Softball Team vs. the Apocalypse

*Figure this will be a true story by the end of 2020.

*Everyone in this apocalypse is 18+ years old

Softball Team vs. The Crazies

Chapter1: It Begins:

It happened at Costco in Herndon, Virginia, Driving the Suburban with half the softball team to the field for weekend tournaments. Winning all three pool play games Saturday allowed us to sleep in before the 12:30pm bracket, play until you lose, or hopefully win it all.

Our normal routine is losing 2-3 so having to play the bubble game, 6am run for the 7am arrival and 8am games. Most sleep in the car. Today though, I get to sit back and enjoy Ella driving 'the bus' with Costco opening at 10am so we can get the supplies, Costco is a few miles from the fields.

Eight bags of ice, boxes of different bars, strawberries and watermelon cubes, water, Gatorade and mini-subs. Love this place when you have 14 players plus parents to feed/drink.

First it was the noise of people, then it went quiet. I leave and walk towards the registers, but everyone is watching the TV's. It looks like a war in the middle east, the scene is in New York. Everyone is fighting each other, and there doesn't appear to be sides. I expect to see protestors against a line of cops. This is more, every person for themselves.

The scene flashes from city to city with the banner across the bottom from the DHS to stay inside, more information will follow. What the hell?

Nobody is staying inside though as people run out of the store, some leaving everything behind, others taking whatever they can grab and running to their cars.

A few of the players show up, watch and whisper.

"Stay here," I order them, "under NO circumstances do you leave this store, got it!?" They nod at me. "I'm going to get the rest of the team."

I go back and get the rest of them, a few have no idea anything is happening and others are looking around confused that there's nobody near them.

"We have an issue, come with me, stay together." I lead the way back to the televisions.

Corona virus, zombie apocalypse, bird flu, CDC, Fort Detrick in Maryland did something, people are guessing at everything. I was shocked I didn't hear aliens.

The Store manager comes over the intercom that everyone needs to stay in the store, they are getting chairs. Move over to the electronics section please.

I huddle the players together. "Ella, you are in charge, Sydney your second. Nobody strays, nobody leaves the group until we find out what the hell is going on."

Several of the women are talking about getting to their family, boyfriends so I reinforce the instructions.

"Let's give this an hour, your family would lose their minds if you got hurt trying to get to them when all they want is you to be safe. Sit!" I point to a group of chairs. "If you can't get through on the phones, text your parents if you haven't already. Tell them where you are, the other players full names and that I'm here. Tell them we are safe."

"This is F'd coach James." Ella says immediately, I can only nod.

"Going to look outside, see if it's here, keep them in those chairs. If one goes to the bathroom, you ALL go to the bathroom, nobody goes anywhere alone. No exceptions. I'll be back in 10 minues at the latest."

I don't see anything outside, but this is Herndon, there are acres of open area between every spot around here.

I run out to the car, empty Paris' bag and put all the bats in her bag and run back in. 11 bats

Their seats are scrunched together so I put the bag in the middle. They all look at the bats and then at me.

I shrug, "Just in case. Though, surrounded by seven professional bat swingers does make me feel a bit safer."

"I don't know that I could hit anyone." Maggie whispers. Ella turns towards her.

"If that," she points at the screen, "comes towards us, you better have my back!"

"We won't do anything other than sit right here, we have food, water, everything." I turn in a circle to look at each one of them.

"Everyone hit the bathroom whether you need to or not. Get it out of the way." I herd them along and go myself. "We don't want it to come up at the wrong time."

It takes a while for all seven to come back out.

When we get back there are only a few people left in the store. The store manager, a guy named Bob and three other women are sitting in the chairs.

"Where is everyone? There were 30 people here when we went to the bathroom." I ask Bob.

"They panicked and once a few left, almost everyone followed them. Those still here arrived by bus."

"Can you lock the doors?" I ask Bob and he looks unsure. "You can let regular people in, but we need to keep those," I point at the TV. "People out, we have 10 women in here to look after." He looks at my team and nods.

"Okay ladies, Bob is going to lock the doors to keep the odd ones out. We will search the store for anyone scared and hiding once he is done."

"Then what?" Maggie asks and I look at the time.

"Then we have lunch." I reply.

We spend the day in the chairs watching the news and taking group trips to the bathroom.

