Hope On The Rocks: Before The Outbreak/Issue 3

This is an issue of Hope On The Rocks: Before The Outbreak, focusing on Chad Bottom.

Chad Bottom
Standing here, looking at what I have done, I realize that there is no way this will end well for me. No matter what, I am going to get into prison, and that’s only if I’m lucky. Here in Georgia there’s death penalty. I swallow hard as I hear the sirens approaching. I can hear a woman screaming. Dropping the bloddy knife I look at my victim, the guy I’ve killed. I never got his name. Johnny, I think. He has been the bartender here for as long as I can remember. Now, he’s dead. And that’s my fault. “Place your hands where we can see them!” A police officer screams. I take a last look at Johnny, or what his name was, and then I get handcuffed.

This is the fourth time in my life I get into prison. The first two was for armed robbery, the second for violence. Well, a little more than just ‘violence’, I broke both legs of a man. “It’s not good, Chad.” The warden, mr. Indigo, mutters, reading my journal. “I’m aware.” I just mutter. “You got six years this time.” Mr. Indigo mutters. “After that, are you just gonna get back in here?” Mr. Indigo looks up from the journal. “What do you mean?” I ask. I am sitting across of Mr. Indigo. He knows me pretty well. He has been warden here since my second time, when I was only 28. “I mean, once you get out, in six years, will you just kill someone else?” Mr. Indigo places the journal on the table and leans back. “Aren’t you too old for that?”

After the meeting with Mr. Indigo, I return to my cell. My cellmate is called J-Tech, a disgusting creep. Rumors say he’s in here for raping kids, but nobody actually knows. “How’d it go, boss?” J-Tech asks, laying in his bed, reading a porn magazine. I just snort and sit down in my bed. I take a deep breath. Just then, T-Burn enters our cell. His real name is Timmy, but nobody here calls him that. “Hey, papi, got the stuff I asked about?” T-Burn asks. “Yes.” I just mutter, and pull out a very small bottle of home brewed beer. “It costs.” “I know, papi.” T-Burn says, taking the bottle. He pats me on the shoulder and proceeds to leave. “Thanks.”

Seven years after, I’m out again. I haven’t done anything that could remind of criminal the past year. I’m working in a fast food restaurant, cleaning the kitchen morning and evening. It’s boring, but it’s better than nothing. “Good morning, Chad.” My boss, Ruth, says with a friendly smile as she enters the restaurant. I’ve been here for three hours already, and it’s only 8 am. To me, it’s not really morning anymore. “‘Morning.” I say and return her smile. I am just about to leave, and currently taking on my jacket. “It looks good as always.” Ruth says. “Have a nice day. See you later.” “Bye, Ruth.” I say and give her a smile as I leave the restaurant. I begin to walk down the street to my apartment. It’s a few blocks away. I like working for Ruth. She’s friendly and accepts me even though I’ve been to prison so many times. Not even once did she ask me what I was in for. I appreacitate that. Passing ‘The Rocks’, I stop up. I walk past this bar every single day, not daring to go inside. Bars remind me of when I killed Johnny. And I don’t want to recall that memory. But I have decided to let past be past, so today I enter the bar. Inside is sitting two people, watching TV. One of them is the bartender, the other one a girl in her 20’s. “Hello.” I say, entering. “Hi.” The bartender mutters without taking his eyes from the TV. “Isn’t it a little early for a drink?” I look at the woman, who is looking terrified. Headed for the counter, I too look at the TV and realize what they’re looking at. ‘Zombies has now reached Atlanta’ the headline says. A woman is talking while police is shooting people on the street. “Just the right time, isn’t it?” I mutter for myself, watching the TV.

Deaths

 * Johnathan "Johnny" Carmichael

Credits

 * Chad Bottom
 * Timmy Ember
 * Texas Starr
 * Ellis Wayne
 * Janick Teccer
 * Johnathan "Johnny" Carmichael
 * Idris Indigo