The Last Band in the World

[thelastbandintheworld]

245 - Pretty Much Exactly Like Toto

[thelastbandintheworld]

245 - Pretty Much Exactly Like Toto

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x09.12

Just as the group in Pittsburgh boarded the train, Ellen pointed at a large green sign next to her, “Anybody know how to read?” No one responded because they were adults and not third-graders. “Columbus,” she yelled, emphasizing each syllable. “So,” Chelsea challenged, “where is everyone?” “I mean, this is only the city limits. Once we get into the city more, I’m sure we’ll find someone.” And so, they passed a few exits and found a sign for the local train station. A blue sign with a stark white symbol of a train was covered with dripping, white paint. The paint read “NOVA” above the train, and below, “To NY.” Ellen ran to the sign and started slapping it. The surprisingly thick metal turned her ghostly white palm a deep pink. “See? See this?!” Again, she was met with little more than shrugs and ambivalent eye contact. “Do you know what this means? This means someone has not only been here, but also has a plan. A trip to New York? Sign me up!” “You don’t know when that’s from,” Laura pointed out, “Don’t get too excited.” “What’s Nova,” Matt asked. “I don’t know. Let’s check it out,” Ellen said jumping and spinning while in the air. She marched toward the next exit. After a two-block hike from the highway, Ellen and the rest of the group found themselves in front of the Columbus train station. Ellen, excited by every bit of new information, ran toward the wooden entrance doors. Next to the door was a plastic brochure holder. Inside, were two handwritten pages. The first was a note,

Hello. This is one of five New York-Ohio-Virginia Apocalyptic (NOVA) Train stations. We have four other stations, (NYC, Pittsburgh, Richmond and DC). At least one train is making the trip every twelve hours. The loop takes approximately forty hours to complete. You are advised to not leave this station unless completely out of necessity. Our plan is to get as many people in the same place as possible, in order to restart society. I won’t bore you with all the details right now. I’m sure you have other things to worry about. Just know, rescue and salvation are on their way. NOTE: Please do not remove.

“See,” Ellen shouted, “I told you. The bigger the city, the more people! Someone else was thinking the same thing.” “Cool, so how long do we have to wait?” Ellen flipped to the other page, which displayed little more than a crude drawing of the eastern United States. The cities mentioned in the note were highlighted and labeled. New York was marked with a “1.” Washington DC had a “2.” Richmond was third. Columbus and Pittsburgh were numbers 4 and 5. The cities were connected with a squiggly black line. “I’m not sure. It can’t be too long, though.”

That's it for #9! Hopefully, by this time, I'll be finished with the tenth, and final, chapter in book one. Also, tomorrow is my birthday, so that's neat. Come party with me if you're in Chicago.

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x09.11

The group sat in the train station, waiting for a train to arrive. Any time they could sit comfortably was a good time. The family, money, success, and happiness for which they had once wished had all become wishes for a safe bench. After a while, they had forgotten about the train. Their eyes were closed and their breathing became like that of two people in love. It was peaceful. They would breath and hear the breathes of their comrades. It was a comforting rhythm. So, when they heard flip-flops slapping against heels, everyone opened their eyes and adjusted their bodies. Rounding the corner came a blonde, white woman in her early 20’s, and her brown-haired boyfriend. “Is this the NOVA station,” the woman asked upon seeing Frank and his group. “The what,” Frank responded. “The train, to New York, is this it?” “Yeah, I’m assuming.” “Oh good. Do you know when it’s coming?” “No idea.” “Ok. It has to come eventually, right? I guess we’ve got some time to get to know each other. Where’s everybody from,” the blonde woman asked, far more excited than anyone in the apocalypse should be. “Well, Nancy and Anthony, there, are from Ohio. The rest of us are from Seattle,” Mike told her. “Oh, cool! I love Seattle!” “You’ve been?” “Well, no. But, Nirvana’s one uh my favorite bands.” “Oh, yeah,” Mike said, “What’s your favorite song?” “That one that’s like ‘here we are now. Enner-tainers.’” “Oh yeah, that’s a classic.” “What’s your name,” she asked, her gum sitting comfortably between her teeth and her tongue. No one questioned how she still had chewing gum. “Mike, yours?” “I’m Megan. This is my boyfriend, Chris.” She put her hands around Chris’ arm and smiled. Chris gave a gentle wave to the group. From a distance, a train whistle was heard. “That’s it,” Megan exclaimed. She ran to the platform, dragging Chris behind her. The rest of the group gathered their belongings and followed the young couple outside. A gray dot in the distance grew as the train barreled toward the station. The whistle didn’t stop, alerting anyone still in the city to the shuttle. The train slowed as it came into the station. Trevor guffawed at the gigantic piece of metal as it passed him. “Hello! Hello! Hello,” the conductor announced as the train slowed to a stop, “This is the shuttle to New York. If you’re looking for company, climb aboard! My name is Javi. This is my partner Maxwell! The train will depart in approximately 15 minutes! If you don’t get on this train, there will be another within two days. But, you’re gonna want to get on this train. We’re the fun crew. Ain’t that right, Maxwell?” “Damn straight!” “So, let’s get your asses on this train. We’ll be to New York in ten hours!”

