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Safe Zone

Page 4

by Chesla, Gary


  Shaun laughed as he looked at Megan. “We’re OK if you guys are.”

  “We’re good. We deserved it. I still want to go if you will take us.” Doug smiled.

  “Everyone get in the van!” Shaun smiled.

  They all were in the van and drove down Ruby Street after closing the gate to their part of the street.

  They arrived at Fourth Street and turned left.

  “It sure looks different since the last time I was down here.” Lisa said quietly as she looked around.

  Shaun and Megan looked at all the black crud covering the street and buildings. “It looks different than it looked when we drove by here yesterday.” Megan added.

  They drove south on Route 217. They all sat silently as they saw the dead wondering through the fields along the road. There were only a few dozen of the dead creatures, but it was more than they were used to seeing as they drove down this stretch of road. The dead turned looking in the direction of the van as they drove by and then began to slowly stagger in their direction.

  “Is this normal?” Lisa asked. “Are they always out here like this?”

  “No, this isn’t normal. Once in a while we will see one or two, but never this many, way out here.” Shaun replied. “It’s just been the last couple of weeks we have been seeing the dead come out this way.”

  They drove for another mile until they came to the “Y” in the road. If they turned right, it would take them into the outskirts of Latrobe on the Latrobe-Derry road. They turned left to follow Route 217. Another mile out, Route 217 would intersect with Route 30. At the intersection of the two routes, Kingston Dam was off to the left. The overflow stream from the dam passed under the bridge on Route 217. It was only a small dam. The breast of the dam was only about 200 feet across and the body of the dam extended about 500 feet back up the river. In the old days, before the outbreak, you would always see a dozen cars parked by the dam. The area teenagers would use the dam to go swimming. When the dam wasn’t over run with swimmers, the area fishermen would come out to catch catfish. The dam was always a good place to catch catfish and trout that would get washed downstream from the mountains. Shaun and Megan had visited the dam often in the first couple of months after everything fell apart. They had enjoyed eating catfish.

  The last couple of months, they only came out to the dam to get water and then left after a short stay. They had spotted the gangs that had begun to roam the area, after the malls and outlying stores had been picked clean. The gangs had begun to hang around the crossroads of Routes 217 and 30, waiting to catch scavengers coming back with their days find.

  It hadn’t been safe to hang around the crossroads near the dam. They were hoping that today would be different and they could fill up their water jugs and manage to catch a few fish.

  As they got within a half mile of the dam and before rounding the curve to where they would see the dam in the distance, Shaun pulled off the road and stopped the van behind a patch of trees.

  “Why are we stopping here? Isn’t the dam up ahead?” Lisa asked.

  “It’s right around the bend, but we don’t want to drive right up to the dam in case there are people there. We’re going to walk through the trees here and take a look first.” Shaun said.

  Shaun got out and locked his door. He walked around and let Megan out before sliding the back door open so Doug and Lisa could get out.

  “You want us to wait here while you check it out?” Doug asked.

  “No, you come with us. If someone stumbles on the van while we’re gone, it’s best you not be here.” Shaun answered.

  “You guys are pretty good at this stuff.” Lisa said. “If the dam is clear, then we come back and drive down and park at the dam?”

  “No. If the dam is clear, we will drive closer to the dam, but we will hide the van in the woods closer on up, and then walk over to the dam. If someone saw the van, they could follow us and see where we live and come back at night and try to rob us.” Shaun added.

  Lisa watched Shaun, then said. “You guys think of everything!”

  Megan laughed. “We’ve been doing this for a long time. We’ve seen what can happen out here and just try not to let us get ourselves into trouble.”

  “We weren’t thinking too well when we went into that deli down on Chestnut Street.” Shaun said. “We were lucky to get out of there with a smelly van and a stinky Megan.”

  Lisa stated to laugh.

  “Don’t you start too, Lisa.” Megan warned before she started to laugh.

  “Let’s go check out the dam before Meg makes us all walk home.” Shaun chuckled.

  Megan took Shaun’s hand as they started walking through the woods towards the little knoll where they could look out at the dam without being seen.

  As they walked, Megan looked around at the different shades of green leaves. She watched as the small squirrels and chipmunks scurried through the grass and around the bottom of the trees, seeming to be playing tag. The birds, as they hopped from branch to branch, chirping happy sounding songs.

  She looked at Shaun. “Living in the woods might not be too bad.” She said cheerfully. “We’d have a lot of friendly critters to keep us company.”

  “It is pretty here. It would probably be even nicer in the mountains. I would miss seeing people, but other than that, it doesn’t seem like it would be too bad.” Shaun smiled at her. “We should think about it.”

  They continued walking. Ten minutes later Shaun held up his hand to stop everyone. “OK. Stay low and don’t talk. We can see the dam from behind those trees.” Shaun pointed to the trees to their left. Bright light came through the trees, indicating that there was a clearing on the other side.

  As they approached the trees and brush Shaun had pointed to, Shaun got down on his hands and knees and began to crawl under the brush. Megan was down on the ground, crawling next to Shaun.

