Dead Flowers:
Julio’s Story

Julio nailed the last board on the window. The creatures broke through the glass last night. Took out half his customers. “Last night”? What a relative term. By tonight there would only be night. Said so on TV. And Julio did the math. Daylight was shrinking. Would be a thing of the past tonight.
Still the customers came. ‘Cept Jack. But no damn monsters from hell was going to shut him down. Long as the customers kept coming, Julio’s was open.
“You almost finish there, Julio, my man?” asked Red, who usually sat at the corner stool, next to the rest room. “Could use a drink about now.”
“Couldn’t we all,” added the six others.
“Just want to be ready for the…” Julio didn’t finish his sentence. Didn’t have to. They all understood. Some checked their ankle holsters, some their shoulder holsters, others their coat pockets. Armed and ready.
Once behind the counter, Julio began to pour drinks.
Old Man Marin raised his shot of bourbon and said, “Here’s to the sun. She was a tough old broad.”
“Hear, hear,” chorused the rest.
Julio crossed himself and refilled the drinks. Then he knelt behind the counter. He opened the sliding door and checked his inventory. Pump shotgun, check. M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (5.56 x 45 mm NATO), check L86A1 LSW (5.56 x 45 mm), check, RPK-74 (5.45 x 39 mm), check, Steyr AUG HBAR (5.56 x 45 mm), Colt Automatic Rifle (5.56 x 45 mm), check, Heckler & Koch G36 equipped with heavier barrel, bipod, and 100-round drum magazine (5.56 x 45 mm NATO), check, Heckler & Koch XM8 in ts "Automatic Rifle/Light Machine Gun" variant (5.56 x 45 mm NATO), check, Type 81 (7.62 x 39 mm), check, Ultimax (5.56 x 45 mm NATO), M240 machine gun (7.62 x 51 mm NATO), check. Most of his arsenal would be cumbersome, so he rearranged the manageable weapons toward the front. There was a plan, he thought. He slid the door shut, then reconsidered it and reopened the door. Better opened than closed. The sun’s dipping into the horizon for the last time.

Ending: In the distance Julio and Old Man Marin heard singing. Who the hell is singing on such a beautiful dawn? thought Julio.

Wish I could finish this story.

AC

Dead Flowers:
Julio’s Story

Julio nailed the last board on the window. The creatures broke through the glass last night. Took out half his customers. “Last night”? What a relative term. By tonight there would only be night. Said so on TV. And Julio did the math. Daylight was shrinking. Would be a thing of the past tonight.
Still the customers came. ‘Cept Jack. But no damn monsters from hell was going to shut him down. Long as the customers kept coming, Julio’s was open.
“You almost finish there, Julio, my man?” asked Red, who usually sat at the corner stool, next to the rest room. “Could use a drink about now.”
“Couldn’t we all,” added the six others.
“Just want to be ready for the…” Julio didn’t finish his sentence. Didn’t have to. They all understood. Some checked their ankle holsters, some their shoulder holsters, others their coat pockets. Armed and ready.
Once behind the counter, Julio began to pour drinks.
Old Man Marin raised his shot of bourbon and said, “Here’s to the sun. She was a tough old broad.”
“Hear, hear,” chorused the rest.
Julio crossed himself and refilled the drinks. Then he knelt behind the counter. He opened the sliding door and checked his inventory. Pump shotgun, check. M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (5.56 x 45 mm NATO), check L86A1 LSW (5.56 x 45 mm), check, RPK-74 (5.45 x 39 mm), check, Steyr AUG HBAR (5.56 x 45 mm), Colt Automatic Rifle (5.56 x 45 mm), check, Heckler & Koch G36 equipped with heavier barrel, bipod, and 100-round drum magazine (5.56 x 45 mm NATO), check, Heckler & Koch XM8 in ts "Automatic Rifle/Light Machine Gun" variant (5.56 x 45 mm NATO), check, Type 81 (7.62 x 39 mm), check, Ultimax (5.56 x 45 mm NATO), M240 machine gun (7.62 x 51 mm NATO), check. Most of his arsenal would be cumbersome, so he rearranged the manageable weapons toward the front. There was a plan, he thought. He slid the door shut, then reconsidered it and reopened the door. Better opened than closed. The sun’s dipping into the horizon for the last time.

Ending: In the distance Julio and Old Man Marin heard singing. Who the hell is singing on such a beautiful dawn? thought Julio.

Wish I could finish this story.

AC

Old Man Marin stared at the barricade. "Hey, Julio! We had some good times here, right? Man, never forget that time you faced down them two Mob scumbags. You wasn't alone that night. Always had a lotta friends. You know that, right? Remember what Jack said to them?"
"I remember, meng. Always had good friends here. Nothing more important than that."
The hell-beasts started battering the make-shift barricade. Again.
Go down fighting...that's what =men= did. Thank God there were no ladies here tonight. That might be a little too much to take. When the hell-beasts finally broke in. Could anyone here shoot a woman to save her from something worse? Better not to know.
The only information was coming from that radio station...
"Julio...they say there's =light= coming from someplace!"