As we were getting ready to leave we heard a sound outside. We soon realized it was a vehicle. Tim ran over to the fence and peeked through the crack to watch it speed by. It was the red pickup Reggie had spotted at the pharmacy when they'd been in Mantua. It was going in the direction of Ravenna. We pulled out, secured the fence, and headed in the opposite direction.
***
Red Truck. Friend or foe?
Part of me wanted us to park on that long stretch of State Route 44 and wait for them. They wouldn't outnumber us. Just see if they were friendly or not.
I suggested it but Kelly went on the defense fast as hell. We promised her we'd avoid any potential conflict until after winter unless it couldn't be avoided. That being the case, I started hoping it couldn't be avoided and we'd run into them on a run to the Pallet Service place. We already made three trips now and we planned one more.
That last trip turned out to be uneventful as well. Unless, of course, you count a few Shamblers we put down on the road. Oh, and a Stagnant we noticed lying in a ditch..cut in half. We killed it fast to avoid Dead Calls when we drove back and forth.
Over the course of the next few days we'd torn the pallets apart and began boarding everything with a window on the bottom floor. Inside wasn't bad...it was boarding outside in the frigid 20 degree weather.
We even made sure we secured the little windows for the basement. Glad Reggie had pointed that out. He was damn proud, too. The outside, however, was brick...so we couldn't board that. Instead we found some cinder blocks in the garage but no cement. Something we needed to keep an eye out for. Didn't need much. For now we just stacked a few in front of the little windows.
This was good though! I felt at ease...felt safer and more secure. We all did.
And now, much to Kelly's protests, we needed to scope out The Boro. And hope it didn't also have any walls with heads on pikes! Now we, well, Tim and I since we're the only two that knew the area, discussed our best vantage points.
ME: Maybe we should just take the back way in. Like Frost Road. Over by Woodside Lake Park.
TIM: I donno. I don't like it. We'd come directly out at what used to be a busy area that leads right into a once busier area of downtown. I was thinking just take 303 directly to town. It's residential for a bit and then we hit the plaza and gas station. On the hill above the plaza we'd get a clear view straight down into the city area.
ME:....I can't think of any reason to object that, honestly. I think it's the best option, really.
REGGIE: I like my plan better.
ME:...Which would be?
REGGIE: We don't fuckin' go...
KELLY: I second that.
JIM: Just like before...we're just gonna take a safe glance from a safe distance. We'll be fine.
KELLY: Right...cause last time you saw a road block set up by possible headhunters and had to cover your tracks all over half the fucking county.
JIM: BUT!...we were at a safe distance...and we were fine.
KELLY: Things could have turned out completely different had they seen you!
ME: I know...we'll be extra careful this time, I promise. We'll use the binoculars from even further distances before we edge further into town.
KELLY: I hope this is the last place you guys want to scope for awhile.
REGGIE: Don't count me, I don't wanna scope shit!
ME: It will be. For a little while.
Later, wrapped head to toe in multiple layers of clothing and jackets, Reggie and I sat outside. That night was around 40...maybe 45. Wasn't horrible but we bundled a lot anyway since we'd sit awhile. We brushed some light snow from the roof and sat on trash bags to keep our asses dry.
RECORDING:
So...in Ravenna..where the road block was...what's past that? Something worth being protected?
No...nothing. There's a little discount store. Some buildings...a tiny plaza with nothing of any use or value.
Where's it lead?
You'll come to a little area called Black Horse. Eventually you'll pass the Midway Drive-In theater. The Birdie Shack Mini Golf place...
I never done that.
It's fun. Nice place. And eventually you end up in Kent. Where the "Safe Zone" was.
Place is probably crawling with those bastards.
I'd bet every last dollar I had on it.
Yeah...but your dollars ain't worth two shits now.
Nope.
Anything we're gonna miss out on from there?
Not really...I mean plenty of abandoned homes and businesses for supplies but we have plenty of those around here. Aren't gonna run out anytime soon. Only place we'd find things we really might need would be the hospital we passed when we left there.
The one near the Sheetz?
Yeah. Robinson Memorial. It's not really that close to where we saw the road block.
Too close for me.
Agreed. But who cares...we'd have to be fuckin' desperate to go there. We have doctors offices near us and if The Boro pans out they have a med center.
Any safe house ideas...I mean, if The Boro is even safe?
Hmmm. Good question. Off the top of my head, no. It's mostly stores and restaurants. Besides that, it's the busy area...we'd need to look outside of town like we did in G-Ville.
What about that park you were talking about? Or Lake?
Woodside? They do have a small building there...not many windows. It's set off out of the way. That might actually work...maybe we'll check that out if all turns out okay there. It might be swarming with those fuckers though.