Both my kids were here so I was lucky, Maggie and Brie haven't received word.

Once lockdown was complete. "Okay we can do groups of 4 now. This includes you three. Maria, Nancy and Mel if you want?" They all agree. I give the three ladies a bat each also.

"Let's say a group gets in, where do you hit them". I ask the group.

Most of them say in the head a few mention zombies in the head.

"Not zombies, and no.. the knee. Stay off to the side and take out the knee so it puts them down or slows them down so you can keep out of reach and keep going. Swing all the way through it."

"Bob, sleeping bags?" He nods and points.

"No fucking way!" I hear Ella saying in a loud whisper.

"Yes way, go as a group, don't fight over them."

I check for the best isle near the bathroom and point them in there. "Block that end off"

The giant ladder is there, "get everything off the top shelf." A place to retreat if needed in the night.

Going over to Bob I ask if he has anything to write on and erase. I get a couple white boards

Shelves +big items to block doors

Upper shelf walkways...posts..ranged..shifts

Plastic tubs on roof

LED lanterns in the isles

Generators n gas

Chargers

All 10 setup in two isles, I help clear off a top shelf on a 20' rack and it's exhausting even doing the fire line. Bob uses a forklift to grab the pallets down and puts them in front of the side doors.

Hours later it seems like it's only getting worse out there. On the roof we have a dozen 50 gallon purple toy chest tubs. The view is serene. Nothing. The long road to the store is empty, nothing but grass and empty roads.

6pm and we eat again, rotisserie chickens and cole slaw and other deli items. The dumpster is outside so me and My 19 year old Jenna take a bag as a trial run.

"Dad, this is crazy, Mom is freaking out." Her mother and I have been separated for a decade. She's in Arlington.

"I bet, I'm lucky to have both of you with me.". I whisper back, "No talking outside though." I scoot her back in.

"How long are we planning on being here?" Jenna asks and I shrug.

"Until the police or military sort this out. We are not going out to the populated areas until it's safer." Is all that I can reply.

The team stays in their row sharing Tiktok and YouTube videos freaking themselves out more by the minute. I'm with bob at the TVs going over options.

"Couple days and food needs thrown out, electric goes out, can't open frozen door section. Buckets on the roof, generators, gas pumps out front but may be difficult if we lose power. Lots of weapons but were isolated so don't think it will spread here."

I'm nodding along. If more than a couple days, " I'd like to build a u shaped barrier around the main entrance inside and outside. Clear off the top shelves and connect a bunch to move around. Get the high ground."

"Family?" I ask him and he shakes his head no.

"You"? He asks.

"Number 23 Jenna and 11 Tammy, are my daughters both here." I answer.

"Number 12 Ella is the captain, 25 Maggie, 99 Sydney, 8 Brie, 13 Paris.

"I'm watching it right now and can't believe it. Nothing outside here, but the cities are burning." Bob whispers.

"Yeah the more people the worse it is." I say as we watch every channel of the same thing.

"They say it started in France." Bob whispers and I shrug.

Bob pallets a few couches over and we move the chairs. He said his back hurts on the plastic chairs. We probably need to watch the gas usage though. The top shelves next to the front door all the way to the bathroom. Straight line across the store. Thought the middle isle gap is about 15 feed wide. Would like to make a square.

I have them all go up to the top of the rack, it must be close to 20 feet high. Walk around and get comfortable up there. Maggie is not happy. Most of the racks are packed tight with goods but if someone gets in it could get confusing running from isle to isle when you can stay up top and see everything.

"Shifts of two for two hours each, no earbuds up there. Listen for anyone inside or outside moving around." They pair up and haggle out the times.

We semi sleep through the night, I'm up a dozen times.

Chapter 2: Home away from Home:

They get all the rechargeable batteries of every kind. A few solar types and plug them all in. Some of the stations are off the air, there are no regular shows except prerecorded set on a timer. Many have the Emergency Alert with banners.

A bunch of jets and helicopters fly by but don't land. No commercial flights and we are near Dulles International airport.

We spend the day emptying shelves, move them and restock making a square all the way around the store with a 2' jump gap on each side. There are 6 forklifts, 3 are empty of gas now.

