walked over to Xapper then went to her knees. She then put her hands behind her head and closed her eyes. She then took a deep breath then spoke.

“I’m sorry, for everything, all of it,” said Broadway. “All I wanted to do was give you a stomach ache. And my cousin practiced witchcraft so I thought she could help me. But she lied to me and I was fooled into cursing you.”

“And what about the zombies?” asked Xapper.

“Wilma did that and she did it because . . . well, she’s crazy and a really awful person and I gave her the book because I really didn’t have a choice.”

“So you . . . were only going to give me a stomach ache, right?” asked Xapper, deeply confused. “And you gave away the book to someone who is crazy and awful? The hell is wrong with you?”

“I know, I know, but my cousin knew about my secret and she wanted that old book my dad had in his collection and, well, shit just got really out of hand, okay?” said Broadway.

“Not okay! Who is this cousin of yours?” asked Xapper. “And what secret did she know about you that you were willing to give away an ancient book that could curse people?”

“Her name is Wilma and—” Broadway went silent and she opened her eyes and glared at Xapper. “You don’t need to know my secret. You are already going to kill me, so just—”

“No! You owe me big time after the hell you put me through! Now! What secret do you have that you would give some crazy witch girl an ancient book of bad mojo!”

Broadway hesitated but gave up and said, “I like transgirls and I had—have a girlfriend, her name is Autumn and I met in Buffalo, okay? Wilma found out about Autumn and blackmailed me. My parents were super conservative, okay? If they found out about Autumn they would disown me.”

A rising rage filled Xapper. His fists clenched and he gritted his teeth. He stared down at Broadway as hatred filled his eyes. She reminded him of someone, someone close to his daughter that he despised and did not trust.

Xapper grabbed Broadway by the neck, forced her to her feet, and then pinned her against a wall.

“What the hell, you maniac?!” cried out Broadway.

Xapper then spoke with a sneer, “No way in hell or high water would any self respecting transgirl have anything to do with you, you hot mess of a privileged little bitch!”

“Holy shit! If you are going to kill me like some psycho, I will cut your balls off!” shouted Broadway.

Xapper found a knife pointed at his crotch. He then slowly backed away. And when he was far enough away, he slowly drew his revolver. He pulled back the hammer and pointed the peacemaker at Broadway.

And she continued to point her knife at him with two trembling hands.

“Holy shit, I knew that curse was going to mess your shit up,” said Broadway. “But that was uncalled for. Why don’t you just kill me like a sane person and get it over with?”

“I’m only going to ask you this once,” said Xapper as he ignored every word she said. “What happened to Autumn?”

Broadway swallowed and sniffed and tried to remain calm. “She is . . . Wilma made Autumn the first zombie, just to spite me, I think. I don’t even know why she did it. I gave her that stupid book and all I asked her to do was leave Autumn out of it.”

Xapper tried to breath, tried to remain calm, and tried not to kill Broadway. She had important information that a sensible part of him wanted. The rage was still there though, the anger, and the hatred. It then all came spilling out.

“It’s your damn fault then?” asked Xapper bitterly. “It's your fault that poor innocent girl came to this hellhole and got turned into a zombie! You preyed on that poor sweet girl and you got her killed! You took her from her home, her family, the people that loved her, and you got her killed!”

Broadway smiled wide, equally as bitter as Xapper, nodded as tears escaped her eyes, and said, “Yeah, you’re right. You’re right that the love of my life came here to see me. Then Wilma killed her and made her a zombie. And it’s all my fault. And that is why I want you to kill me.”

“Not before you tell me what happened to Autumn after she was turned into a zombie,” said Xapper. “And where is this Wilma? I got a few things I want to ask her.”

Broadway’s smile changed. It became more wicked and filled with satisfaction. “You don’t need to worry about Wilma. I chopped her head off and fed her body to Autumn.”

“And what did you do with the head?” asked Xapper.

“I stuck her head in a pot and buried it in the woods,” said Broadway with a pleased smile.

“And Autumn?” asked Xapper.

Broadway then lowered her knife and sniffed. “I . . . I put her in the watchtower’s basement. I couldn’t . . . I couldn’t go through with it. I know it's not her anymore but I just couldn’t do it.”

Xapper’s anger and rage and hatred simmered until it evaporated. He then lowered his peacemaker. He looked at Little Defiant and Plasmee, both watching silently and without expressions.

“How long have you been watching us, Broadway?” asked Xapper. “And how have you survived for so long?”

Broadway shrugged. “I’ve been watching you since you came to town. And as for surviving, I’ve been taking what I can at dawn because the zombies seemed less active during that time. And they hate car batteries, which is why I have so many at the entrance. And Autumn had plenty of Wilma to eat to last her, so—”

“You haven’t checked on her lately?” asked Xapper. “Autumn, I mean.”

