Dead Horizon

~*~Author's Note~*~ Any and everything is free to criticize and comment on as all help offered is very much welcomed! This is my first trial at something more substantial in writing as I am a huge fan of the high quality writing and am attempting to put something together like it. Any editors or advise givers please feel free to message me with suggestions! And as always, make sure you rate and if you feel like it, please leave a comment!! ENJOY!

*****

The Hidden Corruption

Living around the central Columbus area the sound of gunshots and sirens weren't exactly unheard of during the early morning hours. As the cool breeze gently blew against the side of Blake's face, the chill of winter still lingering in the air, nipping against his ear as he sat on his front porch. Smoking his last cigarette for the evening, he heard a series of shots echoing off the houses, much closer then he would have liked. From off in the distance, between the echoing shots, he could make out two different tone of voices, although the words were inaudible, before two more shots were heard and after a brief moment of silence, a third and final shot. Blake was quickly stubbing out the remainder of his cigarette, he pulled his phone from the pocket of his black batman robe and dialed 911 to make his report as he began heading inside his house.

Kaleb, Blake's next door neighbor, on the other hand wasn't nearly as unlucky. Like any other night that disturbed his usual routine, the first series of shots had him turning around on his couch and peering through the window of his second story home. Unable to see anything from where he sat, he quickly stood and began searching over the high schools baseball field. He was just in time to watch as one dark figure lunge forward and attack, what he could only gather to be due to the high pitch scream, an unarmed female. Kaleb, doing the sensible thing, turned away from the scene long enough to grab his phone and call the police to make his own report. While waiting on hold, he turned his attention back through the window, noticing the female had ran off and after missing the two other shots that had been fired, couldn't locate the two other figures before the final shot was fired. Finally getting to make his report to the dispatcher, he hung up his phone and plugged it into the charger, before turning off

the remaining lights in his room and crawling into bed.

Throughout the early morning hours as many slept safe within the comfort of their homes, unaware of the newest threat that had already begun claiming the lives of many world-wide. The infection seemed to spread quietly and unnoticed -at least to the public's eye- as it moved through the sick, weak and the homeless. As the disturbance calls kept coming in from around the city, keeping the local law enforcement busy and on their toes, local hospitals were soon becoming over crowded by victims of the sick and infected. Kaleb awoke only a few short hours later, the blaring scream of his alarm clock was doing its job of disturbing him of his current dream state. Rolling over just enough to reach out for his alarm clock, he pushed down the 'snooze' button and rolled back over hoping to get back into his current dream. His cat had other plans however, picking Kaleb's movements as a good time to climb into the window she pushed the curtain aside just as Kaleb began to roll away from his alarm clock and directly into the ray of morning sunlight.

"Yes Gwenyvire I'm awake, thank you!" He said to the small kitten, who was sitting in the window meowing back at him.

Giving a slight groan as he yawned, he sat up in the bed and glanced at the alarm clock that had disturbed him only ten minutes ago and swung his legs over the edge. Eight-forty a.m. and his alarm clock wasted no time beginning the soft 'beep' that gradually got louder over time. Making sure this time to turn the alarm completely off, he slowly stood from the edge of the bed and over toward his closet pulling a pair of Levi blue jeans from one of the hangers. Becoming more observant to his surroundings, he was able to faintly hear the annoying caw coming from his neighbor's rooster from down the street. Unable to do anything about that -issue- he grabbed one of his tank tops from the dresser drawer and pulled it over his torso as he headed through the duel sliding dividers separating his bedroom from his -family- room and grabbed his socks, shoes and cell phone.

Sitting on the couch, he turned his phone on and quickly sent his neighbor a text message. Outside his window he could hear the loud roar of his explorer being started, as Dominic was already making trips in and out of the house with things he and Celeste were going to need for the weekend. Once he had finished putting his socks and shoes on, he began making his way down the steps, gently pushing his bedroom door open. Stepping into the living room, the strong scent of French Vanilla summoning him toward the kitchen, side stepping his sister as she came around the corner.

"Morning Celeste" He said standing in front of the coffee pot and began preparing his first cup of coffee.

