by Tim Moon
“Plenty of veterans live around these parts. Like I said, there are a lot of preppers and the like out here,” Nancy said, giving them a knowing look. “It wouldn’t surprise me if this was part of someone’s survival plan.”
“That’s mental,” Chadwick muttered.
“Yeah. Come on, let’s get going.” Ben turned back to his truck.
Oliver walked up next to him. “Can I ride with you?”
“Sure,” Ben said with a grin. He opened the door and chuckled at Oliver trying to climb in. He had his Captain America action figure clutched tightly in one hand and couldn’t quite get a leg up on the side board, so Ben grabbed the back of his jacket and lifted him up.
Motioning to his mom, he said, “Oliver’s riding with me.”
“Okay, dear. We’ll be right behind you,” she said.
“Try not to drive off a cliff,” Chadwick said, patting him on the back. “No pressure.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” Ben said. “Don’t forget your seatbelt, Oliver.”
“Aww, I don’t want a seatbelt.”
“Safety first, little man.”
“Fine,” Oliver said with a pouty face.
The road was narrow, so it took four moves to do a three-point turn. He backtracked a few blocks, waited for the others and then turned left. They followed the winding road for a while before turning left again to head north.
“How are you, Oliver?”
“I’m hungry,” Oliver said.
“Didn’t you eat that candy bar earlier?”
“Yeah, but I’m still hungry.” Oliver stood his action figure on the window sill and played around.
“You’re a growing boy,” Ben said. “I remember what that’s like.”
He reached behind the seat, carefully digging through a bag with one hand while keeping his eyes on the road and managed to find what felt like a bag of chips. “Here you go.”
Oliver set Captain America in the cup holder on the center console and pulled open the chips.
“Want one?” Oliver asked.
“Thanks,” Ben said as he reached in for a few.
Ben turned left, crossing over a little bridge that was thankfully still intact. In a few minutes, they merged back onto the road that they had originally been driving on.
“Where are we going?” Oliver asked.
“It’s a really cool place called Lake Merwin. A lot of kids go there in the summer to swim and play.” Ben watched the road intently for any more surprises, always scanning for infected or ambushes. Whoever blew the bridge had to know there was a way around it.
“Will I have friends to play with?”
“Uh, well, probably not. Sorry,” Ben said solemnly. “Most of the people in this area are probably gone because of the bad people.”
Oliver ate the chips, crunching and watching the scenery blur past.
“I miss Charlotte,” Oliver said with a mouthful of chips.
“Me too.” Ben glanced at him. His heart ached for the boy.
Then Oliver’s eyes went wide.
Ben looked up. A half-dozen fast zombies sprinted out from behind an old barn.
“Hold on, kid,” he said.
Slowing down a little, he centered the truck in the road and pulled his pistol from the holster. The first runner leapt onto the hood. Ben slammed on the brakes.
Oliver squeaked in fright and his chips exploded all over the dash board. Then another zombie slammed into the truck, clawing at Ben’s side window. He glimpsed another group of walkers shuffling towards them, but they had no hope of catching the convoy unless they stopped.
“Sorry,” Oliver said.
“It’s fine,” Ben said, accelerating.
He shot the zombie through the window. Glass shattered, and a rush of cold air blew into the truck. There was a loud thump in front and he realized he’d hit one of them. The truck bounced over it like a speed-bump. Two runners angled towards the SUVs.
Anuhea swerved and hit one. She reached out of her window and shot another one.
There was still one unaccounted for. Ben accelerated, and the two SUVs kept up. He looked around, hoping they’d left it behind.
Something dark moved in the rear-view mirror. A pale face with coal black eyes stared at him.
“Fuck!” Ben slammed the brakes again.
Oliver squealed as his body folded over the seat belt. The zombie slammed its face into the rear window. The boy turned, wincing in pain and saw the infected punching at the window. He screamed even louder.