“I . . . I hear her through the trap door but I can’t bring myself to see her,” said Broadway. “It’s bad enough I have her all chained up so she can’t escape.”

“Where did you get the chains?” asked Xapper.

“The basement was originally a stockade,” said Broadway. “The chains kind of came with it.”

Xapper sheathed his revolver and paced around the keep. When he lost all interest in her, Broadway went over to her electric stove and took the pan off the heat. Little Defiant and Plasmee watched Broadway as she placed the cooked spam on a plate.

“You want some? I made extra,” asked Broadway to Little Defiant.

“No, Plasmee and I share a stomach and she already ate,” said Little Defiant.

Broadway nodded and waved at Plasmee. “I got a thousand questions about your little friend there. But honestly, I really don’t want to know.”

“You’re not scared of Plasmee?” asked Little Defiant.

“No, after having my girlfriend get turned into a zombie, nothing really phases me lately,” said Broadway.

“What did you do with the book?” asked Xapper.

“I put it in my backpack,” said Broadway as she waved a kitchen knife at a pink backpack. “And I know what you're thinking and I tried to destroy that book but nothing works. It can’t be burned or boiled. I even shot at it and the bullets did nothing.”

Xapper then asked, “What about using some kind of magic from it to—?”

“Wilma was the only one who knew how to do the magic stuff properly,” said Broadway as she ate her fried spam. “And I’m not going to risk screwing up again.”

Xapper stared at the backpack and asked, “What about you, Xeak? Any ideas? You’ve been really quiet right now.”

“Do you want me to talk, Xander?” asked Xeak. “You seemed pretty occupied.”

“Well, the silence has been nice,” admitted Xapper.

“Are you talking to that doll on your hip?” asked Broadway.

“Yeah, can you hear him?” asked Xapper.

“No but I figured Wilma did something weird like that,” said Broadway. “She had this weird thing for talking dolls. Super creepy stuff was her kink.”

Xapper nodded and wished he personally finished off Wilma. Xapper then paced again and tried to get some ideas off of Xeak. Xeak had one idea that Xapper hated but it made sense.

“You need to eat, Xander. A mercy eating.”

“Damnit. Hey, Broadway?” asked Xapper. “You know what Little Defiant and I can do, right?”

“I’ve watched you two but I’m not really sure what was going on,” said Broadway. “You eat zombies, right?”

“Yeah and if we eat the brains, they die for good,” said Xapper.

Broadway glared at him in horror. “That is super gross. And—” She then realized what Xapper was saying and she stood and crossed her arms. “No! That is not happening! I am so not comfortable with someone eating my girlfriend’s brains. Even if she is a zombie.”

“You know that girl suffers, Xander,” said Xeak. “She’ll go down just like all the rest.”

“Shut up, Xeak,” said Xapper. “Now would be the time for you to be quiet.”

“No, Xander,” said Xeak. “You are a Necrophage, a child of Nar-Goathgeir, and you live to be the purge. You are the purge of the undead, Xander. Why is one zombie any different? Eat!”

Xapper then left the keep and raced down the stairs. Broadway and Little Defiant chased after him. He avoided the cables but stumbled over a car battery as he searched for the trapdoor to the basement.

Xapper found the trapdoor on the floor and he threw it open. He then descended the ladder into the basement/stockade. There were two bodies behind iron prison bars. One body was eaten until there was only bone and sinew left.

The other body moved and groaned in agony.

Xapper walked up to the cell gate and opened it. Autumn rose off the floor and staggered towards him. The chains kept her from reaching him and her hands missed him by a foot.

Xapper watched as Autumn struggled against the chains. Her eyes were full of pain. She suffered and Xapper could end her suffering with a few bites. He became very good at finishing zombies and it would be over in the blink of an eye.

Xapper stared at Autumn in sympathy and with reluctance. It was how she was dressed. The subtle things she did to make herself more feminine. The echo of the woman she once was remained still under the gore and rotting flesh.

“You poor baby girl . . . why . . . why did it have to be someone like you?” asked Xapper in despair. Tears welled in his eyes. He then screamed, “Why do you have to remind me of—!”

Xapper then backed away to the ladder. Broadway had reached the bottom and she stepped out of his way. Xapper took his drill sergeant hat off and tossed it to the floor.

He then screamed, “I can’t! I can’t do it! I—!”

“You need to eat, Xander,” insisted Xeak. “Stop holding back and eat!”

Xapper then took hold of Xeak, ripped the doll off his pants, and brought it right to his face.

“To hell with you!” Xapper screamed at the doll.“I ain’t listening to you, you yarn ball from hell! Shut up!”

Xapper threw Xeak to the floor. Then Xapper found himself flying upward, straight out of the basement, and he slammed against the stairs. He then blacked out.