"Well good morning K.C. You're up early." Came her reply as she stepped past her brother. "Don't forget that Dom, Zane and I are going out to dad's for the weekend." she reminded as she rounded the corner to Zane's room, letting the two pit-bulls free from the basement.

"Yeah I know, don't forget who said to take the explorer so I could finish the brake line on the ram." Kaleb replied as the quick, sudden, clops of nails against the hardwood floor had caught his attention. Soon both Thor and Loki were barreling around the corner, through the kitchen and toward the backdoor as Kaleb pulled it open to allow them both into the backyard.

"Kaleb!" Blake yelled from next door, already unlocking the garage door.

"I'm on my way, just letting the dogs roam the backyard while I wait for Celeste and Dominic to leave for the weekend." Kaleb replied, lifting his cup of coffee to his lips.

"Kaleb!" he heard his name being hollered once again, this time coming from the front of the house. "We're leaving now, we'll see you Sunday evening." she finished saying before shutting the front door and soon pulling out of the driveway, heading down the one way street.

Kaleb let the two dogs run through the backyard a while longer as his finished his coffee. Calling them both inside, he set his coffee cup on the counter in front of the coffee maker and made his way toward the back once again. Shutting the back door behind him, he headed over to the short three foot chain link fence, which separated his backyard from his neighbors. From the inside of his left jean pocket, he could feel the vibration of his phone against his leg as he jumped the small fence. Once he had landed on the other side of the fence, now standing on the blacktop driveway of his neighbors yard, he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his phone reading over the message that had just come through. His thumbs were quickly moving over the on-screen keypad, typing a message of his own in reply before putting his phone back into his pocket and stepped inside the garage.

Blake was already inside the garage, as Kaleb entered, packing their first bowl of the morning. Kaleb wanted to waste no time however, getting to work on the motorcycle that was currently holding his neighbors garage hostage. With Tara -Blake's girlfriend- at work and the house completely empty to himself for the weekend, it gave him plenty of time to finish working on both the Harley-Davidson Roadster and the brakes on the silver Dodge Ram.

"Did you hear the gunshots around two o'clock this morning?" Blake asked, wasting about as much time with conversation as Kaleb had wasted on getting to work. Getting the bowl of weed started, Blake soon took his half of the green before passing the glass bowl off to Kaleb, before slowly exhaling the puff of blueish-grey smoke.

"I did actually". Kaleb replied, taking a moment away from his work so he could take the bowl as it was offered to him and took his hit. "all I was could make out however was a female got attacked, then the two males began fighting, before the last set of gunshots." He finished saying as he passed the bowl back to Blake. The two of them remained silent for a moment or two, as Blake began shuffling through his I-phone for some music. Taking the bowl back once it was handed to him, he took another strong hit keeping the small fireball burning, before once again handing it back to Kaleb once again as his phone began playing some older 'Drowning Pool'.

Taking the bowl back once it was passed his way, he found himself quietly singing along to the song 'bodies', before taking another hit from the bowl and finally broke the silence between them as he handed it back once again. "With all the recent shots and how close they have been around the house lately, Dominic and Madison have been searching for something a little quieter and away from the city."

"Any ideas yet as to where? Or are they still just looking?" Blake asked, curious to know if Kaleb would be moving with them. Taking another hit from the bowl, he handed it back to Kaleb once again.

"Somewhere out more toward the country, they took Zane out to my father's for the weekend. I think they might be going to talk with him and see if he may have any ideas or suggestions." Kaleb replied as he hit the bowl once again and handed it back to Blake before returning to the Harley.

As Kaleb returned his attention to the back brakes of the motorcycle, Blake was tapping out the remaining ash within the bowl before temporarily excusing himself for a moment from their morning get together, leaving the garage door slightly cracked open, as he disappeared around the corner and headed into the house. Kaleb was pulling a cigarette from his pocket, bringing the filter to his lips and lighting the opposite end, as Blake was coming back inside the garage. For the remainder or the late morning and even into the early afternoon, their day went on much like any other normal day. Blake was just beginning to pack a second bowl as Kaleb stood beside the bike, setting his right hand against the soft leather seat. The two of them passed the bowl back and forth, spilling random conversation, as the music faded slightly with a 'ding' indicating an incoming message.

