A Abba's Apocalypse by Charles E. Butler Page B

realize I am disoriented to which way home is. His warm blood drizzle down my face as he lay dead still on my back. I hear words begin to babble out of his torn lips. He quietly and slowly repeats, “Save my family, please save my family.” I whisper back, “They are safe and saved.” I force myself up and find some supernatural power to continue. It seems my words have comforted this large man enough to allow him to drift back into unconsciousness. Just as he does, I hear Flicker. I cannot see him, but I know his wonderful joyous beckoning song. I follow the melody ahead as it continuously leads us to another location.
                  I exit the gas station trying to remember my return path. I immediately notice how dark it’s getting and see the sun set. I walk quickly and pray inside, “God help get me then fall down in utter exhaustion. I wake sometime later peering
    the dark and realize I pasted out. The cold of the night grips and slaps me, chilling the perspiration soaking me. I turn my head and see the large man is lying next to me with a small
    pillar of steam percolating out his swollen mouth. This tells
    me, at least he is alive. I force myself up and yank myself
    over the top of the fence. I fall into my backyard loud enough to alert Dave with my thump, and the sound of all the air rushing out my lungs. I see the back door open slightly and hear Dave ask, “Joey?” I gasp back to him, “Yeah buddy; come give me a hand.” Dave swings the door open and quickly “low steps” across the dark backyard to help me.
                  “I thought they got you. I’m so glad to see you Joey.” Dave helps me by pulling me upwards off the ground. I lean over to brace my tired legs by clasping them with my exhausted arms’. “Dave, I’ve brought you a special gift. I need a hand getting it over the fence though.” A puzzled expression fills his face as he confusingly replies, “A gift?” I chuckle a sigh of relief and say, “It’s good to be home.”
                  Both of us jump over the fence as quietly as possible. Dave looks unbelievingly at the bloody mess of a human laying here. Dave whispers, “Is he alive?” I feel his neck again to check his pulse as he begins to become conscious. I whisper to him, “We need your help to get over this fence.” Dave grabs his other side as we heave up the large man. I lean into him and tell Dave, “Leap over the fence and I will push him up from this side.” I think about the insurmountable six foot height of my fence as I bend down under the large guy’s propped body. I pray for the super strength I’ll need while I leverage my shoulder under his rear, and push up. I strain lifting him as I tell the large guy, “Try and grab the fence and pull with everything you have left in you.”
                  I see him agonizingly strain to grab the top of the fence and pull himself over. Dave grabs his arms from his side of the fence, pulling him as hard as he can. The large guy’s bloody body greases the top of the fence aiding us in sliding
    him up, and over. Dave has problems maintaining his grip,
    because of the gummy mess, as I feel the immense weight of the guy increase. “Once more, ” I tell both of them. One last push up, and then he flops over the rest of the way onto the
    backyard. He thumps on the hard ground as all the air rush
    out of him. I know what he must be feeling. I quickly leap
    over and grab his arm. Dave and I begin dragging him in the house as fast and as quietly as possible. Dave shuts the door behind us as I finish dragging him over to the kitchen wall.
                  “Dave; get the bucket from under the sink, and then fill it with water.” I scramble to get my sewing kit located in the bottom of my hutch. “Here’s the water,” Dave whispers. I tell Dave, “Now, go get several glow sticks and light them.” While Dave retrieves the sticks, I go get some worn towels