Seeking Sanctuary (Walkers)

by Davis-Lindsey, Zelda

  Well, crap on a cracker. She had no idea what was happening to her body and I had no idea how to explain it to her. Damn. I thought about seeking out Sarah but I couldn't do that to her and Nevada had come to me for help. Then I thought of Lacy. Hey, Lace, you know anything about explaining to a young girl about her periods the first time.

  Hell no, you're on your own there, JD. Just don't draw any pictures okay, you'll scare her to death.

  Very funny, smart ass. Nevermind, I'll figure it out myself.

  I held the crying girl a few more moments then took her to my room where I kept the supplies she was going to need. I was never told about the monthly terrors before hand either. I figured I was dying too, so I knew how she felt. Mason touched my mind once during the process, but left us alone to stumble around the whole issue. When we returned to the dinning room, much later, Nevada was feeling better although a bit put out that she had to go through the process once a month for nearly the rest of her life. I was exhausted mentally cause I had no idea what to say or how to say it. We'd muddled through and was relieved when the men finally left, except Ken, who was still recuperating. Duke, Howard and the older boys Kevin and Bobby were staying behind for security but they usually did anyway. After cleaning up the kitchen area and trying to talk Hazel into going with us, we finally loaded up some cleaning supplies and headed for the fort, minus Hazel and Baby. She had some knitting to do.

  The fort itself was surrounded with trees but not enough to obstruct the views. The valley behind it tapered to a canyon. It was so deep you couldn't see the bottom for the shadow the rock walls cast. I think that was where the bodies were dumped. The area would be fenced off for a cow pasture using the trailers we got today. I figured with the amount of supplies we needed we'd end up with enough trailers to do the job before long.

  The turbines were working so I knew we'd have electricity. Funny how you miss the things you used to take for granted the most, like electricity. Running hot water was another one on the list. I hurried upstairs, excited about getting our room set up just right. As I cleaned and vacuumed I moved furniture into a more pleasing arrangement and when I moved a tall armoire, I found a door behind it. I looked over at the closet and then back at the door, then at the bathroom door and back at the door again. Why would a door be hidden behind an piece of furniture and where did the do lead? I pulled out a chair and sat right in front of the door and thought about it. Was a walker hidden in there? Would something jump out at me? Was it rigged to explode? Okay, that was just silly. Well, hell.

  I stomped over to the open door and looked around the courtyard until I spotted Kevin. “Hey Kevin,” I yelled, “would you come up here a minute, and bring a rifle with you?” He waved and ran to the garage where Howard was working, and soon came running out with a rifle. Howard followed him to the doorway and when he saw me he waved. I waved back like I was the happiest fool in the world. I didn't want anyone to get excited until they needed to, so I didn't alert him to any trouble. He went back inside and I walked back to the door in question and stared at it some more.

  Running footsteps announced the arrival of Kevin and the room shook as he slammed headlong into the doorjam of the room, panting and wide eyed. I just shook my head. “Here ya go, JD. What's up?” He panted the words out as he bent at the waist, the rifle, barrel up, in his hand. I looked closer and saw the safety was on so I decided to wait till later with the lecture about running with dangerous objects. Or was that just for scissors?

  “I found this door hidden behind this armoire.” At the confused look on his face, I pointed to the furniture in question and said, “Clothes closet.” He shook his head. “Why do you need two closets?”

  “I don't. It was in front of this door, hiding it. I didn't want to open it without backup.” We both remembered when I was training him in New Mexico to search rooms. You always have backup. It worked too, until Mikey shoot me through a closed basement door. Now I stand to the side of the door in question and have backup. Even now I was nervous about that door but I figured it was just the thought of finding walkers behind it or getting shot through it that made me uneasy.

  Kevin was breathing normally and watching me closely by the time I had done all the figuring I could. Oh for heavens sake. I moved the chair to a safe place, stood to the side of the door, positioned Kevin against the wall across from the door, rifle ready, safety off and slowly turned the handle. It was locked. I slumped against the doorjam and took a deep breath. Up to that point I'd been holding my breath. Good thing I didn't pass out...Kevin would've had a fit.