The ton of stuff at the top of the racks are now 10' deep blocking every door but 2. Big fight about that, but the store is just to damn big to allow doors to be unblocked.

Everyone is beat, half are passed out. We wake them building box stairs to the top at two points and they all spend time going around. Maggie won't do it, she's not jumping and I don't want her missing and falling.

Futon cushions and comforters go under the sleeping bags, the three ladies move two isles away but I won't let the team find their own isle yet. One more day, maybe.

I'm beat, going to bed in my isle closest to the front door.

I wake up with Ella wrapped around me.

I scoot out from under.

"What the hell, Ella" I whisper at her after waking her up.

"I'm not sleeping with Bob." She reaches out and I smile and slap her hands.

"It's only been few days." I cover up even though we are both dressed.

"You're basically the last man around, I'm calling dibs." Ells scoots in closer.

"What!?" I whisper back.

"Yeah, we have 10 women a guy and old ass Bob. The math is in your favor not mine though

you've been flirting with me for years."

"You have that backwards Ella." Its way to early for this kind of nonsense.

"Who would you pick over me?" Ella says and smiles at me.

Ella and the Maria lady are the two hottest in here, Paris is close. None are awful.

"If I pick someone, the others will revolt." I whisper back

"That's why I'm calling first dibs." She repeats.

"Not now." I meant not to bring it up now and she took it to mean, soon.

"Long as you know the pecking order. And I'm not leaving so roll over James."

"James!, shit. Damn it Ella". She wraps around me and acts like she is sleeping immediately. I stare at the racks of stuff and wonder if this is a fantasy dream or a nightmare about to happen.

Ella is gone when I wake.

"Sleeping with Ella?" Both my daughters are asking at the table during breakfast.

"No! Stop it." I answer. "We have work to do."

It's just busy work but I'm staying away from them. I put a 50' tarp on the roof to a 50gallon bucket as we have no water collected so far. Normally I'd get Ella to help, but now. It is twice as hard to do this with one person.

Lunch is quiet, I find out Brie and Maggie's family didn't make it. Half the team's to include the ex have gone silent. Lots of screaming and hysterics.

I pull my two in and we hug it out for 30 minutes. Do the same with just about every woman in there. Mel, Nat and Maria sit with me after I console the team.

Dinner is gloom and doom. Only a few major city channels left. Can't find a local on these televisions.

Brie found a radio, it has a lot of busy stations, though nothing good. The religious stations are split between we deserve this and to stay hopeful.

My two sleep next to me to keep Ella at bay. It works and she's cranky in the morning. Gives me a dressing down for not asking her to help and hiding like a baby.

"I'll make you my partner again if you go back to being the Ella I need." Pulling her off to the side.

"And not the Ella you want." She is peeved, fuck it, I nod and she is shocked and then smiles. "Should have said that yesterday. What's the plan?"

"PVC piping from the roof to the bathroom with the shower. Won't have to bring it all the way down." I answer.

I go tell Maria, Nancy and Mel our plans, ask if they can sort the food that is going to spoil.

Ella to team - setup whiteboards - cleanup rotation, laundry, cooking, redo 2hr shifts next.

We get the holes pounded/drilled out.

Piping is easy enough. Two hoses at the bottom with sprayers for shower and toilet water. A kid pool with a giant tub in it and the tarp angled towards it.

Should be good for now. Hope it rains before we lose water to see if it works.

Late afternoon we get back down and the shifts are set. There's a small whiteboard with my name underlined and Ella underneath it. Ella sees it and laughs. I decide to not keep arguing about it.

During dinner Maria sits next to me. "You put that up?"

I give her my shocked face, "course not!"

She smiles, "is it what I think it is?" I nod. "They think they're funny."

We chit chat about what we are doing and what's next. Maria gets up and throws her plate away, writes her name under Ella's and walks away.

Now Maria is a grown-ass 30 something hot as hell Latino stranger. I'm okay with that one.

"Not helping Maria!" I yell after her and she waggles her fingers in a wave goodbye.

Ella walks up to the table "She's hot, all you gotta do to get to that, is me!"

"You said you'd behave?" I look up at her and she frowns.

"Fine! I'm sorry coach James."

"Going to lay down, I'm beat." I kiss both my kids and head to my isle by the front door.

Jenna follows me and cuddles up next to me. "She's never going to stop you know." I just stare at the ceiling.