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x09.10

Returning to the streets of Pittsburgh, Frank & Co. began another hike. They were becoming so healthy. They walked past empty five star restaurants and dive bars with similar clientele. They crossed a bridge and saw the river flowing below them. “What do you think happened,” Mike asked no one in particular, “I mean, the river is still running. The sun still shines. It still gets cold at night and hot during the day. In movies, they would always make the apocalypse out to look like Chernobyl. But, everything here looks the same. What happened?” “Well, we’re only a few weeks in,” Frank said, “Chernobyl has had years on us. Give it a few years and I’m sure there will be grass growing on the sides of decrepit buildings and weird birds flying around.” “Do you think it was nuclear?” “No. Well, I don’t know. I don’t see how anyone could.” “I think the government was behind it,” Nancy said. The rest of the group looked at her and continued their conversation. “I just don’t see how this could have just happened with no warning,” Kat said. “Wasn’t there,” Frank asked, “They’d been warning us about global warming since the 80’s. About time it caught up to us.” “So, it has something to do with global warming,” Mike said. “Maybe. I don’t know.” “It was the Lord’s work, the rapture,” Penelope stated, “In Matthew: Chapter 24, when His disciples ask when the End Times will come, He talks of earthquakes; what did Frank say happened after we first landed? Jesus mentions great famine; I don’t think I have to point that out.” “Okay,” Mike said, “but those are just coincidences.” “As it was in the days of Noah,” she continued, “so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. He goes on to warn of false messiahs, false prophets. Did we not just meet a man who promised to save us, only to be an evil man?” “I still say its coincidence,” Mike reiterated. “He says no one knows the day, or even hour, it will occur. Not the angels in heaven, nor even His son. Only the father himself knows.” “We’re here,” Frank said, coming up on the train station. The group entered and took a seat on the sturdy wooden benches. Frank looked at his watch. “What time is it,” Mike asked. “Eight Forty-five.” “Great,” Mike said. He let his head fall behind his shoulders as he slumped into the bench. He wasn’t sleeping, but it would have been hard to tell looking at him. “What if it doesn’t come,” Nancy said, “What if they made a couple runs and figured they got everyone and didn’t want to come back?” “You have to have hope, Nancy,” Frank said.

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x09.9

Sanaa grabbed the building’s keys while Mike, Frank and Kat approached the body. The four dragged the corpse to the window and dropped it some-forty feet. It crumpled as it hit the ground. The blood splashed around the surrounding area. Sanaa quickly wiped her hands together, as if that would clean them, and looked back at the group. “What are you doing now?” “I’m not sure,” said Frank, “we haven’t thought that far ahead.” “I’m telling you, New York.” “How are we supposed to get to New York,” Kat asked. “Take the train.” “What?” “Before coming here, we met this group. They had this plan, to shuttle people from nearby cities to New York. I don’t know if it ever happened though.” “It’s worth a shot,” Frank said. “Where’s the train station,” Kat asked. “It’s about a mile north of here,” Sanaa said. “I know where it is. My friends and I would take the train to New York in college all the time. Thanks, Sanaa.” “My pleasure,” Sanaa said. She walked them back downstairs and unlocked the door. “Good luck,” Frank said. “Same to you,” Sanaa responded. They nodded to each other and went their separate ways. On the highway one hundred-fifty miles away, Matt shuffled his feet as he walked next to Daisy. “Can we talk about last night,” Matt asked Daisy. “I don’t think there’s anything to talk about.” “I wanted to apologize.” “For what?” “For yelling at you like that. That was totally uncalled for.” “Yep.” “And, I don’t want you to be mad at me.” “Ok. I’m not mad at you,” she said without looking at him. “It seems like you are.” “I’m not.” “But—“ “Matt, listen. I’m not mad at you. I just misjudged you. Before getting to know you, I really liked you, I did. And I thought you liked me too. But, you never made a move. You never said anything. So, how was I supposed to know? Then, to scream at me because you assume we had some un-discussed agreement? You’re right. It’s completely uncalled for.” “I know. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” Daisy was eight inches shorter than Matt, but when she finally turned to look at him in his eyes, hers had leverage, “I don’t want a boyfriend right now.”

