Fred's Fridays Ep.7: "Desolation & Despair"

"... Mom!? Dad!?"

Chapter 6: "Desolation & Despair"

It seemed like an eternity since Fred last laid eyes on another human being. He has walked through various locations all across the continent in hopes of finding his lost mother, and father. All that he has found in the process of searching is abandoned buildings, wrecked vehicles, and corpses of people who have fallen victim to the zombie apocalypse. Fred did good to take care of himself throughout this lengthy journey though. He often gathered food, water, and supplies that he needed along the way. He even stopped by the mall once to get a change of clothes. His mother always told him to take good care of himself. That he needed to brush, floss, and shower on a regular basis. It was small memories like these that kept Fred focused in the midst of the insanity that he was now a part of.

Fred had just turned 18 years old not too long ago. His scatterbrained mind often allowed him to remember such events as he walked upon the forsaken earth. He remembered this particular detail since he had gotten a pretty awesome gift from his parents on that birthday. He had always mentioned how all the other kids in high school had an 'Xbox 360', and how unfair it was that he didn't have nice things like they did. He had always thought his parents weren't listening, but on his eighteenth birthday he found out otherwise. The morning of his birthday, which happened to be on a Saturday, seemed like any other day to Fred. He didn't expect a big party, or anything of that sort. His mother, and father would always wish him a happy birthday which was nice in it's own way, but the presents he received weren't grand by any means. Often times Fred would get clothes along with an action figure or two. Collecting action figures was a hobby Fred had been into since childhood, a hobby that his mother actual got him interested in.

Fred continued walking down an abandoned street in the middle of some podunk town that he had found himself in, and wasn't far from an old decrepit church. His mind continued wandering through the memory of his eighteenth birthday as he walked ever so slowly towards the holy foundation. Fred remembered how the day had played out that Saturday, his birthday. He had done his daily ritual of listening to music in his bedroom while drawing, and tending to his social network accounts on the internet. Fred actually spent a lot of time online talking to friends he'd likely never see. It was a routine that he enjoyed, but that depressed him as well. He often wished he could meet all of the wonderful friends he had met online. At home he had no friends which made for an absolutely boring life. Having friends he could speak to in person was one of Fred's greatest desires. Just as the sun was going down that day he thought for sure his parents had forgotten about it being his birthday since neither of them acknowledged the special event. He prepared for bed, and was about to get under the covers when his mother quietly knocked on his door.

Fred's mother was one of the kindest women you'd likely ever meet, and Fred knew this as a son. He never had any quarrels with her or his father. Their relationship was good regardless of Fred's inability to feel loved. After walking into Fred's dark room his mother flipped on the light switch revealing a fairly large gift. She looked down at Fred with a smile as he lay on his bed. In the kindest voice she said "Happy birthday honey", and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. She left the room in a quiet manner turning back when she reached the door to say good night. Fred tore into his gift with great expectations. He had realized that the size of the gift looked exactly like that of a package that would hold a video game console. After tearing through the wrapping like a young boy on Christmas he realized what the gift was. It just happened to be that 'Xbox 360' that he had practically begged for a couple of years earlier. He was excited, but he was humbled at the same time.

Walking forward, about a yard away from the church's entrance Fred recalled how he had handled getting the gift he had so longed for. Tears began flowing down his cheeks as he remembered how he had walked to his mother's bedroom, and knelt down beside her. He had thanked her in a truly grateful way, returning the kiss he had previously received from her. He told her "Thanks mom" in a trembling voice. He knew what kind of sacrifice it must have been for his mother to be able to afford such a fine gift. From that moment on he never looked down on his parents in any way. His respect, and love for them outweighed any depression he had ever experienced. For once in his miserable life he actually felt loved.

Wiping his tears away Fred marched towards the church's large doors. He figured if he was going to give up anywhere in this wreck of a world it might as well be in a church. For some reason he felt the church would be a nice place to rest his weary head, and he set out to do just that . Fred thrust open the gate-like doors, and as he did light shined in his eyes. As his vision refocused from the brilliant display he noticed shadowy figures gathering around him. A deep voice said "Welcome my son". Still unable to fully focus he began to realize there were real people inside the church. Some were wounded, and lying in makeshift cots while others were tending to to the wounded. Fred was unable to speak. He was literally in shock from seeing other people. For a moment he thought he was dreaming or something, but quickly realized this was for real. He walked up to the priest who he could now clearly see, and asked him the question that had been haunting his mind for so long ... "Have you seen my parents?" ...

To be continued ...

'Dawn of the Fred' is scheduled for a Summer 2012 release, and 'Night of the Fred' is scheduled for an October 2012 release on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace (XBLIG)!!!

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