Ben accelerated. The infected man swayed backwards but had a grip on the roof. Hopping up, they heard it land on the roof. It crawled and scraped, the metal warped and popped as it adjusted to the creature’s body weight.
Ben could shoot through the roof, but he didn’t want to waste ammo. Or damage the truck more than necessary. This wasn’t an action flick, and a broken window was bad enough.
Oliver stared up at the roof, his face contorted in fear.
“It’s going to get us,” Oliver said, sounding horrified.
“Never,” Ben said, swerving hard to knock it loose. “I won’t let it hurt y-”
Then a hand reached in and scratched at Ben’s face. He jerked back as the thing latched onto him. All it had was a hold on his jacket, but it still scared the shit out of him.
Ben swerved back and forth hard, but somehow the damned thing held on. When he stopped swerving to get a sense of where it was, the infected flopped over the side and started trying to crawl through the window like a god-damned spider. It strained its head towards Ben, gnashing its teeth right next to his ear. Hot breath washed over his cheek and down his neck. Oliver started screaming, which only encouraged the infected.
Ben had to hold its face back, so he didn’t get bit while also steering. He considered stopping, but if he did, they might be swarmed by infected piling on. So, he kept driving.
One of the zombie’s hands clamped onto Ben’s throat, and its jagged nails dug painfully into his skin. If he slammed on the brakes again, it might tear his throat out. His pistol had fallen onto the driver’s seat, wedged between the seat and the center console where he’d dropped it while fighting for control of the vehicle.
Holding the steering wheel with his knees, he tried to reach for the gun. The zombie bumped the wheel and it slipped against his legs, nearly sending them off the road. There was only one way to do this. Ben didn’t want to, but it would have to happen eventually.
“Oliver, get my gun,” Ben said, looking down at it. “Shoot him in the head.”
Oliver reached over tentatively, weary of the infected.
“Hurry,” Ben gasped. Lactic acid set the muscles fibers in his arm on fire.
The boy grabbed the gun and began to struggle to free it.
“Careful.”
Oliver glanced at him.
Before Ben could speak, a loud scream from the infected made him feel like he’d gone deaf in one ear.
Oliver managed to free the pistol and he held it unsteadily in two hands. He licked his lips nervously and looked from the gun to the infected, and then to Ben.
“Aim for his head. Squeeze the trigger.” Ben strained against the infected man, trying to push his face far enough away that Oliver wouldn’t shoot him on accident. His arms ached with the strain, nearing total exhaustion.
Unsure that Oliver could do it, Ben started to let his foot off the gas, preparing to reach over for the gun. He’d have to risk more infected attacking them. The change must have encouraged the infected, because he began to thrash wildly, straining for Ben’s flesh just inches away.
Both hands were now on Ben’s throat as the vile creature sought to pull Ben toward its chipped, blood stained teeth.
“Oliver…”
The grip on his throat tightened and it was getting harder to breath. Ben tried to focus on the road, but he started to see spots in his vision.
He croaked, “Oliver…”
Boom.
The shot
surprised Ben, making him wince. When his eyes opened he saw dark blood dribbling out of the man’s forehead into his lap. The pressure relaxed around his throat as the body went limp. Ben gasped for air. Oliver stared wide-eyed at the infected bleeding all over Ben and the truck. The ejected cartridge had pinged off the windshield and had taken to rolling back and forth on the dashboard.
Ben swerved as he coughed and fought to shove the body out the shattered window.
“Thank you,” Ben said. “You saved my life, Oliver.” He reached for the pistol.
The boy set the weapon in his hand and began to cry.
Securing the pistol back in his holster, Ben put a hand on Oliver’s shoulder.
“It’s okay. You did the right thing,” he said.
Oliver faced a dark future in a grim world. He had to learn to kill zombies. The sooner the better. He couldn’t help feeling like a monster for asking that of him though.