  Lisa looked at Doug. He shrugged his shoulders and got on his hands and knees and began to follow. Lisa decided to follow. It was that or stay behind and she didn’t want to stay here by herself.

  Doug and Lisa crawled up beside Shaun and Megan. They noticed them holding very still as they stared down over the edge of the hillside.

  As Lisa crawled over beside Megan, Megan looked at Lisa and quickly took off her ball cap, letting her long hair fall around her face and onto the ground. “Lisa, put my hat on and tuck all your hair under the cap. Your blonde hair is too bright against all these dark leaves. Someone might spot us.” Megan whispered.

  Lisa quickly took the hat and pushed her hair up on top of her head, then looked to see what Shaun and Megan were looking at. Looking to see, who it was that might see them.

  Lisa’s mouth dropped open as she stared. The dam and the intersection of Routes 217 and 30 were about two hundred feet down over the hill in front of them.

  There was a car on the road by the dam. The car was sitting in the middle of the road. The driver and passenger doors were hanging open as flames shot out the windows.

  There were two people lying on the ground, face down right outside of the open doors.

  About a dozen guys were pulling things out of the back of the car, running with their arms full, over about twenty feet away to where a number of motorcycles were parked.

  “What happened?” Lisa asked.

  “I think that gang of scum was hanging out at the dam, waiting for someone to come by the crossroads so they could rob them. Those guys were probably coming back from the mall or shopping center on Route 30 near Latrobe. These creeps probably stopped their car. When the guys tried to fight back to keep from getting robbed, they just killed them and took their stuff. That or someone was trying to leave the area. They packed all their things in the car and were just trying to get out of the area when these creeps stopped them.” Megan whispered.

  “When did this kind of thing start happening. I thought we only had to worry about those dead things?” Lisa whispered wide eyed.

  “This has been going on for the la
st couple of months. Ever since the shopping centers were picked clean, these creeps have been banding together and stealing from the honest people that are out just trying to scratch up enough to get by. The Bastards!” Megan swore.

  “What are we going to do?” Doug asked.

  “We’re going to go home. There are too many of those creeps down there. I’d like to catch one of them by themselves sometime. The world would be a better place with one less of that kind.” Shaun stared down at the scene in front of them.

  “This is why we don’t drive up to the dam without checking it out first.” Megan said looking at Lisa.

  “What about water?” Doug asked quietly.

  “We’ll give you some of ours to hold you for tonight. We can come back out and try again tomorrow.” Shaun answered as he began to crawl backwards under the brush.

  When they were out of the brush and behind the trees, Lisa solemnly took off the hat and handed it back to Megan.

  “You should get yourself a hat. As much blonde hair as you have, you need to keep it covered up when you are out here. It makes you too easy to spot. Besides, I have an idea those creeps would really like to spot a girl with long blonde hair.” Megan said looking sternly at Lisa. “I also have an idea we are all going to be out more than we would like, trying to dig up our next meal.”

  “I should have thought about a hat when we saw you this morning.” Shaun added. “But we were too concerned about getting the rest of you covered.”

  Megan shot him a nasty look.

  Shaun’s eyes got wide. “I’m sorry, that didn’t come out right.”

  “Be quiet Shaun. We know what you meant.” Megan laughed. “It’s not a nice place out here anymore. Besides the dead, there are a lot of creeps around. You just have to use your head. When you’re not using it, you have to keep it covered up.”

  Lisa smiled sheepishly.

  “Let’s go back to the van. We can try this again tomorrow.” Shaun said as he took Megan’s hand and started back through the woods.

  As they walked back Doug looked at Shaun. “What were you and Megan talking about on our way out here about living in the woods?”

  Shaun thought for a minute as they walked. “Meg and I have been thinking. It’s starting to get worse around here every day. The food we can scratch up in the stores and delis has about run out. With these assholes starting to come around and how many more of the dead we are starting to see, we have been thinking it might be time we move on to someplace else.

  “Where would you go?” Doug asked. Lisa just stared looking shocked by the fact Meg and Shaun were thinking of leaving.

  “That’s the problem. We don’t know. We thought with the number of the dead that seemed to be coming out of the cities, we could go there for food. We figured there had to be a lot of food that had been left behind by the people that had been there.” Shaun paused.

  “But after the other day, when we tried to go a few blocks into Latrobe, we know that wouldn’t work. The only other thing we can think of is maybe going up into the mountains.” Shaun added.

  “Why would you go to the mountains?” Lisa asked.

  “We figured we could learn to hunt deer or something. It’s also peaceful and quiet. But we would miss being around other people.” Shaun replied.

  “I’m starting to think that not being around other people might not be so bad.” Megan said.

  “If this kind of shit keeps happening, I think I would agree with you about that.” Shaun looked down at Megan.

  Lisa thought for a second as she looked at Megan. “Could I ask you and Shaun a favor?”

  “”Sure Lisa, what is it.” Megan replied.

  “I didn’t ask Doug, but I think he would agree with me. If you two decide to leave, would you take us with you?”

  “I completely agree with Lisa.” Doug said. “I have made little supply runs to some places around Derry, but I haven’t run into anything like you guys. You know what you are doing. I don’t think Lisa and I would last very long on our own. Not with the way things are looking around here. We would try not to be a burden. At least take us along until we learn what the hell we are doing?”