Ravenna wasn't horrible. Other than those freaks, of course.
Maybe they migrated out...or maybe we just didn't see many in downtown. Could have been hordes in the side streets and neighborhood areas.
Or maybe those nutcases cleared a lot of them out. It's not like we know how many of those weirdos are there beyond that road block.
Could have, who knows. Not going back to find out anyway.
***
Kelly decided she needed to get out of the house and insisted on going on the scouting of The Boro. Jim protested but only for a moment. His wife's glare made him realize he would lose and that she was getting cabin fever again.
Reggie volunteered to stay behind with Ben. The Ravenna scare had been enough for him when it came to checking out the lay of the land of a city landscape.
It was a cold day in the last week of the month. A light snow fell with a slight wind. We dressed appropriately and stacked bundles of blankets in the back of the SUV in the event of an emergency.
We took the drive slow; we'd already hit a few slippery spots. Last thing we needed was to careen into a damn ditch. Then who'd find us? Eventually Reggie and Ben would come looking. They knew our route. But infected or who knows who could find us first. Take no chances.
We became more alert as we passed the welcoming city sign. Shortly we passed the Streetsboro Police Department where it stood on a hill. Moments later under a dead street light in front of the road leading to the high school and the Pierce Streetsboro Library.
Now we approached the former busy area. Slowing to a stop we got out and looked ahead. After being convinced we moved forward to a slight curve and incline to a stop sign.
From there we could see into a plaza to our right where the large Streetsboro Flea Market sat surrounded by a grocery store and some small businesses.
A sense of sadness rose in me then. I had fond memories of that place. Specifically two stores within. One that was ran by a very friendly woman and her brother. They sold a large array of old and rare toys. The other was a book and movie section of mostly horror novels and DVD's ran by a nice older gentleman that gave me good deals on books.
It's been many months now but seeing things that sparked memories of the old world still hit you at times.
We glanced down the left road. A small group of Shamblers walking around in the street. To the right we saw just lanes of abandoned cars dotting the horizon. Mostly just restaurants down
that way, aside from a small plaza and some retail stores. We looked through the binoculars. Roamers were scattered around. Multiple bodies littered the street. We headed that way but bypassed the main road by cutting through the plaza and taking a suburban shortcut.
The old neighborhoods were a disaster. Clothes and toys and litter dappled the front lawns and driveways. Some bodies were frozen on sidewalks and yards. Broken windows and busted doors. Burned out cars and a few burned down houses. Charred remains of two people were visible inside one; snow lightly covering them.
We checked the main road again when we got further down. All we were able to spot through our lenses were infected roaming around the restaurants and between abandoned vehicles.
We ventured down to where I had suggested we start before we came here. Wouldn't have mattered in the end. Eventually the city areas transcended into trees and sporadic houses until we came to an intersection and went straight.
To our right a lake came into view. Woodside Lake Park. Our idea for a safe house location. It was a nice campground with plenty of lots and accommodations. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be a local safe house.
Half of the little building where campers and swimmers checked into the park, our theoretical safe house, was torn away. A tractor trailer truck has crashed right through it. Bodies were scattered in the grass and on the beach. Several were floating in the lake. A Roamer stood on what was left of a porch to the place. A few other infected were wandering nearby.
So much for that.
We began on our way home. The snow was a little heavier but not enough to cause any concern. The temperature was starting to drop in the late afternoon. We just wanted to be home.
But as we were about to pull into the driveway we came to an immediate stop. I hit the breaks hard enough to jolt us all forward. Kelly yelled out and stopped mid protest.
I counted three Bolters and eight Roamers. All of which were trying to get into the house. So far they were very unsuccessful! Just to imagine if we hadn't boarded everything up. Reggie and Ben would most likely have been dead. A night terror saved lives.
The Roamers beat and clawed at the boards lining the windows. They looked slightly pitiful but in large numbers they could easily tear a place apart. The Bolters, however, were literally punching and bashing the bottoms of their fists at the windows and doors. We had to alert them quickly and lead them away.
I slammed my fist down on the horn and let it sound for a few moments. The Bolters spun around simultaneously and glared in our direction until they locked their eyes on us. By that time the Roamers had turned and began walking off the porch and away from side windows. The Bolters charged directly at us at full sprint. The Roamers quickly followed behind in a fast shuffle. As the Bolters cut the distance between us and the house in half I punched the gas pedal and sped us away. My biggest fear at that point had been hitting an icy patch on the road. If we slid off into a ditch or field we were as good as dead. If it had been just the Roamers...maybe. But not the Bolters. They'd bust through the glass and rip us out...or scramble in. Either way we'd have been torn to shreds and devoured alive.