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x09.8

Walking down the highway outside Columbus, Chelsea sighed as Laura and Ellen embraced, “Seeing them makes me miss my boyfriend.” “Oh,” Jim said, “yeah?” “Yeah. He was great. We had, like, a genuine connection, you know?” “Sure.” “Yeah, things were really good. Really, really good,” she said with an uncommitted tone. “Yeah, okay, cool.” “I mean…” she paused, “Okay, I don’t want to say he was abusive, but…” “Um, what?” “Well, I mean. It wasn’t, like, bad.” “You mean he hit you?” “I wouldn’t say he hit me.” “Well, what did he do?” “Well, like, he never hit my face.” “Ok, but still… What did he do?” “Like, if I did something he didn’t like, like if I was too loud or getting out of hand, he would, just like, grab my arm a little too tight.” “Like, how tight,” Jim asked, “tight enough to leave a mark?” “Well, I guess, but I bruise really easily, you know?” “No, I don’t. I’ve never heard of that happening.” “No, it can. His brother was in med school, so he knows.” “I feel like you’re trying to defend him.” “You just didn’t know him.” “What else did he do?” “Like, I’ve got marks on my legs and hips.” “Chelsea!” “You don’t know him. He’s actually a really good guy.” “I don’t think he is, Chels.” “He is. He loved me.” “So what? I can’t say I’ve ever truly fallen in love… with anyone… but I do know that when you love someone, you do not hit them.” Chelsea bowed her head and whispered, “Sorry.” “Why are you apologizing?” “I don’t know. I’m sorry.” “There you go again. I-- Just, promise me you won’t ever let that happen again.” “I promise.” “Look at me,” he said, placing a finger under her chin and led her eyes to his. “I promise.” “Good.” Chelsea rested her head on Jim’s shoulder. Her fingers slipped between his. They looked forward on their walk down the long highway. Back in the penthouse, Sanaa looked at the group, all of whom were grimacing. With the knife still in her hand, she wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Sorry you had to see that,” she said. She looked at the corpse below her and sighed as a breeze blew through the penthouse. “We need to take care of the body. We can’t have it decomposing in here,” she said. “You want us to help,” Mike asked with a disgusted sneer. “That would be nice, yes.”

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x09.7

“I wanted to be civil,” Frank said, “I wanted to talk this out. But, you pulled a gun on me. Why would you do that?” “I’m sorry,” the Emperor said, his hands shaking in front of his face. “Are you sorry or, are you just scared because there’s a gun in your face?” “I… I don’t know…” “Which is it?” “I’m sorry! Please don’t kill me!” “I really don’t want to. And, I really wish you hadn’t kidnapped all these women, but we don’t always get what we want.” The Emperor whimpered. Standing next to Frank, Mike reached into his pocket and was surprised to find the antique knife still there. He pulled it out and looked at it. “I’m not going to kill you,” Frank continued. “Thank you,” the Emperor said, starting to get up. “Ah,” Frank said curtly, with a raised hand, “I didn’t say you could get up. You’ve made a grave mistake, kidnapping these women and murdering their friends. Now, I’ll be honest with you. I’ve never killed anyone. And, I don’t want to start. But, I can’t have you go on without paying for your sins. I think we should put it to the people. I think the best thing we could do is put it to a vote. How does that sound?” “Yes, yes, a vote,” the Emperor agreed, his voice quick and shaky. “A vote? You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Sanaa shouted, “No way.” She strutted past the group and, without looking, swiped the knife from Mike’s hand. She knelt next to the Emperor’s shivering face. “I hate you,” she whispered, “I hate you for taking advantage of these women. I hate you for acting like a hero, like our savior, when you were anything but. I hate you for lying to my group, and every group that’s met you.” “I’m sorry,” he said. She took the knife and put it to his neck like a far too aggressive barber. “Good. You should be. But, I’m not done. I hate you for stealing me from my friends. I hate you for murdering them. I hate you for killing my baby brother.” “I’m sorry. But, you can’t kill me.” “Why not?” “If I’m dead, who will take care of all you girls?” “We’re adults. We don’t need a fucking babysitter, you fucking idiot.” Sanaa’s elbow pulled back mechanically and blood rushed from the Emperor’s neck. She filled her hand with his dirty red hair and pulled back. Like the urine of a sleeping child, a puddle of blood expanded below them.

