As the make shift family of survivors sat down to eat, Norma gave the blessing. Their dinner consisted of generic canned meat, some canned green beans and sticks of beef-jerky. Though it wasn’t the most ideal food for a dinner, it was something that the survivors had become used to. As always, Robert sat at the head of the table, considered a father figure by the group with Norma to his right. Andrew sat at the opposite end of the table from Robert with James to his right. Sarah sat next to James and Mark sat across the table next to Norma. This was their family, whether they liked it or not. It wasn’t initially easy to get along, they had their problems like any other family, but this is what was now familiar to them.
As they sat and ate Andrew stared at his food, clearly something was bothering him. “Son, are you alright, you don’t seem your usual self tonight?” asked Robert. Andrew wasn’t sure what was going through his mind at that moment. All this talk of Jason made him truly question the reality of this man and his existence. Andrew knew that the group could not stay in the safe house forever. He understood that at some point they would be depleting their resources and have to move on to another area. “Guys, I don’t know what’s going on lately, but I think we should plan on taking a trip to somewhere else. We may find some other survivors and a better living arrangement.” The group looked at him quietly digesting their food and the thought of leaving their place of comfort. For awhile now this place had become a home to them, the safest home they could hope for in a long time. They knew that leaving the safe house was a terrible risk, but they also understood what Andrew was saying. “I think that maybe we should draw up some sort of a plan”, said James to the group. Robert nodded his head. “We have to consider what we should take with us and what we can afford to leave behind. If we go of course,” added Robert. “This isn’t something that I would bring up if I didn’t think it was for the better of the group. I don’t want to be the one forcing anyone to do anything though”. Andrew knew deep down that he was a leader, the group looked to him for answers and guidance. He didn’t want to take advantage of his friends though, and always thought it best to get a consensus from everyone even if he didn’t always follow their suggestions.
While deliberating their options one of the trip alarms from outside was set off proceeded by a loud animalistic scream. The group knew it was a walker. Andrew had set up fishing line attached to a set of Christmas sleigh bells. The bells were positioned inside the safe house, while the fishing line was set about the outside perimeter of the house. If the bells rang it meant that something was disturbing the line, often times a stray animal could set off the alarm but it was never to be assumed that it was only an animal.
Andrew scooted back from his chair at the table and methodically walked to the gun locker. He examined his options for weapons and decided a .22 rifle may be the best weapon. A .22 wasn’t too loud so it wouldn’t attract attention and it could impact the brain of a walker deep enough to shut it down. As Andrew loaded the gun Robert and James took up their assigned posts as well. Robert was to watch the back entrance through the peek holes built into the door while James would climb the service ladder in the store room and make way to the roof of the building to scout any walkers from up high.
Andrew walked to the front of the safe house and listened outside for movement. He could hear shuffling around on the street, like the sound of feet scraping on the ground. Most walkers didn’t move very fast, though he had seen some that could get up to semi-running speed. Andrew lifted the board that was hinged over the front window. He moved it slightly left to give him only enough room to see without being seen. The night was still young but the moon shone enough to be able to see well in front of him. He would be able to make out any movement amongst the dark backdrop of the city in front of the safe house. Just as Andrew thought, it was a walker about 50 feet from the front door of the building. It was shambling around in a twisted semi-circle looking for sustenance. It was dressed in what appeared to be a suit and tie, something not too fancy, like what a traveling salesman would wear. It’s left arm was missing completely and it’s face had decomposed to expose the majority of it’s skull. The only thing that remained in-tact on it’s face were the eyes. The eyes of the walkers were always a light blue color. The early reports of the Event called the virus Syrafax Indigo, named aptly after the first reported case years before. Now, standing before Andrew and his family was the cause of the effect of a strain of various illness. As Andrew closed his peep hole and made his way to the front door, Robert banged on the roof of the safe house indicating that there were more walkers than just the one. The men of the house had decided on a code system to warn each other of possible threats without yelling or being too loud. Banging on the roof of the house could not be heard too far from outside. Andrew knew that the next set of stomps on the roof would indicate just how many walkers Robert was seeing. Stomp, stomp, stomp…three walkers. What Andrew didn’t know was if Robert was counting the one that he had seen as well. Just as Andrew began to assess the new situation he heard two stomps from the back where James was watching out. Shortly after the two stomps, three additional ones proceeded. Six walkers, give or take one. This was more than the family had seen in a very long time. After a few months, the undead seemed to just make their way out of the suburban area and into a more populated city zone. It was unusual for them to be back out here, maybe they had picked up a scent, or maybe the group had just gone out on too many scavenging missions recently.
Andrew ran to the dining area and asked Sarah to stand his post at the front door so that he could climb the ladder and meet with Robert on top of the roof. When topside, Andrew crouched his way to Robert and looked down the horizon. Robert pointed out the first walker, which was the one that Andrew had seen from the front door then he pointed to the other two he had seen. None of the walkers were keen on their position, but it seemed that something had definitely drawn them to that place. Andrew made his way to the back of the roof close to the back door where James was stationed. He could see the three walkers that James had stomped but a movement to his left caught the corner of his eye. He turned to see what appeared to be three additional figures about 200 feet away from their house, walking aimlessly down the sidewalk chasing something that had caught their attention. Quite perplexed by this sudden attack on the safe house Andrew mustered the entire family inside the and around the table they were previously enjoying their meal at. “Alright, nobody panic. It’s been a long time since we have been visited by any of these slack-bodied freaks around here, but I don’t believe in coincidence. This feeling that I have been having for awhile finally makes sense.” “I am not sure I understand Andrew,” said Sarah beginning to shake. “We have everything we need here, all the safety all the food”. “It’s been a good place, for a good long time”, Andrew looked Sarah in the eyes. “I know how much this place has meant to all of us”, Andrew retorted as he scanned the room looking at the wide eyes of his makeshift family. “I don’t say this with an easy conscience but we have to go.” James gripped Sarah’s hand as she held Mark against herself. Norma looked to Robert for approval and Andrew looked at each of them with the most sincere and caring eyes one could possess. “When do you want to move?” asked James. Without hesitation or the blinking of an eye the words that came out of Andrew’s mouth surprised even him, the fore-thinking man of planning and action. “We go now”.
0 comments:
Post a Comment