  “Look for a key.” I said, as I started to do the same thing. He finally put the rifle down and just like a man, stood there and looked around. I brushed past him and began to open drawers, looking in the cushions of the couch and around the top of the doorjam. I found the key tacked onto the top of the doorjam. It just got stranger and stranger, which made me more nervous so before I stuck the key into the door knob, I just stood there staring at the door until I noticed Kevin watching me. Well, that wouldn't do, so I motioned him back to the wall, rifle ready while I stood to one side, and unlocked the door. The I slowly turned the handle and the door was flung wide open slamming into the armoire. My heart slammed into my chest as the door bounced back and slammed closed again.

  “Shit, shit, shit.” Kevin repeated, panting like a puppy again. I couldn't reply because I was finding it hard to get the air I needed. Then it happened. I felt the giggle start low in my stomach, and try as I may, I couldn't keep it away. It crept up my lungs, past my throat and burst out of my mouth with the loudest laugh you've ever heard. Kevin looked at me like I'd lost my mind, then the corner of his mouth turned up and he started laughing too. That, in itself, is funny because he sounds like a jackass when he laughs; he haw, he haw. I was in jeopardy of wetting my pants, so I darted into the rest room slamming that door behind me with the same force the other door had slammed. The jackass in the other room bayed louder and it was plain mayhem for the next few minutes. When I finally got hold of myself, I grabbed some Kleenex and went into the other room. The unruly door was open and Kevin was gone. I stomped my foot, ”Why does this shit keep happening to me?” I asked the ceiling.

  There was light coming from within, so I stuck my head inside. “Kevin,” I whispered. No reply. Of course not. Why did I think there would be. I stepped father into the room. It was small, almost like a hallway and turned to the left or towards the back of the room. There were three steps down then another door at the end, on the right side. A small window, probably 3x3, was letting the light in. “Kevin”, I said a bit louder. Man, I saw this in a movie sometime or other and it was really creepy then. I can't begin to describe how creepy it was now. I slowly reached out to the doorknob and just as I touched it, it turned on its own. A very unlike-me squeak jumped out of my mouth and I hightailed it back to the room, covering covered all of four feet in four seconds flat and completely forgetting about Kevin.

  I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest it was beating so hard. Breathing heavily, I started towards the door again, when Kevin jumped out of it. Okay, maybe he didn't jump out but under the circumstances it looked like it.

  “Hey, JD, I found a hallway back there that goes all the way down to the kitchen. It runs the whole length of the fort and there's doors to all the rooms. It's really cool, you should come look.” He finally noticed I wasn't doing so good and leaned forwards staring at me. “You okay, JD? You don't look so good. Maybe I should go get Joe.”

  “No, that's okay, I'm just tired and a bit...well...tired.” I waved him to the couch as I sat hard in the dinette chair. This day has turned into the weirdest one I've had in sometime. I'd almost lost count of the weird days I've had in the past, what, two years? I took a big swig from my water bottle and looked over at Kevin. He was sitting patiently on the couch, waiting to see what I was going to do next. Poor kid. I had no idea what I was going to do next, and I was the adult.

  “You want me to go g
et Howard? He's strong and everything.” I had no idea what 'everything' meant and had no intentions of finding out. So I shook my head, grabbed his rifle and headed into the hallway, Kevin right on my rear. He was right about the hallway running the length of the fort. It was like the catwalks around the top of the wall but was inclosed with a lot of windows stretching all the way to the end. I was walking along admiring the view when Lacy jumped out of a doorway. We both screamed at the same time, flattening ourselves against the wall.

  “Damn, JD do you have to sneak around all the time?”

  “I'll have you know I just found this hallway coming from my room and I was not sneaking.”

  “I'm the one that found it JD. You were in the bathroom.” Kevin was all excited about finding the hallway so I'd let him take the credit. My heart couldn't stand any more stress or so I thought until Jill stepped into the hallway too.