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x09.6

Once the penthouse was reached, Trevor saw his mom and ran to her, yelling “Mom!” Wearing nothing more than a bra and underwear, she opened her arms and hugged her son. “What are you guys doing here,” she asked. “We came back for you!” “What?” She looked at her former group. Kat walked toward them, but was stopped when the Emperor raised his hand and said curtly, “Ah!” “Now,” the Emperor said, “Why should I give her back to you?” “She’s not your property,” Frank said. “Oh,” the Emperor said with feigned surprise, “she’s yours?” “That’s not— No. That’s not what I’m saying. But her son needs her.” “Who’s to say I don’t need her?” “You have hundreds of other women in your penthouse.” “Oh,” said Sanaa, sitting at the kitchen island, “so, you don’t actually care about our being held hostage? You just want your girl back. What about the rest of us?” Frank realized the predicament he’d put himself in. “Ok,” he said, “Let’s everyone come with us, then.” “Nope,” the Emperor exclaimed, “I don’t like that.” “I don’t really care,” Frank said, “They’re coming with me.” “Says who,” Sanaa said. “Says me.” “I never agreed to that.” “Trust me, it’ll be better.” “How do I know that? I don’t know you. As far as I’ve heard, your group has been wandering the streets, starving, since everything went down. Sure, I’ve lost everyone I cared about, but at least I have a place to stay. At least I’m safe.” “You are not safe as long as he’s here,” Frank said, pointing to The Emperor. “So, what you suggest, El Capitán?” Frank mulled over the situation, “I don’t know.” There was a long silence until Sanaa pressed him again, “What’s your plan? Once you get out of here, where are you going?” “I don’t know. We don’t have a plan,” he said, shaking his head. “Go to New York. New York is where it’s at.” “I can’t leave you all here.” “What do you want? Do want to save us?” Frank recognized the question as a trap, but answered, “Yes.” “We’re not asking for your help.” “What is this sense of pride? Why can’t you accept our help?” “Hello,” the Emperor yelled like a spoiled child who got the wrong Christmas present, “you’re forgetting about me! I have the final word here! This is my domicile! This is my empire! I am The Emperor!” His outburst was met with silent stares. He looked around the room and realized he had lost his power. But, the Emperor had a plan, a plan that would gain him his power back. It had worked before, and it would work again. He was certain. He reached behind him and pulled out his gun. With flair, the Emperor swung his pistol toward Frank’s face. Frank, one step ahead, punched the Emperor, who fell to the ground. He dropped his gun, and Frank picked it up.

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x09.5

“Why don’t we just stay in a hotel,” Matt suggested. “So, we stay in a hotel a few days, eat all their food, then what,” Ellen said. “I mean, not now, but in the beginning. It would have been way more comfortable than the airport.” “Not sure. I guess no one thought of it.” “It’s times like this I wish I had a time machine,” Matt said. “Are you saying you’d go back to when we landed and suggest we find a hotel,” Jim said. “Well, yeah. That way we can sleep comfortably.” “Why wouldn’t you go back to before everything happened?” “What would that solve? It would still happen.” “But, you could warn someone, at least.” “I guess. I don’t know who I’d warn though. I wasn’t dating anyone. I didn’t have any super close friends. I didn’t really have an awesome relationship with my parents…” “I’d warn my dad,” Daisy said, “That way we wouldn’t have gotten on the plane and we would have been safe.” “Uh, I don’t think so,” Laura said, “I don’t think us getting on that plane caused anything to happen. I think the plane is what saved us.” “How do you figure,” asked Jim. “I don’t know. If it was an earthquake, we were safe because we were in the air. If it was something airborne, we were safe because we were sealed in the plane.” “Does it matter what it was,” Ellen said, “I mean, it doesn’t matter what happened. What matters is that we’re here now and we have to make the best of it.” “Yeah. Honestly, I’m kind of glad it happened,” Laura said, “I mean, if this had never happened, we never would have met. I feel like, all things considered, we have become friends through all of this.” “Very good friends, indeed,” Ellen said, taking Laura’s hand in her own. “Uuuugghhh,” Matt groaned, “so happy for you two, but what about the rest of us?” “Well,” Ellen said, “what do you want?” Matt’s eyes darted to Daisy subconsciously. “Just casual sex,” Ellen continued, “Or do you want a real, full-fledged relationship? I’ll have you know, dating is very hard in these times.” “We make it work though,” Laura said. “That we do,” Ellen agreed, kissing Laura.