"So, you just about finished?" Blake asked as he read over the new message that had come through. "That was Tara. Something happened downtown and she's getting out of work early, she said she would explain when she got home." he finished saying as he began putting his phone into his pocket and grabbing his keys.

"No problem, that gives me a chance to run down to Auto Zone for fluids for the bike and a new rear brake line for the truck." Kaleb replied as he began making his way toward the garage door. "But to answer your question, for the most part yes, I'm done."

"We can come back out later tonight and finish if you want." Blake said as he turned off the lights inside the garage as Kaleb pulled the garage door open. The early afternoon sunlight was enough to light the inside of the garage, just enough for Blake to follow Kaleb's own steps toward the garage door.

"Sounds good to me, only other thing I have planned for the day is the brake line on Dom's truck and that shouldn't take me more than an hour at most." Kaleb replied once Blake had joined him outside.

Blake was soon locking the padlock to the garage door and going his separate way using the back door of his house, closest to the garage, as his form of entry. Kaleb, still standing in front of the garage, had pulled his phone from his pocket once again and checked the time. Almost one o'clock. Relieved to see he still had the whole afternoon to finish working on the truck, he put his phone back inside his pocket and moved toward the back fence. Quickly and rather easily, hopping the small fence into his backyard, he made his way up the steps to the back porch and opened the back door letting the two pit-bulls back outside once more. After shutting the backdoor once the dogs were in the yard, he made his way down the steps of the porch and over toward the shed, sliding the doors open and grabbing his tool box.

Carrying the heavy, almost forty-five pound toolbox across the yard toward the opposite side of the house. Setting it down against the side of the house he proceeded to pull open the make-shift back gate, he and Dominic had put up over the last summer, moving the toolbox into the bed of the truck and began working on the rear brake line. With the current temperatures being slightly above average for the late winter season, it made his job outside a little more bearable to work in. It hadn't taken Kaleb more than fifteen minutes to remove the rusted and nearly crumbled brake line, so he could re-size the fittings properly once he got to Auto Zone. Leaving his toolbox in the back of the truck - not wanting to continue lugging it back and forth from the shed - he stepped into the backyard; re-closing the gate once again, he headed up the steps of the porch, opening the back door and went inside.

Quickly washing his hands in the kitchen sink, he was finally turning off the coffee maker beside him on the counter top and headed into the living room. Unlocking both the door lock and the deadbolt, he grabbed Dominic's set of keys - currently hanging on the small hook beneath an old 1950's wall hanging rotary phone - and headed back outside, locking the front door behind him. Standing on the front porch he shoved the set of keys into his pocket and pulled out both his cigarettes and lighter and brought on to his lips lighting it, before stuffing them back into his pocket was well. Both Thor and Loki were in the backyard, standing behind the back gate barking, as Kaleb came around the corner of the house into the driveway and began heading down the street. A little more than half way into his walk to the store, he was tossing the cigarette butt aside, unaware of the current string of chaos and violence happening only a few miles from his own home.

Making it to the store fairly quickly, he wondered through the isles, picking up the needed items and headed to the cash register. After cashing out Kaleb pulled open the large, heavy glass door and stepped back out into the fairly warmer weather. Making his way back down the street the way he had come, the sudden sound of tires screeching to a stop had him turning his attention over his shoulder, but being unable to see anything, he continued his way toward his house. Again his attention was turned behind him, as he soon heard the sound of sirens, heading toward where he had heard the squealing tires and could only assume it to of an accident. The thought of doubling back and seeing what -had- happened had crossed his mind, but with everything he still had to do, he simply continued on his way back to his house.