🍴🧠

Xapper’s dream became another memory. He was back on Fort Blackwood. It was snowing and Christmas approached. He had no plans with Valiant because she was visiting her aunt overseas.

Xapper had not once seen his daughter since she came to America to study at Miskatonic University. Arkham, Massachusetts was a day's drive from Redmoose, Maine. But Xapper could have surprised his daughter and went to her university.

But he never did. Xapper just focused on work. And he knew Valiant was focused on her studies.

Xapper lived on the base. He and only a few others stayed on base during the holidays. Xapper quietly sat in his hut and watched another iteration of “A Christmas Carol.” He was not one for sappy Christmas stories but it was all that was on his TV.

A private knocked on Xapper’s door. And the private told him that he had a visitor waiting in the cafeteria. Xapper was not expecting anyone to visit him.

Xapper put on his best civilian clothes. He assumed the visitor had to be Valiant. She was breaking the chain and making the first move to see him. It was his secret Christmas wish.

And when Xapper entered the cafeteria, his daughter was not waiting for him.

A woman stood up and waved at him. She has big light blue eyes, short sleek black hair, a sizable nose, and thin lips. Xapper could not help but be confused by the woman's fashion sense. Her attire was akin to something from the nineteen-twenties.

Xapper could not help but think this young woman dressed like a grandmother. And the woman looked to be no more than thirty years old. The woman removed her frumpy cloche hat and bowed to Xapper. He mildly nodded back at her.

“Sergeant Xapper, it is an honor to finally meet you,” said the woman.

Xapper recognized the voice. It was hard to forget her distinct Boston accent. He knew who she was but forgot her name.

“I remember your voice, you’re Valiant’s teacher, right?” asked Xapper. “What was your name again?”

“Doctor Calypso Waxington, director of library science at Miskatonic University.”

“Right,” said Xapper, slightly hesitant to continue the conversation.

He then sat at a table with her and across from Doctor Waxington. The air was thick and smothering. Xapper drummed his fingers on the table and waited for the doctor to speak first.

“Yes, well, my arrival must be very confusing,” said Doctor Waxington.

“It's unexpected,” said Xapper. “You coming here out of the blue, and without Valiant knowing, is a bit suspicious.”

“You assume I did not tell her I was going to visit you,” said the doctor.

“Well, does she know?” asked Xapper coldly.

Doctor Waxington sighed and said, “Yes, no, she does not know I am here. I have been wanting to meet her relatives for sometime and she did not want me to accompany her to England and—”

“So you came to see what her overprotective military father was like?” asked Xapper with a sneer. “Am I hitting the nail on the head, doc?”

Doctor Waxington then sighed again and stood up. “I will admit to being a bit clueless about many things but it is very clear you do not wish to speak with me.”

“Not without my daughter around,” said Xapper definitively. “And I rather we stay strangers.”

“Very well,” said Doctor Waxington. She then reached into her purse and brought out a small bottle with a bow wrapped around it. “It is whiskey that was brewed in my home town of Innsmouth. I hope this is a sufficient olive branch.”

“Keep it,” said Xapper as he stood up. “I want nothing from you.”

Doctor Waxington placed the bottle back in her purse and stared right into Xapper’s eyes.

“Whatever you are assuming, sergeant, I assure you that it is not true.” The doctor then clenched the strings of her purse and continued. “I am in love with your daughter. She has enriched my life in ways no other has. And we have been courting and I came all this way to tell you—”

“Yeah?!” said Xapper grimly. “You love her, huh? And how much do you know about—?”

“Everything,” said Doctor Waxington as she leaned towards Xapper. “I know every little intimate detail about Valiant. We have made love, after all, and—”

Xapper slammed his fists on the table and leaned closer to Doctor Waxington until he was an inch from her face.

“I’m going to be straight with you, doc,” said Xapper. “I might not have been around for my baby girl very much but I still love her all the same. And I am warning you now, anyone, anyone hurts my baby girl, I’ll kill them and then I will set the world on fire.”

“A bit dramatic,” said Doctor Waxington.

“If you are preying on my daughter, I will make you regret it,” said Xapper. “She’s been through enough. She does not need some hussy of a teacher taking advantage of her—”

The slap Waxington delivered was sudden and hard. Xapper’s cheek turned red in an instant. Doctor Waxington’s lips trembled and she placed her sore hand against her chest.

“Apologies, Sergeant Xapper,” said the doctor with big, round, sad eyes. “I will be taking my leave then.”

Xapper looked away from her and sat down. She marched towards the cafeteria doors. She then stopped, turned sharply, and glared at Xapper.

“And one more thing, sergeant,” said Doctor Waxington.

“Let me guess? I need to eat, don’t I?” asked Xapper as he looked at the doctor.

She was gone and in her place, on the floor, was Xeak.

“You got it, Xander. Breakfast bell is ringing. Time to eat!!”

To Be Continued . . .