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x09.4

Mike felt like he was in the World Series. It was the bottom of the ninth, with two outs and two strikes. If he could pull this off, he would be the man. His face, drenched with champagne, on the cover of every newspaper. His name, chanted by thousands. He might even be featured on a cereal box. He slid his hand over his head like he were adjusting his cap. He peered at the thirtieth floor, then at the ground, then back to the thirtieth floor. He lifted his leg and released. The ball flew through the air, lace over lace. It rose. It flew. It soared. It reached the tenth floor, and slowed, falling back to the ground. It hit the sidewalk with a thud. A crack raced through the plastic ball. The rubber band snapped and the paper was met with a fairly sizable rip. “Ok, so new plan,” Frank said, “We wait here until they see us. It worked before.” And they did just that. They sat in the exact same place they had the night before and stared into the penthouse. After a few minutes, the crowd atop the building glanced out the window. A few minutes later, The Emperor made his was to the ground level. “What are you doing back here?” “We want Kat back,” Frank said. “Kat… Kat…” “You know who the fuck we’re talking about,” Mike said. “Watch your mouth around, you know,” the Emperor said, waving his finger at Trevor and Anthony, “the kids.” “Mind your own business,” Mike said. “Okay. Fair enough. I suppose you want to come upstairs.” “That would be preferable,” Frank said. The Emperor sighed and turned around. He opened the door to his building and looked behind him as if to say “Come on.” The group slumped to action and followed the Emperor back up the stairs. “I just want to tell you, I’m not simply handing her over. We will discuss it.” “Fair enough,” Frank said, sure to not overstep his bounds. In Ohio, with Chelsea back on her feet, the group continued. They walked under huge, green signs that read the names of nearby towns and intersecting highways. On occasion, they would pass a blue sign informing the passersby of the nearest gas, food, and lodging. Any food in any of the restaurants listed would surely have been expired by the time they would have arrived. There was no use finding new, old food. They had enough old food to get them to Columbus and weren’t stopping for anything.

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x09.3

The group headed to Columbus walked in silence. When no conversation is being had, it’s difficult to begin. When quiet is interrupted by noise, it’s similar to lights being turned on while half-asleep. It isn’t shocking, or even annoying, but it isn’t pleasant. The assaulted must ask, what did I do to deserve this? So, when John said, “I spy something blue,” instead of the group jumping into the game, eyes darted back-and-forth. Daisy finally answered timidly, “the sky?” “Yeah,” John said, “Your turn.” “Okay,” Daisy said, surveying the landscape, “I spy something red.” “Is it my hair,” Ellen asked. “Nope.” “Is it that billboard for Red Dawn,” Jasmine asked. “Why did they remake that movie,” Jim said. “I have no idea. Like, did the world really need that,” Matt said. “My boyfriend wanted to see that,” Chelsea said. “What? Why?” Jim asked. “I don’t know. He likes war movies, I guess.” “What was his name?” “Tony.” “Cool dude?” “I mean, we were together six years. Obviously, I had feelings for him,” she winced as she stepped with her left foot. “Oh, geez. Are you okay?” “Yeah, it’s just this scrape from yesterday.” Chelsea limped to the side of the road. She leaned on the concrete barricade and revealed her hips. Peeling off the Band-Aid slowly, she let out an airy groan. “You gotta do it fast,” Matt instructed. “Shut up! I know,” Chelsea shouted, “It hurts.” With the Band-Aid removed, Chelsea ran her pink fingers over the colorful bruise. “Oh, wow. What happened,” Ellen asked. “We were fighting-- Jim and I, with sticks. I guess he hit me too hard.” “That looks really bad, Chels.” “No, it’s okay. Believe me. I’ve had worse. I’ll be fine.” “Okay, well, we’re at least getting you a walking stick. You really don’t want to hurt yourself more.” “Thanks.” Down the streets of Pittsburgh, Frank walked with bravado. When they arrived, this time with plenty of energy, Frank took the megaphone in his hand. The building pounded from the blaring stereo. Frank turned on the megaphone and pointed it at the penthouse atop the building. “Emperor,” he shouted, “We’re back!” No response. Frank shouted again, receiving the same result. Mike took the megaphone, but was no more effective than Frank in gaining the attention of anyone in the penthouse. “Do you have any paper,” he asked Frank. “Yeah, why?” “I have an idea,” Mike said, removing his pack, “Nancy, can I see your ponytail holder?” “Sure,” she said. Frank pulled out the soldier’s journal and handed it to Mike, who wrote something on one of the pages. He pulled a plastic baseball from his pack and rubber banded his note to it. “I was on my high school’s baseball team. I’ll throw this note into the penthouse. They’ll see it, read it and have no choice but to let us up.” “Yeah,” Frank said, shaking his head in disbelief, “As good a plan as any, I guess.”