Only a few blocks from his house and he could begin to feel the vibrating of his phone against his right leg. No doubt another text message from Aaron he figured, as he set the two bags down in the grass and pulled his phone from his pocket. Reading over the text message, he couldn't help the grin that had began to curl at the corner of his lips, as he flipped his phone, his thumbs quickly tapping against the keypad as he sent out his reply. Dropping his phone back into his pocket once again, he picked up the two bags from the grass and finished the remaining few yards to his house. Nearing his neighbor's home first, he offered both Blake and Tara -who had been the first to notice him as she was explaining her half day to Blake- a friendly wave as he walked by.

Loki -the dark grey and white blue nose pit-bull- was currently sitting in front of the back gate as Kaleb came up the driveway. The large dogs bark did nothing more then finally attract the slightly larger, dark brown and white brindle red-nose pit-bull, Thor, from around the corner and join in to the chorus barks and snarls as Kaleb sat behind the Dodge and began replacing the rear brake line. "Go play." He told the two dogs as he heard his neighbor's car begin to turn over.

"Hey Kaleb, watch the house while we're gone, we're going to get Cole from her mothers.' Blake said, looking over the fence and grown in hedges, toward Kaleb who simply gave him a nod in acknowledgement, before climbing into the passenger side of the car and pulled out of their driveway.

Through out the course of the next hour, as Kaleb continued replacing the bad brake line with the new one, bending the line where and as he needed, the blaring sounds of sirens seemed to echo from all corners of the city. By two thirty, Kaleb was just finishing the brake line, bleeding out all the remaining air pockets that might have built up inside the lines. He was just popping the hood of the truck, making sure nothing else had possibly broke free from the master cylinder, as a silver Chevy Malibu was slowly driving down the road and pulling into his driveway.

"Hey Kaleb." Aaron was yelling out of the car window even before the driver had got the vehicle into park.

Kaleb was just shutting the hood of the truck as the Malibu came to a halt, and Aaron -your typical rebellious punk-rock skater stereotype with the multiple shades and tones of hair dye coloring the long dread-like strands which he wore pulled back against the base of his skull with a hair-tie- was climbing from the passengers side and making his way toward Kaleb and the truck.

"What can I do for you Aaron?" Kaleb asked, slightly arcing his brow as he moved toward the back of the truck grabbing to two Auto-Zone bags.

"For starters" he began speaking softly, "I need one of your quarters and six perc-tens. And if you have some extra spare time, could you look over my girlfriend's car?"

"Yeah I can look her car over, I'm not busy. Have her shut it off and then come meet me inside, I need to quickly wash my hands." And with that being said, Kaleb began making his way up to the front of the house, noticing his neighbors Mitsubishi Galant pulling into their driveway, he pulled Dominic's keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. Setting the two bags down next to the television set, Kaleb made his way into the bathroom and began washing his hands.

In the time it had taken Aaron to come into the house, Kaleb already had the six percocets inside their own small medicine bottle and had bagged up a nice healthy quarter bag for Aaron. Heading back upstairs from the basement, he heard the heavy metal screen door slam shut. After quickly making their exchange and making Kaleb another one hundred and twenty dollars richer, Aaron was stuffing the container with the pills in one pocket and the bag of weed in the other, before heading back outside and toward the driver's side of the car. Kaleb was right on the back of his heels, holding the metal screen door open, as Aaron leaned inside the car. Standing from the porch, Kaleb could see the driver was upset as the two of them argued and soon Aaron was throwing the bag of weed at the driver and storming off down the street in a huff.

"Find yourself another way home too asshole." The young blonde yelled as she climbed from the side of the car, shoving the bag of weed, Aaron had just thrown at her, into her pocket. "He's so useless and such a fucking loser." She muttered, just loud enough for Kaleb to hear -not intentionally- as he made his way off the porch and toward the Malibu, noticing his neighbor's pulling into their driveway once again.

Now getting a better view of Aaron's driver and girlfriend, he couldn't help but wonder what it was Aaron was doing to keep such a diamond. No older then her early to mid twenties -if he had been forced to guess- the soft sandy blonde locks seemed to cascade down the length of her back, stopping no more then an inch above her ass. For being no taller than five foot three, even dressed in something so casual as a light blue jean jacket and a pair of black skinny jeans, she had a very well crafted and gifted cheerleader's figure that matched her slightly smaller structure perfectly.