Clown World: Book Two…unedited, incomplete…

Welcome to Clown World. 

The Lurkers are winning. Across America, thousands of college campuses are vacant, the athletic facilities no longer have crowds, and throngs of angry students no longer litter the streets. Now, instead of screeching voices and students lifting their fists above their heads, only the guttural groaning of the Lurkers with their weeping sacs of pus shuffle along the empty highways and byways. 

Humanity is a shadow of its former self. Most hide from the Lurkers and hope that tomorrow when they wake up, it’s a new day without the Lurkers. It seems the only thing that humanity has left is the delusion that this is as bad as things will get. 

I’m Jake Mika Tate, and I began writing about life in post-apocalyptic America to keep a clear record of how things got to this point. It’s been two years since I set out on my journey with my best friend, Ted. He’s no longer with me, but Emily is. Now, we have a son. His name is Akers. We’re trying to make the most of it out here at Camp Alpha. 

Y’all may not remember but we’re still hanging out with Francis, Jonah, and Rae. They set us up with a new home, steady work, and a constant supply of food. As long as we work. There’s no room for slackers in Clown World. Francis is in charge, but she’s open to new ideas, as long as its not stupid. She’s one of them folks that appreciates ‘thinking’ folks. Back at the turn of the 21^st Century thinking was in short supply, but now, we need all the thinkers we can find. 

Back then, the academics, social media gurus, ‘journalists’, and politicians said thinking was dangerous, but group thinking was okay. “It’s okay to think, as long as you think like us.” My vocabulary’s not up to par, but one word rings true when it comes to that: Insanity. 

America, prior to the release of the biological agent, was all about celebrities. It was dangerous to hold a dissenting opinion from the mob. “Oh yeah, man,” I’d say to anyone who would want my opinion on anything, “We should kill all the babies. Yeah man, I don’t think we need any fiscal responsibility.” It was dangerous times, man. 

Then, the virus began wreaking havoc in Hollywood. 

People didn’t know what to do about it. The media companies had their news people speculate on what it might be, or where it might have come from. That’s one thing about people, we ain’t taking no blame for nothin’. We gonna blame it on someone else. Russia, Russia, Russia was a favorite target. When that didn’t work, it was China, China, China. When they had nowhere else to turn, they put the blame on ‘extremists.’ “Them right-wing radicals did something.” I know this probably doesn’t come as a big surprise, but they were wrong again. For all their guesses and all the lies, they weren’t the only ones screwing things up in the good ole U.S.A.

There was, ah, a thing people call ‘the silent majority.’ All the shouters and screamers, those who would scream at the heavens, those guys were 1% of the population. The rest of the folks, the silent ones, they had no patience for the lunatics, or the perpetual victims. They had families that were hungry. Rent that was due. Life stuff. 

In Washington, the lobbyists and special interest groups would use blackmail and bribes to corrupt the environment. They always found a way to rob the poor and middle class, and it was no wonder that the destruction of America would come in the back of a familiar looking turd brown delivery truck. 

I would like to say that the apocalypse would heal the divide in our country. It didn’t. Instead, it was the same ole crap in a different toilet. Real quick like some humans set up a Council of Humanity. They claim they stand for all humans, but what they really mean is they stand for everyone who thinks like them. Of course, as soon as the government quit sending out stimulus checks, pro-2^nd Amendment types and the inner city gangs hit the military bases and armories. These bad boys shot some politicians and let their bodies rot in the streets. No one said anything to them. It was a madhouse, y’all. The pro-2A and inner gangs beat back the Lurkers, and The Council of Humanity set out to secure as much power as they could. 

Well, that brings y’all up-to-date. I’ll write more later.