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x09.2

As the sun rose the next day, the group headed to Columbus awoke. They packed their belongings and continued their trek. They took the same road Frank’s group had taken weeks earlier. With every road they passed, Ellen checked the map, double-checking their path. They made it to the highway, having no issue finding the on-ramp. They passed cars and the passengers within. Skin was nowhere to be seen. Flesh had fallen off. The highway looked like a Halloween decoration. Wrist bones relaxed outside car windows. Like a prank on a high school science teacher, sunglasses covered eye sockets. Cigarette butts sat within metacarpals. The group was 20 miles from Columbus and making good speed. Their fingers ran over cars the way a retired basketball player would touch the bleachers of his high school. The group walked with the silence of siblings on the sixth day of a seven-day vacation. It wasn’t that they didn’t appreciate each other’s company, but, after a while, friends too tire of each other. In the antique store, the group rose in their own time. Frank and Mike first, followed by Penelope. Nancy put her hair in a ponytail as she woke up and joined the other adults. The four of them sat around a dining table near the back of the store like college buddies the morning after a drunken reunion. “Group’s looking pretty thin,” Frank said, unsure if he was making a joke. No one laughed. No one said anything. “Penelope,” Frank said, “Did you see the room with all the war memorabilia?” “I didn’t,” she said, “Anything from World War Two.” “I’m not sure. Did you want to look?” “Sure.” Penelope, Frank, Mike and Nancy made their way to the back room. Penelope looked over the jewelry case, half-expecting to come by old friends. Mike tried on pilot’s jackets. Nancy read a framed newspaper clipping from D-Day. Frank flipped through the pages of a soldier’s journal, the cover of which was decorated with tape in the shape of a peace sign. “Oh,” Penelope said, taking one of the lockets in her hand, “there’s a baby in this locket.” The locket featured two pictures. On the left was a woman in her 20’s. On the right was an infant girl. Penelope closed the locket and looked at the front. The letters SL were engraved. “Can I see,” Nancy asked, and Penelope handed her the necklace. Nancy looked at the locket, then at her group, and exclaimed, “This is me. That baby is me. This was my grandpa’s in World War Two. This woman is my grandma. He gave it to my dad when he went to Vietnam. That’s when he put my picture in there. He had to leave a month after I was born. SL, those were my grandpa’s initials. Steve Lincoln. My dad wore this around his neck his entire time in Vietnam. I can’t believe it’s here. Someone must’ve picked it up.” “Picked it up,” asked Penelope. “Yeah. Well, yeah, he didn’t come back, my dad. He died in battle.” “Oh,” Frank said, “I’m sorry.” “It’s okay,” Nancy said, the corners of her eyes wet, “It was years ago. Let’s not dwell on it now.” From just outside the room, Trevor said, “Can we get my mom back today.” The adults in the room glanced at each other with uncertainty. Frank looked at Trevor, smiled, and said, “Yeah, sure, buddy. We’ll get your mom back today.” The group managed to find a working megaphone within the store. After waking Anthony, the dwindling group headed back to The Emperor’s penthouse. 