"She's been hunting you for what? Two of Three years with the innuendo and flirting"

"What are you saying Jenna? I become the whore of Costco? I'm a bit old to try and take on 10 women."

"Ten?" she asks

"Shit, you know what I mean." I put my hand to my forehead.

"What about two weeks from now or two months, at some point they will tie you up and just take it." she giggles.

"Not funny." I say with my eyes closed.

"Take one for the team pops. I haven't seen you with girlfriends in years. Your room is still pink, yellow and has my princess stickers all over. Has any women ever been upstairs?"

"I took that room because you thought there were ghosts and wouldn't stay up there," I answer back.

"I was 12, that was almost a decade ago. Think Mom is okay?"

"Did anyone get an update today? It might be the text is overflowing the system with nobody taking care of the towers."

"Maybe." She hugs me.

There are noise outside that I hear and get up. I peek out the gap I have in my isle to see outside. A group of people are in the parking lot. I see at least six but can't tell if they are looking for refuge or looking to take. I watch them for a while they don't even try the doors, well, here at least.

I jump up and check on the team, the two up top are looking out the window they have so I go up and get between them.

"They doing anything other than six of them wandering around?" I whisper

"No." Sydney whispers back. "What do we do?"

I have a gun from Bob that I don't mention, the reason I wanted to be up here.

"They can't get in without all of us having plenty of time to make sure they are friendly." I whisper

"I only see three." Brie whispers from my left side.

"Brie go left, Sydney right, check all the way around for noises. Whistle where you hear something.

I see the three out front just standing there. suddenly the other three come up from the left and they start running. what are they running from?

I stop watching them and look for the source. It takes a minute and then I see a dozen people running after them. Shit. We're not as secluded as I'd like.

I spend the rest of the night watching for anyone that comes back along the same path.

Everyone is up early and asking If I've seen anything. I keep sending the replacement shifts around the perimeter to listen at every door.

Nothing happens. After breakfast, I pass out and sleep for a few hours and wake up to a Huge Tent on top of fake grass in my isle. I have a table with chairs and an umbrella.

Looks like they raided the camping section. I find a few in the games section pulling out all the game board games.

"Come with me." I walk by Ella as reading a box. She puts the box away and follows me without saying anything.

We grab a few lemonades and sit at the table in my isle.

"We need a better way to protect ourselves from anyone that makes it in. There were 18 people out there and I only have 9 rounds."

"I saw some bow and arrow sets, they looked to be for children." she replies. "What does Bob do all day other than sit in his locked office? He have anything?" Ella is right, I haven't seen Bob, but haven't thought about it with all the work and his back.

"I'll check on him tomorrow." Did you eat?" she nods.

"So the whiteboard, did Jenna talk to you about that?" I ask her, trying to sound normal.

"She shrugs, maybe a bit about your princess mancave bedroom," and gets a huge smile on her face. I don't blush often, but when I do it looks awful.

"Sit," I point at my lap and she hustles over and straddles me.

"What happens if a bunch of them put their names up there?" I ask.

"OH, you haven't seen it today, your dance card is full." I look at her shocked.

"You were ordering everyone around all night and protecting the place, once a brave one put up a name another one would."

"I'm 50 freaking years old people." I say loud enough to echo through the store.

"Jenna said you took 10 years off, so your only 40 in go years." she kisses me and it is good, she feels good, she molds into me well.

Ella is 5'5, blonde, blue eyes, curves with a bust that defies her running speed. Only Maria and Maggie have larger breasts.

"So, a week from now when I'm recovered, no issues moving down the list?" I ask again.

"If you don't some will eventually leave to find someone." she leans back. I get your days though.". I nod back as she has since we got here.

"I'm talking a month, your talking a year Ella." She shrugs and I understand but its crazy.

"And," Ella pokes my chest, "the minute I leave, my names going back up so it's only five down."

"Shit, five? Do I want to know?"

"You know about Maria, Mel added hers this morning and Sydney did it right after." she pauses for effect. Syndey is 98 pounds platinum B cup tiny thing. I shake my head.

"Yeah, right! She surprised me too. Nancy and Paris, though when I move my name, I'm guessing it fills up."

"Fuck, I need to be able to function during the day." I say to myself really.