  “Hey, guys, there's a hallway back here.” She said oblivious to the fact that we already knew. “I can't wait to tell Sarah.” She waved and went back to her room leaving the door open for the light.

  “This is great, now we don't have to brave the weather to go to the dining room. I just found the door to the second floor a few minutes ago. It was hidden behind a big clothes closet. Don't you think that was strange?”

  “Yeah, and I think we need to stop the others from opening those doors until they are cleared. No telling...” A loud scream reverberated through the hallway, we each turned a different direction trying to locate the direction it came from. It came again and sounded like Sarah so we headed for the end of the hallway. The door was locked again, and while I was trying to decide what to do, Kevin ran into the back of me, nearly knocking me out with the rifle. When did he get the rifle? I thought. I could hear a lot of bangs and thumps coming from the other side but they were faint so I decided to go downstairs. We tried two of the doors until we found one open then ran down the stairs into the cabin below, and bounced into the front door. I finally go it unlocked and slung it away and using the doorjamb I swung myself in the right direction and ran towards the dining room and smoke coming from the open doorway.

  It was crazy inside. Tables and chairs were laying around in various stages of destruction. A walker completely engulfed in flames staggered around in front of the counter separating the kitchen from the dining room. Sarah was on the other side, spraying the walker with Pam to keep him lit I guess. The blazing walker was lighting napkins on fire and Nevada throwing the napkin dispensers at the walker wasn't helping. Suddenly remembering I had a weapon I brought it up, sighted it in and pulled the trigger. Kevin ran for the fire extinguisher and managed to put out the fire. The smell was unbelievable.

  Lacy ran to the swinging doors of the kitchen, grabbed Sarah and Nevada and pulled them close.

  “Was anyone bit?' I asked. But no one was paying attention to me. Lacy started checking the two for bites, while I went around stomping napkin fires out. Duke came flying in the door and when he saw Sarah, he ran to her, losing the ball cap that was his signature. I picked it up before it could catch fire and went outside to get some fresh air. I would be so glad when the guys get back.

  We managed to set things to right and get rid of the body. There were little scorch marks on the floor from the napkin fires and the furniture wasn't that bad off, it had just looked like it. When they finally returned it was nearly dark. It took nearly all of us to get those damned heavy gates open so they could drive the trucks and trailers into the courtyard. I let them fight the danged things closed.

  “Damn, we need to do something about those gates.” Mason said, as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

  “You'll have plenty of time to do that tomorrow. Did you have any trouble?” I asked.

  “Nope, not a lick. It was as easy as taking candy from a baby. You do anything exciting today?” He took my arm and we headed to the mess hall. I contemplated about whether to tell him or let someone else. I had it taken from my hands when Abby came running out. “You should've seen the walker Sarah set on fire. It stunk something awful, I got to find Flynn.” We watched her run away, then Mason frowned at me and asked, “What walker?”

  Crap on a cracker!

  Chapter 16

  “Well...” I started.

  “I can't leave you alone for five minutes.”

  “Now, wait a minute.”

  “I mean it JD, you find more trouble to get into than anyone I know.”

  “What do you mean 'find' more trouble. I didn't find anything. Well, okay, maybe the door behind the armoire...”

  “What armoire?”

  “The one in the cabin, our cabin. I moved the armoire and there was a door behind it and....”

  “You couldn't wait for me to get back to snoop?”

  “Look, caveman, I don't have to wait for you to do anything. I was doing just fine on my own.” I turned to go to said cabin when he grabbed me, whirled me around and into his arms for a tight squeeze.

  “Don't you yell at JD. I was here to help her. We don't need to you to protect her.” Oh no, now what? I could feel Mason staring at Kevin over my shoulder. He was being thoughtful, trying to figure out how to talk to Kevin without making him any madder or hurting his feelings. I just stood there and let him because I was well and truly pissed off. I had no intentions of helping him out of the hole he'd just dug. He finally loosened his hold on me which allowed me to turn in his arms to look at Kevin. He was standing with his feet apart, fists on hips and a mad scowl on his face. I'd never seen him look so angry and confrontational before. He was ready to fight for me and I had no idea how to react. Mason did.