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x09.1

The sky had become dark and street lamps had gone out weeks earlier. Frank’s group, now down one, walked down strange streets with only the moon to guide them. They were tired and they were hungry. They considered sleeping in the streets but didn’t want to leave themselves vulnerable to any other groups that may have been working their way through Pittsburgh. After walking a few blocks, the group found an antique shop and decided it was as good a place as any to camp for the night. Frank slid a board through the handles of the double doors to claim the shop as their own, should any other group come bumbling past. Sitting on the counter was the business card of the shop’s owner. Trevor picked it up and tried to read it, “Anti-Q Tock?” “What’s that, buddy,” Mike asked and Trevor handed him the card. Mike looked at the card and tried to angle into the dim light. Frank came by with a book of matches and Mike read the card, “Antique Tock. Is that a pun?” “A pretty bad one,” Frank assured him. Within the shop was anything and everything from a grandparent’s home; books no one ever read and art that would make the observer say, “What is that?” The store had beautiful, heavy chests and couches to match. Near the back of the store was a section commemorating wars passed. Mannequins, outfitted with grey and blue uniforms, held rifles fashioned with bayonets. In a glass case sat jewelry worn by the wives who would sit at home. Knives, half open to display the blade, were engraved with roses and vines. Mike slid the glass door open and grabbed a knife. Under match light, he admired it. He opened it so the blade was alert. He slowly spun the tip on his finger, amazed by the sharpness the knife had kept over the last hundred and fifty years. “I’m tired,” Trevor said, approaching Mike and Frank. “Alright,” Mike said, spinning around and dropping the knife in his back pocket, in an attempt to hide it form Trevor. “Let’s go to bed. Where do you want to sleep?” Trevor looked around at the sea of couches in the main part of the store. He eyed a tall, blue couch. The back of which looked like a wave a Hawaiian tourism pamphlet would use. He ran down the aisle toward it. He had to squeeze between coffee tables and chairs to reach the eight thousand dollar couch. The rest of the group followed Trevor’s lead and found their way to unoccupied couches. Frank alerted Penelope to a mattress near the back of the store.

I feel like I rushed through this one. I hope it's good!

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x08.14

"You give me Kat." "No," Mike said immediately, "I'm not taking that deal." "Oh, give it up man. She doesn't love you!" The Emperor yelled. "Is that true?" Mike asked, looking at Kat. "I think there are more pressing matters right now, Michael," Kat said. "Or," the Emperor continued, "I kill each and everyone of you here and now." "No," Mike said, "Neither of those options will work." "Mike, please..." Kat said. "No, I don't care if Kat doesn't love me. That's fine. She doesn't have to, but her son is here and she is part of our group. You can't separate us like that. We're in this together. If one of us gets to leave, we all get to leave." Mike said, stepping up to The Emperor, the atoms of their noses orbiting one another. "In that same logic," The Emperor said, "if one of you dies, you all die. You're all in this together, right?" "Mike, it's okay. I'll be okay." Kat said. "Mike's right," Frank said, "You can't have her." He stood over Mike's shoulder. "Katherine helped me through the death of my husband," Penelope said, standing with Frank and Mike, "you don't get to take her just like that." "I've only known these people a few days," Nancy said, standing next to Penelope, "They could have left me and my son to rot and I would not have blamed them. These are good people. I won't let you destroy us." "You're not taking my mom," Trevor said, stepping between The Emperor and Mike with the sturdiest shoulders any eight-year-old has ever worn. "You really are a tight group, aren't you?" The Emperor said, "But, I didn't ask, do any of you have one of these?" He pulled a revolver from his belt and pointed at Frank, the muzzle kissing his forehead. "You see," he continued, "I could very easily make the decision for you. It's not a tough choice, either. Everyone in your party dies, or everyone in your party lives. I don't care what you choose. Either way, I win." "Leave me!" Kat pleaded, "I'll be okay." The Emperor moved the gun between the people standing in front of him. "Please!" Kat yelled again. Frank's eyebrows dropped their guard. He said "ok" and stepped aside. "Very good! Now, I presume you would like to sleep here tonight?" "No, I think we'll leave," Frank said. "Ok. I'll walk you out." With his hands tight around Kat's wrists, The Emperor lead the group back downstairs and to the streets they'd come to know. They walked away. The thump. thump. thump. fading.

Th- th- that's all folks! (For now) That's all for Part 8. Part 8 will be up soon, and by soon, I mean before another six months pass. Then, Part 10, which, assuming all goes according to plan, will be the end of Book/Season One.

