by Weeks, Kris
“Willy, drive.” Eric pulled open the passenger door.
The rest made themselves comfortable in the back seats. Andrew hurried over to the gate and opened it up letting them pull through, saluting as they passed by him then closed the gate.
“Where are we going?” Karlin whispered to Alex.
“I don’t know honey. Just stick with me okay.” Alex told her.
Karlin nodded and shot her big blue eyes around the van at everyone. She was worried that she would end up like Tyler. She pushed her soft brown hair out of her face and watched the passing trees and zombies and wished for her mother to be there.
“I’m Karlin.” She said softly.
“Hi honey, I am Adrianna. Aren’t you a little young to be going on trips out here?” She turned in her seat to be able to look at the small framed girl.
“Eric wants us to all know how to take care of ourselves.
Adrianna crinkled her forehead not sure that a child needed to be in these kinds of surroundings so young. Before Alex could stop her she turned back to the front.
“Should we really have a child going?” She questioned to the front.
The crew on board all turned to look at her and then all of them turned at once back to Eric.
Eric slowly turned his head towards the back looking at the floor of the van. “Yes, yes we should.”
“Why would we not leave her back at the house?” She asked.
Eric shot his eyes up to hers. “Because I said she comes and that is that. You will learn that what I say is just the way it goes.”
Adrianna raised her eyebrows and pulled her lips into her mouth to will them to stay shut. Eric turned back to watch the road. Adrianna looked at Alex, Nate, Thomas and Karlin. Thomas put his finger up to his mouth telling her to be quiet. Reluctantly, she turned to watch out of the window.
“Hey a restaurant!” Nate hollered out.
“We should stop and see if there is anything useful.” Thomas suggested.
Eric pointed Willy over to the parking lot.
Pulling up to the front doors, Nate slid open the van door, looked around his side of the van and stepped out. Adrianna followed, then Thomas, Alex and Karlin. They made their way to the two double red doors. Nate and Alex took up both sides of the doors and Thomas placed his hand over his forehead and leaned in to see inside the glass doors.
“Looks okay.” Thomas told them.
Nate and Alex grabbed the golden handles on the doors and slowly pulled. Alex pushed Karlin behind him and Adrianna stood behind Thomas. Nate and Alex shot their heads around the door to look in to see if there was any danger lurking inside. Thomas handed Adrianna the flash light over his shoulder from his belt then held up his rifle and started walking forward. Adrianna followed shining the light back and forth across the red tiled floor and across the green colored walls.
“Looks cleared out guys, come on.” Thomas hollered out.
The group followed in with their weapons, waiting for any surprise that may arise. They spread across the small lobby and into the dining area where tables had been turned over. They covered all areas.
“Stay behind me Karlin.” Alex advised.
Suddenly the doors opened and the group turned quickly ready to fight.
“Scared ya huh?” Eric laughed.
Everyone shook their heads and went back to making sure the place was safe.
“I would like beef and broccoli!” Nate spat out in his best Chinese accent.
Everyone giggled a bit at Nate’s impression when they saw the Chinese writing on the wall and the buffet style pans on the counters.
“Oooh, sweet and sour chicken sounds nice.” Nate continued his accent. “Chinese zombie eat white man.”
The group laughed as they all moved forward through the restaurant. Thomas and Adrianna rounded the corner to the hallway where the men and women bathroom signs were. Alex, Nate and Karlin cautiously pushed the swinging metal door open that led to the kitchen and scanned the area before entering. Eric and Willy both stood mid room back in the dining room waiting to hear clear on both ends of the restaurant.
“Kitchen is clear.” Alex hollered.
“Pretty sure there is something back here.” Thomas responded.
Nate, Alex and Karlin hurried to the dining room; Willy led them with pistol drawn to the hallway.
“There is noise in here.” Thomas stood outside the men’s bathroom.
“Well, let’s get it done I guess. Can’t just leave the drunk in there.” Nate stood with his back to the door. “Ready?” He asked the group.
Nate pushed the door with his back, knife raised and turned just as a small Chinese bastard turned from the back wall and made his way towards him.
“Hiiii yaaaaa!” Nate hollered as he gouged the knife into the scrawny man’s head.
Everyone laughed and turned to check the other bathroom further down the hall. Adrianna placed her ear against the women’s bathroom door and listened.
“I don’t hear anything.” She whispered over to the others.
BOOM! Sounded against the door. Adrianna jumped and stumbled down the hall bouncing from wall to wall toward the dining hall and ran into Eric. He caught her by the shoulders and pushed her back down the hall making her fall backwards to her ass.
“New girl and Karlin will go in.” Eric demanded.
Adrianna and Karlin shot their heads toward Eric. “Let’s not sit around on our asses. Let’s move!!” He said sternly, making fun of Adrianna still on the floor.
Adrianna got up and moved towards Karlin. She stepped in front of Karlin and took the knife Thomas had given her and got ready. She steadied her feet and held the knife up over her shoulder.
“Open it up.” She told the guys.