Giving the others a wave and a thumbs-up through his window, Ben turned up the heater and sped away from the surprise attack. He looked down at the gore covering his jacket and pants. It had soaked through onto his skin. The stench made his stomach clench hard. His gag reflex kicked in, so he leaned towards the window and focused on breathing in the frigid air.
Hope I don’t get hypothermia, he thought.
Almost an hour later, Ben pointed out the window as he slowed and turned onto a side street. After another thirty minutes or so, he found the landmark he’d been looking for.
“Here we go,” he said. “See the carved bear?”
A four-foot-tall log carved to look like a waving bear sat at the corner of the driveway. Behind the bear was a mailbox that looked like a log cabin. Just the sight of it made him smile.
Oliver strained to see over the dashboard. He didn’t quite smile but it was clear he liked it.
They began the long, slow drive down a gravel road that wound through the forest. It was impossible to see the camp from here. The place was effectively screened from view, which gave it an isolated, yet cozy feeling. Ben remembered hanging out here with his friends.
Tall pines and cedars lined either side of the road. Dark forest stretched out into the distance. Drips of water pelted the truck pinging against the roof and hood. The air was fresh and cool and smelled of pine. Gravel crunched beneath the tires and they heard an occasional splash when they hit a pot hole.
Ben leaned towards his window to listen for sounds of people or activity further down the road in the camp. Of course, he couldn’t hear much other than their vehicles. His pulse increased. Anyone or anything could be waiting for them. He scanned the forest for any sign of infected or an ambush by survivalists. The trees blocked much of the light, creating dark, gloomy patches that could be hiding the kind of people his mom had mentioned. One hand went to the pistol on his thigh. His greatest concern at this point was having to fight for the place.
The driveway started down a gentle hill, that sloped towards the lake. The ground around them got rockier and there were big boulders alongside the road. Then the view ahead cleared a little as the trees began to thin and they could see the lake stretching out into the distance. The dark blue water glittered with light that poked through the clouds reflected on its surface. The effect was beautiful and dramatic, setting the perfect mood for arriving at their new home.
When they finally came around the last curve and into the wide-open parking lot, he beamed. Not a single car was parked there. All the buildings he could see, including the main lodge, were dark and still. Few people would come out here this time of year and that was just fine with Ben.
“Wow,” Oliver said, staring out the window.
“I know, right? This place is perfect.”
Oliver rescued Captain America from the cup holder and clutched him close to his chest.
“Stay in the truck for a few minutes,” Ben said. “We still have to make sure none of the infected are here. Keep watch for me, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Thanks again for being so brave,” Ben said with a smile. “You saved my life.”
Oliver glanced at him for a second before turning to inspect the lake.
Ben sighed quietly and then turned off the truck. He climbed out, but left the keys in the ignition, just in case. He took a deep breath of the fresh air. It helped to clear the stench from his nostrils. He was half-chilled to the bone from the drive, but he was grateful to be alive.
The others joined him outside.
“Welcome to your new home,” Ben said softly with his arms out wide. “Let’s go have a look.”
100
A sign at the back edge of the parking lot, where a sidewalk led to the main lodge, welcomed them to Lake Merwin Shoreline Camp. It even had a tagline underneath the greeting that called it the Home of Family Fun and Adventure.
Ben wasn’t sure they really needed more adventure, but more fun would certainly be welcomed. That was his hope for Oliver’s sake anyway. Ben would have loved to have grown up in a place like this. Oliver could have the freedom and the space to roam and play and explore. Swimming in the summer, fishing all year-round, and the chance to learn hunting and farming. Plenty of opportunities to climb trees, build a fort, and do all the stuff kids loved to do.
“Beautiful place, mate. Great choice,” Chadwick said in awe.
“We still need to clear the whole place,” Anuhea reminded them.
“Yep, that’s right,” Ben said. “Let’s get to it then.”
Anuhea hefted her rifle and looked at them. Ben held his pistol and drew his knife. Chadwick limped back to the SUV and fished out his rifle.