The Bolters emerged in the review mirror within a few seconds and began giving chase down the street after us. I slowed down a bit to make sure they weren't distracted and kept up the pursuit. As well, I wanted to make sure the Roamers hadn't given up the chase, too. Finally I saw them emerge onto the snowy road.
We drove down countless back roads leading them away. We sped up finally and waited until they were out of sight for a few minutes before turning down a side street to make our way back around. A turn they never saw...so they would continue straight in search of us. Eventually forgetting why they were even running and walking down that road to begin with.
***
Upon finally making it home after luring the infected away, Reggie stepped out on the front porch to greet us in the cold. Ben stayed in the doorway; looking warily in all directions. He probably hasn't been this scared since his family was slaughtered.
Reggie was wide eyed but extremely relieved.
ME: What the fuck happened?!
REGGIE: Simple moment of complacency, man! Just an honest easy to do thing.
KELLY: Okay? What does that mean?
BEN: It was my fault, alright. If you're mad I'm sorry. I wanted to go outside...just to breathe a little...get some cold air. I didn't look before I stepped out. Some Roamers were on the road and heard me shut the door. I didn't even know they were there until they started their shrieking!
ME: I'm not mad...just scared the hell out of us.
REGGIE: You guys had impeccable timing. I heard the Dead Calls from inside the house. I ran my ass to the door as Ben was backing in...got there just in time to see a pack of Bolters haul ass out of the woods across the way and join up with the other sons of bitches. I don't know how much longer these doors and windows were gonna hold out.
TIM: Well, most of them look intact. A few boards are splintered. We'll put more boards on top of these. They've been tested now and it's apparent we could use another layer of wood. How long were they here??
REGGIE: I donno, man. Maybe...what would you say, boy? Fifteen? Twenty?
BEN: About twenty minutes I guess.
REGGIE: Felt like hours...
JIM: But you guys are good, yeah? You're okay?
REGGIE: Yeah, man. Just rattled. Really fuckin' rattled. The Roamers weren't scaring me a lot. Maybe if there had been like twenty or fifty of the fuckers, yeah. It was the Bolters that we were most worried about. Such....rage. They punched the walls and boards...and I mean punched fuckin' hard! They clawed and banged their heads. I saw one trying to chew at one of the boards. Shit makes ya never wanna fuckin' leave the house anymore! That was very...up close and personal. Like being in a fuckin' shark cage.
ME: Looks clear now. I think we led most in the area away. Let's get inside.
[Inside]
REGGIE: So The Boro? Anything?
ME: No. Total bust. No people...or any sign of any at least. We stuck to mainly side areas. Can't say what the rest looks like. The city areas.
BEN: What about the safe house idea? The lake place.
ME: Also a bust. Building was destroyed by a semi. Infected walking around. Bodies floating in the water. No go zone, that's for sure.
BEN: Any other spots to use?
ME: I donno. I'll think about that later.
REGGIE: How about we make some dinner, yeah?
DECEMBER
Reggie and myself one day were rummaging through boxes in the basement to see if we could locate anything else that could be of use.
The temps had gotten much colder and lately there wasn't much to occupy the time. Soon enough though, we'd have to go back out. Our supply of water was going down much quicker than we'd anticipated. Supplies run out faster than you'd like. We had to start rationing more responsibly.
Reggie had called from the other side of the basement for me to come "check this out."
He had discovered a long box in the corner and I realized after a moment it housed an artificial Christmas tree.
RECORDING:
It's December and I find this hidden away over here...what're the odds, man?
I donno...
It gave me an idea. We should put it up...there's a box of decorations right here. Lights are useless but everything else would look nice.
And why would we put up a tree, Reggie?
You the damn Scrooge type??
[laughs] No, but...I don't know. Doesn't feel much like Christmas right now.
Yeah...exactly, man. That's why we should...so we don't completely...lose what we once were. So we don't lose those connections to the previous world that were wonderful. To give us hope and encouragement for the future. To be thankful we're still kicking, man.
...Maybe it would brighten the mood some. Doesn't hurt, so hey.
Plus, I was thinking it'd be really nice for Ben. He's still a kid and we sometimes forget that with
all that's happened.
That's a really kind idea. Maybe when we go out to the store for water supplies we can just...grab some useful things he could use. For gifts, I mean.
Yeah...yeah! We ain't got no wrapping paper though.
There isn't any old rolls with all this stuff?
Nah...I looked through it all. Found a container with name tags and tape but that's it.
The Dead Lands Diary (Book 1) Page 17