Alex pushed open the door and let Adrianna slip past him, she kept her back tight against the wall as Karlin tried to enter with her. Adrianna stood where she was able to keep Karlin outside of the door. Not seeing anything, Adrianna took a step forward and allowed Karlin in behind her. Adrianna bent over and looked underneath the stalls for any feet. She didn’t see anything and took another step forward, Karlin following right on her heels. Alex watched Eric take a step towards them to watch with a smile on his face.
Alex shook his head at him and dropped his chin to his chest, looking for the will to not to punch him out. He was enjoying the possibilities of a woman and a child being in danger entirely too much.
Karlin turned and looked behind the door then bent down to look with Adrianna.
“WATCH OUT!!!” Eric screamed.
Adrianna, Karlin and all four men jumped and readied their weapons. Eric belted out a loud laugh that echoed down the hallway.
“Just kidding.” Turning away from the group he had startled still bellowing laughter through the restaurant.
Adrianna burst out of the bathroom and rushed down the hallway.
“What the fuck is your problem?” Pushing Eric from behind.
Eric tripped over a leg of a chair and caught himself, he gained his balance, turned fast and backhanded Adrianna back to the floor.
“Woman, you don’t put hands on me.” He told her watching her fall.
Thomas ran to Eric as he raised his hand again and caught it as it came down to hit her again.
“In my day, hitting a woman meant you were a coward.” Thomas stated looking Eric straight in the eye.
Eric yanked his fist away from Thomas’ grasp and started a staring match with Thomas. “You can do what you will to me, but not to a female.” Thomas stated.
Thomas took a step back ready for Eric’s wrath to come down on him, instead Eric backed away and turned to look at the dining room.
Another loud bang came from the bathroom that Adrianna and Karlin had just left from. Everyone turned to look down the hallway.
“Leave it, it can’t get out. Gather any food they have here and we need to take any silverware and dishes that they have.” Eric instructed.
Adrianna still stunned,
held her hand to her face as Willy and Alex helped her up. Karlin stayed back in the hallway trying to not draw attention to herself and stay out of the way. Thomas and Nate made their way past Eric to the kitchen and began gathering things in a box found in an oversized pantry. The rest followed once they checked out Adrianna. Karlin brought up the rear.
“Karlin, stay out here with me.” Eric told her.
She stopped mid step and sat in one of the few chairs that were sat upright. “Get up, we don’t sit around. Go watch outside for any of them.”
Karlin hesitated then headed to the door. She stood staring out into the parking lot. She could see one walking down the street, but nothing that was of any threat. She looked back at the man that she feared, he was staring back at her.
“You know Karlin, you have to be able to take care of yourself when we are all gone. That is why I am so hard on you, you have to know how to handle things.” Eric explained.
Karlin nodded and turned back to watching. Eric never went to help the others and seemed to be just standing around in the dining area when the rest came out with boxes full of things they could use.
“Get out there and open the back of the van.” Eric told Karlin.
The group hurried so that she would not be going outside alone and made it to the back just as she opened the doors.
“There was one walking down the street, but I think he is gone.” Karlin pointed to the road.
Nate and Thomas turned to watch as the others loaded their boxes. Karlin closed the doors and everyone made their way back inside.
“Only able to fit a couple of more boxes.” Willy said passing by Eric.
They gathered another two boxes of the food that was left in the pantry and Willy and Nate carried them back out to the van.
“Let’s go.” Willy poked his head back inside. “A couple of them are out in the road and will head this way if they hear us.”
The group hurried to the van and loaded up. Eric hopped in the passenger seat. Willy started the van and watched an undead woman and man make their way quickly through the parking lot. He backed up, went around both of them and headed back onto the road. Night fall was coming and soon he would not be able to see them before he hit them, he stepped on the gas to try and speed up.
“Slow down, if we get stuck out here after sundown, we will just have to deal with it.” Eric said.
“I don’t want to run into a horde like before.” Willy expressed his concern.
“Do as I say.” Eric stated calmly to his driver.
Willy slowed the van and crept around each of the abandoned cars and any undead walking through them. Some he had to wait for them to pass the front of the van before stepping on the gas again.
Finally made it back to the gate, where there were at least ten standing amongst the gate and walking into it and then backing up and walking into it again. Nate slid the door back and began to step out with his weapon of choice that day, which happened to be a golf club he had dug up in the garden a few days before.
“New girl, go.” Eric told her.
Adrianna stepped from the van with her knife and followed Nate. Thomas went to follow to help with the group of pricks standing in their way.
“No, close the door.” Eric stated.
Thomas retracted himself from the door and sat back down, Alex pushed the door closed from his seat in the back. They all watched as Nate and Adrianna approached them.
“Get what we can from the back and then we won’t have as many when they realize we are here.” Nate set the game plan.