“We’ll secure the camp. Mom, you stay here with Oliver,” Ben said. “Watch our backs.”
“Got it. I’ll stay near the vehicles with Oliver,” Nancy said, cradling her rifle.
She looked tougher than Ben had ever seen her and oddly comfortable holding the gun. It was weird to imagine her shooting someone.
“Let’s do this,” Anuhea said.
The camp sprawled along the shore and up into the hills. Ben wasn’t even sure the full extent of the facilities. That part made him nervous. Lots of land and lots of buildings meant there were lots of places for an ambush.
“Keep your eyes open for traps. There could be survivors here.” Ben looked at his friends. “Point out anything that seems out of place. If anything happens, shoot to kill.”
Anuhea gave him a nod and led the way towards the building on the left. They would work their way left to right, like reading a book. Ben strode behind her with his rifle up and ready. They closed the distance quickly. He alternated between searching up ahead and checking their flanks.
Ben couldn’t tell if the main lodge had a third story or not. Either way, it was a big place. All three were made of logs. It was beautiful and good for defense too if they were ever attacked again.
The first structure was a huge shed built to look like a small cabin. When they got inside, Ben realized the term shed didn’t fit. Small barn was more accurate. The deceptively large structure was filled with lawn mowers, weed whackers, tree trimmers, shears, and other gardening and landscaping equipment. Everything had its place and was neatly stored inside. Everything they needed to start a garden and tend to the grounds was there. Perfect.
Next up was a small building closer to the water. Inside, they found that it housed brightly colored kayaks, half a dozen canoes hanging from the ceiling, and other water equipment such as foam noodles and deflated beach balls. Much to Ben’s amazement, he found fishing poles and tackle in one corner. They emerged from the shed and scanned the wood dock. A few paddle boats and a small fishing boat were docked there.
Anuhea raised an eyebrow at him.
“What?” he asked defensively.
“You look like way too excited to be here.”
“This place is amazing.”
She gave him a non-committal grunt.
Further down the beach to their left was a longer dock that formed a U-sh
ape in the water. It marked off a big play area for kids to swim. Floating in the middle of the U-shape was a little square platform with a diving board. Ben couldn’t wait for summertime.
Next, they came to the main lodge. Anuhea grabbed the door handle and looked at Ben. He nodded, she pulled at the handle, and it didn’t budge. Wrinkles formed on her forehead as she tried it again.
Ben stifled a laugh.
Anuhea punched him on the shoulder.
“Ow! Save it for the infected,” he said.
Forced to search for a new entrance, they took a set of wooden stairs up to the second-floor deck. Large windows faced the lake. Inside they could see it was devoid of life. The door up there was also locked.
“Kick it in,” Anuhea said.
Ben nodded. He softly counted to three and gave it his toughest kick. The door jamb creaked as the deadbolt tried to break free of the door frame. Anuhea followed it up with a kick of her own and it swung open. There were no windows on this side, so they had no idea what to expect.
Ben led the way inside and it was immediately clear that this floor was a large dining area, with cafeteria style tables and seating. The back corner had several normal looking dinner tables and chairs where the camp counselors or others probably ate. It reminded Ben of a summer camp he went to during middle school.
After a quick scan of the open dining area, they headed towards the kitchen. The kitchen took up a good-sized section of the second floor and was quite impressive. They had restaurant quality appliances and despite being abandoned for a while, it was still surprisingly clean.
It was a great sign to Ben that nothing looked freshly used. There was no lingering scent of cooked food. It was cold and smelled like a wood cabin. That meant no one else had been there.
After exiting the kitchen, Ben and Anuhea went downstairs.
The ground floor of the main structure was basically one big games and recreation room. They had three pool tables, a foosball table, two dartboards on the wall, four plush couches and several thickly padded chairs in front of a large screen TV. Sadly, the TV was useless until they figured out a way to get electricity. A bookcase was lined with a mix of books, board games, and a generous selection of movies.