  “You're right, Kevin. I shouldn't yell at JD when she is perfectly capable of handling herself. Especially when she has you to protect her. It's just that I love her so much that I forget all that when I hear she's been in danger. I apologize to you both for doubting you and I thank you Kevin for being there for her.”

  Kevin relaxed and started to smile and I knew Mason had done right. Then the little brat nodded his head. “Yeah, I know she can get into trouble all right. Look at the time Mikey shot her.” Ugh, men, I thought and spun out of Masons arms and stomped into the dining room. I could hear Mason and Kevin's voices outside the door so I walked to the counter and sat down. I was growling like an old bear. Besides it wasn't me that found the walker, it was Sarah. I just found the door behind the damned armoire.

  “Please don't be mad, Brat. I love you and don't want you to get hurt.” He put his arms around me from behind, his chin on my shoulder. “I had to say something to diffuse the situation with Kevin. It seems you have a champion and I didn't want to alienate him. He cares about you. I don't know sweetie, but it seems I no sooner leave you behind and something happens. You got to admit, this happens an awful lot.”

  He was right. I always get into some trouble or another when he leaves me alone. It wasn't anyone's fault, just something that seemed to happen, a lot. I deflated like the balloon outside. “I know, it's just my life.”

  “What IS that smell in here?”

  “Oh, that's just the walker that Sarah set on fire. Stinks doesn't it. Maybe we should have a barbeque outside tonight. Did you bring back anything we could cook outside on a grill?”

  “No. But we talked on the way back about going out to see if we could get a deer. That would be pretty good on the grill. You want to come?”

  “Hell, yes! I'll change my shoes. I've been wanted to try those new boots we got in New Mexico. I'll be right back.” I jumped down from the stool and started for the door when Mason grabbed me again. The momentum I had started spun me around and into Masons chest. I looked up at him to cuss him out when his mouth closed over mine. I lost track of time. My arms closed around his neck and I melted against his body his tongue sending fire throughout my body. Damn, that man could kiss. I swear my toes curled. Someone from behind us cleared their throat and I felt Masons lips move up into a grin. He pulled back from me and his blue, blue eyes crinkled at the edges t
elling me how happy he was. I sighed. Back to the real world.

  “Yes, Melody?” Mason asked behind my back. I turned in his arms and smiled at her. She blushed, then I blushed. Then I said, “Got boots to change into.” Then out the door I ran. Our camper was just inside the gates so I had to ran a ways. I had a hell of a time finding the boots since this was actually Lacy and Randy's camper and they put things where they want them. Mason and I used the big truck to sleep in. Aw, there they were. It didn't take me long to get changed so I headed for Howard's house to see if he had a rifle I could use. I had the little sleeve gun and my crossbow but I wanted a big gun for this. An elk would be great, I thought as I walked back to the mess hall. I had to detour when I saw Mason in the park, pushing Sally in the swing.

  Soon Clint, Flynn, Riley and Andy joined us and I waved bye to everyone as we exited the gate. I waited patiently while they huffed and puffed to close it.

  “Seems to me if we plan to go in and out that thing we need to put a small door in the gate. Just saying.”

  They looked at me like I had snakes coming out my ears. Aw, they hadn't thought of a door evidently. I smiled really big and watched at they looked at each other, then said, “We going hunting or are ya going to stand around looking cute all day?”

  They jumped like one of those snakes got them and we went around the corner of the fort to the woods beyond. I trooped along beside them, so danged happy I could just sing. I knew better cause I was really wanting that elk so I walked softly and grinned like a Cheshire cat. I found the going easy and didn't get out of breath like usual. My asthma must be settling down and I'm glad about that. I don't think there was an inhaler around that hadn't expired so it was a really good thing. I'd behave though, so we wouldn't have to worry about it.

  You smile any bigger, the light reflecting from your teeth are gonna chase all the animals away. Mason thought.