The Mississippi Zombie Chronicals

Chapter 18: Artifacts

I could still see his face.

Bad thing was, I knew I was asleep.

What I did to Alex played over and over in my head as I slept, each time I could feel myself getting angrier.

But then she came into my head.

It was like seeing a cold winter storm roll in from nowhere.

Then I faded back into the darkness, and there I was again.

That single little light swinging above my head as I sat in the steel chair.

I had my gear on and my dad's pistol in my holster.

I know what you did Jake, you didn't have to kill him. But its better he's gone, this world wasn't meant for him.

"Sarah, why did you bring me back here?" I said, lighting up a cigarette.

"We brought you here, not her." Said a man's voice.

"But why?" I replied.

"Because you possess now an ancient and powerful magic in your veins. It has been passed down through our family for nearly half a millennia, we have guarded its secrets and protected it from the outside. But, you are the exception to this rule. The power you now hold is not only yours, its hers as well. I cannot say that the death of my brother was a surprise nor was it pleasing but it must have been done." The man said.

I sat in the chair, puffing my cigarette in shock.

"But I do not trust you fully. You saved my daughter and the only way for you to have done that is to have been given the power of our ancestors. However, you are still young and have much to learn."

The man walked out of the darkness, followed by Sarah. He had short, spiked hair in the front with tints of grey. He was tall, fairly well built, and clean shaven. His black and silver pinstripe suit looked ominous but comforting.

"You know who I am, correct?"

"Yes, Mr. James Hardy. I do." I replied.

"Good. Thank you for risking your life for Sarah. It means a lot to me that she's safe. Therefore, for your actions you shall be rewarded. I shall unlock more of your power, but at a cost. You must vow here and now that you will solemnly swear to protect this power and my daughter until we can be reunited."

"I solemnly swear to uphold that promise." I replied.

"Excellent. Here is the gate, enter to gain your new found strength." He waved his hand behind him and disappeared with Sarah.

I finished my cigarette and stomp it out again. I notice a strange sight as I stomp out the cigarette, its the butt from the previous cigarette I smoked in here.

But that means this is an actual place, not just my mind.

I walked to the gate again, the twisted faces seemed to be clearer now, and I still felt the familiarity of them. I open the gates and pass through to see three pedestals in a bright white room, each holding an object.

I walk to them and observe them. One of the items is a pistol, a gold and black steel Python revolver.

The next pedestal holds a silver pocket watch, engraved with I the Father.

The next pedestal contains a cigarette case; it's a beautiful ebony, ivory, gold, and silver construction. Engraved on the front is my initials, J.H., which I found extremely strange.

On the wall is a sign.

"These gifts will return with you in the real world. They are of great power and only you may use them. Time will show you the way to victory through these tools."

I grabbed all three of the items and put them in my pockets of my vest.

"We will meet again soon, Jacob." Said Hardy as the world faded to black.

I woke up and found Sarah in my arms asleep. The slivers of sunlight peeking into my room are warm and comforting.

I brush Sarah's hair around her ear and kiss her gently, she wakes up with a smile and those beautiful sleepy eyes on mine. She grabs my hand as I caress her cheek, her beautiful skin radiating in the morning sunlight.

For once since this whole mess started, I'm at peace. I get out of bed and start to get dressed, when I remembered the items from last night.

Sure enough, they were there. The watch, the cigarette case, and the pistol. What in the world they do, I had no clue.

"I can show you how to use those, except for the pistol. That one you'll have to figure out on your own." Said Sarah, walking over to me.

"This belonged to the very first of my family, Jethro Hardy. He was know as the Father of the family. According to my father, it has the ability to slow time while giving the user and who he chooses fifteen minutes of time to do as they see fit. It can only be used once every hour, and only by someone who has our powers, so be careful using it. The cigarette case is custom for you and new to the family. Each of us that has the power has an artifact that is tied to us. In your case, the artifact that manifested is a cigarette case and no one in the entire family has anything like it, so I have no clue what it does. The pistol, however, is fairly new. I believe my father wielded it in Vietnam. He once said it saved his life from a brutal NVA officer. He doesn't speak of it much though." Said Sarah.

"I wonder what it does." I said picking up the pistol. I held up the gun, looking down the sights and I could see everything. I saw Zig in the next room over, but I only saw a blue outline and exposed vitals and bone.

I put the pistol down and looked at Sarah. "Well, I found out what the pistol does."

I open up the cigarette case and inside is a small piece of paper with a hand written note within it. The case has 20 cigarettes on one side, and a mirror on the other that was being covered by the note. I open up the note to see what it read.

"This cigarette case is your artifact, it's been custom made to keep you stocked up on cigarettes for eternity, each time you smoke a cigarette and the case is closed again, another one will have taken its place. It has ten menthol and ten regular cigarettes, each with a slightly different flavor representing different manufacturers. It, as well as the other two artifacts, can never be lost. If you get a certain distance away from them, they will teleport back to the designated place on your gear. These items are part of you now." was written in cursive black ink. At the bottom was signed the initials J.H. Didn't know if they were James', someone else's, or somehow mine.

As I sat there looking at the note puzzled, Drew rushes into my room and yells, "We've got a big problem, follow me!"