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x08.13

​After running faster than ever before Trevor made it back to the penthouse. Bursting through the door, panting, he saw Frank. "Mr. Tomlin! Mr. Tomlin," He looked around the room, "Where's my mom?" "She's in the bathroom, Trevor. What's going on?" "That guy! That Emperor guy! I think he's a murderer! I found a bunch of bodies downstairs! Like, a lot! Where is he? Where's my mom?!" Trevor ran to the bathroom, followed closely by Frank, Mike and the rest of the group. He went to open the door, but was stopped by The Emperor's foot. Frank moved Trevor to the side and put his shoulder into the door. The Emperor and Kat were knocked back. Kat rushed out of the bathroom and The Emperor was slow to make his way back to his feet. "You don't get to leave," he mumbled. "What," Kat said, partly boasting but mostly because she didn't hear him clearly. "You don't get to leave!" He said louder and more clearly. "What are you talking about? Of course we can leave," Mike said. "No, no" The Emperor said, getting back to his feet, "See, I wasn't kidding when I said I was in charge of this city. You're not my guests, folks, you're my prisoners." "We'll just go. We'll just walk out the front door." "Can't. You need a key, and guess who's got that." "We will get out of here. I promise you that," Frank said. "Well, you can't use the front door. It's locked. You can't get through the windows downstairs without a sledgehammer. I suppose you could jump from this floor, but the fall will surely kill you." "Listen to me," Frank started, "What good is this doing? You talk about how you want to help start this world over. Kidnapping and murdering people isn't going to do that. We have so much power right now. The last living souls of the old world, yes, but the first pioneers of the new one. Society was such a mess before this. We celebrated gratuitous sex and violence. We rewarded people for their stupidity. We pointed fingers instead of looking for an actual solution, as if saying 'It's not my fault' absolves you from any responsibility. That's not how it works. At least, that's not how it should work. We could make this world incredible. We absolutely could. But this way of thinking, this what's mine is mine mentality, that you deserve this because you say you do isn't going to work. You need to share, spread positivity, celebrate goodness. If we start with that, there is no doubt in my mind that it will continue. Let's be good and make the new world a positive place where people don't need to pursue happiness because they are. Doesn't that sound better?" "I hear what you're saying," The Emperor said, "and I'm willing to make you a deal." "What is it?" Frank asked. "You can go free. I won't take your supplies, or kill you, hand to God." "But..." Frank asked, suspicious.

[thelastbandintheworld]

The Last Band in the World 1x08.12

​Within the penthouse, the group found themselves back in the living room. Kat went to the bathroom. She took down her pants and sat on the toilet. Shortly thereafter, the door opened. The Emperor walked in and nodded to Kat, who covered herself quickly. "What are you doing in here?" "I needed to talk to you," he said, sitting on the side of the shower. He placed a hand on her knee and she moved her knee away. "Could it wait?" "I just wanted to talk to you one-on-one. I know this isn't the ideal place, but, as I'm sure you know, comfort's not really a priority anymore." "Could it wait til I'm done peeing at least?" "Sure," The Emperor rubbed his hand over her knee and walked over to the medicine cabinet. He pulled out a syringe, a spoon and a small bag of brown powder. Kat finished and put her pants back on. "Ok. What is it?" "How have you been doing?" "I've been okay, I guess." "Is that true?" "I mean, I've been better, of course, but given the circumstances, I'd say I'm okay." "When were you last happy?" She didn't answer the question. "I can make you happy," he said, shaking the small bag. "That... um, no..." "Come on. It'll be good. You'll be happy for once. I know things have been tough for you since Trevor was born. Mike leaving and all," he said, placing the contents of the bag into the spoon. "How do you know about that?" "I talked to him. He doesn't like traveling with you. He said you make him feel bad when he's just trying to help. He thinks you're hurting Trevor. He wants you out of the group." "That's not true. He's in love with me," she said, jostling for the door. "But, are you in love with him?" "No, now, will you let me go?" As night grew darker in Ohio, Ellen and Laura approached the Matt and Daisy. “What’s going on here?” Ellen asked. “She was hooking up with David,” Matt shouted. “Ok, Matt,” Laura said, “Let’s keep calm, okay?” “What’s really going on, guys?” Ellen said. “No, Ellen,” Daisy said, “Don’t do your little group psychologist thing. It’s not going to work because I have no issue. Matt wanted to fuck me and he didn’t, so he’s pissed. That’s it.” “Alright,” Ellen said, “Matt, what do you have to say?” “Yeah, she’s got it right. That’s exactly what happened.” “Well, it’s too bad,” Ellen said, “ I always thought you two would be cute together. But, at this point, Matt, I’d say Daisy isn’t interested in you.” “Fine! Good. I don’t want to be with her either.” “Why not?” “Because she was making out with David!” “So what? That doesn’t mean anything. Fuck, I had sex with David.” “You did?” Laura asked. “Yeah, one of the first nights we were here.” “I didn’t know that.” “Yeah, so what? It was before we were together. And, for the record, you’re much better than him. He refused to go down on me.” “Ew,” Matt whispered under his breath. “You need to reevaluate your priorities, son,” Ellen said. “You know what,” Laura said, “It’s late. We’ve been walking all day. Everybody’s tired and irritable. Let’s get some rest. We’ll be to Columbus by tomorrow.”