  Megan looked at Shaun. “They would be other people we could talk to.”

  “It would be easier with more people.” Shaun added. “You have been good neighbors and we have always gotten along well with each other. What do you think, Meg?”

  “Please take us with you?” Lisa pleaded.

  “I like the idea. In fact we have already talked about asking you if you would be interested in going with us. We haven’t decided what to do yet, but if we did decide to leave, we were going to talk to you about it.” Megan said.

  “We’re definitely interested. Just let us know what you decide.” Doug added.

  As they were getting closer to the van, Megan grabbed Shaun by the arm and pulled him behind a tree. Doug and Lisa quickly fell in behind them.

  “I think I saw someone up ahead trying to get into the van.” Megan whispered.

  “Wait here.” Shaun ordered as he moved around the side of the tree to get a better look. A few seconds later he moved back behind the tree. “There’s three of them, but the good news is I don’t think we have to worry about them stealing the van. They can’t drive.” Shaun whispered.

  “How do you know they can’t drive?” Lisa whispered sounding confused.

  “They’re dead.” Megan whispered back.

  “What’s the bad news?” Doug asked.

  “Our van is going to stink for a week. Those dead bastards are getting that black shit all over it.” Shaun said.

  “How do you want to handle this?” Megan asked.

  Shaun looked around at the ground. “You and Doug grab one of those dead branches to use as a club. We need to sneak up on them and club them over the head. But we have to sneak up on them so they don’t’ start that damn groaning. If there are any more of them around, they’ll start crawling out of the trees to get at us.”

  Shaun bent over and picked up a thick dead branch. After checking how it felt in his hands, he motioned for Doug and Megan to pick up one. When everyone was satisfied with their branch, Shaun signaled them to be quiet and follow him. Lisa stood behind the tree looking terrified.

  As they moved closer, one of the dead creatures staggered around moving to the other side of the van.

  Shaun signaled that he would take the one on the left. He pointed to Doug and then pointed to the one on the right.

  Doug nodded his understanding. Shaun pointed to Megan and made a circle motion, indicating he wanted her to get the one that had gone behind the van.

  Megan gave him a thumbs up.

  Doug quietly walked behind the dead creature staggering around on the right and brought his club down against its head as hard as he could. The dead creature’s head split open with a thud as it fell to the ground.

  Shaun crushed the skull of the one on the left as it began to turn to look at Doug.

  Megan was at the back corner of the van and turned to see Shaun and Doug standing over the two unmoving gross looking dead things on the ground in front of them. She smiled and turned to go around the corner of the van and walked right into the creature that was returning, attracted by the sounds of Shaun and Doug clubbing their targets.

  Megan fell on her back and looked up as the creature began to reach down for her. Black blood was dripping from the right side of where its ear had once been.

  Before the staggering dead creature could scream out the unearthly groan that they all made when they sensed a living being, Shaun rushed over and smashed it skull. It sounded like a pumpkin hitting the sidewalk after being dropped from a third story window. The decayed, bloody creature fell across Megan’s legs.

  Lisa came running out from behind the tree she was hiding behind and knelt down by Megan. “Meg, are you alright?”

  Then Lisa quickly stood back up and moved three steps backward. ”Oh my God that stinks!”

  Shaun turned an
d looked down at Megan. “Oh Meg, not again!”

  Megan stood up and looked down, disgusted as she saw the front of her jacket and the front of her jeans were once again covered in that black gross smelling slime.

  Doug looked past the van and out through the tree branches. “Hey guys, I think there are more of those things heading this way. We better get out of here.”

  Shaun dug in his pocket looking for the keys. He looked over and saw Megan trying to take off her pants.

  “What are you doing?” Shaun shouted at Megan.

  “I’m getting these disgusting pants off of me!” She responded as her nose wrinkled at the smell.

  “No you’re not. Not until we get back home!” Shaun ordered. “What if we run into more of them or those bikers? Leave them on.”

  Megan looked disgusted, but ran over to the van and stood by the door. She didn’t look very happy.

  Shaun unlocked the doors and everyone quickly piled in, and wound down the windows.

  Shaun started the engine and backed out from behind the trees and on to the road. He was putting the van in drive as the first of the thumping sounds began at the back of the van. Lisa shrieked as a face appeared outside her window, then disappeared as Shaun hit the gas and began to move north on Route 217.

  He looked in the rearview mirror. “Shit, we got out of there just in time. There has to be fifty of those things coming out of the woods.”

  Lisa quickly turned to look out the back window to watch the dead horde trying to follow the van, but quickly faded out of view as Shaun sped down the road.

  They drove along in silence until they came to the intersection where the Latrobe-Derry road went off to the left.

  Megan turned towards Shaun. “You want to go back over to that little deli we stopped at yesterday and grab that hibachi?”

  She turned around in her seat and looked back at Lisa. “I know we promised we wouldn’t go anywhere else, but we are so close to that deli. We could really use that hibachi.”

  “If you think we can get it, go ahead.” Lisa said reluctantly.

 

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