Nate swung his golf club into the head of the first one and Adrianna raised her knife with both hands and came down on another. By the second one Nate hit with the club and Adrianna had taken another by the hair to stab; the others had started to turn around and head for them with their arms outstretched. Nate swung a big swing and took out two at once. Adrianna gouged another on the side of its head, and quickly withdrew her knife and hurried to stick it in another one. Both of them worked quickly and came down to the last three when Adrianna tripped over the one that she had just pulled her knife out of and a man started to fall on top of her, Adrianna rolled out of the way of the falling zombie and jumped up turning to stab the fallen one in the head. Another one came behind her and fell on top of her putting her stomach on the ground. She could hear its growling close to her ear. She quickly pulled her head the opposite way of the loud growl and tried to roll herself over under the dead weight of the man on top of her but couldn’t. Nate buried his club into another before hearing Adrianna’s grunts to try and push the man off of her back. He ran to her and pulled the man from her and threw him backwards quickly grabbing Adrianna to help her stand. The man seemed to be in a hurry to get to them and bear crawled across the ground. Nate swung his club up and hit the man square in the chin, it knocked him back, he shook his head and growled at them. Adrianna ran to him and buried her knife in his skull. One more was trying to make her way to them so Nate took one big swing and took off her head.
“Hey we are good out here, open it up.” Nate hollered to whoever was on watch.
Atora removed the poles and pulled the gate open, Nate and Adrianna ran in and collapsed out of the way up against the fence.
Atora closed the gate after the van pulled in and replaced the poles before running to Adrianna and Nate.
“You guys okay? What the hell are y’all doing out there by yourselves?” Atora gave them a drink from her water bottle she had brought down with her.
CHAPTER 3
“WE WERE the chosen ones.” Adrianna heaved out after her drink and handed it to Nate.
Atora helped them both up and they all headed to the van that Willy had parked next to the barn to unload. Eric was already out and supervising every one of their jobs and where to put things.
While everyone was hard at work, Eric left to the house. The smell of dinner got stronger the closer he got. He dropped his bat inside the door and went to the kitchen. Rue handed him a plate without saying a word. Barker and Linda looked up at him and ran to the back room from the small table where they were sitting. Rowena sat on Rue’s hip while she made another plate and walked back to the back room.
Eric threw his plate in the trash and made his way back to the room to check on the group. Andrew watched as Eric walked by him without saying a word.
“Everything okay?” Eric asked Rue.
“Yep, just trying to do what I am supposed to.” Rue stated.
“Good girl. Kids, are you all behaving for your momma?” He asked.
“Yes sir.” They muttered without looking up.
“Barker, you are gonna get out here tomorrow and help work the yard.” Eric told him.
“Eric, you said if I followed your rules, that the kids could stay here safe with me.” Rue stepped in front of Barker.
“He will be safe, he is just working the yard, I’m not sending him out in the streets…yet.” He told her.
Rue’s eyes began to fill with tears. “I have been with you from day one Eric, believing all that you believe and do. You owe me. Don’t take them from me.”
Eric grabbed Rue and pulled her to him and kissing her hard on the mouth then turned and walked away.
The rest of the group, except for Andrew who had gone to keep watch, walked in as Eric made it back to the living room. Everyone got their plates and filled them with food and sat in a circle on the living room floor and began to eat quietly until Eric walked outside.
“What is the deal, why is he like that?” Adrianna asked.
“He says that he has had hard times with other people and that it his job to keep everyone in line to keep everyone safe. So he keeps acting like that and we have no choice but to abide by his little rules or we have been warned that we will be kicked out into the midst of the apocalypse.” Atora explained.
Adrianna nodded in an understanding manner, there really was nothing they could do unless they wanted to go back on the road fighting for their life.
> They all finished up and began to clean up when Rue walked in with bloodshot eyes.
“You okay?” Nate asked her.
Rue only nodded and went on helped with cleaning. Nate grabbed her hand and squeezed and let go quickly, just to let her know that he was there if she needed him. All made their way to their rooms and laid down, happy to be able to rest. Adrianna was happy to be set up in the room with Atora and Karlin and was happy to have a roof over her head. She laid and wished that she still had her family and friends with her.
A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. The door squeaked open and Eric waved his hand at her to come out of the room.
“I need you to keep watch in the tower. Andrew needs to be relieved. You will be there until morning and then you can come sleep.” He led her to the front door by her arm.
Adrianna yanked her arm from him. “I know how to walk, you need to calm down and realize the awesome group you have here.”
“You need to realize how to do as I say, when I say to do it. Get your ass moving.”
Adrianna stood on the porch as Eric shut the door and left her alone to do as he said. She walked down the dirt path and toward the tower she could barely see in the moonlight.
“Andrew?” Adrianna questioned.
“Yep, come on up.”
Adrianna found the ladder and climbed up through the small door. There was very little space and it didn’t seem very stable, but Adrianna sat down.
“Here are a few knives and the rifle we keep up here. There are plenty out there, but we only take on any that are trying to get in and look as though they might be successful. Holler if you need us.” Andrew explained to her. “Stay warm.”
Andrew took off down the ladder and left Adrianna to herself. She scanned around the streets and around the land. She pulled her furred hoodie from her jacket up on her head, propped her head up on her hands, her elbows on her knees and sat trying to pass the boredom by counting the nails in the floor. Every few minutes she pushed her glasses back up on her nose. Soon she dozed off and woke to Atora climbing the ladder with the sun just starting to rise.